Chapter 1185: Losing to Him Is Not Shameful

The River of Divine Blood churned with waves, raising a bloody scent that the wind carried to the shores of the southern star domain. It subtly merged with the aurora in the sky, becoming a part of the crimson hue. Within this crimson expanse, an unmanned ferry boat could be seen, slowly sailing into the endless depths of the long river until it vanished.

Xu Qing stood on the river's jetty, gazing at the distant ferry boat. This gift from Fairy Linghuang could not be taken away; it could only remain on the River of Divine Blood, waiting there for Xu Qing's summons.

After a long while, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked down at the speck of dust floating beside him. "Heavenly Principle..." Xu Qing murmured softly. This was precisely what had separated from Star Ring Son after Xu Qing had slain him. "It resembles a constitution or a law, yet it is neither. It's more like something imagined, simultaneously existing and not existing." Xu Qing gazed at the speck of dust, deep in thought.

He hadn't integrated this item into his body; instead, he planned to use it as an external treasure. He had also researched it during his time on the River of Divine Blood.

As for Star Ring Son, in the unique environment of the River of Divine Blood, each of his resurrections could only occur on the boat, and each time he was weaker than the last. This meant Xu Qing only needed to sit there and wait. Ultimately, after his seventh death, Star Ring Son's body and spirit were annihilated.

"Although I acquired Star Ring Son's Quasi-Immortal Capital Token, his death still needs verification," Xu Qing mused. "After all, the fact that he actually came here itself contained certain anomalies." Thinking of this, a glint flickered in Xu Qing's eyes. He then waved his hand, collecting the Heavenly Principle dust, and stepped off the jetty. He walked away from the River of Divine Blood, moving against the wind across the vastness of the southern star domain.

As he sped along, Xu Qing also removed the concealment from his own Quasi-Immortal Capital Token. The next moment, a terrifying aura erupted from him, transforming into a crimson pillar of light that shot into the sky. It plunged into the aurora in the firmament, forming a visible vortex. With a rumbling rotation, Xu Qing's aura became immense and astonishing, twisting the void and blurring everything in all directions. Part of this aura came from himself, and the other part from the Quasi-Immortal Capital Token.

As it erupted, it even triggered the star chart behind the southern sky curtain, revealing it for a brief moment. In that instant, within the southern star chart corresponding to the Quasi-Immortal Capital Token, countless stars shone brilliantly, with three stars being the most dazzling. One belonged to Xu Qing, and the other two were the two great stars of the south: Jiang Fan and Yuanshan Su.

"Star Ring Son's Quasi-Immortal Capital Token didn't contain many imprints, so after slaying him, my ranking only entered the top hundred," Xu Qing thought. "Currently, within the entire Fifth Star Ring, I am ranked seventy-third." Xu Qing was initially surprised by his ranking after absorbing Star Ring Son's Quasi-Immortal Capital Token, but he quickly formed a hypothesis. He surmised that Star Ring Son had previously focused most of his energy and attention on cultivation, so he hadn't spent much time collecting tokens from others in advance. He probably intended to do so after successfully becoming a Quasi-Immortal within the Aurora Immortal Palace.

Xu Qing looked up at the sky. "Unlike these two, their choices differed from Star Ring Son's. They had already gathered a sufficient number of imprints before the third phase, and it's even more so now in the third phase."

"As for cultivators from the Fifth Star Ring, there are two ways to enter the Immortal Capital. One way is to achieve a ranking of at least the top hundred in this Immortal Capital Trial; doing so largely ensures promotion. The second method is for those who haven't participated in the trial. What they need to do is more difficult: they must not only become a Quasi-Immortal but also achieve the rank of Lower Immortal within five hundred years of becoming a Quasi-Immortal!"

"This second method doesn't concern me," Xu Qing stated. "For me, only the first method matters..." Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint appearing within them. "Although a top hundred ranking in the first method largely guarantees promotion, the difference in ranking will affect the resources obtained after entering the Immortal Capital!"

Xu Qing knew clearly that his next cultivation focus would no longer be on improving his Constitution, but on plundering Star Ring Essence! "Sufficient essence will allow my Immortal Embryo to quickly reach mastery, and after mastery, further essence will be needed to bring the Immortal Embryo to perfection! Therefore, my goal is... first place! To enter the Immortal Capital as the top-ranked individual!"

As Xu Qing's thoughts solidified into a decision, his aura surged through the world. After a moment, he gazed into the distance, in the direction of the Great Immortal Mountain. Among the two great stars of the south, Jiang Fan was there! "If I eliminate all the other 'stars' one by one and seize their tokens, then I will naturally be first. This is the simplest path. Therefore, Jiang Fan..." A sharp glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes as he whistled towards the Great Immortal Mountain.

Ten days later, Xu Qing appeared in the core region of the southern star domain. From a distance, a seemingly boundless and awe-inspiring mountain range came into Xu Qing's view. Within it, mountains rose one after another, and towering peaks stood tall, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. White mist perpetually enveloped the area, subtly revealing figures of immortals. Occasionally, when strong winds swept through and the mist thinned slightly, luxurious palaces with sculpted balustrades and jade carvings could be seen shimmering in and out of view, giving off a feeling of an immortal realm. The immortal spiritual aura here surpassed that of other areas in the south, making it the premier location in the southern part of the entire Fifth Star Ring.

This was the true heart of the southern star domain: the Great Immortal Mountain! It was also Jiang Fan's sect!

Gazing at the mountain range, Xu Qing did not intrude. He knew that while his combat strength was formidable among his peers and he could even fight a Quasi-Immortal, there were many Quasi-Immortal auras within the Great Immortal Mountain. Moreover, a terrifying trace of energy permeated the air, an aura of a Lower Immortal. "However, according to the rules of the Immortal Capital Trial, Quasi-Immortal Emperors who are not participants cannot interfere, and neither can Lower Immortals. So, this battle will be a straightforward and honorable one," Xu Qing murmured to himself.

He then stood between heaven and earth. His own imposing aura surged skyward, and the aura of the Quasi-Immortal Capital Token erupted fully, ultimately merging and intertwining into an earth-shattering battle intent. It abruptly enveloped the Great Immortal Mountain, like a challenge issued. His voice, cold and clear, resonated from his mouth: "Jiang Fan, do you fight?!"

The voice echoed, surging simultaneously with his battle intent, thundering in all directions. In an instant, numerous divine senses within the Great Immortal Mountain all rose, locking onto Xu Qing while also containing an assessing intent. Among these divine senses, there were many Quasi-Immortals, but none of them blocked him. Xu Qing's challenge was issued honorably. Under the witness of countless individuals, the rules of the Immortal Capital Trial could not be shaken. This was a trial battle, a struggle for the Immortal Capital!

Xu Qing's expression remained calm, allowing the divine senses to sweep over him. He stood in the sky, awaiting Jiang Fan's reply.

Meanwhile, inside a palace within the Great Immortal Mountain, Jiang Fan sat cross-legged in silence. He had sensed the aura from outside, heard Xu Qing's voice, and perceived Xu Qing's challenge. Within the sect, no one urged him to fight, and he could choose to shy away, not answering the challenge, because he knew he was no match for Xu Qing.

Yet, he still rose, a sharp glint in his eyes. His aura steadily surged, forming a powerful momentum. Step by step, as he walked out of the main hall, he saw a person standing outside. Jiang Fan lowered his head and bowed. "Master."

The man was middle-aged, with a distinguished appearance, clad in cloud-patterned robes. Standing there, he resembled a towering celestial mountain. He was Lan Yun, whose identity and status within the Great Immortal Mountain were second only to the Immortal Lord, and he was also Jiang Fan's master.

"You are not his match," Lan Yun said calmly. "Given your current ranking, you can choose to remain in the sect. After the third phase concludes, an Immortal Capital slot will naturally be yours."

Hearing this, Jiang Fan was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Master, I can lose, but I cannot accept not even daring to fight. Entering the Immortal Capital is incredibly important to me, but to enter by avoiding a fight is not what I desire!" After speaking, he bowed once more, then took a step, ascending into the sky and leaving the Great Immortal Mountain.

He appeared between heaven and earth, directly in front of Xu Qing! Gazing at Xu Qing, Jiang Fan felt as if he were back in the fourth layer of the Immortal Palace world. Those scenes flashed through his mind. Then, taking a deep breath, he waved his right hand. Immediately, his Quasi-Immortal Capital Token, guided by his Constitution, separated from him, suddenly flew out, and landed to the side. "Defeat me, and this item is yours!"

As he spoke, Jiang Fan's aura surged skyward. Thick mist materialized around him, churning and sweeping continuously. After enveloping all directions, it surged towards Xu Qing with the momentum to sweep across the world and the power to suppress the cosmos. Jiang Fan's Constitution had clearly improved significantly compared to before entering the Immortal Palace. The power of his mist now could devour everything and obscure all beings. In an instant, it enveloped Xu Qing, even beginning to permeate his spacetime. The segment of spacetime where Xu Qing stood was also consumed by the mist.

However, the very next moment, as Jiang Fan was about to make another move, his steps involuntarily paused, and a bitter feeling rose within him. Because what he saw—the sky, the ground, all eight directions, his entire perceived world—was shockingly all Xu Qing's spacetime. It was as if it had become a kaleidoscope! Of the countless spacetime segments, only one was permeated by his mist, while the Xu Qings existing in the other spacetime segments calmly looked back at him. Finally, a Xu Qing from one of the spacetime segments stepped out, stood behind Jiang Fan, and raised his right hand. With Jiang Fan unable to block or resist, he placed it on his shoulder. Just a light pat.

The next instant, Jiang Fan's body rumbled, and a sound of shattering came from beneath his feet—not the shattering of the void, nor the sound of the earth, but the fracturing of spacetime itself. There was no need to continue, nor did it continue.

Xu Qing walked past the rigid Jiang Fan, picked up the Quasi-Immortal Capital Token, and with a wave of his hand, dispersed all the spacetime segments before walking into the distance. He said nothing at all, until he was far away.

Within the Great Immortal Mountain, on its highest peak, inside the silver-shining, altar-like sacred hall, music and dance continued peacefully. The smoke from the burning agarwood on the platform still lingered, and the eight-sided palace lanterns suspended in the center of the hall shone as brightly as ever. The elderly man in silver robes, seated at the head, smiled faintly. "First comprehending spacetime, then parallel existences, forming an Emperor's Constitution from a Sovereign realm. No ordinary being. No wonder the Immortal Venerable values him."

Outside, Jiang Fan remained silent. He knew he was no match for Xu Qing, but the disparity was so immense that he couldn't even put up a fight. This realization filled him with extreme bitterness.

After a long while, ripples appeared in the void beside him, and his master Lan Yun emerged from within, standing beside Jiang Fan. He glanced in the direction Xu Qing had departed and spoke calmly. "Losing to him, you lose no honor."