Chapter 976: I Changed My Mind
The wind blew from the outer sea. The current came from the same direction, causing waves to roll to the inner sea.
A giant strode expressionlessly across the seafloor. Every step caused massive ripples to spread out in all directions. Even huge undersea mountains posed no obstacle. Wherever it went, everything was crushed. Behind it, the bronze dragon chariot was similarly unstoppable.
The giant was getting closer and closer to Xu Qing. It emanated terrifying pressure and a shocking aura, except it wasn’t detectable by just anyone. Only someone connected to it by karma would be able to.
Little Shadow trembled, but the god vine didn’t look any different compared to usual.
Xu Qing opened his eyes and turned to look off into the distance. He had sensed the aura of the dragon chariot. He already had some ideas of how to get onto the chariot and have it fly along the same route that the golden crow had once taken through the sky. He had analyzed each possibility thoroughly, and was ready to adjust his actions in an instant to improve his chances of success.
At this point, he felt that his chances of success were at about seventy percent or higher. However... this was the golden crow’s dragon chariot, plus, the giant pulling it was extremely terrifying, as he had personally experienced. Granted, his fleshly body was very powerful now, but he still wasn’t going to take the giant lightly.
For the better part of the month that had passed, he had been making preparations on the seafloor. Now all he needed to do was wait for the giant to appear.
That said, to ensure everything goes smoothly, I should get rid of any prying eyes before the chariot arrives.
Looking away from the direction of the chariot, he lifted his right hand and pointed out with his finger. The water about 3,000 meters away suddenly exploded with sound.
At the same time, a powerful backlash attack built up in the same area. A tempest erupted, causing huge waves to break out on the surface. A domineering aura rose up, filled with disdain as it rushed toward Xu Qing. Water raged everywhere, along with a deafening roar as a furious sea dragon appeared. In the blink of an eye, it was about to slam into Xu Qing.
Xu Qing’s expression was the same as ever, and in fact, he didn’t even look at the sea dragon. He just flicked his finger.
“Screw off!” he said. A majestic might filled the area for 3,000 meters around him. It became a mountain-toppling, sea-draining force, accompanied by countless evil ghosts, all of them releasing ear-piercing howls.
An explosion of sound swept out in all directions. The sea dragon was hit first, and it exploded, revealing four individuals within. A few hundred meters behind Xu Qing, the water seethed as an additional three figures were forced out into the open. To his left, about 1,500 meters away, the water shattered, and two attackers were revealed.
A total of nine figures were now out in the open, all of them glaring at Xu Qing as they pulsed with Smoldering God cultivation base power. Their eyes were cold, but after their gazes locked onto him, odd expressions overtook their faces. Then they exchanged glances as they apparently realized who Xu Qing was.
That was when the sound of clapping could be heard from off in the distance.
“Excellent! So you really were able to kill our scouts? Your setup here is very interesting, as is that severed hand. Could it be that you’re on a fishing expedition? You know, you look somewhat familiar. I feel like I’ve seen you in the jade slips back home.”
Another person appeared some 3,000 meters away. He was none other than the son of Floating Fiend. Instead of personally approaching, he had sent his dao protectors to get close. Now, he was looking at Xu Qing with a curious look in his eyes.
Xu Qing took it all in without the tiniest change to his facial expression. He actually wasn’t surprised at all. He just looked coldly at the young man off in the distance. He knew immediately that these were cultivators from the Vivifiend holy land.
He didn’t have a good impression of their holy land, but given that there was tenuous peace with them, he simply said, “You have three breaths of time to leave this place!”
“Three breaths of time?” Floating Fiend’s son looked at him with glittering eyes. He really did recognize Xu Qing. If he was dealing with any other human, he wouldn’t have hesitated. He would have killed them immediately. But because of who Xu Qing was... he did hesitate.
It was the same with the nine dao protectors. They all had read reports with descriptions of Xu Qing, and thus, they didn’t make any moves. If they did make a move, it would be a big deal, and it would be a violation of the orders governing their species.
The young man studied Xu Qing for a moment, then turned to leave. He was a silkpants, but he also knew that there were some things that even he would be punished for doing. However, just before leaving, he seemed to notice something. His gaze shifted from Xu Qing’s face to his fleshly body. Then his nose twitched and his eyes widened. He even started breathing a bit more heavily.
“Smells lovely.... That body of yours....” The young man looked visibly moved.
It wasn’t just him. The cultivators Xu Qing had forced out into the open were also looking at him with surprised facial expressions. Some of them even licked their lips greedily.
“That’s the aroma of immortal mercury!”
“And it’s mixed with... the flesh of a god!!”
“What level of god though...?”
“Hold on, there are also cultivator lineaments in addition to the godly aura!”
The young man’s heart was racing. As a Vivifiend, he had been stealing the organs and fleshly bodies from other species to graft onto himself since he was very young. That practice affected the Vivifiend life force, substructure, and cultivation base. That was the foundation of their entire species.
And Xu Qing’s body was something he had never seen the likes of before. In fact, their entire species had never seen anything like it, whether in the holy lands or Revered Ancient, not even in historical records. It surpassed anything imaginable.
At the same time, the young man felt an instinct from his innate ability, filling him with intense longing. That longing was like an unstoppable hunger that overtook his mind and told him that he absolutely had to have that body!
The nine dao protectors were experiencing a similar reaction. They literally couldn’t stop from breathing heavily and staring fixedly at Xu Qing as if they wanted to eat him alive.
But then Floating Fiend’s son narrowed his eyes and managed to suppress his greed. He smiled.
“I didn’t realize it was you here, Region Lord Xu. Sorry to bother you. We’ll leave now.”
Licking his lips, he shot a glance at his dao protectors, then backed away. Their real plan was to search the surroundings to confirm that Xu Qing was actually alone, then send a message back to their holy land to ask for further instructions.
Unfortunately for them, Xu Qing was no fool, and could tell what was on their mind.
Today was going to involve some killing.
Eyes turning cold, he said, “I changed my mind.”
And then sound exploded!