Chapter 865: Target Jidongzi

The mountain range trembled, and cracks appeared on the rocks, rapidly spreading with a cracking sound. Soon, the crisscrossing mountains above Xu Qing’s cultivation ground were covered as if by a spiderweb.

The cracks became more numerous and denser.

Three breaths later, the enormous mountain seemed to revert to its original state, as if it had initially been piled up from dust. Losing its structural integrity, it collapsed.

A gust of wind stirred up a dust storm, scattering it in all directions.

Along with the dust, a terrifying aura from deep within spread out.

This aura carried an extreme dominance, accompanied by a divine majesty that diffused in a ring.

Wherever it passed, cracks appeared on the ground, forming one gully after another.

At the same time, the rainforest vegetation around the mountain range shuddered simultaneously, then withered instantly, becoming part of the dust storm.

The fierce beasts within met the same fate. This phenomenon continued for a full thousand li before it ceased. At the epicenter of the thousand-li dust storm, where the mountain once stood, the crisscrossing network of countless cracks and gullies converged at a depression a thousand zhang deep.

From a distance, it appeared as an irregular, deep pit.

From the bottom of the pit, a figure slowly ascended into the air.

As it emerged, a soul-shaking pressure radiated from its body. The external storm grew more violent, emitting deafening roars as it dispersed.

The sky, too, became tumultuous at this moment, seemingly shifting in response to the figure's emergence.

Furthermore, black flames spread from the figure, flowing along the ground's gullies, as if originating from the Yellow Springs, signifying death and slaughter.

Countless soul threads also erupted, obscuring the sky and sun, rapidly revolving around the figure.

Thus, in the flickering interplay of firelight and soul threads, the figure advancing step by step appeared indistinctly. One could only vaguely discern that it was a young man.

His exact features were unclear, but his long, flowing hair shimmered with a purple glow amidst the flames.

Finally, the tall figure stepped out of the thousand-zhang deep pit, stood above the storm, and towered between heaven and earth.

The wind whipped his long black robes, imbuing them with a sharp edge.

He raised his head, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face that commanded a reverence, as if he were a deity.

His expression held an aloofness, yet the circular mark shimmering on his brow exuded a hint of malevolence—a mark bestowed by a Witch.

It was Xu Qing.

He had achieved Great Perfection in the Spirit Treasure realm.

Xu Qing lowered his gaze, observing the gullies on the ground and the soul threads swirling around him. He took a deep breath.

He had spent the most time cultivating the Spirit Treasure realm, not because this stage was unusually difficult, but because his secret treasures were unique.

While others had secret treasures, he possessed divine treasures, imperial treasures, and witch treasures. He sought too much, which naturally slowed his progress.

It was only today that he had truly achieved Great Perfection, but one crucial condition for breaking through to the Void Return realm was still lacking.

"The Heavenly Dao."

Xu Qing's gaze deepened as he recalled the place where his Senior Brother had once mentioned one could acquire the Heavenly Dao.

The third segment of the Great Hunt: the Divine Realm!

"Then, the Yan Yue Xuan Tian Clan opening the Divine Realm will be the place for me to step into the Void Return realm!"

"And now, even though I still lack four Heavenly Daos, my combat power is completely different from before."

After a moment of thought, Xu Qing set aside his expectations for the future.

With a shift in his thoughts, the surrounding soul threads whistled towards him, rapidly gathering on his body.

In the blink of an eye, the first layer of his Divine Form instantly materialized.

That represented the combat power of a first-stage Void Return cultivator.

Immediately, more soul threads surged in, and in an instant, the second Divine Form appeared.

The combat power fluctuations of a second-stage Void Return cultivator shook the surroundings.

Following this, even more soul threads merged, and the third Divine Form emerged, swirling amidst the earth. The power of a third-stage Void Return cultivator formed, causing the ground to tremble greatly.

It didn't stop there; the fourth layer of his Divine Form appeared, but a certain rule manifested on Xu Qing's body. This was the Witch Form, the ultimate state of his Divine Form.

The combat power of a fourth-stage Void Return cultivator.

It traversed the heavens, shook the land, distorted the void, and gave birth to anomalies.

This form was Xu Qing's previously strongest state, encompassing all his cultivation power and embodying the divine authorities he had encountered throughout his life.

Both the sun halo and the purple moon were components of this form.

"This form was my ultimate state before entering the Void Return realm. And now..."

Within Xu Qing, the Fifth Divine Treasure erupted like a volcanic furnace, roaring forth from his body.

The sky shattered, and the Nine Heads of Jiuli emerged from his body, circling around him. They formed distinct beast-humanoid figures, rapidly moving to suppress all directions.

It was a shocking sight!

As they roared and swirled, Qiuniu was the first to detach from the vortex, transforming into an illusory dragon-faced totem that flew straight towards Xu Qing and adhered to his neck, forming a dragon armor!

It would bless Xu Qing with all paths related to sound. In Xu Qing's fourth Divine Form, his words were already like divine whispers; with Qiuniu's blessing, these whispers would become even more terrifying.

Next, Chaofeng merged with Xu Qing's body, instantly manifesting a pair of black wings behind him. When they flapped, strong winds howled, and the world changed color.

It would bless Xu Qing with speed!

Chiwen, this head of Jiuli, transformed into an arm guard. From then on, all divine abilities and spells Xu Qing displayed in this state would be amplified by Pulao, causing his combat power to skyrocket.

And Taotie transformed into a chest plate, blessing him with the path of sealing. Whether it was Ding-Yi-San-Er or any of Xu Qing's sealing methods, they would become terrifyingly potent in this state.

As for Chiwen, it transformed into a back plate. Its function was simple yet unparalleled: it could resolve all calamities!

Following them were Baxia and Fuyi.

The former formed most of the body armor, covering over half of his area, enhancing Xu Qing's physical defense.

From then on, Xu Qing's defenses would reach an incredibly formidable level. Fuyi's function was similar; it didn't enhance the physical body, but rather the spiritual aspect.

In this state, as long as Fuyi remained, Xu Qing would not perish. From then on, his defensive capabilities would be entirely different compared to before.

And the most unique was Junni!

Its function even surprised Xu Qing. It didn't transform into armor but a wisp of green smoke, hovering behind Xu Qing and connecting to the sky, bestowing a blessing upon Xu Qing's divinity!

With its support, Xu Qing's fourth Divine Form was amplified at its divine source.

After pondering this, Xu Qing had a conjecture: perhaps the original Junni was not like this, but due to the suppression and devouring by the spider deity, it underwent a common mutation.

Only this explanation could account for why Junni, a Witch Form of Jiuli, had merged with the divine realm.

Xu Qing buried this conjecture deep in his heart and looked towards the last of the Nine Jiuli Heads.

It was Yazi. It transformed into a fierce mask and flew rapidly towards Xu Qing, settling on his face.

Its blessing was slaughter. From then on, all magical artifacts and weapons, with its integration, would exude an unparalleled ferocity.

As it conformed to Xu Qing's face, the sky darkened, the surroundings thundered, and countless lightning bolts streaked across like dancing silver serpents.

The storm grew even more violent at this moment, and amidst the tempest, Xu Qing, standing at its heart, had undergone a drastic transformation!

He was a bizarre figure, a fusion of divine and witch forms!

Gray-black fish-dragon armor, exuding sternness and mystery, and the totems of the Nine Jiuli Heads, imbued with an ancient, desolate aura.

The wings on his back, the rising purple moon, and the divine body beneath the dragon armor merged the Witch and the Divine.

Furthermore, a dense gray mist spread from his body, enveloping heaven and earth, continuously churning outwards, inspiring awe and shaking the soul.

In this form, Xu Qing felt that with a single thought, he could blacken the sky, and with a single glance, he could collapse the earth.

He could bring forth rules with his thoughts over all beings, and he could disregard them with a raised hand.

"So, this is the combat power of Great Perfection in the Void Return realm," Xu Qing murmured.

Recalling the formidable Heaven's Chosen from the Yan Yue Xuan Tian Clan he had encountered, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

He clearly understood that with the comprehensive blessings of Jiuli, his combat power had now surpassed the fourth stage of Void Return, reaching the Great Perfection level of the Void Return realm.

He was now truly in the same combat power bracket as Tuoba Shan, Shi Wushuang, and Ji Dongzi, and among the peak of that bracket.

This was Xu Qing's strongest form to date!

"But this isn't the strongest form of the Witch Treasure!"

"In the memory fragments of the Jiuli skull, its Witch Form wasn't like this." Xu Qing recalled seeing a vast expanse of gray mist emerging behind Jiuli, who was sitting cross-legged outside the Divine Annihilation Array in the memory fragment.

Deep within the mist, a colossal entity faintly existed, its aura terrifying, capable of shaking heaven and earth, and it wasn't dragon-shaped.

But resembled a human figure!

"That is Jiuli's true Ancestral Witch Form, as the Ancestral Witch of the Xuan Tian Great Witch Clan."

Xu Qing's heart stirred, and he attempted to activate the Fifth Witch Treasure. However, no matter how he tried, the Fifth Witch Treasure merely churned without any other manifestation.

At the same time, a subtle restriction entered Xu Qing's mind.

It was like a formidable barrier that his mind couldn't breach.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, analyzing in his heart:

"With my current strength, I cannot yet fully manifest it."

"Perhaps only when I obtain four more Heavenly Daos and break through the Spirit Treasure realm to enter Void Return will I be able to shatter this barrier and make Jiuli's Witch Form reappear in the world."

With this thought, Xu Qing put away his reflections and looked up into the distance. Memories of his time in the Mountain and Sea Great Domain flooded his mind: from encountering Ji Dongzi and being hunted, fleeing into the Jiuli Forbidden Zone, enduring countless perils within, and ultimately becoming the one who profited.

All the experiences during this period, and the true history he had uncovered, filled him with inexpressible emotions.

After a long moment, a cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. "Since I have emerged from Jiuli, then, Ji Dongzi!"

Killing intent surged within Xu Qing. His body flickered, and with a sound of rushing wind that ripped through the sky, his figure vanished into the void.