Chapter 134: This Is the Profound Radiance State

This is the Xuanyao State! (Fourth update)

On the way to the Transportation Department, Xu Qing passed by the Sixth Peak shop that had tried to harm him that day. At the shop's entrance, Xu Qing deliberately paused. The moment he stopped, as the surrounding crowd looked on with awe, the shopkeeper and his assistants inside changed their expressions drastically. They quickly ran out, trembling, and knelt down to bow. "Greetings, Senior."

Xu Qing stared coldly at the shopkeeper in front of him, saying nothing.

Cold sweat dripped from the shopkeeper's forehead to the ground. His back was completely soaked, and he was terrified to the extreme. The feeling of an impending life-or-death crisis was overwhelmingly strong.

He could never have dreamed that Xu Qing had actually reached Foundation Establishment. Before, he had feared the Second Highness of the Seventh Peak and hadn't paid much attention to Xu Qing. After all, as a shopkeeper and a subordinate of the Sixth Peak's Xianyun Steward, few disciples below the mountain dared to touch him. However, if the other party was also at Foundation Establishment, he didn't believe his master would risk animosity with someone at the same cultivation level just for him.

Amidst his trembling, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and left without a word.

Only after Xu Qing left did the shopkeeper collapse there, feeling as if he had just circled the line between life and death. Xu Qing hadn't killed him because it would have been too much trouble. Furthermore, he didn't want to alert the enemy. After all, Xu Qing had long since uncovered information about Xianyunzi, the person behind the shopkeeper, from the Vajra Sect Patriarch, even inscribing it on his bamboo slip. But he hadn't yet found an opportune moment.

Putting that matter aside, Xu Qing finally understood why he had encountered so few Foundation Establishment cultivators down the mountain before. The appearance of a Foundation Establishment cultivator caused too great a stir. Wherever they went, countless eyes converged on them. Unless one was naturally high-profile, this state would be extremely uncomfortable. Xu Qing, in particular, preferred to walk in the shadows, and being watched by so many people made him unable and unwilling to adapt. In fact, most Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Seventh Peak were grim individuals who had fought their way up from below the mountain, so they naturally disliked this attention too.

"How do others manage it?" Xu Qing pondered, a faint guess forming in his mind.

As he thought, Xu Qing sped up, heading straight for the Transportation Department. On the way, he had sent a voice transmission to Zhang San, who replied that he was already there. So, when Xu Qing arrived at the Transportation Department, he saw Zhang San in a grey Daoist robe from afar, and beside him, the Captain, who had regrown his lower body and was also wearing a grey Daoist robe.

The porters working in the Transportation Department couldn't sense any difference in the two, but Xu Qing's perception had greatly strengthened after his promotion to Foundation Establishment. He immediately saw that both of them had advanced to Foundation Establishment, though they were concealing their auras. At that moment, they were squatting on sandbags, one smoking a pipe, the other eating an apple. The sunlight falling on them made their grey Daoist robes glow with vibrant colors.

Xu Qing's arrival attracted their attention. Especially after noticing Xu Qing's purple Daoist robe, the Captain's face showed triumph, while Zhang San sighed. "You lost," the Captain said happily to Zhang San. Zhang San took out a spirit stone and gave it to the Captain.

Witnessing this scene, Xu Qing confirmed his earlier guess about Foundation Establishment cultivators descending the mountain.

"Xu Qing, why are you wearing a purple robe? Unless it's a major event, our Seven Blood Eyes Foundation Establishment cultivators on the mountain don't wear purple robes; they're too conspicuous." Zhang San chuckled innocently, his face full of warmth. Even though he was now at Foundation Establishment, he couldn't forget Xu Qing's ruthlessness during the grand competition, so his attitude was very enthusiastic. He also told Xu Qing why he and the Captain weren't wearing purple robes. "You should change it quickly when you go back. Also, don't always live on the mountain; it's so lonely up there. Haven't you noticed there aren't many Foundation Establishment cultivators actually living on the mountain? I'm telling you, most of these secretive individuals wear grey robes and hide down in the bustling main city, concealing their auras. It's so much more convenient." Xu Qing nodded seriously.

As for the Captain, he looked at Xu Qing with a half-smile and spoke. "Xu Qing, you might have met Foundation Establishment cultivators in grey robes before and just didn't know it. Few people on our Seventh Peak fly around in purple robes all day like Steward Li, but he only started doing that after following Elder Zhao. As for Zhang Yunshi, is that a job requirement? I heard he just likes to greet newcomers." The Captain said, taking a large bite of his apple and coughing.

"Deputy Director Xu, when are you going to repay the ten thousand spirit stones you owe this Director?" Xu Qing glanced at the Captain. The fluctuations from the Captain's body, even with Xu Qing's Foundation Establishment cultivation, were still unfathomable, just as before. "Director?" Xu Qing asked.

"That's right! I was appointed Director of the Evil Capture Department after I came back. Deputy Director Xu, you need to hurry up and earn spirit stones. This Director is a bit short on cash lately." The Captain's face showed a hint of triumph! He looked at Xu Qing, seemingly wanting to see Xu Qing's envy and admiration.

"Congratulations, Captain." Xu Qing glanced at the Captain's complete body. This time, he didn't need a reminder and responded.

"Haha, Deputy Director Xu, if you chat like this, this Director will be happy. But I need to correct you: you should call me Director." "Okay, Captain." Xu Qing nodded.

"Director!" The Captain bit fiercely into his apple, correcting him.

"Mm." Xu Qing nodded, pulled three large apples from his pocket, and gave one to the Captain and Zhang San each! Zhang San smiled and spoke.

"You two stop bickering. Xu Qing, I've finished refining your spiritual boat. I'll take you to see it in a bit. Sigh, it truly feels like another lifetime to think that all three of us could successfully return at Foundation Establishment. I never thought I, Zhang San, would have a day where I became a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I heard many people were doing Foundation Establishment after the grand competition, and Ding Xiaohai successfully established his Foundation within the sect a while ago." Zhang San sighed with emotion.

"Don't you think he's silly? Others strive for wealth, but he strived for a mere core disciple identity, and then he reached Foundation Establishment right after getting it. The core disciple status was obtained for nothing." The Captain said, eating the large apple Xu Qing gave him, his face full of disbelief.

"You two shouldn't be like this. Deputy Director Xu is fine; this guy only cares about getting rich and won't act on impulse. Zhang San, you need to be careful. Let me tell you, I've been pondering a big plan recently, and I'm currently gathering information. Once I've organized everything, I'll take you to pull off something super big. This time, it'll be even more exciting than the Juying flesh and blood."

As the Captain said this, he put on a mysterious expression, madness flickering in his eyes.

Zhang San immediately became wary, and Xu Qing also grew vigilant.

"What are those expressions for?" The Captain glared. "I'm not talking to you anymore. I still need to gather information. Once I'm ready... but your cultivations are too weak. You need to form your Life Lamp as soon as possible and gain the ability to activate the Xuanyao State, otherwise you can't participate in my plan." The Captain said, standing up.

"What exactly is the Xuanyao State?" Xu Qing asked. After reaching Foundation Establishment, most of what he had seen and heard revolved around this Xuanyao State. Although he understood its theory, he had never truly witnessed it.

Zhang San also looked at the Captain curiously; clearly, he only had a superficial understanding of it, as he had even less contact with Foundation Establishment cultivators when he was at Qi Condensation.

"Want to know?" The Captain glanced at Xu Qing and Zhang San, smiling. "Alright then, seeing as you two are part of my future team, I'll tell you. Do you know why I went to get Juying flesh and blood? Because consuming enough of that level of divine creature's flesh and blood can instantly open many of a cultivator's spiritual orifices, allowing me to form a cluster of Life Fire. So, I won't explain what the Xuanyao State is; I'll show you."

As the Captain spoke, an earth-shattering roar suddenly erupted from within his body, like a sudden clap of thunder. As the roar echoed in all directions, an utterly terrifying surge of power abruptly burst forth from him.

Xu Qing's expression changed. He rapidly retreated, his eyes fixed on the Captain in front of him. A sense of shock quickly appeared in his eyes. At this moment, it was as if a gigantic, ignited furnace had suddenly appeared within the Captain's body. Waves of fiery power erupted from him. As they rumbled outwards, the intensity of his aura seemed to instantly increase by at least several times.

His body seemed to transform into a man of fire, with an earth-shattering phantom appearing behind him that would cause a faint stinging sensation in one's eyes after just two glances. Even the surroundings were distorted, and his body moved abruptly at that instant.

Xu Qing could only see a blur. In an instant, his mind buzzed, and a strong sense of life-or-death crisis made him instinctively retreat at full speed, but it was still too late.

The Captain's body was directly beside him, his right hand placed before Xu Qing. In his hand was one of Xu Qing's hairs, rapidly twisting and turning into ash under high temperature.

Xu Qing's pupils contracted sharply. The furnace within the Captain instantly extinguished, and he returned to normal, smiling at Xu Qing.

"Deputy Director Xu, if I had intended to kill you just now, you would be dead by now." Xu Qing's breathing quickened. He said nothing, but a surging tide of emotions rose in his heart. His previous understanding of the Xuanyao State was only from verbal descriptions and jade slip records; now, witnessing it firsthand, the feeling was incredibly intense.

In that instant, the Captain gave him a feeling of insurmountable power. "Of course, I'm a genius. Others who activate the Xuanyao State won't be as powerful as me, but you still won't be able to defeat them. Because the Xuanyao State is a super outburst of the spiritual orifices within the body. At that moment, a Foundation Establishment cultivator's techniques and physical body will reach their peak. Although it can't last long, it's barely enough for killing or escaping." The Captain said proudly.

"The Xuanyao State can only be countered by cultivators who have also activated the Xuanyao State."

"And a Foundation Establishment cultivator who hasn't activated the Xuanyao State is just a 'ground-walking chicken.' So, little A Qing, don't let the 'ground-walking chickens' you've seen mislead your understanding of Foundation Establishment cultivation, okay? You need to work hard! And remember to pay back the twenty thousand spirit stones you owe me quickly." The Captain said, smiling as he ate his apple and walked into the distance. In a few steps, he stepped into the air and transformed into a long rainbow, his destination not the mountain peak, but still the Evil Capture Department.

Xu Qing remained silent, watching the Captain's retreating figure. His sense of crisis was stronger than ever, and his heart was filled with urgency. He had to quickly open his spiritual orifices; he had to open thirty of them as fast as possible to form Life Fire and thus also possess this Xuanyao State! Zhang San was also silent. After a long while, he shook his head with a bitter smile.

"The Captain is a freak. Let's go, I'll take you to see your spiritual ship." Xu Qing said nothing, withdrawing his gaze from the Captain's departing figure. He followed in silence, but the surging ambition in his heart grew even stronger.

"Once I form a Life Fire, with the blessing of the Life Lamp, it will be equivalent to two clusters of Life Fire!"

Xu Qing took a deep breath. With this overwhelming sense of urgency, he followed Zhang San to the warehouse. As the warehouse doors opened, a massive spiritual ship, somewhat familiar yet mostly alien, appeared before him. Its enormous hull was covered with Foundation Establishment sea lizard hide, and its shape had changed accordingly. What appeared in Xu Qing's eyes was no longer the original crocodile-turtle but a sea lizard!

While exuding extremely strong divine fluctuations, the spiritual boat's original wings had also changed, transforming into fleshy wings growing on both sides of the sea lizard's body. Savagery and ferocity surged forth.

"Xu Qing, the Captain shared a small strip of Juying flesh and blood with us. I've added it here, replacing the core power source, elevating your spiritual boat to a true spiritual ship! Of course, if you don't want it, you can remove it, but I think it's better to keep it on the spiritual ship. With this ship, your survival ability in the Forbidden Sea will greatly increase."

On this auspicious day, the fourth update is presented to all the handsome guys and beautiful ladies.So don't be afraid if the ammonite mutates; the little novice is with you.