Chapter 81: Bronze Dragon Chariot

The sun in the firmament emitted a dazzling light, piercing into the arrogant Forbidden Sea, stirring up waves that rolled toward the sky and emitting low, rumbling roars.

Before the echoes faded, the waves crashed down, splashing up large swathes of black water spray that scattered high into the air, sprinkling onto the protective layer of Xu Qing's dharma boat.

Xu Qing stood at the bow, watching the sea with vigilance. He raised his hand to form a seal, and as the protective spiritual energy fluctuated, the seawater containing dense anomalous substances that had splashed onto it slowly dissipated.

Just like the God's remnant face in the sky, this Forbidden Sea that surrounded the entire Nanhuangzhou was forever a realm of trembling and awe for people. This was not only because of its vastness and depth, but also because, in everyone's heart, it was an eternal mystery.

This mystery caused Xu Qing to raise his head and gaze at the distant sky and the Forbidden Sea. In his eyes, the two seemed to merge together at the unknown end.

Compared to the vast sea, the boats traveling to and from the Seven Blood Eyes were like a few feathers, drifting lightly and insignificantly.

As for the people on the dharma boats, they were even more so.

Xu Qing was silent. He looked at the endless distance, at the boundless Forbidden Sea, and a sense of insignificance emerged in his heart.

"The Sea Records say that disciples going out to sea for the first time will mostly feel their own insignificance. This is a normal psychological change, and at the same time, they often develop the urge to conquer while in this state."

Xu Qing looked at the boundless black sea surface. This was his first time going out to sea, and it was also his first time truly seeing the sea from within the sea.

But he did not develop any urge to conquer.

He had no great ideals, nor did he have any vast ambitions; he just wanted to survive in this chaotic world.

If he could live a little better, that would be even better.

Therefore, at this moment, Xu Qing's inner vigilance was very intense. Even when sitting cross-legged in cultivation, he would still divide his focus to remain alert to his surroundings.

Just like that, time flowed by amidst the echoes of the waves. Until noon, a burst of noisy commotion coming from behind caught Xu Qing's attention.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he turned his head to look.

Those were seven or eight dharma boats whistling over from the direction of the Seven Blood Eyes port, noisy and boisterous.

Except for the one at the very front, most were at the level of the fifth or sixth rank.

As for the dharma boat at the very front, judging from the spiritual energy fluctuations, it was about the eighth or ninth rank. It looked quite luxurious, golden all over, and plastered with golden feathers, shining brightly under the sun.

In the black Forbidden Sea, it was exceptionally dazzling, like a pheasant trying to learn to fan its tail like a peacock, exuding ostentation and carrying a sense of vulgarity.

The phoenix-bird bow of the boat should have contained elegance, but under this gold and luxury, it lost its soul, exuding a sense of showing off for fear that others wouldn't see it.

Watching all this, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and drew his dagger.

Although the Seven Blood Eyes main city was dangerous and cruel, at least there were still certain rules in place, such as Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely making moves against Qi Condensation disciples. However, Xu Qing knew that on the sea... there was only the law of the jungle.

Whether it was foreign races, the human race, the sect itself, or the dangers of the Forbidden Sea itself, it was all like this. If one's luck was bad and they encountered a foreign Foundation Establishment cultivator or higher with malicious intent, life and death would be decided in a single thought of the other party.

Anyone could instantly become an enemy.

Especially with the arrival of these dharma boats, it was too ostentatious, and on that phoenix-bird boat, there was also the voice of someone he loathed.

The wind on the sea was a bit strong, and the sound carried by it was very clear.

"Senior Sister, many people are curious about how many spirit stones I spent on this Phoenix-Bird. I actually don't really want to answer this question, because my answer would make them feel frustrated. After all, you should also have felt it—from childhood to adulthood, spirit stones are just an endless annoyance for people like us."

"Actually, it's just so-so. I don't know why, but the sect's dharma boat ranking has sought my opinion many times, insisting on raising mine to seventeenth. I don't really care; anyway, I don't pay attention to these things."

"For me, I don't care how many spirit stones this Phoenix-Bird cost. What I care about is that it carries my dreams. Look, my dream is to be like a phoenix-bird, one day able to soar in the firmament."

"Senior Sister, I hope that by my side while soaring, there will be a beautiful shadow accompanying me, to watch the scenery with me, to pursue dreams, and to confide our troubles to each other."

The voice carried by the sea breeze was none other than Zhao Zhongheng, whom the Captain had described as a straw bag.

He stood on that golden Phoenix-Bird, and beside him was a young woman wearing a light purple Daoist robe.

This woman was in her twenties, with a moving appearance. Seen from afar, she stood tall and graceful, her purple shirt like a flower.

Only, facing Zhao Zhongheng's words, her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, and her pretty face already showed signs of impatience.

At this moment, as the sea breeze blew and her purple skirt danced in the wind, she seemed to notice Xu Qing on the distant dharma boat.

Under the sunlight, between the two boats, a bearded whale broke the surface of the water and soared into the air.

A low moan, as if coming from ancient times, was emitted from its mouth, echoing like the sound of a flute, as if turning everything ethereal.

As it fell, the water vapor drifted and obscured the view.

In the woman's eyes, the sunlight seemed to be separated into seven colors. The colorful light beams appeared with a momentary brilliance, reflecting on Xu Qing's Daoist robe, making his face unclear.

But that charm left a deep memory in the woman.

Until their line of dharma boats slowly drifted away.

Xu Qing gazed for a long time, and after confirming that they were indeed just passing by, he put away his dagger and continued his cultivation.

Time passed. Gradually, amidst this cultivation, as the dharma boat continued to penetrate deeper, the grimness and eeriness of the Forbidden Sea slowly entered Xu Qing's perception.

He saw schools of rotten fish, which seemed to have retained their will from before death, turning into black pollution and spreading past under the dharma boat.

He also saw the terrifying figures of giant-toothed sharks, carrying incomparable cruelty, tearing apart their prey.

Besides this, there were some areas on the sea where, when Xu Qing passed by, he felt a deterrent force from the seabed, as if it were constantly radiating, lingering in that area and also permeating Xu Qing's heart, making his vigilance even deeper.

Although he had seen this situation in the Sea Records and knew that this was the norm for going out to sea, his alertness remained intense.

And the anomalous substances were even more dense on this Forbidden Sea, as if the entire sea were transformed from anomalous substances. This caused Xu Qing's shadow to become darker than ever before, as if it had turned into ink, with a sense of flowing on its own...

After noticing this scene, Xu Qing did not hesitate and directly circulated the suppressing power of the purple crystal, suppressing it with a boom several times in a row. Only after the shadow became faint again did he stop with a calm expression, feeling slightly relieved about the shadow in his heart.

Just like that, the sunset approached, and the first night of Xu Qing's voyage was about to arrive.

Perhaps because this sea area was very close to the Seven Blood Eyes, Xu Qing did not encounter too many dangers during the daytime voyage.

Only at this moment in the sunset, some aggressive swordfish appeared on the sea surface. They leaped up in groups, turning into arcs, and then fell back into the sea.

In the afterglow, their cyan bodies emitted a white radiance, possessing a unique beauty.

Perhaps because of the Forbidden Sea bearded whale following, most of these swordfish did not get too close to Xu Qing, but occasionally a few would still bump into the dharma boat's protection. When they emitted banging sounds, they would all bounce back into the sea.

Watching the swordfish bump into the protective layer, at such a close distance, Xu Qing observed them more clearly.

These swordfish had grim, sharp teeth, looking very ferocious, with red light in their eyes, carrying cruelty.

Xu Qing waved his hand expressionlessly, forming droplets of water that permeated outside the protective layer, turning into a buffer so that the bumping swordfish would not be killed by the impact.

The Sea Records had warned all Seventh Peak disciples going out to sea that when sailing in the Forbidden Sea, if not necessary, it was best not to kill too many sea beasts, because the more one killed, the more it would attract the gaze of certain eerie existences within the Forbidden Sea.

As for what kind of eerie existences they were, the Sea Records did not say. But on the first night of the voyage, Xu Qing did not cultivate all night. All his focus was placed outside the dharma boat; any movement made him extremely vigilant.

The danger level of the sea at night, according to the description in the Sea Records, was far more dangerous than during the day.

On the sea, anything was possible.

Although the Sea Records also mentioned that because the Forbidden Sea was vast, although it was full of crises, most of the time it depended on luck. Some people had bad luck and were buried in the sea on the first day, while others had good luck and were safe and sound even after months at sea.

Xu Qing's luck was not bad. On the first night, outside of the sound of waves and the wailing of the sea breeze, nothing eerie happened.

Until the moment dawn was about to arrive, he closed his eyes slightly, preparing to ease his mind. But just at this moment, a sense of heart-palpitation that reached the limit, as if a volcano had erupted, suddenly roared in his mind.

Xu Qing's body suddenly tensed, his eyes opened abruptly, and the dharma boat's protection was instantly opened to the maximum degree.

Along with his eyes opening, there was also the Forbidden Sea bearded whale under the cabin.

The bearded whale's eyes were an extension of Xu Qing's senses. At the moment they opened, there was nothing in the pitch-black seabed, but faintly, bursts of sounds like teeth grinding were transmitted.

Crack, crack!

As these sounds echoed, the intense heart-palpitation made Xu Qing's breathing slightly rapid. Just like when he heard the singing in the forbidden zone forest, a sense of icy cold seemed to spread from the deep seabed to the sea surface.

This scene made Xu Qing's expression freeze, his whole body tensed, his cultivation circulated, and the dharma boat instantly assumed a defensive posture.

Gradually, with a vigilant expression, Xu Qing, with the help of the bearded whale's gaze, saw a huge humanoid creature far away in the pitch-black deep seabed.

This creature was covered in tentacles, swaying constantly. On its shoulder, it carried a thick iron chain, which extended to the distance. One could vaguely see that at the end, there was actually a bronze dragon chariot.

This dragon chariot was dilapidated, covered in copper rust, and full of the traces of time, but the tall carriage body, exquisite and not lacking in majestic carvings, caused it to exude a sense of imperial power.

At this moment, this giant was pulling the bronze dragon chariot, taking big steps on the seabed, moving away step by step. Every step it took, the sea stirred up silt currents, pulling the waves to spread.

It seemed it was just passing through this sea area, and because the distance was too far, everything Xu Qing saw was very hazy. But the sense of heart-palpitation and the sound of teeth grinding, even at such a distance, still echoed clearly in Xu Qing's mind, making his whole body instinctively tremble, his pupils contract, and his alertness reach the extreme.

Until this huge humanoid creature slowly moved away, the trembling sensation gradually weakened, and the heart-palpitation also slowly disappeared.

"What is that?" Xu Qing raised his head abruptly, his face pale as he took a deep breath. He walked out of the cabin and stood at the bow. In this dawn, he looked toward the sea.

In the bearded whale's gaze on the seabed, the huge figure on the seabed had already moved away, leaving only a blurred outline.

At this moment, the darkness before dawn was gradually retreating between heaven and earth, and a glimmer of light slowly permeated between the sea and sky.

It was like a lit torch, burning the pitch-black seawater, forming deep, gloomy cloud wisps, burning more and more intensely, constantly spreading.

Finally, the entire sky was burned, a piece of red clouds.

This was the dawn of daybreak.

A-Qing has finally gone to sea~~

Praying for the protection of all you great powers~~~ ===== CHAPTER 82 =====