Chapter 1281: This Is... The First Courtesy

On the firmament of the original mother star, runic chains shimmered with a gray light.

This was the light that extinguished all existence—whether gods or cultivators, divine authority or constitutional law, rules or principles.

In its presence, there was a hierarchical gap.

It seemed this light, originating from a divine umbilical cord, could shatter all logic within the thirty-six ascending star rings.

Therefore, to counter it with ascending power, significantly more would be required, necessitating a gradual erosion through sheer volume.

Only a force truly equivalent to it could achieve an equal neutralization.

This was why even the long blade, formed by the Aurora Young Master's previous convergence of the Fifth Star Ring's fortune, could not sever the runic chain, but only momentarily halt it.

The Aurora Young Master, truly a peerless prodigy, had already found a method to counter it the moment he saw the runic chain descend.

This true countermeasure… was the divine core within him!

It was a divine core imbued with the authority over the destiny of Shanghuang, stolen by the Divine Venerable in ancient times.

Furthermore, because Shanghuang was in a state of semi-divinity, this divine core actually possessed power equivalent to, or even surpassing, that of the runic chain.

Therefore, using a divine core of such caliber to withstand the power of the runic chain was naturally the best choice.

However, what the Aurora Young Master sought was not merely to rely on the divine core for resistance.

He intended to leverage the mutual vibration between the divine core and the runic chain to sever the connection between the divine core and himself!

These were the karmic threads connecting him to Shanghuang!

Thus, at this moment, after his eyes separately circulated, converging the combined power of divinity and immortality, he leaped from mid-air, unleashing unprecedented power.

The Fourth Star Ring and Fifth Star Ring, absorbed and controlled by him as a vessel, erupted with a roar, forming a long blade interwoven with gold and silver light.

He struck the divine runic chain once more!

The moment they met, heaven and earth trembled, the starry sky roared, and both the original mother star itself and the void beyond rippled violently.

It was as if a terrifying storm was sweeping across everything.

Consequently, the divine path of the Fourth Star Ring wailed once more.

And the fortune of the Fifth Star Ring surged violently in response.

The runic chain's descent paused yet again. However, though some of its internal gray light was offset by the divine path of the Fourth Star Ring and the fortune of the Fifth Star Ring, a significant portion still flowed along the blade.

In an instant, it surged into the Aurora Young Master's body, unleashing extreme destruction, sweeping through him with a thunderous, overwhelming force.

The Aurora Young Master's entire body trembled, blood oozing from his orifices, yet his eyes gleamed with ruthlessness.

The next moment, the divine core within him rose, radiating dazzling golden light, and directly collided with the invading gray light.

Both vibrated intensely.

Furthermore, amidst this vibration, the karmic threads connecting the divine core to the Aurora Young Master also trembled, with a few appearing on the verge of snapping.

At this crucial moment, the Aurora Young Master did not hesitate, striking again!

Heaven and earth shook as the blade light continuously erupted with the Aurora Young Master's swings.

The third strike, the fourth strike, the fifth strike!

Each blow caused the chain to vibrate, his divine core to sway, and the karmic threads to be stretched to their absolute limit.

After nine strikes, a madness surged within the Aurora Young Master. His left hand extended, erupting with golden light.

His right hand swung, shimmering with intense silver light.

Then, moving both hands simultaneously, he seized the runic chain before him, his expression twisted into a fierce grimace, as a low growl echoed from his mouth, reverberating through both the Fourth and Fifth Star Rings.

His internal divine core roared in response, and amidst the violent tremors, a ball of fire rose, flowing out from the Aurora Young Master's hands and engulfing the runic chain!

The runic chain instantly ignited, the flames spreading rapidly.

However, it did not melt immediately; instead, it shimmered with gray light, rapidly eroding against the flames.

Moreover, during this erosion, all the threads connecting the Aurora Young Master's divine core to himself showed signs of succumbing under the collision of these powers.

Until the next moment, the divine core and the runes seemed to reach a critical point…

Both vibrated wildly at the same time!

The divine core roared, rapidly shrinking and becoming incomplete, reduced to the size of a fingernail.

Yet, the terrifying power it displayed now surpassed its previous might.

It was as if, through its confrontation with the runic chain, the divine core had been purified!

Impurities had been expelled, leaving behind the purest, supreme divine core, imbued with the power of Shanghuang's semi-divinity!

Simultaneously, the karmic threads connecting the divine core to the Aurora Young Master began to irrevocably break at this moment, with the vast majority snapping in an instant!

On the severed ends of these karmic threads, images of the Aurora Young Master ascending to God Lordship flickered.

And along with his divinity, they were dissipating.

As for the outside, the runic chain was finally eroded to a point where it could no longer withstand the flames. At this moment…

The runic chain burst into roaring flames!

It was visibly being incinerated into ash!

And each scattered particle of ash remarkably emitted a sound akin to the breaking of a chime stone, reverberating throughout heaven and earth.

During this process, a sound like rushing rivers gradually emanated from around the Aurora Young Master.

It was the sound of newly formed immortal essence flowing.

Terrifying immortal power, belonging to the Immortal Lord level, rapidly spread along the Fifth Star Ring's star chart dao patterns etched onto the Aurora Young Master's dao bones. Wherever it passed, the dao bones shone with brilliant silver light.

This, in turn, affected the Aurora Young Master's form, causing him to gradually shed his divine appearance and return to the form of a cultivator!

It was as if his humanity was erupting, while his divinity rapidly receded.

At this moment, his hair also transformed from gold to white, gradually shining with a milky way-like brilliance.

The aura of an immortal ascended to its peak.

Consequently, the firmament roared, the divine path wailed, and the fortune of the Fifth Star Ring surged majestically.

And at this very moment, the Aurora Immortal Lord did something nobody had anticipated. He raised his right hand, imbued with the flowing fortune of the Fifth Star Ring, and pointed it towards Xu Qing, who was observing the scene from afar…

He suddenly pointed!

"Xu Qing, you first served as the successor for the Aurora Immortal Palace and even the Beyond Heavens, thus deserving to partake in the nurturing fortune of this epoch. Later, as a True Lord, you gained the authority to bestow fortune!"

"Furthermore, you assisted the Fifth Star Ring and me in achieving this pinnacle!"

"Today, I bestow upon you two gifts."

"This is… the first one!"

"It is also my, Mimir's, first divine decree since becoming the Immortal Lord and taking charge of the Fifth Star Ring!"

"Fifth Star Ring's fortune, go!"

As Mimir spoke, his decree, being supreme, caused the fortune of the Fifth Star Ring present there to directly erupt, a portion transforming into a long dragon of fortune that shot straight towards Xu Qing.

It approached in an instant. As Xu Qing's heart pounded faster, this dragon of fortune roared, its sound echoing through the Fifth Star Ring, and directly surged into… Xu Qing's body!

At this moment, Xu Qing's cultivation exploded with a roar!

The nurturing fortune contained the purest source essence and the will of all beings, as if bestowed by rules, recognized by principles, and authorized by Mimir's decree.

This made everything perfectly legitimate!

Thus, it became this unparalleled opportunity!

Instantly, a monstrous roar erupted within Xu Qing. Under the nourishment of this fortune, his cultivation directly broke through the mid-stage Quasi-Immortal realm, ascending to… the late-stage Quasi-Immortal realm!

An astonishing aura burst forth from him, sweeping outwards, while his cultivation… continued to climb with the influx of this long arc of fortune!

This was because Xu Qing had actually met the conditions for peak Quasi-Immortal when he comprehended the Ninth Extreme, which was the Constitution of Universal Superposition.

What he lacked was only source essence!

This was also why he had been constantly searching for source essence earlier.

However, the amount of source essence required for advancement in the Quasi-Immortal stage was immense, and his own absorption rate was also an issue, which was why his progression had been slow.

But now, with this opportunity, he was essentially receiving a one-time replenishment of everything he had previously lacked, and with the added blessing of fortune, his absorption was no longer hindered.

Thus, in the next instant, Xu Qing's aura roared again, as he stepped directly from the late-stage Quasi-Immortal realm into the Great Perfection of Quasi-Immortal.

This meant… peak Quasi-Immortal!

It was even overflowing!

Constantly raising the upper limit of this realm, reaching an extreme no one had ever achieved!

A terrifying pressure erupted from Xu Qing, shaking heaven and earth, transforming into an overwhelming force that radiated an intent to annihilate everything in its path.

This momentum surpassed all peak Quasi-Immortals throughout history!

Even some Xia Immortals were inferior in aura!

This was Xu Qing's… accumulated power finally unleashed!

Furthermore, brilliant silver light materialized!

This color, inherent to Xia Immortals, instantly flowed throughout his body, finally converging in his eyes, forming a pair of silver eyes!

At this moment, with silver eyes and black hair…

His cultivation was not yet that of an Immortal, but already surpassed one!

What he lacked was only the Tenth Extreme!

Which was the Transformation of Constitution into Law!

Once Xu Qing comprehended it, his cultivation would instantly break through, allowing him to truly step into the ranks of Xia Immortals!

That was also the day he had previously set for himself to return to the Era of Ancient Observation!

Faced with such a profound fortune, Xu Qing's heart surged with intense emotion.

He took a deep breath, perceiving the terrifying fluctuations within his body and recognizing his future path, then looked up at the Aurora Young Master in mid-air.

He clasped his hands and bowed deeply!

In mid-air, seeing Xu Qing successfully break through, the Aurora Young Master's mood lightened, and he burst into laughter.

With nothing left to reserve, the last karmic thread connecting him to the divine core within his body… snapped completely in this instant!

He was no longer connected to it.

His aura as an Immortal Lord now erupted entirely without reservation, climbing to its absolute peak, causing the Fourth Star Ring to tremble and the Fifth Star Ring to resonate with cheers!

His form also completely reverted to his original human appearance!

His true self returned to him!

He had completed the entire process of transitioning from an Immortal to a God, becoming a God Lord, and then shifting from the divine path back to the immortal path.

He became the Immortal Lord of the Fifth Star Ring!

Immortal Lord Mimir!

Simultaneously, his relationship with the Fourth Star Ring, though seemingly severed, still existed in reality.

The names of the Sun and Moon, etched in the long river of true names, remained eternal.

This made Immortal Lord Mimir like an unprecedented nail, deeply embedded within the rules of the Fourth Star Ring!

Immovable.

As if he had eternally etched his own constitution.

Indelible.

He would be the first within the Fifth Star Ring to possess both the blessing of the Fifth Star Ring's fortune and the ability to influence the divine logic of the Fourth Star Ring!

Achieving the status of… the strongest Immortal Lord within both great star rings!

It would not be an exaggeration to call him a half-step Immortal Venerable!