Chapter 569

Within this fragment world, there was no longer a sky. The original ice layer of the sky had now mostly collapsed. Huge cracks spread all around, tearing the sky apart.

In the very center, a massive hole pierced through from inside to outside, leading directly to the outside world.

The ice layer of the earth was similar; the endless ground appeared jagged under this shattering. The entire ice layer was propped up by the bronze coffin emerging from below, a truly shocking sight.

This bronze coffin was enormous, even a full circle larger than the coffin Xu Qing had seen beneath the Sea of Heavenly Fire.

Most of it was now exposed, and from a distance, it exuded a vast and mighty power.

Waves of ancient aura, from the passage of time, spread towards this world, invading everything, as if to release all the buried time at this very moment.

It had been buried here for an exceedingly long time; rust stains could be seen seeping into the coffin's surface, revealing its ancientness.

The impact force of the Dominator's Nail, which had previously whistled by, was clearly immense and filled with ferocity. Although it had only pierced halfway into the coffin lid, cracks were still forming from where it was lodged, extending to the edges.

Simultaneously, the lid was densely covered with cracks, and many areas were unevenly raised and lowered. The entire coffin lid was on the verge of shattering into pieces, just a hair's breadth away.

This scene caused Xu Qing, who was on the sky's canopy, and the captain and his two companions in the distance, to look at each other, then instinctively ascend a bit higher.

At the same time, the voice of the figure formed from the blue mist emanating from the Dominator's Nail echoed.

"Third Sister, after I escaped, I sensed our shared origin. Across our entire homeland, those with conscious fluctuations still present are only you and I... All our other siblings have lost consciousness."

"Their souls are no longer complete; they were absorbed by our fourth brother, Li Pan..."

"So, I came here and opened your seal, Third Sister... awaken."

The voice of the figure formed from blue mist, filled with deep sorrow, spread through this world, causing the bronze coffin standing there to suddenly tremble.

With the trembling, the coffin lid shattered further. Waves of terrifying aura spread through the cracks, causing this small world to tremble. A withered hand suddenly broke through the coffin lid from within the coffin and reached out.

A roar echoed, and large fragments of the coffin lid scattered outwards, fully revealing the hand.

Judging from the appearance of the hand, it was no longer recognizable as a woman's hand. Its skin was gone, leaving only withered flesh, extremely hideous.

All its fingernails were gone, and waves of death aura continuously emanated from within it.

The figure formed from blue mist, gazing at this hand, felt an even deeper sorrow.

This was his Third Sister, the cherished pearl deeply doted upon by their father, the King. She was also the only one among their siblings whose talent could rival that of their Ninth Brother.

Her cultivation was even more astonishing; she had once campaigned on behalf of their father in all directions, achieving illustrious military feats.

Not only that, her beauty had once amazed countless races, and numerous noble sons had yearned for her. The ancient Emperor personally bestowed upon her the title Princess Ming Mei.

It was once said at that time: "Like clouds and mist, she stands alone in her beauty, untouched by dust."

But with the arrival of the Crimson Mother, everything changed. The incomparably graceful Princess Ming Mei, with the fall of her father, the King, was sealed within the coffin.

His beastly fourth brother, in order to torture her, drew the Third Sister's vital blood and sent it to the coffin, forcing her, in her starving state, to abandon her dignity and human principles. For revenge, she could only absorb it.

Neither human nor ghost, neither living nor dead.

The Dominator's Imperial Son's sorrow surged as he gazed at the coffin.

It was completely dark there, and nothing could be clearly seen. He could only see the outstretched hand slowly rising, as if placed before her.

The entire coffin intensely trembled. After a while, it became still, and a hoarse female voice emerged from within the coffin.

"Imperial Son..."

This familiar voice made the Dominator's Imperial Son recall the good times they once shared.

And after the voice, the figure inside the coffin slowly walked out, stepped into the world, and appeared before Xu Qing's eyes.

It was a tall figure clad in decaying armor. Its entire body was withered; the armor seemed to hang loosely upon it, revealing many empty spaces.

The wind blew at this moment, whistling through the gaps in the armor, emitting a wailing sound. The exposed parts of its body were a horrifying sight.

It was covered in scars, and countless maggots writhed and gnawed within. At the same time, her body had no skin, as if it had been flayed alive.

All of this made her entire being appear utterly hideous, and it was difficult to discern her gender from her physical features.

As for her face, it was deeply sunken, with only two hollows where her eyes should be, emitting ghostly flames, as if she had returned from the underworld.

This appearance made it impossible to imagine what kind of torture and suffering she had endured.

However, the terrifying fluctuations emanating from her body, as she walked out, continuously surged, causing this fragment world to tremble, and even affecting the outside world.

Across the entire northern ice plain, the sky and earth changed color, winds surged and clouds gathered. A massive vortex rumbled into existence in the sky of the outside world.

This vortex rapidly spun, causing the entire northern region to appear distorted and blurred.

As if a deity had descended.

As all beings trembled, a crimson light shone from the distant horizon.

That was a fluctuation from the Crimson Moon Temple. Given the immense upheaval here, the Crimson Moon Temple could not possibly be unaware.

What arrived now was not a divine envoy, but a vast palm print.

The fingerprints on this palm print were like ravines, clearly visible, emitting a dazzling crimson glow, like blood-light, spreading in all directions.

It approached from the horizon, growing larger and larger, until it eventually covered the sky and earth. It was as if a deity had dropped its palm from infinitely high above, enveloping the northern ice plain, and pressing down with a whistle towards the location of the Great World Fragment.

It seemed as if it intended to suppress this place, along with the entire northern ice plain, once again.

The void shattered, the ice plain trembled, falling snow was swept upwards, and all living beings were stunned.

Meanwhile, within that Great World Fragment, neither the blue figure nor the Dominator's Daughter who had emerged from the coffin bothered to look up or pay any attention.

They gazed at each other.

At their cultivation level, many things and many thoughts became clear and understood by simply meeting each other's gaze.

At this moment, the Dominator's Daughter already knew the Imperial Son's purpose.

"Are you sure?" The hoarse voice, grating like two iron sheets rubbing together, echoed.

"Third Sister, the Crimson Mother is asleep. This opportunity is very rare. I want to go and meet our fourth brother, and settle the grievances of these past years."

"As for the outcome, I no longer wish to contemplate it. Rather than continue living like this, I am willing to fight."

The blue figure spoke softly.

The woman who emerged from the coffin did not speak. She merely raised her hand and waved. Instantly, the Dominator's Nail, which had been floating nearby after shattering the coffin lid, violently trembled and vanished in an instant.

When it reappeared, it was no longer in the fragment world, but in the outside world, in the sky above the ice plain, charging fiercely towards the whistling, massive blood-colored palm print.

From it emanated a space-shattering power that could destroy everything, and a surge of ferocity exploded within it, heading directly for the palm print.

It pierced through instantly.

A monstrous roar that echoed across the entire northern ice plain erupted at this moment like a world-splitting thunderclap.

The originally colossal palm print, imbued with extreme suppressive power, paused mid-air at this moment. Where it met the nail, blue and red lights emanated, intertwining and suppressing each other.

Until the blue light sharpened into a beam, pierced through the red light, broke through the barrier, and stabbed into the palm's center. At that moment, cracks rapidly spread outwards.

It split and collapsed simultaneously.

In the blink of an eye, this palm print shattered into pieces in the sky, collapsing and breaking into dozens of fragments, which then disintegrated further. Countless blood-lights, accompanied by even more fragments, rained down onto the northern ice plain.

Piece by piece, they crashed down with roars. From a distance, they looked like crimson meteors. At this moment, the earth too was torn apart, forming crimson impact craters.

Staining the surroundings a vibrant crimson.

The blue nail did not stop; it shot straight for the horizon, its destination unknown.

The woman within the fragment world raised her head.

"He already knows we have escaped. This palm print contained an invitation."

"In that case, let us go. Let's see how much my own blood brother, after relying on the Crimson Mother, has improved now."

The hoarse voice echoed. The Dominator's Daughter walked forward, rising into the air.

The blue figure floated over, and as it hovered beside her, its gaze fell upon Xu Qing, who was continuously retreating towards the distant edge of the sky's canopy. As for the captain, Ning Yan, and Wu Jianwu, he paid them no attention.

"Young friend, thank you for your help."

Having said that, he nodded to his Third Sister beside him. The Dominator's Daughter also looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing paused his steps, and bowed to the two of them from a distance.

On the Dominator's Daughter's hideously skeletal face, there was no expression. She merely raised her withered hand and pressed it towards the earth.

Instantly, this fragment world rumbled, the earth shook and mountains swayed. The remaining ice layers completely shattered, rolled upwards, and turned into black snow. It seemed that from then on, black snow would perpetually fall here.

Furthermore, at this moment, a creaking sound emanated from the entire fragment world, as if the Dominator's Daughter's hand had invisibly grasped this fragment in her palm.

With a single squeeze at this moment, this fragment world began to shrink.

In the blink of an eye, the entire world transformed into a palm-sized fragment, emitting a dark, black light, like an irregular piece of black glass, and flew directly towards Xu Qing.

As it approached, flames rose from it, continuously burning and refining it. When it landed before Xu Qing, it had become like crystal, sparkling and translucent.

A vast aura permeated within it, like a star in the sky, dazzlingly bright. What was even more precious was that, after this refinement, it was now masterless.

Its value was inestimable!

Xu Qing's heart was greatly stirred. Even though he had been somewhat prepared, he was still incredibly excited. He immediately took it, and after putting it away, respectfully bowed towards the figures of the Dominator's Daughter and the Imperial Son.

The captain in the distance gasped, a strong yearning in his eyes. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu were also greatly shocked. The latter was somewhat fine, but Ning Yan clearly understood the value and significance of a world fragment.

"This, this, this... it was just given away like that?"

As Ning Yan's mind reeled, the Dominator's Daughter's body flickered, directly vanishing from her spot and reappearing in the outside world. The Dominator's Imperial Son gave Xu Qing a slight nod, his eyes conveying a sense of final farewell, and also vanished.

In the sky, amidst a rain of blood, their figures stood.

"This filthy race has no need to exist in the world." The Dominator's Daughter lowered her head, glanced at the terrified gates of the Ghost Race on the ground, and struck with a clenched fist through the air.

A massive fist-shadow immediately appeared above the Ghost Race, rapidly descending.

Mountains exploded, the ground collapsed. All buildings and all existence within it were turned into a fleshy pulp, merging with the ice and snow, forming a crimson fist print.

Having accomplished this, their two figures transformed into two long rainbows, bearing an indomitable aura, with the intent to sweep away all obstacles, and carrying the accumulated resentment of countless years, they headed straight for the Plain of Penance.

That place was where their father's corpse lay, and also the headquarters of the Crimson Moon Temple.

At the same time, above the Sea of Heavenly Fire, the sky twisted. A blue light pierced through the void, shattered the flames, split open the sky's canopy, and shone across the cosmos.

Upon closer inspection, it was a ten-thousand-zhang long nail!

It came from the horizon, its target clear, locked onto its destination beneath the Sea of Heavenly Fire. Then it let out a piercing howl, causing the fiery sea to churn, plunging into the sea, heading directly for... the bronze coffin.

The next instant, the fiery sea erupted. Countless streams of lava surged, and thousand-zhang fire waves roared.

The nail that plunged into the fiery sea directly struck the bronze coffin in the depths!

The Crimson Moon restriction dimmed, the coffin violently trembled, and in an instant, a sky-shattering sound erupted, as it completely shattered!

Countless fragments shot out beneath the fiery sea, stirring up one massive vortex after another. From a distance, this area seemed to bloom with countless sparks.

A vast body, equally astonishing as the Dominator's Daughter's, emerged from within the shattered coffin.

This body was emaciated, and its body was covered in blue meridians, like raised mountain ranges, exuding a ferocious aura.

A tattered brown robe draped over his body, stained with mottled blood, which, over these endless years, had transformed its original orange-yellow color into its current hue.

His face was withered, but it could not conceal his heroic spirit. His blue eyes, like gemstones, emitted a soul-captivating power. The Dominator's bloodline continuously pulsed within him.

Even more striking about him was his hair: it was long, gray hair, spread around his body, extending in all directions, with its ends curving upwards.

Each strand of hair had transformed into a wisp of a lost soul, roaring towards the sky.

This was the Dominator's Imperial Son's true form!

He slowly raised his head, and stepped forward.

With one step, he emerged from the Sea of Heavenly Fire.

He stood in the sky, his long hair swirling, covering the heavens and earth, like boundless dark clouds.

"I was born during the prosperous era of the Xuan You Ancient Emperor, sealed after the descent of the Void Gods. Today, I reappear in this sorrowful age of Wanggu. In this life of mine... I have enjoyed all the riches and honors, obtained the coveted resources of countless races. It is enough, truly enough."

His murmuring voice was like thunder; the sky and earth changed color, winds and clouds suddenly rose, the fiery sea churned, and all directions trembled.

"Now, only two persistent obsessions remain: one, to destroy the moon and break the curse on my people; two, to sever the body and soul of my rebellious brother to quell the fierce hatred in my heart!"

"If I do not slay Li Pan, I will have failed my father, failed the common folk, and failed this life!"

The Imperial Son gazed towards the Plain of Penance, his eyes sharp and cold, as if containing an abyss of the underworld. He took a step forward, tearing through the void.

The cosmos churned, layers exploded, and he vanished into fragmented space.

The heavenly fire was difficult to quell, the sky wrinkled, and throughout the Sacrifice Moon Great Domain, all beings felt a deep trepidation.

Experts from various races, many sensing this, raised their heads in alarm, gazing towards the Plain of Penance.

Meanwhile, the northern ice plain had numerous depressions. Large chunks of ice had shattered from the ground and sunk. The entire earth suffered severe collapse due to the disappearance of the Great World Fragment from its bottom.

Furthermore, glacial water overflowed, flowing in all directions. Four figures were now darting through the collapsing ice layer with lightning speed.

These were Xu Qing and the captain's group.

They rapidly ran and leaped, rushing from underground towards the outside.

Behind them, rumbling sounds were like roaring deities. Ice chunks crashed down, and the ground became a black hole vortex, threatening to swallow everything from the outside world.

In front of them, the ice layers were like enormous, jagged blades, with cold winds whistling past them.

Fortunately, the four of them were quite capable. At this moment, they each unleashed their spells. Numerous fierce beasts appeared around Wu Jianwu, clearing a path for him. The captain's method fully utilized Ning Yan, transforming him into a meteor hammer with his weaponized form, sweeping all before it.

Moreover, with the oppressive aura emanating from that skin, things became even smoother.

As for Xu Qing, his method was the simplest: his body flickered, transforming into a ghost-like form, and once semi-transparent, he ignored all obstacles.

In this manner, the four continuously approached the surface. Along the way, the captain couldn't help but look at Xu Qing several times, wanting to speak but hesitating, his expression filled with gloom.

In truth, he was still somewhat bewildered at heart. Xu Qing's appearance and his actions made him feel like he had been preempted.

"The sixth major task in my plan after arriving in the Sacrifice Moon Great Domain was to get my hands on the nail in the Third Son of the Dominator's brow. Then, the eighth major task was to release the Imperial Son from beneath the Sea of Heavenly Fire..."

"But Little Ah Qing went to the Sea of Heavenly Fire, and actually... completed everything? And it wasn't just a small part; he even over-completed it, rescuing this Third Daughter of the Dominator as well?"

"This rhythm isn't right. Shouldn't I be the one leading him to accomplish great things...?"

The captain gave Xu Qing a resentful glance.

What made his heart churn even more was that Xu Qing actually obtained a Great World Fragment in the end.

Thinking of his own arduous journey here, just to make a fingerprint impression, while Little Ah Qing actually uprooted this place and took it all away...

"No, this won't do. I must work hard. As the Senior Disciple Brother, and being incredibly familiar with this place, I must re-establish my authority as the Senior Disciple Brother. Any major undertaking must surely be initiated by me!"

Determination appeared in the captain's eyes, and with a whistle, his speed increased.

Just like that, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the four figures finally burst out from underground. The moment they stepped onto the ice plain, the captain slapped his forehead and shouted loudly.

"Little Fatty!"

Instantly, a dim ball of fire flew out from between his eyebrows. After it shot towards the sky, the captain flickered and stepped inside.

"Aren't you coming over?!"

Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan immediately rushed forward without a word, but their speed was still not as fast as Xu Qing's.

The moment the captain took out the sun, Xu Qing had already moved. He knew the captain too well; so, seeing his actions, he knew his intention. In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside the captain.

The next moment, this dim sun hummed, shot towards the horizon, and after a few flashes, vanished into the distant sky.

The matters of the northern ice plain, with the sun's departure, were no longer relevant to Xu Qing and the others.

Time flowed by; soon a day passed.

In the sky above the Sacrifice Moon Great Domain, a blurry ball of light was moving rapidly. It possessed an aura of concealment, making its movement silent and undetectable.

Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that this light ball was formed by five massive rings, overlapping each other.

Densely packed runes were carved onto the five rings, flickering according to a certain pattern. They intertwined and rotated rapidly, emitting light. In the center of the five rings, a golden meteor floated.

The light it emitted was absorbed and amplified by the outer five rings, thus creating light and heat.

On that golden meteor, some exquisite buildings could also be seen. The captain's figure lay on the roof of one building, his expression peculiar, at times sighing, at times resolute, at times gritting his teeth.

Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu, having clearly been here before, showed no curiosity about their surroundings. They lay sprawled on the ground, recalling the events on the ice plain, each feeling a lingering fear. As for the valuable skin, it was tossed to the side.

Xu Qing stood in the distance, gazing around.

He knew the origin of this artificial sun.

What made him curious was how this object was created.

Just as Xu Qing was carefully examining, the captain on the distant rooftop let out a faint voice.

"Have you two rested enough? Why haven't you put away my precious skin? If you keep roasting it like this, it'll dry out completely!"

Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan sighed, quickly got up, walked towards the valuable skin, and rolled it up.

Xu Qing noticed their actions and walked over.

As for the captain... Xu Qing had already sensed something was off with him, and understood why he was like this. However, he didn't pay it much mind; it wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.

It was the same with the Primordial Departed Nether Pillar back then. In Xu Qing's judgment, the captain needed some time for self-reassurance.

"So this is your purpose for coming here?" After approaching Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu, Xu Qing looked at the skin, noticing the branded fingerprints on it.

Wu Jianwu nodded weakly. Ning Yan, still holding Xu Qing in great awe, quickly spoke up.

"Yes, Boss, this was the goal that Second Ox Senior Brother had been stirring us up for ever since he took us away." After speaking, he also glanced at the captain.

The captain in the distance, hearing this, sighed again.

Xu Qing blinked, and spoke in a deep voice.

"This skin is good!"

Ning Yan hesitated, but still spoke in a low voice.

"It is good... This is Second Ox Senior Brother's skin, you see. He made Big Sword and me peel it off him more than ten times... skinned it ourselves."

"Big Sword even got traumatized in the end."

Xu Qing fell silent. He knew the captain was crazy, but he hadn't expected him to be so mad as to rationally utilize all his own advantages to such an extent.

The captain on the distant rooftop, noticing Xu Qing's expression, couldn't help but feel smug. He was just about to speak, but then he thought of his own meager possessions, which truly couldn't compare to a world fragment. He sighed again.

He felt that he had peeled his skin for nothing...

So, determination appeared in his eyes. He suddenly sat up, his expression profound, looked at Xu Qing, and spoke faintly.

"Little Ah Qing!"

Xu Qing's expression was serious as he looked at the captain.

"Little Ah Qing, this time was just your Senior Disciple Brother showing off a little. Next, we'll go to Ox Mountain. Your Senior Disciple Brother will open your eyes and let you know how incredibly awesome I was back in the day!"

Xu Qing was moved upon hearing this, and put on an expression full of anticipation.

Seeing Xu Qing like this, the captain immediately felt comfortable. He stood up, hands behind his back, first glanced at Wu Jianwu, then looked up and gazed at the distant heavens and earth.

"Don't just look at yesterday's faded flowers; let's see who's more impressive tomorrow!"