The figure was no broken face. Instead, he was a whole person.

What was more, he looked a lot younger, and he was wearing different clothing. There was something ancient about him. It was as if this wasn’t the lieutenant governor, but rather, the true form of Bai Xiaozhuo from Sea-Sealing County in the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan. As he stood there in the middle of the thirty-three swords, looking out at heaven and earth, he eventually turned to the huge eye of Emperor Ancient Spirit. Expression bleak, he bowed to the eye.

“I am a minister from the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan, which came to exist in later generations. I offer greetings, Emperor Ancient Spirit. Since you aren’t willing to let me leave this place, sir, and are determined to devour me, then I have no choice but to employ the methods I’d intended to use on the outside.” .

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s huge eye remained the same as ever, but deep inside, something mysterious flickered briefly.

Bai Xiaozhuo then pointed at Xu Qing.

“Emperor Ancient Spirit, I will now open the door to Cruelmurk. When Cruelmurk and your Ancient Spirit world combine, the catastrophic consequences are not due to my wishes, but rather, are the fault of this child.”

Xu Qing was currently safe in the Underworld River. Earlier, he had found himself being pulled toward the chewing sounds at the far end of the river. But as the river slowed to a halt, he also stopped moving. During the entire time, he continued to bow at the waist. He did not fight back, and he remained outstandingly respectful.

Even when Bai Xiaozhuo pointed at him accusingly, he didn’t look up.

Although he understood the implications of Bai Xiaozhuo’s words, and had seen Bai Xiaozhuo employ such tactics earlier, Xu Qing didn’t feel the need to do anything. His purpose in coming had already been made clear, and he knew that he couldn’t do anything to control the situation. He had already done everything he could do. Therefore, he kept his head bowed and even closed his eyes. There was no point in paying attention to what was happening.

Emperor Ancient Spirit also paid no heed. Hē just looked at the lieutenant governor, all while the sounds of swallowing got louder in the area.

Bai Xiaozhuo stood there feeling increasingly uneasy. Regardless of anything, though, he had to do something. Throwing both hands overhead, he began to chant.

“By means of my karma, I call to Cruelmurk, and to my people there…. Return to me!”

As the words left his mouth, the second canopy of heaven above Sea-Sealing County in the outside world, which was restrained by the golden net, suddenly began to vibrate. The ancient mountains that had risen up collapsed. And as the living beings in Sea-Sealing County recovered their senses, that second canopy of heaven started fading from existence, and the evil souls that had emerged went back to where they came from. A moment later, that second canopy of heaven was gone.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Spirit Abyss, Xu Qing could see that, in the sky above the corpse of the huge snake that was the Ancient Spirit world, a vortex had appeared. It spun endlessly, as that second canopy of heaven appeared again.

The giant snake shivered.

Howling erupted from the second canopy of heaven as hordes of souls flew out. This time, the aura of Revered Ancient didn’t interfere with them. And thus, there was nothing to stop the deceased souls from the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan from rushing toward the giant snake.

However, just as they appeared, the giant snake’s eyes opened. They were listless and pale, but at the same time, a terrifying pressure erupted from the snake’s body, which sent the Ancient Spirit world atop its head straight toward the vortex. When they slammed into each other, there was no rumbling boom. There was no shock wave. There was only silent destruction.

The giant snake crumbled. The Ancient Spirit world atop its head… crumbled. As it turned out, they were nothing but illusions.

At the same time, the second canopy of heaven and the countless deceased souls from Violet and Cyan also crumbled. So did the Land of Cruelmurk within the vortex. Like a bubble popping, they were annihilated into nothing. None of them existed any longer. The formation made from thirty-three golden swords was nowhere to be seen.

Xu Qing wasn’t surprised.

Within the gigantic eye of Emperor Ancient Spirit, a faint light glittered.

The lieutenant governor looked up at the sky above him, and when he saw that it looked no different from before, he knew his tactic had failed. He felt pain deep in his heart. It was almost as if he could see the countless commoners of his county, wailing in anguish as they were wiped out of existence. He breathed in and out a few times, and as he did, he suddenly seemed to age dramatically.

Sighing, he looked at Xu Qing. “You previously tried something like what I just attempted?”

Xu Qing looked back at him and nodded. Considering that Xu Qing had used a very similar method against Emperor Ancient Spirit, he had predicted that the emperor would be on guard against such methods, and would make sure not to fall victim to anything like that again. As for how exactly things would play out, Xu Qing hadn’t been totally sure, but he’d assumed it would involve some manner of concealment or illusion.

From the expression on the lieutenant governor’s face, Xu Qing could guess that Emperor Ancient Spirit hadn’t just concealed the true Ancient Spirit world, but also, hē had set up counterattacks.

The lieutenant governor didn’t say anything in response. The thirty-three golden swords were gone. The suppressed Underworld River began to flow strongly again. The gravitational force returned with a vengeance.

A bitter expression overtook the lieutenant governor’s face. All of his plans. Everything he had prepared. They did no good. Right now, he felt much the same way as the god in Forbidden by the Immortal upon encountering Crimson Mother.

And the reason for this unexpected twist… was Xu Qing.

The lieutenant governor turned and looked at Xu Qing. The bitterness on his face turned into calmness.

“I lost,” he said softly. He didn’t try to call out to the broken face of the god. He knew it wouldn’t do any good. The god’s eyes wouldn’t open because of him. Their deal had been concluded the moment he awoke.

He also didn’t try to call for the help of the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan. He had lost. He had brought shame to his lord and master, and felt too humiliated to face him. Nor could he bring himself to plead for help. He didn’t want to be the reason his lord and master clashed with Emperor Ancient Spirit.

Thankfully, I already arranged for my master’s skull to be returned. Though Seventh Prince loves to sit around weighing the pros and cons of everything, after everything he’s seen me do, he won’t go back on the agreement we made.

Sighing, the lieutenant governor closed his eyes.

The thirty-three swords faded completely as they were swept over by the boundless Underworld River. The lieutenant governor himself was carried away by the rushing water. In the depths of that river was an enormous mouth, into which the water flowed. It got closer and closer.

The lieutenant governor was moments away from being devoured.

But then a violet bolt of lightning crashed down from beyond the canopy of heaven. Moving with incredible speed, it pierced through half of the Ancient Spirit world’s canopy of heaven. It looked like the sky was going to be ripped in two.

Xu Qing looked up. The lieutenant governor shivered.

The eyes above all the imperial palaces in the Ancient Spirit world opened and looked toward the sky. More mouths appeared in the lands, and more Underworld Rivers swept through heaven and earth. The entire Ancient Spirit world was trembling. Vastly more evil souls, zombies, and war banners appeared than ever before. Gigantic figures climbed from the depths, pulsing with terrifying auras. Some were hundreds of meters tall, some thousands, some tens of thousands, and they all howled toward the sky. It was as if the Ancient Spirit world was coming alive.

The ground quaked, as if some massive being that lived beneath it were moving. And all of the howling seemed to be telling that lightning bolt something.

All of this is my food, and no one can take it away from me!

Heaven and earth were in a confrontation! 𝑖𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with cold light as he looked into the sky. Killing intent swirled in his eyes. Meanwhile, the god’s finger within him was trembling uncontrollably.

īt was truly afraid.

īt had originally assumed that after an incense stick’s worth of time passed, īt could wrest control of the god body. When īt sensed how formidable the lieutenant governor was, īt decided to hold back a bit, to save some power until Xu Qing was dead, then flee. There was no way īt could ever have guessed that Xu Qing would bring īt here.

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s eye hadn’t just shaken the lieutenant governor, it also shook the god’s finger.

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s hungry eyes, and the sound of swallowing, filled that finger with infinite fear. And the fact that īts true form was already dead pushed īts fear to the ultimate level.

And now, this aura had arrived.

If this brat manages to survive this day without getting devoured… then as soon as I’m free, I’m going to possess the god body! I definitely cannot allow him to just run around getting into trouble with it!!

As the finger trembled, the lieutenant governor looked initially excited, then ashamed. Bowing to the sky, he cried out, “My Lord!”

The violet lightning bolt grew brighter, and then, a familiar voice spoke from within it.

“Senior, I want the time that belongs to him.”

“You can’t have it!” Emperor Ancient Spirit replied with divine will that resonated with a tyrannical dao.

“I already took it.” The violet lightning bolt flickered in the sky.

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s eye grew colder.

“Then screw the hell off!”

The violet lightning bolt coalesced in the sky, turning into a face that very much resembled the broken face of the god. The face looked down at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked up at it. It was a very, very familiar face.

“You’ve really grown up, lil’ bro.”

In response to those words, Emperor Ancient Spirit’s eye shivered. At the same time, the god’s finger inside of Xu Qing trembled violently and wailed, “I don’t want my body after all! I need to get away!”

Xu Qing’s face remained expressionless. He said nothing.

The broken face in the sky similarly said nothing further. After looking at Xu Qing for a short time, it faded into nothing.

Inside the Underworld River, the lieutenant governor kowtowed respectfully.

“I, Xiaozhuo, am unable to follow you, Crown Prince. I wish you… peace and security.”

With that, Bai Xiaozhuo looked up into the sky, his eyes filled with reluctance and reminiscence. Finally, he stood, and without any urging from the Underworld River, flew toward the huge mouth. His expression was one of placid determination, as if he were dying for a just cause. As he neared, he didn’t look back. But he did speak.

“Sea-Sealing County belongs to you now, Xu Qing. Take good care of it.”

With that, Bai Xiaozhuo flew into the huge mouth. The chewing sounds that emerged made it clear that the original governor of Sea-Sealing County from the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan had been destroyed in body and soul. He had been devoured by Emperor Ancient Spirit.

Explaining the story of his life wouldn’t be an easy thing to do. And it would very much be based on the perspective of who told it. Was he loyal, evil, crafty, or ruthless? No simplistic explanation would suffice.

Before long, a contented sigh echoed out in the Ancient Spirit world. It was the sigh of someone who hadn’t eaten food for a very, very long time, then tasted something delicious. Emperor Ancient Spirit’s eye narrowed and shifted to focus on Xu Qing.

“Is the second batch of interest that thing you have inside your body?”

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