Chapter 463: Deep Yearning Knows or Not

Chu Tianqun closed his eyes bitterly."It's over..."

However, the imagined eternity seemed to arrive slowly. A few breaths later, Xu Qing's hoarse voice reached Chu Tianqun's ears."Do you hate Prince Ziqing and Ye Jiu?" Xu Qing looked at Chu Tianqun, withdrawing the foot he was about to step down with.

Chu Tianqun seemed not to hear, his eyes still closed."Since you're about to die and didn't kill me, would you like to see me find them?"Xu Qing spoke indifferently."That way, whether they die or I die, it will be revenge for you."

Chu Tianqun slowly opened his eyes and looked at Xu Qing. At this moment, his life was at its end; even if Xu Qing didn't step down, he wouldn't survive much longer. The flame of his life had already begun to extinguish.

"So, can you tell me where Ziqing and Ye Jiu are?" Xu Qing looked up at the distant void and spoke calmly.

Chu Tianqun remained silent. The light in his eyes slowly dimmed, his head withered further, and he began to dissipate piece by piece.

A few breaths later, Xu Qing shook his head. Since the other party wouldn't speak, further questioning was useless. He was about to finish him off completely when, at that moment, Chu Tianqun suddenly spoke softly."Xu Qing, do you know how to change the color of the sea?"

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed as he looked at Chu Tianqun.Chu Tianqun gazed at Xu Qing. Most of his face had already dissipated, and his voice became increasingly faint."When you understand how to do it, you'll know the answer."

After speaking, Chu Tianqun closed his eyes. His head largely turned to dust and dissipated before Xu Qing, completely perishing. His body, his soul, his everything, at that moment, merged into the dust and vanished within this fragment of the Great World, ceasing to exist.

At the same time, this world distorted and gradually blurred until, three breaths later, it vanished. As if stars had shifted, a desert appeared around Xu Qing, along with intense heat and familiar world energy.The Ancient Continent.

Chu Tianqun had traded one hundred drops of his divine blood with the Misty Race for a chance to open a fragment of their Great World. The method of leaving was simple: either Xu Qing died, or he died. When only one person remained, they could leave.

Xu Qing lowered his head, looking at the sand beneath his feet. After a long time, he turned and gazed towards the direction of the Misty Race. At the edge of his vision, swirling smoke indistinctly formed a blurry figure of the Misty Race.It stood between heaven and earth, staring at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing remained expressionless, coldly meeting its gaze.After a while, the Misty Race figure dispersed quickly without uttering a word.

Xu Qing turned, his expression unchanged. He walked towards the border at the same speed as before, not slowing down in the slightest. An hour later, he finally emerged from the desert and entered the County Capital's territory.

After seeing the green mountains and clear waters, Xu Qing could no longer suppress himself. His energy and spirit withered, and he consecutively spat out three mouthfuls of blood. Staggering, he quickly retrieved his magical vessel, barely managed to get on board, and collapsed to the side. With a pale face, he used the vessel to speed away from the desert.

When he had seen the Misty Race cultivator earlier, Xu Qing had relied solely on his firm will, showing no fluctuation, and forcibly endured. His injuries were, in fact, extremely severe. Both his soul and body were greatly exhausted from the battle with Chu Tianqun, especially the terrifying white jade hand that waved three times from Chu Tianqun's glabella, carrying a killing intent. His life-substituting jade slips had already shattered. If not for the golden light on his wrist at the very end, he would have perished.

"I must return to the County Capital as soon as possible!"Xu Qing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Feeling the weakness emanating from his body, he recalled his battle with Chu Tianqun, a series of heart palpitations rising within him."What exactly is the golden light on my wrist?" After a while, Xu Qing, struggling to stay conscious, lowered his head and looked at his wrist, a hint of confusion in his eyes.The golden threads on his wrist had helped him more than once, always during life-or-death crises. If it was a favor, then this favor was immense.

After a long time, Xu Qing suppressed his doubts. This time, upon returning to the County Capital, he was determined to investigate the origin of the golden light on his wrist."And this Misty Race..." Xu Qing turned his head, looking towards the desert, a cloud of unease rising in his mind.This matter was somewhat illogical."The Misty Race, located within Fenghai County, provided assistance to Chu Tianqun and offered a battlefield for killing the Sword Holder. This isn't something they couldn't do, but it would certainly involve certain risks...""Was it worth it?"

Xu Qing murmured to himself. His internal injuries surged again, and he spat out another mouthful of blood. As a more intense feeling of weakness washed over him, he closed his eyes and began to heal.Two hours later, he arrived at a city's teleportation array. Xu Qing barely opened his eyes; his face was still bloodless. He forced himself to step off his magical vessel, stored it, and then walked into the teleportation array.As the teleportation fluctuations appeared, amidst the shimmering light, Xu Qing's figure vanished.

Meanwhile, within Fenghai County's capital territory, nestled in an endless primeval forest, among countless deep green mountains, lay a massive basin. From above, one could see countless trees within the basin, connected by suspension bridges woven from vines. Innumerable wooden houses were built on these trees, forming a vast village. Groups of palm-sized, crystal-like small figures moved within, seemingly playing with each other. Their bodies radiated brilliant light under the sun, and their constant fluttering gave the impression of flowing light, making them quite beautiful.

Amidst the sounds of joy and laughter, one could vaguely see faces appearing on many giant trees. Gentle auras emanated from them, spreading throughout the area and forming a thin mist. Some of these faces slept, while others opened their eyes, gazing gently at the small figures. And whenever a large tree's face opened its eyes, it would attract many crystal figures, who would excitedly gather by the tree, most of them showing reverence. This was the dwelling place of the Wood Spirit Race in Fenghai County.

The Wood Spirit Race is a very special race. Its members exist in two forms: in their youth, their bodies are only palm-sized, transparent, and exquisitely beautiful. In this state, they are also a valuable medicinal ingredient. Upon reaching adulthood, they choose a large tree, merge with it, and become one, transforming into treants. Although most of the Wood Spirit Race are gentle by nature, because their youthful form holds significant medicinal value for many other races, they generally do not interact much with the outside world. This is their method of protecting their young.

At the center of this Wood Spirit village stood a towering tree. While it couldn't compare to the True Immortal's Ten Intestines, its crown was vast enough to cover a thousand-zhang radius, protecting the area. Upon closer inspection, one could see a divine temple existing within this tree. More precisely, the great tree had grown upon the temple, enveloping it and making it a part of its body.

Inside the temple, a statue was enshrined. The statue depicted a woman of exquisite beauty, clad in battle armor, with dragons and serpents coiling around her. She held a long spear, and her entire being radiated a strong sense of battle intent. Behind the statue was a hidden staircase. Following the stairs down would lead one underground. At the end of this staircase, in the deepest part of the underground, lay an ancient altar. This octagonal altar, entirely black, was situated above a deep abyss cavern. Only the path connected by the staircase led to it, making it appear, from a distance, as if suspended in mid-air.

At this moment, on the altar, the old man from Banquan Road stood at the edge, his eyes bloodshot, as if he had just wept. His expression was one of unprecedented anxiety, and his body trembled."Ling'er!""Ling'er, wake up!""Don't scare me, please wake up..."The direction he was looking was not the altar beside him, but the cliff face on the edge of the abyss, thousands of zhang away from the altar. On that cliff face, one could vaguely discern countless recessed stone caves. Inside these countless caves were many skeletons sitting cross-legged, bearing the marks of time, having died untold years ago.Inside one of these stone caves, Ling'er, dressed in a white gown, sat cross-legged. Her face was pale, and blood stained the corners of her mouth. Her white dress also had alarming bloodstains. Many, many of them. She lay motionless, her eyes closed.

"Ling'er!!" From the edge of the distant altar, the old man from Banquan Road's voice grew more tremulous, echoing continuously. Ling'er's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.It seemed even the effort to open her eyes was difficult for her. Straining to look at her father in the distance, it took her a long while to gather a smile from her weakness."Father, I'm fine..."

The old man from Banquan Road's heart trembled. He looked at Ling'er, profound sorrow in his eyes."It must be because of Xu Qing!!"

He had brought Ling'er here to receive a legacy, an experience her clan had to undergo at this time. Success meant a life-extending fortune, while failure meant death from a curse eruption. The legacy process required a long time, so he had been extremely careful and protective. Everything had been fine until yesterday... Ling'er suddenly spat out blood, and a fatal injury instantly appeared.

"Father... don't talk nonsense, it has nothing... to do with Brother Xu Qing...""It's because I'm useless..."Hearing her father speak like that, Ling'er seemed a little anxious, struggling to speak as she looked up.

"Yes, yes, yes, it has nothing to do with Xu Qing, nothing at all. Father knows, Ling'er. Father was wrong to blame your Brother Xu Qing. Don't be nervous, just heal slowly. It's okay, it's okay. When your legacy is complete, Father will take you to find your Brother Xu Qing."The old man from Banquan Road quickly spoke, his voice trembling even more.

Ling'er's pale little face broke into a happy smile upon hearing her father's words."Really, Father...?""Really, truly! Father swears, it's true!" The old man from Banquan Road nodded forcefully.Ling'er's smile grew even happier, and she spoke softly."Father, don't worry. I will work hard... I will work hard... I will definitely succeed in my legacy."

(End of Chapter)