Chapter 886: North Sui Qingmu

Meanwhile, on the star where the Imperial Tomb is located within this divine realm, as the face-trees wailed, the statues outside the Imperial Tomb mountain revived, and the sky vortex rotated, the endless storms became more terrifying and prolonged than ever before.

It was as if doomsday had arrived, or divine punishment had descended; the entire star trembled. Howling sounds and whimpers raged across the land and sky.

"Damn it, which bastard triggered the divine restriction here!"

Inside the storm, in a leather tent, a person sat cross-legged. The leather of the tent this person was in was very peculiar; it was unclear what beast it came from, yet it could stand firm amidst the storm. When the wind blew, it was actually held at bay within this small space.

But it could not calm Fan Shishuang's heart. Inside the tent, he gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with intense apprehension, as he looked outside. His goal in coming to this divine realm was partly for the perfection of his own cultivation, and partly to hunt divine creatures. The core of all this was the Imperial Tomb on this star. For this, his family had prepared for a long time, so after entering the divine realm, he didn't stop, coming straight here. However, he hadn't expected that after arriving, things would be fine at first, but soon this star would erupt as if it had awakened. And the method he had arranged to enter the Imperial Tomb was still lacking a bit and not yet perfected.

"He could only give it his all!" Fan Shishuang gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and formed hand seals, continuing to unleash the secret method his family had prepared for him.

In fact, it wasn't just him; on this star, there were currently two other individuals also undertaking similar tasks, and cursing the person who triggered the divine restriction in their hearts. They were Tian Mozi and Tuo Shishan. The former had arrived earlier, while the latter had also paid a huge price to shake off the jellyfish and finally made it. Along with Yan Xuanzi, it could be seen that the top five Heaven's Chosen of the Flame Moon Profound Sky Clan all had this place as their target. Moreover, each person's method for entering the Imperial Tomb was different, clearly prepared for years by their respective backing forces. However, due to the sudden drastic change on this star, their methods of entry became more difficult, requiring a greater cost, and the dangers they faced also increased.

At this moment, Xu Qing, who was being cursed in the hearts of the three of them, driven by the craving for his second divine treasure, stepped into the seventh vortex of the cave. The moment he entered, it was as if he passed through a membrane and arrived in a void. It was an endless emptiness, pitch-black, icy, and alien. All external perceptions seemed to be stripped away in this darkness; there was no direction, no path, and no heaven or earth. Even consciousness seemed to slow down; all he saw and felt was darkness. Rules and laws were different from the outside world. It was as if slumber and sluggishness were the great dao here, and all who entered had to obey the will of this place. Xu Qing was no exception.

In this darkness, his divine sense slowly lost its fluctuations, and his thoughts gradually fell asleep. Only the craving emanating from his second divine treasure within him grew exceptionally strong in this absolute silent void. Like a ball of fire, it burned brighter and brighter, guiding Xu Qing's perception. Following this perception, Xu Qing instinctively moved forward, swimming like a fish in this dark void.

He didn't know how much time had passed; it could have been a century, or just an instant. The moment the craving from his second divine treasure reached its peak, the fish burst out of the ocean, leaping above the surface. He stepped past the void and arrived in a brilliant starry sky.

The moment the starry sky appeared before Xu Qing's eyes, all his lost perceptions returned, his once fluctuating divine sense surged anew, and his slumbering thoughts instantly revived. Then, in the distance of the starry sky, he saw two indescribably vast existences. One was a vast giant tree that seemed to represent life and origin, and the other was a colossal beast that seemed to represent terror and evil!

The tree was so immense it occupied nearly half of the starry sky. Its thick, sturdy branches, imbued with mysterious patterns, spread out in all directions. Each pattern on them seemed to contain rules and the Great Dao. At the same time, Dao Fruits could be seen growing on the tree. Each one was the size of a star, or rather, they *were* stars. From afar, the treetops extended endlessly, as if symbolizing sovereign will, while its roots delved deep into the stellar void, seemingly supporting the universe. However, it was not lush, but mostly withered. Not only were its branches like this, but the star-fruits on it were also shriveled, as if life was draining away. Yet even withered, every branch exuded an indescribably terrifying might, shaking the starry sky and affecting the universe.

As for the giant beast, it was equally astonishing. Although not as large as the starry sky tree, it was half its size. Its body was like that of an ox, enveloped in poisonous mist. Through the haze, it could be seen that every single hair on its body was tied to a corpse, worn like corpse armor, a truly horrifying sight. Its head was white, with the starry sky as its backdrop, making it exceptionally eerie and strange. A single eye covered half its face, its vertical pupil emitting endless evil. It also had a snake tail, like a python coiling around a galaxy, and it let out a roar that could shatter stars.

At this moment, this giant beast was battling the starry sky tree. They were fighting each other to the death, each at the peak of their power. Every movement caused this part of the starry sky to collapse, bringing extinction and doomsday in its wake.

Xu Qing gazed at this scene from afar, his heart profoundly shaken. Both the starry sky tree and the terrifying giant beast appeared as deities in his eyes, irresistible and unshakable. He didn't know why they were fighting, but the craving from his second divine treasure within him clearly told Xu Qing that the terrifying giant beast was the source of his divine treasure's craving!

Just as Xu Qing's gaze fell upon this cosmic battle, the terrifying giant beast's snake tail flicked, its snake eyes fixed directly on Xu Qing. Then, with a swing, it tore through the galaxy, and actually shattered the void to come forth. It opened its mouth, intending to swallow Xu Qing along with the surrounding starry sky.

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and his body suddenly retreated. At the same time, the starry sky tree swayed, and a massive leaf suddenly appeared, materializing before Xu Qing. This leaf was like a continent, mostly withered, with only twenty percent of its area showing vitality. As it drifted, it curved like a boat, and swayed past Xu Qing.

The next instant, a great force descended. Xu Qing felt his vision blur, and the roars in his ears faded until they vanished. When everything before his eyes became clear again, the starry sky was gone, the great tree was gone, and the giant beast was gone. What appeared before Xu Qing's eyes was a world.

This world was gray. The land was gray, the sky was gray. Everywhere his gaze fell, there was thin mist. No life was visible, only ruins in the distance, obscured by the mist.

Xu Qing's mind tensed. His gaze swept around, and his thoughts raced. Recalling the scenes since he stepped into the seventh vortex, whether it was the silent and icy void, the starry sky where the tree and beast fought for their lives, or the world now before him, all gave him a sense of unreality. Only the craving from his second divine treasure within him seemed to be the only real existence. That giant beast was the source of the fluctuations in his Poison Restriction Divine Treasure... As for the leaf that had arrived first...

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. He wondered if this world was inside the leaf, or the next stop on this vortex journey.

After a long while, Xu Qing composed himself. He looked up at the gray sky and sensed the surrounding mist. The mist was poison. Xu Qing's body flickered as he flew into the distance. Days later, within this land enveloped by poisonous mist, amongst the ruins, Xu Qing's figure stood atop a towering, leaning pagoda.

This was a withered world. There was no life. It was highly probable that this was the drifting leaf. What caused the world to wither was the poison here. Once, this world might have been prosperous, but now... it had become dust.

Xu Qing lowered his head, his gaze penetrating the mist. Looking at the surrounding ruins, he could see incomplete roads, the skeletons of buildings, collapsed ancient temples, and shattered statues. Gazing at the full scope, he could faintly sense the past prosperity of this world's cities from countless years ago. But now, it was utterly desolate.

Xu Qing remained silent for a long time before withdrawing his gaze, letting it fall upon the dozens of collapsed stele boulders in front of the leaning pagoda. He raised his right hand and waved it. Immediately, these stele fragments floated, arranging themselves and coming together, forming a massive ten-thousand-zhang stone tablet. Although it was barely pieced together, a faint residual light slowly emerged within it. From afar, the world enveloped in poisonous mist seemed to emit a faint glimmer of civilization.

As this residual light flowed, the runes on the stone tablet gradually became visible. These runes were difficult to comprehend by mere sight, but if one's divine sense enveloped them, a comprehension would emerge in their mind. They recorded the history of this world.

This world was named Beisui Heaven, one of the Nine Heavens under the Immortal Emperor. The Immortal Emperor personally bestowed upon Qingmu the Dao of Beisui, to protect this world and safeguard its countless beings for eons. However, the Immortal Emperor perished early. Outer Gods invaded, the Nine Heavens collapsed, and a catastrophe swept through for myriad generations. Afterward, an evil entity defiled this world, poisoning the heavenly spirits, forming a great plague that spread throughout Beisui, weakening the Heavenly Dao, and attempting to devour it. The beings of this world barely survived the plague, and the cultivators of this world were annihilated by the pestilence. During this period, there were also resistances. Three attempts were made to change destiny, but all failed. The last time, the world's leader gathered all strength and finally opened a rift in the sky. But from within the sky rift, a being emerged, with a white head, an ox body, a single eye, and a snake tail. The moment it appeared, the world withered, and heaven and earth crumbled.

On the leaning pagoda, Xu Qing perceived the stele's markings, understanding the origin of this world and the cause of its decay. As for the Immortal Emperor mentioned, he was likely the Ancestral Emperor buried in the Imperial Tomb.

"Beisui, Qingmu." Xu Qing thought of the starry sky tree. As for the description of the evil beast, it was identical to what he had seen earlier in the starry sky.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Qing waited for a while, but seeing no other changes, he was about to withdraw his divine sense. But at that very moment, a low, ancient voice, emanating from the sky, the ground, the ruins, the stele, from all matter in this world, resounded and settled in Xu Qing's mind.

"That evil entity is named Ming Fei. It was formed from the resentment among the seven negative emotions harbored by all living beings who died when the Immortal Realm collapsed and Outer Gods invaded. Young friend from the outside, you are the first cultivator to arrive here since the Immortal Emperor's demise. Please, help me."

Xu Qing's expression remained calm, without a hint of surprise. He now raised his head and looked towards the sky, speaking in a low voice. "The Immortal Emperor bestowed a name, Qingmu, to protect Tai Sui and to be this world's Heavenly Dao."

The ancient voice echoed in all directions.