Chapter 76: Bronze Dragon Carriage

The sun in the sky emitted dazzling light, piercing the defiant forbidden sea, stirring its waves to tumble skyward and sending forth low roars.

Before the echoes faded, the waves crashed down, splashing vast amounts of black spray which scattered high into the air and fell upon the protective shield of Xu Qing's boat.

Xu Qing stood at the bow, watching the sea warily. He raised his hand and performed a hand seal, and with the fluctuation of the protective spiritual energy, the seawater containing dense alien matter, which had splattered onto the shield, slowly dissipated.

Like the fragmented divine face in the sky, this forbidden sea, which encircled the entire Southern Phoenix Continent, was forever a realm of trembling and reverence for people. Not only because of its vastness and depth, but also because, in everyone's heart, it represented an eternal mystery.

This mystery made Xu Qing raise his head and gaze at the distant sky and the forbidden sea. In his eyes, the two seemed to merge at the unknown horizon.

Compared to the vast ocean, the boats traveling to and from Seven Blood Eyes were like a few feathers, drifting gently and insignificantly.

As for the people on the boats, even more so.

Xu Qing fell silent. He gazed at the endless distance, at the boundless forbidden sea, and a sense of insignificance welled up in his heart.

"The 'Sea Annals' stated that most disciples venturing out to sea for the first time would feel small; this was a normal psychological change. It also noted that in this state, they often developed a desire to conquer."

Xu Qing looked at the boundless black sea. This was his first time venturing out to sea, and his first time truly seeing the ocean from within the ocean.

Yet, he had no desire to conquer.

He had no grand ideals nor vast ambitions. He simply wanted to survive in this chaotic world.

If he could live a bit better, that would be even better.

Thus, at this moment, Xu Qing's inner vigilance was intense. Even when meditating cross-legged, he would still dedicate part of his mind to observing his surroundings.

And so, time flowed by amidst the echoing sounds of the waves. It wasn't until midday that a series of noisy sounds from behind caught Xu Qing's attention.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he turned his head to look.

There were seven or eight Dharma boats approaching from the direction of the Seven Blood Eyes port, their approach marked by a noisy clamor.

Except for the one at the very front, most were of the fifth or sixth rank.

The Dharma boat at the very front, judging by its spiritual energy fluctuations, seemed to be of the eighth or ninth rank. It looked quite luxurious, entirely golden, adorned with golden feathers, and glittered in the sunlight.

In the black forbidden sea, it was exceptionally dazzling, like a pheasant attempting to mimic a peacock's display, exuding ostentation and vulgarity.

The phoenix-bird figurehead should have embodied grace, but beneath this gold and luxury, it had lost its soul, reeking of a desperate need for attention.

Watching all this, Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and he drew his dagger.

Though the main city of Seven Blood Eyes was dangerous and brutal, at least certain rules still existed there. For instance, Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely attacked Qi Condensation cultivators. However, Xu Qing knew that at sea... only the strong survived.

Whether it was foreign races or human cultivators, or the dangers from their own sect or the forbidden sea itself, it was always the same: if one was unlucky enough to encounter a malicious cultivator of Foundation Establishment cultivation or higher from an outer race, life and death hung on their whim.

Anyone could instantly become an enemy.

The arrival of these Dharma boats, in particular, was too ostentatious, and from the phoenix-bird boat came the voice of someone he disliked.

The wind at sea was rather strong, carrying voices clearly.

"Senior Sister, many people are curious about how many spirit stones my Phoenix-Bird boat cost in total. I'm actually quite reluctant to answer that question because my answer would only make them feel defeated. After all, you must feel it too: from childhood to adulthood, spirit stones have simply been an endless nuisance for people like us."

"It's nothing special, really. I don't know why, but the sect's boat rankings, after consulting me multiple times, insisted on promoting mine to seventeenth. I don't really care; I'm not bothered by such things anyway."

"For me, I don't care how many spirit stones this Phoenix-Bird boat cost. What I care about is that it carries my dreams. Look, my dream is to one day soar through the sky like a phoenix-bird."

"Senior Sister, I hope that when I soar, a graceful figure will accompany me to see the scenery, pursue dreams, and share our troubles together."

The voice carried by the sea wind belonged to none other than Zhao Zhongheng, the 'good-for-nothing' described by the captain.

He stood on that golden Phoenix-Bird vessel, beside a young woman in a light purple Daoist robe.

The woman was in her twenties and strikingly beautiful. From a distance, she appeared graceful and slender, her purple robe like a blossoming flower.

However, as Zhao Zhongheng spoke, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and an expression of impatience appeared on her pretty face.

At that moment, as the sea wind blew, making her purple skirt dance, she seemed to notice Xu Qing on his Dharma boat in the distance.

Under the sunlight, between their two boats, a baleen whale breached the surface, leaping into the air.

A low moan, seemingly from ancient times, issued from its mouth, echoing like a flute, as if making everything ethereal.

As it descended, water mist scattered, obscuring the view.

In the woman's eyes, the sunlight seemed to split into a spectrum of colors. A brilliant, colorful beam appeared for a moment, reflecting on Xu Qing's Daoist robe, making his face unclear.

But that unique spiritual charm left a deep impression on the woman.

Eventually, their convoy of Dharma boats slowly drifted away.

Xu Qing gazed for a long time, and only after confirming they were merely passing by did he put away his dagger and resume his cultivation.

Time flowed on. Gradually, amidst his cultivation, as the Dharma boat ventured deeper, the chilling and eerie nature of the forbidden sea slowly permeated Xu Qing's senses.

He saw schools of decaying fish, seemingly retaining their will from life, transforming into black pollution, spreading and passing beneath his boat.

He also saw the terrifying figures of megasharks, tearing apart their prey with immense ferocity.

In addition, there were some areas on the sea where, as Xu Qing passed by, he felt a deterrent force emanating from the seabed. It seemed to radiate constantly, lingering in that area and permeating Xu Qing's heart, making him even more vigilant.

Although he had read about this situation in the 'Sea Annals' and knew it was normal for sea voyages, his alertness remained intense.

Moreover, the alien matter was exceptionally concentrated in this forbidden sea, as if the entire ocean was formed from it. This caused Xu Qing's shadow to become even blacker than usual, like ink, giving the impression of self-flowing...

Upon noticing this, Xu Qing didn't hesitate. He immediately activated the suppressive power of the purple crystal, repeatedly suppressing his shadow with rumbling force. After the shadow visibly faded again, he stopped, his expression calm. A slight sense of relief settled in his heart regarding his shadow.

And so, as sunset approached, Xu Qing's first night at sea was about to begin.

Perhaps because this sea area was close to Seven Blood Eyes, Xu Qing didn't encounter too many dangers during the day's voyage.

Only now, in the sunset, did some aggressive swordfish appear on the surface. They leaped in schools, forming arcs, before plunging back into the sea.

In the afterglow, their greenish bodies shimmered with white light, possessing a unique beauty.

Perhaps due to the forbidden sea dragon-whale following him, most of these swordfish didn't approach Xu Qing too closely. However, occasionally a few would strike the Dharma boat's shield, bouncing back into the sea with thudding sounds.

Watching the swordfish that struck the shield, from such close proximity, allowed Xu Qing to observe them more clearly.

These swordfish had chillingly sharp teeth, looking quite ferocious. Red light gleamed in their eyes, revealing their savagery.

Xu Qing impassively waved his hand. Tiny droplets of water formed, seeping out beyond the protective shield to create a buffer, so that the striking swordfish wouldn't be instantly killed upon impact.

The Sea Annals Hall had warned all Seventh Peak disciples venturing out to sea: when navigating the forbidden sea, it was best not to excessively slaughter sea beasts unless necessary, because the more one killed, the more one would attract the attention of certain eerie existences within the forbidden sea.

The 'Sea Annals' did not specify what kind of eerie existences these were. However, on the first night of his voyage, Xu Qing did not cultivate at all. His entire mind was focused on the outside of his boat, and any slight disturbance made him intensely vigilant.

The ocean at night, according to the 'Sea Annals', was far more dangerous than during the day.

Anything was possible on the open sea.

Although the 'Sea Annals' also mentioned that while the forbidden sea was vast and fraught with danger, more often than not, it came down to luck. Some unfortunate individuals perished at sea on their very first day, while others, lucky, remained unharmed even after months at sea.

Xu Qing's luck was fairly good. On the first night, apart from the sound of waves and the wailing of the sea wind, nothing eerie occurred outside.

Just as dawn was about to break, he gently closed his eyes, preparing to relax his mind. But at that very moment, an intense sense of dread, reaching its peak, like a volcanic eruption, suddenly roared within his mind.

Xu Qing's body instantly tensed, his eyes snapped open, and the Dharma boat's protective shield instantly activated to its maximum extent.

As his eyes opened, so did those of the forbidden sea dragon-whale beneath the hull.

The dragon-whale's eyes were an extension of Xu Qing's senses. The moment they opened, the pitch-black seabed appeared empty, but faint, grinding sounds could be heard.

Grinding, grinding!

As these sounds echoed, the intense dread caused Xu Qing's breathing to quicken slightly, just as it had when he heard the singing in the forbidden jungle. A chilling sensation seemed to spread from the depths of the seabed to the surface.

This scene made Xu Qing's expression harden. His entire body tensed, and his cultivation base began to circulate. His Dharma boat, too, instantly assumed a defensive posture.

Gradually, Xu Qing's expression became more vigilant. Through the dragon-whale's gaze, in the pitch-black depths of the seabed, he distantly saw a gigantic humanoid creature.

This creature was covered in tentacles, which swayed continuously. On its shoulder, it carried a thick iron chain, which stretched into the distance, where a bronze dragon carriage could faintly be seen at its end.

The dragon carriage was dilapidated, covered in verdigris and bearing the marks of time. However, its towering frame, exquisitely yet grandly carved, exuded an imperial aura.

At this moment, the giant, pulling the bronze dragon carriage, was striding across the seabed, moving further and further away with each step. With each step, the sea stirred up currents, drawing the waves outward.

It seemed to be merely passing through this sea area. And due to the extreme distance, everything Xu Qing saw was blurry. Yet, the sense of dread and the grinding sounds, even from so far away, still clearly echoed within Xu Qing's mind, making his entire body instinctively tremble, his pupils constrict, and his vigilance reach its peak.

Only when this gigantic humanoid creature slowly moved away did the trembling sensation gradually weaken and the dread slowly vanish.

"What was that?" Xu Qing suddenly looked up, his face pale, and took a deep breath. He walked out of the cabin and stood at the bow. In the pre-dawn light, he gazed at the sea.

Through the eyes of the seabed dragon-whale, the gigantic figure on the seabed had already moved away, leaving only a blurry outline.

At this moment, the pre-dawn darkness gradually receded from between heaven and earth, and a sliver of light slowly emerged between the sea and the sky.

It was like a lit torch, igniting the pitch-black sea, forming deep, ethereal wisps of clouds. It burned ever brighter, spreading continuously.

Eventually, the entire sky was ablaze, a stretch of fiery red.

This was the dawn.