Chapter 1207 - Prohibition

As he departed from the Tomb of the Heroic Immortals, Xu Qing cast a distant gaze toward the imagined position of the Ninth Starring. Amidst the boundless sea of stars, he wasn't even sure if his gaze truly reached the Ninth Starring. Despite the divine avatar in Wanggu and the stirrings in his heart, the daunting distance rendered everything a blur. Yet, despite the uncertainties, despite seeing nothing, and even the questionable precision of the Ninth Starring's location, Xu Qing understood the root of his longing. He was homesick. He missed the ancient continent, the people, the places, and everything within. "There will come a day when the Ancient Continent is like the Fifth Starring, devoid of impurities, awash in celestial spirit energy," he mused. "And the enduring deities may change course, forsaking godhood for immortality!" After a moment, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze. It wasn't time to return yet. He wasn't strong enough. Nor capable of effecting change or ensuring protection. "But soon..." Xu Qing silently promised. After a while, he dismissed all thoughts, extracted the Immortal Jade Slip from the Moyang Universe, and with a light squeeze, his form blurred, ripples emanating from his center as he vanished in an instant. The space passage between universes harnessed a vast energy, requiring support from a higher constitution, indispensable for teleportation to function normally within the realm of the Nine Shores. Even with his current cultivation, Xu Qing's understanding of space revealed only a fraction of its essence. "It involves secrets... Likely related to the Nine Shores Immortal Lord," Xu Qing mused internally, the lord’s tier was still far beyond reach. As the void shifted, the fabric of reality distorted, and the starry sky transformed, ever so slowly replaced. When everything settled, Xu Qing found himself no longer in the Tomb of the Heroic Immortals, but within an asteroid-crafted Immortal Palace in the Moyang Universe! The moment he pushed open the palace door, the scene of Moyang Universe emerged before him. Taking a step forward, he disappeared in a flash, reappearing outside the Black Hole of Moktu. There, reclining with an air of leisure, harmonizing a rhythm for the dancing beauties, was the beautiful fox maiden. Noticing Xu Qing’s return, she looked a bit surprised, pouting her lips. "Back so soon, dastard?" she teased. "Without even a heads-up, catching me unprepared; is this an inspection?" “Oh, never mind. I won't bicker with you—how did it go? Was it smooth?” she further inquired playfully. Having long become immune to the fox maiden’s teasing, Xu Qing replied indifferently. “Smoothly enough; you may continue.” After speaking, Xu Qing seated himself cross-legged, ignoring her as he retrieved the object the mausoleum keeper had gifted him. He placed it in front of him, letting his consciousness delve into careful study. Seeing Xu Qing disinterested in her, the fox maiden chuckled softly but didn't mind. She had grown accustomed to Xu Qing’s behavior, as had he. She simply enjoyed teasing him, savoring his usual rejection. From this dynamic, she found a joy she once thought lost but gradually rediscovered, a human pleasure—a testament to truly living. She chose to immerse herself in humanity, ignoring divinity. Watching the dancing beauties to one side, and Xu Qing meditating to another, she suddenly laughed. "These are the lands I have conquered as a deity!" she exclaimed joyfully, fully aware of the contrast between herself and the innate deities. Her humanity hadn't faded completely nor did she wish it to, and each teasing session with Xu Qing stirred that humanity she cherished. "This is just fine." Taking a bite of the immortal fruit by her side, she narrowed her eyes like crescent moons in comfort. Time passed gradually. Months slipped by without notice. During these months, the fox maiden stayed in high spirits, while Xu Qing immersed himself in studying the peculiar bell. The bell's material was indeed unusual. Despite trying various techniques, Xu Qing couldn't leave any mark on the bell. Even his Constitution of Time and Space proved ineffective. The bell couldn't exist in other times or spaces—a force encircled it, restricting its time-space domain. "This must be what the mausoleum keeper referred to… a trace of Divine Master’s might," Xu Qing pondered. "Though its previous owner perished at the Divine Master's hands, the treasure was neither destroyed nor retained by that Master. Its survival speaks volumes of its worth!” “However, the bell lacks a clapper. But my months of effort have not been in vain!" Xu Qing’s eyes gleamed with insight. Over these months, while external forces couldn't mar the bell, through nurturing it with his Immortal Embryo, a faint bond formed between Xu Qing and the bell. Originally, this bond could have deepened. With the bell unclaimed, it welcomed Xu Qing’s nurturing, meeting no resistance, quite the opposite—not just nurtured by Xu Qing, but actively seeking his mana, like parched earth yearning for rain. However, Xu Qing always exercised caution with the deep unknown. Thus, he controlled the nurturing process meticulously, ensuring his hold on the bond remained unyielding. Any anomaly would break the connection immediately. "Now, the method to unleash the bell’s power should lie in its sound!" Xu Qing surmised, raising his right hand and conjuring an iron rod crafted in the Tao Refinement Universe. It flashed its sharp edge before his eyes. Gazing at the bell, Xu Qing weighed his judgment anew. Upon affirming his conclusion, he resolutely propelled the rod to strike the bell. At the moment of contact, the entire bell quivered intensely. A clear, prolonged tone resonated from the bell. The sound, ethereal and pure, as it rang out, instantly disintegrated the fox maiden’s wine cup, along with her bed and any figments she conjured—all vanished in a heartbeat. The fox maiden staggered backward in astonishment, her illusory form distorted, revealing her godly presence, face marked by disbelief. "What is this!" she exclaimed. But not only the fox maiden, the surrounding starry expanse trembled as well. The sound echoed endlessly, boundlessly, as if reverberating within the minds of all, its residual notes penetrating the universe. In an instant, silence fell over the areas covered by the bell’s toll within the Moyang Universe. In that silence, all illusions ceased to exist, all spells unraveled, all supernatural powers collapsed. Xu Qing was amazed. He had finally discovered the bell’s true potential! "It prohibits all magic!" "And, judging by the fox maiden’s reaction, divine beings are also within its suppressive scope!" Yet, unfortunately, as the bell's sound faded, everything around returned to its original state. The fox maiden's illusions returned, along with the vanished immortal fruit, now restored to her hand. However, her appetite had waned. She looked at Xu Qing solemnly and spoke with gravity. "This treasure… can suppress the divine!" Xu Qing nodded. "Indeed, it’s a lethal weapon!" With that, Xu Qing focused, continuing his study of the bell. The fox maiden observed for a moment, sighed, and lamented the terror she felt once more on the Fifth Starring. "I wonder, once he's mastered his skills here and returns to the Ancient Continent, what kind of commotion Little Xu might cause among the deities there." "Whatever it’ll be, it’s none of my concern." With such thoughts, the fox maiden resumed her enjoyment. Time flowed on. Xu Qing's research paused after several more months. Thereafter, he devoted himself to cultivation, stabilizing his Immortal Embryo and reinforcing his prior breakthroughs. He solidified his state steadily—until the long-awaited day of reception arrived, precisely one year later. On that day, a solemn voice resonated from within Xu Qing's Universe Immortal Jade Slip, echoing into his consciousness. "All ascendants of this cycle, prepare yourselves. You have twelve cosmic hours to report to the Reception Universe and await orders." "You all shall be assigned duties, truly becoming part of Nine Shores." The voice echoed not only in Xu Qing's mind but in the hearts of all ascendants dispersed across various universes. Regardless of their current activities, they displayed seriousness, mingled with anticipation. Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes from meditation, a sharp gleam in his gaze. "The time has finally come." Xu Qing rose, while the fox maiden dispelled her illusions, stretched lazily next to him. "I’ve lazed around enough; it’s time to join the excitement. I’m quite looking forward to what lies ahead," she chirped with eager anticipation.