The captain's words were filled with reminders.
If someone who didn't understand the captain heard this, they would think that the captain was worried that Xu Qing wouldn't be able to hold it in and snatch the other party's life lantern, causing huge trouble.
However, when these words landed in Xu Qing's ears, he clearly understood the meaning behind the captain's words.
This was telling him that there was no problem with attacking, but he couldn't leave anyone alive and his plan had to be meticulous. Also, don't forget to bring him along.
However, Xu Qing didn't have any thoughts of snatching it. It wasn't because of the other party's background but because they didn't have any conflict with each other and there was no reason to kill.
Hence, Xu Qing shook his head.
"I can't beat him."
The captain raised his brows with a spurious smile.
"You're hiding from me too? Little Qing, your current combat strength should be comparable to the five palaces, right?"
Xu Qing didn't say anything and looked into the distance. What he was looking at was the end of the north. It was the location of the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar and also the direction to leave the Yinghuang Continent.
"Eldest Senior Brother, do you know where Mount Morning Glow is?" Xu Qing asked softly.
"Mount Morning Glow? Let me think…" The captain was stunned and pondered.
"I think I've seen it on a map of Fenghai County before. Mount Morning Glow isn't far from the county capital. Legend has it that it was once a sleeping place of the immemorial sun."
Xu Qing nodded and didn't speak anymore.
Time passed again. The following journey was very smooth. During this time, they also encountered some flying ships with different shapes. They had the same goal and all kinds of totems or flags that represented their forces were erected on them.
The cultivators inside were all young and their cultivation levels were extraordinary.
The recruitment of the Sword Holding Court was a huge matter for the human forces in the entire Yinghuang Province. The heaven's chosens from various sects would continue to rush here to participate in the assessment.
After all, after becoming a Sword Holder, regardless of whether it was in the sect or outside, their status would be different. Moreover, they would have a better future and opportunities.
Very soon, a month passed.
From afar, Xu Qing, who was standing on the deck, finally saw that astonishingly huge pillar.
The ten-thousand-foot-thick Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar was completely black and was carved with countless runes, emitting an indescribably vast might.
Upon closer inspection, each of those runes contained Dao charm, as though a world was forming on it.
It was the same for the totemic carvings. Countless mutated beasts and figures were carved, and every one of them emitted a terrifying pressure.
All of this was enough to make anyone who saw it involuntarily feel a sense of reverence toward it.
This heaven-reaching pillar pierced into the clouds and its end was not visible. One could only vaguely see a palace standing in the sky.
The palace suppressed the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar.
However, this suppression couldn't stop the monstrous battle intent emitted by the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar. Countless beings had died to it, and their deaths formed a terrifying resentment to linger on it.
However, under the intimidation of the battle intent, this resentment couldn't spread out at all. It could only transform into waves of soundless wails that echoed in the minds of everyone who stared at the pillar.
Xu Qing's mind trembled. What made his gaze even deeper was that the Ghost Emperor Mountain in his sea of consciousness was swaying slightly.
It was as though it was attracted by the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar. At the same time… this Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar actually shook weakly.
Xu Qing took a deep breath but he wasn't surprised. Previously, at the Three Spirits Suppression Mountain, the Ghost Emperor's figure reacted the same way. It was just that the reaction now was slightly stronger.
The captain stood beside Xu Qing and sighed with emotion.
"Later generations analyzed the Ghost Emperor and speculated that this ferocious weapon should be his main weapon. It accompanied him in conquering the world and killing in all directions. As for the Ghost Emperor's origins, they are extremely mysterious. No one knows which race he came from. They only know that he was born at the wrong time and achieved Dao after the god's fragmented-face arrived."
"I wonder who his enemy was. It is only known that he fled here on his deathbed and threw the weapon, causing it to fall into the ice plain. He then closed his eyes at the seaside and chose to pass away while sitting."
"Someone said that the place he passed away faced the south and he was looking at the sea as though he was waiting for something."
The captain's voice grew softer.
Xu Qing sensed the Ghost Emperor Mountain in his sea of consciousness and looked at the face that was still a little blurry but was becoming more and more similar to his own. He fell silent.
His eyes looked at the ground around the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar.
The ground was covered in snow and there were countless circular tents surrounding the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar, forming a special city.
There were no mortals here. They were all cultivators from everywhere, with most of them being rogue cultivators. Moreover, they were all humans and there were no nonhumans.
The Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar didn't have any requirements for those who stayed near it. Regardless of whether they lived or cultivated, they could exist here for as long as they wanted to.
There was only one prerequisite. The cultivator had to be a human.
The Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar was mystical to begin with. After comprehending the battle intent it released for a long time, it would form a spirit mark in one's mind, providing a certain boost to one's cultivation.
In addition, the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar also contained some inheritances. As long as one was a human, they could climb it. If they got an opportunity, they could comprehend the inheritance.
That was why more and more human rogue cultivators gathered here, and it was lively here.
Many sects that had already arrived had set up tents and erected flags that belonged to their sects. This was especially so for the few large factions in the Yinghuang Province.
Among them was the camp of the Eight Sects Alliance.
The entire city was filled with markets and bustling with people.
Most of the people were looking up and discussing.
Xu Qing noticed this scene and also saw the figures on the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar.
There were about a hundred people scattered at different heights.
Some were climbing, and some were meditating on protruding runic totems. The person at the highest location among them was a youth wearing the Daoist robe of the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect.
This person wasn't the Dao Child of the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect but one of the heaven's chosens under the Dao Child.
Xu Qing vaguely remembered seeing this person among those on the flying ships of the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect a month ago. Right now, the other party had reached 5,000 feet high. This seemed to be his limit and he couldn't continue anymore. In the end, he let go and landed.
The moment he landed, a blue light emitted from the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar, heading straight toward him.
The ecstatic heaven's chosen grabbed the light. At the next instant, the blue light transformed into a lump of blue fog.
Xu Qing didn't know what that was but this scene caused waves of exclamations to ring out from the crowd below the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar.
"He was actually bestowed with the fog Qi. This Qi is greatly beneficial to one's vitality!"
"The higher you climb, the greater the chance of being bestowed!"
"Although it's not a cultivation art inheritance, the bestowment of the fog Qi is also extremely good."
Xu Qing's eyes revealed a strange glint. He looked at the blue fog in the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect's hand and felt that it was quite peculiar.
"This is how the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar is. The higher you climb, the greater the chance of obtaining benefits." The captain also looked over, his eyes revealing anticipation.
"The Alliance's intel had uncovered some intriguing information about the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar. It seemed that over the years, the pillar had produced inheritances and emitted strange energies—some provide vitality, some help in strengthening pills, and some help in refining artifacts."
"There's also this Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar itself. By comprehending the battle intent on it here, it can form a battle spiritual mark in the sea of consciousness. This is a good thing. It possesses extraordinary lethality and the difficulty to obtain it isn't high. For example, I just took a glance at this Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar and I vaguely feel that I'm about to comprehend it. Moreover, this can add points in the Sword Holder assessment."
Xu Qing nodded seriously and decided to comprehend it.
Seeing Xu Qing's serious expression, the captain was amused. In reality, comprehension of this spiritual mark was extremely difficult. However, in order to emphasize his senior brother status, he deliberately said that it was easy.
This way, when Xu Qing comprehended slowly, it would make him, Chen Erniu, look very amazing.
With such thoughts in mind, the three of them got closer and closer to the territory of the Absolute Beginning Separation City.
Xu Qing put away the magic warship.
The three of them landed in the city formed by tents and walked toward the Eight Sects Alliance's encampment.
There were many people here now, so the fee for renting a place to stay was definitely not cheap. Hence, since there was a sect base that didn't cost money, they naturally had to go there.
After passing through the crowd, Xu Qing and the other two finally arrived at the base of the Eight Sects Alliance.
This place wasn't far from the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar and had about a hundred tents. When Xu Qing and the other two arrived, the concealment on their bodies also dissipated. Their appearance immediately attracted the attention of the disciples of the Eight Sects Alliance.
It was fine with the captain and Yanyan, but Xu Qing's identity was different.
As the only person in this generation of the Alliance who enjoyed the treatment of a Dao Child, he was famous in the Eight Sects Alliance. Hence, as soon as he walked over, many disciples of the Alliance cupped their fists and greeted him.
There were over a hundred disciples from the Eight Sects Alliance who came this time. These people were mostly in the Foundation Building realm and there were few Golden Cores. Most of them couldn't become Sword Holders. They came here because their ages matched the requirement, so according to the sect's arrangements, they came to take the test as training.
Among them, there were also many disciples from the various peaks of the Seven Blood Eyes. Even the mute was among them. When he saw Xu Qing and the captain, he bowed respectfully.
He quickly ran over and followed beside Xu Qing, consciously guarding the surroundings for Xu Qing.
Very soon, the three of them settled down. Through their conversation with the Seven Blood Eyes' disciples, Xu Qing knew that the people leading the team from the Alliance this time were his ancestor, Xue Lianzi, and Yanyan's grandmother. At the same time, the sect masters of the Bizarre Hunting Sect and the Heavenly Treasure Sect were also present.
As for his master, he didn't come.
However, the ancestors and the sect masters went to the Sword Holding Court after they arrived. It was unknown what they went to talk about but when Xu Qing learned of this, he waited and didn't go greet them.
Yanyan felt a little guilty. After all, she had secretly run out of the Seven Blood Eyes. When she heard that her grandmother was here, she was about to say something to Xu Qing. However, as the voice transmission jade slip vibrated, Yanyan sighed.
"Brother Xu Qing, my grandma knows that I'm here and asked me to look for her. I'll go and coax her first. Otherwise, it'll be difficult for me to escape in the future."
The captain heaved a sigh of relief at the side. Clearly, he felt very at ease when he found out that Purple Mystic Fairy didn't come.
"The ancestor is here? He must be here for me. Although this old fellow is usually solemn, he admires me incomparably. This time, he should be here to persuade me to return to the sect. Little Qing, you are still not there yet. You're too clumsy with your words. Remember to return the debt to me later. I can consider teaching you some ways to make the old fellows happy."
The captain spoke proudly.
Xu Qing blinked when he heard this.
"Eldest Senior Brother, you are right. I suggest you pay a visit to the ancestor first. Perhaps the ancestor knows something about the test. This will be very beneficial for us when we participate later on."
"That makes sense!" The captain's eyes lit up. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Xu Qing suspiciously.
"Little Qing, it's rare to see you talking so much. There's something wrong."
Xu Qing looked into the captain's eyes with a surprised expression.
The captain looked at Xu Qing with a suspicious expression. Just as he was about to speak, a cold snort suddenly rang out from the distant sky. This voice was like a large bell chime that spread in all directions, causing the wind and clouds to surge and the world to tremble.
"The location of the Sword Holding Court is a forbidden area for all nonhumans."
"Those from nonhuman races who step in will be killed!"
