Chapter 209: It’s You After All

Meanwhile, not far from the Seven Blood Eyes, near the edge of the Forbidden Sea, a previously abandoned teleportation array suddenly shimmered. A wisp of mist emerged from within, rapidly solidifying into a misty body.

Upon exiting the teleportation array, he swiftly acted, directly destroying the formation. Only then did he sigh in relief and laugh heartily, looking up at the sky.

“Looks like your grandpa still got away!” As his misty body solidified, it gradually transformed into the appearance of a middle-aged man, whose expression now held an unprecedented sense of triumph.

In fact, his capture by Xu Qing was ultimately deliberate. He intended to use the teleportation, along with a secret technique provided by his employer, to escape.

“Not much time was wasted. Next, I'll go and complete the transaction with my employer. I’ve completely memorized the latter half of the Taiyin Transformation Pill formula. Now, only I know it. If they don't give me what they promised, they can forget about getting the rest of the formula.” The middle-aged cultivator sneered and swiftly departed.

Under the moonlight, his body sped across the wilderness, but he failed to notice an eye opening within his shadow.

Despite the man's strange form, he still cast a shadow, and wherever there was a shadow, Xu Qing’s shadow would be present. Xu Qing had deliberately let him go.

As for the man's claim about wanting to meet Old Man Six, Xu Qing didn't believe it. Since the man refused to reveal anything further, Xu Qing decided to make him feel secure, thus enabling him to personally lead Xu Qing to the true mastermind!

Xu Qing had already experienced the extensive range of the shadow eye when he was searching for the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts at sea. Its range was immense and remained within his perception; though it was slightly blurred, it didn't hinder him. The directional sensing was also sufficient. Xu Qing opened his eyes, adjusted the formation, and activated the teleportation towards the perceived location. The destruction of the teleportation array on the other end didn't matter; knowing the direction meant there would always be other teleportation arrays nearby. The next moment, Xu Qing’s figure vanished.

At this moment, in the coastal region of Southern Phoenix Continent, the middle-aged cultivator, whose body was composed of mist, moved incredibly fast, galloping through the night. During his journey, he repeatedly looked back and extended his senses to survey his surroundings.

Even after repeatedly confirming he wasn't followed, he remained extremely cautious. However, the strangeness of the shadow was something he hadn't grasped before, so he remained oblivious to the eye within his own shadow. Overall, this Guishou race cultivator maintained a very high level of vigilance. He didn't immediately head to the rendezvous point with his employer. Instead, he spent the entire night making a large detour. Finally, he suddenly appeared by the sea, gazing at a merchant ship docked in the distance, and spoke in a low growl.

“Come over, I have what you want.” He then waited silently, closely observing his surroundings, unaware that the eye within his shadow was also observing him, its slit narrowed.

A while later, seeing that all was normal, the Guishou race cultivator turned and changed direction. Everything he had done previously was intentional, designed to test if it was truly safe. Now, finally reassured, a hint of smugness appeared on his face. In the dim light of dawn, he approached the sea from another direction and, without hesitation, jumped in.

The next moment, a swordfish swimming in the sea suddenly shuddered, changed direction, and sped away. The shadow’s eye was parasitic on the Guishou race cultivator’s main body, so even though the individual now had a host body, the shadow eye still remained. Strangeness, in fact, depended on its level, and the shadow's level of strangeness clearly far surpassed that of the Guishou race; it could even be said to be their natural counter. At the same time, the shadow exhibited some slight emotional fluctuations.

It seemed to realize that it was a better match with the Guishou race. *If only it had possessed a Guishou instead of Xu Qing back then…* As this thought crossed its mind, the shadow suddenly interrupted its own musings, a wave of disgust washing over it. It felt that the Guishou race was unworthy of comparison to itself, much less to that Demon Xu. The Guishou race was merely its food; how could it entertain the idea of being parasitic on its food? This thought made the shadow feel humiliated and and somewhat terrified, recalling its past experiences of being tormented by Demon Xu.

So, it gathered its resolve, observing even more diligently and emitting guidance towards Xu Qing. The Guishou race cultivator, however, remained utterly oblivious to all of this.

Time passed, and the swordfish he possessed swiftly swam through the sea, making a complete circuit. After changing hosts seven or eight times, he finally possessed a starfish on the night of the second day. Carried by the rising and falling waves, this starfish was washed onto a black sand beach, a location considered within the Seven Blood Eyes’ sphere of influence. As the seawater receded, it left behind a ground covered in black spray. The bright moon hung in the sky, its light casting a faint, ethereal glow on the spray. The surroundings were utterly silent. The starfish, possessed by the Guishou race cultivator, lay motionless on the beach.

As time slowly passed, deep night arrived and gradually flowed away. The new dawn, shrouded in dim blackness, approached silently at the moment the moon departed and the sun had not yet returned to its place. In this pre-dawn darkness, figures emerged from the shadows in the distance. There were four figures in total.

All were clad in black daoist robes that covered their entire bodies and heads, obscuring their appearances. The wide robes also concealed their physiques, making it impossible to discern if they were human or their specific gender. Furthermore, there were no cultivation fluctuations emanating from these four figures, indicating profound concealment. A faint haziness subtly enveloped their bodies. This seemed to be a method for shielding against formation fluctuations and preventing spiritual sense locking, appearing less like something formed by magical artifacts and more like an innate racial talent.

Step by step, these four figures walked towards the beach. They slowly approached, stopping when they reached the starfish possessed by the Guishou race cultivator.

The moment they stopped, the foremost figure remained still, while the three behind it swiftly fanned out, each placing a circular disc on the ground as if to conduct a scan. Within a few breaths, the scan concluded, and the three turned, respectfully standing by their respective discs.

The sea breeze blew, spreading around them, carrying the scent of the ocean and sweeping up seawater towards the shore. The wind also caught the robes of the figure standing beside the starfish, making them flap loudly. At the same time, it slightly lifted a corner of the hood covering their head, revealing a wisp of blue hair! As this strand of hair fluttered, the figure lowered their head, and a crisp voice emanated.

“You’re late,” she said. As her words echoed, the starfish on the ground responded with a low voice.

“I was almost killed in the Purple Earth! You never told me this mission would involve such a monstrous individual. That guy is even stranger than me!”

“This incident was also beyond our expectations, but you will be compensated later. Now, hand over the fruits of your mission.” As her voice resonated, the wind grew stronger, completely blowing back the corner of her hood that was already lifted, revealing a delicate, beautiful face that looked as if it could be bruised with a touch. Her blue hair danced in the wind, her blue eyes shone brightly, and her fair skin possessed a soft, jade-like radiance. It was none other than the Starfish Clan Princess who had visited the Seven Blood Eyes!

This princess had gifted Xu Qing a conch upon their first meeting at Port 176. Subsequently, during her time at Seven Blood Eyes, she frequently visited Xu Qing with various inquiries. Her seemingly innocent eyes appeared devoid of ulterior motives then, filled only with admiration for Xu Qing. Yet, her questions covered a wide range of topics. If one were to analyze all her questions now, it would become clear that hidden within them was a deeper probing of Xu Qing's personality and habits. Once a person's habits and character are understood, one can then formulate plans specifically targeting them. Clearly, she had been observing Xu Qing for a long time, preparing for future schemes.

“Heh, no rush for that. You’ve secretly captured so many prodigies from various races over the years, and there should be quite a few from Seven Blood Eyes among them. I presume you have plenty of main ingredients now. I want to change the compensation you promised me; I want a Taiyin Transformation Pill too!” The young woman cast a deep glance at the starfish on the ground. At this moment, another black-robed Starfish Clan member beside her suddenly spoke in a low voice. “Young Lord, time is almost up. If we linger longer, the elders' authority will be limited, and they won't be able to maintain the shield indefinitely, leading to detection by Seven Blood Eyes.”

“Your compensation must be obtained back in the clan. If you don't trust us, simply return to the Starfish Clan with me.” The young woman didn't hesitate. As she finished speaking, she raised her right hand, about to pick up the starfish possessed by the Guishou race cultivator from the ground. But just then, a cold voice, imbued with killing intent, echoed in all directions.

“So it was you!” As this voice rang out, the starfish on the ground instantly shuddered and, without hesitation, self-destructed, choosing suicide. Simultaneously, the Starfish Clan Princess’s expression changed, and she swiftly retreated. The three other Starfish Clan cultivators around her also trembled, their cultivation erupting to protect the retreating princess.

But it was too late. The next instant, a figure, roaring like thunder, hurtled from the distance towards them. This figure no longer concealed its true form; it was no longer the middle-aged appearance but had transformed into Xu Qing’s main body. Within him, it was as if a burning continent blazed, sending forth a towering sea of fire. The deep blackness of the pre-dawn was instantly illuminated by the inferno within Xu Qing. The killing intent in his eyes surged even more ferociously. Beneath his feet, a colossal Canglong also bore a ferocious and hateful expression, a continuation of Xu Qing’s emotions. Behind him, a massive Golden Crow shrieked skyward, its black tail-flames spreading in all directions, as if a god or demon had descended.

At this moment, Xu Qing held nothing back. All the killing intent suppressed within him until now erupted! His aura was earth-shattering as he charged directly towards the four Starfish Clan members.

“Xu Qing!” The Starfish Clan Princess’s eyes constricted, her expression changing. It was too late to retreat. Xu Qing’s figure closed in instantly, and he raised his right hand, slamming it fiercely onto the ground. Heaven and earth roared, and all directions trembled as the earth directly exploded. A massive pit formed within, unleashing a violent aura that caused all four Starfish Clan cultivators to spurt blood. One of them, who had stood in front, bore the brunt of Xu Qing’s fury. Under a single palm strike, their body utterly disintegrated, splitting into pieces, their form and spirit extinguished, and then instantly swallowed by the Golden Crow. Their soul was also seized by Xu Qing, suppressed within his dharma aperture, not to be attacked but to be continuously incinerated.

The remaining three were now mentally reeling, their expressions shifting to utter horror. Without hesitation, their cultivation burst forth: one at the Three Life-Flame stage and three at the Two Life-Flame stage! The princess was the one at the Three Life-Flame stage, while the three surrounding clansmen were at the Two Life-Flame stage.

However, their cultivation was utterly useless at this moment; even their internal Life Flames flickered, seemingly unable to last much longer. The unparalleled killing intent emanating from Xu Qing, like a storm carrying endless rage, surged towards them.