Chapter 1345: Want to Open the Door!

Chapter 1345: The Door Yearns to Open!

Years ago, during his time on Zhaoxia Mountain, Xu Qing had already used his own methods to secretly send his divine body beyond the borders of Wanggu Continent. Simultaneously, he employed Mi Ming Immortal Sovereign’s Xianqu Mirror to create a reflection.

Naturally, Mi Ming had aided him in this endeavor, enabling them to conceal it—at least partially—from prying eyes.

There were two reasons for this maneuver.

First, to prevent his divine body from falling under the control of Prince Zi Qing, thereby becoming a resource for his enemy.

Second, Xu Qing intended to use this as one of his ultimate trump cards—to lure Prince Zi Qing into believing he had succeeded at a critical moment, thus creating an opening for Mi Ming Immortal Sovereign to strike!

After all, with the Shang Huang Remnant Face looming nearby, approaching Wanggu was an act of extreme peril. For native experts of the Ninth Star Ring, even Divine Lords dared not draw near; only Divine Sovereigns could reach the limit.

As for experts from other star rings, the risk was even greater due to the differing essences of their home realms.

Thus, Mi Ming Immortal Sovereign would have only one chance—and could not afford prolonged combat.

Hence arose the sequence of events that had unfolded before.

“A pity…”

A trace of regret flickered within Xu Qing’s heart, yet he had anticipated such a scenario. Swiftly suppressing his emotions, cold light flashed in his eyes as he took a single step—appearing instantly outside the grand palace hall.

Another step—and he strode directly into… the imperial throne room itself.

His target: Prince Zi Qing, seated upon the dragon throne, golden blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth. Without hesitation, Xu Qing descended upon him.

His entire being resembled a spear yearning to pierce heaven and earth, charging forward with irresistible, annihilating force—straight toward Prince Zi Qing.

But just as he drew near, Prince Zi Qing’s eyes suddenly blazed with brilliant golden radiance. Rising abruptly from his seat, he lifted his right hand and pressed it toward the heavens.

From his lips issued a divine utterance:

“Shen!”

The moment that single syllable left Prince Zi Qing’s mouth, the entire Wanggu Continent trembled violently.

All living beings across the myriad races felt an instinctive pang of dread, their heads snapping upward.

For above them, the half-face spanning half the sky—the Shang Huang Remnant—began to shudder, slowly rotating to face Tian Tian.

Its withered, decaying strands of hair trailed through the void like rotten vines, carving apocalyptic paths through space itself.

Especially its ashen-gray eyelids—they cracked open now like permafrost thawing after ten thousand years.

Then, lashes rusted like iron bars began to lift!

The heavens and earth quaked.

The very breath of the world ceased.

Within the Grand Hall of the Upper Kingdom in Tian Tian Domain, Prince Zi Qing rose from the dragon throne. As the Eye of Shang Huang trembled, an awe-inspiring divine might erupted from his body—bursting outward like a cataclysmic storm!

It swept through the hall, reducing it instantly to dust and ash, scattering into nothingness.

An irresistible force surged forth!

Xu Qing, mid-charge, was abruptly halted by this power. Swept backward, he barely managed to steady himself hundreds of zhang away—spitting out a mouthful of blood before lifting his head sharply, gazing up at the sky.

At that precise instant, high above in the firmament, the Eye of Shang Huang… opened ever so slightly.

Thunder roared across the world.

Reality twisted.

Within that eye swirled not an iris—but shattered galaxies.

Countless stars burned within its depths, molten gold spilling through the slits of its eyelids. Wherever that light touched…

Clouds boiled into thick, viscous tar; mountains split open with web-like fissures.

Even spacetime warped.

Beneath the mere glimmer of that not-yet-fully-opened eye, every city in Tian Tian Domain trembled—as if molded clay crushed beneath a giant’s hand, beginning to dissolve.

Corpses within those cities floated eerily aloft, their bluish-black skin exuding ghostly phosphorescent flames.

And where the grand hall once stood—amidst the dissipating dust—Prince Zi Qing now stood tall, long hair whipping in the wind, golden radiance blazing in his eyes.

Cultivation level seemed irrelevant to him now.

He had become a vessel—a conduit for the will of Shang Huang.

His gaze, once gentle, was now utterly cold. His expression, too, had transformed into something alien.

As if, in this moment, he was no longer the Prince Zi Qing Xu Qing knew!

“Lin!”

A voice devoid of warmth or emotion echoed through heaven and earth.

The instant it sounded, the Eye of Shang Huang in the sky snapped wide open!

Within its pupil churned a vortex of primordial chaos—each contraction devouring the very light of heaven and earth.

When the vortex reached its threshold, a column of dark-golden light crashed down, engulfing the entire Tian Tian Domain!

Plains touched by the beam instantly boiled; soil, stones, corpses—all disintegrated into primal particles. Only certain crystalline fragments resisted briefly, though even they seemed doomed to crumble soon.

Beasts, anomalies—everything was pulverized into stardust, scattered by the wind.

This was no mere destruction—it was dimensional corruption.

Under the gaze of the Remnant Face, the boundary between reality and illusion shattered completely. The line between life and death blurred beyond recognition.

Faint silhouettes began to emerge within that gaze!

And the true focus of Shang Huang’s vision… was the Upper Kingdom of Zi Qing—the palace—and… Prince Zi Qing himself!

Standing within that gaze, he became… Shen Lin—the Descent of Divinity.

Then, he raised his hand—and pointed directly at Xu Qing.

At that gesture, space warped in all directions. The vague figures within the gaze sharpened instantly into clarity.

They were… projections of deities!

Most hailed from ancient times—gods devoured long ago by Shang Huang!

Though dead, their essences remained trapped within Shang Huang’s sight. Now, summoned by Prince Zi Qing’s pointing finger, they manifested once more.

Among them was even the Divine Lord Xu Qing had once glimpsed within the bronze coffin of the Fourth Star Ring!

Though stripped of their former power, their divine instincts remained potent—especially in spreading corruption.

As they appeared, heterogeneity surged violently, flooding the air like a tidal wave.

Then, these spectral projections surged toward Xu Qing—intent on staining every fiber of his being.

This was not Xu Qing’s first encounter with the Eye of Shang Huang—but it was by far the most intense.

Previously, when Shang Huang opened its eye, there had been no conscious will—only instinct.

But this time… it carried intent. And countless projections.

Even though Xu Qing’s Xian Law had reached the realm of a Celestial Sovereign, and his cultivation path was that of immortality, within the gaze of Shang Huang, his form still appeared dark green-black.

His body was being defiled—endless alien substances burrowed into his flesh.

His Xian Law was being corrupted—the fate-force emanating from Shang Huang sought to forcibly reshape him.

Almost instantly, Xu Qing sensed an extreme crisis between life and death. His eyes blazed crimson in a flash; every inch of his flesh awakened with independent consciousness, striving to tear itself away from him.

At this critical moment, Xu Qing abruptly raised his right hand and pressed it toward the distant horizon.

From his lips came a low, thunderous cry:

“Mirror of Wang Gu!”

The instant those four words rang out, within the Devouring Heaven Domain, the shimmering fragments that had been struggling desperately under Shang Huang’s gaze suddenly trembled as one—then soared skyward, howling toward Xu Qing.

They encircled him!

These shards were none other than the broken pieces of the Mirror of Wang Gu!

Now, each fragment blazed brilliantly, releasing the sealed fortune of the Zi Qing Upper Kingdom—

Fortune that surged outward to empower Xu Qing!

Yet this alone was clearly insufficient to withstand Shang Huang’s gaze. Without hesitation, Xu Qing drew forth his ultimate trump card—the strongest weapon he currently possessed!

It was a bronze lamp!

Within the lamp, the Eye of the Divine Sovereign snapped open at that very moment!

The instant the divine eye opened, golden radiance erupted like a torrential flood. Amplified by the fortune of Zi Qing released from the mirror shards, it clashed invisibly against Shang Huang’s gaze and the countless projections swarming around him.

Amid thunderous roars, Xu Qing’s body shuddered violently—but the sensation of his flesh tearing apart and the invasion of alien corruption began to ease.

The golden light radiating from the Divine Sovereign’s Eye within the bronze lamp formed a protective barrier around Xu Qing,

Neutralizing Shang Huang’s gaze and repelling the onrushing projections.

But… Shang Huang’s power surpassed all Divine Sovereigns. Even with Elder Bai’s enhancements layered upon the Divine Eye, bolstered further by the Mirror of Wang Gu and the fortune of Zi Qing, resistance remained incomplete.

Already, countless golden fissures spiderwebbed across the Divine Eye, spreading with terrifying speed.

“At most ten breaths—the bronze lamp will shatter!”

“But… that should be enough time!”

Without hesitation, Xu Qing released the bronze lamp, letting it float freely, while he immediately sat cross-legged. His hands formed seals, and a sharp, cutting intent erupted from within him—

Sword intent!

He had simulated this battle countless times atop Zhaoxia Mountain before coming here!

Naturally, he knew that his confrontation with Zi Qing would inevitably stir Shang Huang—and that Shang Huang might open its eyes.

Thus, he had exhausted every resource to devise a unique method of resistance for precisely this moment.

“In Wushuang City and Taigu City—places where Shang Huang truly opened its eyes—I did not die. Later, I discovered the purple crystal, but my survival had nothing to do with it.”

“My survival likely relates, in part, to Crown Prince Zi Qing.”

“But in my memories of Wushuang City, there exist two utterly contradictory scenes—one where I indeed survived, another where I died.”

“That is deeply wrong!”

“Therefore… it’s possible my survival stemmed from some other cause!”

“Throughout my cultivation, I’ve achieved inner and outer clarity—only two uncertainties remain. One is the purple crystal, an external object I can set aside for now. The other…”

“Is this: twice, I sensed deep within my soul a mysterious corridor lined with countless doors—and beyond them, a throne so profound it remains unprobed, unable to manifest by will!”

“This may be my only means to oppose Shang Huang!”

These thoughts flashed through Xu Qing’s mind in an instant. His eyes hardened with resolve. Raising his right hand, he gripped his own crown point—and tore downward with brutal force…

Immediately, sword qi erupted from his crown, coalescing into the Imperial Sword.

Xu Qing seized it and slashed—straight into his own brow!

Carving a massive wound that cleaved through every layer of his skin from head to toe!

Even Crown Prince Zi Qing, watching through Shang Huang’s gaze, narrowed his eyes. His icy expression flickered with a trace of astonishment.

“You… would split yourself open?”

**Endgame Preview**

*Beyond Time* has now entered its final phase. I originally didn’t intend to revise the outline further, but while writing today, fresh inspiration struck me. I can sense that following this new thread will lead to a stronger conclusion.

So I’ve reorganized my thoughts and adjusted the outline once more.

For this final stretch, I want to write something truly exceptional.

But honestly, my physical stamina and mental energy—due to age—are no longer what they once were.

Updates may become slightly irregular during this late stage. I hope everyone understands.