The captain's figure was instantly swallowed.
The sudden turn of events startled Xu Qing, and his expression changed. His right hand produced a dagger, and he swiftly slashed it towards the severed arm.
However, his invincible dagger didn't have the slightest effect this time around. Not only was it unable to cut through the palm, but the counteracting force emitted by it sent Xu Qing back.
His eyes darkened and he immediately activated the poison in his body. Just as he was about to poison the palm, the five fingers of the palm suddenly shone with different colors of light. As they circulated, cracking sounds echoed.
The colorful lights flowed from the fingers to the arm and converged on the swollen mass, causing it to radiate with dazzling brilliance. Then, the lights returned to the fingers once again.
Immediately after, five ribbons of light spread out from these five fingers and floated in the air, rapidly circling each other, outlining the shape of a heart.
Xu Qing's eyes narrowed.
This wasn't the end. These five ribbons of light seemed to be weaving. Under Xu Qing's dumbfounded gaze, in just three to five breaths of time, a five-colored peach actually appeared in front of him.
Immediately after, the light on the fingers dissipated and returned to normal. The palm opened wide and spat out the captain's body.
"Supreme treasure! Little Qing, come and eat!"
After the captain got up, he looked at the peach floating in the air with an extremely excited expression. After letting out a cry of surprise, he rushed over and bit at the peach.
Xu Qing hesitated but didn't move.
As for the peach, it shook and the light on it dimmed. Under the captain's bite, it collapsed and turned into black water that emitted a rotting smell that landed in the captain's mouth.
The captain's expression changed and he immediately retched. His face was still filled with disbelief and confusion.
"How could this be? Damn it, this thing is a lie. It asked me what I wanted and I said I wanted a peach that would allow me to achieve Soul Accumulation after eating it."
Xu Qing's expression was strange. He looked at the black water all over the ground and then at the palm. Finally, his gaze landed on the dejected captain.
"Captain, what's going on?"
"Little Qing, I was deceived!" The captain gritted his teeth.
"After this thing swallowed me, a voice inside asked me what I wanted to make. It said that it could use life force to create all things. After I made the request, it made this trash."
The more the captain spoke, the angrier he became. He went up and kicked the arm. However, he still wasn't appeased. He simply opened his mouth and bit down fiercely.
However, immediately after, he let out a blood-curdling scream. Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He saw the captain's teeth falling out and gasped.
"So tough!!"
The captain's eyes also widened as he looked at the severed arm. There was only a bite mark on it but the skin wasn't broken.
"To be able to make my teeth break, this thing isn't simple. Could it be that I used it wrongly? Little Qing, you try it."
Xu Qing fell into deep thought. He walked up and took a look. He then lifted his hand and pressed it on the large mouth of the palm. At the next instant, the large mouth opened and a huge suction force spread out. Xu Qing didn't dodge and allowed the suction force to envelop him before he was swallowed.
A moment later, the five fingers of the palm shone again. A five-colored ribbon of light flew out and began to weave. Very soon, a mirror appeared in the air.
It was the Seven Blood Eyes' Taboo magic treasure.
Regardless of appearance or aura, it looked genuine.
When the captain saw this scene, anticipation appeared in his eyes. At that moment, the broken palm opened its mouth and Xu Qing's body was spat out. The instant he appeared, he immediately looked at the mirror in the air.
Previously, after he was swallowed, he appeared in a blood-colored space. A calm voice rang out in his ears, telling him that he could use his life force to create all things.
Hence, Xu Qing created this mirror. At the same time, he discovered that his life wasn't sucked away. It was as though this severed arm was already damaged and had lost the ability to absorb.
Looking at the mirror, Xu Qing lifted his hand and grabbed. Immediately, the mirror arrived before him. The instant it touched it, it turned into black water that splashed all over the ground.
Xu Qing frowned and the captain sighed.
"We've made a loss this time!"
"Eldest Senior Brother, do you think during the era of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether, this severed arm could really create all things?"
The captain thought about it and nodded.
"It should have been damaged because it was seriously invaded by the anomalous substances for too long. However, if that's the case, this thing is indeed a supreme treasure. No, I have to try again."
As the captain spoke, he immediately approached the severed arm and was devoured many times. He tried again and again and made all kinds of items. There were even mortal items, but none of them could be truly used. They all turned into black water.
Xu Qing also tried a few times, but the result was the same.
However, after many experiments, the two of them figured out another way to use this palm. After being devoured, if they didn't create items, they could use it as a shelter.
Its sturdiness was incomparably astonishing. The two of them probed and finally made a judgment.
"This sturdiness has already reached the Nihility realm!"
The captain took another bite and said with extreme certainty.
Xu Qing nodded and spoke in a low voice.
"The material of this thing isn't flesh and blood. It's more like a specially forged tool. It's very suitable as a shield."
The captain's eyes lit up again. He finally felt a little better and felt that he hadn't made a loss this time.
"Haha, this item will be our shield and Ning Yan will be the hammer. Perfect!"
"Let's go, Junior Brother. We'll carry this hand and go to other places to take a look."
Xu Qing also felt that using this item as a shield, combined with their concealment, was indeed suitable for this place.
As a result, in the fog of this Immortal Forbidden, one could see a thousand-foot-long severed arm rapidly moving forward on the ground.
The five fingers of the severed arm had already been bent by Xu Qing and the captain with all their might. They even lifted it and smashed it on the ground, finally forming a clenched fist.
With it covering them, Xu Qing and the captain felt a sufficient sense of security.
Just like that, time flowed by. As the two of them continued to search, the fourth day arrived.
The human army here had opened an escape path, which wasn't mandatory but voluntary.
Some left, while others chose to stay and continue exploring. On the night of the fourth day, the second group of the human army arrived.
The second group of people who descended was mainly the Imperial City's army. There were even more black-robed people among them. After they arrived, they quickly spread out and entered the unknown area of the Immortal Forbidden.
Xu Qing and the captain, who were almost 250 kilometers away from the safe zone of the human race, didn't see all of this.
However, they weren't too far away after all. Although they couldn't see it with their eyes, the signal towers built in the safe zone could still transmit some notices to the command sword within a certain range.
At that moment, as the command sword vibrated, Xu Qing and the captain learned about the arrival of the second group. They also learned that three days later, the third group would descend.
On this night, a strange light red color appeared in the sky of the Immortal Forbidden.
It was slowly spreading.
An intense palpitation rose in Xu Qing's mind.
There was also a Heavenly Dao warning that was transmitted intensely in his sea of consciousness.
"Eldest Senior Brother, we have to hurry. I have a feeling that the Red Moon… is about to awaken. The time should be when the third group arrives in three days." Xu Qing sat on the severed arm and spoke solemnly.
The captain squatted at the side and nodded. After that, he pointed ahead and spoke in a low voice.
"Junior Brother, look over there. I didn't pay much attention earlier. I just realized that there's actually such a place here."
Xu Qing turned his head and saw a cluster of palaces surrounded by flesh and blood walls.
"Look, they're still intact. They're different from what we encountered previously and haven't begun to dissipate and decay. Although flesh and blood are enveloping them, they somewhat resemble the form of a phoenix. Could it be the residential area of a certain concubine of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether?"
"Female cultivators usually like to bathe and be clean. If it is really the residence of the concubine, do you think there will be a place like the immortal pool there? Will there be some clothes and items like the ones in Nether Fairy's cave abode? Also jewelry and so on…"
"There should also be ornaments. There are usually a lot of these trinkets in the residences of female cultivators. Just recall Nether Fairy. Those are all treasures."
The captain's breathing was hurried and his eyes were shining.
"Besides, this is the eastern district. I don't study much, so I'm not very clear about it. However, I feel that the lady residing in the eastern palace must be extraordinary!"
When Xu Qing heard this, his gaze also froze. At that moment, the dry cough of the Diamond Sect's ancestor rang out in his mind.
"Master, um… according to the books I read about palace battles, most of the people living in the eastern palace seem to be the empress, crown prince, and princess…"
