Chapter 182: Out of Trouble…

The area around the Seventh Corpse Ancestor Statue was quiet. Ordinarily, there were no significant disturbances here, and the Sea Corpse Race forbade their members from attempting breakthroughs near the statue. Thus, the silence here was perpetual.

Healing required special permission; only those of noble status or individuals who had made significant contributions to the clan were allowed to use the blood pool beneath the statue for recovery. This kept the number of cultivators present relatively low. Although the number had increased slightly due to the ongoing war, the area remained as quiet as usual, with no one daring to show disrespect. Moreover, for many years, the Sea Corpse Race's sacred grounds had rarely seen infiltrations by outsiders. With multiple layers of protection and discerning array formations, breaching their defenses was exceedingly difficult. However, while rare, such incidents were not unheard of, having occurred several times throughout the Sea Corpse Race's history.

In the past, infiltrators did not aim to absorb the blood pool's essence but rather the statue itself. The nine statues of the Sea Corpse Race were made of an exceptionally rare material, seemingly unique to them, which had piqued the curiosity and covetousness of many other races. However, the material was incredibly resilient and could quickly regenerate even if shattered. Furthermore, the Sea Corpse Race was not easily subdued, ensuring the statues remained well-preserved. Naturally, a cultivator of astonishing power could still destroy them, but such individuals rarely resorted to infiltration, as they could simply demand cooperation from the Sea Corpse Race based on their strength. Additionally, the statue's material would lose its mystical properties and revert to an ordinary substance if removed from the Sea Corpse Race's island. Thus, as years passed and powerful races repeatedly explored them, the nine statues ultimately remained with the Sea Corpse Race, and gradually, fewer people sought them. Their self-regenerating nature also meant they appeared without any damage. There were also rumors that the Sea Corpse Race originally possessed more than nine statues, but only these nine remained. Regardless, these were sacred artifacts to the Sea Corpse Race, and they harbored strong animosity towards anyone who coveted them. Even if the sacred objects couldn't be truly harmed, the Sea Corpse Race considered such attempts a profound insult.

The most recent infiltration, dating back a century, involved a Foundation Establishment cultivator who, by unknown means, absorbed a vast quantity of spiritual liquid and barely escaped with their life. The Sea Corpse Race was enraged and pursued them for years. However, that individual, possessing extraordinary talent, managed to evade numerous perils and was eventually taken in as a son-in-law by a prominent figure, which forced the Sea Corpse Race to temporarily halt their pursuit. After this, their defenses became even more stringent. That former Foundation Establishment cultivator had risen significantly over the past century, becoming the revered master of the Seventh Peak of the Seven Blood Eyes Sect.

Today, an event from history was recurring beside the Sea Corpse Race's Seventh Corpse Ancestor Statue. Xu Qing absorbed cautiously, and the crimson spiritual liquid accumulating within his body gradually increased. The aura emanating from it, which his Dharma Apertures craved, grew more intense. At the same time, the surrounding dangers and the Golden Core expert above made Xu Qing's heart pound. He absorbed while closely monitoring the area. "Don't be too greedy; enough is enough. Once my body is full, I'll leave," Xu Qing cautioned himself silently. Seeing that no one had noticed him, he accelerated his absorption.

Meanwhile, at that moment, the Shadow silently seeped into the pool. After hundreds of its eyes blinked simultaneously, it took a curious sip, then all its eyes narrowed in apparent ecstasy, absorbing rapidly. Seeing this, Xu Qing pondered, then secretly took out the black iron stick and placed it in the pool. The Vajra Sect Ancestor, clearly agitated, absorbed a bit and its eyes lit up. It seemed everything could absorb this miraculous substance. Xu Qing was surprised. After a moment's thought, he secretly activated the Golden Crow Refines Myriad Spirits technique. The totem imprinted on his back immediately glimmered under his control, and a large quantity of the red liquid surged into it through the totem. This sight greatly pleased Xu Qing.

His rapid absorption, however, quickly caught the Captain's attention. The Captain's eyes reddened slightly, feeling quite disgruntled. Xu Qing's absorption rate was clearly faster than his, which made the Captain feel humiliated. After glancing around and seeing no one was paying attention, he took out a small bottle, placed it in the water, and sharply tapped it. Immediately, a large amount of crimson spiritual liquid poured into the bottle through its opening. This bottle was quite mystical, capable of holding a vast amount, yet it quickly filled. The Captain nonchalantly put it away and took out another to continue absorbing. In this manner, he simultaneously absorbed the liquid himself and used items to store it, matching Xu Qing's speed.

Xu Qing also noticed this and frowned, glancing at the Captain. The Captain looked back, a provocative glint in his eyes. Xu Qing remained silent. He knew the Captain was eccentric and chose not to contend with him. At the same time, he continued to remind himself not to be greedy; enough was enough. He would leave once his body, the Shadow, the Vajra Sect Ancestor, or the Golden Crow Refines Myriad Spirits technique reached their limits. However, since the Shadow, the Vajra Sect Ancestor, and he himself had not yet absorbed enough, Xu Qing thought for a moment and slowly moved his body closer to the statue. He had already sensed that the closer he got to the statue, the better the quality of the crimson spiritual liquid appeared to be.

As he moved closer to the statue, Xu Qing was filled with pleasant surprise. He found that his absorption speed increased, and the Shadow's did as well. The Vajra Sect Ancestor, however, proved least effective, reaching its limit quickly. Xu Qing glanced at the black iron stick with slight displeasure. After putting it away, he pondered, "Alright, I'll leave once the Shadow and I are full!"

With this plan in mind, Xu Qing continued to move slowly. Soon, the time it took for an incense stick to burn had passed, and he had silently reached the base of the statue. At the same time, the Captain, noticing Xu Qing's movements, also began to move towards the statue. Thus, as Xu Qing reached one of the statue's feet, the Captain arrived at the other. He thought Xu Qing was being a bit too reckless, still absorbing after such a long time without leaving. "No, I can't be outdone by my subordinate, hehe, comparing recklessness with me?" the Captain muttered to himself, immediately taking out ten bottles and beginning to absorb.

Xu Qing frowned upon seeing this. "The Captain is too greedy; this will easily expose us. I can't stay here too long; enough is enough, no greed!" Xu Qing muttered to himself, continuously absorbing. Half an incense stick's time passed, and he regrettably discovered that the crimson liquid in his body had reached its limit and could no longer be absorbed. Although his body appeared normal, Xu Qing felt as if he was about to burst. The Shadow, too, conveyed a feeling of being full and unable to continue. Xu Qing sensed that his Golden Crow Refines Myriad Spirits technique still seemed capable of holding more. So, he turned his back to the statue and pressed his back against it. "Can't be greedy, but I, the Shadow, and the iron stick are all full, so it's not like the Golden Crow is any different," Xu Qing muttered to himself, quietly activating the Golden Crow Refines Myriad Spirits technique. Since his back was pressed against the statue, upon activation, the power within the statue, which shared the same origin as the pool, instantly surged into him. Faint ripples appeared on the surrounding water surface. Xu Qing's heart pounded as he quickly suppressed his absorption speed, causing the ripples to vanish. His heart raced, and he slowly resumed absorption. The Captain's eyes widened. He looked at Xu Qing, then down at the bottles around him, gritted his teeth fiercely, and took out ten more, accelerating their absorption.

Time passed bit by bit. After an incense stick's worth of time, Xu Qing's breathing suddenly became a little shallow; he felt something was wrong. At this moment, he sensed that as he applied the Golden Crow Refines Myriad Spirits technique to the statue, apart from the massive influx of vital energy, a dark current was rapidly forming subtly at the exact spot where he was pressed against the statue. This dark current existed within the statue, invisible and undetectable to outsiders. Only Xu Qing, by employing the Golden Crow Refines Myriad Spirits, could perceive it. To him, it felt as though his absorption was accumulating a large amount of impurities. These impurities, unable to leave the statue, were blocked within, continuously accumulating. What was more, they emitted fluctuations that made Xu Qing's heart race with alarm. These fluctuations were extremely unstable and seemed ready to burst open with the slightest stimulus. This horrified Xu Qing, especially as he faintly sensed that the power contained within this dark current was terrifying. He believed that if it exploded, he, being so close, would inevitably be engulfed. Such a terrifying explosion posed an intense life-or-death threat to Xu Qing. "If this thing explodes, it will definitely trigger other reactions within the statue; it's too dangerous," Xu Qing immediately became wary. He slowly reduced and reined in his Golden Crow Refines Myriad Spirits technique, cautiously ending his absorption without stimulating the dark current. Afterward, he felt that the dark current, deprived of his suction, slowly drifted upwards within the statue, becoming even more unstable. Xu Qing looked up, glanced at the Golden Core Child sitting cross-legged on the statue's large hand above, then silently stood up. Not daring to move too quickly, he suppressed his inner tension and began to walk away.

Xu Qing's actions surprised the Captain. When the Captain looked at him, Xu Qing gave him a meaningful glance. The Captain hesitated. As he stood up, his eyes showed a mix of conflict and reluctance. He felt that his actions this time were not satisfying at all, and his level of recklessness was far inferior to the 'old guy'. He thought that if he just left now and no one noticed his departure, it would be fine. But if his identity was discovered once he left, it would clearly be a huge loss. "Since there's a high probability of being noticed upon leaving, and a high probability of being noticed if I do something big, then of course I should do something big! That old guy will have to admit defeat when he finds out!" the Captain mused, a wild glint appearing in his eyes.

As Xu Qing walked out, he continued to signal the Captain with his eyes. Seeing the madness in the Captain's gaze, Xu Qing's heart sank, and he inwardly thought, "This is bad." Without any hesitation, he abruptly sped up. At the same time, the Captain, panting heavily, suddenly let out a laugh. With a grab from his robes, he pulled out a piece of flesh imbued with divine aura. The moment this flesh appeared, it immediately caused astonishing fluctuations in the surroundings. Almost the instant these fluctuations spread, the Captain bit into the flesh, spreading it in his mouth. After fiercely swallowing it, his entire body erupted with a resounding boom, instantly bursting forth with dazzling golden light, startling all the Sea Corpse Race members present awake. The Captain's Life Fire instantly fully activated within him, and amid a roaring surge of aura, he also broke his seal. His entire being blazed with golden light as he instantly lunged towards the statue's toes. Disregarding the surrounding Sea Corpse Race members and the Golden Core expert above, he opened his mouth wide and bit down fiercely onto the Corpse Ancestor Statue's toe. *Crunch!*