Chapter 488: Shameful Getting Something for Nothing

Inside the Abyssal Sea, the place where the Divine Finger attempted possession was utterly silent. The heterogeneous energy here was incredibly dense, and a strong sense of blurriness and distortion surrounded the area, gradually transforming it into a true forbidden zone. The source of this forbidden zone was a towering figure standing deep within.

This body was three hundred zhang tall, like a demon god. Completely naked, it stood upright as clouds and mist flowed around it, making it seem lifeless. Only the indistinct, flickering runes on its skin, emanating an ancient aura, hinted at a trace of vitality within the colossal form. Through the mist, the faintly visible, powerful physique gave the impression of facing a colossal mountain. Its broad shoulders seemed capable of bearing the sky, its proportions were perfect, and its aura was immense. Combined with its strikingly handsome, almost demonic face, everything about it within the heterogeneous mist felt sinister. It also exuded a fatal allure.

As time passed, this demon-god-like body slowly began to emit a seven-colored glow. This light was faint at first, but gradually grew brighter and more dazzling until, eventually, the radiance spread in all directions, imbuing this divine-demon body with a sense of holiness. All of this perfectly fused malevolence and sanctity within the body.

After a long time, the massive body trembled slightly and slowly began to decompose. First the head, then the neck, followed by the torso and limbs, it disassembled as if shedding armor, transforming into countless threads of flesh and blood that returned to the interior of the body, merging with Xu Qing's form.

After a while, when all the threads of flesh and blood had merged into Xu Qing's body, the three-hundred-zhang divine-demon form vanished. Xu Qing, standing there, suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a hint of bewilderment. Everything that had occurred before had taken place within his sea of consciousness; his recovery now felt like waking from a dream.

The instant his eyes opened, a mouthful of black blood spurted from his mouth. Yet, there was no sign of injury. Instead, a sensation of complete clarity permeated his entire being, and waves of physical power, far exceeding anything he had felt before, flooded Xu Qing's body in that moment. As the power continuously surged, Xu Qing's breathing quickened slightly, and the bewilderment in his eyes quickly cleared.

"My body..." Xu Qing murmured, his mind trembling slightly after he lowered his head to examine his form. This body felt both familiar and strange to him. After a few silent breaths, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly darted forward, speeding so rapidly that he created a piercing whoosh, appearing hundreds of zhang away in the blink of an eye. Such speed was astonishing. A lingering afterimage was still slowly dissipating from where he had been standing moments before.

"My speed..." Xu Qing took a deep breath, deeply moved. He perceived that his current physical speed was more than three times what it used to be.

Xu Qing's eyes gleamed with an unusual light as he clenched his right hand into a fist and punched forward. With a single punch, though he used no magic, only raw physical power, a vortex appeared in the emptiness before him. As a thunderous roar erupted, a storm exploded in all directions in front of him, devastating everything in its path.

Xu Qing's pupils contracted, and a huge wave surged in his heart. He clearly felt that his body was vastly different from before. Not only had his speed and strength increased tremendously, but his toughness had also improved. His resistance to attacks also seemed different compared to before. It was as if his entire body had undergone a profound and earth-shattering transformation in a short period. It was a change at the physical level.

Xu Qing's heart pounded faster, rhythmic thumps echoing from his chest. As the sound reverberated, he activated his Poison Ban pill, letting its power permeate his entire body to test its tolerance for divine energy. Soon, Xu Qing discovered that the Poison Ban had integrated with his body to an unprecedented degree. Previously, when he unleashed the Poison Ban, his own body would also be corroded. However, his resistance and control kept the corrosion from becoming too severe, and the Purple Crystal's regeneration achieved a balance. For a short period, it wasn't an issue, but in the long run, it was always a hidden danger. Now, as he felt his body, he clearly perceived that this problem had almost vanished. His current body was far more suitable for unleashing the power of the Poison Ban.

Xu Qing's emotions swelled. He then tried the Purple Moon, discovering that this body could endure even more when manifesting its power. It was as if this body had been prepared specifically to adapt to divine power.

"Divine body..." Xu Qing murmured, the word surfacing in his mind. He then successively activated other spells, and after verifying each one, Xu Qing finally confirmed that his physical transformation this time was comprehensive. This fortune greatly invigorated his spirit, though he also felt it was somewhat unearned. However, he quickly dismissed this thought, muttering to himself.

"But I also risked a lot to earn this!"

"And this state probably isn't a true divine body..." Xu Qing recalled the three-hundred-zhang body shell he had perceived in his memories before waking. Looking inward at his current body, he noticed a vast number of golden threads within his flesh and blood. These golden threads were countless, permeating every part of his body. Each thread contained a sense of holiness, and to Xu Qing's perception, they were harmless and controllable. However, the source of their control was not spells or cultivation; only the power of the Poison Ban and the Purple Moon's origin could manipulate them. Yet, he couldn't make these golden threads leave his body to form the previous outer shell.

"Considering this, the previous three-hundred-zhang physical shell was the true divine body, but unfortunately, I can't form it now..." Xu Qing murmured inwardly, knowing this was because the divine power within him was still insufficient.

"This body was prepared by the Divine Finger for itself." Xu Qing's divine sense swept across his tenth Heavenly Palace within his sea of consciousness. Inside the cage of Ding-Yi-San-Er, the blood-colored finger lay solitary, dormant. Perhaps because it was too lonely, its sleep was not peaceful, occasionally trembling a few times.

"It's a pity I can't control it, but one day, I can use the Purple Crystal to seal it completely and command it like my shadow."

Xu Qing's thoughts were not constrained by the previous talk about the finger. His master had taught him this principle by example: when they had stolen secret techniques and spells from many sects, Master Seven had told Xu Qing to bow upon leaving, explaining that this act counted as a reciprocal gesture, allowing him to fight and kill any future enemies from those sects without reservation. The same logic applied now. Xu Qing found his master's words reasonable, so he cupped his fist and bowed forward. Although there was nothing but mist in front of him, Xu Qing understood that sincerity was key to certain matters. If his heart was sincere, then even an empty space would be equivalent to bowing in gratitude to the Divine Finger. This logic was imparted to Xu Qing by Master Seven, and Xu Qing felt it was perfectly sound.

However, to ensure the other party's more peaceful slumber, Xu Qing looked around after bowing. After a brief perception, his body flickered, disappearing from his spot and reappearing as an afterimage in the distance. On the ground there lay a yellowed scroll painting. The scroll, which once depicted four generations living together, now showed only the old man, whose expression was one of extreme terror. Yet he was not alone, for despite being the sole human figure, a ferocious Canglong was opening its maw towards him.

Gazing at the painting, Xu Qing's eyes turned cold. He raised his right hand and made a grasping motion in the air. Immediately, the painting lifted from the ground and flew into his hand. Sensing this, the Canglong inside quickly flew out of the painting. After letting out a hiss towards Xu Qing, it burped, then drilled into Xu Qing's body, returning to the Sixth Heavenly Palace.

"Get out!" Xu Qing said indifferently, his cold gaze fixed on the painting before him.

The Canglong in the Sixth Heavenly Palace trembled, but quickly realized the command wasn't directed at it and settled down. As for the old man in the painting, he trembled even more, not daring to disobey. He swiftly emerged from the painting, transformed into a human figure, and floated before Xu Qing, looking at him with utter terror on his face. His body shook uncontrollably, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes flickered with doubt and fear.

"Are you... are you a chosen god or a guardian?" the old man from the Danqing tribe stammered, speaking cautiously. He couldn't quite discern who the person before him truly was.

Xu Qing's face remained expressionless as he sent a divine thought to his shadow. The shadow immediately rose from the ground, emitting a terrifying aura, striking a grotesque pose, and brandishing its claws. Despite its appearance, the shadow was actually terrified. When Xu Qing was being possessed earlier, it had hidden itself, secretly harboring some expectation that the Purple Crystal would be damaged by the divine being... If that happened, it might seize the chance to gain freedom. However, with the Purple Crystal's powerful eruption and the Divine Finger's mournful wail, the shadow's fear instantly reached its peak, coupled with a hint of despair. Nevertheless, it didn't want to die. So, to demonstrate its loyalty, it immediately made a gulping sound, and countless eyes appeared on its body, all fixed intently on the old man from the Danqing tribe, emitting threatening whimpers like a vicious dog.

The moment he saw the shadow, the old man from the Danqing tribe's expression completely changed, and he let out a choked wail.

"You, you, you... you're the guardian!!"

"How is this possible? Weren't you possessed by the Divine Finger? How could a divine possession fail?"

The old man from the Danqing tribe trembled violently. He naturally recognized the shadow, given that the shadow had shown immense interest in him back in Ding-Yi-San-Er. Xu Qing cast a cold glance, and the shadow immediately understood, transforming into a true vicious dog, pouncing directly and biting ferociously. A piercing shriek of agony emanated from the old man's mouth.

Xu Qing ignored him and walked towards the Head and the Stone Lion. The Head and the Stone Lion had not fully recovered, so even if they wished to escape, they couldn't. The Stone Lion's legs hadn't fully regrown, and the Head was still only half-formed. Upon seeing Xu Qing's figure, both of them trembled violently. Like the old man from the Danqing tribe, they initially didn't know if Xu Qing was still Xu Qing, but the old man's voice carried through the mist had given them a clue. However, this realization brought an even stronger sense of fear.

"Even a god couldn't possess him? My heavens..." The Head cried, especially upon seeing the scroll painting nearby, continuously being torn and wailed at by the shadow. Its body trembling, it quickly spoke.

"Congratulations, sir, truly congratulations! I knew that lowly god couldn't possibly be a match for you, sir! And this immortal old man from the Danqing tribe, no matter how cunning he is, you, sir, could easily make him suffer eternal damnation with just a flick of your finger!"

"And I am incredibly excited right now, our Ding-Yi-San-Er is finally nearing a grand reunion!" The Head spoke rapidly, trying to curry favor.

With a whoosh, the Adamantine Sect Patriarch flew out of Xu Qing's storage bag and reminded him from the side. "Master, this evil being's words are disingenuous. It appears to be flattering, but the way its eyes are darting around indicates it's scheming how to escape. Like the little shadow, these fellows are deeply rebellious. Should anything happen to you, they are not one with you and will certainly revel in your misfortune. I suggest you suppress it completely!"

The Head's expression changed. It stared wide-eyed at the black iron skewer, gasped, and was about to retort. Xu Qing cast a cold glance at the Head. With a raised hand and a wave, his Tenth Heavenly Palace instantly manifested with a rumble. A layer of purple light permeated it, sealing over the red glow inherent to the Tenth Heavenly Palace itself. The moment Ding-Yi-San-Er appeared, the Head froze, its eyes wide with bewilderment and disbelief.

"Didn't you want a reunion? Go in." Xu Qing's calm voice drifted out.