Chapter 962: Beyond Time

In mid-air, Crown Prince Ziqing's tone was gentle. Dressed in a long purple robe, his purple hair swayed, and even his pupils were a faint purple as he gazed at Xu Qing, who was held by the Hand of Destiny, bound before him.

His expression was soft, and his eyes held a gentle elegance, just like the older brother Xu Qing once considered perfect in Peerless City.

"Is it possible that this is the truth?" Crown Prince Ziqing spoke softly. His voice merged with the wind, scattering through time, as if carried to Peerless City, buried in the past.

"My younger brother, I bear no ill will! This Hand of Destiny is a gift from me, formed from the providence of the Ziqing Empire upon its return!"

As Crown Prince Ziqing finished speaking, the massive hand that seemed to embody destiny and had been binding Xu Qing suddenly dispersed. It transformed into a gigantic purple dragon, which coiled around Xu Qing, swirling amidst dense currents of providence.

"And I am here today... to bring you home! I have retrieved the Ziqing Empire from the Underworld, and it has now descended upon the Sky-Devouring Domain. Countless citizens and officials have returned! They are waiting for me, waiting for me to return, to sit on the imperial throne, and be enthroned as the Ziqing Emperor!

"As my brother in this life, our karma is deeply intertwined. Therefore, I wish to bring you back so that the moment I become the Ziqing Emperor, you will inherit the ancient title of Crown Prince Ziqing! This title, this name that was once brilliant and is now glorious, I intend to bestow upon you! Once you accept it, under the current providence of the Ziqing Empire and with my blessing, you can instantly ignite your divine fire, transcend your current cultivation, and become a deity! My younger brother, are you willing to accept?"

Crown Prince Ziqing's voice echoed through the heavens and earth, like thunder piercing the sky, rumbling in all directions, while also imbuing the world with a sense of destiny. It bore witness to the truth of his words and the steadfastness of his resolve! Everything he said was true! Heaven and Earth bore witness!

As he spoke, Crown Prince Ziqing raised his right hand and pressed it to his brow, as if extracting something, yet there was nothing visible. But in that instant, as the invisible object was "extracted," Crown Prince Ziqing seemed to lose something significant. It was a name! Crown Prince Ziqing's name was taken out by him, embedded in his words, awaiting Xu Qing's choice.

Meanwhile, the purple dragon of providence coiling around Xu Qing let out earth-shattering roars, as if it would merge into Xu Qing's body, helping him ignite his divine fire and become a deity, should Xu Qing nod in agreement.

This scene stirred the hearts of all the cultivators watching. Er Niu, inside the private residence, was also stunned, then gritted his teeth and growled, "Ah Qing, don't believe him, he's a liar!"

Xu Qing looked at Crown Prince Ziqing before him. Crown Prince Ziqing also gazed gently at Xu Qing. At that moment, in the sky above the Imperial Palace, only the two of them remained. All directions were distorted!

As for the rumbling from the Gates of the Underworld in the human domain, it still echoed, and the radiance of those two lights caused a dense spread of abnormal energy. However, the rumbling did not intensify, but was gradually subsiding. Clearly, the Empress and the five Corpse Gods of the human race were successfully suppressing it. The time of one incense stick was almost up.

Yet, Crown Prince Ziqing showed no urgency in his expression or tone. It seemed that Xu Qing's choice at this moment was the most crucial thing to him. He had seen countless scenes in time, and in most of them, Xu Qing accepted his name and became Crown Prince Ziqing. Although in a minority of scenarios Xu Qing refused, he eventually accepted through Crown Prince Ziqing's different responses. The outcome, in reality, was already predetermined in time the moment he offered the gift.

Ziqing's gaze was gentle.

Xu Qing remained silent, surprised by the other's words. His gaze met Crown Prince Ziqing's, and childhood memories stirred within him. After a long pause, he did not state his choice, but spoke in a low voice.

"I don't believe your account! And I have a theory of my own, which I ask you to verify: Back then, during that cruel period of my life that was severed, did something strange happen after I was shattered?"

Xu Qing calmly looked at Ziqing, at this elder brother from his memories, and slowly continued. "If this theory is true, then what exactly happened after I was shattered that made you sever that period of time, preventing it from being revealed to the world? And why replace that severed time with tender memories? So that I remained unaware, believing the tenderness in my memories to be the truth in the days that followed!"

Xu Qing's voice echoed in their shared world, fluttering near Crown Prince Ziqing's ears. This was an alternative explanation for the same event.

The gentleness on Crown Prince Ziqing's face slowly faded. Looking at the brother before him, Xu Qing softly continued.

"I also wondered about the purpose of you sending that stitched doll, and as that theory increasingly surfaced in my mind, I realized a possibility: the doll... was a key!" Xu Qing rarely spoke so much, but today was different, and the person he faced was even more so.

"A key to unlock destiny, just as you previously plundered Manager Zhao's fate!" Xu Qing took a deep breath, gazing at Crown Prince Ziqing, whose gentleness had vanished, replaced by an inexplicable aura emanating from his entire being.

"Back then, when I was shattered, did you see something, or was it your need, or your apprehension, that forced you to sever it, replacing it with tenderness, like a seal? And today, you believed the time was right, which is why you appeared here! As for asking me to inherit the name Crown Prince Ziqing, that further confirmed my suspicions. Because if I agree, will the soul within this body in the future be mine, or yours? Although I'm not certain of your true motive, this strange method of 'taking over' through a name leaves me with only one conclusion! In my soul, there is something you desire but cannot obtain, so you are forced to act this way! Am I right, my brother?"

Xu Qing spoke calmly.

Ziqing's eyes narrowed.

The next instant, wind swept across the heavens and earth, caressing between the two, stirring their hair. As the sunlight, fragmented into vibrant colors, dappled down, an extremely unstable and terrifying fluctuation suddenly surged from Xu Qing's body. This fluctuation contained destruction, influenced destiny, caused the world to change color, and stirred winds and clouds in all directions!

It was the aura of self-detonation! In that instant, Xu Qing, without hesitation... did something that shocked and surprised everyone. He chose to self-destruct, shattering himself just as he had been years ago. This was his answer to Crown Prince Ziqing! And he also wanted to know what exactly existed within his soul!

"Years ago, Chu Tianqun, Sheng Yunzi's father, cast the divine art 'Blank Space' on me, intending to erase all karma from my spiritual soul. But he ultimately emerged with a terrified expression, howling... What did he see...?"

The power of self-detonation enveloped the heavens and earth. Within this destructive storm, Xu Qing murmured in his heart. Although he didn't know Crown Prince Ziqing's exact purpose, by piecing everything together now, he had inferred the karmic cause and effect. But this didn't affect his plan! How could he have seen Ziqing in the Imperial Capital and made no subsequent preparations? That wasn't his character!

In fact, ever since he first saw Crown Prince Ziqing in the Imperial Capital years ago, he had secretly communicated with Master Seven, formulating a plan targeting Ziqing. The core of this plan was to exceed Ziqing's control over time. To do something that the other party had not seen in time. Thus, self-detonation was the only action Xu Qing could conceive that would fall outside Ziqing's scope. Master Seven also approved of this.

As for Crown Prince Ziqing, his expression changed dramatically at this moment! Having always been gentle since arriving, his face showed intense change for the first time in this instant. His pupils contracted, and his heart stirred. Xu Qing's choice surpassed his expectations! This was not among the timelines he had witnessed.

Meanwhile, in South Phoenix Continent, extremely far from the human Imperial Capital and across the Forbidden Sea, Yan Huang, the Lord of South Phoenix, spread her colossal, sky-obscuring wings and circled the skies of South Phoenix Continent. Wherever she passed, clouds churned, and the heavens and earth rumbled! Gusts of wind swept across the land!

Directly below her circling, lay a desolate ruined land. This was precisely where Crown Prince Ziqing had died in battle years ago, and also the location of Peerless City in later generations. At this moment, hundreds of thousands of cultivators were sitting cross-legged here, forming a vast and astonishing array! The array covered a vast area, with cultivators ranging from Foundation Establishment to Nascent Soul, and even some from Spirit Treasury and Return to Ruins stages! If Er Niu were here, he would instantly recognize that most of these people were disciples of the Seven Blood Eyes sect, and some even came from the Zishi. It could be said that this was a colossal array formed by the combined forces from various powers within South Phoenix Continent!

The inner ring of the array was composed of flesh and blood exuding terrifying pressure. The appearance of this flesh and blood caused the heavens and earth to continuously rumble, and all directions twisted as if on the verge of annihilation, demonstrating the extraordinary nature of this flesh and blood! As for the very center, an enormous mercury giant, ten thousand feet tall, had been sculpted from countless quantities of mercury! The giant lay there, its face identical to Xu Qing's! And on its brow, there was a drop of Xu Qing's blood!

Above this colossal mercury giant, in mid-air, Master Seven sat cross-legged! The wind blew, stirring his white hair. An aura of majesty was particularly evident about him, and his expression was rarely so utterly serious! Almost at the very instant Xu Qing self-detonated, Master Seven's eyes snapped open!

"Array activate, time move."

Hundreds of thousands of cultivators from all directions simultaneously let out a low roar. Yan Huang, in the sky, breathed out brilliant light downwards, while Master Seven exuded an ancient aura. That aura was infinitely ancient, as if it had become a measure of time itself!

"Supreme Star Altar, react ceaselessly, drive the ancient, bind the present, protect the divine, guard the spirit! Wisdom clear, mind pure, heart at peace! Three souls eternal, spirit never lost! My disciple, be stable, reverse the Yellow Springs!"

After speaking, Master Seven's left hand suddenly pressed down towards the mercury giant below. Then, placing his right hand on his chest, he formed a hand seal and spoke again.

"Heaven! Heaven and Earth, natural, defilement dispersed... profound mystery within the cave, radiant supreme primordial! Eight directions' mighty spirits, make me natural! Spiritual Treasure Talisman Decree, universally proclaimed across the Nine Provinces! Ten thousand years ago, a being named Ziqing perished here. Before his death, he exhaled his final breath. Today, with the Immortal as guide, I summon this breath here, instantly, as decreed!"

Master Seven's eyes widened in fury, his voice like startling thunder, every word rumbling! He intended to extract the very last breath Crown Prince Ziqing had exhaled when he died in this place, from the heavens and earth, from time itself, from all creation.