Chapter 1088: Xu Qing’s Destination
Grand Emperor Swordsage had perished. His Master was in seclusion. The empress was working on cultivation. Erniu had gone away. It was almost like the spinning of a gnomon on a gigantic sundial. In half of a sixty-year-cycle, a huge storm would hit.
The ancient immortal waiting outside of Revered Ancient was now a sharp blade hanging over the heads of all living beings. He was a mortal threat. It was easy to imagine how intense the sensation of danger would become as time passed.
Even to mortals, half of a sixty-year-cycle wasn’t very long. And that was even more the case with cultivators. If one went into secluded meditation, that time could pass very quickly.
The sense of danger would turn into pressure that would weigh down on the world. All species were going to be making their final preparations. In fact, it seemed like the only option they had was to beg for protection from the gods. And thus, some places became even more peaceful than before. Others, in contrast, descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, the apathetic gods just watched everything play out. To thēm, this delay was just an amusing twist in all the drama.
As for the misery of the people.... The Revered Ancient mainland had been a place of misery ever since the broken face arrived. The main difference was that in the past, the misery had mostly affected mortals. Now, it affected everyone.
In the desert in the Moonrite Region, Nethersprite was boiling water in the Green Spirit Pharmacy.
The Heir Apparent took a sip of tea then put the cup down. “It’s actually fair when you think about it.”
Princess Brightblossom shook her head slightly as she looked at Xu Qing as he refilled the Heir Apparent’s cup.
“Did you think things through yet?” she asked.
Xu Qing put the teapot down, sat down in front of the two of them, and nodded.
After leaving the Imperial Region, his first stop had been here, the Moonrite Region. Before departing, he wanted to see Ling’er as well as the Heir Apparent and his siblings. Unfortunately, Ling’er was still in seclusion, with Grandpa Ninth standing guard. Xu Qing chose not to disturb them. And thus, he was here saying his farewells to the Heir Apparent and Princess Brightblossom.
“It’s good for kids to go out and get some practical experience,” the Heir Apparent said. “But the outer sea is a very chaotic place. Given your current cultivation base and battle prowess, you shouldn’t run into too much trouble. Just remember... don’t go in too deep.”
He put his tea down, looked at Xu Qing, and thought for a moment. Then he suddenly lifted his right hand. An instant later, a dao lineament swirled out, forming a sealing mark in front of him.
“This is a manifestation of my perception-altering authority. You can use it three times. Take it to defend yourself.”
Xu Qing had not told the Heir Apparent what his true destination was. But the sealing mark made it clear that the Heir Apparent was concerned for his safety. Xu Qing accepted it.
Princess Brightblossom looked at him deeply, then sighed. Waving her hand, she sent out an illusory river into a jade bottle. She gave the bottle to Xu Qing.
“That’s a bit of the River of Time that I assimilated.”
Xu Qing took it. Then he stood and bowed very deeply to the two of them. “I’ll take my leave now, Seniors. Grandpa Heir Apparent. Grandma Brightblossom. Please... take care of yourselves.”
He turned and walked away. He left the Green Spirit Pharmacy. He left the mountains. He vanished from the desert.
After he was gone, Princess Brightblossom sighed. “The kid isn’t going to the outer sea.”
The Heir Apparent said nothing for a moment. Then he also sighed. “It’s been many years since I first heard the legends about the outer sea. Those legends also mention the place he’s going.
“Thirty years.... Father is already on his way back. Based on my calculations, he isn’t very far away. I hope that by the time he gets back, he’s still our father. I guess it’s good that the kid is going away.”
Princess Brightblossom looked up into the sky and out into what lay beyond. She said nothing.
***
Xu Qing was making his way quietly through the Moonrite Region. Before departing, he wanted to go to Sea-Sealing County to see Plumdark. After that, he needed to remove all hindrances before starting on the journey of his own choosing.
Thirty years.... As he sped through the sky, ripples suddenly spread through the sky, and a huge mirror appeared.
In the middle of the mirror was a huge mountain covered with temples. An old woman appeared on the summit of the mountain. Next to her was an old man with a huge white beard covering his face.
Upon seeing the two of them, Xu Qing stopped in place and bowed respectfully.
“Grandma Fifth. Grandpa Eighth.”
Looking kindly at Xu Qing, Grandma Fifth nodded. Without saying a word she extended her hand, giving him a flower petal made from her own authority. When the flower petal formed, Grandma Fifth looked visibly older.
“Take it. As long as you have even one breath of life within you, that flower petal can restore you.”
Xu Qing knew that Grandma Fifth’s authority took away some of her life force every time she used it. He hesitated.
“She’s giving it to you. Take it!” said Grandpa Eighth, glaring. Then he waved his hand, and sent out a sealing mark made of his own authority of rage. “That can boost your battle prowess. Just remember that you’ll be temporarily weakened after the boost ends.”
These gifts from his elders filled Xu Qing’s heart with warmth. He accepted them and was about to say something when a beam of sword light suddenly shot toward him from above. Wild colors flashed in heaven and earth as five streams of sword energy turned into a sealing mark in front of him.
Then Grandpa Ninth’s voice echoed out in heaven and earth.
“That’s the will of my sword. If you use it all at once, it can slaughter an Imperial Sovereign!”
Xu Qing was visibly moved. After accepting everything, he took a deep breath and bowed to Grandma Fifth, Grandpa Eight, and in the direction the sword light had come from.
As the three venerable siblings looked on, he left the Moonrite Region.
***
A day later, a pagoda that glittered with starlight appeared in the clouds over Sea-Sealing County. Xu Qing stepped out of it. A moment later he was deep underground.
This had once been a palace of operations of an Ancient Emperor. And now, Xu Qing was standing outside of a hall in Plumdark’s phoenix palace. Everything was quiet. There were no signs that anyone had disturbed this place.
It had been years since Xu Qing ordered this place to be sealed tight. There was a spell formation constantly active to ensure that Plumdark wasn’t disturbed.
When Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior sensed Xu Qing’s arrival, he appeared outside the grand hall. He bowed excitedly.
“Greetings, milord!” he said in a loud voice. “Milord, I’ve missed you so much! Don’t worry. Little Freespirit has been cautious and conscientious this entire time. I’ve been standing guard and can tell you that no slip-ups have occurred. With me on guard here, not even a speck of dust has dared to show up!”
He was attempting to convey how useful he was. Though he had been a bit bored in this place, he was more than happy to be here. After all, the outside was a dangerous place, and following Xu Qing around made things even more dangerous. He was still constantly worried about being turned into cannon fodder....
Considering how strong he had become, he knew that if he left this place, he would probably be put to use in nine battles out of ten.... As far as Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior was concerned, that was just too dangerous.
In all of the novels he had read, being the bodyguard of the protagonist’s love interest always brought big rewards as long as you didn’t mess up. That was why he was working so hard to paint himself as being very useful.
Xu Qing nodded and then looked at the phoenix temple. Plumdark had been seeking enlightenment for a lot longer than Xu Qing had expected.
Eventually he looked away and studied the surroundings. As Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior cautiously looked on, Xu Qing suddenly waved his hand.
The will of a god erupted out. Ripples spread to fill a 30-meter area, making everything within it distorted and difficult to see. However, it was possible to see a figure forming. It was a figure that settled cross-legged and then sank down into the ground.
Given that Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior wasn’t up to date on everything that had happened, his eyes went wide. He was almost certain he had just seen another version of Xu Qing.... And that version of Xu Qing seemed cold, apathetic, and incredibly terrifying.
Shivering, the patriarch said, “Milord, was that...?”
“My god clone,” Xu Qing replied calmly.
Considering that Ling’er was in the care of the Heir Apparent and his siblings, Xu Qing wasn’t worried about her being kept safe in the thirty years to come. But he was worried about Plumdark. Therefore, he was going to leave his god clone behind, both to seek enlightenment of godly authority, and also, to stand guard over Plumdark. He had no intention of bringing his god clone with him on his journey. That was because in the place he was going... gods were not welcome.
Unfortunately, even though he was leaving his god clone behind in Revered Ancient, his immortal true self couldn’t use his godly authority magics. That included his authority of sound, the carving knife formed from his godly authority of fate, and his taboo poison. All of those could only be used by his god clone.
That said, given I have my extreme immortal cultivation base, my battle prowess isn’t any lower because of that.
Xu Qing reached up and rubbed his chest. The violet crystal was there. When he got his god clone back earlier, he had moved the violet crystal into his immortal body.
Looking one last time at the phoenix hall, he took a deep breath. As Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior offered respectful farewells, Xu Qing took a step forward and vanished. When he reappeared, he was outside the Sageheaven Pagoda high in the sky. The god vine swirled. The golden rat bowed its head. As Xu Qing landed on the pagoda, he looked down at Sea-Sealing County....
A few breaths of time passed. Eyes flashing with decisiveness, he stepped into the pagoda. It rumbled loudly then turned into a beam of light that shot over the horizon and toward... the outer sea!
“Back when we met that old man in the outer sea, he said that the place had a name. The Primeval Sea. It’s a fantastic thing. Any location where it exists is a strategic spot and a prosperous place. And that’s because the Primeval Sea connects all of the star rings in the universe.
“In other words, the outer sea is actually a passageway leading to other star rings. The part of the Primeval Sea in which the Ninth Star Ring lays is special. It’s been sealed. And you can only get out of it through special rifts. He also said that you need the cultivation base of a Summer Immortal to make the journey.”
As the pagoda sped toward the outer sea, Xu Qing sat cross-legged inside. He pulled out a white scale. It was actually a command medallion. Back when he left the Summer Immortal Palace, he had given up his spot in exchange for this travel medallion, which would allow him to travel the Primeval Sea. With it, he could go to other star rings even though he wasn’t a Summer Immortal. The process would still be very dangerous. It was a very special medallion. It was so special, in fact, that the palace lord only had three of them.
Xu Qing looked at it, then looked up. In his mind’s eye, he could see that old man, and could hear the last words he had spoken.
“That’s a world controlled by humans, and it’s also a world of immortals.”
It was the Fifth Star Ring, and it was also called... the Immortal Capital. Xu Qing took a deep breath. Putting the medallion away, he closed his eyes and started meditating.
In that manner, time passed.
Four hours later, the Sageheaven pagoda sped through the sky over the Forbidden Sea. The border between the inner sea and the outer sea... was getting closer and closer. Even as the pagoda sped along at top speed, a flirtatious peal of laughter reached his ears from outside.
“So, your primal yang is back, you naughty little boy.”