Chapter 1307: Depart Star Ring, Return to Wang Gu

Chapter 1307: Leaving the Star Ring, Gazing Back at Gu

Xu Qing and Master Bai journeyed onward.

Through the starry void they walked, through the river of time they strode.

Their forms were imperceptible to ordinary cultivators—only Xia Xian could faintly sense their presence.

Along the way, they spoke at length—of bygone days, of present tales, of dreams yet unborn.

Until, upon reaching the edge of the Fourth Star Ring together, Master Bai took his leave.

Before departing, this man who had been Xu Qing’s first teacher bestowed upon him two items.

The first was a seed.

“Xu Qing,” Master Bai said, “once you return to Gu, if Chen Feiyuan and Tingyu still live, ask them whether they would come to me.”

“If they wish to, plant this seed for them. On the day the flower blooms, its fragrance shall guide them before me.”

“And if they are already gone?” Xu Qing asked softly.

“If they have passed,” Master Bai replied, his voice hoarse, “plant it before their gravestones.”

The second gift was a lantern.

Its frame was fired from some peculiar clay, etched with faint, enigmatic patterns—seemingly natural in origin, yet imbued with ancient runes that pulsed with mysterious power. Its substance bore a striking resemblance to Master Bai’s medicinal cauldron.

As for the lantern’s shade, it was woven from an arcane spiritual silk, shimmering with a soft, iridescent glow.

Within that shifting radiance, dreamlike and ethereal, seemed gathered the resplendent hues of all realms beneath heaven.

The interlacing of those silken threads was exquisitely intricate, forming elusive, half-seen tapestries—now revealing mist-wreathed immortal mountains, now unveiling star-strewn cosmic rivers vast beyond measure.

It was as though the lantern shade itself contained countless miniature universes, each brimming with unfathomable secrets.

Yet most astonishing of all was the wick within the lantern!

For it was unmistakably an eyeball!

Though refined through alchemical processes, it retained its original essence—radiating an aura so majestic and inscrutable that none dared meet its gaze directly. Crimson veins threaded through the orb exuded boundless dread, as if a single glance could shake all creation to its core.

According to Master Bai, this eye once belonged to the Divine Sovereign of the Fifth Star Ring!

Through Master Bai’s unique botanical refinement methods, the lantern now preserved a sliver of that Sovereign’s divine authority.

“The Divine Sovereign of the Fifth Star Ring wielded Entropy as his divine mandate!”

“Entropy—the inexorable descent of all things from order into chaos. In His prime, He could alter the very essence of matter through increase or decrease.”

“This method of lantern-crafting is my application of the Way of Herbs and Trees. As my disciple, I impart it to you—may you delve deeply and one day forge such a lantern yourself.”

…

Master Bai departed.

He had waited seven years for Xu Qing outside the rift where the Old Sovereign once dwelled. Now his heart’s desire was fulfilled.

Alone in the starry expanse, Xu Qing stood at the edge of the Fourth Star Ring, watching his master’s receding figure. With solemn reverence, he bowed.

After a long while, he turned his gaze to the lantern floating before him.

It swayed gently amidst the void, summoning eddies of formless wind.

Within that wind echoed faint, celestial melodies—so entrancing that one could lose oneself listening. Yet prolonged attention revealed something deeper: whispers of divinity woven into the music.

Hearing those murmurs, Xu Qing remained silent for a time, then carefully stowed the lantern away. Turning, he faced the entirety of the Fourth Star Ring.

Slowly, a smile spread across his face.

At that very moment, a hearty laugh rang out from the ring itself—a sound so clear and bright it bent the emptiness around it, coalescing into a luminous, illusory mirror.

Reflected within were the figures of Immortal Lord Mi Ming and his consort.

“Young brother, I know you’re returning home,” Mi Ming said warmly.

“But your Ninth Star Ring—I dare not go there…”

“In truth, aside from the few native Sovereigns of your Ninth Ring, no other Star Lords or Sovereigns dare set foot within.”

“Especially not since Shang Huang awakened not long ago…”

“So I cannot personally aid you on this journey.”

Xu Qing nodded. Over the years, he had gradually come to understand this truth—and now, as a Xia Xian himself, his perception ran even deeper.

He knew that even Divine Venerables of old had only dared appear in the Outer Seas, and even then, only hidden within the belly of a great fish, borrowing the power of the Golden Rat—and even so, they dared not linger, departing after but a fleeting moment.

“Still,” Mi Ming continued with a smile, raising his hand, “though I cannot accompany you, I’ve prepared a gift!”

Instantly, the mirror shrank, transforming into a single lens that shot straight toward Xu Qing.

“This is my Constitutional Law!”

“You once impersonated me. Though my Constitution was sealed at the time, you still sensed my true Mirror Constitution—so borrowing it should pose no issue.”

“Moreover,” Mi Ming added, lifting his hand once more, “I cannot rest easy letting you return alone. So I’ve brought your subordinates.”

With those words, the starry sky twisted. In the next instant—

Xing Huanzi, Zhou Zhengli, Xie Lingzi, Li Mengtu, Yuan Shan Su, and others appeared one by one.

Among them stood Qian Jun Biyi, his face drawn with gloom.

Eleven in total!

The moment they materialized, Mi Ming’s voice boomed like a celestial decree within their minds:

“I command you—all of you—to follow True Lord Ji Qing for three thousand years, guarding his life and death!”

“After three millennia, you shall ascend and take your place among the ranks of immortals!”

At these words, Zhou Zhengli and Xing Huanzi remained composed. The former cared little for immortality—he believed following Xu Qing would yield far greater rewards. The latter trusted in his own potential to ascend. Though their thoughts differed, their expressions mirrored each other.

But the others were visibly moved.

To be granted a seat among the immortal ranks—that was nothing less than a supreme blessing bestowed upon Xia Xians!

For not everyone possessed Xu Qing’s rare fortune to successfully attain the state of Xia Xian.

Thus, in the next breath, they all bowed deeply in unison.

"We obey the Immortal Lord’s decree!"

Then, these former subordinates of Xu Qing instinctively turned their gazes toward him.

Sensing Xu Qing’s cultivation and that vast aura, they naturally understood that Xu Qing... had already become a Summer Immortal!

And comparing him to the Summer Immortals they had seen in their minds, they all detected a difference.

"Xu Qing... he carries the majesty of an Immortal Lord!"

Xing Huanzi’s heart jolted.

At that moment, Mi's gaze similarly fell upon Xu Qing; smiling, he spoke no more.

Looking at the lens before him, a warmth rose from the depths of Xu Qing’s heart. Recalling every scene since his arrival here, he ultimately gave a deep bow to Mi Ming before him.

The smile on Mi Ming’s face grew gentler, and the Immortal Maiden Ling Huang beside him spoke softly.

"Xu Qing, I wish you all the best."

Amid this smile and this blessing, the figures of the two vanished.

And at the very instant they dissipated, a beam of flowing light was tossed out from the void by Mi Ming, his parting voice echoing all around with a hint of teasing.

"By the way, the Goddesses I promised you—I caught three, and they are all inside."

It was a bead.

Within it, three sleeping Goddesses could be seen...

Xu Qing’s expression grew peculiar as he raised his hand to store it away.

While this scene fell into the eyes of Xing Huanzi and the others nearby, the rest were relatively unfazed, but Zhou Zhengli grew thoughtful, murmuring in his heart.

"Does the Young Master prefer this sort of thing?"

Before Zhou Zhengli could ponder further, Xu Qing had already raised his hand, pointing down toward the direction of the Fifth Star Ring.

In an instant, his laws and ordinances surged; amidst the churning of the starry sky, a bronze tower manifested.

It was precisely the tower he had ridden when crossing the Primordial Sea before.

Upon the tower, the Sacred Sky Divine Vine remained entwined, having long since awakened; it slithered outside the tower, sending waves of intimacy toward Xu Qing.

"Going home..."

Xu Qing was just about to step forward...

But in the next breath, his steps halted.

A colossal bubble had appeared in this starry sky at some unknown point, enveloping the universe and isolating everything.

Thus, while Xing Huanzi and the others remained entirely unaware, an old man wearing straw sandals walked out from the distant starry sky.

The old man was simply dressed in a coarse hemp robe, with a golden mouse perched upon his shoulder.

Gazing at this person, Xu Qing spoke calmly.

"Greetings, Immortal Venerable."

The newcomer was none other than the Immortal Venerable of the Fifth Star Ring.

He stepped up to Xu Qing, sized him up from head to toe, and gave a cough.

"Brat, long time no see."

Xu Qing said nothing.

The other party had used him as a chess piece step by step; though he himself had gained benefits in the process, taken as a whole, it was merely a transaction.

Naturally, there was nothing to exchange pleasantries about.

The Immortal Venerable understood this as well, so after a smile, he raised his hand and brought out a small bronze tripod.

"This object contains a single strike of my full power; I give it to you for protection."

"Lastly... before you depart, I have a piece of news to impart to you."

"The Ninth Star Ring—due to the awakening of Shang Huang seven years ago, the trajectory of the Wanggu Continent's destiny has shifted..."

"Therefore, you had best hurry back."

Hearing this, Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed.

Without any hesitation, his body blurred, instantly appearing before the bronze tower. With a sweeping flourish of his wide sleeves, he swept Xing Huanzi and the others along, stepping into the tower.

Then, the bronze tower shook with a thunderous roar.

As the void beneath it twisted, a massive vortex appeared, from which waves of the Primordial Sea's aura wafted out, filling all directions.

Every Star Ring possessed a Primordial Sea.

And among the ascending thirty-six Star Rings, the Primordial Sea was the most direct path of connection...

Now, with the appearance of the Primordial Sea, the bronze tower shone brilliantly, erupting with earth-shattering power from within.

That was the power of Xu Qing’s laws and ordinances.

Under the effect of his dimensional force, the bronze tower sank violently downward.

Plunging into the Primordial Sea, it vanished within the vortex of waves.

Afterward... the Primordial Sea dissipated, and everything restored to its original state, as though this sea had never appeared; only waves of the residual aura from the outer sea diffused through this starry sky.

Growing fainter and fainter.

In the starry sky, the Immortal Venerable gazed at all this, eventually raising his head to look remotely in the direction of the Ninth Star Ring.

After a long while, he murmured softly.

"I have never understood why Shang Huang insisted on staying in the Ninth Star Ring, staying upon that tiny continent once named Huangtian and now called Wanggu..."

"Is He searching? Or is He waiting?"

"Is He walking toward death, or... welcoming a new life?"

The Immortal Venerable shook his head, took a step, and his figure dissolved.

Only his thoughts still rippled.

"Is the divine umbilical cord truly the sole path to transcendence?"

"Then throughout the ages, has there truly been a god who genuinely succeeded through the divine umbilical cord?"

"Beyond that... what is it that awaits us?"