Chapter 809: One Milk Siblings

"Completed early," the Captain said, scrutinizing Xu Qing with a suspicious gaze. He stroked his chin, instinctively pulled out a peach, and took a few bites.

"Little A'Qing, while I was away, did you make a good friend in the Star Emperor sect? Which female cultivator is she? Is she pretty? What's her figure like? Is the floral incense on you from her?"

"First, I need to criticize you about this. You must always remember that you are my junior brother, and I am your senior brother."

The Captain's expression was somewhat serious.

"So, next time something like this happens, please let me handle it."

Xu Qing glanced at the Captain. He had originally intended to tell him the truth, but now he changed his mind. He sat there, closing his eyes, and ignored him.

Seeing Xu Qing's reaction, the Captain blinked, sat down opposite him, and started speaking to himself.

"Why aren't you talking? Well... it's fine, it's fine. Regardless of whether you succeeded or not, your senior brother remembers you. I'm just concerned about your well-being, little A'Qing."

Xu Qing remained silent with his eyes closed.

The Captain coughed, then adopted a mysterious expression and whispered, "Little A'Qing, do you want to know about the origin of the Blazing Moon Mystic Sky Clan's hunting of the Divine Realm?"

Xu Qing opened his eyes and looked at the Captain.

The Captain, looking smug, continued speaking while eating his peach.

"You know the Blazing Moon Mystic Sky Clan is powerful, right? But they still haven't been able to completely unify the myriad ancient races in Wanggu continent like the human race once did."

"There are four reasons!"

"The first reason is that there are four other super-clans on the Wanggu continent as strong as the Blazing Moon Mystic Sky Clan. In fact, among these five major clans, the Blazing Moon's rank is only third."

"The second reason is the Blazing Moon Mystic Sky Clan's customs and way of life. Their population isn't large, but their territory is vast, so they are mostly nomadic. They've enslaved numerous tribes through colonization to fight for them."

"The third reason is the three deities: Sun, Moon, and Star. Each deity has its own temple, influencing the secular world and preventing unity within the Blazing Moon clan. This has resulted in two factions and intense internal strife."

"At the highest level of the Blazing Moon Mystic Sky Clan is the Divine Mountain, where the headquarters of the Three Gods' Temples are built around it, and the Divine City floats high above the Blazing Moon territory."

"Next, there are three equally powerful grand tents, forming a three-way standoff with the Divine Mountain, spanning the entire domain."

"The fourth reason is that despite having three gods, the Blazing Moon Mystic Sky Clan's overall strength is still somewhat inferior compared to other powerful clans. Therefore, for countless years, to achieve prosperity, they have maintained a hunting tradition, cultivating their clan members like raising Gu. This has fostered a fierce martial culture and a reverence for strength."

"They even established a hunting festival that occurs once every sixty years. Their hunting had long ceased to be satisfied with other weaker tribes, so many years ago, they set their sights on the Divine Realm."

"And once every three hundred years, during a major hunt, the Three Gods will personally act, randomly tearing open an entrance to a Divine Realm, allowing their clansmen to enter and hunt its inhabitants!"

The Captain looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing pondered. This was the first time he had heard these details. He gained a deeper understanding of the Blazing Moon Mystic Sky Clan's power from the Captain's words.

Then, looking at the human race as it was now, Xu Qing fell silent.

The Captain finished the peach in his hand, took out another, and continued speaking.

"Now you know why there's a Divine Realm hunt, don't you? Also, I hear that after multiple stages of assessment in each major hunt, the ultimate victor among the Blazing Moon clan will be granted a revered title by the Divine Mountain!"

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, while a hint of longing appeared in the Captain's gaze.

"In one of my past lives, I also participated in this great hunt. Unfortunately, there was an accident midway, otherwise I could have gotten the title of Mystic Sky General!"

"Not a Blazing Moon clan member, too?" Xu Qing asked, as was his habit.

The Captain nodded. "Whether it's a native Blazing Moon clan member, a member of an affiliated tribe, or even an cultivator from a distant foreign race, as long as they are granted qualification, they can participate in the great hunt. However, throughout history, all Mystic Sky Generals have been native Blazing Moon cultivators!"

"My plan this time is to use the opportunity of this Blazing Moon Great Hunt to sneak into the torn-open Divine Realm," the Captain said, licking his lips and looking up at the house door.

"Little A'Qing, is your 'pie head' effective? I've been waiting for so long. Any news?"

"That old monster in the Scripture Pavilion has astonishing cultivation and incredibly keen senses. Every time I get close, it feels like countless needles are pricking my soul. Can your 'pretty head' really get that old monster to leave?"

The Captain finished the peach in his hand in one bite.

His gaze fell on Xu Qing.

"That's not realistic. That old monster can't leave the Scripture Pavilion! Unless she can directly bring me in? If not, I should hurry back!"

Xu Qing remained expressionless, not looking at the house door.

"Hmm!"

Just as the Captain, full of curiosity, was about to speak, the voice of a Sword Bearer came from outside the door, informing Xu Qing that someone was seeking an audience.

"Please let him in here!"

Xu Qing said calmly.

"Who is it?" the Captain asked, growing even more curious, staring eagerly at the house door. Soon, as he sensed something, a knock came from outside.

Xu Qing raised his hand, and the house door opened, revealing an entrance through the surrounding seals. An old man's figure appeared outside the door and stepped into the secret chamber in one stride.

The old man had white hair and wore an ordinary Daoist robe, making his identity unclear. However, his cultivation at the Return to Void stage was incredibly profound, and his eyes were exceptionally bright.

"Who is that?!"

His arrival instantly raised the Captain's vigilance.

Upon seeing Xu Qing, the old man bowed deeply, then immediately took out a storage bag and placed it before Xu Qing.

"Everything is here. You can return it in seven days!" After speaking, the old man retreated, leaving the secret chamber and disappearing.

He said only that one sentence throughout, not even sparing a glance for the Captain beside Xu Qing.

Only after he left did the Captain, somewhat perplexed, glance in the direction the old man had departed, then looked at the storage bag.

"Little A'Qing, who was that? His cultivation isn't simple, and he said 'everything is here'..."

"What's in that storage bag?"

The Captain's breathing became slightly ragged. A guess formed in his mind, but he felt the possibility wasn't very high.

"All the jade slips from the Star Emperor Sect's Scripture Pavilion are in there!"

Xu Qing flicked his sleeve, sending the storage bag flying towards the Captain.

"Impossible!"

The Captain shot up, snatching the storage bag. As his divine sense swept through it, his eyes widened, and he immediately looked at Xu Qing.

His expression was filled with disbelief; it was written all over his face after his divine sense swept through the bag.

There were over a hundred thousand jade slips in the storage bag, containing everything from the Star Emperor branch sect. According to his past inquiries, these jade slips were indeed all from the Scripture Pavilion.

And the quantity seemed to be everything.

Most importantly, among the hundred thousand jade slips in the storage bag, he sensed the faint aura of the Stone Tablet's characters.

This indicated that the characters he had previously fled from were indeed within these jade slips.

"This..." The Captain was a little stunned.

He understood the Star Emperor Sect, but the more he understood, the more he realized the difficulty and significance of emptying the branch sect's Scripture Pavilion.

Such a feat would only be possible with the consent of the branch sect master or an order from the main sect.

And the person issuing the order would have to be of extremely high status.

Looking at the storage bag now, the Captain felt a little dazed, thinking about how he had worked incredibly hard and spent a great deal of resources, with his task still requiring another month to possibly complete.

Yet, for Xu Qing, it had apparently taken only a single word.

This feeling completely extinguished any excitement he might have had about his wish being fulfilled early. Instead, it filled him with a sense of frustration.

Consequently, his gaze towards Xu Qing held a hint of resentment.

"Why didn't you say so earlier...?"

"You just told me today!" Xu Qing said expressionlessly.

The Captain became even more frustrated.

"Who was that person?"

"Most likely an elder from the Star Emperor Supreme Sect!" Xu Qing replied.

"Impossible. Even a main sect elder couldn't do that. That person's status must be above an elder's," the Captain asserted definitively.

"Who it is doesn't matter. As long as you have the items, remember to send them back in seven days!"

After speaking, Xu Qing stood up and walked out, feeling quite pleased.

Inside the secret chamber, the Captain held the storage bag, watching Xu Qing's retreating back, his mind in turmoil. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

He then frustratingly lowered his head to search for the characters within the jade slips. As for returning to the Star Emperor branch sect, it had become completely meaningless.

"This won't do. My reputation as a senior brother is utterly ruined..." The Captain's gaze was firm, but for a moment, he didn't know what to do.

Before, when it came to cultivation, I could just work hard to break a seal and regain my senior brother's prestige. How am I supposed to catch up now...?

The Captain gritted his teeth, deep in thought while searching for the characters.

"If all else fails, I'll just have to use my identity from my many, many past lives."

Just like that, time quickly passed, and seven days went by.

During these seven days, with the conclusion of the discourse event, the investigation into the God Fusion Faction gradually commenced.

Every day, some students of the God Fusion Faction were taken away, and various forces throughout the imperial capital were closely following the developments.

As for the Seventh Prince's death, due to his transgressions and being slain by the Imperial Sword, no imperial funeral was held for him. Instead, he was stripped of his royal status and denied entry into the imperial ancestral temple.

The human chroniclers merely made a brief note regarding the Seventh Prince.

In the 2936th year of the Xuan Battle Calendar, the tale of the Seventh Prince's evil deeds and his slaying by the Imperial Sword was brought to a close.

The incense stick representing the Seventh Prince on the Rainbow Bridge also turned to ash. Now, only eleven stood there, not twelve.

Xu Qing's name suddenly rose in prominence both inside and outside the imperial capital; no one was unaware of him.

It was at this moment that news spread of the Fifth Prince's return. He had left the imperial capital years ago to guard the borders alongside the First Heavenly King, and now he was returning to report on his duties.

This news sparked considerable discussion among many in the imperial capital.

Especially considering the recent death of the Seventh Prince, this matter further fueled speculation.

For the Seventh Prince and the Fifth Prince were born of the same mother.

Several more days passed. Early one morning, as the bells resonated, a brilliant light shone brightly over the ancient formation outside the imperial capital's East Gate. Beneath the sky, a large army returned via teleportation. From a distance, their banners unfurled grandly.

Their vast numbers and formidable aura caused the clouds in the sky to churn. At the head of the army, a single figure sat atop a mutated two-headed black dragon.

This person, clad in black armor, gazed indifferently at the imperial capital.

Long hair fluttered in the wind, and a powerful aura radiated from him, shaking all directions. Clearly, his life had been filled with astonishing slaughter. Behind him, all the soldiers, with him at their head, stood in complete silence.

"I'm back!"

The figure in black armor murmured softly.