Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 1186: Accepting Tribulation

The God Blood River was made from the blood of all the gods that had been killed in the Fifth Star Ring. It contained the blood of Godfire Gods, Altar Gods, and even quite a few True Gods. There were even multiple God Lords whose blood ended up in the river!

Thus, it was no surprise that the river had very intense mutagen levels, as well as an intense aura of death filled with the rage of gods. The banks of the river suppressed all of that with magical barriers. As a result, the mutagen and rancorous energy couldn’t really spread out into the world.

However… cultivators who entered the water would be infected. If the body and soul were contaminated, then the karma of gods could cause major problems down the line.

It was only Quasi-Immortal Grand Emperors who qualified to cross the river without using a ferry boat. Of course, just because they qualified didn’t mean that they would take the risk. The risk was twofold. One part was the possibility of getting contaminated by the mutagen in the river. The other was because there were grues in the river. Over the countless years that had passed, it was impossible to count how many dead gods had contributed to the river, and as such, no one really knew what vile, god-like beings or terrifying entities might exist there. That was why even Quasi-Immortal Grand Emperors would be very careful if they had to cross the river.

And unless there was some dire reason, they simply wouldn’t do it on their own. It was almost always best to use a ferry boat. And that was where the ferry pilots came into the picture. Though it seemed like they merely ferried people across the river, the reality was that they also had the job of patrolling the river.

The ferry boats were their main tools! Each boat was a precious treasure specifically designed to deal with gods. Thus, it was only natural that they would be able to suppress the aura on the river. Because of how they operated the boats, patrolled the river, and dealt with the godly entities, the ferry pilots were obviously an integral part of the river. Their work was also part of what they did to atone for the crimes they had committed.

The boat that came to Xu Qing was a gift to him from Immortal Fairy Spirit Phoenix. And it had been specially crafted for her by her father, Immortal Lord Nineshores.

Xu Qing looked at the boat, his eyes gleaming. He knew full well why Immortal Fairy Spirit Phoenix had given him this boat.

It gives me an avenue of retreat….

The ferry boat gave him a new identity, as a ferry boat operator and someone atoning for crimes. Although he was not a ferry pilot, if he ever did commit some big crimes in the Fifth Star Ring….

Well, this ferry boat crafted by Immortal Lord Nineshores would definitely provide him an avenue of retreat that he could use to save his own life. After some thought, Xu Qing took a deep breath and bowed deeply to the dome of heaven.

Walking forward, he stepped onto the ferry boat. The moment he did, the boat trembled, and a black energy swept out to cover Xu Qing. After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn, he and the boat had become one. He put on the woven rush raincoat and the bamboo hat.

He sat down cross-legged. An aura of time emanated from the raincoat and hat, which fused with the black energy and completely masked Xu Qing. From a distance, he looked exactly like a ferry pilot.

There he remained in place, completely motionless. He was waiting to see if he really would be able to hook the fish he was after. At the same time, he studied the deepest structures and elements of the boat with his senses.

Xu Qing, of course, was familiar with boats.[1]

In that manner, time passed. Ten days.

All of a sudden, an astonishing streak of light appeared on the horizon, which raced toward the shore. Within the light was a young man. His face was pale, and he looked very weak. He was none other than… Sir Star Ring!

He really had chosen to come to the God Blood River. There had been other options he could have picked from besides the river. But he had come to the conclusion that the God Blood River was the safest option. Thus, he came.

As he neared, a sensation of safety and stability blossomed within him. That was especially true when he saw the ferry boat next to the shore. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief. His long flight had left him weary in body, mind, and cultivation base. He had died twice, and though he had his Star Ring Pagodas to substitute for him in death, each time he woke up afterward he was weaker.

That was especially true considering he had died intentionally the second time. He had suspected that Xu Qing had some way to track him, so he had decided to pay the price of a life to sever any karma and wipe away any evidence that could be used to find him.

He had paid a huge price just to be sure. Ten days had passed since then, and he had not yet fully recovered.

Given the level of my cultivation base, I actually qualify to cross the river myself. But I’m very weak, so I couldn’t resist the infection, and that’s not to mention that I’m not strong enough to deal with any denizens of the river. Taking a ferry boat is the best option. Thankfully, I’ve never actually taken a ferry boat before.

Without slowing down at all, he shot through the air until he appeared right on the little pier. With a single leap, he jumped onto the ferry boat. As soon as he was on board, he felt a sensation of ultimate safety covering him. He sighed, long and hard. He bowed respectfully to the figure clad in the rush raincoat and wide bamboo hat that sat in front of him, surrounded by swirling black energy.

“Well met, Senior. Could you please cast off?”

The figure in the rush raincoat didn’t say anything, but the boat quickly slid away from the pier and started moving across the river of blood. It soon left the pier behind. They got so far along the river that the shore wasn’t visible anymore.

As the waves crashed and the mutagen-filled wind blew, Sir Star Ring gradually began to relax. Sitting down, he looked back at the western planetary system, and his eyes flashed aggressively.

“Xu Qing,” he growled, “our fight is not over yet.”

“You got that right,” said the figure in the raincoat.

Stunned, Sir Star Ring slowly turned his head, his face falling and his eyes shining with incredulity. All of a sudden, his heart was racing. He shot to his feet. “Y-your voice. Y-you… you….”

The figure in the raincoat took off his bamboo hat, and roiling black energy parted to reveal his face. “I’ve been waiting for you a while now.”

Sir Star Ring forgot all about the sound of the waves and wind. His mind filled with so much rumbling it was like the thunder of 10,000,000 lightning bolts. He couldn’t believe it. He wouldn’t believe it. It seemed completely and utterly absurd.

The person in front of him was Xu Qing!

All of a sudden, he felt the same premonition he had felt during his long journey, that he was heading toward complete safety. Except… as the feeling occurred to him, he also heard a familiar old voice echoing in his mind.

“Accept the tribulation.”

***

A month later….

On the shore of the God Blood River in the southern planetary system, a battered black ferry boat quickly approached the pier. The only person to disembark was Xu Qing.

It was just barely possible to see a mote orbiting around him. It was… a mote of heaven’s principle.[2]

1. Xu Qing got his first boat in chapter 51. ☜

2. I ran a poll a few months ago asking people to guess what OP magical item the MC gets. The correct answer is “a piece of dust.” What did people pick? Check it out here. ☜