Chapter 53 An Accidental Blessing (2)
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However, at the next instant, Xu Qing's eyes abruptly widened. He saw his dagger piercing through the body of the gray-robed man and pinning him to the wall behind him. However, it was as though the other party didn't have a physical body. There was no change at all.
The poison powder was the same. It penetrated his body and splattered all over the ground.
This scene caused Xu Qing's nerves to instantly tense up. He paused for a moment and was about to continue retreating.
At that moment, the gray-robed man laughed. His figure slowly disappeared from Xu Qing's sight.
First, it was his legs, then his body. When his head was about to disappear, his voice echoed.
"Kid, someone asked me to give you this token. It's an entry qualification for the Seven Blood Eyes. On the map on the back, you can use the token to teleport to any branch city once for free."
After those words were spoken, the servant's figure completely vanished, as though he had never appeared. Xu Qing, who was standing there, fell silent for a very long time as he watched everything.
He could sense the strangeness of the other party and the helplessness of being weak.
A long time later, Xu Qing silently walked over and pulled out his dagger. He then lowered his head and looked at the token on the ground.
The white token had its front facing up, and it was carved with complicated patterns. Under the moonlight, it seemed to be reflecting light and it was filled with an ancient feeling.
Xu Qing fell silent and wore his gloves as he carefully picked it up to take a look.
On the back of the token was a map. There were hundreds of bumps on it, indicating one city after another.
"Seven Blood Eyes…" Xu Qing mumbled.
He had heard of the Seven Blood Eyes from Captain Lei and knew that they were one of the few great and ruthless forces in the Nanhuang Continent. Every year, countless people wanted to join their sect.
However, the entry requirements for the Seven Blood Eyes were very strict. It wasn't something that could be casually entered. One needed an entry token. However, the distribution of this token was extremely rare.
Xu Qing didn't know why he had received it, nor did he know the gray-robed man or the authenticity of the token.
However, after pondering for a while, he felt that with the other party's terrifying strength, there was no need for him to be fooled. Hence, there was a high chance that this token was real.
"Why are you giving it to me?" Xu Qing couldn't understand but he noticed how the other party addressed him.
The word 'kid' had many meanings. There was a broad meaning and a special meaning.
In this scavenger campsite, the term 'kid' was a name that only belonged to Xu Qing.
To be able to call out his name at the scavenger campsite meant that the other party understood him very well.
Moreover, the other party had mentioned in his words that someone had asked him to deliver the token. This meant that the gray-robed man had a companion, and this companion's status was much higher.
"Could it be Grandmaster Bai?" Xu Qing lowered his head and checked the token. After a while, he hesitantly kept it.
At that moment, the sky was starting to brighten. Xu Qing stuffed the bricks on the wall at the back of the house back to their original state and fed the wild dogs in the courtyard.
Although these fellows were very useless, after raising them for a long time, feeding them had become a habit.
Xu Qing was about to head out for class when he saw over ten wild dogs fighting to eat their food. However, he stopped after taking a few steps and sat silently in the courtyard.
"I'm also used to it…" Xu Qing mumbled. He sat there until the sky was bright. He then stood up and walked out of the courtyard, entering the campsite.
He was very familiar with the campsite but at that moment, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity. Cross and Luan Tooth hadn't returned for a long time as well. As Xu Qing walked, he suddenly missed the lab in the canyon.
Although that place was a forbidden zone that was filled with dangers, the longing in his heart was still very strong.
At the same time, Xu Qing also prepared to try concocting the white pills. Hence, he took a deep breath and was about to leave the campsite and head to the forbidden zone. However, before he could leave the campsite, someone shouted behind him.
"Kid, kid."
The voice was somewhat familiar. Xu Qing turned and saw a white-haired old man in a leather coat running toward him.
This person was an old scavenger from the campsite.
No one knew his exact name. Everyone called him Old Stone. He was also one of the five or six people Xu Qing saved when he carried Captain Lei back.
Later on, just like Bone Blade, he often came to Xu Qing's place to buy insurance.
"Hey, kid, I took on a big job!" Old Stone said excitedly.
As he quickly explained, Xu Qing understood.
This old rock in front of him had used some unknown method during this period of time to successfully make the young men and women who had arrived a few days ago outside the campsite hire him as a guide to head to the cluster of temples in the forbidden zone's jungle.
This time, he came to find him to buy insurance.
"As usual, five white pills. If I don't return in a week, I'll have to trouble you to come to the temple cluster to save me," Old Stone said with a smile.
"A week?" Xu Qing was a little surprised.
"That's right. This group of pampered people in the Purple Earth insisted on staying there for a week. However, the remuneration is very generous, so I decided to give it my all. After I finish this job, I plan to retire."
Old Stone sighed. As an old scavenger, he was very clear that staying in the forbidden zone for a week would cause the risk and anomalous substances absorbed to increase exponentially. However, the reward was too much, enough for him to purchase the right to stay in a nearby city. Therefore, he wanted to risk it and prepared enough white pills.
Xu Qing frowned slightly. He wasn't prepared to continue taking on such matters, especially since he needed time to study the white pills.
Hence, he was just about to reject Old Stone when he saw Old Stone's white hair and expectant expression. Xu Qing couldn't help but think of Captain Lei. After a moment of silence, he nodded.
"This is the last time."
With that, he accepted the white pills under Old Stone's gratitude and walked out of the campsite, heading straight for the forbidden zone.
At that moment, the fog appeared in the forbidden zone, covering the area and spreading in all directions…
Outside the range of the fog, near the forbidden zone's Poison Dragon Pool, there was a scavenger hiding in a gap in a tree with a look of horror on his face. His body was trembling.
Surrounding him were four figures. Their gazes were cold as they searched.
"There's fog!! As long as I persist, the kid will definitely come and save me!" The person hiding was none other than Bone Blade, who had bought insurance from Xu Qing many times!
…
"There's fog."
The instant he entered the jungle of the forbidden zone, Xu Qing stopped in his tracks.
He could feel his shadow distorting a little. He had encountered such a situation before. It was a sign that the fog had appeared in the forbidden zone.
If one looked carefully, one could even see traces of very thin fog in the forest.
Xu Qing was a little hesitant but after some thought, he still chose to enter the jungle.
On one hand, he needed to go to the canyon lab. On the other hand, although the help from the shadow couldn't be sustained for too long, it was enough for him to head to the canyon.
Moreover, when the fog appeared, it looked dangerous but it was the same for mutated beasts. So to a certain extent, it was safer than before.
However, the prerequisite was that he wouldn't get lost in the inner area and the anomalous substances wouldn't increase either.
Hence, Xu Qing sped up and shuttled through the jungle.
Two hours later, when the fog slowly grew thicker, Xu Qing stopped in his tracks and arrived at the location where the night lizard's skin was located.
He stood on a large tree at the side and tilted his head to look at the north.
"That's the area of the Poison Dragon Pool…" In the jungle of the forbidden zone, the scavengers had divided the terrain into several points and the Poison Dragon Pool was one of them.
Regarding this Poison Dragon Pool, Xu Qing had heard of it many times. Most of the time, it was what Bone Blade had said. This was because every time the other party bought insurance, the designated rescue area would be the Poison Dragon Pool.
Xu Qing thought about it. Bone Blade had bought insurance too many times. He remembered that the other party had bought it once two days ago.
Although it wasn't time yet, since the fog had appeared and he was nearby, he might as well go over and take a look.
At the thought of this, Xu Qing's body swayed and he leaped up from the tree crown, moving closer to the location of the Poison Dragon Pool.
As he got closer, Xu Qing slowly narrowed his eyes. His expression revealed vigilance and his movements became increasingly concealed.
He saw someone.
The other party wore a black leather coat and had a sinister mask on his face. He held a longsword that emitted a cold light and was searching.
His body emitted extraordinary spirit energy fluctuations, giving Xu Qing the feeling that he had reached Fire Crow's level back then.
Xu Qing observed for a moment before he nimbly moved away. However, it wasn't long before he saw a second person dressed similarly. Their cultivation levels were similar, and this caused Xu Qing to feel some doubt in his heart.
"He's not a scavenger." After Xu Qing muttered to himself, he became even more cautious. After circling the perimeter of the Poison Dragon Pool, he saw Bone Blade!
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At that moment, Bone Blade had lost all fighting abilities. His hands and feet were tied up and he had fainted. He was then carried on the shoulders of a tall and muscular man.
Beside the burly dude was another person wearing a black leather coat. This person was an old man with a hunchback.
Perhaps it was also because of this that he didn't wear a mask that concealed his identity. Under his messy gray hair was a face filled with wrinkles. His gaze was cold and he exuded a murderous aura.
The fluctuations on his body were even more intense, surpassing that of Captain Lei and the Bloodshadow Team Captain back then. Clearly, he was at 70% of Qi Condensation.
Xu Qing had never seen such a cultivation among the scavengers in the campsite.
"Manager, this fog came at a very bad time. What should we do about the other meat treasures that have been marked?" While Xu Qing was observing from afar, the burly dude carrying the bone saber asked in a muffled voice.
"It's all this meat treasure's fault. He kept dodging and wasting time." The black-clothed old man coldly looked at the unconscious Bone Blade. After a moment of silence, he shook his head.
"Let the others come over. We'll go out first and wait for the fog to dissipate before we go look for those meat treasures."
"Boss is really too much. Couldn't he just capture them at the campsite? Why did he have to wait for them to enter the forbidden zone before letting us capture them?" The burly dude grumbled unhappily. The old man at the side snorted coldly.
"What Boss wants is a steady flow. It's not something that a pig brain like you can understand. If we capture people in the campsite, how will the campsite continue operating?"
When the burly dude heard this, he didn't think much of it but he didn't refute it. He followed the old man's instructions and took out a whistle to blow. Very soon, the two men in black whom Xu Qing saw earlier arrived swiftly.
Xu Qing didn't stop them, nor did he make a move. He squatted on the treetop in the distance and coldly watched everything.
After confirming that there were indeed four people on the other side, Xu Qing glanced at the unconscious Bone Blade when he saw that they were about to leave.
If he hadn't seen this, or if Bone Blade hadn't bought insurance, or if it had happened outside the jungle, Xu Qing wouldn't have bothered. He wasn't a saint and didn't have the energy to save others.
However, he had his own principles.
Since you bought my insurance, I have to ensure that you leave the forbidden zone. As for whether they lived or died after leaving, he didn't care.
In the next instant, Xu Qing's body rushed out. His speed was so fast that he left behind an afterimage on the spot. He was like an arrow that left the bow, heading straight for the burly dude with Bone Blade on his back.
His previous hiding spot was too well-hidden and his attacks were as quick as lightning. Therefore, the three men in black, including the burly dude, didn't notice him at all. Only the old man in black did.
At that moment, his expression changed and he quickly turned around. He even raised his right hand and in an instant, numerous ice blades rapidly condensed and shot into the air.
However, it was still too late. The ice blade missed and Xu Qing had already arrived beside the burly dude. As the wind blew wildly, his long hair fluttered in the wind. The sharpness in his eyes and the cold gleam of the dagger in his hand clashed together, revealing his killing intent!
The saber slashed across the burly dude's throat with such great force that the fifth level of his Qi Condensation didn't have the slightest chance to resist or react. He didn't even have the time to scream before his head flew off.
Blood splattered everywhere!
At that moment, Bone Blade fell to the ground. Xu Qing grabbed onto his clothes and with a few steps, he appeared in the distance.
After throwing Bone Blade to the side, Xu Qing turned and stared coldly at the other three like a hunter.
At that moment, the burly dude's dazed head, his corpse and the old man's empty ice blade landed on the ground at the same time.
The surroundings instantly fell silent. The shock caused by this scene was extremely great, causing the black-robed old man and his two companions to feel their hearts pounding. All of them looked at Xu Qing in unison.
"Kid!"
One of the two men in black behind the old man widened his eyes when he saw Xu Qing and blurted out.
"Shut up!" The old man in black in front immediately growled.
The man in black also realized that he had misspoken and stopped talking.
Xu Qing cast a deep glance at the three of them. That sentence had already exposed everything.
"Kid, this matter has nothing to do with you. Scram immediately. I can treat it as though you never appeared." The black-robed old man's expression was gloomy as he stared fixedly at Xu Qing. He didn't bother hiding it and spoke slowly.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew over. When it passed by Xu Qing's location, it scattered some of his remnant sea water and blew it over to where the old man and the other two were. The wind stirred up the leaves on the ground and caused them to rustle.
It was as though the fog had grown thicker in the wind.
Xu Qing fell silent and didn't speak.
Bone Blade had long regained consciousness but he had been pretending to be unconscious. Now that he heard the old man's words, he grew anxious. He was worried that Xu Qing wouldn't continue to save him, so he hurriedly opened his eyes.
He felt that only by pulling Xu Qing to the point where he had to fight to the death would it be safe. There was only one way to do this. Hence, he shouted:
"Kid, don't listen to him. They are the camp leader's men. Over the years, many of the scavengers who went missing from the campsite were secretly captured by them and sold to the merchant group as treasure-nurturers. This is the camp leader's greatest secret!"
His words caused the old man in black to narrow his eyes. He stared at Xu Qing and spoke again.
"I'm giving you one last chance. Don't be a busybody!"
Xu Qing ignored Bone Blade's words. The cause and effect of this matter had nothing to do with him. His thoughts were very simple and direct.
After buying my insurance, I will ensure that you leave the forbidden zone. As for your life and death after leaving, it has nothing to do with me.
"He bought my insurance," Xu Qing said seriously.
The black-clothed old man's expression turned even colder. However, in the next instant, the corners of his mouth curled into a sinister smile as he abruptly raised his hands. Immediately, a gigantic red halo appeared beneath his feet.
Waves of cold wind suddenly rose into the air from within the ring, as though it had transformed into a tornado. Its aura was extraordinary.
"Kid, your experience is still too shallow. You actually gave me time to cast a spell. In that case… you can die."
The old man let out a low roar and his hands trembled fiercely. Immediately, the wind rings around him became even more majestic and countless blood-colored ice blades rapidly formed.
At the same time, the two men in black beside him also let out a sinister laugh as they charged at Xu Qing from both sides.
Bone Blade's gaze was filled with despair.
Only Xu Qing's expression was very calm from the start to the end. When the two figures from the left and right approached and the ice-blade storm was about to erupt around the black-clothed old man, he spoke softly.
"I have to thank you too."
Almost at the instant Xu Qing spoke, the two men in black who were rushing toward him suddenly stopped in their tracks.
Their expressions instantly turned ashen and their eyes widened in horror. Streams of black-colored blood actually flowed out of their seven orifices.
It was as though their bodies were poisoned and they couldn't even breathe. The two of them were horrified to the extreme and instinctively wanted to escape.
However, after taking a few steps back, the two of them spat out a large mouthful of black blood. Their bodies lost all their strength and they stumbled to the ground. Their bodies twitched violently and their expressions were filled with extreme pain. It was as though they were enduring torture from the human world. They let out a shrill and shocking cry of agony and died abruptly in the next moment.
This scene caused Bone Blade to be overwhelmed with horror. The mind of the black-clothed old man who was casting the spell also rumbled and the storm that was maintained in the surroundings became unstable.
At that moment, black blood flowed out of his eyes.
"You…" The old man's expression changed drastically. Unable to maintain the stability of the spell, he abruptly pushed it out, causing the ice blade to erupt in advance.
However, due to the fluctuations in his mind, although the explosive power was great, there was a deviation in the area covered. Xu Qing's body swayed as he grabbed Bone Blade and easily dodged the attack. He then looked at the black-clothed old man who was rapidly retreating and wanted to escape.
Seeing the other party continuously taking out medicinal pills and swallowing them as he retreated, Xu Qing didn't stop him. Instead, he mumbled softly amidst Bone Blade's terror.
"One, two, three…"
The instant the word 'Three' left his mouth, the black-clothed old man coughed out a large mouthful of black blood. There were even rotting pieces of internal organs in it.
His body staggered but he didn't fall to the ground. Although his face was pale, he seemed to still have some strength left and was about to flee quickly.
When Xu Qing saw this scene, he frowned. His body instantly rushed out and directly caught up to the old man. Under the despair on the other party's face, he threw a punch at his chest.
A malevolent-looking shadow instantly appeared on his fist. He then silently laughed sinisterly and pounced toward the old man.
Boom!
The old man's body trembled and the clothes on his chest instantly shattered into ashes. His heart collapsed and he died.
His corpse fell to the ground and the flesh on his chest caved in, forming a ghastly face. It was a shocking sight.
"In theory, the seven types of poison powder that were spread through the wind should be used in a mixture. One would die after being poisoned for a few breaths. Why is he still able to persist… It seems like I still need to improve."
Xu Qing mumbled and ignored Bone Blade who was scared silly. He began to organize the spoils and finally took out the Corpse Destroying Powder, scattering it on the three corpses.
As sizzling sounds rang out in the silent jungle, the three corpses turned into blood.
After doing this, Xu Qing looked at Bone Blade.
Bone Blade was so frightened by Xu Qing's attack that his body and mind were trembling. In his eyes, the figure of the youth before him seemed to have become the most terrifying existence in this world.
Hence, when Xu Qing's gaze swept over him, he immediately shivered.
Amidst his shivering, he felt that it was somewhat difficult to breathe. The skin on his hands also turned green. This scene almost caused him to break down.
"Fellow Daoist Kid, I, I… I was poisoned too."
"In this area with wind, all will be poisoned." Xu Qing calmly said.
"Antidote, give me the antidote…" Bone Blade was anxious. He felt a piercing pain all over his body.
"There's no antidote for my poison." Xu Qing lifted his head and looked at the approaching fog. Amidst Bone Blade's despair, he calmly spoke again.
"I came to save you because you bought insurance but this isn't something you can rely on to play tricks."
"Fellow Daoist Kid, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. My body is starting to hurt. Look, I'm bruised…"
Bone Blade trembled and he saw that his hands were turning increasingly greenish-black. The scene of the two men in black bleeding from their seven orifices and dying tragically surfaced in his mind and the terror in his heart reached its peak.
Xu Qing coldly glanced at him. With a wave of his right hand, a packet of medicinal powder was thrown over.
Bone Blade hurriedly caught it and directly poured it into his mouth. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to neutralize the poison if he ate too little. Very soon, the green color on his body dissipate but his face began to swell.
"What did you feed me? My swollen mouth feels a little numb…" Bone Blade felt that his face was very swollen and he couldn't speak properly. He looked at Xu Qing blankly.
Xu Qing glanced at
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"Also... Also poison?"
Bone Blade's eyes widened in despair. He wanted to say something but at the next moment, he felt his head spinning and he fainted.
At this moment, the fog also enveloped them, engulfing Xu Qing and Bone Blade's figures.
Four hours later, at the edge of the jungle in the forbidden zone, at a crossroad, Bone Blade felt a sharp pain in his body. He woke up and opened his eyes.
The instant he opened his eyes, he looked around blankly. However, he quickly jumped up nervously.
After confirming that the place he was at wasn't dangerous and that he didn't see Xu Qing's figure, he heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he also discovered that the swelling on his face had subsided and there weren't many changes to his body before he was poisoned.
"I'm not dead?"
Bone Blade's heart pounded rapidly as the feeling of surviving a calamity was extremely intense. At the same time, he also noticed a piece of bamboo beside him with a line of words carved on it.
"The insurance has been used."
Looking at these four words, Bone Blade felt complex emotions in his heart. He also felt a little ashamed of his little trick earlier. After a while, he sighed softly and bowed deeply toward the depths of the jungle.
"Thank you."
As he muttered, he turned and looked in two directions ahead. The one on the right was the path he had to take to return to the campsite and the one on the left was the path he had to take to leave the campsite and enter Songtao City.
He stood there and didn't sense anyone around him. Hence, he fell silent for a long time.
"The camp leader is from the Diamond Sect. Their sphere of influence covers all the nearby cities. Even if I escape into Songtao City, I'm afraid I won't be able to avoid the camp leader's anger, especially since his men are all dead."
Bone Blade struggled. He knew that there was a way for him to have a chance to survive and that was to go to the campsite and snitch on the matter of the kid killing the camp leader's subordinates. From there, he could throw everything onto the kid. With this, he should be able to survive.
However, doing this went against his conscience. After all, the kid saved him. However, after pondering for a moment, the struggle in his heart turned into determination.
"In this chaotic world, surviving is the most important thing. I can't care about others anymore!" Thinking of this, he suppressed the guilt in his heart. With a sway of his body, he sped in the direction of the campsite.
However, the instant his body stepped into the direction of the campsite, a cold beam of light whistled over at an astonishing speed from behind him, instantly penetrating his head.
With a bang, Bone Blade's entire body trembled and blood splattered everywhere. His eyes were wide open as he fell to the ground and twitched a few times. In his eyes, the world was covered by an approaching figure. It slowly turned pitch-black until it became eternal.
He breathed his last and died.
Xu Qing stood in front of Bone Blade's corpse and silently took out the iron stick.
Xu Qing had a deep understanding of human nature. Hence, he didn't leave but gave Bone Blade a choice.
Life was on his left.
Death was on his right.
Bone Blade chose the right.
Xu Qing was expressionless. He took out the corpse-destroying powder and scattered it on the ground. As the Bone Blade's corpse melted, Xu Qing calmly turned around and sped into the depths.
As for the camp leader's matter, he couldn't be bothered to participate.
At that moment, he was speeding through the jungle. Although there was fog here, it didn't affect him too much. Hence, at dusk, Xu Qing had already passed through the fog and arrived at the lab in the canyon.
Almost at the same time he entered, a weak wolf howl echoed out. Xu Qing didn't mind it.
He first observed cautiously to make sure that there were no traces of tempering in the small arrangement he had left behind before he left. Only then did he push open the door of the lab and step in.
The lab wasn't big and didn't have a bed to rest on. Only the surroundings were filled with small wooden grids and in each of the grids were different medicinal herbs and poison glands.
Some of these medicinal herbs and poison glands had already been treated, while some remained intact. There were quite a lot of them and there were hundreds of them densely packed together.
Xu Qing's gaze swept over and waves of satisfaction rose in his heart.
These were what he had gathered in this forbidden zone ever since he started learning from Grandmaster Bai. Most of them came from the outer edges of the forbidden zone and a small portion came from the depths.
There were a lot of poisons and very few medicinal herbs inside.
Xu Qing first checked before he sat on the ground with a pondering look in his eyes.
Although the white pill formula that Grandmaster Bai gave him was hidden in his daily lessons, Xu Qing had the habit of taking notes and had a good memory. Hence, he had sorted them out long ago. It was just that he didn't have all the medicinal herbs needed to refine white pills.
"Therefore, there's no way to refine it completely according to the pill formula. However, I should be able to replace or concoct it with other medicinal herbs based on their medicinal properties."
Xu Qing mumbled. He didn't know if this method would be useful but even if he failed, he could still increase his experience in concocting.
At the thought of this, Xu Qing waved his right hand and seven to eight types of medicinal herbs instantly flew out from different compartments and landed in front of him.
After taking a closer look, Xu Qing thought about it and left the lab to head to the backyard. Other than all sorts of colorful flowers, there was also a small piece of soil field that had been planted with many medicinal herbs.
These were all plants that had a time limit and couldn't be left behind for too long. After Xu Qing moved them here, they eventually became a small medicinal field.
At that moment, as Xu Qing walked closer to the small medicinal field, the wolf howls not far away became even clearer.
Xu Qing's expression remained the same and he didn't bother with them. He plucked three types of medicinal herbs from the medicinal field and turned to leave.
After returning to the pharmacy, he took out a stone basin and started mixing according to the knowledge he had learned.
Regardless of whether it was plucking the leaves, extracting the juice, or flicking out the pollen, he did it very carefully. He strove to make sure that he didn't miss a single detail as he continued to mix. The medicinal liquid in the stone basin slowly turned pitch-black.
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"I'm missing five types of medicinal herbs..."
Xu Qing looked at the small cubicles around him. After thinking about it, he took out some more and tried to concoct a satisfactory effect with the help of the Yin-Yang Extreme Art.
However, it was obvious that this kind of things was very difficult. Hence, it was only when the night had passed and the sky was bright outside did he manage to barely match the medicinal herbs he needed.
Looking at the black mucus in the stone basin, Xu Qing frowned.
This was different from what he had imagined the white pills to be. However, since he had already done this, he couldn't give up.
Hence, Xu Qing gritted his teeth and took out a large bunch of seven-leaf grass, mixing them according to the ratio.
At the next moment, the medicinal liquid in the stone basin directly boiled and its color showed signs of changing. However, this change only lasted for three breaths of time before it stopped.
When he looked over, the medicinal liquid in the stone basin was no longer pitch-black but brown.
Xu Qing hesitated. He touched the purple crystal on his chest and considered the fact that his antibodies against poison were very strong. Hence, he felt a little more at ease. He then lifted his hand and carefully dipped it into the stone basin. After that, he grabbed some medicinal paste and kneaded it into the shape of a pill before bringing it to his nose to sniff.
A stench spread out, causing Xu Qing to be a little afraid to eat it.
"Can it be eaten..." Xu Qing's expression was a little conflicted. After pondering for a while, he took the medicinal pills and walked out to the medicinal field.
As soon as he got close, the wolf howls rang out once again. Xu Qing didn't stop walking. He passed through the medicinal field and headed straight for the source of the wolf howls.
Very soon, among the weeds at the back of the medicinal field, a large cage made of iron vines and wood appeared in front of Xu Qing.
In the cage, a skinny black-scaled wolf lay there weakly.
After seeing Xu Qing, it immediately stood up, revealing its teeth as it let out a low growl. However, the terror in its eyes already showed its fear of Xu Qing.
This black-scaled wolf was something Xu Qing had encountered when he was picking herbs in the depths of the jungle. At that time, the other party wanted to launch a sneak attack on him but he didn't manage to kill it after capturing it. Hence, he locked it up here and used it as a medicine-testing beast.
Upon noticing the black-colored pill in Xu Qing's hand, the black-scaled wolf immediately trembled and retreated repeatedly.
However, it was still too late. Xu Qing's left hand reached into the cage and grabbed the black-scaled wolf's neck. As it struggled, he forcefully dragged it in front of him.
Xu Qing was expressionless as he stared coldly at the trembling black-scaled wolf. His right hand then took out the medicinal pill he had refined and placed it beside its mouth.
The black-scaled wolf trembled even more. In the end, it submitted to the threat of death and obediently ate it.
A long time later, the black-scaled wolf's entire body emitted black smoke and it started vomiting. A large bump then appeared on its head and very soon, it shattered with a bang. Its body then went limp and it lay there panting.
Xu Qing frowned and threw a few pieces of meat in. He then turned and returned to the lab, sitting there and thinking hard.
"How can it be ineffective... There are some problems with the final effects of the medicine. This isn't dissolving the anomalous substances but exploding them."
A moment later, Xu Qing felt that it should be because he lacked a primer. He needed a medicinal primer to purify the effects of these medicinal liquids.
"As for the primer, it can be mixed from snake venom."
With a wave of Xu Qing's hand, three different poison glands flew over. After he squeezed out the poison, the medicinal liquid in the stone basin immediately emitted a sizzling sound and green smoke.
This smoke contained lethal poison. When Xu Qing saw this, he immediately lifted his right hand and waved it, stirring up a gust of wind to disperse the poisonous fog outside the room. He then placed the medicine basin at the side and waited for it to ferment.
While waiting, Xu Qing sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to cultivate the Mountains and Seas Art.
When the sky gradually darkened, Xu Qing opened his eyes and checked the medicinal liquid that was becoming increasingly viscous after fermentation. He then took out some and rubbed them before heading to the black-scaled wolf.
A moment later, amidst a series of loud bangs, Xu Qing returned gloomily. He sat there and continued to ponder. He even took out the completed white pill and melted it before studying it bit by bit.
Just like that, six days passed quickly.
During these six days, Xu Qing seemed to have forgotten everything that happened outside and was immersed in the development of the white pills.
He had used up more than half of the medicinal herbs in the small compartment in the lab and the medicinal field was almost empty. He had also improved the white pill liquid he refined more than ten times.
As for the black-scaled wolf...
After the last test, the anomalous substances in the other party's body instantly reached their limits. It even caused the anomalous substances in the surrounding spirit energy to gather and instantly turned into blood mist that collapsed.
If it wasn't for the fact that Xu Qing's shadow could absorb anomalous substances, the convergence of anomalous substances back then might have invaded his entire body.
That scene made Xu Qing feel a little discouraged.
However, he knew that the white pills weren't that easy to refine, especially since he didn't have all the medicinal herbs he needed to concoct them. This made it even more difficult.
Even so, his experience in mixing still increased. At the same time, out of the ten or so modifications, although the last one couldn't be considered a success, it still had some effect.
However, this effect was the complete opposite of the white pills.
The white pill dissolved anomalous substances and the last pill Xu Qing improved was to rapidly attract anomalous substances over.
At that moment, he lowered his head and looked at the stone basin in front of him.
There was a layer of green membrane on the surface of the basin. It was formed from the melting of the seven-leaf grass. Under this membrane was an incomparably pitch-black medicinal liquid.
The reason why the diaphragm was used was because once the diaphragm disappeared, the medicinal liquid wouldn't even need to be swallowed before it would automatically attract a dense concentration of anomalous substances.
This was half of the reason why that black-scaled wolf died.
Xu Qing sighed and rubbed the space between his brows. Only after he sensed the fluctuations in his cultivation did the feeling of defeat dissipate.
Although the medicinal pills didn't go smoothly, his cultivation base had grown very quickly during this period of cultivation. Now, he had reached the perfected fifth level of the Mountains and Seas Art.
"I should be able to break through to the sixth level tonight."
Xu Qing took a deep breath and put the matter of the medicinal pills aside. His eyes revealed anticipation as he focused all his efforts on breaking through his cultivation.
In this chaotic world, the stronger one was, the greater the chance of survival.
That night, when the bright moon hung high up in the sky, a loud boom rang out from Xu Qing's body.
This time, the sound was much louder than before. Xu Qing, who originally thought that there was no filth in his body, once again released a large number of impurities.
An unprecedented sense of transparency filled Xu Qing's body. At the same time, a faint roar rang out from behind him.
The shadow that would only appear when he punched out previously also appeared behind him at this moment. Its body grew larger and its viciousness grew stronger. In fact, it no longer had a single leg but a pair of legs.
This was especially so for... the xiao shadow that appeared with a horn on its head!!
This wasn't xiao, but an embryonic Kui!
The instant it appeared, the soundless roars of embryonic Kui spread in all directions, causing the cries of many mutated beasts in the dark jungle to come to an abrupt halt.
Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes and the purple light instantly illuminated the entire lab like a bolt of purple lightning.
As the purple light filled the air and the roars of the young Kui behind him rang out, the expressionless Xu Qing sitting there actually gave off an unprecedented sense of oppression.
A long time later, as the purple light in his eyes disappeared and the shadow behind him disappeared, Xu Qing mumbled.
"Sixth level of Mountains and Seas Art!"
-x-X-x-
The Mountains and Seas Art was originally a very ordinary cultivation art and the degree of separation of anomalous substances was also very ordinary.
There were many cultivation arts like this in the Nanhuang Continent. Most of them were cultivated by small families and small forces.
Even if one cultivated it to the great circle of perfection, their combat strength wouldn't be very high. The content would often be exaggerated.
For example, if a xiao could move a mountain, then Kui could move the sea. This sentence was a typical exaggeration.
However, when it came to Xu Qing, the Mountains and Seas Art erupted with unprecedented might. Even the creator of this cultivation art might not have reached this level before.
When he was at the fifth level, his shadow was comparable to the sixth or seventh level of those who cultivated the Mountains and Seas Art. Now that he was at the sixth level, it directly formed a kui shadow.
Although it was only a fledgling, its might had far surpassed that of a Xiao.
One could imagine that when Xu Qing's Mountains and Seas Art reached the seventh level, his shadow would probably undergo a complete transformation.
At that time, the Mountains and Seas Art would be the end for all cultivators.
However, he still had a long way to go.
"According to the description of the Mountains and Seas Art, only by reaching the tenth level can one form the Kui shadow. After reaching the great circle of perfection, the shadow will transform into an adult."
Xu Qing sat in the lab as a strange glint appeared in his eyes.
"According to my development, the seventh level should be able to transform into an adult. What about the eighth level? What about the ninth level, the tenth level, and even the perfected stage?"
Xu Qing's anticipation was intense. He lowered his head and looked at his body.
This time, he didn't need to test his speed and strength. He could clearly sense that the aura in his body now far surpassed the aura he had at the fifth level.
The strength of this force surprised even him.
His speed was the same. Xu Qing had a feeling that if he were to sprint at full speed, the wind would become his only obstacle.
He didn't know what level he was at now at the campsite.
However, he was very clear that he could kill two seventh-level Qi Condensation cultivators like the old man in black a few days ago.
A long time later, Xu Qing drew in a deep breath and lowered his head to look at the ground around him.
At this moment, it was night outside and the room was pitch-black. However, he could still faintly sense the shadow's existence.
His breakthrough seemed to have affected the shadow as well, causing it to absorb even more anomalous substances. The connection between the shadow and him became even closer and more subtle.
In the silence, Xu Qing stared at the ground. Time slowly flowed by and the sky outside gradually brightened. As the sunlight streamed in, a blurry shadow appeared beside Xu Qing in this simple pharmacy, becoming increasingly clear.
The instant it appeared, Xu Qing's eyes narrowed.
He had been waiting for this moment. As his thoughts travelled, he could see his shadow contorting slightly.
Gradually, the shadow's right hand slowly lifted.
Xu Qing's breathing grew heavier as he stared at the shadow. He controlled the shadow's hand to move on the ground. When it reached the darkness, the shadow merged into the darkness and disappeared. However, Xu Qing's expression was calm. He could sense that the shadow still existed.
This lasted until the hand he used to control the shadow reached the small compartment and slowly crawled over, grabbing a medicinal herb.
The instant the shadow grabbed the medicinal herb, the anomalous substances on the herb instantly thickened and turned greenish-black.
At that moment, Xu Qing's control had also reached its limit. As his head rang out, the part of the shadow that extended out was instantly retracted and returned to its original state.
After a long time, Xu Qing lifted his head. His eyes were a little bloodshot and he had a splitting headache. He immediately closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.
Two hours later, Xu Qing opened his eyes and the throbbing pain in his head was gone.
"I still can't control it flexibly."
Xu Qing cast a deep glance at the shadow and retracted his thoughts.
He wasn't in a hurry. At this rate, sooner or later, he would be able to completely control it.
At that time, the shadow… would become his most secret trump card.
At this moment, he rested a little. Xu Qing then lifted his hand and grabbed it. Immediately, that mutated herb flew over. After it landed in his hand, Xu Qing lowered his head and observed it carefully.
"It's exactly the same as the herbs in the medicine shop when the gods tainted it and opened it."
"So, the shadow's ability is to infiltrate anomalous substances into objects?" Xu Qing mumbled and attempted to control the shadow again.
Just like this, time flowed by.
Four hours later, Xu Qing had a rough understanding of the shadow's abilities.
The other party couldn't release anomalous substances to invade and cover things at any time. Only under his control would the objects he touched mutate.
This characteristic was unexpected and possessed astonishing lethality. However, Xu Qing was still on guard against the shadows.
At this moment, he looked at the place where the purple crystal was buried in his chest. Xu Qing could sense that this purple crystal could restrict and suppress shadows.
After a long time, Xu Qing retracted his gaze and put down the medicinal herbs in his hand. He then glanced at the small cubicles in the surroundings. Right now, less than 10% of the medicinal herbs were left, and all of them were now piled up in the stone basin.
Glancing at the stone basin, Xu Qing sighed.
He couldn't bear to throw it away. After some thought, he felt that this black-colored medicinal liquid was also a type of weapon if used well.
Hence, after some thought, he kneaded the medicinal liquid in the stone basin into pills one by one. He then applied a layer of seven-leaf grass' juice on the surface to form a membrane.
In the end, he produced dozens of pills with pitch-black inner quality and a green exterior.
"Let's call it black pills then." Xu Qing kept them and walked out of the lab. He was prepared to head out and collect some medicinal herbs. At the same time, he had to think of a way to capture a black-scaled wolf.
During this period of time, he had used the black-scaled wolf as a medicine-testing beast, so Xu Qing was very familiar with using it. After leaving the canyon, he headed straight for the cluster of temples. He arrived very quickly but didn't stop as he sped deeper into the forbidden zone.
There were more herbs in the depths than the ones outside.
Also, Xu Qing had explored the depths more than once or twice. Although he didn't cover a large area, he gained quite a lot each time.
At the same time, not long after Xu Qing stepped into the depths of the forbidden zone, a group of people slowly explored the area at the edge of the forbidden zone.
There were over a hundred people in this group. There were men and women among them and there were even a large number of guards surrounding them. There were even five to six middle-aged men with very powerful auras who were vigilant of their surroundings.
The ones they were guarding were none other than the young men and women who had once been stationed outside the campsite. Their arrival was like they were having fun. One couldn't see the nervousness on their faces at all and their laughter continued to ring out.
As for their guide, it was Old Stone. However, at this moment, his face was filled with helplessness. From time to time, he would glance at those young men and women. Looking at their relaxed appearances, he sighed in his heart.
"This is the forbidden zone…" Old Stone wanted to say something but hesitated. He knew that no one would listen to him. These people who had always lived in the city thought that they knew how dangerous the forbidden zone was, but in reality, they were far inferior to scavengers in understanding how terrifying the forbidden zone was.
The former knew about the danger through books and conversations but the latter experienced the danger personally.
"I hope the journey will be smooth and there won't be any changes. After completing this mission, I'll retire and won't come to the forbidden zone anymore," Old Stone muttered in his heart as he proceeded cautiously.
No one noticed that among this group of youths, there was a beautiful young girl with long black hair wearing a green dress. As she chatted and laughed with the blue-clothed youth who was trying to curry favor with her, her right hand subtly scattered some medicinal powder.
As the wind blew, the medicinal powder became colorless and odorless before dissipating. It was like some sort of primer that gradually caused some changes to occur in the depths of the forbidden zone.
Xu Qing soon sensed this change.
At that moment, he, who was moving carefully in the depths of the forbidden zone, clearly felt that there were much fewer mutated beasts in the forbidden zone today.
He even saw a lizard whose aura was comparable to the sixth or seventh level of Qi Condensation and who was usually extremely aggressive, lying in the mud and hiding. Even when Xu Qing got close, it didn't attack. It seemed to be afraid of the outside world.
This caused Xu Qing to be extremely vigilant as he surveyed the forbidden zone's jungle.
An uneasy feeling rose in his heart. Hence, after picking some medicinal herbs, Xu Qing prepared to leave.
However, just as he was about to retreat, a cold aura erupted from the depths of the jungle. This aura instantly spread out, causing the surrounding trees to be frozen.
Xu Qing's eyes narrowed and he abruptly dodged. He then lifted his head and saw numerous translucent jellyfish flying out from the depths of the forbidden zone.
Among these jellyfish, there were six with huge bodies and hundreds of small jellyfish followed behind them. They majestically flew toward the temple group.
It was as though something in that direction was strongly attracting them.
The instant he saw these jellyfish, Xu Qing's existence also attracted the attention of the group of jellyfish in the sky.
One of the large jellyfish paused in mid-air. When it turned to face Xu Qing, half of the densely-packed eyes on its tentacles suddenly opened.
At this instant, a sense of danger erupted from Xu Qing's heart. He could feel all the flesh and blood in his body trembling at this instant. Behind him, the kui shadow suddenly appeared and let out a soundless roar toward the jellyfish in the sky.
Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. At that moment, he was no longer at the third level of Qi Condensation. Facing the pressure of this jellyfish, he had no strength to resist.
Right now, as the qi and blood in his body swelled, the jellyfish that was looking at him seemed to hesitate as the shadow behind him roared.
Maybe it was because the attraction from the direction of the temple cluster was greater, or maybe it felt that Xu Qing was not a threat, it hesitated for a moment before turning around and drifting away.
After the jellyfish left, Xu Qing also heaved a sigh of relief.
He looked around the forbidden zone and felt that the place today was too strange. Hence, his body flickered and he quickly left.
"Is the place they're heading to the temple cluster? Or is it further away from the temple cluster? I hope it's not the temple cluster and that they're just passing by. Otherwise, I'll have to take a detour…"
On the way, a look of contemplation appeared in Xu Qing's eyes but his speed didn't decrease. He transformed into a long trail that shuttled through the jungle.
Time slowly passed. Two hours later, following the rumbling sounds in the distance, Xu Qing leaped up and landed on the tree crown, looking at the cluster of temples in the distance.
This place was still an hour away from the temple cluster, so he could see the general outline of the temple cluster from afar.
The instant he looked over, Xu Qing's expression darkened. The scene he was worried about had appeared.
At this moment, the group of jellyfish was in the air above the temple cluster. There seemed to be someone fighting against them and the rumbling sounds were faintly discernible.
The distance was too far, so Xu Qing couldn't see the appearance of the person fighting. Hence, after pondering, he carefully approached.
At the same time, within the cluster of temples, Old Stone's body trembled and his lips trembled as he looked around in despair.
There were a large number of corpses around him. They were the followers and guards brought by the youths.
As for those young men and women, they were no longer as carefree as before. All of them had pale faces and injuries. Amidst their sorry states, there was fear.
The remaining guards and followers protected them as they moved out while fighting a bloody battle.
The ones attacking them crazily were none other than the hundreds of small jellyfish. In the sky, the ones fighting against the five to six large jellyfish were the five middle-aged cultivators with powerful auras whom the young man and woman had brought with them.
"How could this be, how could this be… It was clearly fine earlier…"
Old Stone trembled as he followed the panicked movements of the youths. However, he was old and after taking a few steps, a small jellyfish passed through the guards and pounced on him.
He didn't have time to dodge. In the next instant… the jellyfish floated past Old Stone and swallowed his heart, heading straight for the youths.
Old Stone's body collapsed, twitching uncontrollably.
Fresh blood flowed down his chest and filled the surroundings of Old Stone. Blood also flowed out of his mouth uncontrollably as if it was quicksand engulfing him. He muttered the last sentence of his life in his heart.
"The qualifications to enter the city… I can't buy them anymore…"
Old Stone opened his eyes and his aura dissipated. He didn't move at all. Everything in front of him became eternal darkness.
-x-X-x-
Corpses were everywhere in the temple complex.
There were guards, followers, and a few corpses who had an understanding of the dangers in the forbidden zone. The corpses of the youths retained the terror they had when they were alive as they stared blankly at the sky.
Other than that, there were dead jellyfish.
It was different from humans. After the jellyfish died, it would turn into a gray mud-like object that emitted waves of stench. It was completely different from the colorful scene when it was alive.
At the same time, it emitted an extremely dense anomalous substance that invaded the surroundings and corroded everything.
This sudden calamity was still ongoing.
As the young men and women retreated in panic, the swarm of jellyfish howled as they pursued them. At the periphery of this jungle forbidden zone, slaughter and death continued to play out.
When Xu Qing arrived at the temple cluster, it was already two hours later.
As he walked through the cluster of temples, Xu Qing looked at the corpses strewn all over the ground. His expression didn't change much.
He had seen too many corpses.
When he passed by the corpses of guards and followers, Xu Qing kept some of the dead jellyfish and prepared to head back to study them.
As for the items on these corpses, almost all of them were invaded by the dense anomalous substances formed after the jellyfish died. They were no longer usable.
This continued until Xu Qing arrived beside a corpse. His footsteps then stopped.
This was the corpse of an old man. There was a large hole in his chest and the blood that flowed out had already dried up. Within his dull eyes that were wide open, there seemed to be regret from when he was alive.
Looking at this corpse, Xu Qing sighed softly.
He wasn't a god, so even if the other party had bought his insurance, he couldn't guarantee his safety completely, especially when the fog hadn't appeared.
After a moment of silence, Xu Qing squatted down and covered Old Stone's open eyes before burying him.
There was no stele. Captain Lei had said before that scavengers didn't have any relatives when they were alive, so there was no need for them to pay their respects.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
This was the life of a scavenger. When they were alive, they would struggle in the world. After they died… they would be quiet.
This kind of sad stories was normal for most scavengers.
Standing in front of Old Stone's grave, Xu Qing looked in the direction of the campsite outside the forbidden zone and recalled his life over the past few months.
It had been four months since he arrived at the scavenger campsite.
The Bloodshadow Team Captain was dead, Fire Crow was dead, Fat Mountain and Horse-Four were dead, Barbaric Ghost was dead, Old Stone was dead, Captain Lei retreated into seclusion, Bone Blade escaped, and even more scavengers died silently.
In this cruel chaotic world, human lives were worthless.
"Only by becoming stronger can I survive," Xu Qing muttered. His expression slowly turned cold as he turned and left.
At that moment, amidst the afterglow of the setting sun, a gust of wind blew over, causing the clothes of the distant youth to rustle.
This sound seemed to contain a hint of coldness as it gradually grew weaker until it disappeared into the jungle along with his figure.
As the afterglow scattered down, the light gradually weakened. However, it still forcefully passed through the dense tree leaves, wanting to cast the sparse light onto the running youth in the jungle.
However, the youth's speed was too fast. Even the light seemed a little powerless to chase after him.
Not long later, Xu Qing suddenly stopped in his tracks. After he stopped, he lowered his head and stared at the ground as doubt appeared in his eyes.
Not long later, Xu Qing squatted down and sniffed carefully. Finally, his gaze landed on a blade of grass. There was a smear of powder on it that was hard to detect.
If it wasn't for the fact that Xu Qing had a more solid grasp of the poisonous grass and his understanding of the smell in this forbidden zone, it would probably be very difficult for him to detect any abnormalities.
At that moment, it took him a long time to identify it before he picked up the leaf that had a layer of powder on it. After a moment of concentration, he muttered.
"The exact composition is unknown but there must be the blood of the Aged Centipede inside!"
Xu Qing's eyes gleamed. In Grandmaster Bai's lesson, there was an introduction to the Aged Centipede Blood.
This blood had a certain amount of medicinal properties but it was mostly a catalyst. Therefore, when combined with other medicines, it could be concocted into a medicinal catalyst that attracted specific beasts. It was often needed during hunting.
"Is the arrival of those jellyfish related to this?" Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He put down this leaf that contained a fatal danger and took out a bag of poison powder to sprinkle on his body.
After using this to disperse the aura of the Old Centipede's blood that he had touched earlier, his body swayed and he moved in a different direction.
Xu Qing didn't plan to head to the place where the youths brought by Old Stone had retreated. This matter had nothing to do with him and he wasn't willing to participate.
Even if Chen Feiyuan's friends were among these people, he had no obligation to help them. Moreover, these people had experts who could fight against the giant jellyfish. To Xu Qing, it was equally dangerous.
Most importantly, among these young men and women, there was a high chance that someone had intentionally lured the jellyfish over for an unknown purpose.
Hence, after sensing their location, Xu Qing changed his direction and circled around them. He then returned to the lab in the canyon when the sky was turning dark.
After putting away the medicinal herbs he had picked, he continued to study the white pills.
It was just that although Xu Qing didn't go to the place where the young men and women had retreated to, when the night arrived, Xu Qing, who was concocting medicinal herbs in the pharmacy, still heard the sounds of explosions and fighting in the distance. Moreover, it was getting closer and closer. This caused him to frown.
After the sound of footsteps rang out, Xu Qing sighed silently.
He stood up and walked out of the lab. Under the moonlight, he looked in the direction of the canyon's entrance. There were sounds of surprise coming from there.
"There's a path here!!"
"Everyone, come in quickly."
As the voice rang out, a few disheveled youths in tattered clothes appeared.
Their faces were filled with horror. There were over ten people behind them and most of them were companions of similar age as them. There were also seven to eight guards who were covered in injuries.
A total of more than 20 people ran into the canyon. When the few guards guarded the entrance with all their might, these young men and women who had survived the calamity heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, they noticed the environment in the canyon.
They soon saw Xu Qing's lab and also saw Xu Qing standing there.
"Someone's here!"
The instant they saw Xu Qing, these young men and women were like birds startled by the twang of a bow. They cried out in alarm and immediately retreated. The three guards behind them also arrived quickly and looked at Xu Qing with vigilance and killing intent.
This killing intent caused Xu Qing's gaze to turn a little cold. After he coldly swept his gaze past these guards, he then looked at the group of youths. There were two among them that he paid special attention to.
One of them was a little older than him, about 16 or 17 years old. Although he was also in a sorry state, he was different from the others. There was very little panic on his face, and he was more vigilant.
The other person was a young girl with a very sweet appearance. Although her clothes were dirty and there was fear in them, Xu Qing, who was used to seeing all kinds of people, could tell at a glance that this person's fear was fake.
This was especially so since… this woman was wearing a glove on her right hand. It looked like it was for the sake of cleanliness but to Xu Qing who used poison, the glove had many uses.
For example, sprinkling medicinal powder.
"There are eight guards and their cultivation levels are between the sixth and seventh level of Qi Condensation. As for the others, their cultivation levels are below the fifth level and they are divided into three small teams.
"Only those two people. The man's cultivation level is at the seventh level and the woman… should be the person who lured the jellyfish. As for the few experts who fought with the big jellyfish, they aren't among them either. There's a high chance that they lured the big jellyfish away."
This was Xu Qing's habit and those young men and women had no idea that Xu Qing could see so many details with just a glance.
However, these guards were different from those young men and women. They could sense the coldness in Xu Qing's eyes and glanced at the medicinal room. They were all extremely vigilant.
To be able to find such a canyon in the forbidden zone and build houses in it, all of this meant that this youth was not only familiar with the forbidden zone but also lived here.
Such a person was extremely dangerous.
"Fellow Daoist, is your lord here? We don't have any ill intentions. It's just that the mutated beasts are chasing us outside, so we're using this place to hide."
"We'll leave at dawn. Please forgive us for disturbing you."
These guards instinctively spoke politely.
Their words also made the young men and women behind them, who were still in a state of shock, feel that something was amiss. They all looked at Xu Qing.
Among them, the oldest youth cast a few more glances at Xu Qing with a solemn expression. As for the young girl wearing gloves, she narrowed her eyes.
She swept her gaze across the pharmacy and smelled the faint scent of herbs in the surroundings. She now had a better understanding of this youth before her.
Xu Qing frowned and looked at them before looking at the entrance. He didn't speak for a long time and only tacitly acknowledged their existence. He then turned and walked toward the lab.
His tacit agreement caused those guards to heave a sigh of relief. As for the young men and women behind them, they were mostly apprehensive.
Only the young girl wearing gloves had a strange glint in her eyes. After that, she spoke in a low voice that was filled with caution and grievance.
"You… you're so rude. We just want to hide here for a while. There are mutated beasts everywhere outside. We'll definitely die if we go out."
Her voice carried a sense of heartache and love, causing the surrounding youths who adored her to muster their courage and speak to Xu Qing one after another.
"That's right. Why are you so cold-blooded?"
"We don't have any ill intentions. We're just resting here."
"The forbidden zone doesn't belong to his family. Why should we ask him?!"
Their casual words caused some people to feel hostility toward Xu Qing. Although there wasn't much hostility, it still made the young girl feel a little smug.
She wanted to make use of others to probe this youth's background.
However, at the next instant, a cold light suddenly flashed from Xu Qing's body. A whistling sound then rang out as a dagger shot out like a bolt of lightning, approaching the proud young girl.
Her expression changed and she was about to dodge when the dagger flew past her ear, cutting off some of her hair. With a bang, it stabbed deeply into the stone wall behind her, creating some sparks.
The young girl's heart trembled. As her breathing hastened, she instinctively lifted her right hand. When she looked at Xu Qing, what she saw was the youth in front of her. His gaze was as cold as a wolf and contained killing intent.
This gaze caused her heart to tremble. The surrounding guards and the other young men and women were all shocked. The former was extremely vigilant, while the latter made many alarmed cries.
"We met only by chance. Don't test me." Xu Qing cast a deep glance at the young girl and suppressed the killing intent in his heart. He then slowly spoke and turned to walk toward the lab.
Under the moonlight, his figure seemed to merge with the moonlight, revealing the coldness of the night. It flowed through the hearts of everyone in the canyon, causing them to slowly fall silent.
To many people, the canyon seemed to be as dangerous as the jellyfish outside.
In this silence, the instant Xu Qing reached the entrance of the lab, a mournful cry suddenly rang out from the entrance.
A small jellyfish found the entrance and penetrated the body of a guard. After devouring his internal organs, it rushed into the canyon.
Behind it, a group of jellyfish whistled over.
-x-X-x-
Xu Qing frowned and turned to look.
There were over a hundred small jellyfish in a large group. They whistled over from the entrance of the canyon and pounced toward the guards and the young man and woman.
The expressions of these people changed drastically and they immediately resisted, especially the few guards who risked their lives to stop them.
As for the slightly older youth whom Xu Qing had noticed earlier, the spirit energy fluctuations of the seventh level of Qi Condensation spread out and his attack was filled with multicolored light.
However, there were too many jellyfish and these jellyfish seemed to have resistances to spells. When they landed on one's body, the damage would be greatly reduced.
However, they were extremely fast, their attacks were sharp and their coordination was agile. This caused seven to eight people to die in an instant.
A youth who was originally dressed in luxurious clothes now had a look of despair in his eyes. The instant a jellyfish pounced at him, he scrambled to his feet and retreated, calling out to his friend at the seventh level of Qi Condensation for help.
"Young Master Bai, save me!"
As he spoke, a beam of light whistled over and landed in front of him, blocking the jellyfish for a moment. This caused the youth to dodge at the critical moment, still in shock.
Although Xu Qing was quite far away, he was still targeted by some jellyfish.
Three of them whistled toward him and were about to penetrate his body as usual.
At the next instant, a cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. He then lifted his right hand and punched out.
With a boom, his fist landed on the body of a jellyfish. This jellyfish's entire body trembled, unable to withstand the impact and directly broke into pieces.
Xu Qing didn't stop. At the next moment, the dagger in his left hand appeared and he moved closer to the other two jellyfish.
His speed was faster than the jellyfish and his body was more agile than the jellyfish. In the blink of an eye, the two-headed jellyfish's body was split into two halves.
This scene was captured by most of the young men and women fighting against the jellyfish. As their hearts trembled, they instinctively moved closer to him.
After consecutively killing the three jellyfishes, the other jellyfish also opened their demonic eyes and instantly pounced toward Xu Qing.
This time, there were over ten of them.
Xu Qing's expression was as calm as ever. He didn't retreat but rushed forward instead, transforming into an afterimage as he abruptly closed in. The dagger in his hand emitted a piercing cold light and wherever it passed, the jellyfish would collapse amidst popping sounds.
Following their deaths, a large number of anomalous substances spread out, causing the vegetation in the canyon to turn greenish-black in an instant. This included those in Xu Qing's lab. As for those injured guards, their expressions were also tainted by the anomalous substances.
Seeing how his canyon had become like this, the killing intent in Xu Qing's eyes intensified.
His body charged out once again. This time, his speed was even faster. Wherever he passed, the dagger would be brandished and the jellyfish would collapse one after another. However, he soon frowned. Under the corrosion of this anomalous substance, the dagger in his hand gradually couldn't withstand the impact and began to shatter.
Xu Qing didn't have the time to feel heartache. With a wave of his hand, he drew the iron stick across several jellyfish in succession. During this time, he also scattered poison powder.
Although the resistance of these jellyfish's bodies to poison wasn't small and it was difficult for the poison powder that permeated the surroundings to act up against them, Xu Qing didn't give up. This was because the poison wasn't only used for killing but also for neutralizing odors.
In terms of weapons, Xu Qing was also lacking. Although the penetrative power of his iron stick was strong, it couldn't be compared to a dagger. At this moment, a low cry rang out from behind Xu Qing.
"Friend, use my sword!"
As he spoke, a sword that emitted a cold light was thrown over from behind Xu Qing and he caught it with his backhand. From the corner of his eyes, he saw that the person who gave him the sword was none other than the youth called Young Master Bai.
Xu Qing didn't say anything. After he held the longsword, he immediately felt that this sword was extraordinary.
As he swung it, a sharp cold light instantly spread out from the sword. Although he didn't know how to use a sword, with its sharpness, Xu Qing still managed to slice through seven to eight jellyfish in an instant.
As the number of jellyfish corpses on the ground increased, Xu Qing's body was covered in the blue blood released by the jellyfish. As for the three remaining guards and the young men and women, they were now behind Xu Qing. When they saw this scene, everyone's hearts pounded, and their eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
"Too… too strong!"
"He's a body refiner but what level is he at? Could he have reached the great circle of perfection?!"
"Judging from the spirit energy fluctuations, it doesn't seem like it's at the fifth or sixth level."
"Cultivation isn't important. What's important is this person's ruthlessness." At this moment, the hearts of the guards and the young men and women trembled intensely. They were shaken by Xu Qing's attack.
Even Young Master Bai sucked in a breath of cold air. The young girl in the crowd also felt her heart racing at this moment. She could sense how terrifying Xu Qing was and put away all her thoughts.
From Xu Qing, she could sense the same aura from those clansmen who were known as monsters from her family.
The monsters in her family were all people who had killed many people. Every time she saw them, she would instinctively feel fear. At this moment, the feeling this youth gave her was the same.
She didn't want to provoke such a person.
,m This was especially so now that she had completed her mission and attracted a large number of jellyfish. Whether the people in the church could successfully obtain what they wanted from the jellyfish's nest in the depths of the jungle had nothing to do with her.
After all, the danger this time had exceeded her expectations. Hence, her right hand reached into her clothes and grabbed a jade slip. It was a talisman treasure with the function of teleportation.
This was also what she relied on.
Just when she was hesitating on whether she should crush it or not, there was a boom at the entrance of the canyon. Dozens of jellyfish crawled out from there and charged over densely.
This scene caused her to no longer hesitate. She directly crushed the teleportation jade slip in her hand and her figure instantly vanished.
-x-X-x-
Her departure also caused the companions beside her to have confused expressions.
Xu Qing didn't pay attention to these. He stared at the jellyfish that were pouncing over and calculated the time. After that, he stood there as the blood and qi in his body suddenly erupted. He then opened his mouth and let out a roar at the jellyfish that was approaching.
As his blood qi swelled and the Mountains and Seas Art circulated, the kui shadow immediately manifested behind him. Just like him, it let out a roar.
The figure was sinister-looking with a single horn on its head. Its entire body was pitch-black and it looked as though it had crawled out of the netherworld. Purple light could be seen flickering faintly in its eyes, making it look bizarre and astonishing.
Its roar was soundless but when combined with Xu Qing's roar, it seemed to contain astonishing intimidation, causing the jellyfish that were pouncing over to stop in their tracks. All their eyes opened and stared fixedly at Xu Qing.
They weren't the only ones who were intimidated. The expressions of the young men and women behind Xu Qing also turned pale at this instant. When they saw the shadow behind Xu Qing, their eyes narrowed.
"Blood Qi Shadow Formation!"
"This… this is… this is a phenomenon that only appears when one's body temperament has reached the great circle of perfection!!"
Shock surged intensely in their hearts.
Those jellyfish could sense Xu Qing's savageness. In addition, his poison had taken effect at this moment, causing the aura from everyone's blood to dissipate.
Hence, after the solemn confrontation, those jellyfish slowly retreated and left rapidly through the entrance.
Watching the jellyfish's departing figure, Xu Qing heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. He then turned around and stared coldly at the group of youths.
What he focused on was the place where the woman in gloves was previously.
He didn't see it.
Xu Qing narrowed his eyes.
At the same time, as his gaze swept across the crowd, a few young girls among them were so frightened that they started crying.
The current Xu Qing looked extremely murderous.
Under the moonlight, his entire body was covered in blue blood. The coldness in his eyes made him feel as though he had just walked out of hell. Coupled with the kui shadow behind him, he looked like a malicious ghost!
Only the youth surnamed Bai forcefully suppressed the reverence in his heart and cupped his fists toward Xu Qing.
"I'm Bai Yundong. Thank you for your help, my friend. We will definitely repay your kindness!"
As though he had noticed what Xu Qing was looking at earlier, Bai Yundong took a deep breath and explained.
"The one who teleported away was Li Ruolin. Her family is skilled in array formations, so the life-saving item they gave her was a teleportation talisman. It would allow her to escape danger at any time."
"You guys don't have one?" Xu Qing looked at Bai Yundong.
Bai Yundong smiled bitterly and the youths beside him fell silent as well.
"Although we're from a large Purple Earth family, we aren't direct descendants. We're just fresh on the surface."
Xu Qing nodded and tossed the sword in his hand to Bai Yundong. As the other youths thanked him, he looked at Bai Yundong and suddenly asked.
"Who is Grandmaster Bai to you?"
"That's my third grandfather." Bai Yundong was stunned. After answering, he asked another question.
"You know my third grandfather?"
Xu Qing cast a deep glance at him and nodded without saying anything. He then turned and looked at the entrance of the canyon before glancing at the sky.
"The anomalous substances here are very dense. We can't stay here for long. I'll send you out of here."
After he finished speaking, Xu Qing walked toward the entrance of the canyon. Bai Yundong hesitated for a moment before he gritted his teeth and followed. The other young men and women also knew the pros and cons, so they followed him one after another.
Hence, the group of youths walked out of the canyon and sped toward the edge of the jungle in the darkness.
Although they were in a sorry state when facing the jellyfish, everyone had a cultivation base. After experiencing this life-and-death battle, it was a transformation for them.
Hence, on the road at night, few people spoke. They all silently followed Xu Qing.
Even though a few of the girls didn't have much stamina left, they gritted their teeth and persevered. Just like that, the group of them walked for an entire night.
Finally, at dawn, he saw the world outside the jungle from afar.
Waves of excitement rose and fell in their hearts and their exhausted bodies seemed to have the strength to spare. A whistling sound could be heard from afar.
Xu Qing immediately looked over warily and saw three figures whistling over from the sky.
They were the experts beside the group of youths.
Xu Qing's previous judgment wasn't wrong. They were the ones who had lured away the largest jellyfish. At that moment, it was obvious that they had suffered some casualties. After they arrived, amidst the exciting narration of the youths, they cast a deep glance at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing was vigilant and kept a certain distance from them. He then took the poison powder without leaving a trace.
These three experts didn't approach Xu Qing. Instead, they nodded at him and led the way.
Although this place didn't seem to be far from the outside world, the group still only walked out when it was almost noon.
When the group of young men and women walked out of the jungle and stepped into the outside world, everyone who had survived the calamity could no longer suppress the excitement in their hearts. Many of them started crying.
Xu Qing was the last to walk out. He looked at these people from afar and didn't speak.
Very soon, the group of youths led by Bai Yundong arrived at Xu Qing's place. After they cupped their fists and thanked him sincerely, they introduced themselves.
"We came here to train at the last minute. Right now, we don't have anything too valuable on us and we've used up everything in the forbidden zone. Also, because the anomalous substances in our bodies are very dense, we have to return to Purple Earth through the teleportation array in the nearby cities as soon as possible. We won't forget your great kindness. This sword is for you."
Bai Yundong bowed deeply and left his sword behind.
Xu Qing watched them leave and picked up the sharp sword.
This sword was filled with orchids and gleamed with a cold light. Although it had killed many jellyfish and tainted them with anomalous substances, it wasn't damaged at all. When one looked at it, one could sense the icy intent on it. It could be considered a top-grade treasure among treasures.
Although it was a little long and not as convenient as the dagger, Xu Qing was still somewhat comfortable with using it previously. Hence, he wrapped it and hid the sharp edge behind his back.
Looking at the sky, Xu Qing walked toward the campsite.
He prepared to go back and buy a few daggers. After a few days, when the jellyfish swarm completely disappeared, he would head to the forbidden zone.
After noon, as the afternoon sun shone lazily, Xu Qing arrived at the campsite. However, he only took a few steps before he frowned slightly. He felt that there was something wrong with the campsite…
There were now some strangers at the campsite.
As for the scavengers in the surroundings, their expressions were a little strange when they saw him. One of them was also someone he had saved back then. After seeing Xu Qing, he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Although he didn't speak, he subtly pointed in the direction of Xu Qing's residence.
Xu Qing's heart skipped a beat. As he observed his surroundings, he quickened his pace.
When he arrived at his residence, he immediately sensed many gazes on him, coldly staring at him.
Xu Qing immediately recognized the owners of these gazes from their clothes. They were all guards from the camp leader's residence!
At the entrance of an alley not far away, the man with the three-stroke beard under the camp leader smiled coldly at him.
Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and pushed open the gate to the courtyard. He saw Cross sitting there with an extremely unsightly countenance, as well as Luan Tooth, who seemed to be heavily injured and weak.
The instant Xu Qing walked in, the two of them abruptly looked toward him.
"Kid, Captain Lei… is in trouble." Cross's right hand was simply bandaged and was still trembling at the moment. After seeing Xu Qing, he spoke in a low voice and coughed violently as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
When these words landed in Xu Qing's ears, it was like a bolt of lightning had struck. As the rumbling echoed, his heart instantly tensed up and his breathing grew hurried.
His heartbeat involuntarily sped up and his body stiffened a little. The bad premonition instantly erupted, transforming into an extremely dense and astonishing baleful aura that rose uncontrollably from Xu Qing's body. Even the surrounding temperature seemed to have turned cold.
"What happened?" Amidst the coldness, an even more bone-chilling voice that trembled slightly rang out from Xu Qing's mouth.