Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale

Moonlight scattered onto the surface of the sea. It landed on the magic boat whose barrier array had collapsed, and it also landed on Xu Qing. Listening to the respectful voices of the Seventh Peak disciples outside, Xu Qing’s expression was a little dazed.

Although he had entered a breakthrough as expected, the dangers in the process made his heart beat rapidly even at this moment. In particular, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath when he remembered the feeling of his body cracking apart when he broke through.

If it wasn’t for the purple crystal’s recovery ability, his body would have collapsed and he would have died long before the Droughtdemon Shadow could appear. On the other hand, the increase in strength that he obtained from surviving such a dangerous situation was just as astonishing.

The Droughtdemon shadow above his head slowly dissipated, and the terrifying power that filled his body made Xu Qing’s gaze reveal a hint of anticipation.

After a while, Xu Qing walked out of the cabin. His body under the moonlight was tall and straight like a pine tree, and his beautiful face had a coldness to it. After breaking through in the Sea and Mountain Art, his sculpted face revealed a mysterious charm.

“Thank you, fellow disciples.” Standing in front of the cabin, Xu Qing calmly cupped his fists and bowed to the surrounding disciples.

Immediately, the surrounding disciples on magic boats all returned the salute. They seemed to sense that the fluctuations of Xu Qing’s cultivation hadn’t dissipated yet, so most of them guessed that this breakthrough wasn’t the end of his cultivation tonight, and their hearts pounded even more.

Thus, after returning the salute, everyone sensibly returned to their cabins and didn’t continue to disturb Xu Qing.

This scene would have been inconceivable if it was just a few months ago when Xu Qing had first come to Seven Blood Pupils, but now, it had become reality.

Xu Qing retracted his gaze and returned to his cabin. Sitting down cross-legged, he looked at the Spirit Gathering Array, within which was a spirit stone filled with cracks. After that, he looked around at the dilapidated cabin and frowned slightly.

He knew that the collapse of the protective barrier was because of the sudden burst of immense fluctuations. The spirit stone was the core of the protective barrier, so with the collapse of the latter, the former also shattered.

“I wonder if the next breakthrough of the Sea and Mountain Art will still be like this…”

Xu Qing muttered. He still felt his heart beat rapidly, but more than that, he felt a sense of heartache. After all… repairing the magic boat cost money.

However, when he thought of the harvest he obtained from killing the merfolk youth, he felt a little better.

But now wasn’t the time to worry about these things. Xu Qing calmed himself down from the high of breaking through in the Sea and Mountain Art. He could sense that the Sea Transforming Scripture was churning in his body, as if it was also about to break through.

Thus, he took a deep breath and replaced the depleted spirit stone in the Spirit Gathering Array.

In the next instant, the magic boat’s protective barrier reactivated.

Watching the moonlight scattering down into the damaged cabin, Xu Qing pondered for a moment before adding another spirit stone. As he performed a hand seal, the magic boat rumbled, and thank to the two spirit stones at the core, the protective barrier became much thicker, causing even the moonlight to become somewhat obscured.

After doing this, Xu Qing sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. He sensed a boundless strength overflowing from his body that far surpassed his previous self.

It should be known that Xu Qing’s previous self’s cultivation of the Sea and Mountain Art was already equivalent to a normal cultivator at the peak of body refinement. Now that he had broken through, he seemed to have thrown off some sort of shackles, allowing his physical strength to reach an even higher level.

This newfound strength was powerful to a frightening degree. Xu Qing even had the feeling that he wouldn’t need to use any spells from Sea Transforming Scripture, only striking with an all-out punch from his Sea and Mountain Art, and he would still be able to shock the Vajra Sect’s ancestor.

After all, he was the first person in history to cultivate the Sea and Mountain Art to this level.

Before him, the Chief Shadow was already the limit. Now, the Chief Shadow had transformed into the never-before-seen Droughtdemon, which contained not only the aura of the mountains and seas, but also endlessly hot blazing flames.

That madness, full of the intent to evaporate all moisture and burn all living things, still lingered in Xu Qing’s perception.

And this was only the eighth level. The Droughtdemon Shadow was still just a newborn and hadn’t yet matured to its complete state. Xu Qing couldn’t imagine what it would look like once he reached the ninth level. And after that, when he reached the peak of the tenth level… would the Droughtdemon Shadow transform again?

No one could guide him on the future path of the Sea and Mountain Art. Even the person who created the cultivation technique couldn’t do it.

Xu Qing fell silent. After a long time, a bright light flashed through his eyes. He closed his eyes again and began to circulate the Sea Transforming Scripture.

Time passed slowly. Two hours later, when midnight arrived at Dock 79, a wind stirred…

This wind blew across the surface of the sea and gathered on Xu Qing’s magic boat, forming a vortex. It created a powerful attraction force, seeming to have turned into a black hole as it sucked spiritual energy from all directions over with rumbling sounds.

The surface of the swayed, causing all the boats to rock. The Seventh Peak disciples on their boats all focused their attention on the source of the commotion, as if they wanted to personally witness Xu Qing’s rise to power.

At that moment, boundless spiritual energy flooded into Xu Qing’s boat from all directions, quickly rushing into his bodt. The spiritual sea that the Sea Transforming Scripture formed within his body suddenly began to expand rapidly.

After cultivating the Sea Transforming Scripture to the next level, the spiritual sea seemed to increase by only ten meters each time, but in reality, that increase was in all aspects. Regardless of whether it was width or depth, from a three-dimensional viewpoint, it was like the difference between a small sphere and a large globe.

Xu Qing had already cultivated a deep foundation, so with the influx of spiritual energy containing the aura of the Forbidden Sea, his body instantly rumbled. Bursts of cracking sounds reverberated in his mind, and his spiritual sea expanded rapidly.

It directly broke through the limit of the last meter, reaching a full size of 80 meters.

As soon as it reached 80 meters, Xu Qing’s body trembled violently. Endless spiritual energy quickly rushed in to fill up an additional meter, but it wasn’t over yet. The spiritual sea continued to expand.

82 meters, 83 meters, 84 meters…

It wasn’t until his spiritual sea reached 87 meters that it finally felt saturated. As Xu Qing opened his eyes and a dazzling purple glow shone out, an increasingly obvious transcendent demeanor was visible on his body.

“Dragonwhale.” Xu Qing took a deep breath and raised his right hand while muttering. Immediately, a dragon roar echoed from his body and an enormous head that resembled a dragon but also looked like a whale directly drilled out of Xu Qing’s chest.

Its whole body was black, and it emitted an aura that was both deeply profound and astonishingly powerful.

Roaring, it rushed out of Xu Qing’s body and grew bigger and bigger. Phasing through the protective barrier, it charged into the sky. As it roared toward the heavens, its entire body was fully revealed!

Its huge body was over 240 meters long and emitted a soul-stirring aura. Whiskers danced in the air, each glowing with a blue fluorescent light.

As it soared into the sky, the sea rumbled and waves rose in response to its appearance. Even if this dragonwhale just slammed its body on the ground, it would be enough to cause mountains to tremor and the earth to shake.

The disciples on magic boats in the surroundings were all shocked.

“Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale!”

“This is a spell unique to the eighth level of the Sea Transforming Scripture. However, not just everyone can summon a dragonwhale when they reach the eighth level. This is only possible for someone with complete mastery over the spell!”

“The physical power Xu Qing exuded earlier was already so shocking. Now, his magic arts cultivation is also at the eighth level…”

“Then, his battle prowess…”

Everyone gasped.

Xu Qing was still sitting cross-legged in the magic boat. He looked up at the dragonwhale dancing through the air and revealed an intense light in his eyes. He had been waiting for this day.

According to the records in the Sea Transforming Scripture, once it was cultivated to the eighth level, the 80-meter-wide spiritual sea inside the body could transform into a Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale. This dragonwhale was formed by a spell, so it could last forever.

It would swim in the great sea and accompany the Seventh Peak disciple’s boat, becoming an indispensable assistant out at sea.

However, complete mastery of the spell was needed to form the Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale, so not all disciples at the eighth level of the Sea Transforming Scripture could do it.

“I’ve finally reached this level.” Xu Qing muttered. With a thought, the dragonwhale that was roaring in the sky suddenly flicked its tail and fell onto the surface of the sea with a loud splash, causing droplets of water to shoot out. As soon as it touched the sea, its body seemed to melt into the water, and it soon disappeared.

But Xu Qing could condense its figure from the seawater with a single thought.

In fact, the existence of the Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale was a dividing line for Seventh Peak disciples!

“If I were to encounter the Vajra Sect ancestor out at sea, then… there’s a high probability that I could kill him!” A cold light flashed through Xu Qing’s eyes.

“Even if we don’t fight out at sea, as long as I don’t hold anything back, I would still have a chance at heavily injuring him!”

“What I must do now is head out to sea. On the one hand, I can sharpen my cultivation, and on the other, I can obtain more resources. When I return… I’ll think of a way to kill the Vajra Sect ancestor as soon as possible!”

“Once day breaks, I’ll go and upgrade my magic boat. If there’s enough time, I’ll set out tomorrow. If not, I’ll set out the day after tomorrow!” Xu Qing took a deep breath. He could feel that after his breakthroughs, his control over the shadow had become more flexible.

This made him even more confident.

At the same time, when Xu Qing’s Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale appeared, its roar spread throughout the entire port area and was heard by many disciples in the other docks.

This roar was very special. Outsiders might not have been able to hear anything from it, but Seventh Peak disciples were quite familiar with it.

In Dock 32’s Coast Defense Department, a huge department battleship was slowly sailing out of the port area. Unlike the magic boats of the other disciples, the Coast Defense Department’s battleship was specially made by the sect.

“Another person has reached the eight level, and they even summoned a dragonwhale. Judging by the aura, it isn’t ordinary either… interesting.”

At that moment, a gray-robed youth was standing on the battleship. His entire body exuded powerful fluctuations, and he had a head of blue hair and a pair of golden eyes. He stared into the distance and muttered.

“Senior Brother Ding, do you want us to investigate?” Seven or eight Coast Defense Department disciples were following behind him. Hearing his mutters, one of them spoke in a low voice.

Zhou Qingpeng was among them, standing at the back with a cautious expression.

Clearly, he had finally accomplished the thing he’d boasted about at the gathering that day and managed to become a follower of the Coast Defense Department’s Chosen[1]. That Chosen was none other than that blue-haired youth, Ding Xiaohai, who was acclaimed as the number one Qi Condensation cultivator in the Seventh Peak. Even some core disciples would courteously greet him as a fellow Daoist.

“Wait until we return.” Ding Xiaohai said calmly, retracting his gaze.

At the same time, in the Homicide Department, the Team Six captain was lying comfortably on a chair. He was holding a rare fruit shaped like a star in his hand and nibbled happily on a corner. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and looked up in the direction of Dock 79. A smile appeared on his face.

“His mood cleared up, so he broke through, simple as that. This kid… I like him, but he’s still a little weak. How can I allow a member of my team to be so weak? Should I find a few more people for him to kill?”

The Team Six captain was indeed an abnormal freak as Zhang San had said. He actually put down the fruit and began to think seriously about this question.

That night, Xu Qing’s dragonwhale attracted the attention of many people in the Seventh Peak, giving them mixed feelings. Some were filled with anticipation, some had envious looks on their faces, and some had jealousy in their expressions.

But that night, there were also people who were filled with extreme anger and sadness but couldn’t find anyone to vent their emotions on.

They were… the cultivators of the merfolk race.

At that moment, several figures appeared in the alley where the merfolk youth had died. The two in front, one tall and one short, were that merfolk youth’s elder sisters, the two lovers at the Third Highness’ side.

The elder sister seemed very calm, but the younger sister beside her was trembling in anger. Her breathing was rapid and the gills on her face also stood up. Her eyes revealed a monstrous killing intent.

There was also an old man from the merfolk race at their side. He stood there bitterly and spoke in a low voice.

“His Highness’ aura disappeared here, but the perpetrator has obviously dealt with the scene well. There are no traces left behind. However, with His Highness’ strength and status, he most likely hasn’t died yet and only disappeared. I’m not sure if his life slip in the clan has…”

“His Highness’ life slip has… shattered.” Before the old man could finish speaking, the younger of the two merfolk sisters gritted her teeth and spoke.

The old man fell silent and his face gradually turned pale.

As His Highness’ Dao Protector, now that this had happened, he could imagine what his own fate would be. However, His Highness had strictly forbidden him from following. Furthermore, he had his own guesses about what His Highness kept going out to do.

But no matter what, he never expected such a thing to happen…

“Could it be that the executives of Seven Blood Pupils made a move?” The old man hesitated.

“If Seven Blood Pupils’ executives killed someone, would they need to hide it?”

“Continue investigating. There was a wish box in His Highness’ storage bag. This item is extremely important and must not fall into the hands of others.” The elder sister took a deep breath and spoke coldly.

“Sister, His Highness had fallen, we must avenge him. Why are you still paying attention to whatever wish box!!” The younger sister at the side glared at her angrily.

“You should know the importance of the wish box. It’s a gift from a previous epoch.”

“I only know that His Highness has fallen, and we need to find the murderer!”

The two sisters’ gazes collided. After a long time, the elder sister spoke lightly.

“We’ll do it this way, then. You take revenge, and I’ll handle the box. Since His Highness was a member of the royal family, he had the Bloodline Guide on his body. If we meet his murderer at close range, we’ll be able to sense it.”

“Let’s search for everyone who’s been in conflict with His Highness in this period of time, including the family members of the people he tortured and killed. We must search carefully and investigate them one by one. I really want to know who is so bold as to dare to kill our race’s young master!”

“When I find them, I’ll definitely torture them and make them and their entire family wish they were dead. I want to hear their screams of pain, and I want to stuff their souls into the fishes and prawns. I want to bite them to pieces and swallow them alive!” The younger sister gritted her teeth, and her eyes revealed an intense madness.

[1] – 天骄 is translated as “Chosen” here because that’s what Deathblade used in ISSTH and AWE, and also what the WWOG Fan TL project is using. It refers to someone who is “so talented they seem to have been chosen by heaven”.

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