Chapter 882: Statue Worshipping the Moon

Beyond Time!

As the two rushed forward, the spider web grew larger in their sight, and the withered human-faced trees growing on it became increasingly clear.

"Little Junior Brother, slow down. These human-faced trees were once the Ancestor Emperor's guards, corrupted by divine aura. They are currently dormant, but each possesses considerable combat power.""What's especially alarming is that once awakened, they will emit soul-shattering sounds, and a great terror will descend with their voices."The Captain quickly spoke, coming to Xu Qing's side and moving through the spider web with him.

Xu Qing nodded. He had sensed the strangeness of these human-faced trees from afar, but now that they were closer, he could observe them in greater detail.

Most of the faces were middle-aged men. Their features resembled humans, but their skin tone was different, and behind each ear, fine lines like fish gills were visible.Though their eyes were closed, their expressions were contorted, and the strange substances covering their bodies were infused with intense resentment. This, combined with their twisted expressions, conveyed a strong sense of unwillingness.

"Under the gods, all are mere ants. They resisted in life, but sadly..."The Captain sighed, flying through the gaps between the human-faced trees, careful not to touch any.

Xu Qing did the same. After approximately fifteen minutes, hidden by the Wordless Heavenly Book, they moved as if devoid of all presence, successfully passing through the terrifying human-faced tree forest.

They flew through layer upon layer of spider webs, like two tiny insects, gradually reaching the core of the spider web region.

The massive star came into view. Seen from outside, it was entirely gray, riddled with cracks, and permeated with a deathly aura. Inside, one could discern huge vortices slowly churning.

Those were storms. Additionally, the star's surface contained regular formations.

Six enormous, startlingly deep pits were visible. The moment Xu Qing saw them, he sensed a connection, recalling the spider deity he had seen inside the divine box at the core of Jiuli. That deity had six legs, which seemed to correspond perfectly with these six pits.

A terrifying image then formed in Xu Qing's mind: a massive spider deity with six legs piercing the surface of the giant gray star, creating the six deep pits.

"Based on my assessment from years ago, this was the dwelling place of the ruler of this divine domain," the Captain said in a low voice, staring at the star. "However, with the ruler's departure and failure to return, this divine domain gradually began to show signs of decay."

"The level of danger here has significantly decreased. However, as this is still a divine domain, and quite central, considerable risks persist."

"But the greater the danger, the greater the reward." The Captain's eyes glinted with a hint of madness. He didn't forget to remind Xu Qing, "The Heavenly Dao suitable for your Emperor's Sword Secret Treasure is within."

"Little Junior Brother, let's go." With that, the Captain flew ahead.

Xu Qing's eyes showed resolve. Having made his decision, he no longer hesitated, following the Captain into the vast star.

The sky was black. Within the star, the ground, though inherently gray, was mostly obscured by the pervasive storms. The constant tempests here swept across all directions, their deafening roars shaking the air. Arriving felt like stepping into a desolate, perilous land.

Previously, the largest storm Xu Qing had ever witnessed was in the Green Sand Desert of the Moon Sacrifice Great Domain. However, stepping onto this star and into its storms, the difference was starkly apparent.

Far exceeding the Green Sand Desert, the pervasive wind and sand seemed to be the sole elements here, sweeping overwhelmingly. It was so intense that Xu Qing and the Captain found it difficult to move even an inch.

This was no ordinary storm; it contained divine aura, an exceptionally high level of power, and remnants of imperial essence from divine arts. It was clear that this place had once endured an earth-shattering battle.

Fortunately, Xu Qing possessed divine power, allowing him to advance through the wind and sand after manifesting his divine source. The Captain, clearly no stranger to this place and possessing an enigmatic nature, also managed to proceed with relative ease.

It appeared the Captain knew a route, and so, the two pressed onward through the wind and sand.

Time passed quickly, and seven days went by. The storms intensified, and as they drew closer to their destination, multiple storm systems began to merge.

Even Xu Qing and the Captain felt the strain. What made Xu Qing even more uneasy was the faint, strange heartbeat he detected within the core of every storm they passed, as if some creature resided there.

Xu Qing looked at the Captain, who merely shook his head without speaking. After enduring five major storms, just as the core vortex of the sixth was about to engulf them, the Captain led Xu Qing into a crack in the ground.

The moment they squeezed inside, Xu Qing wasn't particularly surprised to discover a hidden cave. This cleverly excavated cave, whose age was unknown, provided shelter from the storms. Once inside, the Captain let out a long sigh of relief, looking around contemplatively.

"Not much has changed here, Little Junior Brother. Let's rest for three days. According to my calculations, a small cycle of the external storms will conclude in three days."

"By then, the storms will have significantly weakened."

"As for your earlier question, I have no answer. In one of my past lives, I was drawn into the core vortex of a storm. Though I survived, I lost all memories of what happened inside, and even now, I can't recall them."

The Captain's words made Xu Qing's heart clench. The more he understood the Captain, the more he could discern the horror residing within the storm's core through his revelations.

He fell silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping around the cave before looking outside. Then he asked, "Senior Brother, how many times have you actually been here?"

"This is the third time," the Captain replied nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned by his previous revelation. He stretched with a chuckle, then expertly settled onto a rock wall.

Leaning back, he held up three fingers to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing gave the Captain a meaningful look. He knew that for something to still be on the Captain's mind after two failures, it had to be of immense significance. He also recalled the "super important matter" the Captain had mentioned.

"What exactly is the purpose of this trip?" Xu Qing asked softly.

The Captain blinked, glanced around, and eventually shook his head.

"Little Junior Brother, no, just wait a bit. For now, I can only tell you that the incident with the Red Mother pales in comparison to what we're doing now."

"The reason I've always had this place in mind is largely because all my past preparations were for it."

"Originally, I thought it would take me another three to five lifetimes to even grasp a clue, but your arrival, Little Junior Brother, has changed everything." The Captain slapped his thigh, a hint of excitement in his expression.

Xu Qing fell silent, deep in thought.

He knew very well that the Captain wasn't being deliberately mysterious. Unless there was a genuine reason preventing him from speaking, given the Captain's boastful nature and enjoyment of seeing others shocked, he would have long since blurted everything out to revel in Xu Qing's astonishment.

Whatever made the Captain hesitate this much surely involved the Three Gods. Xu Qing pondered, connecting this to the Three Gods' repeated expeditions to this place under the guise of "great hunts" and the seal of the Jiuli spider deity. A bold hypothesis formed in Xu Qing's mind.

"The Fourth God?"

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He said nothing further, closing his eyes to regulate his cultivation and maintain his peak condition.

The entire cave slowly grew quiet, with only the external storm's roar echoing, like a deity howling, venting its fury as it swept across the earth and assailed the sky.

Whimpering sounds also accompanied it, like weeping or struggling, sometimes fierce, sometimes eerie.

These continuous sounds served as a constant reminder to Xu Qing of the terror of this place.

Three days quickly passed. The Captain's knowledge of this place proved accurate; the external wind had indeed lessened.

Particularly after the second half of the third day, there was a moment when it almost completely vanished, becoming utterly silent.

"Time's up."

The Captain's eyes brightened, and he shot out instantly, with Xu Qing following. The moment they emerged from the cave, the black sky was clearly visible for the first time, as was the gray ground.

The storms that had previously enveloped the area were nowhere to be seen.

"We only have one hour."

The Captain let out a low growl, accelerating to his limit, transforming into a red streak that sped into the distance.

Xu Qing followed, his figure bursting with speed as he cut through the air, galloping with all his might, seizing the opportunity afforded by the dissipated storms.

However, an hour would soon pass, and the wind slowly began to reappear.

As the howling grew gradually stronger, a peculiar mountain and a cluster of statues appeared before them. The mountain soared high into the clouds.

At its center was a circular cavern. Wind and sand howled through and around this opening, creating extremely sharp, whimpering gusts that merged with the broader wind, spreading in all directions and shaking the soul.

Simultaneously, a profound sense of antiquity and vicissitude permeated Xu Qing's heart as he gazed upon it.

At the foot of this perforated mountain, ancient statues encircled it, with the mountain as their focal point.

Each statue possessed three heads and six arms, gazing up at the sky, holding colossal blades that emanated a terrifying pressure.

What particularly caught Xu Qing's attention was that each colossal statue bore a crescent moon mark on its forehead. Even the statues at the periphery subtly adopted a posture of kneeling and worshipping the heavens.

As Xu Qing gazed intently, the Captain's voice reached him through the wind and sand: "These are the six closest relatives of that Ancestor Emperor."

"Before their deaths, they worshipped the moon — not the Lunar Flame or the Red Moon, but the most ancient moon between heaven and earth. It is formless, the Yin within Yin and Yang. Some tribes prefer to call it the Ancestral Moon."

"Furthermore, this mountain is our destination: the Ancestor Emperor's tomb in this star domain."

With that, the Captain swiftly moved towards the mountain, with Xu Qing following. After a few steps, he realized Xu Qing hadn't moved, so he turned back to look at him.

Xu Qing remained still. He stood beside one of the moon-worshipping statues, staring at it intently, his eyes glowing with an intense light.

The Azure Dragon within him was emitting fluctuations, seemingly alerting Xu Qing. The most intense fluctuations, however, came from his third divine treasure. This third divine treasure, connected to the moon, was now surging with powerful longing.

Xu Qing instantly realized that this statue would be highly suitable as the Heavenly Dao for his third divine treasure.