Chapter 1261: Goddess and Mud Fox

Chapter 1261 Goddess and Mud Fox

That was the thought of a True God!

Within the Violet Crystal Range, Xu Qing’s expression darkened. A profound sense of dread surged within his spirit, intensifying to an unbearable degree in the blink of an eye.

It churned his inner world violently; every hair on his body stood rigid.

"Not one True God—but at least seven!"

Xu Qing’s pupils contracted sharply. In his perception, the entire star twisted; all living things trembled.

The emerald halo in the sky dimmed, as if losing its light, eclipsed by a vast cloud of oppressive will that blotted out the heavens, obscuring everything.

The combined divine thoughts of these multiple True Gods surged like a tidal wave, transforming the starry void into an ocean, this world a solitary isle. Now the waves rolled, threatening to engulf the star.

The dread intensified beyond measure.

As the divine thought swept closer, threatening to reach Xu Qing’s position.

At this critical moment, Xu Qing extinguished all his immortal essence, summoning his shadow to envelop him completely.

As for the Mud Fox, no call was needed. It had already appeared beside Xu Qing, unleashing its full divine aura to shield him utterly.

Their combined efforts, coupled with Xu Qing’s unique nature among cultivators, made his location intensely anomalous.

Yet even this was insufficient.

At the crucial instant, a flash crossed Xu Qing’s eyes. His right hand lifted, grasping inward. Instantly, he pulled the unconscious Goddess from his storage pouch, hurling her toward the Mud Fox.

The Mud Fox instantly grasped Xu Qing’s intent. Its hand seized the Goddess’s throat, simultaneously covering her eyes.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing’s body shuddered, shrinking to the size of dust, and plunged toward the wound upon her shoulder blade.

In an instant, he vanished deep into her flesh, hiding with all his might.

He was gambling!

In Xu Qing’s judgment, the True Gods’ divine scrutiny would focus on two things.

First, seeking traces of immortal essence to pinpoint his location.

Second, using bloodline resonance or divine source techniques to lock onto the Goddess!

Though Xu Qing and the Goddess were surely together, these two methods searched in different directions, each flawed.

They neglected other divine presences!

The Mud Fox, inside and out, was divine.

Perhaps the methods overlapped, yet the flaw remained.

There was still a chance of miscalculation, but Xu Qing had no choice. Leaving the Goddess alone outside was too risky; variables were too many. The Mud Fox must restrain her.

Even unconscious, he dared not leave her any chance to signal outward.

To better conceal himself within her.

As for whether his own concealment would succeed…

Xu Qing lacked absolute certainty, yet held some confidence. Its source? The Primordial Immortal’s seal within the Goddess!

"Earlier, battling the Jade-Faced True God on the battlefield, it recoiled when I revealed my Dao Artifact. It died without ever producing a countermeasure—proof it knew nothing of my acquisition."

"And though all frontline cultivators knew this, it did not… The likeliest explanation is my information was shielded by a Primordial Immortal, hidden from divine sight."

"Shielding my information, granting me the Dao Artifact… and the seal left within the Goddess…"

As these thoughts flashed through Xu Qing’s mind, the terrifying divine thought swept over the Violet Crystal Range.

Xu Qing steeled his spirit, a cold gleam in his eyes, ready to flee through spacetime at the first sign of danger.

But the next moment, an ancient will emanated from the Goddess, spreading faintly outward, erasing all traces of her.

This sight made Xu Qing narrow his eyes.

Then, the divine thought probing this area swept past the Violet Crystal Range without detection, soon covering the entire star. Finding nothing, it departed, moving to scan another starfield.

Xu Qing remained motionless, waiting another hour. The departing divine thought abruptly returned, once more enveloping the star cluster where this star resided.

It swept again through the stars and dust within the nebula.

Finally, seemingly satisfied, it truly departed.

Xu Qing still did not move, continuing to wait.

Two hours later, a third wave of divine thought roared through the nebula.

This thought differed from the previous, clearly not the same group of True Gods.

In the following days, similar sweeps occurred daily—sudden, frequent—persisting for days…

before finally ceasing.

Xu Qing’s nerves remained taut. After three days, certain of safety, he finally flew from the wound in the Goddess, resuming his normal form. His expression darkened as he surveyed the outside world, then turned to the Mud Fox beside the Goddess.

"Young Master, those True Gods’ divine thoughts ignored me after sensing my spirit platform."

"Likely, their primary search focused on immortal essence."

"And after this probing, I feel that without you hiding within the Goddess, my concealment of you might not have escaped detection."

The Mud Fox, tense these days, relaxed now but, glancing at the still-unconscious Goddess, spoke only through telepathy to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing remained silent.

He sensed what the Mud Fox perceived. He understood clearly: the key to evading detection lay in the Primordial Immortal’s seal upon the Goddess.

"Was this anticipated? A safeguard left for me?"

Xu Qing pondered deeply.

"Yet… even if anticipated, there seems a miscalculation. For this seal, in the heavily anomalous Fourth Stellar Ring, is like water without roots."

Over these days, as the seal was repeatedly triggered, Xu Qing sensed its erosion.

"Each probe wears it down. After a certain number, the seal will dissipate."

"And then…"

A deep unease rose within him.

"However, all probes here were True God-level. The Divine Sovereign merely issued the decree without personally probing—suggesting the war likely continues, the Sovereign still engaged!"

"I still have time!"

"I must restore my cultivation completely and find the guiding star chart to return to the Fifth Stellar Ring!"

Resolve flashed in Xu Qing’s eyes.

"As for this place… after repeated probes, it should be safe for the near term."

As Xu Qing pondered this, suddenly…

Divine thought from the gods surged forth once more, roaring toward the Violet Crystal Range.

Xu Qing’s expression shifted; he shrank to dust again, diving into the Goddess’s wound.

Concealing himself anew.

But soon, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

Because this divine consciousness was weak, not a true deity but merely at the pinnacle of the Divine Platform,

and only passing through the Violet Crystal Mountains, its focus centered on the Dust Forest where he first appeared.

As long as it wasn’t the consciousness of a true god, Xu Qing was certain he could ignore it without hiding within the Divine Maiden’s body.

Thus, after careful observation and waiting for its departure, he flew from the wound in the Divine Maiden’s side.

His face dark, he raised his hand and seized her.

One slap struck her face.

CRACK. The Divine Maiden’s cheek swelled grotesquely. Her eyes snapped open, fixing Xu Qing with a glare thick with unbearable sorrow.

She knew why he had struck her—doubtless believing she had left traces during the teleportation.

But she knew the truth: she hadn’t… not for lack of will, but because Xu Qing had awakened before she could act.

Her sorrow churned into fresh, searing resentment.

He had nothing left to lose!

Before, he had feared the artifact’s terror, but these past days he had awakened long ago. Though the Mud Fox’s presence barred him from signaling for help, he saw clearly now.

This accursed Xu Qing would neither spare him nor kill him—he needed him hidden.

Fear served no purpose.

Now, resentment flared white-hot; he glared at Xu Qing.

“If you dare, kill me!”

“Do you dare?!”

Xu Qing’s gaze remained icy as he spoke, voice flat.

“The decree of your divine father commands me to capture me alive—it says nothing of your fate.”

The Divine Maiden stiffened, about to speak.

Xu Qing gave no chance. His right hand clamped her throat, sucking fiercely.

Instantly, the primordial essence she had regenerated surged toward him like runaway steeds.

It flooded his body, nourishing his celestial embryo and soul, steadily healing his spirit wounds.

The Divine Maiden wilted, yet the hatred in her eyes became a silent curse.

But the next moment, Xu Qing’s needle pierced her shoulder blades again, coursing through her frame.

The searing pain wracked her violently, forcing her body to regenerate primordial essence once more.

Xu Qing continued to absorb.

Time passed. Days later…

Xu Qing’s injuries neared full recovery, while the Divine Maiden had become skin and bone.

Yet now, a troubling issue arose.

Under this near-exhaustive extraction, her body showed signs of depletion.

The primordial essence regenerated less and less.

It seemed her body was adapting to his torment.

This level of agony could no longer effectively stimulate her.

Yet intensifying it further would likely kill her instantly.

Sensing her own state, the hatred and resentment in the Divine Maiden’s eyes finally found release—a near-mad shriek.

“Xu Qing, what more can you do now?!”

“Has your torture reached its limit?!”

“You dare not kill me, and your tricks are spent! Is this truly all you’re capable of?!”

“But know this: my methods against you are endless! When the day comes you fall into my hands, I will repay every torment you’ve inflicted on me ten thousandfold!”

Xu Qing’s gaze remained cold as he narrowed his eyes at the hysterical Divine Maiden.

His right hand lifted to seal her away—

when suddenly the Mud Fox’s laughter rang in his ear.

“Young Master, I’ve watched this whole show. Been meaning to tell you—your harvesting method is terribly inefficient.”

Amid the laughter, the Mud Fox’s alluring form materialized beside them, gliding to the Divine Maiden’s side.

Gazing at her, he licked his lips, eyes alight with excitement. A jade finger hooked her chin.

“I have a proposal…”

The Divine Maiden’s chin tilted upward. Instinctively, she looked at the Mud Fox.

The look in his eyes startled her, stirring a deep, nameless dread within.