Chapter 520: Purple Mysterious Supreme Light

Xu Qing heard the Diamond Sect Patriarch's voice transmission. He looked up at the distant palace, lost in thought, then glanced at the captain. The captain's face and eyes were brimming with excitement, as if it were about to overflow.

This was different from his usual frenzy when encountering treasures.

"Last time, at You Jing's place, the Senior Brother was the same. He seems to have an intense obsession with taking items from female cultivators." Xu Qing was surprised and couldn't help but ask.

The captain heard him and smiled proudly. "You don't understand, little Ah Qing. Let me tell you, this is my experience: female cultivators have the most treasures around them. The more outstanding and beautiful a female cultivator is, the more true this is. Countless people rush to send them gifts. I've witnessed many similar scenes in my previous lives."

"Think back to You Jing's place. Wasn't it like that? Countless treasures."

Xu Qing recalled the countless treasures in You Jing's cave mansion and nodded in agreement.

"I'm truly ashamed of those who give gifts to curry favor with female cultivators. That's why I secretly swore to myself that I would definitely help these female cultivators alleviate the pressure of all those gifts."

"Little Ah Qing, what's the most important thing for us as people? It's kindness, helping others! So, what we do is an act of kindness!" The captain spoke earnestly.

Xu Qing was stunned. Although he found it a bit strange, the captain's tone and expression were so firm and confident, making his words seem highly logical.

"You're still too young, you know. Just listen to me, you won't go wrong. I'm your Senior Brother; would I ever lead you astray?" The captain patted Xu Qing's shoulder.

"Let's go. We have at least three days. The Red Moon will probably awaken after the third wave of arrivals. Let's try to get more good stuff in these three days. For now, let's go see what treasures are in this palace." The captain licked his lips and signaled Xu Qing to get up. The two, carried by the severed hand, approached the phoenix-shaped palace ahead.

Since the Red Moon could awaken at any moment, Xu Qing didn't ask further questions and moved forward at full speed.

Thus, the severed hand moved rapidly across the fleshly ground, getting closer and closer to the phoenix palace ahead. After a moment, the hand suddenly stopped. Xu Qing and the captain simultaneously sensed a dangerous aura emanating from ahead.

Peering through the gaps between the severed hand's fingers, they could see a wall of flesh and blood encircling the area, separating the inside from the outside. Inside the flesh-and-blood wall, the area was quite large, containing a total of nine phoenix palaces.

There were no guardian statues, and even the roars of the exotic beasts were fainter than elsewhere.

"It's too quiet," Xu Qing whispered.

"Something's off," the captain nodded.

They exchanged glances. Xu Qing immediately ordered his shadow, which instantly spread forward to scout. Meanwhile, the captain raised his hand and bit off a finger directly. After spitting it out, the finger transformed into a crystal worm and darted forward.

Xu Qing wasn't surprised; he had seen the captain do this many times along the way. These were their respective scouting techniques, and by working together, they could locate the source of danger from multiple angles and avoid peril.

Time passed. As Xu Qing's shadow got closer to the wall outside the phoenix palace, the worm formed from the captain's finger had already burrowed into the flesh-and-blood wall from another direction. It leaped over, but instantly, a purple light shimmered. The crystal worm's body paused mid-air, as if invisible blades had appeared, slicing it directly into several pieces. The worm's vitality was tenacious; even torn apart, it quickly transformed into individual entities and continued to rush forward. However, the defenses here were not singular. Soon, waves of restrictive power erupted, instantly destroying the fragmented worms, turning them to ash. They were then scattered outwards by a repulsive force.

This wasn't even the end of it. After the captain's worm turned to dust, a sealing force erupted from within, directly enveloping the spot where the worm had vanished. The void there twisted, and an eye emerged from its transparent state, only to be crushed and shattered instantly. The captain groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and frowned. "How can there be a power here that suppresses the 'Sealing of the Righteous'? Little Ah Qing, this palace is not simple!"

At this moment, Xu Qing's investigation also met with an obstacle. As soon as his shadow extended into the flesh-and-blood wall, a scream came from it. Its body was severed. But the shadow was fierce; even severed, the remaining part within the flesh-and-blood wall rapidly self-destructed, turning into countless fragments that spread outwards with full force, attempting a wide-ranging reconnaissance. However, this action seemed to trigger deeper restrictions within the area. The next instant, within the flesh-and-blood wall, everything blurred in all directions, and a terrifying wave swept out from within, erupting outwards with a rumbling sound. Moreover, a purple light shimmered inside. Wherever it passed, all the severed and fragmented shadow portions let out shrill screams, disintegrating simultaneously and being instantly annihilated. It even spread outwards, attempting to trace back to its origin. Looking around, the purple light instantly blazed, shooting outwards, and an even colder presence, faster than the purple light, invaded in all directions. It descended upon them.

Xu Qing and the captain's expressions changed. They felt the intense cold, and the purple light before them covered everything in their vision, becoming so dense it turned black, plunging them into darkness. They were about to dodge, but at that moment, the purple light unexpectedly paused for some unknown reason, then rolled back, restoring light to Xu Qing's and the captain's vision.

Outside the flesh-and-blood wall, the remaining part of the shadow escaped destruction, rapidly rolled back, and trembled as it returned to Xu Qing's side, conveying feelings of grievance and fear to him. "Scared... can't enter..."

At this moment, Xu Qing's expression was peculiar. He stared intently at the large courtyard encompassed by the flesh-and-blood wall, his heart surging with immense waves, and his eyes filled with a touch of disbelief.

Beside him, the captain's breathing was heavy. "Junior Brother, this is a bit troublesome. I don't know who lived here back then, but it really suppresses me, especially that purple light just now..."

Before the captain could finish, Xu Qing suddenly interrupted him. "Senior Brother, I think this place looks a bit familiar. And did you hear that just now?"

The captain paused, looking at Xu Qing. "Familiar? Hear what?"

"There was a sigh in that purple light just now," Xu Qing said softly.

The captain's expression changed. He grabbed Xu Qing's arm and spoke gravely. "Junior Brother, the various races in this world don't have a complete understanding of everything. After the shattered face of the deity appeared, too many unknown, bizarre, and terrifying things emerged. Deities are one part, but there are other indescribable existences. Don't look at my usual madness; in reality, every major undertaking I've led you on before was based on intelligence and clues I'd prepared for a long time. But this 'Immortal Restriction' is different."

"I don't understand it. So, generally speaking, encountering something that only you can hear and others cannot usually signifies extreme danger. Especially since I'm quite special, and I didn't hear it, there's a big problem here." The captain's expression was solemn.

"Let's not go in here for now. We'll wait outside. Once the deity dies, we'll decide whether to explore, depending on the situation." This statement was extremely rare coming from the captain. The fact that it made even the captain choose to temporarily abandon such a tempting prize indirectly indicated the extraordinary nature of this place.

Xu Qing nodded, just about to leave with the captain, but his peripheral vision swept over the area, and his body suddenly trembled. What he saw was a faint figure appearing within the purple light in the large courtyard enveloped by flesh and blood. It was a woman. She wore a long purple dress, appearing like a blooming violet in the faint light, breathtakingly beautiful. She stood there alone, silently gazing at Xu Qing. The familiar gaze sent immense waves through Xu Qing's heart. "Junior Brother!"

The captain noticed Xu Qing's daze, his expression changed, and he pulled Xu Qing forcefully. Xu Qing's body jolted. He looked at the captain, then turned his head back to where the familiar figure had been. There was nothing there now; the purple figure had vanished. Even the entire area encompassed by the flesh-and-blood wall began to blur at this moment, subtly decaying, as if it were about to cease to exist.

This scene was not an isolated incident. In fact, it wasn't just here; Xu Qing and the captain had witnessed similar occurrences more than once along their journey. It was as if after an ancient seal had been broken, the influx of external aura affected the environment here, causing everything that shouldn't have existed for so long to begin returning to its origin, dissolving into nothingness.

Xu Qing's expression was somewhat bewildered as he murmured softly. "Senior Brother, did you see her?"

Seeing Xu Qing like this, the captain grew anxious. He hadn't seen anything. "Junior Brother, we're not exploring anymore. We're going back, right now! You're not alright!"

"Senior Brother, I'm fine," Xu Qing said softly.

He gazed at the decaying, gradually blurring area, recalling everything he had felt, heard, and seen before. He also sensed his own Dao of Heaven, which showed no warning of danger concerning this place. So, he suddenly spoke. "Senior Brother, do me a favor."

"What are you going to do?!" The captain had a premonition, and his expression changed.

"That place is decaying and disappearing. By the time the deity falls, it should be completely gone. So, I want to go in and take a look now. You can cover me from the outside."

"I refuse!" The captain shook his head.

"If I don't go in and see, my doubts will remain profound. Besides, my Dao of Heaven shows no warning for it, so it should be safe." Xu Qing gazed at the captain.

After a long moment, the captain sighed. "We go together!"

"Senior Brother, the power there suppresses you. Although it's dissipating now, it still affects you quite a bit. Besides, if we go together, I won't be able to enter." After Xu Qing's persuasion, the captain reluctantly agreed. So, Xu Qing took a deep breath, and his body flickered, merging into the severed hand.

There were restrictions there, making normal entry impossible. So, the method Xu Qing conceived was to merge himself into the severed hand, have the captain outside, and then throw the severed hand inside. In this way, with Xu Qing inside the severed hand, he would effectively be in.

If that area weren't dissipating and decaying, Xu Qing would have waited for a safer time to enter. But now, there wasn't enough time, and the doubts in his heart were profound. Because that figure was none other than Immortal Zi Xuan, who absolutely should not have appeared here.

Seeing Xu Qing merge into the severed hand, the captain gritted his teeth, raised his hands, seized it, and swung with all his might, throwing it directly towards the dissipating flesh-and-blood wall. In an instant, the severed hand whistled, carving an arc as it shot forward. The moment it entered the area of the flesh-and-blood wall, the restrictions here erupted once more, sweeping through it several times. However, the severed hand itself was incredibly sturdy. Though its skin was torn and bones were exposed in some places, it remained mostly intact, falling within the courtyard and rapidly healing.

Soon, the severed hand's palm opened wide, and Xu Qing stepped out. He gazed around.

Just then, among the nine phoenix palaces within this decaying and dissipating area, the central one suddenly emitted a purple light. At the same time, a similar light radiated from Xu Qing's storage bag. Immediately, a jade slip flew out on its own, hovering before Xu Qing. This jade slip was given to Xu Qing by Zi Xuan before she left, containing her protective power. Now that it had appeared, its light shone brilliantly, reflecting the light from the central palace.

Simultaneously, a blurry figure materialized within the purple light spreading from the palace, hovering in mid-air and gazing into the distance. Waves surged in Xu Qing's heart. That figure was none other than Zi Xuan!

However, being in this area and looking at her up close, there were still some differences between her and the Zi Xuan in Xu Qing's memory—not in appearance, but in temperament. The figure before him seemed colder, as if it contained little emotion.

Xu Qing remained silent. After a long while, he stepped forward. As he approached, all the restrictions in the area seemed to make way for him, allowing Xu Qing to walk smoothly to the central phoenix palace. Standing there, he took a deep breath and pushed open the palace gates, which had never been opened throughout endless eons.

The grand gates opened silently, revealing a pitch-black hall to Xu Qing's eyes. There were no lights inside the hall; everything was dim. Even the faint light from outside, filtering through the open gates, could not dispel the profound darkness within the hall.

Xu Qing stood there for a while. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he took in the hall's environment. The entire hall was empty, devoid of any seating, with only a single statue standing in the center. The surroundings were vast and desolate, exuding an endless coldness. One could imagine that when the hall doors were closed, it would be indistinguishable from a prison.

Only the statue stood eternally. The statue was of a woman, but not Zi Xuan. Yet, her appearance was also beautiful, exuding grace. She seemed to have aged, and had not deliberately tried to hide the signs of time, so one could see some crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. Her expression was a gentle smile, filled with warmth. Her gemstone-like eyes conveyed compassion, making anyone who looked at her instinctively feel at ease. In her hands, she held a lamp, cradled as if it were the most precious treasure.

This lamp was very special. Crafted from purple stone, it resembled a blooming bauhinia flower, upon which perched a purple phoenix with outstretched wings, remarkably lifelike.

The moment he saw the lamp, Xu Qing's breathing quickened slightly. This was a 'Life Lamp', or more precisely, a lamp sculpture crafted based on a Life Lamp.

Xu Qing had never seen it before, yet he felt a peculiar sense of familiarity. The source of this familiarity came from a dream Immortal Zi Xuan had once told him about. "I often have a dream. For many years, in that dream, there's a pitch-black world, and a lamp."

"It's extinguished, with no flame. I can't touch it; it seems so far, yet so close."

"But I imagine it should look like a blooming bauhinia flower, with a purple phoenix perched on it, its wings spread wide, as if in full bloom."

"This lamp has always appeared in my dreams, always extinguished. And that world is always without light."

Xu Qing's expression was somewhat dazed. He used to think this was just a dream recounted by Immortal Zi Xuan, until he saw Zi Xuan's figure outside earlier, and now, until he saw this lamp sculpture. Where the true Life Lamp was, Xu Qing did not know. Perhaps it was in the sacred land, or perhaps it had already vanished with the passage of time. "Why did Zi Xuan dream of this lamp? And why did her... shadow appear in the purple light outside?" "What kind of karma exists between her and this lamp?" Xu Qing murmured to himself.

As Xu Qing murmured in his heart, Zi Xuan's figure silently appeared beside the statue in the dim hall. She gazed at the statue, her eyes filled with reverence and a touch of bitterness. Then, she turned to look at Xu Qing, and a ripple appeared in her cold eyes. She opened her mouth as if speaking something. Xu Qing couldn't hear. He only saw Zi Xuan's expression change after she spoke, revealing some sorrow. She continuously retreated, while a blurry figure walked from behind Xu Qing, entered the hall, and passed through his body. This scene startled Xu Qing. He sharply turned his head, then quickly turned back to look at the figure that had passed through him to the front. It was a tall young man, wearing a golden imperial robe with four-clawed dragons and a nine-bead imperial crown. No aura emanated from him, yet a single glance was like witnessing immense heavenly might. He stood with his back to Xu Qing, in front of Zi Xuan, and said something unknown. Zi Xuan cried, looking up and gazing far away. Her eyes held deep longing and sorrow, and through her pupils, Xu Qing vaguely saw reflected within them a collapsing sky and a massive, broken face descending from the heavens. This scene made Xu Qing immediately realize that what he was currently seeing was not real. It was more like a projection of a past event! Just like how Zi Xuan previously seemed to be looking at him, but in reality, she was looking in his direction.

In Xu Qing's vision, Zi Xuan continuously shook her head, seemingly reprimanding him. Meanwhile, the figure in the imperial robe remained silent throughout, merely extending a hand, as if inviting Zi Xuan to leave with him. Zi Xuan's eyes showed determination, and she shook her head again. The young man in the imperial robe remained silent for a long time, then took out a small purple bottle from his embrace and gently walked to the statue. He poured a few drops of transparent liquid, resembling lamp oil, from the bottle onto the purple lamp. After doing this, he placed the small bottle, with little lamp oil remaining, to the side. Then, he silently turned, his expression filled with sorrow and a hint of pain. His appearance was now also visible to Xu Qing, strikingly seven-tenths similar to Zi Xuan, as if they were siblings. He walked towards the hall doors, passing through Xu Qing, and went farther and farther away. As he vanished, the hall doors slowly closed. Zi Xuan, next to the statue, raised her head, her expression sorrowful, and crouched down against the statue. Gradually, the entire hall plunged into darkness. And the light from the lamp sculpture on the statue, even with the presence of lamp oil, slowly dimmed in this darkness until it completely disappeared. Coldness descended. Darkness replaced everything, with only a single sigh echoing, lingering for a long time.

Until the next instant, this blackness suddenly vanished, transforming into purple light. After pausing mid-air, it rapidly rolled back towards the distant flesh-and-blood walled courtyard. As the purple light departed, the coldness quickly dissipated, and everything before Xu Qing's eyes returned to normal. Beside Xu Qing, the captain breathed heavily and exclaimed, "Junior Brother, this is a bit troublesome. I don't know who lived here back then, but it really suppresses me, especially that purple light just now..."

At the same time, outside the distant flesh-and-blood wall, the shadow rapidly rolled back. Upon its return, it trembled beneath Xu Qing's feet, conveying feelings of grievance and fear. "Scared... can't enter..."

Xu Qing frowned, gazing at the distant courtyard enclosed by the flesh-and-blood wall, and suddenly spoke. "Senior Brother, I think this place looks a bit familiar. And did you hear that just now?"

"Familiar? Hear what?" The captain paused.

"It seemed like there was a sigh in that purple light," Xu Qing said gravely.

The captain's expression changed, and he was about to speak, but at that moment, about five hundred miles away, a roar suddenly erupted from the safe zone established by the human army. The distance was too great to see clearly; they could only faintly feel the tremors of the earth. Simultaneously, a notification was transmitted through their command swords. "The third wave of arrivals has arrived. By order of His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince, the first wave of arrivals here is informed that you have contributed greatly to the Immortal Restriction plan during these seven days. In the coming period, this area may undergo changes. The first wave of arrivals may voluntarily depart within the next three hours. As for the second wave of arrivals, they must complete seven days before they can leave, and so on." After Xu Qing and the captain checked their respective command swords, they exchanged glances. They naturally wouldn't leave just like that. So, they put away their command swords, squatted inside the severed hand, and continued to watch the flesh-and-blood wall.

The captain was about to ask Xu Qing about the sigh he had mentioned, but before he could speak, he suddenly froze and sharply looked at Xu Qing. Xu Qing also reacted, instantly looking at the captain. "The third wave came so quickly?"

"I remember the second wave just arrived..."

Both of their pupils contracted. They quickly took out their command swords and carefully re-examined the previous message. Finally, the words "seven days" caused immense shock in their minds. "Seven days?" The captain narrowed his eyes. "When we approached here earlier, it was the fourth day, the day the second wave of arrivals came," Xu Qing stated with extreme gravity. "And in our perception, only about an incense stick's worth of time passed, but according to the command sword, three days have gone by!"

A chilling light gleamed in the captain's eyes. "What have we been doing these past three days?"

Xu Qing's expression was grim. Gazing at the flesh-and-blood wall ahead and the nine phoenix palaces within, he vaguely felt as if he had forgotten something, yet the sense of familiarity with that area remained as strong as ever. He had experienced something similar in Ding Yi San Er, though it seemed different from what was happening here. Nevertheless, he immediately activated the power of the Ding Yi San Er Heavenly Palace, letting it permeate his entire body.

The captain's expression was also grim, faces appearing in his eyes as a chilling aura emanated from him. Together with Xu Qing, he looked at the flesh-and-blood wall. After a moment of silence, they still chose not to approach further, but instead retreated.

However, as they retreated, the nine phoenix grand halls within the flesh-and-blood wall began to decay and dissipate. This sight made Xu Qing and the captain pause. The decay and dissipation also paused. With a chilling glint in their eyes, they moved a few steps forward, and the palace's decay reversed. When they continued to retreat, the palace resumed its decay. Only after they had retreated a thousand zhang away did the nine phoenix grand halls within that flesh-and-blood wall finally decay and vanish into the annals of time. Only at the central palace's location remained a broken statue. It was severely eroded, its features indiscernible, its gender unknown, its arms missing—only a fragmented sculpture remained. Beside it, a small purple bottle stood out prominently amidst the ruins.