OUTSIDE OF TIME

850 There’s a Kind of Lie Called Hope (1)

The so-called heavenly fire crossing the sky was a unique climate change in the Moon Worship Region.

There were many different theories about the principles behind its formation, with some people suggesting that it was caused by the tidal forces of the Red Moon. It was observed that the closer the Red Moon approached, the more frequent the occurrence of ‘heavenly fire crossing the sky’ became.

Some people said that the ruler who had been killed by the Red Moon was returning.

Every time the phenomenon of heavenly fire crossing the sky appeared, the entire Moon Worship Region would be lit up. The sea of fire in the sky churned and rose from the east until it enveloped the entire sky.

The further away they were from the east, the more intense the light and heat became. At the same time, there were also different degrees of fire rain.

This would last for several months before the sea of fire in the sky returned and fell into the fire sea in the east again. This could be considered a cycle.

During this process, in the entire eastern part of the Moon Worship Region, other than places like Little Altar, most places would burn in the fire rain.

Almost all the buildings and plants would be in ruins.

This was also the reason why the cities in the territory of the two races were mostly made of mud and were crude. Only their shared holy city, with the enhancement of the almighty experts of the two races and some special methods, could barely withstand the corrosion of the fire rain but even then, it would suffer some extents of damage.

Every time the heavenly fire returned, they would start rebuilding. The soil also had to be changed to dispel the fire poison, as it was the source of sustenance for mortal food crops.

Fortunately, heavenly fire crossing the sky only appeared once every few decades and wasn’t too frequent. Its destructive force was mainly focused in the east, so the other areas weren’t heavily affected. It wasn’t difficult for cultivators to reconstruct the land with spells.

Ordinary clansmen had to think of a way to enter the holy city to take refuge before that. However, this required them to pay a considerable price. If they didn’t meet the conditions… they could only hide underground.

With the physiques they had formed from generations of adapting to the heavenly fire, they could avoid this calamity.

This was also the reason why the border guards Xu Qing saw were all hiding underground. They needed to undergo their own decomposition before the arrival of the heavenly fire, merging themselves with the soil beneath.

The Heavenly Mask Race also had a similar method.

However, these methods were all adaptations that the locals had evolved to suit their environment, something Xu Qing didn’t possess.

At that moment, the surroundings of the underground cave he was in were incomparably hot. The soil began to crystallize and amidst the high temperature, an intense sense of discomfort appeared in Xu Qing’s heart.

“It’s almost close to the temperature on the surface of the magma, and this is only the beginning…”

Xu Qing’s forehead broke into a sweat, and his body felt sticky. Gradually, he couldn’t retain moisture within his body, and this made him feel uneasy. He swiftly retreated even deeper into the earth.

It was only when he reached a certain range that he felt a little better. However, the danger in his mind and the warning alerts sent by the mosasaur were still intense.

Hence, he didn’t retract his divine consciousness and paid close attention to the outside world.

In his perception, the outside sky was now glaring with flames, and the molten lava churned across the sky. As that pair of severed hands made a series of hand seals, the fire seemed to be driven away and continued to expand.

A large amount of fire rain fell and many mountain peaks began to melt, becoming increasingly irregular.

The world of this region was filled with endless flames. Thick smoke billowed and the temperature increased sharply.

In Xu Qing’s judgment, its terrifying level was already comparable to the heat he felt when he was ten feet in the magma.

“This can’t go on!”

The sense of danger grew increasingly intense in Xu Qing’s heart. He looked deeper into the ground and a contemplative look appeared in his eyes.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t continue, but there was ultimately a limit to his body. After all, there was a squeezing force in the Wanggu Continent. If Xu Qing sank too deep, he would find it difficult to withstand this pressure.

“Moreover, I don’t know if the heavenly fire will spread deeper… If its spreading power exceeds the limit of my sinking, it will be a dead end for me.”

Xu Qing weighed the pros and cons. This was only the first day of the heavenly fire and he could sense that it would definitely be even more terrifying in the future.

Xu Qing quickly took out a jade slip.

In this jade slip was a simple map. It was given to him by the old man, Duanmu Zang, before he left. He was also the one who told Xu Qing that the heavenly fire was coming. He said that if Xu Qing really had nowhere to go, he could come to the location of the map.

Xu Qing decided to take a look first. If it really didn’t work, he would gamble and move deeper underground or leave the two races’ territory at full speed and stay away from the source of the fire.

At the thought of this, he headed straight for the ground.

He didn’t choose to move underground as it would affect his speed. At that moment, his body entered the high temperature. The closer he was to the ground, the more terrifying the temperature.

When he broke through the soil and appeared on the ground, burn marks appeared on Xu Qing’s body.

The intense pain spread.

The temperature outside had already exceeded the temperature of when he was ten feet under the magma. Even though Xu Qing’s body wasn’t ordinary and it could recover fast, the pain of being burned was still intense.

Most importantly, even though Xu Qing had the support of the Sundial life lanterns, he couldn’t withstand the invasion of this heavenly fire on his soul for too long.

This was also the reason why he couldn’t refine the heavenly fire for a long time.

The physical body was one aspect, and the soul was another.

This was especially so when compared to his body, Xu Qing’s soul was much more fragile.

“I can’t stay too long!” Xu Qing’s breathing was filled with heat. When it entered his body, it was as though it was burning him from inside.

He didn’t hesitate at all and rushed out. As he sped through the sea of fire, he also took out the umbrella that Duanmu Zang had given him. After he propped it up, the temperature was somewhat isolated.

Xu Qing’s body relaxed and his speed increased.

As he rushed forward, his entire person stirred up a storm. Wherever he passed, flames would rumble.

Just like that, two days passed and the temperature became even more astonishing. Everywhere he saw seemed to be blurry and distorted due to the heat. His divine consciousness was also isolated and the umbrella showed signs of collapsing.