Chapter 1292: Er Niu Breaks Through Defense

Chapter 1292

Er Niu's Defenses Crumble

Er Niu trembled with excitement.

Earlier, sensing Xu Qing’s aura had already defied belief.

Now, gazing upon him, his mind reeled violently.

The shock of reunion surged through his spirit,

leaving him momentarily dazed, unable to fully grasp reality.

After all, they had not met in ages,

and encountering each other here felt utterly impossible.

Thus, he uttered words he would later regret.

"Little Qing, what brings you here? Who were those people blocking the entrance?"

Xu Qing considered, then chose honesty.

"My subordinates," he murmured softly.

Er Niu’s spirit jolted. His eyes widened.

He had not seen clearly before, unaware of the commotion outside,

yet sensed those figures vanishing upon Xu Qing’s arrival.

Hunted relentlessly, he knew the terror of his pursuer,

and trapped here, he had felt the arrival of the pursuer’s allies—each formidable.

Yet now, Little Qing claimed them as *his* subordinates...

The revelation shattered Er Niu’s euphoria.

Instinctively, he cast his spirit sense, probing Xu Qing’s cultivation.

The depth, the unfathomable power, sent his spirit reeling.

He nearly gasped—but choked it back instantly.

The dignity of the Eldest Disciple flared within him.

He swallowed his questions—where they were, Xu Qing’s status, how he arrived.

He would grant Xu Qing no chance to unsettle him.

Yet Xu Qing’s transformation gnawed at him.

Forcing nonchalance, he spoke lightly:

"Ah, I see... Haha...

Ahem. Little Qing, how much have you feasted alone?

Your cultivation... seems to have undergone *minor* changes."

Er Niu feigned utter calm.

Xu Qing blinked. He knew his senior brother too well.

"Merely some fortuitous encounters. Fleeting insights."

Simple words, yet they stirred bitter currents in Er Niu’s heart.

*What encounters? What insights could elevate cultivation so terrifyingly?*

Still, pride as Eldest Disciple lifted his chin.

"Acceptable, I suppose. But Little Qing, your foundation seems... impure.

You must strive harder.

Also... we’ve been apart long. You may not grasp my current state."

Er Niu sighed wistfully.

"You’ve noticed, haven’t you? This is but a splintered form.

You cannot fathom how mighty my true self has become.

I stand but half a step from uniting the Radiant Heaven!"

"As Eldest Disciple, I blaze like the midday sun across Radiant Heaven!"

Er Niu radiated arrogance.

Xu Qing’s face showed astonishment.

The expression soothed Er Niu’s soul.

"Yet... I miss standing beside you, Little Qing.

So I shattered the void, severed the aeons,

to seek you here."

"Only to have you witness the glorious dawn of my reign!"

Majesty clung to Er Niu’s every word.

Xu Qing smiled, nodded, and stepped forward.

Er Niu coughed, his head floating beside Xu Qing as they walked.

"Little Qing... do you know where that half-step falters?"

"It lacks one apex divine corpse!"

Er Niu’s tone turned solemn.

"Consume but one, and I shall awaken my million splintered forms,

my ten million artifacts across Radiant Heaven—

sweeping all before me!"

"Freeing Wanggu Continent!"

"Little Qing, I could claim this triumph alone...

but you are my junior brother. This honor is yours!"

Er Niu fixed Xu Qing with fervent eyes.

"Give me an apex divine corpse!

Exchange it for Radiant Heaven’s unity—

is it not worth it?"

"After unification, I shall name our Master Crown Prince,

you Imperial Grandson, Huangyan Guardian Beast,

Second Junior Sister as Beast Consort,

Third Brother as Grand Steward!"

"Our sect shall share eternal glory!"

"We—"

Before Er Niu finished, Xu Qing nodded,

raised a hand, and summoned fragments.

Incomplete, yet each radiated the aura of True Divinity.

"Senior Brother... I have no apex divine corpses left."

Xu Qing spoke truth.

Er Niu froze.

Staring at the remnants, his scalp prickled.

Reality blurred; he inhaled sharply, eyes wide.

"True... Divinity?"

Xu Qing nodded.

Silence. Then Er Niu burst into forced laughter,

swallowed hard, and waved dismissively.

"Mere divine corpses? I’ve grown weary of them.

In Radiant Heaven, I feast until nausea."

"That ‘apex’ remark? Merely to spare your feelings."

"Divine beings bow respectfully when I pass."

As Er Niu spoke, Xu Qing halted.

He turned toward the distant starry void,

cold light flashing in his eyes.

His right foot lifted, then stamped forward.

The cosmos he gazed upon imploded.

Rifts tore through space.

As void-storms raged, figures tumbled from the abyss—

divine beings, remnants of a routed army,

hidden within the void’s folds.

To Xu Qing’s senses, none could hide.

At this moment, the leaders appeared at the pinnacle of the Divine Platform. Yet upon seeing Xu Qing, their very souls trembled, and without hesitation, each fled in terror.

Xu Qing’s expression remained impassive as he raised his right hand and pressed it forward.

Instantly, a terrifying pressure descended, forming a crushing force that struck the void.

The starry expanse rippled.

Then, all traces vanished.

Those remnants of the gods had been extinguished, body and soul.

With Xu Qing’s current might, annihilating the Divine Platform was but a flick of the wrist.

Beside him, Second Ox watched the scene, his skull thrumming. After a long silence, he coughed.

“Excellent, excellent! Young Qing, you’ve attained the aura I wielded in the Glorious Heavens!”

“But remember this, Young Qing: while you must command awe before the gods, you must also secure sufficient standing among cultivators. This wisdom comes from your senior brother, who has walked this path.”

“Now that you’ve come of age, I may share certain truths. In one past life, I stood peerless beneath the stars, revered by ten thousand cultivators. That solitude of the summit forged my icy power.”

As if by cruel coincidence, the moment Second Ox finished speaking, the disturbance here drew a legion of cultivators from nearby supply stars. They surged toward the scene.

Upon spotting Xu Qing, the cultivators erupted in fervor, bowing deeply from afar.

Xu Qing felt a flicker of embarrassment.

For his senior brother stood frozen once more.

Among that crowd were Dominators and Quasi-Immortals—a sight that sent Second Ox’s inner turmoil spiraling toward chaos.

Yet the dignity of a senior brother demanded composure. He masked it with a booming laugh, ready to speak.

But in the next instant…

The starfield of this cosmic sector convulsed. An unfathomable divine consciousness, surpassing even Summer Immortals, rolled forth like a cosmic tide from the abyssal depths of space.

Where it passed, the Fourth Star Ring quivered.

Cultivators across countless supply stars prostrated themselves.

Second Ox, sensing it, felt his inner turmoil crest into sheer terror.

If Xu Qing’s cultivation seemed bottomless, this consciousness felt capable of shattering the Glorious Heavens with a single thought.

“This… this…”

As Second Ox’s heart quaked, the consciousness arrived, resolving into the voice of Seeker-Ming Immortal Lord.

“Little brother, your sister-in-law mentioned you favor divine consorts. I’ve captured one—daughter of Sage-Philosopher Divine Lord. A gift for you.”

As the gentle words echoed, an imprisoned divine consort materialized from the void.

She bore a human form, radiating sacred grace, her cultivation at the True God tier—yet now sealed utterly, a mere offering.

Xu Qing’s expression turned peculiar; he bowed his head in salute.

Second Ox stood bewildered, muttering inwardly: a divine consort?

Then the consciousness chuckled.

“That was jest. This divine consort possesses a unique divine mandate, perfect for aiding your comprehension of Your Charter.”

With those words, Seeker-Ming Immortal Lord’s consciousness receded, as if its sole purpose had been this delivery.

Though departed, the encounter had shattered Second Ox’s composure. He could no longer contain himself, turning to Xu Qing.

“What in the void is happening, Young Qing? Where are we? What is your standing here? And who was that consciousness… what did he mean by ‘Your Charter’?”

Xu Qing smiled. To Second Ox, he would keep no secrets—though the full tale defied brief telling. With a gesture, he imprinted the chronicle of his Fifth Star Ring journey onto Second Ox’s brow.

Second Ox did not resist, letting the mark settle upon his forehead.

Immediately, a tidal wave of knowledge flooded his mind.

He saw it all. Understood it all. His expression shifted from confusion to shock, then to utter dread. After absorbing every fragment, he whispered hoarsely.

“The treasures I glimpsed upon arriving… were all what you discarded!”

He struck his chest in anguish.

“Had I known, I’d have come with you! By now, I might be a Summer Immortal!!”

“I chose the wrong path!!”

Second Ox raged, convinced he’d missed an epochal chance. Recalling his barren struggles in the Glorious Heavens, he felt the heavens themselves had cheated him.

Xu Qing watched his senior brother’s frenzy, hesitating before offering comfort.

But Second Ox’s eyes burned crimson. He scanned the surroundings, a strange aura erupting from him as he muttered.

“No. I must make a grand move here.”

“Only thus can I reclaim this colossal loss!”

Even before Xu Qing, he tore open a seal, unleashing a surge of cultivation to sense every hidden trove.

Finally, locking onto a direction, Second Ox grinned wildly.

“Young Qing, come! I’ll show you true ambition!”