Chapter 1202: Forbidden

Chapter 1207: Forbidden!

As he left the Mausoleum of Perseus, guided by his heart, Xu Qing gazed towards the imagined location of the Ninth Stellar Ring.

In the vast sea of stars, Xu Qing wasn't actually sure if what he was looking at was the Ninth Stellar Ring. Even with his divine clone in Wanggu and a feeling in his heart, the distance was simply too immense, and everything was blurry.

Yet, despite this, and even though he couldn't actually see anything, nor was he certain if that was the precise location of the Ninth Stellar Ring, Xu Qing understood the reason for his thoughts and feelings.

He was homesick. He missed the Wanggu Continent, the people within it, the things within it—he missed everything...

“There will surely be a day when the Wanggu Continent, like the Fifth Stellar Ring, will be free of heterogeneity, permeated with immortal spiritual energy.”“And the surviving deities might also change their path, abandoning divinity to cultivate immortality!”

After a long moment, Xu Qing retracted his gaze.

It wasn't time to go back yet. He wasn't strong enough. He also couldn't yet change or protect.

“Soon…”

Xu Qing fell silent. After a long pause, he gathered his thoughts, took out the immortal jade slip of the Moyang Cosmos, and crushed it. His figure blurred instantly, ripples spread out from him, and in an instant, he was teleported away.

Teleportation between cosmoses involved a vast amount of spatial energy, and it also required the support of a higher constitution; neither could be absent. Only then could cultivators within the Nine Shores Heaven teleport normally. Even with Xu Qing's current cultivation and his profound understanding of space, he could only discern a tiny bit; the specific inner workings remained unclear.

“It involves a secret…”“Presumably, it’s related to the Immortal Lord of Nine Shores.”

Xu Qing murmured to himself. The level of an Immortal Lord was unfathomable. At present, he could only see a blurry corner of it.

Until, as his vision twisted and the void changed, the starry sky… slowly shifted, gradually being replaced. When everything finally returned to normal, what greeted Xu Qing's eyes was no longer the Mausoleum of Perseus, but the interior of the immortal palace built from meteorites in the Moyang Cosmos!

The moment he pushed open the palace doors, the Moyang Cosmos appeared before Xu Qing. He stepped out, vanishing in an instant.

When he reappeared, Xu Qing was already back outside the Ink Soil Black Hole. He saw the Fox Beauty lying there in a relaxed, leisurely posture, rhythmically clapping for the dancing beauties.

Noticing Xu Qing’s return, the Fox Beauty was a little surprised, pouting her lips. “Oh, you're back so soon, you rascal?”“You didn't tell me in advance to let me prepare; is this a surprise inspection?”“Never mind, I won’t fuss about it. How was it? Did everything go smoothly this time?”

Xu Qing was already immune to the mud fox’s teasing, so he spoke indifferently. “It went smoothly. You can continue.”With that, Xu Qing sat cross-legged, ignoring the Fox Beauty. He raised his hand, took out the item given by the tomb guardian of the Mausoleum of Perseus, placed it before him, and immersed his divine sense into it for careful study.

Seeing that Xu Qing wasn't paying much attention to her, the Fox Beauty chuckled softly, not taking it to heart. Xu Qing was used to their dynamic, and she had long grown accustomed to it herself. She simply enjoyed teasing him and seeing his resistant expression. From this, she found a human joy that she once thought was fading but was now gradually returning. This joy made her feel truly alive.

So she chose to ignore her divine nature, immersing herself in her human side. She looked at the dancing beauties beside her, then at Xu Qing meditating cross-legged, and suddenly smiled. On one side were beauties, and on the other, a handsome man.“This is the empire this god has built!”

The Fox Beauty was happy. She knew very well that she was different from the innate deities. Her human nature had not completely dissipated, nor did she wish it to; whenever she teased Xu Qing, her human side became active.“This is quite good.”

The Fox Beauty took a bite of an immortal fruit beside her, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and her heart felt content. Time, too, slowly passed.

Soon, several months passed. During these months, the Fox Beauty remained in high spirits, while Xu Qing was entirely engrossed in studying the bell.

The material of this bell was very peculiar. Xu Qing tried many methods, but none could leave the slightest mark on the bell. Even his Parallel Constitution was ineffective against it. This item could not appear in other timelines! It seemed as if a power encircled it from within, preventing it from leaving this spacetime!

“This must be what that senior tomb guardian spoke of… a trace of the Divine Lord's power!”“And though the previous owner of this item died at the Divine Lord's hands, this treasure was not destroyed and departed safely… it was not kept by that Divine Lord.”“If we exclude any deliberate action by that Divine Lord, then it's enough to show the extraordinary nature of this item!”“However, this bell no longer has a clapper.”“But these past few months, I have gained something!”

Xu Qing’s eyes shone with a strange light. Although no external force could leave a mark on the bell during these months, through the nourishment of his immortal embryo, a subtle connection had still formed between him and the bell.

Originally, this connection could have been deeper. Because the bell was masterless, it not only showed no resistance to Xu Qing's nurturing but was incredibly cooperative. It was less like Xu Qing was nourishing it and more like dry land actively seeking dew. However, Xu Qing always approached things he couldn't fully comprehend with caution. Thus, he always controlled the pace of this nurturing, and the initiative for this subtle connection was firmly held in his grasp. If anything felt slightly amiss, he would immediately sever it.

“So now, the way to display this treasure’s power should be through sound!”

Xu Qing raised his right hand and waved it, and the iron skewer forged in the Dao Refining Cosmos suddenly flew out, glinting sharply before him. Gazing at the bell, Xu Qing made an assessment in his mind. Finally, after confirming that his thoughts had no flaws, he acted decisively, manipulating the iron skewer to strike the bell firmly.

The moment the iron skewer touched the bell, the entire bell vibrated violently. A clear, prolonged ringing sound suddenly emanated from it. The sound carried an ethereal quality. The moment it appeared, the fine wine the Fox Beauty had just raised instantly disintegrated, as did the couch beneath her and the dancing beauties she had conjured around her. They vanished in an instant. Startled, the Fox Beauty abruptly stood up, retreating repeatedly. Her body blurred as her divine platform manifested, and a look of astonishment appeared on her face. “What was that?!”

It wasn't just the Fox Beauty; in all directions, the starry sky trembled. The sound continued to reverberate, its boundless reach seemingly echoing in the minds of all beings, its lingering resonance piercing through everything. Within the Moyang Cosmos, the areas covered by the bell's sound fell into instantaneous silence. In this silence, all illusions ceased to exist, all spells disintegrated, and all divine abilities collapsed.

Xu Qing was moved. He finally understood the specific function of this bell-treasure! “It forbids all techniques!”“And judging by the mud fox’s reaction, even deities are within its scope of prohibition!”

But unfortunately, the next instant, as the bell's sound faded, everything in all directions returned to its original state. The dancing beauties around the Fox Beauty reappeared, and the vanished immortal fruit reappeared in her hand.

However, the Fox Beauty was no longer in the mood to savor it. She looked at Xu Qing gravely and spoke in a low voice. “This treasure… can prohibit deities!”

Xu Qing nodded. “It’s quite a lethal weapon!”After speaking, Xu Qing focused his mind and continued to study the bell.

The Fox Beauty watched for a while, then sighed. This Fifth Stellar Ring had once again made her feel dread. “I wonder how much of a stir this little Xu will cause among the deities of the Wanggu Continent after he masters his skills here.”“Never mind, it’s not my concern anyway.”

With that thought, the Fox Beauty resumed her enjoyment.

Time flowed once more. Xu Qing’s research ceased after several months. The following days were spent in cultivation, stabilizing his immortal embryo and solidifying the foundation for his previous advancements. His state became increasingly stable.

Finally, the agreed-upon reception day arrived, a year after all the allocated time had passed. On this day, a majestic voice echoed from Xu Qing's cosmic immortal jade slip, settling into his mind. “All ascendants of this batch, report to the receiving cosmos within twelve cosmic hours and await orders.”“You will be assigned duties and truly integrate into the Nine Shores Heaven.”

This voice didn't just echo in Xu Qing's mind; at this moment, it resounded in the hearts of all ascendants of this batch. Those scattered across various cosmoses, no matter what they were doing, all became solemn at this instant, filled with anticipation.

Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes from his cross-legged posture. His eyes gleamed with sharpness. “The time has finally come.”

Xu Qing stood up. Beside him, the Fox Beauty also retracted all her illusions, walked over to Xu Qing, and stretched languidly. “I’ve had enough leisure; it’s time for some excitement. I’m really looking forward to the future.”