Chapter 1238: Requesting Orders!

Chapter 1238: A Plea for Orders!

Xu Qing and his companions, bearing the imperial decree token, having surrendered their Source Essence, drifted away from that vast crimson star, vanishing slowly into the starry void.

As they departed, the colossal red star continued spewing clouds of vapor, radiating blinding brilliance.

Within that light, inside an ancient, pitch-black hall deep within the star, a voice heavy with emotion echoed, tinged with wistful sighs.

“Never did I imagine there would truly be such pawns crossing the river—and not just any, but Ascenders. Yet looking upon them now, it suddenly seems less surprising that they have come this far.”

“Only time will tell whether among them shall arise one worthy of contending for the Dao Seed… or if, in truth, they are all merely false heirs.”

“Are we ourselves any different? Save for the Marshal-General, are we not all Ascenders? Are we not all still walking the path?”

“The Celestial Sovereign’s decree was issued long ago. Since then, many like us—those transformed by celestial power—have multiplied. Yet to this day, not a single one has reached the rank of Celestial Lord.”

Though no audible sigh escaped the hall, every word carried the weight of lamentation.

That lingering sorrow gradually silenced the gathered immortals.

After a long pause, the Marshal-General’s hoarse voice finally resonated through the chamber.

“Founding is easy; preserving is hard.”

“So it is among mortals, so it is in the mortal realm—and so too for cultivators within the Fifth Star Ring.”

His words rippled through the minds of the immortals present, stirring waves within their thoughts.

These immortals understood this truth well—in fact, with their profound insight, they saw even deeper.

They knew that “easy” could scarcely describe what came after.

Long ago, the Fifth Star Ring had been ruled by deities—Divine Lords measuring fate, Supreme Deities dominating all. It was the Celestial Sovereign who rose from the direst adversity, leading humanity from countless minor worlds to carve out the Path of Cultivation and tread the Way of Immortality.

Step by step, enduring untold hardships and surviving endless calamities, they fought their way out of those minor worlds and waged war against the gods themselves.

In the end, they subdued the Supreme Deity, imprisoned the Divine Sovereign, severed every source tied to divinity, enslaved countless divine races, and carved the entire Fifth Star Ring into twelve Outer Heavens.

They filled its center and established the Mandate of the Celestial Capital.

Only thus did they truly transform the Fifth Ring—one of the thirty-six ascending rings—into sacred soil belonging to cultivators and humankind!

Such an enterprise could never be called “easy.” Indeed, it was supremely difficult!

Therefore, safeguarding this legacy—and passing it on—was infinitely harder still!

Especially now… since the Aurora Celestial Lord, who should have become the Second Celestial Sovereign, had already perished.

This cast the future of the Fifth Star Ring into uncertainty.

After all… beyond the Fifth Star Ring, save for a few exceptional rings, all others remained lands of the divine. Thus, though the Fifth Star Ring appeared resplendent as brocade embroidered with flowers, blazing like oil-fed fire on the surface, beneath lay clear signs of decline after reaching its zenith.

To avert this fate, the Fifth Star Ring needed a second Celestial Sovereign!

And to produce a Celestial Sovereign, multiple Celestial Lords must first emerge. Hence… for many years now, Ascenders have undergone relentless trials!

Through brutal methods, cultivators capable of ascending from the Celestial Capital are forged—then, like silkworms raised together to devour each other, whether by fate or karmic design, those who perish are revealed as false heirs.

Only those who survive and endure are true Seeds of the Dao!

As for ideals—only those who reach the end will inevitably share kindred aspirations!

“I hope that day arrives soon—no matter which generation brings it forth, so long as they are human, so long as they are cultivators.”

…

Time flowed steadily as Xu Qing and his companions remained stationed at the Left Flank Frontline.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three months, the precise state of battle in the Central Sector of the Left Flank—the bloody meat grinder meant to blaze with crimson radiance over the battlefield—had become unknown to Xu Qing and his group.

Yet from subtle shifts and mounting pressures within their own sector of the Left Flank Frontline over these past months, they could glean some hints.

The Central Sector must have reached its most critical juncture.

For the frequency of troop movements along the Left Flank Frontline had grown increasingly rare.

“This suggests deployment is nearly complete,”

“And through my inquiries, I’ve learned that small-scale skirmishes between our vanguard—closest to the Fourth Star Ring—and the divine forces have grown more frequent.”

“Our orders must be coming soon. These are the details I’ve gathered during this period.”

At this moment, atop a snow-capped mountain suffused with celestial qi on Ti-Ling Star, Xu Qing and his companions sat cross-legged around a fire pit.

Snowflakes drifted ceaselessly from the sky, falling gently like Zhou Zhengli’s voice, bringing cold to the earth.

Only around the fire pit did the descending snow vanish instantly, transforming into rising wisps of mist that curled through the air.

Surrounding them stretched unbroken ranges of snow peaks—indeed, gazing across the entirety of Ti-Ling Star revealed a world almost entirely composed of towering snowy mountains.

Each bore upon its summit a fire pit burning with crimson flames.

Within those pits, the flames flickered, radiating intense heat while seeming to hold some mysterious essence—

an essence capable of healing cultivators’ wounds.

Having rested here for three full months, Xu Qing and his companions had long since recovered their cultivation bases and injuries thanks to these enigmatic fire pits.

Thus, aside from the first month when none left their assigned peak, during the following two months they mostly dispersed, agreeing to return at fixed intervals.

Today marked their third reunion.

As Zhou Zhengli finished speaking, Li Mengtu added his own report.

“My focus differed from Zhou Zhengli’s. I paid special attention to whether anyone new arrived in the Central Sector. Over these three months—not a single soul.”

Knowing his limitations in intelligence-gathering, Li Mengtu had chosen the simplest avenue of inquiry.

Having spoken, he turned toward the others.

Each reunion required synthesizing all gathered intelligence—a plan set when they first split up upon arriving here.

This method allowed them to swiftly grasp developments along the frontline.

Accordingly, Yuan Shan Su, Xie Lingzi, Qian Jun Biyi, and the other Ascenders took turns sharing what they’d discovered in their respective areas of observation.

Last to speak was Xing Huan Zi.

He looked directly at Xu Qing.

“The individuals you asked me to monitor closely during our last meeting—I’ve learned more about them this time.”

Hearing this, Xu Qing met Xing Huan Zi’s gaze.

Over the past three months, he himself had ventured out several times, using his own means to investigate the Left Flank Frontline. During one such reconnaissance, he happened upon a peculiar group of military cultivators.

In certain respects, they resembled the Provision Bureau—stealthy, secretive, rarely interacting with outsiders, and fiercely insular.

Seeing no room for error, Xu Qing avoided direct contact but formed suspicions nonetheless. At their previous debriefing, he recalled this encounter and instructed the group to pay close attention should they come across them.

“That group forms an auxiliary legion, divided into fifty squads, active on every battlefield where our forces clash with the divine.”

“They are called… the Corpse-Scavenger Corps!”

“Their mission, in simple terms, is to scour the battlefield—harvesting residual Essence from the corpses of fallen gods and collecting anything else of value.”

“This allows our forces, to some extent, to sustain themselves.”

“The more battles rage, the more active they become. Especially in the past month, as skirmishes with the Fourth Ring have intensified, their presence has clustered almost entirely along that front.”

After finishing, Xinghuanzi turned his calm gaze upon Xu Qing.

“So why,” he asked evenly, “do you want us to keep an eye on these people?”

Xu Qing paused, sweeping his eyes over the dozen or so companions around him. Each face was intimately familiar now, forged through countless trials together.

After a long silence, he spoke softly.

“We’ve been stationed here for three months since handing in our Essence.”

“During this time, the General has given us no orders…”

“So I’ve been thinking—if we wait for instructions, we may wait forever. Why not seek out a suitable assignment ourselves… and request it directly?”

Having spoken, Xu Qing looked toward the others.

“The Essence I need for cultivation is nearly depleted—and yours must be running low too.”

“If we don’t replenish soon, our progress will suffer.”

At his words, Xinghuanzi’s eyes gleamed strangely; Zhou Zhengli smiled faintly; Xielingzi licked his lips; even the twin blades Qianjun Biyi hummed softly in anticipation.

Even Yuanshan Su, usually taciturn, now shone with an unusual light in his eyes.

The other Ascended were no different—their bodies radiated thick, coiling killing intent, so potent that the snowflakes drifting from the sky trembled midair and slowly turned black.

Li Mengtu spoke outright:

“I’ve been itching to pull off a job like this!”

His blunt declaration seemed to voice what all of them felt. One by one, their gazes—sharp as wolves’—locked onto Xu Qing.

Each of them had clawed their way up through the blood-soaked streets of Xiandu, tempered by endless trials into hardened killers. Pride and ferocity ran deep in their bones, and after three idle months, restlessness had long taken root.

Now, hearing Xu Qing’s proposal, their hearts burned anew.

Meeting their stares, Xu Qing gave a slight nod. Without wasting another moment, he rose to his feet, solemn-faced, and drew forth the token granted by the General.

Holding it aloft, his Immortal Embryo flared brilliantly, channeling a vast tide of Immortal Intent into the token.

His voice resonated as Daoist chant, shaking the very artifact:

“Xu Qing of the Provisioning and Logistics Detachment petitions the General!”

“My unit has completed its rest, fully healed and in peak condition. Watching our comrades at the front slay gods fills us with inspiration—and burning zeal! We hereby request orders…”

“To serve as a Corpse-Scavenger Squad at the battlefront, gathering Essence for our army!”

As Xu Qing’s Immortal Intent poured into the token, the others stood as one, faces grave and expectant.

Yet the token remained utterly still—as if his message had vanished like a stone sinking into the sea. Still, every one of them, Xu Qing included, waited patiently.

Half an hour passed…

Suddenly, the token in Xu Qing’s hand trembled violently. Crimson light erupted within it, surging outward in rippling waves, and from its core burst forth a vast, ethereal Immortal Intent:

“Approved!”

Instantly, Xu Qing cried out, voice ringing clear:

“By the General’s command!”

Behind him, the others echoed in unison, their voices merging with his—a single, thunderous roar that pierced the wind and snow, blazing crimson beneath the heavens.

Like the rising sun!