Chapter 988: Now, I Am the Hunter

As Xu Qing gazed at the clay figures and shrine in the sky, he instantly knew who had arrived. The sight of Er Niu made some of Xu Qing's exhaustion from being refined and hunted dissipate at that moment.

The next moment, the procession of clay figures hovered in the sky. Er Niu, brimming with energy, quickly walked over from the group. After reaching Xu Qing's side, he raised his hand and punched Xu Qing's shoulder, a gentle force spreading throughout Xu Qing's body. Sensing Xu Qing's weakness and the traces of his body having collapsed multiple times, Er Niu said nothing outwardly but winked at Xu Qing and chuckled.

"Little junior brother, did you miss me especially while you were running for your life?"

"Without me, did you find it hard to eat, sleep restlessly, feel particularly out of place, and even find your cultivation bland, as if something was missing from your life? I guessed right, didn't I?"

"Haha, don't be shy; it's okay to admit it boldly!"

Er Niu was proud, but he didn't forget to flatter Yu Liuchen. So, after speaking, he bowed respectfully to Yu Liuchen, his face showing obsequiousness.

"This senior, as graceful as a jade tree, free and easy, elegant and imposing, renowned far and wide, noble and proud, who causes heaven and earth to lose their luster and makes the starry sky shine for them—surely you are the legendary Yu Liuchen, whom even gods worship? Your humble servant, Chen Er Niu, greets you, senior."

Yu Liuchen, who was sitting there drinking tea, glanced at Er Niu, blinked, and showed a hint of interest. "Xu Qing, your senior brother is indeed very diligent. He was the first to detect your disappearance and sent out jade slips that spread throughout most of the Wanggu Eastern Territory!"

Looking at his senior brother and listening to Yu Liuchen's words, Xu Qing's face showed the first smile he had worn in a long time. He was about to speak, but the next moment, the shrine in mid-air shone, and a breeze lifted the god's curtain slightly, revealing a clay fox deity worshipped inside.

The clay fox statue had been lifeless a moment before, but in the blink of an eye, it came alive with color, then fully animated, transforming into a captivating young woman. She stepped down from the shrine and walked towards the bamboo forest. Her ample bosom swayed with each step, resembling waves, and her waist, as slender as a gourd, combined with her curvaceous hips, made one instinctively gasp and their heart quicken—truly perfect. Especially her half-concealing red veil seemed as if it could slip off at any moment, revealing her shimmering, shapely figure. Her movements suggested a desire to be admired intimately, as if she could plant herself in others' hearts and take root.

Now, she appeared in the bamboo forest beside Xu Qing, her voice, laced with languid charm, echoed all around. "You naughty junior brother, how could you give your 'primal yang' to someone else behind my back? I almost didn't want to come rescue you!"

At the sound of her voice, Xu Qing didn't know how to respond and could only brace himself to pay his respects. "Greetings, senior!"

The clay fox deity snorted softly, her beautiful eyes sweeping over Xu Qing with a hint of satisfaction. "But what Niu'er said isn't wrong; since you changed bodies, it's true that your 'primal yang' has returned!"

Upon hearing this, he coughed and patted his chest. "Of course! I wouldn't lie to you. Besides, after changing bodies, my junior brother is definitely more passionate than before! Look at this body, absolutely explosive! Look at his vitality, enough to set the world ablaze!" After saying this, he even winked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing remained silent; the captain's words made him feel strange.

"Fine, fine, I won't hold it against you, little brother!" The clay fox seemed deeply moved. Her seductive gaze swept over Xu Qing, and her beautiful eyes, as they wandered, instinctively licked her lips.

"Provocative!" Yu Liuchen spoke calmly.

The Star God ignored his words, paying no heed, and instead turned to look at Fu Xie, who was nearby. The moment she looked, her eyes instantly grew cold, as if she were looking at a dead man.

"So it was you, this wretched, death-seeking abomination, who dared to scheme for Xu Qing's physical body."

Er Niu also turned his head, his eyes filled with murderous intent and a chilling coldness. Er Niu wasn't sure how much killing intent others harbored towards Fu Xie, but he knew his own desire to end Fu Xie was overwhelmingly strong. Earlier, his seemingly casual demeanor and proud words to Xu Qing were meant to alleviate the exhaustion Xu Qing had endured throughout his perilous journey. In truth, his anxiety during this journey was rare in this world. Especially after sensing Xu Qing's weakness and the traces of his body having collapsed multiple times, a towering rage had already surged within him, directed not only at Fu Xie but also at the Empress.

"I'm not a broad-minded person, so... to turn something that shouldn't have been so troublesome into this, I've noted it." Er Niu snorted coldly in his heart, his gaze towards Fu Xie filled with even stronger killing intent.

Fu Xie's body trembled; his spirit had already collapsed. He recognized the arriving woman as a deity, and she even bore a hint of the Divine Platform's aura. That was a sign of flawless peak cultivation. All of this plunged him into an ocean of despair. He knew he couldn't escape. At this moment, he only wished for death as quickly as possible; that was his only chance for survival. Yet, his previous self-destruction had been useless.

"Only by being slain by another deity, thereby severing..." As he thought of this, his despair turned into madness. His body's aura violently erupted at that moment, and he took a step forward, charging directly at Xu Qing, seemingly attacking but in reality seeking death.

Xu Qing's expression remained calm; he didn't dodge, only coldly stared at the charging Fu Xie. The next moment, the Star God's hand landed on Fu Xie's glabella with a gentle touch. With a rumble, Fu Xie's surging cultivation instantly collapsed. His body trembled, and he shriveled up like a deflated balloon. Both his aura and physical body became extremely weak, yet he did not die. The Star God's voice made his weakened form tremble even more.

"Because not all of you is here, you wish to perish sooner, do you?" The Star God stated the truth calmly. Indeed, what appeared here was not the entirety of Fu Xie, but only a part of him. After sensing Xu Qing's karmic connections, how could Fu Xie not have prepared? To prevent death from ultimate failure, he had, during his pursuit of Xu Qing, employed an ancient immortal art left behind by his clan. This immortal art was very peculiar; its principle was to imprint one's memories and send them like seeds to lie dormant within other life forms. When the awakening conditions were met, these memories would erupt, like a new cycle of reincarnation, making the life form possessed by his memories become a new him. According to his plan, if his current endeavor was successful, the immortal art wouldn't need to be triggered. But if it wasn't... with death as the trigger, although he would perish, he would also be resurrected in some sense. However, at this moment, while he wanted to trigger the immortal art, even death had become a luxury.

Xu Qing pondered, his eyes filled with a cold glint, as he walked towards Fu Xie, who was suppressed by the Starflame Exalted God and utterly powerless to resist. As Xu Qing approached, Fu Xie barely managed to lift his head, gazing at Xu Qing—the human he had relentlessly pursued and almost assimilated. He struggled to twitch his lips into a sneer, his eyes mirroring the contempt and radiating killing intent. He didn't speak, but his expression conveyed his meaning: he was telling Xu Qing that if not for someone helping him, he would have long since become a part of Fu Xie, and Xu Qing would be nothing.

Xu Qing understood the expression and knew that Fu Xie's actions were a plea for death. So, after approaching, he took Fu Xie's storage bag. Raising his right hand, a dagger appeared, and he directly stabbed Fu Xie's body. It pierced through instantly. As blood flowed, Xu Qing remained expressionless. He pulled out the dagger and stabbed again. Eight stabs in total! Nine days had passed since he first saw Fu Xie until this moment. But he had only stabbed eight times.

Then, as Fu Xie lay soaked in blood, his breath barely a thread, Xu Qing's shadow beneath his feet instantly spread and covered Fu Xie. Under Xu Qing's divine sense, Little Shadow immediately opened its maw and swallowed Fu Xie's shadow. At the same time, the divine vine emerged from Xu Qing's body, opening its ferocious mouth and likewise charging at Fu Xie, burrowing into his body through the wounds and tearing madly. In the blink of an eye, Fu Xie's body trembled. Unspeakable agony filled his eyes with bloodshot veins, and the sounds emanating from his mouth were stifled groans, forced out as he desperately tried not to wail. He wanted to die! But death's approach was agonizingly slow.

Under the torment of excruciating physical pain, Xu Qing raised his right hand and pressed it onto Fu Xie's crown, beginning... soul refinement. His soul threads were exhausted, and replenishing them with the soul of a dominator was naturally the most suitable nourishment. The next moment, Fu Xie's body began to tremble violently. The agonizing pain from the soul's collapse and refinement surpassed that of his physical body. He instinctively tried to resist, but the suppressive power from the Starflame Exalted God crushed all his resistance. He was like a fish on a chopping block, allowing Xu Qing to refine him at will. Just as he had once intended to refine Xu Qing. Everything was reversed.

As time passed, as the refinement continued, and as Xu Qing's soul threads regenerated, the boundless agony churned into an ocean of despair, making it impossible for Fu Xie to hold back any longer. His face contorted, and piercing wails echoed in all directions from his mouth. Listening to the wails, Xu Qing's expression remained calm. Once the number of his soul threads had fully replenished to saturation, he looked at Er Niu. Er Niu naturally knew of Xu Qing's promise. He licked his lips, took a step forward, and, amid Fu Xie's trembling, clapped his hands before pressing them onto Fu Xie. In a flash, the shadow of the Heavenly Dog appeared behind Er Niu, consuming Fu Xie with greed and murderous intent. Instantly, Fu Xie's wails became even more pitiful.

An incense stick's time later, Fu Xie's soul had crumbled into fragments, leaving only a trace to sustain his life. However, the soul of a dominator was too vast for Xu Qing and Er Niu to fully absorb at present. During this process, the Starflame Exalted God helped by shaping the parts they couldn't temporarily devour into soul pearls. These crystal-clear, radiant soul pearls, crafted from a dominator's soul, were of extraordinary value; any single one could drive cultivators to madness.

And Xu Qing's revenge was not over. Having refined the soul, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. The Profound Sun Immortal Light erupted within him, forming a soaring great sun. Inside it, a Golden Crow materialized, spitting out the Soul-Refining Flame towards Fu Xie. This flame, combined with the immortal light technique, unleashed terrifying power, instantly enveloping Fu Xie's physical body. Finally, with a gulp from the Golden Crow, it, along with the flames, directly swallowed Fu Xie's physical body, continuing to burn and refine it within. Xu Qing's aim was to see if he could strip away Fu Xie's authority and ultimately refine it.

Now, with Fu Xie's physical body swallowed, only a broken pair of scissors remained on the ground. Xu Qing raised his hand to collect them, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "Since you wanted to refine me, I will now likewise refine everything of yours!"

Having done all this, Xu Qing turned and bowed to Yu Liuchen and the Star God. Yu Liuchen set down his teacup, his gaze resting on Xu Qing as he spoke calmly. "You owe me a favor. Once you've handled these matters... I will come find you!" After speaking, his figure blurred and gradually vanished, along with the vast bamboo forest around them. Everything around them also changed after his departure, becoming... a boundless desert.

As for the Starflame Exalted God, she glanced at where Fu Xie had vanished and chuckled softly. "Do you need my help to find the remaining parts of that filthy thing?"

Xu Qing shook his head. "I, Xu Qing, will remember your grace, Exalted God. I can handle the rest myself."

The Starflame Exalted God smiled, uttering words similar to Yu Liuchen's, but with a seemingly different implication... "Very well. This time, consider it a favor you owe me. Once you've handled these matters, I'll come find you, alright?" As she spoke, the Starflame Exalted God licked her lips, her allure intensifying.

Xu Qing hesitated. The Starflame Exalted God chuckled sweetly, her graceful form swaying as she walked into the shrine. She sat down and transformed back into a statue, and the procession of clay figures in the sky resumed its journey, gradually drifting away.

Only Xu Qing and Er Niu remained in the desert. Er Niu looked at Xu Qing and grinned. "Little A'Qing, what do you plan to do next?"

A chill rose in Xu Qing's heart, thick with murderous intent. He narrowed his eyes, gazing in the direction of the Forbidden Sea, his voice sharp as a blade. "He still owes me a stab. Next, it's my turn to hunt him!"

In the depths of the Forbidden Sea, amidst the currents, a gigantic plesiosaur was chasing prey. Its colossal body sped through the seabed, but just as it caught its prey and opened its mouth to swallow, its body suddenly shuddered, and its grey eyes flashed with multicolored light. A memory that didn't belong to it erupted in its mind, becoming a storm that swept through everything, affecting its physical body and causing it to collapse instantly, flesh and blood scattering everywhere. But the next moment, these scattered fragments of flesh and blood swiftly converged, forming a humanoid body. Its eyes suddenly opened, first showing confusion, then clarity, and finally grimness.

"It seems my main body failed!" Murmuring, the being formed from the plesiosaur's flesh cautiously surveyed its surroundings, a sense of unease rising within it. "I wonder who it was among that boy's karmic connections that slew my main body... But regardless, my current state is incredibly weak, and I no longer possess the power of a dominator. Therefore, according to the original plan, I need to find a place to hide for a while!" With this thought, he suppressed his inner anxiety and stealthily fled into the distance.