Chapter 774: Ergou Daoist, You Are Too Scary

During their conversation, the captain had apparently detected Xu Qing's state through some unknown means, causing the door to Xu Qing's secluded chamber to open silently.

The captain walked in, beaming with pride, and waved his right hand. "How about that, A'Qing? Isn't my trick of opening the chamber door through the barrier array simply incredible!"

"Let me tell you, a good friend I met after coming to the imperial capital taught me this move!"

Xu Qing looked up at the captain, then back at the chamber door, a strange feeling rising in his heart. He knew that in addition to the chamber's inherent restrictions, he had personally reinforced it with Heavenly Fire for several days. Although not entirely flawless, opening it so easily and silently was extremely difficult.

Yet, the captain had opened it with such effortless ease!

"What kind of technique is that?" Xu Qing couldn't help but ask.

This question filled the captain with immense pride and satisfaction.

"Your Senior Brother, I, have been going out every day since arriving in the imperial capital. It's not just to gather intelligence; I've taken on a new identity and made many friends, especially this one very mysterious individual."

"But you know my personality – I don't just associate with anyone. I actually turned her down, and she was so eager to befriend me that she taught me this trick!"

"Enough about that. You've finished cultivating, right? Come with me!" the captain said, pulling Xu Qing's arm with an expectant look on his face.

Xu Qing sighed helplessly. In this world, only a handful of people could sway him, and his Senior Brother was one of them.

"What are you up to now?" Xu Qing asked, standing up and glancing at the sky outside.

"Come with me to the Star Emperor Supreme Sect to steal something," the captain whispered, pulling Xu Qing directly outside.

Xu Qing paused, then flatly refused. He had no desire to court death.

Seeing Xu Qing's reaction, the captain cleared his throat.

"It's a sub-sect, not the main one! It's perfectly safe. The strongest person there is only at the Void Returning realm. As long as we don't make a scene and attract the main sect's attention, we'll be fine if we're discreet!"

Xu Qing considered this for a moment before finally agreeing. The wind howled across the dark landscape, and the lake outside Ning Yan's mansion rippled as Xu Qing and the captain's figures swiftly glided over its surface.

"My mysterious friend and I have arranged to go to the forbidden grounds of the Star Emperor Supreme Sect's sub-sect tonight to retrieve something!" the captain transmitted telepathically as they sped along, simultaneously pulling out a mask and tossing it to Xu Qing.

"Put this on. I found it in the old man's treasure chamber before we came to the imperial capital; it can conceal our identities. If you also suppress your aura a bit, no one will be able to recognize us for a while!"

"After all, I don't know my friend's true background for tonight's rendezvous. There's a high probability she's using me to conceal her identity and has other motives. However, I genuinely need to visit the Star Emperor Supreme Sect's forbidden grounds as well; there's something I want there, and it's crucial for future major events!"

"However, I'm uneasy. I'm fairly certain she hasn't guessed my true identity, which is why I asked you, little A'Qing, to come along. You'll keep watch outside and provide backup. If she has any ill intentions toward me, we'll simply kill her."

"Furthermore, after we go inside, if she emerges alone before I do, make sure to stop her. I'm worried she might leave and then turn around and betray me!" A chilling glint appeared in the captain's eyes.

Hearing this, Xu Qing nodded, took the mask, and placed it on his face. The mask's material was remarkably special; it felt like a seamless extension of his skin, causing no discomfort.

Touching the mask on his face, Xu Qing accelerated his pace. This wasn't the first time he had helped the captain with such tasks.

As he traveled, he simultaneously refined the Foreign Immortal cultivation method in his mind, while also attempting various weaves in his thoughts.

"Theoretically, with my current divine source soul threads, I can weave the second form. However, my control over the Foreign Immortal soul threads hasn't reached the subtle level required yet. Weaving it takes some time and can't be formed quickly; it requires repeated practice to perfectly control and instantly manifest!"

"The first form, however, is much simpler. With enough soul threads, I can instantly manifest it!"

"And its form can be changed at any moment..."

"This is perfect for concealing my identity when I need to do things within the imperial capital!"

Xu Qing continued weaving in his sea of consciousness, and his aura subtly shifted. The captain beside him immediately noticed, glancing over with surprise. However, with important matters on his mind, he didn't question it immediately.

Under the cover of night, the two moved swiftly and stealthily. An hour later, they finally reached the northwestern outskirts of the imperial capital.

Far from the city, this mountainous region was shrouded in darkness, blanketed by a thick, hazy snowfall.

However, amidst the mountains, one peak stood out, seeming to absorb starlight and glow brilliantly, its light refracting into a rainbow of colors on the surrounding snow.

This was one of the Star Emperor Supreme Sect's sub-sect entrances, undoubtedly leading to a separate, unique space within.

This served as the main entrance portal.

"We've arrived!"

The captain gazed at the glowing mountain. In a flash, he appeared atop a cock's comb-shaped rock formation, where he squatted, licked his lips, and then turned to look at Xu Qing behind him.

Xu Qing's eyes were closed, his mind actively weaving in his sea of consciousness. The aura emanating from him was continuously shifting, now entirely different from before.

Upon sensing the shift in Xu Qing's aura again, the captain finally couldn't hold back his questions.

"Little A'Qing, what's going on? I asked you to suppress your aura, not change it so drastically! How did you manage to alter your aura so much? Especially with that mask on, you look a bit unfamiliar to me..."

"I learned a new cultivation method," Xu Qing said, opening his eyes but offering no further explanation.

The captain, curious, was about to press for more details when a faint call echoed from a distance. Both the captain and Xu Qing simultaneously looked up into the sky.

A woman with a graceful figure but unremarkable features, cloaked in black and treading through the wind and snow, appeared before Xu Qing and the captain. Her gaze swept over Xu Qing before finally settling on the captain.

"Chen Daqing, who is this?"

Hearing the address, Xu Qing glanced at the captain, realizing that "Chen Daqing" was likely his alias.

"This is my brother, Ergou," the captain replied calmly. "He doesn't trust me to handle things alone, so he's here to accompany and provide backup."

The captain blinked, speaking with an air of composure.

The woman offered no definite reply, merely glancing at Xu Qing again before turning her attention towards the Star Emperor Supreme Sect.

"So, according to our agreement, shall we set off now?"

"Let's go." The captain took a deep breath, gave Xu Qing a meaningful glance, and then shot forward.

The woman also took a step, moving behind the captain as they approached the glowing mountain.

Xu Qing watched intently. Soon, as they approached the mountain, he saw their blurred figures simultaneously vanish.

Xu Qing was not surprised by this turn of events.

The captain possessed numerous methods, and anyone he deemed 'mysterious' was clearly no ordinary individual.

Moreover, anyone bold enough to target the Star Emperor Supreme Sect must possess immense confidence.

However, recalling the captain's penchant for courting disaster, Xu Qing felt a moment of hesitation. He then shifted his position, moving to another nearby mountain to wait.

Time slowly ticked by. Within the Star Emperor Supreme Sect's sub-sect, profound silence reigned, undisturbed by any changes.

An hour later, the void outside the glowing mountain suddenly twisted, and the woman's figure flickered into existence from within. Upon emerging, she moved to depart without the slightest hesitation.

However, the very next instant, the woman's steps faltered. Xu Qing's figure materialized in the void before her, blocking her path.

"There's no need to rush, fellow Daoist," Xu Qing calmly stated. "It's safest if we leave together once Daqing emerges!"

The woman frowned, her eyes glinting coldly as she spoke to Xu Qing with a faint tone.

"Get lost," she stated. As she spoke, a dangerous aura emanated from her, and the void before her instantly solidified, as if transforming into a mirror that enveloped Xu Qing before shattering into countless pieces.

Without a hint of hesitation, her body continued forward. But the very next instant, her eyes widened as Xu Qing's figure flickered and reappeared directly in front of her.

The void remained perfectly calm.

"Halt!"

The woman's eyes narrowed, and her expression grew solemn. After scrutinizing Xu Qing for a few moments, she suddenly raised her right hand and pressed it forward. The surrounding wind and snow immediately vibrated, morphing into countless ice needles that converged on Xu Qing.

Her body blurred into an afterimage, speeding directly towards Xu Qing. Xu Qing, his face emotionless, waved his left hand, and a surge of black flames violently expanded outwards from his body. He then swiftly moved towards the woman.

The two instantly clashed, exchanging blows and interweaving spells. In just a few breaths, they engaged in a rapid, fierce exchange, their attacks meeting hundreds of times.

Both of them restrained themselves, avoiding loud noises or significant disruptions, until after several breaths, the woman's impatience grew visible, her expression betraying her anxiety.

"Chen Daqing vanished after entering. It's completely unreasonable for you to obstruct me. If you don't get out of my way... I will kill you!"

"You may only leave once he emerges," Xu Qing stated calmly.

"You're courting death," the woman declared, a chilling light appearing in her eyes. She swiftly formed a hand seal, and a slit instantly opened in her brow. From it, a white needle shot out, moving with an ethereal grace as it tore through the void and appeared before Xu Qing.

The aura it emanated was distinct from a cultivator's power and unlike a deity's oppressive might. It was neither cultivation nor divine, yet its domineering intensity was far more astounding!

It was as if the very essence of this aura declared its undisputed supremacy over heaven and earth.

For the first time, Xu Qing's pupils constricted. He sensed a profound danger. Without a moment's hesitation, three hundred and ten thousand soul threads within his sea of consciousness instantly erupted, coalescing into a grotesque figure outside his body.

This figure was a beetle, radiating an intense divine aura that made it seem almost god-like. It was precisely the 'Dizi' from the Foreign Immortal path's enlightenment images, though such divine creatures typically only reached the Spiritual Core realm at most.

Yet, this particular one had a cultivation level of Void Returning, meticulously woven and shaped by Xu Qing using his soul threads.

Upon its manifestation, over three hundred thousand densely packed soul threads surged within it, poised to collide with the approaching eerie needle.

Witnessing this, the woman's expression drastically changed. She recoiled, speaking rapidly.

"Stop!"

"Fellow Daoist Ergou," she pleaded, "this is detrimental to both of us. The special restrictions I've set up around here will also show flaws and be detected. Let's not fight; I'll stay and wait."

As she spoke, her heart pounding, she raised her hand to recall the white needle. Xu Qing, narrowing his eyes, waved his hand, and immediately the Dizi vanished, its soul threads receding from sight.

Even so, if the opponent still wished to fight, he could instantly reform it.

The wind and snow continued, and the mountain fell into a relative quiet as their conflict ceased. After more than ten breaths, the woman looked at Xu Qing, took a deep breath, and spoke with a hint of uncertainty.

"Fellow Daoist Ergou, was that the Foreign Immortal cultivation method you just employed?"

"Those hundreds of thousands of soul threads... weren't they incredibly frightening?"

"To think someone in this world could cultivate the Foreign Immortal path to such an unprecedented level... Who... are you?"