Chapter 1236: Please Request

Holding the decree tokens, Xu Qing and his group submitted the primal matter and then moved away from the vast red star, gradually vanishing into the starry sky.

As they departed, the enormous red star continued to erupt clouds of gas, radiating an intense light.

Within the radiant light emanating from the red star, an ancient, dark hall contained a voice that echoed with emotion and sighs.

"I never imagined there would truly be such committed 'crossed-river' soldiers, and ascenders no less. Looking at them now, it suddenly seems their ability to reach this point was not entirely unexpected."

"I just wonder if, ultimately, any of them will emerge as cultivators with the potential to contend for the Dao Seed, or if... perhaps they are all merely placeholders."

"Are we not all the same, just like them? Apart from the General, aren't we all ascenders? Aren't we all still on the path?"

"The Immortal Venerable's decree from so long ago has led to the emergence of many immortals like us, yet no Immortal Lord has appeared to date."

In the hall, although no explicit sighs were uttered, a sense of longing permeated every sentence.

This lingering sentiment caused the immortals to gradually fall silent.

After a lengthy pause, the General's hoarse voice slowly echoed.

"Starting a venture is easy; preserving it is hard."

"This holds true for mortals, for the human realm, and for cultivators within the Fifth Star Ring as well."

The words rippled through the thoughts of the immortals.

The immortals present naturally grasped this principle, and with their profound understanding, they perceived even more.

They knew that the latter task couldn't even be described as merely difficult.

In the past, the Fifth Star Ring was governed by deities, with the Divine Sovereign holding absolute power. It was the Immortal Venerable who, rising from the greatest hardships, led the human race from all minor worlds, paving the way for cultivators and establishing the immortal spirit path.

Step by step, they endured countless hardships, survived numerous catastrophes, fought their way out of the minor worlds, and advanced upon the deities.

They ultimately suppressed the Divine Sovereign, imprisoned the Divine Lord, severed all sources of divine affiliation, enslaved countless divine races, and divided the entire Fifth Star Ring into twelve Outer Heavens.

They also filled in the center and established the Immortal Capital.

This was how they truly transformed the Fifth Ring, among the ascending thirty-six rings, into a foundational land belonging to cultivators and the human race!

Such a foundation, naturally, cannot be described as easy; it was exceedingly difficult!

Consequently, protecting and passing on this foundation is an even greater challenge, far surpassing mere difficulty!

Especially since the Aurora Immortal Lord, who was destined to become the second Immortal Venerable, had already perished.

This rendered the future of the Fifth Star Ring uncertain.

After all, beyond the Fifth Star Ring, all other areas are lands of deities, save for a few special star rings. This means that while the Fifth Star Ring outwardly appears flourishing and powerful, it actually shows signs of decline after reaching its zenith.

To avert this, the Fifth Star Ring must produce a second Immortal Venerable!

For an Immortal Venerable to emerge, multiple Immortal Lords must first appear. This is why, for many years, ascenders have undergone rigorous trials.

Through harsh methods, they cultivate those who can ascend from the Immortal Capital. Then, akin to raising Gu, whether by fate or karma, those who perish prematurely are considered placeholders.

Only those who survive and persevere are truly the Dao Seeds!

As for their ideals, those who endure to the end must also be like-minded.

"I hope that day arrives swiftly, no matter which generation, as long as they are human and cultivators."

Time gradually passed as Xu Qing and his companions remained on the Left Wing frontline.

Three months quickly elapsed.

Over these three months, Xu Qing and his group had no way of knowing the exact battle situation in the Left Wing Central Combat Zone, a designated "meat grinder" meant to radiate a fiery glow across the battlefield.

However, from the subtle changes and mounting pressure in their own Left Wing Frontline Combat Zone over these three months, they could infer a few things.

The Central Combat Zone must have reached its most critical juncture.

This was evidenced by the decreasing frequency of legion deployments on the Left Wing frontline.

"This signifies that the strategic deployment is nearly complete."

"Additionally, through my inquiries, I've learned that small-scale engagements with the deities are increasing significantly in the direction approaching the Fourth Star Ring, right at the forefront of the frontlines."

"It seems our mission is also approaching. This is the information I've gathered during this time."

At this moment, on a snow-covered mountain within the Spirit Replacement Star, permeated with immortal aura, Xu Qing and his group sat cross-legged around a fire pit.

Snowflakes continuously drifted down from the sky, descending slowly, much like Zhou Zhengli's voice.

The snow brought a pervasive chill to the land.

Only around the fire pit did falling snowflakes dissipate, transforming into rising mist that swirled in every direction.

Surrounding them were endless snow-covered mountains. In fact, surveying the entire Spirit Replacement Star revealed that almost the entire planet consisted of such peaks.

They were countless.

Each snow-covered mountain contained a fire pit burning with red flames.

Inside the fire pits, the flickering flames radiated intense heat and seemed to harbor a mysterious quality.

This mystery enabled cultivators' injuries to heal.

Xu Qing and his group had been recuperating on this star for three months, and their cultivation levels and injuries had long since recovered under the healing power of these mysterious fire pits.

Thus, aside from the first month during which they remained on their designated snow mountain, for the following two months, they largely dispersed, agreeing to return at fixed times.

Today marked their third return.

As Zhou Zhengli concluded his remarks, Li Mengtu spoke next.

"My investigative focus differed from Zhou Zhengli's; I primarily monitored whether anyone else arrived in the Central Combat Zone. In these three months, there were none."

Knowing his weakness in intelligence gathering, Li Mengtu had chosen the simplest approach.

After speaking, he looked at the others seated nearby.

Each time they returned, they were to synthesize the information gathered; this had been their plan since first separating here.

This method allowed them to quickly gain a comprehensive understanding of the frontline.

Consequently, Yuanshan Su, Xieling Zi, Qianjun Piyii, and the other ascenders each took turns speaking, sharing the information they had gathered from their respective areas of inquiry.

Xinghuan Zi was the last to speak.

He looked toward Xu Qing.

"Last time we returned, you asked me to focus on those individuals, and this time I've gained a greater understanding of them."

Hearing this, Xu Qing looked at Xinghuan Zi.

Over these three months, Xu Qing had naturally ventured out several times himself, employing his own methods to understand the Left Wing frontline. During these investigations, he had incidentally observed a group of somewhat unusual military cultivators.

In some respects, they resembled the Procurement Office, operating with great secrecy, rarely interacting with others, and being extremely exclusive.

Consequently, Xu Qing did not engage with them extensively, though he harbored certain suspicions. He recalled them during the previous information summary and advised everyone to pay closer attention if they encountered them.

"That group is an auxiliary legion, divided into fifty small teams, active on every battlefield where the frontline engages the deities."

"They are known as... the 'Corpse Scavenging Army'!"

"Their mission, simply put, is to clear the battlefield by extracting residual primal matter from the corpses of fallen deities and collecting any valuable items."

"This enables our war effort to be self-sufficient to a certain extent."

"The more battles occur, the more active they become. Especially in the past month, as the frequency of small-scale engagements with the Fourth Star Ring increased, almost all of them have concentrated their efforts there."

After Xinghuan Zi finished, he looked at Xu Qing and calmly spoke.

"So, why did you ask us to pay attention to these individuals?"

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so people around him. After everything they had experienced, he was intimately familiar with each one.

After a brief pause, Xu Qing spoke softly.

"It's been three months since we submitted the primal matter and were assigned to rest here."

"During this time, the General has given no further assignments..."

"So, I've been thinking: instead of waiting for the General's instructions, why don't we find a suitable task ourselves and proactively apply for it?"

Having spoken, Xu Qing looked at the people around him.

"The primal matter I need for my cultivation is almost depleted. You all must be in a similar situation, having used up most of yours, right?"

"If we don't replenish our supplies soon, it will hinder our cultivation speed."

The moment Xu Qing spoke, Xinghuan Zi's eyes gleamed, Zhou Zhengli offered a faint smile, Xieling Zi licked his lips, and the two brothers, Qianjun Piyii, felt their sword bodies softly hum.

Even the usually taciturn Yuanshan Su showed a peculiar glint in his eyes.

The other ascenders reacted even more intensely; a palpable aura of killing intent rose from their bodies, causing the falling snowflakes to tremble and slowly turn black.

Li Mengtu spoke directly.

"I've been itching for action for a while now!"

These straightforward words seemed to voice everyone's unspoken desires, and the "wolf pack's" gazes collectively turned to Xu Qing.

Every one of them had fought their way out of the Immortal Capital and endured numerous trials, already becoming hardened warriors. Moreover, their personalities were far from lacking in defiance.

Consequently, over these past three months, they had all grown somewhat restless.

Hearing Xu Qing's words now, their hearts naturally burned with renewed fervor.

After exchanging glances, Xu Qing nodded subtly, and without wasting time, stood up. With a solemn expression, he retrieved the token given by the General.

Holding it, his immortal embryo glowed, generating a powerful immortal thought that flowed into the token.

This thought transformed into a resonant Dao sound, causing the token to vibrate.

"Procurement and Transfer Team, Xu Qing, reporting to the General!"

"Our team has completed its rest; our injuries are healed, and our condition is excellent. Witnessing our comrades on the frontline slaying deities fills us with encouragement and fervent blood. We now request orders..."

"We volunteer to proceed to the frontline battle zones, serve as a 'Corpse Scavenging' team, and continue to procure primal matter for our army!"

As Xu Qing's immortal thought was transmitted, the others also stood up, waiting with solemn anticipation.

The token, however, remained unresponsive, as if Xu Qing's immortal thought had vanished without a trace. Yet, everyone, including Xu Qing, remained perfectly patient, continuing to wait.

It wasn't until a full half hour had passed...

The token in Xu Qing's hand suddenly vibrated, and a crimson light burst forth from within, rapidly expanding outwards. Simultaneously, a vast immortal thought emanated directly from the token.

"Approved!"

The moment this thought appeared, Xu Qing immediately spoke loudly.

"We obey the General's command!"

The group behind him also spoke in unison, their voices merging with Xu Qing's. Amidst the wind, snow, and crimson light, a powerful, surging aura naturally rose heavenward.

Like the rising sun!