Chapter 1333: Freedom

The mysterious and brilliant orb of light, at Erniu's command, shot directly towards Xu Qing. Erniu's voice, after a brief surge of excitement, instantly faded.

The blue glow on the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's left hand, where Erniu had been possessing, rapidly receded. Simultaneously, the Divine Emperor's formidable divine power erupted with fierce intensity, clearly intending to completely suppress and obliterate Erniu.

At this critical moment, Seventh Master's Thick Earth Illusion shone even more brightly, enveloping the surroundings. It acted to isolate external disturbances, thereby delaying the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's full recovery.

Meanwhile, as the brilliant orb of light approached, Xu Qing raised his right hand. Within his palm, embedded in his flesh, a lens materialized!

It was a rhombic mirror, its surface shimmering with light, capable of reflecting everything in the world within itself. Moreover, a constitutional aura, surpassing that of a Summer Immortal and already reaching the Immortal Lord tier—even exceeding ordinary Immortal Lords—circulated within it. This aura caused immortal intent to permeate the entire Blazing Heaven.

This item originated from Immortal Lord Miming! It was Miming's personal Constitution, a gift bestowed upon Xu Qing before he departed the Fifth Star Ring.

When used by others, this Constitution's effect was unremarkable. But Xu Qing was an exception. He had once integrated into Miming's memories, becoming Miming in historical events and experiencing the most crucial period of Miming's life. That experience, to some extent, made Xu Qing the only one among the thirty-six ascending star rings capable of almost fully manifesting Miming's Constitution. This was also the most potent treasure he possessed, second only to the Divine Eye Lampshade gifted by Master Bai.

As the lens in his palm glowed, the sky above Blazing Heaven changed color, and the earth itself churned. Miming's Constitution, imbued with its terrifying status, suppressed everything. This was especially true for the returning Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor. The instant the mirror reflected the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor, her colossal body violently shuddered. She then began to tremble violently. Inside the mirror in Xu Qing's palm, a golden mist rapidly converged, gradually outlining a blurry human form.

Seventh Master, observing this scene, was equally shaken. He sensed the extraordinary nature of the mirror in Xu Qing's palm and realized that the blurry figure within it was none other than the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's divine soul! Faintly, even the Divine Emperor's true name was discernible within.

"This mirror... it seems to possess a unique power to suppress deities!" Seventh Master murmured.

Xu Qing, noticing Seventh Master's expression, naturally understood his thoughts. Seventh Master was unaware of Immortal Lord Miming's method of ascension. Miming's ascension involved merging with the original mother star of the Fourth Star Ring through a unique "birthing" process. He first attained godhood by leveraging the mother star's power, thereby leaving his true name, and then transitioned from a deity to an immortal. This method made Miming both a god and an immortal. Consequently, he possessed a unique ability to suppress deities.

Xu Qing had later analyzed that ascension. Relying on the original mother star inherently granted astonishing status and an exceptionally high starting point. However, Miming's ultimate choice still carried some regrets. He had only merged with the mother star for a brief period. He had not truly absorbed the mother star! Otherwise, everything would have been rewritten in a far more terrifying manner. But he also knew that this path was fraught with too many insurmountable obstacles. The opposition from the Fourth Star Ring's Divine Venerable, the ultimate repulsion from the Fourth Star Ring's original mother star, Miming's personal endurance of the sacrifice, or the risk of mental corruption—any single deviation could lead to the ritual's failure. It was like walking on a spider's silk! Therefore, Miming ultimately chose the safest method with the highest chance of success: to merely borrow the merger for ascension, then voluntarily disperse.

As these thoughts briefly flashed through Xu Qing's mind, his gaze settled on the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor below. The Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's eyes, now closed once more, nevertheless radiated a strongly fluctuating aura, and her body visibly trembled. She clearly wanted to struggle, but Miming's constitutional suppression rendered all her resistance utterly ineffective. Even at her peak, she could not contend with Miming as he now existed, let alone while she was in the process of returning and had lost the source light consecrated by her clan! Thus, she could only permit the lens in Xu Qing's palm to forcibly absorb her divine soul.

Throughout this process, Erniu was immensely excited. He could feel the body he possessed rapidly diminishing its repulsion and resistance towards him. Without hesitation, he initiated the merger once more. The next moment, the blue glow on the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's left hand, which had almost faded, intensely flared, swiftly spreading across the Divine Emperor's body. In an instant, it reclaimed half of the body, then advanced towards the other half with unstoppable force!

Yet, the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's resistance, even now, remained stubbornly defiant. Though unable to withstand Miming's mirror, there were faint signs of a desperate, all-or-nothing struggle. It seemed that even in defeat, she was unwilling to relinquish her divine body!

Witnessing this, Seventh Master's eyes glinted with a cold light; he was about to intervene. Xu Qing, however, observing the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor below, suddenly spoke.

"If this pretense goes too far and affects my senior brother's merger," Xu Qing stated, "then I will assume you intend to make this 'fake' struggle a genuine one."

The moment Xu Qing's words rang out, the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's bodily tremors abruptly ceased. Xu Qing's voice continued.

"You intended to use my senior brother as a conduit, creating a unique ritual with a specific reception, location, and method for your return. On the surface, it all appeared normal and logical. Indeed, had there not been the unforeseen circumstance of my return, you would have succeeded. However, I don't believe you were unaware of the external events. Nor do I believe you weren't clear that your original plan, given the current circumstances, would still lead to your suppression, even if you did return. If that's the case, why continue to struggle with all your might—" Xu Qing's gaze, full of profound meaning, fixed on the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's corpse. "Are you perhaps intending to leverage the karma between my master and me to completely dissipate here, thereby returning in a different way, in another star ring? You struggled with all your might, putting on a show to avoid being exposed. Yet, deep down, there was also genuine resentment, leading you to try and achieve both outcomes with this opportunity!"

As Xu Qing spoke, he glanced at the mirror in his hand. Although it contained the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's soul and true name, and they appeared to be integrated, through the mirror's constitutional law, Xu Qing could discern a nearly imperceptible trace of repulsion between the true name and the divine soul! This true name... it didn't belong to the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor!

"Senior Li Zihua has never returned. I wonder if his departure from here to Wanggu, and everything that followed, was all part of a plan... to help you escape?" Xu Qing spoke calmly. He hadn't been entirely certain of this point initially, but his experiences after entering Blazing Heaven, coupled with the manifestations within Miming's Constitutional Mirror, had allowed him to form a judgment. Most importantly, he did not believe that this Divine Emperor, who had once shone so brilliantly in Blazing Heaven, would be an ordinary being who left no contingencies for herself.

Xu Qing's voice echoed through the surroundings. On the ground, the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's previously closed eyes suddenly snapped open. Golden light burst from her eyes, fixing on Xu Qing.

Xu Qing turned to Seventh Master and spoke softly, "Master, may I have complete authority over the matters here?"

Hearing this, Seventh Master nodded slightly, already guessing Xu Qing's intention.

Xu Qing bowed, then turned his gaze to the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor below. "Regarding the past, I still owe Senior Li Zihua a favor. Since your true name was taken by him, then... abandon your resistance and grant my senior brother's wish. I will let you depart! From this moment forth, you shall not take a single step into the Ninth Star Ring, and it shall concern you no more!" Xu Qing's voice, like a decree from heaven, echoed through the land. "There is gain only through sacrifice."

The Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor remained silent. Xu Qing's words laid bare the entire scheme. Indeed, at the outset, she had planned to leverage that greedy individual to complete her return. However, external changes had caught her off guard, though they hadn't caused excessive panic. She still had other avenues. Both Li Zihua and the Scarlet Mother had, in fact, left Blazing Heaven with her tacit consent. As for their departure, she hadn't intervened. Every departing clan member, however, shared a single conviction: to liberate her. And Li Zihua, through his own exceptional capabilities, had advanced the furthest. Here, she merely needed to sever all karmic ties and connections with Blazing Heaven, willingly allowing all traces of her existence to be erased, and then she could succeed. Yet, a lingering trace of unwillingness persisted in her heart.

A few breaths later, a sigh emanated around her. She finally relinquished that last shred of unwillingness in her heart, then closed her eyes. She ceased all resistance.

Instantly, within the mirror in Xu Qing's palm, her soul image fully materialized. Its connection to her main body was completely severed. Erniu's merger, too, abruptly accelerated, spreading across the entire Divine Emperor's body in just over ten breaths. Afterward, he entered a deep slumber for profound integration.

Glancing at his senior brother, Xu Qing realized he would need some time to awaken. He then raised his palm and clasped the lens. The next instant, the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor within the lens shattered, her divine soul and true name being simultaneously erased. All karmic ties with Wanggu and Blazing Heaven were completely severed. All traces of her existence were likewise expunged. On both the Wanggu Continent and in the Blazing Heaven world, all memories of the Blazing Heaven Divine Emperor's existence were invisibly erased from the minds of every living being. No one remembered her; she could not be recalled.

She was free. Just as Xu Qing had stated, there is gain only through sacrifice. She had given up everything here in exchange for freedom.

"Freedom is good," Seventh Master mused. "We fought for so long back then, and though we won, in reality, this place was never truly unified. Blazing Heaven's existence always prevented it from fully belonging to Thick Earth." This resolution allowed him to finally put an end to the past in his heart.

"That light from Blazing Heaven..." Seventh Master prompted, looking at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing raised his right hand, taking the light floating before him into his grasp. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke softly, "Master, senior brother will still need some time to awaken. This light is quite peculiar. It contains the secrets of Blazing Heaven, as well as its will. I wish to absorb it right here and discover... what exactly that secret is!"