Chapter 219: The Vast Cangdao Temple

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed as he turned to look at the captain, deep in thought. The captain looked back at Xu Qing with a faint, enigmatic smile.

"This forbidden zone is a bit strange, but overall it's fine," Xu Qing said.

"Hmm, excellent, excellent. I rarely visit forbidden zones on land; I spend more time at sea. This is a good chance to look around and learn," the captain chuckled.

Both of them instinctively avoided their previous topic, as if they had forgotten it, and walked towards the forbidden zone. They clearly understood that the conversation couldn't continue. The matter was too significant, touching upon the entire layout of the Seven Blood Eyes. Even a slightly deeper consideration would reveal the monstrous ambition hidden within.

It was important to note that while the Sea Corpse Race possessed nine Corpse Ancestor statues, this didn't mean they had *always* had only nine since their inception throughout history. In ancient times, there must have been more Corpse Ancestor statues, but due to various incidents, they were taken by other races for research. Even if no clues or answers were ultimately found, they would never be returned. It was highly probable that the Sea Corpse Race only had nine statues remaining *now*.

Considering this, the Seven Blood Eyes' attack and the war fortresses of the Six Peaks had not been deployed in battle. They had only been briefly shown by Sixth Grand-Uncle during his revenge, and even then, they displayed only normal power, not anything extraordinary. The implications were profound. Xu Qing buried this matter deep in his heart, understanding why the captain had fled in a panic and shamelessly insisted on following him.

Firstly, the captain had a strong urge to confide; he would feel uncomfortable if he knew such a secret but couldn't boast about it. Secondly, if he hadn't come out and had remained in the Seven Blood Eyes, the sect might have found an excuse to imprison him for a while to keep certain secrets.

Xu Qing shook his head, not dwelling on it further. No matter how significant the matter, it didn't concern him greatly. Besides, the war was likely nearing its end, and soon, all answers would be revealed.

Xu Qing took a deep breath, composed himself, and entered the jungle of the forbidden zone. He had visited this place countless times in the past and was extremely familiar with it. He could almost walk through it with his eyes closed. Every plant and tree he saw seemed to materialize in his memory.

The moment he entered the jungle, Xu Qing's speed suddenly increased. He moved like a phantom, swiftly traversing the woods. The captain followed behind, curiously observing his surroundings. He rarely visited forbidden zones on land; the only one he had been to was the Phoenix Forbidden Zone next to the sect, where he had attempted to gain insight into certain divine abilities, but unfortunately failed.

Seeing Xu Qing pick up speed, he also increased his pace, treading exactly where Xu Qing had. He observed thoughtfully as he walked, learning quickly. "So much to learn," the captain remarked, watching Xu Qing's figure undulating through the jungle, observing him very carefully. He paid no mind to the anomalous matter pervading the area. The anomalous matter at sea was denser than here, and the Seven Blood Eyes' cultivation methods were quite effective at separating it. Unless pushed to their absolute limit and in a desperate situation, it was rare for disciples of major sects to suffer from anomalous matter overload.

Xu Qing ignored the captain, now immersed in his memories. As he walked, past scenes flashed in his mind, frame by frame. The closer he got to his destination, the more his heart stirred.

Moments later, Xu Qing slowed his pace, passed through a thicket, and saw an isolated grave. The grave mound was overgrown with weeds, but the tombstone remained, still standing. Clearly, despite nearly three years having passed, what Xu Qing had done back then at the scavenger camp had earned the subsequent scavengers' respect for this grave after they heard about it. Even if they didn't help clear the weeds, they wouldn't damage or disturb it. After all, they were all scavengers; to have someone buried after death was already a fortunate thing. Why would anyone risk anything, with no benefit, to destroy it?

Xu Qing gazed at the tombstone, quietly approached, and sat before the grave. He raised his hand and cleared away the surrounding weeds, then picked up his wine flask, took a sip, and poured some onto the grave earth.

"Team Leader Lei, Master Bai is also gone," Xu Qing murmured, leaning against a large tree nearby, looking up at the dark clouds in the sky through the gaps in the canopy.

The captain remained silent, looking at the grave, then at Xu Qing. He said nothing and didn't approach, instead moving to a distance. He knew Xu Qing needed to be alone at that moment.

Xu Qing indeed needed solitude. He leaned against the tree, silently drinking wine. As the sky slowly darkened, Xu Qing looked up at the distant jungle. There was... nothing there.

"Team Leader Lei, you once said that those who heard the singing here and survived would see people after hearing it a second time. But there are several people I wish to see. I wonder if, should I ever hear the singing again, I will see all of them," Xu Qing murmured softly, taking another sip of wine.

The surroundings were silent, with no sound. The sky slowly darkened, and gradually the entire jungle became pitch black. Xu Qing remained in silence.

After another half an hour, he sighed lightly, knelt before the grave, bowed his head, and stood up, placing the wine flask on the grave earth.

"I still haven't found the Heavenly Mandate Flower," Xu Qing said, looking at the tombstone. After a long while, he turned and walked away into the distance, step by step, gradually disappearing into the night.

As Xu Qing walked on, it wasn't long before he heard footsteps behind him; it was the captain.

"Xu Qing, if you get the chance later, come home with me sometime. I haven't been back to pay respects in a long while either," the captain said, his voice a little hoarse.

Xu Qing nodded.

In the dark of night, their figures moved through the pitch-black jungle. No strange beasts appeared during their journey. The beasts' instincts allowed them to sense that these two individuals, who had appeared in the jungle today, were utterly different from ordinary scavengers.

Late at night, Xu Qing arrived at the valley. Walking through it, he saw that the bloodstains from years past were long overgrown with weeds. Over the two or three years, the seven-leaf grass here had regrown significantly, showing no signs of having been picked. Evidently, this valley had not yet been discovered by other scavengers.

Looking at the collapsed wooden hut in the distance, Xu Qing recalled the scenes of refining poison inside. His Shadow also clearly showed some emotional fluctuations here. As for the Patriarch of the Vajra Sect, he had been silent since Xu Qing's return. Xu Qing knew that this vast area, including the forbidden zone, was not only his former dwelling place but also that of his Shadow and the Patriarch of the Vajra Sect.

Passing through the valley, Xu Qing gazed at the distant temple complex. In the darkness of the night, as lightning flashed across the sky, momentarily illuminating the scene, the temple complex, as seen by Xu Qing, stood there, unchanged from how it had been years ago. One could imagine that even if more time passed, even if the scavenger camps outside eventually saw generations come and go, this temple complex would still stand here, eternal and unchanging.

"Hmm? There's a Grand Clarity Dao Temple here too," the captain muttered in surprise as Xu Qing gazed at it.

"Grand Clarity Dao Temple?" Xu Qing turned his head to look at the captain.

"I remember now. I've seen you display a divine ability similar to the Heavenly Blade before, and it looked familiar even then. Looking at it now, kid, you wouldn't have gained insight into the Grand Clarity Blade here, would you?" As the captain spoke, his eyes widened in surprise. "No way. The more I recall that strike of yours, the more it resembles it. Did I really guess correctly? Heavens, that's the Grand Clarity Blade! Do you know what the Grand Clarity Blade is? It's incredible!"

Xu Qing gave the captain a long, meaningful look. He was already familiar with the captain's penchant for being mysterious. He knew that if he asked, he might inexplicably owe spirit stones again. He also knew that to deal with someone like this, one should first let them stew until they couldn't hold it in any longer, and then, with a single prompt, they would likely spill everything. So, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and walked towards the temple complex. The captain blinked, followed behind, and continued to exclaim in wonder as he walked.

"Incredible." "Wow." "Amazing."

As he spoke, Xu Qing arrived at the temple complex, found the temple where he had previously gained insight into that blade strike, and stepped inside. He looked up at the statue within and sat down cross-legged beside it. His return this time, besides paying respects to Team Leader Lei, was also to see if he could continue to gain insight into the Heavenly Blade here, to increase its power.

"It truly is a Grand Clarity Dao statue!" The moment the captain entered the temple, he was drawn to the statue. He quickly circled it, then turned to look at Xu Qing, who was sitting nearby, attempting to gain insight. The captain blinked, a faint, enigmatic smile on his face, but said nothing.

Time flowed on, and a night passed. Xu Qing felt a pang of regret, but he analyzed that gaining insight into this blade strike required a specific, uncertain timing, which could be months or even decades.

So, as the morning light spilled in from outside, Xu Qing stood up. The captain, smiling broadly, said, "You didn't succeed, did you? As expected. It would be strange if you did."

"Why?" Xu Qing asked, surprised.

"Couldn't hold it in, could you? You're going to ask me now, aren't you? Why didn't you keep quiet?" The captain was immensely pleased. Xu Qing looked into the captain's eyes but said nothing. The captain blinked but also said nothing. After a long moment, Xu Qing sighed.

"Senior Brother, why? Just tell me."

Hearing this, the captain burst into hearty laughter, extremely pleased, then coughed. "Alright, I'll tell you. But don't forget the fifty thousand spirit stones you owe me," the captain said, then immediately spilled out the answer.

"The Grand Clarity Dao Temples are said to originate from the Grand Clarity Dao Kingdom during the Grand Clarity Era. However, very little history remains of this kingdom. Only in certain forbidden zones do such Dao Temples exist. The statues enshrined within these temples all look the same. Many years ago, someone discovered that these Dao Temples actually contain an astonishing legacy, which can be considered an Emperor-tier cultivation method, capable of being comprehended by all races.

"However, the difficulty of comprehension is immense and depends on fate. Each Dao Temple contains a different blade technique, so no one knows the exact number of blade techniques in this Emperor-tier legacy. But it's said some have comprehended one blade, others two or three, and it seems the most anyone has comprehended is around six or seven. Regardless, its power is beyond doubt. Comprehending more than three blades is comparable to a quasi-Emperor tier divine ability. If one reaches six or seven blades, it's definitely Emperor-tier.

"As for these Grand Clarity Dao Temples, they're not just here. There's a large area of ruins within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone next to the Seven Blood Eyes, and at the center of those ruins is one such Dao Temple. I tried to gain insight there once, but didn't succeed. You can go check it out if you get a chance later."

Here, the captain's expression turned a bit odd as he continued. "Also, once someone successfully comprehends a blade technique from a Grand Clarity Dao Temple, the Dao rhyme of the statue in that temple dissipates. It takes half a jiazi (30 years) for it to reform, allowing others to continue their comprehension. So, it was impossible for you to succeed last night. It's not that I didn't tell you; it's that you didn't ask me. I was actually curious what you were doing all night."

A vein throbbed on Xu Qing's forehead. The captain coughed and added, "Of course, there *is* a way to speed it up: kill the person who comprehended the blade technique in front of the statue they gained insight from. If you do that, the statue's divine charm will instantly recover, allowing others to comprehend it again."