Chapter 1212: There Is Ice Here

Xu Qing, standing on the sea grass, spoke the two words calmly. It was as if they were a self-evident truth, a natural order. No additional authority was needed, even though the surrounding area was filled with Hun Tian tribesmen, save for Xing Huanzi. The calmer he appeared, the greater the invisible pressure he exerted on the Hun Tian tribesmen present. This was because they were in the Fifth Star Ring, where humanity reigned supreme.

Outside the imperial palace, the numerous members of the Hun Tian imperial clan wore solemn expressions. They felt as though they faced a formidable enemy, their spirits sinking. Xing Huanzi was already incredibly powerful, but the appearance of this second individual shook them even more profoundly. Especially the sea grass! They naturally knew it was the true form of Prison Alpha-29. The ability to command this sea grass, bring it here, and have it fight on one's behalf—this scene held profound significance. The emotional turmoil it caused was naturally intense. These Hun Tian tribesmen were no longer in their glorious past; none among them had personally witnessed their former history. For their generation, from the moment of birth, humanity had been supreme. Even though the Aurora Beyond-Heaven had lost its master, deep in their bones, they held immense reverence for humanity. However, the prestige of the Hun Tian Emperor had temporarily suppressed their awe of humanity. Yet, this suppression ultimately crumbled when confronted with powerful human figures. At this moment, Xu Qing's composure, his forceful arrival, and the voice echoing in all directions caused these Hun Tian tribesmen to recall their innate reverence for humanity. Some instinctively lowered their heads. This was the servility etched into their bloodline, a crucial method by which the humans of the Fifth Star Ring controlled other races.

The colossal face formed by the Hun Tian Emperor observed all of this clearly. He fell silent, gazing at Xu Qing. Then, a light flashed between his brows, and a token flew out. This token emitted a soft white glow; the character for "exemption" was carved on its front, and a spiritual inscription was on its back. "Many years ago, our clan received the favor of the Ling Guang Beyond-Heaven and acknowledged a prominent figure from there as our Overlord. We were granted this token, which exempts us from all levies," the Hun Tian Emperor slowly declared. As his words reverberated, the white light from the exemption token suddenly expanded, enveloping the imperial palace and isolating it from the outside. This Hun Tian imperial palace, floating in space, was actually the entrance to the Hun Tian clan's territory.

Xu Qing had heard Xing Huanzi mention this exemption token before. Although he didn't know the specifics, he presumed that since it was granted and presented by the Hun Tian Emperor in such a manner, it must hold significant meaning. On his way there, he had also secretly messaged Zhou Zhengli to inquire about it. Zhou Zhengli was well-informed and had shared everything he knew with Xu Qing. In the Fifth Star Ring, some clans, for various reasons, received exemption tokens granted by different Beyond-Heavens. Generally, procurement envoys encountering such clans could only choose to withdraw. However, a dark glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. Facing the exemption token, he raised his right hand and took out the special mission jade slip given to him by the Poison Lord. "By the order of Immortal Lord Nine Shores! Seek the wondrous Nine-Colored Ice capable of annihilating divine lord flames," Xu Qing stated coldly, looking at the Hun Tian Emperor. "This matter is of immense importance. I suspect your clan possesses this item, and I now intend to investigate."

As Xu Qing spoke, the special mission jade slip in his hand instantly flickered, emitting waves of brilliant light that swept outwards. Upon contact with this light, the white glow of the exemption token immediately distorted. The next moment, the white light of the exemption token vanished completely, no longer covering the imperial palace. The surrounding Hun Tian tribesmen might not have fully reacted immediately, but the Hun Tian Emperor's expression changed. This scene exceeded his judgment. Normally, their clan's exemption token would be sufficient to make a procurement envoy retreat, but he had never anticipated that this human before him would carry such a mission. This felt somewhat absurd to him! What kind of existence was Immortal Lord Nine Shores, to task a quasi-immortal with collecting profound ice capable of annihilating divine lord flames? He didn't believe it! Yet, the mission jade slip contained a special, undeniable imprint, proving its authenticity! Most importantly, the behavior of the exemption token also fully confirmed its truthfulness. This caused a tremendous ripple in the Hun Tian Emperor's mind. Even though his clan possessed an exemption token, its authority was clearly inferior when confronted with a mission from Immortal Lord Nine Shores! This sight not only altered the expressions of the Hun Tian imperial clansmen but also caused Xing Huanzi's eyes to narrow as he looked at the mission jade slip in Xu Qing's hand. Clearly, even he was incredibly surprised.

At this moment, Xu Qing stepped off the sea grass and began walking towards the Hun Tian Imperial Palace ahead. Each step he took caused ripples in the starry sky. With every approach, the Hun Tian Emperor on the palace showed a change in expression. After Xu Qing had taken seven or eight steps, the colossal face formed by the Hun Tian Emperor vanished. His true form emerged from within the palace, standing in the starry sky. One hundred zhang tall, with a reddish body and eerie two faces, the moment he appeared, a shocking surge of cultivation radiated outwards, forming an invisible barrier directly in front of Xu Qing. Xu Qing paused, calmly looking at the Hun Tian Emperor. "Are you going to obstruct my investigation?" The Hun Tian Emperor stared at Xu Qing and spoke in a deep voice, "My clan does not possess Nine-Colored Ice!" "Whether you do or not, we'll know once we check!" These words came not from Xu Qing, but from Xing Huanzi, who was beside him. The Hun Tian Emperor fell silent, then sighed, admitting his miscalculation this time. He raised his hand, and immediately, the relic of the Fourth True Lord flew out from the imperial palace behind him, landing in his palm. He intended to placate the situation; if this was what the other party wanted, then he would simply hand it over. Though the item was extremely precious, compared to what was happening within his clan, he had no choice but to surrender it. He was about to speak.

But at that very moment, his expression suddenly shifted. Xu Qing's eyes also instantly narrowed, looking towards the imperial palace. The sea grass, almost at the same time as Xu Qing, sensed something. Its leaves immediately swayed, and its aura became sharp. Within the imperial palace, teleportation fluctuations were spreading. Someone was teleporting in! The Hun Tian Emperor squinted, gripped his right hand, and put away the cluster of Heavenly Principle Earth he had intended to give away. The words he was about to speak changed accordingly. "An envoy from my Master is descending upon our clan," he announced. "Regarding the matter here, our Hun Tian clan will follow the Overlord's arrangements." As he spoke, the Hun Tian Emperor turned and bowed towards the imperial palace. All the surrounding tribesmen lowered their heads and bowed in reverence. Following this, the teleportation fluctuations grew stronger. Amidst a roar, a colossal pillar of light descended from the void above the imperial palace, creating layers of ripples. This scene was familiar to Xu Qing; it was identical to the teleportation he used to return to his own universe. The next instant, as the light pillar settled, an aura infinitely close to a minor immortal erupted from within the imperial palace, shaking the heavens. This aura was terrifying, causing wrinkles in the starry sky, and everything around was saturated with dense immortal qi. All divine-related entities were repelled in the presence of this immortal qi. It emanated from an immortal embryo. The arriving individual was just a hair's breadth away from transforming their immortal embryo into a full immortal! Xing Huanzi's expression turned grave, and Xu Qing frowned. Then, the great gate of the imperial palace, which everyone was watching, abruptly opened. An overwhelming force burst forth from within, like volcanic magma erupting. Amidst the roar, a middle-aged cultivator in a crimson robe, with a cold expression, stepped out. Each step he took caused the starry sky to tremble. The moment he fully emerged, the Hun Tian Emperor became solemn and immediately bowed. His clansmen also showed extreme reverence. "Greetings, Envoy!" they chorused. The newcomer's own formidable aura, combined with the reverence of the entire Hun Tian clan, instantly converged into an astonishing imposing presence. At the same time, the sea grass instinctively swayed, and its divine sense rapidly transmitted into Xu Qing's mind. "He carries the aura of the Prison Warden who placed the seal on the true god's wound!" Upon hearing this, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. The crimson-robed middle-aged man who had emerged from the imperial palace now scanned his surroundings with an unreadable, authoritative gaze. His eyes settled on the sea grass, showing a peculiar glint. Then he looked at Xu Qing, standing in front of the sea grass. "Are you the one who, in league with this lowly plant, stole my master's divine sustenance?" At these words, the Hun Tian Emperor, who had been bowing, blinked, appearing thoughtful. Xing Huanzi, meanwhile, wore a grim expression, staring at the middle-aged cultivator as the Laws of Order within him began to activate.