Chapter 997: Eerie Outer Sea

The sky wasn't entirely black. Blood-red clouds served as the light source, casting their sanguine hue in all directions. Xu Qing and Second Bull stood within the clouds, listening to Yu Liuchen while gazing at the sea.

On the sea's surface, black and purple merged, forming an endless, long mark. It was like a dividing line, splitting the Forbidden Sea into inner and outer regions.

The Inner Sea, though dangerous, was relatively manageable. Over tens of thousands of years, regions like Yinghuang State, Nanhuang Continent, Nanyu Domain, and countless islands in the sea had been extensively explored. Although the scope of exploration varied with cultivation levels, generations of effort had, to some extent, demystified the Inner Sea.

However, the Outer Sea remained forbidden to all beings of Wanggu, even when the sun and moon still patrolled its borders. Those qualified to enter were exceedingly rare. Anyone who forcibly ventured there without reaching a certain cultivation level would quickly perish, body and soul. Often, they wouldn't even know how they met their end.

Moreover, the demise of Crown Prince Golden Crow and Oriole tens of thousands of years ago left the Outer Sea without a sun or moon, perpetually consumed by darkness. This naturally made those who could explore it even scarcer. Mystery and the unknown increasingly dominated the Outer Sea.

Even as Yu Liuchen's words unveiled the first layer of the Outer Sea's mystery, beneath that veil still lay boundless secrets and endless depths.

Second Bull remained silent, lost in thought, a complex expression in his eyes as he looked out at the Outer Sea. Xu Qing, too, was filled with countless thoughts. What Yu Liuchen said about the Outer Sea, combined with Xu Qing's observations from the Dragon Chariot and the inheritance he received, made him realize that Yu Liuchen's words were very likely true.

"The Outer Sea's history is more ancient than that of the God Race of Fiery Heavens..."

"The God Race of Fiery Heavens originated from the Outer Sea..."

"Origin?"

If so, what exactly was this "Outer Sea"? A faint guess surfaced in Xu Qing's mind as he looked up at the vast, shattered face of the deity suspended high above beyond Wanggu.

"Why... did *it* come to Wanggu?"

This question had lingered in the hearts of all beings for tens of thousands of years, unanswered.

At that moment, as Xu Qing's guess formed, Yu Liuchen took a deep breath and spoke softly.

"Do you smell it?"

Xu Qing nodded.

It was the scent of blood. Drifting from the Outer Sea... More precisely, it was the Outer Sea's distinct aroma. Similar to the Inner Sea's fishy smell, yet fundamentally different.

"Before Father God's descent, this part of the Outer Sea was already like this. The black is the divine breath of the God Race of Fiery Heavens, mixed with the blood of some unknown entity, which... turned the sea purple."

"After Father God's descent, his divine breath enveloped the world and also encroached upon the Outer Sea. Consequently, the divine breath here, which you cultivators call 'heterogeneity,' became even more abundant and diverse, reaching extreme concentrations!"

"This is what created such a wonderful scent."

"This reminds me of a legend circulating across all the star rings!" Yu Liuchen took another deep breath, savoring the Outer Sea's bloody scent, a strange glint in his eyes.

His words, falling into Xu Qing's and Second Bull's ears, made them exchange glances before Xu Qing spoke in a low voice.

"May I ask what legend you are referring to, Senior?"

Yu Liuchen looked at Xu Qing meaningfully, then raised his head to gaze at the colossal shattered face hanging high in the sky, uttering faintly, "It's a legend about Father God!"

Clearly, Yu Liuchen was unwilling to elaborate on the legend's details. He raised his right hand and waved it, and instantly the red cloud he was on stretched towards the boundary of the Outer Sea.

The next moment, the red cloud, carrying Xu Qing and Second Bull, crossed the black and purple boundary. They had truly entered the Outer Sea. Here, the red cloud did not continue forward but rapidly dispersed. At the same time, Yu Liuchen's voice echoed.

"Next, you will need to venture out on your own, pressing as deep into the Outer Sea as you can!"

"You don't need to do anything extra; your very presence here makes you bait!"

Along with his words came a repelling force, pushing Xu Qing and Second Bull out of the dissolving red cloud. They fell towards the purple sea surface.

In an instant, Xu Qing's grand wing, shaped like an old woman, appeared out of thin air and settled on the water. Had this been the Inner Sea, the grand wing's descent would surely have stirred massive waves. But in the Outer Sea, even at its edge, the water was noticeably thicker, rendering any ripples imperceptible. One wouldn't notice any disturbance without looking closely. The entire sea surface was like still water, unmoving. The grand wing resting upon it was just as motionless.

Standing on the grand wing, Xu Qing and Second Bull felt the Outer Sea's profound weight. While their hearts filled with caution, the mystery of the Outer Sea transformed into an inexplicable pressure, accompanied by terrifying aura and unknown substances, forming an invisible psychic storm that surged towards them.

Xu Qing's body trembled, and Second Bull's breathing became ragged. In that instant, both felt their souls vibrate. An intense sense of dread rose uncontrollably in their hearts, spreading throughout their bodies. This feeling reminded Xu Qing of his first sea voyage in Seven Blood Eyes, years ago. Back then, the Inner Sea had been both mysterious and endlessly dangerous for him. Just like now.

It took a good while for the two of them to adapt. After exchanging glances, Second Bull sighed. "I thought he'd take us directly to the destination and then use us as bait, but I didn't expect... we'd be free-range!"

Second Bull felt a bit helpless. He thought Yu Liuchen, this deity, was truly lazy. It was bad enough to use him and Little Ah Qing as bait, but to make the bait run around on its own? "Clearly unprofessional!"

Second Bull crouched down, looking at the purple sea water around them. After some thought, Xu Qing still reminded him, "Senior Brother, I saw some of the Outer Sea's interior from the Golden Crow Dragon Chariot. There are too many terrifying places here, so you... don't court death!"

Second Bull immediately became unhappy upon hearing this. "Little Ah Qing, how can you talk about your Senior Brother like that? Those words are too hurtful! I never do things that court death; otherwise, how could I still be alive and well now?" Second Bull was displeased.

Xu Qing said nothing, merely gazing calmly at Second Bull. Under his gaze, Second Bull slowly felt a bit guilty, finally letting out a cough. "Alright, alright, I won't court death!"

They were broken, floating on the sea surface, seemingly unsinkable. Each piece emanated an ancient aura, as if it had witnessed countless ages. Xu Qing had seen similar scenes before on the Dragon Chariot, knowing that many areas of the Outer Sea's surface were covered in floating ruins. He wouldn't have been overly solemn, but at this moment, a faint glint appeared in his eyes.

"Senior Brother, something isn't right..." As Xu Qing spoke, he stepped to the edge of the grand wing, focusing his divine essence into his eyes, and looked towards the direction from which the stones were drifting.

On the dark sea surface, beyond those stones, lay a vast expanse of ruins. It was as if a city had crumbled, its shattered walls and debris spread across the sea, covering a considerable area. In the very center, there was a tilted, dilapidated temple. On the ruins of the temple, there was a small figure.

It was a little girl dressed in ancient attire, sitting on the broken wall of the temple, her bare feet swinging back and forth, seemingly quite joyful. Her mouth was open as if she were singing, but no sound emerged. Only shadowy figures, astonishing in number, densely surrounded her, seemingly worshiping her.

The moment he saw the little girl, Xu Qing's heart jolted, and an inexplicable sense of dread surged from deep within him. It was a primal instinct from his soul, signaling intense danger.

Second Bull, by his own methods, also saw this scene. His pupils sharply constricted, and he gasped. "What in the world is that?"

"It doesn't seem like a ghost, nor a god, and certainly not a cultivator. This thing doesn't even have the aura of death on it!"

Xu Qing nodded, raising his right hand to form a hand seal. Immediately, the grand wing's defenses activated, protecting them on all sides. Under his reinforcement, this peculiar grand wing, resembling an old woman, rumbled and slowly moved forward.

Time flowed, and three days passed. During these three days, there was no distinction between day and night in the Outer Sea; it remained perpetually dark. It was also remarkably quiet. The sound of waves was rarely heard, to the point that it created an illusion, as if they weren't on the sea at all. However, the dampness from the seawater and the increasingly strong bloody scent constantly reminded Xu Qing that this was indeed the Outer Sea.

Especially their grand wing, a massive vessel with formidable defenses whether in the Inner Sea or on the Wanggu Continent, had, in just three days in the Outer Sea, become covered in a layer of purple mist on its surface. A corrosive sensation also gradually appeared. After careful examination, both Xu Qing and Second Bull looked grave. It was the decay of time flowing over it.

"This Outer Sea is indeed eerie. Not only is it pitch black and silent, but the heterogeneity is also more concentrated and complex, and its effect on external objects is distinctly more bizarre... In just three days, the grand wing showed signs as if a thousand years had passed!"

Second Bull took a deep breath, raising a hand to touch the mist on the grand wing's surface. Xu Qing's expression was solemn. He was about to speak, but the next instant, he looked up, gazing into the distance. The captain also noticed something and looked in the same direction. With their cultivation, though their vision wasn't perfectly clear in the dark Outer Sea, they could still make out general outlines. At this moment, they noticed something floating on the sea ahead.

"It's still some irregular shapes, no, wait, there's no aura whatsoever."

"Is this the deity Yu Liuchen wants to bait?"

"But I feel like this thing is even more terrifying than Yu Liuchen."

Second Bull's breathing quickened. His intuition had always been accurate, and at this moment, a crisis clearly more severe than anything involving Yu Liuchen was erupting!

"Little Ah Qing... do you think that Yu Liuchen fellow might have fished for a shark and ended up getting himself eaten?" Second Bull shivered, quickly sending a telepathic message to Xu Qing. Xu Qing's expression was grave as he controlled the grand wing, preparing to steer clear of this area.

But just then, the little girl they were looking at, sitting on the ruined temple, suddenly turned her head, her pitch-black eyes gazing at them. A smile appeared on her lips.

The next instant... Xu Qing's mind reeled, the divine essence gathered in his eyes instantly collapsed, and his vision vanished. Darkness enveloped him; he was blind. Simultaneously, he felt an immediate chill on his back, as if something was now clinging to him there. Then, a childish voice, clear as if pressed against his ear, came from behind him.

"Big brother, don't go any further. Ahead is the end of the sea, and also the end of life!"