[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-beyond-the-passage-of-time":3,"chapter-beyond-the-passage-of-time-beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-54":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Beyond the Passage of Time",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2344494,4583,"Chapter 54: Cultivating with the Sea (Bonus for the Great Alliance of Smoke and Ash)","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>The moonlight spilled down, draping the giant crocodile in a layer of lunar radiance; from afar, it looked as if the boat were alive, absorbing the essence of the moon as if breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It drew in the moonlight even more densely, and amidst the overflowing streams of light, a cold gleam was fully revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing stared for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was life in the slums or the scavenger camp, apart from the new house the Captain gave him, the places he lived were mostly crude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this crocodile-like covered boat was clean and tidy under the moonlight, carrying a sharp aura that made Xu Qing unable to resist crouching down to reach out and touch it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was ice-cold, and the material was very hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is mine.\" Xu Qing whispered softly; just as he was about to step on, he paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he sensed a gaze filled with malice hidden in the surroundings, staring at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the other party was hidden very well, and Xu Qing could not find them in a short time, so he suppressed the cold glint in his eyes, maintained his previous calm, and pretended to look down at his shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The straw sandals were very worn, mixed with a large amount of mud and dried blood, and his dirty toes could be seen through the gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, Xu Qing took off his shoes, looked at his filth-covered feet, sat on the side, and dipped them into the seawater, washing them until the fair skin of his feet was revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the process, he appeared calm, but he secretly observed his surroundings, waiting for the person with the malicious gaze to appear; yet the other party seemed very cautious, and even when Xu Qing sat there showing some signs of laxity, this person did not show themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing’s expression remained as usual; he stood up, stepped onto the boat, and swept a glance over the cabin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space inside the cabin was not large, and it was very simple, containing only a bed, a meditation cushion, and a place for washing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, the roof of the cabin was a bit low; an average person could not stand fully upright inside, but it should be very suitable when sitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Xu Qing scanned the area, he did not step inside but instead sat on the deck outside the cabin, listening to the clear sound of the waves outside and feeling the small boat sway with the rise and fall of the sea surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this relative quiet, his gaze drifted, and his thoughts seemed to slowly disperse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing thought of the struggling life in the slums, thought of the cold nights he spent hiding in his little nest; every winter, he would be lost in the cold, wondering if he would see the next day's sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because every cold winter, someone would freeze to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he was very afraid of the cold; perhaps what he feared was not the chill of the body, but the memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting silently on the boat at this moment, Xu Qing looked at the dark night outside and the bright moon in the sky; he thought of the first person he killed many years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That person wanted to eat him, and in the end, he laboriously cut off the person's head and placed it at the entrance of his little nest; from then on, the way everyone looked at him changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boat was still swaying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thoughts in Xu Qing’s eyes seemed to be drifting away, yet deep in his heart, he was murmuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I put one here, too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the inner thought arose, Xu Qing’s body suddenly leaned backward, and a streak of cold light whistled past his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant he dodged this cold gleam, the drifting look in Xu Qing’s eyes vanished, as if everything had been a facade; the cold, sharp nature truly hidden within now broke through the barrier!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally showed yourself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, the seawater beside the boat suddenly splashed, and a figure rushed out from within, heading straight for Xu Qing, with a sharp, cold gleam flashing from the figure's right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a dagger, glowing with a blue light under the moonlight, clearly coated with deadly poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with the help of the moonlight, Xu Qing also saw the person clearly; it was a disciple wearing grey Daoist robes, face uncovered, looking to be in his thirties, with only the appearance of the fifth level of Qi Condensation, yet he gave Xu Qing a hint of a threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the disciple’s face was ferocious, and killing intent filled his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His speed was fast, approaching in an instant, and the dagger in his hand stabbed fiercely toward Xu Qing’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing’s eyes were icy; ignoring the opponent’s dagger, he reached out with his right hand at an even faster speed, grabbed the person’s arm, and with the eruption of his body-refining strength, he swung hard, instantly lifting the attacking cultivator’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the person’s horror and disbelief, his body was smashed directly onto the deck by Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a boom, as fresh blood splattered, a flesh-and-blood tentacle suddenly sprouted from the person’s body, whipping toward Xu Qing at high speed with slime; the aura contained within it surpassed the fifth level of Qi Condensation, reaching the sixth level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing was expressionless; the ghost shadow behind him suddenly manifested, suppressing it directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a boom, the tentacle instantly went limp and collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having lost the tentacle, the cultivator spat out blood, his face turning pale in an instant; he tried to struggle, but the next moment, Xu Qing’s left hand, holding a dagger, pressed against the person’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dagger was very cold, cutting through the skin; with just a slight bit of force, it could slice open his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene made the cultivator’s body tremble, and the look he gave Xu Qing was filled with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you hide yourself? And what was that tentacle on you just now?\" Xu Qing looked coldly at the cultivator before him and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a Sea Octopus hand I transplanted onto my body; it can increase my combat power and also allow me to hide my aura in the sea. Many people in the sect do this. This Junior Brother, I can find a way to make up for this attack. I just didn't have enough contribution points, but I accepted a mission, tomorrow...\" The cultivator spoke hurriedly, but before he could finish his words, the dagger in Xu Qing’s hand slashed fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the cultivator’s eyes widened; before his scream could be uttered, Xu Qing pressed a hand over his mouth, and as his body convulsed, blood erupted, staining the magic boat red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few breaths of time, his body lay motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing looked at the soiled magic boat, frowned, and took out corpse-dissolving powder to sprinkle over it; until the body turned into blood, no other Seventh Peak disciples appeared in the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed everyone was accustomed to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the sea breeze blew, carrying the scent of the sea and blood, permeating around Xu Qing; he picked up the other person’s pouch, which was very empty, with nothing of value inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This person targeted me because I have a magic boat.\" Xu Qing thought of what the round-faced cultivator said during the day, that every month, disciples would disappear inexplicably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he touched his sharp iron skewer, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, then took out the brocade box he had brought back, opened it, found the jade slip inside that introduced the boat, and began to examine it carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Xu Qing slowly put down the jade slip, looked down at the boat, and a strange light appeared in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This boat... is astonishing.\" While murmuring, Xu Qing raised his right hand and patted the deck beside him; spiritual energy from within his body permeated, and according to the method in the jade slip, he turned his spiritual energy into a mark and branded it onto the boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire boat shuddered, as if some device had been activated, emitting a faint humming sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing immediately bit his finger, squeezed out a drop of blood, and earnestly drew a simple rune on the deck; as the rune was drawn, the entire boat shook violently, and a connection from the void instantly appeared in Xu Qing’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the method for boat ownership recorded in the jade slip; having finished the operation, Xu Qing clearly felt that he and this boat had become one at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his mind stirred, a protective light shield immediately emerged from the boat, covering the entire hull; only then did Xu Qing finally feel a sense of security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he lowered his head, continued to check the jade slip regarding the boat, and after repeatedly memorizing the contents, he firmly imprinted them in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boats of the Seven Blood Eyes indeed contained extremely high growth potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disciples could continuously strengthen them according to their own needs in four areas: speed, protection, attack, and special abilities. One could strengthen a single area or develop them all, depending on one’s own resources and preferences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first three directions were simple and easy to understand; as for \"special,\" it referred to special abilities beyond magic, such as allowing the boat to dive into the seabed or letting it leave the sea surface to fly in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps some changes in form that transcended the boat itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless of whether it was \"special\" or the other three directions, only one thing determined them: the material of the hull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally speaking, Seventh Peak disciples had two directions for choosing hull materials; the first direction was artificial crafting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuously replacing them with higher-level materials, allowing them to carry higher-power arrays, to make the boat advance and become increasingly powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This path required coordination with the Second Peak’s array training; future development had artificial limitations, but it was still the first choice for a considerable number of disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this path was not very dangerous, following a step-by-step, conventional approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the second direction...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is using the body materials of alienated creatures as the material for the boat, without needing to add arrays.\" Xu Qing had some realization; through the boat’s jade slip, he knew that all materials from alienated creatures contained natural arrays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could also be said that their innate talents and power were not trivial; this type of array was called a restriction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Body materials from different alienated beasts contained different restrictions and possessed different abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whichever of these two directions one chooses, it is extremely resource-intensive.\" Xu Qing looked down at the jade slip in his hand, realizing once again the terror of the Seven Blood Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, as a newly promoted disciple, the boat he redeemed was only a Level 1 boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boats of the Seventh Peak were divided into four major levels: boat, ship, warship, and wheel, with each level divided into ten grades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even beyond the wheel, the jade slip also stated that an ultimate level existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was called the Great Wing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With layer-by-layer upgrades, the resources required...\" Xu Qing had no way to calculate it specifically; just the preliminary judgment made him gasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he put down the jade slip, was dazed for a moment, and looked down at his pockets; whether it was the leather pouch or the storage bag, the remaining supplies inside were truly too little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must find a way to earn money, and in a month, the berth will also charge fees.\" Xu Qing pondered, and after a while, he took out another jade slip to study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This jade slip recorded the secret technique of the Seventh Peak, called the Sea Transformation Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a top-tier power of the Nanhuangzhou, the techniques of its various peaks, whether in the degree of separation of alien substances or their inherent power, were of immense value, and their power was astonishing, incomparable to other small powers and families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that for the same cultivation base, the gap was as vast as that between a firefly and a torch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After careful study, Xu Qing exhaled deeply; he finally understood why, after arriving here, all the Seven Blood Eyes disciples he saw, despite their cultivation bases not seeming very high, gave him a sense of crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The level of the technique determined all of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, this Sea Transformation Scripture had ten levels in total, corresponding to the ten levels of Qi Condensation; when cultivating, one must be near the sea, and if in the sea, it was even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each level of cultivation would absorb the aura from the sea, allowing a ten-zhang spiritual sea to form within the body; after cultivating to the tenth level, which was the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, the spiritual sea could reach a maximum limit of one hundred zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made cultivators of the Sea Transformation Scripture extremely enduring, with spiritual energy in their bodies several times that of those at the same level; combined with endless variations of techniques, their combat power could naturally suppress all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more strangely, when attacking, the Sea-Forbidden aura contained within the spiritual sea could also form a mental pressure, causing opponents to be invisibly weakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi Condensation realm was actually the accumulation of spiritual energy in the body, and the Sea-Forbidden aura of this Sea Transformation Scripture could cause anyone whose spiritual energy was inferior to one's own to be strongly intimidated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Sea-Mountain Art is a body-refining technique; when the Ghost Shadow is perfected, it is equivalent to the Great Perfection of body-refining, same as the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, but due to the level of the technique, compared to similar high-level techniques, it is much weaker despite being at the same Great Perfection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, because there is no alien substance in my body and I have the purple crystal’s enhancement, for me, just at the seventh level of the Sea-Mountain Art, the Ghost Shadow that only appears at Great Perfection emerged, and my combat power is comparable to the Great Perfection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But ultimately, the level of the Sea-Mountain Art still cannot compare to this Sea Transformation Scripture; one is body-refining, the other is cultivation of magic...\" Ripples arose in Xu Qing’s heart as he thought of the words the round-faced cultivator had said on the mountain earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, determination appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes, and he further noted that the jade slip pointed out that the spiritual sea formed by the Sea Transformation Scripture did not have a fixed upper limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s constitution was different, and the degree of alienation was also different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The less alienation, the greater the upper limit of the spiritual sea’s range; to this day, the highest record in the Seven Blood Eyes was from sixty years ago, when someone formed a two-hundred-and-seventy-zhang spiritual sea at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This person was the current Peak Master of the Seventh Peak of the Seven Blood Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed; he knew there was no alien substance in his body...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then if I cultivate this Sea Transformation Scripture, what range of spiritual sea will form after reaching Great Perfection?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, a strong expectation arose in Xu Qing’s heart; he felt that if alienation no longer hindered the upper limit, then his upper limit should be the maximum degree his own body could withstand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his body was terrifying in its recovery, so the degree it could withstand would naturally also be immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made an unprecedented light appear in Xu Qing’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he also noticed that the Sea Transformation Scripture cultivates techniques, not body refinement, and through the battle with the Jin Gang Sect, Xu Qing deeply realized the flaws of pure body refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, at this moment, he did not hesitate at all; after carefully memorizing the cultivation method, he immediately closed his eyes and began to practice the Sea Transformation Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he cultivated, wind suddenly rose around the small black-awning boat, and amidst the shimmering sea surface, countless spiritual energy containing the aura of the Forbidden Sea, mixed with dense impurities, rushed straight toward Xu Qing's boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The protective light barrier could block techniques, but it would not intercept this spiritual energy; as it poured in, it followed the pores all over Xu Qing's body, forming threads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body, which had no impurities, had been refined many times, making all his meridians incomparably clear, which meant there was no obstacle to the influx of spiritual energy, making it even more rapid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body was like a dry sponge, instantly absorbing those spiritual energies and slowly gathering them at his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this practice, Xu Qing faintly sensed that his Sea Mountain Art seemed to be attracted by the Sea Transformation Scripture and was also instinctively wanting to circulate, but because the flowing meridians were different, he suppressed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, as the urge for the Sea Mountain Art to circulate became stronger, Xu Qing’s heart stirred, and after pondering, he simply stopped controlling it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, the moment the unsuppressed Sea Mountain Art began to circulate, the spiritual energy rushing in from all eight directions suddenly surged several times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual sea gathering in his dantian also suddenly became majestic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This discovery made Xu Qing feel somewhat incredible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if these two cultivation methods had merged at this moment, where the Sea Mountain Art was not competing with the Sea Transformation Scripture, but assisting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he simply let his entire body's blood and Qi expand, and a phantom figure manifested outside his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it appeared, this phantom figure roared silently toward the sky, actually stretching out its hands as if moving the sea, causing the Forbidden Sea spiritual energy to erupt suddenly like a surging tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, amidst the shock in Xu Qing's mind, the spiritual sea in his dantian directly reached ten zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first level of the Sea Transformation Scripture, perfected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing's body trembled; before he could think too much, he immediately practiced the second level, and before long, the second level of the Sea Transformation Scripture was perfected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it this fast!\" Xu Qing did not hesitate and immediately practiced the third level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual sea within his body continued to expand: twenty-one zhang, twenty-two zhang, twenty-three zhang...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this continuous eruption, even outside his small black-awning boat, the incoming spiritual energy gradually formed a vortex, making the wind here stronger and causing waves on the sea surface, which attracted the attention of the guards on the shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked over one after another, their expressions changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Which monstrous disciple is cultivating?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This speed of absorbing spiritual energy...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they looked on in shock, the vortex suddenly roared and expanded again, making the sea surface of the harbor heave even more; as a large number of boats swayed, many disciples walked out with furrowed brows, looking over coldly, and soon, their expressions turned to astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is going on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vortex was still expanding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing, inside the boat, was trembling violently all over; the spiritual sea within his body had already broken through thirty zhang at this moment, reaching thirty-seven zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was still continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirty-eight zhang, thirty-nine zhang, until forty zhang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing’s eyes snapped open, purple light shining blindingly within them, drowning out the shock in his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sea Transformation Scripture, fourth level!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding two chapters for the Smoke and Ash Great Alliance, nearly ten thousand characters updated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These four chapters today are almost twenty thousand characters; this is equivalent to my previous seven chapters... it’s killing me, the Youth of Clear Wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Begging for monthly tickets, must beg for monthly tickets, monthly tickets, monthly tickets, monthly tickets~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, why is it all \"Youth of Clear Wind\"? Is there no \"Maiden of Clear Wind\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth reports for duty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maiden reports for duty!\u003C\u002Fp>",3386,"2026-06-21T00:45:15.441Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","5b50777d13e4567ee7d31980cc21d18b246e76ac9977235a391e53f7d42529b8","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-55","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-53",998,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbeyond-the-passage-of-time-cover.jpg"]