Chapter 996: Jade Liuchen's Favor

Yu Liuchen's appearance unleashed an invisible force, enveloping Chang Qiong and the Forbidden Sea.

At that moment, the sky seemed to freeze, and the Forbidden Sea even more so.

The waves on the sea surface solidified, frozen in mid-surge.

The flowing seawater appeared to be ice-bound. Everything seemed to become a painting, depicting a story unknown to others.

Only the god within the story was drinking tea and extending an invitation.

Er Niu chuckled awkwardly; he dared not refuse Yu Liuchen's tea.

He had personally witnessed Fu Xie in the other party's story. Because he initially refused the tea, everything became distorted, making him move back and forth like a puppet on strings, utterly miserable.

In the end, even his mindset crumbled.

This person, though appearing divine, I've heard is famously petty even among deities, and has a peculiar habit: the more others resist, the more he enjoys forcing them to comply. Besides, what indigestion could my stomach possibly suffer? I'm not afraid of anything!

With that thought, Er Niu didn't hesitate. He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then showed an expression as if he had tasted a delicacy, praising it profusely.

"Excellent tea, delicious!"

Huang Yan, standing nearby, remained expressionless and didn't touch the tea at all.

Yu Liuchen glanced at Huang Yan, his eyes narrowing. But ultimately, he seemed to think of something, let out a soft chuckle, and surprisingly said nothing more. Instead, he looked at Xu Qing, who was meditating, with an interested expression.

"Little fellow, you're clearly awake, but you're rapidly pondering in your mind while pretending to still be asleep. That reminds me of a similar story. The protagonist in that story is also named Xu Qing. Shall I tell you about it?"

The word "pretending" fell into Xu Qing's ears. Without any hesitation, Xu Qing immediately opened his eyes.

The moment his eyes opened, a Golden Crow soared out from within his body, burning with a fire that illuminated the sky and sea amidst the stillness.

As it continuously circled, resounding cries emanated from it, and it flew higher and higher.

Finally, at the edge of the sky, the Golden Crow trembled, and an even fiercer fire erupted from its body, creating terrifying light and heat. It was as if it had transformed into the sun, illuminating all directions.

Its radiance emanated, born of a deity's ascension.

Furthermore, ten streaks of immortal light enveloped the Golden Crow – these were precisely Xu Qing's Profound Yang Immortal Lights.

What was initially one streak had now surged to ten.

Amidst their brilliance, these ten immortal lights grew even more dazzling. They merged with the Golden Crow, mutually empowering each other, making the Golden Crow appear in the sea and sky as if it were a true sun.

Instantly, it ignited the night.

Afterward, it flowed back into Xu Qing's eyes, vanishing without a trace.

The sky became dark once more.

Only Xu Qing's eyes remained as bright as the sun. He rose and bowed deeply to Yu Liuchen.

If Yu Liuchen's story were about Fu Xie, Xu Qing would be willing to listen. But if it were about himself, he wouldn't dare. Therefore, showing proper respect was necessary.

"I'm very interested in the story of the Golden Crow," Yu Liuchen said, looking at Xu Qing with a smile.

Xu Qing pondered. The Golden Crow's inheritance was too vast and incredibly complex; he couldn't fully comprehend it in a short time. Therefore, he had placed this inheritance within his Sea of Consciousness to absorb it slowly. The story of the Golden Crow is incomplete until I have fully assimilated it.

"If Senior wishes to hear it, this junior can tell you," Xu Qing said calmly after thinking for a moment.

Yu Liuchen shook his head.

"An incomplete story contains too many uncertainties and affects its quality. I'll listen when you know the entire story."

"Of course, I won't listen for free!"

"So this time, you owe me a favor, and you can repay it by being bait."

"Come with me to the Outer Sea."

Yu Liuchen put down his teacup and spoke faintly.

Xu Qing pondered. Yu Liuchen's mention of "bait" and the "Outer Sea" triggered some associations in his mind. After a few breaths, he looked at Yu Liuchen.

"Senior, please enlighten me further."

"I'm going fishing in the Outer Sea," Yu Liuchen said with a slight smile.

A sharp glint appeared in Huang Yan's eyes, and he stood up.

Yu Liuchen turned and gazed at him. A flash of divine sense emanated, seemingly conveying something to Huang Yan.

Huang Yan frowned, but the sharp glint in his eyes didn't diminish in the slightest. He spoke in a low voice.

"I respect Xu Qing's wishes."

Xu Qing was silent. He had been to the Outer Sea once in the Golden Crow Dragon Carriage. Though he didn't know the specifics, he could feel its terrifying nature.

However, he was no longer who he once was. Especially with the Golden Crow's inheritance, he now had some understanding of the Outer Sea.

It was not entirely untraversable for a short distance.

Most importantly, he had to repay Yu Liuchen's favor.

Xu Qing slowly said, "I can go now."

"Now," Yu Liuchen smiled and nodded, standing up.

"Let's go."

With that, he stepped into the sky.

Xu Qing took a deep breath. Beside him, Huang Yan frowned.

"Xu Qing, I won't interfere with your choice, but if you're unwilling, you can tell me, and I'll find a way."

"Senior Yu Liuchen saved me that day. This favor must be repaid!"

After pondering, Xu Qing still shook his head. His principle in life was to always remember grievances, and the same applied to favors.

With that, Xu Qing stepped into the sky, standing behind Yu Liuchen.

Huang Yan gazed at Xu Qing, and seeing his resolve, he no longer tried to persuade him.

Seeing Xu Qing and Yu Liuchen about to depart, Er Niu blinked, coughed, and with a fawning smile, called out to Yu Liuchen.

"Since that's the case, I won't be of any help, so I won't go. I wish Senior and Junior Brother a triumphant journey!"

"Uh, we'll be heading off now."

After saying this, Er Niu was about to control the Dharma vessel to leave the area, as if terrified of being implicated.

Yu Liuchen, in mid-air, looked down at Er Niu.

"Niu'er, if you want to go, just say so directly. There's no need for such rhetoric."

Hearing this, Er Niu quickly shook his head, thumped his chest, and declared emphatically in a loud voice.

"Senior, you've misunderstood! I'm not going, absolutely not going, not even if you beat me to death!"

Yu Liuchen raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"So, if I don't beat you to death, you'll go? Since you want to go so much, so be it. My fishing line has two hooks; an extra bait wouldn't hurt."

As he spoke, he raised his right hand and waved. Instantly, Er Niu's body ascended, and after standing beside Xu Qing, as Yu Liuchen stepped forward, the scattered red rapidly converged, forming a vast red cloud.

It roared towards the Outer Sea.

Inside the Dharma vessel, Huang Yan looked up, watching the receding red cloud, and fell silent.

Up in the sky, within the red cloud, Er Niu was pulling a long face, sighing.

However, in Xu Qing's eyes, knowing his Senior Brother as he did, he detected a hint of smugness hidden deep within his expression.

"Stop pretending. Originally, you were already one of the baits for this trip. Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have taken you along."

Yu Liuchen's voice came from within the red cloud.

"And this time, as long as you don't deliberately court death, though there will be dangers, they won't be fatal."

It would have been better if he hadn't said that. The moment the words were uttered, an inexplicable unease immediately arose in Xu Qing's heart. He glanced at Er Niu beside him.

If anyone could be called a death-seeker, Senior Brother was second to none.

Er Niu felt a little guilty under Xu Qing's gaze, so he coughed.

"Senior, to better facilitate the fishing and to ensure Senior has a bountiful harvest this time, uh... don't you think you should tell us the reason for our trip?"

"Otherwise, our lives aren't important, but if we delay Senior's grand plans, that would be serious indeed."

Hearing this, Xu Qing looked up at the red mist ahead. The Captain's words were exactly what he had intended to ask, because knowing the specifics of the journey could offer some additional safety.

Within the cloud mist, Yu Liuchen saw through everything and chuckled softly.

However, since he had come to Xu Qing to repay a favor, he naturally wouldn't conceal anything. Moreover, this matter was extremely important to him.

Thus, as the red cloud surged towards the Outer Sea, his voice echoed in Xu Qing's and Er Niu's ears.

"Before I tell you the reason, I need to talk to you about the Outer Sea."

"The Outer Sea is mysterious and unfathomable. Its history is even more ancient than that of the Glorious Heaven God Clan. I don't know exactly how old it is, and I cannot perceive the depths of its regions even with my divine sense."

"Based on my judgment, the Glorious Heaven God Clan likely originated from the Outer Sea; it is the source of their lineage. After emerging, they founded Glorious Heaven."

"Later, although your cultivator ancestors suppressed and sealed the Glorious Heaven God Clan and established the Wanggu Continent atop Glorious Heaven, they were powerless against the Outer Sea."

"I speculate that this is also why the Golden Crow Prince was left behind and granted the authority to patrol the realms—not because of his strength, but because of his bloodline."

"The Outer Sea can be considered a separate realm."

Yu Liuchen's voice resonated, containing a vast amount of information that few in the world knew. Xu Qing and Er Niu were both inwardly stirred.

"As for my purpose," Yu Liuchen paused.

"Xu Qing, do you know the difference between immortals and gods?"

Xu Qing was still processing the previous information. Hearing the question, he thought for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

"Immortals cultivate origin; gods cultivate omniscience."

Yu Liuchen smiled.

"You're right, and you're not."

"The answer is: Immortals cultivate the true self; gods cultivate the true name."

"Therefore, a Xia Immortal can perish, but a True God is immortal."

"Even if a True God dies, as long as their true name circulates among the stars, they will eventually return after countless ages. However, the one who returns will be them, and not quite them."

Yu Liuchen's voice, imbued with a sense of ancientness, dispelled the mist between himself and Xu Qing, revealing his figure to Xu Qing and Er Niu.

His eyes were fixed on the direction of the Outer Sea.

His voice seemed to drift from the annals of time, echoing in the present.

"The history of your Wanggu Continent is filled with wars, such as when your ancestors from the lower realms suppressed the Glorious Heaven God Clan here."

"Although I didn't experience that war, I witnessed it during my time in Wanggu. A True God of the Glorious Heaven God Clan was slain and perished in the Outer Sea."

"So, after I was injured, I spent tens of thousands of years telling time a story about this True God."

"Finally, in recent millennia, time acknowledged my story, and I sensed the aura of that True God's return."

"It is very weak, still in the process of recovery, but it is already enough for me to weave this story about the True God into completion."

"The reason I chose you as bait is because you are connected to Immortals through karma. And this True God was slain by a Xia Immortal in the past. Even if you are not directly related to the source of that Xia Immortal, there are only a few Xia Immortals in this starry sky of deities."

"Therefore, you are the best bait."

"I need to use your aura to lure out this True God who is returning in a weakened state, to make my story a reality at the True God level, to rebuild my divine platform to its peak, and to pursue that one-in-ten-thousand path to True Godhood."

Yu Liuchen concealed nothing. After revealing all the reasons, amidst the shock in Xu Qing's and the Captain's minds, the red cloud roaring across the sky suddenly halted.

The Outer Sea. Here we are.

On the sea surface, an endless line appeared.

On one side was black—that was the Inner Sea.

On the other side was purple—that was the Outer Sea.