Outside Of Time

Chapter 1768  The Karma of Borrowing the Dao

The new era had truly arrived the moment Nine Shores Immortal Lord stepped down.

The meteoric rise of Immortal Lord Mi Ming, amplified by the feedback of fortune, had already spread throughout the entire Fifth Star Ring.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Aurora, he now ruled the Fifth Star Ring as its current sovereign, commanding all living beings, his status supreme.

And now… his stunning performance on the battlefield of the Fourth Star Ring, where he slew two True Gods and took full command of the war, had caused a sensation.

This event stirred the tides of fortune, invigorating the countless cultivators of the Fifth Star Ring. Cheers echoed across the supply stars.

At the same time, Xu Qingʼs status had also risen invisibly.

As the master of the Aurora Heavenʼs Beyond, he shared a deep bond of goodwill with Mi Ming. Not only had he assisted Mi Ming in transforming from a god to an immortal, but he had also been blessed with abundant fortune in Mi Mingʼs first decree as an Immortal Lord.

All of this had made the beings of the Fifth Star Ring aware… and there were even rumors that Immortal Lord Mi Ming regarded Xu Qing as a younger brother.

Thus, in the coming era, Xu Qingʼs status within the Fifth Star Ring would be exalted to the extreme.

Such status, such position, such fortune… caused many factions within the Fifth Star Ring who had previously clashed with Xu Qing, directly or indirectly, to feel a deep unease.

Among them, the most unsettled and agitated was Poison Lord, the master of Li Mengtu!

At this moment, he too was in the Fourth Star Ring, having just survived a life-and-death battle in the starry void, where he had slain a True God. He now sat cross-legged on a gray meteor, silent and contemplative.

Around him were his subordinates who had accompanied him on this mission.

If Xu Qing were here, he would immediately recognize these cultivators as the same squad that had once sought to trouble him.

However, compared to back then, only a few remained, and each of them bore severe injuries and looked utterly exhausted.

They too remained silent, only occasionally glancing at Poison Lord at the front, as if wanting to speak but hesitating.

Poison Lord did not turn around, but with his level of cultivation, he naturally perceived everything happening behind him.

A bitter taste filled his heart, accompanied by waves of turmoil.

Originally, he hadnʼt needed to come to the battlefield.

But a few days ago, a decree from within the Fourth Star Ring had forced him to come.

Though it wasnʼt a direct order from Immortal Lord Mi Ming, it had come from the war command tower.

Someone had designated him and his subordinates to enter the Fourth Star Ring and participate in the war, assigning them a mission.

As for who this person was, Poison Lord had his suspicions, and he also knew that it didnʼt really matter. After all, there would always be those who sought to curry favor with a certain figure by using the war as a means to reprimand him.

”Currying favor with Xu Qing, huh…”

Poison Lord murmured, the bitterness in his heart growing stronger.

If it were just participating in the war, given his cultivation level, it wouldnʼt have been a problem. But the mission assigned to him was exceedingly cruel.

He had to slay nine True Gods of the same cultivation level as himself!

In the past few days, he had only managed to kill one!

”The matter between me and Xu Qing is known to many… is this the karma at work?”

”I once sought to borrow his Dao to achieve my own goals. Though I failed, the seeds of karma were sown.”

”And now… the backlash has begun.”

As Poison Lord recalled the past, a sense of unwillingness rose within him, accompanied by a feeling of being at the mercy of fate.

He had practically watched as Xu Qing climbed higher and higher, step by step, until now, when the other party didnʼt even need to lift a finger—there were already those willing to curry favor by reprimanding him.

Thinking of this, Poison Lord sighed softly.

”The avatar I sent should have arrived by now. I hope it can resolve this causality.”

Poison Lord turned his head, gazing in the direction of the Fifth Star Ring.

At the same time, in the Fifth Star Ring, before the yellowish supply star where Xu Qing was stationed, a disheveled figure emerged from the void.

This figure was an old man, surrounded by a cloud of dark green poison. His appearance and aura were identical to Poison Lordʼs.

It was the avatar Poison Lord had sent here.

However, it was clear that the avatar had encountered powerful enemies along the way. Though it had successfully arrived, it was severely injured.

Within the dark green poison cloud, the avatarʼs body was withered, bearing multiple wounds. Even its own Ordinance radiated a sense of decay, and its left arm was completely severed, with squirming flesh buds covering the wound.

At this moment, the avatar hesitated as it gazed at the supply star, then gritted its teeth and rushed toward the star.

After undergoing layers of screening and being led by an acquaintance, several hours later, it finally arrived before an observatory tower located in the southeast of the star.

The tower, crafted from meteorites, stood atop a high mountain, surrounded by dense immortal energy.

This was Xu Qingʼs temporary residence.

Upon reaching this point, the acquaintance who had accompanied the avatar could go no further and chose to step back, speaking in a low voice.

”Poison Lord, you must handle this yourself.”

As he spoke, the man sighed inwardly.

He was one of the garrison commanders here and had also heard about the conflict between Poison Lord and Xu Qing. If not for the fact that he owed Poison Lord a significant favor, he wouldnʼt have brought the avatar here at this time.

Hearing this, the avatar nodded slightly, then gazed at the observatory tower on the distant mountain. With a flash, it rushed toward the tower.

Soon, it approached, stopping a thousand feet away from the tower. Without hesitation, it bowed deeply toward the tower, its aged voice echoing.

”I request an audience with the True Monarch.”

The voice reverberated, stirring the heavens and earth, but the observatory tower a thousand feet away remained silent.

After a long while, the avatar sighed softly. With a wave of its right hand, it produced a palm-sized bronze figurine, which materialized in the void before landing on the ground.

The figurine bore the likeness of Poison Lord, and even within its chest, a dark green heart pulsed.

Gazing at the figurine, determination flashed in the avatarʼs eyes. It raised a finger and, without hesitation, drew it across its own neck. Drops of blood fell, corroding the void and creating fissures, before finally converging on the figurine.

The figurine came to life.

Meanwhile, the avatar began to dissipate, bowing once more toward the tower.

”My true body is in the Fourth Star Ring, tasked with slaying nine True Gods of the same cultivation level. Thus, I cannot come in person. I now offer this Substitution Bronze Figurine.”

”Once activated, this figurine can instantly summon my true body to fight for you.”

”Life or death matters not. This is to settle the karma of forcibly borrowing your Dao in the past.”

As the voice echoed, the avatar gradually faded away.

The tower remained silent.

In the distance, the garrison commander who had brought the avatar here sighed inwardly, clasped his hands in salute, and turned to leave.

After a long while… the bronze figurine on the ground suddenly blurred and vanished.

When it reappeared, it was in the observatory tower, in Xu Qingʼs hand.

Gazing at the bronze figurine, Xu Qingʼs expression remained impassive. After a long while, he spoke indifferently.

”If I use it, the karma will be settled. If I do not, the karma remains. Everything depends on your fate.”

As these words were spoken, Poison Lordʼs true body, far away on the battlefield of the Fourth Star Ring, let out a muffled groan. The thread of karma between him and Xu Qing snapped, half of it severed.

Sensing this, Poison Lord sighed again. His appearance, already resembling that of an old farmer, now seemed even more aged.

”I shouldnʼt have reached out that foot back then, coveting his Dao…”