Chapter 876: Little Swallow, Wearing Flowered Clothes

Xu Qing paused, glancing at the Captain. He had naturally sensed the Captain's evasiveness outside the Divine Mountain, which, combined with Yan Xuanzi's later probing laced with murderous intent, and the information from the Shanshi dense forest in the Mountain Sea Great Region, all started to make sense. It all perfectly correlated.

The Senior Brother must have had some fierce conflict with Yan Xuanzi, and clearly, Yan Xuanzi was the one who suffered. Although Yan Xuanzi's cultivation was comparable to that of a God-Incarnate and extremely formidable, in Xu Qing's mind, there seemed to be nothing the Captain couldn't resolve.

Xu Qing wasn't particularly interested in Yan Xuanzi's secret, but seeing the Senior Brother's excited demeanor, he nodded and cooperatively responded, "What secret case?"

The Captain's eyes lit up. He licked his lips, squatted in front of Xu Qing, instinctively glanced around, and whispered, "Little Junior Brother, that Yan Xuanzi, he's truly unique!"

Xu Qing didn't quite understand him. It was the first time he'd heard the Senior Brother describe someone as "unique" in such a context, especially with that lip-licking gesture. It was quite intriguing.

Seeing Xu Qing's expression, the Captain's desire to confide surged. He grinned at Xu Qing, a rather mischievous look on his face. "Let me tell you, little A-Qing," he said, "that fellow Yan Xuanzi, based on my experiences and knowledge from my previous lives, in the eyes of some cultivators with... unique preferences, he's practically a treasure! This person is versatile in every way, handles any situation with ease, constantly changing and impossible to predict!"

As he spoke, the Captain smacked his lips, making it seem as if he was drooling.

Noticing the Captain's expression again, Xu Qing was truly stunned this time. Doubt rose in his eyes. Although he had experienced many things throughout his life, fundamentally, he was still somewhat naive in certain regards. So at this moment, he simply couldn't grasp it. Thus, Yan Xuanzi's figure appeared in his mind; he recalled their previous confrontation, searching for any special characteristics in the other's aura.

Noticing Xu Qing's confusion, the Captain blinked, finding it amusing and feeling a sense of pride. He secretly thought that his Little Junior Brother, in his current state, was at his most innocent. And as his Senior Brother, he couldn't let his Little Junior Brother have any weaknesses in his understanding of the world.

So he patted Xu Qing's shoulder, speaking earnestly, in the tone of an elder. "Little Junior Brother, you're still too inexperienced! Oh, never mind. I'll just tell you directly. That Yan Xuanzi..." The Captain paused. "Can be male or female, simply wondrous."

As he spoke, the Captain licked his lips again. And his words fell into Xu Qing's ears like a thunderclap.

Xu Qing's eyes widened. Although there were countless strange and bizarre things in the Wanggu Continent, and gender transformation wasn't overly unusual, what truly stirred Xu Qing's heart was the Captain's expression throughout this revelation, and the words he used. This couldn't help but make Xu Qing form some associations. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke, "Senior Brother, how... how did you find that out?"

Hearing this, the Captain raised his chin, displaying an air of disdain. "That 'little swallow' didn't know his place," he scoffed. "He actually dared to suppress my Shanshi before I did, and then, when I noticed him, he told me to get lost! That expression, that tone, a truly condescending look!"

The Captain snorted coldly. "So then, I listened to his request and 'rolled out'. But the more I thought about it, the angrier I got! So, while he was busy suppressing the mountain, I used all the divine spirit laws I had created to attract the parents, grandparents, and everyone else connected to the mountain-egg he was suppressing! And the result? Hehe," the Captain chuckled, "That 'little swallow' was utterly miserable! Although her cultivation and combat power were considerable, comparable to a God-Incarnate, he still had a tough time being besieged by so many Shanshi! So, guess what I saw?"

The Captain rubbed his hands, extremely excited. Without waiting for Xu Qing's response, he spoke himself. "I saw him at a critical moment, he actually unleashed an extremely terrifying divine ability. To some extent, it wasn't just a divine ability anymore, it was a divine art! And it was the kind of divine art with astonishing power, like divine retribution!"

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. The more the Captain spoke, the more animated he became. "However, this art had a side effect, though for that 'little swallow,' perhaps it wasn't truly a side effect. In short, after unleashing this art, for a short period, his gender would transform! I'm telling you, little A-Qing," the Captain exclaimed, "I personally saw him turn into a woman every time he unleashed it! One moment male, one moment female, then male again—it was hilarious!"

Looking at the Captain's excited demeanor, Xu Qing's expression grew strange.

The Captain didn't pay attention to Xu Qing at this moment. He was completely consumed by his excitement and continued. "And every time the side effect appeared, when his gender transformed, a bead would form and orbit his body, absorbing the transforming aura within him, causing the divine art's side effect to dissipate and turning him back from female to male. I understood at a glance," he declared, "that was his life-bound bead, extremely important!

"And you know," he continued, "your Senior Brother is kind-hearted, eager to help others, and selfless. I just can't stand seeing others suffer! So how could I bear it?" he asked dramatically. "Seeing him go through such a tormenting transformation! After all, transforming between male and female involves many changes to internal meridians and external features. Just thinking about it is painful! So then," he concluded, "while he was transformed into a woman, I went over and snatched that bead! This way, he won't be able to change back anymore! It's a form of liberation for him!"

As he spoke, the Captain raised his hand, and a red bead floated out from his palm. While emitting a dazzling glow, it was simultaneously covered by a blue light shield, preventing its fluctuations from escaping. "How about that?!" The Captain looked at Xu Qing triumphantly. "So, don't be fooled by that 'little swallow's' unchanging outer appearance before. But actually, inside, she's a girl now! She... she can't change back! When I left, I even kindly left her a 'Ghost Essence Floral Bellyband'!"

Xu Qing was shocked. He stared blankly at the Captain, recalling Yan Xuanzi's extreme rage and gnashing of teeth when he was searching for the Captain earlier. At this moment, he completely understood the reason. "No wonder..." Xu Qing sighed.

The Captain laughed heartily. He gripped the bead, put it away, then stood up, stretched, and looked thoroughly satisfied. He felt his trip to the Mountain Sea Great Region had been quite splendid and full of gains. However, thinking of Xu Qing's Jiuli, he hesitated for a moment. In the end, he couldn't resist his curiosity and asked. Xu Qing truthfully informed him.

After hearing Xu Qing explain the process, the Captain's eyes also widened. He stood there stunned for a long time, then stomped his foot forcefully. "That 'swallow' misled me!" he grumbled. "Something like this, I should have joined in! What a huge loss..."

Xu Qing said nothing. The Captain sighed deeply, squatted down again, an expression of contemplation on his face. After a while, it was unclear how he managed to comfort himself, but his eyes lit up, and he murmured, "Although I missed this opportunity, this matter also confirmed one of my previous suspicions. It provides strong evidence for what we're going to do next!"

Having said that, the Captain looked at Xu Qing. His eyes were shining brightly, with a hint of madness. "Little Junior Brother," he said, "with the opening of the Divine Domain this time, I originally only had ten percent certainty about the major task I planned. But now, after hearing what you said, my certainty is even greater! This time, your Senior Brother will take you to accomplish something colossal, far surpassing anything we've done before."

Xu Qing immediately became vigilant. The words "major task" were inherently a warning sign for him, because every time the Captain used them, it meant approaching death, and the level of insanity was more astonishing each time. Looking back, from the flesh and blood of Ju Ying, the Sea Corpse Clan statue, stealing the Ghost Essence Robe, the Son of Heavenly Dao, the ruler's domain in the Azure Sand Desert, to slaughtering the Red Mother God, it had become increasingly exaggerated. Now the Captain had actually used the word "super."

Xu Qing's level of vigilance instantly reached its peak. He looked at the Captain and couldn't help but sigh. "Senior Brother, let's... let's not court death!"

The Captain smiled mysteriously. "Don't worry," he said, "I've been planning this for a very, very long time, and your corroboration has verified my conjectures. This time, it's absolutely safe!" The Captain vigorously patted his chest.

Hearing the Captain say this, Xu Qing's hair stood on end. His mind churned. He had a premonition that this time the Captain might truly be embarking on something unprecedentedly terrifying. He was about to say something when the Captain's body swayed, and he vanished from the residence. His lingering voice echoed in Xu Qing's ears. "Don't rush, Little Junior Brother. I'll go out for a bit first, to make the final preparations for our major task!"

Inside the house, Xu Qing remained silent. After a long while, determination appeared in his eyes. Based on his understanding of the Captain and the premonitions stirring within him, he decided that upon entering the Divine Domain this time, his sole objectives would be to collect the Heavenly Dao and obtain the imprints. As for the Captain's "major task," he absolutely would not participate. After all, Xu Qing felt he didn't share the hobby of risking his life.

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and meditated, nurturing his Fifth Wu Zang. While keeping himself in peak condition, he also intensified the absorption of the ninety-five divine plates within his Fifth Wu Zang.

Just like this, time passed.

Six days passed. The time was drawing near. With only a 'xuanxiang' of time left until the Great Hunt Divine Domain opened, just as Xu Qing got up to leave his residence, the Captain returned.

The moment he returned, without waiting for Xu Qing to speak, he first took out a bottle. Then, with a shattering sound, his body disintegrated in front of Xu Qing, turning into numerous blue worm-like creatures which then burrowed into the bottle. "Little Junior Brother, put me in your storage bag," the Captain's voice called from inside the bottle. "Then we'll set off!"

Almost the instant the Captain's voice emerged from the bottle, a heaven-shaking fluctuation spread out from the Divine Mountain, sweeping everything before it and engulfing all directions. Amidst rumbling sounds, three terrifying divine senses had already enveloped the entire great region. The aura of gods enveloped everything. All beings below the gods, at this instant, felt their bodies and spirits violently shake, as cold divine voices echoed through heaven and earth.

"The Divine Domain is about to open. All disciples, step forward!"

Xu Qing grabbed the bottle containing the Captain. After placing it in his storage bag, his body swayed, and he vanished from the house.

The moment he appeared in mid-air, he saw, atop the distant Divine Mountain, three towering, earth-shattering, majestic figures standing: Sunflame, Moonflame, and Starflame. The three gods had appeared!