Chapter 483: Golden Crow Dao Infant Accompanying the Morning Glow

"Lord Guardian, I have a plan that can buy you some time. It's something I thought of earlier to escape myself, though originally I wasn't very confident. But with you here, if I cooperate, there will be no problem." The old man Danqing spoke excitedly.

"Lord Guardian, when the finger returns, I will tell it that you possess the Golden Crow physique. Your presence has made this skeleton completely active, so no other creatures need to be integrated."

"Then, I will paint for the finger. I can control this process, drawing slowly, and will only finish once you give me a signal."

"I’ve thought it all through. It will look like I'm drawing a body, but I'm actually preparing to draw a flesh-and-blood cage. After being severely wounded by the Disciplinary Office, the divine finger's consciousness is somewhat unclear. Besides, outsiders can't understand painting, so I'm confident it will be difficult for it to notice anything in advance."

"Then, once it integrates into it and discovers it's a cage, that will be our time to escape!"

"Since it's drawn from the sun's remnants, this cage will be quite powerful. I initially estimated it could trap it for several days, but with your Golden Crow's vitality, I believe it can be trapped for more than half a month."

"During that time, we'll have enough opportunity to escape. Please let me know your plan, and I can help execute it." After saying all this in one breath, the old man Danqing added, "Oh, Lord Guardian, you might not know this, but I've noticed that after the finger was injured by the Palace Master's forbidden artifact power during its escape, its mind became a bit problematic. It's somewhat forgetful and seems unable to remember things..."

Xu Qing glanced at the old man Danqing, nodded, closed his eyes, and remained silent, fully absorbing the power of the sun's remnants. His Golden Crow had now spread out, stretching its body within the remains.

In Xu Qing's perception, as the Golden Crow frantically absorbed, its tails continuously grew, one by one. In a short time, they had already reached over sixty. According to Xu Qing's previous judgment, once the Golden Crow's tails exceeded ninety-nine, his 'Golden Crow Refines Ten Thousand Spirits' technique would advance to the third stage. The power of the third stage was equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm!

And because the Golden Crow was located in his Fifth Heavenly Palace, once it advanced, Xu Qing's Fifth Heavenly Palace would undergo a tremendous transformation, forming a 'pseudo-Nascent Soul' body specific to this Fifth Palace ahead of time. Thinking of this, Xu Qing felt a surge of anticipation.

Time passed bit by bit. As the Golden Crow absorbed, Xu Qing's aura continuously rose, becoming more and more astonishing, emitting waves of terrifying fluctuations that made both the head and the old man Danqing feel dread. The sun's remnants also became increasingly active, with a sense of revival soaring within them.

Just then, from the distant Abyss Sea, the terrifying divine consciousness of the divine finger thundered forth. In an instant, the finger appeared here, trailing numerous foreign cultivators, primarily from the Yanmiao Clan. These Yanmiao Clan members, one by one, were mutilated. In their despair, they were all flung by the finger towards the sun's remnants. Their clan could survive in the desert, inherently having some connection to the sun. Thus, they were rapidly absorbed by the remnants, providing nourishment to the remains, which in turn significantly aided Xu Qing's cultivation.

Despite this, the finger's return still made Xu Qing a little nervous. When he opened his eyes and looked at the finger, it clearly detected the anomaly in the sun's flesh and blood, sweeping its divine consciousness across it.

The old man Danqing, standing by, now spoke with an excited expression. "Great Master, you truly are a chosen deity! While you were away, I discovered you actually captured an extraordinary individual! It's him!" The old man Danqing raised his hand and pointed at Xu Qing. "My Lord, you might not remember this person, but he is the Guardian of our D132. I just meticulously inspected him; this person possesses the Golden Crow physique, he is a descendant of the sun!"

"His appearance is a blessing from heaven and earth for you, my Lord. He alone can make this sun skeleton gain a certain degree of vitality. With this, I can now draw your divine body for you! Just thinking of the honor of personally drawing a divine body for the great chosen one fills me with immense excitement!" The old man Danqing's expression was incredibly devout as he knelt before the finger, speaking with fervor.

The divine finger hummed, turning sharply to lock onto the sun's remnants, emitting clear waves of intense desire. As these fluctuations spread, the surroundings trembled, the void began to shatter, and cracks appeared in the collapsing earth.

The old man Danqing was startled. Just as he raised his hand to begin drawing, Xu Qing, suppressing his discomfort in the presence of the deity, spoke in a deep voice. "Lord Deity, the vitality of the sun's remnants is actually still not enough, as you can perceive. Give me a little more time, and I can make the sun's remnants even more vital. A body drawn from fully vitalized sun flesh and blood will be more perfect, and the success rate will also be higher. After all, the sun's remnants are rare; one failure means one less opportunity. Lord Deity, why not wait a little longer?"

As Xu Qing spoke, the Golden Crow within him spread extensively, causing the sun's flesh and blood remnants to emit an even stronger aura of revival. The divine finger's terrifying consciousness, after sweeping over them, became somewhat chaotic, seemingly in thought. The old man Danqing, standing by, had an almost imperceptible flicker in his eyes; Xu Qing's words deviated from their previously discussed plan. Xu Qing ignored the old man, looking at the divine finger, suppressing his inner tension, and spoke again.

"Lord Deity, like the Yanmiao Clan members you brought back this time, their unique physical structure is very suitable for increasing vitality. You've seen it yourself, they are very useful, so if there were more, the vitality would be even better. Additionally, if there was a ray of 'Morning Glow Light,' it could make these sun remnants reach their peak vitality instantly!" Xu Qing gritted his teeth, speaking slowly. He had reviewed the records of Morning Glow Mountain; the last ray of light appeared more than seventy years ago and had already been taken by the Sword-Wielding Palace. The Morning Glow Light hadn't appeared for a very long time now.

And Xu Qing had not told any lies from beginning to end; everything he said was true. He could indeed enhance the vitality more effectively, and the unique properties of the Yanmiao Clan could indeed provide excellent assistance. As for the Morning Glow Light, it was inherently linked to the sun's demise, and its integration would naturally be the most perfect.

After its divine consciousness swept over, the divine finger emitted waves of irritation. A few breaths later, it suddenly vanished from the spot, heading straight into the distance.

Watching the finger depart, Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He had just taken a gamble, betting that the divine finger's obsession with a physical body surpassed everything else. Furthermore, since the old man Danqing could easily manipulate the divine finger in this way, Xu Qing believed he could too, and with more persuasive power. This was about seizing the initiative.

"Excellent strategy, my Lord." The old man Danqing smiled, a subtle flicker in his eyes.

Xu Qing paid him no mind. Seizing the opportunity of the finger's departure, he immediately urged his Golden Crow to absorb with greater intensity. And if the divine finger truly went to search for the Morning Glow Light this time, it wouldn't return quickly. Because the Morning Glow Light was not only rare but also hadn't appeared for a very long time, Xu Qing judged that the divine finger would be unable to find it.

Meanwhile, the Golden Crow's tails had now surged to over eighty. It wasn't far from breaking through. Xu Qing's heart was surging. He was confident that the moment his Golden Crow broke through to the third stage, he could free himself, and by leveraging the forbidden artifact's single strike granted by the Palace Master, he had great confidence in escaping this place.

As for the head in the distance, it had long discerned the hidden power struggle between Xu Qing and the old man Danqing. It quietly crawled onto the stone lion's back, whispering to it, preparing to seize the opportunity to escape once the two had reached a conclusion.

Just like that, time flowed on. Xu Qing's aura grew increasingly potent, and the Golden Crow's tails reached ninety-three. They continued to grow: ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six...

Just as the tails reached ninety-seven, sudden intense fluctuations came from the distant Abyss Sea. The next instant, the divine finger actually returned! This time, trailing behind it were thousands of Yanmiao Clan members, all in despair, uttering miserable wails. If that were all, it would have been one thing, but what caused a powerful surge of shock in Xu Qing's heart was a dazzling rainbow light, bound to the finger!

This light seemed to possess life, giving a sense of new birth, and emanating a pure and sacred essence, as if, though born at the time of the sun's demise, it represented hope and new life! Now, constantly shimmering, its light was extremely brilliant, emitting an astonishing pressure that, to Xu Qing, felt far more precious than even the branches of the Ten-Intestine Tree.

The moment he looked at that light, Xu Qing's breath hitched, his eyes widened, and its name immediately surfaced in his mind: "Morning Glow Light!!" The Golden Crow behind him, currently absorbing the sun's remnants, also emitted intense longing at this moment. It seemed to desire both the remnants and this light.

"It actually found it?" Xu Qing's mind was in turmoil; he found this incredible. He didn't know how the divine finger had managed it. The Morning Glow Light was extremely rare and hadn't appeared for a very long time, yet now... it had actually brought one back. As for the thousands of Yanmiao Clan members, he paid them no mind. At this moment, his entire attention was fixated on that ray of Morning Glow Light.

At any other time, Xu Qing would have been greatly moved by such a profound fortune. But now... he felt conflicted. He needed time. So he had told the finger that the Yanmiao Clan could assist, and the Morning Glow Light could achieve the ultimate effect. He had thought the divine finger would take a long time to find it, giving him enough time to complete his Golden Crow's advancement and thereby escape the surrounding restrictions. However, he never expected the divine finger to return so quickly... bringing back the Morning Glow Light.

As Xu Qing's mind reeled, the returning finger flung, and immediately thousands of screaming Yanmiao Clan members rushed towards Xu Qing, integrating into the sun's flesh and blood remnants surrounding him. In an instant, these Yanmiao Clan members became nourishment, rapidly melting and being absorbed by the sun's flesh and blood remnants, nourishing Xu Qing. And that treasure-like Morning Glow Light, with a flick of the finger, shot directly towards Xu Qing...

Xu Qing remained silent. The light instantly approached, submerging into the flesh and blood around him. The next moment, it was absorbed by the Golden Crow, continuously erupting within its body, forming a multi-colored radiance that radiated from the sun's flesh and blood. From a distance, the sun's remnants at this moment seemed to truly be reviving. Waves of powerful fluctuations spread from within, rumbling around the surroundings. The nourishment from thousands of Yanmiao Clan members also accelerated the vitality within the flesh and blood.

Xu Qing's Golden Crow's tails immediately reached ninety-nine. The hundredth tail was rapidly appearing, and Xu Qing's cultivation soared at this moment. An aura of the Nascent Soul realm continuously formed from the Golden Crow.

At the same time, the divine finger hummed. After its divine consciousness swept over the sun's flesh and blood, it ignored Xu Qing's Golden Crow's ascent and went straight to the old man Danqing, pressing against his forehead. Brutal divine consciousness erupted from within, as if it had become completely impatient. Its madness and intent to kill were on the verge of breaking loose, as if its rage would instantly obliterate everything around it if the body still couldn't be drawn.

The old man of the Danqing Clan trembled, feeling the approach of death, and spoke loudly. "No problem, Chosen One, I will draw your body for you right away!" As he spoke, the old man of the Danqing Clan quickly took out his brush, hooked it towards the sun's flesh and blood remnants where Xu Qing was, and immediately a wisp of vital energy emanated from the flesh, gathering at the tip of the old man's brush, as if becoming paint and ink. After he dipped it a few times, he rapidly began to draw at the side. With just a few strokes, the outline of a body roughly took shape.

Noticing this scene, the divine finger's irritability subsided somewhat, transmitting intense desire. It ignored its surroundings, gathering all its divine consciousness onto the body outline drawn by the old man of the Danqing Clan.

"Chosen One, you can integrate your divine consciousness. As I draw, it will gradually merge with this body from the very beginning. This is a method I specifically devised for you during this time, which can greatly increase the success rate and reduce rejection." The old man of the Danqing Clan spoke rapidly. Whether due to the exertion of drawing or to emphasize his effort, his body was now undergoing drastic changes, no longer appearing refined. Instead, his eyes showed madness, his hair disheveled, revealing his true form. The divine finger instantly integrated its divine consciousness into the body's outline. As the old man of the Danqing Clan continued to draw, this integration deepened, and the body slowly became clearer.

Witnessing this scene, Xu Qing felt immense anxiety. He knew his time was running out. Once the old man of the Danqing Clan finished drawing the body, the subsequent outcome would spiral completely out of control. He especially didn't trust that old man of the Danqing Clan. The old man's previous cooperation was clearly intentional; although the specific purpose was unknown, it was ultimately malicious.

"I must complete the Golden Crow's advancement before this old man finishes drawing." Xu Qing gritted his teeth, checking his Golden Crow's hundredth tail. This final tail was critically important; its formation speed was not very fast at the moment, only half-formed. "Faster!" Xu Qing roared internally. The Golden Crow also sensed Xu Qing's urgency and grew equally anxious, frantically absorbing the sun's remnants' flesh and blood, and rapidly refining and devouring the Yanmiao Clan members that had integrated but hadn't yet fully melted.

Just like that, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed. From afar, the scene here appeared extremely bizarre. A disheveled old man, covered in bite marks, was frantically painting with bloodshot eyes. What he was drawing was a body hundreds of feet in size. The skeleton of this body was now complete, and flesh was forming, appearing incredibly bizarre and unsettling. Furthermore, it exuded the sun's fluctuations, and particularly with the integration of the divine finger's consciousness, divine might also spread within it, and a towering sense of revival surged forth.

On the distant sun's corpse, Xu Qing's eyes were closed, and he remained motionless. However, the sun's flesh and blood surrounding him began to wither extensively. This wilting was partly due to Xu Qing's absorption and partly due to the old man of the Danqing Clan using it for his painting.

Further away, the stone lion, dragging the head, was cautiously moving outwards. It soon hit a restriction and couldn't break through, feeling utterly panicked. "These two are playing a waiting game, trying to pin the blame on each other. I saw it... Oh my God, it's too horrible, I'm blind!" A strange light appeared in the head's eyes as it activated its ability to glimpse the future, but with just one look, it wailed internally. "Everyone's dead, everyone's dead... The head wanted to cry, feeling how unlucky it was, even starting to miss the Disciplinary Office. At this moment, Xu Qing's Golden Crow finally completely formed its hundredth tail."

In an instant, the Golden Crow was visibly invigorated, its body wanting to release flames, its wings wanting to spread, eager to soar to the sky and let out a cry, but Xu Qing immediately restrained it! As if its throat had been choked, the Golden Crow could only obediently return to Xu Qing's body, entering his Fifth Heavenly Palace.

Xu Qing's Fifth Heavenly Palace, formed by the 'Golden Crow Refines Ten Thousand Spirits' technique, suddenly changed its shape with the Golden Crow's return. It no longer looked like a Golden Crow but transformed into the figure of a young man. This young man wore imperial robes and an imperial crown, looking exactly like Xu Qing. However, his body was not composed of flesh and blood but was a 'Dao Nascent Soul,' permeated with boundless magical power and the path of the Golden Crow.

Though still blurry, merely a prototype, the moment it appeared, a wave of fluctuations far exceeding a Heavenly Palace Golden Core erupted from this Fifth Heavenly Palace. Violent fluctuations filled Xu Qing's sea of consciousness. As the Golden Crow advanced to the third stage, this Fifth Heavenly Palace could no longer be called a Heavenly Palace. It had transformed into a fertile ground for containing a Dao Nascent Soul! To some extent, this palace *was* the Nascent Soul realm. However, because Xu Qing's other Heavenly Palaces hadn't reached this stage, his current realm was... a 'pseudo-Nascent Soul'!

And the increase in combat power was earth-shattering. Xu Qing sensed the void's restrictions, composed of countless transparent chains. He sensed subtle changes in the divine power around him, which were countless tiny worm-like shadows. He could even sense the aura contained within the body being drawn by the old man of the Danqing Clan; it contained new life. Previously, he couldn't perceive such minute details, but now, with a single sweep, it was incredibly clear.

This was because the essence of his perception had undergone a transformation, giving birth to divine consciousness! Divine consciousness is something only Nascent Soul cultivators can possess. It is the power formed after the Dao Nascent Soul merges with the soul, and it is the foundation for casting divine abilities. Before the Nascent Soul stage, spell techniques were just spell techniques. After the Nascent Soul stage, above spell techniques, there are divine abilities.

Not only that, as the Golden Crow successfully advanced to the third stage, a vast nourishing power erupted from the Fifth Heavenly Palace, feeding back into Xu Qing. This was a characteristic of the 'Golden Crow Refines Ten Thousand Spirits' itself; every time it devoured, it would feed back. But this time, the feedback power was unprecedented, surpassing everything in the past.

With a rumble, Xu Qing's physical body was refined further, becoming even more powerful. Because this feedback was so immense, it integrated from his physical body into his other Heavenly Palaces, causing his Ninth Heavenly Palace to also rapidly materialize. Before this, Xu Qing's First Heavenly Palace was the Black Umbrella Lamp, the Second Heavenly Palace was the Seven-Colored Wind Chime Lamp, the Third Heavenly Palace was the Poison Restraint Elixir, the Fourth Heavenly Palace was the Purple Moon Palace, the Fifth Heavenly Palace was the Imperial Grade Cultivation Technique, the Sixth Heavenly Palace was the Heavenly Dao Azure Dragon, the Seventh Heavenly Palace was guarded by Ghost Emperor Mountain, and the Eighth Heavenly Palace was the Netherworld Blood Pool Lamp.

His Ninth Heavenly Palace, which was already half-completed at the Ten-Intestine Tree, now rapidly materialized to seventy, eighty, ninety percent under this feedback power... until an incense stick later, the Ninth Heavenly Palace was ninety-nine percent complete, lacking only a suppression artifact. "Suppression artifact... Golden Crow, spit light!"

Xu Qing's mind raced. His divine consciousness immediately descended into the Fifth Heavenly Palace. The Golden Crow Dao Nascent Soul within it opened its eyes, revealing a seven-colored radiance. The next instant, it opened its mouth and directly spat out a ray of light. It was the Morning Glow Light. As this light shone, it went straight to the Ninth Heavenly Palace.

The moment it integrated, the Ninth Heavenly Palace instantly became a seven-colored palace, entirely crystalline and transparent, radiating boundless multi-colored light. Inside, one could clearly see the integrated Morning Glow Light had transformed into a sphere of light, and faintly, there seemed to be a giant creature, like a phoenix or a roc, sleeping within it. The sun that fell here was not a Golden Crow, but another type of life form. The reason Xu Qing's Golden Crow could devour it was because they were essentially from the same source.

At this moment, with the formation of the Ninth Heavenly Palace and the Morning Glow Light taking its place, Xu Qing's cultivation broke through! While his combat power soared madly, he discovered that the feedback from the Golden Crow had not ended. His Tenth Heavenly Palace was actually taking shape...

Xu Qing's mind reeled with shock, and an endless desire surged within him. He opened his eyes and looked at the old man of the Danqing Clan and the divine finger. His fluctuations were a monumental change for himself, but that was his affair. To the divine finger, the body was paramount, so even if it noticed Xu Qing's changes, it paid them no mind, instead focusing its entire divine consciousness on continuously integrating into the body.

The old man Danqing noticed Xu Qing's changes, his gaze flickered imperceptibly, then he pretended not to see, continuing to draw. The body he was drawing was now half-formed, and the divine might within it grew increasingly astonishing, continuously spreading in all directions, making the distortion and blurriness of the area even more intense. It even formed a storm, rumbling outwards in every direction.

Witnessing this scene, Xu Qing made a decision. "If I escape now, once that old man stops drawing, the divine finger would likely be driven by the excuse of 'I'm missing paint'..."

"Therefore, now is not the time to escape. I must wait for the moment the finger integrates!" Xu Qing remained calm and composed. As he waited, he circulated the nourishing power fed back by the Golden Crow within him, channeling all of it into his Tenth Heavenly Palace. As for the artifact needed to anchor his Tenth Heavenly Palace once it fully materialized, he had already decided. "This time, I'll integrate the purple crystal and go all out!"