Chapter 1285: Mysterious Vial Immortal Lord

Chapter 1285: Mystic Gourd Celestial Lord

Fifth Star Ring, Left Flank Warzone!

Compared to when Xu Qing departed, the Left Flank Warzone now lay eerily desolate.

Nearly seventy percent of the cultivator armies had heeded the Celestial Lord’s decree, sweeping in mighty legions into the Fourth Star Ring’s heartland to wage the final battle.

At this moment, only supply stars brimming with vital purpose remained stationed here.

These stars numbered vast, stretching from the Left Flank Warzone deep into the Fourth Star Ring—nearly one per cosmic interval.

Dedicated to provisioning the frontlines and healing the wounded, they pulsed ceaselessly with celestial essence, functioning like celestial pagodas.

Not only the Left Flank, but the Right Flank and Central Warzones also scattered such supply stars across the Fourth Star Ring.

As the cultivator armies pressed relentlessly forward, these stars advanced deeper, branching outward to blanket ever-widening expanses.

After all, the warzones spanned countless universes, and total conquest was the ultimate aim—rendering logistical support undeniably paramount.

Thus, these modified stars, like pieces upon a cosmic board, were ceaselessly repositioned by mighty cultivators to dominate the entire theater.

And now, at the core of the Fifth Star Ring’s Left Flank Warzone, hovered one such supply star.

Its surface glowed earthy yellow, adrift in the starry void.

Surrounded by a belt of asteroid debris, where legions of cultivators stood garrisoned.

Upon its surface, mountain ranges sprawled beneath skies choked with golden sand; each grain, bathed in celestial essence, thrummed with potent spiritual power.

There too gathered throngs of cultivators, each fulfilling duties with disciplined urgency—executing myriad logistical tasks.

For this star bore immense significance: it was the first supply star deployed after the war’s outbreak in the Left Flank Warzone.

All other supply stars traced their origins to this very point, extending their reach toward the Fourth Star Ring.

Moreover, countless teleportation arrays studded its surface, operating day and night to ferry endless supplies from the Fifth Star Ring here, then onward to other supply stars.

This was the star’s sacred charge.

Owing to its critical role, though its arrays linked to all supply stars, during wartime it handled only one-way transmission—receiving no reverse flows from others.

Even casualty evacuations adhered to this rule, managed by subsequent supply stars.

To bolster its defenses, a substantial force remained stationed here; even Zhanlu Celestial Lord, commander of the war, had left a divine avatar to preside.

Such arrangements elevated this star’s security to the war’s stringent demands.

Yet now, amidst the cultivators’ ceaseless bustle, the heavens abruptly quaked.

Kaleidoscopic radiance flooded the firmament in an instant.

A tremor seized countless cultivators’ spirits; their divine senses converged instantly.

Pinpointing the anomaly’s source.

It was a teleportation array!

It blazed to life!

The surge was sensed immediately by the array’s guardians, who realized this activation bore no mark of Fifth Ring supply shipments—it was…

“From the Fourth Star Ring! And transmitting a living entity! Its authorization… bears the Celestial Lord’s seal!”

The moment this was discerned, the cultivator’s heart thundered; without hesitation, he reported upward.

Almost as this anomaly sped through urgent channels, the array’s light swelled violently—erupting into a brilliant beam that roared skyward.

Swiftly coalescing into a colossal vortex in the heavens, grinding with thunderous rotation.

As countless gazes locked upon it, a figure materialized within the maelstrom.

Black robes.

Long hair, black with violet undertones.

Silver eyes.

And the terrifying aura radiating from his transit shook heaven and earth alike.

Causing the converging divine senses of cultivators to ripple with unease.

The arrival was none other than Xu Qing!

As he stepped forth from the vortex, winds and clouds contorted.

The void churned.

The Fifth Star Ring’s unique celestial starlight washed over him like a tide.

Xu Qing stood suspended midair, robes snapping in the cosmic gales, while myriad star-sands drifted from his form—coalescing into a sinuous river of stars that swiftly spread across the entire firmament.

All eyes turned!

Even the Fifth Star Ring’s fortune descended, swirling around him in violet qi.

As if welcoming his return.

Feeling that starlight, sensing the familiar fortune and dense celestial essence, Xu Qing’s gaze grew distant.

His absence had been brief, yet events had cascaded so thickly that returning now felt like stepping across lifetimes.

Before the unexpected clash between Zhanlu Celestial Lord and Li Zhu Divine Lord, he had been mid-stage Quasi-Immortal.

Now… after fleeing for his life, exploring the Primordial Mother Star, and aiding Aurora Prince’s ascension and course-alteration—he had soared to Quasi-Immortal pinnacle!

The transformation was staggering.

Recalling these scenes, Xu Qing’s heart swelled with profound emotion.

Just then, resonant bell chimes suddenly echoed across this primary supply star.

Shattering Xu Qing’s reverie.

Accompanying the chimes, figures of stationed cultivators manifested around the teleportation array—men and women from diverse Fifth Ring universes.

The instant they beheld Xu Qing, recognition flashed; one by one, they bowed deeply.

“It is Xu Qing!”

Their expressions trembled with awe as they intoned in unison:

“Welcome back, True Lord!”

Their voices thundered, echoing far and wide, imbued with profound reverence!

Clearly, news of the Primordial Mother Star had reached them near-instantly.

The fortune’s feedback.

Xu Qing swept his gaze across them, then abruptly lifted his head, bowing toward the heavens.

As he did, nine crimson suns blazed through the clouds above; Zhanlu Celestial Lord’s majestic form manifested in the sky.

A sonorous Daoist voice descended from the firmament.

“Xu Qing!”

With the voice came a pill materializing before Xu Qing—coursing with nine-hued radiance.

Within it, billions of stellar motes seemed to collapse into a vortex, while an aura akin to Summer Immortal’s essence swirled within.

"Jinxian Elixir."

Xu Qing’s gaze sharpened.

This elixir was precisely the purpose of his return.

Known also as the Fifth Immortal Elixir, it could only be consumed under the blessing of Fortune.

Thus, to administer it to another required that same Fortune’s embrace—a problem Xu Qing had solved. His own Fifth Stellar Ring Fortune could shield others from the elixir’s ferocious potency.

Moreover, Xu Qing pondered whether the Fortune of Wanggu, upon his return, might serve a similar purpose.

As these thoughts stirred within him, he reached out and secured the Jinxian Elixir.

Above, the gaze of Zhanlu Immortal Lord’s avatar swept across Xu Qing’s eyes, where silver light flickered.

The celestial voice resonated once more.

"This elixir was meant for bestowal in the future, but the Aurora Epoch’s karmic threads have pulled the timeline forward."

Xu Qing nodded, then spoke low.

"Thank you, Immortal Lord."

"If there is nothing further, this humble servant wishes to depart the Left Wing Battlefield and return to the Heavenly Beyond, seeking enlightenment for breakthrough."

Zhanlu Immortal Lord regarded him with profound meaning, his voice echoing slowly.

"I advise you rest here briefly. An old friend of yours... seeks to see you."

Hearing this, Xu Qing’s mind conjured many faces, yet uncertain which, he simply asked.

"Immortal Lord, which old friend is it?"

"Xuanhu Immortal Lord! He possesses myriad avatars, sensing the Dao’s essence across all Stellar Rings. Among his many forms in the Ninth Stellar Ring, one is known as... Master Bai."

"Presently, he is on the Fourth Stellar Ring’s battlefield, confirming a matter for you."

Zhanlu Immortal Lord stated calmly.

When the name "Master Bai" left the other’s lips and reached Xu Qing’s ears, his heart surged like a storm-tossed sea, his breath quickening.

He was a man of deep loyalty and sentiment.

Whether it was the former Lei Squad, Master Bai, or his own master, each held an irreplaceable place within him.

Faintly, Master Bai’s parting words echoed again in Xu Qing’s mind.

"The world is but an inn for all living things; time, a guest passing through all ages. So long as breath remains, there will always be a day of reunion..."

As the remembered voice rose and fell, Xu Qing’s eyes filled with deep yearning.

He recalled the lessons beneath the scavenger camp’s trees, the sorrow before the purple-earth tombstone, and the mysterious old man in the Aurora Immortal Palace.

"There will always be a day of reunion."

Xu Qing pondered silently within.

He resolved to remain on this star, awaiting the arrival of that remembered elder, while meticulously nurturing his cultivation to maintain peak condition.

Additionally, he began organizing the fragmented insights from his journey toward the Tenth Extreme.

Time slipped away, silent and swift.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Within that month, Xu Qing did not see Master Bai, but received news that electrified the entire Fifth Stellar Ring.

It was a victory report!

The Fifth Stellar Ring’s armies had swept forward like a flood, shattering numerous Divine Clans, seizing over forty percent of the Fourth Stellar Ring’s native territories—countless universes within, yielding vast resources.

Simultaneously, the Fourth Stellar Ring’s Divine Lords, abandoned by the Divine Sovereign, faced life-or-death trials.

Five chose to depart, seeking refuge in other Stellar Rings.

Three were confirmed fallen!

Among the fallen, two had been struck down by Mingming Immortal Lord, who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield!

The remaining few still struggled, yet against the tide of destiny, their efforts were futile.

There was also news of Li Zhu Divine Lord—defeated by Zhanlu Immortal Lord, yet escaping by virtue of his talent, his whereabouts unknown.

And now the Immortal Sovereign issued a new decree!

Mingming Immortal Lord, while presiding over this Epoch, would also succeed Zhanlu Immortal Lord, assuming full command of the Stellar Ring War.

The age of cultivators... shone ever more brilliantly with this battle’s glory!