Chapter 90: A Golden Glow that Causes Madness
Before long, footsteps could be heard as the group from the Church of Departure walked out of the forest and to the ridge line surrounding the basin. There were eight of them, and they all wore black cloaks with red suns embroidered on them. They looked strange and bizarre, and at the same time, radiated a sinister coldness. That was especially true given how their eyes gleamed within the darkness of their hoods. There wasn’t a scrap of emotion on them, as if the living beings here meant absolutely nothing to them and their Church.
That apathy toward death struck the rogue cultivators and nonhumans to the core. Even the Sea Ghosts, who were widely known to be cruel and ruthless, seemed somewhat afraid of them. After all, cruelty and ruthlessness were aspects of humanity. However, the people from the Church of Departure seemed like emotionless killing machines.
Along with their arrival came a sinister coldness that filled the basin and caused many of the surrounding rogue cultivators to finally turn and leave. The people from the Church of Departure didn’t bother looking at such rogue cultivators. They simply sat down cross-legged. After that, they didn’t move a muscle.
Xu Qing glanced at them, but didn’t see the big brother of that young girl from the scavenger basecamp, so he looked away and closed his eyes to meditate.
The innkeeper didn’t go back to his previous spot. Instead, he picked a much closer spot that was poison-free, and sat down cross-legged, keeping his guard up against both Xu Qing and the other nearby cultivators.
This little brat agreed too quickly. Something seems off. I have to be careful.
The atmosphere in the basin remained tense as ten more days passed.
During that time, no sealizards appeared.
None of the cultivators present seemed surprised by that. The water surrounding the island was calm, with few waves. It was like the increasing pressure that would build up before a storm. It was the same in the basin. Everyone remained silent, except for the anaconda, who would occasionally look at Xu Qing and make some cooing sounds.
Xu Qing didn’t understand, so he ignored the snake, and instead focused on remaining in peak fighting condition. He wiped his dagger clean. He sharpened his iron skewer.
As for why he’d agreed so quickly to the alliance, it was because he didn’t trust the old innkeeper, and knew the innkeeper didn’t trust him.
It was on the evening of the tenth day that something finally happened.
Rumbling could be heard from the sea, and the waves which had been mostly absent for the past ten days suddenly surged. Terrifying auras erupted from the sea, spreading out in all directions and covering the island. Far out past the shore, Xu Qing saw numerous whirlpools in the water, getting closer to the island.
The cultivators present didn’t say anything. They just kept their cultivation bases rotating in a ready state, ready to strike like lightning when the time came.
When the first whirlpool reached the shore, water erupted everywhere as a huge sealizard stepped onto the sand, its 150-meter-long body blackish violet. In the twilight, it almost looked like it was covered with jeweled armor that glittered with black light. It seemed incredibly tough, and at the same time, radiated pressure that far surpassed the Qi Condensation level.
The immense energy caused dust and sand to whip about in the air everywhere.
It was a Foundation Establishment sealizard!
Whether it was its armored skin, its sharp claws, or the terrifying vertical pupils in its eyes, this sealizard seemed capable of unleashing endless slaughter. It seemed intelligent as it shook the water off of itself, then looked around coldly at the island. Finally fixing its attention on the basin, it began contemptuously climbing up.
The immense mightiness on display caused all of the cultivators on the island to feel like they were being crushed.
Furthermore, there wasn’t just a single Foundation Establishment sealizard coming to the island. A second climbed up onto the shore and entered the jungle, then a third. The aura of the third was stronger than the others, and it looked to be 300 meters long. When it threw its head back and howled, a windstorm sprang up around it, causing the trees in the jungle to shake violently.
Even the cultivators at the basin could feel the strong, sea-flavored wind hitting their faces. The sensation of crushing weight on their cultivation bases got even stronger.
Even Xu Qing’s pupils constricted as he sensed the terrifying might of the three Foundation Establishment sealizards. From what he could tell, the first two were strong, while the third was so overwhelming his eyes stung when he looked at it. He inhaled sharply as he thought back to Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior. Even the first two sealizards were so strong that they could crush the patriarch into dust.
Eyes lighting up, the innkeeper from Plankspring Way said, “Two mid Foundation Establishment sealizards. And one in late Foundation Establishment! The skins of the first two are worth at least 10,000 spirit stones each. As for the skin of the third... it would sell for 15,000-16,000! Xu Qing, it’s time to make our alliance a reality.”
The other cultivators in the area looked similarly excited, including the Sea Ghosts, rogue cultivators, and nonhumans. Tens of thousands of spirit stones were on the line, and that was just too enticing. In the world of Armageddon, that level of wealth was simply too much for these cultivators to resist.
Xu Qing looked down at the beach where the three sealizards had exited the sea. The feeling of danger was so intense that his hair stood on end, and he felt himself quivering.
Part of that was because of the aura crushing down on him, but part of it was his body telling him that it was ready to take action at any moment.
If I can get one of these Foundation Establishment sealizard skins, then I can go back fully satisfied. That much wealth would be more than enough to upgrade my dharmaboat, and also keep my cultivation going without constantly having to worry about earning spirit stones.
Counting the lizard skins he had already collected, he had enough to make about 2,000 spirit stones. If he added in the items he had taken from the cultivators he’d killed, plus the gifts Elder Sister Ding had given him, he would probably end up with a total of 4,000.
Add in a Foundation Establishment lizard skin, and I can go home victorious!
As he made up his mind, rumbling sounds reached his ears as the sealizards started climbing the mountain. They didn’t fly in the air, but instead, charged through the jungle, knocking down the trees along the way, which actually aided in the shedding process. When they finally reached the top of the mountain, they completely ignored the cultivators as they tromped into the basin. They were so huge that the three of them took up the greater part of the open space in the basin. Being so close to Foundation Establishment creatures caused the cultivators to temporarily stop breathing.
Then the sealizards threw their heads back and roared, and the sound of which was powerful enough to be deadly. Rumbling sounds filled heaven and earth as the sound waves swept out in all directions.
There were some cultivators whose fleshly bodies couldn’t stand up to the force. Trembling, they coughed up huge mouthfuls of blood as they sustained serious injuries.
At the same time, many of the large trees in the area shattered.
As the sound of the roars rolled out destructively, it became obvious that any weak cultivators didn’t stand a chance.
Xu Qing also trembled, but his fleshly body was strong, and the sound waves didn’t cause him much trouble. However, the tree he had been sitting atop crumbled into ashes.
As Xu Qing dropped to the ground, he ignored the tree and instead looked around the basin like a hawk, waiting for the first complete skin to appear.
The innkeeper was doing the same thing, as were the Sea Ghosts and other nonhuman cultivators who could stand up to the sound of the roar.
As everyone waited in anticipation, enough time passed for an incense stick to burn. At that point, the two mid Foundation Establishment sealizards finished shedding. However, it was to the disappointment of everyone present that the huge lizards ripped large portions of their shed skins off of the larger swaths, then swallowed them. Then, they leaped into the air above the basin, unleashing muffled roars into the heavens.
Though the skins they left behind had holes in them, they still possessed bizarre properties. As everyone watched, they rapidly shrank down until they were palm-sized.
The more than one dozen Sea Ghosts burst into movement, as did the nonhumans and rogue cultivators. Apparently, nobody was worried about the threats the Sea Ghosts had made, and were completely obsessed with the potential profits to be had.
The old innkeeper similarly charged forth.
However, Xu Qing was the fastest of all. In the shortest of moments, all of the cultivators present were on the move, with the exception of the people from the Church of Departure.
Now, dozens of people were fighting over two pieces of Foundation Establishment sealizard skin.
Xu Qing chose to head toward the nearest one, as did the innkeeper. Neither of the two liked each other, so despite choosing to work together, they still had their guard up.
As they closed in on the skin, they faced their competitors, killing intent blazing.
Xu Qing tapped into his cultivation base, causing droplets of water to spring up everywhere, then fly out in all directions. He also wielded his dagger, aiming it with cold efficiency at one of the nonhuman Sea Ghosts. This Sea Ghost was in the great circle of Qi Condensation, which meant he was very strong. But Xu Qing was stronger. Xu Qing’s right fist slammed into his chest, accompanied by the might of the spectral drought demon.
The nonhuman cultivator howled as he was sent flying backward, pulling out a talisman treasure to protect himself. Even with the added protection, blood sprayed out of his mouth. Then the talisman treasure collapsed, and he slammed into the ground 20-25 meters away.
The old innkeeper was equally as fierce. Numerous ropes appeared, wrapping around the necks of the nonhuman cultivators. However, some of them also whipped toward Xu Qing.
Xu Qing had just knocked several enemies away and was about to grab the lizard skin. However, that was when the ropes appeared. Thankfully, he had been ready for something like this, and let out a cold harrumph as he sent the power of his energy and blood surging out.
Rumbling sounds echoed out as the ropes collapsed, and it seemed like he was just about to lay his hand on the lizard skin. However, that was when four Sea Ghosts lunged at him with burning killing intent, their eyes bloodshot as they performed incantation gestures to unleash magical techniques.
The old innkeeper was also surrounded by rogue cultivators.
Two other Sea Ghost cultivators shot toward the lizard skin, and were about to grab it when the air near the skin rippled and distorted, and a huge anaconda appeared out of nowhere, struck out, and grabbed the skin in her mouth.
Looking very excited, the anaconda glanced at Xu Qing and the innkeeper, and seemed inclined to go help Xu Qing.... That was when the innkeeper’s eyes flashed, and he started laughing uproariously. The glow of a talisman treasure appeared, knocking aside everyone and closing in on the snake.
As the light wrapped around the anaconda, the innkeeper’s expression was one of excitement.
“Good girl. Wonderful job!”
The spectral drought demon appeared behind Xu Qing, howling, a sea of flames spreading out from it in all directions. Nearby Sea Ghosts screamed and fell back, coughing up blood. But Xu Qing ignored them and turned to face the innkeeper, his eyes glittering with icy coldness.
Meanwhile, the 300-meter sealizard that remained in the basin threw its head back and roared.
Old skin exploded as the lizard completed the shedding process and emerged anew. Then it chomped up a mouthful of the shed skin before shooting up into the sky. Its energy and blood seemed to surge to new heights as if the lizard were in the process of surpassing the Foundation Establishment level!! It roared madly, leaving everyone below shaken, and their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth bleeding.
As for the remaining shed skin, it rapidly shrank down and formed three pieces. Those three pieces of lizard skin emanated incomparably astonishing energy that far surpassed the other two skins. What was more, they seemed to glitter with golden light.
As that golden light spread out, even the clouds above stirred, and there was a god-like feeling that weighed onto everyone. In fact, Xu Qing couldn’t help but think back to the Seven Blood Eyes entrance assessment, and the blood of the godly entity!
Eyes wide, the innkeeper from Plankspring Way shouted, “This... am I seeing things? This late Foundation Establishment lizard actually has some godliness! That aura of godliness is going to make those skins even more valuable!!”
At that point, the people from the Church of Departure opened their eyes, and they shone with cold, callous light. This was what they had come here for!