Outside Of Time

Chapter 1771  Swallowed in One Bite

The True God, whose body was a squirming mass of flesh and blood oozing toxic mucus, trembled violently at the sight before It.

In an instant, It attempted to tear through the void and flee.

But in the next moment, the Summer Immortal commander flashed into position behind the True God. Her left hand rose as silver light erupted from her body—the full might of a Summer Immortal bursting forth once more to block Its escape.

The True God faltered.

”Xu Qing, if we join forces, we can—”

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Qing had already arrived. With a wave of his hand, a single fingernail appeared before him.

The moment this nail materialized, a terrifying power surged within it.

The starry sky twisted; the void collapsed. Though its pressure couldnʼt compare to the bridge from earlier, it was still enough to shock all who witnessed it.

This was a Dao Artifact!

The instant it appeared, it absorbed all the overlapping space-time shadows behind Xu Qing, condensing them into a beam of gold and silver light.

It shot toward the True God like a bolt of lightning.

In the blink of an eye, the True God convulsed violently, Its body visibly disintegrating. All Its toxins dissipated, the poisonous plums within turning to nothingness.

Even Its divine soul—vanished without a trace!

Annihilated, body and soul!

The speed of this strike was breathtaking. Xu Qingʼs attack was swift and ruthless, his aura and the terrifying power of the nail shaking heaven and earth.

The Summer Immortal commanderʼs heart pounded violently as she stared at Xu Qing…

Her expression hardened.

”This is no Quasi Immortal… This is a Summer Immortal!”

”With that Dao Artifact in hand, even an ordinary Summer Immortal would have to tread carefully around him.”

”Especially in his current state—heʼs just one step away from a breakthrough!”

”He has everything ready. His immortal embryo is fully formed, on the verge of ascension. The only thing missing is the elevation of his Ordinance!”

Recognizing Xu Qingʼs condition, the Summer Immortal commander spoke solemnly.

”True Monarch, wait a moment!”

Meanwhile, the surrounding gods were thrown into chaos, fleeing madly in all directions. The cultivators, having narrowly escaped death, were invigorated.

They bowed to Xu Qing in reverence before giving chase to the fleeing gods.

The Summer Immortal commander joined the pursuit.

With no True Gods left, the remnants of the divine army were quickly cleaned up under her leadership and the coordinated efforts of her forces.

Once the mission was complete, the female Summer Immortal returned to Xu Qingʼs side and clasped her hands in salute.

”Thank you for your assistance!”

Her words were sincere.

Xu Qingʼs expression remained calm as he returned the gesture. After exchanging a few words about the current state of the battlefield, he bid farewell under the watchful eyes of the Summer Immortal and her subordinates.

As Xu Qingʼs figure disappeared into the starry sky, the Summer Immortal commanderʼs heart continued to ripple with emotion.

”The title of True Monarch, blessed by fortune, and the younger brother of Immortal Lord Mi Ming… In the current Fifth Star Ring, his status is truly supreme!”

”And his own combat prowess is astonishing… The next time we meet, he will surely have broken through to become a Summer Immortal.”

At this thought, a sudden realization struck her.

”He… doesnʼt seem to have a Dao Companion yet…”

…

Xu Qing was unaware of the female Summer Immortalʼs musings. At this moment, he was traversing the starry sky, wandering through the Fourth Star Ring.

The deeper he ventured, the more evident the devastation of the Fourth Star Ring became.

Fragments of shattered stars and ruins of divine kingdoms were everywhere.

The scars of war stretched endlessly across the Fourth Star Ring.

The entire region was withered and desolate.

The starlight had vanished; the golden radiance of divine kingdoms was no more.

It was as if most of the Fourth Star Ring had been plunged into eternal darkness.

The only sources of light now were the supply stars extending from the Fifth Star Ring. With the cultivators holding the upper hand in the war, the final mop-up operations were underway.

”According to that commander, the cleanup in the Fourth Star Ring is being conducted in two ways. First, the cultivator armies are compressing the last strongholds of the gods.”

”Second, the supply stars serve as hubs for clearing the surrounding battlefields and remnants.”

”The former is handled by combat corps, while the latter… is mostly carried out by corpse-looting teams working with garrison squads.”

Xu Qing pondered this, thinking of Zhou Zhengli and the others.

”I can probably track them down through the supply stars along the way.”

Recalling his former comrades, a faint smile touched Xu Qingʼs lips.

”I wonder how theyʼre doing now…”

Just like that, time flowed by.

Xu Qing roamed the Fourth Star Ring, searching for opportunities to break through.

Along the way, he encountered some remnant gods.

However, given his current cultivation at the peak of the Quasi Immortal realm—and combat power rivaling a Summer Immortal—as long as he didnʼt run into a peak True God or Lord God, he had no fear.

Through the supply stars, he also managed to contact Zhou Zhengli, confirming their location. Adjusting his course, Xu Qing began moving toward them.

At the same time, Zhou Zhengli and the others in the Funeral Squad had just completed a battlefield mission and were granted a period of leave, returning to their designated supply star.

During Xu Qingʼs disappearance after the goddess trade incident, Zhou Zhengli and the others had each grown in their own ways.

They had participated in the general offensive against the Fourth Star Ring, earning battle merits while upholding the Funeral Squadʼs traditions—looting corpses on the battlefield and occasionally harvesting live gods.

Their cultivation had improved significantly.

Now, not only were they all Quasi Immortals, but Star Ring had even reached the mid-stage of Quasi Immortal, not far from the late stage.

As for Xie Lingzi and Yuanshan Su, they were on the verge of breaking through the early Quasi Immortal stage.

Qianjun and Piyi had also made progress, their carefree attitudes making them even more smug than before.

Only Zhou Zhengli showed little change in cultivation, but he was skilled at concealment—his true capabilities were hard to gauge.

Now, back at the supply star, as the group prepared to disperse, Zhou Zhengli smiled and spoke.

”Everyone, I have good news. Iʼve contacted the Young Master. Heʼs on his way to our supply star.”

The moment these words were spoken, the groupʼs expressions shifted subtly.

Xie Lingzi narrowed his eyes, suppressing the arrogance that had been growing in him.

Yuanshan Su seemed momentarily dazed.

Star Ringʼs face remained impassive, but a glint of sharpness flashed in his eyes.

The most dramatic reaction came from Qianjun and Piyi. They, who had been gleefully discussing where to go next, shuddered violently, their hearts trembling with fear.

Then, they scattered.

Watching their retreating figures, Zhou Zhengliʼs smile didnʼt fade. Instead, he felt a surge of excitement.

Compared to the others, he and Li Mengtu, who was still away training, were the ones who most eagerly awaited Xu Qingʼs return. Their decision to follow Xu Qing had already borne the greatest fruit the moment Immortal Lord Mi Ming shook the Fifth Star Ring.

During this time, Zhou Zhengli could clearly sense the respect Fifth Star Ring cultivators showed them.

Even the Summer Immortal overseeing their supply star treated them with courtesy.

All of this filled Zhou Zhengli with immense pride for his choice back then.

As for the othersʼ thoughts, Zhou Zhengli understood them well but paid no mind.

He knew that any ulterior motives the others harbored had been rendered meaningless the moment Xu Qing assisted Young Master Aurora. All such schemes would dissolve into nothingness upon Xu Qingʼs arrival.

With a light chuckle, Zhou Zhengli decided to wait there, ready to welcome Xu Qing the moment he appeared.

Meanwhile, the others who had left behaved differently.

Xie Lingzi immediately went into seclusion. The broken sword within him trembled uncontrollably.

”Heʼs back. If you still dare to pursue what you mentioned, I wonʼt stop you… but do you still have the guts?”

Xie Lingzi spoke lowly. The broken sword within him seethed with frustration.

Qianjun and Piyi, now devoid of any desire for amusement, rushed back to their dwelling and began frantic discussions.

”What do we do… Heʼs coming back!”

”Weʼre doomed, doomed! Weʼve been eating so well lately—our blades are sharper than ever. Heʼll definitely take a liking to them!”

”Itʼs all your fault! I told you not to eat so much!”

”No, itʼs your fault! You started it!”

The two brothers bickered vehemently.

Star Ring, meanwhile, had already left the supply star. A streak of light shot through the cosmos as he returned to the hidden abode he had established outside—a fragment of a shattered star he had claimed for his cultivation.

Sitting cross-legged, a fierce light gleamed in Star Ringʼs eyes.

”Even if the gap keeps widening… Xu Qing, I refuse to fall too far behind!”

Star Ring murmured. With a wave of his hand, countless motes of dust materialized before him.

They were no ordinary dust—each grain carried terrifying weight.

This was Heavenʼs Law!

As Star Ring gazed at the dust, anticipation rose in his heart.

Through his efforts and the opportunities he had seized during this time, he had finally refined a substantial amount of Heavenʼs Law.

This was his preparation for ascending to Summer Immortal.

His path differed from Xu Qingʼs.

While Xu Qing had yet to comprehend his Summer Immortal Ordinance, Star Ring had long known that his next step lay in Heavenʼs Law.

”Almost done. Just a few more days of refinement, and this Heavenʼs Law dust will be fully fused with me!”

”Once thatʼs complete, the only thing left for my Summer Immortal ascension will be nourishing the immortal embryo with origin essence!”

His resolve firm, Star Ring formed hand seals and immersed himself fully in the refinement process.

But then—

Without warning, the void in his abode twisted violently, transforming into a gigantic maw!

This maw seemed composed of pure greed, like the gaping jaws of a rabid dog.

The moment it appeared, it lunged for the Heavenʼs Law dust before Star Ring—and swallowed it all in one bite!

Not a single speck remained!

Then, it vanished instantly.

Only the sound of a satisfied belch echoed through the abode.

The suddenness of this left Star Ring momentarily stunned.

Then, his mind erupted in fury. His eyes bulged with rage as an earth-shaking roar tore from his throat!

His cultivation base exploded with unparalleled intensity!