Chapter 315: Living Transformation

Xu Qing didn't want to wait. Upon hearing his words, the disciples present immediately complied and led the way. Soon, Xu Qing arrived at the exact center of the fourteen Corpse Ancestor statues.

In addition, there were numerous formations and countless magical artifacts, forming a dense blockade that solidified the void itself. Upon sensing this, Xu Qing was deeply shaken.

The area was heavily guarded with strict defenses. At the same time, the divine sense fluctuations from the forbidden artifact were extremely powerful, constantly sweeping across and ensuring that it could instantly detect any abnormality.

Finally, at the very center of these fourteen statues and directly beneath the Seven-Blood Eyes' ancient bronze mirror, Xu Qing saw a massive octagonal altar.

At each of the altar's eight corners, cultivators were seated. Xu Qing sensed their cultivation was at least at the Two-Palace Golden Core stage or higher. The moment Xu Qing approached, all eight of them opened their eyes simultaneously.

When they looked at Xu Qing, their eyes shone with a strange light. They did not presume upon their status as protectors, but instead stood up and respectfully bowed to Xu Qing.

They were not unfamiliar with Xu Qing and knew he could achieve the Golden Core stage at any moment. Moreover, once he did, two Heavenly Palaces would instantly form. They could not treat such a person as an ordinary disciple. Xu Qing also courteously returned the bow and ascended the altar.

On the way here, he had already learned how to use this forbidden artifact from the jade slip given by Master Seven. He could perform this method alone, but if he wanted to fully activate the forbidden artifact, he would need assistance from others.

Xu Qing took a deep breath, stepped onto the altar, and walked to its very center. After sitting cross-legged there, he looked up at the magnificent ancient mirror high above. After retracting his gaze, Xu Qing formed hand seals and pressed his hands towards the sides of the altar.

The Golden Core protectors around him also knew their task. Each formed hand seals and pressed down simultaneously.

Instantly, the altar boomed, and a powerful beam of light shot up from where Xu Qing sat. This light was so intense that Xu Qing's figure within it became blurred. The next moment, this beam soared directly towards the sky.

Immediately afterward, at the eight corners, as the eight protectors formed their seals, beams of light also shot forth from their positions. These eight beams were crimson, and after merging with Xu Qing's light in mid-air, the colors blended, transforming into a blood-red light that then directly entered the ancient mirror high above.

The ancient mirror suddenly trembled, slowly ceased its left-right rotation and sweeping motion, and gradually flattened from its upright position, directing its mirror surface towards Xu Qing.

After the crimson light poured in, the next moment, it transformed into a refracted light, which suddenly fell towards the ground, overlapping with the incoming light and once again enveloping Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's body trembled intensely. He felt an overwhelming power. At the same time, his body seemed to become transparent, his 120 dharma orifices appearing as clear points of light. This made it easier for him to search for the 121st dharma orifice, so he concentrated his divine sense and rapidly searched within his body.

However, the process was not smooth. After merely twenty-odd breaths, the light dimmed and gradually dissipated. Xu Qing, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, opened them after a moment, revealing regret. He hadn't found it.

"I trouble you, protectors, please do it once more," Xu Qing said courteously.

The eight individuals around him nodded with smiles and formed hand seals again. Soon, another round of light beams formed, and the ancient mirror also refracted its light. Xu Qing, now familiar with the sensation, immediately began searching for the new dharma orifice. But this time, he still failed.

Xu Qing frowned. As the light dissipated, he recalled what his master had said: that those who had previously opened the 121st dharma orifice mostly found its location at the brink of life and death.

"Indeed, it still lacks the element of life and death," Xu Qing murmured to himself. His mind conjured an old plan.

This plan was somewhat mad, involving a life-or-death crisis. But Xu Qing no longer hesitated. He stood up and bowed towards the sky.

"Master Three, your disciple Xu Qing, requests the Sea Corpse race's life-and-death transformation!" The moment Xu Qing uttered these words, the expressions of the eight protectors around him changed.

The Sea Corpse race's transformation could revive the dead. However, the resurrected individual would no longer belong to their original race, their memories would be blurred, and they would become exceedingly ferocious. Their cultivation would also be weaker than before their death. It required an extremely strong will and continuous cultivation to achieve a balance.

But this transformation was merely a conventional method. There was an even more defying method, a technique only used for future royalty or those upon whom great expectations were placed.

That was the living reversal!

While this method was extremely painful, it preserved memories most perfectly and resulted in minimal cultivation loss. However, it required willingness and had an extremely high failure rate. The advantages and disadvantages were balanced, and not all future royalty or those with great expectations would choose it.

Xu Qing's understanding of the Sea Corpse race came from the sect's records. As the Seven-Blood Eyes and the Sea Corpse race were sworn enemies, they naturally had thoroughly investigated them.

This was the plan that had surfaced in Xu Qing's mind at the time.

He intended to artificially create a relatively controllable life-or-death crisis by having himself transformed. At the moment he was about to fully transform into a Sea Corpse, he would find a way to freeze his state, placing himself in that state of being on the brink of life and death. In this way, he could use the Seven-Blood Eyes' forbidden artifact to search for his dharma orifice once more.

The danger here was that if he failed, he would genuinely transform into a Sea Corpse, and there was even a chance of death.

"Xu Qing, have you thought this through?!" A calm voice echoed from the sky. It belonged to the Peak Lord of Seven-Blood Eyes' Third Peak, who appeared scholarly. His figure manifested in the sky, looking down at Xu Qing with a solemn expression.

"This disciple has considered it thoroughly," Xu Qing bowed his head and said in a deep voice.

The Third Peak Lord fell silent, gazing at Xu Qing. After a long moment, he sighed softly. He discerned the hidden sorrow within Xu Qing and knew of Xu Qing's relationship with Master Six, but still shook his head.

"I cannot immediately grant you this. I need to ask your master first." As he spoke, the Third Peak Lord took out a purple jade slip and transmitted everything that had transpired here to Master Seven of the Alliance.

Soon, Master Seven's husky voice emerged from the purple jade slip. "Xu Qing, are you sure?"

"This disciple is certain!" Xu Qing's voice was resolute.

"Old Three, help my disciple with this." Silence filled the purple jade slip, and after a long while, Master Seven's soft sigh was heard.

"As per the Sect Lord's decree," the Third Peak Lord said respectfully, then put away the jade slip and gave Xu Qing a profound look.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Peak Lord, please seal off the surroundings and gather the Sea Corpse race's transformation power onto me," Xu Qing said calmly and in a low voice.

The Third Peak Lord nodded. Soon, the eight protectors on the altar retreated to their respective positions. After the surroundings became clear, arrays of light appeared, enveloping and sealing off the area. Xu Qing, still sitting cross-legged on the altar, took out a black wooden block, placed it before him, and then closed his eyes.

The next moment, with a wave of the Third Peak Lord's hand, seven figures descended from the sky. As these seven figures appeared, each exuded a rich, alien aura. They were cultivators of the Sea Corpse race.

Moreover, each of them was at the Nascent Soul stage of cultivation. Yet, upon appearing, they all bowed their heads to the Third Peak Lord.

"Convert the power of one Corpse Statue, descend upon the altar, and assist him in transforming into a Sea Corpse," the Third Peak Lord spoke indifferently. The Sea Corpse transformation required the unique power of the Sea Corpse race; it was a natural ability not possessed by other races.

The seven Sea Corpse cultivators were startled upon hearing this. They all looked down at the altar on the ground but dared not ask further questions, and immediately formed hand seals. Under the Third Peak Lord's gaze, one of the fourteen Corpse Ancestor statues instantly emitted a tremendous hum.

It was the seventh Corpse Ancestor statue, one of the largest ones. As it vibrated, blue light spread out from within.

First, the statue's legs, then its torso, then its arms, and finally its head, until its entire body turned blue. A sea-like blue aura then spread out from within the statue, pervading towards Xu Qing on the altar below.

The aura swirled, and the moment it descended, it enveloped Xu Qing and the altar within its reach, slowly invading and seeping into his body.

Xu Qing's body trembled. A searing pain spread from his skin across his entire body at that moment. However, this pain was nothing compared to the injuries he had experienced before.

Whether it was obtaining the life lamp within the Merfolk race or the life-and-death opportunities in the Giant Dragon's belly, the pain he endured far surpassed what he felt now.

So, even though the pain was piercing, Xu Qing remained as composed as ever. Gradually, his entire skin turned blue. This blueness rapidly invaded his entire body. His flesh, bones, meridians, dharma orifices, and everything else were rapidly being transformed.

His life lamp had no effect at this moment. Only the purple crystal trembled, wanting to erupt and reverse everything, but Xu Qing firmly suppressed it.

The Vajra Sect Ancestor trembled, and the shadow was also terrified.

Xu Qing's aura was rapidly dissipating, and his vital signs were also significantly decreasing. However, after reaching a certain point, the decrease slowed down.

Xu Qing's body's instinct was unwilling to die. Especially from the purple crystal, even with Xu Qing's suppression, it still emitted restorative power, as if his body had become a battlefield, actively dispelling the intent of transformation.

"Master Three, another Corpse Ancestor statue!" Xu Qing suddenly opened his eyes, which glowed with a blue light, and his voice carried a chilling wind.

This scene caused the seven Sea Corpse cultivators in the sky to change their expressions. They looked at Xu Qing with solemnity. They rarely encountered such a situation; only their former Emperor had experienced something similar.

The Third Peak Lord was silent for several breaths, then nodded.

"Another one!"

The seven Sea Corpse cultivators immediately complied. Instantly, the second Corpse Ancestor statue hummed, and blue light spread throughout its body before suddenly radiating outwards and enveloping Xu Qing. Time flowed, and the duration of this transformation grew longer and longer. Three days passed.

The statues glowing with blue light around him had increased from the initial two to five!

Yet Xu Qing's vital signs still hadn't reached the critical point. Although they continued to decrease, the speed was extremely slow.

However, Xu Qing, sitting cross-legged there, was enveloped in an extremely dense aura of death. His entire being was almost indistinguishable from a Sea Corpse. Only the flame of life within his heart was not yet blue.

All of this moved the seven Sea Corpse cultivators once again. They had truly never encountered such a prolonged transformation; even their former Emperor hadn't required so long, nor five Corpse Ancestor statues.

"Such a heaven-defying talent, what are the Seven-Blood Eyes trying to do?"

"Are they creating an Emperor for our Sea Corpse race?"