Chapter 772: Waiting for the Person Who Has Waited for Thousands of Years

The capital's rain fell for three days.

On the fourth day, it turned into snow.

Winter arrived suddenly. With the first snowfall, a sharp chill spread in all directions, quickly blanketing the entire capital in silver and adorning its eaves with ice flowers.

Gazing at the snowflakes falling from the sky and feeling the biting cold wind, Xu Qing thought of Fenghai County, Nanhuang Continent, and scenes from his childhood.

Even with his current cultivation, which had long rendered him largely impervious to hot and cold and granted him resilience far beyond ordinary mortals, he still felt a slight chill.

It was a chill from his memories.

Everything from his childhood had long settled within his soul, destined to accompany him throughout his life.

As he walked towards the Grand Academy, Xu Qing instinctively pulled his collar tighter against the wind and snow, then stepped through the academy gates.

The case of the stolen Sun of Dawn was no longer mentioned by anyone, and the whereabouts of the missing artifact remained unknown. This matter should have been a major concern for all forces in the capital, yet, strangely... no one seemed to pay it any mind.

As for the reason, Xu Qing had his own analysis.

It was because the Human Emperor was present.

To humanity, the Human Emperor was a foundational existence, like a pillar supporting the heavens.

He could quell the hearts of the myriad common folk.

Xu Qing's perception of the Human Emperor was complex. Before he came to the capital, the Human Emperor was merely a symbol to him, a blank, unfamiliar page.

After arriving in the capital and forming his own judgments, that page had gained color. However, it had gained so many colors that it was now bewilderingly intricate.

Xu Qing shook his head.

Yet, he had a habit: to bury unresolved matters deep in his heart, recording each one, waiting for the passage of time to reveal flaws and clues that would allow him to fill in all the blanks.

This way, once enough clues were gathered, all the answers would surface in his mind.

For now, Xu Qing knew that the most important thing before him was still his cultivation.

"I need to check out the Heretic Immortal path!"

The moment he stepped through the Grand Academy's main gate, the cold was shut out, as were the wind and snow. Unlike the changing seasons outside, the academy, existing in its own distinct space, remained unchanged.

It was still bustling with crowds, still lively, and still filled with ceaseless discussions.

Xu Qing, having spent over a month here, was already accustomed to this environment. He strode forward, merging into the crowd as imperceptibly as a drop of water in the ocean, and headed towards the Heretic Immortal path's white tower, located directly to the east.

"During Princess Anhai's last banquet, the recorded image presented by Mu Nan of the Litou Sect, showing Chen Daoze's perfected Heretic Immortal path, looked very similar to my Divine Form."

"Could it be that the Heretic Immortal path's soul weaving technique is similar to my Divine Form?"

Xu Qing was quite intrigued by this possibility.

His Divine Form was a product of various fortuitous coincidences, and he had never witnessed it in anyone else. Even Grandpa Nine, back then, had been unfamiliar with it.

Therefore, Xu Qing had been constantly exploring how to further cultivate his Divine Form.

If activating the second form always required the flesh and blood of the Red Mother... such consumption was simply unsustainable for Xu Qing.

Not to mention the third form.

"In its first form, I can unleash power comparable to the Grand Completion of the Spirit Treasury, or even the first stage of the Guixu realm. This enhancement is truly immense."

"As for the second form, it approaches the second stage of the Guixu realm... though there's a slight difference, it's practically negligible."

"And the third form..." Xu Qing recalled his demonstration before Grandpa Nine and considered the powerful cultivators he had encountered, forming a preliminary judgment in his mind.

"Its combat power is comparable to the third stage of the Guixu realm!"

"Therefore, my current cultivation priority is to fully master the three forms of my Divine Form."

"Additionally, there's the fifth secret treasure."

As Xu Qing pondered, time passed. Half an hour later, the white tower of the Heretic Immortal path appeared in his sight.

Compared to the surrounding clamor, the tower was always quiet, virtually deserted, and ignored—as if it had been swallowed by history, rendered obsolete by time.

Today, there wasn't three disciples inside the white tower, but only one. He sat there yawning, currently being reprimanded by the sect master.

"Look outside, there are so many students. Can't you go out and bring some in?"

"If this continues, we won't have enough people to work. With so many ancient texts, I can't be the only one organizing them every day!"

"Even if our Heretic Immortal path isn't thriving now, it once had its glory. What good is it for you few to spend all day researching tabloids?"

The reprimanded disciple, with an impatient look, waved his hand dismissively.

"Enough! If you keep nagging me, I won't show up tomorrow. Our tabloids are just for our own expenses, since you don't give us anything. What does it matter to you if we report some gossip and interesting stories? Or how about we start charging fees? If some fool who wants to look up ancient texts comes, how about we charge them?"

"You!" The Heretic Immortal path's sect master glared, intending to utter harsh words, but ultimately, he was too worried the disciple truly wouldn't return...

His chest heaved a few times as he tried to formulate his words. Xu Qing's arrival, however, caught his attention, so he seized the opportunity to let out a cold snort, then, with his hands clasped behind his back, he looked at Xu Qing.

As for the disciple, he too looked up, and upon seeing Xu Qing, spoke lazily.

"Heretic Immortal path: one hundred spirit stones to view each jade slip."

Their identical attire prevented him from recognizing Xu Qing as a previous visitor. In truth, within the Grand Academy, it was difficult to recognize someone unless there had been multiple interactions.

Xu Qing's gaze swept across the room. Just as he was about to speak, the sect master glanced at him, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes.

"Why are you here again?"

The disciple beside him, hearing this, paused, then looked closely at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing, also slightly surprised, cupped his hands to the sect master. "Teacher, I'd like to learn more about the Heretic Immortal path." "Of course!" The sect master's eyes lit up. He couldn't help rubbing his hands, then stepped forward, grabbed Xu Qing's arm, and pulled him into the white tower, as if afraid Xu Qing might slip away.

Xu Qing was somewhat uncomfortable with this overt enthusiasm, while the other disciple merely sighed and resumed ignoring them.

"'You are a perceptive individual. I sensed it the first time you came,' the Heretic Immortal path sect master said, his voice filled with emotion."

"'Your choice of the Heretic Immortal path is a call of destiny, an inevitability after the turning of fate's gears. If I'm not mistaken, you've only recently entered the Grand Academy, haven't you?'"

As he spoke, the Heretic Immortal path sect master raised five fingers on his left hand and began to count, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes. He gazed at Xu Qing, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.

Xu Qing remained silent. This kind of trick was one his captain often used, and he was already accustomed to it.

Seeing that Xu Qing didn't prompt him, the Heretic Immortal path sect master cleared his throat and continued speaking on his own.

"'Back when our Heretic Immortal path was in its prime, our ancestor once sensed the heavens and earth, catching a glimpse of a future scene. He left a prophecy stating that one day, a student would join our Heretic Immortal path and lead it to its peak.'"

"'The last time I saw you, I felt a certain premonition, though I wasn't certain. Now, seeing you again, for some reason, that prophecy has resonated within me.'"

"'You are very likely the one our Heretic Immortal path has been awaiting for millennia!'"

The disciple beside him curled his lip. He had heard these words before; the sect master had said the same thing when he himself joined, and likewise for the two disciples who were absent today.

"He doesn't even bother to change his script."

Nevertheless, thinking it was good to trick another person into joining, his pupils contracted, he feigned surprise, and exclaimed breathlessly.

"Oh my heavens."

Xu Qing watched the exaggerated pair and suddenly felt that the Heretic Immortal path might not be quite right for him...

Seeing his disciple's cooperation, the Heretic Immortal path sect master felt satisfied. He quickly retrieved a jade slip from nearby and placed it directly into Xu Qing's hand.

"'Child, integrate your divine sense into this to become a core disciple of our Heretic Immortal path. Then, everything here will be open to you. The future of the Heretic Immortal path rests in your hands!'"

"'The cultivation methods of the Heretic Immortal path are unique, so the Human Emperor back then granted special permission for us to decide our own transmission methods. Therefore, our ancestor decreed that they would only be taught to core disciples.'"

"'Come, join us! From this moment on, your life will open a new door!'"

The Heretic Immortal path sect master's voice was impassioned as he relentlessly persuaded. Xu Qing gazed at the jade slip in his hand. Since he had come here today, he had already made up his mind, so he didn't hesitate and immediately imprinted his consciousness onto it.

As the jade slip flashed, Xu Qing officially became a core disciple of the Heretic Immortal path.

"Haha, welcome to the Heretic Immortal path!"

The sect master was elated, and the disciple beside him was delighted. They exchanged glances, each recognizing the other's smug satisfaction at having tricked another person into joining.

The former believed their sect was expanding, while the latter anticipated more laborers for future tasks.

Xu Qing didn't pay much attention to this. He cupped his hands and spoke.

"Sect Master, may I see the Heretic Immortal path's cultivation methods?"

"'No problem,' the sect master chuckled, then reached over and grabbed more than ten jade slips from a small pile in the corner, dumping them all into Xu Qing's hands."

"'All of our Heretic Immortal path's cultivation methods are right here. Take your time, there's no rush.'"

Xu Qing nodded, concentrating as he examined them. Gradually, a thoughtful expression appeared beneath his mask.

The jade slips contained a wealth of information, providing a detailed description of the Heretic Immortal path's cultivation.

Overall, this path's cultivation methods had specific requirements for practitioners.

It required individuals with vast soul power.

Only such individuals could generate a sufficient number of soul threads to theoretically weave a complete divine being. If one's soul power was insufficient, there was a high risk of one's soul scattering during the weaving process.

Additionally, one needed to visualize the totem images of divine beings and complete them using soul threads as brushes.

As for the process, it varied from person to person, but overall, it was exceedingly slow.

Meanwhile, as Xu Qing examined the slips, the sect master continued to explain the Heretic Immortal path.

"'The focus of our sect lies in the visualized divine beings, which I've also given you. These were selected by generations of practitioners from countless divine beings as the most suitable for the Heretic Immortal path, and the required number of soul threads is also specified within. Compared to the cultivation methods, these are the true essence of our Heretic Immortal path.'"

"'But remember not to be overly ambitious. If the number of condensed soul threads is insufficient, you must not force the visualization.'"

As the sect master admonished him, Xu Qing saw the recorded images of visualized divine beings within the jade slips. There were dozens of types, each one incredibly lifelike.

The most demanding among them required a hundred thousand soul threads, while the least required around fifty thousand.

He decided to try cultivating for a moment. Instantly, his mind felt hazy, and his eyes glazed over.

Noticing this, the sect master shook his head. Out of consideration for having just convinced Xu Qing to join, he offered a reminder.

"'To cultivate the Heretic Immortal path's techniques, you must calm your mind and concentrate. Only within an absolutely quiet and stable formation can the speed be enhanced. It's normal for you to see no immediate effect by practicing now.'"

"'Generally speaking, cultivating for a month and condensing one soul thread indicates good aptitude. If you can manage more than three, you're considered a prodigy. And more than ten? That's the aptitude of an ancestor!'"

Xu Qing paused, looking inward at his sea of consciousness. Within it... over ten thousand soul threads were currently spreading.