Chapter 56: Non-Invitation, No Entry

Thunder boomed! A rumbling sound echoed through the heavens and earth. The sky was thick with layered clouds, as if cosmic beings from beyond were ceaselessly clashing. Occasionally, there was a muffled rumble, then a series of deafening roars, rousing the residents of the main city from their sleep. Streaks of lightning sliced through the long sky, terrifyingly tearing apart the night. The sun, hidden by the clouds, seemed to seize a fleeting chance to breathe, diligently pouring its light, accompanied by rain, upon the human world.

In the early morning, the rain intensified. On the rain-shrouded streets, figures walking under black paper umbrellas gradually blurred. One could only see the rain pouring down outside the umbrellas. The drops that hit the paper surface made pattering sounds, seemingly unfulfilled in their mission and unwilling to be stopped, so they flowed along the edges of the umbrellas, forming trickling lines of water. They rushed to fall, reuniting with their companions on the ground. The ripples formed by their reunion completely washed away the bloodstains from the previous night, yet they could not cleanse the sins of human nature in this cruel world.

"Everyone's heart holds sin, but in times of chaos, that lock becomes incredibly easy to open." These were the words of Captain Lei, spoken thoughtfully during a meal. Xu Qing found some truth in them.

The rain grew fiercer, the thunder more deafening. Amidst the roar of thunder and wind, Xu Qing's mind slowly settled into tranquility. Unconsciously, he returned to Port 79. On the violently churning sea, he habitually inspected his magic boat before deploying it. He stepped inside, and as the protective barrier rose, Xu Qing sat cross-legged within the awning, even as the magic boat swayed violently. With the barrier activated, rain could not enter. The rocking motion of the boat caused no discomfort to Xu Qing, who had grown accustomed to it. Instead, amidst the swaying, the external roar, and the pervasive wind and rain, his heart grew even calmer. He lowered his head and began refining pills.

During this period, Xu Qing had frequently visited apothecaries to purchase medicinal herbs, and the number of white pills he refined increased steadily. Similarly, the quantity of black pills and poisonous powders also grew. The small compartments inside his awning-covered boat cabin had also multiplied. One could see them densely packed with a large quantity of positive-yang and negative-yin medicinal herbs.

"I need to find a suitable place to refine poisons outside," Xu Qing thought, glancing at the compartments. He raised his right hand and summoned herbs, which flew towards him. Amidst the raging storm outside, he continued his alchemy.

Time slowly passed. Throughout the entire day, the rain intensified, seemingly transforming into a storm, unleashing astonishing thunderous waves. Countless waves crashed against the harbor's shore, causing numerous boats to sway violently. Fortunately, the boats in the port were all magic vessels, capable of resisting the storm once their protective barriers were activated. From a distance, they resembled autumn leaves endlessly adrift on the sea. Due to the severity of the wind and rain, no external boats entered the port, nor did any depart. Consequently, most departments ceased operations, and disciples rarely ventured out from their respective residences. The entire Seven Blood Eyes port district ceased functioning amidst the escalating storm.

Only slaughter... continued.

As night fell on the second day, as the external wind and rain intensified, and as the thunder fully merged with the wind, its furious roar echoing throughout the entire port, Xu Qing abruptly opened his eyes within the violently swaying cabin of his magic boat. A sense of crisis emerged in his mind. This crisis did not stem from the external weather but from the shore outside his magic boat. Although the storm was furious, dispersing many of the poisonous powders Xu Qing had laid out, some of their scent persisted longer in the wind and rain. This served as Xu Qing's first line of defense. Should anyone approach and come into contact with the scent of his powders, then step onto his magic boat, it would combine with other poisonous gases Xu Qing had set up inside the boat, transforming into a lethal poison.

Furthermore, the growth in mental power he gained during his entry test, along with the continuous breakthroughs in his Sea Transformation Scripture cultivation during this period, had made his perception far surpass that of his peers, rendering him even more acute. Thus, under this dual warning system, Xu Qing knew that someone was approaching outside... and that person was right outside his magic boat.

A cold glint entered Xu Qing's eyes. Instead of waiting inside the magic boat, he stepped directly out of the cabin, stood on the deck, and looked out from within the protective barrier. Outside, wind and rain swirled, and lightning flashed. On the shore near his berth stood a figure clad in a straw cape, carrying a wine gourd. He looked at Xu Qing, and Xu Qing looked back.

After a moment, the figure in the straw cape slightly raised his conical hat, revealing a middle-aged face, and smiled at Xu Qing. "Junior Brother Xu, there's no need to be so wary. It's me. I was out buying wine and passed by here. I wanted to ask if you'd like to share a drink? In this cursed weather, wouldn't a drink together be even better?"

This person was indeed a disciple from the Crime Suppression Division, a member of Xu Qing's team, and had even invited Xu Qing for a drink one day. Xu Qing remained silent, observing the middle-aged cultivator before him with a cold gaze. Seeing Xu Qing's demeanor, the middle-aged cultivator smiled helplessly.

"Very well. This damn sect's environment makes trust difficult between people, but I mean no harm. Junior Brother Xu, I merely wished to befriend you. Many in our team have shared my wine. If you're not inclined, I'll take my leave." With that, his steps quickened slightly, but just as he walked five or six paces, a sharp whistling sound suddenly broke through the air. A dagger, with astonishing speed, tore through the wind and rain, rapidly closing in on him.

In an instant, the middle-aged cultivator shifted his body to dodge. His expression changed, and just as he was about to turn back, Xu Qing's figure burst directly from the magic boat, a black iron skewer in hand, charging through the wind and rain.

"Junior Brother Xu, what are you doing?" The middle-aged cultivator's eyes narrowed. He rapidly retreated, forming a hand seal with one hand. Instantly, the surrounding raindrops collectively paused before whistling towards Xu Qing. But before they could reach him, with a wave of Xu Qing's hand, those approaching raindrops trembled instantly, controlled by Xu Qing, changing direction and shooting towards the middle-aged cultivator.

This sight shocked the middle-aged cultivator, and he felt a strong sense of danger. He quickly bit his tongue, spat out a mouthful of blood, which formed a spreading blood mist to counter the incoming rain arrows, and sharply retreated, intending to flee. But it was too late. He had misjudged Xu Qing's cultivation. In an instant, Xu Qing's figure advanced irresistibly, closing in directly. The iron skewer in his hand glinted brightly as lightning flashed, emitting a cold gleam as it struck directly towards the cultivator's forehead. A bone-chilling coldness.

The middle-aged cultivator's eyes turned bloodshot. He roared, his cultivation completely erupting. Several layers of protective light shields instantly appeared around his body. Moreover, from his chest, a vertical, grotesque flesh-and-blood mouth rapidly emerged, tearing through his clothes, and letting out a sharp, howling assault towards Xu Qing. Amidst a roar, all several layers of light shields shattered. However, the black iron skewer was still momentarily stalled by the impact of the sound waves emitted from the grotesque mouth on the opponent's chest.

Using this brief moment, the middle-aged cultivator waved his right hand, sending the wine gourd in his hand directly towards Xu Qing. His body then fully unleashed its power, accelerating backward to escape. As soon as the wine gourd was thrown, it shattered mid-air on its own. Inside, it contained not wine, but dense toxic liquid. As it burst and spread in all directions, it carried intense corrosiveness, seemingly capable of instantly dissolving even the magic boat's protective barrier.

A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. He had sensed something amiss earlier but wasn't certain. However, on such a stormy night, the opponent's arrival was inherently strange, so under his vigilance, Xu Qing decided to strike first. At this moment, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He looked up at the fleeing middle-aged cultivator. Instead of pursuing, he raised his right hand and powerfully grasped at him through the air. The Sea Transformation Scripture within his body erupted with a roar.

Immediately, all the surrounding raindrops trembled, furiously converging from all directions towards the middle-aged cultivator, subtly forming a large hand made of water. No matter how much the middle-aged cultivator struggled or was horrified, it was futile. The hand clenched fiercely.

With a boom. The middle-aged man's body was frozen in mid-air by the large hand. His face was pale, and his eyes showed terror. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Qing's figure had already whistled closer, instantly approaching. With his right hand, he fiercely slashed the dagger across the middle-aged cultivator's neck. The force was so great that the head flew off. As blood splattered, the large mouth on the middle-aged cultivator's chest suddenly bulged significantly, biting fiercely at Xu Qing's right hand.

The Sea Mountain Art within Xu Qing's body instantly circulated. A grotesque shadow materialized on his arm, silently roaring at the large mouth, directly confronting it. Furthermore, the large hand formed by the surrounding rain also pressed down with immense force. Amidst a great roar, the middle-aged cultivator's headless corpse disintegrated into flesh and blood. The large mouth on his chest also split into pieces. Only Xu Qing remained standing, his chest rising and falling slightly. This battle seemed swift, but in reality, the middle-aged cultivator's cultivation was considerable, and his combat strength was astonishing, comparable to Xu Qing's power before he joined the sect. Even Qing Yunzi, whom Xu Qing had slain yesterday, was far from being a match for this person. After all, cultivators of the Sea Transformation Scripture from Seven Blood Eyes possessed combat strength far surpassing that of many smaller sects and factions.

At this moment, Xu Qing swiftly scanned his surroundings, searching for any accomplices. In the wind and rain, the entire port was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the fury of the wind and the fleeting flashes of lightning.

***

Last night, I had a dream. In it, I unexpectedly found myself in Xu Qing's world... having transmuted into the Old Ancestor of the Vajra Sect. I'm a bit anxious and don't know what to do. Waiting for advice online...