Chapter 842: A Hundred Boats Competing in the Current

At this moment, the Profound Moon Hidden Gate was shaken; the wisp of Taiyin power that originally existed within it was the seed of the Hidden Gate, the Taiyin Ghost Firefly, which resonated with this moon star.

He possessed the Profound Moon authority, an authority born from the Red Moon, and now it belonged solely to Xu Qing, also serving as a mark of connection.

Even though the moons were not all the same, such conditions allowed him to possess the prerequisites, and his current actions were logical.

The moment he sat down, the Profound Moon Hidden Gate roared, and the incomparably dense Taiyin power from the entire moon star surged toward Xu Qing.

After a brief moment of discomfort, it was his to enjoy exclusively!

Compared to Xu Qing, Tian Tian Mozi, Tuo Shishan, and Fan Fan Shishuang's methods and total volume of absorption were like fireflies, lacking any dominance.

Even Yan Yan Xuanzi and Chen Erniu had at most opened five gates, which was merely the swallowing of a Heavenly Dog.

If there were no comparison, it would be fine, but now that a comparison was made, the difference was immediately clear.

Xu Qing sat upon the moon star as if he were the master of this moon star!

Consequently... Tian Tian Mozi and Tuo Shishan, who were in the midst of ascending, could not help but release their spiritual sense in shock, while Fan Fan Shishuang, who was also absorbing Taiyin power, breathed rapidly as he looked at Xu Qing, a sense of absurdity rising in his heart, yet he was helpless.

Even Chen Erniu was anxious; on one hand, it was his need for Taiyin, and on the other, he felt that this time they were doing something big, so why was his Junior Brother constantly stealing the spotlight...

Compared to the past, the situation had now reversed.

This made him feel that his dignity as the Senior Brother was being severely challenged.

Therefore, he immediately shouted.

"Junior Brother, my dear Junior Brother... leave some for me!"

The Heavenly Dog manifested by Chen Erniu could not absorb the Taiyin, so he could only open his mouth wide and shout toward Xu Qing along with his true form. Seeming to feel this was not enough, Chen Erniu gritted his teeth and rose to rush toward the barrier of the star he was on.

As he neared, blood sprayed out in large mouthfuls as if it were not his own, landing on the barrier and instantly dyeing it red and freezing it.

Then, with a charge from the Heavenly Dog above his head, he bit directly into the barrier.

With a crack, the barrier collapsed, and the Captain's figure suddenly rushed out, intending to step onto the moon star as well.

But he did not possess the corresponding conditions, and the moment he approached, he was repelled by the moon star.

The massive repulsive force from the moon star caused him to be pushed away every time he got close, as if he were in a storm, and he could only shout again.

"Junior Brother..."

Xu Qing did not open his eyes, immersed in absorbing the Taiyin, but his right hand still lifted and waved, guiding the Captain.

Using himself as the anchor for the Senior Brother, he transformed into an invisible rope, connecting with Chen Erniu.

Ultimately, although Chen Erniu was still repelled by the moon star, he relied on this anchor, as if being flown like a kite, to remain relatively stationary and begin absorbing the Taiyin power.

And in order to reclaim his dignity as the Senior Brother, while absorbing, Chen Erniu quickly transmitted his voice.

"Little Ah Qing, let me tell you, among this group, I was the first to arrive at the Imperial Palace, and before the others arrived, I, your Senior Brother, had already completed all the preparations."

"This Taiyin power and such are just appetizers; when the time comes in a moment, you will know the goal of your Senior Brother—that is the real main course."

Xu Qing nodded upon hearing this, his internal Profound Moon Hidden Gate continuing to absorb, the Taiyin power within becoming increasingly dense, and the Heavenly Dao aura surging accordingly.

Through the gradually opening cracks of the third Hidden Gate, one could see the freezing power erupting within, and the Heavenly Dao prototype, the Taiyin Ghost Firefly, became increasingly clear.

And Xu Qing's aura climbed along with it!

The Captain's side was the same; under their shared use of this moon star, both were reaping rewards. Soon, the moon star carried them in rotation, and the sun star approached.

Their method of absorbing while sticking to the moon star caused Fan Fan Shishuang's supply to be cut off like a river. With no other choice, he gritted his teeth and, while forming seals, manifested countless flying swords around his body.

These flying swords whistled toward the invisible barrier of the star he was on, the sound intense, and finally, all the swords converged into an ultimate edge, landing on the barrier.

He was not trying to break the barrier, but only wanted to pierce a hole!

In this way, he could maintain the protection to the greatest extent while also absorbing some of the stray Taiyin power from outside through this small hole.

Although the quantity was too small, fortunately, Xu Qing had arrived late, and Fan Fan Shishuang had already absorbed most of what he needed before, so he could barely sustain himself.

As for Tian Tian Mozi and Tuo Shishan, they breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling fortunate, because what they needed was solar power, not Taiyin...

But before this breath was fully exhaled, Yan Yan Xuanzi frowned.

She let out a cold snort and took a step, arriving beside the barrier of the star she was on. She raised her right hand and struck the barrier with a punch of the Undying Imperial Fist.

The entire barrier shattered and collapsed instantly.

The domineering intent was fully displayed in this punch.

Her figure then stepped forward, heading straight for the rotating sun star, but she encountered the same situation as the Captain; she did not possess the conditions to step onto the sun star.

Therefore, the sun star's repulsion blocked her outside.

However, Yan Yan Xuanzi was Yan Yan Xuanzi after all. Although repelled, seeing two people she detested able to absorb this way, she did not believe she could not.

Even though the repulsive force was terrifying, she moved forward step by step, punch by punch.

Her fist contained the Undying and the Domineering; that was her Dao.

Moving forward without hesitation, unstoppable!

Thus, amidst the deafening roar and the shock of Tian Tian Mozi and Tuo Shishan, she stepped by step actually approached the sun star.

She then released her five Hidden Gates, revealed her own Ruins Earth, manifested her own Great World, and used these to suppress herself, allowing her to sit... upon the sun star.

This scene made the Captain feel sour.

"This Yan Yan Xuanzi is indeed extraordinary; although she is still a bit behind me, she is about the same as Junior Brother."

Yan Yan Xuanzi's actions triggered some causal reactions. Tian Tian Mozi, unwilling, took out a small white jade bottle, opened it, and blew a breath into it.

A patch of starlight scattered from the small bottle; it was starlight different from this realm. Now, blown by Tian Tian Mozi, the starlight seemed to possess an aura and headed straight for the barrier ahead.

The next moment, the barrier was pierced, forming a vortex that sucked in the stray solar power from the outside.

This was also the choice of Tuo Shishan.

Facing competitors like Xu Qing and Yan Yan Xuanzi, they had no other way and did not want to create extra trouble, so as long as the stray power remained, they could barely accept it.

After all, the goal before them right now was to ascend to Spirit Containment.

As for the exploration of the Imperial Palace, that would have to wait until after the ascension.

Just like that, everyone seemed to be waiting.

Tian Tian Mozi and the others had the goal of Spirit Containment, so in this Imperial Tomb, they waited for the opportunity, then waited for transcendence, waited to break the Ruins Earth, waited for the illusory to become real, and waited for the Great World to be lit.

The Captain was also waiting, waiting for the timing he spoke of.

Others did not know his goal, but Xu Qing had done so many big things with the Captain that, more or less, he had guessed it in his heart.

Yan Yan Xuanzi was clearly also waiting; her goal could not just be for Spirit Containment, because for Tian Tian Mozi and the others, the Imperial Tomb opportunity was not as urgently needed by Yan Yan Xuanzi.

Thus, in Xu Qing's view, the people here were divided into three levels.

And he himself, was he not also waiting?

He was waiting for his Profound Moon Divine Hidden Heavenly Dao to reach completion, waiting for the Heavenly Dao that matched the Imperial Sword Hidden to appear, and waiting to open the five gates and step into the Return to Ruins.

He was even more so waiting for what he judged in his heart to be the Captain's big plan!

Just like that, time passed.

Between the rotation of the sun and moon, the auras of Tian Tian Mozi and the others became increasingly majestic, faintly possessing the might of Spirit Containment. The Captain's eyes also revealed a dark glint, the madness within about to be ignited.

Yan Yan Xuanzi, sitting cross-legged on the sun star, had also opened her eyes, looking not upward, but below the star.

As for Xu Qing... the Profound Moon Divine Hidden within his body finally sent out a deafening roar at this moment, echoing throughout his sea of consciousness. The Profound Moon Hidden Gate, which had originally opened a crack, now opened completely!

One could see the Taiyin Ghost Firefly rising within the Hidden Gate, and the cold air capable of freezing time and space erupted inside.

Five gates, three opened!

Xu Qing's aura also surged at this moment, exceeding the past, coldness spreading all over his body, faintly merging completely with the moon star beneath him.

Just at this moment!

Under these sun and moon stars, beneath the canopy, the chime bells, the sacrificial drums, and the nine giant starlight dragons circling, on the patchwork earth, and on the altar, inside the Immortal Emperor's coffin placed there...

Came a heartbeat!

Thump-thump!

This heartbeat surpassed the sound of thunder; even the intent of creating the world seemed difficult to compare with it, because the heaven had been defiled by gods, and the earth had already become a god's kingdom.

Therefore, this heartbeat that came forth was the sound of a god.

The Immortal Domain was defiled; how could the Imperial Corpse... be exempt?

Once this sound emerged, the Imperial Palace roared, affecting the tomb where it was located, spreading to the stars, and sweeping through the entire Divine Domain, while the opportunity Yan Yan Xuanzi was waiting for... had arrived!

She did not hesitate at all. Her body suddenly charged from the sun star, and amidst the echoing heartbeat, she headed straight for... the huge and luxurious seven-colored canopy below, filled with sacred might and covering half the earth!

That was the Immortal Emperor's supreme treasure!

It was also the "Heaven" she had prepared for her own Great World!

She wanted to form a super Great World whose vastness surpassed everything, rare in both ancient and modern times!

The Ruins Earth of this world could be molded, but the Heaven covering it was hard to come by.

This was Yan Yan Xuanzi's goal.

For this, she even suppressed her hatred and killing intent toward Chen Erniu. Now, whistling as she approached, the Undying Imperial Fist roared, and she used all her strength to shake away a star dragon that was crashing toward her.

As that star dragon collapsed, she sprayed blood, but her figure did not pause in the slightest, appearing on top of the canopy!

The moment she sat down, the five gates opened, and the Ruins Earth descended. She wanted to refine this canopy within her body, making it her own Spirit Containment Canopy, thereby stepping into a peak that surpassed everyone else.

Such spirit was far beyond what Tian Tian Mozi and the others could compare to.

And now, indeed, no one could stop her choice. The next moment, the seven-colored canopy radiated supreme intent and began to merge with her.

The aura of ascension rose to the heavens.

Looking from afar, it was like a divine flower blooming in this Imperial Palace. The flower covered the sun and moon, spreading across one hundred and eight stars, and the seven-colored roots growing beneath the flower... were actually connected to the coffin from which the heartbeat came!

Regardless of whose handiwork the god inside the coffin was, whose backup plan it was, or whose rebirth it was...

The peak that she, Yan Yan Xuanzi, wanted was not Spirit Containment... but, God!