Outside Of Time

Chapter 1734  Nightmare Comes Before the Storm

The agreement between Lord God Chiuz and Immortal Lord Zhan Lu to exchange hostages…

This was something Xu Qing had not anticipated.

Moreover, the Immortal Lord had specifically designated him to carry out the escort mission.

As the commanderʼs voice echoed, Xu Qingʼs eyes revealed a contemplative expression.

Based on his previous judgment, the reason the goddess was so important was that She possessed the bloodline of the royal family, carrying the power of the divine aspect of her father, God Emperor Chiuz.

Capturing her provided the Immortal Lord with an opportunity to deeply study the divine aspect of Chiuz, allowing him to gain a greater advantage in the war.

But now… there was to be an exchange!

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes.

On the crimson giant star, the sea of light rippled, enveloping everything while isolating the fire tower where Xu Qing was located, creating a separate space.

Within this space, the fire tower became intangible, and the sky turned crimson, converging on the curved blade in Xu Qingʼs hand.

Holding the blade, Xu Qing listened to the commanderʼs words. After a moment of contemplation, he looked up at the commander and spoke in a low voice.

”Commander, do you know why the Immortal Lord has agreed to this hostage exchange with the Lord God?”

The commanderʼs gaze turned to the starry sky. After a long pause, he spoke in a voice filled with the weight of time.

”Because God Emperor Chiuz has proposed several conditions, one of which is impossible for the cultivators of the Fifth Star Ring to refuse!”

Xu Qing focused intently, curious about what kind of condition could be deemed impossible to refuse and even convince the Immortal Lord to agree to exchange the goddess.

”First, God Emperor Chiuz proposed exchanging five Lower Immortals who were captured by the Fourth Star Ring and have not yet been tortured to death.”

”Among these five Lower Immortals, one is the youngest disciple of Immortal Lord Zhan Lu. He has guarded the border alongside the Immortal Lord for ten thousand years, achieving great military merits on the battlefield. He was primarily responsible for assassination missions but was captured by the gods in a carefully laid trap many years ago. Despite rescue attempts, he has endured years of torture.”

”The other four, though not as prominent, have also contributed greatly to the Fifth Star Ring. Their fates were originally destined to end in torture and death, but now, there is a chance for them to survive and return.”

”These are the first conditions proposed by God Emperor Chiuz.”

”As for the second condition, it is the one I mentioned earlier—impossible for the cultivators of the Fifth Star Ring to refuse, and even the Immortal Lord has agreed…”

”It is a fragment of the Flying Realm!”

At this point, the commanderʼs eyes gleamed with a strange light as he looked at Xu Qing.

”You ascended from the Immortal Capital, so while you have some knowledge of history, it is likely not comprehensive.”

”Countless years ago, the war between cultivators and the native gods of the Fifth Star Ring was extremely brutal. The slaughter on both sides was enough to overturn heaven and earth. In the end, the battle between the Venerable Immortal and the Venerable Immortal caused the Fifth Star Ring to collapse.”

”Several parts of the starry sky were torn apart, forming fragments of the Flying Realm that separated from the Fifth Star Ring.”

”Over the years, all the Immortal Lords have shared a common mission: to recover all the fragments of the Flying Realm and restore the Fifth Star Ring to its complete state!”

”Only when the Fifth Star Ring is whole can its rules, laws, and fortune reach their peak.”

”Over the years, most of the fragments have been recovered, except for the largest one, which has remained missing. This has prevented the Fifth Star Ring from being fully restored.”

”And the second condition proposed by God Emperor Chiuz is precisely this final missing fragment of the Flying Realm!”

”Once we obtain it, the Fifth Star Ring will be complete, its rules and laws fully restored, and its fortune will flourish, benefiting all living beings.”

”Tell me, who could refuse such a condition?”

The commander looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was also deeply moved, and a thought arose in his mind, which he voiced.

”Did the Immortal Lord already know this fragment was in the hands of God Emperor Chiuz, which is why he orchestrated the capture of the goddess?”

The commanderʼs gaze was profound, but he did not respond to Xu Qingʼs question. Instead, he raised his hand and took out a piece of silver jade.

As soon as the jade appeared, it radiated a thousand rays of auspicious light, shining brilliantly. A rich, immortal aura flowed within it.

Vaguely, it seemed as if there was a mysterious bubble inside the jade.

The moment Xu Qing saw this bubble, his mind trembled. His Ordinance resonated intensely, and his immortal embryo did the same, as if… the bubble contained the supreme will of the entire Fifth Star Ring.

It resonated with the fortune he had obtained.

”This is…”

Xu Qing spoke softly.

”This is the Fifth Immortal Pill!”

”Because it is connected to fortune, only those with the title of True Monarch can use it. For ordinary cultivators, consuming it would be fatal poison.”

”Its purpose is to assist True Monarchs in breaking through to the Lower Immortal Realm, increasing the chances of success!”

”This pill is a reward from the Immortal Lord for your mission to escort the goddess in the exchange!”

Xu Qing stared at the jade before him, his breathing slightly quickening. He could feel the resonance of the fortune within him, as well as the trembling of his immortal embryo and Ordinance.

All of this gave him a clear understanding.

This pill… was very useful to him!

The commanderʼs voice continued. This time, it contained some emotions.

”Xu Qing, Immortal Lord Zhan Lu… holds you in high regard.”

”Because the army will be arrayed, and the Immortal Lord himself will be watching during the exchange, there is not much danger. In fact, this kind of hostage exchange could be carried out by anyone.

And whoever completes this task will first earn the gratitude of the five Lower Immortals, gaining a significant favor. Secondly, they will gain immense prestige, enough to be noticed by the entire army.”

”After this, your qualifications will be sufficient, and you should be able to lead your own army!”

As he spoke, the commander raised his hand, and the jade containing the mysterious bubble flew toward Xu Qing.

It hovered in front of Xu Qing, motionless.

Xu Qing remained silent, staring at the object before him. After a long while, he took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.

”I will obey the Immortal Lordʼs decree!”

The commander nodded and said no more. He turned and stepped into the giant silver eye.

As the eye flashed, the sea of light around them instantly dissipated, and everything returned to normal.

The fire tower remained, with Xu Qing inside, as if nothing had happened.

The giant eye had vanished.

Only the rewards and the silver jade remained, shining brightly in front of Xu Qing, emitting origin essence and a rich immortal aura.

Xu Qing remained silent for a long time, analyzing the pros and cons of the situation.

”This matter… did not appear in the illusory reality of the God of Pain…”

”And this exchange, while seemingly reasonable, feels…”

Xu Qing pondered.

He instinctively felt that this matter was not as simple as it seemed.

Whether it was the Immortal Lordʼs possible premeditated plan, the purpose of exchanging the Flying Realm fragment, or the smoothness of every step leading up to this…

It all seemed too convenient.

”So convenient… itʼs as if Lord God Chiuz is actively cooperating.”

At this thought, Xu Qingʼs eyes narrowed.

”As a Lord God, being passive once can be explained, but if it happens repeatedly, it is anything but ordinary!”

Xu Qing frowned, but he believed that at the level of the Immortal Lord, what they saw and knew was far beyond his comprehension. Recalling the course of the war, it was more likely that the Immortal Lord had already devised a strategy.

”So, what is the ultimate goal of this possible mutual scheme between the two sides?”

Xu Qing thought for a long time but could not come up with an answer.

So he turned his attention to the rewards before him, suppressing these thoughts. He sent out a divine sense, contacting Star Ring and the others outside.

Soon, the other fire towers opened, and the Dao Seeds who had been meditating inside opened their eyes, most of them filled with anticipation. They stood up and quickly made their way to Xu Qingʼs fire tower.

As they entered, their eyes immediately fell on the rewards.

Even the experienced Star Ring and Zhou Zhengli were momentarily dazed.

”These are the origin essence and military merits sent by the commander.”

Xu Qing spoke slowly.

As for the distribution method, they had already agreed on it earlier. Xu Qing, as the main force in locating and capturing the goddess, would receive 40% of the total rewards.

Star Ring, who had participated in the capture, would receive 15%.

The remaining 45% would be divided equally among the others!

Both the origin essence and military merits would be distributed according to this method.

Soon, the origin essence and military merits were divided, and each person took their share, their hearts burning with excitement.

No one had any objections to Xu Qing taking the largest share, as this was how things had always been done. Xu Qingʼs strength justified his larger portion.

Xu Qing also felt this distribution was fair, as without the help of the others, he would not have been able to defeat and capture the goddess and the old god on his own.

After the distribution, Xu Qing also told everyone about the Immortal Lordʼs decision to exchange. At the same time, he also voiced his doubts and guesses.

Upon hearing this, everyoneʼs expressions changed, and they fell into deep thought.

This was their teamʼs habit—when faced with a problem, they would pool their wisdom and analyze it from different angles.

”What Xu Qing said makes sense. The risks of this exchange are likely not small. As for the background of the exchange, what I can think of is that the Immortal Lord does not want to escalate the war!”

”After all, if the war escalates or tilts heavily in one direction, multiple Lord-level beings might join the fray. In that case, our side would have to do the same, and eventually, even the Venerable Immortal might descend…”

”That would be the true decisive battle!”

”This is a game of strategy between the Lord God and the Immortal Lord, and their strategies focus more on momentum…”

”However, this matter is somewhat strange. What is the Immortal Lordʼs ultimate goal?”

”Whatever it is, letʼs just do it. The two of us brothers are unstoppable!”

Everyone spoke one after another.

Xu Qing listened to their words, combining them with his own judgment. His emotions stirred, and then he looked at Zhou Zhengli.

Having traveled this far together, Xu Qing had a clear understanding of Zhou Zhengliʼs intelligence.

Zhou Zhengli, frowning, also looked at Xu Qing. After a moment of hesitation, he rubbed his temples and spoke softly.

”Young Master, and all fellow Daoists, do you think itʼs possible… that this exchange itself is also part of the ʼlanternʼ?”

When Xu Qing heard this, a strange glint appeared in his eyes as he slowly spoke.

”If thatʼs the case, then using the left wing war zone as the lantern is not enough. To make this exchange, which involves both sides, an even brighter lantern, the hidden hand is likely not on the battlefield.”

”But in… the Fourth Star Ring!”

Xu Qingʼs words stirred a storm in everyoneʼs hearts.

…

Time passed, and the day of the exchange, as announced by the commander, drew closer.

During this time, Xu Qing and the others had reached a consensus. They were all on high alert regarding the upcoming exchange.

Xu Qing had also made his preparations. Over the past few days, he had been familiarizing himself with the Immortal Lord Dao Artifact while using the essence of the crimson giant star to stabilize his newly advanced mid-stage Quasi Immortal cultivation.

He kept himself at his peak.

At the same time, he sensed a different atmosphere outside.

Around the crimson giant star, armies crossed the starry sky daily, gathering and stationing themselves around the star.

Their numbers grew larger and larger.

The solemn atmosphere became increasingly intense.

And it wasnʼt just here. On the frontlines of the left wing war zone, which Xu Qing and the others could not see, the same was happening. Both the gods and the cultivators were rapidly assembling, amassing an enormous amount of combat power.

Thus, the black and white forces continued to intertwine in this left wing war zone.

A storm was brewing!

Finally, when only two hours remained before the exchange, a desolate horn sounded on the crimson giant star.

The sound pierced through the starry sky, echoing in the ears of countless cultivators.

Xu Qing opened his eyes!

In front of him, the sea of light shimmered, and a familiar figure, bound and restrained, emerged from the light and was delivered to Xu Qing.

It was the goddess!

She seemed to have fared well during Her time away from Xu Qing. Her origin essence had regenerated somewhat, and Her skin had regained its luster.

After all, given the Immortal Lordʼs stature, even if he had been examining Her, he would not have deliberately tortured Her.

So… Her fragrance had grown even stronger.

Xu Qingʼs eyes gleamed, and he instinctively licked his lips.

As for the goddess, when she saw Xu Qing, her legs tightened, and she couldnʼt help but tremble, her mind in turmoil.

It was as if She had seen a nightmare.