Chapter 169: Emperor-Level Opportunity

Xu Qing watched the scene. Even though he knew the shadow's intelligence had been dulled by his suppression, making it susceptible to the Vajra Sect Patriarch's coaxing, he still felt an irrepressible urge to suppress it again. However, being a reasonable person, he suppressed the impulse to act and merely glared at the Vajra Sect Patriarch. The patriarch quickly adopted a fawning expression, ceasing to entice the shadow further and ensuring it wouldn't incur Xu Qing's greater displeasure.

Xu Qing looked at the shadow and suddenly spoke. "Why can you attract the dragon carriage giant? What exactly are you, and are there many beings like you?" The shadow shivered, trying to express itself. "Com... shadow..." it mumbled, then quickly looked at the Vajra Sect Patriarch.

The Vajra Sect Patriarch squatted down and whispered questions to the shadow. After repeatedly winking and nodding at it, he turned to Xu Qing, bowed respectfully, and began to explain. "Master, little shadow says it doesn't know what it is. Since it gained consciousness, it has simply been a mass of shadow, capable of parasitizing and sleeping within a host's shadow." Here, the Vajra Sect Patriarch blinked. He had sensed a hidden murderous intent when Xu Qing previously asked if there were many beings like the shadow. So he continued softly, "The shadow says it hasn't sensed any other beings like itself so far, though I suspect truly unique things are rare in this world." He added, "As for attracting the dragon carriage giant, it also doesn't know why. It seems that when it sees the giant, it can instinctively pierce through the giant's sounds and summon it. My analysis is that its formation might be somewhat related to the dragon carriage."

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He only partially believed the shadow's statement, but if it maintained this stance even under such duress, further suppression and interrogation would be pointless. Moreover, there was a high probability of it being true. "The ability to attract the dragon carriage giant, if utilized effectively, could indeed be a powerful trump card."

Xu Qing sat cross-legged on the magic boat, continuing to gaze at the sea, his thoughts re-engaging. It was already afternoon; though the sunlight remained strong, it carried the hint of its decline. Elder Zhao's description of the giant's dragon carriage constantly echoed in his mind. The more he pondered, the more captivated Xu Qing became, and his yearning intensified.

If he had only encountered it once, it would have been different. But now, it was the second time, and the shadow clearly had a way to attract it. Xu Qing felt that if he planned meticulously, it might not be impossible to seize the opportunity to obtain a supreme-level cultivation technique.

However, this endeavor was exceedingly difficult. Xu Qing recalled his previous encounter with the dragon carriage giant; the immense pressure emanating from it was such that, even from a considerable distance, his body and soul found it unbearable.

He could imagine that if the giant came any closer, his body would surely disintegrate. Xu Qing had experienced a similar crushing sensation, stemming from a difference in life-levels, when viewing the mermaid clan's murals. Although his cultivation was now different from before, the dragon carriage giant's level clearly surpassed the divine beings depicted in those murals.

"I can't get too close, which means I can't step onto the dragon carriage. Even if I were to use some method to force my way in at any cost, if the giant merely turned its head and looked at me, I certainly wouldn't be able to withstand its might." "I wonder how the main alliance of the Seven Sects managed to get in back then," Xu Qing mused, deeply feeling that unless the giant was asleep, he had no possibility of entering the dragon carriage.

"Shadow, I'll give you a chance to atone for your past actions," Xu Qing said, looking down at it. "Summon the dragon carriage giant, then extend yourself inside and imprint the supreme-level cultivation technique for me." The shadow immediately emitted clear, intense waves of terror. "Too afraid!" it conveyed.

The Vajra Sect Patriarch perked up. Without waiting for Xu Qing to speak, he quickly went to communicate with the shadow, then promptly turned back to explain. "Master, little shadow says there are strange divine fluctuations on the giant. It cannot approach and would be restricted. Moreover, it senses that the giant has no shadow, so shadow eyes cannot be placed inside." He continued, "I also asked it why it summoned the giant just now if that's the case. It intended to use the dragon carriage's pressure to crush you to death, Master. It believed it could endure the pressure longer, and once you were gone, it would be free. Alas, little shadow, how could you be so foolish?"

Hearing this, Xu Qing glanced at the shadow. Recalling its previous attempt to rebel, he raised his hand and suppressed it with a resounding thump, causing the shadow to let out a scream. Once it recovered, the emotions it conveyed were solely terror and pleas for mercy.

Ignoring the shadow, Xu Qing gazed at the darkening sky, his mind racing through various thoughts. Finally, as dusk settled, Xu Qing's thoughts turned to the scenes he had witnessed on the dragon carriage statue, and the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts he had encountered during his very first voyage at sea.

"In the boundless sea, there is a wondrous joy, unheard by mortals. Accompanied by the Vermilion Sun-Crow, a hundred sounds form a melody, known as 'Heavenly Ying Greets the Moon.' The deities delight in it, their eyes closed as they gaze, rendering the boundless sea forbidden, and the hundred sounds become ominous."

This passage, a description of the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts from the Sea Annals, now surfaced in Xu Qing's mind. His heart beat a little faster as various ideas rapidly emerged. "Elder Zhao said the dragon carriage is the sun's imperial carriage, so the youth carved in the murals on its exterior must be the sun. The murals also depict his transformation into the sun."

"This aligns with the Sea Annals' description: the sun is the Golden Crow, typically appearing as a youth. At sunrise, he rides the dragon carriage into the sky, transforming into the sun. At sunset, he returns on the dragon carriage, listening to the 'Heavenly Cluster Greets the Moon' melody, formed from a hundred sounds, within his palace."

"If this is true, then the giant must have listened to the 'Heavenly Cluster Greets the Moon' melody alongside the sun countless times during its lifetime. Even though it has fallen, its ability to pull the carriage in the forbidden sea clearly indicates some lingering instincts. If it were to hear the 'Heavenly Ying Greets the Moon' melody once more, would it lose its senses?" As Xu Qing considered this, his breathing quickened slightly, and his eyes glinted sharply.

To accomplish this, he first needed to locate the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts. Second, he required an item capable of recording music, and its quality was paramount. Xu Qing glanced down at his storage bag; he possessed a sound-capturing bottle.

In addition to these conditions, he also needed to locate the dragon carriage giant. The forbidden sea was immense; the giant typically resided in the deep sea and was only occasionally sighted. Actively searching for it seemed highly improbable.

"If my assessment is valid, then what I've conceived, others should also be able to deduce. Perhaps the main alliance of the Seven Sects accomplished it this way back then." He continued, "The only difference is that I possess an additional ability: even if they considered this method, they could only passively seek opportunities for a chance encounter, whereas the shadow can actively summon it." "The disparity in probability between active and passive approaches is immense."

Xu Qing's heart stirred. He felt he needed to accelerate his efforts. Even with the vast difference in probabilities between active and passive approaches, it remained achievable with enough determination. It was even highly probable that someone was already prepared and actively searching for the dragon carriage.

Xu Qing distinctly remembered Elder Zhao stating that each time the dragon carriage sought a successor, once the supreme-level cultivation technique carved within it was fully comprehended, it would automatically dim. The giant would then return to the seabed to slumber for many years, only reappearing after accumulating new legacy power.

"This also implicitly suggests that such a high-level cultivation technique might only be obtainable through inheritance, proving difficult to teach to others independently. However, whether this is truly the case remains to be confirmed later." After careful consideration, Xu Qing felt his idea was viable and decided to attempt it.

"Then, the first step is to find the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts!" Xu Qing took a deep breath. He knew the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts appeared only at night and for a limited time, so finding it would depend on chance. Without hesitation, Xu Qing fully extended his senses, guiding his magic boat to swiftly traverse the forbidden sea, commencing his search for the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts.

Days passed, and Xu Qing's search did not proceed smoothly. After all, the forbidden sea was immense, and while finding the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts wasn't precisely like searching for a needle in a haystack, it was close, heavily reliant on luck. However, Xu Qing remained unhurried. During this month, he also familiarized himself with the transformations of the black iron rod. With the Vajra Sect Patriarch now a lightning spirit residing within it, the rod's speed and destructive power had become astonishing.

Particularly surprising to Xu Qing was the aura unleashed when all the lightning talismans, formed by the tempering of the black iron rod, fully ignited. The speed it achieved completely surpassed that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator with one life-fire, nearing the power of two.

While slightly less potent, it was more than sufficient to complement Xu Qing's current cultivation, significantly enhancing his combat prowess. Simultaneously, Xu Qing had also clearly perceived the shadow's abilities.

Xu Qing tested the shadow's ability to control a being after devouring its shadow on a Megalodon. He watched firsthand as the shadow consumed the Megalodon's counterpart, then caused the massive shark's head to violently twist, snapping its own neck with a sickening crunch.

This was an extremely bizarre sight, one that even startled the Vajra Sect Patriarch, who felt fortunate that as a spirit artifact, he possessed no shadow. The only minor drawback was that the devouring process was somewhat slow.

Furthermore, the shadow's other ability, 'shadow eyes,' provided Xu Qing with a significant surprise. He commanded the shadow to release hundreds of these eyes, dispersing them among numerous sea beasts. As these creatures diffused randomly, it was akin to Xu Qing gaining countless additional eyes.

He specifically placed the shadow eyes on sea beasts that were nocturnal and frequently leaped out of the water, which proved extremely helpful in his search for the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts. In this manner, another month passed.

One night, Xu Qing, observing through his shadow eyes, suddenly felt a stirring in his mind and focused on one particular eye. Through the shadow, Xu Qing clearly perceived, via that shadow eye, groups of ghostly figures ascending into the air in that specific sea area. "The Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts!" he realized.