Chapter 1204: Forbidden!

Chapter 1204: Forbidden!

As he departed from the Perseus Tombs, Xu Qing followed the silent guidance of his heart and cast a distant glance toward the imagined location of the Ninth Star Ring.

Amidst the boundless sea of stars, Xu Qing himself could not be certain whether the direction he gazed upon truly held the Ninth Star Ring.

Even though his divine avatar resided in Wanggu, even though his heart resonated with faint intuition, the distance was simply too vast—everything remained indistinct, blurred by cosmic immensity.

Yet despite this, despite seeing nothing at all, and despite lacking certainty about whether that point in space was indeed the precise location of the Ninth Star Ring,

Xu Qing understood clearly the reason behind his longing gaze.

He missed home.

He missed the continent of Wanggu—the people within it, the things within it, everything…

“One day,” he murmured inwardly, “Wanggu Continent will surely become like the Fifth Star Ring—free of alien essences, saturated instead with the pure qi of immortals and spirits.”

“And those gods who survive… perhaps they too shall abandon their divine paths and turn to cultivation of the immortal way!”

After a long while, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze.

It was not yet time to return.

He was still not strong enough.

He still lacked the power to change, to protect.

“Soon…”

Silent for a long moment, Xu Qing gathered his thoughts, retrieved the jade slip of the Moyang Universe, and crushed it between his fingers. Instantly, his form blurred. Ripples spread outward from him, and in the next heartbeat, he vanished—teleported away.

Teleportation between universes demanded spatial energies of staggering magnitude, further underpinned by laws of an even higher order; without either component, such travel would be impossible.

Only thus could cultivators within the Nine Shores traverse realms as casually as stepping across a threshold.

Even with Xu Qing’s current cultivation and profound comprehension of spatial principles, he could perceive only the faintest glimmer of its workings—the true essence remained veiled beyond his grasp.

“This involves secrets…”

“Most likely tied to the Immortal Sovereign of the Nine Shores.”

Xu Qing whispered inwardly. The realm of an Immortal Sovereign lay impossibly distant.

For now, he could glimpse only a hazy fragment.

Gradually, as distortion warped his vision and the void shifted around him, the starry expanse began to transform—slowly, inexorably replaced.

When clarity finally returned, Xu Qing no longer stood amid the Perseus Tombs. Instead, he found himself inside the celestial palace of the Moyang Universe—a structure built entirely from meteoric stone!

Pushing open the palace doors, the Moyang Universe unfolded before him.

With a single step forward, he vanished once more.

And reappeared instantly outside the Mo Tu black hole.

There, lounging with languid grace, lay the Fox Beauty—idly clapping rhythm for a troupe of dancing, fluttering maidens, her expression one of pure indulgence.

Noticing Xu Qing’s return, the Fox Beauty blinked in mild surprise, then pouted prettily.

“You wretch! Back so soon?”

“You didn’t even give me a heads-up so I could prepare properly—what, are you conducting a surprise inspection now?”

“Well, fine. Sister won’t hold it against you. So? How did it go? Smooth sailing?”

Accustomed long ago to the vixen’s teasing, Xu Qing merely replied coolly, “Very smooth. Carry on.”

With that, he sat cross-legged, ignoring her completely. Raising his hand, he produced the gift bestowed upon him by the tomb guardian of Yingling, placing it before him. Extending his spiritual sense into the object, he began examining it meticulously.

Seeing Xu Qing so aloof, the Fox Beauty chuckled softly—but took no offense. Their relationship had settled into comfortable familiarity: he had grown used to her antics, and she, in turn, had long grown used to his indifference.

She simply enjoyed teasing him—especially relishing the sight of his quiet refusals.

In those moments, she rediscovered a flicker of human joy she once feared lost forever—a joy slowly returning, reminding her what it meant to truly live.

Thus, she chose to suppress her divinity and immerse herself fully in her humanity, watching first the dancing beauties, then the meditating young man beside her—and suddenly smiled.

On one side, lovely women; on the other, a handsome youth.

“This,” she declared inwardly with delight, “is the empire this goddess has built!”

The Fox Beauty knew well she differed from those primordial deities.

Her humanity had never fully faded—and she refused to let it vanish entirely. Each time she teased Xu Qing, that spark of humanity flared brighter within her.

“This is perfectly fine,” she thought contentedly.

Taking a bite of the celestial fruit beside her, she narrowed her eyes into crescent moons, utterly at ease.

Time flowed gently onward.

Months passed in quiet rhythm.

Throughout these months, the Fox Beauty remained perpetually cheerful, while Xu Qing devoted himself wholly to studying the mysterious bell.

Its material was profoundly strange.

No matter what method he employed, Xu Qing could not leave even the faintest mark upon it.

Even his Paralleling Decree proved useless against this artifact.

It could not manifest in any other timeline!

An unseen force coiled within, forbidding its departure from this spacetime!

“This must be what the tomb guardian elder referred to… a trace of Sovereign God’s might!”

“Though its former owner perished at the hands of that Sovereign God, this treasure survived intact—and departed freely, untouched by the Sovereign’s will.”

“If we rule out deliberate intent on the Sovereign’s part, then this object’s extraordinary nature speaks for itself!”

“Only… the bell lacks its clapper.”

“But these past months haven’t been wasted!”

A strange light gleamed in Xu Qing’s eyes.

Though external forces left no impression on the bell, through nurturing it with his own immortal embryo, he had forged a faint connection with it.

That bond could have deepened further—for the bell, now masterless, not only accepted his nurturing but actively welcomed it. In truth, it was less that Xu Qing nourished the bell, and more that the bell—like parched earth—reached hungrily for dew.

Yet Xu Qing always treated the unknown with utmost caution.

Thus, he carefully controlled the pace of this nurturing, keeping absolute command over that fragile link—ready to sever it instantly should anything feel amiss.

“Then the way to awaken this treasure’s power… must lie in sound.”

Raising his right hand, Xu Qing made a swift gesture. Instantly, the iron needle forged within the Dao Refining Universe shot forth, hovering before him—its edge shimmering with lethal brilliance.

Gazing at the bell, Xu Qing weighed his thoughts inwardly.

After finally confirming there were no flaws in his reasoning, his expression hardened with resolve. He manipulated the iron skewer and struck the bell with fierce force.

The moment the iron skewer touched the bell, the entire object shuddered violently.

A clear, lingering chime suddenly rang out from the bell.

That sound carried an ethereal quality—upon its emergence, the fine wine the Fox Beauty had just raised instantly disintegrated. The bed beneath her, along with the illusory flock of beauties surrounding her, vanished likewise.

In an instant, all disappeared.

Startled, the Fox Beauty shot to her feet, stumbling backward repeatedly. Her form blurred, revealing her divine platform, her expression flickering with astonishment.

“What is this!”

It wasn’t only the Fox Beauty affected. In every direction, the starry sky trembled.

The chime continued echoing, its reach boundless—as if resonating within the minds of all living beings, its resonance piercing through all things.

Within the Mo Yang cosmos, every region touched by the bell’s sound fell into abrupt silence.

Amid that stillness, all illusions ceased to exist, all spells unraveled, and every divine ability collapsed.

Xu Qing was deeply moved.

At last, he understood the precise function of this bell-treasure!

“It forbids all arts!”

“And judging by the Fox Beauty’s reaction—even deities fall within its prohibition!”

Yet, alas—the very next moment, as the chime faded, everything around reverted to how it had been before.

The illusory beauties reappeared beside the Fox Beauty; the vanished immortal fruit materialized once more in her hand.

Still, she had lost all appetite for indulgence.

She stared gravely at Xu Qing and spoke in a low voice,

“This treasure… can forbid even gods.”

Xu Qing nodded.

“Indeed—a formidable weapon.”

Having spoken, Xu Qing focused his mind anew and resumed studying the bell.

The Fox Beauty watched him for a long while, then sighed.

This Fifth Star Ring had once again filled her with dread.

“I wonder… once this young Xu returns to Wang Gu Continent after mastering his craft here, what kind of uproar will he stir among their gods?”

“Never mind—it has nothing to do with me anyway.”

With that thought, the Fox Beauty returned to her leisure.

Time flowed on once more.

Months later, Xu Qing ceased his research. From then on, he immersed himself entirely in cultivation, stabilizing his immortal embryo and solidifying the foundation for his recent advancement—steadily strengthening his state until it grew ever more unshakable.

Until, at last, the long-agreed-upon day of summoning arrived—one full year after their arrival.

On that day, a solemn voice echoed from Xu Qing’s cosmic jade slip, resonating directly within his consciousness:

“All ascended disciples of this cycle—hear this decree. Within twelve cosmic hours, report to the Summoning Cosmos and await further orders.

“You shall be assigned duties and truly integrated into the Nine Shores Heaven.”

This voice did not echo solely in Xu Qing’s mind—it simultaneously resounded in the hearts of every ascended disciple of this cycle.

Scattered across countless universes, each individual—no matter what they were doing—froze in place, their expressions turning grave yet filled with anticipation.

Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes from meditation.

His gaze blazed with sharp brilliance.

“The time… has finally come.”

He rose to his feet. Beside him, the Fox Beauty dispelled all her illusions and sauntered over, stretching languidly.

“I’ve lazed about enough—it’s time to join the excitement. I’m quite looking forward to what lies ahead.”

*The update will be late.*

*Don’t wait for it tonight—I’ve been writing very slowly, pondering the plot for ages. The update will likely be delayed.*

*There’s also a chance both chapters will be posted tomorrow.*