Chapter 1215: Different Paths, Same Destination

Chapter 1215: Different Paths, Same Destination

Yet, the very instant the Constitution of Order stirred within Xing Huanzi and iron chains pierced through the void, Xu Qing’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and he let out a low shout.

"Front!"

At the same time, he lifted his hand and pointed in Xing Huanzi’s direction.

Almost the moment Xu Qing’s voice rang out, Xing Huanzi reacted with incredible swiftness, every chain of order moving in unison to form a barrier right before him.

But it was still a fraction too slow.

An astonishing force erupted with terrifying violence in front of those chains.

Like stars bursting apart, like galaxies churning.

The sound was deafening, and Xing Huanzi’s face turned abruptly pale as blood sprayed from his lips, his body hurled backward like a kite with a broken string; every chain of order before him crumbled into pieces, shattering link by link.

And where the chains collapsed, a figure abruptly revealed itself.

This figure was a mere blur, and with a sudden sway, it was about to pursue Xing Huanzi, but as Xu Qing’s finger descended, the Constitution of Space rose invisibly, transforming into a sealing power.

It blocked the figure.

Though this spatial seal could not truly restrict the figure’s terrifying speed, combined with the prior obstruction from Xing Huanzi’s order, it ultimately bought Xing Huanzi a single breath of time.

It allowed the retreating, blood-spitting Xing Huanzi to manifest his own Constitution of Balance, trading it for the speed required to temporarily escape this life-or-death crisis!

Thus, the figure paused in the starry sky.

Its full appearance was revealed.

It was none other than the middle-aged cultivator clad in a crimson robe who still stood outside the palace gates!

Except, the figure currently standing outside the palace had already grown faint, reduced to an afterimage.

His true self had actually utilized a speed that could be called the ultimate pinnacle to appear before Xing Huanzi just now, shattering everything; had it not been for Xu Qing’s warning and assistance, Xing Huanzi would likely be dead or severely wounded by now.

"To actually see through my speed, no wonder you have the courage to steal my Master’s divine grain."

The middle-aged cultivator turned his head, looking toward Xu Qing as he spoke calmly.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flashing within them; the person before him was arguably the strongest Quasi-Immortal cultivator he had ever encountered, and his Constitution... was actually not bizarre at all, but rather extremely simple.

It was Speed!

That was the ultimate speed, one that even surpassed time itself!

As for Constitutions, there was no inherent strength or weakness; it all depended on who walked further along the path and researched it more thoroughly.

"I intended to kill this man to make you understand the difficulties and retreat, spitting out what you stole."

"But since you interfered... then, I shall just kill you instead."

The middle-aged cultivator gazed at Xu Qing, his voice still echoing, yet his figure had already appeared thirty feet in front of Xu Qing!

The speed was so fast it eluded perception, and his right hand was raised, about to press down toward Xu Qing, while the surrounding starry sky was seized and suddenly turned into a vortex, a tearing force on the verge of erupting.

But in the next instant, the middle-aged cultivator raised an eyebrow, letting out a soft grunt of surprise.

His body retreated instead of advancing.

Right at that moment, killing intent erupted in Xu Qing’s eyes, for he was naturally prepared; while the opponent was speaking just now, his Constitution of Space had already layered upon itself, and his Constitution of Time had thrown everything into chaos, blending together into the Constitution of Spacetime, becoming the Infinite Void.

Therefore, the opponent’s arrival, along with the suddenly appearing vortex, saw its tearing force collide directly with Xu Qing’s spacetime.

Silent and soundless, it annihilated in an instant.

Xu Qing’s body shuddered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his raised hands suddenly formed an incantation gesture toward the front.

"Suppress, Congeal, Seal!"

What was suppressed was space, what was congealed was time, and what was sealed was spacetime!

In the next breath, the middle-aged cultivator’s figure stiffened in the starry sky, the timeline he occupied suddenly freezing as the formed spacetime naturally sealed him away, leaving the man and his surroundings like an insect trapped in amber.

At the same time, silver light shone brilliantly from Xu Qing’s body, and his nearly perfected Immortal Embryo manifested at this very instant, expanding infinitely to form a true body resembling a god, towering within the starry sky.

His right hand lifted, five fingers spreading wide to form the Five Elements!

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—all five extremes transformed into source matter, resembling five stars, his palm like a galaxy.

They seemed even more like five distinct deities!

With the power of the ultimate, it descended directly toward the suppressed, congealed, and sealed middle-aged cultivator!

At the same moment, Xing Huanzi did not hesitate in the slightest, his own Constitution of Balance suddenly moving, sparing no effort as it erupted completely, causing a set of scales to manifest in the starry sky.

It was not to augment himself, but rather... to augment Xu Qing.

At the cost of himself, he augmented Xu Qing, causing Xu Qing’s battle prowess to skyrocket at this moment, climbing continuously to narrow the gap between him and that peak Quasi-Immortal.

Immediately following, the Seaweed’s side also erupted with a blinding roar, all of its leaves rushing forward as the innate power of its race was fully stimulated.

The innate talent of its race was sealing.

What it sealed was not space, but... source matter!

At this moment, they all made their moves, one side augmenting Xu Qing, the other reinforcing the seal.

With one side waning and the other waxing, Xu Qing’s raised five fingers descended like heavenly majesty.

Yet the sealed middle-aged cultivator slowly lifted his head at this moment, looking at Xu Qing with a strange, deep meaning in his eyes, and spoke hoarsely.

"I think I know who you are now, you are that... Xu Qing!"

Mid-speech, the middle-aged cultivator licked his lips, likewise raising his right hand, placing it before him, and squeezing it fiercely.

Under this single squeeze.

A sudden cracking sound rang out.

Space shattered.

Time shattered.

Spacetime collapsed.

Afterward, his palm slowly loosened, and he squeezed forcefully once more.

This time, Xing Huanzi’s entire body shuddered as he sprayed mouthfuls of blood, the scales formed by his balance also collapsing, but Xing Huanzi was no ordinary figure; lines formed of starlight immediately appeared outside his body.

The source of every single line was a Star Ring Tower!

All of them were stimulated at this moment, causing the starlight to blaze brilliantly, trading it for supporting power to delay the collapse of the scales.

Allowing the balance augmentation on Xu Qing to be sustained.

Meanwhile, on the Seaweed’s side, tears appeared on all of its leaves, and as its body trembled violently, countless crimson whiskers immediately grew from those torn leaves.

They entwined toward the middle-aged cultivator.

Changing the seal into a binding restraint!

Not only that, but the Mud Fox also appeared in the starry sky, the golden light transformed from its divine altar forming a massive divine statue that erupted with full force.

This caused the middle-aged cultivator’s body to undergo petrification into mud, while countless stars shone above his head, also pressing down to suppress him.

All of them were creating an opportunity for Xu Qing!

Truly, the middle-aged cultivator’s speed and combat prowess were too astonishing.

He stood at the peak of Quasi-Immortal—merely one step away from True Immortality!

Though that single step was exceedingly difficult to cross, it could not be denied: once a cultivator reached the Quasi-Immortal peak, no ordinary force could hinder or destroy him.

Especially since this man’s Dao was the simple yet terrifying Dao of Speed.

It was called “simple” because it intertwined with countless other Daos, branching in myriad directions—and clearly, the middle-aged cultivator had revealed only a fraction of its power.

Thus, in this battle, since fighting was inevitable, Xu Qing—the strongest among them—naturally became the blade.

Creating an opening for that blade was the true strategy.

Though all this seemed slow in description, in reality it unfolded in the blink of an eye. In the next instant, as Xinghuanzi, Seaweed, and Mud Fox sacrificed everything to restrain their foe, Xu Qing’s five fingers descended fully.

The starry sky roared; the heavens trembled.

Those five fingers—like those of a deity, like celestial bodies—driven by a palm infused with galactic might, slammed down upon the spot where the middle-aged cultivator stood.

Yet there came no deafening explosion!

Neither fingers nor palm produced a sound. The moment they struck, the Five Elements coiled within them.

What appeared to be a lethal strike… was not a killing blow at all!

It was, instead, a seal!

This was Xu Qing’s tactic.

Using the Five Poles and Five Elements—the very foundation of his descending planetary rings—combined with time, space, order, balance, and the binding of primal essence,

he forged the ultimate seal!

At this sight, even the middle-aged cultivator’s pupils contracted for the first time.

Instinctively sensing danger, his body blurred instantly. Without hesitation, he elevated his Dao of Speed to another realm—

a path that transcended time, transcended space, transcended spacetime itself… a road not parallel, but singular and absolute!

In a certain sense, his Dao converged with Xu Qing’s—different paths, same destination!

Only, where Xu Qing embraced complexity and parallels, this man chose unwavering forward momentum!

Lower Immortals could comprehend this. Those beneath Lower Immortal rank could not—except Xu Qing, whose own path aligned with the endpoint of this revelation. Within him, waves of realization crashed like thunderous storms.

“His path… his path…”

Xu Qing’s breath grew ragged. He had long sought his Tenth Pole, yet direction eluded him—until now. It felt as if a light had pierced the utter darkness!

But alas, the present crisis allowed no time for contemplation. He could only bury this spark deep within.

Then, his true killing move erupted!

The chime of a bell—

infused with a sliver of Sovereign Divinity, capable of stilling or shattering all laws!

At its sound, the starry void went blank!

Even the Quasi-Immortal peak cultivator shuddered violently.

Next came the Iron Needles—imbued with Heavenly Principle, layered with parallels, embodying the full maturity of Xu Qing’s immortal-body Dao, perfectly attuned to his immortal embryo!

They returned from countless parallel timelines—

four hundred and seventy-nine in total!

Like meteors, they shifted from illusion to reality,

manifesting in the present world. At Xu Qing’s upraised hand, the 479 converged into one—

an absolute, annihilating strike!

It howled straight toward the middle-aged cultivator!

The man retreated.

With ultimate speed, he withdrew through space, through time, through past and future, through fate, causality, traces, even memory—retreating from every possible dimension!

Yet the unified Iron Needle, guided by the bell’s chime, carved through all resistance!

Shattering space!

Crushing time!

Collapsing past and future!

Piercing fate, penetrating causality!

Sweeping away traces and memories alike!

It pursued him from every angle—

Until it caught up… and plunged into his brow.

But the instant the needle touched the middle-aged cultivator’s forehead, ripples spread—as if his brow had become water, revealing a hazy reflection.

More precisely, a silhouette—a back turned toward them. The moment it appeared, an aura surpassing Quasi-Immortal shook the entire cosmos.

It was an Immortal!

A life-saving echo planted by the middle-aged cultivator’s master.

Slowly, that silhouette began to turn its head.

It glanced at the Iron Needle.

At that single look, the needle trembled wildly and recoiled.

Xinghuanzi spewed blood; Mud Fox’s divine platform nearly shattered; Seaweed continued fracturing.

Thunderclaps echoed in Xu Qing’s mind.

Seizing this chance, the middle-aged cultivator finally escaped death. In an instant, he leapt backward, putting distance between them, glaring fiercely at Xu Qing—terrified by what had just transpired, and now deeply wary.

Suddenly, he spoke:

“Emperor Huntian! I command you and your kin to assist in this strike!”

Emperor Huntian’s expression shifted. Doubt gnawed at his heart. Had it been merely attacking humans, he would have dared—but clearly, today’s affair was no longer mere combat.

This was murder!

As Emperor Huntian hesitated inwardly, Xu Qing had already dispelled the thunder in his mind. Coldly, he fixed his gaze upon the middle-aged cultivator.

“You’ve run out of chances.”

Having spoken, Xu Qing lifted his eyes toward the starry sky.

Almost the moment he looked, the heavens roared—and a vast, invisible rift tore open. From within, figures surged forth.

Leading them was none other than Zhou Zhengli!

Behind him followed Yuanshan Su, Li Mengtu, Evil Spirit Zi, and others.

Every Ascendant, every Provisioner—had arrived!

This was Xu Qing’s order to Zhou Zhengli, given en route—to prepare for contingencies and to later break the seal upon the True God. Xu Qing had commanded Zhou Zhengli to gather everyone here for this very moment!

Now, under Zhou Zhengli’s command, they tore through the starry sky and came.

One by one—they descended!