Chapter 111: Target Foundation Tower

Juying Island is not very large, featuring three cities and numerous village-like camps. Xu Qing's objective was Juying City, the main one among them. He had deliberately chosen his landing spot, so the massive Fish Bone City he now saw was his precise destination.

"Juying City..." Xu Qing's eyes gleamed as he swiftly raced toward the city.

Juying Island was in chaos. Collapsed and crumbling structures were visible at regular intervals, a result of the earlier bombardment by Master Seven and the Seven Blood Eyes' Foundation-Building and Core-Forming vessels. Black smoke billowed in the distance, and the sounds of battle echoed from all directions, indicating the entire island was embroiled in conflict.

Xu Qing's gaze was focused as he headed straight for the fish bone. Although it seemed not far, even with his speed, it still took him half an hour to truly draw near.

As he drew closer, the immense scale of the fish bone became even more strikingly apparent.

Xu Qing gazed at the bone, finding it hard to imagine how earth-shattering this fish must have been while alive in the Forbidden Sea. Even in death, its oppressive aura remained powerful.

However, this aura clearly posed no threat to the Merfolk themselves, perhaps due to their racial characteristics, but it was different for other races. Under this pressure, one's mind would become turbulent, and cultivation would be significantly suppressed. Yet, with the entire world now covered by a sea of purple light, the fish bone's formerly formidable pressure was mostly suppressed. While the remaining aura still felt strong, its impact on cultivation was minimal.

As he drew closer, Xu Qing heard continuous rumbling and felt the fluctuations of magical arts emanating from within the city. Knowing that many disciples had already rushed inside, he moved swiftly, leaping directly into the city.

Juying City, built upon this fish bone, had a unique architectural style. Some structures resembled human dwellings, while others were oddly shaped like beehives. Some residences were even formed from plants resembling mushrooms or seaweed. Furthermore, some areas simply utilized sunken ships and seashells as homes.

The human-style buildings clearly bore the architectural hallmarks of the Seven Blood Eyes. These structures were often made of bricks and tiles, suggesting they had been built by the Seven Blood Eyes for the Merfolk in the past.

Xu Qing's gaze swept over them without lingering as he ran toward the city center.

His destination was the city's central Foundation-Building Tower.

According to the clues provided by Huang Yan, the sacred Foundation-Building artifact, the Spirit Breath Lamp, was located inside the Foundation-Building Tower, a place typically heavily guarded by powerful Merfolk.

"I must find a way to obtain it," Xu Qing thought. "If I can't get it, I'll have to go to the city's elixir vault to look for Foundation-Building Pills." Knowing time was short, he unleashed his full speed, creating a whooshing sound as he dashed forward.

He did not use a flight talisman, however. After all, there was a significant difference between dashing through the city and flying through the air; the latter would be too conspicuous. Although the Merfolk cultivators' cultivation had been suppressed and Xu Qing was strong, such a showy display was ultimately unwise.

As he advanced, getting closer to his destination, Xu Qing saw some Seven Blood Eyes disciples along the way. Most of them moved in shadows and corners, keen on plundering items. Even if they killed, it was often for profit.

Few were focused solely on combat. Even if they occasionally clashed over a valuable item, they usually disengaged quickly, as the city was vast, and there was no need to quibble over every little thing.

At the same time, Xu Qing also saw some representative structures in the city that seemed to bear witness to the Seven Blood Eyes' alliance with the Merfolk. For instance, he now saw a tall, well-preserved stone monument that bore numerous names.

Based on the inscribed text, this was a burial monument commemorating a Merfolk crisis many years ago, when the Seven Blood Eyes came to their aid. The monument was very clean, seemingly swept regularly.

However, a closer look revealed that with the sky array's penetration, and the monument's lost power to conceal, all the skeletons beneath it were gone. There were also clear signs of excavation...

Xu Qing gazed at the monument, then looked up at the many cultivators from the Seventh Peak of Seven Blood Eyes in the sky. He understood why the Seven Blood Eyes' high-ranking members were so furious.

But for Xu Qing, who hadn't been with Seven Blood Eyes for long and whose every action was for profit, he felt little empathy. However, he instinctively detested such ungrateful behavior.

At that moment, he withdrew his gaze and suddenly lifted his right hand. Countless water droplets instantly appeared, forming a protective barrier around him, blocking over a dozen bubbles that suddenly flew from beside the monument. These bubbles instantly shattered upon contact with the water droplets, creating intense spreading fluctuations. Five Merfolk cultivators then surged out from the surroundings, advancing ferociously and menacingly toward Xu Qing.

Xu Qing cast a cold glance, then fiercely waved his hand, causing the water barrier around him to instantly disperse. It transformed into countless razor-sharp water arrows that shot past them in a flash. Xu Qing's body flickered, and he left the spot. After he left, the five Merfolk cultivators were riddled with holes and fell dead. Their leather pouches were swept up by the water droplets, swiftly chasing after Xu Qing, who snatched them mid-run and put them away. He continued at top speed, getting closer and closer to the Foundation-Building Tower.

Throughout his journey, Xu Qing maintained this approach. He had no intention of killing, his sole purpose was to reach his destination. Of course, if someone foolishly provoked him, he wouldn't mind gaining some extra spoils.

Finally, after half an hour, Xu Qing saw the Foundation-Building Tower located in the city center.

The tower's appearance was unusual. According to Huang Yan's jade slip description, it was modeled after Juying, the Merfolk deity. From a distance, the tower resembled an old woman in a long robe, but with countless tentacles extending from her body. Each of these tentacles had eyes, encircling her, and from the side, a ghastly face seemed to be on the old woman's back. A long tongue could be seen hanging by her side, as if forming Juying's shadow.

At the top of the tower, where Juying's head would be, a lamp could be seen through the building's intricate carvings. It was too far to see clearly, but it seemed there was someone meditating cross-legged there, as if undergoing a breakthrough under the lamp. Many guards anxiously stood watch outside the tower.

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He saw that the person was unlucky to be attempting Hundred-Day Foundation-Building at this particular time. Under these chaotic circumstances, they were almost certainly doomed to fail.

At the same moment, as Xu Qing observed the Foundation-Building Tower, a murderous intent suddenly erupted beside him. A green hand, gripping a sharp, large seashell, appeared silently and slashed directly at Xu Qing's neck.

Xu Qing's eyebrows raised, and his cultivation erupted. Behind him, the Yama's shadow materialized, letting out a silent roar and unleashing astonishing heat that rumbled outwards in all directions. This caused the seashell slashing at his neck to instantly shatter, and the hand holding it sharply recoiled. Amidst the distorted void, a translucent figure was revealed, rapidly retreating.

Xu Qing's eyes gleamed with killing intent. Gazing at the figure that, despite its best efforts to hide in the heatwave, still revealed a vague outline, he suddenly charged forward.

After closing the distance in an instant, Xu Qing unleashed a punch with his right hand.

The surroundings rumbled. Xu Qing's punch, combined with the Yama's shadow, would even shock a Foundation-Building cultivator who hadn't activated their Profound Radiance form. The mysterious figure was clearly taken aback, and it was too late to dodge.

At this critical moment, with the emergence of blue light, a talisman treasure appeared before the translucent cultivator, transforming directly into a light barrier to block the attack.

With a boom, the talisman treasure's light could not withstand the impact and instantly shattered. As it recoiled, Xu Qing's speed increased. He stepped forward, but the area ahead was empty; the opponent's figure had completely vanished.

"Can it become invisible?" Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. He turned and walked toward the Foundation-Building Tower, seemingly giving up on the search. But as he took his seventh step, his body suddenly moved, violently ramming backward.

As a rumbling sound echoed, his right hand produced a dagger. While ramming with his back, he relentlessly and continuously stabbed backward with the dagger.

During this time, he allowed the translucent figure behind him to struggle and strike him continuously. Xu Qing's formidable physical strength at this moment made him indifferent to these attacks, even if he sustained injuries.

The next instant, he turned and raised his left hand, grasping behind him and directly slamming the figure in front. As the ground rumbled, the translucent figure, stabbed dozens of times, its cultivation dispersed by the slam, and poisoned by venom, finally became visible.

Green eyes, a body covered in scales, and obvious gills — it was indeed a Merfolk. The opponent appeared to be middle-aged, and although their cultivation was at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, if any other Seven Blood Eyes disciple at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation had encountered them, their survival would have been uncertain.

The fact that they could endure Xu Qing's poison for so long before it subtly took effect, combined with their strange attack methods, could only mean this person's true cultivation was definitely not Qi Condensation. This was a Merfolk Foundation-Building cultivator who had been suppressed by the array, lowering their realm, which was why they appeared to be at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation.

At this moment, disbelief filled their eyes. Despite being severely wounded, they bit their tongue, attempting a counterattack. But the next instant, a black light flashed, and a black iron spike, with an astonishing whistle and piercing sharpness, directly pierced their glabella and passed through.

Furthermore, after piercing, a Foundation-Building fluctuation emanated from the black iron spike, spreading throughout the Merfolk's body and destroying all their internal organs.

Seeing that the opponent was thoroughly dead, Xu Qing then approached, pulled out the black iron spike, and found a pouch on the Merfolk cultivator's body. This was no ordinary leather pouch; it was a storage bag!

Xu Qing's heart gave a slight thud. He didn't open it immediately but instead put it away and rushed toward the Foundation-Building Tower ahead.

Meanwhile, in the sky, Master Seven, with his hands behind his back, gazed into the distant horizon. Behind him stood thirteen elders and over a hundred Foundation-Building cultivators, all silent.

On either side of Master Seven, two massive water orbs floated. Sealed within them, apart from the corpse-like cultivator, was the Merfolk Ancestor.

At this moment, the Merfolk Ancestor looked through the water orb at the island below and suddenly smiled.

"Zheng Kaiyi, do you really think victory is assured?!"

Almost the instant his words echoed, the four Merfolk islands below shook violently. Bursts of black light suddenly erupted from the surrounding sea, swiftly enveloping the islands, instantly connecting to form a massive array. It was like a black shroud, covering everything within.

This black light shroud continuously twisted, seemingly neutralizing the power of the Seven Blood Eyes' array. Once the Seven Blood Eyes' array was nullified, the Merfolk Foundation-Building cultivators inside would regain their cultivation. At that point, this grand competition would turn into a slaughter of Seven Blood Eyes disciples by the Merfolk!

"Zheng Kaiyi," the Merfolk Ancestor sneered, "the Sea Corpse Tribe must be on their way now; they should be arriving soon. And your disciples, before long, will become sacrifices to my tribe as your sect's array dissolves!"

The instant the Merfolk Ancestor spoke with a ferocious grin, dark light suddenly erupted on the distant horizon. A massive vortex abruptly appeared in the sky, and an aura of death, carrying extreme frigidity, wildly spread outwards from within it, making the sea surface seem about to freeze.

As this aura enveloped the heavens and earth, a thousand-zhang-long, half-rotted giant crocodile crawled out from within, emitting a low growl. Its yellow eyes exuded indifference, and its body, permeated with countless vengeful spirits, appeared ferocious. As it crawled out, several figures could be seen standing on its head. Each possessed an astonishing aura, and behind them was a dense army of cultivators! They were... the Sea Corpse Tribe!

"They're finally here," Master Seven said, looking at everything. His expression was calm, and he smiled faintly.