The Crimson Moon Temple floated above the sea of heavenly fire, emitting endless red light that spread in all directions like fresh blood. The thumping of the heart echoed throughout the land.
Every cultivator who saw this scene trembled with fear. Not daring to look directly at it, they knelt from afar and quickly left.
The temple didn't care at all.
To the temple, they were nothing more than lambs that had been raised on a free-range basis. The more they moved around, the better their qi and blood would be.
At this moment, the Divine Hall cultivator on the meteorite still had his eyes closed. In the Divine Hall above the heart, there were seven figures in red robes sitting cross-legged.
There were seven of them from different races. Six of them were below, while one was above.
The one above was from the Winged Clan. His feathered face was expressionless, and the fluctuations of Return to Void were faintly discernible. As for the six below him, they were all Spiritual Treasure cultivators, just like the woman in red.
They were waiting for their companions to return.
This kind of task of feeding and reinforcing the restriction would cause some trouble with the marking. Therefore, those who completed it on a daily basis were those who were not valued in the temple.
Although they couldn't use their consciousness due to the magma and had to wait a bit longer, it wasn't too late. Given their status and way of thinking, they didn't think there would be any accidents.
Thus, they continued to meditate.
But what they didn't know was that their companion, the woman in red, was a thousand feet below the magma. Her expression changed drastically, and her mind was in great turmoil.
Under the intense killing intent in Xu Qing's heart, he used his Purple Moon Nascent Soul to control the Crimson Moon Formation. With a wave of his hand, he formed seven or eight large red hands that rushed toward the woman in red.
At this critical moment, the woman in red's heart trembled violently. She knew full well that her authority couldn't compare to Xu Qing's. If she didn't have the ancestor's token, she probably wouldn't even have the right to resist.
Her only advantage at the moment was her cultivation.
She was at the Awakening stage of the Nurturing Dao and was about to form the Heavenly Dao. Her battle prowess was strong enough to crush all Nascent Soul cultivators.
"Damn it, if we weren't here, I could easily crush this person!"
The woman in red formed a seal with both hands, her eyes bloodshot. She pushed outward, and an illusory Secret Treasure appeared behind her. It spat out wind, fire, and lightning, and blasted forward.
In an instant, it collided with the seven or eight crimson hands.
A thunderous rumble echoed under the magma and the woman in red coughed out blood. The seven or eight hands were also disintegrated under the interference of her token and her own power.
"No matter where you come from, no matter why you have such divine authority, your cultivation is still too weak!"
The red-robed woman coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her eyes flickered with coldness as she gave up on fleeing and prepared to capture Meng Hao alive.
He thought that once he captured the other party, it would definitely cause a stir in the entire Red Moon Temple. At that time, his credit would be immense.
Thinking of this, the woman in red looked determined. She waved her hand and the shadow of the Secret Treasure appeared outside her body. A roar came from it, as if a giant beast was rushing out from the Secret Treasure. The terrifying power spread in all directions and shrouded Xu Qing.
Xu Qing frowned, feeling regret in his heart.
The Crimson Moon Seal here was truly powerful, but with Xu Qing's current Divine Authority, even if it surpassed his opponent's token in terms of level, it was still not enough in terms of quantity.
He couldn't move any more restriction power.
At this moment, seeing the other party's Secret Treasure approaching and the shocking pressure, his body was still fine, but his Spiritual Soul was trembling, transmitting a strong sense of danger.
Xu Qing's eyes flashed with determination. He waved his hands and his body shone with a purple light. His Purple Moon Nascent Soul appeared above his head, forming a purple moon!
As soon as the moon appeared, the magma in all directions turned purple in an instant.
More Crimson Moon Seals gathered in front of Xu Qing, forming a shield to block the suppression of the red-robed woman's Secret Treasure.
There was a loud explosion, and the surrounding magma was pushed back, creating an empty space. At the same time, the woman in red was forced to retreat.
The blood vessels all over her body bulged, looking like countless earthworms crawling under her skin. The shock in her heart was much stronger than before.
"Who are you!"
The woman in red lost her voice again. The moment the Purple Moon appeared, she felt as if she had seen a god. Even her body had some involuntary reactions and the impulse to worship it rose.
If it weren't for the fact that her Cultivation base had turned into an anchor that strengthened her will, she really would have been unable to stop herself from kneeling.
This feeling made her scalp go numb and her mind feel as if it had been struck by a hundred thousand lightning bolts.
Xu Qing wasn't feeling any better. Although he had the help of the Crimson Moon Seal, the difference in their Cultivation bases was still very difficult for him to bear. His body was fine, but his Spiritual Soul was the main problem.
The feeling of his Spiritual Soul being torn apart caused Xu Qing's mind to buzz and his vision to turn black.
It was as if a knife had stabbed directly into his brain and was constantly twisting.
Xu Qing's eyes were bloodshot, but he knew that this was a critical moment and that he couldn't relax. He endured the tearing pain in his mind and formed a seal with both hands.
The Purple Moon Nascent Soul above his head also formed a seal. The power of the Purple Moon erupted once more, forming a giant purple net. It pushed the red net toward the woman in red.
The woman in red suppressed the shock and anger in her heart. She clenched her teeth and her bloodline began to burn. The token in her hand also began to burn.
"Divine Descent!"
A mournful roar came from the woman in red's mouth as she burned everything.
Blood flowed out of her eyes, and her expression was one of pain and ferocity. Cracks appeared all over her body, from which blood flowed out. Other than the fact that she didn't raise her hands to cover her eyes, she didn't look much different from a statue.
Especially in the next instant, her eyes actually exploded.
Xu Qing had seen this scene before. It was the same with Zhang Siyun.
As her voice echoed out, a vast power rose up from the woman in red.
Although Scarlet Matriarch was asleep and couldn't descend, the aura of the woman in red's divine ability caused the Crimson Moon Seal to pause for a moment.
Xu Qing's control of the seal was also affected.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the woman in red charged out toward the surface of the magma. In the end, she chose to leave. Xu Qing's Purple Moon filled her with intense dread.
As long as she rushed out, her companions would notice and attack. Although the credit would be divided, she had no other choice at the moment. She was worried that if she continued to delay, the strange purple moon would make her go crazy.
Seeing that she was about to charge out, Xu Qing's eyes were filled with madness. He couldn't let her leave, so he charged at her.
The golden threads in his body stretched out to 30 feet tall and suppressed her.
The woman's blood red eyes let out a demonic roar as she waved her hands. Black flames came out from the treasure trove and turned into a ferocious ghost face that attempted to devour Xu Qing.
Xu Qing's body trembled violently and collapsed from 30 feet to the size of a normal person. All of his Nascent Souls trembled and coughed out soul energy. His soul was about to shatter.
Fortunately, with the protection of the life lamp, his soul didn't really shatter.
However, Xu Qing knew very well that if he were to touch it again, his soul would probably not be able to endure it any longer. However, his desperate attempt to stop it had played a crucial role.
In the end, the woman in red, who was on the verge of forming the heavenly dao, was slowed down for a moment.
At the same time, the effects of the divine descent on the restriction began to weaken. Xu Qing's control began to recover.
Under his control, the restriction turned into a giant blood-red hand that grabbed at the red-robed woman from below.
Although it was fast, it wasn't fast enough to stop her. She burst forth with speed again and was about to break free.
In that critical moment, a dark light flashed through Xu Qing's eyes as he looked at the woman.
In that instant, he plucked out the needles of the five life lamps in his body!
Time Stasis!
Without a sound, the time belonging to the woman in red was forcefully stopped at this moment.
Her body froze, but she didn't react or sense anything.
That pause was the difference between life and death!
In an instant, the moment the woman's body recovered, the restriction hand came from below and grabbed her body. It ruthlessly dragged her down.
Even more hands rushed out, enveloping her in layers and dragging her down.
The price of forcibly stopping a Spirit Treasure expert in time was enormous for Xu Qing. His life lantern instantly decayed, and enormous cracks appeared on its surface.
But as long as they didn't collapse, Xu Qing felt that they could be restored. He didn't have time to worry about that, though. Enduring the pain of his soul being torn apart, he formed hand seals to control the restriction around him.
The power of the restriction continued to erupt, dragging the woman into the abyss of the coffin!
Ever since Xu Qing appeared, not a single sound came out from the crack, but when he noticed this scene, the sound of gulping could be heard coming from the crack.
The sound was filled with desire and insanity.
As for the woman in red, she was grabbed by the countless hands. Her expression changed again, and the fluctuations in her mind grew even more intense. The feeling of imminent death caused her to tremble all over, and madness appeared in her eyes.
She knew what would happen if she was dragged into the abyss, so she struggled with all her might. But all she could do was buy herself some time, and her body slowly approached the abyss.
Despair filled her eyes, and she let out a mournful cry. Flames rose up all over her body. Not only was her cultivation burning, but so was her life force.
She poured everything she had into her voice, transforming it into a sound wave that could pierce through metal and crack stone. It caused the lava around her to collapse, and she tried to send it out to seek help from the outside world.
Xu Qing coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his eyes were bloodshot. Seeing that the woman was still resisting, he calculated the time in his mind, then suddenly charged forward.
After two breaths of time, he closed in on the ferocious woman who was screaming. Xu Qing raised his hands and used his body as a weapon to smash at her.
He pushed her forward, causing her to fall even faster into the abyss.
At such close range, Xu Qing's soul began to crumble, but he relied on his powerful willpower to endure. After six breaths of time, he finally entered the abyss with the woman in red, who was trapped by the restriction hand!
The moment he entered, Xu Qing saw a pair of enormous blue eyes and a gaping maw.
In the next moment, before Xu Qing's soul was destroyed, he unleashed the power of the sundial.
Return!
It was as if Xu Qing's figure didn't exist. He was a blur inside the abyss. It was as if time had been shattered, turning into countless fragments that reformed seven breaths ago.
Outside the abyss, Xu Qing's figure suddenly appeared. His soul hadn't collapsed, but there was still intense pain. All of his injuries had returned to how they were seven breaths ago.
As for the woman, she had fallen into the abyss for eternity.
The sound of chewing filled with joy echoed in all directions as he bit down with great force.
However, the crisis wasn't over. It didn't come from the abyss below, but from above the lava.
Xu Qing didn't know if the woman's death and her actions before her death would attract the attention of the outside world, but he couldn't gamble. Even though his soul was heavily injured, he clenched his teeth and charged toward the restriction below.
In an instant, Xu Qing merged into the Crimson Moon Seal. Relying on the power of the Purple Moon, he concealed himself and hid under a protruding rune on the surface of the huge coffin.
After arriving here, Xu Qing's injuries were almost uncontrollable. His vision darkened, and he fiercely bit his tongue to stimulate himself so that he could maintain consciousness.
Then, the power of the purple moon filled his body. He took out the concealment mask his master had given him and quickly put it on.
Xu Qing didn't want to use this mask unless he had no other choice.
Because if he used it too much, he wouldn't be able to take it off.
But he had to use it now.
At the same time, the coffin suddenly shook. It emitted a gentle force that enveloped Xu Qing and strengthened him.
Just as Xu Qing's heart stirred, a shocking fluctuation came from above the magma.
Xu Qing immediately lowered his head and remained motionless.
Soon, the lava above roared and exploded in all directions. A figure wearing a red robe and with red wings slowly walked out of the lava.
His expression was gloomy. His steps didn't seem fast, but in just a few steps, he arrived above the coffin.
The fluctuations of the Void Returning realm filled this place with a sense of violence.
Standing there, the Winged Race's Divine Envoy swept his gaze around. At the same time, chewing sounds came from the coffin. There were also sounds of satisfaction echoing.
"Mother Chi's servant. The taste isn't bad."
Hearing this, the Winged Race's Divine Envoy looked into the abyss. His eyes shone with a red light as if he could see through a certain range and into the abyss.
After a while, he frowned. He felt the aura of his Divine Servant and knew that he had been swallowed.
As for why this happened, he wasn't very clear. But when he thought about the identity of the being in the coffin, it seemed to be understandable.
"This matter needs to be reported to the temple."
"It seems that the sealing time will have to be more frequent."
The Winged Race's Divine Envoy swept his gaze over the restrictions around him. Then, he raised his right hand and took out a blood crystal. After crushing it, he fused it with the restrictions.
Immediately, the restriction fluctuations here became even stronger.
After doing this, he coldly looked at the crack. Then, he turned around and left.
The death of a Divine Servant was a big deal to the outside world. But to him, it was nothing. He just needed to know the cause of death.
Xu Qing didn't immediately leave. He waited for half a day. After confirming that the Divine Envoy had left, he couldn't help but relax. The dizziness and exhaustion caused by the injury to his Divine Soul made Xu Qing very dispirited.
Fortunately, when he looked at his sundial, he found that although they were decaying, they were recovering as the needle moved.
Xu Qing heaved a sigh of relief and flew out. After a while, he suddenly paused in midair. After a few breaths of silence, he bowed to the coffin that was the size of a city.
"Thank you, senior."
A blue eye appeared in the abyss of the opening of the coffin lid and stared at Xu Qing.
This eye was huge. It gave Xu Qing a feeling that it was similar to the God's Eye, but its power was different.
"You have the power of Red Matriarch in your body!"
A buzzing sound with an inexplicable meaning echoed in all directions.
Xu Qing lowered his head and spoke respectfully.
"My master snatched it for me. It doesn't belong to the Crimson Moon now. It belongs to me."
The eye in the coffin shrank, but he didn't speak.
Xu Qing waved his hand, and the power of poison spread out.
"This is also the same."
After speaking, he also revealed the aura of the Ghost Emperor Mountain.
"And this."
"Also, this body of mine was snatched by my master and given to me." As Xu Qing spoke, he took out the fish bones.
"They are a set."
After a while, a muffled voice came from the coffin. "Who is your master?"
Xu Qing shook his head with a serious expression.
"Senior, before I complete the task my master gave me, he doesn't allow me to say his name."
"Task?" The eye in the coffin focused.
"My task is to obtain information about the Crimson Moon and the Red Matriarch for my master. Senior, you may not know, but under my master's arrangements, the Red Matriarch has fallen into a deep sleep."
"I came here to go to the Repent Plain and calculate the time of the Crimson Moon's arrival."
"Senior, you are?" Xu Qing asked respectfully.
The coffin was silent for a long time. Then, an ancient voice came from the coffin.
"Little child, I don't believe what you said, but it doesn't matter. I can feel that the power of Red Matriarch in your body was snatched. It is different from those God's Envoys, and you are also a human."
"As for my identity … this large territory was once my father's territory."
Xu Qing's eyes focused, and a huge wave rose in his heart.
"The plain you are going to is where my father's bones are buried."
The voice in the coffin was bitter.
"Too much time has passed, and I can no longer remember the years …"
"You are the second person besides the people of the Crimson Moon Divine Hall to appear in front of me in these countless years. Many years ago, there was another one. He promised me that he would help me leave, but he hasn't appeared for a long time."
"Tell me, how are the humans outside now?"
Xu Qing was silent. He had doubts about the truth of these words, but the injury to his Spirit was too serious, and Xu Qing already felt that he was weak.
In addition, there was a special reason that made him not dare to act rashly. So, he sat down cross-legged, recovering from his injuries while dispersing his poison seal.
Then, he spoke softly, slowly telling him the history of the outside world that he knew. Occasionally, when his injuries flared up, Xu Qing would stop to recuperate, and then speak again after he had recovered. Throughout, he was nervous and vigilant to the extreme.
In this way, time passed.
A day later, Xu Qing finished speaking.
The blue eyes in the coffin revealed a trace of reminiscence, and a murmur echoed for a long time.
"The Human Race has fallen to such a state …"
Xu Qing was silent.
After a long while, a soft sigh came from the coffin, and the blue eyes looked at Xu Qing again.
"Little child, your injuries are very serious."
Xu Qing nodded. The purple crystal could heal the body very quickly, but the Spirit's injuries were indeed very slow. Especially when facing this unknown existence, Xu Qing needed to be completely focused and did not dare to relax in the slightest.
"Since you let me eat good food and told me about the history of the Human Race, come to me, and I will help you."
An ancient voice came from the coffin.
Xu Qing shook his head.
"Thank you for your kindness, senior, but this is what junior should do."
The eyes in the coffin were silent as they looked at Xu Qing. After a few dozen breaths, a white mist drifted out from the abyss, containing a strong fluctuation of destiny.
"You don't have to be so wary of me. This mist came from the servant of the Crimson Mother, I'll give it to you."
After Xu Qing sensed it, his expression did not change at all as he spoke softly.
"Senior, junior's words were rude, I hope you don't mind. I just want to tell you that I don't taste good."
As he spoke, the poison that spread all over Xu Qing's body spread out again. After controlling it to a certain extent, he looked at the eyes.
"Senior, junior may have misunderstood you, but I just want to tell you that we are both hostile to the Crimson Moon. Although my Spirit is injured, I can still control the restrictions here," Xu Qing said respectfully. With a wave of his hand, a red net appeared and flickered in the magma.
"So, please let me leave."
"I did not restrict you. You can leave at any time outside the coffin." The voice in the coffin was calm.
"Senior." Xu Qing's expression was serious as he spoke word by word.
"I am not outside the coffin, I am inside the coffin. If I take a step, I will walk into your mouth. You have changed my perception, I know that."
"But I really don't taste good."
At the same time, outside the Heavenly Fire Sea, in the Holy Land of the Mirror Shadow Clan and the Heavenly Face Clan, this huge city that was barely holding on looked like a bird's nest.
Its oval shape covered an area of a hundred miles and was very vast.
Now, in the sky above the Holy Land, there was a huge heart floating. The Crimson Moon Temple on it was emitting a strange red light.
There were dozens of purple-red meteorites around it, exuding a strong pressure.
Below them were all the higher-ups of the two clans, including the Imperial Advisor and the Monarch. They all appeared and knelt there respectfully.
They were not the only ones who knelt. All the clansmen in the city did the same.
After a long time, a low voice came from the temple.
"The day of your sacrifice is 49 days later. This time, in addition to the Heavenly Fire Crystals, you need to eat 500,000 live."
The voice echoed. The heart where the temple was moved slowly and left the place.
They were going to fly all the way to the center of the eastern part of the Sacrificial Moon Region, where they would wait for the eastern clans to send their sacrifices on the designated day. The standards of each clan were different.
The Patriarchs of the two clans and the Imperial Advisor knelt and sent them off respectfully. When the Crimson Moon Temple disappeared into the horizon, the Monarchs of the two clans dared to stand up and look at each other.
"The amount of live food has increased by 50% …"
"If it is not completed, our clansmen will make up the numbers."
The two were silent. After a while, the Heavenly Face Monarch's eyes flashed coldly.
"That human shelter must have gathered a lot of live food in the past few years under our pretense …"
"After raising it for so long, it is time to harvest it."