Chapter 1161: Different Paths, Same Destination

But just as the Order Constitution on Xing Huanzi was turning, with iron chains piercing through the void in an instant, Xu Qing's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he let out a low shout.

"Forward!"

At the same time, he raised his hand and pointed toward Xing Huanzi.

Almost the moment Xu Qing's words were spoken, Xing Huanzi reacted with incredible speed—all the Order iron chains moved in unison, blocking directly in front of him.

But it was still a little too late.

A terrifying force erupted before those chains, horrifying and sudden.

Like exploding stars, like churning galaxies.

The sound was deafening; Xing Huanzi's face instantly turned pale, blood spurted out, and his body, like a kite with its string cut, tumbled backward—while all the Order iron chains before him collapsed completely, ring after ring shattering.

And at the place where the chains shattered, a figure suddenly became visible.

This figure was blurred, and in that instant, it was about to pursue Xing Huanzi, but as Xu Qing's finger descended, an invisible spatial power arose, transforming into sealing force.

To block it.

Though this spatial seal could not truly restrain that figure's terrifying speed, combined with Xing Huanzi's earlier Order obstruction, it ultimately bought Xing Huanzi a breath.

Allowing the blood-spitting, retreating Xing Huanzi to manifest his Balance Constitution, exchanging it for the speed needed to temporarily escape the life-and-death crisis!

Thus, that figure paused in the starry sky.

Revealing its full form.

It was none other than the middle-aged cultivator in a crimson robe still standing outside the palace gates!

Except now, the figure standing outside the palace was blurred, reduced to an afterimage.

His true body had, at this incredible speed—almost extreme—appeared before Xing Huanzi just moments ago, shattering everything; had it not been for Xu Qing's warning and aid, Xing Huanzi would likely be dead or, at best, severely wounded even if he survived.

"You can actually perceive my speed—no wonder you had the courage to steal my master's divine grain."

The middle-aged cultivator turned his head, looked toward Xu Qing, and spoke calmly.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his gaze—this person before him was, among the quasi-immortals he had encountered, arguably the strongest cultivator, and yet his Constitution… was actually not mysterious at all, but rather extremely simple.

It was Speed!

That is, the ultimate speed, even surpassing time!

And Constitution, in truth, has no inherent strength or weakness—it depends only on how far one has gone and how deeply one has studied.

"I originally intended to kill this man, to make you know difficulty and retreat, and spit out what you stole."

"But since you blocked me… then I'll just kill you."

The middle-aged cultivator stared at Xu Qing, his voice still echoing, yet his figure had already appeared three zhang in front of Xu Qing!

The speed was beyond perception; his right hand also rose, poised to press down on Xu Qing, while the starry sky around Xu Qing was now controlled, suddenly forming a vortex—a tearing force about to erupt.

But in the next instant, the middle-aged cultivator raised his eyebrows and let out a soft "eh."

His body retreated instead of advancing.

At this moment, killing intent exploded in Xu Qing's eyes—he had naturally prepared; the moment the opponent spoke, his Spatial Constitution had layered upon itself, his Time Constitution had thrown everything into chaos, and moreover, they had fused into a Spacetime Constitution, becoming seamless.

Therefore, the opponent's arrival, and the sudden appearance of that vortex with its tearing force, directly collided with Xu Qing's spacetime.

Soundlessly, in an instant, it was annihilated.

Xu Qing's body trembled, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, yet he raised his hands and suddenly formed seals before him.

"Suppress, Converge, Seal!"

Suppress space, converge time, seal spacetime!

In the next instant, the middle-aged cultivator's figure froze in the starry sky, his timeline suddenly solidified, the formed spacetime naturally sealing—his entire being and surroundings, like amber.

At the same time, Xu Qing's body shone with silver light; his nearly perfected immortal embryo unfolded in this instant, boundlessly vast, forming a true body like a deity's, standing firm in the starry sky.

His right hand rose, five fingers spread, forming the Five Phases!

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth—these five extremes all transformed into source essence, like five stars, his palm like a galaxy.

Even more like five deities!

With ultimate force, he directly struck down upon the middle-aged cultivator who was suppressed, converged, and sealed.

At the same time, Xing Huanzi hesitated not—his Balance Constitution suddenly stirred, exerting himself fully, fully erupting, causing the starry sky to transform into a balance scale.

Not to bolster himself, but… to bolster Xu Qing.

Using himself as the cost, he bolstered Xu Qing, causing Xu Qing's combat power to surge at this moment, continuously climbing to close the gap with that quasi-immortal peak.

Immediately afterward, the seaweed side also instantly burst out with piercing roar—all its leaves shot forth rapidly, fully unleashing its clan's innate power.

Its clan's innate ability was sealing.

Not sealing space, but… source essence!

At this moment, both sides acted—one bolstering Xu Qing, the other bolstering the seal.

Thus, as one waned and the other waxed, Xu Qing's raised five fingers descended like heavenly might.

And the sealed middle-aged cultivator, at this moment, slowly lifted his head, gazing at Xu Qing, a strange look in his eyes, deep in meaning, his voice hoarse as he spoke.

"I think… I know who you are—you are that… Xu Qing!"

As he spoke, the middle-aged cultivator licked his lips, similarly raised his right hand, placed it before him, and clenched it fiercely.

With this clench.

A sudden "crack-crack" sound rang out.

Space, shattered.

Time, shattered.

Spacetime, collapsed.

Then, his palm slowly opened, and he clenched again with force.

This time, Xing Huanzi's side shuddered all over, blood gushed madly, his Balance-formed balance scale also began to collapse—but Xing Huanzi was no ordinary cultivator, and instantly, lines of starlight appeared on his body.

Every line's source is a star-ring tower!

Now all are activated, causing the starlight to blaze brilliantly, exchanging for supporting force, allowing the balance's collapse to be delayed.

Thus granting Xu Qing's balance reinforcement, continuing to maintain.

And in the seaweed, all leaves appear torn, trembling throughout, from those torn leaves, countless red whiskers instantly grow.

Winding toward the middle-aged cultivator.

Changing the seal into binding!

Moreover, the mud fox appears in the starry sky, the divine platform transformed into golden light, forming a colossal divine image, erupting fully.

Causing the middle-aged cultivator's body to undergo mudification, with countless stars flashing above his head, also suppressing.

They are all creating opportunities for Xu Qing!

Indeed, this middle-aged cultivator's speed and combat power are astonishingly great.

This is the peak of quasi-immortal, only one step away from Xia Xian!

Although this step is extremely difficult to cross, it must be said that when a cultivator reaches the quasi-immortal peak, they already possess power beyond the ordinary, capable of obstructing and destroying.

Especially, this person's constitution is still simple yet terrifying speed constitution.

The reason this constitution is simple is because it can connect many constitutions, with many directions, and now this middle-aged cultivator clearly only displays a part of it.

Therefore, since this battle has been fought, as the one with the highest combat power among them, Xu Qing naturally is the blade.

Creating opportunity for the blade is the way of battle.

And though this all sounds slow, in reality it happens in a flash of lightning and stone; in the next instant, amidst the star-ring seaweed and mud fox's costly restraint, Xu Qing's five fingers have completely fallen.

The starry sky roars, all directions tremble.

Those five fingers, like divine spirits, like stars, under the push of a palm powered by stellar system power, press upon the place where the middle-aged cultivator stands.

Yet there is no deafening roar!

Whether fingers or palm, at the instant of falling, the five elemental forces within instantly entwine.

This seemingly killing strike palm is actually not a killing strike!

Likewise, it is also a seal!

This is Xu Qing's tactic.

Using the five extremes and five elements, forming the foundation of the lower star-ring, combined with time, space, order balance, and the binding of source substance.

Achieving the ultimate seal!

This scene causes the middle-aged cultivator's pupils to contract for the first time.

Instinctively feeling danger, his body blurs instantly, his speed constitution displayed to another level without hesitation.

That is... transcending time, transcending space, transcending spacetime... a non-parallel path walked out!

His constitution, to some extent, is actually similar to Xu Qing's, different paths same destination!

Only, he chose not complex parallel, but forward without end!

This all can be understood by lower immortals, but below lower immortals, only Xu Qing, whose direction aligns with its end, has some insight, and his inner turmoil, like a storm's roar.

"His path, his path..."

Xu Qing breathes rapidly, he has always been seeking his tenth extreme, but unfortunately always lacked direction, until now, he feels as if in the dark world, light has appeared!

But unfortunately, the current situation leaves him no time to think much, he can only bury this inspiration.

Thereafter, his true killing strike finally erupts at this moment!

It is the sound of a bell.

Containing a trace of divine lord's might, a bell sound that can be still and yet break myriad laws!

When this sound rings out, the starry sky becomes blank!

The quasi-immortal peak middle-aged cultivator also trembles all over.

Next, is the iron nail containing heavenly principle, containing parallel, containing the full attainment of Xu Qing's immortal body constitution, perfectly matching his immortal embryo...

Returning from individual parallel spacetimes.

A total of four hundred seventy-nine!

Like streaks of meteors, from illusory become real!

Finally, appearing in the mortal world, as Xu Qing raises his hand, four seven nine return to one.

Becoming an absolute killing strike!

Rushing straight toward the middle-aged cultivator's howling advance!

The middle-aged is retreating.

His speed extreme, retreating through space, through time, through past and future, through destiny, through causality, through traces and even memory... all directions retreat!

But the four-seven-nine-return-to-one iron nail, guided by the bell's sound, all the way destroys withered and pulls rotten!

Breaking space!

Shattering time!

Collapsing past and future!

Piercing destiny, penetrating causality!

Sweeping across traces and even memory!

From all directions, it is pursuing!

Until, catching up, piercing the glabella.

But at the instant the iron nail touches the middle-aged cultivator's glabella, ripples appear there, as if turning into a water surface, appearing a blurred reflection.

Precisely speaking, it is a back view, appearing the moment, surpassing quasi-immortal aura, immediately letting this entire universe roar.

That is an immortal!

It was the shadow of life left by the master of this middle-aged cultivator.

This back slowly turned its head.

It glanced at the iron awl.

That glance caused the iron awl to tremble violently and lash back.

Xinghuanzi spat blood, the Mud Fox Divine Altar nearly collapsing, the seaweed continually shattering.

Xu Qing also felt the heavenly thunder in his mind reverberate.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the middle-aged cultivator finally escaped death, retreating instantly, pulling back, staring fixedly at Xu Qing, his heart pounding from what had just happened, while a sense of dread also arose.

Thus, he suddenly spoke.

"Huntian Emperor, I command you and your clan to assist in action!"

The Huntian Emperor's expression changed, hesitation in his heart; if it were merely acting against humans, he would dare, but clearly today's matter, this envoy, was no longer as simple as taking action.

This was to kill!

And just as the Huntian Emperor wavered inwardly, Xu Qing had already dispelled the roar in his mind, coldly gazing at the middle-aged cultivator.

"You have no chance left."

After speaking, Xu Qing lifted his gaze, letting it fall upon the starry sky.

Almost at the instant he looked, the starry sky thundered, a vast rift instantly torn open in the void, figures howling forth from within.

Leading them was Zhou Zhengli!

Following were Shanshan Su, Limutu, Xielingzi, and others, all present.

All the ascenders, all the artifact envoys, had now arrived!

This was the order Xu Qing gave Zhou Zhengli on the way here, to prepare for the unexpected and for later breaking the seal on the True God, Xu Qing had Zhou Zhengli gather everyone to rendezvous here!

Now, under Zhou Zhengli's leadership, they tore through the starry sky and came.

One by one, they descended!