Outside of Time -
Chapter 1589: Vast Heavens, Boundless Earth
South of the center of the Western Starfield, precisely 1.98 billion kilometers away, stood a mountain named Inkstone.
Within the mountain lay a hidden valley, and in that valley, there was a deep, emerald-green pool whose depths were unfathomable.
At times, malevolent spirits wandered through the area, their forms resembling drifting smoke, dispersing upon contact.
The valley's walls were made of jagged rocks, interlocking like the teeth of a beast, and ancient trees towered overhead, their dense foliage blocking out the sun.
Beside the pool, there was a stone platform with an ancient script carved upon it, which read: "The Place of Fallen Evil, Only the Adept May Enter."
This place was rarely visited, even by those passing by who often soared through the skies outside the mountain, careful not to intrude.
Only those who required the aid of malevolent energy in their cultivation dared to enter the mountain during the peak of the aurora, limiting their stay to no more than an hour.
"It's rumored that this place was where a powerful and malevolent demonic cultivator from ancient times buried his sword upon his death. His sword was named Inkstone, and over time, it transformed into the mountain. The sword's malevolent intent seeped into the land, forming the Pool of Fallen Evil."
At this moment, outside the Inkstone Mountain, a young man in a black robe was gazing at the dark mountain before him while muttering to himself.
This youth was none other than Xu Qing, who had left Black Cloud City.
After sending Yunmen Qianfan to Black Cloud City, Xu Qing decided to wander around the Western Starfield. The place he wanted to go to was the various peculiar places like the Time Desert mentioned in the jade slip Yunmen Qianfan had given him.
The Fallen Evil Pool was the closest to him, so it was his first stop.
He stood outside the mountain and stared for a long time. At the moment when the aurora was at its thickest, Xu Qing walked into Inkstone Mountain.
He stepped over the mountain rocks, passed by the bushes, and entered the valley. He saw the pool and the stone platform as well as the words on it.
He also saw the so-called malevolent spirits.
He observed for a long time.
During this time, malevolent spirits emerged, transforming into eerie specters that howled with murderous intent, ready to devour any living being. They swarmed towards Xu Qing, but the moment they touched him, they dissipated into mist, swirling around the area.
"This place may not have the power to instantly kill a cultivator, but it can corrupt the soul and consume the flesh. If one lingers too long, their soul could be scattered to the winds."
"And it seems the intensity of these spirits is tied to the time of entry—when the aurora in the sky dims, the malevolence of these spirits will likely surge."
Xu Qing scanned his surroundings with his perception and his gaze eventually landed on the pool water.
A dark glint flashed in his eyes and ripples appeared in the water. Through the ripples, he seemed to see a stone coffin in the depths of the pool.
"This coffin can't be touched."
Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. The fact that this coffin had remained here for so long indicated that it was far from ordinary. Moreover, as he sensed the area, he detected a vague yet unmistakable danger lurking within the surroundings.
"It's also not something I need to comprehend."
Xu Qing fell silent. Seeing that half an hour had passed, he retreated and was about to leave.
However, just as he was about to leave the valley, a cold wind blew over from the pool, causing all the vegetation in the valley to rustle.
These sounds, though seemingly ordinary, would have been nothing more than the rustling of wind and leaves to an average person. However, to Xu Qing's heightened senses, they were unmistakably eerie whispers.
"Slender grass in an empty forest, strands of cold rain catch the breeze. "
"Small and lonely soul, accompanying a person."
"In the desolate spring platform, I call out your name."
"Dimly seen, a line of light, revealing a face like peach blossoms…"
The voice was chilling, reverberating through the silent, gloomy valley, as if a lonely soul was calling out to someone from the dark depths of the underworld.
At the same time, ripples formed on the surface of the pond, and a woman's head slowly emerged, revealing only half of her face above the water.
Her pale skin contrasted starkly with the dark water, her black hair submerged beneath the surface, and her equally pale eyes locked onto Xu Qing.
In just an instant, the surroundings began to freeze. The ground, vegetation, and rock walls instantly turned cold. The instant the coldness spread, the entire valley distorted.
After that, the figure in the pool disappeared and appeared above the pool as though she had teleported.
She was dressed in white.
Immediately after, the distortion appeared again. When the figure reappeared, she was already outside the pool.
Just as she was about to continue, a huge pair of scissors appeared above Xu Qing's head.
It directly cut an invisible thread.
As the thread broke, the woman's strange movements also stopped.
She stood on the spot, a thousand feet away from Xu Qing as she stared at him.
From the start to the end, Xu Qing's expression was calm.
"I'm not the person you're looking for. If you continue to pester me, I don't mind making you lose your ability to wait."
After saying that, Xu Qing slowly retreated until he departed the range of the valley. The temperature in the surroundings gradually returned.
There were no more abnormalities in the valley.
Xu Qing didn't hesitate at all. He teleported out of Inkstone Mountain and stood outside the mountain. He then glanced at the mountain.
He could vaguely sense that the strange woman from earlier had disappeared from the valley. Only the murmurs from before still echoed faintly.
"The legends are fake."
"This isn't a place where a sword is buried but a seal. It is sealing a god."
"Moreover, to be able to taint a mountain under this seal and in this world which restricted gods, this god's true strength back then was at least at the peak of the Divine Platform."
Xu Qing retracted his gaze and turned to leave.
Half a month later.
South of the Western Starfield's center, about eight hundred million kilometers away, there was a plain called the Sky Wind.
There was a cave in the eastern part of the plains with an entrance of 5,000 kilometers.
Down the cave, it became increasingly narrow. Finally, it formed a long and narrow tunnel that was unfathomable.
There was an inexplicable wind in the passageway. The wind was extremely strong, as though an immortal who controlled the wind lived here.
And along the descending midsection of the cavern, the walls were covered in intricate totems.
"Legend has it that these totems were left by an immortal who mastered the power of the wind. They are stated to be incantations, recording the secrets of how to guide and control the wind's force."
"Furthermore, rare and exotic beasts frequently roamed within the cavern, moving through the wind with an ethereal, almost illusory presence."
After a half-month journey to reach this place, Xu Qing stood there, gazing downward as the description from Yunmen Qianfan's jade slip surfaced in his mind.
He spread out his divine sense and after sensing for a while, his eyes revealed a strange light.
"This place is wonderful. It contains the Dao marks of the authority of wind and is a publicly open comprehension site. There are hundreds of cultivators meditating…"
"The deeper one goes, the fewer the people. The wind below is stronger and there are more dense totem imprints."
Xu Qing had encountered the authority of wind before. He had also used his wood path to simulate it to some extent.
Hence, with a sway of his body, he stepped down the Sky Wind Cave.
As he descended, he could see many cultivators sitting cross-legged on the way. He didn't pay attention to them and those cultivators didn't pay attention to him either. Both sides didn't disturb each other.
Ten days later, Xu Qing left.
In the next few months, his figure appeared in the Fire Hollow Mountain Range and on the Main Dao Cliff.
The Fire Hollow Mountain Range was located to the west of the Western Starfield. Crimson flames scorched the sky above it, and it spanned forty-five million kilometers.
It was a continuous mountain range with overlapping peaks. The mountains were composed mostly of igneous rocks, their color resembling crimson gold, with fierce flames burning perpetually, never extinguished throughout the year.
Occasionally, fire phoenixes would soar, spewing fire and mist, their cries echoing across the land.
Amidst the mountains, there were numerous hot springs, with steam rising like clouds and mist.
It was stated that within the Fire Hollow Mountain Range, there existed a place known as the Fire Hollow Immortal Palace, which served as the palace of the Fire Hollow Immortal Lord, one of the eleven Immortal Lords of the Fifth Star Ring.
Those fortunate enough to find this palace could ascend to the heavens in a single step and become a disciple of the Fire Hollow Immortal Lord.
However, throughout history, this remained merely a legend, as no one had ever possessed the fortune to find the palace.
During his half-month stay in the Fire Sky Mountain Range, Xu Qing traversed every part of the region but did not encounter the legendary Immortal Palace. Nevertheless, his understanding of the fire of the Five Elements had significantly deepened in this flame-filled mountain range.
However, what followed was doubt.
"Where did the fire here come from…"
He had no answer.
Even though he went deep into the mountain range to explore, he still didn't gain anything. This fire seemed to have been born on this mountain range.
The word 'born' might not be suitable but Xu Qing felt that it was the case.
Hence, he decided to sit cross-legged and attempt to comprehend it.
After an unknown period of time, it was as though a palace that was like the sun rose in his mind and resonated with him.
However, at the next instant, his vision blurred. An ethereal voice echoed in his mind.
"Your karma isn't with me."
As the voice appeared, his body was unknowingly sent out of the Fire Hollow Mountain Range by a mystical force.
Xu Qing remained silent for a long time but didn't ask further. He bowed and left, heading for the Main Dao Cliff.
The Main Dao Cliff was also located to the west of the center of the Western Region. Its range was elusive, and Xu Qing had to search for some time before finding it.
The cliff was positioned like a severed giant blade in the middle of a desolate desert.
It was solitary and abrupt.
Its sheer walls appeared as if they had been carved by a massive blade, towering into the clouds, so high that when one was positioned on the edge, the clouds lay beneath.
On the cliff's face were ancient characters that read: "The Path of the Main Dao Reaches Heaven and Earth."
In addition, a unique flower known as the 'Main Dao Flower' grew on the cliff.
This flower was pure white, with golden veins running through its petals, seemingly symbolizing the supreme Dao of the universe. Its medicinal properties were equally extraordinary—It could not be consumed but only smelled.
It was as if it was meant to allow one to smell the Dao.
The flower bloomed once every hundred years, and when it did, its fragrance was overwhelming, spreading across five million kilometers. During this time, cultivators would come to the cliff, seeking to receive inspiration from the flower's scent in hopes of breaking through their cultivation bottlenecks.
When Xu Qing arrived, it was unfortunate timing—it was not the blooming season for the Main Dao Flower. The next bloom was still more than forty years away.
Hence, there weren't many cultivators around the Main Dao Cliff.
However, here, Xu Qing felt that his thoughts seemed to be enhanced by an invisible force and he had more insights.
Hence, having wandered for half a year, he chose to stay here for some time.
On one hand, he summarized his comprehension along the way. On the other hand, he calmed his mind and studied the lump of soil that contained the spatial ability.
Using this, he attempted to form the glue he had seen before.
During this time, he took out the divination jade slip that Yunmen Qianfan had given him before he left.
Not only did this jade slip contain Qianfan's divination power, but it also contained a… fragment of the secret key.
It was a rune that Xu Qing didn't understand. It exuded ancientness and mystery. Moreover, it seemed to have a life of its own but it was muted and illusory, as though it hadn't reached the opportunity to shine.
Xu Qing fell into deep thought as he stared at this secret key.
The mission he had received back then was to escort a core disciple of the Cloud Gate Clan to the designated place. The information he knew was that one of these people carried a secret key.
After that, he learned that this was actually a bet.
As for what the truth was, Xu Qing didn't probe further. However, he was very sure of one thing.
"When Yunmen Qianfan gave me this jade slip back then, I had checked it. This secret key… wasn't present at that time."
"This secret key was automatically condensed in the jade slip during this period."
Xu Qing put the jade slip away. No matter what this secret key was and what place it opened, it wasn't his main focus at this moment.
He was going to cultivate on this Main Dao Cliff for some time before setting off for the Earth Rule Pond, the Cloudy Mud Basin, and finally the Immortal's Fall Plain, which was rumored to be the source of the aurora.
However, many times, plans couldn't keep up with changes.
At this moment, the second stage of the Immortal Capital's hunt had reached a critical point!
This was also the instant countless cultivators who knew the inside story had been waiting for and dreaming of!
On this day, the aurora in the sky disappeared.
On this day, the four stars became the most dazzling lights in the entire Fifth Star Ring.
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