Chapter 995: A Light-Eating God
It was the fifth day after the empress issued the dharmic decree. It was a bright, sunny day, with no clouds in the sky.
Early morning light shone down on the port of Seven Blood Eyes. The port was busy, with both cultivators and mortals bustling about everywhere. There were also nonhumans from various islands on the sea, there to do business.
Seven Blood Eyes was now a powerhouse entity, with influence that spread far out into the sea. Countless islands and species were willing to be subsidiary forces of the sect.
Products from all over the continent of South Phoenix ended up in the Seven Blood Eyes port district, where they would then be carried out near and far by merchant ships. At the same time, the port at Emperor-Receiving Prefecture collected products from all over Revered Ancient and ferried them to South Phoenix. High-level cultivators didn’t participate in activities like that. The responsibilities were all handled by low-level cultivators. Those people formed the massive foundation that allowed the sect to grow strong and train new disciples.
Dharmaboats and nonhuman watercraft came in and out constantly, to the point where ships had to line up outside of the port before they could get a spot inside. Despite how busy everything was, everything operated in perfect order. Everything went so smoothly that the sect departments of Seven Blood Eyes who saw to public safety and order didn’t actually have a lot of work to do.
That was especially true of the Violent Crimes Division. Normally, the constables from there seemed very kind and amiable. That said, to nonhumans, the disciples who wore the uniforms of the Violent Crimes Division were to be deeply feared. The nonhumans knew that the kindness of the constables was nothing more than an act! In reality, they were all profound schemers, and within their smiles and laughter were hidden sharp blades!
That could be attested to by the corpses of the various criminals who had been executed over the years as Seven Blood Eyes rose to prominence. And of course, the older generation of nonhumans all talked about things they had witnessed from the time they were young. According to them, it used to be that only the disciples of the Seventh Peak acted like that. The other peaks were different.
But nowadays... the Violent Crimes Divisions in all of the peaks acted exactly the same way. In fact, if you took everything in as a whole, you would find that such behavior wasn’t limited to the Violent Crimes Divisions. Disciples from all of the mountain peaks in Seven Blood Eyes now acted the way that only Seventh Peak disciples used to act.... It had become something of a common practice.
“These people are extremely crafty!” That was what everyone said.
But there was nothing they could do about that. No one dared to offend Seven Blood Eyes, and when it came to the Violent Crimes Divisions... that was even more the case. The reason was that someone who was an exalted figure in the east of Revered Ancient had come to the Violent Crimes Division recently.There wasn’t a single individual in the islands of the Forbidden Sea who didn’t know who this person was. In fact, the east of Revered Ancient had been thrown into a buzz of activity recently because of him. Stories about him were told everywhere. You could even say that just mentioning his name on the Forbidden Sea would cause any species to go completely silent. He was that important and powerful!
The nonhumans feared him, but in the Violent Crimes Divisions of the various peaks of Seven Blood Eyes, he was virtually worshiped like a god. After all, he had started out in the Violent Crimes Division. This god of the Violent Crimes Division currently sat cross-legged in the pavilion which had once belonged to Master Seventh. He was doing breathing exercises as the sun rose.
Every breath he took caused scintillating light to converge from the rising sun, and enter his mouth as if it were food. It became crystalline motes within Xu Qing, motes that spread through his body, nourishing his profound sun immortal light. As he sat in the shimmering light eating the sunlight, his body shone with dazzling brightness.
He had a long violet robe as well as violet hair, with spectacularly beautiful facial features and a body to match. Anyone who saw him would be unable to stop from sighing at the perfection they were witnessing.
Erniu sat in the same building. Glancing at Xu Qing, he sighed and turned to his Second Junior Sister and Huang Yan. “With a face like that, he could live such a great life. I mean, he could practice dual cultivation with a god! But instead he sits around working hard all day. Just what I would expect of my little Junior Brother. He’s doing things exactly the way I did, back in the day.”
Second Junior Sister ignored him.
However, Huang Yan’s eyebrows shot up. “Erniu, did you lose something?”
Erniu looked very pleased with himself. “Presumably you’re trying to say that I lost some face, eh? You’re trying to imply that I’m shameless? Come on, don’t be so petty, Second Brother-in-Law!”
Huang Yan glared at him. Erniu’s shifty manner made it a struggle not to deliver a vicious slap to his face.
Erniu glared back. Down at the bottom of the sea, he had been quite scared of Huang Yan. But now he was home, and his Junior Sister was around, so he wasn’t feeling as afraid.
The two of them glared at each other so intensely sparks were about to start flying. That was when Second Junior Sister frowned.
“That’s enough, you two.”
Huang Yan immediately smiled obsequiously, all while Erniu preened proudly.
Second Sib knew she couldn’t do much about her Eldest Brother, therefore, she decided to change the conversation topic. “It’s been two days since the holy lands left the east. Until more holy lands show up, we’re going to have some temporary peace and quiet. However, based on what Patriarch Vivifiend said before he died, there’s war on the horizon.... I’m afraid it’s unavoidable. Considering Master is in seclusion, Eldest Brother, have you put any thought into how Seven Blood Eyes should prepare?”
“Of course I have!” Erniu said, licking his lips. “That stingy empress only gave us half of the resources from the Vivifiend holy land. And shē took the entire mountain! That’s pushing things too far. We could have taken that mountain and forged it into a really powerful weapon! Therefore, my plan is to write a strongly worded letter, signed in the name of Seven Blood Eyes and the old man, demanding that the empress give the mountain back to us!”
Having said that, Erniu’s eyes shone brightly.
Huang Yan looked at him, blinking a few times. He had to admit it was an interesting idea.
As for Second Sib, she thought about it for a moment and was about to reply when her transmission jade slip vibrated. Picking it up, she scanned the message and then looked at Xu Qing.
“Little Junior Brother, someone spotted the bronze dragon chariot you were looking for.”
The dazzling light surrounding the cross-legged Xu Qing rippled, and then he sucked it all into his mouth and opened his eyes. The lineament of authority in his right eye glittered, becoming a terrifying pressure that affected the local natural and magical laws, causing the sky overhead to dim.
After the fight with Floating Fiend, Xu Qing had returned and spent all of his time getting used to the authority of erasure. He didn’t have any spare time to look for the chariot. That said, he knew that the chariot was somewhere in the inner sea. Therefore, he had posted a mission for Seven Blood Eyes disciples to report any sightings of the chariot. Today, he finally got some results.
Standing, Xu Qing looked at his Second Elder Sister.
“You might recognize the disciples who found it,” she said. She waved her hand, sending a jade slip flying over to him.
“Many thanks,” he said as he caught the jade slip. After scanning it with divine will, he turned in the direction of the Forbidden Sea and took a step.
Erniu jumped up, laughing. “I’ll come along, little Junior Brother. I can be your dharma protector!”
He also took a step forward, and together, he and Xu Qing vanished.
“Dharma protector my ass,” Huang Yan said with a cold snort. He looked over at his Elder Sister.
Second Elder Sister nodded, and Huang Yan brightened up. Jumping to his feet, he raced after Xu Qing and Erniu.
***
Out on the Forbidden Sea, a giant was plodding along, its upper half above the surface of the water. Its every movement caused tsunami waves to race out in all directions. Some distance away, a dharmaship bobbed up and down in the water. Occasionally, waves would crash over it, but it maintained its course as it kept pace with the giant. There were three cultivators aboard the ship, all of whom wore the uniforms of the Seven Blood Eyes Violent Crimes Division.
In the lead position was a young man with long black hair that flowed past his shoulders and down his back. He pulsed with a violent aura, and his eyes looked like those of a wild beast. They were full of coldness toward the world and apathy toward life. Behind him were two middle-aged men who seemed rather ordinary. None of them had weak cultivation bases. That was especially true of the fierce young man, who was in the great circle of Core Formation, only about half a step from Nascent Soul.
All of them were constables from the Violent Crimes Division, and all had rather high ranks. In fact, the young man was the current director of the Seventh Peak’s Violent Crimes Division.
Normally speaking, there were few missions which were important enough for him to leave the division. But a few days ago, he saw Xu Qing’s mission regarding the dragon chariot. Without any hesitation, he took his two deputy directors out to sea.
The director held nothing back. He searched even the most dangerous locations, and by chance, happened to spot the giant.
Given the level of their cultivation bases, they were still having trouble standing up to the pressure despite how far away they were. The giant’s terrifying aura caused all three of them to tremble instinctively. And yet the young man with black hair was unusually capable, and he kept his teeth gritted to endure.
The fact he was going all out made the two deputy directors think about all of the stories and legends they had heard about this director. Before taking up his office, the director had been a mute. He had been a fanatical killer, and had, on more than one occasion, ripped people to shreds like a wild animal. Every single one of his enemies ended up torn to pieces in the most brutal manner imaginable.
After becoming the director, his cultivation base grew, and he eventually was able to start speaking. That said, he never said much. And he grew even more fierce and strong. Over the years, he had tracked down virtually every wanted criminal there was. The process had ensured that the director’s name became well-known and feared among the species of the Forbidden Sea.
There were also rumors that the director was a follower of Xu Qing. Some people claimed to have witnessed that with their own eyes, but there were also those who said such stories were complete nonsense.
Because Xu Qing had been gone for so long, the stories gradually became nothing more than rumors. But when the two deputy directors saw how their director was risking his life for this mission, they started to think that the rumors might be true after all. Thus, they trembled with fear as they held on for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Around that time, the giant gradually sank back down beneath the surface of the water. That caused the tsunami waves to grow even larger, and the power of the sea caused cracks to spread out over the dharmaship. It looked like it might fall apart at any moment.
But the young man with black hair didn’t give up. He almost seemed suicidal as he tapped into his cultivation base to control the dharmaship. At the same time, he sent his special senses out and locked onto the giant so he wouldn’t lose it. As time ticked by, blood started oozing out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. But he didn’t relax at all.
More time passed. The tsunamis grew even more intense, and whirlpools started forming, which tugged violently at the dharmaship and caused more cracks to appear. At one point, a massive whirlpool swept right toward the dharmaship, causing it to tremble violently. Loud cracking sounds started echoing out. The two deputy directors were completely scared out of their minds, and were crying out loudly.
But then, a sound like heavenly thunder echoed out. The sound entered the surface of the water, merging with the sound of the tsunamis, and resulted in a tranquil voice.
“Calm.”