Chapter 1352

The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon Mount Zhaoxia.

This mountain, which had lost its morning glow 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 for a long time."

On Mount Zhaoxia, as Immortal Zixuan stood amidst the void and ripples, Seventh Uncle slowly emerged, and together they turned their gazes toward 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 his waiting."

"Therefore, what we need to do is simply 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 sat cross-legged around the mountain, each in meditation, 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 have been 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 also recalling his childhood.

Along this path, he thought of much—whether his childhood experiences or the now-blurred images of his parents—these arose in his mind's sea as he walked.

This recollection naturally included his elder brother.

Until, on the third day, at the same dusk as when he had 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, boundless 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 and rolled, 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 spirits and monsters dwelled there, causing one to shudder, while from the soul, timidity seeped out.

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

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

And here, the alien essence was full of vitality, as if it possessed life, ready at any moment to pick a person and devour them.

The feeling it gave Xu Qing was very similar to that of when he had beheld the Peerless City and the Ancient City through the eyes of the One-Eyed Remnant Face.

"There, the mundane are eroded by divine breath, yet simultaneously, countless strange things are nurtured."

A low voice came from behind Xu Qing.

The figure of Senior Yu Liuchen emerged from the void, came to Xu Qing's side, and bowed once.

"I pay my respects, Immortal Sovereign."

Xu Qing turned his head, gazing at Senior Yu Liuchen; for this divine being to appear here, he felt no surprise—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 an Immortal Sovereign."

Xu Qing shook his head.

Senior Yu Liuchen likewise shook his head.

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

Xu Qing said no more, withdrew his gaze, and continued to look toward the Devouring Heaven Realm.

Yet Senior Yu Liuchen's voice still echoed.

"Where there are deities, there must be strange beings."

"Mortals and even many cultivators do not understand; they believe the strange beings that accompany deities—even if many deities themselves hold this view—but in fact…… the Immortal Sovereign should have perceived……"

"Strange beings are not the accompanying entities of deities."

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

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

"You mean the Strange Realm?"

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

"Strange before the divine, because of the divine they perish, thus becoming a curse, ever-present, coexisting with the divine."

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

Senior Yu Liuchen had just said this when his body suddenly trembled, as if suffering a 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 affected the cognition of ascending beings, and I, due to special divine authority, am able to 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 single sweep, his constitutional intent spread out, enveloping this place, then he turned his gaze to Senior Yu Liuchen.

"You can try—go on."

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?"

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

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

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

After speaking these words, Senior Yu Liuchen's whole body drenched in sweat like rain, and his body also trembled.

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

"Interesting……"

Xu Qing spoke calmly.

"Then why have you come here to tell me the reason for 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 about this place..."

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

"This place is likely related to the Strange Realm, Immortal Lord, your brother... his identity may not be hidden by just one layer..."

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 said this, he lingered no longer, his body retreated and gradually dissipated into heaven and earth.

Only a 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.

"Heart's desire, 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 boundary of the Swallow-Heaven Great Realm.

Within... the Shanguo of Prince Ziqing!

The moment he appeared, the earth thundered!

The endless black mist shrouding the Swallow-Heaven Great Realm surged violently in this instant, 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 on the ground.

As if myriad heavenly thunderbolts exploded within this realm.

In the thunder, 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, suppressing the eight directions.

This special fortune... shares the same origin as that of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo!

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

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

Because the special fortune forming the half-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 for 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 became boundless in its waves; the surging black mist rivals that of its descent back then.

And amid this nationwide thunder, Xu Qing entering Prince Ziqing's Shanguo took a second step forward.

One step, crossing the range; 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 subjects of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo.

The appearance of this capital resembles a scroll of ink painting, blurred yet revealing an ancient style; and the subjects of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo... are even more so.

Their silhouettes are like ink strokes, thread upon thread, regardless of gender, age, or status, all are thus.

Xu Qing's appearance is like dripping color into the ink painting, making it vividly clear, while also being gazed upon by the countless subjects of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo.

These gazes carry hatred, madness, and also confusion.

They seem to want to lunge forward, but the support of Prince Ziqing's Shanguo's fortune forces these existence-by-fortune wraiths to lower their heads.

All this is reflected in Xu Qing's eyes.

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

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

Standing before the great hall, on the black square.

Before him stands a huge and sacred statue.

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

Though clearly a lifeless object, it emits an extreme, intense pressure, making the entire palace silent as tombs.

And behind the statue is 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 tenderness, softly echoing in this strange environment, in 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."