Chapter 1216: Ambition and Position

One day later.

Outside the shattered Hun Heaven Imperial Palace, the Hun Heaven Emperor knelt, his expression bitter. Behind him, the Hun Heaven clansmen were pale, their bodies visibly weak. The three clan powerhouses who had previously blocked Star Ring were even bleeding from the corners of their mouths, looking utterly dispirited. Their cultivation levels had plummeted! They were no longer at the Quasi-Immortal level but had directly fallen to the Sovereign realm. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that not only these three, but all the other Hun Heaven clansmen had experienced varying degrees of cultivation decline. Furthermore, a careful observation of their soul fluctuations revealed that this decline was permanent. It originated from their souls and their bloodlines! Their bloodlines had been weakened, and their souls bound!

The bitter Hun Heaven Emperor was also affected. He knelt there silently; his realm, though still Quasi-Immortal, was barely maintained. This state would persist and be difficult to change because his second aspect, behind him, had already withered. His ancestral regression had been interrupted!

Yet, every Hun Heaven clansman, including the Emperor, chose to bow their heads, harboring little resentment. In front of them, in the starry sky, a group of departing figures could be seen. They were the Ascendants. The leading cultivator was Xu Qing. They had departed.

The substantial amount of Source Essence accumulated from the Hun Heaven clan's ritual, meant for bloodline purification, had been taken by the group, consistent with Xu Qing's predictions. Led by Zhou Zhengli, they voluntarily offered two-tenths of what they had acquired. Li Mengtu and the others followed suit. As for the treatment of the Hun Heaven Imperial Clan… Star Ring, in the name of order, united everyone to implement the Constitution of Balance. Through this, they used a balancing method to extract bloodlines, making the clan members' bloodlines impure. The Hun Heaven clan had initiated wrongdoing. Had this matter not involved other Heavens Beyond, reporting it would normally have led to their extermination. Now, without any bloodshed, merely having their bloodlines weakened, the actions of Xu Qing's group would undoubtedly align with the greater interests of humanity in the Fifth Star Ring, no matter how the matter was reported. No one could find fault with their actions. Moreover, this manner of handling things perfectly fit the reputation of a Resource Envoy; it could be said that every aspect was considered. The Hun Heaven clan also accepted this. They knew that against a team composed entirely of Ascendants—whether in terms of combat power, background, or anything else—they were inferior. Their clan's fate was simply too unfortunate to have encountered these individuals. If the other party had been determined to exterminate their clan, they would have had no other choice but to face utter destruction. After all, this was the Fifth Star Ring, where humanity reigned supreme. Therefore, the outcome of this arrangement largely brought a sense of relief to their hearts. As long as their clan members were alive, it was the greatest fortune. Thus, the affairs here came to a close.

Next, Xu Qing led everyone back to the location of Prison A-29. En route, he informed the team members about his investigation and plan regarding the True God Sun. Upon hearing that the seaweed in Prison A-29 was actually a jailer of a True God, and that this True God's Source Essence could be extracted, everyone became excited. Although they had already completed their individual collection tasks and had significant personal gains, their demand for Source Essence was even greater. Consequently, everyone's eyes glowed with fervor. Moreover, after days of interaction, and having jointly invaded a clan and shared spoils, the group had undergone considerable adjustment and integration. They also accepted Xu Qing's leadership. Especially since Xu Qing could ensure everyone obtained Source Essence, and his combat power was at its peak, their sense of recognition naturally grew stronger. And so, they sped onwards.

They arrived at the location of Prison A-29. The True God Sun remained in its original position. The seaweed that had left with Xu Qing, though it was its main body, dared not neglect its duty, so before leaving, it had split off a clone to constantly monitor the True God prison. Now, returning to this place, Xu Qing suppressed his inner anticipation. After observing for a moment and confirming everything was clear, he looked at the people around him.

“Then, according to our plan, let's collect the Source Essence here!” Xu Qing said slowly.

Around him, all the Resource Envoys, including Star Ring, who had learned of the plan en route, now revealed glints of wonder in their eyes after witnessing and sensing the situation firsthand. After a moment, their gazes met, and they all saw the resolve in each other's eyes. Seeing this, Xu Qing didn't hesitate. He flashed forward, heading directly for the True God Sun. The seaweed clone's roots swayed, opening an entrance. Its main body also returned at this moment, and after providing a certain degree of augmentation to everyone, Star Ring followed closely behind Xu Qing. Zhou Zhengli, Evil Spirit, along with Yuanshan Su and Li Mengtu, entered one after another. Soon, this team of Resource Envoys, like a pack of hungry wolves, rushed inside.

Time flowed on.

Three days later, the True God Sun rumbled violently, and the seaweed outside it shook intensely. This tremor lasted for seven or eight days, finally ending with a deafening roar. Even in the starry sky, one could feel terrifying Source Essence spreading out from within the sun. It was as if a seal had been broken. After several more days, the fire and heat of the True God Sun actually diminished, and its overall size seemed to wither. Faintly, it felt as though an even denser Source Essence was about to erupt.

But at that very moment, a powerful divine thought suddenly surged forth from within the True God Sun. It coalesced into a voice.

“You… have gone far enough!!”

“I shall take this sustenance. Get out within ten breaths, or you will die here, and your masters and supporting forces will have no one but yourselves to blame!”

The voice, like a burst of celestial thunder, roared throughout the entire Hun Heaven Universe. It caused countless galaxies and stars across the universe to tremble, sending shivers down the spines of all living beings.

Xu Qing and the others who had entered the True God Sun felt their hearts pound in unison. Soon, their figures could be seen, each spewing blood, their expressions turbulent, as they swiftly retreated. Just as the tenth breath arrived, they flew out of the True God Sun. The moment they appeared in the starry sky, a gigantic vortex immediately materialized beneath the True God Sun. This vortex was like a vast, ethereal maw, from which an immense hand stretched out, grabbing the True God Sun and pulling it into the vortex. The seaweed also had to release its tendrils, or it too would have been dragged inside. All this seemed to unfold slowly in description, but in reality, after the group appeared, the vortex and the colossal hand emerged instantaneously, took the True God Sun, and then vanished in a flash. It was as if they had never existed. In the empty starry sky, only the trembling seaweed and Xu Qing's group of cultivators, looking distraught, remained. For a moment, no one knew what to say about this scene.

After they had entered the True God Sun, the process of breaking the first two seals, though somewhat hindered, was generally smooth, and they had absorbed a significant amount of Source Essence from the True God. However, an unexpected event occurred when they attempted to break the third seal. Within the third seal, there was an eye! It was the eye of an Immortal, left there as the primary component sealing the True God Sun. When they saw the eye, it suddenly opened, emitting a terrifying will that swept through like a storm, making it impossible for anyone to resist. Its identity, furthermore, was obvious: it was the Lower Immortal behind the scenes. Evidently, this former official of the Aurora Heavens Beyond had learned of the intruders' identities through his disciples. Thus, despite his rage, he still left some leeway. He granted them ten breaths of time. Afterwards, he was unwilling to leave the True God Sun any longer, choosing to take it away at all costs. Clearly, this act was a desperate measure for the Lower Immortal. Otherwise, there would have been no need for him to act only now. Xu Qing and the others, one after another, felt helpless. Yet, against a Lower Immortal, they were truly powerless. At this moment, they could only sigh inwardly and choose to depart.

The seaweed seemed somewhat disoriented. The prison it guarded… was gone. It had completely plundered the deities within its own leaves. Now, with the vast heavens and earth before it, it suddenly had no purpose. So, at Xu Qing's persuasion, it chose to leave with them.

And so, after finding an asteroid belt, everyone dispersed, each choosing an asteroid to sit cross-legged upon, preparing to first digest their respective gains. They decided to leave this universe a month later. After all, although they had only absorbed Source Essence from under two layers of seals, the total amount was considerable. Half a month passed quickly. This asteroid belt drifted silently through the starry sky, and the individuals on it were equally quiet. Throughout this half-month, everyone sat cross-legged on their respective asteroids, diligently converting the acquired Source Essence into their own cultivation and combat power. The aura emanating from them also grew stronger day by day, becoming increasingly sharp.

Until the seventeenth day arrived… in the quiet starry sky, on this floating asteroid belt, a vast aura suddenly surged skyward. The power of this aura was so immense it shook the surroundings, causing the asteroids to become chaotic, pulled and scattered by the impact. For a moment, space-time twisted, the five elements manifested, drawing the rules of this universe from all directions, forming a dazzling spectacle of myriad colors. Furthermore, deafening heartbeats pulsed rhythmically, like thunder echoing. This scene immediately startled everyone present. They awoke from their meditation, opened their eyes, and collectively looked towards the source of this vast fluctuation! It was an elliptical asteroid, and the person sitting cross-legged upon it, clad in a black robe, with long hair flowing, emanated a hazy light. A dense immortal aura continuously erupted from him in waves. It was Xu Qing!

“He’s breaking through to Quasi-Immortal!” Star Ring's eyes gleamed with wonder.

“Such momentum, such a grand spectacle…” Evil Spirit's expression was grave, Yuanshan Su looked somewhat lost in thought, and Li Mengtu immediately scanned the surroundings to guard Xu Qing. Qianjun and Biyi felt their hearts pound, secretly murmuring that something was amiss. They had a premonition that once Xu Qing successfully ascended to Quasi-Immortal, with just a lift of his hand, the two brothers would involuntarily transform into immortal swords and cheerily fly away. Thinking of that scene, the two brothers grew anxious.

At this moment, Zhou Zhengli narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then, with a resolute gaze, he stood up, flashed, and settled onto the asteroid closest to Xu Qing. He sat cross-legged, his expression solemn, and spoke in a low voice. “Everyone, when will you guard him if not now! Furthermore, regardless of whether any of you harbor other intentions, I, Zhou, must remind you…” At this point, a profound glint appeared in Zhou Zhengli's eyes. “Do not forget what this place—this former Heaven Beyond—was called. And in other Heavens Beyond, the upper seats are mostly full. You all understand this. So, no matter what you are thinking, my goal, Zhou's goal, is to secure a position early, by the side of the future master of this Heaven Beyond! While the possibility is not great, even minuscule, compared to the immense gains, I, Zhou, am willing to gamble! Therefore, anyone who might cause my gamble to fail is my enemy!”

This was the first time Zhou Zhengli had articulated his ambition. Although no one knew if his ambitious words truly represented his ultimate goal, it had to be said that his declaration indeed stirred many people's thoughts. Qianjun and Biyi were no longer palpitating. Instead, after a brief moment of being stunned, their eyes gleamed with a strange light.

“A position?”