OUTSIDE OF TIME

409 Spirit Repository, Nihility, Soul Accumulation

Old Master Seventh’s words echoed in Xu Qing’s ears.

As he listened, he looked at the mountain formed by the Nanyue Ghost Emperor in the distance.

The waves in his mind rose and fell uncontrollably, growing larger and larger.

Even though staring at that mountain caused his eyes to sting, Xu Qing still looked at it seriously.

He couldn’t imagine what kind of cultivation base this god possessed to be able to transform into a mountain after death and have such vast might even as a corpse.

It could be said that this was the strongest existence Xu Qing had ever seen.

Even Binding back then couldn’t be compared at all. Even the ancestor of sea lizards, whom he had seen on the Forbidden Sea, seemed to be extremely inferior to the Nanyue Ghost Emperor.

The only thing that could compare was the mural Xu Qing had seen on the merfolk island, the god of the merfolk race, Mire.

It was also where Xu Qing obtained his first life lantern.

In Xu Qing’s memories, Mire also carried two great worlds.

He didn’t know if this was a special change in a certain realm, but this didn’t affect the churning of his thoughts.

Old Master Seventh continued to speak.

“Fourth, today, I will open the knowledge gate of cultivation in the Wanggu Continent and let you see everything clearly.”

“As cultivators, the realm after the Heavenly Palace Golden Core Realm is the Nascent Soul Realm. There are also several small realms in this realm. You’ll know in the future. The main point I want to talk about is after the Nascent Soul Realm!”

“After the Nascent Soul realm, every realm is divided into levels. The difference between different levels is so great that it’s basically the difference between heaven and earth. Moreover, the further one cultivates, the more it will be like this.”

“In fact, you can even see each of them as a different realm!”

“After Nascent Soul is the Spirit Repository Realm!”

“Spirit Repository Realm is divided into five secret repositories. After the five secret repositories is the Nihility Realm!”

“Nihility Realm is divided into four stages. After the fourth stage… is the Soul Accumulation Realm!”

Xu Qing’s mind trembled. At this point, Old Master Seventh raised his hand and pointed at the mountain formed by the Nanyue Ghost Emperor.

“To be able to shoulder two great worlds on his shoulders, this is what a second-stage Soul Accumulation almighty is like!”

“Ancestor Xue Lianzi is at the first stage of Nihility, Shattering Thousand Dao. The Alliance Leader is at the second stage, Illusory and Truth Myriad Transformations. Beyond them are the third and fourth stages. You can take a guess at the difference between them and this Nanyue Ghost Emperor.”

“If the ancestor has a great opportunity in the future, he might have a chance of stepping into the second stage of Nihility. As for the third level of Nihility… it’s as difficult as ascending to the heavens and almost impossible, let alone the fourth level.”

“As for the Soul Accumulation… Let’s put it this way. According to my judgment, there isn’t a single living Soul Accumulation cultivator in the entire Yinghuang Province. In fact, in the entire Fenghai County, there’s no living Soul Accumulation cultivator!”

“Only this half-dead Ghost Emperor is at the second stage of the Soul Accumulation realm!”

“However, he wasn’t a cultivator of the Yinghuang Province but died here. This realm has reached such a level that any one of such existences can be called a god.”

Xu Qing’s mind stirred intensely. His understanding of the Wanggu Continent’s cultivation realm was completely clear after Old Master Seventh’s explanation.

“Before this Ghost Emperor died, Yinghuang Province was a barren land. Although there were many sects, it was extremely chaotic and few experts were born. This lasted until this Ghost Emperor died here. His life force turned into nutrients that nourished all living beings and races.”

“It can even be said that almost all of the six major forces in the entire Yinghuang Province are closely related to it!”

“Regardless of what the rumors are about the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect, in reality, they only became so strong because they obtained a portion of the Ghost Emperor’s inheritance.”

“The three spirits of the Three Spirits Suppression Mountain were transformed from the three souls1 of this Ghost Emperor. Nether Fairy is the human soul, Sun Execution is the earth soul, and Embryonic Light is the heaven soul!”

“The seven fiends that exist in the two large worlds on the Ghost Emperor’s shoulder are formed from the seven spirits of this great cultivator!”

“There’s also the Absolute Beginning Separation Pillar controlled by the Sword Holder in the extreme north. In reality… it’s the weapon that the Ghost Emperor stabbed into the ground before he died!”

Old Master Seventh’s words were like thunder and every sentence was like lightning, rumbling endlessly in Xu Qing’s mind. It allowed Xu Qing to clearly understand how terrifying and shocking the Soul Accumulation realm was.

The death of a Soul Accumulation second stage almighty had given fortune to the whole province, leading to the formation of many factions here.

Such an existence could indeed be called a god.

At that moment, Xu Qing also understood that the fallen god of the merfolk race, Mire, was an almighty of this realm.

“What’s above the Soul Accumulation?” Xu Qing took a deep breath and asked hesitantly.

Old Master Seventh looked at the distant sky. What he saw wasn’t the fragmented face of the god but the starry sky.

“There might be such a record in the holy lands created by the ancient sovereigns and rulers, as well as in the records of the major races,” Old Master Seventh said softly. With a flick of his sleeve, the magic ship disappeared, bringing Xu Qing and the dazed Ding Xue to the ground.

Ding Xue heard everything but she couldn’t retain the information in her mind.

Some knowledge was harmful if one’s cultivation level wasn’t high enough.

When he landed in this evil land, Xu Qing’s emotions were still fluctuating.

Old Master Seventh glanced at Xu Qing and knew that he was digesting this information. Hence, he brought them to a small town ahead. This place… was the place Old Master Seventh had chosen.

This small town was located at the foot of the Nanyue Mountain. Although it was very far from the Nanyue Ghost Emperor Mountain, because the mountain peak was tall, one could see the Ghost Emperor’s body from here.

Moreover, this place directly faced the Ghost Emperor Mountain and it was convenient to observe it.

“We’ll stay in this small town. Xu Qing, you have to observe this Ghost Emperor every day until you outline its shape in your heart. The time limit is a hundred days.”

Old Master Seventh placed his hands behind his back. As his voice echoed, he brought Xu Qing and Ding Xue – who didn’t dare to speak after seeing Old Master Seventh’s serious expression – into the small town.

This town wasn’t big and the ground was covered in filth. It was late autumn, so it was more cold. The autumn wind swept over and blew up a large number of dead leaves, piling them up in the corners of the walls, causing the entire town to look a little bleak.

However, there were also some things that were different. The number of residents here was the same for the elderly and the youths…

This point attracted Xu Qing’s attention.

Ding Xue didn’t know what this scene represented but Xu Qing could see some clues. However, he didn’t investigate carefully. To him, the most important thing now was to outline the Nanyue Ghost Emperor Mountain.

The arrival of the three of them aroused the curiosity of the residents of this small town.

Very few outsiders came to this place. However, Xu Qing and Ding Xue had disguised themselves when they arrived, and it was the same for Old Master Seventh. Hence, in the eyes of the others, their family of three wasn’t too out of place.

However, in this cannibalistic world, everyone was vigilant. They instinctively felt hostility and estrangement toward outsiders.

Even though Old Master Seventh had bought a property here, this estrangement and hostility still existed.

Xu Qing didn’t feel anything about this. Every day, he would sit in his residence. When he lifted his head, he would see the majestic Ghost Emperor Mountain. Just like when he comprehended the Extreme Heaven Saber back then, he tried his best to copy it in his mind.

However, this process was extremely difficult, far surpassing the difficulty of comprehending the heavenly saber. However, Xu Qing wasn’t anxious. He continued to stare at it every day. His entire person slowly calmed down and his mind gradually became empty.

As for Old Master Seventh, he brought Ding Xue to stroll around this small town every day. He had a smiling and kind expression and liked to chat with people. Gradually, they became familiar with the surrounding neighbors.

Every time someone asked about their origins, Old Master Seventh would have a bitter expression on his face and not speak. When the others saw this, most of them fell into deep thought. They thought of all kinds of tragic past events that might have happened to this old man.

However, if they asked about the girl beside him, Old Master Seventh wouldn’t feel bitter anymore. Instead, he proudly told everyone that this was his daughter. As for the kid who stayed in his room every day, he was his live-in son-in-law.

Every time Ding Xue heard Old Master Seventh say this, she would be very happy and put on a shy expression.

Just like that, the three of them stayed in this small town.

Time passed day by day and everything was very calm. Xu Qing comprehended every day, and Old Master Seventh brought Ding Xue out every day.

As they got familiar with this small town, the residents of this small town slowly let down their guard.

The strangeness of this small town gradually revealed itself.

Although the residents of this town were suffering, they were very united. In addition, although they were hostile to Old Master Seventh and the other two at the start, after they accepted them, they revealed more kindness and gentleness.

This scene was rare in this world.

In addition, there were many old people and children in the small town. This meant that… over the years, this town had encountered very few dangers. Hence, the old people and children who didn’t have much ability to protect themselves were able to survive.

There was also a school in a corner of the town. The teacher there was in charge of teaching the children of the entire town.

Every day, the immature sound of studying coming from the school would make the residents reveal happy smiles.

Among these children, Old Master Seventh especially liked one.

This was an eight or nine-year-old boy. He was very good-looking.

He was a little different from the other children because his body was clean and so was his face. He carried a small leather bag and went to and fro from school every day. He was polite to everyone he saw.

Sometimes, when Old Master Seventh brought Ding Xue for a stroll on the streets and they met this little boy, the boy would lower his head shyly when facing Ding Xue’s gaze. He would also be timid when facing Old Master Seventh’s gaze. However, he would still politely bow and quickly run home.

His house was next door to Old Master Seventh’s residence. His father was a carpenter and his mother made clothes and weaved for a living. In the morning, they would watch the child leave. In the dusk, they would stand at the door and wait for the little boy to return.

Every night, the house would be lit up. From the shadow of the window, one could see the warm scene of the family of three.

No matter how one looked at it, it was ordinary.

However, Old Master Seventh’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. He sat beside Xu Qing and looked at Xu Qing who was staring at the Ghost Emperor Mountain.

“Fourth, what do you think about getting a fifth brother?”

Xu Qing turned a deaf ear and continued to look at the Ghost Emperor Mountain. His eyes slowly became listless until finally, he unknowingly closed his eyes. In his mind, the outline of the Ghost Emperor was rapidly forming.

However, it wasn’t over. After it took shape, it was constantly becoming clearer, as though a divine charm was slowly manifesting.

“Hmm?” Old Master Seventh, who was talking, suddenly turned his head to look at Xu Qing with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

“So fast? It’s only been less than a month. Not bad, your speed is only a little bad compared to mine back then…” Old Master Seventh paused. At the next instant, his eyes suddenly widened as he stared fixedly at Xu Qing. His expression gradually changed.

“What is this kid doing… I only asked him to carry the god in his mind. It’s enough for him to have a form, but he… is actually copying its charm2!!”