Chapter 1289: Swallow It in One Gulp

Chapter 1289: Swallowed in a Single Gulp

The True God, a sphere of flesh and blood dripping with mucus and exuding lethal toxins, watched this scene unfold, the writhing of its fleshy form abruptly accelerating.

In an instant, it sought to tear open the void and flee.

Yet in the next breath, the Xia Immortal commander swayed, materializing directly behind the True God; as she raised her left hand, silver light flared across her form, and her Xia Immortal might erupted once more to bar the path.

The True God was forced to a sudden halt.

"Xu Qing, join forces with me, we..."

Before the Xia Immortal commander could finish her sentence, Xu Qing came hurtling forward with the momentum of ten thousand immortals, a single fingernail manifesting before him at the wave of his hand.

The moment this fingernail appeared, a terrifying force erupted violently within it.

It caused the starry sky to warp and the void to collapse; though the pressure it exuded could not match the previous bridge, it shook all who beheld it just the same.

It was none other than a Dao Vessel!

The instant it appeared, it absorbed all the temporal shadows behind Xu Qing, condensing them into itself until it became a beam of intertwined gold and silver light.

It shot through the air, hurtling toward the True God.

The speed was so absolute that it arrived in a flash, piercing clean through.

Within a heartbeat, the True God shuddered violently and collapsed in a manner visible to the naked eye; all its toxins dispersed, and together with the toxic plum within, it became part of the void.

As did its soul!

Body and soul utterly annihilated!

This scene had transpired too quickly; Xu Qing’s strike was devastatingly swift, and both his own aura and the horror of that fingernail were enough to shake heaven and earth.

So much so that even the Xia Immortal commander felt her mind reel violently as she looked at Xu Qing...

Her expression turned solemn.

"How is this a Quasi-Immortal... this is clearly a Xia Immortal!

With a Dao Vessel in hand, even an ordinary Xia Immortal would have to tread carefully upon encountering this man."

"Especially in his current state, where he is but a single shred away from breaking through!"

"He possesses everything required, his Immortal Embryo is fully formed and on the verge of transforming into an immortal, and all that remains is the ascension of his Ordinance!"

Discerning Xu Qing's condition, the Xia Immortal commander spoke in a grave tone.

"True Monarch, please wait a moment!"

At the same time, the surrounding gods felt their hearts roar with dread as they fled frantically, while the cultivators, exultant after surviving the disaster, felt immensely invigorated.

One after another, they bowed to Xu Qing before giving chase to cut down the fleeing gods.

The Xia Immortal commander went along with them.

Bereft of a True God, the remaining gods in this place were swiftly purged by the Xia Immortal commander’s strikes, working in tandem with her subordinates.

Having completed this task, the female Xia Immortal cultivator returned to Xu Qing's side and cupped her fists in a salute.

"Thank you for your assistance!"

The female Xia Immortal spoke with profound sincerity.

Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged; after returning the gesture, he conversed with the Xia Immortal.

Once he had gained an understanding of the current state of the battlefield, Xu Qing took his leave, departing under the watchful gaze of the cultivator and her subordinates.

Watching Xu Qing's figure vanish into the starry sky, waves of emotion churned within the Xia Immortal commander's heart.

"Bearing the title of True Monarch, blessed with destiny itself, and furthermore the brother of the Dawnlight Immortal Master... this individual can be considered exceedingly noble within the current Fifth Star Ring!"

"Moreover, his own combat prowess is astonishing... the next time we meet, he will surely have broken through to become a Xia Immortal."

As she thought of this, a sudden realization struck the Xia Immortal commander.

"He seems... not to have a Dao companion yet..."

...

What thoughts occupied the female Xia Immortal's mind, Xu Qing did not know; at this moment, he was treading through the starry sky, wandering within the Fourth Star Ring.

The deeper he ventured, the more he could perceive the ruined state of the Fourth Star Ring.

Shards of stars and remnants of divine kingdoms could be seen everywhere.

The scars of war stretched boundlessly within this Fourth Star Ring.

The entire region was locked in a state of withered desolation.

The starlight was gone, as was the golden radiance of the divine kingdoms.

It seemed as though more than half of the Fourth Star Ring had plunged into an endless darkness.

Only the supply stars extending from the Fifth Star Ring served as the sole remaining sources of light within the Fourth Star Ring, and with the cultivators holding the absolute upper hand, the war was entering its final sweeping stages.

"According to what that commander said, the mop-up operations in the Fourth Star Ring are currently divided into two aspects; on one hand, the cultivator army is continuously compressing the final territory where the gods have gathered.

On the other hand, using the supply stars as focal points, they are clearing the surrounding battlefields of remnants.

The former usually consists of combat cultivator legions, while the latter... is mostly composed of corpse-looting teams paired with garrison squads."

Xu Qing fell into contemplation, thinking of Zhou Zhengli and the others.

"Along the way, I might well locate their tracks through the supply stars."

Recalling those comrades-in-arms, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Xu Qing's mouth.

"I wonder how they are doing now..."

In this manner, time flowed by.

Xu Qing wandered within the Fourth Star Ring, searching for an opportunity to break through.

During this period, he encountered a few surviving gods.

However, with his current cultivation at the peak of the Quasi-Immortal realm and a combat strength capable of contending with a Xia Immortal, he faced no real danger so long as he did not encounter a peak True God or a Divine Master.

Furthermore, he managed to contact Zhou Zhengli through a supply star; having confirmed the region they were in, Xu Qing altered his direction, steadily drawing closer to their location.

At the same time, the Funeral Team composed of Zhou Zhengli and the others had just completed a battlefield mission, earning themselves a period of rest, and were currently returning to their designated supply star.

During the time Xu Qing had been missing since the battle of the Goddess Trade, Zhou Zhengli and the others had each experienced growth of their own.

They had participated in the general offensive against the Fourth Star Ring, earning a fair amount of military merit while thoroughly upholding the traditions of the Funeral Team—looting corpses on the battlefield while never failing to harvest living specimens.

Their cultivations had improved considerably.

By now, not only were all members Quasi-Immortals, but Xing Huanzi had already reached the mid Quasi-Immortal stage, not far from the late stage.

As for Xie Lingzi and Yuan Shansu, they were also on the verge of breaking through the early Quasi-Immortal stage.

Qianjun and Biyi were in a similar state; moreover, their mentalities were even better than when Xu Qing had been around, and that carefree sense of ease left the two brothers thoroughly pleased with themselves.

Only Zhou Zhengli’s cultivation showed little apparent change, but this man was adept at concealment, making it difficult for others to gauge his true state directly.

And now, upon returning to the supply star, seeing that everyone was about to disperse, Zhou Zhengli spoke up with a beaming smile.

"Everyone, let me tell you some good news; I have already contacted the Young Master, and he is currently making his way to our supply star."

At these words, the expressions of those present shifted in myriad ways.

Xie Lingzi narrowed his eyes, suppressing the rebellious instinct that had been stirring within him of late.

Yuan Shan Su looked dazed, as if lost in a dream.

Xing Huanzi remained impassive, yet a glint of sharp brilliance flickered in his eyes.

But the most dramatic reaction came from Qian Jun Bi Yi—the two sword cultivators, who had just been gleefully exchanging secret messages about where to play next, now trembled violently at Zhou Zhengli’s words, their very souls quaking.

Soon after, they all dispersed.

Watching their retreating figures on the supply star, Zhou Zhengli’s smile never waned, though inside, exhilaration surged.

Compared to the others, he and Li Mengtu—who was still cultivating abroad and had not yet returned—were the ones who most longed for Xu Qing’s return. For their decision to follow him had already borne its greatest fruit the moment Xu Qing stunned the Fifth Star Ring before Mi Ming Immortal Sovereign.

In recent days, Zhou Zhengli had keenly felt how the cultivators of the Fifth Star Ring now treated them with newfound respect. On this supply star, every resource and privilege had been opened to them without reservation.

Even Xia Immortal, the guardian of the supply star, had shown them unusual courtesy.

All of this filled Zhou Zhengli with immense pride in the choice he’d made years ago.

As for the thoughts of others, Zhou Zhengli understood them well—but paid them no mind.

He knew full well that whatever petty schemes they harbored had already been rendered futile the moment Xu Qing aided the Aurora Young Lord. With Xu Qing’s return, all such ambitions would vanish like mist before the sun.

Thus, gazing at the backs of those who had departed, he let out a soft chuckle and resolved to wait right here—to be the first to welcome Xu Qing home.

Meanwhile, those who had left each acted differently.

Xie Lingzi immediately entered seclusion. The broken sword within his body trembled.

“He’s back,” Xie Lingzi murmured darkly. “About that matter you mentioned—if you still dare proceed, I won’t stop you… but tell me… do you still have the courage?”

From within him, the shattered blade emitted an aura of furious indignation.

As for the Qian Jun Bi Yi brothers, all thoughts of amusement vanished. They raced back to their abode and began frantic consultation.

“What do we do… that guy’s back!”

“We’re doomed! Absolutely doomed! We’ve been eating so well lately—our blades are sharper than ever! He’ll definitely covet us when he sees!”

“It’s all your fault! I told you not to overindulge!”

“No, it’s your fault—you started it first!”

Amidst their mutual recriminations, Xing Huanzi had already left the supply star, streaking through the void like a comet until he reached his hidden sanctuary—a fragment of a shattered star he’d discovered long ago and chosen as his cultivation retreat.

Now seated in meditation, a fierce light burned in his eyes.

“Though the gap between us widens ever more… Xu Qing, I will not allow myself to fall too far behind!”

Murmuring to himself, he raised his hand—and countless motes of dust materialized from thin air, gathering before him.

These were no ordinary specks. Each grain carried terrifying weight.

They were fragments of Heavenly Principle!

Staring at them, Xing Huanzi’s heart swelled with anticipation.

Through relentless effort and fortuitous encounters, he had finally refined far more Heavenly Principle than before—preparing himself for the imminent step toward becoming a Xia Immortal.

His path diverged from Xu Qing’s.

Xu Qing had yet to awaken his own Xia Immortal Edict, but Xing Huanzi already knew: his next Edict would be Heavenly Principle itself.

“I’ve nearly finished refining them. Just a few more days, and I’ll fully merge with these Heavenly Principle motes!”

“By then, the only thing missing for my ascension to Xia Immortal will be the infusion of Source Essence to nourish my Immortal Embryo!”

With this thought, resolve hardened in his heart. His fingers formed seals as he immersed himself completely in the process of refinement.

But then—disaster struck without warning!

The space around his sanctuary twisted abruptly, without the slightest omen, warping into a monstrous maw!

This gaping mouth seemed woven from pure greed—like the jaws of a rabid hound.

The instant it appeared, it lunged without hesitation and devoured every last mote of Heavenly Principle dust before Xing Huanzi.

Not a single grain remained.

Then, just as suddenly, it vanished—

Leaving only the echoing belch of deep satisfaction reverberating through the chamber.

Everything happened too fast.

Xing Huanzi froze for a heartbeat—then his mind erupted in chaos. His eyes snapped wide with fury, and from his throat burst a roar of apocalyptic rage!

His cultivation exploded outward like a tidal wave!