Chapter 114: There Are Always Honest People

Xu Qing looked down at the ground. He wanted to see what was at the indicated location. The jade slip Huang Yan gave him also described the underground area of the mermaid race’s island.

Due to their racial characteristics, the mermaid race's structures are divided into two layers: an upper world on the island, consisting of cities built from bones or shells. They have a strong affinity for bones—fish bones, beast bones, or even bones of other races—and their preference for them increases with how eerie and sinister they are. This seems to be a cultural inheritance deeply embedded in every mermaid's soul. The second layer of their world is underground.

This underground area is not a mere cave system but a vast network of structures built inverted, extending through the island's soil layer and deep into the sea, directly integrated into the island's foundation. The mermaid island itself resembles a floating leaf, with structures on both its upper and lower surfaces, sustained by a mysterious power that prevents it from sinking.

In Huang Yan's jade slip, the underwater world built by the mermaid race was described as "magnificent." It was said that all the buildings there were formed from countless colorful corals, which were also covered with numerous sea anemones featuring barbed tentacles. Xu Qing, however, did not know the exact appearance.

"Let's go, there's nothing good here. We'll head to the fish eye; that's the entrance," the Captain called out, then shimmered and sped off. Xu Qing chose to follow but maintained a certain distance. His relationship with the Captain was peculiar, a mix of trust and distrust.

Xu Qing always found the Captain mysterious and struggled to discern his thoughts, instinctively sensing danger from him. Even though Xu Qing's current cultivation allowed him to fight Core Formation cultivators, every time he sensed the Captain's aura, he felt the Captain was still stronger. This left Xu Qing with many thoughts, as each time he broke through in cultivation, he would sense the Captain's strength, and each time, he would find the Captain slightly, but not significantly, stronger. This only made him more wary.

And so, the two quickly traveled through the city of fish bones, heading for the fish eye, which, according to both the Captain and Xu Qing's jade slip, served as the entrance to the underground world. Along the way, they saw many Seven Blood Eyes disciples. These individuals were either rushing through the shadows, exploring various buildings, or specifically searching mermaid corpses for hidden spirit stones. Some even launched stealth attacks, targeting both their own sect members and mermaids. The entire city was filled with Seven Blood Eyes disciples, like a pack of trained hounds, skilled at both concealment and hunting. However, upon seeing Xu Qing and the Captain, most quickly dodged away. It was unclear whether they feared the Captain or were wary of Xu Qing.

"See these guys?" the Captain said. "Many of them could have broken through long ago, but they're suppressing their cultivation just to get rich here. Their noses are sharper than a dog's, my goodness… Look over there! They're even tearing down someone's house, it's outrageous!" The Captain pointed to a distant spot where several disciples were dismantling a building. This particular structure was unique, built from spiritually-infused seashells.

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed as he watched. Suddenly, the Captain, who was ahead, charged forward, his cultivation erupting. The disciples dismantling the house's eyes flickered, and without hesitation, they retreated, disappearing swiftly into the shadows without a backward glance. The Captain's eyes gleamed, and upon arrival, he immediately began dismantling the structure with practiced ease. Xu Qing quickly approached too, joining the demolition and rapidly collecting the palm-sized shells, which radiated strong spiritual energy. "Good stuff!" the Captain exclaimed. "Whose house is this? A small piece of these shells, barely the size of a palm, can be worth more than ten spirit stones!" Xu Qing said nothing, but his movements were even faster.

Half an incense stick later, when they departed, the house was gone. Along the way, they encountered many such suddenly empty spaces, and each time, the Captain looked displeased. "It's outrageous!" he grumbled. "These older disciples are already so powerful, yet they're still here, snatching from us 'kids'!" As the Captain complained, Xu Qing looked at his face. The Captain appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. "What are you looking at? Am I wrong?" the Captain tilted his head and looked at Xu Qing. "You're not a kid; I am," Xu Qing calmly replied. This was the fourth sentence he had spoken since meeting the Captain. "..." The Captain sighed.

"Deputy Xu, maybe you should just keep quiet from now on. Oh, and don't forget you owe me five thousand spirit stones. Pay me back quickly," the Captain said, then sped up. Xu Qing pretended not to hear and silently followed. The two gradually drew closer to the fish head area. Just as they arrived and spotted the large hole forming the fish eye in the distance, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed.

Amidst the roar, a mermaid cultivator was seen fleeing across the city sky. Behind him, a blue light suddenly shot out, instantly catching up and striking the mermaid cultivator dead. As the blue light dissipated, it revealed a young man with a flying talisman attached to him. It was none other than Ding Xiaohai, the prodigy from the Sea Defense Department.

Ding Xiaohai's face was grim, his eyes gleaming as he searched for other mermaids. Behind him, mermaid corpses lay scattered wherever he passed. He quickly found a new target, abruptly flew towards it, and instantly slew it. Along the way, he would not stop to collect items unless it was convenient, seemingly because it would impede his killing speed. At this moment, as he continued his killing spree, he gradually approached Xu Qing and the Captain. He didn't even glance at them, whistling past without the slightest pause, then dashed towards another group of mermaid cultivators to kill them. His approach was fundamentally different from what Xu Qing had observed in other disciples along the way. While others sought wealth, he was clearly after points! "What a fine disciple, Xu Qing, do you see him? This is a true good disciple of my Seven Blood Eyes!" the Captain exclaimed with admiration. "It's precisely because of disciples like him that my Seven Blood Eyes has a future!" As he ran past where Ding Xiaohai was fighting, he bent his arm, clenched his fist, and gestured encouragingly towards Ding Xiaohai. "Senior Brother Ding, you are mighty! Senior Brother Ding, keep going!" "Senior Brother Ding, our Sixth Squad of the Dark Division of the Crime Suppression Department fully supports you in competing for first place and obtaining core disciple status!"

Ding Xiaohai's expression remained icy as he glanced at the Captain, continuing his slaughter. Xu Qing watched intently, seeing a profound dedication in Ding Xiaohai—a dedication to becoming number one.

The Captain sighed with emotion, then leaned down and whispered to Xu Qing behind him. "Don't you dare learn from him. He's clearly been cultivating himself into a fool. What's the point of core disciple status? He's almost ready for a breakthrough; once he does, he'll become a purple-robed elder. Even core disciples will have to treat him with respect and courtesy. Why bother striving so hard? Is he really that devoted to the sect?" "Everyone makes different choices; it's hard to judge," Xu Qing said, looking at the Captain, speaking his fifth sentence.

Hearing this, the Captain smiled and pointed at Xu Qing, about to speak. But the next instant, his expression changed, and Xu Qing's changed too. Both instantly retreated simultaneously. The moment they stepped back, the ground where they had stood rumbled violently, and four shadowy hands suddenly shot out. Although they grabbed nothing but air, a powerful fluctuation erupted.

As the ground collapsed, two figures flew out from the spot. These figures wore black armor, their hair was withered, and their faces were clearly mottled with corpse spots, as was their exposed skin. Their eyes were light red, revealing bloodlust and ferocity as they charged directly at Xu Qing and the Captain.

"Sea Corpse Race!" "Xu Qing, be careful! These two are Sea Corpse Race cultivators at the Great Circle of Qi Condensation. Although they're not Core Formation, the Sea Corpse Race itself is bizarre. They cultivate using anomalous matter, their bodies are filled with it, they also cultivate corpse poison, and their physical bodies are extremely tough. Don't let them injure you too much." The Captain spoke quickly, and with a wave of his hand, a long spear appeared, which he swept horizontally towards the approaching Sea Corpse Race members.

At the same time, the ground where Ding Xiaohai was fighting also rumbled, and a third Sea Corpse Race member appeared, attacking Ding Xiaohai. The three immediately engaged in their respective battles, the spiritual energy fluctuations intense. As the loud rumbles echoed, Xu Qing also felt the strangeness of the Sea Corpse Race. His full-force punch merely sent his opponent staggering back a few steps, seemingly without causing injury. And critical points like the neck, when slashed by his dagger, were simply ignored by the Sea Corpse Race. Xu Qing had encountered many different races since arriving at Seven Blood Eyes, but this was his first time seeing such a bizarre one. The corpse poison emanating from them particularly piqued his curiosity. "Whose poison is stronger, theirs or mine?"