OUTSIDE OF TIME

Chapter 1514: Tragic Bull

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Xu Qing felt that there was no need for him to worry about his Eldest Senior Brother.

In their journey till now, he hadn’t seen his Eldest Senior Brother suffer much. Basically, the ones who suffered losses were others.

Among those victims, there were divine creatures of the Forbidden Sea, the three Heaven, Earth, and Human souls. As for the powerful ones… there was Crimson Goddess. Even the fragmented-face Desolate was bitten by Erniu.

Hence, in Xu Qing’s opinion, it was impossible for such a maniac to encounter any accidents in the Immortal Arts Hall of the Demon Feather Holy Land.

After all, Eldest Senior Brother was the one who took the initiative to head to the Immortal Arts Hall, and before leaving, he was utterly confident.

Therefore, for Xu Qing, this visit on behalf of the Tenth Ruler was partly to bear witness and mostly to observe the spectacle.

It should be noted that in the past, he always acted alongside his senior brother, and this was the first time he experienced observing the performance from a higher position.

“However, I have to do my best to control the situation.”

Since the Empress had requested it, Xu Qing felt that there was a need for him to not let the situation become too chaotic.

However, when he thought of how troublesome Eldest Senior Brother was, Xu Qing wasn’t too confident about this.

“I will try persuading him.”

At the thought of this, Xu Qing felt at ease and sped up in the sky.

He sped all the way.

Four hours later, he saw the city where he had parted ways with his Eldest Senior Brother from afar.

The location of the East Demon Feather Immortal Arts Hall was five hundred kilometers north of the city.

Xu Qing’s gaze swept over the city but he didn’t stop. He flew past the city, and soon, crossed 500 kilometers. There, he saw a white lake!

Just like the Immortal Arts Hall of the West Demon Feather, the Immortal Arts Hall of the East Demon Feather was also built on a lake. The difference was that the lake of the West Demon Feather Immortal Arts Hall was black, and the lake of the East Demon Feather Immortal Arts Hall was white.

Its name was Delusions Lake.

In the center of the lake stood a temple-like palace, entirely pitch black, as if it were made of black jade.

It formed a clear contrast with the white lake.

The lake was different from the one Xu Qing had seen in the West Demon Feather where it was filled with numerous meditating immortal masters. Here it was desolate, perhaps due to the somber atmosphere or because of the ceremonial observation today. No immortal masters were meditating, leaving it vast and empty.

In fact, there were even some traces of damage left on the black Immortal Arts Hall, appearing not as if they had been there for a long time but rather as if it had recently sustained impact from spells.

Looking at this, Xu Qing fell into deep thought. His figure crossed the lake and appeared in the air above the Immortal Arts Hall. He stopped and placed his hands behind his back, calmly speaking.

“The immortal master in charge of this place, come out and see me.”

These words were like thunder that exploded in all directions, causing the void to distort. The lake below rippled, stirring up waves.

Seven to eight figures immediately flew out of the Immortal Arts Hall and headed straight for Xu Qing.

The person in the lead was a middle-aged immortal master. The instant he saw Xu Qing clearly, his eyes narrowed and his expression was even more respectful than before. He quickly approached and cupped his fists from dozens of feet away, bowing deeply.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Xue Chenzi.”

“Welcome, Fellow Daoist. Earlier, we were receiving previous guests, so please forgive any lapses in our hospitality.”

This middle-aged immortal master had a sincere expression. The immortal masters behind him also had solemn expressions and lowered their heads to greet him.

The reason for this was because during this time, Xue Chenzi’s name had risen in the entire Demon Feather Holy Land.

Everyone knew about his challenge at the West Demon Feather and his final battle with West Demon Child.

This caused his name to be even more illustrious when it came to the East Demon Feather.

Coupled with the Tenth Ruler behind him, the now-declining Immortal Arts Hall didn’t dare to show any neglect.

Xu Qing was expressionless as he nodded slightly.

“Fellow Daoist Xue Chenzi, please!”

Seeing that Xu Qing didn’t mind, the middle-aged immortal master heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. He had heard that Xue Chenzi had a violent personality and possessed blood-related divine abilities.

At that moment, he was extremely cautious and was about to guide Xu Qing.

However, Xu Qing, who was in the air, turned his head and looked at the horizon.

The middle-aged immortal master was stunned. When he looked over, laughter rang out from the horizon.

“Is the person in front Fellow Daoist Xue Chenzi?”

As the laughter echoed, a burly man walked over from the horizon.

This burly man wore a blue dress. His eyes were bright and sharp like lightning. At this moment, he stepped forward in the air. Wherever he passed, his cultivation of Soul Accumulation Nine Worlds formed a huge pressure that affected the area around him.

The middle-aged immortal master hurriedly lowered his head and greeted. “Greetings, Venerable One!”

Xu Qing was calm. In Xue Chenzi’s memories, there was a figure like this. He knew that the other party was the eldest son of the Fifth Ruler, Lin Kun.

But the two were not acquainted, and it could even be said that before Xu Qing’s arrival, this person likely had only a vague memory of Xue Chenzi, not enough to catch his attention.

But now, it was clearly different.

Xu Qing only cupped his fists slightly. Lin Kun laughed even louder.

“Fellow Daoist Xue Chenzi, there’s no need for such formality between us. Your exploits in the West Demon Feather have been an inspiration to me, earning my admiration and applause many times.”

Lin Kun laughed heartily, the sincerity in his eyes indiscernible. His expression and words were filled with a sense of closeness.

“Now that I see you, you’re indeed an outstanding hero.”

However, human nature decided that one couldn’t look at good and evil on the surface. Hence, Xu Qing naturally wouldn’t have a good impression of him just from a few words. He shook his head.

“It’s due to the protection of the Ruler. I’m just following the Ruler and was lucky to obtain some reputation on this trip. If Fellow Daoist Lin goes, you’ll definitely be able to increase our East Demon Feather’s reputation even more.”

Seeing that Xu Qing was speaking earnestly, Lin Kun’s smile grew wider. He exchanged a few more pleasantries, subtly introducing some probing remarks into the conversation.

After enduring so many trials, Xu Qing was adept at this kind of conversation. He responded flawlessly, not only without any slip-ups but also skillfully elevating the other person in the process.

Hence, on the surface, the two looked harmonious. Under the lead of the middle-aged immortal master, they walked toward the Immortal Arts Hall together.

On the way, looking at the marks of spells on the Immortal Arts Hall, Lin Kun smiled and looked at Xu Qing.

“Brother Xue Chenzi, during the time you were in the West Demon Feather, a few major events happened in this place.”

“The disciple of the former Great Immortal Master, Yue Dong, returned and wanted to fight for the position of the Great Immortal Master. She was stopped by many elders of the Immortal Arts Hall, leading to numerous conflicts.”

“Yue Dong is also quite resourceful and charismatic. Not only did she win over the support of some immortal masters, but she also brought in external help at the critical moment. She brought in the eldest grandson of the Yun family’s current generation who killed many elders for her.”

“Originally, the situation seemed to be developing toward Yue Dong’s victory and her eventual promotion to Great Immortal Master. However, unexpectedly, at the last moment, the Great Elder of the Immortal Arts Hall, who had been in seclusion for many years, emerged and took decisive action. He suppressed all sides, captured Yue Dong, and settled the matter.”

Lin Kun spoke as he moved forward. At the same time, he observed Xu Qing’s expression.

Upon hearing Yue Dong’s name, Xu Qing’s eyes turned cold.

Lin Kun chuckled.

“I’ve also heard about the enmity between you and Yue Dong. Although you aren’t going to be doing it personally, witnessing her demise firsthand should, 1 believe, provide you with some clarity.”

Xu Qing shook his head.

“I hope that Yue Dong can win, so that I can kill her personally in the future. Relying on others’ power ultimately does not align with my heart.”

Lin Kun nodded and understood Xu Qing’s words. If it was him, he would also want the same.

It was fine if he was powerless to take revenge on the enemy, but since he had the power to take revenge, he would naturally kill them personally. That way, it would be even more satisfying.

As they spoke, under the lead of the middle-aged immortal master, they passed through a long corridor in the Immortal Arts Hall. When they appeared, they were already in a vast circular square.

This square was majestic. Countless ancient mutated beasts were carved in the surroundings and there were also portraits of heroes of the various races who had performed meritorious deeds with immortal arts during the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether Era.

As for the person in midair, they were suspended in a ‘X’ shape by six iron chains.

It was Yue Dong.

Her hair was disheveled and she was motionless. Her entire body was covered in blood and she looked extremely miserable.

Moreover, from the looks of it, it looked like her blood was about to run dry.

Her aura was almost indistinct.

There were ten huge chairs floating around her.

Every one of them was made of immortal jade and shone with resplendent light like ten suns.

At this moment, six of them already had cultivators present.

Among them, there were men and women. All of their cultivation levels were at the Soul Accumulation Nine Worlds.

They all represented different Ruler Mountains.

When Xu Qing and Lin Kun appeared, the gazes of the six people instantly gathered. Their main focus… was Xu Qing.

What each of them truly thought was known only to themselves. As for what they showed outwardly, unless they had a purpose to deliberately reveal it, they either behaved as usual or nodded in acknowledgment.

Xu Qing was the same. After receiving the attention of the six people, he flew up with Lin Kun and landed on his seat.

Xu Qing was in the tenth seat.

The moment he sat down, he looked at Yue Dong, who was hanging in the air.

With just a glance, Xu Qing knew that Erniu was fine.

This was because in his impression, Erniu’s blood was endless.

How could he look like he was about to lose all his blood?

‘Is Eldest Senior Brother pretending to be weak on purpose?’

‘Or maybe he wants to borrow someone else’s power?’

‘No matter what, the goal of such a situation should be to make a reversal at the most critical moment.’

‘The prerequisite to do this is to make that Grand Elder of the Immortal Arts Hall completely believe his judgment and think that he has no chance of turning the tables.’

‘It’s a pity that I don’t know the details. I wonder how Eldest Senior Brother will accomplish this.’

Just as Xu Qing was in deep thought, Yue Dong’s body trembled slightly. She seemed to have sensed something and wanted to wake up from her unconsciousness. However, it was obvious that the seriousness of her injuries caused her to lack the strength to even open her eyes.

As time passed bit by bit, when the representatives of the last two Rulers arrived and sat down, the main character of this ceremony walked over step by step from the void above the square.

This was an old man wearing a black robe with a head full of white hair. His entire body was withered and he looked like a skeleton.

The strange thing was that there were several phantoms behind him, representing his middle-aged, youthful, and adolescent selves.

He held a huge staff and his entire body emitted an astonishing aura, giving Xu Qing the feeling that it was as vast as the sea.

Different from the Soul Accumulation cultivators he had encountered, this old man emitted dense immortal art fluctuations.

His arrival instantly caused the hall to fall silent. Everyone, including Xu Qing, stared over.

“According to the ancient agreement, the appearance of every Great Immortal Master of the Immortal Arts Hall has to be witnessed by all the Ruler Mountains.”

“Therefore, we invited you all.”

The black-robed old man spoke hoarsely. After he finished speaking, he waved the staff in his hand and pointed at Yue Dong, who was hanging in the air.

“Yue Dong, I’ve invited all parties here to witness the ceremony of the Great Immortal Master and the refinement of the Six Thieves Immortal Art.

Everyone, please take out your tokens and allow my Immortal Arts Hall to begin the Immortal Refinement Ceremony!”