Chapter 504: What to do when you don't have the strength to do big things?

Xu Qing's footsteps faltered, and a massive wave surged in his heart.

The screaming sound from the God's fingertip carried fear regarding the matter it had guessed; after all, it spent much of its time in slumber and was unaware of external affairs, able only to see the surface through its current probing.

But Xu Qing was very clear that rumors of the Immortal Prohibition's opening had already circulated over a year ago when he first arrived at the Commandery Capital, yet it had ultimately come to nothing.

Therefore, he had previously harbored many doubts about why the Immortal Prohibition was being pushed to open during this time of war.

But now, the words of the God's fingertip were like a sudden enlightenment to Xu Qing; the threads in his mind connected in an instant, giving him a relatively clear understanding.

This realization made his breathing rapid; he hurried away from the Commandery Capital, returned to the Sword Pavilion, sat cross-legged, and began to organize his thoughts.

As for the God's fingertip, it was still muttering to itself, clearly deeply shocked by such a grand move by the human race.

As Xu Qing continued to organize his thoughts, a complete outline emerged in his heart after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"The first thread is Zhang Si... Back then at the Primordial Leaving-Ghost Pillar, both the Captain and I, at a height of three thousand zhang, felt the Red Moon of the Crimson Mother to varying degrees within that mark left by a deceased cultivator from the Divine Domain."

"The Captain obtained the aura, while I obtained... the Divine Source!"

The sound emanating from outside spread throughout the entire Commandery Capital; thousands of households, regardless of day or night, heard it clearly, and all felt their minds tremble, rising with a sense of unease.

Originally in the Western War Zone, the strength the Captain displayed was only that of a four-palace Heaven Palace realm, but now, in the perception of the Palace Master, the other party was infinitely close to the Nascent Soul realm, seemingly only half a step away from breaking through to that realm.

"Senior Brother, it's unlikely for just the two of you. Moreover, if you don't handle it well, not only will you be implicated, but the Imperial Capital's plan will also be disrupted, affecting the Grand Elder, so you cannot be greedy."

"The Red Moon belongs to the God of the Day Race. If the Imperial Prince dares to awaken it there, he must have a follow-up strategy to protect himself. Furthermore, there are many under his command within the Commandery Capital; as long as I am not completely insane, I will not sacrifice the entire Commandery Capital to the Red Moon."

The weathered voice of the Sword-Holding Court's Zhang Si of Yinghuang Province echoed in the Palace Master's mind. After saying this, his tone was somewhat grave and contained concern.

Without the slightest pause, the Captain walked straight in, turned to close the door, and stared fixedly at the Palace Master, his eyes revealing wild joy.

"Regarding this matter, the old man already knew about the divine parasitism during the Great Emperor's Heart-Questioning, but I did not know which God it was. Because the matter was of great importance, I reported it to Xu Qing immediately."

"Within the Immortal Prohibition land exist countless rare treasures and endless opportunities. Its safety is due to a God sleeping within, but if the Red Moon swallows it, the Immortal Prohibition land will be completely exposed."

"Within the Forbidden Immortal Land exist countless rare treasures and even more endless opportunities; its safety is due to the gods slumbering within, but if the Red Moon swallows it, the Forbidden Immortal Land will be effectively thrown wide open."

"At that time, he should have known."

If anyone else were to ask, the Sword-Holding Court's Zhang Si would not pay them any mind; even if Kong Kong Xianglong wanted to understand, it would be the same.

The Sword-Holding Court's Zhang Si coughed and sighed in self-reproach.

"The old man's cultivation base is improving so fast, he must have been sneaking snacks behind our backs!"

No matter how the Palace Master called out, there was not the slightest response.

After all, regarding matters related to Gods, the Palace Master felt the Captain was more adept.

"What you say makes sense. Ultimately, it's because you are too strong. Sigh, the fat meat is right in front of my eyes but I can't eat it..."

The Captain was somewhat frantic, finally sitting down in front of the Palace Master, sighing long, and just about to speak.

The Palace Master felt it was a bit strange as he listened. After thinking about it seriously, he felt that in all likelihood, the Ghost Essence was released by Zhang Si voluntarily, or perhaps it never went missing at all.

And it wasn't just himself who would be in trouble after the Red Moon awakened; the Captain had also plundered its aura. Although he wasn't being actively hunted, if they were seen in the Immortal Prohibition land, he would likely be swatted to death in passing.

"In the state of the Great Emperor's Heart-Questioning, is it possible to conceal oneself? If the Commandery Capital was truly parasitized by the Red Moon at that time, why was everything normal during the Great Emperor's Heart-Questioning, and why did he come to the Commandery Capital?"

"Palace Master, the Commandery Capital is not the same as before. You have also heard about the Immortal Prohibition opening..."

"... this matter was not supported by many at the time; the Commandery Governor and Commandery Chancellor had both praised it, but the imperial decree came from the Imperial Capital and could not be resisted, only slightly delayed. In fact, it couldn't be delayed for long; it was only when the war arrived that no one mentioned it. I don't know why you are asking these things..."

, many people did not agree with this matter back then, and even the Prefecture Governor and the Prefecture Chancellor had expressed their approval, but the imperial decree came from the Imperial Capital and could not be resisted; they could only delay it slightly, though in reality, it could not be delayed for long, and it was only because the war arrived beforehand that no one brought it up. You do not know why he asked those things,.......

Xu Qing murmured; these were things he had verified later through one event after another.

"Junior Brother, that is a peerless opportunity gifted by heaven! The Red Moon descends, devours the Immortal Prohibition God, and while they are busy fighting like dogs, we..."

And it seems it doesn't stop there; there are even deeper changes.

So, very quickly, the Palace Master learned everything.

The light in the Captain's eyes was equally dim. The two of them looked at each other, and the light in their eyes grew brighter.

After pondering, and combining it with what the God's fingertip said, the Palace Master realized that the Red Moon within the Commandery Capital was being helped by the human race to accelerate its awakening.

"This time, we must plan to seize a piece of the Immortal Prohibition God's flesh while the two Gods are fighting. Although by your account the Immortal Prohibition God is a bit weak, it is still a God! If we can secretly snatch a piece from the Red Moon's mouth, if we succeed, that would be awesome!!"

"We can scavenge more in the Immortal Prohibition." The Palace Master nodded.

The Palace Master had also been paying attention to the deep pit, and until there were only eight days left until the opening date, he finally received the Captain's voice transmission.

The Palace Master suppressed the thoughts in his heart and chose to close his eyes and meditate. He needed to wait for the Captain to come out of seclusion to discuss how to proceed for the best.

The time for the Immortal Prohibition to open was drawing near. The original Prison Department had been completely excavated, revealing a huge black hole that was bottomless, while thick foreign substances rose from within.

The Palace Master could feel the concern of the Sword-Holding Court's Zhang Si, so after acknowledging it, he asked about the impact of the Ghost Essence Spirit Venerable's escape on the Yinghuang Province Sword-Holding Court.

As for the God's fingertip, after its muttering, it retracted all its aura, hiding itself tightly; even its sleeping fluctuations disappeared, as if it had entered a state of death.

"This matter is my responsibility. I failed to supervise properly, leading to the Ghost Essence's escape, making it impossible to send it to the Imperial Prince in time to curb the Ghost Emperor's awakening, resulting in the Ghost Essence disappearing and the seven souls and one spirit being lost... The situation in Yinghuang Province contains great danger, so the Imperial Prince does not dare to come..."

The Palace Master's expression remained normal. With a wave of his hand, he opened the door to his Sword Pavilion and began calculating the numbers in his heart.

When the Captain's voice, filled with excitement and exhilaration, entered the Palace Master's mind, the Palace Master clearly felt the Captain's joy, so he smiled and offered congratulations, then quickly shared the information he had organized.

Although these foreign substances were dispersed by the Imperial Capital's soldiers using special arrays, they could not hide the sounds like ghosts wailing and wolves howling coming from the deep pit.

"This matter is also easy to confirm!" The Palace Master took out his command sword, wanting to send a voice transmission to the Sword-Holding Court's Zhang Si of Yinghuang Province to inquire, but after taking out the sword, his expression dimmed slightly.

But the next instant, his eyes suddenly widened, and he slapped his thigh fiercely.

The Captain also frowned and began to ponder.

"And here in Fenghai Commandery, there is no longer Xu Qing's protection, so is someone trying to send me into the Immortal Prohibition, awaken the Red Moon in my body, and turn me into a Red Moon avatar to devour the God inside the Immortal Prohibition?"

The Captain slapped his thigh hard again, looking like someone whose parents had eaten good food behind his back and only realized it afterward. The Captain laughed heartily, very satisfied with the Palace Master's attitude toward him in his words, which made him feel like he was the Senior Brother again, so he rubbed his hands together and paced back and forth in the Palace Master's Sword Pavilion.

"You forgot, after Xu Qing left, you no longer have the authorization for cross-province voice transmission."

"I tell you, the things the old man did when he was young, that is the origin! How did I become like this? Did he take me to do things a few times in the past? Although you are sometimes impulsive, I feel it must have been the old man who corrupted you!"

"You tell him, when the old man was young, he did those things—he is the originator! How did you become like that? Did I ever take you to do those things a few times in the past? Although you were sometimes impulsive, I feel it must have been the old man who led you astray!"

The Palace Master suddenly looked up, his eyes revealing a strong light.

"Little Ah Qing, you've been with everyone for so long, why have you lost your ambition? How can this bit of junk in the Immortal Prohibition be worthy of your status as the Father of the Heavenly Dao!"

The Captain was still laughing, but soon the laughter was replaced by heavy breathing.

Hearing this, the Palace Master's breathing also quickened, his eyes turning red as well. In reality, he also wanted to do that, but it wasn't realistic, so he suppressed the waves in his heart and spoke in time.

The Captain looked dissatisfied and glanced at the Palace Master.

It was as if a hell existed at the bottom of this deep pit.

"I have also paid attention to this matter subsequently. Xu Qing once told me that as long as there are still Sword-Holders in Fenghai Commandery, he will not allow anyone to use me as bait!"

The Palace Master's eyes narrowed. Although the Captain looked extremely thin and gaunt, like a starving ghost, the strength of the aura on his body far exceeded what it once was.

"Junior Brother, let's go find Master!"

"Yes, Senior Brother. I guessed that your breakthrough this time would be extraordinary, so I racked my brains to help you figure out a big plan."

"From that moment on, you realized the Red Moon was looking for you, but I wasn't sure what changes had occurred in Fenghai Commandery at the time. Looking at it now, it should have been that moment when Fenghai Commandery was parasitized by the Red Moon!"

"Zhang Si also went to three thousand zhang, so he could naturally feel it too. And after Zhang Si was severely injured and fell on the road at three thousand zhang that day, and was saved after a brush with death, he felt intense palpitations at night."

"Junior Brother, you know that after Senior Brother just unsealed the seal, I was in a state of hunger, so I specially prepared such a big gift for you."

Clearly, the Dao-Ancient Sealing Decree that the Captain was always thinking about was of great use to him.

"Additionally, the Great Emperor statue's true body is not in the Imperial Capital, so the Imperial Capital also knows about the Fenghai Commandery affair."

Thinking of this, the Palace Master felt a slight relief in his heart. After the conversation began, his eyes revealed a sharp glint.

But in the heart of the Sword-Holding Court's Zhang Si of Yinghuang Province, the Palace Master's weight was different.

When the Palace Master finished speaking, the Captain made a 'pop' sound and directly cut off the voice transmission, without saying a word.

Just like that, time passed.

"I haven't seen the old man for a while. Last time I saw Ancestor Xue Xue Lianzi, I asked, and the old man's cultivation base seems to have broken through again. This is unreasonable!"

"I haven't seen the old man for a while. The last time I saw Ancestor Xue Xue Lianzi, I asked about him; the old man's cultivation base seems to have broken through again. This is not reasonable!"

The Captain's eyes turned red.

The Captain's disheveled, skeleton-like thin figure appeared in the Palace Master's sight. His speed was nearly that of a Nascent Soul, whistling as he headed straight for the Sword Pavilion, kicking up a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived at the door of the Palace Master's Sword Pavilion.

But the Captain was still in seclusion and did not respond.

So at this moment, he looked at the Captain's eyes and nodded seriously.

But after this thought arose, another thread of thought also surged in his mind.

"The Immortal Prohibition opening is of great importance, so a year ago the Commandery Governor, Commandery Chancellor, and the Palace Master were not very supportive, but now the Commandery Governor has fallen, Xu Qing has died in battle, and others have sacrificed themselves; only the Commandery Chancellor remains."

"Little Ah Qing, hahahaha, I used the Sealing Decree to dangerously unlock a crucial seal, so I can truly walk with you in this life!"

"Then, if I have a way to avoid the Red Moon's detection and enter the Immortal Prohibition land, it is a huge opportunity."

After pondering, the Palace Master instinctively sent a voice transmission to the Captain.

"But no matter what, the moment the Red Moon awakens, I will surely face a great disaster!" The Palace Master's expression was ugly. His first thought was to leave the Commandery Capital to avoid entering the Immortal Prohibition land.

"But no matter what, the moment the Red Moon awakens, I will surely face a great disaster!" The Palace Master's expression was unsightly, and the first thought in his heart was to leave the Prefecture Capital to avoid entering the Forbidden Immortal Land.

"Great winds and waves must bring great fish!"

"One, two, three... ten."

However, the Palace Master wasn't too surprised; the Captain was occasionally like this.

The Palace Master sighed softly, but this matter was fine. Although he lacked authorization, this kind of cross-province voice transmission could be exchanged for with military merits, and the Palace Master had abundant military merits, so he quickly exchanged for a qualification for one call and inquired with the Sword-Holding Court's Zhang Si of Yinghuang Province about the Fenghai Commandery affair.

But why do this? For the Imperial Capital, what benefit is there in doing so? The Palace Master lacked relevant clues.

He could not analyze an answer.

The Palace Master's eyes revealed a dark glint, recalling everything from back then, and subsequently thought of the Great Emperor's Heart-Questioning.

A faint gleam appeared in the Palace Master's eyes as he recalled everything from the past, which then led him to think of the Great Emperor's Heart Inquiry.