As Xu Qing walked across one of the eight bridges that led to Seven Blood Eyes, immortal energy bubbled in the waters that flowed below. Overhead, the sky was a faint crimson color. As darkness spread and the moon came out, he headed into the city toward Zhang San.
Along the way, Zhang San sent him a voice message telling him that his dharmaskiff was finished.
Xu Qing had felt out of sorts without a dharmaskiff. Therefore, he made haste to find Zhang San.
Once in the Transportation Division, Zhang San was waiting in a courtyard with his dharmaskiff.
The dharmaskiff was over 600 meters long and was absolutely shocking in appearance. It looked similar to the old version, but at the same time, was different. That was especially true when it came to the prow and the stern.?The prow no longer resembled a sealizard. Instead, it was a huge, featureless face with a black iron mask covering it.?Clearly, Zhang San had taken inspiration from the huge ships used by the delegation, as he had installed nine tails onto the stern. Though they were smaller than the originals, they were obviously packed full of spell formations of all sorts. Instead of eight sails, the dharmaskiff now had sixteen of them, and they were bigger than before.
Zhang San was standing atop the ship looking exhausted but also very proud. “Xu Qing, this dharmaskiff has already reached the limits of what dharmaskiffs are capable of. It’s basically half a step into the dharmaship category. I tapped into every skill and ability I have to make this thing. Not only can it both fly and move underwater, but also, it can transform into a mask for easy storage and transport.”
Looking very serious, Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed deeply.
“The cost for this thing is astronomical,” Zhang San continued, “but thankfully, the harbor in South Phoenix is profitable enough to cover it. Incidentally, I added a self-detonation mechanism. Truth be told, I actually focused on making it stronger after the self-detonation. In other words, I specifically designed it to be able to self-detonate three times in a row. The structure of the craft has three layers for that purpose.”
Zhang San looked seriously at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing looked back at him attentively. 𝘦𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝗇𝓔t
“There’s a lot of godliness in it,” Zhang San continued, “and the power source is strong. Unless someone attacks it with at least three-flame battle prowess, it’ll be untouchable. Its biggest weakness is when it comes to souls, which is why I included the mask at the prow.
“Speaking of souls, I know you cultivate the Balefire Soulswallowing Scripture. So do I. Presumably you remember how the description of the technique mentions that when you cultivate it to the level of ultimate success, you can suppress souls within your dharma apertures.
“After you reach ultimate success, you can take those imprisoned souls, merge them together, and put them into your dharmaskiff to become its soul. That’s when you can upgrade it to a dharmaship!” [1]
Zhang San’s eyes gleamed. “This is the first craft I’ve built that gets close to the dharmaship level. Xu Qing, when you inevitably use the self-detonation function, make sure not to leave all the pieces laying around afterward. Collect as many as you can and bring them back, so I can figure out ways to improve.”
Xu Qing was deeply shaken by the work Zhang San had done, and therefore, nodded solemnly in agreement. What Zhang San had requested made sense. After talking a bit more about the details of the new dharmaskiff, he bid farewell.
***
After watching Xu Qing leave, Zhang San yawned. He felt more exhausted than ever, having spent so much time working on the dharmaskiff that he hadn’t even rested. For one thing, he wanted to do Xu Qing a favor. But also, he was really hoping that the next time Xu Qing got into a big fight and detonated the dharmaskiff, it would finally reveal the Participation Effect he had installed.
“Last time, my skills were lacking. But not this time!” Feeling very pleased with himself, he lit his pipe and strolled away to get some sleep.
***
Xu Qing left feeling perfectly satisfied. At the same time, he felt like Zhang San’s skills were being wasted in the Transportation Division. He was just too good at what he did. That said, Zhang San preferred this kind of life. His cultivation progress was slow, but Xu Qing could tell that Zhang San didn’t mind. It seemed that, to Zhang San, the key to peace of mind lay with seeing Xu Qing and the Captain get stronger and stronger.
“I have to figure out a way to pay him back!” Xu Qing murmured as he headed toward the port.
During the early phases of the construction, he had already selected a berth for himself. When his dharmaskiff splashed down into the water, he leaped aboard, activated the defenses, and went into the cabin. Looking around, he saw that the interior wasn’t very different from his old dharmaskiff. As he sat down cross-legged, he felt the familiar motion of the ship swaying in the water. At long last, his heart began to calm down after recalling that strange dream.
He opened his eyes from meditation when it was late in the night. After checking on the beetles that had eaten the immortal ice, and seeing that they were still dormant, he started working on the magical technique Master Seventh had given him.
When it came to cultivation, Xu Qing always focused well and worked very hard. Three days passed by in a flash. During that time, he never left his dharmaskiff. He didn’t go to the Special Security Division. Instead, he stayed completely focused on his cultivation and research of techniques. His 102nd dharma aperture was starting to loosen up.
In the evening of the third night, he opened his eyes from meditation and walked out onto the deck.
Squatting on the shore was the Captain. Not seeing Xu Qing, he tossed an apple toward the dharmaskiff. The defenses were up, but the Captain had certain skills, so when the apple hit the shield, it didn’t splat into a paste. Instead, it bounced right back to him. He caught it, took a bite, and then tossed it toward the shield again. It almost seemed like he was playing a little game.
When he finally noticed Xu Qing, he waved. “Busy tonight, little Ah Qing?”
Xu Qing looked at the Captain’s half-eaten apple and nodded in the affirmative. “Yeah, I’m busy.”
“Not busy? Great! Come with me to handle a little something. I’m short on cash these days, so I’m planning to sell that idiot Huang’s finger back to him. I already handled all the negotiations, now I just need to go extract the cash. The deal goes down tonight.” Eyes glittering, the Captain lowered his voice and continued, “Come along, won’t you? Remember, I went with you on your trip home.”
The Captain cleared his throat.
Without responding, Xu Qing stepped off his dharmaskiff. “Where’s the deal going down?”
“At the foot of the Dark Serenity Sect’s mountain headquarters,” the Captain said, getting happily to his feet. Giving Xu Qing an apple, he threw an arm over his shoulder and continued furtively, “Little Ah Qing, you and I have a very close relationship, right? Not like that jerk Third Sib. As soon as I asked him for help, he ran for the hills. Anyway, don’t worry. I love you, Junior Brother, and therefore, I’m definitely going to include you in the huge plan I’m working on.”
“You’re not worried this meeting is a trap?” Xu Qing asked.
The Captain’s eyes glittered excitedly. “I’m hoping it is. Since we’re going together, if anything unusual happens, the old man will definitely show up and help. If it was just me, he wouldn’t bother.”
The Captain blinked a few times.
Xu Qing looked at him deeply for a moment, then nodded.
Under the cover of night, the two of them left the port and went in the direction of the Dark Serenity Sect. They moved quickly. Before long, they were at the foot of the Dark Serenity Sect’s mountain headquarters, at the spot the Captain had arranged to meet Huang Yikun, an open-air pagoda with a good view of the mountain.
The mountain itself rose high into the scattered clouds. Bits of lamplight glittered on it like stars, but overall, it was dark. At the summit was a huge statue framed in moonlight. It depicted Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, gazing out at the Forbidden Sea. Despite how far away it was, Xu Qing could feel the terrifying pressure radiating off the statue. The mountain headquarters gave Xu Qing a sense of profound mystery.
After all, the Seventh Peak had started out as a subsidiary of the Dark Serenity Sect, and their techniques shared a common basis. What was more, the current president of the coalition started out in the Dark Serenity Sect, and was the Elder Brother of the current matriarch. That very same matriarch had once glanced at Xu Qing back in Seven Blood Eyes, though her facial features hadn’t been visible. [2]
As Xu Qing looked in that direction, the Captain squatted off to the side and said, “It’s about time. That idiot Huang should be here soon.”
Xu Qing looked away from the mountain and waited.
After enough time passed for an incense stick to burn, and Huang Yikun still wasn’t anywhere to be seen, the Captain raised his eyebrows and sent a voice message via jade slip. Meanwhile, neither Xu Qing nor the Captain had noticed that a person was approaching the coalition, high in the sky.
This person moved with incredible speed, entering the coalition’s spell formation without a sound. A moment later, they were at the Dark Serenity Sect’s mountain headquarters, and were about to step onto the summit when they noticed Xu Qing and the Captain down below. The figure stopped in midair.
A moment later, the person’s facial features were revealed.?She was a seductive-looking woman, with long hair streaming down her back and bound loosely with a pink ribbon. Her violet garment was decorated with stars and glowed faintly. Surrounding her was a faint haze that made her truly seem like an immortal that didn’t belong in the mundane world.
She had skin as fair as a white peach blossom, and a waist as lithe as a willow tree. Her arching eyebrows almost seemed to be gathered in a frown, except they weren’t, and her eyes were both joyful and not. In terms of age, she seemed to be a young lady not past her teens, but if you looked into her eyes, she seemed much more mature than that. She was the type of person who seemed very worldly-wise, and could see into your heart after only a moment. If you had done something, she had likely done it as well. And whatever you had yet to experience, she was already familiar with. [3]
Looking down from the dome of heaven, she saw Xu Qing down below, and smiled. With one step, she was halfway down the mountain. With another, she arrived, sending out an indescribable pressure that caused both Xu Qing and the Captain to react with visible surprise, and prepare to fall back.
“Don’t move,” she said, her words spoken like a command. The Captain shivered as he recognized who this was. She was the matriarch of the Dark Serenity Sect, and her daoist name was Arch-Immortal Plumdark. [4]
Xu Qing, on the other hand, had no idea who she was. However, his mind was spinning as he realized that he couldn’t move a muscle. He could only stare at the seductive woman in front of him as she walked in his direction.
Completely ignoring the Captain, she came to a stop right in front of Xu Qing. Her skin seemed so fair it might shatter in the wind, and she was shockingly beautiful in a mature way. Her eyes seemed to thrum with dao lineaments, and at the same time, looked like the eyes of a hunter staring at prey.
As Xu Qing stood there nervously, the woman’s gaze slowly traveled from his eyes to his mouth, then his collarbone, his chest, and finally his abdomen. It almost seemed like she was brushing him with her gaze.
Finally, she reached out, put her finger underneath his chin, and tilted his face up. Exhaling softly, she said, “We meet again, child. What are you doing here at the Dark Serenity Sect so late at night? Are you lost?”
1. The point about imprisoning souls in the dharma aperture was in?chapter 136, while the part about them being used in conjunction with the dharmaskiff was in chapter 137.
2. The Dark Serenity Sect matriarch looked at Xu Qing in?chapter 267.
3. The author uses two different words for women to describe this person. The first is generally applied to young unmarried young women who are no older than 19. The second is usually applied to young married women who are no older than 35. Given the other wording, it’s obvious he’s describing a mature female cultivator who only looks young.
4. Arch-Immortal Plumdark’s daoist name consists of a title and a name. For the name part, the first character is literally “violet/purple.” I’m using “plum” to have something that rolls off the tongue more smoothly. In the case of this name, the “plum” is supposed to be the color plum, not the flower or fruit. The second character in her name “dark” matches with the same character in the name of the sect. This could theoretically be a situation like Master Shengyun in which her daoist name is based on her real given name. However, for a variety of reasons, I’m translating it as if it’s a full-on invented daoist name.1