Chapter 538: Last Night's Breeze, Tonight's Starry River

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed.

He recognized this lamp; it was the Nether Spirit Bloodwing Lamp! When he was in the Saint Azure Race under the guise of a Black Heaven Race member, he had once requested one, which he later integrated into his body, forming one of his Dao Infants. However, his lamp was the left wing, primarily granting speed. The lamp before him now was the right wing.

Xu Qing looked thoughtful, then raised his head to gaze at Marquis Yao.

Marquis Yao's eyes held deep meaning, and a smile played on his lips. He picked up a teacup nearby, took a sip, and remained silent.

Xu Qing fell silent. He had always known that neither the County Governor nor the Palace Lord of Fenghai County were ordinary individuals. Marquis Yao, formerly one of the Five Giants, was no exception. After all, not everyone could befriend and gain the trust of various foreign races.

"What's going on here?"

The white snowfield of Yinghuang Province came into Master's view.

Grandmaster Yi chuckled wryly and pointed.

Xu Qing looked at Master nearby, pondered seriously for a moment, recalling the scenes from half a month ago. After a while, he spoke softly.

"Although there's more to this war with the Saint Azure Race than meets the eye, their losses are still significant. For instance, the smaller nations of the Ten-Gut Tree and some Black-Clad Guards have all perished."

"You still don't trust me."

Huo Le sighed softly.

Xu Qing nodded. The migration of the Blood Eye was a natural course of action, so he didn't ask further questions and turned to leave.

Master considered for a moment, then nodded.

In his palm, there was a rune formed by Divine Essence.

Master's gaze fell upon the captain's name. He raised his hand to cross it out, but paused.

It was precisely this characteristic that led to the numerous branches of the Misty Race.

"Oh, right, I can also sing! I'm really good. The sisters from the Wood Spirit Race taught me a few times, and I picked it right up."

"With a single thought, I can decide your life or death."

"The moonlight is slightly warm, flowing past yesterday's green vine railing. The rain lines are not yet dry, breaking and then continuing, longing becoming a lamp..."

A sharp glint appeared in Grandmaster Yi's eyes. After some thought, he took out a jade slip and sent a message to Huo Le.

As Xu Qing spoke, Master's heart rippled.

A cold glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes.

The wind here was colder than in the County City, and there were more snowflakes, falling from the sky and swirling from the ground, ceaselessly, obscuring sight and blurring the surroundings.

"Unfortunately, Bai Xiaozhuo's eight fish bones have already dissipated."

"So, how was your discussion with my disciple?"

However, over the past half-month, human sanctions had caused the Misty Race's minor world to collapse, with most of it shattered and the rest sealed off. Under the might of the human race, the Misty Race was no match at all.

Huo Le immediately recognized him as his eighth senior brother.

For them, after the baptism of battle and walking through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, they were not indifferent to slaughter and death, but it was difficult for such things to stir many ripples in their hearts.

Beside him, a blur resolved into Xu Qing's figure, emerging from nothingness to stand beside him.

The sound reverberated through the clouds, spreading in all directions, so that countless mortals and cultivators in the County City could hear it.

Even strange lights dared not appear.

Hearing Master's words, Grandmaster Yi smiled slightly. He had long noticed the miscellaneous things on his disciple, but ever since he learned that Master also had a divine finger within him, he had ceased to be surprised.

Master's eyes flickered.

Two hours later, the mist dissipated, ceasing to exist.

Consequently, one after another, the branch tribes of the Misty Race were suppressed. Even if some managed to escape, they were few.

Seeing Huo Le acknowledge him, Qing Qin felt very disheartened. He thought he was useless, unable to help Master-Brother detect many external dangers. So, he flew out of Huo Le's sleeve, reached Master's ear, and spoke softly.

As for the Misty Race in the desert, they were not a large tribe. Their form was ethereal, and their kin could be found wherever mist existed.

"Absurd!"

This was a small contraption he had previously researched, with only one function: lie detection.

This was the captain's eight characters, and there were many question marks hanging beside them.

His gaze fell upon Huo Le, and a smile appeared on his face.

Grandmaster Yi looked at Xu Qing.

Grandmaster Yi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the evening glow in the sky. After a long pause, he spoke indifferently.

Grandmaster Yi felt regret. He had later inquired about Huo Le's teleportation during the previous altar battle, and Master had withheld nothing, revealing everything.

"Some identities, some pawns, must be used when necessary. I heard that Xiang Ling'er recently represented the Saint Azure Ancestral Emperor, negotiating the details of the Saint Azure Race's return with a certain prince, which also included the ownership of some territories."

Half a day later, the Misty Race's tribal land, recalled from Master's memory, appeared in the distance.

Qing Qin's voice was full of happiness. Master smiled and nodded upon hearing it.

Seven-in-one!

"I should still go out."

"They're looking at me strangely, especially the one who poured my tea. I think he's even more problematic. Master-Brother, you must be very careful; I think they might want to harm you."

Inside the Sword-wielding Palace, Huo Le, who had just returned, was immersed in Qing Qin's singing. After a long while, he noticed the vibration of a communication jade slip and heard Ling'er's words.

The moment the Great Wing approached, the Grand Elder's expression turned solemn, and he cupped his fists in a bow.

"The deaths of Brothers Hengxin and Rongyu were not so simple. After Xiang Ling'er held back and escaped, a certain prince descended to resolve everything, and coincidentally appeared before me to save me. I knew there was more to it, but I could only tacitly allow myself to become his hidden card."

"In the previous altar battle, the Life Lamp Canopy I displayed ultimately became a paper..." Xu Qing muttered to himself. He realized this, but at that time, he had no way to conceal it.

Master still remembered how formidable the opposing tribe was when he respectfully waited in their city. At this moment, the tribesmen in their city also looked at Master with indifference from afar.

Just the appearance of the other party made him gasp.

Under Grandmaster Yi's gaze, the rune on his palm flickered.

Master's face was expressionless, but he was contemplating within. After experiencing these events, his trust in Xu Qing remained, and since the other party had spoken to such an extent, he had nothing to hide either.

He was too thin, and his spirit was listless, as if his body had been hollowed out.

Its body was white, with a magnificent aura, bearing miniature mountains and pavilions that could accommodate a hundred thousand cultivators.

"Welcome, County Governor!"

"What you said is sincere, but it can't be entirely believed. After all, human hearts can change."

"For example, among the Heavenly Wind Kingdom's negotiating delegation this time, there are some former noble scions of the upper two registries. I heard one of them was personally promoted by the Divine Son of Daylight."

"So, my disciple saved your entire family and helped you clear your name. You must protect it well."

Xu Qing paused here, his gaze falling on Huo Le's eyes, and spoke softly.

But behind them were thousands of cultivators, all battle-hardened practitioners from the Sword-wielding Palace, led by Deacon Si Nan. This was an appointment made by Sword-wielding Palace Lord Li Yunshan and Xu Qing.

"Additionally, the Blood Eye must be migrated to the County City."

So he took out a jade slip and sent a message to Ling'er.

Xu Qing looked at Master and spoke again.

Huo Le also cast his gaze upon Master in the distance and smiled.

"Youth is truly wonderful," Grandmaster Yi sighed with emotion.

As for Daoist Si Nan, in addition to his deacon identity, he now had another role: protector.

"I've divided these fish bones into eight parts and am currently refining them. Calculating the time, they should take shape in another half month."

"Indeed, youth is truly wonderful."

Master held grudges; it had been that way since childhood.

The moment Master stepped out of Marquis Yao's Residence, it was already dusk outside. Qing Ling's voice reached his ear.

Master was beside him, noticing Ling'er's expression, feeling deep admiration. He felt he was inferior to Ling'er in this regard, because at this moment, his heart still had ripples.

Master stood on the Great Wing, coldly observing everything.

Xu Qing's gaze was clear as he looked at Master.

Master's eyes widened, while Grandmaster Yi, who was beside him, was expressionless and spoke indifferently.

The sect cultivators were divided into two groups: one wore white Daoist robes with blood patterns, and they were from the Li Tu Sect.

He rarely opened up to people like this.

Under a clear sky, a long rainbow streaked across, stirring ripples that spread in all directions.

Grandmaster Yi glanced at the bamboo slip beside him, saw "Purple Azure Prince" written at the top, and also noticed a conspicuously uncrossed-out name among the many that had been crossed out.

Huo Le fell silent. He picked up a teacup nearby and looked at the water inside; the tea was rippling.

In that cruel world, an eye for an eye was the rule for survival.

Master ignored it, but Qing Qin noticed something, poking its head out to look curiously at the Shadow.

Especially, his eighth brother was accompanied by four young women, each holding an infant in her arms.

As for Yao Feihe, Master couldn't quite understand, but he also made a note of the matter.

"Mu Ye."

Huo Le was immediately invigorated. Amidst the restless circling in the sky, their group departed from this place.

"What about the puppets transformed from the corpses of Brothers Hengxin and Rongyu?"

On the way to the teleportation point, Master took out a bamboo slip from his storage bag and used an iron skewer to cross out the Misty Race inscribed on it.

This was the place where, after returning from the Ten-Gut Tree teleportation, he had sensed great danger and gone to plead for teleportation, but was deliberately delayed.

But there was one branch city of the Misty Race that Master proposed.

From afar, a sigh-filled voice emerged from the crowd of Taisi Immortal Sect members. A figure in a Blood Eye Daoist robe, wearing a tall hat with the character "Forbidden" on it, slender with extremely dark circles under his eyes, quickly walked out from the crowd.

The principle was that divine spirits were omniscient and omnipotent. Although only relatively, this attribute could still allow one to judge truth and falsehood to a certain extent.

And there were Captain Lei and Master Bai; he hadn't visited their graves in a long time either.

Piercing screams echoed in all directions as countless mists surged towards the Great Wing's mouth. It ate with immense glee, emitting excited roars.

"This is a new generation of divine spirit test subjects. It's somewhat difficult to control, but I've come up with a method. I'll return to Blood Eye soon to retrieve my research left here."

As the Great Wing roared, Huo Le looked at the desert ground, his eyes cold. As if sensing Master's emotions, the Small Wing emitted a piercing sound in the sky.

"I will be responsible for Master's future safety within the Black Heaven Race."

"Ostensibly, the Saint Azure Race has severed ties with the Heavenly Wind Emperor, but based on my contact with them over the years, I believe that, given their nature, they would never stand alone. They likely maintain considerable secret contact with the Heavenly Wind Emperor."

"No regrets in this life, may flowers bloom into farewells by your side. Turning back in reincarnation, a gentle smile, even if ten million years have passed..."

"I've been thinking about something these past few days... if I hadn't called out that phrase, would you have appeared?" Grandmaster Yi's eyes held deep meaning as he gazed at Xu Qing.

Yet, thousands of figures waiting there became increasingly clear in the wind and snow.

"Master, with my current status, I can now know some things. Back then, the County Governor, Brother Liang Xiu, and I had a plan: for me to gain the trust of the Saint Azure Race, thereby contacting Huo Lecong, and instigating his defection, so that Xiang Ling'er would return to the human race!"

The iron skewer vibrated slightly, showing respect.

So, after a moment's thought, Master put down his teacup, took out a jade slip, released a wisp of his Purple Moon aura, and handed it to Xu Qing.

This thought was perceived by the Vajra Sect Old Ancestor, and the iron skewer vibrated more intensely.

It was probably for this reason that Marquis Yao noticed this, thereby identifying the disguised identity Xu Qing had used in the Saint Azure Race, and then used his connections to procure this lamp for him.

Even after he walked out, a huge figure of the Misty Race rose up and gazed at him.

"It can indeed melt Life Lamps, but the cost is enormous; it consumes its own life force."

"Ling'er, this fish bone..." Master felt that the Vajra Sect Old Ancestor and the Shadow could no longer keep up with his combat power, so he entertained the idea of replacing them.

Huo Le felt a pang of regret upon hearing this, knowing that acquiring the Light Beyond the Heavens was undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack, almost impossible.

In the distance, inside the County Governor's Mansion, Grandmaster Yi stood on a pavilion, gazing out at the street.

Xu Qing took the jade slip, pondered for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice.

Noticing the contemplation in Xu Qing's expression, Marquis Yao smiled. He hoped Xu Qing would think more, as only then could he grow faster in character.

The Great Wing's speed was already astonishing, and with the Small Wing flapping its wings to boost it, its speed surpassed lightning. In less than a day, they arrived at the edge of the County City territory and saw the vast desert.

"I've completed forty percent of this matter. If only I had another ten years... but unfortunately, plans don't always keep up with changes. Afterward, in the northern battlefield, the Moon Mist Emperor came fiercely, and there were even suspected human presences among the enemy forces."

Only after Xu Qing truly left did Grandmaster Yi lower his head and look at his palm.

The matter of this tribe colluding with Zhuzhao was also informed to Xu Qing by Master after the County Governor's victory, so the purge had already begun half a month ago.

The shadow behind him also began to distort, emitting emotional fluctuations of fear and begging for mercy.

The lamp that was sent was naturally not a coincidence.

"Let's not speak of companionship in the next life, but merely say that reunion is fate."

Huo Le smiled upon hearing this, nodded, and then informed Master about the Light Beyond the Heavens.

Grandmaster Yi shook his head.

"Ling'er, Junior Brother..."

Nor could just anyone endure until the very end before seizing an opportunity to burst forth.

"Shall I sing a song for you?"

"I have a grudge that I need to settle."

After a while, Grandmaster Yi nodded.

Whether in cunning or means, Marquis Yao was a top choice.

It hadn't originally intended to follow, but after Master announced mealtime, it became energetic and swiftly arrived.

"Otherwise, if hearts grow cold, no one will step out at such a time to ask what's wrong."

At this point, Xu Qing looked at Grandmaster Yi.

Not to mention, the other party also had the courage to bloodbath all tribesmen who harbored foreign races.

For the Misty Race, who lived in the mists, their ethereal mist bodies were their true forms, while the puppets stored in their minor worlds were the combat vessels they parasitized.

"You still haven't returned our eight provinces of Huo Lecong. The Black Heaven Race lacks deterrent power."

The crimson clouds also arrived at this moment, reflecting on the large white snake, faintly projecting the figure of a young girl, blushing and singing softly.

He thought of how Xiang Ling'er and the Moon Mist Emperor had appeared on the northern battlefield from the Saint Azure Race's side earlier. This was clearly one of the reasons Xu Qing was spared from death after being severely injured.

So, under the gaze of everyone, Huo Le cupped his fists in a bow to Daoist Si Nan and the thousand comrades behind him. The Great Wing roared and soared towards the horizon.

This was protection for Huo Le.

This was etiquette, and it was essential.

The Great Wing seemed somewhat unsatisfied, letting out a squawk towards Master, as if asking if there was more to eat...

"Since that Black Heaven Race belongs to Old Seven, then it must be mine."

"Ling'er, could our journey pass by the Misty Race?"

As for this place, it was also proposed by Huo Le, and thus deliberately left behind after being sealed. The Misty Race members within had endured in fear and anxiety until now.

As the Great Wing roared and delved deeper, the various races in the desert felt a tremor in their hearts.

Two days later.

Under the suppression of absolute power, there was no possibility of resistance here.

"He gave me a name. I'll have someone contact them, as a counterbalance to that prince." Xu Qing's voice was intense.

Although they tried to salvage the situation and reconcile, it was useless. The human race, tormented by the County Governor's transformation, needed an emotional release. And with Zhuzhao being wanted by the entire human race, those involved would find it hard to escape sanction.

This extermination didn't last too long; after all, it was just a branch tribe.

It was precisely their delay that led to Master being intercepted by Chu Tianqun at the desert's edge, resulting in a life-or-death battle, with the battlefield being fragments of the Misty Race's minor world.

Grandmaster Yi's expression was as usual, showing no emotional fluctuations. It seemed that at his age, he had long grown indifferent to all of this. These emotions and desires of returning home in glory, which were significant to mortals, caused no ripples within him.

Those one thousand people were Master's guards for his journey in the Black Heaven Race.

Grandmaster Yi's identity was no longer the Blood Eye Sect Master; he was the County Governor.

The voice was ice-cold. Huo Le immediately realized that Ling'er was truly angry.

"Returning home in wealth without showing it off is like wearing fine clothes at night."

Until now, Master's arrival sounded the horn for the destruction of this branch tribe.

Among the crowd, besides the Sword-wielders, there were also some sect cultivators.

Master always remembered this grudge.

"It wasn't like this before the Divine Remnant Face arrived, but after it came, this light completely vanished."

"Several counties are in transition, and our Black Heaven Race also needs to expand..."

The Great Wing was the first to charge, emitting excited squawks from its mouth. Purplish-red light erupted, tearing open the barrier. Its eight heads simultaneously drilled in and took a powerful suck.

"Some died before, others died in the past half-month. And the relocation of Xiang Ling'er's palace also resulted in many records being lost. Huo Lecong also regrets this."

He had no overflowing compassion. From the moment this tribe colluded with Zhuzhao, their fate was sealed.

"Huo Le, although I suspected he was impersonating the Divine Son of Daylight in the Saint Azure Race, and I knew some general things, I'm not clear on the details. So, is that Mu Ye credible?"

Especially Daoist Si Nan on the Great Wing and the thousand battle-hardened Sword-wielders, they had already learned on the way that the first stop of this journey was the territory of a branch tribe of the Misty Race.

"Master, I tell you all this hoping you can see the bigger picture. And now, I am more than just a Sword-wielding Palace member."

After exchanging more pleasantries, Master bid farewell.

"Most of those crossed out are dead; it's unlucky." Master explained to Ling'er. After putting away the bamboo slip, he looked at the iron skewer in his hand.

But whether their robes were blood-soaked or ethereal, it didn't affect the respect that arose in their expressions.

Qing Qin softly hummed, its voice like misty rain, echoing in Master's ear, seeping into his heart like a clear spring.

Whether for profit or as a gamble, since they chose to help Zhuzhao resist the human race, they had to be prepared for a bloodbath and extermination if they were to win.

The other group wore golden Daoist robes, appearing noble and extraordinary, as if infused with immortal qi; they were from the Taisi Immortal Sect.

Huo Le's expression was serious.

Master said softly.

Moreover, since he had decided to go out, there was one thing Master also planned to do.

"Qing Qin, do you want to return to Blood Eye?" Master looked towards Fenghai County.

After speaking, an expectant look appeared in Grandmaster Yi's eyes.

In the sky, besides the Great Wing, a colossal figure loomed indistinctly; this was the Small Wing.

Grandmaster Yi stood in the highest pavilion of the Great Wing, with only Master beside him.

Thus, as the Shadow Fenghai County continued to flatter and even coalesce into various forms, drawing Qing Qin's wry laughter like a magic trick, the Great Wing flew over the desert, teleported at the nearest point, and approached Yinghuang Province.

Therefore, everyone felt relieved at this moment, but the more relieved they felt, the more the stern killing aura emanating from them could not be suppressed, filling all directions.

"Old Seven, I, your Master, will be leaving the County City in eight days to return to Blood Eye. You haven't been back in a long time either; come with me this time."

The Shadow trembled, changing its strategy, and Fenghai County exuded an ingratiating aura.

The leader was the Grand Elder of Yinghuang Province's Sword-wielding Court.

The thousands of people behind him likewise bowed in succession.

Master's mind focused upon hearing this. After a careful recollection, he thought of the matter concerning Zhang Siyun. He felt that Yao Yunhui might still harbor some intentions, so he nodded.

Looking from afar, the area was shrouded in mist. A phantom city, without substance in the mist, appeared and disappeared.

In the sky now, it was getting impatient, emitting squawking sounds.

Eight days later, a Blood Eye Great Wing soared into the sky above the County City.

Seeing Qing Ling's joyful appearance, familiar figures from within the Blood Eye appeared in Master's mind. He also wanted to return to Blood Eye to sweep the grave of Grandfather Ba.

"Master-Brother, you must be careful of these two female cultivators!"

Under the setting sun, he walked the streets of the County City, concealing his aura, blurring his traces, passing through crowds and noise, entering tranquility.

The evening breeze drifted around him, seemingly hearing the song, lifting his black hair and making it sway with the melody.

Without Qing Qin, Master would have perished in that battle.

"Master-Brother, I'm actually very useful. Once I transform, I can even do housework!"

Only killing intent, originating from the Great Wing and Small Wing, rose in all directions.

Qing Qin's tender singing flowed through Huo Le's heart.

"Okay! I'm also from the Blood Eye Intelligence Department," the large white snake replied.

The moment they flew in, the Great Wing's majestic aura and the Small Wing's hungry ferocity converged into a murderous chill, blurring the sky here, causing the desert winds to pause, and seemingly dissipating much of the cold within this oppressive aura.

Now, seeing that it was almost time, Xu Qing put down his teacup, preparing to speak.

Furthermore, at Daoist Si Nan's command, a thousand Sword-wielders transformed into long rainbows and charged into the Misty Race members present.

"As the name suggests, this light is a mysterious beam from outside the Void beyond the Ancient Continent. Its origin is unknown, it's extremely rare, and even rarer when it lands on the Ancient Continent, making it very difficult to preserve."