Chapter 180: Sea Corpse Strange Tale(9000)

Above the azure sky, a black wooden warship roared forward, tearing through clouds and mist at immense speed. The sound of its passage echoed in all directions, its momentum astonishing. Its destination was the Sea Corpse Race's tribal island, located directly ahead, a ten-day journey from their current position. According to the nautical charts issued by the Seven Blood Eyes during wartime, Xu Qing knew that while it was called an island, its actual size far surpassed that of the Merfolk Race's territory, roughly one-tenth the size of the Southern Phoenix Continent.

Inside the black wooden warship, Xu Qing and the Captain had finally settled on their plan for this journey after numerous discussions.

"In ten days, we'll reach the Sea Corpse Race," the Captain said, looking at Xu Qing. "Your plan is acceptable, Xu Qing, but we could act a few days later if we wanted. Why do you seem so eager?"

The two had spent an entire day discussing the infiltration plan for the Sea Corpse Race. The lengthy discussion was due to the Captain essentially having no concrete plan; his strategy was simply to break in and improvise. Xu Qing disagreed. After some thought, he proposed a clear objective: finding the quickest way to enter the vicinity of a Corpse Ancestor Statue. With this objective, the plan became straightforward: the fastest way to achieve it was to be personally escorted by Sea Corpse cultivators immediately upon entering their territory. This would ensure no time was wasted.

Xu Qing and the Captain had also strategized how to achieve this: get injured! If the Third Princess was severely injured and barely escaped, she would naturally be sent for immediate treatment. Her identity would also ensure she was taken to the location of a Corpse Ancestor Statue. After all, according to the intel the Captain had purchased, the Corpse Ancestor Statue not only converted the deceased into Sea Corpse kin but also possessed astonishing healing properties. This led to the Captain's earlier suspicious remarks.

"If the injuries appear in just one day, outsiders will immediately know it's fake. That won't do," Xu Qing said, shaking his head. "It's better to accumulate some new injuries every day. After ten days, a combination of old and new wounds will look much more authentic!"

The Captain remained suspicious, peering at Xu Qing's face for any tell-tale signs, secretly wondering if Xu Qing was using this as an excuse for personal revenge. Xu Qing met the Captain's gaze without evasion or flinching. Seeing Xu Qing's unwavering stare, the Captain sighed. He recalled teaching this very method himself, and now he found he couldn't even discern its truth.

However, the Captain was also ruthless. He suddenly raised his right hand, took out a knife, and swiftly plunged it into his stomach, twisting it fiercely. Instantly, the blue blood, part of their disguise, soaked his robes.

"This little thing? What's the big deal?" the Captain said nonchalantly, taking a bite of an apple.

Xu Qing shook his head. "Captain, wounds inflicted by oneself look different from those inflicted by others. For the sake of our grand plan, you'll have to endure some hardship. I'll help you."

The Captain's apple-biting motion paused, and he glared at Xu Qing. Xu Qing gazed earnestly into the Captain's eyes. After a moment of silence, the Captain sighed, tossed the dagger to him, and spread his arms wide. "Come on."

Xu Qing smiled faintly. He approached with the dagger, stabbed the Captain in the stomach, pulled it out, then stabbed again. An indescribable sense of relief filled his heart. The Captain's breathing quickened as he forcibly endured. Xu Qing withdrew the dagger, stabbed it directly into the Captain's thigh, and as blood bubbled, Xu Qing raised his right hand, unleashing the power of the Sea Scripture in a strike to the Captain's chest. With a *boom*, the Captain spat out blood, his face turning pale. Simultaneously, the dagger in Xu Qing's hand moved swiftly, slashing him repeatedly until the Captain was covered in blood, looking utterly disheveled and frail.

"Alright, alright, that's enough, Xu Qing!!"

Xu Qing felt a touch of regret; those previous few stabs had brought him considerable relief. Now that he had stopped, he glanced at the Captain's left leg, mentally assessing it as a potential target for tomorrow. Seeing Xu Qing's gaze fall upon his leg, the Captain's eyelids twitched slightly. He then looked Xu Qing up and down and suddenly spoke.

"Deputy Commander Xu, as a Dao Protector, it's unreasonable for the princess you're protecting to be so severely wounded while you remain completely unharmed."

Xu Qing's smile froze.

"So, for the sake of our grand plan, you too will have to endure some hardship. Don't worry, I'll help you." A smirk played on the Captain's lips as he retrieved the dagger from Xu Qing with anticipation, plunging it fiercely into Xu Qing's thigh.

Xu Qing wanted to dodge, but he had to admit the Captain made a valid point. He took a deep breath, endured the pain, and looked up at the Captain, allowing the dagger to scrape against his thigh. Xu Qing gritted his teeth. The next instant, the Captain excitedly leaped up, swiftly stabbing Xu Qing's stomach three times and leaving a bloody gash on his neck. Many vital organs on Xu Qing's body also showed marks. Seeing his body covered in blood, Xu Qing suddenly stepped back, staring at the Captain and speaking in a hoarse voice.

"Your right leg has many injuries, but your left doesn't. That's unreasonable." As he spoke, Xu Qing conjured a dagger with a wave of his hand and plunged it into the Captain's left leg.

The Captain grimaced, then gave Xu Qing another stab. And so, they exchanged blows, one stab after another... until after a long while, both stopped, lying on the deck, panting. Their injuries looked shocking.

"Xu Qing... I don't think we need to get injured like this every single day," the Captain said weakly. "As the princess, and you as my Dao Protector, we're supposed to be escaping pursuit, right?"

"Yes," Xu Qing nodded in deep agreement. "We can escape for seven or eight days, then get caught again." He thought for a moment before asking, "Also, once we enter the Sea Corpse Race territory, if our identities are exposed, what's your escape plan?"

Hearing this, the Captain raised an eyebrow, pulled out his half-eaten apple, took a large bite, and smiled smugly. "Deputy Commander Xu, regarding that issue, I do have a way to escape, but there's no need to worry too much. When playing with your life, it's more satisfying if it's a bit thrilling, so you'll need to take extra good care of yourself."

"However, since you're my subordinate, I suppose I *could* tell you, but this is my greatest secret. Hmm, it's worth a million spirit stones!"

Xu Qing gave the Captain a deep look. The smug expression on his face made Xu Qing abandon his original thought of selling him a chaotic teleportation talisman. He felt there was no need. Seeing Xu Qing didn't ask, the Captain was surprised. He glanced at Xu Qing, thinking Xu Qing must have some escape method, but he believed no method could be as powerful as his own. "When it's truly needed, a million spirit stones will surely be mine," the Captain thought, feeling satisfied.

And so, time flowed on. Seven days passed quickly, and now only a three-day journey remained to the Sea Corpse Race's tribal island. On the warship, besides their usual meditation, Xu Qing and the Captain occasionally communicated. The Captain mainly recounted stories about the Sea Corpse Race to help Xu Qing better cooperate with the plan.

"We've covered enough about the Sea Corpse Race," the Captain said. "Let me tell you about this Third Princess. She's a pitiable soul. In reality, she hates the Sea Corpse Race even more than our Seven Blood Eyes. That's why I told you she'd help us." The Captain glanced at his storage bag, where the Third Princess of the Sea Corpse Race was kept. "This Third Princess was born into the Celestial Race. Her father possessed astonishing talent; he was once hailed as a prodigy of the Celestial Race, destined to walk the path of an Ancient Emperor and Overlord."

"However, many years ago, he betrayed his race and willingly transformed into a Sea Corpse. After becoming a Sea Corpse, his cultivation rose dramatically, and he was personally appointed by the Sea Corpse Ancestor to be the Sea Corpse King of this generation. This Sea Corpse King practices an exceptionally unique Sea Corpse cultivation technique called the Supreme Emotion Severing Art. He cultivated it to the extreme, comprehending an artistic conception named... Forgetting Sorrow! And clearly, everything was planned and prepared. When he betrayed his race back then, he took his wife and three daughters, sealing them within the Sea Corpse Race to become 'Dao Severing Spirits'."

"Simply put, every time the Sea Corpse King 'severed family ties,' his cultivation would break through a bottleneck. So, many years ago, he severed his wife, his eldest daughter, and his second daughter—all in front of the third. The reason she is still alive is that the King has not yet reached another bottleneck. This is also why I brought her along. This girl might seem foolish, but that's a protective facade she learned since childhood. In reality, her hatred for her father has reached an extreme, far deeper than even our Seven Blood Eyes'. That's why she always likes to stir up trouble; she just wants to seek death for temporary release. I warned her not to cause trouble this time, but it had no effect. Her desire for death has deeply embedded itself in her soul."

"Actually, according to the intel I bought, she has died seven or eight times over the years. But unfortunately, half of her soul was extracted by her father and stored by his side, allowing him to recreate her at any time. So even if she dies outside, it doesn't affect much."

As the Captain's words continued, Xu Qing found himself moved. In this world beneath the divine remnant, everyone had their own story, and most of them were tragic. While 'severing family ties to prove the Dao' seemed brutal, it was nothing compared to what Xu Qing had witnessed throughout his life. Nevertheless, he took out a healing pill and tossed it to the Captain.

The Captain took it, paused in surprise, then spoke with a hint of delight. "What's this for? Are you giving it to me to heal my severe injuries?"

"It's for the Third Princess in your storage bag," Xu Qing said flatly.

"Little Ah Qing, so you do have a gentle side," the Captain said, looking at Xu Qing with a smirk, weighing the pill in his hand. "What, have you fallen for the Third Princess? Are you really planning to become her male consort?"

Xu Qing watched the Captain's smug demeanor expressionlessly, saying nothing.

"Little Ah Qing, are you looking at me like that, or are you looking at your beloved Third Princess? Oh dear, if the female disciples in the sect knew, they'd probably all burst into tears." The Captain grew happier the more he spoke, his eyebrows dancing as he put away the pill, took out an orange, peeled it, and began to eat.

Seeing Xu Qing's brow furrowing, he was about to continue speaking but was interrupted by Xu Qing. "Princess, we'll reach the Sea Corpse Race in three days. Your injuries need to reappear now."

The Captain's words halted. Xu Qing walked up, drew his dagger, and stabbed the Captain in the stomach. The Captain grimaced, took a sharp breath, and likewise took out his own dagger, glaring at Xu Qing. "As this princess's Dao Protector, you too must sustain more injuries!"

As he spoke, he moved to stab, but Xu Qing stepped back and dodged. "Princess, your cultivation is only at Qi Condensation Great Perfection, so your injury recovery is slow. I'm protecting you, and in our state of being pursued, your injuries would naturally worsen, preventing self-healing. However, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, my recovery speed is excellent, so I don't need more injuries. That would look too fake."

After Xu Qing finished speaking, the Captain was momentarily stunned. While the Captain was stunned, Xu Qing went up and stabbed him repeatedly. Finally, the Captain clutched his stomach and dodged, glaring furiously at Xu Qing, but under Xu Qing's serious expression, he sighed. "This princess and her Dao Protector were pursued, but it's impossible to have no time for rest. Especially now that we're nearing the Sea Corpse Race's territory, the pursuers would be apprehensive and would not continue the chase."

Xu Qing thought for a moment before replying. "Yes, but the closer we get to their territory, the more severe the Princess's old wounds would become, nearing death. So, she would be sent to the forbidden grounds for treatment immediately."

The Captain's face twisted in pain. He looked at his injuries, then at Xu Qing. Faced with Xu Qing's earnestness, he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. Xu Qing felt a sense of relief in his heart. He went over and inflicted five more stabs, making the Captain appear extremely severely wounded and utterly weak before finally ending this "pursuit."

Time slowly passed in this manner. Soon, three days went by, and the black wooden warship they were on, after flying through the void all this time, finally approached the Sea Corpse Race's tribal territory. When the Sea Corpse Race's island continent became visible in the distance, Xu Qing's expression grew extremely solemn. He took a deep breath and checked himself. Even after confirming he was fine, he remained uneasy, so he simply let his shadow emit some Sea Corpse Race aura. With this, Xu Qing was virtually indistinguishable from a Sea Corpse. Under the Golden Crow Refines All Spirits, he could even emit some of the Sea Corpse Race's innate corpse poison. After such concealment, his disguise was nothing short of perfect. While the Captain lacked these specific methods, he had clearly prepared for this for a long time, so Xu Qing didn't worry about his exposure.

"Finally, escaped... Home..." Beside him, the Captain now clutched his stomach, leaning weakly against the railing. The wind stirred his blood-stained dark hair, revealing the delicate, charmingly beautiful face beneath. His pale complexion, combined with the complex emotions in his eyes, made the Captain at this moment almost indistinguishable from the real Third Princess. He had even thoroughly grasped the Third Princess's inner turmoil. Had Xu Qing not witnessed the entire process of his disguise and familiarized himself with it, he would have found it difficult to discern the Captain's true identity at first glance.

"You've been through a lot on this journey," the Captain said, his voice weak and somewhat delicate. His hand trembled as he gripped the railing, suppressing the severe internal injuries with all his might. It seemed that even a slight relaxation would cause all his wounds to erupt, extinguishing his vital energy. Especially dangerous was a wound on his chest, which had been stabbed almost directly into his heart. Even a slight deviation would have caused his heart to collapse, and even so, it appeared to have damaged his heart meridians. As for Xu Qing, his originally white Daoist robe was now stained with blue blood, making his already pale complexion even more ghastly. His aura was clearly unstable, as if he was forcibly enduring. His most severe injury was on his neck; it appeared his windpipe had been severed. Although it had recovered slightly, he couldn't speak much, and blood could still be seen seeping from the edges of the wound. Facing the Captain's words, Xu Qing remained expressionless, seemingly without much emotional fluctuation, and paid no heed to his injuries. He clasped his fist and bowed to the Captain.

Just then, a powerful fluctuation swept in from the front, instantly enveloping their boat and covering Xu Qing and the Captain. Their warship paused in mid-air, unable to proceed. This powerful fluctuation was not emitted by cultivators, but by an array! It was the Sea Corpse Race's protective tribal array. During wartime, the Sea Corpse Race's grand array remained active for extended periods, simultaneously blocking all outsiders and accelerating the completion of all their internal arrangements with added power. As the array's fluctuation arrived, Xu Qing knew well that the Sea Corpse Race's first test had begun.

However, Xu Qing and the Captain were already prepared for this. As the array permeated the air, the Captain emitted a responding fluctuation from his body. Xu Qing did the same, activating his small bottle to release a similar fluctuation. Thus, the array quickly swept over them, acknowledging their identities. This scene filled Xu Qing with admiration for the Captain's preparations.

He then lowered his gaze, looking down at the Sea Corpse Race's island continent below. As far as his eyes could see, this seemingly endless, continent-like island had a style completely different from anything he had ever witnessed before. This was a coastal area, and he could see it was covered in gigantic, mushroom-like vegetation. However, their color was black, exuding a thick corpse poison while also radiating an astonishing pressure. Each of these black mushrooms exceeded several hundred feet in height. They were present both on the coastal land and in the sea, numbering close to a hundred at first glance, spreading in clusters along the coastline. On each mushroom, docking platforms were constructed from white bones. Numerous coffin-like warships could be seen waiting there, ready for launch.

At the same time, countless tentacles grew beneath these mushrooms, dangling onto the ground and into the sea. On one hand, they absorbed heterogeneous matter; on the other, these tentacles branched into numerous ropes, connecting to boats floating on the sea. This was clearly a port, and looking further, the entire coastline of the Sea Corpse Race seemed to be one continuous port.

Looking further into the distance, the sky was completely black, shrouded in dense dark clouds. Within them, teleportation arrays shimmered, and cultivators were constantly being teleported out and back. Sea Corpse warships and cultivator figures traversed this entire world. While rumbling and whooshing sounds constantly echoed, voices were rarely heard. Additionally, the ground of the Sea Corpse Race island was also black, covered with gigantic mushrooms similar to those on the coastline, but their color differed; most of the land-based mushrooms were crimson. At the same time, colossal trees were also one of the most striking features of this island. These trees were decaying, emitting dense heterogeneous matter, and countless black butterflies fluttered across this land. On the ground, there were also long crimson rivers, like blood, winding across the land. The entire world resembled the Underworld, shocking to behold, and simultaneously, an indescribable, terrifying pressure spread in all directions.

Meanwhile, as Xu Qing and the Captain's black wooden warship was frozen in mid-air above the sea, and the array's fluctuation swept across, numerous coffins immediately shot up from the coastline below. They instantly approached the warship, positioning themselves upright around it. A total of sixteen dilapidated coffins surrounded the black wooden warship, seemingly forming an array. Streaks of black lightning spread between them, instantly connecting and enveloping the black wooden warship. Then, a coffin directly in front of Xu Qing and the Captain suddenly shook, its lid opening. From within emerged a Sea Corpse Race member shrouded in black mist. The appearance of this Sea Corpse Race member was somewhat blurry within the mist, only vaguely discernible as human-like. After stepping out, his gaze, like lightning, instantly fell upon Xu Qing and the Captain. The fluctuations of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator were exceptionally clear on this Sea Corpse. Although he had clearly not activated his Mystic Radiance State, the aura formed by ninety Dharma Apertures still made Xu Qing's heart sink. This individual was clearly the cultivator in charge of the coastal port below, appearing because Xu Qing and the Captain had arrived from this direction.

Gazing at the newcomer, Xu Qing lowered his head, performing the Sea Corpse Race's etiquette he had learned on the way to show respect. The Sea Corpse cultivator, a three-fire Foundation Establishment expert, swept his gaze over Xu Qing and the Captain, then spoke in a low voice to the Captain.

"Greetings, Third Princess."

"Where is my Royal Father?" the Captain asked, leaning on the railing, his face turning grim.

"The King is on the battlefield and has not yet returned."

"So you may see this princess without kneeling? And what is the meaning of this blockade!" The Captain suddenly raised his left hand, a black bead appearing in his palm, which he then threw towards the Sea Corpse cultivator. With a *boom*, the black bead directly exploded on the Sea Corpse's body. The Sea Corpse's body shook, but he remained unharmed. He glanced at the Captain expressionlessly, then lowered his head and knelt on one knee. This attack, however, clearly aggravated the Captain's injuries. He spat out a mouthful of blood, forcibly endured without collapsing, and spoke in a gloomy voice.

"Escort me to the Corpse Ancestor Statue! I need healing!"

"Before the King departed, he instructed that if the Princess returned, she should be sent directly to her temporary palace and not permitted to leave." Facing the Third Princess's demand, the three-fire Foundation Establishment cultivator responded calmly. He raised his right hand and waved, and instantly, cultivator auras emanated from all the surrounding coffins. At the same time, streaks of black lightning connected to the black wooden warship, pulling it forward.

This scene did not surprise Xu Qing and the Captain; their plan for the journey had countermeasures for it. So, the Captain spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly displaying his weakness and near-death state. At the same time, he looked at the Sea Corpse three-fire Foundation Establishment cultivator and suddenly smiled sweetly. "Alright then, it's fine if this princess dies in her temporary palace. That way, after I'm resurrected, I'll have a reason to devour you and everyone in your squad first. How fun! It's decided, hurry up now."

The Captain, disguised as the Third Princess, wore a sweet and beautiful smile on his face, giving off an innocent aura. Yet, the meaning conveyed by his words was incredibly sinister. It was as if deeply hidden malice and madness were slowly unfurling, causing the late-stage Sea Corpse Foundation Establishment cultivator to halt his steps. He knew the Third Princess's personality, understanding that her frequent outings were simply a way of seeking death. He also knew that each time the Third Princess was resurrected, the King would arrange for some tribesmen to be devoured by her to accelerate the resurrection process. After a moment of silence, he looked at Xu Qing.

"You can leave."

Xu Qing's expression was icy cold. Corpse poison spread within him, circling around to form an invisible storm. He spoke in a hoarse voice. "Stealing my escorting merit?"

Almost the instant Xu Qing's words left his lips, a black coffin behind him suddenly opened. A Sea Corpse cultivator figure instantly rushed out, two clusters of life-fire fluctuations erupting in an instant, approaching Xu Qing with incredible speed. It was a woman, a Merfolk in life. The moment she neared Xu Qing, she immediately moved to suppress him. Clearly, the late-stage Sea Corpse Foundation Establishment cultivator guarding the port intended to claim the merit for escorting the princess back.

Xu Qing's gaze was cold, his expression unchanging. The moment the Merfolk woman approached, he slammed his body backward, colliding with her amidst a rumble. A loud sound erupted as Xu Qing raised his right hand and fiercely grabbed at the Merfolk woman. The Merfolk woman's expression changed. Her mind reeled from the impact of Xu Qing's physical strength, and her internal life fires trembled. She immediately tried to dodge. But Xu Qing was too fast; his grab unleashed a suction force that momentarily stalled the Merfolk woman's movements. The next instant, Xu Qing lunged forward, appearing before the woman in a blink. His right hand plunged directly into her chest, seizing her heart and crushing it fiercely.

With a *boom*, the heart of the merfolk-like two-fire Foundation Establishment female cultivator instantly shattered. Even though the Sea Corpse Race was not sensitive to pain, such an injury still made her emit a horrifying shriek. Yet, this female cultivator was not simple; with ruthlessness in her eyes, she bit directly at Xu Qing's neck. This was a common method used among the Sea Corpse Race. Her teeth were sharp, and she was about to bite Xu Qing. Xu Qing sneered, flung his head, and forcefully struck the female cultivator's mouth. With a *crack*, the woman's teeth shattered, her face became a bloody mess, and her screams grew more piercing. Xu Qing's expression turned ferocious. He too opened his mouth and swiftly bit into the merfolk female cultivator's neck! His bite was incredibly powerful, instantly severing a section of the merfolk-like female cultivator's neck. As he inhaled, dense heterogeneous matter instantly poured madly from the merfolk female cultivator's body into Xu Qing. The merfolk female cultivator tried to struggle, but Xu Qing's arms were incredibly strong. He slammed her down, suppressing her firmly, continuously absorbing with his mouth without pause, appearing utterly brutal.

The entire process took only six or seven breaths. The merfolk-like female cultivator's heterogeneous matter completely withered, her life fire extinguished, her Dharma Apertures dried up, and her entire body turned into a shriveled corpse, falling to the side. She wasn't dead, but still twitching.

"Oh, how fun! Why did this young lady shrivel up?" The Captain smiled sweetly, wobbled over to the merfolk female cultivator, and licked his lips.

Xu Qing turned and looked at the Sea Corpse three-fire Foundation Establishment cultivator standing in mid-air outside the warship. "Give me nine more to devour, and I can give you the merit," Xu Qing said, blue blood still staining the corner of his mouth, his eyes cold and devoid of emotion.

Xu Qing's appearance at this moment made the three-fire Foundation Establishment cultivator's expression somewhat solemn. His reason for speaking like that earlier was twofold: to seize the merit, and also to test them. Indeed, recently, some disciples from the Seven Blood Eyes had been constantly infiltrating by various means. Although all had been discovered and slain, the princess's return could also be a Seven Blood Eyes ploy. If the other party had actually left just now, he would have reported the matter, and other tribesmen would naturally have gone to verify. But now he dismissed that idea. The array had confirmed the princess was fine. As for this tribesman who escorted the princess back, not only was he confirmed by the array, but his act of devouring heterogeneous matter was something only the Sea Corpse Race dared to do. Moreover, so easily eliminating one of his two-fire subordinates indicated that the other party was not far from breaking through to his own level.

So, he raised his hand and waved. The lightning on the sixteen black coffins surrounding them instantly dissipated, and they each fell downwards. "Send the princess to the Seventh Corpse Ancestor Statue's forbidden grounds!" Having said that, the Sea Corpse three-fire Foundation Establishment cultivator raised his right hand, bit down hard on one of his fingers, severing it, and threw it forward. Instantly, with a *boom*, the finger transformed into a dense cloud of corpse poison, spreading onto Xu Qing and the Captain's warship, where it formed a black glowing mark. "With this mark, no one will disturb the Princess on the remainder of her journey. Please forgive me, Princess."

"You may leave," the Captain said indifferently.

"Thank you, Princess." The three-fire Foundation Establishment cultivator bowed his head, spoke calmly, then flickered away, returning to the coastline to continue guarding against external enemies.

Thus, the warship carrying Xu Qing and the Captain, propelled by the giant octopus below, moved swiftly, steadily approaching the location of the Seventh Corpse Ancestor Statue. This was, in fact, their deliberate choice. The Sea Corpse Race had a total of nine Corpse Ancestor Statues, dispersed in different regions, each heavily guarded. However, the Seventh Corpse Ancestor Statue was relatively close to the sea and some distance from the royal city, making it the Captain's preferred choice in his plan. Most importantly, according to the intel the Captain had acquired, the Sea Corpse Golden Core expert guarding this Seventh Corpse Ancestor Statue had been transferred to the battlefield due to the strained front lines. The current guardian's cultivation was only at Great Perfection Foundation Establishment. Xu Qing was originally hesitant, but the Captain looked utterly confident that the intel was accurate, so Xu Qing didn't press for more details.

As they continued their journey and entered the Sea Corpse Race's inland territory, this world fully unfolded before Xu Qing and the Captain. The land was pitch black, covered with countless black grasses. These grasses contained a rich and astonishing amount of heterogeneous matter, making this place not much different from the forbidden zones Xu Qing had visited. Such heterogeneous matter was naturally a sacred place for the Sea Corpse Race, but for cultivators who absorbed spiritual energy, this place was akin to countless poisons. Moreover, if one stayed here for too long, heterogeneous matter would accumulate in their body. Without timely suppression and control, the possibility of mutation would increase infinitely. However, the Captain clearly possessed other methods to temporarily ignore the toxic effects of heterogeneous matter. Xu Qing didn't know why, but he suspected it was likely related to divine flesh. Clearly, the incident with Juying couldn't have been the Captain's first bout of madness; he must have gone wild many times before that.

As they advanced, Xu Qing also saw that besides black grass, crimson mushrooms, and withered trees, there were also blood-red rivers winding across the land. And though the sky was pitch black, it didn't impede vision. Within the clouds were many eyes, all crimson, and each time they opened, light scattered towards the ground. Their opening and closing at different times ensured that this land, shrouded by the black sky, always had light, albeit dim, which was sufficient for cultivators to see in all directions. As for what these eyes were, Xu Qing quickly found the answer. He clearly saw an eye emerging from the clouds, revealing a wide, decaying fish body. This type of fish had a tentacle growing from its head, with an eye at the end of the tentacle. It was imperceptible when closed, but when opened, it glowed like a lantern. Such fish were countless and densely packed within the clouds of the Sea Corpse Race's sky. They would occasionally descend, flying through mid-air, continuously emitting light.

This scene struck Xu Qing as very peculiar. At the same time, he saw many Sea Corpse Race members, and their races were incredibly diverse, with many he had never encountered before. Additionally, during their journey, Xu Qing witnessed a scene that shook his mind. It was a stretch of land. All the mushrooms and giant trees on the ground had been cleared. As the octopus carrying Xu Qing passed by, Xu Qing saw a large number of Sea Corpse Race members digging on the ground. The part already excavated appeared to be a hand, but this hand was colossal, hundreds of feet in size, as if it were the burial site of an ancient giant. As it was unearthed and decaying flesh was revealed, Xu Qing noticed more Sea Corpse Race members gathering there, performing some kind of ritual with spells. Not until the warship carrying Xu Qing left the area did an earth-shattering roar emanate. Xu Qing turned back, his mind trembling, and saw within the now distant area, a colossal thousand-foot-long hand extending directly from the ground, seemingly reaching towards the sky. "It's resurrected!"

Apart from that, there was a unique creature within the Sea Corpse Race territory: a type of butterfly with a ghostly face. Based on the Captain's constant explanations throughout the journey, when Xu Qing saw these butterflies, he knew they were called Ghost Dreams. It was rumored that these Ghost Dream butterflies were the original inhabitants of this island continent. They were a species that appeared even before the Sea Corpse Race and were extremely numerous on this island continent. As Xu Qing and the Captain advanced, Ghost Dream butterflies drifted over, circling and fluttering around them. This scene should have been beautiful, but as the ghostly faces on the butterfly wings devoured heterogeneous matter and distorted menacingly as if coming to life, the entire visual took on a sinister and eerie style. Especially around Xu Qing, for some reason, Ghost Dream butterflies gathered in large numbers, and even more could be seen approaching him from a distance. This made Xu Qing frown.

"My Dao Protector, why are you attracting so much attention even here?" the Captain said from behind him, giving a delicate cough.