Chapter 224: Declaration of War

　　This news spread through the entire Seven Blood Eyes like a storm, attracting the attention of countless cultivators on both the mountain and at the foot of the mountain.

　　Although high-level cultivators were the main force in war, there were many things on the battlefield that still needed Qi Condensation cultivators to do. For example, setting up array formations, logistics, transportation, and various other war tasks.

　　In fact, even the Sea Corpse Race would definitely send out Qi Condensation cultivators to fight. In that case, the piedmont disciples of the Seven Blood Eyes would have to fight as well.

　　After all, compared to the cultivators on the mountain, the piedmont disciples had no right to refuse. Only when they reached the Foundation Building realm did they have the right to decide if they wanted to participate in the battle.

　　As such, this news quickly caused a commotion in the main city. Xu Qing wasn’t surprised.

　　Regardless of whether it was when he saw the battle between the seven peak lords, the elders, and the experts of the Sea Corpse Race at sea, Huang Yan’s two reminders, or Zhang San’s plan, they all pointed out that war was about to arrive.

　　Xu Qing originally didn’t have many thoughts about the war. Previously, when he went up the mountain, Zhang Yunshi had said that Foundation Building cultivators of the Seven Blood Eyes had no obligation to participate in the war. Hence, the start of the war was mostly driven by benefits.

　　However, after cultivating the Fiendish Fire Soul Devouring Art, Xu Qing’s thoughts changed a little. In reality, all Foundation Building cultivators who cultivated the Fiendish Fire Soul Devouring Art valued war.

　　Devouring souls was the easiest in war. As long as the cultivator could survive, they would be able to open many magic apertures.

　　It was because killings on the battlefield would be extremely frequent and it would be easier to devour souls in the chaotic battle. Moreover, the souls of the Sea Corpse Race had a miraculous effect on the Fiendish Fire Soul Devouring Art.

　　This point tempted Xu Qing, especially since he had tasted the sweetness of the Sea Corpse Race’s soul…

　　Right now, he had opened 20 magic apertures and was only 10 away from forming the first ball of life fire. He had also calculated that if he used Ghost Desires and ammonites to attract sea beasts like last time, because the requirement to open the magic aperture would be increasingly difficult, he estimated that it would take at least two years to form the life fire.

　　Although he might occasionally encounter Foundation Building ferocious beasts that could speed up this process, it was extremely dangerous.

　　This didn’t include the journey back and forth and whether the Ghost Desires were enough. If these factors were added, it would probably take more than three years. Being out in the sea for such a long time without the Mystic Brilliance Form would mean huge danger.

　　When Qi Condensation cultivators went out to sea and encountered powerful beings, the other party might feel that it wasn’t worth killing them. However, when they saw that they were Foundation Building cultivators, most of them wouldn’t think so.

　　The value of killing Foundation Building cultivators was much higher.

　　This way, although the war was dangerous, the cost-performance ratio was much higher.

　　When this news about the war spread, Zhang San was very attentive to their three ports and didn’t delay the process.

　　Under the bombardment of a large number of spirit stones, not only did he choose the areas to establish the ports, but he also hired thousands of piedmont disciples of the Sixth Peak and tens of thousands of handymen. The construction had already begun.

　　With so many people involved, the port experienced new changes every day. At the same time, plans for commercialization of the port were underway.

　　As the deputy director of the Transportation Department, Zhang San used his authority to build a large branch here that specialized in serving the new port.

　　The captain was the same. Although he wasn’t in the sect, he had also arranged for the Black Division to move to the new port as a branch of the Homicide Department.

　　Also, after Huang Yan heard from some unknown source that Xu Qing had shares here, he arranged for the Pilotage Department to come over and built a branch here. Gu Muqing quietly bought a very large shop here to open another medicine shop.

　　As for the shopkeeper of the Sixth Peak who had tried to extort Xu Qing, it was unknown if it was because of the arrangements of the person behind him, but he also arrived immediately and bought a shop to express his goodwill.

　　As everyone rushed in, the new port became lively. It became the hottest topic in the sect other than the war.

　　When Ding Xue found out about this, she naturally had to express her support. She bought three shops that formed a triangle and surrounded Gu Muqing’s medical shop.

　　It was as though she hadn’t thought of what to do with them and did this just to show her power.

　　She even contacted her best friends from the various peaks and received their help.

　　The second day after Ding Xue bought the shops, Zhao Zhongheng quickly arranged for the Dispatch Department to build a branch here…

　　Zhang San was very satisfied. He was naturally the one who spread the news of the port. However, the one who planned this move was the captain. Before the captain left, he told him that he had to use Xu Qing’s name. After all, handsome people were very useful.

　　Zhang San also began to mobilize his connections. Very soon, people from the Third, Fourth and Fifth Peaks also came to buy shops one after another, causing the entire new port to have everything a cultivator needed.

　　As for the casinos, they also came after hearing about this port that almost completely belonged to the Homicide Department.

　　They bought the most shops. Almost all such places in the main city opened branches here.

　　The shops in the other parts of the city were moving in one after another. Half a month later, when Xu Qing obtained the Ghost Desires from the Hundred Herbs Square, the prototype of the port was already ready.

　　He also applied for a number from the Seventh Peak and the port was designated as Port 176.

　　On the day the port was opened for use, Xu Qing moved out of the mountain and found a remote berth in Port 176.

　　On the way there, he looked at the port that had begun to operate and sighed with emotion. In order to obtain the sect’s requisition fee, Zhang San had indeed done his best to speed up the construction.

　　As he moved back to the harbor from the cave abode, Xu Qing, who was sitting on the magic ship, listened to the sound of the waves and felt the light swaying of the magic ship. This feeling made him feel as though he had returned to when he was in Qi Condensation.

　　He had postponed his trip to the sea.

　　This was because during these few days, there was more and more news about the war. Every day, one could see streams of light returning from the outside world, heading straight for the seven mountain peaks.

　　This made Xu Qing realize that the footsteps of war were about to arrive.

　　Another half a month passed. When Xu Qing used his Life Art to finally wear down 10% of the 21st magic aperture, the bells from the Seven Blood Eyes’ Seven Peaks rang at the same time. It was an extremely rare occurrence.

　　When the bells rang and their chimes echoed through the entire Seven Blood Eyes, the expressions of everyone who heard it, regardless of whether they were on the mountain or at the foot of the mountain, changed. Many disciples even walked out of their magic boats and looked at the seven mountain peaks.

　　There were many Foundation Building cultivators hidden among them.

　　The same scene was happening in the entire Seven Blood Eyes’ main city.

　　It was the same for the Foundation Building cultivators living on these seven mountain peaks. They walked out of their respective cave abodes and their eyes revealed sharpness.

　　Shortly after, a vast and aged voice suppressed the bell chimes and spread throughout the entire Seven Blood Eyes.

　　“Disciples of the Seven Blood Eyes, I’m Xue Lianzi. You can call me ancestor. Today, I am announcing that the war is here.”

　　“My sect declares war on the Sea Corpse Race.”

　　“The assets of the Sea Corpse Race exceed 100 billion. This old man has decided to take out half of the assets as your reward!”

　　Almost at the instant this old voice echoed, countless blood threads soared into the sky from the seven peaks of the Seven Blood Eyes. These blood threads were densely packed like countless worms. They swept into the sky in unison, forming a vast cloud that covered the entire sky of the Seven Blood Eyes.

　　One could see that this cloud was completely formed by red lines. They gathered in the sky and swam rapidly, finally outlining a huge face.

　　This face was that of an old man. It was such a shocking sight that thunder rumbled in the sky. In fact, the entire Seven Blood Eyes was dyed red. One could vaguely sense the intent of the Flame Phoenix that Xu Qing had seen back then.

　　From afar, it was as though this world had turned into a demon’s domain.

　　At the same time, a monstrous sword qi erupted from the huge blood eye of the Seven Blood Eyes’ First Peak and headed straight for the sky, transforming into a blood-colored sword.

　　This large sword was formed by countless red lightning bolts and looked soul-stirring. It was as though any bolt of lightning inside could destroy a Foundation Building cultivator.

　　On that large sword stood a red-faced old man. He was the Peak Lord of the First Peak. As he stood there, his aura was crimson red and his killing intent towered into the sky, as though he could kill gods.

　　“I heed the ancestor’s decree!”

　　Almost at the instant he appeared, a similar rumbling sound rang out from the Second Peak. A huge pill furnace rose into the air and a graceful middle-aged woman was sitting cross-legged on it. The fragrance of pills permeated the air and was enveloped by a dazzling light.

　　The pill furnace under the middle-aged woman was still refining a pill that was letting out light like the sun, and the fluctuations it emitted were extremely terrifying.

　　“I heed the ancestor’s decree!”

　　Next was the Third Peak. A middle-aged man who looked like a scholar walked out. Under his feet was a ball of yellow fog. As the fog churned, it emitted a terrifyingly bizarre aura. There were also countless illusory figures that were faintly discernible around him, like ghosts.

　　Xu Qing’s mind shook when he saw them. The feeling they gave him was extremely similar to the white-clothed faceless woman in the ruined city. It was as though they came from the same source.

　　They were all bizarre entities!

　　“I heed the ancestor’s decree!” After walking out, the middle-aged scholar calmly spoke. After that, a person walked out of the Fourth Peak.

　　This person was a burly man. As he appeared, one could clearly see a chain on his body. One end of the chain was in his hand, and the other end had a huge eyeball.

　　As soon as the eyeball appeared, the divine intent erupted explosively. Although the feeling it gave Xu Qing wasn’t as powerful as Binding, it was still a divine creature.

　　As for the Fifth Peak and Sixth Peak, no one appeared!

　　Finally, it was the Seventh Peak.

　　As the Seventh Peak’s mountain rumbled, Old Master Seventh’s figure walked out. He walked toward the sky step by step, looking extremely ordinary. Among everyone in the sky, he looked the least imposing.

　　From afar, he looked like an ordinary person with no cultivation at all. However, his appearance immediately caused the other Peak Lords other than the First Peak’s Peak Lord to lower their heads to show their respect.

　　“I heed the ancestor’s decree!” Old Master Seventh arrived in the air and cupped his fists and bowed to the sky ancestor.

　　The gaze of the ancestor, Xue Lianzi, instantly landed on Old Master Seventh. He revealed a hint of surprise before laughing loudly.

　　“Little Seven, your Dao actually rose silently. You’re about to break through. Great!”