Chapter 1265: Traces of the Whole Situation

Xu Qing clearly understood that his objective at this moment was not slaughter, but departure.

If the dwarf of the True Yiri clan chose to avoid battle and activate teleportation, then even though Xu Qing’s nature was to eliminate all foes, he would still prioritize leaving after considering the situation. After all, that was his original plan and the most suitable path back to the Fifth Astral Ring.

Furthermore, another reason was that within this world, the True God of the True Yiri clan was merging and could awaken at any moment. Therefore, for Xu Qing, the longer he stayed, the more disadvantageous and dangerous it would become. Moreover, when he had previously acted, he had secretly attempted spatial techniques, but the area was isolated, preventing him from teleporting out independently. To leave, the opponent had to open a gate. However, with the True God's connection, Xu Qing knew that even if he subdued the dwarf, he wasn't guaranteed to successfully search its soul for a method of departure. Thus, the opponent choosing to avoid battle was the most ideal outcome.

Therefore, his words were aimed not only at the dwarf but also at... the black orb of flesh in the sky!

However, often, judgment of a situation varies greatly among different beings. It's not a matter of wisdom or foolishness, as different perspectives lead to different views.

So, in the next instant, the black orb of flesh in the sky suddenly trembled, and within moments, a vortex appeared in the void beside it. The vortex exuded the aura of external space... It was an exit! Compared to other beings, it was clear that the True God of the True Yiri clan was the one who least wanted the chaos here to continue. For the True God, while Xu Qing's value was significant, since its own kin couldn't end the conflict quickly, it would naturally choose to let Xu Qing leave in its current state. This would eliminate the variables in the area, allowing its absorption and fusion to proceed more smoothly.

"Ancestor God!" The dwarf god in mid-air felt a surge of anxiety. He did not want Xu Qing to leave; in his mind, Xu Qing... held even greater value! Meanwhile, Xu Qing's eyes flickered. He had his own suspicions about the authenticity of the exit, but decisive action was needed. So, gritting his teeth, he surged forward, heading straight for the exit.

But... just as Xu Qing, with astonishing speed, approached the exit vortex, another anomaly erupted! The mountains of the earth roared, countless withered trees swayed, and the Earth God burst forth with divine power, forming a sky-wide storm that engulfed the exit. The exit instantly shattered into pieces, ceasing to exist. The emanating ripples forced Xu Qing to recoil, his expression instantly turning grim. Simultaneously, these ripples transformed into a rumbling divine sense that echoed forth: "My young cultivator friend, this exit is a trap! It wishes to harm you! Come, aid me. Once I successfully suppress this enemy god, I will help you leave!" Compared to the True Yiri God who most wanted Xu Qing to leave, the one who least wanted him to leave... was not the dwarf, but rather... the Earth God who had battled the True Yiri God for countless years and now faced the crisis of being absorbed and merged. The more chaotic this place became, the more opportunities the Earth God had, and Xu Qing's appearance offered a chance to turn the tide. Therefore, the Earth God intervened, fully erupting in conflict with the True Yiri God of the sky. This instantly plunged the world into immense disorder, leading to heavier blood rain and more intense roars.

And within the blood rain, a hoarse divine sense also emanated: "It is *it* who does not wish for you to leave. Come and aid me in suppressing this enemy, and I will give you the chance to open an exit for you again."

In mid-air, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering.

The earth rumbled, and divine senses rushed forth: "It is deceiving you. If you stepped through that exit, you would surely die. It currently holds the advantage over me and absolutely cannot allow external attention to be drawn. After all, you are just a variable, and drawing in outsiders... would bring even more variables!" "Do not listen to it. In any other circumstances, I would certainly not let you leave, but your departure now is most beneficial to me. I swear by my true name that I will not renege on this. If you don't believe me, see if *it* dares to swear by its own true name!"

The divine senses of the two True Gods in this world erupted simultaneously. The Earth God, indeed, did not swear by its true name! Meanwhile, the dwarf in the distance, its eyes flashing, suddenly addressed Xu Qing: "Fellow Daoist, my actions before were reckless. There is no necessary life-or-death conflict between us. I ask for your assistance to my clan, and my True God's promise, my clan will also abide by!" After speaking, it looked up, bowed towards the sky, and uttered a low cry: "Ancestor God, please sever the connections to those divine altars, grant me assistance to help this cultivator suppress the enemy god, lest... further complications arise!" These words held a hint of suggestion: releasing the divine altars would create a situation where they could advance or retreat, establishing an unbeatable position.

So, in the next instant, the black orb of flesh in the celestial curtain pulsed violently, and the seven or eight divine altars connected to it abruptly opened their eyes. Their divine senses were sent back, their connections severed, and they now swayed, descending directly downwards. It seemed as though they genuinely intended to assist Xu Qing in suppressing the True God below. Among these divine altars, the others were relatively unremarkable, but three, in particular, had been Xu Qing's primary focus before: one was a rusted, ominous eye adorned with bronze chimes; another was a withered old woman in humanoid form; and the last was the God of Prosperity and Decay, half-divine begonia and half-ash.

Gazing at them, Xu Qing's eyes gleamed with a faint, dark light. He knew that although he possessed the Immortal Lord's Dao artifact, using it required the cosmic luck of the Fifth Astral Ring as a guide. Since he was in the Fourth Astral Ring, activating it would undoubtedly expose him. So, at this crucial moment of decision, he chose... "Good, follow me!" As he spoke, Xu Qing's body flickered, and he charged towards the ganoderma-like mushroom umbrellas growing on the withered trees below! These mushrooms, large and small, were covered in crystals, each containing a small world reduced to ruins. Although they appeared to exist, they were actually suspended between illusion and reality. And they were impassable! Yet, the place Xu Qing headed for was precisely these small worlds! He instantly vanished into them! It had nothing to do with his constitution; it was as if... these small worlds had actively opened at that very moment!

Xu Qing's expression remained calm, showing no surprise. Behind him, the dwarf watched the scene, its eyes flashing with an unusual light, and secretly transmitted a divine message to all the gods: "These small worlds are the core of the enemy god; normally, they cannot be entered. Now that they're open... all of you, follow me in and destroy everything! As for that cultivator, if you can capture him alive, that's best. If not... slay him!" Then, with a flicker, it swiftly entered the small world where Xu Qing had gone, accompanied by the descending divine altars and the scattered gods from before. They all entered smoothly! After they successively vanished, the world outside the ganoderma-like mushrooms was left with only the conflict between sky and earth, and the clash of their divine senses.

"You didn't dare to swear by your true name before, fearing I would trace and find your true name hidden in your memory divine kingdom. Yet now, you've actually opened your divine kingdom willingly!" "Every piece of your divine kingdom that perishes will diminish the hidden power of your true name. If enough pieces are destroyed, I can instantly find and devour your true name, completing the fusion in an instant!" "It seems this is your last struggle; you've placed all your hope on that cultivator." "You are gambling that he chooses to help you, and also gambling that he can be destroyed by those subordinate gods within your memory divine kingdom before they shatter your divine kingdom and I find you!" "Thus, buying yourself more time to contend with me!" "But... that cultivator is astute. I swore by my true name, and you did not. How will he trust you!"

The sky's divine sense echoed, seeking to shatter the enemy god's defenses, but the earth's mountains and withered trees also swayed at this moment.

"Because, within my memory divine kingdom, there exists something whose value to him is far greater than trusting your oath by true name!" "I was initially unaware, but the moment I saw him, I understood the causality. As for now, you all shall be!"

The black orb of flesh in the sky contracted, and the blood rain intensified. "You realize what I'm saying is true, which is why you're anxious!"

The earth's mountains resonated. What it wanted was for the other party to become anxious. Only then would a weakness appear.

Within the small world, the sky was wrinkled, the land withered, and no living beings remained. Only boundless ruins marked the past glory. And at that moment, a bolt of lightning flashed across the heavens and earth, revealing Xu Qing's figure. The instant he appeared, a wind swept in from the void, blowing over Xu Qing and presenting a scene before his eyes. The scene was a world map, shattered into tens of millions of pieces and barely pieced back together, resembling a complete divine kingdom. It also marked Xu Qing's current location, which was precisely one of those fragments! Furthermore, an inexplicable pull emanated from one of the millions of map fragments, not far from Xu Qing! The moment it entered Xu Qing's perception, his eyes narrowed. The Star Tower, hidden within him and capable of returning to the Ninth Astral Ring, began to tremble. The source of this vibration was not the Star Tower itself, nor the dormant Saint Heaven Divine Vine entwined around it, but rather... the little golden mouse, which Xu Qing had placed within the Star Tower and had been sleeping ever since its immense energy expenditure from earlier in the Fifth Astral Ring! It seemed to have awakened due to this pull! The moment it awoke, chirping sounds echoed in Xu Qing's mind. This sight made Xu Qing's pupils contract, then radiate intense light, and an incredible hypothesis arose in his heart. Subsequently, his breathing quickened slightly, and his mind instantly became decisive. His body flickered, and he shot through the air directly towards the source of the pull!

But the instant he flew, figures of gods had already descended. And with each additional god, the pull became a little fainter. Finally, when all those gods appeared, the pull completely vanished, and at the same time, the millions of fractured divine kingdom fragments suddenly became disordered. This made it impossible for Xu Qing to locate the target precisely!

A dark gleam flickered in Xu Qing's eyes. It was clear... the Earth God wanted him to kill all the True Yiri subordinate gods present. This was a trade! "Deal!" A cold determination surged within Xu Qing, erupting instantly!

Meanwhile, within this disordered, fragmented divine kingdom, in a certain ruined fragment... a large golden rat was gnawing on straw sandals. As it gnawed, it cautiously surveyed its surroundings, seemingly worried that some entity might suddenly appear and capture it again. And as it gnawed, it didn't notice that the bits of straw falling from its mouth, scattering around, subtly seemed to form a teleportation array!