Chapter 424: Chapter 351: Rune (4)
Inside the giant fish was an open space, like a bubble.
It was as large as a basketball court.
At this moment, a figure in white sat cross-legged inside the bubble.
It was Hu Qi’s true body.
He looked ahead.
A Damaged Black Banner floated before him.
A face on the Black Banner twisted constantly, letting out miserable, inhuman howls, as if suffering death by a thousand cuts.
"Ah... You... If you have the guts, then kill me, you damn bastard! My master will surely avenge me! You will pay dearly for this..."
The face was none other than Xi Zhongsi, who had been pulled into the Black Banner earlier.
He was no longer the high and mighty figure from their first meeting, no longer an incarnation of light.
Instead, he stared venomously at Hu Qi. His eyes held not only intense killing intent but also a hidden sliver of fear—a fear he refused to acknowledge, yet one that continued to spread and deepen in the depths of his heart.
"Don’t worry. I won’t let you die so easily. I’ll torture you slowly, until you talk."
A gentle smile graced Hu Qi’s face, but in Xi Zhongsi’s eyes, it was the smile of a Devil.
As soon as he finished speaking, the Black Banner swayed gently. Xi Zhongsi’s face, formed from his very soul, was repeatedly torn to shreds. Just as it was about to dissipate completely, it would rapidly reform.
Trapped within this bizarre Black Banner, he could neither live nor die, forced to endure the agony of his soul being torn apart again and again.
This pain was incomparable to having one’s physical body crushed; it was a million times more agonizing.
After this was repeated several times, the expression on Xi Zhongsi’s face gradually grew numb, and his reactions became sluggish.
Finally, by the tenth time, his expression was completely numb, as if his consciousness had been worn away to nothing.
"Tell me, how did you find me? What exactly is the White King, and why is he so intent on exterminating the Three-Eyed Primordial Serpent race?"
Seeing his state, Hu Qi voiced his questions.
Upon hearing this, a faint look of struggle appeared on Xi Zhongsi’s face.
But as the Black Banner swayed again, that struggle vanished without a trace.
"It was a Reversed Scale from a Three-Eyed Primordial Serpent, bestowed upon me by my master. I used it to sense your location. The White King is, of course, my master..."
「Half an hour later.」
From Xi Zhongsi’s account, Hu Qi pieced together a clear picture of the situation.
According to Xi Zhongsi, he had found Hu Qi by using a Reversed Scale from a Three-Eyed Primordial Serpent.
However, this sense was limited; once Hu Qi entered a world, the connection would be severed, making detection impossible.
As for the White King...
Xi Zhongsi didn’t know his exact level of power, either. The only certainty was that the White King was a True God—and an absolute powerhouse even among True Gods.
After all, a Three-Eyed Primordial Serpent that had ascended to become a True God had died at the White King’s hands.
The reason, it seemed, had something to do with the path the White King needed to take for his own advancement.
However, Xi Zhongsi wasn’t very clear on the details.
To put it bluntly, he was just a subordinate and naturally wouldn’t dare to pry into such matters.
Then, something seemed to occur to Hu Qi, and he asked,
"Back then, you said I had desecrated your master’s authority. What did you mean?"
"My master is the incarnation of light. All radiance in the world originates from Him.
The trace of radiant power you hide has already infringed upon my master’s authority.
This transgression will be discovered by my master sooner or later.
When that day comes, what awaits you is my master’s wrath..."
A glimmer of clarity seemed to return to Xi Zhongsi’s eyes as he spoke, and his gaze locked onto Hu Qi.
Hearing this, Hu Qi’s expression remained indifferent.
Before he could finish, the Black Banner shook.
Xi Zhongsi’s face twisted, stretched, and warped.
"ARGH! AHHH!"
Xi Zhongsi screamed endlessly until, before long, he fell silent once more.
"You just had to be difficult."
The corner of Hu Qi’s mouth twitched.
His mind, however, was on the information he had just obtained.
’That trace of radiance... it must be an overlap between the power of my Sun God Divine Spirit Seed and the power of the White King.’
He paid no mind to Xi Zhongsi’s threats, however.
The moment the White King sent Xi Zhongsi to kill him, they had become irreconcilable enemies.
There was no possibility of reconciliation.
’Still, I’m no match for a True God right now.’
A glint appeared in Hu Qi’s eyes.
He casually put away the Black Banner.
’I can’t kill Xi Zhongsi. Not for now.’
’According to him, he’s one of the White King’s four Archangels. If he dies, it will draw the White King’s attention.’
’The White King might even use his death as an anchor to pinpoint my location and cross space to get to me.’
’So, I can’t kill Xi Zhongsi. At least, not yet.’
’What I need to do now is increase my strength as quickly as possible, accumulate enough essence, condense my Divinity, and become a True God.’
’Only then will I have a chance of protecting myself against the White King.’
At this thought, a sense of urgency rose within Hu Qi.
Then, a layer of Twisted Light enveloped him, and he concealed his aura completely.
The bubble and Hu Qi’s figure vanished, as if they had merged as one with the Spirit Realm creature.
...
「Desolate Star, Rotten Leaf Gathering Place.」
The night was deep and silent.
Inside a room, Hu Qi sat on a bed, his eyes closed and his breathing steady.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
A flash of regret crossed his eyes as he murmured,
"Just as I thought... it’s still not working."
The Essence Element Divine Treasure remained completely unchanged.
’Looks like I’ll have to explore this world’s Extraordinary Path.’
With this in mind, Hu Qi got up and gently pushed the door open.
Despite his extreme gentleness, the CREAK of the door’s hinges inevitably alerted the siblings, Lu Shan and Lu Hong, who were in the adjacent room.
Hu Qi offered no explanation, and seeing this, the siblings didn’t dare to ask.
Once outside, Hu Qi’s gaze fell upon a certain spot within the Rotten Leaf Gathering Place.
Unlike the rest of the settlement, which was shrouded in darkness, that spot emitted a soft glow, illuminating the surrounding area.
It was the manor he had seen during the day.
In the next moment, Hu Qi shot forward like an agile ape.
Within a few blinks, he had vanished into the pitch-black night.
