Chapter 124: Foolish Girl

The Grand Competition of the Seventh Peak, held on the islands of the Mermaid Race, concluded with the announcement from Grandmaster Seventh. This time, the Mermaid Race lost both the opportunity and the qualification to become allies.

Most of the Mermaid Race population had perished, and their powerful individuals were enslaved and suppressed. The overt wealth of the four islands had been completely plundered. However, it was evident that for a race, there would be even more hidden treasures and underlying resources.

These hidden riches, however, were beyond the reach of a Qi Condensation disciple from the mountain base. Although there were formations suppressing them, many secret chambers and resource storage places would still remain undetected by Qi Condensation cultivators. One could imagine that what followed would be a feast for Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Seventh Peak. This time, the Seven Blood Eyes had achieved a great victory, killing an unknown number of birds with one stone.

The Captain, lying on Zhang San's back, smiled. The smile seemed to tug at his injuries, so he quickly took out the apple he hadn't finished earlier, bit into it with a crunch, and his expression softened with contentment, as if it eased his pain.

"How many birds?" Zhang San asked curiously upon hearing this.

"Using the Mermaid Race as the site for the Seventh Peak's Grand Competition was merely the ostensible arrangement," the Captain explained. "First, the disciples from the mountain base would conduct the initial sweep; then, Foundation Establishment cultivators would carry out a second sweep; next, Core Formation cultivators would perform a third sweep; and finally, the elders would conduct a fourth search. In this way, the Mermaid Race's accumulated resources over the years would be completely exposed and taken away. This is the first 'bird' for the Seven Blood Eyes."

"As for the covert arrangement, it involved using the Mermaid Race as bait to lure the Sea Corpse Race into opening a portal and transporting themselves here. This would allow the patriarch, who had just entered a state of extreme hunger, to feast to his heart's content. This is the second 'bird'."

"Furthermore, this action also serves to deter foreign races from all directions, thereby enhancing the Seven Blood Eyes' prestige. This is the third 'bird' – brilliant!"

"As for the fourth 'bird,' the Mermaid Race's location is a strategic stronghold between the Seven Blood Eyes and the Sea Corpse Race. Occupying this area allows us to launch a 'frog-hopping' tactic against the Sea Corpse Race. I anticipate war will come soon."

As the Captain analyzed the situation, Xu Qing listened intently. He had previously only half-understood things due to a lack of crucial information, but now, after hearing everything, a sudden realization dawned on him. Still, some doubts lingered, and he asked a question.

"Why was the patriarch hungry after his breakthrough?"

"You wouldn't want to know," the Captain said, giving Xu Qing a meaningful look.

At the same time, Grandmaster Seventh, high in the sky, looked down with a satisfied expression. With a wave of his hand, the great wings beneath him let out a sky-piercing roar and unleashed a stream of purple light towards the ground below. As this stream of light descended, it spread out, forming a sea of light that enveloped the four islands, and then the teleportation commenced.

Amidst a roar, Xu Qing felt a wave of relief, and in that instant, everyone, including him, vanished, teleported back to the Seven Blood Eyes' mountain gate. After they left, the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sky all had their eyes gleaming with anticipation. Grandmaster Seventh looked at them and smiled. "Go!"

As soon as he spoke, hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators transformed into hundreds of long rainbows, heading straight for the four islands. For these cultivators, they would naturally be unwilling to come here if there were no benefits. Previously, they hadn't bothered much because the Grand Competition was for Qi Condensation cultivators. Now, however, their eyes glowed as they rapidly dispersed across the four islands to begin their chaotic search.

Meanwhile, within the central altar of the Seven Blood Eyes' main city, a purple sea of light suddenly appeared, forming a massive ring in mid-air. Within it, figures of Seventh Peak disciples emerged one after another, all heading directly for the ground.

It was only at this point that Xu Qing finally noticed that the number of returning individuals was less than two thousand, and each of them carried an aura of malevolence. "Over four thousand went, and more than half didn't return."

After landing, Xu Qing was no longer with Zhang San and the Captain. He scanned his surroundings, gaining a deeper understanding of the brutal nature of the Seven Blood Eyes' Grand Competition.

However, he also noticed that every returning individual, aside from their malevolent aura, couldn't conceal an inner excitement. Clearly, their respective gains from this event were astonishing. Xu Qing even spotted the chubby youth in the crowd.

The island the chubby youth had gone to for the Grand Competition was different from Xu Qing's. Now, he stood there beaming, with seven or eight storage bags conspicuously hanging from his waist, looking very pleased with himself. Noticing Xu Qing's gaze, he excitedly ran over to Xu Qing. "How was it? Decent haul, right? I got a huge haul this time!"

Xu Qing nodded, but his entire body was still aching, and uncontrollable waves of weakness washed over him, leaving him feeling somewhat fatigued.

The chubby youth was about to continue speaking when, at that moment, a figure emerged from the sea of light in the sky. As this figure appeared, a vast fluctuation of cultivation energy immediately suppressed all directions, causing the disciples present to quiet down and look up. Xu Qing also looked up and gazed intently, recognizing the figure as Zhao Zhongheng's grandfather, the Third Elder of the Seventh Peak.

"There are still follow-up matters to attend to regarding the Mermaid Race, and the Peak Master must remain there to await the patriarch's return. Therefore, I shall announce the results of this Grand Competition," the Third Elder declared. "Your respective slaughter points are recorded on your identity tokens. As for your gains, rest assured, your tokens do not record these and have no such function. So, no matter how great your harvest, it is yours alone. This has always been the case in past Grand Competitions; the sect does not interfere. For this occasion, I will only announce the individual who placed first. Ding Xiaohai, step forward!"

As the Third Elder spoke, Ding Xiaohai, whose Daoist robe was tattered and who clearly had serious injuries, immediately looked up from the crowd and barely managed to ascend into the air with the aid of a flight talisman.

"Ding Xiaohai, you have achieved first place in this Grand Competition. You are hereby granted the status of a Core Disciple, presented with a light purple robe, and given the right to reside on the mountain. However, cave dwellings are expensive, and you will need to purchase one yourself!" the Third Elder stated indifferently, his voice echoing like thunder in all directions.

Ding Xiaohai's emotions stirred. He clasped his fists and bowed deeply towards the sky. "Thank you, Sect!"

The Third Elder looked down at Ding Xiaohai, who had always been hailed as the top talent among the disciples at the mountain base, and his eyes showed appreciation. He admired disciples who strived for the sect's glory. However, admiration aside, he had no intention of showing favor to the other party, especially since Ding Xiaohai was thanking the sect, not him personally. From the sect's perspective, such a disciple was excellent, showing immense dedication to achieving first place and fighting with all his might. But from a personal perspective, he found the other party's character stubborn and overly focused on reputation, willing to sacrifice this rare opportunity for profit and gain. Such a person would find it difficult to survive long in a turbulent world. If one didn't live long, any favor bestowed would be meaningless. Moreover, in chaotic times, it was crucial to keep one's abilities hidden and know how to conceal oneself. Those who stood out too much often met tragic ends. In this regard, he still admired that kid named Xu Qing, who had quietly reached the verge of breakthrough.

At this moment, as Ding Xiaohai's excited voice rang out, the disciples around him, their pouches bulging, were also very supportive, offering their congratulations. "Congratulations, Senior Brother Ding!"

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Ding!" Xu Qing heard the Captain's voice from within the crowd, and the chubby youth beside him also shouted congratulations, then leaned down to Xu Qing and remarked, "Senior Brother Ding is such a good person! He only focuses on killing enemies and never competes with us for resources. If only all of the Seven Blood Eyes were like Senior Brother Ding!" Xu Qing looked up at Ding Xiaohai in the sky, his own state of mind unchanged.

In this world, everyone had their own way of life: some prioritized profit, others reputation. There was no right or wrong in this. Although Ding Xiaohai's cultivation was on the verge of a breakthrough, allowing him to wear the purple robe as soon as he broke through, perhaps the status of a Core Disciple was one of his obsessions. Xu Qing offered no judgment, but he knew that he himself did not care about such things.

The Seven Blood Eyes only attracted him through profit. He greatly yearned to reach Foundation Establishment; on one hand, it would make him stronger and better able to survive, and on the other hand, he coveted the monthly profit distribution after becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Furthermore, he disliked standing out so prominently. Unless the benefits were astonishing, it was safer to remain hidden in the shadows.

Now, after the sect had rewarded Ding Xiaohai and the Third Elder had stepped back into the sea of light to teleport away, the disciples on the altar also dispersed. Xu Qing immediately departed.

Although he was now extremely exhausted, Xu Qing dared not linger in the Seven Blood Eyes for too long. The truth was, his gains from this trip were simply too immense—so immense that if they were ever exposed, even the Seven Blood Eyes would be shaken. After all, it was a Life Lantern that could make even the great sects of the Primordial Continent envious.

Therefore, Xu Qing immediately headed to various shops at the port, selling all his miscellaneous gains for spirit stones. He then replenished some talisman treasures before going to a formation shop, where he spared no expense in purchasing five sets of protective formations using the large amount of contribution points he had earned from the Grand Competition's slaughter. These formations were incredibly expensive, but their effects were equally potent. Any single set, when activated, could ensure a disciple's safety within the formation for a long time against attacks from Foundation Establishment cultivators who were not in their Mystic Radiance state. Furthermore, as long as there were enough spirit stones, their power would persist, and they even possessed a certain degree of self-repair capability. Using all five sets together would yield even better results. These five sets of formations consumed ninety percent of the contribution points Xu Qing had acquired from the Grand Competition's slaughter, but he knew it was worth it. He then went to a pharmacy and bought a large quantity of pills and poisonous herbs.

Having done all this, Xu Qing felt that he was almost prepared. At this moment, only the repair of his Dharma Boat was missing.

"I'll see how long the Dharma Boat repairs take," Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. "If it's within a day, I'll wait. If it's too long... I can't wait." He needed to reach Foundation Establishment quickly, with the Life Lantern in hand. Every day he delayed his breakthrough meant another day of tension and unease.

Moreover, this time he knew he couldn't undergo Foundation Establishment within the sect. He wasn't sure if the integration of the Life Lantern during the breakthrough would create fluctuations detectable by outsiders. This was too important; he couldn't gamble. Especially since he had personally witnessed an unfortunate Mermaid Race cultivator experience an accident during their Foundation Establishment breakthrough on Juyao Island. Although for the Seven Blood Eyes, such an accident was almost impossible, Xu Qing still had to take precautions.

With the Spirit Breath Lamp as protection, Xu Qing felt he was now qualified to achieve Foundation Establishment alone outside the sect. So, he quickened his pace, heading straight for the transportation department to find Zhang San.

As dusk fell and Xu Qing cautiously made his way to the transportation department, inside an inn on Banquan Road, an old man was tenderly wiping some wounds on the scales of a large snake sitting before him, his face filled with heartache.

"You! You actually went behind my back and bought a transformation sequence to eat! Can you just randomly eat that stuff? You haven't reached the time for transformation yet. Even if you eat it, you'll only transform for a few days, and if you eat too much, your cultivation for this entire life will be ruined, do you understand?" The old man was beside himself with worry and indignation, scolding the snake after applying the medicine. "And you foolish snake, you ate a transformation pill just to participate in the Seventh Peak's Grand Competition? Don't you know how dangerous that competition is?"

"Grumble, grumble, grumble," the large snake seemed very happy, wiggling its body and poking its head closer, speaking proudly to the old man. "I didn't lie to you, that little thief Xu really was after your gallbl... En, you went to the Grand Competition, weren't you just going to find him?!" The old man glared. "Grumble, grumble," the large snake protested with several grumbles.