Chapter 43: Seven Blood Eyes

August, the End of Heat.

In August, marking the End of Heat, the scorching sun still freely infused its warmth into the wind, allowing the currents to spread intense heat across the land. Yet, with the change in solar terms, summer's warmth was inevitably drawing to a close. Eventually, from the vast sky, it could only gaze helplessly at the earth, awaiting the arrival of wild geese, the return of swallows, and the emergence of the next solar term, White Dew.

Unlike the people on the land below, the sun's elevated position allowed it to observe, during this period of waiting, a clearer view of the island surrounded by an endless sea.

The entire Southern Phoenix Continent was, in fact, merely an island. It was shaped like a tilted oval, bisected from west to east by a vast mountain range that stretched north to south like a coiled dragon. This mountain range was known as the Truth Mountain Range.

The western part of the mountain range occupied a full seventy percent of the Southern Phoenix Continent, forming its largest forbidden zone, known as the Phoenix Forbidden Zone. This zone was filled with dark jungles, contained numerous ancient ruins, was perpetually shrouded in mist, teemed with strange beasts and countless anomalies, and possessed an extremely dense anomalous energy.

The eastern part of the mountain range, comprising thirty percent of the Southern Phoenix Continent, was where humanity resided. Within this human territory, there was a particularly unique location. It lay precisely at the northern end of the Truth Mountain Range, where it met the sea. This area bordered the Phoenix Forbidden Zone to the west, human territory to the east, the endless sea to the north, and the Truth Mountain Range stretching south.

This unique geography made it the largest port on the entire Southern Phoenix Continent. On any given day, huge cargo ships arrived and departed continuously, some engaged in trade with surrounding islands, while others hailed from... the Wanggu Continent.

Given its unique and strategically important location, it was naturally not a place ordinary forces could control. Indeed, this was the sect gate of the Seven Blood Eyes. From afar, the city housing the port was divided into seven large districts, with the port being just one of them. This city, composed of these seven districts, was astonishingly vast, truly a majestic metropolis. This was the main city of the Seven Blood Eyes.

Adjacent to it were seven peaks at the northern end of the Truth Mountain Range. On each summit stood a gigantic eye sculpture, a hundred *zhang* in size, each a different color, yet all exuding a fierce intensity. Day or night, a dazzling light emanated from them, never dissipating, forming a grand formation that enveloped all directions. These seven colossal eyes overlooked the land, like the gazes of monstrous beasts, conveying a grim and chilling presence that left all who beheld them deeply shaken. This was also the origin of the name, Seven Blood Eyes.

The main city with its port, together with these seven peaks, constituted the entirety of the Seven Blood Eyes' sect gate. Among them, the Seventh Peak, closer to the main city, and the First Peak in the distance were the tallest, standing like two giants, instilling apprehension in the minor factions and various powers across the Southern Phoenix Continent.

After all, even within the thirty percent of the Southern Phoenix Continent inhabited by humans, immense dangers lurked. The wilderness was permeated with anomalous energy, harboring various strange beasts and desperate outlaws. While these strange beasts were not as ferocious as those in the forbidden zone, for most humans, venturing outside the city and encountering them often meant a life-or-death struggle. Especially when facing desperadoes... in the largely lawless wilderness, one's fate could be even more tragic than death itself. Therefore, a livable city was something most humans yearned for.

The main city of the Seven Blood Eyes was renowned across the entire Southern Phoenix Continent, not merely for its prosperity, but more importantly because the protective formation of the Seven Blood Eyes could largely isolate anomalous energy, allowing its residents to live significantly longer than those outside. Consequently, gaining entry into the Seven Blood Eyes was a dream for countless individuals. Innumerable people yearned to come, and once there, countless more never wished to leave, seemingly able to pursue their dreams within its walls. However... the rules of the Seven Blood Eyes' main city were exceedingly harsh. They were like an invisible whip, lashing at every newcomer. The name of this whip was... survival of the fittest.

At that moment, in the central district of the Seven Blood Eyes' main port city, three enormous teleportation arrays continuously shimmered with light. Arranged in a triangular pattern, they brought forth a continuous stream of arrivals. From within the third teleportation array, as the light flashed, a boy's figure emerged.

The boy wore a dark leather jacket on his upper body and loose pants, the cuffs of which were tied with grass rope and stained with dried blood. His hair was dishevelled, and his face was grimy. Yet, his eyes were exceptionally bright, like stars. The moment he appeared, he was met with a bustling cacophony and the sound of ocean waves. A hot, humid wind swept over him, making him feel sticky. All of this coalesced into a profound sense of unfamiliarity that permeated the boy's entire being.

The boy was Xu Qing, who had just teleported from Deerhorn City.

"Have I arrived...?"

After the teleportation, Xu Qing's head throbbed slightly. Rubbing his temples, he didn't linger on the array. As he quickly stepped out, he looked up and scanned his surroundings. Everything here was remarkably well-ordered. Numerous guards in black armor patrolled the area. Outside each teleportation array stretched a long, snaking line of people: men and women of all kinds, bustling and densely packed, carrying large and small bundles. Convoys were also part of these lines. All of them were new arrivals via teleportation, and each face bore a deep yearning to reside in this city. Evidently, the teleportation fees weren't low, intensifying their expressions of desire.

After a quick scan, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and followed the outgoing crowd, heading towards the outside. The teleportation array here was different from Deerhorn City's; leaving required verification. As he waited in line, Xu Qing looked up at his surroundings. In the distance, he could faintly discern the dark sea. At the mountain range on the other side, under the setting sun, seven peaks were strikingly visible. Especially the seven giant eye sculptures atop them, whose emanations seemed to connect to the heavens, forming a colossal vortex in the sky above those peaks. Within the vortex, clouds swirled, faintly suggesting the presence of a gigantic, ferocious beast. The rare glimpses of it as it moved exuded a sacred aura that awed all directions.

This sight deeply shook Xu Qing's mind. It wasn't until the person ahead of him was verified and departed with their issued jade slip that Xu Qing took a deep breath, withdrew his gaze, and stepped forward for his turn.

"Show your travel permit and state your purpose for coming here." In front of Xu Qing, behind a small table, sat two individuals, a man and a woman. The man was remarkably handsome, dressed in a grey robe, and currently had his eyes closed, seemingly resting. Yet, the spiritual energy emanating from him was very strong. The woman, also in a grey daoist robe, was young, around eighteen or nineteen, with a delicate face and fair skin. Her eyes were remarkably spirited, like starlight, easily captivating anyone who looked into them.

It was the woman who spoke to Xu Qing. She looked up and scanned Xu Qing indifferently, paying no mind to the dirt on his body and face. Clearly, she had seen too many scavengers like Xu Qing here. As she spoke, she casually took out a jade slip, seemingly waiting for an answer to record.

Xu Qing sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations from the woman. While not strong, they strangely conveyed a very clear sense of danger to him. However, he weighed the situation and felt confident he could kill her if it came to a life-or-death duel. So, he calmly took out the token from his leather pouch and handed it over.

"Hmm?" A hint of surprise appeared in the woman's eyes. She took the token, examined it, and when she handed it back to Xu Qing, her expression was no longer indifferent. Instead, she gave him a deep look. "So, you're a junior brother here to join the sect. I wish you... a pleasant time in the Seven Blood Eyes."

Her words were a little strange. Xu Qing noted it, took the token, and glanced at the jade slip in her hand. "You don't need the contribution jade slips ordinary people use; having this token is enough. This is your qualification. Also, I'd like to remind you to complete the entrance test as soon as possible and adapt to life in the Seven Blood Eyes quickly..." After saying this, the woman no longer paid attention to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing, deep in thought, left the verification area. He noticed that the people waiting in line behind him were looking at him with a hint of envy. This made Xu Qing lower his head and gaze intently at the token in his hand. Not until Xu Qing had walked away did the man, who had been sitting with his eyes closed beside the woman, open them and smile.

"Why the sudden benevolence, blessing a newcomer and even offering a reminder?"

"He holds a token from my Seventh Peak. Although it's white, who can say what the future holds? A blessing and a reminder don't cost me any contribution points, but if this person rises, it could be considered a good connection for me." The woman spoke lightly, then called the next person over for verification.

"There aren't that many bright futures out there. This person is clearly a scavenger. With a white token, he probably doesn't have much luck. It's questionable whether he'll even pass the entrance test to become a disciple. Even if he does, with a daily payment of thirty spirit coins and expensive cultivation resources, I bet he won't last two months. He'll either be expelled, or *poof*, he'll be gone." The man raised his hand, clenched it into a fist, then quickly opened it, making a gesture.

Their words were soft, and Xu Qing, who had walked further away, didn't hear them. He had now left the teleportation area and entered the city proper. As he walked in, a ripple of emotion slowly stirred within Xu Qing. What met his eyes was an unprecedented level of prosperity and grandeur. Under the twilight's glow, every building here was as magnificent as the mayor's mansion in his former city. The ubiquitous green tiles and vibrant plants also made the area exceptionally clean.

The city was teeming with people, a constant flow of humanity. Everyone's clothing was clean, mostly silk, with coarse linen being rare. Yet, their expressions were uniformly cold, and their movements hurried. As the sun neared dusk, lights flickered on in thousands of homes along the streets. The ground, illuminated by these lights, appeared almost as bright as daytime. However, an uncanny silence pervaded every house, with not a single sound emerging. In the distance, on a small river, a boat drifted. On it, a veiled woman in a daoist robe scattered pills into the water, causing countless fish to swirl around and occasionally leap, creating ripples in the twilight's glow. On the bank, many young men, one after another, jumped into the river, vying with the fish for the pills—a truly bizarre sight.

All of this felt unfamiliar to Xu Qing, and it also put him on guard. He felt this city was different from the scavenger camps, and different from the small town where he had once lived in the slums. Yet, there was also something similar... On the streets of this city, Xu Qing consistently detected a faint, familiar scent. The scent was very subtle; had Xu Qing not been accustomed to the slums and scavenger camps, he likely wouldn't have detected it so acutely. It was the smell of blood, just like in the slums and scavenger camps.

A moment later, Xu Qing gazed deeply at the city, his vigilance growing stronger. Pondering, he walked along the road, not in the middle, but in the shadowy edges—a habit of Xu Qing's. He decided to find an inn to rest; the pervasive smell of blood made him disinclined to linger on the streets. As for the source of the blood, Xu Qing had no desire to investigate. He knew his immediate priority was to complete the entrance test as quickly as possible and join the Seven Blood Eyes, thereby easing the pursuit from the Vajra Sect.

In the twilight, the sun's afterglow slowly began to dim. Xu Qing, still searching for a suitable place, looked around, his eyes gradually sharpening. As darkness deepened, the entire city grew quieter. The crowds on the streets quickened their pace with the fading light. Thousands of homes, though lit, had their doors firmly shut, and a deathly silence reigned within. Residences were like this, and so were the shops; only a few remained open, but even they had no customers. Until the last ray of twilight vanished in the distance, the entire street became deserted.

All of this made Xu Qing narrow his eyes. He quickened his pace in the shadows, scanning his surroundings for an inn. Time passed. About an incense stick's worth of time later, Xu Qing finally spotted an open inn in the distance. Just as he was about to head there, he suddenly looked into the distance. In the dark, empty street ahead, a figure was fleeing rapidly, pursued by seven or eight burly men with sinister smiles.

"Trying to run? Let's see how far you can get!"

"It's been a while since we've seen someone so audacious! Daring to make a move on our designated contributor first!"

Xu Qing cast a cold glance. The person fleeing was a woman, seemingly injured, her steps somewhat faltering. With her hair disheveled, one could barely discern a pretty face bearing a fierce expression. Xu Qing withdrew his gaze. This matter had nothing to do with him, so he ignored it and continued towards the open inn.

At the same time, the fleeing woman in the distance also caught sight of Xu Qing. Her eyes flickered slightly, and then she suddenly called out loudly. "The contribution points are secured! Why are you still here waiting to rendezvous? Hurry and escape!"

A cold glint gathered in Xu Qing's eyes as he looked at the woman who had uttered such a clumsy ploy. Under Xu Qing's gaze, the woman's body involuntarily trembled. She felt as if she had been plunged into the depths of winter. Her eyes constricted, her heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat broke out on her back. The intense sense of danger she now felt even surpassed the threat from her pursuers. She inwardly cursed her misjudgment, but unable to retract her words, she could only grit her teeth and flee rapidly in a different direction.