outside of time
Chapter 1680: More Human Than Many Humans
Editor: Atlas Studios
Those stone tablets only shook slightly.
However, there was no light in the hundred star systems.
It seemed that Xu Qing’s words fell far short of reaching a level that could truly resonate across the Fifth Star Ring.
At the same time, as the stone tablets shook, wisps of divine senses emerged from the stone tablets scattered across the star systems, echoing faint murmurs in the void.
“Ridiculous!”
“Gods are gods!”
“How can they be a human!”
“Whether they were born as gods or became gods later, the moment they took the path of the gods, they will lose all humanity!”
“What you see and feel is nothing more than a facade, a false persona crafted by the gods during their journey of cultivation to advance further!”
“You are not the first to be deceived by the gods, and you will certainly not be the last.”
“Junior, let me give you a piece of advice… Don’t be deceived by them!”
“Since ancient times, those who were friends with gods ultimately regretted it!”
“Now, take back your words. I can give you my relic!”
Numerous divine senses transformed into lingering sounds that continuously echoed in the starfield, entering Xu Qing’s mind.
Xu Qing fell silent.
A look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes.
He reflected, deliberated, and weighed his thoughts.
The beings buried in this place, these immortals who had perished in battle, were not souls. What emanated from them could no longer be called divine sense as well.
It was the unyielding obsessions of the slain Immortals.
Their entire existence had been dedicated to combating the gods, and from the beginning of their lives to the very end, their stance had remained unwavering. To them, all gods were the same—enemies to be confronted without exception.
Xu Qing used to have the same thoughts as them.
This lasted until he witnessed the Empress becoming a god.
It changed his worldview!
Hence, Xu Qing calmly spoke.
“Seniors, in my homeland, there are holy lands and gods wreaking havoc. My family and my childhood were tormented by the gods’ anomalous substances… The holy lands heartlessly fled Wanggu, abandoning the human race.”
“They sat high above, indifferent to the life and death of the human race, scheming from the shadows to continue exploiting and manipulating the world.
“Meanwhile, the human race dwindled. Many human emperors poured their hearts and souls into rekindling the fire of the human race, and a Sword Holding Great Emperor continued to protect our human race.”
“Yet still, the human race could not rise.
“Countless humans… became fodder for nonhuman races, enduring extreme suffering. What I witnessed was more harrowing than parents consuming their children out of desperation.
“The entire race crumbled in darkness, falling apart until it was barely recognizable, teetering on the brink of extinction.
“In that moment, amidst calamity and destruction, one person stepped forward.
“She is the emperor of the human race in my homeland!
Yet all her hopes had been severed, and all her paths had been blocked. Before her, there were only two choices:
Either the extinction of her people…
Or to become a god!”
“In the end, she chose to become a god!”
“She bore all the stigma brought by betraying traditions and defying ancestral teachings.”
“She declared that if the holy lands would not care for the human race, she would! She vowed to single-handedly ensure the continuation of Wanggu’s human race!”
“She declared that if heaven and earth would not bless the human race, she would! She offered her own being to bring peace to Wanggu’s human race!”
“She declared that she sought not eternal existence for herself but to rebuild the glorious legacy of Wanggu’s great human race, paving the way for human race’s prosperity for generations to come!”
“She declared that she would not ascend to godhood alone but would lead all the past human emperors to ascend together.”
“She declared that henceforth, the five emperors would become corpse gods. Though lacking spirit and wisdom, they would carry divine might, embody the will of the human race, and follow the guidance of human fortune to protect the foundation of our people and strike fear into our enemies.”
“She declared herself a human god, vowing to safeguard her people and usher in an era of peace for countless generations!”
“In the end, she stated that the spear of karma her actions created, the calamities spanning eternity they would provoke… she alone would bear them all!”
Xu Qing’s voice echoed in the starfield.
Every sentence contained his memories and every word represented his emotions.
He used these words and his voice to describe the scene of the Empress becoming a god to all the heroic spirits.
Finally, Xu Qing raised his head and looked at the stone tablets.
He spoke in a deep voice.
“In my opinion, such a god is more human than many humans!”
“I also know that not all gods are like this.”
“Just like how humans are divided into good and evil.”
“Among the gods, there exist those like her, no matter how rare they may be, they do exist.”
“Therefore, I won’t change my words!”
Xu Qing lowered his head and bowed!
After this bow, all the star systems in the starfield emitted coldness. All the stone tablets stopped shaking and the words on them became hidden.
The relics and inheritances… didn’t fly over!
They… didn’t agree with Xu Qing’s words, so they no longer transmitted their thoughts.
After a long time, Xu Qing silently turned.
This time, he gained nothing, but Xu Qing felt no sense of loss.
Life was a journey one had to walk alone; the scenery needed to be experienced firsthand. By continually moving forward and witnessing all that the world had to offer, one’s perspectives were gradually shaped—views on life, understanding of the world, and perceptions of all beings.
In the end, these elements came together, converging into a unique and personal way of thinking.
This was a human.
Xu Qing would still kill gods, plunder them, and remain cold-blooded.
However, for certain gods, like the Empress, he would fight for them!
In his heart, the Empress wasn’t a god.
She was a human.
Compared to many people, she was even more human.
With such thoughts in mind, Xu Qing didn’t have any regrets. He calmly walked toward the giant gate.
He was prepared to leave and return to Ink Yang to wait for summoning.
However, just as he got close to the giant gate and was about to step out, suddenly… the giant gate rumbled and shook violently.
A murderous intent spread out from the gate.
Xu Qing stopped in his tracks. When he looked over, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
Someone was coming from outside the giant gate!
There wasn’t just one person but a hundred.
Each of them wore distinctive armor, their bodies stained with blood—some from gods, some their own.
Fatigue was evident in their demeanor, though hidden beneath it was a deeper sorrow.
Silently, they advanced.
In the center of their formation, a massive coffin was borne by more than ten cultivators.
Draped over the coffin was a flag of the Fifth Star Ring.
Xu Qing observed this scene and silently stepped aside, standing quietly to let them pass.
The group of cultivators paid him no mind as they sorrowfully continued on their way until they disappeared into the distance.
From their back views, Xu Qing could clearly sense that, even amidst their sorrow, an instinctive aura of killing intent lingered around this group.
It wasn’t the kind of killing intent cultivated from mere skirmishes among cultivators. Xu Qing recognized it.
It was the chilling, oppressive presence that came from being steeped in the atmosphere of the battlefield—a soldier’s killing intent forged through countless clashes.
These people had come from the battlefield!
As for the existence in the coffin… Xu Qing already had an answer.
There must be the remains of an immortal inside.
Immortals who died in battle were sent to the Heroes’ Tomb for burial!
Xu Qing was solemn.
He watched those figures fade into the distance. He saw them pause in an empty space and deliver the coffin. They all knelt, their sorrowful voices rising in an ancient chant.
The chant resonated like a guide for souls, like a hymn of praise.
Within its melody, stars began to appear in the void, increasing in number like grains of sand, like layers of soil, covering the coffin.
Gradually, the coffin was buried beneath the starlight and stardust, until it transformed into a new star system, marked by the emergence of a solemn stone tablet.
The group of cultivators slowly stood. At the lead, the foremost among them raised a hand, and together, they shouted in unison:
“Immortal Lord, receive our offerings!”
Their voices echoed, carrying both a sense of reverence and unyielding spirit.
Finally, the battle-worn cultivators turned and departed, their steps imbued with a quiet resolve.
Looking at all of this, Xu Qing didn’t return immediately. Instead, he walked to that heroic immortal’s tomb and bowed, looking at the stone tablet.
“Life is but a dream, time a song, the stars and seas—eventually, all must part.”
“I am Spirit Stone Immortal Lord. I killed a True God and drank Its blood. My imprint remains. In the future… When It returns, will it be It or me?”
“If it is It, my remains will scatter into golden light; future generations can erase it to sever the god’s lingering will. If it is me, silver light will blaze forth, and I shall slay the gods once more!”
This person seemed very different from those Xu Qing had seen before.
He seemed to want to borrow the rules of the True God’s indestructibility to attempt to return with It!
A strange glint appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes. Just as he was about to take a closer look, a sigh echoed behind him.
When Xu Qing heard this, he turned and saw a hunchbacked old man walking over from the starry sky.
It was the tomb guard outside the giant gate.
He walked over step by step and stood in front of the stone tablet.
“The war has entered the next stage.”
“The heroic spirits here have increased again, and this one, I have heard of his name. Throughout his life, he explored the principle of the indestructibility of True Gods.”
The old man sighed.
Xu Qing took a few steps back. When he heard this, he pondered for a moment before bowing and asking.
“Senior, what is this war?”
The old man turned his head and looked at Xu Qing with a deep gaze.
“The storms of the world fall upon all living beings equally. If one side cannot feel it, it means that someone has blocked the storms that should belong to you.”
“Immortal Lord Zhan Lu, is that person. He sits at the frontier, defending against the invasion from the Fourth Star Ring. That is the Star Ring War, a war between gods and immortals.”
With that, the old man retracted his gaze and looked into the distance.
He then raised his hand and took out a bronze bell that no longer had its clapper.
The bell appeared plain at first glance, but the moment it emerged, it stirred ripples across the starry sky, with faint, otherworldly colors flowing inside.
“In the past, a good friend of mine died in the hands of a Lord God in the Fourth Star Ring. However, his treasure melted but it didn’t disappear and became like this.
It contains a hint of the might of a Lord God. I was asked to find a destined person and pass it on in his stead.”
Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the old man.
The old man waved his hand and made the bell float to the side. After that, he turned and walked into the distance.
However, a voice echoed through the starry sky.
“I heard what you said.”
“I admire that Empress.”
“This world is complicated, just like human nature. So, don’t care about what others think.”
“I believe that if my old friends were still alive, with their intelligence, they would have understood.”
“However, now, all they have left is their obsession and determination to fight against the gods.”
“You’re very outstanding. You shouldn’t have gained nothing.”
“This item is for you.”
The old man walked far away and gradually disappeared. Only his last sentence rang out leisurely.
“I’ve encountered such a god before… They were more human than many humans.”