Chapter 158: Black Snow as Hair

The valley was not large. Teleportation fluctuations spread within it.

More than a hundred disciples from the Second Peak were dismantling alchemy furnaces and various magical artifacts that Xu Qing had never seen before. Behind them, a medium-sized teleportation array stood. Several Fifth Peak disciples in green Daoist robes were currently attempting to repair and adjust the array, with occasional rapid flashes of teleportation energy appearing on it.

Meanwhile, fierce fighting was underway at the valley's entrance. Around thirty cultivators from various peaks were desperately defending the entrance, fending off the swarming Sea Corpse Tribe members who approached like locusts. The ground was littered with shocking piles of corpses, severed limbs, and scattered body parts. The intensity of the battle was evident.

Both sides primarily consisted of Foundation Establishment cultivators, creating deafening roars in the chaotic melee. Not far away, two individuals were fighting with an intensity that surpassed everyone else. They were clearly two cultivators in their Profound Radiance state.

The Sea Corpse Tribe cultivator in the Profound Radiance state appeared as an elderly human wearing a tattered gray robe. Despite its worn appearance, a significant energy fluctuation emanated from within the robe, indicating it was a magical artifact. The Seven Blood Eyes cultivator in the Profound Radiance state was a tall, young woman. She wore the distinctive orange Daoist robe of the Second Peak, her figure graceful and mature, and her movements exceptionally swift.

However, the Second Peak disciples did not specialize in direct combat, so despite both being in the Profound Radiance state with one Life Flame, the Second Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator was clearly at a disadvantage. Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, but she had no time to wipe it away. In the Profound Radiance state, all speeds become incredibly terrifying; a single lapse in concentration could lead to instant death, so distraction was not an option.

The moment Xu Qing appeared in the distance, the Second Peak woman's spiritual power faltered, her Life Flame flickered erratically, and her body speed slowed slightly. The Sea Corpse Tribe cultivator with the Life Flame seized the opportunity and struck her fiercely in the chest. Her robe ripped, revealing skin, and blood gushed out as she recoiled uncontrollably, slamming into a nearby rock with a thud. The rock shattered, cracks rapidly spreading, causing many stones to break off the mountain and fall. The woman struggled to stand, but her internal Life Flame violently flickered before extinguishing, causing her to vomit more blood, her face turning incredibly pale.

Seeing this, the Sea Corpse Tribe elder snorted coldly. Without even glancing at the severely injured Second Peak woman, he swayed and moved to charge into the valley, his target the array within. However, just as he moved, his expression suddenly changed drastically. He spun his head to look behind him, his pupils instantly contracting in horror. "Two Life Flames!"

In his perception, everything inside and outside the valley moved slowly, but at that moment, a shocking figure on the horizon seemed to pierce directly into his field of vision. It was hurtling towards him with astonishing speed. The stark contrast between slowness and speed made the Sea Corpse Tribe elder abruptly retreat, preparing to flee without hesitation. As a cultivator with one Life Flame, he clearly understood that the gap between himself and a cultivator with two Life Flames was no less significant than that between an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator and one in the Profound Radiance state with a Life Flame.

"Damn it, how did a two-Life Flame cultivator appear here? Only someone of the same level within our tribe can contend with such a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator!" "The intelligence was wrong!" The Sea Corpse Tribe elder's breathing grew ragged. Though he immediately retreated, it was too late!

Xu Qing had already targeted him! For Xu Qing, Sea Corpse Tribe members with one Life Flame were the best prey. After all, the amount of soul power he needed to open his Dharma Apertures was immense; ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators required multiple souls to open a single aperture. Even after killing those two Foundation Establishment cultivators earlier, his forty-first Dharma Aperture had not yet successfully opened. However, refining a Sea Corpse Tribe member with a Life Flame was entirely different. Killing just one could open a Dharma Aperture.

So, the moment the elder tried to escape, Xu Qing changed direction, no longer heading for the valley array, but instead hurtling towards the elder. His speed was so immense that within roughly three breaths of time, Xu Qing suddenly arrived from a distance, appearing before the Sea Corpse Tribe elder. He raised his right hand and delivered a punch. With the eruption of his internal Life Lantern, terrifying power surged forth.

The Sea Corpse Tribe elder could only barely dodge. Although he was also in the Profound Radiance state, the vast difference between them meant he simply couldn't keep up with Xu Qing's speed or fully evade the attack. Thus, in a blink of an eye, Xu Qing's fist landed on the elder's chest. A thunderous roar echoed, exploding in all directions. The Sea Corpse Tribe elder spat out blood, his body directly exploding into fragments, before being sent careening backwards to slam into a high rock, where he became lodged, severely wounded. This was only because, in that critical moment, he had activated the power of his robe artifact and pushed his Dharma Apertures to their absolute limit, bursting forth like an overdraft to resist, which prevented his death from Xu Qing's punch. Even so, his severe injuries rendered him unable to recover, and despair filled his eyes as his body became a bloody mess.

Because in his eyes, Xu Qing's figure had already vanished. The next instant, a sheet of black flame enveloped the world before him. It was Xu Qing's palm, pressed against the Sea Corpse Tribe elder's glabella. With a slight exhalation, the elder's entire body rumbled, and the shadow transformed, eagerly pouncing and continuously corroding the elder's flesh. The black iron spike also rushed forward, piercing the elder's artifact robe and drawing in power with a fierce suction.

This triple absorption caused the Sea Corpse Tribe cultivator with a Life Flame to emit a piercing scream. He did not last long; his body exploded into dust with a boom. Only his Daoist robe and storage bag remained, which Xu Qing collected. He then stood mid-air, looking down at the battleground in the valley.

At this moment, more black snow drifted from the sky, accompanied by wisps of descending crimson lava, fluttering before Xu Qing like phoenix feathers. The faint red glow of the lava reflected on Xu Qing's eerily stern face, creating a striking contrast with the cold glint in his eyes. This scene was like an ethereal painting, detached from the mortal world, beautiful yet imbued with a sense of grimness.

On the battlefield, silence instantly fell. All eyes converged on Xu Qing in that instant, as if witnessing a divine child descend, and gradually lost themselves in awe. The cultivators from various peaks who had arrived on this mission watched Xu Qing, their hearts trembling from the sudden turn of events. Deep reverence slowly rose in their eyes, and they bowed to him. Even the Second Peak disciples within the valley and the Fifth Peak cultivators repairing the array did the same, looking at Xu Qing with profound respect.

Gu Muqing was among the crowd. She looked at Xu Qing, standing mid-air amidst the falling black snow and crimson lava, her expression distant. This sight was too shocking, deeply imprinting itself in her heart.

As for the Sea Corpse Tribe outside the valley, they were now trembling. One of them, unable to bear the pressure emanating from Xu Qing, began to frantically retreat, and soon all the Sea Corpse Tribe members were scrambling to escape for their lives. However, what awaited them was the whistling rush of the black iron spike, and the shadow, concealing itself, swiftly and imperceptibly spread across the darkening land as the sun set, competing with the Adamantine Sect Patriarch.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. Thank you for saving my life!" the young woman from the Second Peak, who had struggled to her feet outside the valley, said softly, with an unusual look in her eyes. As her words spread, the surrounding crowd followed suit. "Greetings, Senior Brother!" "Greetings, Senior Brother!!"

A wind blew at that moment, stirring up the tableau formed by Xu Qing, causing the black snow around him to swirl and dance alongside his flowing long hair. As the black snow drifted, Xu Qing raised his head, his eyes like stars. Amidst the salutations of the crowd, screams echoed from a distance. The Adamantine Sect Patriarch and the shadow were frantically competing to kill.

For the shadow, any Sea Corpse Tribe member could be considered food; though not delicious, it was no longer picky. The Adamantine Sect Patriarch, however, had more requirements; he needed magical artifacts. Yet, feeling that he was not as strong as the shadow, he deliberately put on an act of competing. In reality, he was using this to ignite the shadow's fighting spirit, urging it to absorb quickly, so that once the enemies lost their ability to resist, he could then search for and absorb artifacts. In this way, they cooperated quite tacitly in a certain sense. However, it was clear that compared to the cunning Adamantine Sect Patriarch, the shadow was still too young. Therefore, it never discovered the underlying issue, instead displaying a fierce demeanor and often showing disdain. The Adamantine Sect Patriarch also cooperated by feigning anxious and annoyed expressions. The piercing screams of the Sea Corpse Tribe cultivators contrasted sharply with the respectful salutations of the Seven Blood Eyes disciples both inside and outside the valley.

Xu Qing's gaze swept over the crowd, then landed on the Second Peak woman who could no longer maintain her Profound Radiance state and had become very weak. He nodded and extinguished his own Life Flame. Although his spiritual power was abundant, it was difficult for him to sustain the Life Lantern state for more than three hours, so conserving it was naturally beneficial. However, if any other two-Life Flame cultivators could hear Xu Qing's thoughts, their scalps would tingle, as the normal Profound Radiance state typically only lasted for a little over half an hour. This demonstrated the unique depth of Xu Qing's accumulated qi condensation.

At that moment, Xu Qing swayed and walked into the valley. After extinguishing his Life Flame, the radiant glow around Xu Qing dissipated, and his appearance became clearly visible to everyone. Previously, he had been enveloped in a dazzling light, allowing outsiders only a vague glimpse of him. Now that everything was clear, the level of attention his exquisitely beautiful, almost demonic face garnered was equally astonishing. Upon seeing him, all the disciples present, both male and female, were captivated to varying degrees. The women's period of enchantment was notably longer than that of the male cultivators. Of course, this was also due to the aura of power he previously displayed; otherwise, he would not have stirred such emotions. Nevertheless, Xu Qing's appearance, combined with the halo of his cultivation, imbued him with an astonishing charm. Coupled with his purple robe and flowing long hair, he seemed like an immortal.

As he walked into the valley, the Second Peak disciples within respectfully greeted him, and most of the female cultivators gazed at him with dewy eyes, secretly observing him. Xu Qing also saw Gu Muqing in the crowd and gave a slight nod. Gu Muqing's beautiful eyes were fixed on Xu Qing, and because of Xu Qing's nod, many Second Peak disciples nearby looked towards her. Her pretty face flushed slightly. She wanted to speak, but Xu Qing had already walked past them, reaching the array.

"When can we teleport?" Xu Qing asked softly. The Fifth Peak disciples beside the array all wore respectful expressions. One Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had not yet activated his Life Flame, spoke reverently, "Senior Brother, the array is almost ready. We're just waiting for the arrival of the sect's grand array's tidal power. I'm confident that at that exact moment, the array can be successfully activated."