As he opened his eyes, the heat within a radius of 30,000 feet boiled, and hot mist surged toward the sky, vaguely transforming into the appearance of a black umbrella, suppressing and hiding the fluctuations here.
This made sure that no one could sense the situation here. However, all the wild beasts in the nearby areas were trembling.
All of them were lying on the ground, not daring to move at all.
On one hand, it was due to Xu Qing who had already stepped into the Foundation Building realm, and the pressure formed by the Foundation Building realm was quite oppressive. On the other hand, it was the life lantern in Xu Qing’s body!
It was unknown what this life lantern had experienced in the past, but its murderous aura was extremely strong.
According to the captain back then, only a cultivator with the bloodline of the ancient kings and sovereigns and who cultivated emperor-level cultivation art could form a life lantern.
Even in that era when god’s fragmented face had not appeared, such people were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Any one of them could suppress a territory. The only people who could fight against them were other cultivators who also possessed the bloodline of the ancient kings and sovereigns and condensed their life lanterns.
The arrival of the god’s fragmented face caused most of the ancient kings and sovereigns to leave. As such, it was extremely rare for someone to form a life lantern in this world. Only the selected seeds of large sects and forces would have an opportunity to fuse them.
“I wonder which ancient kings and sovereigns’ bloodline my life lantern was condensed from.”
Xu Qing took out a set of spare ordinary robes and wore them, and stared at the black umbrella shadow formed by the clouds. After a while, he inhaled slightly. Immediately, all the fiery fog within 30,000 feet instantly rolled over.
It was as though Xu Qing had transformed into a vortex, causing the fiery fog to rush into his mouth and nose, leaving nothing behind.
As the fog disappeared, Xu Qing’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. It was as though there were stars in his eyes, emitting a soul-stirring light. His magic power was very intense, and was instinctively spilling out.
Xu Qing’s expression was as calm as ever. He knew that this was because he had just stepped into Foundation Building and his body hadn’t completely adapted to this terrifying magic power.
“Foundation Building cultivators cultivate their magic apertures and life fire. After they form three balls of life fire, they can step into a new realm. My magic aperture can form four balls of life fire.” Xu Qing sensed the black umbrella life lantern that was slowly calming down in his body. His eyes revealed deep anticipation.
The captain’s words about the life lantern had once said that even in the era before the god’s fragmented face arrived, there weren’t many descendants with the bloodline of the ancient kings and sovereigns who could form a life lantern. Moreover, most of them could only form one life lantern.
Only the true heaven’s chosen, the descendants who had the potential to become an ancient king or a sovereign, could form multiple life lanterns. The limit of life lanterns was the same as life fire.
“I’m already satisfied with one. I have to open 30 magic apertures as soon as possible!”
Xu Qing sensed his current body. Under the cover of the black umbrella, the fluctuations of his cultivation weren’t conspicuous. This was because the existence of the black umbrella was even more conspicuous than himself.
Xu Qing glanced at the shadow. With a thought, a wisp of the shadow instantly fused into his body, enveloping the black umbrella life lantern.
As soon as it got close, the shadow trembled violently in resistance. However, facing Xu Qing’s calm gaze, it didn’t dare to resist. It could only let Xu Qing manipulate it and turn it into a layer of cloth that covered the life lantern.
Xu Qing’s body instantly dimmed. Although the Foundation Building fluctuations were still there, the life lantern was no longer visible.
“It’s a pity that the Mountains and Seas Art’s level might be too low or it might have reached its true limit, so I’m unable to advance in it.” Xu Qing felt some regret.
The Mountains and Seas Art was of great help to him but he had cultivated it to the extreme. He was unable to make any progress and felt that he seemed to be lacking some opportunities.
“I have to think of a way to increase the level of the Mountains and Seas Art in the future.”
“After my cultivation base stabilizes, I’ll return to the Seven Blood Eyes and exchange for a Foundation Building cultivation art when I go up the mountain to register my cultivation.” Xu Qing didn’t have a Foundation Building cultivation art now and was unable to open a new magic aperture. He took a deep breath and started to nourish his cultivation.
Just like that, a month slowly passed.
It had been almost three months since Xu Qing left the sect. The fluctuations in his body were also restrained now. In addition, with the shadow enveloping the life lantern, no matter how one looked at him, he was no different from an ordinary Foundation Building cultivator.
During this month, Xu Qing’s understanding and control over the life lantern in his body became even deeper.
He slowly opened his eyes. As an obscure bolt of lightning flashed in his eyes, he calmly performed a series of hand seals, pointing at the sky.
As the magic aperture in his body burned, a shocking force spread out from the second magic aperture and flowed into his finger through his meridians, forming a powerful energy that headed straight for the sky.
The energy was forming a translucent object. It continuously expanded and finally transformed into the appearance of a plesiosaur. As soon as it appeared, it roared at the sky and its body quickly turned from translucent to corporeal.
There was also a violent aura that continuously gathered and rose on its body. Finally, when it was fully corporeal and was no different from a true plesiosaur, a Foundation Building aura spread out from its body.
The plesiosaur in the sky was reflected in Xu Qing’s eyes. Its black body gave off a savage feeling, and its long neck was extremely agile. There was also a row of sharp spikes on its neck. Its two eyes were bright and full of life.
In fact, if it was placed in the Forbidden Sea, unless one attacked it, it would be very difficult to tell that it was formed by a spell.
Its turtle-like body clearly possessed powerful defense. When it opened its mouth, one could see vicious, sharp teeth. It had four wide flippers which would give it an astonishing speed in the sea.
Looking at the plesiosaur that was over 3,000 feet long in the sky, Xu Qing took a step forward. He didn’t use a flight talisman and directly stepped on the air.
Step by step, he walked toward the plesiosaur like he was ascending a heavenly staircase.
Xu Qing wasn’t used to the first few steps, but after taking seven to eight steps, he found the feeling and easily neared the plesiosaur.
The plesiosaur lowered its head, and Xu Qing stepped forward and stood on top of its head. With a low roar, the plesiosaur flapped its huge flippers and sped toward the horizon.
It was extremely fast.
This plesiosaur was invisible to the mortals’ eyes. In fact, even Qi Condensation cultivators would need to gather spirit energy in their eyes to make out its details.
At first glance, it looked like Xu Qing was moving in the sky with his hands behind his back!
This was the Foundation Building.
Back when Xu Qing was fleeing in the forbidden zone of the slums, the Diamond Sect’s ancestor behind him was like this. He stood on the huge angry guardian warrior and moved forward.
However, the guardian warrior shadow of the Diamond Sect’s ancestor was much weaker than Xu Qing’s in terms of materialization and aura.
Although they were in the same realm, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
Standing on the plesiosaur’s head, Xu Qing calmly looked at the ground and controlled the plesiosaur to fly toward the nearest city with a teleportation array.
As he flew, he saw desolation all over the ground, the harsh environment, and skeletons.
The mortals in this world were pitiful.
Compared to mortals, cultivators seemed to have more choices, but they had to face the torture from anomalous substances and the risk of mutation. Moreover, the expensive cultivation resources were enough to make many cultivators despair.
If one wanted to advance, they had to fight for it, and the fights would often be a life-and-death battle.
As such, the cultivators of this world were helpless.
It was also because of this that there were people like the Diamond Sect’s ancestor. Perhaps he also had some glorious pasts, but in the end, after struggling bitterly to a certain extent, he chose a territory and lorded over others, enjoying the rest of his life in the chaotic world.
There were pros and cons to such a choice.
Xu Qing wanted to do the same. However, he was afraid that this kind of life wouldn’t last for long before it was crushed by some unknown danger, so if he wanted to truly settle down and survive, he had to be stronger.
“I just want to survive safely in this chaotic world and live a little better.” Xu Qing’s gaze was reserved and the plesiosaur beneath him moved even faster.
Gradually, as the wind blew, a city appeared in the distance.
That wasn’t the city Xu Qing had come from but another place with a teleportation array.
Even though he was at the Foundation Building realm, Xu Qing’s vigilance was still the same as when he was at the Qi Condensation Realm.
As he arrived, he took a step forward. The plesiosaur dissipated and Xu Qing also silently landed on the ground.
He tidied his clothes and changed his appearance, transforming into a sallow-faced middle-aged man who slowly walked toward the city ahead.
This city didn’t belong to the Seven Blood Eyes.
Instead, just like the Red Plains, it was a teleportation point jointly built by the Seven Blood Eyes, Purple Earth, and the Litu Sect. Such a thing was common in the Nanhuang Continent.
After all, the human race occupied a large territory in the Nanhuang Continent. There were many empty areas between the various forces.
These places were either the intersection points of different forces or the resources there were extremely scarce. It was a pity to give up on them but there was no need to occupy them.
However, for the sake of passage, the three parties jointly built and maintained it.
Xu Qing’s arrival immediately caused the guards in the city to be shocked. Even though Xu Qing had concealed his life lantern and didn’t use the plesiosaur to enter, his Foundation Building cultivation was still discovered the moment he entered the city.
Unless Foundation Building cultivators deliberately hid their aura fluctuations, even if they emitted a trace of aura, it was enough to make Qi Condensation cultivators’ hearts skip a beat.
Back then, when Xu Qing was still at the Qi Condensation Realm and didn’t have the strength to fight against Foundation Building cultivators, it was the same. When he had encountered the Diamond Sect’s ancestor for the first time, the other party glanced at him from afar and it caused his mind to rumble.
As for the Diamond Sect’s ancestor, he hadn’t formed his life fire and couldn’t enter the Mystic Brilliance Form. At that time, he was only in his normal state.
The lower one’s cultivation level was, the greater the feeling. One could only resist after reaching the eighth level of Qi Condensation. However, most of the time, this resistance was only against Foundation Building cultivators from small sects who had ordinary cultivation arts and had opened less than 30 magic apertures.
If it was a large sect’s Foundation Building cultivator, no matter how powerful the outstanding Qi Condensation cultivators were, they wouldn’t be able to resist a Foundation Building cultivator who had formed a life fire and was in the Mystic Brilliance Form.
They were on completely different levels.
Just like back then outside the Pilotage Department, Deacon Li’s arrival caused Xu Qing’s mind to shake with just a low shout.
Right now, his arrival was the same for the cultivators in the city.