Chapter 1063: I Have Conquered This Star

Beyond Time!

This realm was born from Emperor Mingyan's memory fragments, specifically those related to the Creation Remnant Heavenly Race.

Within the vast, dimly lit underground palace, totems adorned the walls. Yet, on closer inspection, they appeared blurred, their specifics indistinct. One could only perceive that these totems seemed to be liquid, flowing and morphing into countless images. The underground palace itself was otherwise empty, save for a cyan pool in its very center, where only Xu Qing and the golden mouse were present. There were no others, nor any other sounds. Only time flowed slowly. A significant portion of an incense stick's burning time had already elapsed.

Xu Qing lowered his head, staring intently at the pool before him. He felt the terrifying vitality within it continuously surge into his body through his right hand, healing his injuries and nourishing his physical form. A sense of immense power, along with an unyielding will, rapidly intensified within him.

"The Creation Remnant Heavenly Race," he mused. Xu Qing had never heard of this race. Yet, the astounding properties of the pool itself were, in a way, a testament to the race's formidable power. After all, this was the only substance Xu Qing had encountered to date that could so profoundly replenish his physical body. Furthermore, based on the small amount he had absorbed just moments ago, he was certain the pool water was harmless. Still, it had appeared too suddenly.

Xu Qing murmured, a faint glint in his eyes, as he looked up at the little golden mouse in the pool. The little golden mouse continued to absorb. This peculiar pool water clearly held an immense allure for it, prompting it to replenish frantically, unwilling to waste even a single moment.

Xu Qing remained thoughtful, but still refrained from fully entering the pool like the golden mouse. Even though he sensed the pool water's benefits, he instinctively felt that there was something amiss with such an abrupt stroke of fortune. Thus, he merely kept his right hand in contact with the water, exercising restraint.

Moments later, as Xu Qing's replenishment reached a certain point, the little golden mouse's belly swelled, indicating it had absorbed to its limit. It then reluctantly returned to Xu Qing's side. A hesitant expression crossed Xu Qing's face, yet he still chose to raise his hand, ending this encounter. He simultaneously retrieved numerous bottles and containers from his storage bag, capable of holding vast quantities of liquid, and attempted to collect the water.

The origin of this fortune was unknown, requiring further deliberation before he could decide whether to use this water to purify his physical body. If he couldn't take it, it would be best not to continue interacting with this 'fortune.' He hoped he could collect it. Xu Qing murmured, his voice echoing softly within the underground palace. All his previous actions had been marked by caution.

Soon, however, he shook his head slightly, let out a soft sigh, and an expression of hesitation and regret appeared on his face. The pool water could not be collected. "What a pity, indeed!"

Xu Qing pondered, a hint of reluctance on his face, and tried collecting the water again using various methods. However, every attempt ultimately failed. The pool water seemed to enter the bottles, but vanished instantly upon contact.

Xu Qing sighed deeply, then stood and moved away from the pool. He simultaneously signaled the little golden mouse to bite open the space. The little golden mouse let out a satisfied burp, its expression joyful. It opened its mouth wide and took a fierce bite in mid-air, producing a crunching sound. The scene was reminiscent of what happened in the realm of the Mimosa flowers, now replaying. The space was bitten open, revealing cracks and a gaping hole. However, this time the little golden mouse seemed to disregard the spatial fragments; it didn't eat them, instead returning to sprawl lazily on Xu Qing's shoulder.

Xu Qing took a deep breath, his body flickering as he transformed into a streak of light, darting straight for the spatial gap. In an instant, he vanished within.

Everything remained as it was. More than half of the incense stick's burning time had now passed.

Yet, in the very next moment, Xu Qing's figure reappeared from within the gap, his eyes shining with a resolve utterly unlike his previous hesitation.

"Previously, in both my words and actions, I demonstrated caution, suspicion, and regret concerning this opportunity, and ultimately chose to depart!" he mused. "And I successfully departed! This suggests several possibilities. One: My presence here was entirely coincidental, with no hidden orchestrator, and I was merely overthinking things. After all, if a hidden orchestrator truly provided me this opportunity with an unknown agenda, upon witnessing my actions, they would most likely allow me to take this water to put my mind at ease and use it without worry! However, my attempts to take the water still failed, and when I chose to depart, I faced no obstruction. This doesn't align with common logic! Two: There is indeed a hidden orchestrator, but they prevented me from taking the water while simultaneously allowing me to leave. In that case, their purpose..." A sharp glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes.

"If that's the case, it's most likely a calculated, yet seemingly casual, move. And regardless... if there truly is an orchestrator plotting against me, whether I take this opportunity or not, the end result will be the same. They will make their move when they intend to!"

Resolve filled Xu Qing's eyes. Even though lingering doubts about this opportunity persisted, its potential fortune was simply too immense. After his earlier cautious probing, he decided to seize this chance fiercely. His body flickered, and in an instant, he stepped into the pool. Sitting cross-legged within, he began to absorb with all his might. The entire pool instantly roared, and a whirlpool began to form. Under Xu Qing's absorption and guidance, the water rapidly surged into every part of his body. The sensation of nourishment surged a hundredfold compared to earlier. The invigorating vitality likewise intensified.

Just as the incense stick's time reached its end, Xu Qing's eyes snapped open. His body's nourishment had reached saturation. Ultimately, this pool water couldn't provide infinite nourishment to a physical body forged from desolate flesh and blood. Concurrently, the world before his eyes began to blur, already in the process of dissipating. And the emotionless divine sense that had echoed through the space earlier now resounded once more.

"The time of one incense stick has elapsed. Your fortune ends."

As the voice faded, the entire world dissipated, and Xu Qing's figure reappeared in the starry sky. The Sacred Heavenly Divine Vine flew out and settled beneath his feet. Xu Qing gazed around, meticulously recalling every detail of the Creation Remnant Heavenly Race's underground palace. He then raised his guard once more before controlling the divine vine to speed off into the distance.

Time slowly passed.

Several days later, in the starry sky, Xu Qing, who was continually examining various memory fragment realms, suddenly felt a stir in his mind. The Sacred Heavenly Divine Vine beneath his feet transmitted emotional fluctuations, indicating it had found a source of the same origin. Being kin to his vine, it was naturally Er Niu. Upon sensing this, Xu Qing immediately sent out his divine sense. The vine beneath his feet changed direction, heading directly towards the location of the detected kindred spirit. He quickly found it.

What appeared before Xu Qing was a very small memory fragment. Within it lay a desolate, decaying star, covered in filth. Er Niu was there.

The moment he saw clearly, Xu Qing's expression turned peculiar. Without hesitation, he directed the divine vine towards the fragment, poised to enter. But the next moment, his body recoiled, his eyes gleaming sharply. He couldn't merge with this realm.

"Does this mean that if another person is already present within a memory fragment realm, others are barred from entering?" he wondered. This was likely because, within these memory fragment realms, only one 'Mingyan' avatar could exist, making it difficult for others to enter. Xu Qing pondered this. After another glance at the fragment where Er Niu resided, he raised his hand, and the golden mouse flew out. "Bite it open."

On the desolate star, Er Niu was desperately hopping on a single leg. He only had one leg. As he hopped, he couldn't help but curse aloud.

"'What kind of hellish place is this?' he fumed. 'Not only is spiritual energy depleted, but the pressure is also astonishing, and there are terrifying seals... My entire cultivation is utterly suppressed here; I can't even use a shred of it! If only that were all! The Mingyan I incarnated as is practically dead, missing body parts even! The most outrageous thing, though, are these maggots. Why are there so many maggots here? And each one actually possesses considerable divine power fluctuations! Dammit, maggots with divinity? What kind of hellish place is this? Divine Maggots!'" Er Niu roared.

He had been hopping for a long time, trying to find a way out, to discover Emperor Mingyan's choices back then. But he found that no matter what path he took, it was always the wrong one. Now, seeing maggots infest every direction, a look of madness entered Er Niu's eyes.

"'There's one more choice: if you want to eat me, then I'll eat you. Let's see who devours whom first!'"

However, just the thought of consuming these maggots made him, who always considered himself unpicky, feel a sudden reluctance. But his current predicament left him no other option. With a fierce roar, he prepared to throw caution to the wind.

Just then, however, a deafening thunderclap suddenly echoed across the gray sky. As the rumbling sound tore through the heavens, the sky visibly dented, as if something colossal had slammed into it from beyond. But it quickly recovered. Er Niu froze, looking up. "What's happening?"

The instant he spoke, the sky rumbled again, though this time it wasn't a roar, but a distinct cracking sound. The recovering sky seemed to have been bitten from behind by something, revealing a faint crack. Accompanying the crack was a small opening, and then continuous crunching sounds followed, as the opening was gnawed wider.

Er Niu's heart skipped a beat. Then, as his eyes widened in utter disbelief, he saw starlight. Endless starlight shimmered around a colossal divine vine. The vine's leaves unfurled, its divine form resplendent. Like a colossal dragon, it surged through the sky's opening, roaring as it pierced the heavens of this realm. This spectacle, majestic and awe-inspiring, shook both heaven and earth. And upon that astonishing vine stood a lone figure.

This person's long hair flowed freely, and a blood-red robe billowed around him in the wind. It was none other than Xu Qing, in his transformed state as Xue Chenzi. The moment he appeared, the divine vine became a mere backdrop, and the starlight a shimmering canvas. Coupled with a terrifying aura that burst forth, his presence instantly suppressed the entire area.

As the sky's spatial integrity fractured, the sealing power within the realm began to dissipate. Thus, under the sweeping force of Xu Qing's aura, the countless maggots surrounding Er Niu were driven back as if by a storm, scattering in all directions. There stood Er Niu, disheveled and battered, isolated on his single leg. He stared blankly up at Xu Qing, who descended like a deity, and gasped. Then, quickly recovering, he puffed out his chest and declared proudly: "Little junior brother, you're late! This star has already been thoroughly conquered by your senior brother!"

Meanwhile, in the starry sky, the Empress was also traveling, though her journey was different from Xu Qing's. As she proceeded, any memory fragment realm that appeared before her would spontaneously tremble upon her approach, silently disintegrating into shimmering crystal light and dissipating. The Empress clearly possessed an innate awareness of her path forward, knowing the correct direction. Thus, after continuing her journey, finally, a truly unique memory fragment appeared before her eyes. And unlike the others, it did not disintegrate upon her approach.

Within this fragment realm, a pervasive gloom, thick with the aura of death, hung in the air. It was raining.