A month has passed in the blink of an eye. The entire empty square has fallen into silence. The starlight that once filled the square has now completely dissipated. Only the central disc still flickers with a faint glow, within which a human-shaped outline is faintly visible.
"Ugh."
At this moment, not far from the disc, Hun Changqing, since the black mist released by the Morning Star Ancient Emperor a month ago completely dissipated from his body, the divine water within his body was no longer suppressed. As his consciousness sank, the Three Lights Divine Water began to circulate autonomously.
It began to slowly repair Hun Changqing's injured soul and body. After a month of consciousness sinking, Hun Changqing's consciousness finally gradually recovered. However, because he had just awakened, he was still in a daze and unconsciously uttered a low murmur.
However, as consciousness returned, countless fragments of memory flashed through his mind. Recalling his past experiences, his previously hazy consciousness instantly became clear. His eyes, which had been closed for a month, snapped open, and he sprang to his feet with a somersault.
Hun Changqing looked around at the familiar scene, his eyes filled with confusion. He then raised his hand, clenched his fist slightly, and felt the incredibly real touch of his own flesh, which made Hun Changqing's face show a very puzzled expression.
"I'm not dead? How is that possible? That attack was like a dimensional attack; I couldn't possibly withstand it. What happened after I fainted? Did my Taiyin True Understanding sense that I was in mortal danger and unleash its power to kill that old codger, the Morning Star Ancient Emperor? And save me?"
Hun Changqing thought to himself. It wasn't that he was being delusional; he simply didn't understand what could have allowed him to survive such a heavenly attack.
At this moment, Hun Changqing's heart was filled with the relief and joy of surviving a calamity. Although he wasn't afraid of death, who would want to die when they could live? There were still many beautiful things in this world for him to experience!
After pondering for a moment, Hun Changqing couldn't come up with a solution, and he didn't have time to think about it anymore. He quickly mobilized his newly recovered soul to examine his own condition. However, after a thorough examination, Hun Changqing's initially excited expression turned somewhat gloomy.
At this moment, the once bright and clear Taiyin Origin within Hun Changqing's body had become very dim. The divine water and black death wood aura within the Origin were also very weak. Even the Yin Soul Banner was no longer as majestic as before. The Yin Demon and the main soul within the banner had fallen into a deep sleep, and the Taiyin True Qi within his body was now less than one-tenth of its original strength. Moreover, the remaining Taiyin True Qi was not as active as before, and its circulation was very sluggish.
The dire state of his body caused Hun Changqing to feel an unprecedented weakness, several times stronger than the weakness he experienced when using the Taiyin True Technique. This feeling was extremely uncomfortable for him.
The only good news was that, seemingly due to his near-death experience and narrow escape, his mental state had improved considerably. His cultivation level had loosened, and he believed he would break through soon.
However, Hun Changqing had no time to worry about the loosening of his cultivation level. His priority now was to replenish his energy, recover, and leave this horrible place.
Just as Hun Changqing was about to take out the pills from his storage ring to recover from his weakness, a dazzling beam of light suddenly shot out from the disc in the center of the plaza, illuminating the entire plaza like a divine miracle.
Seeing this sudden change, Hun Changqing's vigilance was at its peak. In his current extremely weak state, any slight disturbance would make him as easily frightened as a startled bird, let alone the energy contained within this unexpected phenomenon, which was almost beyond his imagination.
Hun Changqing slowly retreated, not wanting to figure out what this phenomenon was; he only wanted to leave, even though the plaza had changed drastically since he entered.
He had left his Taiyin True Qi as a mark at the exit of the spatial passage, and he could still feel that wisp of Taiyin True Qi. Once he reached the spatial passage, Hun Changqing would have a way to open it.
Although crossing the spatial passage in his current weakened state was extremely dangerous, Hun Changqing felt that staying here might be even more dangerous. However, just as Hun Changqing slowly retreated, the starlight seemed to be controlled by someone, sensing his movement and locking onto him as he walked backward.
Instantly, Hun Changqing felt an overwhelming aura that he, in his weakened state, could not resist, locking him in place and rendering him completely immobile. The last of his energy was suppressed by the starlight, and this terrifying, uncontrollable feeling made his heart clench, his heart pounding in his throat. Hun Changqing was
now unable to make any movement, unable to resist the terrifying starlight. He could only stare intently at the disc emitting the terrifying starlight, as if trying to pierce through the dense starlight to see what was hidden beneath it.
Just as Hun Changqing was about to stare his way through, a hazy humanoid silhouette gradually appeared at the center of the dense starlight. The silhouette was indistinct, but the graceful curves of its form could still be discerned.
Upon seeing that graceful silhouette, Hun Changqing felt a surge of familiarity. This familiarity was followed by a sense of foreboding. However, he was paralyzed, unable to move, and could only watch as the figure drew closer.
With each light step, the graceful figure emerged from the endless starlight, her outline gradually becoming clearer. Only when she was completely out of the dense starlight was her appearance fully revealed to Hun Changqing.
A cascade of silver hair cascaded down to her waist, and long eyelashes, like fans, fluttered gently over her star-like eyes. The eyelashes themselves were a bright silver, and tiny specks of starlight shimmered on them with each movement.
Flawless features adorned her alabaster-white face, making her appear like a celestial being untouched by worldly dust, unlike any mortal. The moment she appeared, even the surrounding starlight seemed to dim.
She wore a silver palace gown, devoid of any patterns, yet imbued with a terrifying, powerful starlight that swirled across it. Beneath the gown, her jade-like feet, like the most perfect works of art in the world, were exposed to the air without any concealment.
She stood barefoot in the void, her hands hanging at her sides. Her exquisitely beautiful face was expressionless, giving her an air of utter indifference. Combined with the endless starlight shining behind her, the two seemed to reflect each other, making her appear like a god forever high above, coldly overlooking all living things on earth, controlling the stars of the world.
This person was none other than Xing Su, who had successfully refined her bloodline origin. Xing Su's aura was now completely different from before, possessing an innate, noble quality that seemed to transcend all things in the world. A single glance from her left one feeling dazed, as if looking at her was a desecration.
At this moment, Hun Changqing looked at Xing Su, who seemed both incredibly familiar and utterly unfamiliar, and a sense of crisis arose in his heart. His eyes narrowed, his expression shifting uncertainly, and his hand, hidden beneath his sleeve, clenched tightly.
He had no time to care about Xing Su's appearance or her sudden change in temperament. Although Hun Changqing didn't understand what was happening to Xing Su, nor what had occurred during his unconsciousness, the indescribable, overwhelming, and terrifying aura emanating from her made it difficult for him to breathe, as if an invisible hand were gripping his heart.
"Am I destined to die after all? Perhaps I would have preferred to have died the way I did before..."
Hun Changqing's eyes were somewhat dazed, a sense of sorrow washing over him.
"You're awake..."
Just as Hun Changqing was on the verge of despair, Xingxiu's ethereal, otherworldly voice reached his ears.