Chapter 1218: Ambition and Position

Chapter 1218: Ambition and Position

One day later.

Outside the shattered Hall of Heavenly Order, the Emperor of Hun Tian knelt in silence, his expression bitter.

Behind him, the assembled members of the Hun Tian clan stood pale-faced, their bodies visibly weakened. Among them, the three elders who had once blocked Xing Huan Zi now bled from the corners of their mouths, utterly dispirited.

Their cultivation had already plummeted!

No longer at the quasi-immortal level, they had fallen directly to the Sovereign realm.

And upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just those three—every member of the Hun Tian clan had suffered varying degrees of cultivation loss.

Even more chillingly, a careful examination of their soul fluctuations revealed… this decline was eternal.

It stemmed from both soul and bloodline!

Their bloodlines had been stripped; their souls bound!

The bitter Emperor himself was not spared.

He knelt there wordlessly—though his cultivation still hovered at the quasi-immortal tier, it was barely sustained.

And this state would persist indefinitely, nearly impossible to reverse.

For his second ancestral aspect behind him had already withered.

His ancestral reversion had been severed!

Yet, strangely, every Hun Tian clansman—including their emperor—now chose to bow their heads, harboring little resentment.

Before them, in the starry void, a group of departing figures could be seen.

The Ascenders.

Leading them was Xu Qing.

They were gone.

…

The ritual conducted within the Hun Tian ancestral lands—the one meant to purify their bloodline—had accumulated vast quantities of primal essence. As Xu Qing had anticipated, the group had claimed it all.

Under Zhou Zhengli’s initiative, each willingly surrendered twenty percent of what they’d obtained.

Li Mengtu and the others followed suit.

As for the fate of the Hun Tian royal line… Xing Huan Zi, invoking the name of cosmic order, rallied the group to enact the Charter of Equilibrium.

Through this balanced method, they diluted the clan’s bloodline, rendering it impure.

Given that the Hun Tian clan had first acted treacherously—if not for the involvement of other Outer Heavens—their extermination would have been justified upon official report.

Now, without bloodshed, merely having their bloodlines diminished, Xu Qing’s party stood firmly aligned with the prevailing tide of humanity within the Fifth Star Ring.

No one could fault them.

Moreover, such handling perfectly matched the reputation of the Essence Gatherers…

Every angle had been carefully weighed.

Even the Hun Tian clan themselves accepted this outcome.

They understood well: facing a squad composed entirely of Ascenders—in terms of combat prowess, backing, or any other measure—they were hopelessly outmatched.

Encountering such a group was simply ill fortune for their lineage.

Had their opponents truly resolved to annihilate them, extinction would have been inevitable.

After all, this was the Fifth Star Ring—the supreme domain of humankind.

Thus, this resolution left most of them inwardly relieved.

So long as their people lived, that alone was cause for gratitude.

With that, matters here came to a close.

Xu Qing then led his companions back toward the location of Prison Alpha-29.

En route, he shared with the team his findings and plans regarding the True God Sun.

When they learned that the seaweed guarding Prison Alpha-29 was actually a jailer serving a True God—and that this deity’s primal essence could be extracted—everyone grew excited.

Though they had already completed their individual gathering tasks and amassed considerable spoils, their hunger for primal essence only deepened.

Eyes gleamed with fervor.

Furthermore, after days of shared trials—and especially after jointly infiltrating an entire clan and dividing its treasures—the group had passed through much of their initial friction.

They now accepted Xu Qing’s leadership.

Especially since he ensured everyone gained access to primal essence, and his combat strength remained unmatched—naturally, their trust in him solidified.

Thus, they raced onward.

Soon, they arrived at the site of Prison Alpha-29.

The True God Sun still hung in its original place. The seaweed that had departed with Xu Qing, though its true body, dared not abandon its post. Before leaving, it had split off a projection to constantly monitor the divine prison.

Now, returning to this place, Xu Qing suppressed his anticipation, surveyed the area thoroughly, confirmed all was well, and turned to his companions.

“Then, as planned—we harvest the primal essence here!”

Xu Qing spoke slowly.

Around him, all the Essence Gatherers—including Xing Huan Zi—had learned the plan during their journey. Now, witnessing and sensing it firsthand, each shone with sharp, determined light in their eyes.

After a long moment, they exchanged glances—and saw resolve mirrored in one another.

Seeing this, Xu Qing wasted no further words. He shot forward first, heading straight for the True God Sun.

The seaweed’s roots swayed, opening an entrance. Its true form returned at that instant, bestowing a degree of enhancement upon the group. Right behind Xu Qing came Xing Huan Zi.

Then Zhou Zhengli, Evil Spirit Zi, Yuan Shan Su, Li Mengtu—all followed in succession.

In moments, this squad of Essence Gatherers surged inward like a pack of ravenous wolves.

…

Time flowed.

Three days later, the True God Sun trembled violently, and the seaweed outside shook fiercely.

This shaking lasted seven or eight days, culminating in a thunderous roar so immense it could be felt even in the void of space—a terrifying wave of primal essence erupting from within the sun.

It was as if the seal had finally broken.

Several more days passed, and the fire and heat of the True God Sun began to wane. Its size seemed to wither, and faintly, an even denser surge of primal essence appeared ready to burst forth.

But just then—a formidable divine will suddenly erupted skyward from within the True God Sun.

It coalesced into a voice.

“You… have gone far enough!!”

“This essence belongs to me. Leave within ten breaths. Should you tarry beyond that, your deaths here will be on your own heads—your masters and patrons will have no grounds to blame me!”

The voice cracked like heavenly thunder, shaking the entire Hun Tian cosmos.

Causing countless galaxies and stars throughout the cosmos to tremble in unison, sending shivers through all living beings.

Among those gripped by the same dread were Xu Qing and his companions, who had just breached into the heart of this True God’s Sun.

In an instant, their figures were seen spewing blood one after another, their expressions shaken, fleeing back at breakneck speed.

Just as the tenth breath arrived, they finally burst out from within the True God’s Sun.

The moment they reappeared in the starry void, a colossal vortex erupted directly beneath the True God’s Sun.

This whirlpool was vast—as if a maw of nothingness itself—within which stretched forth an enormous hand that seized the True God’s Sun and yanked it down into the abyss.

Even the seaweed-like entity had no choice but to release its tendrils, lest it too be dragged inside.

Though this account unfolds slowly in words, in truth, the moment Xu Qing’s group emerged, the vortex and the giant hand appeared instantly, snatched away the True God’s Sun, and vanished in a flash—

as though they had never existed at all.

Now, only the trembling seaweed and Xu Qing’s party—faces grim and hearts heavy—remained in the desolate expanse of space.

For a long while, none could find words to speak.

Earlier, upon entering the True God’s Sun, breaking through the first two seals had met with some resistance, yet overall proceeded smoothly. They had also absorbed a considerable amount of the True God’s primal essence.

But… when they attempted to breach the third seal, disaster struck.

Within that third seal lay—an eye!

It was the eye of an Immortal, left there as the core mechanism sealing away the True God’s Sun.

The moment they laid eyes upon it, the eye snapped open, unleashing a terrifying will that swept through like a storm, overwhelming them utterly.

Its identity needed no explanation—it was none other than the hidden Lower Immortal behind all this.

Clearly, this former official of the Polar Light Outer Heaven had learned through his disciples the identities of those who trespassed here. Though furious, he still showed restraint—granting them precisely ten breaths’ grace.

Then, unwilling to leave the True God’s Sun behind any longer, he chose to retrieve it at great cost, wrenching it away by force.

Such an act revealed the Lower Immortal’s own desperation—

for had it not been necessary, he would never have waited until now to do so…

Xu Qing and the others could only sigh inwardly, helpless before such power.

They exchanged silent glances, sighed in their hearts, and chose to depart.

As for the seaweed, it stood bewildered.

The prison it guarded… was gone.

Every divine spirit once sealed within its leaves had already been “liberated” by its own thievery.

Now, with sky above and earth below, it suddenly found itself without purpose…

Thus, persuaded by Xu Qing, it decided to follow them.

Eventually, finding a belt of asteroids drifting through space, the group scattered, each selecting a meteorite to sit upon, cross-legged, preparing first to digest what they had gained.

They agreed to leave this universe in one month’s time.

After all, though they had only absorbed the essence from beneath the first two seals, the total quantity was still substantial.

Half a month passed swiftly, almost unnoticed.

Silently, the asteroid belt drifted through the void, its occupants equally still.

During these fifteen days, each cultivator remained seated on their chosen rock, striving to transform the harvested essence into cultivation and combat prowess.

Their auras grew stronger day by day, increasingly sharp and formidable.

Then, on the seventeenth day—

A boundless surge of energy erupted abruptly from one of the drifting asteroids, piercing the heavens.

So powerful was this aura that it shook the surrounding space, scattering the asteroids in chaotic disarray.

Space-time warped; the Five Elements manifested visibly, drawing cosmic laws from every direction to converge in dazzling, radiant splendor.

Loud, thunderous heartbeats echoed through the void—

like celestial drums resounding across the firmament.

Instantly, everyone present was jolted from meditation, eyes snapping open in unison, all gazes fixed upon the source of this overwhelming disturbance!

There, atop an oval-shaped asteroid, sat a figure clad in black robes, long hair flowing in the cosmic wind, body wreathed in hazy radiance, thick with immortal qi pulsing outward in relentless waves.

It was Xu Qing!

“He’s breaking through to Quasi-Immortal!” exclaimed Xing Huan Zi, eyes alight with astonishment.

“Such momentum… such turbulence…”

Evil Spirit Zi frowned deeply; Yuan Shan Su looked dazed; Li Meng Tu immediately scanned the surroundings, standing guard for Xu Qing.

Qian Jun and Bi Yi exchanged uneasy glances, hearts pounding—they sensed trouble.

They had a foreboding: once Xu Qing ascended to Quasi-Immortal, a mere flick of his wrist might compel them against their will to transform joyfully into immortal swords…

At that thought, the brothers grew anxious.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhengli narrowed his eyes, pondered briefly, then rose decisively. In a blur, he landed on the asteroid nearest to Xu Qing, sat cross-legged, face solemn, and spoke in a low, firm voice:

“All of you—why wait? Protect him now!”

“And further,” he added, eyes gleaming with cold resolve, “whether or not any among you harbor ulterior motives, let me remind you clearly…”

His gaze turned shadowed.

“Do not forget… what this place—once known as the Outer Heaven—was originally called.”

“And remember: in other Outer Heavens, most high seats are already occupied.”

“You understand what I mean. So regardless of your private calculations, my aim is clear—I intend to secure a position beside the future sovereign of this Outer Heaven… ahead of time!”

“The odds may be slim—vanishingly so—but weighed against the potential reward, I am willing to gamble!”

“Therefore, anyone who might jeopardize this gamble… is my enemy!”

This was the first time Zhou Zhengli openly declared his ambition. Though none knew if these words truly reflected his deepest intent…

Undeniably, his declaration stirred something in many hearts.

Even Qian Jun and Bi Yi ceased trembling—startled at first, then their eyes lit with strange fire.

“A position?”