"Complete ahead of time?"
The captain suspiciously sized up Xu Qing a few times and stroked his chin. He instinctively took out a peach and took a few bites.
"Little Qing, did you make a good friend in Star Emperor Sect while I was away? Is it a female cultivator? Is she attractive? How's her figure? Is the fragrance on you from her?"
"I have to criticize you for this matter. Always remember, you're my junior brother, and I'm your senior brother!"
The captain's expression was a little solemn.
"So, next time if something like this happens, let me handle it!"
Xu Qing glanced at the captain. He originally planned to tell the truth but now, he didn't want to say it anymore. Hence, he sat there and closed his eyes, ignoring the captain.
Seeing Xu Qing like this, the captain blinked and sat opposite Xu Qing.
"Why aren't you saying anything? It's fine, it's fine. Regardless of whether you succeed or not, Eldest Senior Brother will remember your kindness. My heart aches for your body, Little Qing."
Xu Qing still had his eyes closed.
The captain coughed and put on a mysterious expression as he spoke in a low voice.
"Little Qing, do you want to know the reason why the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race is organizing a hunt in the Divine Realm?"
Xu Qing opened his eyes and looked at the captain.
The captain had a smug expression on his face as he ate the peach.
"You know that the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race is very strong, right? However, they still can't unify the Wanggu like the human race did in the past."
"There are four reasons."
"The first reason is that in the Wanggu Continent, there are still four super races that are as powerful as the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race. In fact, among the five great races, Flame Moon's ranking is only third."
"The second reason is the customs and survival methods of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race. They have a small population spread across a vast territory, so most of them are nomads. They colonize and enslave numerous races to fight for them."
"The third reason is that their three gods Sun, Moon, and Star have their own temples, influencing the secular world and dividing the race into three factions, leading to intense internal conflicts."
"In the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race, the highest level is the Divine Mountain, where the headquarters of the three divine temples are located. The Divine City built around the Divine Mountain is the supreme authority in the Flame Moon."
"Next are the three Great Priests' tents, positioned around the Divine Mountain, establishing a tripod balance across the entire region."
"The fourth reason is that although the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race has three gods, its overall strength is still inferior compared to other powerful races. Therefore, for countless years, in order to become stronger, this race has had a tradition of hunting, nurturing its people like raising Gu This has cultivated a fierce temperament among the people and also promotes reverence for the strong."
"They also set up a hunting festival that happens once every 60 years. They are no longer satisfied with hunting weak races. Hence, many years ago, they set their sights on the Divine Realm."
"During the Grand Hunt that occurs once every 300 years, the three gods will randomly tear open an entrance to the Divine Realm, allowing the clan members to enter and hunt the beings within the Divine Realm."
The captain looked at Xu Qing.
This was the first time Xu Qing had heard of these things. He now had a better understanding of the strength of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race.
When he thought of the current human race, Xu Qing fell silent.
The captain finished the peach in his hand and took out another one before continuing.
"Now you know why there's hunting in the Divine Realm, right? Also, I heard that in every Grand Hunt of the Flame Moon Race, after experiencing many rounds of assessment, the person who ultimately wins will be bestowed a prestigious title by the Divine Mountain."
"Mystic Heaven General!"
Xu Qing's eyes narrowed.
A hint of fascination appeared in the captain's eyes.
"In my previous life, I participated in this Grand Hunt. It's a pity that there was an accident in the process. Otherwise, I would have been able to obtain the identity of a Mystic Heaven General."
"Can it be someone other than a member of the Flame Moon Race?" Xu Qing asked.
The captain nodded.
"Regardless of whether it's the Flame Moon Race's own people, its affiliated races, or the nonhuman cultivators who came from afar, as long as they can get the qualifications, they can participate in the Grand Hunt. However, throughout history, all those bestowed with the title of Mystic Heaven General have been members of the Flame Moon Race."
"My plan this time is to use the Flame Moon's Grand Hunt to sneak into the Divine Realm…"
The captain licked his lips and looked up at the door of the house.
"Little Qing, is your mistress coming or not? I've been waiting for a long time. Is there any news?"
"That's the Scripture Transmission Pavilion. The cultivation of the old monster inside is astonishing, and his perception is extremely sharp. Every time I get close, I feel as though my soul is pierced by countless needles. Can your mistress help me get rid of that old monster?"
The captain ate the peach in his hand in one bite and his gaze landed on Xu Qing.
"That is unrealistic. It's impossible for that old monster to leave the Scripture Transmission Pavilion. Can she bring people in? If not, I'd better hurry back."
Xu Qing was expressionless as he looked at the door of the house.
"They're here."
"Hmm?"
The captain was curious and was about to speak when a Sword Holder's voice rang out from outside the door, informing Xu Qing that someone wanted to see him.
"Invite him here."
Xu Qing calmly spoke.
"Who is it?" The captain was even more curious. He stared at the door eagerly. Soon, when he sensed something, there was a knock on the door.
Xu Qing lifted his hand and waved it. The door opened and an entrance was revealed from the surrounding seals. The figure of an old man was revealed outside the door and he stepped into the secret chamber with a single step.
This old man had white hair and wore an ordinary Daoist robe. One couldn't tell his identity but his Nihility energy fluctuation was incomparably deep, and his eyes were exceptionally bright.
His arrival aroused the captain's vigilance.
The moment he saw Xu Qing, the old man bowed and took out a storage bag, placing it in front of Xu Qing.
"All of them are here. You can return them in seven days."
With that, the old man stepped back and left the secret chamber, disappearing from sight.
Throughout the entire process, he only said these words. He didn't even glance at the captain.
After he left, the captain was a little puzzled. He looked in the direction the other party had left in and then looked at the storage bag.
"Little Qing, who is this person? His cultivation isn't simple. Also, he said that everything is here… What's in this storage bag?"
The captain's breathing was a little hurried. A guess rose in his mind but he felt that the possibility wasn't very high.
"All the jade slips in the Star Emperor's Branch Sect's Scripture Transmission Pavilion are here."
Xu Qing flicked his sleeve and the storage bag flew toward the captain.
"Impossible!" The captain suddenly sat up and grabbed the storage bag. His divine sense swept through it and his eyes widened. He immediately looked at Xu Qing.
His expression was filled with disbelief.
With a sweep of his divine sense, he sensed more than 100,000 jade slips in this storage bag, which included everything in the Star Emperor's branch sect. According to his previous inquiries, he recognized these jade slips here to be from the Scripture Transmission Pavilion.
Moreover, the number… they should be all of them.
Most importantly, he sensed the obscure aura of the Wordless Stone Scripture from these jade slips. This meant that… the escaped words were among these jade slips.
"This…" The captain was a little confused.
He knew of the Star Emperor Sect, so he understood the difficulty and meaning of emptying a branch sect's Scripture Transmission Pavilion to lend to others. This kind of thing could only be done with the approval of the branch sect's sect leader or with the permission from the main sect.
The person who approved it had to have an extremely high status.
At that moment, looking at the storage bag, the captain was a little at a loss. He thought of how hard it had been for him previously and how he had paid a huge price. It would still take a month for him to complete it. However, with Xu Qing… it was just a sentence.
This feeling caused him to lose all the excitement of completing his wish in advance. Instead, he felt a little depressed. Hence, the gaze he used to look at Xu Qing also contained some hidden bitterness.
"Why didn't you mention it before…"
"You just told me today." Xu Qing was expressionless.
The captain became even more depressed.
"Who is that person?"
"He should be an elder of the Star Emperor Supreme Sect," Xu Qing replied.
"Impossible. Even the elders of the main sect can't do this. This person's status must be above the elders!"
The captain was right.
"It's not important. It's fine as long as you get the item. Remember to send them back in seven days."
After Xu Qing finished speaking, he stood up and walked out. He was in a good mood.
In the secret chamber, the chief held the storage bag and looked at Xu Qing's back view. His soul churned and he didn't know what to say for a moment. After a long time, he lowered his head gloomily and searched for the words.
As for returning to the Star Emperor Branch Sect, it was completely meaningless.
"This can't go on. As Eldest Senior Brother, I've lost a lot of face…"
The captain's gaze was firm but he didn't know what to do.
"My head hurts. When it was about cultivation, I could undo the seals and regain the prestige of Eldest Senior Brother, but what do I do now…"
As the captain searched for words, he thought about it. In the end, he gritted his teeth fiercely.
"If it really comes to it, I'll have to use my identity from many lifetimes ago!"
Just like that, time flowed by and very soon, seven days passed.
In these seven days, as the matter of the Dao discussion ended, the investigation of the Divine Fusion School gradually began. Every day, some students from the Divine Fusion School would be taken away. All the various forces in the Imperial City were paying attention to the follow-up of this matter.
As for the Seventh Prince's death, because of his sins and the fact that he was slain by the Emperor Sword, there was no funeral. Instead, his imperial status was stripped and he wasn't enshrined in the imperial temple.
The historian only made a brief mention of the Seventh Prince's incident.
"In the winter of year 2936 of Mystic War Calendar, the Seventh Prince committed evil deeds and was slain by the Emperor Sword."
That was the end of it.
The incense that represented the Seventh Prince on the rainbow bridge also turned into dust. Now, there were no longer 12 sticks standing there but 11.
Xu Qing's name spread both inside and outside the Imperial City, and everyone learned of him.
At this moment, the Fifth Prince, who had left the Imperial City for many years and followed the First Heavenly King to guard the borders, sent news that he was returning to the Imperial City to report on his duties.
When this news spread, it attracted the discussion of many people in the Imperial City.
As this after the Seventh Prince's death, it caused people's imagination to run wild.
This was because the Seventh Prince and the Fifth Prince were from the same race.
A few more days passed. This morning, the bell rang…
Outside the eastern gate of the capital, on the ancient array formation, light shone. Under the resplendent sky, an army teleported back. From afar, banners were spread out. The army was imposing, causing the clouds in the sky to involuntarily churn.
In front of the army, there was a individual sitting on a mutated two-headed black dragon.
This individual wore black armor and his gaze were cold as he stared at the Imperial City.
His long hair fluttered in the wind and his entire body emitted a baleful aura that shook the surroundings. Clearly, he had slain a shocking amount of people in his life. All the soldiers behind him were silent.
"I'm back."
The black-armored man mumbled softly.
