Chapter 1096: Cause and Effect Outside

"As far as I know, this provisional token was acquired by Master Lingdu. He traded several incredibly powerful treasures and called in significant favors to obtain it. Its purpose was likely to be given as a gift, which is why he simply put it away without activating it. Otherwise, if it had been activated, his ghost imprint would have appeared on the token after his death."

The youth spoke cautiously, revealing everything he knew without the slightest concealment. He completely suppressed any inner resentment or thoughts of betrayal, knowing that even a flicker of such emotions would be detected by a being of this caliber, leading to his utter destruction. Therefore, he was exceedingly careful.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing stood in mid-air, listening to the youth's words. His mind was deep in thought as his gaze settled on the token before him. There was indeed no ghost imprint visible on it. Xu Qing then looked at the youth expressionlessly and calmly said, "Continue."

The youth's heart trembled. He couldn't tell from Xu Qing's expression whether his answers were satisfactory, and the sensation of life and death remained intense. He racked his brain, sifting through all his memories, and spoke again.

" 'Senior,' the youth began, 'these Immortal Capital Provisional Tokens are quite rare throughout the Fifth Star Ring. Some consider obtaining one a stroke of luck, while others view it as an ominous sign. If you possess sufficient combat power, you can naturally soar to great heights with it. However, if your power is insufficient, holding this token means you've essentially stepped halfway onto the path of death. This is because holding a token exposes you not only to the greed of those without one but also to the plunder of other token holders. After all, the entry requirements for the Immortal Capital are always revealed at the very end. So, unless you can rank within the top hundred, no one feels truly secure. Consequently, slaughter and plunder are rampant, and the ranking order is determined by the number of tokens acquired. Killing a token holder allows you to claim their token and all the imprints on it.' "

The youth paused there, having essentially revealed everything he knew about the Immortal Capital Provisional Tokens.

" 'Is this the only way to enter the Immortal Capital?' Xu Qing suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, the youth quickly and respectfully replied, "There is one other method. That is to cultivate to at least the Great Emperor level. Outside the Immortal Capital, those who have reached the Great Emperor realm are not permitted to participate in the hunting. Instead, they are granted a temporary entry quota. If they can then break through to become a Xia Immortal within five hundred years, they may reside permanently in the Immortal Capital.' "

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. " 'So, does this mean that in all areas of the Fifth Star Ring outside the Immortal Capital, the highest cultivation level is that of a Great Emperor?' "

The youth shook his head. " 'Not entirely. The Fifth Star Ring has countless sects and numerous families, and there's no shortage of Lower Immortals among them. This is because not all Lower Immortals choose to reside permanently in the Immortal Capital after ascending. Many individuals from the Immortal Capital are assigned to patrol duties outside. These Lower Immortals, with the exception of a few solitaries, are predominantly the patriarchs of major sects and families.' "

Xu Qing fell silent, gaining a deeper understanding of the Fifth Star Ring. Although he was already aware of the formidable power of its cultivators, his heart was still stirred. After a moment, he analyzed the youth's words and suddenly spoke.

" 'So, the hunting and competition involving these provisional tokens... Great Emperors and Lower Immortals are not permitted to interfere?' "

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, the youth quickly nodded. " 'The Immortal Capital has rules, so direct assistance is forbidden. However, regarding indirect intervention... I've heard it's tacitly permitted to a certain extent. As for the specifics, that's a level too high for me to know much about,' the youth replied nervously."

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, his gaze settling on the youth. The youth's body trembled, and a terrible premonition erupted within him. He was just about to beg for mercy.

Xu Qing had already raised his hand, instantly pulling the youth towards him. Placing his palm on the youth's head, he began soul-searching to verify the truth of what he had said.

The youth was extremely nervous, his breathing rapid. He knew that life or death hung in this very moment. To avoid having his soul shattered during the soul-search, he forcibly suppressed his fear, struggling to abandon all resistance, and allowed Xu Qing to examine his memories.

A moment later, Xu Qing appeared thoughtful. Due to the significant difference in their cultivation levels and the youth's complete lack of resistance, the soul-searching process was incredibly smooth, and the harm inflicted was within the youth's tolerance. Therefore, after finishing the soul-search, Xu Qing considered the matter and decided not to kill him. Instead, he sealed the youth's soul perception, isolated his five senses, and placed him in his storage bag.

This individual still had some use to Xu Qing, and he had answered honestly throughout; he was a clever person. " 'When I leave the Fifth Star Ring, I will naturally grant you freedom. Until then... you can serve as a guide,' " Xu Qing transmitted via divine sense, ending the conversation. His gaze then fell back on the token before him.

After pondering for a moment, he chose not to activate the token immediately. Instead, he put it away, intending to consider whether to participate in the Immortal Capital's competition after he left this place. " 'Then, I'll leave here first,' " Xu Qing murmured to himself. He then swept his divine sense across the broken, bubble-like mini-worlds within the spirit mine.

Approximately seventy percent of the bubble-like mini-worlds here had collapsed, causing their spiritual energy to diffuse outwards, permeating the area. It was incredibly dense, appearing like a thick mist. This energy was being absorbed by a vortex located on the barrier that sealed the area. However, it was evident that since most of the mini-worlds had collapsed, this absorption was a one-time occurrence and could no longer provide a continuous, long-term supply as it once did.

Furthermore, after the collapse of the world-heaven within each mini-world in the swamp, the living beings inside were no longer being drained of their life force, thus gaining a certain degree of freedom. However, most of these beings were currently bewildered, still in a state of panic and adaptation. Due to their cultivation levels and the pressure difference between the inside and outside, they found it difficult to fly out. They were completely unaware of the outside world. Yet, this situation would likely not last long; after some time, talented individuals within these mini-worlds would surely attempt to break free, emerge, and witness the true sky beyond.

Xu Qing did not interfere in this matter. " 'There is no karmic link between us; that is their destiny.' "

Simultaneously, as his divine sense swept through the area, Xu Qing reconfirmed his initial assessment that this was a divine prison. Each small, bubble-like world indeed sealed and suppressed a deity. Some were already deceased, while others were barely alive, and all had lost their minds. However, it was clear that this particular divine prison, or perhaps this spirit mine, was not of a high-tier quality. This was because all the deities sealed and suppressed here were in the Divine Fire realm. Xu Qing did not sense the presence of any Divine Platform beings.

" 'Before I leave, instead of letting this spiritual energy be absorbed by that vortex, I might as well absorb some myself,' " Xu Qing thought. He narrowed his eyes, opened his mouth, and inhaled forcefully. Instantly, the dense spiritual energy in the area churned violently, surging towards him. He drew it into his mouth, and it was absorbed by his entire body, nourishing his physical form while simultaneously nurturing his Seven Extremes Dao.

However, the vortex on the barrier sealing the area was also actively absorbing. Xu Qing looked up, thought for a moment, and decided not to destroy it. The apprehension in the middle-aged master's dying gaze towards that vortex was still deeply etched in Xu Qing's memory. 'He was worried that the collapse of this spirit mine would affect the vortex's absorption, so the source of this vortex...' Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. After contemplating, he sat down cross-legged. Within him, the Five Elements circulated, and time and space also erupted, generating an even greater siphoning force. Immediately, the spiritual energy in the area split into two: one portion surged into the vortex, while the other was drawn and influenced, surging towards Xu Qing.

Thus, time passed. As the spiritual energy within the spirit mine gradually diminished, and Xu Qing's cultivation slowly climbed, the spiritual energy absorbed by the vortex on the sealing barrier also became increasingly thin. Its effects began to manifest in a certain part of the Fifth Star Ring.

In that particular region, the sky was permeated with lightning, and the ground was a vast expanse of crimson. In mid-air, two figures were locked in fierce combat. Both were youths, one with red hair and the other with white. Killing intent gleamed in their eyes. Every strike they unleashed contained the essence of grand dao and authority, creating earth-shattering roars.

The red-haired youth had dozens of vortex totems on his body, each emitting dense spiritual energy that continuously boosted his cultivation. But at this moment, one of the vortex totems suddenly dimmed, its spiritual energy almost completely depleted. Under normal circumstances, the depletion of a family spirit mine vortex wouldn't concern him. However, in this life-and-death battle, with his opponent being a prodigy, he had to give his utmost. If he could slay his foe, his token imprint count would skyrocket. He could not afford any misstep. Yet, an unforeseen accident had occurred. " 'Damn it, what happened to that spirit mine at such a crucial moment?' " The red-haired youth's mind instantly darkened. But engrossed in combat, he had no time to investigate. He could only suppress the issue, unleash forbidden techniques at all costs, and fight with all his might.

At the same time, outside the spirit mine, in the dim realm, a black boat flying a white flag was whistling closer, its speed astonishing.

There were eight or nine figures on the boat, all with relaxed expressions, laughing and chatting among themselves. The totem on their boat was distinctive, shaped like a circle, seemingly representing a particular meaning. As the flag fluttered, the sounds of their laughter and conversation drifted on the wind.

" 'Ahead is the family spirit mine guarded by Senior Lingdu. Once we arrive, we can finally get some proper rest,' " one said. " 'This time, our family mission outside yielded acceptable results, and we even uncovered important information, which is more than enough to report back to the family. Next, I plan to spend some good time in the spirit mine's mini-worlds; this journey has been arduous and quite exhausting.' "

At the mention of playing in the mini-worlds, everyone on the boat laughed, their expressions filled with anticipation. For these family elites, the spirit mine's mini-worlds served as a place of relaxation where they could freely enjoy themselves.

As they chatted and laughed, a massive sealed barrier appeared on the land ahead – their destination. " 'We're here,' " someone announced. The boat paused in mid-air and then headed directly towards the spirit mine on the ground.