Chapter 1623: Who Else Could She Be If Not Her?
Editor: Atlas Studios

There were auspicious clouds in the sky and colorful lights on the ground.

The immortal fog he saw nourished all living beings.

Immortals were everywhere, passing by with smiles on their faces.

Immortal beasts were calm and peaceful, and lotus flowers bloomed wherever they walked.

The entire Immortal Palace was boundless, with grand and magnificent halls.

Nearby, immortal flowers and plants filled the air with fragrant aromas.

In the distance, immortal pavilions and towers stood tall, and the solemn toll of bells echoed.

Witnessing all of this, and sensing it fully, there was a fleeting moment when Xu Qing felt as though he were in a dream, with a sense of timelessness arising within him, as if he could no longer distinguish today from any other day.

As he walked through this dreamlike immortal realm, absorbing the immortal energy around him, relying on his sight, smell, and hearing, he gradually became one with the place.

Eventually, using the memories of the host as ripples, a wave of familiarity began to spread.

It spread through his consciousness, allowing both body and mind to return to normal.

Xu Qing let out a breath.

He walked calmly in the direction of the battle arena.

As he walked, he adjusted his aura and familiarized himself with his current body and cultivation.

He had been doing this for the past seven days.

By this point, he had made some notable progress.

After all, this was a peak Ruler’s body and soul.

It was only half a step away from Quasi Immortal.

Hence, the process of familiarizing himself with this body was an extremely rare experience for Xu Qing, and could be considered a fortuitous opportunity.

This allowed him to have a more comprehensive grasp of the Ruler Realm.

After all, although his combat strength was extraordinary, his true cultivation was only at the Soul Accumulation Eight Worlds.

He hadn’t stepped into the Ruler Realm.

However, in terms of understanding, due to his vast experience with killing, Xu Qing was now able to observe the greater whole.

The primary difference between a Ruler and someone at the Soul Accumulation Stage wasn’t just the level of combat power—it was the formation of the immortal embryo.

Ruler was the process of fusing the nine great worlds and forming an immortal embryo. It was also the process of alternating and blending illusion and reality.

“Back then, on the god’s blood river, the ferryman said that the immortal embryo was also known as the Imperishable Illusion of Truth.”

Xu Qing pondered as he walked.

“Illusion represents the soul and True represents the body.”

“It’s also because of this that the Ruler realm is divided into the early, middle, and late stages.”

“The early stage is to release the soul and form a new body outside the body. This is Illusion of Truth.”

Xu Qing looked into his body to verify the information he understood.

“This body has passed this stage.”

Xu Qing flipped through the host’s memories and carefully observed the comprehension the host had when he was at this stage.

“As expected, at this time, Ruler Realm cultivators are both powerful and weak.”

“The strong ones are because illusions are outside and gradually replace reality. Hence, their understanding of authority and control over all things have reached an unbelievable level.”

“The vulnerability arises because the Truth is hidden by the Illusion; thus, if someone has the means to damage the Truth, it’s not difficult to kill a Ruler.”

Xu Qing fell into deep thought.

He understood that this was the way a strong Ruler killed a weak Ruler.

They couldn’t escape the word ‘truth annihilation’.

“After mastering Illusion of Truth, the cultivator will advance to the second stage.”

“In the second stage, the cultivator will dissolve the originally concealed physical body into the soul. This step is called the Imperishable.”

“Rulers at this stage can instantly switch between truth and illusion. To a certain extent, there are almost no flaws, so it’s indestructible.”

“It represents the meaning of alternating and blending.”

“However… this kind of indestructibility is only a method against Rulers. If it’s against an Ordinance, it’ll be like a bubble that will burst with a poke!”

Xu Qing recalled the Rulers he had killed and his comprehension deepened.

“The third stage requires authority and Dao marks. Dao marks are like lines that weave together the Illusion of Truth and Imperishable, allowing them to fully merge. One can then have the qualifications to pluck the stars, forming the immortal embryo!”

“The stars here represent the Ordinance. This is an opportunity to comprehend your own Ordinance.”

“Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, it won’t affect the advancement. It will only affect the cultivator’s combat strength after they advance!”

“The moment they succeed, they will be a Quasi Immortal Great Emperor.”

“Therefore, for a heaven’s chosen, possessing an Ordinance in advance is equivalent to plucking the stars in advance. The moment they step into the Quasi Immortal realm, they won’t be weak among those at the same level.”

Xu Qing mumbled inwardly.

These past days of studying this body had been immensely helpful to him.

As for this body, it was at the mastery level of the second stage and halfway through the third stage.

The nine great Dao marks each transformed into lines and were compiling the Imperishable Illusion of Truth.

“Moreover, this young lord has his own Ordinance.”

“However, his Ordinance is a little strange!”

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. As he moved forward, he could already see the battle arena in front of him.

However, his thoughts continued.

This was because this young master’s Ordinance had withered before!

“He comprehended his Ordinance on his own. From this, it can be seen that this young lord’s aptitude and comprehension are excellent!”

“Moreover, the Ordinance he comprehended is also extraordinary. That’s the Mirror Ordinance!”

“However, later on, for some reason, his Ordinance withered strangely and inexplicably transformed into… Seal Ordinance!”

Xu Qing instinctively smelled something unusual about this matter.

As for the exact reason for the Ordinance’s withering and change, it was unknown in the young lord’s memories.

In the memories of this young lord, he only remembered that he had told the Immortal Lord about this immediately.

When the Immortal Lord found out, his expression was unprecedentedly gloomy.

He seemed to know something and left angrily.

However, when he returned a month later, it was as though nothing had happened.

The memory of this time had been erased. Xu Qing had no idea what it contained; he only knew that from that day onward… this young master, once filled with brightness and determination, suddenly changed. He founded the Hundred Flowers Palace and became deeply engrossed in indulgence, drowning himself in wine and women.

As for the name of his withered and changed Ordinance…

Three Karma, Ten Evils Seal!

It was an Ordinance of sealing evils.

As Xu Qing’s thoughts rippled, a wave of sadness buried deep within the memories of that time began to surface.

Xu Qing could feel the bitterness and confusion this young master once endured.

Though the cause remained unclear, the sadness ran deep.

Yet, despite the weight of it, there was no sense of resentment. Instead, there was a strange sense of acceptance.

“What exactly happened?”

“Why did his Ordinance change?”

“To be able to make even Aurora Immortal Lord unable to resolve it…”

Xu Qing fell silent.

He could guess who had changed this young lord’s Ordinance.

Because there was a secret—one known only to a select few, whose status and cultivation were of the highest level. For the vast majority of the cultivators within the Fifth Star Ring, about ninety-nine percent of them, this truth remained hidden and unknown.

The relationship between Aurora and the Venerable Immortal.

“Or rather, their relationship has been hidden by some power in history.”

“Aurora is the son of the Venerable Immortal, and the young lord I’m inhabiting is… the grandson of the Venerable Immortal.”

As he pondered, laughter suddenly filled the air, interrupting Xu Qing’s train of thought.

He raised his head.

The arena was already close.

This was an ancient and solemn arena surrounded by towering stone walls.

Carved into the walls were various totems and fierce beasts, some soaring across the sky, others roaring within the forests. These carvings were so lifelike that they seemed ready to leap off the stone at any moment.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, casting a mottled glow over the platform, lending an air of dignity and mystique to the ancient site.

At the heart of the arena stood a circular platform, forged from an unknown material, exuding an aura of timeless strength. Around its edges, a ring of gleaming blades was embedded, each one reflecting the sunlight in sharp flashes.

Under the sunlight, these sharp blades reflected a dazzling light, causing one to involuntarily feel awe.

As for the surrounding stands, they were already packed with spectators from all corners, each eagerly awaiting the event. Most of these onlookers had been invited by heaven’s chosen Li himself, brought here to serve as witnesses.

At that moment, their gazes all turned to Xu Qing.

There was another person in the air.

He was a young man, dressed in a crimson Daoist robe, with strikingly handsome features and deep-set eyes. His brow exuded an undeniable aura of heroism, making him hard to overlook.

The fiery red of his robe gave him the appearance of a blazing flame, one that could burn everything in its path.

As soon as he spotted Xu Qing, a proud smile spread across his face.

“No need to rush, Young Lord. The academy is on break today, and I’ve got plenty of time. You can rest here for a while so that when I defeat you, you won’t make excuses for your loss.”

“And as for the wager, I’ve brought it.”

With that, he waved his hand, and a gentle light emerged from his sleeve. In mid-air, it transformed into a captivating woman.

She wore a light, flowing dress, and at first glance, appeared like a sweet and gentle maiden. But on closer look, she also exuded the allure of a seductive, mature woman.

Her appearance blended purity and sensuality.

And her gaze was brimming with endless charm and cunning. Her long hair was casually tied into a low ponytail, with a few loose strands gently falling over her forehead, as she looked coyly at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing swept his gaze over.

With just a glance, he sighed inwardly.

Such a gaze, such a posture, and that inexplicable familiarity…

He no longer had any doubts about his guess.

If this fox beauty wasn’t the clay fox, who else could she be…

Almost at the same time that Xu Qing looked at the fox beauty, heaven’s chosen Li took a step forward and stood in front of the fox beauty, blocking Xu Qing’s gaze as he spoke provocatively.

“When you defeat me, you can take her back and admire her however you like. I can guarantee she remains untouched.”

“Now, Young Lord, I think our bet is a little unreasonable.”

“After all, this fox beauty is mine to begin with. How about this: If I win, I get to visit your Hundred Flowers Palace for a month!”

“And if you win, not only is the fox beauty yours, but I will willingly be your study companion for a hundred years. During that time, I’ll follow your every command—whether you want me to scour the world for beauties, I won’t even bat an eye!”

“So, what do you say? Do you dare accept?”

Heaven’s chosen Li’s expression was clearly provocative and his posture was full of arrogance.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed.

Zhong Chi, who had been following behind him, was also stunned.

This wasn’t part of history.

“There’s something wrong with this person. Is he an outsider?! On the surface, he seems to be fighting with the young lord but in reality, he’s trying to get close?”

Just as Zhong Chi’s thoughts rose, Xu Qing suddenly spoke.

“Alright!”

Almost at the instant he spoke, a deep feeling was reflected in Xu Qing’s mind.

It was the fluctuations of space-time.

It was just an inconspicuous wave in the long river of history.

However, this wave still fluctuated in the end, causing Xu Qing’s Ordinance to ripple!

At the same time, a deafening drumbeat suddenly rang out, as though the will of the world had erupted at this moment.

Heaven’s chosen Li laughed. His battle intent was intense as he strode toward Xu Qing.

At this moment, the gazes of all the audience were instantly ignited.