Chapter 77: Fair Price

Dawn's light illuminated the sea, brightening everything, and fell upon Xu Qing's solemn figure.

After a long moment, Xu Qing let out a deep breath. The terrifying entity at the bottom of the sea had now completely vanished from his sight with the arrival of daybreak.

Xu Qing didn't know what the giant was, nor whose imperial carriage the dragon chariot was. The Sea Records hadn't mentioned it either. Yet, a mere distant glance at the giant just now had filled him with such intense awe that he could only imagine how terrifying this colossal being at the bottom of the sea must be.

For such a powerful entity to pull its carriage, Xu Qing found it hard to imagine the former glory of the dragon chariot's owner.

Fortunately, the giant seemed to bear no ill will. Or, perhaps, in the eyes of such a being, Xu Qing didn't even register as a clear target for malice.

"The Forbidden Sea..." Xu Qing murmured, his eyes reflecting deep vigilance.

He knew and had personally experienced that this Forbidden Sea was fraught with endless dangers. Thus, for the remainder of his journey, he proceeded with extreme caution, strictly adhering to the nautical chart to ensure not the slightest deviation from his route.

Several days passed in a flash.

During these days, Xu Qing didn't encounter anyone, but he grew increasingly familiar with the Forbidden Sea. He encountered more sea beasts and had taken action multiple times.

Each encounter allowed him to acquire biological materials from the Forbidden Sea, with his Forbidden Sea Dragon Whale playing a significant role. These repeated engagements also made Xu Qing increasingly proficient in combat at sea.

As for terrifying entities like the giant, Xu Qing had not encountered them again.

Until this day, the midday sun was scorching, and the sea breeze carried heat. Xu Qing, having finished his cultivation, opened his eyes. He gazed into the distance through the protective barrier, frowning slightly.

His destination was the West Coral Islands, with Sea Lizard Island located just beyond them. According to the nautical chart, he still needed seven days to reach it.

As for his current location, this area was originally recorded on the nautical chart as a relatively safe route to the West Coral Islands. However, as he drew closer, Xu Qing felt a degree of doubt.

In the sea ahead of him, numerous vines spread across the water. The further away he looked, the denser the vines became, and at their furthest extent, some boats appeared to be trapped. However, the distance was too great to see clearly.

At the edge of this sea area, the vines were relatively sparse.

It seemed they had previously been attracted by something, causing them to extend from the seabed. Now, they were slowly retracting, as if they would soon sink back down.

However, the arrival of Xu Qing's boat caused these slowly sinking vines to seemingly find a new target, visibly rushing towards his boat at a rapid pace.

All this heightened Xu Qing's vigilance. Standing at the bow, he formed hand seals, controlling the magic boat to start reversing, trying to avoid the approaching vines.

But the vines were very fast. Although Xu Qing didn't venture deep into the area, nor did he waste time trying to swiftly avoid them, a few still approached as they spread, coiling around the boat's hull.

These vines were pitch black, arm-thick, and covered with menacing sharp thorns. What was most surprising was that these thorns contained a kind of suction force that, as they coiled around, instantly intensified the magic boat's energy consumption.

Fortunately, there weren't many vines, and their coiling didn't affect the magic boat's speed. However, Xu Qing clearly perceived that this consumption, to some extent, felt more like spiritual energy being drained.

A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. With a wave of his right hand, a dagger appeared, and his body leaped up instantly. As cold light gleamed, the vines were successively cut open. Aided by the magic boat's propulsion, they gradually pulled away from this area.

After getting clear, Xu Qing looked at the distant sea, then lowered his gaze to the deck.

There were a few vines he had severed, writhing like sea snakes. Green liquid, highly corrosive, flowed from the cuts, dripping onto the deck with sizzling sounds.

Looking at these, Xu Qing's expression was somewhat grim. He had felt that the vines were extremely tough during the cutting, requiring his full physical strength to sever them.

After a moment of thought, Xu Qing suddenly formed hand seals with his right hand. Immediately, the array patterns beneath his feet shone, revealing the core of the Spirit Gathering Array.

Xu Qing's gaze swept over, discovering that three of the spirit stones on it had dimmed, as if instantly drained.

"It really is absorbing spiritual energy," Xu Qing murmured, feeling a pang of distress.

The Sea Records contained hundreds of types of vines, most of which looked similar. Therefore, it was difficult for Xu Qing to immediately make an accurate judgment.

Especially in this sea area, neither the sect's nautical chart nor the one he obtained from the merman youth had indicated any vines.

"If they weren't here originally," Xu Qing murmured with a frown, recalling the contents of the Sea Records, "then they must be vines that can migrate on their own. Among this type of vine, those that favor spiritual energy can only be Spirit-Devouring Vines."

"Spirit-Devouring Vines," he recited from memory, "thrive on spiritual energy, are immune to spells, and can only be broken by brute force. They can drain the energy of magic boats and the spiritual power of cultivators. Those ensnared by them meet a miserable end. These vines are sensitive to exotic matter, roam the Forbidden Sea, and are often found in areas where exotic matter is relatively scarce."

Xu Qing pondered, raising his head to gaze into the distance.

This was the shortest route to the West Coral Islands. If he were to bypass it, the journey would take significantly longer.

Moreover, he didn't know the exact extent of this vine area, and according to the Sea Records, Spirit-Devouring Vines, when they appeared, often floated in vast groups, covering extremely wide areas.

"The detour would take too long and is not advisable unless absolutely necessary," he thought. "And these Spirit-Devouring Vines aren't impossible to deal with."

Xu Qing thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing. He touched his storage bag with his right hand, and in the next instant, a black pill appeared in his hand.

This pill was precisely the black pill, brimming with dense exotic matter.

Holding the black pill, Xu Qing stood at the bow, controlling the magic boat to approach the vine area once more.

Soon, the sea surface churned, and a large number of vines burst out of the water, full of intense greed, rapidly moving towards Xu Qing's magic boat.

But the moment they drew near, Xu Qing, with a calm expression, threw the black pill in his hand onto the sea surface ahead. As the black pill fell into the sea and dissolved, the exotic matter suddenly became dense.

In an instant, all the vines spreading around them simultaneously trembled. As if they had encountered something utterly detestable, they instantly recoiled, keeping their distance, allowing Xu Qing's magic boat to proceed smoothly and unhindered.

Xu Qing's expression softened slightly. He controlled the magic boat to move at full speed. Although they passed through the vine area, as he threw out black pills one by one, all the approaching vines that intended to coil showed strong repulsion, avoiding them one after another.

In this manner, Xu Qing's magic boat proceeded forward. As he threw more and more black pills, the area around his boat became permeated with relatively denser exotic matter, to the point where he gradually didn't need to keep throwing them; the surrounding vines would instinctively avoid him.

Thus, as he advanced, Xu Qing's magic boat drew closer and closer to the boats trapped by vines in the distance, and the sea breeze carried the sounds of human voices from that direction.

Although faint, for a cultivator, they could still be heard very clearly.

"Zhao Zhongheng, what kind of route is this?!"

"Sister Ding, please calm down..." came a reply. "This area didn't have vines before; they must have migrated here in the last few days. I can't help it. But I've already called for help from my grandfather, and I'm sure someone will come to rescue us soon..."

The speaker was none other than Zhao Zhongheng. At this moment, his Phoenix Bird vessel was completely trapped here. With numerous vines coiling around it, his boat could only move forward with great difficulty.

While moving slowly, the boats of his attendants, who were traveling with him, were also trapped. Each of them looked anxious, but with no solution, they could only continuously cut the vines with all their might.

Zhao Zhongheng was also frustrated. The vines in this area were truly beyond his expectations. As he tried his best to control the Phoenix Bird vessel and break free, he could only apologize to the displeased Senior Sister beside him. He was not only currently pursuing her, but Senior Sister Ding's background was also extraordinary.

So he quickly took a jade box from his person and handed it over.

"Senior Sister Ding, please don't be angry," he said. "Believe me, everything will be fine. I'll definitely be able to take you to the West Coral Islands. This Clear Brightening Pill is a rare and valuable medicine that can nourish the soul. My grandfather gave it to me, and I'm giving it to you as an apology."

The beautiful woman beside him, wearing a light purple Daoist robe, seemed to have almost run out of patience. At this moment, she frowned delicately, glanced at the jade box in Zhao Zhongheng's hand, and after taking it, she forced herself to calm down a little, just about to speak.

But just then, the whistling sound of a magic boat came from the distance. She instinctively looked and immediately saw a magic boat in the distance, rapidly approaching, cutting through the waves.

A person stood on the magic boat like a green pine, their gray Daoist robe fluttering in the wind. Sunlight spilled through their long, flowing hair, creating a colorful halo.

Beneath that halo was a flawless, cool face, handsome enough to make any member of the opposite sex's heart pound. Even the vines seemed to be affected by him, as if, due to his handsomeness, they had become shy plants, automatically recoiling and avoiding him.

This scene made the woman's eyes sparkle with light. A sweet smile appeared on her face as she called out to Xu Qing.

"Junior Brother," she called out, "what method are you using to make the vines avoid you? Could you perhaps help me?"

Her smile was sweet, her voice sugary, as if she had turned into a piece of candy. This made Zhao Zhongheng, who also saw Xu Qing, feel very uncomfortable inside.

His countless acts of attentiveness along the way had never elicited such a smile or tone of voice from her...

This discomfort made Zhao Zhongheng's expression unpleasant. With a hint of hostility in his heart, he looked at Xu Qing.

At first glance, he found him somewhat familiar. In the next instant, he immediately recognized him.

"It's you!" Zhao Zhongheng exclaimed, recognizing Xu Qing. If it had been someone else, he might have long forgotten, but Xu Qing's face was rarely forgotten after being seen.

Now that he had recognized Xu Qing, Zhao Zhongheng also immediately sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations on the other party's body, which seemed much stronger than when they last met. But for him, as a core disciple, his noble status allowed him to disregard most outer disciples.

So, after a cold glance, Zhao Zhongheng spoke blandly.

"You, come over here," he commanded, "use your method to clear a path for us."

On ordinary days, he always treated outer disciples in gray robes with such an imperious manner. It was no different now. In his perception, outer disciples in gray robes, upon seeing him, would always be respectful and obedient.

Xu Qing had noticed the Phoenix Bird vessel not far away earlier, and had also seen the two core disciples in light purple Daoist robes on it. At this moment, he paid them no mind. The speed of his magic boat remained unchanged, whistling past them not far away.

"Huh? Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me talking?!" Zhao Zhongheng's face darkened. With a wave of his hand, a large amount of water droplets appeared before him, forming water swords that shot straight for Xu Qing's magic boat.

But the moment they approached, a curtain of water appeared out of thin air, blocking them directly.

With a roar, the water swords shattered.

The magic boat beneath Xu Qing suddenly stopped. He turned around, looking coldly at Zhao Zhongheng, who had attacked him. In the distance, the sea churned with waves. The sea surface suddenly erupted, and a massive Forbidden Sea Dragon Whale leaped out from within, revealing half of its body in mid-air, dazzling under the sunlight.

It let out a soul-shaking roar, then slapped the sea heavily, sinking back down. But its ferocious aura spread out at that moment.

This scene instantly made Zhao Zhongheng's expression change drastically. His attendants beside him all had their eyes wide open, waves of shock surging within them. Even the Senior Sister instantly changed her expression.

"A Forbidden Sea Dragon Whale!"

Zhao Zhongheng took a sharp breath, his expression showing disbelief when he looked at Xu Qing. Although he was a core disciple and held a crushing advantage in status over outer disciples, this was not absolute.

Among outer disciples, cultivating a Forbidden Sea Dragon Whale during the eighth layer of the Sea Transformation Scripture indicated astonishing aptitude and a very high probability of advancing to Foundation Establishment in the future.

Even core disciples were unwilling to provoke such individuals too much, often treating them as equals. After all, once the other party advanced to Foundation Establishment, their status would immediately skyrocket, and even core disciples would have to respectfully greet them.

Xu Qing looked coldly at Zhao Zhongheng's changing expression and slowly spoke.

"Twenty spirit stones per boat," he stated. "As for your boat, it will be a hundred."