Chapter 89: Like a Phoenix, Like an Eagle

After a while, Xu Qing emerged onto the beach, braving the falling rain. He walked past numerous skeletons, buried in the sand and now exposed by the rain, and gazed out at the vast ocean from the shore. Under the shroud of rain, the sea was turbulent, seemingly harboring boundless perils.

Xu Qing remembered the Departing Cult's ship; it was no longer visible. He knew that no Foundation Establishment cultivator dared to set foot on this island or linger in the nearby waters. However, Xu Qing believed that if any Foundation Establishment cultivators truly harbored ill intentions, they would most likely be lurking further offshore. They would be waiting for Qi Condensation cultivators returning laden with goods from Sea Lizard Island, ready to hunt them down and seize their sea lizard hides, or perhaps awaiting the return of their own dispatched personnel.

Xu Qing wasn't certain if the Sea Ghost organization and Departing Cult members who came this time had any Foundation Establishment cultivators among them. But if they did, it was highly probable they had already received news, as he couldn't have completely blocked all communications during the recent melee. Therefore, after some thought, Xu Qing did not leave immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged, meditating silently to recuperate his cultivation and restore his stamina. When he had recovered most of his strength, he opened his eyes in the rain, gazing at the distant sea with an intense, cold glint.

"If there truly are Foundation Establishment cultivators..." Xu Qing mused, then suppressed his killing intent after careful consideration. He wasn't sure how many Foundation Establishment cultivators the enemy possessed, so he was unwilling to engage in another bloody battle unless absolutely necessary.

After deliberation, Xu Qing walked to the water's edge and retrieved his magic boat. With a wave of his right hand, the boat emitted a series of clicks. While its outer appearance remained unchanged, a much smaller flying boat detached from its underside. This smaller flying boat had been installed by Zhang San for emergency escapes, designed for use if the main magic boat were to break down. It wasn't a standard sect magic boat, and its internal structure differed. Its defensive and offensive capabilities were incomparable to the main vessel, but Zhang San's crafting had heavily prioritized speed. When pushed to its limits, it could unleash a burst of speed more than double that of the original magic boat for a limited time. However, using it for prolonged sea voyages presented significant risks.

Xu Qing stared at it for a moment, his eyes hardening with resolve. He then took out the magic boat's control jade slip, adjusted it for autonomous navigation, set its return course, activated all its defenses, and watched it sail away. Watching the magic boat disappear into the distance, Xu Qing suppressed a pang of heartache, then turned and stepped into the smaller flying boat.

As he stood on the flying boat, poised to leave Sea Lizard Island, Xu Qing glanced back at the island. Shrouded in the rain, the island was dim. Its vegetation rustled in the wind and rain, creating murmuring whispers, as if discussing the bloody conflict that had just transpired. The rainy night brought forth wind; the mountains seemed to stir, yet all human activity was still. Xu Qing watched this scene, then after a moment, he bowed deeply towards the island.

"Forgive the disturbance, venerable ones."

With those words, he turned and, without hesitation, maneuvered the flying boat to submerge beneath the waves. The moment the flying boat submerged, Xu Qing completely suppressed his aura, and a dragon whale arrived, shrouding him. Then, under the night rain outside, Xu Qing sped forward in the boat beneath the sea. This was Xu Qing's strategy: two boats, one visible and one hidden, departing in different directions, to maximize his chances of avoiding any potential lock-on by Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As he departed, the island, relatively silent in the rain, suddenly trembled and slowly began to sink... The seawater churned, instantly washing away the bloodstains that the rain couldn't quickly cleanse, leaving the island spotless. A moment later, when the island resurfaced, not a single trace of blood remained, and the fallen trees and shattered rocks had eerie returned to their original state. Only in the depths of the seabed beneath the island did a pair of enormous eyes slowly open, gazing indifferently at the distant flying boat for a long time... before slowly closing again.

Half an hour later.

Inside the astonishingly fast underwater flying boat, Xu Qing, who had been recuperating his cultivation, suddenly opened his eyes. He took out the magic boat's control jade slip, his eyes slowly narrowing. The jade slip was shattered. This indicated that the magic boat, which had been navigating autonomously back along its original route, had been destroyed.

"As expected, there are Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"Should I dive deeper and hide motionless, waiting for the Foundation Establishment cultivators to search fruitlessly and depart, or should I accelerate my escape right now?" Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then chose the latter. He didn't want to remain there and wait for death, as the dangers beneath the sea were equally terrifying. If the enemy lingered, he would become extremely passive. He refused to gamble his life on when his adversaries might decide to leave. Thus, while increasing the flying boat's speed, he also further suppressed his own aura.

Fortunately, the seawater naturally obscured much of his aura. Moreover, Xu Qing wasn't afraid of the heterogeneous substances, allowing him to dive even deeper and further mask his presence. The only concern was whether the flying boat itself could withstand the pressure. But Xu Qing knew this wasn't the time to ponder such a question. Under his control, his flying boat sped rapidly across the seabed. Soon, Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He felt a sense of danger emanating from the surface of the sea, as if something was probing and searching.

Xu Qing silently sank a little deeper and continued onward. But the sense of danger persisted, and the flying boat was now struggling under the immense underwater pressure and the corrosive alien substances. Seeing that it would soon become unusable, Xu Qing frowned, simply put away the flying boat, immersed himself within the Forbidden Sea Dragon Whale, and continued his journey. Thus, time passed, and a night went by.

The sense of danger from the sea gradually diminished, yet a few strands still lingered, as if Xu Qing had been locked onto by some unknown means. This prevented Xu Qing from showing any carelessness. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to plunge deeper into the seabed, hoping to escape the lock-on. Just then, Xu Qing's mind suddenly reeled as an indescribable pressure descended abruptly from the vast sky, enveloping the entire ocean. Xu Qing couldn't see the surface from his position underwater, but he could intensely feel the terrifying power of this pressure.

This was not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator could generate; it was more akin to some colossal entity emitting its aura from the sky. The moment this pressure appeared, the qi mechanisms that seemed to have locked onto him instantly became chaotic, appearing to flee in a desperate panic. Alarmed, Xu Qing seized the opportunity to accelerate. He sped onward until he had traveled a great distance and could no longer feel the qi mechanism lock-on. He hesitated for a moment, then continued moving forward underwater.

However, he knew he couldn't maintain this state for long. While underwater dangers might not be immediately apparent, prolonged deep-sea travel would undoubtedly be even more perilous. So, after a while, and repeatedly confirming there was no sense of danger on the surface, Xu Qing cautiously ascended. The moment a small portion of his head broke the surface, he quickly scanned his surroundings. However, the very next instant, his gaze was completely drawn to a sight in the sky.

The sky, which should have been bright with morning, had now turned pitch black. The sky's darkness was caused by a vast, imposing black cloud. This black cloud was enormous, spanning hundreds of miles, eclipsing the sky and blocking out the sun. The sea where Xu Qing was located was currently shrouded in its shadow. The roar of wind and thunder continuously emanated from within the black cloud, and streaks of lightning snaked through it, shaking heaven and earth, like a cosmic tribulation. Wherever it passed, the ocean erupted into storms, as if kneeling in reverence before this celestial entity!

If it were merely that, it would have been acceptable. But what truly horrified Xu Qing was that within this moving black cloud resided an unimaginable entity. A visible part of its body seemed to possess a crushing superiority in terms of life force, causing Xu Qing's entire body to stiffen, his soul to roar, and his mind to go blank. Only his eyes could move, enabling him to discern the blurry form of that terrifying entity within the black cloud.

It was a colossal creature, resembling both a phoenix and an eagle, its entire body wreathed in black flames! It possessed a phoenix head, a snake neck, a swallow-like chin, a turtle shell-like back, and a fish tail! Within the black flames, its body shimmered with vibrant colors, dazzlingly bright, as if even the dark flames couldn't conceal its brilliance in the slightest. It soared within the black cloud, radiating an aura of profound sacredness. Moreover, it faintly bore a resemblance in divine aura to the Divine Remnant Face.

Evidently, its appearance forced those unknown cultivators with malicious intent towards Xu Qing to abandon their pursuit and scatter. Amidst the rumbling of heaven and earth, the black cloud rapidly sped away from the sky, slowly revealing the bright expanse behind it. Xu Qing's body gradually recovered, and he instinctively took a breath. But just as he inhaled, that utterly terrifying entity within the distant black cloud suddenly turned its head and cast a glance at the distant sea surface.

With that single glance, a vast expanse of sea tens of miles from Xu Qing instantly surged, colossal waves reaching skyward and whipping up a storm. The alien substances in the water suddenly intensified, as if being drawn and concentrated. Even from afar, unable to see clearly, Xu Qing's body swayed with the waves, and his mind reeled. The phoenix-eagle quickly withdrew its gaze, vanished into the black cloud, and, amidst rolling thunder, disappeared into the distant horizon.

After a long time, when the ocean's waves had calmed, Xu Qing finally let out a long breath. His face pale, he gazed at the distant heavens and sea, his mind still in turmoil. The divine bird evoked a sensation in him that was entirely unprecedented during this sea expedition. Even the giant pulling the bronze dragon carriage from the deep sea, in Xu Qing's perception, seemed to pale in comparison to this divine bird.

"What was that? And it flew towards the South Phoenix Continent..." Xu Qing murmured, suddenly realizing something significant. "The 'Phoenix' character in 'South Phoenix Continent'..." Within the Seven Blood Eyes sect, Xu Qing had consulted numerous ancient texts and scrolls in the Bounty Division. He recalled the sect's designation for the enormous forbidden zone on the other side of the Mountain Range of Truth, which occupied seventy percent of the South Phoenix Continent: "The largest forbidden zone in the South Phoenix Continent, the Phoenix Forbidden Zone..."

Xu Qing's heart trembled with a nascent suspicion. After a moment, he took a deep breath, suppressed the thought, and resolved to inquire about it and research further upon his return. With these thoughts, Xu Qing submerged himself once more. After speeding for several hours and detecting no pursuit, he resurfaced, retrieved his flying boat, leaped aboard, and accelerated his escape.

Three days quickly passed. Xu Qing remained exceptionally cautious throughout his journey, performing multiple checks. Only when he had definitively confirmed that the qi mechanism tracking him had vanished did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. He inwardly speculated that the appearance of the Phoenix had, in an unseen way, provided him with assistance, preventing the malicious cultivators from clearly detecting his whereabouts and causing them to lose his trail. Still, Xu Qing dared not let down his guard. Although he no longer submerged beneath the waves, he maintained an extremely high speed, even if it meant expending spirit stones.

Over these three days, his injuries had largely healed, his complexion was no longer pale, and the fatigue from the killings had dissipated. Recalling the previous slaughter, even he, with his formidable cultivation and combat strength, had felt a profound exhaustion that day, one he hadn't experienced in a long time. Fortunately, the gains from this trip were astonishing, bringing a look of satisfaction to Xu Qing's face.

His spoils included not only the three divine lizard hides but also over a dozen lizard hides from eighth or ninth-layer Qi Condensation cultivators. As for lower-grade lizard hides, there were many more. In addition, he had acquired several valuable treasures and various other items. He even obtained three Talisman Treasures. Though their inscriptions were blurred and they had limited uses, their value was still considerable. As for spirit stones, Xu Qing calculated he had roughly over four thousand. Most rogue cultivators were poor, so the reason for Xu Qing's extensive gains was that he had killed everyone on the island and looted each corpse. The primary source of value came from the Sea Ghost organization members. As for the Departing Cult, Xu Qing had checked their pockets and, for some reason, they all seemed quite impoverished, which left him a bit disappointed. However, considering his overall gains from this trip, Xu Qing didn't dwell on the Departing Cult's apparent poverty.

"Excluding the divine lizard hides, I've still gained nearly twenty thousand spirit stones," Xu Qing thought. He sat on the deck, and after tallying his spoils, he steered the flying boat, cutting through the waves towards the Seven Blood Eyes sect. The improvement in his cultivation and the substantial gains from this sea voyage allowed Xu Qing to disregard the consumption of spirit stones by his flying boat on his return journey. His many days at sea had also deepened Xu Qing's reverence for the ocean. With his pockets now full, he had only one thought: to return as quickly as possible. Therefore, powered by a large quantity of spirit stones, his flying boat operated at its maximum capacity, moving more than twice as fast as it did on his journey out. By Xu Qing's estimation, he would be back at the sect in three days at most.

For the remainder of the journey, as he approached the coastal waters of the South Phoenix Continent, Xu Qing encountered no significant dangers. It wasn't until he was less than half a day's sea journey from the Seven Blood Eyes port that he spotted a sect ship. It was a warship, swiftly approaching him. Although the warship seemed to belong to the Seventh Peak's Coastal Defense Division, Xu Qing remained inwardly wary. His plesiosaur swam beneath the surface, ready for combat at any moment. He also noticed five dragon whales lurking beneath the Coastal Defense Division warship. One of them looked somewhat different; while appearing to be a dragon whale, it actually bore some resemblance to a megalodon. This caused Xu Qing's heart to seize up, and he became even more vigilant.

Soon, as waves churned on the sea, the warship drew closer, entering Xu Qing's sight with increasing clarity. The massive hull was covered with spell formations that pulsed with terrifying energy. Around the ship's body were over eighty magic spikes, seemingly capable of unleashing astonishing power. On the deck, more than thirty Seventh Peak disciples were visible. All these features endowed the warship with formidable combat power.

"Seven Blood Eyes, Seventh Peak, Coastal Defense Division on duty! Vessel ahead, state your identity!" A majestic voice boomed from the Coastal Defense Division warship as they drew closer.

"Seventh Peak's Bounty Division, Xu Qing," Xu Qing calmly replied, looking at the Coastal Defense Division warship.

The thirty-odd cultivators on the Coastal Defense Division warship were visibly gathered around a young man. A gray Daoist robe fluttered around him in the wind, and his gaze, sharp as lightning, carried a potent oppressive aura. The fluctuations of his Grand Perfection Qi Condensation cultivation were quite remarkable. As he looked at Xu Qing in the flying boat, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"Xu Qing?" After Xu Qing stated his name, a familiar voice came from behind the group of thirty-odd people on the Coastal Defense Division warship. Soon, Zhou Qingpeng emerged from the crowd. His expression filled with pleasant surprise, he greeted Xu Qing, then turned and respectfully whispered a few words to the Grand Perfection Qi Condensation youth. The youth nodded expressionlessly. Zhou Qingpeng cupped his fists, then, with a joyful expression, leaped from the warship and landed on Xu Qing's flying boat, smiling.

"Xu Qing, I didn't expect us to meet at sea! Are you returning from a sea expedition?"

"I've been out for a while and am now returning to the sect." Xu Qing glanced at the young man on the Coastal Defense Division warship.

"That's my boss, Ding Xiaohai of the Coastal Defense Division," Zhou Qingpeng said proudly, then glanced at Xu Qing's flying boat. "What happened to you? Why has your boat become so shabby...? Normally, the Coastal Defense Division has the right to inspect all vessels, but I'll make an exception for you." Zhou Qingpeng chuckled, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Xu Qing, and then, amidst Xu Qing's congratulations, cupped his fists, preparing to return.

Before leaving, he seemed to recall something and whispered to Xu Qing. "Oh, right, Xu Qing," he whispered, "don't go out to sea again for a while after you return. Our Coastal Defense Division received a notice that the seabed has been quite restless recently. I heard my boss say that some terrifying entities have mysteriously appeared." Zhou Qingpeng's expression showed a lingering fear as he spoke. He said no more, turning with a flash to return to the warship.

"Terrifying entities?" Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and his expression grew solemn. He cupped his fists and thanked Zhou Qingpeng, who had returned to the warship. Soon, the Coastal Defense Division warship emitted a wailing sound, turned, and gradually sailed away.

As Xu Qing watched it depart, on the Coastal Defense Division warship, Ding Xiaohai, the Grand Perfection Qi Condensation cultivator, turned his head. He first looked at Xu Qing's distant flying boat, then at the faintly visible plesiosaur beneath it in the sea, and calmly spoke to Zhou Qingpeng, who was reporting beside him.

"Zhou Qingpeng, this peer of yours is not simple."

Zhou Qingpeng was startled and whispered, "Senior Brother Ding, during the Bounty Division's previous Night Dove operation, it was rumored that someone, though not a captain, slew the enemy chieftain..."

"That's him," Ding Xiaohai replied, his eyes holding a deeper meaning.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingpeng's expression became dazed, and he turned to look at Xu Qing's distant flying boat. Faintly, he could see the silhouette of the young man on the flying boat, standing firm amidst the surging wind and waves, unwavering in the slightest.