Chapter 257: Worthy

Sheng Yunzi's voice abruptly ceased, his life rapidly draining away at that moment.

Even so, Xu Qing remained uneasy. After pulling out the hand bone, he was about to slice open Sheng Yunzi's neck. He intended to tear Sheng Yunzi's body apart to prevent any bizarre method of resurrection. But at that very moment, a long rainbow burst forth from the seven-colored Lifelamp in his right hand.

This rainbow appeared extremely suddenly, soaring directly into the sky. The forbidden projection of the Lingyun Sword Sect seemed to originate from the same source, offering no obstruction. Even the magic weapon eyes of the Seven Blood Eyes Sect struggled to hinder it, allowing the rainbow to shoot straight for the heavens and explode with a roar in the sky. It formed a massive vortex. This blood-red vortex rotated with a booming sound, emanating a terrifying and soul-stirring aura. A furious roar also echoed from within the vortex: "Who dares harm my grandson?!"

Under this furious roar, the magic weapon projection of the Seven Blood Eyes Sect disintegrated. The forbidden projection below also vanished instantly, the surrounding seals opened, and Xu Qing's figure was revealed. His expression shifted as he felt a powerful force emanating from the Lifelamp in his hand, struggling to rush into the vortex in the sky. But Xu Qing held it firmly; this was something he had painstakingly acquired with great effort. This was his treasure. Even with only a few fingers, Xu Qing simply bit down on it, his eyes bloodshot, refusing to let go.

At the same time, as the low roar from the sky reverberated, a hand extended directly from within the vortex. This hand was withered, covered in wrinkles, emanating decay and ancientness. It was also immensely vast, seemingly capable of covering the sky. The moment it appeared, the sky darkened, the world lost its color, and the entire world became still in an instant. A supreme power descended upon the world with the appearance of that colossal hand. Sheng Yunzi's dying body vanished instantly, appearing within the sky's vortex, and was directly pulled away.

The shadow shivered and instantly fled. The colossal hand ignored these things and reached downwards, about to seize Xu Qing. Xu Qing's entire body trembled violently. Blood overflowed from the edge of the Lifelamp he was biting, his vision blurred, and his body continuously burst with crackling sounds, splattering even more blood. A sense of death abruptly descended upon his mind at this moment. He could not dodge, could not escape. The colossal vortex hand was coming to destroy him. All cultivation, all calculations, all preparations, were useless at this moment. The immense disparity in cultivation transformed into nothing but despair.

But just then, from deep within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, a sharp whistle suddenly resounded. This whistle was so loud it pierced the clouds and reached the heavens, sounding like a bird's cry yet also like a phoenix's roar. It instantly changed the very color of the sky and earth, and massive cracks appeared in the firmament. With a deafening sound, these cracks directly tore open the blood-red vortex, causing the enormous hand extending from within it to abruptly pause. From deep within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, a voice reverberated, majestic as a heavenly decree: "This is my Imperial Forbidden Zone; those of the Void Return stage, do not enter. Begone!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the blood-red vortex in the sky was directly torn apart by the cracks. A muffled groan of injury came from within, and the extended withered hand instantly crumbled three of its fingers. Xu Qing's entire body also trembled. As the life-and-death crisis dissipated, the seven-colored glazed lamp he was biting down on firmly shook violently. The humanoid imprint formed by the patterns containing the laws of heaven and earth on its surface instantly blurred. With a crackling sound, it broke apart and was completely erased. Having lost the patterned design, the Lifelamp's struggle also ceased instantly, and a sense of ownerlessness surged into Xu Qing's mind.

Simultaneously, from within the sky's vortex, a mournful roar followed the muffled groan, though it was merely a roar. The hand, missing three fingers, retracted with intense unwillingness. Yet, before retracting, a voice still emerged: "Failure to protect is a capital offense. Kill this child and retrieve the Lifelamp, and you shall be spared death!"

Cracks instantly erupted across the sky, crisscrossing the vortex, as if countless sharp blades were sweeping through, causing the vortex to collapse and dissipate. The moment the world returned to normal, Xu Qing's breathing was ragged. He retrieved the Wish Box from the ground, then spun around without hesitation, accelerating to full speed as he frantically fled into the distance. He had no time to think too much at that moment, because the instant the vortex collapsed, he felt three Golden Core auras suddenly descend from afar, surging forth with boundless madness and rage, rapidly approaching him.

The identity of these three Golden Core auras was self-evident: they were Sheng Yunzi's guardians. And the terrifying entity within the vortex must have been the Lingyun Sword Sect's Ancestor. Though he was forced back by the voice from deep within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, he still managed to transfer Sheng Yunzi's three guardians to this location. He could not descend personally, but his desire to kill Xu Qing and retrieve the Lifelamp was incredibly strong. As for other matters—like the voice from deep within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, Sheng Yunzi's fate, or what he should do next—Xu Qing had no time to consider them.

He was now fleeing at full speed, his internal purple crystal erupting, while a fierce glint appeared in his eyes as he clutched the seven-colored glazed lamp tightly. Amidst his frantic escape, a wildness also showed in Xu Qing's eyes. This time, he had barely survived, expended immense effort, but his gains were equally significant. The value of the Lifelamp was beyond description.

"It was worth it!" Xu Qing gasped, gritting his teeth, and immediately began to refine the seven-colored glazed lamp. He couldn't wait to slowly integrate it later. In this moment of crisis, with three Golden Core cultivators in pursuit, he needed to enhance his strength and accelerate his injuries' recovery. Therefore, he couldn't afford to hesitate or take time to inspect it thoroughly. He could only gamble by instinct, so the Lifeflame within him ignited and surged upwards.

As the flames enveloped his entire body and radiated outwards, they enclosed the seven-colored glazed lamp. Immediately, the lamp shone with dazzling, blinding light, but Xu Qing encountered no resistance. He directly fused the flames into it and branded his own mark. This lamp, indeed, had become masterless earlier, following the majestic, decree-like voice from within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone.

Now, as it burned, seven-colored light flowed like water, entering Xu Qing's body through his pores. The process was painless; instead, he felt waves of comfort. After entering, these streams of light converged above Xu Qing's dantian and within his sea of consciousness. As they converged, a seven-colored glazed lamp suddenly appeared. The glazed lamp body shimmered with seven colors, imbued with ancientness, permeated with the aura of time, and exuded exquisite luxury. All of this was clearly evident on this Lifelamp.

In comparison, Xu Qing's black umbrella Lifelamp was no less impressive in appearance. Not only was it equally exquisite, its ancient charm was also comparable. Now, placed side-by-side, they reflected each other, emanating a dazzling, ultimate brilliance. Black and seven colors intertwined, layer upon layer directly reflecting, causing Xu Qing's Celestial Palace to appear faintly visible at this moment. From the outside, one could see the rapidly fleeing Xu Qing, his body erupting with seven colors, as if transforming into a seven-colored Daoist robe that enveloped his entire body. At the same time, two splendid canopies directly appeared above his head. One was black, radiating endless flames, protecting his spirit. The other was seven-colored, with flowing light covering his entire body, providing physical protection.

From the mountain gate of the Lingyun Sword Sect, a sky-shattering roar erupted: "Insolent wretch! How dare you seize my sect's Lifelamp!" This ancient voice belonged to the Lingyun Ancestor. As he roared, a long rainbow, causing all directions to tremble and the Forbidden Sea to churn violently, shot up from within the Lingyun Sword Sect. Within the rainbow, an old man in a golden robe could be seen. This old man had white hair, his aura intimidating all directions, and his expression was filled with fury. With a wave of his hand, streaks of sword qi from the Lingyun Sword Sect shot into the sky, transforming into numerous figures accompanying him. They directly crossed the Forbidden Sea together, rushing menacingly towards the Seven Blood Eyes Sect in the Southern Phoenix Continent.

Wherever he passed, the Forbidden Sea trembled. Especially the Lingyun Ancestor at the forefront, streaks of flowing light shimmered in his eyes. His cultivation realm was indeed the same as Xue Lianzi's: the first stage of the Void Return realm. At this moment, his rage was enough to incinerate the sea. Infinite sword qi emanated from his entire body, causing the Forbidden Sea's waters to collapse, countless sea beasts to tremble, and entire tribes to be terrified. Thunder boomed across the sky, and space shattered along his path. This was a mighty being emerging from the sea. One splendid canopy was already rare; two splendid canopies were supremely noble. At this moment, beneath the two splendid canopies, although Xu Qing was covered in dirt and disarray, his peerless intent was fully revealed.

Furthermore, as the Lifelamp integrated, Xu Qing placed a ball of Lifeflame onto this seven-colored glazed lamp. In an instant, the light of the Lifeflame was earth-shattering. It was as if heavenly thunder had exploded in Xu Qing's mind. His cultivation soared frantically. With two Lifelamps burning within him, the vigor of his Lifeflame was unprecedented. Looking at it, it was no longer like a single world burning, but rather like a vast realm transforming into purgatory within his body. Under the Lifelamp's blessing, Xu Qing's combat power instantly surged from the previous five fires to the level of six fires. Such combat power, among Foundation Establishment cultivators in Yinghuang Prefecture, would be considered at the pinnacle. This was Sheng Yunzi's strongest state previously, and now, it belonged to Xu Qing.

Meanwhile, as Xu Qing frantically fled within the forbidden zone, with three Golden Core guardians raging with killing intent behind him, across the Wanggu Continent, within the Seven Sect Alliance...Simultaneously, within the Seven Blood Eyes Sect, on the Seventh Peak, Master Seven sat in a pavilion, playing chess with a servant. He had been holding the chess piece for a long time. If one were to calculate the time precisely, it seemed he hadn't put it down since the moment Xu Qing and Sheng Yunzi began to fight. The servant was not in a hurry, waiting silently. After a long while, Master Seven calmly stood up and spoke lightly: "I'm not playing anymore. I'll go bring back Old Fourth, then I'll make this move." With that, Master Seven, hands behind his back, stepped into the void and walked towards the Phoenix Forbidden Zone. White-haired, with eyes like the starry sky. Clad in a purple robe, his back like a green peak. His spirit was vigorous, like an old steed still capable of great feats.