Chapter 1208: Aurora Beyond the Heavens

Chapter 1208: The Aurora Beyond the Heavens

This was a poisonous immortal fruit!

Xu Qing lifted his head and gazed at the Poison Sovereign. After a long silence, he bowed deeply.

“I shall obey your command!”

He would take this poisoned fruit!

The Poison Sovereign, hearing this, showed no surprise.

In his estimation, Xu Qing before him was a man just like himself—someone who, for the sake of growing stronger, breaking through limits, and ascending higher, would dare conspire with tigers.

To Xu Qing, he himself was the tiger.

And to him, Xu Qing likewise wore the skin of a tiger—after all, hadn’t even an Immortal Venerable warned against entangling oneself in karmic ties with this very man?

“But that,” the Poison Sovereign murmured with a faint smile, “is precisely what makes it more interesting.”

With a sweep of his wide sleeves, he turned and strode forward.

His figure gradually blurred, seeming to merge with heaven and earth until, at last, he vanished entirely.

Only his voice remained, echoing through the world:

“Xu Qing… tread carefully.”

As he departed, heaven and earth returned to normal. A thread of golden starlight drifted down from the firmament, alighting upon Xu Qing and forming a gentle tether. Under its pull, Xu Qing rose into the air, ascending toward the celestial dome, destined to be conveyed away from this star—the seat of the Provision Bureau.

Xu Qing offered no resistance, allowing the starlight to guide him upward. As he ascended, the star beneath him shrank ever smaller in his sight, while his thoughts swelled ever larger.

Though the immortal fruit was laced with poison, its flesh was exquisitely delicious.

The harm and the benefit were crystal clear.

Moreover, Xu Qing did not delude himself into thinking that if he refused to eat the fruit, the other party would truly abandon all ill intent.

That malice was tied to the other’s own ascension—so future clashes were inevitable.

Thus, rather than pinning his hopes on the vanishingly slim chance that the other might relent, Xu Qing preferred to seize control himself.

Especially since he knew full well that what he lacked most now was time—and the resources necessary for cultivation.

He desperately needed this pretext to bolster his own path of cultivation.

Given that, why dwell on the possibility of future poisoning? Better to consume it now and accelerate his growth.

It was no different from those early days before he’d even begun cultivating, when he’d chosen to pursue the path despite knowing it would hasten the accumulation of foreign essences within him in that city where the Faceless One opened its eyes.

His mindset then and now was identical.

In this sense, the Poison Sovereign’s judgment was indeed correct.

Xu Qing and he truly were of the same kind.

“As for the poison’s eruption…” Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. The star below had dwindled to a speck; the entire Receiving Universe slowly re-entered his field of vision. And when at last the full expanse of the Receiving Universe lay revealed before him, he had already been drawn by the starlight beyond its borders.

He emerged into the void—outside the Receiving Universe—and saw Star-Ring Zi and the other cultivators awaiting him.

They had been waiting.

The moment they caught sight of Xu Qing’s form, their gazes converged upon him—and Xu Qing’s body paused midair in the starry expanse.

Then, raising his hand, he waved. Instantly, the ring given to him by the Poison Sovereign unfurled before him, releasing the tokens of his Provision Envoy status.

Gray jade slips fluttered forth.

One by one, the others took them, merging their divine senses with the slips. Their bodies shimmered with light, transforming into identical gray Hundred-Pocket Robes.

Xu Qing, too, after a brief blur around his form, donned his own Hundred-Pocket Robe.

From afar, the eighty-nine of them now appeared uniform and disciplined—an unspoken aura of authority radiating outward.

Zhou Zhengli’s expression grew solemn. Stepping forward, he bowed deeply to Xu Qing and transmitted a thought:

“Greetings, Captain!”

The other Ascendants, regardless of their private thoughts, followed suit in obeisance.

Even Yuan Shan Su complied. Qian Jun Biyi hesitated—but seeing that Star-Ring Zi beside him remained unmoved, the two brothers straightened their backs with newfound arrogance.

Xu Qing’s gaze swept over them, indifferent. Instead, he produced the mission jade slip and projected its contents into their shared awareness.

Their first assignment as Provision Envoys was to a place called the Huntian Cosmos—

to gather resources there.

But this Huntian Cosmos held peculiarities.

It lay outside the Nine Shores Heaven!

Its location was once another Heaven-Beyond-Heaven.

And it belonged to none of the Eleven Immortal Lords!

More precisely, that Heaven-Beyond-Heaven had become masterless after its ruling Immortal Lord perished…

Even its name had been erased from records.

Upon reading this in the jade slip, Xu Qing’s mind stirred.

He wasn’t alone. Among the Ascendants present—Star-Ring Zi and others who had once ruled stars—their expressions also turned strange.

For within the entire Fifth Star Ring, only one place matched these conditions…

That was the former Aurora Heaven-Beyond-Heaven!

Instinctively, Li Mengtu and Zhou Zhengli turned to look at Xu Qing. Even Qian Jun Biyi, even Yuan Shan Su—and yes, even Star-Ring Zi—found their eyes drawn to him without conscious intent.

After all, everything they’d endured within the historical Aurora Immortal Palace, and Xu Qing’s identity as the Young Master of Aurora, had left an indelible impression.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes further and continued studying the mission jade slip.

It stated clearly that to reach the Huntian Cosmos, they must present the mission jade slip at the designated teleportation site and undergo a specific transmission.

Because that Heaven-Beyond-Heaven had lost its master, it had become both a public domain and a den of defiant factions. The alien races dwelling there, shaped by lingering historical grievances, had grown rebellious in spirit and action.

After all, no direct heavenly authority loomed over them anymore.

And with incursions from other Heavens-Beyond-Heaven, divisions had naturally formed—each faction backed by its own power.

Overall, compared to other Heavens-Beyond-Heaven, this place resembled a lawless frontier—deep, murky waters indeed.

Among its countless cosmoses dwelled myriad alien races and tangled powers. Moreover, it housed more Spirit Prison complexes than almost any other Heaven-Beyond-Heaven.

After all, the late Aurora Immortal Lord had stood at the absolute pinnacle of martial prowess among all Immortal Lords.

Regarding their destination—the Huntian Cosmos—the jade slip explained it lay on the periphery of this Heaven-Beyond-Heaven, administered by the Huntian Imperial Clan, and contained thirty-one Spirit Prisons.

Of these, the largest was Prison Jia-29, which primarily held captives at the Spirit Platform Realm.

As the information within the jade slip was fully absorbed by everyone present, Xu Qing tucked it away. His gaze swept over the crowd before him, then without uttering a word, his body blurred as he shot forward toward the nearest teleportation site indicated by the slip.

Zhou Zhengli and Li Mengtu exchanged glances and immediately followed behind.

The others, too, eyes gleaming with curiosity, joined the procession.

Thus, this group surged forth like a mighty tide—eighty-nine streaks of radiant light tearing through the starry void.

Their speed was so extreme that passing cultivators, upon noticing them, mostly frowned and veered away, giving them a wide berth.

Clearly, the reputation of Provision Gatherers was infamous—they were seen as ravenous wolves or rabid dogs, best avoided if one could help it.

And so, half a month passed.

Within the Nine Shores Heaven, on an ancient teleportation platform built atop a primordial star, Xu Qing and his companions descended one after another. As Xu Qing produced the mission jade slip, the platform roared to life with a thunderous hum.

In the next instant, teleportation energy erupted—a vast, awe-inspiring force rippling outward in concentric rings.

All of them, including Xu Qing, vanished abruptly from the platform.

This teleportation lasted a full five days before concluding.

When they reappeared, they stood upon a crimson stone platform in an unfamiliar stretch of starry sky—its surface riddled with cracks, exuding an aura of profound antiquity and desolation.

The platform radiated intense heat, rapidly cooling even as they arrived.

Clearly, teleportation between Outer Heavens placed immense strain on such arrays.

Moreover, this unprecedented form of teleportation demanded extraordinary resilience from cultivators themselves. Those lacking sufficient cultivation might perish outright during transit, while those with even minor flaws in their mental fortitude risked losing themselves entirely within the peculiar state of transfer, vanishing along with their physical forms.

Thus, the moment they materialized, dozens spat blood instantly and sat cross-legged to recover.

Others appeared dazed, their souls seemingly adrift in turbulent waves.

Even Xu Qing and Star-Ring Master felt unwell.

Fortunately, all who had ascended here were prodigies forged through relentless trials—their cultivation and mental discipline unmatched among peers in the outside world.

Though affected by the Outer Heaven teleportation, they gradually stabilized, then slowly extended their spiritual senses to survey their surroundings.

Here, the starlight was dim—faint and sparse.

Spiritual qi was also markedly thinner.

This was a barren wasteland.

“This place… is the Huntian Cosmos,” Xu Qing murmured, standing atop the stone platform as he gazed into the distance. Then he glanced at Zhou Zhengli.

Zhou Zhengli immediately understood. Stepping forward, he bowed respectfully to Xu Qing and spoke.

“Young Master, everyone already knows the details of this mission and the standards for Source Essence.”

“I suggest we split up.”

“No matter how each obtains it, just bring back your share when returning.”

“If anyone encounters obstacles, offer Source Essence as payment to seek nearby aid.”

“And of course, if all else fails, we’ll need the Young Master’s intervention—but naturally, ample Source Essence must be provided for such assistance.”

“What do you think, Young Master?”

Zhou Zhengli looked expectantly at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing nodded. He had no desire to micromanage, and he understood well that everyone needed Source Essence—self-interest was inevitable.

Given that, it was better to let them scavenge freely.

“I’ll take charge of Prison Alpha Twenty-Nine. The rest of you can negotiate amongst yourselves for the other locations.”

Having spoken, Xu Qing blurred once more and shot off into the distant starry void in an instant.

His destination—Prison Alpha Twenty-Nine—was the largest divine prison in the entire Huntian Cosmos.

After his departure, the others exchanged looks, communicated briefly via secret transmissions, and soon scattered like locusts—some alone, others in small groups—rushing toward different regions.

Meanwhile, deep within the Huntian Cosmos, inside a remote star system, floated an extravagantly opulent imperial palace.

Inside, music and dance filled the air in joyous revelry.

A colossal giant, entirely crimson and possessing two faces—one front, one back—sat upon the throne, propping his head with one hand, utterly absorbed in the spectacle below.

Soon, a jade slip came hurtling toward the palace from afar, landing before the giant with a sharp crack as it shattered on its own. From its fragments emerged a spectral figure, which immediately prostrated itself before the two-faced giant.

“Your Majesty! A Provision Gathering squad from the Nine Shores Outer Heaven has invaded our Huntian Cosmos!”

The two-faced giant remained unperturbed, still watching the dancers below. After a long pause, he spoke indifferently.

“The usual protocol. Arrange some Source Essence for them to find. If these mongrels know their place, they’ll take the bone and leave.”

“But if they don’t… then let them learn clearly who truly rules the Huntian Cosmos.”