Chapter 1343: Original Mother Planet

This was clearly a ritual.

Its scale was astonishing.

Serving as the celestial and terrestrial anchors for this ritual, the left eye of the Ruined Sky and the right eye of the Desolate Earth pierced through the void and shattered time.

Then, they converged upon Crown Prince Ziqing, specifically upon the skull he held high.

Using the skull as a spatiotemporal anchor, a unique return was initiated, anchored to Ziqing's destiny.

If time and space were likened to clear water, then Crown Prince Ziqing's skull from that era was a drop of concentrated black ink.

This ink, when dropped into the clear water, drained everything.

It stained the world and changed its color.

The entire Heaven-Devouring Domain turned dark.

As the ink spread, within this darkness, all traces of the Ziqing Empire vanished rapidly, from the outside in, as if they had never existed.

Shedding the dust of time and space, it returned to its primordial state.

Ultimately, the Ziqing Imperial Capital also vanished without a trace amidst this stirring dust.

This included Xu Qing and Ziqing within the Imperial Palace of the capital.

In the next instant, their auras and traces ceased to exist.

They were isolated from the present world and stepped into ancient times.

Wind blew across heaven and earth.

It carried the aura of antiquity, tinged with a faint scent of blood.

It swept over the shattered land, through the withered mountains and forests, and in the void, like a divine artisan's brush, it sketched Xu Qing, tens of thousands of years later, with its strokes.

His figure materialized.

The moment he appeared, Xu Qing's eyes gleamed with an unusual light. He gazed around, his mind surging with emotion.

"The aura here is indeed what I was looking for."

He then looked up at the sky.

The firmament was grayer than he remembered.

This was due to the dense foreign substance permeating the world; not yet fully dissolved, it still manifested as a haze in this era.

This place was still Wanggu, but no longer the Heaven-Devouring Domain.

"The Holy Lan Domain."

The ancient Holy Lan Domain.

At the same time, this was the true location of the Ziqing Empire in the past!

And war was currently raging!

In Xu Qing's perception, within this ancient Holy Lan Domain, ancient cities dotted the landscape, now ablaze with battle signals.

Cultivators from the myriad races were besieging the cities.

This was the historical moment of the Ziqing Empire's demise.

Countless cultivators from the myriad races converged from various great domains, sweeping through like a torrent, destroying cities of the Ziqing Empire and slaughtering its citizens who fought for it.

Driven and influenced by various powers behind the scenes, they intended to completely annihilate the Ziqing Empire!

They sought to crush the rising momentum of humanity!

Gazing at this, Xu Qing fell silent.

In his mind, a calm voice now echoed.

"I didn't lie to you, did I? Crown Prince Ziqing truly unleashed the destiny-based method to return to ancient times!"

"This is the specific time and space he returned to, using his own destiny!"

As the voice spoke, a bloody light flashed around Xu Qing. In the next moment, a cloud of blood mist seeped from his body, floated in mid-air, and coalesced into a crimson mask!

Upon materializing, the mask immediately gazed into the distance, with a faint, ghostly fire flickering deep within its eyes.

Then, it looked at Xu Qing.

"Now, I need you to voluntarily sever the karma of our completed transaction."

Xu Qing remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping over the mask, his eyes profound.

Before his battle with Crown Prince Ziqing, he had been studying and continuously absorbing the mysterious light of the Huangtian Divine Race on Zhaoxia Mountain. However, his cultivation had reached its peak, preventing further breakthroughs.

As for that light, it too could not be further assimilated.

The remaining portion was the core component of its key.

Thus, Xu Qing began to research this key at a deeper level.

Through his repeated explorations and research, he came to understand that this object was likely the key to opening the door to the Primal Mother Star.

However, having only the key was clearly insufficient; he still needed to find the door!

Xu Qing attempted to find the door, but whether through the Huangtian Domain or by utilizing the Heavenly Dao, all attempts failed.

He could not find the door leading to the Primal Mother Star.

He had no leads whatsoever.

In his past experiences, he knew that the Primal Mother Star existed in a very unique way; for instance, the Fourth Star Ring existed within the memories of all deities.

The Primal Mother Star of the Ninth Star Ring seemed to exist in an even more peculiar manner.

It was not until three years before he decided to battle Ziqing that Xu Qing, while studying the key and contemplating memories from his entire life, finally discovered a clue.

That clue was Crown Prince Ziqing!

Crown Prince Ziqing was the self-salvation of humanity's destiny, and also the self-salvation of Wanggu.

Compared to the entire Huangtian, Wanggu's existence was relatively short. Therefore, to some extent, Wanggu itself was Huangtian.

Thus, Crown Prince Ziqing's self-salvation should also encompass Huangtian.

The predecessor of Huangtian was the Primal Mother Star.

This was the only clue Xu Qing could find related to the Primal Mother Star.

If Crown Prince Ziqing was the self-salvation of Huangtian, then by further deduction, there was a high probability that he was also the self-salvation of the Primal Mother Star!

If this possibility proved true, then Crown Prince Ziqing's destiny might be the door leading to the Primal Mother Star.

However, it wouldn't be the present-day Ziqing, but the ancient Ziqing from before he sacrificed himself to the Ruined Face!

His destiny!

Therefore, what Xu Qing desired was precisely to return to ancient times!

This return was not reliant on his own spacetime constitution, because although his constitution could also enter spacetime, it would only enter *his* spacetime.

What he wanted was the spacetime embedded within Crown Prince Ziqing's destiny!

However, Xu Qing was uncertain whether this specific requirement would be fulfilled during his battle with Ziqing.

Thus, he thought of the Wish Mask!

This mask had previously made a transaction with Xu Qing. At that time, Xu Qing wished for the mask to help him condense an Immortal Body.

Afterward, the mask informed Xu Qing of the price for the wish: it requested Xu Qing to bring it before the Ruined Face statue in the Ziqing Empire of the Heaven-Devouring Domain.

After numerous experiences, and a battle with a deity under the Mother River, Xu Qing already had a speculation regarding the Wish Mask's true origins.

Therefore, he made another transaction with the Wish Mask.

These thoughts surfaced in Xu Qing's mind. He then raised his hand and waved, severing his connection with the mask.

He spoke calmly.

"Our transaction is complete!"

As Xu Qing severed the karma, the crimson mask trembled violently, its features twisting into a bizarre smile before it flashed and instantly vanished from this ancient spacetime of Ziqing's destiny.

Watching it depart, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes.

"It seeks to borrow the Desolate Earth to gain freedom..."

A few breaths later, Xu Qing retracted his gaze, perceiving the wars breaking out across this ancient Ziqing Domain. He sensed further still, to the imperial capital of the Ziqing Empire within this great domain.

Finally, his eyes gleamed with an unusual light. As he raised his right hand, a beam of light suddenly shone in his palm!

The light's color was like the morning glow.

It was the light of the morning glow, and also the mysterious light worshipped by the Huangtian Divine Race.

After taking out this light, Xu Qing took a deep breath, his resolve firm.

He intended to try and open the door to the Primal Mother Star here!

Just like Mimi did back then, he aimed to use the Primal Mother Star to break through his own cultivation.

Knowing time was limited, he no longer hesitated and sharply waved the light in his hand.

Instantly, that light soared into the sky, shimmering in the firmament, then rapidly spread out, transforming into a celestial rainbow!

The brilliant rainbow light, like ripples on a long river, swept in all directions, and at the center of the glow, a unique aura suddenly appeared.

Gradually, it formed a rift within the light!

Xu Qing's gaze instantly focused. He saw that within the rift that appeared in the light, there existed a place almost completely isolated, unreachable for exploration except through this very rift!

That place was neither the memories of deities nor the memories of all living beings.

It was Huangtian's dream!

Within it, there were astonishingly two mysterious and ethereal Primal Mother Stars!

One black, one white.

The moment he saw them clearly, Xu Qing's body swayed violently. He charged into the light, plunged into the rift, and disappeared within!

The moment he entered, the rift and light behind him seemed to have completed their mission and vanished.

The Primal Mother Star of the Fourth Star Ring existed within the memories of all beings in that star ring.

The Primal Mother Star of the Ninth Star Ring, however, existed within the dream of the Huangtian World's own will.

Because the Huangtian World was exceedingly ancient, and later experienced the arrival of Houtu, which established Wanggu and introduced the Heavenly Dao for cultivators, its will had gradually been eroded.

The appearance of the Ruined Face turned this erosion into outright fragmentation.

Until finally, on the verge of dissipation, the Huangtian World coalesced its last shred of self-salvation, integrated it into Wanggu, and transformed it into humanity.

Thus, Ziqing, the self-savior who carried the hope of humanity, Wanggu, and even Huangtian, was born.

As he gazed upon the Primal Mother Stars, these insights surfaced in Xu Qing's mind.

The place he was currently in was bathed in dazzling, colorful light.

In the distance, amidst the endless light, two massive Primal Mother Stars, one black and one white, were rotating.

The black and white emanating from them intertwined with the surrounding vibrant colors, creating an ethereal spectacle.

Gazing at the Primal Mother Stars, a sharp glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes.

The path he intended to choose originated with Mimi!

Mimi's advancement back then relied on directly embedding herself with the Primal Mother Star of the Fourth Star Ring, merging with it.

First, she gained the power of a God Lord through the Mother Star, leaving behind her true name, and then transitioned from a god to an immortal.

This method made Mimi both a god and an immortal!

Hence, she possessed a unique suppressive power over deities.

However, Xu Qing's post-analysis of that advancement led him to believe there was a more supreme choice for breaking through by relying on a Primal Mother Star.

That was to devour the Primal Mother Star!

Mimi might have entertained this idea as well, but due to practical constraints, she ultimately chose a brief fusion.

She did not attempt to devour the Mother Star!

Because this path presented too many insurmountable obstacles.

At that time, whether it was the obstruction from the God Venerable of the Fourth Star Ring, the ultimate repulsion from the Primal Mother Star of the Fourth Star Ring, or the risks associated with Mimi's own capacity for sacrifice and the blending of wills—any deviation would have caused the ritual to fail.

It was like walking on a spider's silk!

Therefore, Mimi ultimately chose the safest method with the highest success rate: merely achieving advancement through fusion, then dispersing on her own.

Xu Qing's plan, however, was to take the path Mimi forged as a starting point, push it to its extreme, and accomplish what Mimi could not!

"There are three difficulties!"

"Divided into internal and external!"

"The external difficulties are: first, the obstruction from other God Venerables of the Ninth Star Ring; second, the choice of the Ruined Face of the Desolate Earth."

"The third is the internal difficulty, which lies in the inherent repulsion of these two Primal Mother Stars themselves!"

Xu Qing gazed at the Primal Mother Stars ahead, an unusual light flashing in his eyes.

Due to its unique nature and the presence of the Ruined Face, the location of the Ninth Star Ring's Primal Mother Star meant that the first external difficulty no longer applied to Xu Qing.

This place was undetectable, and with the Ruined Face present, the God Venerables of the Ninth Star Ring could not easily approach.

"As for the Ruined Face itself..."

Xu Qing's resolve was firm. He had prepared for both success and failure.

But no matter what, he would attempt it!

With this thought, Xu Qing did not hesitate. His body flickered and he sped directly towards the Twin Primal Stars!

Ancient winds blew across the firmament where the morning glow had dissipated, sweeping the lingering remnants of aura there and descending to the earth.

They brushed over collapsed mountains and rivers, and over shattered cities.

Finally, they blew upon the vast capital city at the center of the Holy Lan Domain, a city seen as the heart of humanity's resurgence.

That was the imperial capital of the Ziqing Empire!

At this moment, outside the capital, countless cultivators from the myriad races were visible in the sky and on the ground. Their expressions were ferocious, revealing cruelty and madness, their killing intent soaring to the heavens as they surged towards the capital from all directions.

The city walls had already been breached!

Within the capital, the number of myriad race cultivators was equally astonishing, and they were sweeping through.

As for their opponents, the cultivators of the Ziqing Empire, they were all silent.

Silently resisting, silently killing, silently dying.

Regardless of their injuries or emotional fluctuations, they uttered no loud cries.

This was not the custom of their Ziqing Empire.

Similarly, no matter how many comrades fell around them, they did not despair; there was only sorrow and an indomitable will.

Because their Crown Prince was still there!

Behind them, within the Imperial Palace, a figure stood.

Throughout the Imperial Palace, powerhouses from the myriad races poured in from all directions, engaging in a bloody battle with the imperial guards.

Death was constant.

Corpses lay everywhere.

Blood had already formed rivers.