Chapter 384: Five-Finger Maiden

Over Yinghuang State, along Mount Taisi Du'e and stretching north into the sky, dark clouds hung heavy. Amidst the rolling black clouds and flashes of lightning, the sky and earth seemed to merge into a single oppressive hue, like a vast cage. Within this cage, all living beings were trapped, left only to silently endure. Large raindrops poured down, sweeping across the land and raising wisps of mist-like vapor that diffused outwards from the ground, engulfing everything.

Amidst the downpour, a massive flying boat, three thousand zhang long, soared between heaven and earth, its immense speed generating a series of sonic booms and thick trails of mist.

From afar, it resembled an azure dragon soaring through the sky.

Its design was particularly dragon-like.

At the bow, two long dragon whiskers fluttered during its rapid flight, emitting a faint glow that allowed it to scan all directions.

Inside the flying boat, Xu Qing, dressed in a purple robe interwoven with gold threads and with his hair tied back by a gradually reddening ribbon, stood on the deck. His hands rested on the railing as he gazed into the distance through the curtain of rain.

His gaze met a blurred expanse; at that moment, the entire world seemed like an endless, vast primordial chaos.

Gazing at this scene, an involuntary sense of the vastness of heaven and earth, and his own insignificance, arose within him.

It reminded Xu Qing of the ancient bronze gate within the Corpse Forbidden Zone, and the unseeable beings he had glimpsed in the world through his forbidden magical artifact.

They seemed to be parasitic in that world, with all living things becoming their nourishment.

It was repulsive.

Xu Qing sighed softly, pulling his thoughts back.

Half a month had passed since he left the Eight Sect Alliance.

During this half-month, besides cultivating, he spent most of his time standing here, gazing into the distance, with a mix of special emotions concerning this long journey.

There was anticipation, melancholy, and complexity.

The anticipation stemmed from the prospect of starting a new life in an unfamiliar place. He had journeyed from a remote corner of the Southern Phoenix Continent to Seven Blood Eyes, then to Yinghuang State, and now he was heading to a place mortals could never reach in their entire lives.

It was a county capital. The melancholy was due to... Mount Zhaoxia.

He yearned to arrive immediately, yet felt anxious about seeing the tomb with his own eyes.

The intertwining of these emotions created this complexity. Xu Qing remained silent.

After a long while, he lowered his gaze to the small, fingernail-sized black seal in his hand. It was exquisitely carved with totems of fierce beasts.

This small seal, gifted by the Ancestor, had been thoroughly understood over the past half-month. It was a formidable weapon primarily for offense, capable of unparalleled destruction once activated.

However, activating it with Golden Core cultivation wasn't instantaneous; it required prolonged nurturing to gain the ability for a single instant activation.

Now, half a month later, Xu Qing had completed the nurturing process. The moment he put the seal away after idly handling it, someone emerged from the cabin and approached him.

"Greetings, Fifth Master," Xu Qing said, cupping his fists and bowing.

The newcomer was an old woman, the Peak Master of the Fifth Peak of Seven Blood Eyes. She wore a green robe, her face was aged, and her hair was gray, but her eyes were remarkably bright.

Standing at the bow, the old woman looked at Xu Qing and smiled. She genuinely approved of this disciple who had brought so much glory to Seven Blood Eyes; looking at him, she seemed to glimpse the future of their sect. Therefore, she tried hard to appear gentle.

However, years of studying sinister formations had imbued her with a chilling aura that seeped from her very bones, causing an unshakeable grimness to linger in her smile.

"Your heart is not calm," the old woman said, looking into Xu Qing's eyes. She sensed the emotional turmoil within this disciple.

Xu Qing nodded.

"Life always has partings, long journeys, and uncontrollable emotional fluctuations," she said. "I cannot help you with this; you must figure it out, understand it clearly and thoroughly, by yourself. You are still young, so consider this journey an opportunity to appreciate the local customs and scenery."

"Feng Hai Prefecture has three states, and Yinghuang State is in the southernmost part. Next, we will pass through four more states to reach the central county capital of Feng Hai Prefecture. Each state is different; though humans are dominant, there are many non-human ethnic groups," the old woman said with a smile, her grimness still strongly apparent.

"Fifth Master, will this journey take eight months?" Xu Qing asked softly, cupping his fists in thanks for her comfort.

"No, I came to tell you something else."

"This time, we will utilize seven public teleportation points, take three unusual detours, and undertake three months of desert flight. We should reach our destination in exactly eight months. For safety, the route is confidential; you only need to know it yourself."

After speaking, the old woman patted Xu Qing's shoulder.

"Xu Qing, both the Ancestor and your master have instructed me that once we reach the county capital, if you need anything from me, just say so. I am not skilled in direct combat, but I excel at killing with formations."

The inherent grimness in the Fifth Peak Master's smile became even more pronounced at this moment, revealing a hint of bloodthirst.

Xu Qing was a little surprised; Seven Blood Eyes had always had such a style. The path of formations spanned both righteous and evil extremes, and it was clear that the Fifth Peak Master specialized in sinister formations, primarily focused on stealthy killing.

"Thank you, Fifth Master," Xu Qing said, cupping his fists and bowing.

Meanwhile, as the heavy rain poured down, within the Mount Taisi Du'e mountain range, a figure in a straw rain cape stood beside a solitary grave. The person stood silently in the downpour, letting the rain fall, creating a rustling sound on the cape.

As the rain seemed to connect heaven and earth with countless lines, the figure slowly raised their head, gazing up at the sky towards the now distant flying boat.

From beneath the brim of the rain cape, a faint golden light shone from their eyes.

It was a manifestation of divinity.

An intense murderous intent churned within their heart, yet, like their aura, it showed no external sign, and there wasn't a single ripple of fluctuation throughout their body.

Standing there, they seemed to meld with their surroundings, utterly imperceptible.

"Yun'er," the figure whispered, "the one you most wanted to kill in your life—your father won't take long to help you achieve your wish."

The person in the straw cape lowered their head, looking at the solitary tombstone before them, and spoke softly, their voice hoarse.

The inscription on the tombstone in front, blurred by the wind and rain, could still be faintly made out upon closer inspection: "Tomb of Beloved Son, Sheng Yun."

The grave contained no remains; it was a cenotaph.

After a long while, amidst the wind and rain, the figure in the straw cape lifted their foot and began walking in the direction the flying boat had vanished. Time slowly passed.

Xu Qing's flying boat flew past the Immortal Bearing Eternal River, traversed the Northern Ice Plains, crossed the border of Yinghuang State, and entered the territory of Quzhao State.

Unlike Yinghuang State, Quzhao State bordered the sea, resulting in different climate and temperatures. It was humid, and cultivators who had long resided in Yinghuang State would not find it dry here.

However, after a brief period of adaptation, that sensation would quickly disappear.

Quzhao State was also very mountainous, with continuous ranges, and it had significantly more non-human races than Yinghuang State.

Indeed, as the Fifth Master had mentioned, Xu Qing saw many local customs and unique ethnic groups along the way, which gave him a deeper understanding of the myriad races.

For instance, at this moment, their flying boat was soaring over a multicolored plain.

The plain below seemed to have unique geological features, resulting in its mottled colors.

Looking down, the plain appeared to be patched together from different colored sections, creating a strange sight. Simultaneously, a green patch of ground, roughly ten thousand zhang wide, suddenly blurred.

Xu Qing noticed this, his eyes narrowing as he observed carefully. Soon, a truly astonishing sight unfolded.

That blurred green area actually sat up from the ground!

It wasn't part of the plain at all; it was astonishingly a gigantic green robe, so vast that when spread across the ground, anyone unaware of its true nature would, at first glance, mistake it for part of the plain itself.

In reality, it was an enormous piece of clothing.

As it sat up, the other colored patches on the plain also rose one by one, and some even ascended into the sky, drawing closer to the flying boat.

They were all items of clothing: shirts, pants, hats, and gloves.

Viewed as a whole, these garments of various sizes numbered no less than ten thousand across the vast plain. Only a small portion had floated up, circling around the flying boat, flying with it, and constantly spinning.

These garments denoted various ranks; some were luxurious, some solemn, some appeared to belong to commoners, others to guards. Yet, no bodies were visible wearing them.

They were, merely, clothes.

As they circled, Xu Qing's expression grew solemn, while the Captain ran out from the cabin to his side, gazing at the garments with a look of astonishment.

"Could there be a phantom spirit here?"

The other occupants of the flying boat also grew alert and wary upon seeing this scene.

High Immortal Zixuan, rarely seen outside the cabin, emerged and smiled at the garments. She then greeted a princess dress that was directly in front of the flying boat.

The princess dress swished its two sleeves, bowed respectfully, and then, ignoring the flying boat's defenses, floated directly inside.

Reaching High Immortal Zixuan, it actually embraced her.

Then, a divine sense emanated from it, seemingly exchanging pleasantries with Zixuan; they appeared to be old acquaintances.

Unable to discern any physical being, Xu Qing felt a sense of profound strangeness. As he continued to observe, he didn't know what Zixuan said to the princess dress, but the dress suddenly turned as if looking at him.

Xu Qing lowered his head and cupped his fists.

Soon, more clothes flew up from the ground below.

Among them, some maidservant outfits even carried spirit fruits. They floated in, bypassing the flying boat's defenses, and placed the offerings as if to entertain. These garments did not immediately leave; instead, they curiously flew around the people on board.

From their actions and auras, it was clear they harbored no ill will.

In front of Xu Qing were several pairs of gloves of various, mostly slender, styles. After circling him and noticing he paid them no mind, they flew towards the Captain.

The Captain, curious, gauged their size and even raised a hand to poke one.

Not long after, when Zixuan finished exchanging pleasantries with the princess dress, the dress swished its sleeves. Immediately, the garments inside the flying boat dispersed to the outside, resuming their circling.

As if guarding, they escorted the flying boat. When it was about to leave the plain, they made gestures of farewell, cupping their fists and bowing one after another, before departing.

Only after they had completely vanished did the occupants of the flying boat finally exhale in relief.

"The Garment Clan is one of the major powers within Quzhao State," the Fifth Peak Master, the old woman, commented, her voice filled with emotion. "I never imagined, High Immortal, that you would be acquainted with them."

High Immortal Zixuan smiled faintly.

"Their clan's eldest princess and I are old acquaintances. We once traveled together when we were younger. She always wanted me to wear her, but I always refused."

"Senior, what... what happens if you wear them?" the Captain asked, his heart skipping a beat. His right hand was now behind his back, and he couldn't help but inquire.

Xu Qing blinked, noticing that the Captain's right hand, hidden behind his back, was wearing a black glove made of thin gauze.

It was precisely one of the light gauze gloves that had been circling him earlier; the Captain must have put it on at some point.

High Immortal Zixuan gave the Captain a meaningful look and spoke lightly.

"Once worn, a compulsory ancient contract is formed with them. The flesh covered by the garment will henceforth belong to them."

Hearing this, the Captain breathed a sigh of relief, then raised his right hand and looked at the glove on it.

"Oh, I see," the Captain said, "Well, since it's from your good friends, High Immortal Zixuan, consider this a gift to you." As he spoke, he bit down on his own wrist.

Under the bewildered gazes of everyone on the flying boat, the Captain, with a crunch, bit off his own wrist.

His expression hadn't changed throughout the process, clearly accustomed to such feats. After biting it off, he held the severed hand, still wearing the glove, and tossed it out of the flying boat. Then, with a smile, he waved, saying, "Goodbye! I'll come find you to play sometime!"

The severed hand, still gloved, floated outside the flying boat and actually waved goodbye to the Captain, slowly drifting away with a hint of reluctance.

"Can you imagine?" the Captain said to Xu Qing, a look of exasperation on his face. "My own right hand just waved goodbye to me."

Xu Qing remained silent, and everyone else around them seemed speechless.