Chapter 1333: Let Eastern Wanggu Be a Little Cleaner

In this moment when human cultivators were exhilarated and the myriad races of Eastern Wanggu were invigorated, Xu Qing stood in the firmament above the human imperial capital, gazing into the distance at the Devouring Heavens Realm.

He slightly lifted his right foot, but… still did not set it down.

Earlier, there had been an instant when his divine sense, within the Devouring Heavens Realm, made contact with Prince Ziqing, stirring a strong impulse in his heart.

To step into the Devouring Heavens, to step into Prince Ziqing's Upper Realm, and battle the brother of his memories, that Prince Ziqing.

To settle all karmic ties.

But in the end, Xu Qing still withdrew his foot.

"Not yet the time…"

Xu Qing lowered his gaze slightly; he knew his current state could not be sustained indefinitely.

The fusion of immortal and divine was merely allowing him to temporarily reach this terrifying state.

Not long from now, between his divine body and immortal soul, an irreconcilable condition would arise.

At that time, separation would be necessary, otherwise the soul would face assimilation.

And Xu Qing also understood that this was because his fusion lacked certain essential and supreme rituals, so it could not be considered perfect.

Most importantly, the Upper Wilds still existed.

His divine body was formed from its flesh and blood, and the source of his divinity likewise came from the Upper Wilds.

Thus, a short-term fusion with his immortal soul was acceptable, but once prolonged, assimilation would inevitably occur—this too was part of the karmic bond with the Upper Wilds.

"Such assimilation, once it occurs, is irreversible."

"Therefore… although this fused form has elevated my realm and combat power, it cannot be used deeply."

"Before this problem is resolved, it is unsuitable to battle Prince Ziqing."

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze; even though his cultivation had reached this level, he still harbored no contempt for Prince Ziqing in his heart.

On the contrary, as his cultivation and experience increased, he saw more deeply and thoroughly.

"Prince Ziqing is the Upper Wilds' chosen one, the one who walks Eastern Wanggu on Its behalf."

"I just do not know what entanglement exists between him and me, nor why I must wait for him to grow…"

Many things, when Xu Qing now looks back, he can also discern many clues and indications.

For example, why Prince Ziqing repeatedly provoked him.

And when the Empress attained divinity years ago, he obtained the fortune of Prince Ziqing's Upper Realm upon his return—though this was with his master's help, without a foundation, it would also be difficult to obtain smoothly.

So why is his foundation related to Prince Ziqing's Upper Realm?

And the Upper Wilds' flesh and blood and karma—his capacity to endure them seems also to exceed the ordinary.

Regarding Prince Ziqing's Upper Realm, regarding Prince Ziqing, Xu Qing's inner doubts have not diminished in the slightest during his growth; on the contrary, they have only increased.

Especially… buried in his heart is a guess he does not wish to contemplate further.

"Upper Wilds, Prince Ziqing, and me—what exactly is our relationship…"

Xu Qing recalled the corridor in his soul, and the mysterious seat at its end.

He also recalled Prince Ziqing's strange reaction upon sensing this scene back then.

"Everything, soon… not too long from now, at the moment I step into the Devouring Heavens, it will surely be revealed!"

Xu Qing drew a deep breath, a resolve forming in his heart.

He suppressed his thoughts of Prince Ziqing, once again gazing into the distance at the Eastern Wanggu continent; there were some matters he intended to resolve before battling Prince Ziqing.

"The current Eastern Wanggu continent has just endured a great calamity and needs stability."

"But external forces are numerous… so I will borrow this fusion state, which can barely persist for a few more hours, to extract them one by one, severing their layouts that have spanned years in Eastern Wanggu."

"Make Eastern Wanggu… a little cleaner."

Xu Qing's pupils flashed with a dark light as he gazed toward Feng Haijun, toward… the Wood Spirit Tribe!

The first place he wishes to cleanse is the Ancient Spirit Emperor!

As a sovereign from an era even more ancient than Emperor Xuanyou, who once unified the Eastern Wanggu continent.

Clinging to life to this day, Xu Qing does not believe there is no other external force supporting it behind the scenes!

"If there is, I will sever it!"

"If not… the existence of the Ancient Spirit Emperor is also not conducive to Eastern Wanggu's stability."

Xu Qing thought of this, bowed toward Seventh Grandfather in the firmament, and swept his gaze over the Empress and Second Ox and others.

"Wait a moment, I will first go attend to some matters."

Having spoken, he raised his head, a chill appearing in his eyes, and spoke lightly.

"Zhou Zhengli!"

Not far away, Zhou Zhengli, who closely monitored Xu Qing's every word and deed, immediately stepped forward and bowed.

"My lord!"

"You, follow me together."

As Xu Qing's words fell, his body suddenly took a step downward, shifting through the ripples in the firmament and vanishing.

Zhou Zhengli, Xing Huanzi, Xie Lingzi, Li Mengtu, and Yuan Shan Su, among others, also rose one after another, following Xu Qing's shift.

With their cultivation, to the lowly cultivators' eyes, the Eastern Wanggu continent—nearly infinite in size—was nothing more than a slightly larger star.

Thus, in an instant, outside Feng Haijun, in the midair where the Wood Spirit Tribe resided, heavenly thunder rolled.

The booming sound shattered the eight directions as the heavenly canopy opened and closed.

The Wood Spirit Tribe trembled; all trees opened their eyes, taking human form, and in the Wood Spirit Tribe's elder's trembling kneeling, Xu Qing's figure emerged from the torn heavenly canopy.

Behind him stood Zhou Zhengli and the others.

At the moment of manifestation, Xu Qing did not pause, taking another step.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared at the entrance to the Spirit Abyss, the underground forbidden land of the Wood Spirit Tribe!

The entrance to the Spirit Abyss was a huge cave, like a heavenly pit, inside which was pitch black, and waves of cold air seeped out, as if to freeze all things.

This was not Xu Qing's first time coming here; now he stood at the edge of the Spirit Abyss of the Wood Spirit Tribe, his gaze falling.

Beside him, Zhou Zhengli and others also stepped forward, Zhou Zhengli's third eye on his brow suddenly opened wide, and after staring, he suddenly spoke.

"Master, below……there is a rotting, struggling giant serpent!"

Xinghuanzi also swept his gaze over and spoke lightly.

"The power of order within has completely collapsed."

"It also contains poison……" Limutu smiled.

"Not only these, my sword tells me that below there still exists evil intent." Xielingzi licked his lips.

"Master, where does this place lead to? I do not know." Zhou Zhengli looked toward Xu Qing.

"In the Eastern Wanggu Continent, before the Upper Wasteland descended, there once was a tribe that unified heaven and earth; this tribe was called the Ancient Spirits."

Xu Qing slowly spoke.

"And the Spirit Emperor of this tribe had cultivation of an Immortal; at the end of the dynasty, he gathered the strength of the entire tribe, collected the qi of fortune, wishing to do something related to the Heavenly Dao."

"He wished to seize the Heavenly Dao with his own body, to become the sole Heavenly Dao of Eastern Wanggu."

"Now going to see, he wishes to merge the rules of Eastern Wanggu, thereby entering the Dao, to become an Immortal Lord!"

Xu Qing spoke while lifting his foot, directly walking into the Spirit Abyss.

Zhou Zhengli and others immediately followed, and Xu Qing's voice, in the tumbling darkness of the Spirit Abyss, echoed in their ears.

"In the end, the Spirit Emperor's seizure of the Heavenly Dao failed, suffering backlash from all the Heavenly Dao of Eastern Wanggu, but apparently he chose to let his clansmen share the burden, so that in one night, the Ancient Spirit Tribe withered, the country became a dead realm, and most of the tribesmen became wailing, painful ghosts day and night."

"Eternally bearing the torment of the Ancient Spirit Emperor's backlash."

"This Spirit Abyss of the Wood Spirit Tribe is one of the entrances to the Ancient Spirit Dead Realm."

Zhou Zhengli and others, upon hearing this, were all stirred in mind and spirit.

Their cultivation was only that of a near-Immortal, but hearing Xu Qing's words, it was obvious that this Ancient Spirit Emperor had once been an Immortal, and this method of seizing the Heavenly Dao to obtain rules for advancement was also transmitted within the Fifth Star Ring.

However, this is merely one way to become an Immortal, and compared to comprehending the Constitution, this method is obscure.

The drawbacks are too many.

But……advancing to Immortal Lord by this method is also unthinkable in the Fifth Star Ring.

"This Spirit Emperor……"

Xinghuanzi wanted to say something, but finally shook his head; no matter what, the other had once reached the Immortal realm and deserved respect.

Xu Qing also merely gave a simple report, then fell silent, stepping forward within the Spirit Abyss.

The repulsion naturally emanating from the Spirit Abyss itself, though continuously emitted and quite strong in appearance, before Xu Qing was not even worthy of being called a breeze.

In just a moment, Xu Qing had already walked deep inside.

In this darkness, there appeared before him a colossal being!

It was a rotting giant serpent, its entire body entwined with a thick intent of death.

A world was being carried on its head.

This world was hazy, with waves of wailing sounds emanating from within, the voices heart-rending, in the void and mist, falling into the ears of Xu Qing and others.

Once, this giant serpent in Xu Qing's eyes was vast and boundless; merely its pressure made his body and soul tremble.

But now, everything had reversed.

Xu Qing stood in the void, his gaze sweeping.

At a glance, the rotting giant serpent suddenly trembled, its very body shuddering, even beginning to retreat, wanting to flee.

But Xinghuanzi's eyes flashed with cold light, his body surged forward, straight toward the giant serpent.

Zhou Zhengli and others also each stepped forward; in an instant, besides Xu Qing, the figures of the others all flew toward the giant serpent.

Within that great world, like meteors, they smashed onto the rotting earth!

The booming sound echoed within that great world, the kicked-up storm sweeping all directions, causing countless ghosts to instantly shatter into fragments.

Even being entwined by mist, with no sun or moon, only ghost-fire stars in the heavenly canopy, in this moment the mist was torn apart.

Moreover, in the next instant, heaven and earth were transformed into a hazy, pallid starlight; the figures of Xinghuanzi and others instantly shifted, displaying their might, like heavenly generals, charging wildly in all directions.

Wherever they passed, the Nether River flowed backward, flesh-and-blood mountains shattered and vanished, the entire world trembled.

And each and every eye of the Ancient Spirit Emperor also, in this moment, opened wide in unison.

As if having slept for an eternity, now startled awake, they thus roared from their mouths.

"You……"

This roar, having uttered only two words, suddenly paused.

Those opened eyes suddenly contracted.

They felt, in the void of the Outside, that long-haired, flowing figure!

All the previous shock and fear transformed into surging waves within their minds and spirits, moreover containing disbelief; these emotional fluctuations and manifestations, in all opened eyes, instantly became intensely concentrated.

"You……you are……"

Outside the giant serpent, Xu Qing stood there, not first looking toward the awakened eyes of the Ancient Spirit Emperor within the serpent's world, but instead directing his gaze toward the distant black mist depths.

Gazing in that direction, Xu Qing's eyes grew deeper in coldness.

Then he withdrew his gaze, looking toward the front, at the rotting world atop the giant serpent's head.

He spoke lightly.

"Long time no see, Ancient Spirit Emperor."