Chapter 1252: Twelve Dao Seeds Deliver a Goddess

Countless people were looking at the scene on the teleportation portal. Conversation swelled.

And while Zhou Zhengli was feeling deep reverence for Xu Qing... the goddess Starryeyes was feeling a profound and raging hatred. Shē was gasping for breath, and had lost hēr previous spirit and vigor. And hēr skin really was pallid. But shē wasn’t actually unconscious.

That was because Xu Qing wouldn’t allow it. Given his experience extracting ringsource from gods, he knew that keeping their soul fluctuations vigorous was the way to get the best results.

Goddess Starryeyes had been awake the entire time. Whenever shē passed out, he would force hēr to wake up. It was an endless cycle.... To hēr, the journey had been one of unspeakable pain. Considering shē had such a majestic bloodline, shē had never experienced anything like this. And thus, shē felt extreme hatred and rage toward Xu Qing. Despite being so emptied and weak, as the crowd looked on, shē opened her eyes and glared at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing had grown accustomed to that look already. Face completely expressionless, he simply gripped hēr neck even tighter and extracted the ringsource with more force.

Starryeyes trembled from head to toe, as if a current of electricity were flowing through hēr. It felt like hēr soul was being ripped out of hēr, and led to hēr being even more weak than before. Shē looked like shē wanted to moan in pain, but hēr throat was clamped shut, making it impossible to make a sound. In that state of madness, the hatred in hēr eyes became like the vilest of curses inside hēr.

If I manage to survive this tribulation, then I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure this guy and everyone he cares about live lives worse than death!!!

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Xu Qing ignored hēr. From his perspective, the most important thing right now was to reach the Lower Immortal level and then get back to the Revered Ancient mainland.

I need to get my reward for capturing this goddess.... This goddess has a unique constitution.... The longer I can keep my hands on hēr, the faster I’ll reach mid Quasi-Immortal!

Xu Qing kept a tight grip on Starryeyes as the Longscale Regiment escorted them off of the teleportation portal and into the distance.

The gathered cultivators watched them go.

“They’re dao seeds, all of them. They’ve been sharpened on the grindstone and have performed amazing services. They’re definitely going to fly to the highest heights!”

“That’s especially true of that Xu Qing. It won’t be long before his name is known throughout the entire Fifth Star Ring!”

People felt all sorts of emotions, from admiration to jealousy.

As for Xu Qing, he put it all behind him with the flick of a sleeve.

In that manner, time passed. Half a month later, the Longscale Regiment had escorted Xu Qing and the ascendees through the sea of stars to the front lines headquarters of the eastern theater! It was the gigantic crimson star that hung in the starry sky! From a distance, it almost looked like the bloody eye of a god, looking down on the universe.

Even though Xu Qing had been here before, it was still shocking to look at. It was simply enormous, like a gigantic ball of fire burning in the middle of the universe, letting off scalding waves of light. Its glow could penetrate endless darkness and gloom, making it the most eye-catching thing in the starry sky.

The Longscale Regiment only escorted them so far. When it came time for Xu Qing and the ascendees to part, the Longscale cultivators solemnly bowed to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing returned the salute. The mission was over, and it was time to make their report. Turning, he shot into motion toward the red giant, followed by Sir Star Ring and the others. As they approached, they saw the roiling sea of flames, and the intense heat that caused clouds to seethe around it.

In the past, Xu Qing’s cultivation base and perceptions had been very different. So this time he sensed something he had not sensed before. It was a heartbeat that existed on the level of canon! It sounded like ancient drums thumping within the sea of flames!

Thump thump. Thump thump!

It was as if the star was a living thing! At any moment, it could unleash a raging blood-red tide that could sweep over an entire star domain and turn it into dust.

Stunned, Xu Qing stopped in place. Behind him, the ascendees’ hearts were pounding.

At the same time, an extremely ancient voice spoke, as if it were brought by a wind from the ancient past.

“You did well....”

As the voice spoke, a solar flare erupted in front of Xu Qing and the ascendees, becoming a brilliant light that illuminated everything in the area. It was like a blazing fire in the middle of the universe.

Within the sea of light, 100,000 silver eyes with vertical pupils opened up. Astonishingly, each of those pupils contained a reflection of the violent clash between the ascendees and the goddess. It was like an overview of the entire event.

Several breaths of time passed, and then the images faded. The 100,000 eyes focused on Xu Qing and the ascendees. Then they looked at Goddess Starryeyes, gripped in Xu Qing’s hand.

A majestic force then locked onto the goddess. Xu Qing released his grip, and Starryeyes was dragged into the sea of light, where shē vanished.

Xu Qing couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret in his heart. He hadn’t finished extracting all the ringsource. Though it had seemed like the process was going quickly, he had actually been trying to draw the journey out to have more time. The goddess’ ringsource really was different from that of other gods. Though it wasn’t literally endless, it would begin to renew itself each time it seemed like it was about to run out. Though the overall quantity was smaller each time it happened, it was still incomparably pure.

If I could have absorbed it for a bit longer, I could probably break through.

Though he was sighing inside, he also knew that Immortal Lord Deepgloom needed the goddess a lot more than he did. So he suppressed his disappointment.

Thinking about the reward for accomplishing the mission, he bowed deeply. The other ascendees did the same.

A moment later, the ancient voice spoke again. “The reward for finding clues leading to the capture of the goddess was 1,000,000 military credits and 10 portions of ringsource. The reward for capturing the goddess was 10,000,000 military credits and 100 portions of ringsource. You people not only found clues, you also captured the goddess. It can be considered an amazing service!’

Everyone was starting to get excited.

“Xu Qing!” the voice said.

Xu Qing solemnly took a step forward. 100,000 eyes looked at him from within the sea of light.

“In short order, when I deliver this goddess to Immortal Lord Deepgloom, I will submit your official application for the daoist title of true monarch, as well as... your dao weapon! Do you have any requirements for the dao weapon?”

Xu Qing thought about it for a moment, his eyes glittering. Then he clasped hands. “Your humble servant would like to request a dao weapon designed for slaughter!”

“It can be done. I’ll deliver it personally. The reward will be delivered within seven days. You can wait in the flame pagodas here. This star naturally accumulates ringsource, so make good use of it while you can.” The voice faded away.

The 100,000 silver eyes closed, and moments later, the sea of light disappeared. At the same time, twelve pagodas made of lava rose up in the area. The flame pagodas emitted constant pulses of ringsource that caused the canon of Xu Qing and the ascendees to ripple.

Sir Star Ring, Zhou Zhengli, and all the others were visibly moved.

“According to what I heard recently,” Zhou Zhengli said, “this red giant was made using the skulls and god blood of a number of True Gods that Immortal Lord Deepgloom slaughtered years ago! He also put some of his own canon into it. Even a Lower Immortal who practices cultivation here would benefit greatly. Because the star is unstable... no one is permitted to stay here except by invitation!”

Xu Qing nodded. He looked at the ascendees, and it was plain to see how difficult this mission had been for all of them.

With a serious expression on his face, he bowed to them. “I can’t share the title of true monarch, but I can share all the other rewards, including the ringsource and the military credits! As for the Immortal Lord’s dao weapon, though it’s being given to me, it can be our communal property!”

Zhou Zhengli looked back at him solemnly. Sir Star Ring said nothing. Li Mengtu grinned, and Sir Vilespirit cleared his throat. Yuanshan Su looked down. The others reacted similarly. They all bowed back. Hordeslayer and Rampart seemed somewhat excited, as if having Xu Qing bow to them was a reward in and of itself.

After that, Xu Qing turned and entered his flame pagoda. Everyone else entered their own respective pagodas to start working on cultivation. And that was how the days passed.

As they waited for their reward, and as the goddess was delivered to Immortal Lord Deepgloom, the black and white color that was superimposed over the battlefield of the Fourth and Fifth Star Rings constantly shifted. It was clear... that the white color that represented the immortals was advancing, while the black mutagen was falling back.

The change affected the front lines in all the theaters of war. Clearly, the cultivators had gained the upper hand. The deadlock between God Emperor Death Departure and Immortal Lord Deepgloom had been broken.

Two majestic figures within the black and the white were looking at each other.

And then... a voice spoke. “Deepgloom, you should know that if I lose control of the front lines, then this war will reach another level. It will be a battle between a God Paragon and an Immortal Paragon. Are you people ready for that...?”

***

In the middle of the Fourth Star Ring, far from the battlefield, the mutagen levels were very high. On the edge of the starry sky there, a god flew along, with an ancient aura and a physical frame as large as an asteroid. Hē was panting for breath, and had nearly passed out. Hē seemed almost to be moving forward on instinct alone. Hē was moving in a very specific direction, as if hē was being drawn there. Perhaps hē was returning there.

Inside of that god, where the heart had once been, there was an empty cavity in which two people sat cross-legged. One was a man, the other was a woman. At a certain point, the woman opened her eyes, cast her senses outside, and then spoke in a soft voice.

“We’re almost there, husband....”

The man opened his eyes and nodded. “The lantern on the front lines really did attract a lot of attention. Unfortunately... we need to stay even more hidden going forward.”

Were Xu Qing present, he would recognize these two people instantly. They were Young Lord Aurora and his daoist partner, Immortal Fairy Spirit Phoenix!