Chapter 307: Blood-Red Performance Prelude

Old Man Seven pointed out a path for Xu Qing, urging him to enshrine a god in his heart. Xu Qing succeeded; that god was faceless.

Consequently, Xu Qing also showed the Little Mute a path, instructing him to learn the Malevolent Fire Devouring Soul technique and walk the path of slaughter. He felt this path was very suitable for the Little Mute. Having watched his growth, Xu Qing had witnessed his brutality and bloodlust every step of the way. While protecting him these past few days, Xu Qing felt as though he saw his past self in the Little Mute. The world is impermanent; only cultivation can bring stability. The Little Mute possessed a strong killer instinct, and Xu Qing believed that such a person, like himself, was well-suited for cultivating the Malevolent Fire Devouring Soul. The Little Mute evidently committed this to memory, taking it to heart. He had always obeyed Xu Qing unconditionally; this was his instinct, the instinct to venerate the strong.

After seeing off the Little Mute, Xu Qing didn't idly. He immediately went to the transportation department. However, by the time he arrived, dusk was fading. Inside the department, Xu Qing first saw a female disciple with a flushed face, followed by Zhang San, who was smoking a pipe and looking content. Xu Qing vaguely recognized the female disciple as an alchemy cultivator from the Second Peak. She had previously come with Gu Muqing to ask Zhang San for escort services. Though her appearance was ordinary, the female disciple had a good figure. Upon seeing Xu Qing, she blushed, bowed her head, and quickly departed.

Xu Qing didn't pry into Zhang San's affairs. Just as he was about to speak after arriving, Zhang San proudly lifted his head first.

"How about it? My charm is still pretty effective, isn't it?"

"Impressive!" Xu Qing nodded, speaking earnestly. He knew that this particular expression of his always conveyed conviction, and both his captain and his master liked it.

Seeing Xu Qing's expression, Zhang San was even more delighted. He raised his right hand and extended it towards Xu Qing. "Hand it over. I'm guessing your Dharma Vessel exploded again. Did you feel my involvement this time?"

Xu Qing thought for a moment, shook his head, and then took out his Dharma Vessel.

"Still haven't seen it? That can't be right." Zhang San seemed a bit anxious. As he pondered, he glanced at the Dharma Vessel Xu Qing presented and then understood. "Ah, so it didn't completely self-destruct. No wonder. But Xu Qing, this is the first time you've brought the Dharma Vessel back relatively intact. That's quite an achievement; keep it up." Zhang San laughed heartily, taking Xu Qing's Dharma Vessel.

"Three days. I can repair your Dharma Vessel to its previous state. However, Xu Qing, you also need to speed up your progress and ensure all your Dharma Apertures suppress souls. That way, a vessel spirit can form, allowing your Dharma Vessel to advance."

"I have already perfected it," Xu Qing stated calmly.

"Huh?" Zhang San was taken aback. He also cultivated the Malevolent Fire Devouring Soul technique and knew that a total of 120 souls needed to be suppressed, a process that required significant time and slaughter, and also placed extremely high demands on the souls themselves. He recalled that Xu Qing had only recently achieved Four Fires. "That fast?"

Xu Qing nodded. As the flame around his body dissipated, 120 Dharma Apertures suddenly appeared. From within his 120 Dharma Apertures, piercing wails echoed—the lamentations of all the souls he had suppressed. This simultaneously generated a strong pervasive resentment and transformed into a wild, explosive power, causing Zhang San to gasp in surprise after inspecting it.

"In that case, three days won't be enough. I'll need seven days. After seven days, come back here to integrate your Dharma Aperture souls, and I'll witness the formation of your Dharma Battleship!" As Zhang San spoke, he became exhilarated, his eyes gleaming. Without waiting for Xu Qing, he swiftly departed with the Dharma Vessel to ponder the crafting plan.

Xu Qing watched Zhang San's retreating figure, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and then left, heading to the headquarters of the Security and Special Affairs Department. He also had a residence there and planned to stay for seven days.

The Seven Blood Eyes' Security and Special Affairs Department had been quite busy recently, mainly cooperating with their counterparts from other sects to carry out alliance missions in the surrounding areas. This showed that the Seven Blood Eyes had fully integrated into the alliance. There were many missions involving disciples from various sects collaborating, a fact Xu Qing had also noticed, such as the noticeable increase in disciples from other sects within the main city. Furthermore, Seven Blood Eyes disciples were no longer confined to their own main city. Most would go to other main cities for procurement, and some skilled entrepreneurs even opened shops in the main cities of other sects. Overall, with the addition of the Seven Blood Eyes, the current alliance had become livelier and significantly stronger than before.

Recent missions primarily focused on the direction of the Three Spirits Dao Mountain. Xu Qing checked the records and learned that the Three Spirits Dao Mountain had been much more active than usual recently. It seemed that the populations of the 137 nations within its territory had severely declined, prompting cultivators from the Three Spirits Dao Mountain to venture out and capture new smaller nations for replenishment. Such external "hunts" occurred periodically, and during these times, the alliance would closely monitor the situation, with occasional skirmishes breaking out.

The captain had also disappeared, engaged in some unknown business. Wu Jianwu had vanished with him, and the two seemed to be colluding on something major. Xu Qing looked up towards the direction of the Profound Nether Sect, hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his gaze.

Additionally, a portion of the Security and Special Affairs Department disciples were conducting their second external river patrol. Neither Xu Qing nor the captain participated; instead, several experienced disciples from the Seven Blood Eyes' Fifth Peak, who had achieved Two-Flame Foundation Establishment, led the mission. Consequently, the Seven Blood Eyes' Security and Special Affairs Department had fewer personnel than usual, appearing much emptier.

Xu Qing, who preferred quiet, found the empty Security and Special Affairs Department rather pleasant. While meditating cross-legged in his residence, he pondered the matter of the 121st Dharma Aperture. "'Only between life and death can it be opened,'" Xu Qing mused. He had a plan for opening the 121st Dharma Aperture, a plan he had devised on his way back. It was still in its nascent stage, and he needed to carefully assess its feasibility.

"It might require the blessing of the Seven Blood Eyes' forbidden magical artifact." Xu Qing pondered for a moment. On his way back, Old Man Seven had mentioned that the Seven Blood Eyes' forbidden magical artifact provided a blessing for illuminating Dharma Apertures. Xu Qing decided that in seven days, once his Dharma Vessel had advanced to a Dharma Battleship, he would visit the sect's forbidden grounds to try it out. However, his plan for opening the 121st Dharma Aperture carried a certain degree of risk. Xu Qing felt a hint of hesitation about whether to truly proceed with this plan. "Regardless of whether I proceed or not, I'll go to the location of the sect's forbidden magical artifact in seven days to assess the situation before deciding," Xu Qing concluded.

Xu Qing made his decision. Regarding the 121st Dharma Aperture, he believed it would naturally be best if he could open it, but if not, it wouldn't be unacceptable. Thus, in the following days, his mind remained calm. Besides cultivating, he refined his aperture-opening plan in his mind, analyzing every step and aspect.

Seven days passed. On the evening of the seventh day, Xu Qing received a telepathic message from Zhang San, informing him that his Dharma Vessel was repaired. Xu Qing put away his voice-transmitting jade slip, stood up, and walked out of the Security and Special Affairs Department.

"Tomorrow, I'll go to the location of the sect's forbidden magical artifact," Xu Qing decided internally. After stepping outside, he looked up at the sky. The dusk of this day was very similar to a day in the past, with red clouds pervading, making the entire sky appear crimson. Even the fragmented divine face, high above, was bathed in a reddish glow, resembling a bloody light. Xu Qing retracted his gaze.

For some unknown reason, he felt a faint tremor of apprehension. This feeling had never appeared before; its emergence today left him inexplicably uneasy. Yet, he couldn't pinpoint the source of this unease.

Xu Qing mused, then headed straight for the transportation department. Upon arriving swiftly, he saw his faceless Dharma Vessel. Its appearance was largely unchanged from before, but there were subtle differences. While its divine aura was noticeably richer, the Dharma Vessel's interior also featured many new special array runes.

"These are all prepared so that the vessel spirit you'll form next can better empower this Dharma Battleship. I won't go into too much detail. Now, Xu Qing, integrate the 120 souls suppressed within your Dharma Apertures into this vessel, following the method of the Malevolent Fire Devouring Soul Scripture!"

Xu Qing took a deep breath. Without hesitation, his 120 Dharma Apertures instantly opened, as if 120 volcanoes erupted within him. As his magical power surged, flames soared skyward, and the temperature became incredibly scorching in an instant. Around Xu Qing, who was engulfed in flames, the surroundings warped, the ground cracked and trembled, and heat waves spread in all directions. Zhang San gasped and quickly retreated, but he still felt a considerable tremor of apprehension. Indeed, the pressure Xu Qing exuded at that moment unsettled even Zhang San's mind, causing his breath to quicken and his eyes to sting.

"Too strong!"

As Zhang San's mind surged with emotion, Xu Qing abruptly looked up, forming hand seals that changed rapidly, faster and faster. Using the hand seals, and following the method of the Malevolent Fire Devouring Soul Scripture, he gradually drew out half of the souls suppressed within each of his 120 Dharma Apertures, releasing them outside his body to form a colossal soul shadow. This soul shadow had a grotesque face, with numerous faces appearing all over its body. Piercing wails echoed, and resentment permeated all directions.

Xu Qing's hand seals suddenly changed, and immediately, the Dark Soul Flame spread, enveloping the soul shadow as if cladding it in armor. Under this armor, the soul shadow's wails and resentment were instantly suppressed. Then, Xu Qing raised his right hand and pointed at the Dharma Vessel. Immediately, the grotesque soul shadow ascended, heading straight for the Dharma Vessel.

Zhang San quickly assisted from the side, activating the Dharma Vessel's power. Instantly, the Dharma Vessel hummed, shining with a brilliant light the moment the soul shadow touched it. Even the Vajra Sect Patriarch was attracted, hidden within the iron stick, closely observing. After all, this was the second vessel spirit accompanying Demon Xu. He had to take it seriously and assess its threat level to himself.

In an instant, the soul shadow completely integrated into the Dharma Vessel. The vessel shuddered throughout, and the faceless figure at its bow suddenly blurred, eventually forming a grotesque face. It was precisely the face of the soul shadow. A connection, unlike any he had ever had with the Dharma Vessel, merged into Xu Qing's mind. His body trembled, and he felt as though the Dharma Vessel had become a part of his own body. His understanding of the Dharma Vessel became incredibly comprehensive at that moment. This alone would allow him to wield several more points of power when controlling it than before. Not to mention that after the soul shadow integrated and the internal arrays of the Dharma Vessel fully activated, a pressure surpassing Foundation Establishment, belonging to the Golden Core stage, abruptly erupted from the vessel.

At this moment, it was no longer a Dharma Vessel; it was a Dharma Battleship!

Xu Qing's eyes gleamed, and Zhang San, standing by, was also incredibly excited. It was done!

At the same time, as red clouds cascaded from the sky, within the main city of the Lingyun Sword Sect of the Eight Sects Alliance, two figures walked leisurely among the street pedestrians. These two, one in front and one behind, seemed like master and servant. Both wore black robes and masks made from fragmented divine faces, emitting an aura of dread and unease.

"What a bustling, majestic city. Night Crow, is the performance about to begin?" the person in front, whose voice sounded very young, asked with a smile.

"Master, that person has replied. The performance is about to begin," the black-robed figure behind respectfully responded.

Almost at the instant Night Crow's words were uttered, outside the Eight Sects Alliance, the clear waters of the vast, ancient Yuxian River tributary suddenly changed, becoming utterly black.