Chapter 1089: Unknown World

The world spun, rendering heaven and earth indistinguishable. Space seemed boundless, then in the next instant, impossibly small. Time stretched out, then suddenly became a fleeting instant. They fused together, forming a colossal and unfathomable vortex that swallowed the Starlight Tower, with Xu Qing inside.

Terrifying power erupted within, creating a vast gravitational pull that surpassed any storm, annihilating and destroying everything in its path. As it impacted the Starlight Tower, it twisted the tower itself and its forward trajectory. Compared to this force, the Starlight Tower was like a lone boat in a raging tempest, utterly vulnerable.

In the blink of an eye, the additional layers Zhang San had later attached to the outside of the Starlight Tower crumbled and shattered, exploding into countless fragments that dispersed. These fragments were then pulled apart again, dissolving into dust and finally vanishing into the vortex of time and space. Only the original, dilapidated tower, stripped of all its later additions and modifications, remained undestroyed within the vortex, spinning rapidly under its immense power.

The remnant tower itself was rotating, and simultaneously circling along with the vortex's pull, creating a dizzying sense of chaos. If one looked closely, they would see that the remnant tower's rotational speed was significantly faster than the vortex's. This discrepancy was due to the differing compositions of the two. These disparate rotational speeds generated a horrifying tearing force, causing Xu Qing, inside the Starlight Tower, to experience an extreme impact.

Inside the tower, though he was sitting cross-legged, his body had already lifted off the ground and was also spinning. He had no control over it. Moreover, his own rotational speed was inconsistent with the tower's; it was slightly faster. The reason for this, too, was the difference in their respective compositions. So, at this moment, precisely speaking, the vortex, the remnant tower, and Xu Qing were all rotating, each at a different speed. The resulting tearing force was naturally extreme. Xu Qing's body trembled as if it would tear apart.

What pained him more acutely, however, was his soul. It was difficult to describe his precise perception at that moment; everything he sensed was clear one moment and blurred the next. Even colors, when viewed with his divine sense, behaved similarly: sometimes two colors, sometimes nine, sometimes colorless, sometimes a chaotic jumble. These were the scenes flashing through Xu Qing's mind at that very moment.

His eyes, however, remained closed. This was a warning given by the Xia Immortal Palace Master when Xu Qing had inquired about passage through the Primal Sea. Due to Xu Qing's insufficient cultivation, he had been strictly warned not to open his eyes during the transit. Thus, Xu Qing's eyes remained tightly shut.

This transit process, however, dragged on for an incredibly long time, as if the path forward were an endless abyss. Time passed, though he knew not how long, and the pain Xu Qing endured steadily intensified. His physical body was reaching a point where it could barely register the agony, feeling as though it no longer belonged to him. His soul fared even worse, sinking into ultimate chaos amidst the shifting perceptions. The torment brought by all this caused Xu Qing to feel an intense sense of life-or-death peril.

"This can't continue," he thought. "The tearing force generated by the different rotational speeds between the vortex, the remnant tower, and myself will lead to one outcome: either the remnant tower collapses, or my body and spirit shatter. The latter is far more likely. And I've had a similar feeling before!"

At this moment, with his body tearing apart and his soul on the verge of madness, Xu Qing abruptly bit his tongue. He hoped the sharp pain would forcefully stimulate him and help stabilize his mind. The effect was not significant, lasting only an instant. Despite its brevity, Xu Qing used that fleeting moment to pinpoint the origin of his past similar experience. It was during the eruption of his humanity, divinity, and beastiality in the Sacrificial Moon Great Domain. At that time, he had also been plunged into chaos, unable to find balance, his soul on the brink of collapse. The ultimate solution then was finding an anchor! This allowed him to achieve balance and steady his mind.

"An anchor... balance..."

During the chaos of his humanity, divinity, and beastiality back then, Xu Qing's anchor had been his obsession with and regret for the Life Flower.

"So now..."

A few breaths later, Xu Qing made a decisive choice. He abandoned the Xia Immortal Palace Master's warning because continuing to passively endure meant an unknown fate of life or death. Given the circumstances, he decided to take control himself.

At that very instant, Xu Qing's eyes snapped open. The moment they opened, he saw the Starlight Tower, and simultaneously felt an even more intense dizziness. The tower spun rapidly in his vision, and given that he himself was also rotating, the sense of disorienting chaos was overwhelming. Xu Qing's eyes became bloodshot. His cultivation continuously surged as he formed hand seals, vigorously waving his arms around. He used his cultivation power to adjust his own rotational speed.

Finally, after dozens of attempts and having coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, he managed to reduce his rotational speed, gradually matching it with that of the tower. The moment their rotational speeds aligned, the tearing sensation in his soul and the pulling in his body largely subsided. He had achieved balance with the tower, becoming one with it, rotating in the exact same direction and at the same speed. As a result, the tearing force naturally diminished.

This was the anchor Xu Qing had conceived!

Xu Qing exhaled a long breath. "'Myself, the remnant tower, and the outer vortex—if all three have completely identical rotational speeds and directions, balancing each other, that will be the anchor!' So now, I need to make the remnant tower and myself match the rotational speed and direction of the outer vortex."

Xu Qing dared not relax for an instant. After analyzing the situation, he used his control over the divine vine to indirectly influence the remnant tower, slowly adjusting its movement. Time passed, though he couldn't tell for how long. Finally, under Xu Qing's meticulous control, his own rotational speed and that of the remnant tower began to decrease. They gradually achieved equilibrium with the vortex's rotation. The moment they aligned, although all three elements still appeared to be rotating, their identical speeds and directions created a sense of stillness in Xu Qing's perception—as if he, the remnant tower, and the vortex had all become static.

The instant this sense of stillness settled in his mind, Xu Qing was able to perceive the outside world. He saw the vast vortex, and perceived time seemingly flowing within it. He saw countless spaces alternating within its depths. He even caught glimpses of blurry historical scenes emerging within the vortex, intermingling with images of the future. Vaguely, he seemed to see himself... But before he could discern anything clearly, time and space completely merged under the power of the vortex.

A resounding roar emanated from the vortex, from the remnant tower, and from Xu Qing's own mind. The next moment, both the remnant tower and Xu Qing fully dissolved into the vortex. They vanished. As for Xu Qing, with the intense roaring in his mind, he could no longer resist and succumbed to unconsciousness.

Within an unknown star ring, in an unknown world.

The ground was a desolate yellow, covered in spiderweb-like cracks that stretched in every direction. The sky was pitch black, with three ominous eyes hanging high above, gazing down upon the land. This world held little light; only those three eyes in the sky, like moons, cast a faint glow that shrouded the entire landscape. It was both hazy and utterly silent.

Time passed, and a day went by. An additional eye appeared in the sky. Shortly after this fourth eye appeared, a vortex manifested on the parched, cracked ground of this world. The vortex lingered for only a breath before dispersing, leaving behind a remnant tower.

After a while, inside the remnant tower, Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was initially bewildered, then immediately sharpened, becoming alert as he swiftly scanned his surroundings, perceiving the outside world. A moment later, Xu Qing frowned. He wasn't sure if this was the Fifth Star Ring. Though it was highly probable, the external appearance made him hesitate. According to his understanding, having passed through the Primal Sea, he should have emerged in the Primal Sea of his destination star ring.

Instinctively, he glanced at his shoulder. For some reason, the mud fox had genuinely turned into a clay sculpture, motionless on his shoulder. Xu Qing remained silent, assessing his injuries. He didn't choose to leave immediately; instead, he closed his eyes and meditated.

Two days later, with most of his injuries recovered, Xu Qing opened his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he rose and stepped out of the remnant tower. The instant he stood outside, he looked up at the six eyes in the sky.

"One added each day, then?" Xu Qing murmured.

Silence reigned all around; there was no wind, no discernible aura. It was as if this world was in a state of extreme decay. This feeling was not unfamiliar to Xu Qing. Before joining the Seven Blood Eyes sect, he had survived for several years in the wilderness of Southern Phoenix Continent, experiencing similar desolation. The difference was that back then, he had been a mortal.

"First, I need to understand the state of this world, then look for signs of life and determine if this is indeed the Fifth Star Ring. If it is the Fifth Star Ring, I must quickly make my way to the Immortal Capital... And if it's not..."

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then put away the remnant tower. Having passed through the vortex, the tower was now severely damaged. Since he would need it to return to the Ninth Star Ring in the future, it was currently unsuitable for continued use. "Once I confirm my location within the star ring, I'll need to find a place to repair this tower."

Having done all this, Xu Qing didn't hesitate. With a flicker of his body, he vanished from his spot, maintaining his vigilance as he departed. His exploration had begun.

A day later, a seventh eye appeared in the sky. The light it emitted gradually took on a reddish hue. Xu Qing's figure, however, was not in the blood-red light. He had appeared beneath the surface of this world. There, he saw a colossal coffin. It was buried deep within the earth. Innumerable seals, countless runes, and countless iron chains bound and encircled the coffin. Surrounding it was also a massive array. This array constantly operated, drawing the life force from the being within the coffin, allowing it to permeate outwards and nourish this world.

After gazing for a long time, Xu Qing's pupils slowly contracted. "Inside the coffin is a deity..."

Xu Qing slowly retreated.

Another day passed, and the eighth eye appeared in the sky, its blood-red light now even more intense. Within this crimson glow, Xu Qing appeared on a mountaintop. Below the mountain lay a city. Under the blood-red light, the city appeared eerie and ominous. Gazing at the city, Xu Qing's eyes revealed his contemplation.

In the span of two days, he had traversed many places. Beyond the underground coffin, he had also observed the life forms of this world. They were not humans, but a humanoid species with blue skin and triangular pupils. The vast majority of them were cultivators. However, whether mortal or cultivator, every single one was emaciated, their bodies devoid of vitality, their eyes vacant, like walking corpses. Furthermore, the highest cultivation level among the cultivators here was only Nascent Soul. Even in the city Xu Qing was currently observing, the three strongest cultivators he sensed were all at the Nascent Soul stage.

"Could this be a minor realm?" Xu Qing mused. "But judging by the way the coffin's absorbed nutrients are used to sustain this world, it shouldn't be like this."

Xu Qing, deep in thought, took a step and entered the city. As he walked through it, the cultivators here were utterly incapable of noticing a stranger in their midst. The vast disparity in cultivation levels meant that if Xu Qing wished to remain unnoticed, no one could sense his presence in the slightest.

Thus, Xu Qing walked through the city, observing pedestrians, shops, and cultivators. Without exception, all were withered and emaciated, their predominant aura being one of despair. Xu Qing mused, then looked up at the eight eyes in the sky. He then located a revered ancestral hall within the city. It drew Xu Qing's attention because it contained the most cultivators and its architecture was luxurious and exquisite.

Upon entering the hall, the first thing that caught Xu Qing's eye was the altar. Upon it were enshrined nine bloody eyes. The surrounding murals depicted myths and legends. This was precisely the information Xu Qing needed. He immediately began to examine them, and gradually, from these murals, he pieced together the story of this world.

This had originally been a peaceful world. Untold years ago, an evil sun suddenly appeared in the sky. Its emergence plunged the world into decay and death, causing immense suffering among all beings. Eventually, amidst this sorrow and despair, nine heroes emerged. They slew the evil sun but were themselves gravely wounded, on the brink of death. Therefore, the nine heroes transformed into the Heavenly Dao, becoming nine eyes that protected all living beings. However, due to their severe injuries, they required some life force for nourishment every nine days to sustain their long-term protection. From that point onward, the beings of this world willingly offered their lives every time the nine eyes appeared simultaneously in the sky.

"Nine eyes, nine heroes.""The deity underground must be the evil sun from this legend.""But who are these nine heroes..."

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze from the murals. In his opinion, this so-called legend was merely a beautified narrative designed for more efficient harvesting. "Still, I finally have some clues."

Xu Qing took a step, his figure vanishing, and reappeared on a mountain peak outside the city. Standing there, Xu Qing's expression was calm. He simply sat down cross-legged, recuperating from the injuries sustained during his passage through the vortex, while gazing up at the eight blood-red eyes in the sky, silently awaiting the appearance of the ninth. He believed that the moment the ninth eye appeared, he would gain a clearer understanding of this world.