Chapter 633 618: Emperor Star, Chu Qingcheng's Secret

If Shen Lang knew what Chu Qingcheng was thinking, he probably would have beaten the guy to death on the spot.

Because even now, Shen Lang knew nothing about the Demon God Hall. He didn't even know the name.

But Chu Qingcheng, on the other hand, seemed to already be playing a game of hide-and-seek with the master of the Demon God Hall…

However, Chu Qingcheng clearly had his own difficulties. Though he knew a great deal, he just couldn't say anything.

Not only could he not speak of it, but it seemed he couldn't do anything about it either!

Right now, the thing Chu Qingcheng wanted to do most was figure out a way to stop Shen Lang from slaughtering the Third Prince, to let the Third Prince live a little longer.

Otherwise, this reincarnated War Emperor would probably have to go through Reincarnation all over again…

Besides him, Chu Qingcheng, who else in the entire Human Realm could possibly know how powerful that old demon was?

'Three of the Nine Great Celestial Books have appeared. The "Blood God Atlas" fell into the hands of the Blood Ancestor over a million years ago; the "Ten Thousand Demons Derivation Technique" fell into the hands of Xuanyuan Old Demon, master of the Demon God Hall; and the "Heaven-destroying Earth-extinguishing Star Technique" is in my hands… But damn it, my Spiritual Sense has only been awake for a mere eleven years!'

'There isn't much time left for me and Xiaolang…'

The more Chu Qingcheng thought about it, the more he wanted to vomit blood.

'The Blood Ancestor was born from the Sea of Blood, a spirit of heaven and earth. He has been practicing the "Blood God Atlas" for several million years, so his power is beyond question.'

'But he was injured by Xuanyuan Old Demon and then dealt a finishing blow by the Witch Ancestor. His only chance to recover to his peak is to absorb Supreme Yin Qi during the Nine-Star Linked Pearls alignment. Plus, he's wary of Xuanyuan Old Demon, so he doesn't dare show his face for now.'

'The time Xuanyuan Old Demon obtained the "Ten Thousand Demons Derivation Technique"... was probably back when we had our falling out, when he was... killed by a single palm strike.'

'That old bastard, he ruined my life, and he still wasn't completely finished off. Hiding here in the unremarkable Human Realm to recuperate! As expected of the cycle of the Celestial Dao—what goes around, comes around...'

'But this old demon is a master who has synthesized the Demon Techniques of the Demon and Monster Realms. Though his physical body was destroyed, his Divine Soul has become extremely powerful over these past few million years. Dealing with him is just too, too difficult... Those old bastards in the Pangu Realm never explained it clearly to me back then. Otherwise, if I had found his true body and killed him directly before I reincarnated, wouldn't that have saved a lot of trouble?'

'Dammit all to hell, it's too late for regrets now...'

'The only fortunate thing is that, just like me, Xuanyuan Old Demon's true body cannot enter the Human Realm.'

'It's just that the "Ten Thousand Demons Derivation Technique" is incredibly bizarre. It allows him to create Billions of Avatars to absorb Energy from various dimensions. When all that Energy returns to one body, he'll have reached the final layer. If he succeeds in his Cultivation... the living beings in countless stars will be held hostage or even controlled by him, allowing him to achieve a truly undying and indestructible state!'

'As for the "Heaven-destroying Earth-extinguishing Star Technique" that I practice...'

Chu Qingcheng slowly raised his head. As his eyes opened and closed, his gaze seemed to pierce through the cosmic void, landing on nine stars in the infinite distance.

Those nine stars were immense, aligned in a straight line, and releasing a vast and unfathomable pressure.

Chu Qingcheng's eyes twitched, and nine cross-legged figures immediately appeared among the nine massive stars.

Every single figure, from their appearance to their clothes, was identical to Chu Qingcheng!

No one knew that there was someone in this world whose Divine Soul was split into ten parts—one living freely in the Human Realm, while the other nine cultivated on nine separate stars!

Chu Qingcheng's gaze continued upward.

Right in the center, above the nine stars, in a place that was originally empty void, a dazzling star slowly emerged!

The star shone with a boundless radiance, binding the nine stars, like an emperor among stars!

It clearly existed above the Nine-Star Linked Pearls, but not even Shen Lang's Silver Eyes of Truth had ever discovered its presence!

Not only that, but a galaxy-like beam of light cascaded down from that star, reaching all the way to the Star Continent.

And the terminus of this descending galaxy was none other than the Valley of Death—the place where Shen Lang had first discovered an anomaly within the Earth Rift and later investigated using the Power of Zuo Wentian's Divine Soul!

'The Emperor Star, which should not have existed in the first place, is also fated to fade away sooner or later... From the moment I took the initiative to seek out the Pangu Divine Race, I suppose I already knew my final destiny, didn't I? This was my own choice. Only in this way can I wash away my sins.'

'The Emperor Star... Heh. It never truly existed, so its passing is meaningless...'

A sigh passed through Chu Qingcheng's heart. He seemed to be lamenting his own fate, yet also held an immense attachment to this mortal world.

Hidden within it was also an unspeakable regret…

With so many secrets hidden in his heart that he couldn't and wouldn't speak of, the man himself was an existence defined by loneliness and solitude.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

A hand waved back and forth in front of Chu Qingcheng.

Chu Qingcheng froze, then turned to see Shen Jianfeng looking at him with contempt.

"What are you doing?" Chu Qingcheng asked, bewildered.

Shen Jianfeng sighed and said, "It's a clear, cloudless day, and you're still staring at the sky, striking a pose... Sister Moran has called you several times already. Has your pretentious act reached the point of self-intoxication? I really can't compare to you!"

After speaking, the scoundrel clasped his hands behind his back, also raised his head to gaze at the distant sky, and began to mumble, "Time is a butcher's knife, hastening old age with every slice. Look back again, and the world has grown old..."

His expression, his demeanor—it was all so tragic, as if his father had just died.

Chu Qingcheng rolled his eyes and couldn't help but give him a couple of shoves. "You're not a pig, what the hell are you afraid of... Alright, alright, get lost. I'm not in a good mood today."

Shoving Shen Jianfeng aside, Chu Qingcheng turned to look at Shen Moran to his right. "Moran, what was it just now? Did you call me?"

Shen Moran looked as if she wanted to speak but hesitated. After a long moment, she finally said, "Lately... why have you seemed so preoccupied?"

Chu Qingcheng didn't answer her question. Instead, he said forlornly, "Moran, if... if one day I'm gone, if I go to a faraway place and can never come back, will you miss me?"

Compared to Chu Qingcheng's usual flirtatious banter, this question was incredibly heavy.

Shen Moran's body trembled, a rare look of panic in her eyes. "Don't... Don't talk nonsense!"

Chu Qingcheng chuckled lightly. "I'm just kidding. I heard Jianfeng secretly say that to Tang Yiyi before. But after he said it..."

"What happened?" Shen Moran's expression eased slightly.

"He got turned into a popsicle, of course. Tang Yiyi is an iceberg, and Jianfeng can't melt her..." Chu Qingcheng let out a strange laugh.

A smile touched the corners of Shen Moran's lips as she asked again, "I saw you frowning just now. Were you worried about Xiaolang and Dugu Zhange? Who on earth is this Dugu Zhange, and why did he pop out of nowhere to make an enemy of Xiaolang?"

Chu Qingcheng paused for a moment, then reverted to his usual appearance—eyes like bright stars, elegant and otherworldly.

He smiled nonchalantly and said, "I was just thinking about some things that might happen... As for Dugu Zhange, there's no need to worry about him."

"Although that man is exceptionally talented, has formidable Cultivation, and comes from a Hidden Noble Family, he's still no match for a freak like Xiaolang. At most, he's just a helper the Third Prince found to provoke Xiaolang a little. No need to worry too much."

Shen Moran frowned slightly. "But this Dugu Zhange seems to have already reached the Peak of the First Heaven of the King Martial Realm. And I heard them say before that his speed is so bizarre that even the Second Ancestor and the others found it unimaginable... Xiaolang's current Cultivation is only at the Xuanwu Realm, isn't it?"

"Don't worry," Chu Qingcheng comforted her. "It's not as serious as you think... Besides, Xiaolang has been in seclusion, cultivating for the past half-month. Who knows, in a little while, you might just find him appearing before you with a King Martial Realm Cultivation!"

"Don't look at me like that. With this kid, anything is possible."

As he spoke, Chu Qingcheng stood up. "I'm going to check on Dingdang."

After standing up, Chu Qingcheng seemed to glance very casually at Shen Moran.

The moment their eyes met, he immediately looked away as if fleeing.

'Even if I'm gone, Moran, there will be nine stars in the sky watching over you, for lifetime after lifetime... After tens of millions of years, some people or events will gradually fade away. You'll know he existed, but you'll have forgotten how he existed. I so want you to never forget me, and yet, I also want you to forget me completely...'

A sigh emanated from the bottom of Chu Qingcheng's heart. At that moment, Shen Moran, who was beside him, felt her own heart inexplicably tremble, and she felt the urge to cry.

"I came from Heaven and am bound for Hell; I was just passing through the mortal world..."

Chu Qingcheng flicked his sleeve, drifted away gracefully, and uttered a nonsensical sentence.

Shen Jianfeng, at the side, was full of admiration. "Damn it, no wonder I can't grasp the essence. Every word and action of this scoundrel is filled with a high-class, pretentious flavor!"

He pulled a small notebook from his robes. "Mm, I'll write this line down first."

Meanwhile, Shen Moran watched Chu Qingcheng's departing back, feeling an indescribable sadness for reasons she couldn't understand.

An ineffable sorrow swept over her entire body. Shen Moran lowered her head, trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

...

In the area designated for the White Bone Hall of the Celestial Defying Demon Realm, Xue Dangdang wore a murderous expression on her pretty face, causing everyone to keep their distance in fear.

The seats all around her were empty.

Although Xue Dangdang didn't speak, her gaze periodically swept over the area where the Profound Dao Sect was seated.

She seemed to be searching for Shen Lang.

When her gaze swept over them, the group from the Profound Dao Sect instantly felt a chill run through their bodies, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over their heads. They all shivered involuntarily.

"Looking for Xiaolang?" Chu Qingcheng sat down beside Xue Dangdang without any hesitation.

Xue Dangdang froze for a second, then her expression darkened as she said, "Wolao Gong... Ptooey! Where's Shen Lang? Where the hell did he go? Is a mere Dugu Zhange enough to scare him into hiding?"

"He's so arrogant and domineering all the time, but the moment he runs into a real expert, he cowers in fear. What a disgrace!"

Chu Qingcheng laughed heartily. "You know perfectly well he's not the type to cower, so why bother lying to yourself with words like that?"

Xue Dangdang's gaze hardened, and she fell silent.

After a long moment, she finally asked, "And who are you?"

Chu Qingcheng gave a dashing smile. "You can call me Big Brother. You always used to call me Big Brother..."