Chapter 129: Leaving the Mundane

As he opened and closed his eyes, the fiery energy within a radius of over three thousand zhang began to boil. This caused the mist to churn towards the sky, subtly forming the shape of a black umbrella, suppressing and concealing the fluctuations in the area. Consequently, no one witnessed this scene, though all the beasts in the vicinity were trembling.

They all lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to move an inch.

On one hand, Xu Qing's current aura had entered the Foundation Establishment stage, and the formidable pressure generated by this stage was quite astonishing. On the other hand, it was due to the Lifelamp within Xu Qing!

This Lifelamp was shaped like a black umbrella. No one knew what past it had endured, but its malevolent aura was exceedingly heavy.

As for the formation of Lifelamps, according to the captain's previous explanation, before the arrival of the Divine Remnant Faces, only cultivators possessing the bloodline of an Ancient Emperor Dominator and cultivating Emperor-level techniques could manifest them.

In that bygone era, such individuals were exceedingly rare. Any one of them could suppress all directions, and those who could contend with them were only cultivators who also possessed the bloodline of an Ancient Emperor Dominator and had condensed a Lifelamp.

The arrival of the Divine Remnant Faces caused most Ancient Emperor Dominators to depart. Consequently, those capable of possessing a Lifelamp in the current world are extremely rare. Only the most promising talents, the "seeds" upon whom great sects and powerful forces place their hopes, have the opportunity to acquire one.

"I wonder which Ancient Emperor Dominator's bloodline condensed the Lifelamp I acquired."

After Xu Qing put on a spare set of ordinary robes, he looked up, gazing at the black umbrella-shaped shadow formed by the mist. After a moment, he opened his mouth and subtly inhaled. Instantly, all the fiery mist within a radius of over three thousand zhang swirled back towards him.

It was as if Xu Qing had become a vortex, drawing the fiery mist closer in an instant, and it entered through his mouth and nose, leaving not a trace.

As the mist disappeared, Xu Qing's eyes grew even brighter, as if they contained stars, emitting a soul-stirring radiance. The spiritual energy of his Foundation Establishment stage was incredibly potent, seemingly filling his body to its maximum capacity, instinctively radiating outwards.

Xu Qing's expression remained calm. He knew this was because he had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, and his body had not yet fully adapted to this formidable spiritual energy.

"Foundation Establishment cultivators focus on cultivating their spiritual apertures and Lifeflames. Ultimately, their goal is to form around three Lifeflames to advance to a new realm. My spiritual apertures can form four Lifeflames." Xu Qing lowered his head, feeling the black umbrella Lifelamp slowly settling down within him, and a profound sense of anticipation appeared in his eyes.

The captain had mentioned regarding Lifelamps that even in the era before the Divine Remnant Faces arrived, not many descendants with Ancient Emperor Dominator bloodlines could form a Lifelamp, and most only managed to form one.

Only true prodigies of that era, descendants believed to have the potential to become Ancient Emperor Dominators in the future, could form multiple Lifelamps. The limit of Lifelamps was the same as that of Lifeflames.

"One Lifelamp is already very satisfying. I need to open thirty spiritual apertures as soon as possible!"

Xu Qing felt his current state. Under the shroud of the black umbrella, his cultivation fluctuations were relatively inconspicuous, as the presence of the black umbrella was more prominent than his own.

So Xu Qing looked down at his shadow. With a thought, a wisp of the shadow instantly detached and merged into his body, enveloping the black umbrella Lifelamp.

As soon as it approached, the shadow trembled violently, seemingly extremely resistant. However, under Xu Qing's calm gaze, it seemed afraid to resist, only allowing Xu Qing to manipulate it, transforming into a covering that concealed the Lifelamp.

Xu Qing's body instantly dimmed. Although the Foundation Establishment fluctuations were still present, the Lifelamp was no longer visible.

"The only pity is the Sea Mountain Art. Perhaps its level is too low, or perhaps it has reached its true limit, as it has consistently failed to advance." Xu Qing felt a hint of regret.

The Sea Mountain Art had greatly helped him, but he had cultivated it to its extreme, making breakthroughs incredibly difficult. Even now, he still couldn't achieve it. In Xu Qing's perception, it seemed to be missing some vital opportunity.

"In the future, I need to consider if there's any way to raise the level of the Sea Mountain Art. As for now, once my cultivation stabilizes, I'll return to the Seven Blood Eyes as soon as possible. While registering my cultivation on the mountain, I'll also acquire a Foundation Establishment technique." Xu Qing currently lacked a Foundation Establishment technique and thus couldn't open new spiritual apertures. So, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to nurture his cultivation.

Time slowly passed like this, and a month went by.

It had been nearly three months since Xu Qing's departure. The fluctuations within his body gradually became restrained. Furthermore, with the shadow enveloping the Lifelamp, no matter how one looked at him now, he seemed no different from an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

During this past month, Xu Qing's understanding and control over the Lifelamp within his body had also deepened significantly.

At this moment, he slowly opened and closed his eyes. After a faint flicker of electricity passed through his gaze, he calmly raised his hand, formed a seal, and pointed towards the sky.

As the spiritual apertures within his body ignited, an astonishing force emanated from his second spiritual aperture, surged along his meridians into his finger, forming a powerful wave that abruptly spread out, soaring directly towards the heavens.

In the sky, a translucent entity formed, rapidly spiraling and continuously expanding, finally taking on the appearance of a Plesiosaur. As soon as the dragon appeared, it roared towards the sky, its body quickly transitioning from translucent to solid.

A violent aura continuously gathered and surged around it. Finally, when its form became completely real, indistinguishable from a true Plesiosaur, a Foundation Establishment fluctuation spread from its body.

In the sky at this moment, the Plesiosaur in Xu Qing's vision possessed a black body filled with a sense of primordial wildness. Its long neck contained incredible agility, and the row of rapidly swaying sharp spines on its neck, along with its eyes like bright lanterns, made it appear remarkably lifelike.

Even if placed in the Forbidden Sea, it would be difficult to tell it was formed by a magical technique unless one attacked it.

Its body, resembling a turtle's shell, clearly possessed powerful defense. The sharp teeth revealed as it opened its mouth also carried a shocking ferocity. Especially its four broad dragon fins; once they flapped, its speed in the sea would undoubtedly be astonishing.

Gazing at the Plesiosaur, whose body reached over three hundred zhang in the sky, Xu Qing stood up and stepped forward. Without using a flight talisman, his body walked directly through the air.

Step by step, as if ascending a heavenly ladder, he walked towards the Plesiosaur.

For the first few steps, Xu Qing felt a bit unaccustomed, but after seven or eight steps, he found his rhythm, until he reached the sky, arriving before the Plesiosaur.

As the Plesiosaur lowered its head, Xu Qing stepped onto its head. The moment he turned around, the Plesiosaur let out a low roar. Its four enormous dragon fins flapped fiercely, and its massive body abruptly shot forward into the sky, whistling away.

Its speed was astonishing.

This Plesiosaur was invisible to ordinary mortals. Even Qi Condensation cultivators couldn't clearly perceive it unless they concentrated spiritual energy in their eyes.

So at first glance, Xu Qing appeared to be standing in the sky, hands behind his back, moving horizontally!

This was Foundation Establishment.

Just like when Xu Qing had fled through the forbidden zone of the slums, the Diamond Sect Patriarch behind him had done the same, standing atop his enormous wrathful Vajra, moving forward horizontally.

However, in comparison now, the Diamond Sect Patriarch's wrathful Vajra manifestation, whether in terms of its solidity or its aura, was far, far weaker than Xu Qing's.

Although they were in the same realm, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.

Standing on the Plesiosaur's head now, Xu Qing calmly gazed at the land, controlling the Plesiosaur to fly towards the nearest city with a teleportation array.

As he flew, he saw desolate landscapes, harsh environments, and skeletons that had lain dead for an unknown time.

The mortals of this world were pitiable.

Compared to mortals, cultivators seemed to have more choices, yet they inherently suffered from alien material torment and faced the risk of distortion. Moreover, the exorbitant cost of cultivation resources was enough to drive many cultivators to despair.

To advance, one had to contend for resources, and contention inevitably brought life-and-death crises.

Therefore, the cultivators of this world were helpless.

This was why there were individuals like the Diamond Sect Patriarch, who might have had a glorious past, but ultimately, after struggling to a certain point, chose to settle in a corner, ruling tyrannically and enjoying the remainder of their lives in this chaotic apocalypse.

Such a choice had both pros and cons.

Xu Qing also wished for such a life, but he feared it wouldn't last long before an unknown crisis suddenly descended and crushed it. Therefore, to truly settle down and truly survive, he had to make himself stronger.

"I just want to survive safely and live a better life in this chaotic apocalypse." Xu Qing's gaze was inward, and the Plesiosaur beneath him moved even faster.

Gradually, as the wind grew stronger against his face, a city distantly appeared in the distance.

That was not the city Xu Qing had come from, but another location equipped with a teleportation array.

Despite being in Foundation Establishment, Xu Qing's vigilance remained the same as when he was in Qi Condensation.

As he arrived, he stepped forward, and as the Plesiosaur dissipated, Xu Qing's figure quietly descended to the ground.

He adjusted his robes, altered his appearance, transforming into a sallow-faced middle-aged man, and slowly walked towards the city ahead. This city did not belong to the Seven Blood Eyes.

Instead, like Red Plains, it was a teleportation point jointly established by the Seven Blood Eyes, Purple Earth, and the Departure Sect. Such arrangements were common in the Southern Phoenix Continent.

After all, the human territory in the Southern Phoenix Continent was not small, and there were many blank areas between the various forces.

These places were either border points between them, or areas with meager resources, like a chicken rib – regrettable to abandon but unnecessary to occupy.

However, for the sake of passage, the three parties jointly established and maintained them.

Xu Qing's arrival immediately startled the city guards. Despite Xu Qing concealing his Lifelamp and not entering on the Plesiosaur, his Foundation Establishment cultivation was still detected the moment he stepped into the city.

Foundation Establishment cultivators, unless they very deliberately concealed their fluctuations, would send shivers down the spines of Qi Condensation cultivators even if they emitted the slightest aura.

It was the same for Xu Qing when he was in Qi Condensation and couldn't fight Foundation Establishment cultivators. The first time he encountered the Diamond Sect Patriarch, a distant glance from the other party made his mind reel.

The Diamond Sect Patriarch had not formed a Lifeflame, and could not enter the Profound Radiance state. At that time, he was merely in his normal state.

The lower one's cultivation, the greater the impact felt. Only after reaching the eighth layer of Qi Condensation could one offer some resistance. However, such resistance was often due to the opponent being a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a minor sect, with ordinary techniques and fewer than thirty spiritual apertures opened.

If it were a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a major sect, with over thirty spiritual apertures opened and a Lifeflame formed, then no matter how formidable a prodigy in Qi Condensation was, they could not contend with a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Profound Radiance state.

They were completely on different levels.

Just as when Deacon Li arrived outside the Water-Drawing Department, a mere low shout had shaken Xu Qing's mind.

His arrival now had the same effect on the cultivators within this city.

The newbie flicked his fingers and calculated:Tonight, some will find love,some will embrace multiple partners.And some will find ammonites all over the ground.