Chapter 544: Senior, I really don't taste good!

Above the Skyfire Sea, the Red Moon Temple floated, emitting endless red light that spread in all directions like fresh blood. The thumping sound of a heartbeat echoed throughout heaven and earth.

Every cultivator in the area who witnessed this scene felt their soul tremble. Not daring to look directly at it, they knelt down from afar and fled at top speed.

The temple did not care in the slightest.

To the temple, they were merely lambs, kept in free-range captivity; thus, the more they moved about, the better their Qi and blood would be.

At this moment, the temple cultivators on the meteorite remained with their eyes closed, while inside the temple above the heart, seven figures in red robes were also sitting cross-legged.

These seven came from various races; six were below, and one was in the seat of honor.

The person in the seat of honor was of the Winged Race. His feather-covered face was devoid of any expression, and the aura of a Void Returning stage cultivator flickered faintly. As for the six below, they, like the woman in red, belonged to the Spirit Repository realm.

They were waiting, waiting for their companion who had gone out to return.

This task of feeding and reinforcing the restrictions often caused some troublesome markings, so those sent to complete it were usually those not highly valued within the temple.

Although spiritual sense could not probe due to the isolation of the magma, and the wait had been slightly long, they did not think it would be delayed much. Given their long-standing status and way of thinking, they did not believe any accidents would occur.

Therefore, they remained in meditation.

But what they did not know was that, a thousand zhang beneath the magma, their companion, that woman in red, was currently undergoing a drastic change in expression, her inner soul in a state of earth-shattering turmoil.

Under the intense killing intent in Xu Qing's heart, he utilized his own Purple Moon Nascent Soul to instantly seize control of the Red Moon formation laid out here, waving it to form seven or eight red giant hands that rushed rapidly toward the woman in red.

At this critical juncture, the woman in red felt her heart shake violently. She knew very well that her authority could not compare to the other party's at all. If not for the fact that she possessed the Ancestor's token, she feared she wouldn't even have the qualifications to resist.

Yet, her only advantage at this moment was her cultivation base.

Being in the Dao-Nurturing Enlightenment stage, she was already on the verge of forming a Heavenly Dao, and her combat power was sufficient to crush any Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Damn it, if not for being here, I could crush this person to death with ease!"

The woman in red pinched a seal with both hands, bloodshot veins filling her eyes, and pushed outward fiercely. Instantly, an illusory secret repository formed behind her, spewing wind, fire, thunder, and lightning as it roared toward the front.

In an instant, it collided with those seven or eight blood-colored giant hands.

A muffled booming sound spread beneath the magma. The woman in red spat out fresh blood, and those seven or eight giant hands, under the interference of her token and the resistance of her own power, also dissipated.

"No matter what your background is, no matter why you possess such divine authority, your cultivation base is ultimately too weak!"

As the woman in red spat blood and spoke sharply, a cold glint flashed in her eyes. She simply gave up on fleeing, preparing to capture him alive.

She thought that once she captured the other party, this matter would surely cause a stir throughout the entire Red Moon Temple, and at that time, her merit would surely be immense.

Thinking of this, the woman in red revealed a decisive look. With a wave of her hand, the shadow of her secret repository manifested outside her body, from which roars emerged, as if a giant beast were rushing out from within. Terrifying power spread in all directions, enveloping Xu Qing directly.

Xu Qing frowned, a sense of regret in his heart.

The Red Moon restriction here was indeed incomparably powerful. Even though the divine authority Xu Qing currently grasped surpassed the other party's token in level, it was ultimately insufficient in quantity.

He could not move more of the restriction's power.

At this moment, seeing the other party's secret repository approaching and the astonishing pressure rushing toward him, his body was fine, but his soul was trembling, conveying a strong sense of life-and-death crisis.

Xu Qing revealed a resolute look. He waved his hands fiercely, and his entire body instantly shone with purple light. His Purple Moon Nascent Soul manifested above his head, forming a purple moon!

Once this moon appeared, the surrounding magma turned purple in an instant.

Drawing upon more of the local Red Moon restrictions, they rapidly gathered in front of Xu Qing, forming a defense to block the suppression from the woman in red's secret repository.

A booming sound exploded instantly. As the surrounding magma surged backward, forming an empty space, the footsteps of the woman in red were also forcibly blocked, causing her to retreat.

The blood vessels all over her body bulged, looking like countless earthworms crawling beneath her skin. The shock in her soul was countless times more intense than before.

"Who exactly are you!"

The woman in red lost her voice again. It was truly because the moment the Purple Moon appeared, the feeling it gave her was as if she had seen a god; her body even exhibited uncontrollable reactions, an urge to kneel and worship rising within her. If not for her own cultivation base acting as an anchor to keep her will firm, she feared she would truly have been unable to resist kneeling down.

This feeling made her scalp tingle, as if ten thousand heavenly thunders were exploding in her mind.

Xu Qing was not having an easy time either. Although he blocked it with the help of the Red Moon restriction, the gap in cultivation base still made it very difficult for him to endure. His body was fine, but it was mainly his soul.

That sensation of his soul being torn apart caused Xu Qing's mind to buzz, his vision to darken, and the pain to be incomparably intense.

It was as if a knife had been stabbed directly into his brain, stirring constantly.

Bloodshot veins appeared in Xu Qing's eyes, but he knew this moment was crucial and absolutely could not relax in the slightest. Thus, enduring the tearing pain in his mind, he pinched a seal with both hands.

His Purple Moon Nascent Soul above his head also pinched a seal. The power of the Purple Moon erupted once more, forming a large purple net that pushed the local red net, roaring toward the woman in red.

The woman in red suppressed the shock and anger in her heart, gritting her teeth fiercely. Her own bloodline actually began to burn, and the token she held in her hand also began to burn.

"Divine Descent!"

A shrill, low roar emerged from the mouth of the woman in red after burning everything.

Her eyes bled, her expression was painful and ferocious, and multiple cracks appeared on her body, from which red blood constantly flowed, covering her entire body. Except for the fact that her hands were not raised to cover her eyes, she was not much different from a statue.

Especially in the next instant, her eyes actually exploded directly.

Xu Qing had seen this scene before; Zhang Siyun had been exactly like this back then.

And amidst the echoing sound, a vast power instantly surged from the woman in red.

Although the Red Mother was asleep and could not possibly descend, at this instant, combined with the token and her own burning, the aura of the divine ability unleashed by the woman in red caused the surrounding Red Moon restrictions to pause.

Xu Qing's control was also instantly affected, appearing to stagnate.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the woman in red rushed out, heading straight for the surface of the magma. She ultimately chose to leave this place; Xu Qing's Purple Moon made her feel intense dread in her heart.

And as long as she rushed out, her companions would notice and would surely strike. Although the credit would be divided, she had no other choice at this moment. She worried that if she continued to delay, that eerie Purple Moon would drive her mad.

Seeing her figure about to rush out, Xu Qing also had madness in his eyes. He absolutely would not let this person leave, so he flickered his body and headed straight for her.

The golden threads within his body stretched, instantly reaching three zhang in height, suppressing her.

The woman's blood-red eyes emitted an eerie roar. She raised her hands and waved them forward. Instantly, black flames emanated from her secret repository, turning into a ferocious ghost face that swallowed fiercely toward Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's body shook violently. After collapsing from three zhang and returning to normal size, all his Nascent Souls were trembling, spewing soul breath, and his soul was on the verge of falling apart.

Fortunately, the protection of his Life Lamp added its strength, which prevented him from truly being torn asunder.

Yet Xu Qing knew very well that if he were to touch it again, his soul would likely find it difficult to continue enduring. However, this desperate interception of his had also played a crucial role.

The speed of the woman in red, whose secret repository was in the stage of forming a Heavenly Dao, was ultimately intercepted for a moment.

And at this moment, the influence of the Divine Descent on the local restrictions began to weaken, and Xu Qing's control began to recover.

Under his control, the restriction re-formed into a blood-colored giant hand, grabbing from below toward the woman in red.

Although it was fast, it was still too late to stop the figure of the woman in red. Her speed erupted once more, and it looked as if she was about to truly break free.

At the critical moment, a ghostly glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes as he looked at the woman.

He pulled out the pointers of the five Sun-Dial Life Lamps within his body at this very instant!

Time Stasis!

Silently and soundlessly, the time belonging to the woman in red was forcibly frozen at this moment.

Her body paused, without any reaction or awareness.

And this pause was life or death!

In an instant, the moment the woman's body recovered, the restriction giant hand roared up from below, grabbed her body, and dragged it down fiercely.

More giant hands rushed out one after another, enveloping her in layers and dragging her down.

Forcibly freezing the time of a Spirit Repository powerhouse was also a huge price for Xu Qing. His Sun-Dial Life Lamps instantly decayed, even appearing with huge cracks.

But as long as they didn't collapse, Xu Qing felt they could still recover. And right now, he had no time to care about these things. Enduring the tearing pain of his own soul, he pinched seals with both hands, constantly controlling the surrounding restrictions.

The power of the restriction continued to erupt, dragging the woman in red into the abyss of the coffin's crack!

The sound within the abyss crack had not emitted a single sound since Xu Qing appeared, but after noticing this scene, the sound of swallowing saliva echoed from within.

The sound was filled with longing, filled with madness.

And the woman in red, who was grabbed by countless giant hands, had her expression change drastically again. The turmoil in her soul was even more intense. The feeling of a life-and-death crisis made her whole body tremble, and madness appeared in her eyes.

She knew what the outcome would be if she were dragged into the abyss, so she struggled with all her might at this moment, but she could only delay for a little time. Her body ultimately approached the abyss slowly.

Seeing this, despair appeared in her eyes, and a shrill sound emerged from her mouth. Flames surged over her entire body; not only was her cultivation base burning, but her life was also burning.

She poured all her potential into the sound, turning it into sound waves that could pierce metal and crack stone, causing the surrounding magma to collapse over a large area, attempting to transmit it out to seek help from the outside world.

Under these sound waves, Xu Qing spat out fresh blood, his eyes blood-red. Seeing that this woman was still resisting, he calculated the time in his heart and then rushed out suddenly.

Two breaths later, he approached the ferocious woman who was emitting the shrill sound. Xu Qing raised his hands and, using himself as a weapon, smashed directly toward her.

He even pushed her body, causing this woman to accelerate into the abyss.

And at such close contact, Xu Qing's soul began to collapse, but he endured it with his powerful will. At the sixth breath of time, he finally entered the abyss together with the woman in red, who was bound by the restriction giant hands and in despair!

The moment he entered, Xu Qing saw a pair of huge blue eyes and an endless large mouth.

The next moment, before his entire soul shattered, he unleashed the power of the Sun-Dial.

Reversion!

Xu Qing's figure, as if it did not exist, blurred within the abyss, as if this period of time had been shattered, turning into countless fragments seven breaths ago, and reassembled.

Outside the abyss, Xu Qing's figure appeared very abruptly. His soul had not collapsed, only the sharp pain remained, and all his injuries had returned to seven breaths ago.

And that woman had fallen eternally into the abyss.

Bursts of chewing sounds filled with satisfaction spread in all directions, biting very hard.

But the crisis had not ended; it was not from the abyss below, but from above the magma.

Xu Qing did not know if the other party's death and her actions before death would attract the attention of the outside world, but he could not gamble. So at this moment, even though his soul was severely injured, he gritted his teeth fiercely and headed straight for the restrictions below.

In an instant, Xu Qing merged into the Red Moon restriction. Relying on his own Purple Moon power, he concealed his tracks and hid beneath a protruding rune on the outer shell of the massive coffin.

Upon arriving here, Xu Qing's injuries were already on the verge of being uncontrollable, and his vision was growing increasingly dark. He bit his tongue fiercely to stimulate himself to maintain consciousness.

Afterward, his entire body filled with Purple Moon power, and he took out the concealment mask given by his Master, putting it on his face rapidly.

Xu Qing did not want to use this mask unless absolutely necessary.

Because if used too much, it would not be able to be taken off.

But at this moment, he had to use it.

At the same time, the coffin suddenly shook, and it actually emitted a gentle power that enveloped Xu Qing, adding its strength to him.

Just as Xu Qing's heart stirred, an astonishing fluctuation roared from above the magma.

Xu Qing immediately lowered his head, not moving a muscle.

Soon, the magma above roared, exploding and spreading in all directions. A Winged Race figure wearing a red robe and growing red wings walked slowly out of the magma.

His expression was gloomy, and his pace seemed slow, but in just a few steps, he arrived above the coffin.

The aura of a Void Returning stage cultivator filled this place with a sense of frenzy.

Standing there, this Winged Race divine envoy scanned the surroundings. At the same time, chewing sounds came from within the coffin, and even sounds containing satisfaction echoed out.

"Servant of the Red Mother, the taste is not bad."

Hearing this, the Winged Race divine envoy looked toward the abyss, a red glint appearing in his eyes, as if he could penetrate a certain range and see into the abyss.

After a long while, he frowned, sensing the aura of his divine servant and knowing that the other party had been swallowed.

As for why this happened, he was not very clear, but thinking of the identity of this existence within the coffin, it seemed understandable.

"This matter must be reported to the temple."

"It seems the time for sealing needs to be more frequent."

The Winged Race divine envoy scanned the surrounding restrictions, then raised his right hand, took out an identical blood crystal, crushed it, and made it merge into the restriction.

Instantly, the restriction fluctuations here became even more intense.

After finishing these, he looked coldly at the crack, turned, flickered, and left this place.

The death of a divine servant was a big deal to the outside world, but to him, it was nothing; as long as he knew the cause of death, that was enough.

Xu Qing did not walk out immediately. He waited for half a day, and after confirming that the divine envoy had indeed left, his whole body couldn't help but relax. However, the dizziness and fatigue caused by the soul injuries made Xu Qing feel very listless.

Fortunately, when he introspected his Sun-Dial, he discovered that although they were each decaying, they were recovering as the pointers moved.

Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and flew out with difficulty. After reaching mid-air, he suddenly paused, remained silent for a few breaths, and then bowed toward the coffin that was the size of a city.

"Thank you, Senior."

Blue eyes appeared within the abyss of the coffin lid's opening, staring at Xu Qing.

These eyes were extremely large, and the feeling they gave Xu Qing was somewhat similar to the Eye of the God, but the power was different.

"On your body, there is the power of the Red Mother!"

The buzzing sound, carrying an inexplicable meaning, echoed in all directions.

Xu Qing lowered his head and spoke respectfully.

"My Master snatched it for me. Now it does not belong to the Red Moon; it belongs to me."

The eyes within the coffin clearly shrank, and it did not speak.

Xu Qing waved his hand, and the power of the poison restriction spread out.

"This too."

After saying this, he also revealed the aura of Ghost Emperor Mountain.

"And this."

"Also, this body of mine was also snatched by my Master for me," Xu Qing said, taking out the fish bone.

"They are a set."

"Who is your Master?" After a long while, a muffled sound came from within the coffin.

Xu Qing shook his head, his expression earnest.

"Senior, before the task my Master gave me is completed, he does not allow me to reveal his name."

"Task?" The eyes within the coffin narrowed.

"My task is to obtain information about the Red Moon and the Red Mother for my Master. Senior may not know, but under my Master's layout, the Red Mother has already fallen asleep."

"I came here to go to the Repentance Plains, to calculate the arrival time of the Red Moon there."

"Senior, who are you?" Xu Qing asked respectfully.

The coffin was silent. After a long time, a vicissitudinous voice came from within.

"Little doll, I don't believe what you say, but it doesn't matter. I can feel that the Red Mother power on you was plundered, unlike those divine envoys, and you are also of the Human Race."

"As for my identity... this vast domain was once my father the King's territory."

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and a huge turmoil rose in his soul.

"The plains you are going to are the burial ground of my father."

Within the coffin, the voice carried bitterness.

"Too much time has passed, I no longer remember the years..."

"You are the second person to appear before me in these countless years, besides the people of the Red Moon Temple. Many years ago, there was another, who promised me he would help me leave, but he hasn't appeared for a long time."

"Tell me, how is the Human Race outside now?"

Xu Qing was silent. He had doubts about the truthfulness of these words, but right now, the injuries to his soul were too severe, and Xu Qing had already felt his own weakness.

In addition, a special reason made him afraid to act rashly, so he sat cross-legged in his original position, recovering from his injuries while spreading his poison restriction.

Afterward, he spoke softly, slowly telling what he knew of the history of the outside world. Occasionally, when his injuries flared up, Xu Qing would stop to adjust, and only after he was better would he transmit words. Throughout the whole process, the tension and vigilance in his heart were actually at their peak.

Just like this, time passed.

One day later, Xu Qing finished speaking.

The blue eyes within the coffin revealed a hint of reminiscence, and after a long time, a murmuring sound echoed.

"The Human Race, actually fallen to this point..."

Xu Qing was silent.

After a long while, a light sigh came from within the coffin, and those blue eyes looked at Xu Qing again.

"Little doll, your injuries are very severe."

Xu Qing nodded. The Purple Crystal was very fast for the recovery of the body, but the recovery of soul injuries was indeed slow, especially when facing this unknown existence. Xu Qing needed to be fully focused and did not dare to relax in the slightest.

"In return for letting me eat good food and telling me the history of my Human Race, come over here to me, and I will help you."

Within the coffin, the vicissitudinous voice came.

Xu Qing shook his head.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior, this is what the junior should do."

The coffin was silent. Those eyes looked at Xu Qing. After dozens of breaths, a white mist drifted out from the abyss, containing a thick Heavenly Mandate fluctuation.

"You don't need to be so guarded against me. This was emitted from that Red Mother servant, I'll give it to you."

After Xu Qing sensed it, his expression remained as usual, without any change, and he spoke softly.

"Senior, the junior's words were abrupt, please don't mind. I just want to tell you, I don't taste good."

As he spoke, the poison restriction spreading over his entire body spread again. After controlling it within a certain range, he looked at those eyes.

"Senior, the junior might have some misunderstandings about you, but I just want to tell you that we all have hostility toward the Red Moon, and although my soul is injured, I can still control the restrictions here," Xu Qing said respectfully. With a wave of his hand, the surrounding red net was revealed, flickering within the magma.

"So, let me leave."

"I didn't restrict you. You can leave at any time outside the coffin," the voice within the coffin said calmly.

"Senior," Xu Qing's expression was earnest, speaking word by word.

"I am not outside the coffin; I am inside this coffin. If I move a step, I will walk into your mouth. You changed my cognition, I know that."

"But I, really don't taste good."

At the same time, outside the Skyfire Sea, the holy land of the alliance between the Mirror Shadow and Sky Face races, this massive city that barely supported itself under the Skyfire passing overhead looked like a bird's nest.

Its oval shape occupied a full hundred miles, very vast.

And now, in the mid-air of this holy land, a huge heart was floating, and the Red Moon Temple on it emitted an eerie red light.

As for the surroundings, there were dozens of purple-red meteorites, emitting thick pressure.

Below them were all the high-level members of the two-race alliance. Whether it was the State Preceptor or the State Lord, all appeared, kneeling respectfully there.

It was not just them kneeling; within the entire city, all the people of the two races were the same.

After a long time, a low sound came from the temple.

"The day of your sacrifice is forty-nine days later. This time, besides Skyfire Crystals, you also need five hundred thousand living food."

The sound echoed, and the heart where the temple was located moved slowly, leaving this place.

They were going to fly all the way to the center of the eastern part of the entire Sacrifice Moon Domain, waiting there for the various races in the east to send sacrifices on the designated day. The standards for each race were different.

The ancestors and State Preceptors of the two races knelt and bowed to send them off. Until the Red Moon Temple disappeared on the horizon, the State Lords of the two races dared to stand up and look at each other.

"The quantity of living food has increased by fifty percent..."

"If we can't complete it, it will surely be our own people filling the numbers."

The two were silent. After a long while, the State Lord of the Sky Face race had a cold glint flash in his eyes.

"That Human Race shelter, under our pretense of ignorance these past few years, should have gathered quite a bit of living food..."

"Raised for so long, it's time to harvest." ===== CHAPTER 545 =====