Chapter 1737: One Side Breaks the Agreement (Part 2)
Editor: Atlas Studios
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These five individuals were the human cultivators to be exchanged, each of whom had once made significant contributions to the Fifth Star Ring.
This scene, witnessed by the cultivator side, immediately stirred their emotions, and the sound of the war drums grew even more intense.
The jade-faced god, sensing this, showed no emotion in His eyes. With a casual tug, the ropes around the necks of the five human cultivators tightened abruptly, causing them to tremble in agony, as if their necks were about to be severed.
Then, He looked toward Xu Qing.
Instantly, the atmosphere on the battlefield grew tense.
A cold light also appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes.
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Although he did not know the five Lower Immortals personally, he was aware of their military achievements through the commander. At the same time, he realized that the jade-faced god’s actions were a provocation directed at him.
In response, Xu Qing raised his hand, and the cage imprisoning the goddess dissolved, transforming into chains that bound Her limbs. With a pull, the goddess was dragged toward him, and he gripped Her neck.
In full view of the gods and even the God Emperor, he began to absorb Her essence!
The goddess trembled, waking from Her unconscious state, Her face contorted in pain.
The god side erupted in uproar.
Their killing intent reached its peak.
Xu Qing’s act of publicly absorbing the goddess’ essence was an extreme provocation to the gods!
The jade-faced god stared at Xu Qing, then, without expression, loosened the ropes around the necks of the five humans.
Xu Qing, in turn, released his grip, ceasing the absorption. Instead, he held the chains, forcing the goddess to walk ahead of him.
Both sides began moving toward the central altar.
With each step Xu Qing took, radiant lotus flowers bloomed beneath his feet, his cultivation operating at its peak.
Meanwhile, the void beneath the goddess’ bare feet continuously collapsed, and drops of divine blood fell but did not dissipate, floating along the path. Within them, flesh-and-blood stars seemed to be born from the void.
However, as they progressed, the goddess grew increasingly weak, Her steps becoming labored. With each step, the shackles around Her ankles sprouted painful spikes of light.
The clanking of the chains echoed like a chilling sound from the depths of the underworld, reminding Her of the suffering She had endured. Her withered hair, as if expressing Her resentment, disintegrated into stardust, falling like snow.
As for Xu Qing, who followed behind, his expression appeared calm, but his inner vigilance was at its peak. He was prepared for any unexpected developments.
He felt uneasy.
Although he could sense the protective gazes of countless beings behind him and the thunderous sound of the war drums, the discussions he had with his team about why he was chosen for this exchange mission had raised a troubling possibility…
‘If the goddess knew about the exchange, would Her hatred for me lead Her to make additional demands?’
Xu Qing’s gaze fell on the stumbling figure of the goddess ahead, and his eyes narrowed.
Time passed slowly as Xu Qing escorted the goddess, and the jade-faced god from the divine side drew closer to the central altar, entering the meteor belt.
Finally… when they were less than a hundred thousand feet away from the altar within the meteor belt…
“Every strand of essence you devour from me will become a star that pierces your fate, becoming your greatest regret and curse in this life!”
The goddess suddenly turned around. The anomalous substances in this place reignited the golden flames in the starry depths of Her eyes, which had previously been extinguished.
Xu Qing remained silent, tugging on the divine shackles. The immortal inscriptions on the chains glowed, activating a force that absorbed essence.
The goddess let out a muffled groan as Her essence leaked from Her wounds. She stumbled and stepped onto a small floating meteor.
The black rock layer of the meteor seemed to come alive, writhing and further staining her rust-stained robes.
Meanwhile, Xu Qing’s Daoist robes fluttered without wind, forming a counterclockwise swirling vortex of starlight around him.
The essence leaking from the goddess’s wounds was drawn into the vortex, transforming into shimmering spots of light in his eyes, like dancing moonlight.
Then, he spoke indifferently.
“Noisy.”
The goddess glared at Xu Qing, gritted Her teeth, and continued forward. She wanted to move faster, but the chains binding Her kept Her pace under Xu Qing’s control.
In this manner, following Xu Qing’s rhythm, they reached a distance of thirty thousand feet from the altar.
At this position, Xu Qing could clearly see the jade-faced god’s full appearance and the condition of the five human cultivators.
Yet, the unease in his heart grew stronger.
Suddenly, Xu Qing’s eyes flashed, and he reached out with his right hand, grabbing the struggling goddess and gripping Her neck once more.
He began to absorb Her essence with unprecedented intensity!
This time, the force of absorption far exceeded anything he had done before.
In the past, after draining Her essence, Xu Qing would pause to allow Her to recover. But this time, even though the goddess’ essence had barely begun to regenerate, he drained Her completely and continued to absorb relentlessly.
It was as if he intended to leave nothing behind, as if he no longer cared about Her survival.
This level of absorption inflicted unbearable pain on the goddess, pushing Her to the brink of mental collapse.
The god side erupted in chaos, with countless roars and oppressive auras reverberating. Even the jade-faced god’s expression tightened, and He quickened His pace.
The cultivator side was also shaken by Xu Qing’s sudden actions.
As the exchange between the two sides teetered on the edge of disruption, the goddess’ struggles reached their peak. Perhaps due to the anomalous substances in the area or some unseen assistance, Her desperate resistance unleashed a terrifying force.
Her piercing scream actually forced Xu Qing’s hand away!
At the same time, all the chains binding Her shattered.
She was free!
The sensation of freedom overwhelmed the weakened goddess, leaving Her no time to question the rationality of Her escape. She transformed into a streak of light, rushing toward the rapidly approaching jade-faced god and taking refuge behind Him.
She had returned to the god side!
Xu Qing’s expression darkened as he stared at the goddess’ figure. Suddenly, he spoke.
“You can’t escape. We will meet again!”
As Xu Qing’s words echoed, the Starry Eye Goddess turned Her head within the divine starlight suppressing the front lines. She glared at Xu Qing, Her golden eyes tinged with blood. Unable to contain Herself any longer, She spat out the words She had been holding back for so long.
“You’re right, we will meet again soon!
Xu Qing, I’ve endured you all this way. Did you really think everything was under your control? How laughable! Do you know that you are the true target of this exchange? It was I who proposed this in the agreement between my father and your Immortal Lord!”
In this special situation, Xu Qing could discern the truth in Her words. All traces of emotion vanished from his face, and he spoke calmly.
“So that’s how it is.”
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and everything before the goddess’ eyes shattered like bubbles.
She was still by Xu Qing’s side, still gripped by his hand around Her neck, still thirty thousand feet away from the altar!
This scene left Her stunned, Her mind engulfed in a tidal wave of shock. Her pupils contracted sharply, and She uttered in disbelief,
“A True God’s illusory realm! How do you have a True God’s illusory realm?!”
Xu Qing did not respond. Instead, he sealed the goddess with a wave of his hand and swiftly retreated into the distance.
At the same time, from the depths of the void, an ancient whisper emerged. The divine river frozen by God Emperor Chiuz’s fingertips shattered into countless massive blocks of ice, falling across the starry sky.
A presence that transcended time and space descended into each block of ice, transforming into divine eyes that gazed upon all.
“Zhan Lu, your side has broken the agreement.”