Chapter 1209: Divine Provisions

Chapter 1209: Divine Grain

In the starry void, Xu Qing streaked forward like a meteor, roaring through the cosmos.

Wherever he passed, ripples unfurled, warping the starlight itself.

This was both a natural consequence of his cultivation and the innate power radiating from his nascent immortal embryo.

In many ways, it already resembled the presence of a true deity—

an inevitable state reached when one’s cultivation ascended to such heights.

Just as weakness manifests in countless fragile forms, strength, at its apex, always converges into oneness.

Having fixed his destination, Xu Qing did not push his speed to its absolute limit.

As he journeyed onward, he immersed himself in sensing his nascent immortal embryo while simultaneously probing this universe—this realm beyond the heavens.

“Though everything that unfolded within the Immortal Ruins was merely a mirror of history…

the allegiance sworn by Qianjun Biyi has carried over into the present age; Li Mengtu’s Poison Constitution likewise traces part of its origin there… and even that mud fox—outside Mo Earth—manifested the Hundred Blossoms Palace.”

“All this proves that experiences within the mirrored past are not without effect upon the present world—though their traces are faint, their influence subtle.”

“But within that mirrored history, I already obtained full authority over the Aurora Immortal Palace!”

“And for this realm beyond the heavens, the Immortal Palace serves as both its core and its sovereign apex. Thus, what appeared in the Immortal Ruins was merely its descent under the tide of spiritual energy. The palace’s true location most likely still resides here, within this celestial expanse.”

“Therefore, with my authority over the Immortal Palace…”

A strange glimmer flickered in Xu Qing’s eyes—this was the question burning most fiercely in his heart.

So as he traveled, he extended his divine sense, attempting to perceive something—anything.

But alas, perhaps too much time had passed, or perhaps the palace lay dormant.

He gained nothing.

After a long while, he sighed inwardly and abandoned the attempt, accelerating once more.

His target: Prison Alpha-29.

The largest divine prison in the entire Huntian Cosmos—and openly, the richest source of Origin Essence.

As captain of the Provision Gatherers, he naturally claimed first rights to the choicest share.

As for his so-called subordinates—their lives or deaths meant nothing to him.

How they acquired Origin Essence—whether by collecting from other prisons or harvesting from alien races—was equally irrelevant.

Even if they encountered resistance or clashed with local alien factions during their gathering, others would inevitably step in, driven by greed for more essence.

Unless an extreme situation arose, Xu Qing had no intention of intervening.

His purpose was crystal clear:

“Absorb Origin Essence. Strengthen my nascent immortal embryo!”

His eyes gleamed with sharp resolve. His speed increased further. Along the way, he frequently utilized teleportation arrays, and after ten days, he had crossed nearly half the Huntian Cosmos—arriving at last at his destination!

A crimson expanse of stars stretched before him!

This red hue did not come from starlight—but from an immense, staggering sea-grass of cosmic scale, radiating a deep, pervasive scarlet glow.

It bore nineteen leaves.

Each leaf was long enough to encircle an entire star.

At the convergence of these nineteen leaves—the root of this colossal seaweed—sprouted countless fine filaments.

These tendrils coiled around an extraordinarily massive sun, penetrating deep into its core, ceaselessly siphoning its energy to sustain the plant’s existence.

Gazing upon this stellar flora, Xu Qing’s eyes darkened with intrigue.

“Such a cosmic plant… I wonder if my own Divine Vine might one day grow to such magnificence.”

He briefly sensed his Star Tower—within which his Divine Vine slumbered, fused inseparably with the structure. Though still dormant, its aura suggested awakening was not far off.

Withdrawing his perception, Xu Qing turned his full attention to the seaweed before him.

He saw clearly now: scattered across its nineteen leaves were countless spots—varying in size.

“Each spot is a minor world… and also a prison!”

“And the greatest prison lies within that sun.”

Almost as he observed, the seaweed pulsed with a flash of crimson light—and a terrifying divine will erupted from within, locking onto Xu Qing.

Its intensity made him feel as though standing before a true immortal.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. He understood: this seaweed was not only a prison but also a warden.

Producing his Provision Gatherer token and mission jade slip, he spoke in a low, steady voice:

“By decree of Jiuan Heaven, I am here to harvest Origin Essence.”

Instantly, the seaweed’s divine sense enveloped him, sweeping over his credentials.

After a moment, seemingly satisfied, the will lazily withdrew—and one of the leaves slowly rose, drifting down to settle before Xu Qing.

Glancing at the leaf, then at the sun entwined by the seaweed’s roots, Xu Qing pondered briefly before stepping forward—heading straight for the leaf.

He locked onto one of the spots and swiftly approached.

To his eyes, the speck grew larger and larger—until it became an entire world.

Piercing through void and barrier alike, amid thunderous echoes, he descended—

landing upon a vast expanse of black earth.

The land reeked of decay, saturated with death, stretching endlessly in every direction.

No wind stirred. No spirit flowed. No foreign substance lingered. Only desolation. Only silence.

Surveying his surroundings, then gazing downward, Xu Qing remained expressionless. He raised his foot—and stamped down hard upon the ground, uttering a single, calm word:

“Awaken.”

The moment his foot struck, the earth roared. Wind surged. Spirit bloomed. Alien energies erupted—unleashing a storm.

From the ground it rose, sweeping outward in all directions, carrying torrents of black soil that swallowed Xu Qing whole.

Had one hovered high above at that instant—not standing on the earth, not caught within the tempest—but looking down from the highest vantage point, one would have clearly seen…

a long fissure appearing upon the land. From this rift, the soil erupted like ocean waves, surging in one direction.

And then—a colossal, bloodshot eye emerged from the earth.

It opened.

Beneath this black plain had lain a slumbering eye, sealed shut—now forced awake by Xu Qing’s footfall.

Thus the storm began.

And within that maelstrom, Xu Qing stood utterly still—precisely atop the pupil of that enormous, newly opened eye.

The eye stared at him, cold and emotionless—neither joy nor sorrow in its gaze—as a divine voice echoed through the air:

“Lower race. Slave.”

Xu Qing’s expression remained unchanged.

This was the eye of an immaculate deity.

“Immaculate,” however, is merely relative.”

Xu Qing gazed down at the divine eye beneath his feet and spoke calmly.

Long ago, on Wanggu Continent, Xu Qing had encountered similar eyes of divinity.

Each time he beheld one, his entire body would tremble, his mind thundering, dense heterogeneity surging through him—his very flesh seeming to rebel, yearning to tear itself apart under that gaze.

Such was the chasm between their tiers of existence.

Yet now, he looked upon it with serene composure, his being utterly unchanged.

It was the divine eye itself that began to warp, its form blurring, crimson veins multiplying across its surface.

Even if this deity were restored to its former peak, it would still be powerless before Xu Qing as he stood now.

Raising his right hand, Xu Qing summoned forth the token signifying his status as a Collector Envoy.

This token served both as proof of rank and as a vessel uniquely attuned to harvest Source Essence.

Holding it aloft, Xu Qing pressed downward through empty air.

The divine eye contorted violently, a low growl rumbling from its depths, swelling into a roar that shook the heavens.

Golden strands of Source Essence began seeping out, thread by thread.

Each filament torn away wracked the eye with unbearable agony.

After some time, once forty-nine threads had been drawn forth, the divine eye turned ashen gray—pushed to its limit—and slowly began to close, sinking into slumber.

But Xu Qing’s brow furrowed.

“Too little.”

Before him hovered only a fist-sized clump of Source Essence—no larger than an infant’s clenched hand.

Moreover, its purity paled in comparison to that harvested from Mottu; thus, far greater quantities would be needed for meaningful absorption.

His eyes flashed with cold resolve. Instead of recalling his token, he drove it down with crushing force, pressing it firmly against the eye just as it neared closure—

Sealing them together!

In the next instant, the divine eye snapped wide open, its expression—for the first time—betraying unmistakable emotion:

The primal terror of death, shared by all sentient beings.

Yet that fear lasted but a moment. As Xu Qing, heedless of cost, intensified his extraction, golden filaments erupted forth in torrents.

This was no longer mere harvesting of Source Essence—it was the draining of life itself.

The roar became a wail. The wail soon choked into silence. And with it vanished the divine eye entirely—reduced to ash, body and soul annihilated.

Its death yielded yet more Source Essence.

Gazing at the gathered essence, Xu Qing felt the mud-fox mark upon his arm trembling faintly.

He released a portion of the essence toward the mark.

“Want some?”

The trembling ceased. In the next breath, the mark pulsed with suction, drawing in the essence instantly. A soft, velvety voice then echoed within Xu Qing’s mind:

“Thank you, Young Master… You’re so kind.”

Expression unchanged, Xu Qing remained rooted in place and began absorbing the rest.

As the essence merged into his body, his Immortal Embryo blazed brilliantly, his aura surging steadily upward—until, moments later, his eyes gleamed with sharp intensity and he licked his lips.

“Still too little… I need more.”

With those words, his form blurred, shooting off toward the next pocket realm where another deity lay imprisoned!

Thus time passed.

Xu Qing’s silhouette appeared one after another across the countless divine pocket realms scattered throughout this leaf-like domain. Each deity met its end, surrendering its Source Essence in death.

His Immortal Embryo shone ever more resplendent.

To Xu Qing, preserving these deities for gradual future extraction was far from optimal.

Nor did the jade slip detailing his mission stipulate sparing any lives.

Hence, his harvesting grew ever more thorough.

Meanwhile, other Ascended Ones, each employing their own methods, strained tirelessly across distant lands to gather Source Essence—

Some driven by duty, but most by the hunger for personal cultivation!

From a certain perspective, they truly resembled wolves and jackals.