Chapter 775: Alien Cultivation Will Become Popular

The mysterious woman Er Niu spoke of was now breathing rapidly, her eyes fixed on Xu Qing as if he were a monster. She had originally planned to sell out Chen Daqing, who had accompanied her, as a scapegoat after leaving, ensuring that she remained perfectly hidden from start to finish. No matter what Chen Daqing might say, there would be no clues to uncover. But now, the turmoil in her heart had reached a monstrous level.

She understood the Exotic Immortal Stream. In fact, there was hardly any school of thought within the Imperial Academy that she didn't know about. This was related to her status as a student and her background. Not only was she familiar with all the various schools in the Academy, but she also knew more about the major sects outside than ordinary people. It was precisely this understanding that made her so astonished at this moment.

"Hundreds of thousands of soul threads—neither Li Xuanfeng nor Chen Daoze reached that level back then."

"Li Xuanfeng reportedly had fifty thousand soul threads back then, and Chen Daoze, slightly more, only seventy thousand!"

"Unless... both of them didn't die and are still alive today, perhaps they could achieve it..."

"But that's impossible. Ji Xuanfeng lived eight thousand years ago. Unless one achieves a profound divine state, they cannot live this long under the rules of the Heavenly Dao. Could it be that this person is Chen Daoze, and the rumors about Chen Daoze transforming into a divine being, being unable to revert, and eventually becoming a specimen are false?"

The woman's mind was in turmoil. What she had witnessed today had completely overturned her understanding. Hundreds of thousands of soul threads were simply terrifying! This shock even caused her ordinary face to become stiff, creating a mismatch with her emotions and tone, further confirming that she was wearing a disguise. After speaking, she stared intently at Xu Qing, trying to discern clues that would prove her almost preposterous hypothesis.

Xu Qing, his expression unchanged, glanced at the woman before him. He didn't care about her shock; as mere acquaintances, there was no need for him to explain anything. So Xu Qing, still wearing his silver mask, shifted his gaze towards the Star Emperor Sect's branch where his captain had gone. However, he kept a wisp of his divine sense locked onto the woman, ready to strike immediately if she harbored any ill intent.

At the same time, Xu Qing was also analyzing the Exotic Immortal Stream technique he had just demonstrated. This was the first time he had used the soul thread weaving method in combat. Although its power was slightly lacking, it offered a significant advantage in altering aura and soul threads. Moreover, it was more agile and versatile than simply unleashing the first layer of the Divine State. Most importantly, it could break through existing forms and continuously improve as long as the number of soul threads was sufficient.

"The original limit was determined by the form assumed and the number of soul threads required for the first Divine State. If it were an Exotic Immortal's soul threads, millions would be needed to form it, as their essence simulates divine origin!"

"But my soul threads are all formed from divine origin, so two hundred thousand are actually enough."

"However, the second Divine State is more powerful and complex than the first. Based on this, it would require roughly five hundred thousand threads to weave it!"

"This is also why I need to use the flesh and blood of the Red Mother to supplement it when I unleash the second Divine State through normal methods!"

By using the Exotic Immortal Stream method, Xu Qing gained a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of his Divine State. "My number of soul threads is still too low..."

"Tonight, I can try absorbing those two pieces of Red Mother flesh and blood to see if I can refine them into soul threads using the Exotic Immortal Stream technique!" Xu Qing mused.

The woman opposite him increasingly found Xu Qing unfathomable. The less Xu Qing spoke, the more her mind filled in various thoughts and theories, lacking any concrete clues. This mental elaboration only made Xu Qing seem even more mysterious to her.

Thus, time passed in silence; half an hour elapsed. As the sky grew darker and dawn approached, Xu Qing watched the Star Emperor Sect's branch, his brow slowly furrowing. Based on his understanding of his captain, he knew the captain usually acted swiftly, resolving matters quickly, which suited his temperament. But now, it had been a bit too long.

"Your friend might be in trouble..." Seeing that dawn was near, the mysterious woman hesitated for a moment before speaking.

But just as she spoke, the star-filled mountain where the Star Emperor Sect's branch was located suddenly flashed with light at incredible speed, and a figure burst out from within! It was the captain! He was in tatters, looking extremely disheveled, with numerous gaping wounds bleeding profusely, yet his expression was one of immense excitement.

Upon his appearance, he merely glanced at Xu Qing, and Xu Qing understood his intent. Without hesitation, Xu Qing raised his hand, unleashing three hundred and ten thousand soul threads outwards, forming a colossal divine being in the shape of a beetle, fully unleashed. This gigantic beetle exuded terrifying pressure and divine fluctuations externally, while its internal essence was the power of a cultivator. It let out a silent roar towards the dazzling light behind the captain, exerting its pressure.

From the star-filled mountain behind the captain, several figures burst out, each radiating intense anger and killing intent! But the moment they appeared was precisely when Xu Qing's soul thread beetle descended, and the two sides collided abruptly! A colossal roar echoed, and even more astonishingly, Xu Qing's mind stirred again. His soul threads erupted and transformed, forming another divine being: the Netherwraith!

The Netherwraith was a divine being that roamed the western parts of the Vaal Ancient Continent, similar to a spider but with an elongated, centipede-like body instead of a round one. It was, to some extent, a fusion of a spider and a centipede, capable of spitting silk. Appearing now, the Netherwraith opened its large maw, instantly spewing forth streams of black silk, forming countless threads into a massive net that directly enveloped the radiant mountain! This trapped the dozens of people who were about to give chase inside. Having accomplished this, Xu Qing didn't hesitate, immediately crushing a teleportation jade slip, and his figure vanished in an instant!

Meanwhile, the captain, using the time Xu Qing had bought, successfully escaped, also crushing a teleportation jade slip and disappearing without a trace! Throughout the entire process, they didn't exchange a single word, communicating only with a glance.

As for the woman, though she lacked the tacit understanding between Xu Qing and the captain, she also swiftly departed at the first opportunity, concealing herself in the darkness. But in the next instant, her hidden figure suddenly emitted a dazzling blue light, strikingly conspicuous in the darkness. The swiftly moving woman's expression changed. Without needing to analyze, she immediately guessed that this was certainly a trick from Chen Daqing and Er Gou. As for who specifically, she felt Chen Daqing was the most likely culprit.

"Damn it!" the woman cursed. She tried to hide again, but light still emanated from her. In her anxiety, she unleashed a secret technique, spitting out blood to forcefully suppress it.

Concurrently, the radiant mountain of the Star Emperor Sect rumbled. A powerful expert inside broke through the external seal. As the soul threads dissipated, a white-haired elder burst forth from within. The elder, clad in a starry robe, had an iron-like face, his eyes brimming with anger. After stepping out, he surveyed the surroundings, then looked towards where the woman's blue light had vanished, his voice echoing with killing intent!

"Search everywhere for any clues, especially the location of that blue light! At the same time, report to the main sect to thoroughly investigate all directions and ensure the thieves are found!"

Behind him, dozens of people, their faces grim, affirmed his orders and scattered, beginning their pursuit. Most of them rushed towards the direction where the woman's blue light had disappeared. As for the elder, he suppressed his urge to erupt, turning to examine the magical residue on the mountain peak, his expression gradually shifting to one of confusion. He vaguely felt that he had seen this magical residue and lingering traces somewhere before. He raised his right hand and swiftly grabbed a piece of stone that had been touched by Xu Qing's soul threads. He held it before his eyes, inspecting it carefully, and finally, an expression of disbelief appeared in his gaze. His pupils instantly constricted as he realized what kind of traces these were!

"Exotic Immortal Stream soul threads!"

The Exotic Immortal Stream, once the foremost school of thought within the Imperial Academy, was now in decline, yet its reputation remained immense. Throughout history, countless individuals had studied its cultivation methods. Therefore, it was not unfamiliar to the powerful figures in the Imperial Capital. However, as no outstanding practitioners of the Exotic Immortal Stream had appeared for many years, and the number of cultivators dwindled, the elder hadn't immediately thought of it.

But after recalling the Exotic Immortal Stream, the elder's instincts immediately brought to mind the previous beetle and Netherwraith, along with the pressure these two divine beings had emanated. All of this instantly caused a stir in his mind. A perfected Exotic Immortal Stream.

The elder abruptly turned his head to look into the distance, then took out a jade slip and immediately sent a message to the main sect, requesting information about the Exotic Immortal Stream. As the information arrived, the more he read, the more surprised and doubtful he became. Recalling the two divine beings he had just seen and comparing them with the information, his mind slowly began to reel.

"Fifty thousand soul threads is the threshold for perfection!"

"One hundred thousand soul threads signifies perfection..."

"But the divine beings that just appeared here, judging by their fluctuations, were formed from not just one hundred thousand, but hundreds of thousands of soul threads. Therefore..."

The elder shot forward, heading directly towards the main Star Emperor Sect! As the distant sun rose, gradually dispelling the darkness, it became light.

Within Ning Yan's residence, Xu Qing had already returned, but the captain was nowhere to be found. Xu Qing was accustomed to this and didn't pay it much mind; since the captain had teleported away, he wouldn't die. As for what the captain had stolen from the Star Emperor Sect's branch, Xu Qing wasn't particularly curious. His focus now was on the Exotic Immortal Stream cultivation method.

"Everything I did tonight involved Exotic Immortal Stream techniques, so the chance of exposure is minimal!"

"So now, the main point is to see if I can absorb the Red Mother's flesh and blood to start increasing the number of soul threads!"

Xu Qing entered his secret chamber, sealed the surroundings to isolate his aura, then removed the Ancient Sun and floated it above his head to suppress all directions. Only then did he sit cross-legged, his eyes gleaming, and took out a piece of Red Mother's flesh and blood. As soon as the flesh and blood appeared, terrifying divine fluctuations erupted! Xu Qing concentrated and began his attempt.

Time flowed on. Outside, the morning snow continued to fall, and everything in the Imperial Capital seemed peaceful. However, with the Star Emperor Sect's branch initiating an investigation, news of the theft at their branch began to spread quietly within the Imperial Capital. This foreshadowed a storm that would undoubtedly shake the Imperial Academy.