Chapter 1119: Eroded Path Flower

Chapter 1124: The Erosion Dao Flower

In the Western Realm's sky, the flower reflected in Xu Qing's eyes seemed rooted in the void. As it swayed, an eerie wind, like a faint cry, could be heard.

It was both sinister and peculiar.

Its stem was twisted like a snake, covered with sharp, glowing thorns that cast a mysterious and terrifying light on its surroundings, as if its sinister aura could be felt even in the dark.

The leaves were long, narrow, and deep purple, with jagged edges that looked as if they had been scorched by flames. Dark veins, seemingly from the abyss, coursed through them.

The flower itself was even more alarming; its petals were deep crimson with black edges, like a blossoming hellflower.

Each of its twelve petals bore the face of a stunning woman.

Some smiled, some wept, some enticed, some glared…

Every woman was a peerless beauty, a true temptress.

Their long hair spread within the petals, fanning out from the edges to form countless tiny tentacles.

These tentacles swayed and writhed outwards, seemingly searching for prey.

As the flower bloomed, it exuded a faint fragrance like a woman's body, but if inhaled for too long, this scent would transform into an intense, nauseating stench within the body.

Staring at the flower, Xu Qing's eyes glowed with a faint light.

At that moment, across the entire Fifth Star Ring, the skies in the east, south, and north glowed with totems formed by various inheritances, becoming the sole sources of light in their respective areas.

For those without the proper qualifications, no matter how long they gazed, the light remained an impenetrable darkness. Only cultivators holding the Quasi-Immortal Capital Token could perceive it.

Therefore, all token holders, at that instant, either relied on their own abilities or on magical artifacts and elixirs, empowering themselves in various ways to attempt comprehension.

They knew this was the most crucial inheritance phase of the Immortal Capital Trial's second stage.

This phase was a gift from a hunt.

Moreover, after this phase, all participants in the hunt would experience a significant widening of the gap in their strengths, due to differing levels of comprehension.

Even a superficial understanding gained during this phase would greatly enhance one's abilities. If one could truly grasp its essence, they would achieve a massive breakthrough, soaring to new heights.

After all, it was an inheritance containing a trace of fundamental law!

While the concept of fundamental law wasn't universally known in the Fifth Star Ring, those holding the Quasi-Immortal Capital Token were naturally extraordinary individuals. Even if they didn't fully understand it, they had certainly heard of it.

Thus, the yearning from all token-holding cultivators became incredibly intense at this moment.

Even though they knew that in previous hunts, cultivators from orthodox sects almost always succeeded in gaining these inheritances, and there were long-standing rumors that this inheritance phase already had predetermined recipients, there were still instances of unexpected outcomes throughout history.

Therefore, they naturally had to compete.

However, while token holders in the eastern, southern, and northern star regions fiercely competed through comprehension, the Western Realm remained strangely peaceful…

The sky in the Western Realm was utterly black.

Here, cultivators without tokens saw nothing when they looked up, and the same applied to those with tokens.

They, too, saw nothing.

Only blackness permeated everything.

Although frustrated, bewildered, and somewhat resentful, the overall languor of the Western Realm meant that most cultivators there lacked high fighting spirit.

Apart from a few who stubbornly refused to give up and continued to try, most others had abandoned the attempt.

If the Immortals of the Dao Immortal Sect didn't allow outsiders to comprehend during this phase, then there was no point in trying.

After all, they couldn't see anything anyway.

Meanwhile, on the Main Dao Cliff, Xu Qing gazed at the black sky, watching the strange flower emerge within it. The faint glow in his eyes intensified.

To his eyes, this flower was not blurry…

It was perfectly clear!

"This is an inheritance!"

After gazing at it, Xu Qing immediately understood, and he was deeply moved.

For upon this flower, he sensed an aura even more supreme than that of authority dao marks.

"That is…"

Xu Qing's pupils contracted, and his breathing became slightly hurried.

However, as his divine sense swept across the Main Dao Cliff, he noticed the few cultivators practicing there, just like himself. Each of them merely glanced at the sky before looking away, which made Xu Qing hesitate.

"Among these people, two possess tokens, but their range isn't as extensive as mine, so they can't detect me."

"The others didn't gaze at it, and neither did those two…"

"Can they not see it? Or does this flower possess some strange quality?"

As he pondered, Xu Qing's divine sense spread out, enveloping the cultivators on the Main Dao Cliff who couldn't perceive his presence. He carefully observed their expressions.

He paid particular attention to cultivators who were not alone, but practicing in groups of two or more.

Soon, he found the answer from their expressions and their conversations about the current situation.

"The inheritance phase!"

"All token holders can comprehend!"

"They can't see it…"

Xu Qing's thoughts raced. Suddenly, a notion struck him, and he looked up at the flower again.

In his vision, a wisp of deep crimson thread rose from the eerie and peculiar flower, drifting eastward towards the horizon.

It seemed as though something in the east was actively absorbing it!

At this rate of absorption, the flower would likely disappear in ten days.

Seeing this, Xu Qing's eyes showed determination.

"Although I don't yet understand the specifics, it would be a true pity if I simply gave up on this inheritance flower!"

With this thought, Xu Qing no longer hesitated. He gazed at the celestial image, clearing his mind of distractions and focusing all his attention upon it.

His initial gaze fell upon the faces of the women on the petals.

The next instant, a series of seductive whispers echoed in his ears, merging with his consciousness.

Moments later, Xu Qing's entire body turned purplish-red. His flesh squirmed, and faces uncontrollably bulged from his skin.

These grotesque faces seemed to be devouring him.

Xu Qing's body trembled. The authority within him erupted, coursing through his entire being, waking him from his meditative state.

The moment he opened his eyes, he spat out a large mouthful of blood.

The blood landed on the ground, astonishingly blooming into flowers identical to the one in the sky, but they quickly withered and turned to dust.

His comprehension attempt failed.

"My method is wrong. I tried to understand the intrinsic nature of this flower, but that's beyond my current capabilities. Moreover, this inheritance is different from the legendary places I've encountered on my journey."

Xu Qing pondered. An incense stick's time later, the Five Elements circulated within him, time and space surged, and the authority of obliteration along with the authority of immortal arts shone in his eyes.

Empowering himself with the might of his authority, he once again gazed at the celestial flower.

This time, he attempted to simulate the flower using various authority dao marks.

Half an hour later, Xu Qing's body suddenly trembled, instantly withering to skin and bone, then blood burst forth from every pore.

Upon hitting the ground, it formed a sea of flowers.

The sea of flowers quickly withered. Xu Qing barely managed to open his eyes, his head throbbing, his body incredibly weak.

He had failed again.

"The method is still wrong."

"Then… I can only use the method I used to imprint Ghost Emperor Mountain."

"I'll move this flower into my sea of consciousness!"

Xu Qing wiped away the blood, took out some elixirs and swallowed them. After a few moments of silence, he then took out several bottles of Liaoxuan Sacred Liquid and drank them all in one go, his eyes gradually becoming ethereal.

Time passed. After an incense stick's time, Xu Qing remained unchanged. Half an hour later, he was still the same.

Until an hour passed…

Above the sky, the swaying flower, which had initially only emitted a single thread drifting eastward, now abruptly released a second thread. It shot directly towards the Main Dao Cliff where Xu Qing was.

It arrived instantly, piercing Xu Qing's glabella as he sat cross-legged in the cave!

Xu Qing's glabella suddenly shone, and faintly, the outline of a flower petal began to slowly form there.

At the same time, east of the Western Realm's center, within the Li family's forbidden zone, at the very heart of the nine thousand towering pagodas, Li Mengtu sat cross-legged atop a cloud-piercing tower. His glabella also shone.

A petal was forming there as well, and because he had begun comprehending earlier than Xu Qing, the first petal had already fully materialized.

The second was currently coalescing.

But the next instant, his expression abruptly changed. He opened his eyes sharply and stared intensely into the distance.

"Someone is plundering!"

"This is impossible!"

Li Mengtu's breathing quickened, his face growing incredibly grim as he fixed his gaze on the sensed direction.

His comprehension had previously been a solitary affair, and his absorption rate had been very fast.

But just now, his absorption rate had abruptly slowed, and through his own forming petal, he sensed that a sharer had appeared in that direction.

His first reaction to this development was disbelief.

Before this inheritance phase, his master had informed him that while the Western Realm's inheritance couldn't be directly designated for him due to the Immortal Capital's rules, specific conditions could be added.

These were three conditions specifically tailored for him.

Only those who met these three conditions could see the Erosion Dao Flower!

Theoretically, it was impossible for a second person to perfectly meet all three conditions as he did.

"How can this be!"

The appearance of a sharer immediately tensed Li Mengtu's mind, and killing intent surged in his eyes.

He was determined to obtain the inheritance of this Erosion Dao Flower and would not tolerate any accidents.

He knew too well how precious and powerful the inheritance his master had specifically arranged for him was.

This flower, originally named "Erosion Dao," would transform into a divine ability upon successful comprehension. Its effects were astounding: it could corrode others' authority dao marks, belonging to a high-tier power among poisons.

If that were all, it would still be remarkable, but not particularly rare.

After all, there were many ways to counter mere corrosion of dao marks.

However… it became entirely different when fundamental law was incorporated.

If source essence was likened to local decrees, then authority was like the laws of the Six Ministries, but fundamental law… superseded everything, like an imperial edict!

This Erosion Dao Flower contained a trace of fundamental law!

Its manifestation was no longer the corrosion of authority dao marks, but rather… Dao Depletion!

It permanently stripped away an opponent's authority and dao marks, and because fundamental law was involved, it was irreversible!

Unless the opponent also possessed a fundamental law divine ability, it was… unstoppable!

Such a precious item naturally made Li Mengtu anxious, but in the midst of his comprehension, he couldn't afford to be distracted. So, he immediately sent a voice transmission to inform his master.

Western Realm, Dao Immortal Sect.

Within it lay a vast area of endless fertile fields, cultivating countless plants, each one a rare and exotic flora.

Any single plant, if placed outside, would incite fierce competition.

At this moment, Poison Lord, dressed like an old farmer, was watering two plants with precious Nine Heavens Immortal Liquid.

His expression was utterly serious, ignoring any external voice transmissions.

The two plants he gazed upon were very close to each other, both possessing sentience, competing for the nutrients from the earth and the sprinkled immortal liquid.

"Interesting…"

"Which of you will be my karma?"

Poison Lord murmured in his hoarse voice.