Chapter 49: Using the Sea for Cultivation

Moonlight cascaded down, enveloping the giant crocodile-shaped boat in a layer of silvery radiance. From a distance, the vessel appeared to be alive, seemingly absorbing the moon's essence as if it were breathing. The boat seemed to draw in the moonlight more intensely, causing a shimmering overflow of light that revealed a stark, cold gleam.

Xu Qing gazed at it for a long time.

Whether in the slums or the scavenger camp, most of his living spaces had been rudimentary, except for the new house provided by Captain Lei. In contrast, this crocodile-like covered boat was clean and pristine under the moonlight, exuding an aura of sharp potency. Xu Qing couldn't help but squat down and reach out to touch it.

It was cool to the touch and incredibly hard.

Most importantly...

"This is mine," Xu Qing whispered softly. As he was about to step aboard, he paused. A cold glint flashed in his eyes; he faintly sensed a malevolent gaze fixed upon him from the surrounding area.

The observer was well hidden, and Xu Qing couldn't pinpoint their location immediately. So, he suppressed the cold glint in his eyes, maintained his composure, and feigned interest in his old shoes. His straw sandals were utterly dilapidated, caked with mud and dried bloodstains, and his grubby toes were visible through the worn gaps.

After a moment of silence, Xu Qing removed his sandals. Gazing at his grimy feet, he sat by the edge and dipped them into the seawater, rinsing them until his pale skin reappeared. He appeared calm throughout, yet he covertly scanned his surroundings, waiting for the malicious observer to reveal themselves. However, the individual remained exceptionally cautious; even when Xu Qing seemed to relax, they did not appear.

Xu Qing's expression remained neutral. He stood up and stepped onto the boat, casting a glance at the covered canopy. The interior of the canopy was small and simple, containing only a bed, a meditation cushion, and a washbasin area. The canopy's ceiling was rather low; a regular person wouldn't be able to stand upright, but it would be comfortable for sitting.

After surveying the interior, Xu Qing chose not to enter, instead settling on the deck outside the canopy. He listened to the distinct sound of the waves and felt the small boat sway with the rise and fall of the sea. In this relative quiet, his gaze became distant, as if his thoughts were slowly drifting away.

Xu Qing's mind drifted to his struggling life in the slums, to the cold nights he had spent hidden in his tiny shelter. Every winter, he would wonder in the biting cold if he would live to see the sun rise the next day. Each harsh winter brought with it the certainty that someone would freeze to death. Therefore, he dreaded the cold—perhaps not the physical chill, but the memories it evoked.

Sitting silently on the boat now, Xu Qing looked out at the dark night and the bright moon overhead. He thought of the first person he had killed many years ago. That person had intended to cannibalize him, but Xu Qing had laboriously decapitated them and placed the head at the entrance of his meager dwelling. From that day on, the way people looked at him changed.

The boat continued to sway.

Xu Qing's thoughts still seemed to be drifting, but he was muttering to himself.

"Should I place one here too?"

The instant those thoughts echoed in his mind, Xu Qing abruptly leaned backward as a cold glint whizzed past him. The moment he evaded the cold flash, the wandering look vanished from Xu Qing's eyes. It was as if everything prior had been a facade; the true, hidden ruthlessness within him burst forth, breaking through any illusion.

"Finally revealed!"

The next instant, the seawater beside the boat suddenly churned, and a figure burst forth from it, charging directly at Xu Qing. A sharp, cold glint emanated from the figure's right hand. It was a dagger, gleaming with a blue light under the moonlight, clearly coated in potent poison. By the moonlight, Xu Qing clearly saw his assailant: a disciple in a gray Daoist robe, his face uncovered. He appeared to be in his thirties and seemed to be only at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation, yet Xu Qing perceived a subtle threat from him.

The disciple's face was contorted in a ferocious grimace, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. His speed was immense, closing the distance in an instant as the dagger in his hand lunged viciously towards Xu Qing's chest.

Xu Qing's eyes were icy. Ignoring the dagger, his right hand shot out even faster, seizing the attacker's arm. As his body refining power surged, he swung violently, instantly lifting the charging cultivator's body into the air. To the assailant's horror and disbelief, Xu Qing slammed his body directly onto the deck.

With a thud, as blood splattered, a viscous, fleshy tentacle suddenly burst from the man's body, lashing rapidly towards Xu Qing. The aura it exuded surpassed the fifth layer of Qi Condensation, reaching the sixth. Xu Qing remained expressionless. The 'Kuei Shadow' (Fiend Shadow) abruptly manifested behind him, immediately suppressing the tentacle. With a crash, the tentacle instantly withered and disintegrated.

Deprived of his tentacle, the cultivator spat blood, his face instantly paling. He tried to struggle, but in the next moment, Xu Qing's left hand, holding a dagger, pressed against his throat. The dagger was chillingly cold, already piercing the skin. A slight pressure would be enough to slit his throat. This sight made the cultivator's body tremble, and his eyes, fixed on Xu Qing, filled with terror.

"How did you conceal yourself? And what was that tentacle on your body just now?" Xu Qing asked, his gaze cold as he stared at the cultivator.

"This is a Sea Octopus Hand I grafted onto myself. It increases my combat power and allows me to conceal my aura in the sea. Many disciples in the sect do this. Junior Brother, I can compensate you for this attack. My contribution points are low, but I've taken a mission for tomorrow..." The cultivator stammered quickly, but before he could finish speaking, the dagger in Xu Qing's hand sliced sharply.

The cultivator's eyes widened instantly. Before a scream could escape, Xu Qing clamped a hand over his mouth. As his body convulsed, blood spurted out, staining a section of the Dharma Boat crimson. A few breaths later, his body lay motionless.

Xu Qing frowned, looking at the stained Dharma Boat. He took out some corpse-dissolving powder and sprinkled it, watching as the body dissolved into a bloody residue. No other disciples from the Seventh Peak appeared. It seemed everyone was accustomed to such occurrences.

The sea breeze now carried the mingled scents of brine and blood, permeating the air around Xu Qing. He picked up the man's pouch; it was largely empty, containing nothing of value.

"He targeted me because I have a Dharma Boat," Xu Qing mused, recalling what the round-faced cultivator had mentioned earlier that day: how disciples mysteriously vanished every month.

He ran a finger over his sharp iron skewer, a cold glint in his eyes, then retrieved the brocade box he had brought back. Opening it, he found the jade slip detailing the boat and began to examine it carefully.

After a considerable time, Xu Qing slowly set down the jade slip, looking down at the boat with a strange glint in his eyes.

"This boat... is astonishing," he murmured. Xu Qing raised his right hand and slapped the deck beside him. His spiritual energy surged, and following the method described in the jade slip, he transformed his energy into a mark, imprinting it onto the boat. The entire boat trembled, as if an internal mechanism had been activated, emitting a faint hum.

Xu Qing immediately bit his finger, squeezed out a drop of blood, and carefully drew a simple rune on the deck. As the rune was completed, the entire boat vibrated violently, and a profound, unseen connection instantly materialized within Xu Qing's mind. This was the method for boat recognition detailed in the jade slip. Upon completing the ritual, Xu Qing distinctly felt himself and the boat merge as one.

With a mere thought, a protective light shield instantly emerged from the boat, enveloping the entire hull. Only then did Xu Qing finally feel a sense of security. He then lowered his head and continued to examine the jade slip concerning the boat, memorizing its contents repeatedly until they were firmly imprinted in his mind.

The boats of the Seven Blood Eyes Sect indeed possessed remarkably high growth potential. Disciples could continuously reinforce them in four aspects—speed, defense, attack, and special capabilities—according to their individual needs. Enhancements could be focused on a single area or developed comprehensively across all, depending on one's resources and preferences.

The first three categories were self-explanatory. "Special" referred to unique abilities beyond standard spellcasting, such as enabling the boat to submerge underwater or ascend from the sea to fly through the sky. It could also involve transformations that altered the boat's fundamental form. However, regardless of whether it was a special ability or one of the other three categories, their potential was determined by a single factor: the hull material.

Generally, disciples of the Seventh Peak had two primary approaches when selecting hull materials. The first involved artificial crafting. This entailed continually replacing materials with higher-tier ones, allowing the boat to accommodate more powerful formations and thus become increasingly formidable. This path required coordination with the Second Peak's formation masters, and while its future development had inherent limitations, it remained the preferred choice for a significant number of disciples. This was because the method posed minimal risk, was methodical, and generally dependable.

"As for the second approach..."

"That involves using materials from mutated creatures for the boat's construction, negating the need for separate formations." Xu Qing gained some insight; the jade slip revealed that all materials from mutated creatures inherently contained natural formations. These innate properties, often referred to as 'restrictions', possessed considerable power and inherent talent. The body materials of various mutant beasts contained different restrictions, each granting unique abilities.

"Both of these paths are incredibly resource-intensive," Xu Qing muttered, looking down at the jade slip in his hand. He once again grasped the daunting nature of the Seven Blood Eyes sect. As a newly initiated disciple, the boat he had acquired was merely a first-grade vessel. The Seventh Peak's vessels were categorized into four major tiers: 'Zhou' (small boat), 'Chuan' (boat), 'Jian' (ship), and 'Lun' (wheel), with each tier further divided into ten grades. Moreover, the jade slip indicated that beyond the 'Lun' tier lay an ultimate classification, named 'Da Yi' (Great Wing).

"With each successive upgrade, the resources required..." Xu Qing couldn't calculate the exact amount, but even a preliminary estimate made him gasp.

He put down the jade slip and stared blankly for a moment, then glanced down at his pouches. Both his leather pouch and storage bag contained far too few remaining resources. "I need to find a way to earn money. And in a month, the berth fees will be due," Xu Qing mused. After a moment, he took out another jade slip and began to study it.

This jade slip contained the Seventh Peak's exclusive cultivation method, known as the 'Sea Transformation Scripture'. As a top power in the Southern Phoenix Continent, the cultivation methods of each of its peaks were incredibly valuable, both in their ability to separate impurities and their sheer power. Their might was astounding, far surpassing that of lesser factions and families. One could say that at the same cultivation level, the difference in power was as vast as that between a firefly and a blazing torch.

After thorough study, Xu Qing exhaled deeply. He finally understood why, ever since arriving here, all the Seven Blood Eyes disciples he encountered, despite their seemingly moderate cultivation, had given him a profound sense of danger. The caliber of their cultivation methods dictated everything.

For instance, the 'Sea Transformation Scripture' comprised ten layers, corresponding to the ten layers of Qi Condensation. Cultivation required proximity to the sea, or ideally, being within the sea itself. Each layer of practice absorbed qi from the ocean, forming a spiritual sea within the body, spanning ten *zhang*. Upon reaching the tenth layer, signifying the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, the spiritual sea's expanse could reach a maximum of one hundred *zhang*. This endowed cultivators of the 'Sea Transformation Scripture' with extraordinary endurance; their internal spiritual energy far exceeded that of peers at the same level by several times. Combined with an endless array of spells, their combat prowess could naturally dominate any opposition.

More remarkably, when engaging in combat, the 'forbidden sea aura' within the spiritual sea could exert a mental pressure, imperceptibly weakening opponents. The Qi Condensation realm primarily involves the accumulation of spiritual energy within the body. The 'forbidden sea aura' of the 'Sea Transformation Scripture' could powerfully deter anyone with less spiritual energy than the practitioner.

"The 'Sea Mountain Art' is a body-refining cultivation method. Achieving its 'Kuei Shadow Great Accomplishment' is akin to reaching the Great Perfection of Body Refining, similar to the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation. However, due to its cultivation method tier, it's significantly weaker compared to higher-tier body-refining methods at the same Great Perfection level."

"However, because I possess no internal impurities and am blessed by the purple crystal, for me, the 'Kuei Shadow' — typically achieved only at Great Perfection — manifested at merely the seventh layer of the 'Sea Mountain Art', granting me combat power comparable to that of a Great Perfection cultivator."

"Ultimately, the 'Sea Mountain Art' is simply incomparable to the 'Sea Transformation Scripture.' One focuses on body refining, the other on spell cultivation..." A ripple of thought passed through Xu Qing's mind as he recalled the words of the round-faced cultivator on the mountain earlier.

After some time, determination flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. He also noted that the jade slip pointed out that the upper limit of the spiritual sea formed by the 'Sea Transformation Scripture' was not fixed. Each individual's physique varied, as did their degree of mutation. The less one was mutated, the greater the potential maximum range of their spiritual sea. To date, the highest record within the Seven Blood Eyes Sect was set sixty years ago by an individual who formed a two-hundred-and-seventy-*zhang* spiritual sea upon reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation. This individual is currently the Peak Master of the Seventh Peak of the Seven Blood Eyes Sect.

Upon reading this, Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He knew he had no impurities within his body...

"So, when I cultivate this 'Sea Transformation Scripture,' how vast will my spiritual sea be upon reaching Great Perfection?"

A powerful surge of anticipation swelled within Xu Qing. He mused that if mutations no longer capped the spiritual sea's potential, then his own limit should be the absolute maximum his body could sustain. Given his terrifying regenerative capabilities, his endurance threshold would naturally be immense. An unprecedented light gleamed in Xu Qing's eyes.

Concurrently, he noted that the 'Sea Transformation Scripture' focused on cultivating spells, not body refining. His previous battle with the Vajra Sect had made Xu Qing profoundly aware of the limitations of relying solely on body cultivation. Thus, without hesitation, after thoroughly memorizing the cultivation method, he immediately closed his eyes and began to practice the 'Sea Transformation Scripture'.

As he cultivated, wind suddenly arose around the covered small boat. The sea shimmered, and countless spiritual energies imbued with the forbidden sea aura, mixed with potent impurities, surged towards Xu Qing's vessel. The protective light shield could block spells, but it did not impede these spiritual energies. As they poured in, they penetrated Xu Qing's pores, forming delicate threads that permeated his body.

His body, devoid of impurities and refined multiple times, possessed incredibly clear meridians. This allowed the spiritual energy to surge in without the slightest obstruction, becoming increasingly swift and forceful. His body was like a parched sponge, instantly drawing in the spiritual energies, which slowly converged in his Dantian.

As he cultivated, Xu Qing vaguely perceived his 'Sea Mountain Art' being drawn to the 'Sea Transformation Scripture', instinctively wanting to activate. However, due to different meridian pathways, he suppressed it. After a while, as the urge for the 'Sea Mountain Art' to circulate grew stronger, Xu Qing's heart stirred. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to release his control.

The next instant, with the 'Sea Mountain Art' no longer suppressed, the spiritual energy pouring in from all directions abruptly surged by several times the moment it began to circulate. The spiritual sea converging in his Dantian immediately swelled to a magnificent size. This discovery left Xu Qing somewhat bewildered. It was as if the two cultivation methods had merged at this moment, with the 'Sea Mountain Art' not competing with the 'Sea Transformation Scripture', but instead assisting it.

He then simply allowed his qi and blood to surge throughout his body, and the 'Kuei Shadow' materialized outside him. The moment it appeared, the 'Kuei Shadow' let out a silent roar to the sky, spreading its hands as if parting the ocean. This caused the forbidden sea spiritual energy to erupt like surging tides.

In an instant, amidst the tremor in Xu Qing's mind, the spiritual sea in his Dantian directly reached ten *zhang*.

The first layer of the 'Sea Transformation Scripture' was complete.

Xu Qing's body vibrated. Without time to ponder, he immediately began cultivating the second layer. Soon after, the second layer of the 'Sea Transformation Scripture' was also complete.

"This fast?!" Xu Qing didn't hesitate and immediately began cultivating the third layer. His internal spiritual sea continuously expanded: twenty-one *zhang*, twenty-two *zhang*, twenty-three *zhang*... Under this continuous surge, the influx of spiritual energy even formed a gradually expanding vortex around his covered boat, intensifying the wind and raising waves on the sea. This drew the attention of the guards on shore.

They all watched intently, their expressions shifting.

"Which prodigious disciple is cultivating?"

"This rate of absorbing spiritual energy..."

The instant they stared in shock, the vortex suddenly roared and expanded further, causing the harbor's surface to become even more tumultuous. Many boats rocked violently. A number of disciples, initially frowning as they emerged to cast cold glances, soon displayed expressions of astonishment.

"What's happening?!"

The vortex continued to expand!

Inside the boat, Xu Qing's entire body vibrated intensely. His internal spiritual sea had, in that instant, already surpassed thirty *zhang*, reaching thirty-seven *zhang*. It was still growing. Thirty-eight *zhang*, thirty-nine *zhang*, until it reached forty *zhang*!

Xu Qing's eyes snapped open, a dazzling purple light flashing within, overshadowing the shock in his gaze.

"The Sea Transformation Scripture, Fourth Layer!"

***

Two bonus chapters for Grand Alliance Master Yan Hui, nearly ten thousand characters added. These four chapters today total nearly twenty thousand characters—equivalent to seven of my previous chapters... It's utterly exhausting me.

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