Chapter 881: Ancestor Emperor's Mausoleum

Tuo Shishan's reaction was incredibly swift, and his actions showed decisiveness. He profoundly understood that with his cultivation, facing Xu Qing at such close proximity, he was no match at all.

After all, though he hadn't witnessed Jidongzi's death firsthand, he had a very clear understanding of it through others. Therefore, he knew that if he, who had initially intended to bring trouble upon others, didn't immediately declare his stance and provide an explanation, he might not have another chance in the next moment.

Not to mention the shifty-eyed person next to Xu Qing, who clearly harbored malicious intent. He also recalled that during his battle with Xu Qing outside the Holy City, this sinister-looking, unseemly individual seemed to be right by Xu Qing's side. Naturally, no weaklings could remain by Xu Qing's side. Based on this judgment, encountering them meant survival was highly unlikely.

Furthermore, these two individuals had actually provoked such a terrifying entity. This, too, was a testament to their capability. One must understand, not just anyone can provoke such a fearsome being, nor can just anyone survive being relentlessly pursued after doing so. Considering all of this, Tuo Shishan unhesitatingly incited the old man and threw him out as a clear demonstration of his intentions.

At this moment, the old man who had been thrown out jolted awake from his daze. The moment the giant red jellyfish stared at him, his entire soul trembled, and his heart churned with extreme turmoil.

"You brat..."

He was furious internally, but had no choice and no time to curse. In this critical moment, he unleashed his inherent divine power, pressing it through the air towards the approaching giant jellyfish. Heaven and earth rumbled, and all directions trembled. The colossal jellyfish's form paused slightly, but as winds and clouds swirled back, its body broke through everything and charged forward again.

"This is already an existence comparable to a minor deity!"

The old man's heart trembled, but he gritted his teeth and continued to attack.

Behind him, the Captain and Xu Qing had strange expressions regarding Tuo Shishan's sudden arrival and assistance, especially seeing the old man's desperate efforts... Given the other party's state, they couldn't very well harm him. So, Xu Qing nodded at the imposing Tuo Shishan.

"Many thanks!"

As he spoke, Xu Qing's body whistled as he streaked past Tuo Shishan. Tuo Shishan was also retreating, but his speed was clearly not as fast as Xu Qing's. After being overtaken by Xu Qing, he forced a smile.

"No problem, we're brothers."

Upon hearing this, the Captain was somewhat moved. He nodded at Tuo Shishan, then swiftly followed Xu Qing, departing at high speed. Soon, their figures vanished into the horizon.

As for Tuo Shishan, although he was also fleeing desperately, his speed was ultimately slower. However, despite the old man's continuous wails, he managed to stall the jellyfish with his abilities. Thus, Tuo Shishan gradually and successfully widened the distance between himself and the giant jellyfish. Once a sufficient distance was achieved, Tuo Shishan finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he was temporarily safe. However, when he thought of the old man's pathetic state, a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

"How could this be..."

Meanwhile, in another direction, Xu Qing and the Captain, having finally shaken off the giant jellyfish entirely, continued at full speed. After several hours of flight, the Captain made a move, and the karmic link between them and the giant jellyfish was directly severed. Even after the link was broken, they remained uneasy. Guided by the Captain, they flew for several more days. Only when the feeling of dread completely vanished was the crisis from the giant jellyfish considered fully resolved.

At this moment, the Captain squatted on a mushroom-shaped flesh fungus about several dozen feet in size, letting out a long sigh. Recalling the previous scenes, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"See? I told you before, that pile of sh*t mountain is a good person."

As he spoke, the Captain raised his hand, dug out a piece of the flesh fungus beneath him, and swallowed it.

"Have some. This kind of flesh fungus is the only safe thing to eat in this divine domain."

Xu Qing also took a deep breath, looked up at the horizon, and only half-relaxed when he confirmed that the terrifying jellyfish no longer had any karmic connection with him, a mere mortal. Then he looked at the Captain.

The Captain chuckled sheepishly. "An accident, truly an accident."

As he spoke, the Captain handed a piece of the dug-out fungus to Xu Qing. Although he was long accustomed to the Captain's antics, Xu Qing's emotions still stirred. He silently took the piece of fungus, and unlike before, he didn't hesitate, but immediately put it into his mouth and swallowed it. Since things had already reached this point, he wasn't afraid of provoking more trouble.

Although the flesh fungus looked dark and unappetizing, it tasted exceptionally sweet when eaten. It seemed to nourish the soul, invigorating one's spirit.

"How is it, junior brother? I didn't lie to you, did I? This meat is edible. I tell you, there used to be a lot of this flesh fungus here. Then I discovered its benefits..."

"So there's less now," Xu Qing retorted exasperatedly.

The Captain chuckled. He was best at cajoling Xu Qing. At this moment, he didn't mind Xu Qing's tone at all. He stepped forward, slung an arm around Xu Qing's neck, and said proudly, "Ah Qing, you still understand me best. That's right, I've eaten seventy to eighty percent of the flesh fungus here. This stuff is good; it doesn't grow back. Now, the remaining stock is probably even smaller."

"Let's eat more. Once we're done, your senior brother will take you to see a great treasure."

Having said that, the Captain dug out another piece of meat.

Just like that, they ate bite by bite. An hour later... this several-dozen-foot-sized flesh fungus vanished without a trace. It was all eaten. The Captain ate less, Xu Qing ate more, and his anger had largely subsided.

The most direct benefit Xu Qing gained from consuming such a large amount of flesh fungus was an increase in the thickness of his soul. Compared to before, it had increased by at least forty percent, which made Xu Qing feel the bottleneck in his cultivation more clearly. This stagnation was caused by the lack of Heavenly Dao. Even after his soul's thickness increased, his perception of the five secret repositories within his body became clearer.

He could feel that, apart from the Divine Repository of his first deity-form and the Fifth Witch Repository, the other three repositories were conveying a sense of emptiness.

"The Canglong is in the first Divine Repository, and the Fifth Witch Repository doesn't need Heavenly Dao, because... the ancestral witch body forming within it is the Heavenly Dao itself!"

"Therefore, what I truly lack now are three Heavenly Daos."

Xu Qing pondered. After arriving in this divine domain, he could perceive that the Whisker Fish could serve as Heavenly Dao... and so could that giant jellyfish. However, these two Heavenly Daos were too powerful for Xu Qing to suppress.

"Spiders would also work, and the Shell Eagle could barely suffice, though it's a bit weak. Moreover, the crucial one is the Emperor Sword Secret Repository..."

As Xu Qing pondered, the Captain blinked and spoke with a smile.

"Thinking about Heavenly Dao, are we?"

On the ground, the Captain patted his stomach and let out a burp. "The great treasure I'm about to show you is where you can obtain Heavenly Dao. Don't ponder any longer, junior brother; your Heavenly Dao is waiting for you."

Having said that, the Captain stood up and pointed forward. Hearing the term "great treasure" twice from the Captain, Xu Qing's vigilance rose again. He looked up, gazing towards where the Captain was pointing.

The spider webs there were noticeably denser than elsewhere, and faintly, one could discern the depths, indicating they had existed for many years. The entire star was enveloped by vast amounts of spiderwebs, giving off a sense of decay. Especially here, there were also some plants Xu Qing had never seen before. Those were withered trees growing on the spiderwebs, with human-like faces seemingly closed in sleep, and bodies withered like malevolent spirits. The closer they got to the depths, the more numerous they became.

"That's where you cause trouble, isn't it, Senior Brother?" Xu Qing said blandly, having already decided not to go there, but to seek suitable Heavenly Dao elsewhere.

"Junior brother, I need to correct you: it's not where *I* do big things, it's where *we* do big things."

The Captain coughed lightly. Seeing Xu Qing's determined gaze, he blinked. "Junior brother, I've observed your Divine Repository... Actually, the Heavenly Dao for a Divine Repository needs to match you. But ultimately, finding a Heavenly Dao for a Divine Repository isn't difficult. The truly difficult one is your Emperor Sword Secret Repository! Not just any Heavenly Dao is qualified to take residence in the Emperor Sword Secret Repository!"

The Captain's expression was grave as he looked at Xu Qing. "So, when I said I'd take you to see a great treasure, you see it, right? There's a star there!" The Captain raised his hand, pointing into the distance again. "Do you know? Within that star, there's an Emperor's Tomb!"

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He had also pondered about the Emperor Sword Secret Repository, and his conclusions were consistent with what the Captain said. Suitable Heavenly Daos for the Emperor Sword Secret Repository were rare.

Noticing Xu Qing's contemplation, the Captain's spirits lifted, and he spoke again. "This divine domain we're currently in, according to my earlier research, wasn't always like this. Originally, this place was a world similar to the Wanggu Continent. Although it wasn't a single continent, but rather formed by multiple stars, there wasn't much difference. In the past, there were cultivators here, civilizations, and numerous races! Until one day, the Spider Deity descended upon this place, devouring everything. Its aura influenced all, eventually transforming it into a divine domain. The life here became bizarre, losing sentience and turning into divine creatures."

The Captain's voice carried a hint of solemnity, as if imbued with the weight of ages. "Although the Wanggu Continent where we reside has a much higher status than this place, its future fate... might also be similar. Because the remnant face of a deity is even more terrifying than the Spider Deity!"

"And the tomb within this star is that of the Ancestral Emperor of this star domain. In terms of identity and status, you can imagine them like the Profound Nether Ancient Emperor; in some respects, they are similar! Within his mausoleum, a Heavenly Dao is bound to be generated that, in terms of status, will be suitable for your Emperor Sword Secret Repository! Junior brother, what I'm saying is true. If you don't find a Heavenly Dao suitable for the Emperor Sword inside, from now on, you're the Senior Brother!"

The Captain stared intently, his words firm. To persuade Xu Qing to go, he was truly going all out.

Xu Qing was moved. He knew his Senior Brother well and understood that such a declaration was essentially a poisonous vow. So, his gaze fell upon the star enveloped by countless spider webs. Gradually, a hint of madness appeared in his eyes. After a few breaths, his body swayed, and he abruptly shot forward.

The Captain, trailing behind, licked his lips and sped away with an excited whistle. In an instant, their figures rushed into that expanse of spider webs.