Chapter 1229: This Illusion Contains Truth

Chapter 1229: This Illusion, Holding Truth

Life, no gate.

Death, no path.

Departure, no method.

Return, no art.

This was the God of Agony now.

Frozen within an ice coffin, sealed by the hourglass of time, ensnared in the karmic net of the entire Outer Heaven.

Trapped between return and departure, become a peculiar spirit stone perpetually exuding primordial essence.

Trapped within the agony of flesh burning, within the cycle of soul rending, within the torment of his divine spark—and even his primordial essence—slowly absorbed.

In the starry void, Xu Qing gazed upon the ice coffin before him, his eyes cold as starlight.

His fury had subsided, yet this true god’s fate was torment enough.

If it craved pain, let it taste pain itself.

"Pity I lack Jade Liuchen’s divine authority for storytelling…"

Xu Qing murmured to himself.

Had he possessed such power, he could now weave endless tales of torment for this god, plunging it into frozen narratives, deepening its psychological suffering.

Thus, the god’s agony would intensify, and its scattered primordial essence would flow richer, denser.

"No need to rush."

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze, stepped forward, and sat cross-legged atop the ice coffin. His eyes closed slowly. Breathing in through the nose, exhaling through the mouth, every pore opened wide.

To absorb the primordial essence seeping from the coffin.

This essence was not only abundant but pure, flowing into him with each breath, merging with his being.

Within his body, it fused with his immortal embryo, nourishing it.

In the next instant, his immortal embryo glowed with a soft radiance, illuminating the pitch-black Outer Heaven, restoring light to its countless universes, star systems, stars—once shrouded in darkness.

Gradually, they revived.

And within that luminous ripple, Xu Qing’s immortal embryo grew, as did the celestial foundation within—the palace transformed into an immortal base.

Thus, time flowed.

Soon, a month passed.

Xu Qing opened his eyes.

Ethereal light flickered in his gaze. After a long moment, he looked down at the ice coffin floating in the starry abyss beneath him.

Initially, the coffin had exuded a torrent of primordial essence, but now it dwindled, from a raging flood to a mere trickle.

This was natural.

Such crafted divine essence stones sustained a steady, enduring flow.

Not a single explosive surge.

So gradual absorption was Xu Qing’s optimal path now.

This month of cultivation had elevated him significantly. His immortal embryo grew denser, its pressure and aura surpassing his former self.

Especially the celestial palace, as his immortal foundation, amplified his power. Combined with his status as Master of the Outer Heaven, Xu Qing’s presence now neared that of a true immortal.

In cultivation rank, he drew near the pinnacle of early quasi-immortal.

Such speed, if witnessed beyond this realm, would stir envy—already astonishingly swift.

For the quasi-immortal stage, where the immortal embryo transforms into an immortal body, demanded a terrifying quantity of primordial essence.

And an immortal… was precisely the mark of the lower immortal realm!

Yet Xu Qing still deemed it slow.

"If only there were more such divine essence stones…"

Xu Qing licked his lips, rising from the coffin. As he gazed into the distance, memories of the recent illusion surfaced.

"That illusion… viewed now, feels strangely unsettling."

Ethereal light flashed in his eyes.

He recalled closing cultivation here for ten years within the illusion, reaching the peak of quasi-immortality. Though details were scarce, the sensation of that peak remained vivid.

Especially…

"If I truly secluded myself here for ten years, judging by this coffin’s essence flow, whether I could reach the quasi-immortal peak is uncertain—but attaining the late stage should be possible."

"So the illusion itself held logic, not mere fabrication…"

As this thought arose, a shadow darkened Xu Qing’s heart.

Instinctively, he recoiled from that path, refusing to seclude himself here.

Partly because he refused to mirror the illusion; partly because such seclusion remained too slow.

Another reason: Xu Qing knew clearly that transcending quasi-immortality to enter the lower immortal realm required more than primordial essence to transform the embryo.

He needed his Xian to ascend to a higher tier!

"That is, my Tenth Apex!"

For the Tenth Apex, Xu Qing still had no direction—not even within the illusion had he glimpsed it…

Xu Qing pondered, then waved his hand, sealing the ice coffin within the Outer Heaven’s black hole. Using the hole’s suction, he drew the essence constantly, storing it away.

Then, deep in thought, he prepared to depart this realm.

But as his foot lifted, about to step down, Xu Qing froze mid-motion.

A sudden, strange light blazed in his eyes.

"Wrong!"

"In the illusion, I… seemed to have grasped the Tenth Apex. For when I returned to Wanggu Continent within it, my displayed cultivation appeared… not quasi-immortal."

"As for specifics, the details elude me."

Xu Qing frowned, his confusion over the illusion deepening.

Yet lacking concrete clues, he could only suppress his doubts once more. His foot fell, and he stepped out of the Azure Heaven.

…

At that very moment, beyond the Azure Heaven, the concealed immortal thoughts that had gathered dispersed. Before leaving, each cast a glance of varied meaning toward Xu Qing emerging from the realm.

They remembered Xu Qing.

They could not forget.

Master of the Aurora Outer Heaven, a quasi-immortal whose combat prowess neared that of an immortal, who had subdued a returning true god.

Such feats demanded the world’s undivided attention.

Thereupon, one by one, they departed.

Within the Jiuan Outer Heaven, inside the Immortal Palace, the figure atop the Supreme Immortal Tower gave a slight nod at this very moment.

"Since he has seized this opportunity..."

"And completed the task of gathering provisions..."

"Then..."

"Remaining within the Star Ring holds little meaning now."

"Convey the decree to the Provision Bureau: have this squad of Ascenders join the transport teams. Let them deliver the gathered provisions to the battlefield themselves, alongside other squads."

"No return is necessary. Proceed at once to the Star Ring God-Sealing Array."

As the Jiuan Immortal Sovereign spoke, the high tower where he stood trembled faintly. His imperial decree instantly spread across the entire Jiuan Heaven. Within the Provision Bureau, the Poison Lord sat in meditation.

In an instant, his eyes snapped open, immediately sensing the Immortal Sovereign’s decree.

His expression shifted subtly.

He lifted his gaze toward the distant horizon, silent for a long while, before finally sighing softly.

"Who can say whether this youth’s fortune is good... or ill..."

The Poison Lord shook his head. Though resentment stirred within, he dared not disobey the Immortal Sovereign’s decree.

With a sigh, he set the matter in motion.

At the same moment, Xu Qing’s form departed the Azure Heavens, reappearing upon the vessel of Wutian, where he had previously left.

The prison here had vanished, yet neither the jailers nor the warden, nor even Xinghuanzi, had departed. All remained, awaiting the outcome.

Though a month had passed, and their hearts had largely settled—surely the True God’s return could not endure exposure for so long—

the sight of Xu Qing brought them instant relief.

Especially upon sensing his aura, now markedly stronger, Zhou Zhengli immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Hail to our Lord! For subduing the True God, your merit is boundless!"

Hearing this, all present bowed in turn.

Within each heart, waves of emotion stirred.

They had witnessed Xu Qing’s ascent to Quasi-Immortal, felt the vastness of his immortal embryo, seen him become Master of the Outer Heaven.

They had sensed his power nearing that of a Lower Immortal.

They had watched him alone transport a True God—and return unscathed.

To observe such rapid ascent, step by step, to such heights—how could these prodigies not feel their thoughts churn?

Xinghuanzi, in particular, gazed silently at Xu Qing, a quiet sigh echoing in his heart.

The gap widens ever more.

Yet this thought did not linger long; it transformed into resolve.

As for Xu Qing, seeing the gathered crowd before him—especially noting the jailers and warden still present—his heart steadied.

After all, this was unlike the illusion.

Within the illusion, upon his departure, the jailers and warden had been absent.

But this thought had barely formed in Xu Qing’s mind when, before he could respond to the bows of the crowd—

the identity tokens of all Ascenders trembled in unison.

A decree from the Provision Bureau of Jiuan Outer Heaven resonated suddenly within every Ascender’s heart.

"War beyond the Star Ring has shifted. Essence is urgently needed. All gathering squads shall now transport provisions themselves. Deliver all gathered essence to the front lines immediately. No delay permitted!"

The decree echoed with authority, turning every Ascender’s face pale.

"Transport ourselves... to the battlefield?"

Qianjun Biyi shuddered; within the brothers, a storm raged.

Yuan Shan Su frowned, Li Mengtu’s expression shifted, Xielingzi’s pupils contracted sharply.

All other Ascenders showed varying degrees of alarm.

For the battlefield had seemed distant, a realm apart.

Yet now... it loomed terrifyingly close!

Especially for them—mere specks in the ocean, where life and death could reverse in an instant, calamity strike at any moment.

Their foes’ cultivation levels were unpredictable.

They might face Divine Flames, Divine Platforms... or even a sudden True God!

From prior knowledge, the war against the Fourth Star Ring was a full-scale clash between Divine Sovereigns and Immortal Sovereigns.

A war of gods and immortals. A war of factions. A war of annihilation.

Zhou Zhengli’s face grew grave as he looked toward Xu Qing.

Xinghuanzi’s heart sank, his gaze fixed upon Xu Qing.

So too did the eyes of all other cultivators.

And Xu Qing, the focal point of every gaze, felt a sudden daze.

He recalled the illusion shown by that True God.

Within the illusion, he had also gone to the battlefield!

But there, it was ten years hence.

Now... it was today.

Ten years early.

"What caused that True God’s illusion?"

"Was it... mere coincidence?"

A shadow darkened Xu Qing’s eyes.