Chapter 562: Fierce Star Shatters the Sky

The Fire Sea in the eastern region of the Moon Worship Domain, with its unique and scorching environment, supported only a few inhabiting clans. Among these, the Mirror-Shadow Clan and the Sky-Faced Clan were the primary ones.

Skyfire Crystals, found within the Fire Sea, were among several regularly required sacrificial offerings designated by the Red Moon Temple. This frequently led to plundering by clans from outside the Fire Sea. To resist external enemies, the two clans were forced to unite, thus forming an alliance. This alliance also led to the establishment of their sacred city.

The city had stood for a millennium, enduring countless skyfire passages and protecting innumerable members of both clans. Although it had been destroyed at times, it was always rebuilt, making it profoundly significant in the hearts of both clans. They believed its existence had witnessed the history of their alliance in the past and would continue to witness their future.

However, for the lower-ranking clans in the Fire Sea region, this was a city of despair. For both humans and other hunted groups, it was a place filled with death and evil. In fact, more outsiders died here than were sacrificed to the Red Moon Temple.

All of this stemmed from the inherent cruelty deeply embedded within both clans. Living in the hopeless Moon Worship Domain, they relished seeing even more desperate expressions on already despairing people. It seemed only by doing so could they feel a sense of superiority and find enjoyment in life.

At this moment, although the city echoed with laughter, beneath it, cries and wails intertwined. The sounds of whipping, scolding, and torture reverberated through every corner of the city. The entire city reeked of blood, with countless skeletons piled outside every household. It wasn't only humans who became food. Due to this great harvest and sufficient offerings to the temple, the excess became food and playthings for the two clans. These lower-ranking groups could be bought and sold by members of the two clans at will, living lives worse than death, enduring torment. Most, while suffering endless pain, cursed that their deaths might bring about the demise of the two clans.

And on this day, with a booming sound echoing from the horizon, it arrived. In this cruel city, some of the cheering clansmen paused their laughter and looked up in surprise at the distant sky. On the horizon, a massive dust storm, spanning a hundred miles, advanced like a colossal shadow. It blotted out the sun, enveloped the sky, and possessed an astonishing might. Not only was its scale immense, but countless lightning bolts flickered within it, their explosive crackle resounding in all directions. The ground itself was affected, raising endless sandstorms that swirled continuously outwards. The dim sky became twisted and blurred, with a dense, alien essence emanating from the storm, pervading the surroundings. It was a menacing, dark mass, a horrifying sight. Vaguely, a colossal figure could be discerned within. This black-robed figure roared from the sky, as if an envoy of death, having heard the curses of all beings, had descended upon the world.

This sight gradually drew the attention of more cultivators from both clans, and soon the entire city fell silent. On the plaza, the Mirror-Shadow Clan's Imperial Advisor, who had been performing rituals on Duanmu Zang, also looked up. As he gazed at the sky, terrifying divine consciousness fluctuations erupted from him. Thunder rumbled in the sky. A phantom figure, as large as the black-robed old woman within the dust storm, materialized above the city.

"Stop!" a cold voice emanated from its mouth, unleashing endless thunder that echoed with deafening roars. Simultaneously, streams of divine consciousness spread out from within the sacred city, locking onto the storm. Among these, three more powerful fluctuations, comparable to the Imperial Advisor's, also materialized as astonishing figures in the world, coldly observing the dust storm. These four figures emitted fluctuations characteristic of the Spirit Hoard realm. Although they had not yet given birth to a Heavenly Dao, their suppressive aura from the Dao Nourishing and Enlightenment stage was still capable of dominating all directions.

On the plaza, Duanmu Zang, on the verge of death and in agony of body and mind, looked towards the sky. He saw the vast dust storm and the colossal figure within it. Vaguely, it seemed there was another figure standing atop that colossal one. This figure appeared not to be human, but a Black Sky Clan member, with gray skin, a large head, and a head full of sharp spines.

The massive dust storm slowly approached the sacred city, finally halting ten miles away, filling the hearts of the clansmen within with a sense of dread. The ten-mile distance could not block the storm's roar, nor could it prevent the spread of its toxic prohibitions. Thus, thin mists, like a moon-shrouding haze, drifted over the sacred city, causing the city's defensive array to crackle as it was corroded. Moreover, a deafening roar echoed.

Above the sacred city, the Mirror-Shadow Clan's Imperial Advisor spoke in a low voice, raising his right hand and waving it. Instantly, the mist surrounding the sacred city rolled back, but it did not completely dissipate. Instead, after scattering, it reformed and gathered once more. This sight made the Mirror-Shadow Clan's Imperial Advisor's heart sink. He frowned slightly, looking ten miles away.

At this moment, within the dust storm formed by the toxic mist ten miles away, the Spirit Wheel old woman slowly emerged, revealing Xu Qing, who stood atop her head, to the world. Xu Qing's expression was impassive as he coldly gazed at the two clans' sacred city, which resembled a bird's nest. He transmitted a divine thought to Ding Yi San Er within his body.

"Are you really not going to eat it?" Xu Qing asked.

"No, no, no! These are sacrifices to the Crimson Mother! I wouldn't dare eat them. Besides, they're full of curses and smell putrid. Rotten meat, would you eat it?" the god's finger argued eloquently.

Xu Qing ignored it. On his way here, to prevent revealing his true intentions, he had activated the Profound Sky Demonic Moon Pill he'd consumed when he and the captain visited the Saint-Sylvan Clan. He released its last vestiges of power within his body, transforming back into a Black Sky Clan member.

Now, gazing at the sacred city, he raised his right hand and pointed towards the sky above the city. Instantly, the sky roiled, accompanied by a roar, as a purple moon materialized out of nowhere, ascending above the sacred city. With the purple moon's arrival, colors shifted in all directions; everything turned purple in that instant. The sky was purple, the earth was purple, and the city even more so. Everything the eye could see was purple! Divine might spread, enveloping the world, imbued with the potent authority of the Crimson Mother. Its level surpassed all divine envoys, as if a divine child had arrived, causing the entire city to twist and its surroundings to blur. A thick, alien essence bred within the city, rising from all buildings, erupting from individual members of both clans, and causing the entire ground to tremble.

Countless gasps, exclamations, and sounds of horror instantly erupted from the mouths of the two clans' members within the sacred city. Their expressions changed drastically, and their minds were gripped by overwhelming shock. The familiar sensation caused many cultivators from both clans to instinctively kneel, their minds trembling to the extreme. Equally changed in expression were the four Spirit Hoard figures above the city. They, including the Imperial Advisor, experienced intense mental fluctuations. Their expressions could no longer remain composed, and their eyes revealed horror. All beings in the Moon Worship Domain carried the Crimson Moon's curse within them. This curse, passed down through generations in their bloodlines, prevented them from leaving the Moon Worship Continent and also allowed them to clearly feel the divine pressure when facing the Red Moon Temple. Ordinarily, this curse lay dormant, only erupting when they attempted to flee the Moon Worship Domain. But at this moment, these four Spirit Hoard cultivators and all the clansmen within the city felt the curse in their bloodlines reawakening. Although far from full eruption, this reawakening felt like plucking the strings of life's cessation, echoing like a death knell, causing them immense trepidation.

Ten miles away, Xu Qing, standing atop the Spirit Wheel old woman's head, watched all of this and slowly spoke his first words since arriving. "All Spirit Hoard cultivators of the Two Clan Alliance, come forth to receive your lord at once!"

The moment Xu Qing spoke, the purple moonlight intensely flared, the divine might grew stronger, the world became even more distorted, and everything trembled. Some ordinary clansmen within the city could no longer bear it and began to wail. Some of their bodies began to mutate, their internal curses becoming uncontrollable, spreading throughout their bodies, leading to agonizing screams and continuous wilting. All of this filled the members of the Two Clan Alliance with terror. The four Spirit Hoard cultivators, including the Imperial Advisor, instinctively charged out, heading directly for Xu Qing.

Within the royal palaces of the two clans, two even stronger fluctuations suddenly soared skyward. These were the clan leaders of the two clans, also their ancient ancestors. Their expressions were equally horrified, but their hearts also held doubt. There was still a difference between the purple moon and the red moon, yet their aura and divine might were identical. All of this instinctively made them hesitant to offend. After charging out, they, along with the four Dao Nourishing Spirit Hoard cultivators, headed directly for Xu Qing, but dared not approach too closely, halting a thousand feet away.

"Greetings, Divine Envoy!" The two clan ancestors, their expressions solemn, immediately clasped their fists in salute.

Xu Qing remained expressionless. This was the first step in the only method he had conceived for this journey on his way here: to gather all six of them. This wasn't difficult; to achieve it required leveraging the identity of a divine envoy. With the first step complete, the moment they bowed, the purple moon in the sky roared forward, hovering above the six figures, suddenly pressing down upon them. This was the second step.

Xu Qing knew that Spirit Hoard cultivators were not fools, especially the ancestors who should not be underestimated. His identity might work initially, but he couldn't guarantee against unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, he couldn't delay; he had to act swiftly while they were still in doubt! So, this second step was to use the power of the purple moon to suppress them, causing them a moment of disorientation. Under the purple moon's suppression, all six Spirit Hoard powerhouses of the Two Clan Alliance changed their expressions again. The curse power within their bodies began to churn at this moment.

However, their cultivation allowed them to suppress the curse before it fully erupted. At this moment of shock and anger, Xu Qing, without hesitation, pulled out the pointers from his five sundials within his body! This was the third step. The disorientation time from the second step was insufficient; the third step was needed to augment it and create an opportunity for the fourth step! The moment the pointers were pulled, the five sundials simultaneously emitted a time lag, causing time to instantly freeze around the six Spirit Hoard cultivators. The next instant, the Azure Dragon Heavenly Dao appeared, unfurling its immense body. While the six Spirit Hoard cultivators struggled against the purple moon's suppression, their disorientation, and the momentary time freeze, it fiercely swallowed them. It swallowed all six cultivators and the purple moon whole!

This was the fourth step of Xu Qing's plan. But the cost was immense. Xu Qing's five sundials directly collapsed, shattering into pieces. Xu Qing spat out large mouthfuls of blood, and his body became weak, but his cultivation didn't diminish much. This was because his true life lamps, formed by his bloodline, were actually those five pointers! The sundials, made from purple crystal, Xu Qing understood from his previous experience in the Fire Sea, could regenerate, though it would take time. Now, with the power of the sundials, the fourth step of the plan was complete.

The purple moon vanished, as did the six Spirit Hoard cultivators. The Azure Dragon let out a painful roar in mid-air, its body swelling, rumbling internally. It couldn't hold on for too long. Although its formation was unique and bolstered by the Heavenly Dao, it was still weak. Even with the purple moon's suppression, it would be difficult to trap the six Spirit Hoard cultivators for an extended period. And Xu Qing's divine authority was ultimately insufficient in quantity to fully ignite the curse of the Spirit Hoard cultivators. He could only make the curse awaken from its dormant state. However, achieving even this was remarkable, as he did it purely by leveraging his own power, whereas a divine envoy used themselves as a vessel to borrow divine power for the same effect. They might seem similar, but their essence was fundamentally different.

"Hold for the time it takes an incense stick to burn!" Xu Qing said to the Azure Dragon, then looked towards the sacred city. The killing intent in his eyes, now unrestrained, erupted fiercely.

With a single step, he moved directly towards the sacred city, his voice echoing in all directions. "Members of the Mirror-Shadow Clan, you dared to injure my Black Sky Divine Envoy a month ago! Your crime warrants execution, and your clan shall be annihilated!" Having spoken, Xu Qing suddenly raised his right hand and waved it forward. Instantly, a red lightning bolt shot forth from the mist behind Xu Qing, heading straight for the sacred city's defenses. Its speed was incredible, and its power overwhelming, stirring up a series of thunderous echoes. Within the red lightning was none other than the Golden Steel Sect Ancestor. His eyes were bloodshot, and killing intent spread through his heart. Having followed Xu Qing until now, he had always acted on Xu Qing's behalf, passively. Only today was he attacking proactively; he would avenge the deceased listeners! Thinking of the listeners' eyes, remembering their voices and faces, the Golden Steel Sect Ancestor's grief and indignation completely erupted.

"Kill!" the Golden Steel Sect Ancestor roared, wielding the indestructible divine fish bone, and instantly approached the sacred city's defenses. Without hesitation, he fiercely thrust it forward!

The sacred city's defenses, having just endured the skyfire passage, were on their last legs. Although several months of recovery had restored some of their power, they were still far from their peak. In their weakened state, they could not withstand the penetration of the divine fish bone. With a resounding boom, the fish bone, wreathed in red lightning, directly pierced the defensive barrier, tearing a small hole in it! The appearance of this small hole triggered a chain reaction, creating numerous cracks that spread rapidly outwards. The sacred city's array was indeed formidable; even though it was weakened and breached, light shimmered on it, showing signs of recovery.

However, Xu Qing had made all mental preparations on his way. Almost the instant the Golden Steel Sect Ancestor pierced through and the array began to recover, a colossal roar echoed from the sky. A massive mountain peak directly appeared in the sky. From a distance, this mountain was clearly a figure seated in meditation, identical to Xu Qing, with two dim great worlds resting on its shoulders, exuding astonishing pressure. It was Xu Qing's Ghost Emperor Mountain! The moment it appeared, the mountain slammed down fiercely onto the sacred city's defenses below! The earth trembled, and the sacred city's defenses instantly twisted. Its recovery process had to halt, and the entire protective barrier consequently caved in! Yet, it still didn't collapse; it continued to hold. However, more cracks spread further due to the Ghost Emperor Mountain's impact and the shattering from the fish bone's penetration.

Just then, a shriek that resonated through the heavens erupted from above Xu Qing. From the void, a black Golden Crow suddenly flew out, its body continuously expanding. In the blink of an eye, its body grew to a thousand zhang, with over two hundred tail feathers fluttering, like a black phoenix spreading across the sky, soaring directly towards the sacred city. It instantly arrived above the sacred city, its eyes revealing a chilling gaze. With a mind-shaking shriek, it opened its mouth and spewed... Skyfire... onto the cracked defenses of the sacred city! That was solidified lava it had swallowed from the Fire Sea, incredibly hot. As it flew, it continuously spewed, showering the city with vast amounts of flames. From a distance, the entire city appeared engulfed in skyfire. It was as if the skyfire passage had reappeared in the world! All of this sounds slow, but in reality, from the Golden Steel Sect Ancestor's charge to the Golden Crow's fire-breathing, everything occurred within three to five breaths. And the sacred city's protective barrier, after enduring all of this, finally could no longer hold. With a grating crackle echoing, it completely collapsed.

The Ghost Emperor Mountain fell to the earth, and the city rumbled. The Golden Steel Sect Ancestor surged forth, killing anyone he encountered! The flames from the sky, now unimpeded, rained down upon the city, incinerating everything. Heaven and earth lost their color! Inside the sacred city, the members of the Two Clan Alliance had personally witnessed their clan leaders and others being swallowed by a massive Azure Dragon, which had already caused a tumultuous disturbance in their hearts. Doubt and horror filled their minds, and the previous reawakening of their curses and Xu Qing's identity as a divine envoy had stirred immense turmoil within them. Now, in just a few breaths, the array had collapsed, and skyfire was spreading. All of this instilled in them a sense of impending catastrophe. But these were, after all, two clans. Although their Spirit Hoard cultivators were trapped, there were still many Nascent Soul cultivators and even more Golden Core cultivators. After the sudden drastic changes, they now reacted, and figures surged out, heading directly for Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's expression was cold. From mid-air, he raised his right hand and abruptly pressed it down towards the sacred city below. The hundred-mile dust storm behind him, which had continuously spread its poison along his path, transformed into a colossal shadow, an endless haze, and slammed down upon the sacred city with a roar! Like a hurricane sweeping across. The dust storm, formed by toxic prohibitions, moved with immense power, carrying poison of extreme density and containing terrifying alien essence. It engulfed Xu Qing's figure, sweeping past him from behind. The cultivators charging towards Xu Qing were directly in its path. Their screams were replaced by the roar of the dust storm. Under this intense toxic prohibition, their bodies instantly began to rot. Their wails could barely escape, as only the toxic dust storm, with earth-shattering momentum, enveloped the two clans' sacred city. Wherever it passed, heaven and earth shattered. First to collapse were the city walls, followed by countless buildings within, and then all members of the two clans residing there. The ground trembled, alien essence erupted, and the entire sacred city was enveloped within the hundred-mile dust storm in that instant. From a distance, this scene looked like a divine punishment! And Xu Qing, in the sky, seemed to have become a deity, unleashing his divine might. As far as the eye could see, the entire city was completely covered by toxic mist, and death was everywhere! Individual screams were hard to discern, but when multiplied, it was different. Piercing, wailing sounds echoed in all directions. For the two clans, this was a heavenly tribulation.

However, the two clans had numerous cultivators, and at this moment, some still burst out of the toxic mist, their bodies rotting, their eyes filled with rage, charging rapidly towards Xu Qing. Their expressions were ferocious, their hearts filled with furious urgency. In their eyes, Xu Qing was an utterly unforgivable demon. And in Xu Qing's eyes, they were no different. In an instant, the two sides clashed. Xu Qing's eyes flared with cold light. As he raised his right hand, a dagger appeared. With a single step, he closed in on one person, disregarding the opponent's spell, and lunged fiercely. His hand rose and the blade fell! As blood spurted and a head fell to the ground, five ornate canopies appeared above Xu Qing, intertwining to form a purple throne. This was the true form of Xu Qing's life lamps, transformed from his bloodline. The moment the throne appeared, clouds stirred in all directions, and a bloodline fluctuation formed a suppressive force, distorting the surroundings where Xu Qing stood. Xu Qing's speed and combat power were amplified. The charging cultivators he passed through were like paper, collapsing and dying continuously.

Bodies fell one by one from the sky. As agonizing screams continued to echo throughout the city, Xu Qing's body blurred into an afterimage, appearing before a Sky-Faced Clan cultivator, his dagger flashing with cold light, ready to slit the man's throat. But this cultivator was not ordinary; he hadn't died. He raised his hands and embraced Xu Qing, while other surrounding cultivators also attacked in an instant. Seeing the danger, the canopy above Xu Qing instantly descended, and the shadow of the throne enveloped the surroundings. Amidst a roar, the canopy blurred, transforming into five sharp thorns that rapidly pierced through the surroundings. As screams echoed, the five thorns circled back, reforming the throne beside Xu Qing. Xu Qing's body shot out, and with a swift flick of his dagger, he completely severed the Sky-Faced Clan cultivator's neck.

But just then, three figures suddenly approached, exuding fluctuations of the Nascent Soul Great Perfection realm. Amidst a roar, Xu Qing's body suddenly plummeted. He spat out large mouthfuls of blood, and his internal organs trembled. Fortunately, his body was exceptionally robust; although he was no match for them, he wouldn't collapse from the impact. As the three were about to give chase, Xu Qing's body shimmered, becoming semi-transparent, and he slipped into the mist shrouding the sacred city. In this state, he completely concealed his aura. At some point, a mask had appeared on his face. This blood-red mask elevated Xu Qing's stealth to its peak. He seemed to transform into a phantom, moving through the mist like an assassin with his dagger. Whenever he encountered a cultivator from either clan, he didn't hesitate, directly slitting their throat with a single strike. If it was inconvenient, his targets were the heart and any other vital points. In this process, he inevitably encountered some powerful individuals. He killed those he could, and for those he couldn't, Xu Qing risked injury to swiftly retreat. At the same time, the Nascent Souls of the cultivators he could slay became Xu Qing's nourishment. He would extract them, crush them directly, and absorb their heavenly fate to replenish himself. Simultaneously, he released all his Heavenly Demon avatars to distract the two clans' powerhouses within the mist, killing anyone he encountered.

Bodies continuously fell and quickly rotted. Screams echoed incessantly within the mist, and the surrounding powerhouses of the Two Clan Alliance, enraged, had no choice but to plunge into the mist. Another portion charged directly at the Heavenly Dao Azure Dragon, attacking it, attempting to rescue their trapped ancestors. Many more flew into mid-air to cast spells, hoping to disperse the hundred-mile toxic dust storm, but their abilities were simply insufficient to achieve this in a short time.

And Xu Qing's figure represented death. In this mist, he was enigmatic, reaping everything. This was the battlefield he had envisioned for himself on his way here! Those weaker than him would be cruelly slain. Those stronger, Xu Qing would avoid with all his might, waiting until they succumbed to the poison before killing them! "You can choose not to enter, then I will slaughter the common folk." In such a short time, it was impossible for everyone to escape, and the terror of this toxic mist was such that even a single touch marked one for death. In short, everything here was his target for slaughter! In this battlefield uniquely his own, Xu Qing, appearing and disappearing without a trace, was like Death itself! His ruthlessness and his elusiveness, at this moment, caused all the cultivators of both clans to tremble with shock.

This was Xu Qing's vengeance!