Chapter 481: Golden Crow Devours the Sun

Xu Qing crouched by the canyon outside Zhaoxia Mountain, glanced, and then turned to leave.

Behind him, piercing screams and angry roars echoed from the canyon, accompanied by a pervasive rumble.

Soon, figures of Misty race puppets burst out of the canyon. Their divine senses fully unleashed, they swept the surroundings with grief, indignation, and fury.

Inside the canyon, chaos reigned. Of the original hundreds of Misty race members, only a few remained. Most had been utterly destroyed by Xu Qing's poison and prohibition power. Xu Qing's poison was truly brutal.

Those who hadn't died were agonizingly wailing, unable to stop their bodies from decaying despite all efforts. They could only watch as their mist forms corroded, gradually turning into residual smoke, and then perishing completely.

Their deployed magic treasures were also disrupted by this turn of events. The enveloping toxic mist rapidly intensified the alien substances within the treasures, preventing their long-term existence.

"Who is it!"

Roars erupted from outside the canyon. Seven or eight Misty race Nascent Soul cultivators, controlling their puppets, each emitted terrifying fluctuations as they frantically searched for the culprit. Their puppets were also rapidly decaying under the toxic prohibition. Even their true bodies hidden within were not immune, unable to escape despite all methods. Thus, they were extremely anxious, desperate to find the real perpetrator and an antidote. Although their plan required them to conceal their fluctuations, they now disregarded this, erupting with energy and scattering to search.

However, Xu Qing's concealment jade slip, given by Immortal Zixuan, was beyond the detection of these Nascent Soul cultivators. After releasing the poison, he had only glanced back before immediately leaving, and was now nearing Zhaoxia Mountain.

After sensing the fluctuations from the canyon, Xu Qing remained expressionless. He planned to wait until all the Misty race members there had died before investigating further.

"Normally, they'd die within an hour. Waiting three hours should be even safer," Xu Qing mused, pressing forward rapidly. But then, a sudden, intense pang of dread erupted within him.

Xu Qing's expression changed. He spun around abruptly, his breathing quickening slightly. He felt an astonishing aura emanating from the canyon's direction—an aura filled with terror, yet strangely familiar to him.

With the appearance of this aura, the environment beneath the Abyss Sea was also affected, and the alien substances intensified noticeably. What shook Xu Qing even more was that everything around him began to distort and blur.

"A deity!"

Xu Qing immediately connected this to what Head had mentioned about the Danqing elder, instantly identifying the source of the aura. His expression darkened, and he sped up. He could sense that this aura didn't seem to erupt from within the canyon, but rather surged into the canyon from a different direction.

"It must have been attracted by the fluctuations there! Didn't this deity finger take the Danqing elder to search for the Sun's remains? How could it be drawn here by fluctuations? Could there be Sun's remains in the canyon?" Xu Qing's breath hitched. After learning about this from Head previously, he hadn't considered it a priority. He knew the gap between himself and the deity finger was too vast, so he hadn't planned on finding it. Instead, he intended to conceal himself, complete his mission, and then report the matter to the Sword-Wielding Palace. Furthermore, Zhaoxia Prefecture was vast, making a chance encounter unlikely. After all, the shattered remains of the fallen sun had long since been sought out and retrieved by humanity and various forces over the long centuries. This was especially true near Zhaoxia Mountain, where the Sun's remains could not possibly exist. Therefore, in such a vast Zhaoxia Prefecture, his chances of encountering the deity finger were slim.

"Did Head and the Stone Lion attract it?" Xu Qing's face darkened, and he abruptly looked down at the Stone Lion.

The Stone Lion immediately trembled, shaking its body repeatedly, as if trying to tell Xu Qing that none of this had anything to do with it. Head also quickly spoke up.

"No, my lord, truly not! I don't have the ability to attract the deity finger!" Head sounded as if it were about to cry. It was genuinely innocent.

A flash of killing intent appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. He decided that once he was safe, he would thoroughly deal with the Stone Lion and Head. So, he withdrew his gaze and continued forward rapidly, his expression grim.

He didn't dare to use his poison and prohibition power, keeping it all contained. Although this power had a concealing effect, which was evident on the Purple Moon, that was the Red Moon, not nearby. So, the poison and prohibition had an effect similar to signal jamming. Now, he wasn't sure if using it would backfire. Xu Qing's heart was racing. He fully activated the concealment jade slip, but within just ten or so breaths, the fluctuations behind him suddenly intensified, and the blurring and distortion around him also became more profound than before.

As that feeling of dread surged to its peak, a terrifying divine sense emanated from the mist behind Xu Qing, covering all directions. It enveloped Xu Qing.

Immediately after, a rumble filled the surroundings. Amidst intense blurring, an astonishing hundred-zhang-long finger suddenly appeared before Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's body jolted. Every part of him trembled violently, conveying an overwhelming sense of danger. His body even showed a tendency to separate and become independent, twisting continuously as if trying to detach and scatter in escape.

Without any hesitation, Xu Qing simultaneously unleashed his poison and prohibition power and Purple Moon power, covering his entire body while rapidly retreating. But it was useless. This time was different from when it was in the Penal Department. There, the finger was suppressed. Now, it was free. Although it had suffered severe injuries during its escape, no matter how grave those injuries were, Xu Qing could not resist it.

The moment the divine authority within Xu Qing spread and his personal rank increased, his mind roared. His body instantly lost control under the burst of the deity finger's divine sense, being pulled towards it. The power from the deity finger disregarded everything about Xu Qing, pulling his body to the rear, where he was piled together with a group of despairing foreign races.

The Stone Lion and Head were also among them. The latter shrieked, "Boss, boss, it's me! Ah, yes, I'm Head! We're cellmates!"

The finger ignored Head, offering no response to its screams. It raised its fingertip, seemingly sensing the direction of Zhaoxia Mountain, and hesitated. Ultimately, it did not approach. Instead, it vanished with a flicker, reappearing at a distant location before moving again towards other inhabited lands. Behind it, more than five hundred cultivators had already been captured, including many from the Misty race.

Xu Qing's arrival went unnoticed. All cultivators' thoughts were consumed by despair and terror. Their bodies were also incredibly bizarre. Almost none were intact. They were all fragmented into countless pieces: eyes, noses, ears, internal organs, and limbs, each existing independently. Even the Misty race was like this, their mist divided into innumerable portions. However, under the power of the deity finger, they were all piled together, unable to leave. Thus, these various body parts were chaotically pressed against each other. This scene was grotesque and ominous.

Xu Qing's expression was grim. His mind was still roaring, but he did not give up. Under his suppression, he managed to maintain his integrity. When he struggled to look forward, he could only see a blur and countless rapidly flowing wisps of mist. Xu Qing knew he was being carried at high speed by the deity finger.

"What exactly does this deity finger want?!" Xu Qing forced himself to calm down and frantically searched for a way to escape.

"The Penal Department's suppression method relied on luck..." As various thoughts raced through Xu Qing's mind, a sudden rumble echoed from all directions. The next instant, the deity finger abruptly stopped.

The enormous contrast between movement and stillness caused many cultivators' organs to collapse and burst. Xu Qing also spurted fresh blood. Fortunately, he possessed a divine source and an impressive physical body. Although numerous cracks appeared on his body, it remained relatively intact. He also managed to discern his surroundings.

A thousand-zhang-sized piece of decaying flesh entered Xu Qing's sight. On this chunk of flesh stood a sorrowful-faced old man—it was the Danqing elder.

Before Xu Qing could examine further, his body, along with the numerous organs of all the surrounding cultivators, was flung directly towards the thousand-zhang mass of flesh with a flick. The moment of contact, the flesh mass writhed and split open, enveloping all incoming organs. Some parts remained exposed, while others were completely swallowed. They rapidly merged into one.

The Stone Lion and Head were also among them.

Wails emanated from the enveloped cultivators—some were sounds, some were divine senses, all containing endless agony. Most of Xu Qing's body was now enveloped by this flesh mass. As the piercing screams echoed around, his mind was overwhelmed. However, he felt no corrosive pain. Instead, the moment his body was enveloped by the massive flesh mass, he felt a profound sense of yearning.

"Is this the Sun's remains?!"

Xu Qing's eyes widened. As his mind roared, he abruptly turned to look at the Danqing elder not far away. At that moment, the Danqing elder noticed Head and the Stone Lion, and also Xu Qing. Their eyes met.

"Haha, reunion!" Only Head's face remained exposed, its eyes now fixed on the Danqing elder.

The Danqing elder ignored Head. He looked at Xu Qing, his eyes gleaming with a strange light, wanting to approach.

"Sir Guard?"

"You've rendered a meritorious service in this matter!" Xu Qing suddenly spoke.

The Danqing elder paused. Xu Qing's words made a strange glint appear in the Danqing elder's eyes. He meticulously observed Xu Qing. In his eyes, the guard before him showed no trace of fear. His calm expression made it seem as if this place was not a prison for him, but rather he had returned to Cell 132. This scene forced the suspicious Danqing elder to temporarily suppress his thoughts. He felt something was amiss, so he glanced at Head.

But before he could speak, amidst the echoing wails, the deity finger in mid-air hummed, appearing directly before the Danqing elder, its vast and terrifying divine sense locking onto him. The Danqing elder tried his best to keep his body from trembling, forcing out a fawning smile.

"Great Chosen Lord, you are the celestial deity revived upon the Sun's remains. You are destined to unify Wanggu and achieve the supreme rank."

The pressure from the deity finger clearly lessened slightly, and it let out a roaring sound that reverberated in the minds of all cultivators. The Danqing elder's body uncontrollably trembled, but he showed no emotion, maintaining his incredibly devout demeanor, and began to chant.

"Chosen Lord, the day of your revival is approaching. The active ingredients for the paint to sculpt your body are more than half complete. For any other ordinary deity, this would be enough to draw their form now. But you are the Chosen Deity; your humble servant must surely paint the most perfect body in this world for you. You must not be desecrated. Therefore, more life is needed to make the vitality of this flesh worthy of the great Chosen Deity's rank." The deity finger hummed, seemingly irritated, and some of its wounds cracked open with the vibration. But it paid no attention. After circling the sky a few times, amidst the surrounding distortion and blur, it suddenly vanished, heading far away once more.

Witnessing this, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing. He knew very well that his current situation was both a life-and-death crisis and a tremendous opportunity. He could feel the Golden Crow totem on his back constantly heating up, radiating intense desire, but Xu Qing firmly suppressed it, not allowing it to dissipate even slightly. It wasn't time yet.

Observing the conversation between the Danqing elder and the deity finger, Xu Qing's first impression was that the deity finger's state was somewhat off... "Does it seem somewhat unclear in its divine intellect?"

Xu Qing's mind rapidly analyzed. He then put himself in the Danqing elder's shoes, trying to understand his thoughts and state of mind when facing all these difficulties from his perspective.

"Head, why are you here too? Didn't you hide well, and Sir Guard found you?" After the deity finger left, the Danqing elder breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at Head, whose face was the only part exposed, walked over, and patted it.

"Why should I answer you? If you're so capable, kill me! We're all from the same cell, do you think I'm scared of you?" Head glared. The Danqing elder showed no sign of anger. He smilingly raised his hand and smacked it hard. With a bang, Head collapsed.

The Danqing elder crouched there, his smile unchanged. He turned to look at Xu Qing, his eyes revealing a profound meaning.

"Sir Guard, you didn't finish earlier. Why did I render a meritorious service? Let me think... Sir Guard, you wouldn't be trying to tell me that you deliberately allowed yourself to be caught by the deity, and that you're not alone, that there are many powerful individuals from Feng Hai County in Zhaoxia Prefecture—like the Palace Master, Marquis Yao, the County Governor—and their goal is to capture the deity finger? And you are here to serve as a beacon, so those powerful figures have now detected this location, and you said I rendered a meritorious service because I delayed the deity finger, buying precious time for them to find this place? But, Sir Guard, I am no three-year-old child. Do you think I'd believe such words?" The Danqing elder licked his lips, his eyes showing a mischievous glint as he raised his right hand and pulled out the fragmented flesh of Head.

Head quickly revived. Just as it was about to curse, the Danqing elder smiled and spoke, "Head, we're all on the same side. Killing you was to save you, so don't make a fuss. Also, thank you for helping me bring Sir Guard here. You're right, we from Cell 132 are about to have a reunion."

Head scoffed, its eyes revealing mockery. It neither accepted nor denied, but instead rolled away to find the Stone Lion.

The Danqing elder ignored Head. He came over to Xu Qing, crouched down, and licked his lips with his tongue. "Sir Guard, was I right about what I said?"

Xu Qing paid no attention to the Danqing elder. He expressionlessly scanned his surroundings, noticing the restrictive power present here to prevent escape. This restriction was set by the deity finger and was difficult to break. After inspecting, Xu Qing's gaze fell on the Danqing elder, and he spoke calmly.

"You don't need to test me like this. If you want to live, quickly tell me everything."

In the distance, Head, while searching for the Stone Lion, scoffed, "Old man, you're usually so shrewd, why are you so foolish now? Everyone's 'reunited' here. Either you finish drawing the body for the finger, and you all get killed by it, or everyone quickly figures out how to survive. Aren't you tired of all this testing and wasting time?"

Head's words made the Danqing elder sigh inwardly. Indeed, this was his worry. He was marked and couldn't escape, and there were restrictions all around. His earlier probing words were genuinely an attempt to make it all true, but he also knew it was impossible. Even if Xu Qing admitted it, he would feel deceived. So, in this complex and conflicted state of mind, he sighed, "What methods could you possibly have? We're all going to die."

"Step back!" Xu Qing suddenly ordered.

The Danqing elder looked at Xu Qing, about to speak. Xu Qing, having already confirmed his thoughts, no longer engaged in the Danqing elder's attempts to decipher the deity finger's intentions. He had long since seen through all of this, and he had just thought it through. For a drowning person, even a straw is grasped immediately, but the straw must be a bit real, not too perfunctory.

Now, the timing was right. Especially with the collapse of the Penal Department, Xu Qing's memories of Cell 132 had now also recovered. He was certain that he had never used the Golden Crow's power in front of these prisoners in Cell 132. He had primarily used his divine rank. Therefore, the Danqing elder didn't know he possessed the Golden Crow. And in their hasty escape, it was impossible for them to know too much about him. While Head's peculiarity might allow it to know, the Danqing elder most likely didn't. However, this wasn't important. If he didn't know, the effect would naturally be best, but even if he did, Xu Qing had other ways to handle it.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing no longer suppressed the Golden Crow on his back. In an instant, its fiery power completely erupted, and the Golden Crow suddenly spread within the flesh of the Sun's remains. The entire Sun's remains suddenly trembled at this moment, as if coming alive. A rumble appeared around them, and as the blurring and distortion became even more pronounced, a shocking wave of heat erupted from Xu Qing, spreading with a thunderous roar in all directions. The Danqing elder's face drastically changed. He rapidly retreated, looking at Xu Qing with a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

At this moment, Xu Qing's expression showed no change, yet numerous golden patterns appeared on his face. These patterns spread from the totem on his back, covering his entire body. At this moment, the astonishing power from within the Sun's remains was continuously converging towards Xu Qing, as the Golden Crow within it frantically absorbed it. Heaven and earth trembled. The ground showed signs of upheaval, and the mist above instantly transformed into a vortex, its momentum astounding.

Xu Qing's heart pounded. Through the excitement and yearning transmitted by the Golden Crow, he clearly understood that this would be a colossal opportunity for him. But he needed time. This feast for the Golden Crow would be difficult to complete quickly; the Sun's remains were too vast.

This scene made the Danqing elder and Head (who had just managed to get the Stone Lion out) gasp, though Head's reaction was somewhat feigned.

"Absorbing the Sun's flesh..." the Danqing elder murmured, his eyes gleaming with a strange light. "Back in Cell 132, I already felt that Sir Guard's fluctuations were unusual. I never imagined they were related to the Sun! I see! Sir, you heard that the deity finger was searching for the Sun's remains here, so you intentionally came to this place, wanting the deity finger to bring you here, right? But how did you know I would deceive the deity finger into capturing people? Ah, yes, it's easily explained! After all these years, the Sun's remains must have lost their vitality, and the way to restore vitality is naturally life! That's it, exactly! Brilliant, truly brilliant! Sir, I admire your ability to scheme against a deity. I understand now. That's why you said I rendered a meritorious service earlier—yes, I truly did! And since you could calculate this, Sir, you must have a way to escape. No doubt about it!" The Danqing elder grew more and more excited as he spoke.

Head blinked, its eyes showing confusion. Since Xu Qing had ascended Zhaoxia Mountain, and after Head and the Stone Lion had been enveloped by the shadow, they had encountered Xu Qing poisoning the canyon, followed by the arrival of the deity finger. Thus, it didn't know what had happened during that interim. Listening to the old man's words now, Head shivered slightly. It suddenly felt that what the old man said made a lot of sense. Otherwise, why would Xu Qing come to Zhaoxia Prefecture instead of the battlefield during wartime? But it vaguely felt that something wasn't quite right.

Xu Qing's expression remained calm, betraying no emotional fluctuations. While fully absorbing the power of the Sun's remains, he glanced at the Danqing elder and Head. He automatically ignored Head. But for the Danqing elder, Xu Qing felt some doubt. The other party's cooperation was too perfect; it seemed to be a complete self-fulfilling prophecy from start to finish. Even a drowning person desperate to survive would find it hard to do this.

As Xu Qing was contemplating, the Danqing elder excitedly fell to his knees with a thud. "Sir Guard, please, for the sake of this old slave diligently reminding you in Cell 132, and for this meritorious service, save me! That evil finger wants me to draw a body for it, but I don't dare! It will surely eat me after I finish. I can feel its hunger. So, I've been delaying for a long time, using the excuse that the active ingredients aren't enough to become paint, and I finally waited for you!"

Xu Qing coldly eyed the Danqing elder. He couldn't discern anything from the other party's expression. All of this person's expressions and words were flawless. In Xu Qing's heart, he didn't believe the matter was so simple. Especially as he scanned the surrounding Sun's flesh, he saw the numerous foreign races who were no longer wailing, but had completely melted and been absorbed by the Sun's remains. These were all victims trapped and killed by the Danqing elder in his bid for survival.

But since the other party was so cooperative, Xu Qing had no reason to expose him. He needed time, both to absorb the Sun's remains and to wait for the deity finger to return. Regardless of whether the Danqing elder was problematic, Xu Qing could not allow him to hold the initiative here. The opportunity to seize control would be the moment the finger returned.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing spoke calmly, "I need time."