Chapter 904: I still want more

Above the clouds of Wanggu's firmament, at its absolute peak, there has been no sign of life for eons.

Since the departure of the ancient Emperor Xuanyou and the arrival of the gods, the zenith of Wanggu's sky has been shrouded by an invisible divine restriction. This restriction is profoundly mystical and maddeningly elusive, invisible to the eye and imperceptible to the senses. It functions like a colossal lid, enveloping Wanggu, allowing passage into this world but no escape. The only exceptions are those who achieve transcendence via a Divine Platform, like Li Zihua.

Across Wanggu, since Xuanyou and the emperors of various races departed to establish their own holy lands, Divine Platforms have become exceedingly rare, almost non-existent. Even for perfect deities, a Divine Platform remains a distant aspiration. While the path might be free from external omniscient catastrophes, the power required for such an achievement is still immense. Thus, unless divine wars erupt and deities consume each other, attaining a Divine Platform requires eons of accumulation. However, divine wars cannot simply ignite. Furthermore, gods inherently differ from cultivators; suffering is not their burden.

Therefore, for the native inhabitants of Wanggu, this world is nothing more than a cage, a concept articulated in the doctrines of the Departure Path Sect. That divine restriction serves as the cage's door. It severs freedom and isolates self-determination. The native beings of Wanggu can only wait in silence, generation after generation, for the day Wanggu is utterly consumed, finding liberation from their sea of suffering through annihilation.

Resistance is futile, escape impossible. Such is Wanggu's fate, decreed by the Divine Remnant. By devouring the Heavenly Dao and surpassing all, it mimics Wanggu's Heavenly Will, ordaining Wanggu's destiny. With such a Heavenly Will, how could anyone possibly resist?

Yet today, an unforeseen anomaly occurred: someone managed to turn the impossible into reality. Through an incredibly audacious maneuver, by leveraging the ascension of a divine domain and the karma of the Scarlet Mother, they exploited a loophole and defied the heavens, teleporting from inside the cage to outside. It was akin to a prison break!

Thus, the moment Xu Qing and the Captain's Imperial Corpse materialized beside the Remnant, numerous powerhouses from various races across the Wanggu continent, observing this spectacle, underwent a drastic change in expression. They surged from their secluded cultivation retreats into the open sky, their faces betraying uncontainable shock, their hearts churning with immense turmoil. First, the shock of a prison break; second, the shock of such audacious recklessness; and third, the shock of the potential outcome! Some cultivators even gasped aloud.

"They actually made it out!""What a waste! This is an unparalleled opportunity, never before seen! If we had seized it, couldn't we have broken free from this cage? Alas, what a terrible pity! It will be difficult to witness such an event again!"

The Three Gods, too, wore varied expressions. The Sun God's face was grim, his eyes chilling. The Moon God's expression was ever-changing, shrouded in uncertainty. As for the Star God, a pensive look crossed his face.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Corpse, containing the Captain and Xu Qing, the focal point of all divine attention, had already plunged into the sea of blood before them. They wasted no time. In the blink of an eye, fueled by madness and greed, excitement and insatiable hunger, they fully submerged themselves in the sea of blood. The instant they entered, a colossal resistance, terrifying pressure, and a will capable of erasing all existence erupted in a chaotic yet boundless surge. The sheer terror of this power stemmed not only from the blood sea itself but predominantly from the divine Remnant nearby. Indeed, due to its extreme proximity to the Remnant, no living creature had ever ventured here, and the Remnant's aura was, by nature, utterly dreadful. Even the Three Gods, if present, would quickly disintegrate, their bodies and spirits utterly annihilated.

Despite its thoroughness, Er Niu's preparation showed signs of imminent collapse at this very moment. Yet, within this brief window, Er Niu and Xu Qing fought with all their might. They perceived the extreme danger, but at this point, they clearly disregarded it.

They descended and plunged into the blood sea in an instant. In the second breath, the Captain's massive phantom maw materialized, devouring with desperate frenzy. But with just one gulp, the Captain's form violently disintegrated. He instantly reformed, his face contorted in anguish and pallor, opening his maw once more. This time, he seemed not to absorb, but rather to contain the substance using a special method. He looked as if he would swallow as much as he possibly could, utterly unafraid of bursting.

Xu Qing was equally frantic. He also took a gulp, his body rumbling, his desolate earth violently churning, and his cultivation base skyrocketing. Most astonishingly, his desolate earth manifested hundreds of Divine Authority marks! Considering he had only accumulated four such marks previously, swallowing a single mouthful of blood resulted in hundreds – a testament to its terrifying potency! However, these Divine Authority marks were all faint, mere phantoms, not fully formed. Actualizing them would still require profound comprehension. Xu Qing was profoundly shaken, yet despite some prior preparation, he remained incredibly excited. His sensation of hunger vanished entirely. A profound sense of satiation followed.

Although this entire sequence might seem lengthy in description, it unfolded in mere instants. Xu Qing gritted his teeth; despite being full, he had risked his life to reach this place, and a single gulp could hardly suffice. Thus, the instant the second breath concluded and the third began, he violently opened his mouth and, disregarding all else, swallowed again. Simultaneously, he fully stimulated his purple crystal. If any item within him possessed the capacity to contain the Remnant's fresh blood, it could only be this! If the purple crystal also proved insufficient, Xu Qing, though regretful, would have no other recourse.

In the next instant, Xu Qing's body pulsed with purple light as the surrounding sea of blood rapidly surged towards him. It worked! Xu Qing was elated, his heart pounding with excitement.

All these events, though appearing to unfold over a long duration, in reality transpired within mere seconds. The moment the fourth second arrived, the nameless character, which had provided concealment, finally disintegrated. Though wondrous and having been refined countless times, it had reached its absolute limit. Without the nameless character's concealment, only the Imperial Corpse's protection remained. Xu Qing and the Captain were instantly alarmed, but neither ceased devouring the blood sea. Under their frenzied consumption, the blood sea had already diminished by thirty percent. Yet the disintegration persisted; the Imperial Corpse was rapidly transforming into a bloody, indistinct mass of ash.

This corpse itself was exceptional; its cultivation level in life was unknown, but it was surely at least of Emperor-tier. Combined with its divine domain authority, it served as Xu Qing and the Captain's ultimate protective shield in this place. However, having long since fallen, it was merely a corpse—a rootless entity—and thus rapidly disintegrated under the Remnant's aura. The Remnant's aura possessed the power to extinguish all genesis and destroy all creation. Even the Imperial Corpse could not withstand it, rapidly disintegrating on a vast scale. Without the Imperial Corpse, Xu Qing and Er Niu would likely not endure even a single breath under the Remnant's aura.

An extreme life-and-death crisis erupted in the sixth breath, as death loomed. Only forty percent of the blood sea remained.

"Do we have a backup plan? If not, we need to leave!" Xu Qing transmitted mentally, suppressing his greed.

"Yes, I have one last move!" the Captain roared mentally, his expression wild. "Master, if you don't show yourself soon, you'll have no disciples left!"

Xu Qing's eyes abruptly brightened.

This unfolding spectacle in the sky once again profoundly shocked every cultivator witnessing it! The prison break was already astonishing, but what truly took one's breath away was the sheer greed of Xu Qing and Er Niu. This greed transcended mere madness; it is no exaggeration to say that this event could be recorded as a pivotal moment in Wanggu's history. At this instant, gods, powerful races, and the numerous strong and hidden entities across the continent all felt their minds churn, their thoughts buzzing, and an overwhelming storm erupt within their hearts. It was, in a word, earth-shattering and astounding!

Indeed, the ancient desolate deity, whose spine was coiled around the entire Wanggu continent and whose half-face hung in the sky, remained utterly sacred, both in the past and the present. In his glorious past, his name resonated throughout the thirty-six star rings of this universe and countless starfields. As a half-step deity, he had neared the zenith of the divine realm. He was worshipped across myriad realms, and countless lives' destinies ebbed and flowed according to his will. Even after his subsequent failure in breakthrough, when his very being crumbled under an unimaginably vast backlash, he remained utterly inviolable. His exalted status, even in decline, like a fallen whale nourishing myriad life, had over countless ages given birth to innumerable deities, with even gods born from his very essence following in his wake. He was revered as the Father God. This testifies to his supreme status.

Therefore, throughout history, although many might have coveted his flesh and blood, none had ever dared to act on such desires. Cultivators could not bypass the divine restriction to obtain his flesh and blood, and deities, filled with overwhelming reverence, also dared not. Thus, taking a mouthful of her was, until now, an utterly impossible feat. Not to mention the Remnant's aura, which obliterates all existence.

Yet today, under the gaze of all factions, two individuals, with unparalleled madness, not only appeared beside the Remnant but also plunged into its ocean-like drops of blood. To describe Xu Qing and his companion as a snake swallowing an elephant would be inadequate; more accurately, it was akin to ants attempting to devour a dragon. Most critically, they seemed to have succeeded... yet they were also on the verge of annihilation. At this very moment, the entire world watched with bated breath. Consequently, all divine senses and gazes converged, intending to witness their demise firsthand.

But just then, a colossal golden hand suddenly materialized above the firmament, beyond the divine restriction! This mighty hand, possessing astonishing divine power, appeared without hesitation and swept across all directions. It actually seized a substantial chunk of the Remnant's flesh and blood, and even scooped up the blood sea containing Xu Qing and Er Niu. Next, it lunged towards another piece of flesh and blood!

All the deities witnessing this spectacle were startled! The Three Gods' expressions also shifted dramatically. Meanwhile, the Remnant's eyelashes twitched faintly. The very next instant, the colossal hand quivered and began to disintegrate. Golden blood sprayed forth, yet it was clear that this colossal hand, the true embodiment of greed, even amidst its disintegration, forcibly surged forward. It transformed into a massive maw, fiercely swallowed its target piece of flesh and blood, and then retreated.

However, the cost was immense: the palm collapsed, fingers shattered, leaving only a swirling mass of golden light carrying Xu Qing and Er Niu, swiftly retreating. But it was still too late; the golden light continued to shatter, on the verge of dissipation. A low roar echoed in Xu Qing and Er Niu's minds: "You two suicidal brats, hurry and escape! I can't hold on much longer!"

Almost the moment this voice reverberated, within the mere ten percent of the blood sea that remained, the second feather inside the dilapidated Imperial Corpse abruptly activated. Protected by the golden light, the teleportation energy instantly erupted, manifesting as a dazzling, brilliant radiance.

Within the radiance, Xu Qing felt invigorated. He looked up, controlling the Imperial Corpse's surviving eye, and fixed his gaze on the golden light. As the golden light dispersed, Xu Qing felt relieved. He was about to avert his gaze when, in the very next instant, his eyes narrowed. He observed hundreds of star-like points in the distant, endless starry sky, resembling shooting stars, seemingly drawing closer. They were incredibly distant, and Xu Qing couldn't discern what they were. He was about to scrutinize them more closely, but time ran out.

In the next moment, the Imperial Corpse carrying him vanished via teleportation.