As the incantation erupted, the Star King's roars and clashes grew more ferocious, but as Ming Qi cast the spell, they quickly quieted.
After the spell was completed, the ferocious and violent Star King completely languished. His massive body no longer had the strength to ram into the surrounding barriers, and he collapsed to the ground like a dead dog, motionless.
"Now is the time!"
Ming Qi immediately hurled the Book of Life and Death at the Star King within the barrier. He intended to forcibly imprison the Star King's soul within the Book of Life and Death, and through the Book's power, completely assimilate him into its spirit.
Swallowed by a shroud of black and white energy, the Book of Life and Death soared above the Star King's head and began to spin rapidly. A gray aura descended from it, enveloping the Star King's massive head.
The Star King, now powerless to resist, allowed the power of the Book of Life and Death to rip his soul from his body, ultimately merging it completely within.
Ming Qi reached out and retracted the Book of Life and Death. "Next comes the assimilation process. The Book of Life and Death will complete it on its own."
Ming Qi didn't need to intervene directly in the following events. As a supreme artifact, the Book of Life and Death naturally possessed extraordinary magical properties. Once a soul was imprisoned within, it would immediately initiate assimilation.
Glancing at the soulless Star King on the ground, Ming Qi flew away.
Assimilation takes time, and Ming Qi had previously cast a spell, so there was no need to worry about the Star King's soul backlash.
Ming Qi then continued his search according to his previously formulated plan, occasionally pulling Wu Xiang Tongzi out to discuss matters concerning the Higher Powers or the Supreme Control. These were matters Ming Qi didn't know much about, but they were relatively effective in alleviating the anxiety brought on by loneliness.
Another month passed unnoticed. Ming Qi had searched nearly a million kilometers, but still found no sign of the World Axis.
Another half month passed. While flying, Ming Qi suddenly sensed a dramatic shift in the Book of Life and Death's aura, becoming far more ferocious and domineering than before. With a sudden thought, he extended his spiritual sense into it, his face lit up with joy.
The Book of Life and Death's assimilation process had been completely completed. In just a few months, not only had the Book been repaired, but it had also regained its spirit. This was truly a miracle.
"Artifact spirit, quickly appear!"
Ming Qi summoned this in his mind, and saw the shadow of a giant beast appear beneath the shimmering light of the Book of Life and Death in his hand. It was none other than the former Star King, though much smaller, now the size of a colossus.
"Master."
The spirit bowed to Ming Qi.
"Since the spirit has been formed, your name will be the King of Life and Death from today. The Book of Life and Death contains the strongest and purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth, allowing you to continuously grow stronger."
The King of Life and Death instructed Ming Qi to return to the Book of Life and Death. Ming Qi put away the artifact and continued his search.
Two months later, the Heavenly Secret Disk finally registered movement. A faint light flickered on and off above the white jade disk.
"The Axis of the World is still here!"
Ming Qi was instantly excited after finally finding the Axis. With the Axis, he could locate the Galactic Power. Once he found the Galactic Power, he could quickly restore the origin of the Heavenly Desolate!
Thinking of this, Ming Qi immediately activated Celestial Shift, shuttling between heaven and earth.
The Heavenly Secret Disk could sense an area of ten thousand miles, so there was no need to search for previously searched areas. Ming Qi's route remained along the previously determined direction, but he kept a close eye on all surrounding movements.
After a brief observation, Ming Qi immediately realized that the Axis of the World was not stationary, but was moving, and at a considerable speed.
"Last time, it transformed into the Future Star Palace. Could this time be a living being?"
Confused, Ming Qi increased his speed again. If he lost track, it would be disastrous.
Ming Qi quickly advanced several thousand miles. By this time, he felt very close to the Axis of the World. The position indicated on the Heavenly Secret Disk was almost overlapping with his own. However, he was puzzled by the lack of any rapidly moving objects nearby.
He carefully scanned the ground and surroundings again, but still found nothing!
"Could it be underground?"
The thought of underground immediately led Ming Qi to the sky, and he instinctively looked up.
Raising his head, he spotted an exceptionally bright meteor streaking rapidly overhead.
"That's it!"
Seeing this distinctive, radiant meteor, Ming Qi was almost immediately certain that the meteor gliding through the sky was the Axis of the World.
Ming Qi rapidly ascended, his entire body piercing the starry sky like a missile.
The Axis of the World seemed to be moving without a clear trajectory, and there was no sign of it descending. Ming Qi had no idea how long it would last, so his only option was to soar high into the sky and capture it.
The sudden ascent to a height of several thousand meters was somewhat unsettling even for Ming Qi, a Martial God. However, he quickly devised a solution.
"Original Wings!"
With the Book of Life and Death in hand, Ming Qi shouted, and immediately saw the rapid expansion of black and white energy. In the blink of an eye, a pair of dazzling wings, half black and half white, condensed behind him. The Origin Wings, a major immortal technique found on the second page of the Book of Life and Death, possessed unparalleled speed and ignored all resistance.
Using the Origin Wings, Ming Qi swiftly soared into the starry sky, following the World Axis.
It wasn't long before he could clearly see the World Axis's current shape.
It was a blazing fireball, as large as a mountain. As it flew at high speed, flaming fragments continuously crumbled. Even from a hundred miles away, Ming Qi could already feel the intense heat it brought.
"This is a bit of a challenge."
The heat radiated by the World Axis in its current form was so intense that even Ming Qi, a master of playing with fire, felt a little wary.
After a brief hesitation, Ming Qi sped up to catch up.
The World Axis was incredibly fast, and any further hesitation would likely lead to mishaps.
As he rushed forward, Ming Qi cast two defensive barriers, the strongest Ring of Fire and the Guardian Shield.
"Wuxiang, open the Divine Map!"
As he neared the World Axis, Ming Qi suddenly had an idea: he wanted to see if the World Axis could fit within the Divine Map's space.
"I'm afraid that won't work."
Wuxiang felt a little uneasy. After all, the World Axis was no simple object. While the Divine Map's space was incredibly powerful, it would be difficult to fit it.
"Give it a try!"
Ming Qi had been prepared to give it a try; whether it worked or not, he was determined to obtain the World Axis.
"Okay!"
Wuxiang immediately agreed and opened the Divine Map's space, creating a vast, hazy space beneath the starry sky.
Ming Qi had already rushed forward, staring at the intense heat. The primordial wings flashed with light, and carried him to above the axis of the world. Ming Qi completely ignored the scorching flames, clenched his fists and poured all his strength into them, then smashed towards the meteor!