Chapter 1210 - Yin and Yang

As the words of the Poison Lord echoed forth, they transformed into special jade slips. With the fluttering of wings, information about the Resources Management Division was imprinted into the minds of all present. The Resources Management Division, one of the 324 divisions within the Reception Universe. Its primary duty is to prepare special materials for the battlefield, collecting standard raw materials at fixed times and locations. Once collected, these materials are delivered here to the Resources Management Division, which in turn hands them over to the Logistics Division to be sent to the front lines. Due to the nature of warfare, the Resources Management Division operates with preparation as its primary focus. And the only thing they prepare… is the Primordial Essence craved by all cultivators above a certain tier! For the battlefield, the demand for this essence is even greater. Hence, the collection methods aren't like Xu Qing's fishing method in the Moyang Universe. The focus of the Resources Management Division is on all the alien universes within the Fifth Starring's Outer Heavens, extracting and refining it from their bloodline and life force. It also involves... the vast number of Divine Spirit Prisons scattered across all Outer Heavens. These prisons vary in nature, some belonging to their respective universes, some to the Outer Heavens, and others to families as private holdings. The suppressed divine spirits within them are also sources for essence extraction. As these details emerged in Xu Qing's mind, his eyes narrowed, finally understanding why the Resource Management Teams he'd seen before were shrouded in a deathly aura. Because of the slaughter, because of the extraction. Additionally, their domineering behavior and habitual methods naturally caused them to exude malice. Aside from that, the information also revealed the identity of the Poison Lord to Xu Qing and others. The Poison Lord, having achieved significant merit in the past, holds the position of guardian of the Dao Immortal Sect of the Western Star Region, Immortal Capital, while also leading the Resources Management Division. After integrating this information into the butterflies, granting everyone a level of understanding about the Resources Management Division, the Poison Lord spoke calmly from above to the team that had a conflict with Xu Qing and others. "You all, go deliver the Primordial Essence." The elder nearly at the peak of quasi-immortal strength and his team bowed deeply, then ascended, whistling away into the distance. Before leaving, the middle-aged cultivator who was nearly skewered by Xu Qing's iron chopstick turned back, giving Xu Qing a deep, lingering glance. That look held a lingering fear, along with a hint of unwillingness. Xu Qing sensed it, and with cold eyes, he committed the man to memory. As they departed, Xu Qing and the others remained on the gelatinous black sea, their expressions grave as they absorbed the information about the Resources Management Division. While Xu Qing felt wary and Li Mengtu was uneasy, for the others, there was no direct interaction with the Poison Lord. In their eyes, he was an immortal, their future superior, both in cultivation and status deserving of respect. After all, within the Fifth Starring, disrespecting an immortal was one of the gravest sins. "From now on…" The Poison Lord began slowly, uttering these five words before pausing, his gaze carrying an inexplicable pressure as it swept over all below. He barely glanced at his disciple Li Mengtu, and even towards Xu Qing, he maintained the same indifference. As if past events were of no consequence to him. Even the previous provocation was just a normal evaluation. Under his gaze, everyone instinctively lowered their heads. After a while, the Poison Lord's raspy voice rang out again. "You newly ascended ones, your duty is to prepare for war. As you're in the same field… you'll form a Resources Management Team on your own." "As for the captain…" The Poison Lord glanced at Xu Qing, then at the Starring Daoist, finally settling his gaze on Yuan Shan Su and… Zhou Zhengli. Of the four he looked at, two possessed quasi-immortal cultivation, one had quasi-immortal combat prowess, as for Zhou Zhengli… When the gaze fell upon him, Zhou Zhengli's expression turned terrified, and he immediately stepped back, indicating his stance. The Starring Daoist's expression was neutral; he had seen through everything. The prior events were evidently a test, but majority… were intended to create division! However, due to Xu Qing's intervention, the divide failed. But one could imagine if that division had succeeded, they probably wouldn’t be forming a single team now. It would have likely resulted in two or more teams. Xu Qing’s aid was something the Starring Daoist hadn't anticipated, so after a moment of silence, he spoke faintly, "I have no interest in being captain." Almost at the same time, Yuan Shan Su silently stepped back. Her personality had changed markedly since the Journey to the Aurora Immortal Palace, due to everything she experienced there. She harbored an instinctive reverence for Xu Qing. On one hand, she had witnessed Xu Qing's methods, and on the other… as the last of those stars left to dissipate, she had obtained significantly more information than the others. And she had inferred some things. For example, the identity of Aurora Immortal Lord, or… the fact that the Aurora Young Master did not perish, and that her previous identity still lived! All of this had left her deep in thought after leaving the Aurora Immortal Palace. Thus she had no desire to contend for the team leader's position. Seeing this, the Poison Lord’s expression remained impassive as his gaze focused on Xu Qing. "Xu Qing." With a solemn expression, Xu Qing raised his head and bowed to the Poison Lord. The more he suspected the other’s malicious intentions, the more he dared not expose any flaw that could be exploited, such as disrespecting an immortal. "I'm appointing you as the head of this team. Set out immediately to the designated location to prepare supplies for a period of… five months!" With that said, the Poison Lord gestured, and a Storage Ring flew out, floating before Xu Qing. "It contains the uniform of a Resource Envoy, your identity, and the upcoming task for your destination." "Now, let everyone else await outside the Reception Universe. Xu Qing, you stay." With a flick of his sleeve, the heavens rumbled, worlds grew hazy, and in an instant, everyone except Xu Qing vanished. Through immense force, they were instantly transported away from this star. Xu Qing’s eyes subtly narrowed, but his demeanor remained neutral, standing there respectfully. Between him and the Poison Lord — one at sea, the other in the sky — the atmosphere plunged into silence. Both maintained the quiet. Until after a long time, the Poison Lord stepped down, his figure twisting as he appeared before Xu Qing. To stand before an immortal harboring malicious intent, this pressure weighed heavily on Xu Qing. Especially as he vaguely sensed that this immortal was no ordinary one, likely among the absolute apex even within lesser immortals. Such a being, with just a thought, could obliterate him in both form and spirit. But fortunately… this is the Reception Universe, this is the Nine Shores Outer Heaven, this is the Fifth Starring. Without any wrongdoing, these are his protections. Hence, Xu Qing kept his demeanor respectful. "Though your heart is guarded to the extreme, filled with unease, you show nothing…" "Xu Qing, though this is my first time meeting you, you certainly surprise me." The Poison Lord began slowly. "Thank you, exalted immortal, for your acknowledgment. I am honored by your praise." Xu Qing replied neither haughty nor humble. The Poison Lord, hearing this, eyed him meaningfully, then started forward. Xu Qing silently followed, walking together upon this black sea. The wind howled, the sea billowed. After a pause, the Poison Lord’s voice reverberated. "Xu Qing, your path — I once considered borrowing it, to break into the realm of immortality, to step into the immortal lord stage." Xu Qing remained silent. "The Fifth Starring, ever since the fall of the Aurora Immortal Lord, has lacked a new immortal lord for far too many years." "Yet the pace of war quickens, its momentum intensifying…" The Poison Lord’s voice drifted, imbued with resignation, tinged with lament. "The crucial reason being the emergence of a new Divine Master within the Fourth Starring these years!" "Its overall strength has reached the critical point for sparking a Starring Life-and-Death Battle!" "At such a time, Xu Qing, do you know, if a new Immortal Lord were to emerge within the Fifth Starring, it would be a significant event for everyone!" "And I…" The Poison Lord paused mid-step. "I am among the lesser immortals of the Fifth Starring most likely to break into the immortal realm, to become an immortal lord!" Xu Qing solemnly bowed once more. "Your subordinate wishes the exalted immortal an early breakthrough, to attain the honor of immortal lord!" The Poison Lord cast a sidelong glance at Xu Qing. Xu Qing’s expression was sincere. After a long pause, the Poison Lord shook his head and chuckled. "Though I couldn't make the borrowing happen, we are fated together nonetheless…" "I'll assign you a unique task today." "Many years ago, the Nine Shores Immortal Lord assigned the Resources Management Division a mission: to find a mystical nine-colored ice capable of extinguishing the Divine Master’s Flame. This task has always been my responsibility, and I’ve been searching without passing it on to others." "Today, I hand it over to you. Are you willing to attempt to find it?" The Poison Lord spoke blandly, his eyes fixed on Xu Qing. He wanted to see if Xu Qing could comprehend the implications in his words. Xu Qing, upon hearing this, gazed curiously at the Poison Lord, his thoughts racing. He grasped the message within. This was an offer! The reality behind essence collection, tacitly condoned, is that as long as the standards set by the Resources Management Division are met, any excess can be pocketed. As long as it's done subtly and not overly greedy, no one would question it. And with the immortal lord's mission… especially under the order of the Nine Shores Immortal Lord, this was akin to an unparalleled advantage, a pretext for any action! With this pretext… alongside the authority of a Resource Envoy, theoretically, one could act without restraint, seize at will. In any action, simply stating the belief that this place holds the nine-colored ice sought by the immortal lord would suffice. This would undoubtedly accelerate his cultivation! However, it was also a double-edged sword! The pitfall lay in its gravity. The Poison Lord could, at any moment, use the failure to find this item as grounds for punishment. Accepting it meant being at another's mercy. Thus, it was both a straightforward and an insidious plot. Understanding it made it straightforward. Not understanding it made it insidious. Xu Qing pondered.