Chapter 879: Old Clam Holds a Pearl

Beyond Time!

A red sea, boundless and congealed, its frozen appearance meant there were no significant waves.

It floated thus in the starry sky, suspended within the gaps of a vast spider web.

If everything here were to be scaled down, one would find this red sea resembled a single drop of blood resting upon the spider web.

At this moment, in this blood-like sea, hundreds of enormous, ten-thousand-foot shells were scattered far apart, successively opening and closing.

With each opening and closing, the colossal eagle bodies revealed within would also extend outwards.

The eagles within these shells had reddish-brown feathers, their eyes closed as if in slumber. An eerie aura emanated from their entire forms, instilling a sense of unease deep within the soul of anyone who saw them from afar, as if they were deities being nurtured.

Gazing upon all this, Xu Qing's understanding of the Divine Realm deepened further.

For the past few days, as he and the Captain traversed this Divine Realm, much of what they saw and experienced defied comprehension; most things here simply did not conform to basic logic.

Whether it was the giant fish with tentacles dangling and wandering in the void, or the destructive eyes that opened as stars trembled, or even the spiders that ignored magical arts—all of it exuded an unsettling strangeness.

“See that, Little Ah Qing? These shells are good stuff!”

The Captain stood beside Xu Qing, gazing at the shells with shining eyes, and spoke excitedly.

“Look closely,” he continued, “inside those shells, there are actually flesh orbs. I’m telling you, divine pearls grow inside these flesh orbs! These pearls are useless to others, but for us, they can later become a crucial cornerstone to support this significant endeavor! Also, you know I’m kind-hearted and can’t bear to see anyone suffer even a bit. Look, every time these shells close, they seem to be in great pain. It’s clearly because those pearls are grinding against them!”

The Captain licked his lips, staring at the pearls, and spoke to Xu Qing.

“Sigh,” he said, “let’s do a good deed and help them by taking these pearls out, making them a little more comfortable.”

Xu Qing remained silent, gazing at the shells, then at the red sea, sensing the terror emanating from within, and a profound sense of life-or-death danger rising in his heart.

He knew that this blood-red sea surely held deadly perils.

As for the Captain’s words, he outright ignored them. Firmly resolved not to get involved, Xu Qing swayed, ready to retreat and leave.

Seeing Xu Qing about to leave, the Captain immediately panicked and quickly spoke.

“Little Junior Brother, don’t leave! I have a way to safely get the pearls, I’m already prepared!”

Saying this, the Captain swiftly produced a rope.

“I’ll tie one end of this rope to myself, and you hold the other. Then, just find an open shell and throw me in. Once I’ve extracted the pearls, I’ll signal you, and you can pull me out. With my speed, and your help, it’ll be foolproof.”

Xu Qing hesitated, glancing at the rope; it looked somewhat familiar.

It was a leather rope, and after carefully examining its patterns, Xu Qing sighed inwardly, recognizing it.

“You recognized it, haha! Little Junior Brother, you see how much effort I put in, right? Come on, help me out!”

The Captain said with a laugh.

It was the Captain’s skin, just as it had been back in the Moon Sacrifice Domain. Clearly, the Captain had once again peeled off his own skin to fashion it into a rope.

Such a level of dedication made it truly difficult for Xu Qing to refuse. He gave the Captain a meaningful look and nodded.

Seeing Xu Qing agree, the Captain was elated. He stepped forward to discuss the details with Xu Qing, who also thought comprehensively, making some adjustments to the plan. Only then did Xu Qing grit his teeth, grab the rope and the Captain, and whisk away from mid-air to appear above the blood-red sea.

Soon, he found a shell that had just opened. It seemed that at the moment the giant eagle inside extended itself, the Captain put on special gloves and gave a low growl.

“That’s the one!”

Xu Qing didn't hesitate, giving the rope in his hand a mighty swing.

Instantly, the Captain, tied to the other end, burst forth with speed, transforming into a blue arc. At an incredibly astonishing pace, he pierced through the void and shot straight into the shell's opening.

Perhaps the Captain’s preparations were indeed thorough this time, or perhaps the concealment of the Wordless Heavenly Book was astonishing. In any case, the Captain, flying past the giant eagle like a mosquito, did not attract its attention.

He successfully entered the shell. As he landed on the flesh inside, blue light shimmered in the Captain’s eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, his gloved hand swept across the shell’s flesh.

The gloves were peculiar; upon touching the shell’s flesh, the flesh actually squirmed open on its own, revealing the pearls within.

The Captain was excited. He hugged a pearl almost as large as his body and sharply retreated outwards.

At the same moment, Xu Qing pulled hard on the rope in his hand. With his assistance, the Captain’s speed increased, and he burst out of the shell in an instant.

Upon returning to Xu Qing’s side, the Captain laughed heartily.

“How was it, Little Ah Qing? I told you it was foolproof.”

Xu Qing was suspicious. Looking at the situation, it indeed seemed as the Captain claimed, without much danger. Yet, his usual habits kept Xu Qing on high alert.

The Captain shook his head, looking quite thoughtful.

“You have to trust me, Little Junior Brother,” he said. “Come, let’s continue.”

Saying this, the Captain pointed to another shell nearby that was about to open.

And so, with Xu Qing’s assistance, time passed. After the duration of an incense stick, the Captain had retrieved over a dozen pearls.

Each attempt was successful; there wasn't a single failure. Once, the Captain even managed to retrieve two pearls from a single shell and returned safely.

“I’m a bit tired, Little Ah Qing. Come on, come on, how about you try it?”

Xu Qing refused.

The Captain raised an eyebrow.

“Little Ah Qing,” he said, “you’re being too timid now. Why are you getting so cowardly? Never mind, I’ll do it. We need one hundred of these pearls.”

The Captain raised his chin, a hint of disdain in his expression, and gestured for Xu Qing to throw him.

Xu Qing paid no mind to the Captain’s words. He had made up his mind not to get deeply involved this time, so just as before, he swung the Captain out.

But this time... the unexpected, though delayed, still arrived.

The moment the Captain entered the shell, before he could even dig for pearls, the giant eagle, which had previously ignored him, suddenly opened its eyes, aimed its sharp beak at the rope, and took a bite.

With a 'snap,' the rope broke.

The Captain was startled, his expression changing. He was just about to retreat, but it was too late; the shell snapped shut completely in that instant.

With a boom, it sealed shut perfectly.

The sea remained quiet, with no waves stirring around. Only Xu Qing stood in mid-air, watching it all. He sighed deeply, knowing this was bound to happen.

His gaze fell on the closed shell, then he looked at the other shells the Captain had previously entered; not a single one of them had opened again.

“Can’t wait any longer!”

Xu Qing took a deep breath. The Fourth Deity immediately erupted, soul threads permeating his entire body, while Nine Li’s nine heads circled around him. To prevent any further mishaps, the Fifth Sorcerer’s Lair within him rumbled, and the shadow of the half-Ancestor Sorcerer directly descended upon this red sea.

The moment it appeared, the red sea trembled, and all the shells shook. A divine might from all directions immediately enveloped them, and a powerful sense of crisis instantly erupted.

Xu Qing’s heart jolted. At that moment, he had no time to think further. Gathering all his strength, he raised both hands toward the shell that had swallowed the Captain and tore it open from a distance.

The shell rumbled, and under Xu Qing’s full effort, a gap finally opened. Though just a gap, it was passable.

“Senior Brother!”

Xu Qing gave a low roar, and a figure whistled out from inside the shell, emerging through the gap.

Xu Qing couldn’t persist for too long either and sharply retreated.

The shell closed again with a boom, and Xu Qing swiftly retracted all his aura, causing the divine might that had enveloped them from all directions to dissipate somewhat.

As for the Captain, he was in an extremely sorry state.

His entire body was soaking wet, with large patches of his skin corroded deep enough to expose bone. His face was in a similar state, as if he would have been melted and absorbed if Xu Qing had opened the shell even a moment later.

Adding to his predicament, a pearl-like shell had formed on the outside of his body. Xu Qing’s gaze fell on the Captain, but he said nothing.

“Cough, cough,” the Captain stammered, “Little Junior Brother, this wasn’t an accident. It’s normal…”

The Captain felt awkward inside but would never admit it aloud.

“I did it on purpose!” he insisted. “Look at these on my body; they’re part of the divine pearls. They can be used if removed.”

“Oh,” Xu Qing replied.

Xu Qing nodded. Seeing his Senior Brother in such a miserable state, he decided not to expose him.

However, Xu Qing’s gaze still made the Captain feel his dignity as a Senior Brother was compromised. So, he directed all his anger at the shell. He turned to stare at the shell that had bitten him, a hint of madness in his eyes.

“Little Junior Brother, lend me your Sun of Dawn for a moment!”

Xu Qing was startled and about to refuse, but the Captain winked and quickly spoke.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I’m not going to blow this place up. There’s a treasure of mine inside that ancient sun; I’m just going to retrieve it. Just hand it over!”

Xu Qing sighed. Although he didn’t believe it, since his Senior Brother had asked, he still agreed. However, after handing over the Sun of Dawn, he swayed and instantly teleported a thousand zhang away.

Seemingly feeling it was still not safe, he flickered again, appearing three thousand zhang distant.

Watching Xu Qing’s rapidly departing figure, the Captain was somewhat displeased.

“What about trust between people?!”

The Captain snorted, but after taking the Sun of Dawn, all his emotions transformed into madness.

And indeed, as Xu Qing had expected, he wasn't going to retrieve anything; there was nothing he had left behind inside the Sun of Dawn at all.

At that moment, he stared intently at the shell, then clenched his right hand, directly activating the Sun of Dawn!

In an instant, intense heat surged from the Sun of Dawn. A terrifying aura and violent fluctuations immediately enveloped the entire red sea.

Even the surrounding void showed signs of distortion; the scorching heat from within the Sun of Dawn seemed capable of boiling everything.

“Damn it all!” the Captain roared. “Normally, I’m the one biting others! This is the first time I’ve encountered something that dared to bite me! I’m going to boil you all and eat you!”

The Captain’s voice, filled with madness, echoed in all directions.

In the distance, Xu Qing, his face grim, turned and fled even further…