Chapter 623: Yesterday's Youth, All the Wind and Grain Arises

“You fell down again.”

The Prince squatted outside the pit, speaking flatly.

Xu Qing, silent at the bottom of the pit, lowered his head to examine his surroundings.

This was a hollow, abandoned cave dwelling.

Such cave dwellings were common in the Bitter Life Mountain Range, mostly shelters dug by cultivators throughout history. They were invisible from the mountain's exterior; only someone of Xu Qing's weight, through personal experience, could detect these hidden caverns close to the surface.

"There are many similar caves in this mountain range. You have a lot of climbing ahead of you on this journey."

Outside the pit, the Prince glanced at Xu Qing, a sense of comfort rising within him. Seeing Xu Qing dishevelled like this brought him a strange, inexplicable warmth. It reminded him of his childhood, when his father had tied the sun to his waist, and he'd tumble with every step. "Still missing a hat," the Prince murmured to himself. As a child, not only did he have the sun on his waist, but he also had a soul-crushing hat on his head. Seeing that Xu Qing lacked one, the Prince felt a slight regret.

From the deep pit, Xu Qing looked up at the Prince, then silently circulated his other Nascent Souls, besides the Purple Moon, to share the immense pressure and weight from the sun. He slowly began to climb out. This feeling was akin to trying his best to ascend, but being so heavily burdened by the enveloping power of the sun that, even with full effort, he could barely maintain balance.

Xu Qing was no stranger to similar experiences. He had felt something similar back in the Penal Division of Feng Hai Commandery, though that involved enduring the compression of a small world. From their names, a small world seemed heavier than this sun iron ball, but in Xu Qing's direct perception, the opposite was true. This brought to mind what his Captain had once told him about the sun iron ball's origin. It was the first artificial sun in the Moon Sacrificial Domain, dating back to the era of the Overlords. Countless years had passed, and there was no longer any record of its creator.

"Experience the suppressive force of this little toy. This was a toy the Ancient Emperor gave me," the Prince said flatly, looking at Xu Qing, who had finally managed to climb out.

Hearing this, Xu Qing looked down at the iron ball on his waist. "Senior, does this object possess any other powers besides this pressure and weight?"

The Prince stood up and began walking forward, his voice drifting back. "When it was a star, it had other powers. It could use the Immortal Net, which covered the entire Wanggu Continent, to unleash world-destroying force. As for now... with the Ancient Emperor's departure and the collapse of the Immortal Net, its effect is much weaker."

His voice carried a hint of reminiscence, imbued with the vicissitudes of time.

Xu Qing, deep in thought, followed behind. The journey was punctuated by heavy thuds. The wind howled, accompanying them, carrying their voices in all directions, as if becoming a part of them.

"A gathering place for cowards, worthy of being called a holy land? The Ancient Emperor... is old, and once a person gets old, they value their life more."

"Oh, so where is this land of cowards?"

"Haha, according to our human calendar, every year on the second of June, if you look north in the sky, there will be a star unlike any other. That is the closest land of cowards to Wanggu."

"How many such lands of cowards are there?"

"There are as many as there were Ancient Emperor Overlords who left back then. Counting all the races, there are always hundreds. The Ancient Emperor gave one to my father back then, but we refused it."

The night accompanied the thuds, mingled with the words of the old and the young, slowly fading.

Morning arrived.

The spread of the Red Moon across the horizon, though bringing the world a countdown to death, ultimately gave the sky of the Moon Sacrificial Domain a different light, even if it was a bloody one. Thus, in the morning, the Bitter Life Mountain Range, illuminated by magical light sources rising in multiple areas, was also covered by a faint crimson hue. Through this dim light, one could see the end of the Bitter Life Mountain Range, where a unique mountain stood.

This mountain was as tall as Bitter Life and connected to it, but as he drew closer, Xu Qing noticed that this mountain didn't seem to be a mountain at all. It looked more like a giant tree petrified into a mountain. The part below its crown was submerged in the desert, while the crown itself was filled with sand and rocks, forming a peak.

"This tree is called the Le You Tree, considered one of the primordial exotic species," the Prince said calmly, looking at the mountain formed by the giant tree. "There are many such trees in the Great Domain, and no one pays them much mind. Even fewer know that this particular one was covertly planted by my third sister. I was with her, witnessing it here back then. But now... things have changed, people have changed; this tree has been withered for many years."

Xu Qing looked up, gazing at the mountain, noticing several red-robed cultivators circling it like flies, seemingly investigating. Most of them were Nascent Soul cultivators, with one Path Nourishing cultivator, and one Spirit Repository cultivator. They were from the Red Moon Temple in the Bitter Life Mountain Range.

"Originally, there was also a Return to Void divine envoy, but he was probably eaten by my third sister. The rest are left for you to experience your own authority. When my third sister and I come out, I hope you've dealt with all of them cleanly." As the Prince spoke, his body blurred and disappeared from Xu Qing's side, entering the mountain ahead.

Xu Qing glanced at the iron ball on his waist, then closed his eyes. The next moment, with the circulation of purple energy, drops of fresh blood emanated from his body, enveloping the surroundings. Soon, Xu Qing himself transformed into a crimson vortex. As this vortex rumbled and spun, it engulfed his figure, forming a crimson lake that rapidly spread forward. As it passed, rocks were submerged, plants were dyed red. The crimson lake emitted an eerie and ominous aura as it spread, gradually becoming shocking, and attracting the attention of the Red Moon cultivators on the mountain.

"What is this?!"

The Red Moon cultivators, the moment they looked, their bodies trembled to varying degrees. This trembling stemmed from the primal instinct of life, from the very essence of their faith, and most acutely, from the uncontrolled surge of blood within their bodies.

Their blood was uncontrollable! Inside their bodies, it seemed to have a will and life of its own, vying to burst out. If internal organs blocked, it would break through them. If flesh and blood resisted, it would shatter the flesh and blood. If the soul intercepted, it would annihilate the soul. It was as if Xu Qing, at that moment, could not be looked at directly!

So, the moment they saw him, several Red Moon Nascent Soul cultivators immediately let out shrill screams, their bodies exploding into pieces with a "bang," and copious amounts of blood gushed out. Seemingly cheering, they rushed straight towards the crimson lake on the ground. This scene immediately horrified the Red Moon cultivators responsible for surveying the area. They instinctively retreated, trying to suppress their own blood, but couldn't. As they retreated, they collapsed one after another. From a distance, the sky seemed to bloom with crimson flowers.

The Path Nourishing elder among these cultivators was now also shocked, his body trembling, his blood raging. And the middle-aged divine servant who possessed a complete Secret Repository, his face became unprecedentedly solemn.

Just as they retreated, the crimson lake in the mountain range suddenly rose into the air. As rumbling sounds echoed, the crimson lake surged and churned in mid-air. Every drop of blood within it revealed Xu Qing's face, and these countless faces formed a giant human face. With an indifferent expression, a Divine Repository surged within it, suddenly suppressing the group of Red Moon cultivators.

Wherever it passed, wails were constant. Those Nascent Soul cultivators could no longer suppress the blood in their bodies. Endless blood spurted from their seven orifices and all pores, then transformed into blood blades outside their bodies, turning against them. As blood flowers bloomed, the sea of blood, with countless blood blades, rushed directly towards the Path Nourishing elder and the Spirit Repository middle-aged man, aiming to encircle them.

Both of them felt their minds roar, and the terror from their life instinct made them retreat rapidly. But Path Nourishing and possessing a complete Spirit Repository were still different. The next moment, the Spirit Repository middle-aged man's body roared, his Secret Repository materialized, expanding outwards violently. His own Heavenly Dao roared within it, affecting the surrounding laws, and he surged forward forcefully. With a deafening sound, the Spirit Repository middle-aged man rushed out before Xu Qing's encirclement could form.

But the Path Nourishing elder was much slower. In the blink of an eye, he was enveloped by Xu Qing's sea of blood. He struggled with all his might, his illusory Secret Repository manifesting, trying to resist, but it was useless. The sea of blood formed a vortex outside his body, rotating rapidly while surging towards his entire body, attempting to drill into him. The elder's expression was terrified. He constantly formed hand seals to unleash divine abilities and even took out magic artifacts to try and block it.

But it was useless! The endless sea of blood submerged him, continuously drilling into his entire body. The pain from this process transformed into his shrill wails. From a distance, this scene was shocking! Until the next moment, the sea of blood disappeared, completely entering the Path Nourishing elder's body. The elder's body trembled, and in despair, his body seemed incapable of containing it. Finally, with a bang, he exploded into pieces. The sea of blood surged out from within, transforming into Xu Qing's indifferent face, looking at the distant Spirit Repository middle-aged man.

"This battle should be a tough one. I wonder how I compare to a complete Secret Repository cultivator now, in terms of victory or defeat!" Xu Qing's fighting spirit churned within him. The sea of blood surged, suppressing all directions, his Divine Repository fluctuating and shattering everything, heading straight for the Spirit Repository middle-aged man.

At this moment, within the mountain formed by the Le You Tree, two gazes looked outwards. The source of the gaze was a huge cave. Countless tree roots spread from all directions, converging in the middle of the cave, weaving into a huge cocoon. Bursts of brilliant light emanated from the countless gaps in this cocoon, illuminating the place with dazzling colors.

The Prince's figure stood beside the glowing cocoon, looking up. "Third Sister, you've seen many prodigies in your time. How do you find this half-disciple of mine?" the Prince began with a smile.

"Is this *your* disciple? Did he agree to you being his master? At such an old age, why are you still snatching other people's disciples? Have you no shame?" A cold voice came from within the glowing cocoon.

As for his Third Sister's words, the Prince found them quite normal. His sister had such a temperament: cold on the surface but warm-hearted. "There has always been the act of teaching, and I've helped him so much, even giving him these 'gifts' outside for his cultivation to improve," the Prince chuckled, looking up to continue observing Xu Qing's actions, a look of appreciation slowly emerging in his eyes that he normally wouldn't show outsiders.

"You call *that* gifting?"

From within the glowing cocoon, a cold voice emerged. The next moment, the cocoon rumbled and burst open. A figure stepped out, taking one step to leave the mountain body and another to appear in mid-air, right before the Spirit Repository middle-aged man whom Xu Qing's sea of blood was pursuing. The Spirit Repository man didn't even react. A finger, like a jade-green spring onion, landed on his glabella. With a boom, the Spirit Repository middle-aged man's body trembled and transformed into a fruit tree, rapidly growing and bearing a single fruit.

The sea of blood, into which Xu Qing had transformed, paused and coalesced, hesitatingly looking at the woman who had appeared before him. This woman possessed a face of exceptional grace and beauty, enough to charm a nation. Her delicate features were imbued with heroic spirit, and she was radiant. Her cheeks were soft and glowing, like a clear pond reflecting the sunset. A simple flying immortal bun adorned her head, with a few plump, round pearls casually accenting her hair, shimmering, yet not as brilliant as her beautiful eyes. Her starlit eyes were as deep blue as the ocean, enchanting across a thousand generations of fleeting grandeur. One could say her appearance was like a spring plum blossoming in snow, her spirit like an autumn orchid veiled in frost, enough to make any man lose his soul.

At this moment, she raised her jade-like hand, took the fruit from the adjacent Spirit Repository tree, glanced at the Prince who had followed, and offered it to Xu Qing. "Now *this* is what you call gifting. Little one, last time we met in a hurry, I wasn't prepared. This time, I'll give you a welcome gift."