Chapter 1266: Friends from Afar

Outside the small world, the struggle between heaven and earth had already intensified. Blood rain poured from the sky as countless small figures wielded machetes, ceaselessly cutting trees and splitting mountains. On the earth, mountain ranges rumbled, and withered trees filled the air, struggling fiercely in resistance.

Meanwhile, inside the small world, blood rain also fell, and a massacre was unfolding! The desperate roars before death, the resounding echoes spreading in all directions, and the fluctuations of various divine arts painted the entire world in a kaleidoscope of colors.

This was a transaction. One party's condition was to slaughter all the gods, for only then would the concealed pull and the lost fragments reappear. Although, from Xu Qing's perspective, there was indeed a possibility of deception in this matter according to his judgment, he still chose to kill, because the Golden Rat's awakening could not have been an accident. Therefore, the blood rain in this small world grew heavier and heavier.

Corpses of gods fell from the sky, crashing onto the ground, shattering ruins, raising dust, and merging with the blood rain to form an endless crimson mist.

At this moment, as the crimson mist surged, Xu Qing's immortal embryo form appeared faintly within it. Simultaneously, the three Divine Platform gods he had focused on earlier could be seen, alternately close to and distant from Xu Qing within the mist: the Eyeball, the Old Hag, and Ku Rong. Their divine authorities were erupting.

Especially the Eyeball, whose pupil was a bronze chime. Its gaze made Xu Qing feel a sensation similar to Zhou Zhengli's decree. At this moment, within the crimson mist, the instant it locked onto Xu Qing, a bell chime soared skyward, vibrating with an astounding hum! It transformed into a divine sound capable of driving one mad, seeking to fix Xu Qing's soul in place! Moreover, a bronze color rapidly spread in all directions, as if to invade the crimson mist and solidify Xu Qing's flesh and blood! In addition, star sand wrapped in twisted divine script poured out from the gaps in its eyelids, forming a torrent to block Xu Qing's path. Accompanying this were the Buddha-hand-shaped suckers at the end of the Eyeball; with each inhale and exhale, an immense suction force enveloped Xu Qing, attempting to devour his body.

Simultaneously, the Old Hag and Ku Rong also unleashed their powers.

Within the crimson mist, a faint light flickered in Xu Qing's eyes. He knew time was pressing, and delay would lead to complications. Therefore, the sooner this slaughter concluded, the better. With this thought, Xu Qing's heart hardened with resolve. Under the enveloping suction, he didn't hesitate, suddenly letting go of all resistance and even actively aiding the process, allowing the eerie bronze eye to drag him in faster.

Instantly, the crimson mist surged, obscuring vision, making the battle within invisible to outsiders, who could only hear the resounding roars from inside. It was the eruption of several Divine Platform divine arts, accompanied by Xu Qing's muffled grunts and the rising and falling sound of bells.

The next instant, where the mist thinned, Xu Qing's figure, spitting blood, suddenly appeared directly in front of the Eyeball god. There, his body was covered in blood, yet he didn't pause for a moment, fiercely thrusting the iron skewer he held into the pupil of the giant eye!

The bronze chime trembled, emitting an unprecedented wail. The countless faces appearing on its surface twisted in agony, and cries became tangible, transforming into blood-colored runes that burst forth from the eye, enveloping Xu Qing. At the same time, the Eyeball's countless tentacles struggled wildly, stabbing at Xu Qing like sharp blades, as if trying to push him away.

In the distance, several other Divine Platforms seized this opportunity and rushed closer. A ruthless glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. He allowed the tentacles to pierce his body, disregarding his injuries and the spilling blood, and unleashed the full power of the iron skewer in his hand. With a roar, the iron skewer directly pierced through the bronze pupil!

The Eyeball vibrated violently. The bronze cracked, oozing viscous golden divine blood. Then, as the power of Xu Qing's immortal embryo erupted within him, surging terrifying immortal qi into it, the Eyeball was utterly destroyed, exploding into a shower of blood that filled the sky and scattered in all directions. And each droplet of blood reflected Xu Qing's figure within the crimson mist, surrounded and ambushed by other Divine Platforms and multiple divine fires.

The crimson mist surged once more!

A few seconds later, the Old Hag's figure could be seen flickering within the mist before swiftly fleeing, attempting to escape its confines. Behind her was Xu Qing, his body now crimson, treading on shattered begonias, flashing through the mist in relentless pursuit. Faintly, he appeared to be severely injured. Yet, his killing intent was exceptionally strong, his body exuded immense bloodlust, seemingly merging with the crimson mist pervading the small world.

Behind him was the god of withering and flourishing, possessing a divine authority similar to that of space-time, its divine body now split into two. The begonias on half of its body had withered, and ashes from the other half were drifting away. Its soul lamp was extinguished, and the drowning divine soul within its flame had turned to ash.

The Eyeball was killed first because it could lock onto Xu Qing's body. Ku Rong was killed next because its divine authority could supplement Xu Qing's constitution, serving as nourishment in this exchange of injury for slaughter! As for now, the one Xu Qing intended to kill was the Old Hag!

Having witnessed Xu Qing kill numerous gods, including the Eyeball and Ku Rong, in such a short time, the Old Hag's instincts screamed of a life-or-death crisis, causing her to flee desperately. She no longer wanted to be involved, but the surging mist instantly swallowed her figure once more.

A moment later, as a desperate shriek echoed, the crimson mist shrouding the small world finally dispersed, revealing the blood-red firmament above. The Old Hag's figure also burst out again, but her state was utterly disheveled. Behind her, beneath the crimson firmament, Xu Qing stood mid-air, his robes soaked in divine blood to a dark golden hue. Thirty-six thousand shattered human-faced stars hovered around him, their broken cores still flickering with unextinguished divine fire. As for the ground below, countless divine corpses were visible.

Xu Qing licked the blood scab from the corner of his mouth, watching the Old Hag fleeing in horror in the distance. His figure suddenly blurred, leaving behind only a pierced afterimage. When he solidified again, he was already beside the Old Hag. No matter how the Old Hag dodged, it was futile. In her horror and despair, Xu Qing's right fingernails, without hesitation, embedded themselves in her throat bone, gripping it tightly. The power of his immortal embryo instantly spread throughout her body. Her shattered windpipe gurgled, and the golden light in the Old Hag's eyes surged, only to turn murky under the erosion of immortal qi. Finally, she became a mummified corpse.

Xu Qing released his grip, then suddenly turned his head, staring expressionlessly at a point in the void. That part of the void shattered instantly, revealing a dwarf who stumbled backward, spitting blood. At this moment, his face was grim, his body weak, and his eyes held horror. He had also made a move within the crimson mist earlier, but continuous external injuries had left him nearly decapitated after clashing with Xu Qing in the mist. Severely wounded, he quickly vanished, observing from the outside. His plan was to let the other subordinate gods continuously wear down Xu Qing, thereby creating an opportunity for himself to deliver a decisive blow, and he also hoped to capture Xu Qing alive, if possible.

However, the scenes of slaughter that erupted quickly within the crimson mist after he left deeply shook his mind. Even though he knew Xu Qing was formidable, a great turmoil still rose within his heart at this moment. Especially when Xu Qing's gaze met his, the dwarf's unease intensified instantly. His weakened body instinctively retreated, and words rapidly spilled from his mouth.

“Fellow Daoist, the revival of my clan's True God is paramount to me, and the True God has made you a promise... If you leave with me, I will open an exit and let you go!”

He knew that saying this now would likely not convince Xu Qing, so what he needed was for these words to cause even a hint of hesitation in his opponent, which he himself would use. His thoughts raced, but... before he could finish, his body suddenly trembled. He abruptly looked down, seeing his divine body was actually melting. This melting gave him no prior warning, nor did he feel any pain or abnormality; everything happened silently. The source was a black thread wrapped around his ankle, placed there without his knowledge. The thread was carving its way into his divine body and soul along his skin.

“Divine Curse!” The dwarf's face drastically changed, and he cried out in alarm.

The next instant, Xu Qing's figure vanished, reappearing like a phantom in front of the dwarf god. With lightning speed, he raised his right hand, and his fingertip, accompanied by the echoing chime of bells, sliced across the dwarf's brow. The dwarf's face twisted. He wanted to resist, but the continuous injuries, the severe wounds from within the crimson mist, and now the eruption of the divine curse had left him incredibly weak. Furthermore, the arrival of the bell chime extinguished all possibilities.

In the blink of an eye, his body shuddered, and countless golden blood threads burst out from his seven orifices. These threads rose into the air, weaving into a new shower of blood as his body collapsed with a crash, scattering across the world.

Xu Qing stood mid-air, allowing the blood rain to wash over his wounds. In this battle, his injuries were extremely severe. He suppressed them forcefully, then, gathering his senses to perceive the reappearing pull and the now clear location of the fragments, he swayed and departed, dragging his exhausted body. He traversed through fragment worlds, finally locating the fragment's whereabouts based on his perception, finding traces of the Golden Rat within the ruins!

It was a ground covered in grass fragments that formed a formation woven from Star Ring grass fragments. The arrangement of its structure didn't resemble that of cultivators or gods; it was more akin to a method born from the Golden Rat's innate talent. Gazing at the formation, Xu Qing mused. He didn't know where this teleportation array led, but he could sense that once activated, two specific items were required for it to function: Star Ring grass of the same origin, and the aura of the Golden Rat, or rather, the Li Jin Beast. There was no other way; only by possessing both simultaneously could one perceive and activate the teleportation.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. “Back then, in the outer seas of Wanggu Continent, I encountered an Immortal Venerable who was pursuing the Golden Rat... He pointed me in the direction of the Fifth Star Ring, so I came to the Fifth Star Ring. Then, on the battlefield, I was accidentally teleported to the Fourth Star Ring... While healing in the Fourth Star Ring, precisely when a True God's divine sense swept over, I had no choice but to enter this secret realm to hide. And here, there just happened to be a struggle between two True Gods... And coincidentally, in the small world, the Golden Rat awakened, sensing its kin. Subsequently, in this place, I saw a teleportation array woven from Star Ring grass fragments, and the very last item required was precisely the Star Ring grass given to me by the Immortal Venerable.”

Xu Qing fell silent. “Was it to save me, or did you intend for me to come here from the very beginning?” he muttered to himself, gazing at the teleportation array before him.

A moment later, determination flashed in his eyes. Regardless, this was his only way out now, so he was about to step in. But just then...

An ancient voice echoed within the small world. “Young friend, there is a second transaction. Are you willing? True God Zhenyi's assimilation of me is imminent. I possess a secret method that can allow you to absorb True God Zhenyi here. While it increases your fundamental essence, it will also give me a chance to turn the tide!”

Xu Qing paused, looking up at the sky. “You were confident in getting me in; clearly, you've long known this karma would exist within your divine kingdom. So, is this transaction something you proposed yourself, or... did some entity make you propose it? Finally, I also want to know, are you... a god or an immortal!” Xu Qing's gaze was calm as he spoke slowly.

Meanwhile, in the Ninth Star Ring, extremely far from the Fourth Star Ring, at the center of the vast starry sky, lay the Wanggu Continent! The pressure from the ancient star-sky immortal there grew heavier, and the sense of urgency in the hearts of all races and beings grew stronger. And beneath the Wanggu Continent, in the endless catacombs where the Huangtian God Clan resided, sealed by the ancient immortal, in a secluded spot, there was a dilapidated temple. The temple had no statues, but in a corner, a head lay face up, cursing loudly. “So what if I stole a Divine Platform pinnacle corpse? You've been chasing me for so long, just you wait!”

The head gritted its teeth. The next instant, a wild-looking, nearly bald, lame little mouse crawled out from the nearby ruins, came next to the head, and let out a lazy squeak. The head moved, rolled over, adjusting its angle so its gaze could fall upon the little mouse, its expression gradually turning surprised. “What was that? You sensed a distant teleportation?”