Chapter 312: Chao Qing Ascends as a God

“Is, is his name Chao Qing?” Dongbo Xueying quickly regained his composure and anxiously asked.

“That, I don’t know,” Xi Wei, the green-haired woman, replied in surprise. “How come you don’t even know about his ascension to divinity? I assume I’m not mistaken—he’s from the Xia Clan, just like you, right?”

“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying nodded quickly.

Without hesitation, Dongbo Xueying waved his hand immediately, and the power of heaven and earth swiftly gathered before him, forming an image of Chao Qing.

“Is this him?” Dongbo Xueying asked again.

“Mm,” Xi Wei nodded.

Dongbo Xueying’s heart was overwhelmed with boundless joy.

Had Chao Qing opened his Divine Sea and become a god?

“This is unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!” Dongbo Xueying was overjoyed—perhaps not even successfully cleansing his own toxins could have brought him such elation. “Senior Chao Qing has ascended to divinity! Now our Xia Clan has its very own deity! Even if the Witch God and the Great Demon God were to declare war, our Xia Clan would finally possess a true force capable of standing against them!”

That Chao Qing survived was already cause for celebration. But that he became a god was even more reason to rejoice!

A divine being… one who broke through with a fourth-tier divine heart. In terms of sheer power, he might not even be inferior to Dongbo Xueying, Chen Jiu, Lord You Lan, and others of their caliber. Perhaps he was merely close to their level!

But divinity carries profound symbolic significance—for instance, the ability to command the Ding Jiu Warship!

“With Senior Chao Qing present, there will be an endless supply of divine power to freely activate the Ding Jiu Warship. Even if the formations on the warship are complex and difficult to fully comprehend, the divine power alone will naturally enhance the warship’s might,” Dongbo Xueying was thrilled.

“Senior Xi Wei,” Dongbo Xueying asked again, “Has he left already? Or is he still at Hongshi Mountain?”

“He left long ago,” the green-haired woman, Xi Wei, replied. “Originally, he could have continued cultivating within the cultivation paradise for a thousand years, but immediately after becoming a god, he didn’t linger and exited the cultivation paradise. Moreover, his strength was insufficient to undergo the ‘Divine-Level Trial,’ so naturally, he left Hongshi Mountain. He should have returned to the Xia Clan by now.”

Hongshi Mountain.

In fact, besides the Demigod Trial, there was also the Divine-Level Trial. Naturally, only true gods could take part! Beings like ‘Divine Avatars,’ whose power was suppressed to the ‘Demigod Limit,’ couldn’t be considered true gods and wouldn’t qualify as demigods either.

“He left Hongshi Mountain and returned to the Xia Clan?” Dongbo Xueying asked in confusion. “When exactly did he ascend?”

“You’re asking so many questions—are you two enemies?” Xi Wei frowned. She was beginning to sense something was off. After all, Chao Qing had become a god, so how could this young man from the Xia Clan not know?

Dongbo Xueying pondered. Senior Chao Qing had a limited lifespan of three thousand years, so he must have ascended before his time ran out.

In other words, he should have returned to the Xia Clan decades ago!

“But I’ve never heard of him returning. When Lord You Lan and others were provoking us, Senior Chao Qing didn’t show up either,” Dongbo Xueying mused. “Yet he clearly left Hongshi Mountain. Senior Chao Qing possesses a Divine Domain; he couldn’t have died secretly and unnoticed in the Xia Clan’s world. Even a slight release of divine power would have shaken the entire Xia Clan world.”

“There’s only one possible explanation,” Dongbo Xueying’s eyes lit up with realization and joy.

“He’s hiding!”

Dongbo Xueying’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

Yes.

He was in hiding!

“Among the Xia Clan’s demigods, there are likely traitors from the Demon God Cult. Therefore, to remain concealed and hidden, Senior Chao Qing didn’t inform any of the supernaturals, not even Palace Master Chen,” Dongbo Xueying nodded inwardly. “Although Palace Master Chen is absolutely loyal, his every word and action might be observed by hidden traitors, who could discover clues. Only by telling no one could absolute secrecy be ensured.”

“If he had gone public…”

“The Witch God and the Great Demon God would have sensed it instantly. They’d understand that assaulting the Xia Clan would be an immense challenge. They might even choose to bide their time for seven thousand years, waiting until Senior Chao Qing ascends to the Divine Realm before striking,” Dongbo Xueying realized. “Even if they didn’t postpone, knowing of Senior Chao Qing’s presence would undoubtedly prompt them to make thorough preparations.”

In their dealings with the Xia Clan…

The Witch God and the Great Demon Lord were most concerned about Dongbo Xueying.

Chao Qing, however, remained hidden in the shadows.

A hidden killer move was the most powerful!

“Staying concealed in the shadows grants us the upper hand,” Xueying Dongbo thought with quiet delight. “Senior Chao Qing possesses truly remarkable restraint! Even when Lord You Lan and his followers openly taunted him, Senior Chao Qing held back and refrained from action. Indeed, patience in small matters paves the way for grand schemes. Compared to the Witch God and the Great Demon God, Lord You Lan and his ilk are but minor distractions.”

“Senior Xi Wei,” Dongbo Xueying’s face lit up with a bright smile, “I choose to witness an act of creation.”

At this moment, Dongbo Xueying felt incredibly at ease.

Previously, he had been under immense pressure, worrying about the survival of the entire Xia Clan. Now, the pressure was greatly relieved, and his mood was extraordinarily good.

“Alright,” the green-haired woman, Xi Wei, nodded and then waved her hand.

A ripple of spatial power enveloped him, and Dongbo Xueying instantly vanished in a flash of teleportation.

…

In the Xia Clan’s world.

Beside a white sandy beach, a wooden boat floated, and on the boat sat an old man in tattered clothes, fishing.

He appeared calm and focused on fishing, but in reality, his Divine Domain was carefully sensing the surrounding world. Any battle of even moderate scale in this mortal world… he could detect it all! In terms of perception, as a divine being who wielded a Divine Domain, he was currently the most powerful in this mortal world. Of course, once a Divine Avatar descended, that would be another matter entirely.

A Divine Avatar—its descending soul was a magnificent existence of the Divine Realm level.

Although its power was forcibly suppressed to the ‘Demigod Limit’ by the entire mortal world, its might was comparable to only the top three of the Demigod Rankings—less than the power of those who dominated entire eras like General Kumo and Nonno An! However, its comprehension of laws and mysteries was far too profound. Although its power was weaker, it could still slay newly ascended gods. Even someone like Lord You Lan or Dongbo Xueying would be cut down before a Divine Avatar.

The difference in the comprehension of laws was just too great.

“Fortunately, that kid Xueying is strong enough to block that Demigod from the Dark Abyss, Lord You Lan,” the old man fished calmly. “Otherwise, if Lord You Lan truly wanted to slaughter the entire Xia Clan, I would have had to reveal myself.”

At the time, when Lord You Lan shattered the protective formation of the Black and White Divine Mountain and killed Fengdong, although the commotion wasn’t too great, Chao Qing still sensed it and quickly headed there.

He arrived slightly earlier than Dongbo Xueying.

From a distance, hidden, he observed silently… and he even couldn’t help but want to reveal himself, for he couldn’t bear to watch countless humans in the Xia Clan’s world being slaughtered. Fortunately, Dongbo Xueying resolved everything, which brought him great comfort. The little fellow he once watched grow up now had strength that rivaled his own, even after he had become a god.

“Team after team has ventured into Crimsonstone Mountain, and Xueying has gone as well. I pray that within those crimson peaks, Xueying may purge the vile hex that binds him and take flight toward the heavens. Though my own apotheosis may unsettle the Hexgod and the Great Demon Lord, it strikes not at their core. But should Xueying ascend to divinity… then their downfall shall be assured,” mused the aged Chao Qing in silent vigil, his heart alight with visions of Dongbo Xueying’s transcendent awakening amidst the blood-hued crags.

…

Within Hongshi Mountain, in a hidden area.

Outside the canyon.

Dongbo Xueying, Fu Shu, Chen Jiu, Mei Shan Master, and others were all waiting outside the canyon.

“Dongbo Xueying, you’ve come too?” Chen Jiu was surprised. “You’ve also chosen to witness creation?”

“Why are you all standing here?” Dongbo Xueying asked curiously.

“We can’t get in,” Fu Shu beside him said. “Observing an act of creation must be done in turns. Wu Ma Hai is inside now. We’ll go in one by one after he finishes.”

Dongbo Xueying nodded in understanding.