Outside Of Time

Chapter 1676: Primordial Upper Star Nail

Editor: Atlas Studios

Ink Land was like a black hole.

However, there were also differences.

There were no whirlpools within, nor any pulling force.

It seemed like merely a hole in the starry sky, and it was a perfectly regular circle.

As for where it led or how deep it went, few people knew.

Only its external range could be clearly seen through Xu Qing’s divine sense.

It was comparable to a starfield.

Compared to the Ink Yang Universe, this range was actually not very large, but standing at its edge, the sense of vastness remained overwhelming.

Especially the traces of origin essence wafting out, like mist or floating fibers, added an extra layer of mystery to the Ink Land’s black hole.

At that moment, in this mysterious Ink Land, Xu Qing’s figure moved forward with difficulty, like a fish swimming through a black hole.

The clay fox behind him also spread out Her divine power. While She augmented Xu Qing, they also relied on each other for support.

Every 100 feet, they would alternate roles: first, Xu Qing would surge ahead, then the clay fox would take the lead.

The reason for this 100 feet was that within the Ink Land’s black hole, not only was there no pulling force, but as they descended deeper, a repelling force emerged—and it grew stronger the further they went.

When Xu Qing had tried it alone before, he found that 100 feet was his limit.

Now, relying on mutual cooperation with the clay fox, they managed to break past that limit, alternating their efforts. However, after several exchanges, as the repelling force grew stronger, Xu Qing’s progress became increasingly difficult, and the clay fox faced the same struggle.

Finally, when they reached a depth of 2,000 feet, they could go no further.

It was as though this was the limit of the Quasi Immortal Realm.

At the same time, a strange scent faintly wafted from the depths.

It seemed to carry the scent of rust, mixed with a faint tang of blood, making it hard to identify precisely.

“Something’s off here… This scent… it stirs some ancient memory of mine…”

At the edge of the 2,000 feet beneath the Ink Land, the clay fox’s expression shifted. She scanned Her surroundings and gazed into the endless abyss below, speaking rapidly.

Xu Qing’s entire body emitted crackling sounds—the noise of his flesh being compressed. Though his Ordinance was powerful, his physical body had only reached the level of Illusion of Truth.

Thus, against the repelling force within the black hole, he struggled to endure. He could only rely on his Ordinance to shield himself, slowly wearing down the pressure.

This depth of 2,000 feet was merely a fraction of the total depth of the Ink Land.

However, the amount of origin essence energy here was slightly more than on the surface.

“Though we can’t continue exploring, fishing here should yield better results. At this depth, even though Kunwu is a Quasi Immortal, his Ordinance likely wouldn’t allow him to reach this point.”

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and, after a moment of contemplation, gestured for the clay fox to stand guard. Sitting cross-legged and floating in place, he raised his hand to take out a fishing rod. With a swift cast, the fishing line dropped down, sinking into the deeper abyss.

“This fishing rod from Kunwu isn’t ordinary…”

With such thoughts in mind, Xu Qing calmed his mind and waited slowly.

While guarding Xu Qing, the clay fox frowned as She tried to recall.

She was certain She had never been to this place before and equally certain that, during Her mortal life, She had no memories related to this location. The sense of familiarity seemed to stem from the moment She ascended to godhood, when She had gained an innate understanding and absorbed vast amounts of information about gods.

Just like that, time slowly passed.

Half a month passed.

As the clay fox’s thoughts became clearer, Xu Qing’s Xu Qing’s fishing in and around the Ink Land finally yielded its first catch on this day, thanks to the depths.

The fishing line was moving.

Xu Qing suddenly opened his eyes.

He saw a colorful orb of light!

The glowing orb appeared beneath the black hole. Though it was only the size of a head, its radiant light illuminated the surrounding darkness, making it particularly conspicuous.

It seemed like pure light, but it was actually liquid, clinging to the fishhook. As the fishing line quivered and Xu Qing flicked the rod, the glowing liquid orb was violently pulled upward and brought closer to Xu Qing.

The moment it drew near, an intense aura of origin essence spread in all directions. Just by sensing it slightly, Xu Qing’s forming immortal embryo stirred with ripples.

His eyes turned bright.

The clay fox at the side also felt an instinctive desire.

Origin essence was the source power of the thirty-six upper star rings. It was the origin of gods and the essence of the star rings. Whether it was the divine authority of gods or the authority of cultivators, in essence, it all stemmed from this.

This was the case even for the divine aspect and the Ordinance.

This was the indispensable power to form the upper star ring.

It was also the best supplement for cultivators to mold their immortal embryo and even allow the immortal embryo to become an immortal!

The clay fox understood that this item was extremely precious to Xu Qing. Hence, She restrained Herself.

At the next instant, Xu Qing raised his hand and grabbed the colorful orb of light. After that, he fell silent for a few breaths before squeezing it.

Immediately, the orb of light changed its form in his hand and flowed down his arm until it spread throughout his body. Xu Qing’s manifested Illusion of Truth body was like a sponge.

It quickly absorbed the colorful liquid.

As the liquid from the glowing orb diminished and its radiance faded, the moment it completely vanished, Xu Qing’s aura erupted with a roar.

The Illusion of Truth body created by his unleashed soul rippled continuously, now just a step away from reaching the Imperishable stage.

Xu Qing opened his eyes. After sensing his body, he raised his hand and grabbed. Immediately, the small white bottle that Xie Lingzi had given him back then appeared. With a wave of his hand, the bottle turned into dust and dissipated.

As the small bottle dissipated, the liquid inside also appeared in front of Xu Qing.

It was the size of a head and also colorful.

It was also origin essence!

“It’s exactly the same…” Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and no longer hesitated. He grabbed it.

The scene from earlier appeared once again.

As his Illusion of Truth body absorbed it, his aura became increasingly intense. The strength of his body also rose steadily. In the end… Xu Qing’s entire body shone with boundless light.

A rumbling sound like heavenly lightning rang out.

At this moment, the true body inside his Illusion of Truth body became illusory and transparent. It was as though it had melted or undergone a qualitative change!

The process of Imperishable Illusion of Truth was the release of the soul first. The Illusion of Truth body would hide the true body and gradually replace the true body!

When this stage was fully mastered, one’s original true body, hidden within the illusory form, would dissolve, transforming from tangible to intangible and becoming part of the soul.

This realm was called Imperishable.

However, it wasn’t true indestructibility.

At this level, both the physical body and soul had been completely reshaped and alternated seamlessly, as if the soul contained the body and the body contained the soul, laying the groundwork for complete fusion.

Thus, it was extremely difficult for cultivators of this realm to kill each other, unless they were at a higher stage.

At this moment, Xu Qing’s cultivation was about to reach this level.

His true body, hidden within the illusion, grew increasingly transparent until, at last, it underwent a complete reversal—from tangible to intangible. The true body became the soul, and the Illusion of Truth became real!

Inside was true, and outside was true as well!

At the next instant, Xu Qing’s aura rose. His Ordinance shone and circulated throughout his body.

His eyes suddenly opened.

In his calm eyes, a sharp intensity quietly spread. The so-called aura of commanding respect without anger often stemmed from one’s gaze.

At the side, the clay fox’s heart trembled.

At this moment, Xu Qing gave Her a feeling that he was much stronger than before.

“The next step is the final fusion of the Imperishable and Illusion of Truth. That is the complete fusion of the inside and outside, transforming the body into… an immortal embryo!”

“I need more origin essence.”

Xu Qing sensed his body. After a rough analysis, if he wanted to reach that step, he would need about a hundred orbs of origin essence of the same size as before.

At the thought of this, Xu Qing lowered his head and looked down. Just as he was about to make use of the strengthening of his body to see if he could continue descending, the clay fox raised Her hand and stopped him.

Xu Qing turned his head and looked at the clay fox.

The clay fox had a solemn expression. Such an expression was extremely rare on Her.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed.

“During the time you were cultivating, I kept recalling the moment I became a god back then, the knowledge I obtained and the information about the gods… And finally, amidst the vast inheritance, I found an answer as to why this place feels familiar.”

“To be precise, what I’m familiar with is the smell here.”

The clay fox’s voice was low.

“This is the rusty smell of the primordial upper star iron.”

“According to the information I obtained back then, the size of the thirty-six star rings isn’t fixed. After a long period of time, they will expand once, increasing their range.”

“This is the inherent nature of the thirty-six upper star rings.”

“During these multiple expansions, cracks occasionally appear in certain locations while the rings are in their expanded state.”

“Whenever a crack appears, the highest god of the corresponding star ring will use a very special substance to forge a nail with all their power, driving it into the fractured area to prevent the crack from spreading and allow it to slowly heal.”

“That special substance is called the primordial upper star iron!”

At this point, the clay fox looked around.

“And the smell that exists here should be the aura of the primordial upper star iron.”

“So…” Xu Qing slowly spoke.

“So, this Ink Land, resembling a black hole, if my guess is correct, must be the place where a crack appeared in ancient times. To prevent the crack from spreading, it was the location where the Fifth Star Ring’s Venerable God drove in a nail!”

“And now, that terrifying nail, which could withstand the force of the star ring’s fracture and stop the crack from spreading, has been removed!”

“However, to nourish this substance and ensure its longevity, it must periodically return to this place.”

“Thus, the Ink Yang Universe is probably a strategic resource because of its role in nurturing that primordial upper star nail!”

“As for below…”

The clay fox lowered Her head and looked at the pitch-black abyss.

“Perhaps only the Venerable God knows what lies behind the upper star ring that was pierced by the nail.”

“We don’t have the qualifications or the ability to know.”

“I’m very curious. This universe that nourishes the primordial upper star nail is an extremely important place in any star ring. Why was it given to us?”

“So, I don’t recommend continuing to explore.”

The clay fox’s expression became even more solemn. Although She didn’t say it explicitly, Her words revealed Her suspicion.

She instinctively felt that there was some unknown driving force behind this matter.

“Also, when the primitive upper star nail is removed, no sacrifice is required. However… when it returns, all living beings in this universe will become… offerings.”

The clay fox whispered.