Chapter 1286

The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon Mount Zhaoxia.

This mountain, which had lost Mount Zhaoxia decades ago but had seen its rosy light rekindle over these past decades, now, in the afterglow, reflected a riot of colors.

It also gradually separated the two figures.

Outside the rosy light, Xu Qing walked farther and farther away.

Within the rosy light, Immortal Zixuan gazed into the distance.

"What he said is correct; his mysterious elder brother has indeed been waiting for him a long time."

On Mount Zhaoxia, beside Immortal Zixuan, amidst the void and ripples, Seventh Uncle slowly emerged, joining Immortal Zixuan in gazing into the distance.

"That is their fated battle, and according to my earlier observations outside the Devouring Heaven Realm, his brother has already reached the limit of waiting."

"Therefore, what we must do is to guard this place well."

Seventh Uncle's voice echoed, and Immortal Zixuan lightly nodded.

Outside Mount Zhaoxia, at this moment, Zhou Zhengli, Xing Huanzi, Xie Lingzi, and others encircled the mountain, sitting cross-legged, each maintaining their condition and cultivation at peak.

Waiting silently!

……

Time passed, three days went by.

Xu Qing's journey to the Devouring Heaven Realm could be taken in a single step, but he walked slowly on this trip.

As he walked, he gazed upon the heavens and earth of Eastern Wanggu, upon all of Eastern Wanggu, while recalling his childhood.

Along this path, he thought of much—whether his childhood experiences or the blurred images of his parents—these followed his steps and surfaced in his mind-sea.

This recollection naturally included his elder brother.

Until, on the third day, at the same dusk as when he left Mount Zhaoxia, within the afterglow of the setting sun, Xu Qing arrived at the northern border of the Devouring Heaven Realm.

It was an endless, continuous black mountain range.

Standing on the mountain range, the heavenly wind blew; Xu Qing faced the wind and gazed into the distance.

On this side of the mountain range, black mist surged, enveloping heaven and earth, cutting off all.

This mist permeated the entire Devouring Heaven Realm; within it, at times, mournful sounds echoed, as if countless evil spirits and monsters dwelled there, causing one to shudder while a sense of timidity emanated from the soul.

Moreover, an extreme degree of alienation permeated this side of the mountain range, throughout the Devouring Heaven Realm.

Its extent had already surpassed that of the Radiant Heaven World Xu Qing had once visited.

And here, the alienation teemed with vitality, as if endowed with life, ready to devour anyone at any moment.

The feeling it gave Xu Qing was very similar to that when he beheld the peerless city gazed upon by the残面睜眼 and the ancient city.

"There, the mundane are invaded by divine breath, while simultaneously nurturing countless anomalies."

A low voice came from behind Xu Qing.

The figure of Senior Yu Liuchen emerged from the void, arriving beside Xu Qing, and bowed once.

"Greetings, Sovereign Immortal."

Xu Qing turned his head, gazing at Senior Yu Liuchen; regarding this divine manifestation appearing here, he felt no surprise, for on this journey he had not concealed himself but presented himself before the world, and had long known that the other's advancement was closely tied to his own.

"I am not the Sovereign Immortal."

Xu Qing shook his head.

Senior Yu Liuchen likewise shook his head.

"Not a Sovereign Immortal yet surpassing one—there is little difference."

Xu Qing said no more, withdrew his gaze, and continued gazing at the Devouring Heaven Realm.

Yet Senior Yu Liuchen's voice still echoed.

"Where there are deities, there must be anomalies."

"Mortals and even many cultivators do not understand; they believe the anomalous companions of deities, even though many deities themselves hold this view, but in fact……the Sovereign Immortal should have perceived……"

"Anomalies are not the companions of deities."

"To a certain extent, they can even be said to be curses upon deities!"

Listening to Senior Yu Liuchen's words, Xu Qing spoke lightly.

"You mean the Anomalous Realm?"

Upon hearing this, Senior Yu Liuchen's eyes flashed with golden light.

"Anomaly before the deity, born of the deity and thus extinguished, thus transformed into a curse, ever-present, coexisting with the deity."

"Therefore……deities above the Divine Platform……they have no……"

As Senior Yu Liuchen spoke these words, his body suddenly trembled, as if suffering backlash, and he directly spat out a large mouthful of golden blood.

"The higher laws forbid me from speaking this answer; it is an answer that has influenced the cognition of ascendant beings, and I, due to special divine authority, can only glimpse some……"

Senior Yu Liuchen wiped the blood from his lips, gazing at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, raised his right hand, and with a sweep, instantly his constitutional intent spread, enveloping this place, then he looked at Senior Yu Liuchen.

"You may try; continue speaking."

Senior Yu Liuchen sensed the outside world, then drew a deep breath and emitted a low voice.

"Carefully imagine, in this life, the deities you have seen—if they are of the Divine Platform level or above, are they……all without shadows?"

Upon Senior Yu Liuchen's words, Xu Qing's eyes flashed with strange light.

"Because the shadow is the vessel of the Anomalous Realm, and simultaneously the curse upon deities."

"This cognition is influenced by the higher laws, causing beings to not pay attention to it."

After speaking these words, Senior Yu Liuchen's entire body drenched in sweat like rain, his body also trembling.

Xu Qing, lost in thought, recalled the deities of the Divine Platform level and above he had seen in this life—indeed, they all lacked shadows, yet previously he had not paid attention to this.

"Interesting……"

Xu Qing spoke calmly.

"Then why have you come here to tell me about this?"

Senior Yu Liuchen looked at Xu Qing and bowed deeply.

"Immortal Lord, I guessed you would come to this Swallow-Heaven Great Realm, so over these decades I have told thirty-seven thousand stories concerning this place..."

"But without exception, each story, in the course of its telling, had its concepts strangely replaced, preventing me from finishing the tale."

"This place is likely related to the Strange Realm, Immortal Lord, your elder brother... his identity may not be merely hidden by a single veil..."

Xu Qing stared at Senior Yu Liuchen for a long moment, then nodded.

Senior Yu Liuchen breathed a sigh of relief; his purpose in coming here was simply to inform Xu Qing of these things.

Having spoken, he lingered no longer, his body retreated and gradually dissipated into heaven and earth.

Only a single blessing echoed in Xu Qing's ears.

"May your journey be smooth, may your heart's desire be attainable."

On Shanfeng, the wind grew stronger at this moment; Xu Qing, amidst the wind's mournful howl, murmured softly.

"May your heart's desire be attainable..."

After a few breaths, he lifted his foot and stepped forward into the black mist-shrouded Swallow-Heaven Great Realm.

Upon appearing, he was already within the border of the Swallow-Heaven Great Realm.

Within... the Shanguo of Prince Ziqing!

The moment he manifested, the earth rumbled!

The endless black mist shrouding the Swallow-Heaven Great Realm, in this instant, violently surged, as if transformed into a raging sea.

In every wave of furious tide, all kinds of mournful sounds echoed, piercingly sharp.

The strong rejection toward Xu Qing seemed to want to drive him out!

Moreover, countless chilling auras flowed from within the black mist, carrying intense malice and fierce madness, rushing swiftly toward Xu Qing here.

In the mist, Xu Qing's face was expressionless; he lifted his right foot and stomped upon the ground.

As if myriad heavenly thunderbolts exploded within this realm.

Amidst the rumbling, a special fortune emanating from Xu Qing surged skyward at this moment, forming half an imperial crown that floated above his head.

It radiated waves of invisible pressure, pressing down in all directions.

That special fortune... shares the same origin as Prince Ziqing's Shanguo!

Wherever it passed, the mist rolled back, revealing rotten earth and a desolate world.

As for the countless chilling malicious intents within the mist, at this instant they all suddenly stalled, then rapidly melted, so that the chill vanished entirely, and even the rejection from Prince Ziqing's Shanguo reversed at this moment, turning into cheers and welcome!

Because the special fortune forming half the imperial crown above Xu Qing's head is precisely the fortune of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo!

Back then, during the execution of the plan devised by Prince Ziqing, in the unfinished stage, Seventh Uncle revived Xu Qing and took half of it from him!

Now, this half has returned.

Like a half-emperor returning to his country.

Thus, Prince Ziqing's Shanguo, which has replaced the Swallow-Heaven Great Realm and returned from ancient times, instantly surged with endless waves; the black mist's turbulence rivals that of its descent back then.

And amid this nationwide rumbling, Xu Qing, entering Prince Ziqing's Shanguo, stepped forward with his second step.

One step, crossing the threshold; upon appearing... he was already in the capital of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo!

He saw the capital utterly submerged by mist and alien matter, and the people of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo.

The capital's appearance resembled scrolls of ink-wash painting, blurred yet revealing an ancient style, and the people of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo... were even more so.

Their silhouettes were like ink-wash paintings, stroke after stroke, thread after thread; whether male or female, old or young, regardless of status, all were thus.

Xu Qing's appearance was like dripping color into an ink-wash painting, making it vividly clear, while also drawing the gaze of countless people of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo.

These gazes carried hatred, madness, and also contained confusion.

They seemed to want to lunge forward, but the support of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo's fortune forced these existences sustained by fortune to lower their heads.

All this entered Xu Qing's sight.

Xu Qing fell silent, then withdrew his gaze, looking toward the distant palace, and took his third step.

Upon landing, he appeared at the center of this capital... within the Prince Ziqing Palace!

Standing before the great hall, on the black square.

Before him stood a huge and sacred statue.

That is... the sole statue of the Upper Wasteland Remnant Face in this world!

Though clearly a lifeless object, it emanates an extreme, intense pressure, making the entire palace fall silent, not even a bird chirping.

And behind the statue lies the great hall, its doors long opened.

Inside the hall, a person sits upon the dragon throne!

Wearing an imperial crown, clad in imperial robes, with purple hair, features exquisitely beautiful yet radiating intense eeriness.

It is... Prince Ziqing!

At this moment, he rests his chin on one hand, gazing at Xu Qing appearing in the outer square of the hall.

On his alluring face, a gentle smile gradually appears.

His voice also carries gentleness, softly echoing in this strange environment, within this special atmosphere.

"No wonder you are my little younger brother, still as clever as in childhood."

"You did not appear before me in your strongest Immortal-God Fusion state, nor did you bring your divine form into our capital."

"But these do not matter; what matters is, younger brother, you have finally come."

(End of Chapter)