Chapter 664: Old Friend from the Sea Closure Arrives

The power of deities is unfathomable and extraordinary.

This journey with the mud fox deepened Xu Qing's understanding of this, and of deities themselves. He realized deities possess neither good nor evil; their actions are solely based on their preferences. Xu Qing murmured, recalling all the deities he had encountered in his life; they were all like this, without exception.

"For instance, the question I'm pondering now is akin to ants contemplating my actions. Their thoughts and deeds are incomprehensible. Only when divinity overrides bestiality, and humanity fades, can I possess a similar way of thinking as them."

Xu Qing, soaring through the air, sped towards the desert. Recalling his recent experience, he couldn't help but glance back at the distant canyon.

"The Moonflame Xuan Tian Clan..." Xu Qing fell silent, then turned away, speeding rapidly through the landscape.

Days passed in a flash.

Sandstorms swept before Xu Qing. The gray winds barred outsiders from entering, but they posed no obstacle to cultivators of the great desert. Xu Qing wondered if it was just his imagination, but this time, returning amidst the sandstorm, he felt the storm itself behaved differently around him.

"This storm is formed from the hair of the Moonflame High God, and I just met her earlier..." Xu Qing pondered this. After a moment, he stopped within the storm, tentatively raised his right hand, and gently waved it forward.

"Disperse."

The storm remained unchanged. Xu Qing silently lowered his hand and continued on his way.

He hadn't traveled far when the storm around him suddenly quivered, parting before him to reveal a vast, canyon-like gap. The storm on either side of this gap stood like walls, connecting heaven and earth, leaving only the hundred-zhang expanse empty. Xu Qing's eyes gleamed. He cupped his fist towards the storm and sped through.

Soon after, the Bitter Life Mountain Range appeared in the distance.

Seeing the familiar mountains and earthen city, a sense of calm settled in Xu Qing's heart. In a flash, he vanished from mid-air, reappearing in the back room of the pharmacy. As he stepped out, Ling'er, who was absently tallying accounts, quickly looked up.

"Brother Xu Qing!" Ling'er cried, quickly tossing aside her beloved ledger and rushing towards him. Her small face beamed with joy; she showed no hint of abnormality as she hugged Xu Qing.

"Brother Xu Qing, where did you go? Why didn't you tell me this time? I was so worried..." Ling'er murmured into Xu Qing's chest, but her nose subtly sniffed a few times, as if investigating.

Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu also quickly glanced over, looking as if they were enjoying a show. From her spot, You Jing snorted coldly while boiling water.

"Men, huh," she scoffed.

Xu Qing looked at the Young Master, who was drinking tea. The Young Master remained unfazed. But Xu Qing knew it was the Young Master who must have told Ling'er about his trip to find the mud fox. However, Xu Qing didn't mind. He raised his hand, took out a storage bag, and handed it to Ling'er.

"I went to find the mud figure we saw last time to handle something for Senior Brother, and I also got this item for you," Xu Qing said softly.

Ling'er instinctively took it, her face full of suspicion, but her eyes lit up brightly upon opening it.

"Ancient Spirit Bone Elixir!"

Xu Qing smiled and ruffled Ling'er's hair. "Go cultivate quickly. This item will greatly aid your breakthrough."

"Thank you, Brother Xu Qing! Brother Xu Qing is the best!"

Ling'er was incredibly happy, feeling utterly delighted. She thought Brother Xu Qing was still the kindest to her; it turned out his trip was to retrieve this treasure for her. Thinking this, she felt a little bad about her earlier suspicions, and a wave of guilt washed over her. She quickly spoke up.

"Brother Xu Qing, I haven't shown off my cooking skills in a long time. I'll make you a few dishes today!"

Xu Qing was about to refuse, but after glancing at the Young Master, he smiled and nodded. Ling'er was even happier. Holding the bone elixir, she ran to the kitchen and began preparing dishes.

Xu Qing, meanwhile, sat down in front of the Young Master and spoke softly. "Senior, she is the Starflame High God of the Moonflame Xuan Tian Clan."

The Young Master nodded slightly upon hearing this, setting down his teacup. "What is her purpose?"

"The same as the Moonflame High God, and there's an additional mud gate at the God-Slaying Platform," Xu Qing said calmly.

The Young Master's eyes narrowed. After a moment of thought, a smile appeared on his face. "Interesting. Within this Moon Sacrifice Great Domain, countless hidden threads are being ignited one by one... Boy, your Senior Brother is no ordinary person, but you are even less so."

"It's all my master's arrangement." Xu Qing shook his head, a look of longing appearing on his face.

The Young Master hesitated. Based on his prior knowledge, he had always doubted Xu Qing's claims about his master. Yet, Xu Qing's profound understanding resonated with his master's. Experiencing this empathy, and observing the actions of both disciples, he couldn't help but speculate further about Xu Qing's master, finding it difficult to simply define him.

Meanwhile, the sounds of cooking emanated from the kitchen. Waves of fragrance drifted out, causing Ning Yan's nose to twitch and his eyes to light up. Wu Jianwu, standing at the doorway, also took a deep breath, showing surprise.

"Sizzling and popping, a three-foot stream of fragrance; who could resist such exquisite dishes!"

Even the Young Master glanced at the kitchen and nodded slightly. "This little girl, I didn't expect her to be so good at cooking."

"Oh, right," the Young Master said, "I'll be going out in a few days too. Your return this time was quite timely. Also, give me the control jade slip from last time."

Hearing this, Xu Qing nodded seriously and handed the jade slip controlling the small chicks to the Young Master. The Young Master took it, wiped something on it, then returned it to Xu Qing.

"This jade slip, besides controlling the chicks in the backyard, also contains restrictions on Mo Gui and You Jing. Use your discretion."

Upon hearing this, You Jing's face darkened, and she said nothing.

Xu Qing picked up the jade slip and put it away. He knew this was a contingency left by the Young Master, who was concerned about the pharmacy's safety during his absence. With this jade slip, the pharmacy's safety during this period was essentially assured.

"Senior, is this trip related to Grandfather Nine?" Xu Qing thought for a moment and asked.

The Young Master nodded. "We're almost ready to help him break the seal. You don't need to participate this time; we can handle it ourselves."

As they spoke, Ling'er enthusiastically emerged from the kitchen, carrying two dishes. After placing them on the table, she dashed back into the kitchen, repeating this process several times until she had prepared eight dishes. Ling'er's cooking skills had clearly improved; all eight dishes looked, smelled, and tasted excellent. Even Xu Qing was a little surprised.

"Grandpa Young Master, Brother Xu Qing, Sister You Jing, come and have a taste!" Having finished her work, Ling'er stood by excitedly, inviting everyone.

Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu joined uninvited, sitting down beside them. You Jing also put down her work, glanced at the dishes, and nodded with a smile.

The Young Master, equally expectant, picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. His eyes slowly narrowed, then he cast a deep look at Xu Qing and nodded. "Not bad."

You Jing, Ning Yan, and the others also quickly picked up food. After tasting it, Wu Jianwu's eyes widened, Ning Yan's face reddened, and You Jing fell silent. All of them looked at Xu Qing.

As Ling'er grew a little nervous, Xu Qing ate a few bites, his expression unchanged, and then spoke. "If it's good, eat more."

Ning Yan swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "Delicious!" Wu Jianwu instinctively wanted to refuse, but after looking at Xu Qing and then at the Young Master, he still took more dishes. As for You Jing, she simply ate in silence.

Thus, the dinner was quickly devoured by everyone, leaving Ling'er immensely satisfied. She felt her cooking skills had greatly improved, clearly surpassing her cultivation talent in the art of preparing food.

"I can open another restaurant someday!" A fanciful thought arose in Ling'er's mind.

Time flowed on, and three days passed.

The Young Master departed. The day before his departure, Tian Nanzi of the Countermoon Palace also came to bid farewell. The war outside had reached a fever pitch. Multiple factions of the Countermoon Palace were retreating steadily, and the Second Palace Master's army, in particular, was in a perilous situation, suffering heavy casualties. Therefore, Tian Nanzi, as the Fourth Palace Master, prepared to lead a contingent outside to reinforce the Second Palace Master. Even though the Bitter Life Mountain Range was relatively safe, Tian Nanzi could not stand by and watch the misery outside.

"I am the Fourth Palace Master of the Countermoon Palace. I have my creed and my responsibilities: to resist the Red Moon and protect our home. I cannot and will not shy away from this. Someone must always step forward. What value does this old bone of mine hold at a time like this? If I do not return, my shattered soul shall remain with the Countermoon Palace!" As Tian Nanzi spoke these words, his expression was resolute, and his weathered face revealed a calm acceptance of death.

After bidding farewell, Xu Qing gazed at his departing back. Vaguely, the image of the old Palace Master of the Sword-Wielding Palace resurfaced in his mind. "They are all the same kind of people."

The Red Moon drew closer. The sky's color grew more intense; the entire Moon Sacrifice Great Domain was bathed in crimson. This was especially true near the banks of the Sacrificial Yin Long River, which was already blood-red but now appeared intensely crimson. The stench of blood and decay was overwhelmingly thick.

During this time, ships from the outer domains rarely appeared. After all, even the cultivators who came for trade understood that this Moon Sacrifice Spirit Enclosure was about to be harvested by deities. Yet at this very moment, on the tumultuous river, a tattered boat slowly emerged in the distance. Its direction of approach was precisely from the domain where the Saintly Waves Clan resided.

Before long, the boat became clearer, revealing numerous repairs and appearing ready to collapse at any moment. It sped towards the shore, cutting through the river surface, swaying precariously until it finally docked. A figure swiftly rushed out from within. The moment he stepped onto the blood-red bank, the boat, unable to sustain itself, collapsed with a crash and sank beneath the river.

The figure looked back, sighed, and then stomped his foot fiercely. "That little scoundrel! He's taken my Ling'er away for so long and hasn't returned. So this is the backwater place he's been hiding! My Ling'er must be hungry and sleep-deprived, suffering from cold and hunger, living in fear with him every day, constantly facing life-and-death crises. Perhaps she's even being hunted now, with no one to protect her, crying out to the heavens but receiving no answer. That slick, pampered little thief Xu, he's clearly unreliable! You little thief, just you wait! I'm coming to find you!"

The crimson light from the sky fell upon the figure, revealing his weathered appearance. This person was none other than the old innkeeper. After his rant, he sighed, his face full of weariness, as he looked up at the distant sky and land.

"Such a vast domain... where am I supposed to find him?"