Chapter 619: Can't See Me, Can't Remember Me, Forget Me

Time passed.

Five days went by.

It had been eight days since the red moon’s light first appeared on the horizon.

Over these eight days, the scarlet color at the edge of the firmament had taken on a crescent shape, and numerous viscous, blood-like light bands were continuously spreading.

If the entire sky were a vast curtain, then in just these few days, the red had already spread across two to three percent of its surface.

At this rate, it was estimated that in about a year, the entire sky would turn completely scarlet.

That would be the day the Red Moon arrived, the moment the death knell sounded for all living beings in the great Sacrifice Moon Domain.

The countdown had begun.

The final frenzy before the death of all beings no longer needed to be suppressed; it was now fully unleashed.

Slaughter was constantly unfolding.

This was true among cultivators, and equally true among mortals.

The strong bullied the weak, the weak bullied the even weaker, and the even weaker fought back desperately, their desperate roars echoing amidst the savagery.

The desperate cries before death transformed the world into a hell, overrun by demons.

The Blue Sand Desert was no different.

All factions in the Blue Sand Desert had experienced varying degrees of madness over these eight days; killing and being killed became the new norm.

One by one, clans disintegrated, and mundane mud cities became outlets for cultivators to unleash their inner despair.

The mud city where Xu Ying’s apothecary was located was also a target.

In these eight days, over a hundred mad individuals came rampaging, indiscriminately inflicting their pain on others.

It seemed that witnessing others' greater suffering allowed them to find extreme pleasure at the end of their lives.

However, they were unaware that within the entire Blue Sand Desert, there was a place more dangerous than even the Red Moon Temple here. Thus, all the demons and monstrous beings who entered this mud city underwent varying degrees of transformation the moment they stepped inside.

Some simply vanished.

Others shed their madness, smiled again, and happily became residents of the mud city.

In the backyard of the mud city’s apothecary, the Young Master developed a new hobby, and Ning Yan gained an additional chore: raising chicks.

In just eight short days, there were over twenty chicks in the backyard. They trembled as they ate, not daring to escape, and often hid in corners, their eyes filled with intense fear.

He felt that his daily floor-wiping was already arduous, and now with an extra chore, he resented these chicks. At this moment, he kicked one away and spat.

The kicked chick’s eyes showed anger, and it clucked furiously, but it was helpless. Even though it was once a perfected Nascent Soul cultivator and its master was the strongest in the Bitter Life Mountain Range, it was now just a chick.

Thinking of its predicament, the chick felt a surge of grief and indignation. It hadn't come here to vent, but rather on its master's orders to investigate this mysterious apothecary and ascertain whether Li Youfei was truly here.

But it hadn't expected to lose consciousness the moment it entered the mud city, only to reappear as a chick.

This filled it with immense fear, but in its heart, its master was a god-like existence, so it still believed that as long as its master appeared, there would surely be a way to rescue it.

“Once my master realizes I haven't reported back on time, he'll know something's amiss. Though this apothecary is mysterious, as long as my master arrives, they will all die. After all, my master is backed by the Red Moon Temple!”

“Especially this brat, I’ll kill him with my own hands!”

As the chick gnashed its teeth inwardly, Ning Yan kicked another chick away and sighed.

“I wonder how Boss Xu Qing is doing.”

“Ling’er cries every day, Chen Erniu's whereabouts are unknown, and only the old man still sits there drinking tea every day…”

Ning Yan shook his head, rubbed his hands, scattering the food crumbs from his palms, then turned and left.

Meanwhile, in the Blue Sand Desert, Xu Qing was sprinting like a beast, his eyes scarlet, his body shining with purple light, and an inner hunger consuming all perception.

This transformed into terrifying fluctuations that continuously erupted from his body.

Gradually, a storm formed, roaring across the heavens and earth.

The concealment of humanity and the influx of divinity, imperfectly merging, created a vortex like an all-consuming abyss, engulfing Xu Qing.

It was as if a gap had been opened in the shackles imposed by the concept of being human.

In that endless release, Xu Qing succumbed.

For him, any existence in this world could be part of his food; the phrase “cannot be picky when hungry” perfectly described Xu Qing's state at that moment.

Whether it was the desert beasts, the walking mushrooms, or even the scent carried by the wind, he could devour it all.

Even the exotic substances of the world became like sweet dew.

They seemed to possess their own will, flocking from all directions, joyfully pouring into Xu Qing's body, nourishing his Poison Ban and his Purple Moon.

Consequently, Xu Qing's body not only shone with purple light but also exuded a shimmering aura – that of the Poison Ban.

As he advanced, his body gradually transformed into a streak of purple light. Wherever he passed, all the sand and gravel on the ground turned to ash, as if a deity had descended upon the world.

A group of desert beasts in the distance seemed to have lost the ability to flee. They trembled there, their actions dictated by fear emanating from their souls and instincts.

They allowed Xu Qing to approach; under his gaze, they dissolved into nourishment, pouring into his body.

Even powerful beings like the mushrooms, when occasionally encountered, could not escape their fate. As Xu Qing approached, the exotic substances of this land turned into a crushing force, annihilating everything.

Their tough outer shells offered no protection; under this shattering force, they could not impede Xu Qing's advance.

He walked into the bodies of his food, raising his hands to grab chunks, stuffing them madly into his mouth.

Feeling that eating like this was too slow, mouths grew all over his body, continuously devouring.

His lost left hand had long since regrown; it was a simple matter, a mere thought, whenever Xu Qing felt the need.

The Purple Moon was active, the Poison Ban churned, and at this moment, the Shadow was terrified to its core. Even the Adamantine Sect Ancestor dared not emit the slightest ripple.

“Forget me, forget me...”

The Adamantine Sect Ancestor prayed inwardly, and so did the Shadow.

They were afraid, a terror stemming from the very essence of their lives.

Before this, they had seen Xu Qing's madness, but never had it driven them to such despair.

Because they could sense that the current Xu Qing would truly devour them, if he wished.

Equally terrified was Ding Yisan's divine finger.

It had been jolted awake, and the moment it stirred, it was about to transmit a wave of dissatisfaction, but the next instant, it perceived what was happening outside, and its mind was struck by a thunderous roar.

Without hesitation, it instantly reined in all its aura, pretending to remain asleep while trembling, but the fear in its heart was indescribable.

“W-w-what in the world is happening!!!”

“I just took a nap, how did it turn into this!” The divine finger trembled, waves of panic erupting within it like a tide. In that moment, it felt as if it were facing the Crimson Mother or the Spirit Emperor again.

Xu Qing's hunger made it feel as though he could devour it at any moment.

This perception filled it with boundless grief and indignation, alongside despair.

It felt that even gods had destinies, and it must have suffered a karmic backlash, afflicted by the ill fortune of its own authority, reaching the peak of bad luck.

“I hid from my true body for countless years, just to avoid being devoured, yet I encountered this Xu Qing. Later, to escape the Ancient Spirit Emperor, I had no choice but to cooperate with him. But... who can tell me what's going on? I hid and hid, eventually ending up in his belly, but why is he like this too? He also wants to devour!”

“No way, it can't be this fast. For him to reach this stage, it should be many years from now.”

“Furthermore, he's like those acquired gods who integrate divinity by erasing their humanity. That's different from me, a noble spirit born as a god. How can he give me such an incredibly terrifying feeling now!”

“And... his humanity is battling his divinity. Isn't that insane? Why fight it? That's also why he's descended into madness.”

The divine finger was filled with grief and indignation, but just then, Xu Qing's body paused, as if listening.

At this pause, the Shadow played dead, the Adamantine Sect Ancestor recoiled, and Ding Yisan's finger immediately closed its eyes, not daring to move.

In their hearts, they all prayed.

“Don’t see me, don’t remember me, forget me...”

Nervousness, apprehension mixed with unease, surfaced simultaneously in their consciousness.

The next moment, Xu Qing moved, heading straight for the distance, where... there was even more delicious food.

The Shadow breathed a sigh of relief, the Adamantine Sect Ancestor tremblingly raised its head, and Ding Yisan's divine finger was filled with sorrow.

“Continuing this struggle is pointless. If this guy goes on like this, he'll only become a divine abomination. This is an acquired divine abomination.”

“Moreover, he's not right. Normally, at this stage of transitioning to a god, it shouldn't be possible for him to give me such a terrifying feeling! The feeling he gives me isn't like a transition at all!”

“Damn it, what do I do, what do I do? Once he becomes a divine abomination, I'm done for. Divine abominations are chaotic beings that can eat even themselves when hungry!”

As Ding Yisan grew increasingly anxious, the madness in Xu Qing's eyes intensified, and he drew closer to the food he sensed.

He could feel that the food ahead was sweeter than anything he had ever encountered, filling him with an overwhelming desire, and his hunger intensified to its peak at that moment.

“Hungry... hungry...” Ahead of him, in the desert, a person stood there. It was the Captain!

He gazed into the distance, watching the rapidly approaching purple storm. His usual nonchalance was gone, replaced by a rare look of solemnity in his eyes.

“Junior brother...”