Chapter 461: Ghost Emperor Descends

These insights weren't something he sought; instead, they spontaneously appeared in his mind the moment he saw the light and divine art, as if intrinsically embedded within the divine light and art itself.

This passive acquisition caused Xu Qing's veins to bulge continuously. Waves of piercing pain surged through his mind, and his eyes immediately became bloodshot and subtly protruded, as if on the verge of bursting.

While enduring this agony, as the information emerged in his mind, he suddenly understood certain phenomena in this world.

In the eyes of a deity, the entire life of every living being is an incredibly clear album.

When a deity looks at you, your past and future—the countless images formed by all of this—overlap, intermingle, and constantly transform each other.

Every action—even an extra step, a moment faster, or a slight pause—can influence the future, becoming a variable and generating different branches. Therefore, the images of the future are countless and ever-changing; they converge into vast rivers, forming the overlaid album of life.

This album is immensely profound. Mortals naturally cannot perceive or withstand it. Even cultivators might only see a portion once their cultivation reaches a certain level, and only at the pinnacle might one see it more completely.

Because once the complete album is seen, the information contained in that instant is beyond the capacity of ordinary beings to withstand. This is merely the album information of a single individual; if one were to look at all sentient beings in the entire world, or at the world itself, its "weight" would reach an inconceivable degree.

The instantaneous explosion of infinite information will cause varying degrees of destruction depending on the beholder's cultivation. This is, in fact, one of the reasons why deities cannot be directly looked upon.

Because deities themselves also possess similar albums, containing not only the future but also much indescribable information. The quantity is greater, and the burden is heavier.

Therefore, sometimes, a deity might not have any intention of destruction; it is because when a living being sees them, they passively receive infinite information, and being unable to withstand it, their bodies either become mutated or they instantly perish.

Only the fragmented divine face in the sky is different. When its eyes are closed, it can be gazed upon.

Only the moment it opens its eyes does everything erupt.

Compared to other deities, this seems to be a sign of weakness. Yet, its invasion is the most pervasive among deities, covering the entire Wanggu Continent and affecting everyone. It seems even other deities are within its sphere of influence, because the places it gazes upon three times are known as divine domains.

It is contradictory and inexplicable.

These insights flooded Xu Qing's mind, similarly becoming contradictions, causing blood to gush from his seven orifices instantly, his body to tremble violently, and even his flesh and blood to begin collapsing. He intensely felt the terror emanating from the hand merged with the light. This divine authority was completely different from the Poison Ban and Purple Moon, and far more pure. An overwhelming sense of life-and-death crisis erupted uncontrollably within Xu Qing's mind.

Xu Qing's breathing quickened. He immediately circulated the Poison Ban Pill and Purple Moon power throughout his body, supporting himself to resist this terrifying divine art. Gradually, the future images around him began to blur and show signs of dimming.

The speed at which the pages turned also slowed down.

But they could not dissipate. A stalemate emerged between the two sides, with continuous confrontation.

Chu Tianqun in the sky watched this scene, his expression becoming even more ferocious.

To kill Xu Qing, he had already fought desperately, utilizing the core origin of his current body.

The gaze within that box was the core of his divine trial body, and the transformation of his body also stemmed from this box.

Furthermore, according to the information he possessed in his mind, the other four trial bodies, including his son's, although similarly modified, did not have this box in their hearts. Only he possessed it, which was also why he could retain his sanity.

The unleashing of this origin power would severely impact his resurrection ability.

But now, he no longer cared about this. What he cared about was that the countless future images generated by the divine art he unleashed at such a cost were actually beginning to blur. Not only that, but even his own manipulation of them was becoming increasingly difficult. This was what truly concerned him, and at this moment, the madness in his eyes intensified.

He could not accept such a result, so he opened his mouth wide and inhaled sharply.

With this inhalation, his body from the waist down instantly withered. All flesh and blood vanished, all bones melted. In an instant, his lower body turned directly into ashes.

As it dissipated, the divine power origin contained within it flowed back into Chu Tianqun's upper body, eventually gathering in his throat, becoming a second beam of light which suddenly shot out from his mouth and merged into his right hand, which was unleashing the divine art.

In an instant, the light from his right hand dramatically intensified, becoming dazzlingly brilliant while also unleashing an unprecedented, vast divine might, causing the entire world to dim, with only his hand remaining as the sole source of light.

Amidst earth-shattering tremors, the world blurred and twisted completely as Chu Tianqun raised his hand and lunged at Xu Qing once more.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Instantly, Xu Qing's recently stabilized body again began to tremble violently and uncontrollably. The countless images appearing around him also became clear once more, emerging from their dim state.

Chu Tianqun's expression revealed deep hatred and frenzy. He let out a low growl and rapidly waved his right hand, swiftly sweeping through the images around Xu Qing, constantly searching within for the one he desired most.

Xu Qing's pupils constricted. His internal organs, every inch of his flesh and blood, every bone, and even his soul were assailed by an indescribable pain at that instant, as if searing red-hot pokers were piercing and maliciously stirring within his abdomen.

Xu Qing's body trembled. He opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of blood, his face pale, and his body staggered backward.

As the sensation of death enveloped his life, he saw one image among the scenes around him becoming increasingly clear from among countless futures, as if it was about to be extracted.

That image showed his body collapsing, all resistance having failed, leaving only his head, dying with regret there. Chu Tianqun then carried his head to Mount Tai Si Due. There was a grave there, and he placed the head in front of it, worshipping.

The words on the tombstone were clearly visible: It was Saint Yunzi's grave.

This future scene also contained a series of different subsequent branches. Some branches showed Chu Tianqun's death: dying by Zixuan's hand, by Patriarch Blood Refining's hand, by his master's hand, or even by his own collapse, and there was even one where he died by Crown Prince Ziqing's hand.

In this critical moment, Xu Qing's eyes were bloodshot. The gaze emanating from the box the opponent crushed possessed vast divine power, and Chu Tianqun was clearly fighting desperately.

This created a killing dilemma. As for a solution, the most direct method Xu Qing could currently think of was to suppress his own future, preventing the opponent from successfully altering the images.

"Since the Poison Ban and Purple Moon aren't enough, then I'll summon a divine embodiment bearing two great worlds on its shoulders for you. Let's see how you can disturb my future!"

Xu Qing gritted his teeth and suddenly raised his right hand. Instantly, thirty Grand Void Realm Demon-Transformation runes appeared before him. As they rapidly burned, a massive mountain materialized behind Xu Qing.

This mountain was initially blurry, but as the thirty Demon-Transformation runes burned, it became visibly clearer. The moment it covered and replaced Xu Qing's figure, the mountain shockingly transformed into a cross-legged human form!

Dressed in dark armor, holding a massive blade, he sat cross-legged. Before his knees stood the Grand Beginning Soul-Severing Pillar, and two great worlds rested on his shoulders, like the spirit of an evil god. Every inch of his armor contained the power to destroy all directions, and the massive blade seemed capable of cleaving worlds.

Endless malevolence emanated from him, transforming into astonishing fluctuations, carrying brutality, madness, and even wrath towards heaven and earth. Its momentum shook the heavens, swallowing the ages, causing the world to tremble, the desert to crack, and even the void to show fissures.

It was none other than the Ghost Emperor, whose appearance had changed to be eighty percent similar to Xu Qing's!

Xu Qing's figure had completely vanished; after fully merging with the Ghost Emperor, the Ghost Emperor Mountain ascended into the sky, its eyes suddenly opening and gazing at Chu Tianqun below.

Two divine lights, like the sun and moon, emitted dazzling brilliance, illuminating the entire world and causing monstrous waves to surge within Chu Tianqun's mind, eliciting an incredulous and horrified cry.

"This... this..."

"What the hell is this a Golden Core??"

Even in his frenzied state, Chu Tianqun was completely sobered by this scene. His face showed disbelief; he never imagined that this Xu Qing before him possessed so many terrifying things.

"Two divine authorities... and such a divine embodiment of two realms that can be manifested, is this the Ghost Emperor?!"

As Chu Tianqun's mind buzzed with shock, the Ghost Emperor manifested by Xu Qing sat down heavily towards the earth and towards Chu Tianqun!

Immediately, an invincible aura erupted from him, sweeping across all directions. As he descended, the earth shattered, breaking into countless scattered fragments. Chu Tianqun spat out a large mouthful of blood, letting out a horrific shriek, and half of his body rapidly plummeted.

And the countless future images that had appeared around Xu Qing also, as the Ghost Emperor descended and Chu Tianqun spurted blood, instantly blurred from clarity, then dimmed from blurriness, until they dissipated.

Instantly, the winds and clouds shifted colors, and the entire fragmented world trembled. Chu Tianqun let out a miserable laugh. Gazing at the earth-shattering figure continuously descending above him, and at Xu Qing's figure faintly present deep within it, he let out a horrifying cry.

"Using two divine authorities and a Ghost Emperor's shadow to suppress the future... What a grand gesture!"

"Xu Qing, since I cannot sever your future, then what about your past? I will erase your past, making you forgotten by the world!"

As Chu Tianqun roared, another half of his already fragmented body withered into ashes. He could feel that if he continued to use his divine power origin like this, his infinite resurrection ability would dissipate. But now, to kill Xu Qing, he had already staked everything.

In exchange, divine light merged into his hand, and he fiercely pointed upwards.

"Divine Art, The Past, Blank Slate!"