Chapter 320: Advancing by Leaps and Bounds
Three flames illuminated six palaces. Four flames illuminated seven palaces. Five flames illuminated eight palaces!
Right now, the six illusory heavenly palaces that existed below the life mist radiated splendor. The power of their united structure pushed the cultivation base from Foundation Establishment firmly into the Gold Core level.
Within the life mist were the seventh and eighth heavenly palaces. Though they were surrounded by mist, they were also radiant. However, the ninth palace was more amazing and majestic than the eighth below it.
That ninth palace had been formed from the seven-colored wind-chanting lamp, and its blinding radiance pierced through the life mist and shone on everything around it. With the seven-colored wind-chanting lamp in place, terrifying fluctuations rolled out, creating a shocking pressure. After all, a single palace contained the power of six flames.
Then Xu Qing lifted up his second life lamp, and thunderous rumbling sounds filled his sea of consciousness. It sounded like the howl of a godly being, with all living things shouting in response. The black umbrella pierced through everything, flying above the ninth heavenly palace. There, it released dazzling light like a sea, sweeping over everything. At that point, a heavenly palace took shape around the black life lamp.
This palace was not illusory. It was corporeal!
It was... the tenth palace!
It was different from the ninth palace formed from the seven-colored lamp. This tenth palace was pitch black and covered with black flames. It looked almost like a necropolis from the underworld. It seemed shocking and ghastly, but at the same time, it surged with intense power. As a result, Xu Qing’s battle prowess instantly advanced by leaps and bounds, soaring past its previous level!
He hadn’t just reached the Gold Core level, he had instantly formed two full heavenly palaces!
On the Revered Ancient mainland, the Gold Core level with its heavenly palaces was a watershed point. Cultivators under Gold Core were considered low-level, and were all considered to be building a foundation. But once you stepped into Gold Core, your foundation was complete, and your cultivation took a huge leap forward.
What was more, Xu Qing’s breakthrough was far superior to most of the Gold Core experts in the coalition. For example, even after many years had passed, Sima Ru still had not yet completed her second heavenly palace. That just went to show how valuable life lamps were.
Of course, Xu Qing’s battle prowess wasn’t just improved by his breakthrough, it also benefited by his constantly transforming imperial-class technique. Comprehensively speaking, his battle prowess already surpassed that of an ordinary cultivator with two heavenly palaces. And that wasn’t even bringing his poisons into the picture.
Right now, he was already on the verge of completing his third heavenly palace, and if he put a poison core in it, his battle prowess would be even more astonishing.
Then, as he slowly transformed his remaining heavenly palaces from illusory to corporeal, and eventually had a total of ten of them, his battle prowess would reach an absolutely astonishing level compared to others in the same level as him. It wouldn’t be a drawn-out process, simply because his Gold Core technique was very unique.
Xu Qing opened his eyes, and within his mind swirled the Gruegloom Daoseizing Art his Master had imparted to him. As it spread out and became part of his heart and mind, his right hand slowly became transparent. It was almost like it existed between illusory and corporeal. Xu Qing looked down at his hand and could sense a terrifying aura in it, something boundlessly gruish.
If he shoved that hand into the sea of consciousness of an enemy, he could break open their heavenly palaces and take the gold core therein. But there was more. Xu Qing could sense that his right hand could create a very powerful threat to grues.
Master said that when I cultivate this art to completion, my whole body can enter that same state between illusory and corporeal, allowing me to evade all sorts of dangers.
His eyes shone with determination. He now felt more anxious than ever to progress with his cultivation and get even stronger.
Shortly after, he took a deep breath; he knew that he had to work even harder than before. With that, his hand returned to normal.
Looking calm, he stood and bowed with deep respect to Master Third, who had acted as dharma protector for him.
“Thank you for your trouble, Master Third.”
Xu Qing knew that Master Third had been watching over him for the sake of his own Master, but that didn’t make him any less grateful.
Up above, Master Third’s eyes shone brightly as he looked at Xu Qing. He did nothing to mask the praise in his expression. As far as he was concerned, Xu Qing was the most spectacular disciple to rise up in Seven Blood Eyes for years.
“Keep on living, and you’ll play an important role in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture in the future,” he said.
Xu Qing again clasped hands and bowed.
Master Third waved his hand, and the surrounding spell formation deactivated. Then he vanished.
Xu Qing looked at the spot where he had vanished, then glanced at the huge bronze mirror overhead. Then he took out his dharmaship and reached out to it mentally. The spirit automaton inside let out a howl, and power comparable to Gold Core erupted out. The ship shot off into the distance.
Moving at top speed, Xu Qing reached the harbor, then continued on to the Forbidden Sea without stopping.
When he came, he was a four-flame Foundation Establishment cultivator. When he left, he was a two-palace Gold Core expert.
The difference in battle prowess between those two levels was like the difference between the sky and the land.
After shooting off into the distance, Xu Qing suddenly said, “Master Freespirit.”
“Milord!” The black iron skewer appeared next to Xu Qing, and Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior came out as an illusory projection. He looked fearful and a bit apprehensive as he dropped to his knees.
“Your battle prowess is weak. If you aren’t able to keep pace with me—” Xu Qing wasn’t able to finish his sentence.
The patriarch shivered, then threw his head back and smacked his chest forcefully.
“Don’t worry, milord! Your humble servant has long prepared for this moment. I was just preparing to give you an update, milord. It won’t take me any longer than six months— no, wait. Three months!! At that point, your humble servant’s lightning spirit body can be upgraded and will change from spirit to soul!”
The patriarch’s eyes were bloodshot, and he looked ready to go all out.
The truth was that he was actually a long way from a breakthrough point. But he had no choice right now. If he didn’t start working a lot harder, then given Xu Qing’s current state, the patriarch knew he would end up as cannon fodder.
That said, if he wanted to break through in three months, he needed resources. After a bit of hesitation, he cautiously said, “Milord, just so you know, I can also absorb souls. In the past, I needed to absorb magical devices to form my lightning spirit body. But to become a lightning soul, I need a lot of souls....”
“Okay.” Xu Qing glanced at the patriarch. Earlier, he had been planning to say that if the patriarch couldn’t keep pace, he would set him free. After all, Xu Qing was pleased with how hard the patriarch had worked in recent years. But after hearing what the patriarch just said, Xu Qing thought for a moment and then decided not to mention what he had been about to say.
Meanwhile, the shadow saw all of this happening and immediately released some fluctuations.
“Three... also!!
“Pieces... I... three... breakthrough!”
There was no need for Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior to translate. Xu Qing understood enough just from listening. The shadow was talking about the taboo treasure fragment he had taken from Sima Ling. In the past, Xu Qing had always hesitated to comply, fearful of the shadow’s instinctive drive to fight back. [1]
But now that he was in the Gold Core level, things were different. Therefore, he nodded and waved his hand. The fragment landed on the deck atop the shadow. The shadow reacted with delight. Instantly spreading out to cover the fragment, it greedily started absorbing it.
A few days later, Xu Qing saw the Eight Sect Coalition’s port up ahead. He had been gone for the better part of the month, which wasn’t very long. But thanks to the hard work of everyone in the coalition, there were almost no signs remaining of the catastrophe which had struck.
The mutagen had been almost completely driven out, and whatever remained was so faint that the immortal energy from the Everlasting Immortal Profundity River made it impossible to detect. What was more, the coalition had set up a lot of new formations to drive out mutagen. Most of the buildings had been repaired. The main thing that remained was the mental pressure and grim attitude which had taken hold among the people.
Xu Qing sent a message to his Master notifying him of his return, but didn’t contact anyone else.
Back at his berth, he settled down cross-legged to familiarize himself more with being in the Gold Core level and having heavenly palaces. He also started doing more research into the Gruegloom Daoseizing Art. In addition to that, he spent some time improving his magical techniques. Whether it was the Dark Serenity Curse, the Ninefold Tsunami, or Within the Nine Springs, they all needed deep examination.
What was more, his bluegreen dragon could also be transformed. The bluegreen dragon came from his life essence and his dharma apertures. In fact, if he didn’t have that poison pill or his life lamps, then the dragon would have become his first gold core, which he would place in his first heavenly palace.
That said, Xu Qing wasn’t planning to abandon it. He planned to work on the poison pill and his life essence gold core at the same time.
Closing his eyes, he cast his senses out to his imperial-class technique. As for Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits, I need to devour something else to get it to the second stage.
Days passed as Xu Qing familiarized himself with his new cultivation level. As the coalition got back to normal, intelligence reports began to pour in about Torchlight.
In Seven Blood Eyes, it was Master Seventh who handled the reports, and began to personally coordinate the search for more clues. Both Seven Blood Eyes and the Eight Sect Coalition as a whole needed to vent their frustrations in the form of slaughter. And Xu Qing was in exactly the same position. However, a thorough investigation was something that would take time. And nobody was willing to underestimate Torchlight. Everything had to be done safely.
Before the intelligence reports could all come in and be verified, a visitor came to Seven Blood Eyes. It was a delegation from Eastnether Isle in the Forbidden Sea, and it was made up of a group of several hundred cultivators.
Leading the group was Guru Eastnether along with her granddaughter Yanyan.
As close allies of Seven Blood Eyes, they had obviously been concerned with what recently happened. And they had come to confer with Seven Blood Eyes, and create a plan to deal with Torchlight and get revenge.
Almost as soon as Sir Bloodsmelter and Master Seventh sat down with Guru Eastnether to start discussing matters, Yanyan secretly slipped away.
She obviously cared a lot about Seven Blood Eyes, and knew a lot about it. And that was especially true of Xu Qing. She didn’t even need to ask anyone where Xu Qing was. Before long, she had found his berth.
Standing outside of his dharmaship, she softly said, “Oh, Big Bro Xu Qing, I’ve missed you so much!”
1. Xu Qing got the fragment of the taboo treasure in chapter 232. ☜