Chapter 593: The Old Man in the Sun

At this moment, in the sky above the Si Yin Long River, a massive burning orb continued to spread its terrifying pressure. From within it came grinding sounds, like teeth gnashing, unsettling the mind.

Its color, in particular, turned intensely crimson, and in some areas, the surface began to melt due to the horrific temperature, sending drops of molten iron raining down.

The unstable fluctuations emanating from this enormous fireball spread wildly, filling the minds of all who witnessed it with terror.

The ground was affected, trembling violently. Countless red grains of sand spontaneously rose into the air, drawn by the burning ancient sun. The river surface reacted similarly, with streams of water flowing upward against the current, an endless crimson hue.

This scene instantly made the minds of everyone on the shore roar, as if a million thunderbolts had exploded within them.

"What's happening?!""Damn it, I knew this would happen!""Every time Chen Erniu acts, nothing good comes of it. He's never content unless he's courting death. How could I have believed his nonsense again!"

Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan's faces turned ashen. A sense of mortal danger erupted throughout their bodies, concentrating in their minds, causing them to tremble violently. Ning Yan reacted the fastest; he shrieked and turned to flee.

As he ran, he simultaneously tried to retract his vines, his stomach heaving as he attempted to pull them back in.

Wu Jianwu, whose cultivation was insufficient, was a bit slower, but he grabbed Ning Yan's trailing vine, using the momentum to escape.

Li Youfei also reacted extremely quickly, his heart filled with extreme dread, his scalp tingling. This was his first time working with Xu Qing, so he had no prior mental preparation. Now, looking at the sun emitting terrifying pressure and on the verge of self-destruction, his mind buzzed, and he instinctively fled at top speed.

The trio moved swiftly, attempting to teleport, but this area was not only restricted by the Captain's barrier but now also encompassed by the ancient sun's aura, causing spatial chaos and preventing teleportation.

Although the parrot could, its feathers hadn't fully grown back yet.

"It's over, it's over, I'm going to die, I hate this!" The parrot wailed in grief and indignation, biting Ning Yan's vine, filled with endless regret. "The biggest mistake of my life was going to the Bitter Life Mountain Range!"

Though the three reacted quickly, they ultimately couldn't escape too far in such a short time.

Xu Qing glanced at them, sighing. He had actually anticipated this, knowing that the Captain's endeavors always turned out this way. At this moment, he didn't flee in Ning Yan's direction but turned directly towards the Si Yin Long River.

Compared to the open outside, leveraging the power of the Si Yin Long River would clearly be more effective.

However, he also reminded Ning Yan and the others who were further away.

"Get into the Si Yin Long River!"

Hearing this, Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu instantly changed direction. Li Youfei paused, then, remembering his unique nature, clenched his teeth and rushed forward as well.

As for the Captain, he was utterly bewildered, staring at the sun in the sky and feeling its terrifying fluctuations. As he retreated with Xu Qing, he spoke in a daze.

"No way, I calculated everything, there shouldn't be any mistakes. It's really just a minor thing."

Xu Qing stepped onto the Si Yin River and shot a glance at the Captain.

"You call this a minor thing?"

"It really is minor! I just fished something out and lit it."

The Captain's mind was in turmoil. This time, he truly hadn't foreseen this outcome. In his understanding, this was indeed a trivial matter, and he had prepared for it for a long time.

"How big a deal can fishing out a sun be? It's not like I was fishing out a deity. By all accounts, this shouldn't be happening."

The Captain felt aggrieved, depressed, and even heartbroken. He believed this ancient sun had malfunctioned, deviating from his plan, and he couldn't retrieve it.

"Little A Qing, I want to go over and see, maybe I can fix it..." Just as the Captain's words emerged, the ancient sun's aura in mid-air erupted again, its fluctuations becoming even more terrifying. The surrounding ground no longer merely saw sand rising; it began to burn. Rocks instantly melted, and nearby river water boiled. The aura of self-destruction intensified to its peak at this moment.

The immense power of such a massive sun's self-destruction was indescribable, but one thing was certain: all life within this area would be instantly annihilated.

The Captain immediately abandoned the idea of saving the sun. Xu Qing also gasped, a sense of mortal danger surging within him. He sped up, diving towards the river.

But just then, the ancient sun floating in mid-air suddenly descended.

Immediately, the earth's color changed, heatwaves erupted, and the pressure emanating from within reached its extreme intensity.

Even more terrifying, the ancient sun didn't just dip slightly; it hurtled towards Xu Qing and the Captain.

In Xu Qing's eyes, the already massive sun grew even larger as it approached. The moment it drew near, the Si Yin Long River around him and the Captain inexplicably solidified.

It prevented them from entering!

With a resounding crash, Xu Qing and the Captain's attempt to dive in was forcefully repelled.

Xu Qing's expression changed drastically; he was about to alter his direction, but in the next instant, the pressure restrained him. In the blink of an eye, Xu Qing was shocked to find his body completely immobilized.

Not only he, but the river water and the earth also behaved similarly. Ning Yan's trio instantly lost the ability to move, standing utterly frozen in place.

The Captain let out a wail.

"What does this mean? Does this thing have intelligence?"

Xu Qing's scalp tingled. The collective horror in everyone's minds now transformed into a storm of death. Amidst its surging eruption, the ancient sun rapidly approached, yet it grew smaller and smaller until, to everyone's trembling, this immense sun transformed into a fist-sized fireball, held in the hand of a figure that suddenly emerged from the void.

The revealed figure wore a tattered brown robe and possessed an exceptionally handsome appearance. His long hair flowed behind him, swirling into wisps of shadowy spirits, and his blue eyes, like gemstones, imbued his entire being with an indescribable noble aura.

At his appearance, the sky solidified, the earth became firm, the wind ceased its dance, and flames turned into motionless specimens.

Even the waters of the Si Yin Long River at this moment seemed to have become a painting, utterly still.

Heaven and earth, all things, everything, became motionless as this person approached.

Only human hearts could still function, and thus, an endless, earth-shattering terror erupted within everyone's minds.

Ning Yan was terrified, Wu Jianwu's heart trembled; they recognized the newcomer's identity... As for Li Youfei, he was on the verge of collapse. Every incident he had encountered since following Xu Qing had defied his imagination. In just a few months, what he had seen and experienced surpassed his entire previous life.

Although he didn't recognize the newcomer, seeing the previously rampaging sun held like a toy in this person's hand filled his heart with extreme dread.

The Captain's pupils also contracted, his mind churning with immense waves of confusion and endless bewilderment.

"Why is there a person in my sun...? What in the world did I fish out? And this person... looks a little familiar."

The Captain's body trembled.

Trembling alongside him was Xu Qing.

Xu Qing gazed at the figure approaching him with the sun in hand, his mind also filled with bewilderment. He never imagined that the Captain's supposedly 'minor' act of fishing for a sun would actually retrieve the Sovereign's Heir!

Looking at the Heir now, Xu Qing couldn't help but recall the moment they found the iron sphere at the bottom of the river.

It was likely that the Heir had been inside that iron sphere at the time.

This led Xu Qing to recall the rumors, speculating that after the battle between the Heir and Princess Mingmei against the Red Moon Divine Son, the Heir had hidden within this ancient sun to heal his injuries.

This was indeed an excellent hiding place...

The ancient sun itself originated from the Sovereign Era, so the Heir naturally knew it well. And while the Si Yin Long River appeared dangerous, with the Red Mother's slumber, it had paradoxically become the safest place.

Generally, few could find him, except for the Captain who came to fish for the sun.

"How did you find me, and why did you ignite the place where I was?" The Heir's expression was calm as he walked step by step towards Xu Qing and the Captain, looking down at them. He then lifted the restraint he had placed on everyone.

Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu immediately fell to their knees with a thud. Li Youfei did the same, all three trembling violently.

The parrot, too, wore a terrified expression, hiding in its 'father's' sleeve.

The Heir's gaze and aura created an indescribable immense pressure that enveloped the entire area.

The Captain, trembling, let out a forced laugh, his expression becoming even more obsequious.

"Senior, a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding... We were wrong, we'll leave right away, right away. You don't need to mind us, revered elder, perhaps... you'd like to go back and continue resting?"

As the Captain spoke, he tried to retreat.

The Heir calmly glanced at him.

With a thud, the Captain collapsed, spitting blood from his mouth, and bleeding from all over his body like a fountain.

The Heir withdrew his gaze and looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at the bleeding Captain, his expression becoming even more deferential. He bowed to the Sovereign's Heir before him, recalling his past politeness, and spoke in a low voice, "We were unaware of your presence, Senior. We came here to complete my master's plan, to retrieve three suns."

Hearing this, the Heir looked at Xu Qing with a half-smile, not pursuing the matter further. Instead, he gazed at the distant horizon.

"Someone is coming soon; we need to leave."

"Little friend, after you've retrieved the suns, where do you plan to go?"

Xu Qing hesitated, but dared not conceal anything, so he told him truthfully.

"Bitter Life Mountain Range?" The Heir mused, then smiled. His body shimmered, and his appearance changed, transforming into a benevolent-looking old man.

He retracted all his pressure, his entire being devoid of any fluctuations, just like an ordinary old shopkeeper. At this moment, he walked forward with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I also plan to stay there for a while. Let's go. On the way, I'll tell you about the secrets of the Red Moon Temple; it concerns you somewhat."

As his words resonated, the restraints on Ning Yan's trio vanished. They were utterly shocked, unsure what to do, and could only look at Xu Qing. The Captain also stopped spewing blood; after getting up, he was terrified and looked at Xu Qing as well.

In their perception, Xu Qing was the person most familiar with the Heir.

Xu Qing's mind was in disarray as he watched the Heir, now in the form of an old man, walk ahead. He clenched his jaw and stepped forward to follow.

The others quickly followed behind. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu's legs were weak; they walked while trembling, occasionally glancing at each other, seeing disbelief and horror in each other's eyes.

"A living Immemorial God..."

The Captain quickly adjusted his mindset, swiftly catching up like a servant. He waved a fan, fanning while bowing and scraping obsequiously.

"Revered elder, are you hot? Let me fan you."

"Revered elder, are you tired? Big Sword Sword, why aren't you bringing out the Treasure Bear for the elder to ride!"

Everyone trembled as they continued forward. Only Xu Qing appeared relatively normal, though his heart was now filled with endless bewilderment.

"Is he going to return to the pharmacy with me?"

Time passed. An hour after they departed, a massive figure suddenly descended upon the area they had just left, as the heavens and earth twisted and the void churned.

The figure was indistinct, its features unidentifiable, revealing only a wide, crimson robe that billowed around it, enveloping the sky and covering the earth.

Everything at this moment turned crimson.

Furthermore, a divine power far exceeding the Return to Void realm proliferated between heaven and earth. Countless rules and laws materialized around it, and even phantom images of suns, moons, and stars could be seen encircling it.

The moment this person appeared, the surroundings blurred, and the power of the Red Moon's authority surged. With a wave of their hand, time in this area began to reverse, as if rewinding.

Countless fragments emerged from the void, continuously piecing themselves together, attempting to reconstruct everything that had transpired there. However, just as these fragments began to connect, before any clear image could form, they vibrated violently against each other.

The next instant, all the fragments collapsed and dissipated.

The arriving figure remained silent, then looked up at the Si Yin Long River. With a single glance, the river water churned.

"River spirits, come forth," a low voice echoed from its mouth.

In a blink, a large number of river spirits emerged from the water, bowing their heads in worship to the figure.

"Greetings, Imperial Lord."

"What happened here previously?" The massive figure asked blandly, its voice echoing like thunder.

The river spirits looked bewildered, all shaking their heads; they truly had no idea.

"Perception altered..."

The massive figure's gaze swept over the area, then looked into the distance. After a long moment, its form blurred and vanished between heaven and earth.

Only its voice lingered, not dissipating for a long time.

"Sovereign's Heir, you were actually hidden here... So, what is your purpose in choosing to leave now?"