Chapter 185: Sea Corpse Daoist

Almost the moment Xu Qing’s figure emerged from the vortex within the two massive stone pillars, he heard a voice from ahead. The other party’s tone was calm, without the slightest fluctuation. Xu Qing looked up. He had actually seen the scene before him through his shadow, but witnessing it now with his own eyes still made his heart sink.

This place was originally guarded by over a thousand Sea-Corpse cultivators, but now all of them were kneeling in the distance, not approaching. Outside this exit, there was only one person.

This person was a young man, wearing a golden imperial robe but without an imperial crown. His skin was fair and devoid of any corpse spots. His aura was profound and deep, and his eyes seemed to contain stars. In terms of appearance, he was not as handsome as Xu Qing, but the noble aura emanating from him ensured that wherever he was, he would be the center of attention.

At this moment, he sat on a huge red spiritual mushroom, coldly gazing at Xu Qing. Beside him floated a mass of black mist, and trapped within this mist was precisely the black iron stick. Evidently, the moment it rushed out, the Adamantine Sect Ancestor was captured by this person. As for the shadow, due to its special nature, it had not been discovered. It was currently hidden on the spiritual mushroom, cautiously spreading, seemingly wanting to approach and devour the opponent's shadow.

The young man identified himself as Miaochen, the current Dao Child of the Sea-Corpse race. He informed Xu Qing that his companion had been struck by Elder Yingling and could not possibly have escaped. As for Xu Qing, Miaochen expressed curiosity about what kind of person dared to come to this place so brazenly, which was why he had emerged from seclusion to observe. He then calmly added that he was somewhat disappointed today, but found Xu Qing’s spirit artifact quite good and asked if he could have it.

Xu Qing remained silent. Standing at the exit, he sensed his surroundings. The area still contained spatial fluctuations that restricted teleportation, indicating he would need to reach a greater distance to escape.

Miaochen looked at Xu Qing and stated indifferently that there was no need to look further. He claimed that even if he didn't know how Xu Qing planned to escape, it would be futile, as Xu Qing would become his trophy that day.

Xu Qing’s gaze lingered on the young man as he finally spoke his first words since their encounter, remarking that Miaochen was very long-winded.

Upon hearing this, Miaochen stood up and began to laugh, his laughter growing louder until it stirred the surrounding air, forming a resonant force that pulled from all directions and generated a fierce storm. This storm spread, like a surging tide, lifting countless dust motes from the ground and even sweeping the ghost-oriole butterflies out of the area. The violent wind made Xu Qing’s long hair dance and his clothes flap loudly, as if attempting to obliterate him entirely. However, it clearly failed; at most, it merely ruffled his hair and garments, unable to shake his body or deter his icy gaze.

Xu Qing coldly regarded the formidable young man before him, then his body suddenly shot forward. With astonishing speed, he leaped up in an instant, heading directly towards his opponent. His life lamp burned within him, igniting his life fire, and the golden bird totem on his back radiated flames. Boosted by his physical strength, his speed was astounding; he directly broke through all wind resistance, arriving before Miaochen, raising his right hand and delivering a powerful punch.

This punch manifested the shadow of a Golden Crow above it, permeated with Xu Qing’s malevolent fire and soul-devouring power, and further carried the immense might of an entire continent burning within him. As the punch descended, the surroundings roared, and it directly struck Miaochen’s chest.

Miaochen’s eyes held disdain; he was about to wave his hand, but at that moment, the spiritual mushroom beneath him suddenly turned from red to black, as if covered. Eyes violently opened one by one on its surface. The opening and closing of these eyes created a strange force that caused Miaochen’s movements to halt. Concurrently, the black iron stick, where the Adamantine Sect Ancestor was trapped in black mist, suddenly flashed with lightning runes. As a golden light burst forth, several more lightning runes exploded, yielding power beyond the ordinary.

With a bang, the black iron stick broke through the black mist, suddenly rushing out at an astonishing speed directly towards the young man’s neck. A series of soul-stirring bell sounds echoed forth. Evidently, the Adamantine Sect Ancestor’s previous entrapment was a feigned surrender; it was not truly unable to escape but was waiting for Xu Qing’s move to erupt together at the most crucial moment. At this moment, acting in concert with the shadow and Xu Qing, its power was astonishing.

The next instant, Miaochen’s expression changed for the first time. He couldn't evade Xu Qing’s punch. At the critical moment, his body violently shook, and instantly a palm-sized jade coffin appeared above his head. As soon as this coffin appeared, a brilliant light shone forth, flowing down like water, enveloping the young man and forming a protective layer. Xu Qing’s fist directly landed on this defense.

An earth-shattering roar reverberated. As Miaochen’s body was sent reeling like a broken kite, the Adamantine Sect Ancestor also instantly pursued and delivered a fierce stab. With a bang, although it didn’t pierce the defense, lightning spread through it, erupting across Miaochen’s entire body. Concurrently, the shadow appeared behind Miaochen, forming a blurred outline of a tree shadow, opening its large eyes and forcefully sucking. Immediately, a considerable amount of heterodox substance dispersed from Miaochen’s entire body. And all of this was not over. Xu Qing’s speed did not decrease as he charged again, delivering punch after punch against Miaochen’s defense. Finally, his Heavenly Saber materialized and delivered a fierce slash.

With a loud bang, Miaochen’s body was directly flung a hundred zhang away, landing on the ground and forming a deep crater. The Sea-Corpse cultivators kneeling in the distance were all shaken. Just as they were about to approach, a roar came from within the deep pit, ordering them to retreat as it was his business. As this roar echoed, a wave of life fire suddenly shone from within the deep pit. Miaochen’s figure stepped out, his hair disheveled, his eyes revealing intense killing intent. As he walked out, the second cluster of life fire within him ignited with a whoosh. Subsequently, the third and fourth clusters of life fire also formed instantly.

As the Sea-Corpse Dao Child, his Dharma Orifices had remarkably opened to 120, forming four clusters of life fire. Such prodigies are often at the critical juncture of breakthrough. Combined with his previous words, it became clear that he was originally in seclusion. However, with such a major event occurring within the Sea-Corpse race, the remaining personnel were clearly insufficient, or perhaps it was his curiosity that had brought him here. What he hadn't anticipated was Xu Qing’s attack, combined with bizarre methods, suppressing him so immediately. This caused him to lose face somewhat, leading to his current full eruption.

The moment Miaochen erupted, Xu Qing’s figure approached again. With his life lamp burning, he possessed three-fire cultivation. Combined with his Golden Crow Refines All Souls physical body, Xu Qing’s true combat power had already reached four-fire. He arrived instantly and attacked once more, moving to suppress the young man emerging from the deep pit.

As the Dao Child, Miaochen was naturally extraordinary. His face was now contorted in a ferocious expression. With a wave of his hand, drops of black rain immediately formed around him, instantly gathering into a black sea that furiously surged towards Xu Qing. A thunderous roar shook the heavens. The surging black sea formed a large mouth, suddenly swallowing towards Xu Qing.

Killing intent flashed in Xu Qing’s eyes, but he knew he couldn’t be held back here. Without hesitation, all the spiritual seas within his sixty-five Dharma Orifices erupted, directly spreading outwards from his body and forming a thousand-zhang wide mana pool. With this abundant mana, he fiercely suppressed the young man.

A thunderous sound echoed. The black sea formed by the young man’s spell immediately collapsed, and Xu Qing’s mana pool also disintegrated. The next instant, four fires surged within the young man, and he suddenly appeared before Xu Qing, grabbing fiercely towards his chest. Xu Qing’s body swayed, evading, and he raised his knee, striking fiercely.

With a bang, the two exchanged blows. The next instant, the black iron stick whistled from the side, all its lightning runes flashing, and more than a dozen exploded again. It furiously rushed before Miaochen, thrusting towards his neck. Miaochen’s expression changed; he was about to dodge, but at that moment, the shadow leaped up from the ground again. Xu Qing also burst forth with speed, his malevolent fire rising within him, striking towards Miaochen’s glabella.

At the critical moment, Miaochen roared, and all four clusters of life fire within him fully scattered outwards, forming a cultivation impact and suppression. This caused the Adamantine Sect Ancestor to cry out and be sent flying back. Xu Qing was also directly hit across his entire body, his internal organs shaking, and killing intent flashed in his eyes. Because at this moment, although the shadow was also scattered by the impact, a wisp of it still touched the young man’s body, drilling rapidly inside, reaching his Dantian. Like it had extinguished the Spiritual Breath Lamp before, it desperately pounced towards a cluster of life fire.

As it pounced, that cluster of life fire instantly wavered, and in the blink of an eye, it showed signs of extinguishing. This scene once again deeply shocked the Sea-Corpse Dao Child. The light of his life fire erupted within him, and even his Heavenly Palace faintly manifested to suppress it, trying to prevent the life fire from extinguishing. This way, he could no longer pay attention to the outside world, giving Xu Qing an opportunity.

At this moment, the coldness in Xu Qing’s eyes fully erupted. In this life-or-death battle, he no longer cared about exposing himself. The Golden Crow formed behind him, and as black flames spread across the sky, he pressed down fiercely towards the Sea-Corpse Dao Child. The Golden Crow behind him let out a sky-shattering cry, pouncing forward as well, landing before the Sea-Corpse Dao Child. The moment the Dao Child’s expression changed completely, black flames enveloped him, fiercely sucking at his head. Xu Qing intended to use the opportunity gained by the shadow to literally refine the opponent.

The two moved incredibly fast; outsiders could not clearly discern their actions. The Sea-Corpse Dao Child appeared suppressed, but in reality, he was extremely powerful. Xu Qing had only gained the initiative by unleashing all his methods. In battles between strong cultivators, gaining the initiative is extremely important.

At this moment, as ruthlessness flashed in Xu Qing’s eyes and his Golden Crow devoured all souls, the Sea-Corpse Dao Child let out a desperate shriek. For the first time, terror appeared in his eyes. He clearly felt his vitality being drained and his head melting. This was indeed the case; from a distance, the Sea-Corpse Dao Child’s entire body’s vitality was dissipating, especially the right side of his face, which was directly facing the Golden Crow, was indeed melting! His right ear disappeared, the right side of his face became grotesque, and his once delicate appearance was now completely disfigured!

This scene caused the Sea-Corpse cultivators in the distance to change expressions, their minds filled with horror. Disregarding the Dao Child's orders, they rapidly rushed forward.