Chapter 1213 - Guarding and Stealing

Different stances lead to different mindsets and actions, naturally. It cannot be simply divided into good and evil, as these markers often only exist within the same race. Therefore, when it comes to different races, one can hate, be angry, or feel helpless. After all, their ancestors were once divine beings. If the celestial change had not occurred in the Fifth Star Ring, they would be the rightful ones. The human race was merely the Slave Race, to be taken and used at will. But now, the gods are slaughtered, domesticated, imprisoned, and these different races have become the prey. In a sense, it is like a cycle of reincarnation. It is not about right or wrong, but rather... no matter the race, whether celestial beings or gods, their stances have already determined everything. The weak are destined to be devoured by the strong. The backward are destined to lose the qualification to confront directly. Therefore, cultivators do not become the divine beings of the past, but this itself is the law of life for all beings in the upper planetary rings and the myriad of creatures. You cannot demand the victim to always be victimized, nor can you expect the perpetrator to always perpetrate. Ultimately, it is a cycle. Xu Qing understood these truths when he was on the Ancient Continent. After arriving in the Fifth Star Ring, the experiences and the treatment of divine beings here made him even more aware of this law. Like the obsessions of those remnants in the Mausoleum of the Star Immortal. This is actually the entire Fifth Star Ring's attitude towards divine beings and different races. And Xu Qing, in his heart, agrees with this. However, he has his own judgment. Among the many indifferent gods, there are some gods who are more humane than humans. But this does not include the divine beings in this prison. Xu Qing does not have the benevolence to deeply contact and judge each one individually, to selectively gather them. Therefore, regarding the act of draining the pond to catch all the fish, he feels no ripples in his heart. At this moment, he arrived at the last speckled world on that leaf. The environment here is a viscous black sea. The surface of the sea was calm, yet there was no sense of harmony. From the stench of the seawater emanated a dense, foreign essence, permeating in all directions, trying to influence the surroundings. Beneath the sea lay a head. This head resembled a bird, covered in long tendrils, constantly secreting mucus. Over time, the mucus became this black sea. The moment Xu Qing descended, the foreign essence between the heavens and the sea roiled instantly, and the sea surface surged with great waves. The head beneath the sea trembled, its eyes suddenly opening wide. Golden light pierced through the ocean from its eyes, gazing at the heavens. An awe-inspiring, strange sound instantly entered Xu Qing's ears, transforming into thoughts that did not belong to him, growing in his mind. In the next moment, these formless thoughts astonishingly took form, becoming threads secreting black mucus, attempting to entwine Xu Qing's mind. The surrounding foreign essence also turned into a storm, rushing towards Xu Qing from all directions. The waves on the sea surged even higher, and at this moment, the entire world reversed, causing the sea to become the sky, above, and the sky to become the earth, below. Subsequently... the black sea poured down in torrents, including the head within, which broke out of the sea with the force of this reversal! In the next instant, the world blurred, the heavens and earth roared, obscuring everything. Until a few breaths later, a dense celestial energy erupted from within the blurriness, transforming into a thunderous roar, sweeping away all in its path, forcibly driving everything around it away. It restored clarity to the universe, brought clarity back to the world. The foreign essence dissolved in the celestial energy, the viscous sea vaporized within the celestial energy, revealing Xu Qing's figure. His right hand was raised, clutching a divine being's head that was far larger than his body. His five fingers dug powerfully into the flesh. Despite the evident size disparity between the two, the one engulfed in fear was the enormous head! It trembled! Strands of golden essence were being extracted from its body, merging into the jade slip in Xu Qing's palm. After a moment, with the release of a piercing cry. The head of the divine being trembled, turning gray, and transformed into dust, dissipating into the world. Xu Qing stood alone in mid-air, his gaze cold and fierce as he looked around. "The seal in this place is almost worn away... which is why this divine being could act on its own." "But this seal doesn't seem to be shaken by itself; rather, it appears that some other existence has helped it wear down most of the seal, thereby giving it the chance to continue eroding, waiting for it to break free." "So, is this the act of outsiders, or... is it an inside job by the prison itself?" Xu Qing pondered, having once served as a jailer, he was well aware of the petty schemes here. Lost in thought, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, his body shifting as he left this speckled world, appearing in the starry sky, looking towards the crimson Seaweed. He carefully and thoroughly observed the other leaves. The Seaweed swayed. After a while, Xu Qing suddenly spoke. "The other leaves, the divine beings imprisoned there, most of them should have already died, devoured by you!" As soon as he spoke, the swaying of the Seaweed suddenly accelerated, all its leaves unfolded, slowly approaching Xu Qing from all directions. Xu Qing remained unmoved, continuing to speak. "The leaf you previously gave me must have been deliberately reserved by you, for someone to collect and thereby cover up your inside job, am I right?" A terrifying will became sharp at this moment, and an astonishing pressure spread. The surrounding starry sky echoed with cracking sounds, mysterious marks emerged from all directions, sealing the place. Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, speaking once more. "The Young Lord of Aurora has a good relationship with me, you can sense my aura and judge my authority in the Aurora Immortal Palace." "The Nine Shores Immortal Lord values me greatly, you should be able to sense the aura on this item. "Among those who ascend in this realm, I am the first. If I fall here, you won't escape." Xu Qing raised his hand and took out a wooden slip, an item used to summon the ferry of the divine beings' Blood River. The seaweed paused, and in the next moment, the terrifying will contained within it instantly descended, enveloping the wooden slip Xu Qing had taken out. Subsequently, this will clearly showed ripples of change. Following this, the will shifted from the wooden slip, covering Xu Qing. It seemed to be conducting a deeper examination. Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged. After the mirror journey to the Aurora Immortal Palace concluded, since others had continued in the present world, there was no reason he wouldn't have. Although Xu Qing couldn't sense it in this Outer Heaven before, he judged it to be due to the true Aurora Immortal Palace being concealed. His inability to sense it didn't mean the seaweed growing in this Outer Heaven couldn't either. Thus, he was attempting to prove his identity through indirect methods! And if he failed, it didn't matter; the title of the Immortal Lord of Nine Shores and the first to ascend in this realm were enough to save his life. So Xu Qing allowed the will to examine him. After a while, when he felt a greater ripple in the seaweed's will and even its very being started to tremble, Xu Qing's eyes shone with brilliance. He knew his conjecture was correct! And at this moment, the seaweed, amidst its trembling, had its aura become chaotic, as if it were caught in a dilemma. Indeed, under this deep examination, it sensed that within this human in front of it lay the hidden authority of the Aurora Immortal Palace, and there existed a great cause and effect. This authority intimidated it. After all, it was affiliated with the Aurora Immortal Palace! Although the Aurora Beyond Heavens now lacked a master, its identity remained! However, its actions were already a grave offense, making its decision difficult at this moment... And just then, Xu Qing's voice echoed once more. "To suppress this divine prison for countless years, occasionally eating a bit when hungry is only natural." The seaweed paused. "Even if you almost finished eating, the thought of leaving a single leaf shows dedication to duty! "The will of the Seaweed was somewhat boiling. 'After all, it was I who came late, the fault is not yours.' All the leaves of the Seaweed swayed rapidly, and the oppressive aura around it dissipated by more than half. It could discern that the person before it was not lying, but truly believed so. 'Therefore, the past events are bygones, but now, I ask you, do you... wish to consume it?' Xu Qing pointed at the sun shrouded by the roots of the Seaweed. All the leaves of the Seaweed trembled at once, and then a deep divine thought echoed around Xu Qing. 'I do!' Xu Qing nodded. 'Let me in, protect me, and let me see if I can... extract some of it for us to share!' The Seaweed hesitated a bit, and after checking Xu Qing's aura again, its roots suddenly shook, swiftly unfolding a portion as if to open a path. However, before this path could fully open, the divine thought of the Seaweed suddenly dispersed, sweeping outward. 'No need to worry, it’s my man coming, open a gap and let him in.' Xu Qing spoke calmly. The Seaweed pondered for a moment, then loosened a gap in the blockade of this place. In the next instant, Zhou Zhengli's figure rushed in from outside. Upon appearing here, he quickly glanced around, then with a demeanor of having discovered nothing, he bowed to Xu Qing. 'What is the matter?' Xu Qing asked. 'Young Master, regarding the others on this mission, some have been successful in their gathering during this period, some have not, but overall, it can all be resolved.' 'However, there have been some unexpected developments at the Huntian Imperial Family, so I have come here to request the Young Master to go forth, given your status within this Aurora Beyond Heavens...' "To suppress those who think this Outer Heaven is truly unclaimed!" "Of course, if the Young Master is unwilling to exert his status, your humble servant can have Xinghuanzi handle it." Zhou Zhengli's respectful voice echoed. Xu Qing glanced at Zhou Zhengli. One had to admit, Zhou Zhengli was clever. If one overlooked his potential treachery, employing him would be quite satisfactory. "Let Xinghuanzi handle it." Xu Qing spoke slowly. "By the command of the Aurora!" Hearing these words, Zhou Zhengli respectfully retreated, following the exit out. The moment his figure vanished, the exit was sealed shut once more, and the will of the Seaweed enveloped the surroundings again. Xu Qing paid no heed to these matters, turning his gaze towards the roots. "Alright, you can open it now. I'm hungry, and I suppose you are too." Upon hearing this, the Seaweed did not hesitate. In an instant, its roots spread, revealing the entrance to the sun! Xu Qing's eyes shone with brilliance as he stepped forward!