Chapter 1666: Stepping on the Rainbow, Surveying the Mountains
Editor: Atlas Studios

Xu Qing wasn’t unfamiliar with the name Chen Batian.

After all, this figure had appeared on the Immortal Capital Trial’s starmap at the moment the one-month countdown began, catching the eyes of countless cultivators across the Fifth Star Ring. Few in the region were unaware of him.

Rumors and speculations about Chen Batian grew, each tale more imaginative than the last.

Yet, for all the theories, none came close to the truth.

How could anyone have imagined that the so-called top contender of the Immortal Capital Trial was, in fact, a crafted creation—a gift, meticulously designed and brought into existence by another’s hand?

Now, the one who had fashioned this ‘gift’ stood humbly before Xu Qing, bent in deference, wearing a smile of servile satisfaction.

This was the terrifying thing about Zhou Zhengli.

Before, under the suppression of Star Ring, Zhou Zhengli had always kept a low profile, careful not to reveal his edge. Xu Qing suspected that perhaps the rivalry between Zhou Zhengli and Xie Lingzi was not as intense or fated as it appeared.

It all might have been an act—a deliberate conflict, a carefully crafted persona that both Zhou Zhengli and Xie Lingzi maintained because they understood the need for it.

Their staged antagonism served a purpose: it entertained those in high places.

Even if those individuals knew it was merely an act, the willingness to perform, to become actors in the eyes of their superiors, was itself a form of submission.

Xu Qing didn’t think of himself as a big shot, let alone a second Star Ring.

This was because he had no need to subdue others.

The Fifth Star Ring or even the Immortal Capital he was going to next were simply stops on his life’s journey.

In each of these places, he remained cautious by nature, yet moved according to his own will.

As for Zhou Zhengli’s hidden motives, they were of little concern to him.

After all, a snake, when it didn’t show its fangs, could appear quite beautiful.

And should those fangs emerge, Xu Qing remembered what he’d once told Zhou Zhengli…

He enjoyed eating snakes, especially the venomous ones—those had the best flavor.

His past when he was young, his experiences in Wanggu, the inheritance from his master, as well as what he had seen and heard when he followed Erniu, all made Xu Qing… even more venomous.

Hence, his gaze only glanced at Zhou Zhengli before looking at Chen Batian.

“I carefully chose this Chen Batian. He bears no deep karmic ties,” Zhou Zhengli said softly.

“Besides, he’s long been steeped in sin, most of it rooted in his lustful nature.”

Zhou Zhengli understood well that presenting a gift required considering the recipient’s comfort.

His choice had been someone without karmic entanglements, and someone who was morally corrupt—a person whose death would be effortless for the recipient to accept.

To make things even more reassuring, he bowed and then stepped back, ensuring he stood farther from Chen Batian than Xu Qing did.

Chen Batian, now on the verge of death, had his life’s flame flickering, nearing its end.

Zhou Zhengli had taken measures on the way here to ensure Chen Batian would pass naturally and very soon, eliminating any cause for misunderstanding.

This arrangement was to prevent Xu Qing from thinking he had hidden a trap within the gift.

The man’s death was something he had arranged indirectly, leaving the recipient untainted by any ties to the act.

Moreover, when a cultivator died like this, their qualifying token would be released at the moment of death and be absorbed by the nearest person.

That was why he stepped back.

Xu Qing didn’t speak.

Just like that, dozens of breaths later, Chen Batian’s last breath dissipated.

The instant he died, a qualifying token flew out of his body, shining brightly.

The moment it rose, it headed straight for Xu Qing. The instant it fused into his body, the entire sky rumbled. As the star map appeared, the rankings inside changed.

The first place changed to Xu Qing!

Zhou Zhengli bowed to Xu Qing.

After that, he slowly retreated until he retreated out of Mount Taia and flew into the sky, disappearing.

Xu Qing didn’t stop him. He stared at the horizon for a while before retracting his gaze. His body then turned blurry as he walked into space-time.

With the space-time art, he left silently and without any traces of karma.

A long time later, the sky shook and the departing Zhou Zhengli appeared again. He lowered his head and looked at Mount Taia in deep thought.

“He’s indeed very different from the Star Ring.”

“If it were Star Ring, after grasping such an advantage and possessing such strength, his sense of caution would have decreased greatly. There’s even a high chance that he would stay here and wait for the trial to end.”

“As for this Xu Qing… he clearly has such an advantage and suppressed all the stars. Moreover, Xie Lingzi and I gave him gifts one after another and humbled ourselves, but he’s still so cautious.”

“This doesn’t seem to be intentional. It’s more like… its instinct!”

Zhou Zhengli sighed softly.

“He’s not to be trifled with.”

After that, his body swayed and he disappeared again.

…

As time passed, only seven days remained in the countdown to the end of the Immortal Capital’s Trial.

During this period, as the rankings on the star map shifted and the standings from various sects updated, Xu Qing’s name stirred an earth-shattering storm throughout the Fifth Star Ring.

Chen Batian disappeared and Xu Qing became first!

Hence, the rumors about Xu Qing also increased during this time.

After he became first place, the influence he brought to those cultivators who had interacted with him wasn’t small.

In the Western Starfield, Li Mengtu was still working hard.

Even though he was now ranked fifth and it was inevitable that he would enter the Immortal Capital, after sensing the rankings, he chose to continue collecting qualifying tokens.

“Although it’s impossible to surpass him, I can’t be too far behind.”

In the Southern Starfield, similar voices echoed as well.

It came from the Yuanshan Clan and

from the Great Immortal Mountain.

Yuanshan Su was in seclusion. She wanted to break through her cultivation and step into the Quasi Immortal Realm before the trial ended. This was the only way she could enter the Immortal Capital now.

“I can definitely do it!”

As for Jiang Fan, he had chosen the same path as Yuanshan Su and was going all out.

As for Qianjun and Piyi, because of their master, it was much easier for them compared to Jiang Fan and Yuanshan Su.

They obtained new tokens and started all over again.

Relying on their cultivation and combat strength, this process wasn’t difficult but they needed to fight again and again. Moreover, time was tight, so the two brothers could be said to be extremely busy during this period.

Every time their rankings increased, they would curse Xu Qing to increase their motivation.

As for the Eastern Starfield, it was different from other places.

Xie Lingzi and Zhou Zhengli’s rankings were stable. One was second and the other was third.

Moreover, the two of them had already given up on advancing. They only needed to wait for the Immortal Capital’s trial to end.

However, in their respective places, the direction they looked in the most… was the Star Ring Tower!

If it was said that there were still final variables in this Immortal Capital Trial, then in the eyes of the two of them, it would definitely be in the Celestial Ring Tower!

In the Star Ring Tower, within its vast, unending towers, the central and tallest tower radiated with boundless starlight.

This light, drawn from the heavens, cascaded down within the tower, merging with a highly intricate formation etched on the floor.

At the center of the formation sat a young man in meditation.

As the starlight descended and channeled through the formation, it surged into his body, illuminating meridians formed entirely of starlight across his form.

His very being seemed to merge with the tower itself in this process.

A dense, immortal aura rose from him, emanating from an… immortal embryo embedded within his body.

That was an immortal embryo that had reached completion after experiencing Illusion of Truth and Imperishable.

It was also the symbol of a Quasi Immortal.

This was using starlight as meridians, the star tower as skeleton, and the immortal embryo as flesh and blood!

Star Ring was reconstructed!

“Without the turmoil of calamity and reversal, how could the transformation from despair to prosperity occur?”

A hoarse voice echoed in the tower.

“Disciple, you have encountered your tribulation, and perished within it. That was your fate.”

“Thus, I shall reconstruct your body for you, allowing you to subsequently traverse the cosmos and embark upon a smooth immortal path!”

As the voice echoed, Star Ring, who was sitting cross-legged on the array formation, suddenly opened its eyes. Endless starlight emitted from his eyes, causing the tower to be resplendent.

“He’s waiting for you outside.” The hoarse voice rang out again.

Star Ring fell silent. After a long time, he shook his head.

“I’m not going.”

“Why aren’t you going?”

“I still can’t defeat him now, and if I fight against him, I’ll lose the name of star. There’s no need to force it. My battle with him… will be in the Immortal Capital!”

“Alright!”

…

Outside the Star Ring Tower, there was a mountain.

Its name was Nine Heavens.

On the peak of the Nine Heavens Mountain, Xu Qing sat cross-legged. In front of him was the endless Star Ring Tower.

Under the crimson aurora, the starlight attracted by these tall towers was especially obvious. The point where the starlight gathered was where Xu Qing was looking at.

He was waiting for Star Ring.

The moment he arrived at the Eastern Starfield, he vaguely sensed the other party’s aura.

He already knew that Star Ring… had returned.

Hence, he arrived outside the Star Ring Tower and sat here, waiting for the other party to come and fight.

However, it was a pity that even now, there was still no sign of Star Ring.

Xu Qing was calm.

Since Star Ring didn’t come, he naturally wouldn’t force it.

Hence, he closed his eyes.

He allowed the days to pass.

This lasted until the last day of the Immortal Capital’s trial, the last two hours, the last 15 minutes…

Time flowed by!

Thunder rumbled in the sky of the Fifth Star Ring.

The thunder wasn’t loud at first, but it quickly spread throughout the east, to everyone, and to the entire Fifth Star Ring.

The thunder rumbled through the heavens, shaking the world to its core. At this moment, the billions of cultivators, regardless of what they were doing, instinctively stopped and fell silent, their eyes turning upward in unison.

A dignified voice echoed amid the thunder.

“The Immortal Capital’s trial has ended. The top 100 shall enter the Immortal Capital!”

As the voice rang out, amidst the excitement and anticipation of countless cultivators in the Fifth Star Ring and the envy of countless gazes, colorful rainbows fell from the aurora in the sky.

There were a total of 99 of them and they landed in different places. They were scattered in the four great starfields and corresponded to those who had obtained the qualifications to enter the Immortal Capital.

They landed in front of them!

This was the Receiving Rainbow!

This was what all the cultivators in the Fifth Star Ring dreamed of in their lives, the path to the Immortal Capital!

At that moment, in front of those rainbows, the hearts of those cultivators who had experienced slaughter, calamity, and successful advancement in blood and slaughter stirred and their breathing became hurried to varying degrees.

Everything they had done was for this moment!

They all lifted their feet and stepped onto the rainbow in front of them.

The instant they were about to walk up, lightning flashed in the sky again, and the entire Fifth Star Ring rumbled.

Under the gazes of countless people, they saw a huge rainbow that surpassed all the rainbows. It was earth-shattering like a long river.

In comparison, the other rainbows could only be considered a trickle.

This long river shone with a piercing light with a vast might.

It fell from the sky.

It landed in the east and on Nine Heavens Mountain.

All living beings were shocked.

Xu Qing opened his eyes and looked at the dazzling path in front of him. He then stood up and walked over.

He stepped on the rainbow and walked toward the sky.

Together with the other qualified cultivators in different places, they rose into the air like they had ascended.

Beyond the sky… was the Supreme Immortal Capital.