Chapter 981: Wind Rises Over the Forbidden Sea

Late at night, the already dark Forbidden Sea grew even more profound.

To the naked eye, visibility was less than half a foot. The surrounding void seemed swallowed by a gaping, eerie maw.

One could stretch out a hand and not see their fingers.

The temperature was no different.

As night descended, icy sea winds howled between the ocean and the sky, sweeping northwards.

This wind was bone-chilling, carrying a fishy scent and a sense of decay, as if an old man, ravaged by illness, was struggling to exhale breaths of death in his twilight years.

Along with this breath, the whimpering sounds of unknown sea beasts were carried on the wind.

They echoed in the darkness, full of mystery, striking fear into one's heart.

Beneath the sea, the undercurrents were just as intense. They were stronger and more turbulent than during the day, swirling in all directions. On the surface, they formed colossal waves; beneath, they transformed into powerful vortices, sweeping across the seabed.

For countless years, the seabed had been like this every time deep night arrived. No one knew why these vortices formed, only that it seemed to be a natural phenomenon of the Forbidden Sea. Recurring endlessly, without interruption.

At this moment, as a vortex swept across a section of the seabed with a roar, the spreading silt revealed gulleys resembling scars.

Deep within one of these gulleys, beneath the silt, a huge bubble was buried.

Inside the bubble was a ruined tower.

Outside the tower, divine vines coiled, emitting tense and hostile emotional fluctuations, locking onto the outside world.

And inside the tower... lay a gruesome skeleton.

It lay there as if dismembered. However, the blade used for dismemberment was clearly not sharp, so the flesh and bones of the corpse were not completely severed; numerous silver threads stretched between them, tenuously connecting the parts.

As time passed, with the contraction of the silver threads, the separated flesh slowly retracted, and a faint purple light shimmered, as if undergoing repair.

Until several days later...

The flesh and bones of the corpse fully contracted, finally taking human form, though the dense network of cracks across it remained horrifyingly apparent.

Fortunately, vitality emanated from the body, as if it had returned from the underworld.

Its closed eyes slowly opened, revealing a gaze that was weak yet remarkably cold.

"Being here and still alive means my final decision was correct! The master of the Heretic Life Sanctuary cannot enter the bubble formed by this tower! Regarding time, I have regained it at the very edge!"

Xu Qing's heart was calm, and his expression matched it. At this moment, he still maintained a state where his divinity was dominant, using extreme rationality to calmly judge all matters. His faint divine perception spread outwards, extending beyond the tower. After confirming his analysis, he slowly sat up.

The process of sitting up brought intense pain to both his body and soul, enough to drive a normal person mad or even cause them to faint. Yet, Xu Qing, with his divinity dominant, seemed to feel nothing; his movements were merely slow, taking over a dozen breaths to fully sit up.

He then took out the blood of the incomplete face and slowly swallowed it. With eyes closed, he began to meditate. He wanted his injuries to heal as quickly as possible and his cultivation to return to its peak. At the same time, he would use his newfound temporal advantage to await rescue from outside.

Meanwhile, outside the ruined tower, beyond the bubble, Fu Xie sat cross-legged in meditation, his expression impassive. Above his head floated a rusty pair of scissors, radiating a dim light while an ancient and terrifying pressure subtly circulated within. This formed a force capable of shielding all external perception, erasing all traces of his presence, causing everything seen to appear illusory. The scissors themselves were also becoming ethereal.

"This protection is indeed impressive! Only that Holy Sky Divine Vine can allow one to enter and exit without hindrance!" Fu Xie gazed at the bubble ahead, murmuring to himself.

For three days, he had tried many methods to enter the bubble, all of which failed. If he tried to force his way in, he could only get about twenty steps before being unable to proceed; the repulsive force from the bubble had reached the limit of what he could withstand.

"But breaking it isn't impossible; I just need to use my sovereign authority to grind it down little by little. However, it would take a bit longer, about a hundred days! There's also another way, which could open it instantly: using the scissors' primordial power again!" Fu Xie pondered.

"Using the scissors' primordial power would accelerate their deterioration, making them even more ethereal until they completely vanish, becoming a part of the Grand Dao! Such a loss is unacceptable to me! Most importantly, their previous pursuit of Xu Qing involved many karmic threads, making me wary and unable to cut them directly. So, I had already used the scissors' primordial power earlier to temporarily shield them, like an Emperor's peak might! If I were to use it again now, there's a high probability the scissors would completely dematerialize, dissipate, merge into the Grand Dao, and no longer be under my control! At that point, all the shielding I've applied against those terrifying karmic threads throughout this journey would instantly vanish! Powerful beings would likely descend upon this place in an instant! And I also need time to refine this person's physical body; there wouldn't be enough time..."

Fu Xie mused, then looked up at the ruined tower inside the bubble, a strange expression slowly appearing on his face.

"Giving up feels a bit unwilling! This is the flesh and blood of an incomplete face... His physical body is probably unique in the entire world. Combined with the legendary immortal silver, this physical body, although bearing great karma, is... an opportunity to achieve Immortal of Xia, or even a higher level! Once I possess it, I only need to go into hiding for a period. When the Void Star Sanctuary descends, at that time, though that esteemed individual might also covet it, he will certainly not want to be entangled in karma with the Upper Desolation. So, most likely, he will permit me to control it... Under his protection, the karmic ties of this child can be extinguished with a mere lift of a hand! And my Heretic Life Sanctuary will soar to new heights."

Fu Xie narrowed his eyes... After a moment of silence, his resolve hardened. "In that case... I can only use the third method. Although it carries risks, for one who seeks the Dao, it's worth it even if it means dying in the morning after being born in the evening. There's even a chance for serendipitous transformation!"

Thinking this, Fu Xie closed his eyes. Instantly, his entire body trembled, and then threads of flesh and blood emanated from within him, rapidly extending towards the bubble ahead. They were so numerous and dense, probably tens of millions.

Soon, these blood threads enveloped the bubble, completely covering it and slowly pulling at it. He intended to pull it into his body and slowly assimilate it.

During this process, Fu Xie's expression was extremely grave. His focus was not on the pulling itself, but on the Emperor's treasure above his head, vigilantly guarding against any perceptions directed at this place, himself, or Xu Qing.

Thus, time passed.

One day later.

In the Seven Blood Eyes port of South Phoenix Continent, Senior Sister Two sat in the Seventh Peak's pavilion, handling sect affairs.

During this period, with the arrival of the Heretic Life Sanctuary and increased external contact, the Forbidden Sea's situation was outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense. For the Seven Blood Eyes sect, a top-tier power in both South Phoenix Continent and the Saint Waves Grand Domain, affairs had suddenly become much busier.

Xu Qing was away training, Second Ox was lingering with the foreign tribes and not returning, and as for Third Brother... he was traveling the continent, seeking pleasure, his whereabouts unknown. Master was in seclusion, and the Grand Ancestor was experiencing a second spring... Thus, within Seven Blood Eyes, she was the only one of her generation capable of handling affairs. Although other peaks also assisted, it was clearly centered around the Seventh Peak. So, Senior Sister Two was busy every day.

Seeing his beloved wife so busy, Huang Yan felt deeply pained. So he stayed by her side, his face full of eagerness to please. From time to time, he would massage her shoulders, or squat down to rub her legs, or carefully peel fruit from the table and gently place it at Senior Sister Two's lips. His care was meticulous, and at the same time, he would curse others.

"That Chen Second Ox, the first time I saw him, I knew he wasn't good. Now he's still lingering with those foreign tribes and not returning, causing you, Senior Sister, to be so busy. He deserves to die. And Third Brother, same as Second Ox, he'll work himself to death on a woman's belly sooner or later. As for Ah Qing..."

Huang Yan was about to continue when Senior Sister Two looked up and glanced at him. Huang Yan quickly coughed. He knew his wife was not eloquent or expressive, but she had a deep affection for their master's lineage. So he quickly changed what he was about to say.

"Second Ox is fine, Third Brother isn't bad either... Ah Qing is the best... Speaking of which, I haven't contacted him in days!"

As Huang Yan spoke, his voice transmission jade slip suddenly vibrated violently. It wasn't just his; Senior Sister Two's also vibrated. Both of them took out their slips simultaneously. After concentrating, they instantly looked up and at each other.

The one sending them the message was Second Ox. Because the foreign tribes were too far from South Phoenix Continent, Second Ox's message was relayed through multiple commanderies, finally reaching South Phoenix Continent via the transmission array of Welcoming Emperor Province.

"I've been feeling inexplicably uneasy lately, as if something has happened. Senior Sister Two, and Second Brother-in-law, is little Ah Qing with you? I can't reach him."

Senior Sister Two immediately sent a voice transmission to Xu Qing. After receiving no reply, she sent a voice transmission to Grand Ancestor Blood Refiner to inquire. She remembered her last contact with Xu Qing was telling him to go to the Grand Ancestor.

Soon, the Grand Ancestor sent back a message. After Senior Sister Two read it, her expression immediately turned serious, and she looked at Huang Yan.

"Fourth Brother went after a divine creature, and there's been no word from him."

Huang Yan yawned and smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing, nothing. Many places underwater have distortions, so it's normal for voice transmissions not to go through. And for that kid, killing a divine creature isn't dangerous. Besides, I left a feather with him; if there's an irresistible danger, he'll naturally tell me. Since you're worried, I'll just go find him!"

As Huang Yan spoke, he tried to sense his feather. But the next instant, his eyes widened abruptly, flames flickering within them. The connection to the feather had vanished.

However, after glancing at Senior Sister Two beside him and noticing her emotional fluctuation, Huang Yan feigned a relaxed smile. "It's fine, I found him... That kid encountered a sea beast about to ignite its divine flame. I'll go take care of it!"

With that, he started to walk away.

"Huang Yan!" Senior Sister Two suddenly spoke.

Huang Yan paused, then turned back, smiling amiably at his beloved wife. "Bring Fourth Brother back," Senior Sister Two said softly.

"Don't worry!" Huang Yan laughed heartily, his expression relaxed as he stepped outside. But on his face, turned away from Senior Sister Two, a grave look appeared before he vanished without a trace in an instant.

Above the Forbidden Sea, in an area invisible to the Seven Blood Eyes, dark clouds churned across the sky, obscuring the sun and casting the black Forbidden Sea into shadow. Endless lightning ripped thunderously across the sky, and a gigantic figure, resembling both a phoenix and an eagle, streaked into the distance. Its brown body was like rock, and its feathers resembled clusters of burning flames. Wherever it passed, it was as if celestial fire descended.

It was indeed the Flame Phoenix.

"Some powerful being has severed my connection."