Chapter 207 - Bell Rings on the Mountain
Chapter 207: Bell Rings on the Mountain
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In this chaotic world after the arrival of the god’s fragmented face, most of the cultivators were Qi Condensation cultivators. There weren’t many who could reach the Foundation Building realm, so it was rare to see them in the cities outside.
Only a large sect like the Seven Blood Eyes would have a large number of Foundation Building cultivators.
Xu Qing’s appearance naturally caused some commotion. In fact, under the respectful gazes of those guards, before Xu Qing could reach the teleportation array, he sensed an energy fluctuation coming from the city lord’s residence in the distance.
Xu Qing frowned and coldly looked over.
A stream of light flew over and stopped thirty feet away from Xu Qing, revealing a middle-aged man in luxurious robes.
This middle-aged man had an ordinary appearance and his Foundation Building magic power was spread out as he sized up Xu Qing.
Xu Qing also looked at his neck and judged how many magic apertures the other party had opened.
“Fellow Daoist, what are you here for? I’m Zhou Hengli, a member of the Zhou family of Purple Earth. I’ve been appointed as the city lord of this city. This city is jointly managed by Purple Earth, the Seven Blood Eyes, and the Litu Sect.”
“I’m only here to use the teleportation array,” Xu Qing calmly said. He could faintly sense that the other party didn’t have many magic apertures and hadn’t reached the level of forming life fire.
Zhou Hengli, who was in the air, showed nothing on his face but was extremely vigilant inwardly. He could sense a dense baleful aura from this sallow-faced cultivator in front of him.
Clearly, the other party was someone who had killed a lot. Moreover, from his clothes, it was impossible to tell his origins. This made him extremely vigilant, and when the other party’s gaze seemingly landed on his neck, his hair instinctively stood on their ends.
What shocked him the most was that he couldn’t see through the cultivation base of the person in front of him. He was worried that he had encountered someone with life fire…
“Please!” Zhou Heng’s heart trembled but his expression didn’t reveal it at all. As he spoke in a low voice, he immediately made arrangements.
Immediately, all the pedestrians in front of Xu Qing were dispersed and a path leading to the teleportation array was opened.
Xu Qing was calm. He knew that the other party was not welcoming him. It was obvious that he wanted him to leave quickly. Also, he could sense strands of aura spreading out from the city.
They weren’t emitted by cultivators. It was more like some array formations were being activated.
Xu Qing felt that this vigilance was normal. After all, to a city in the wilderness, if a foreign Foundation Building cultivator entered, they would naturally be highly vigilant.
Xu Qing nodded and decided not to take his time. His speed erupted and he directly flew toward the teleportation array. His speed was so fast that it stirred up a violent wind in the surroundings.
Zhou Hengli’s eyes narrowed even more and he immediately followed.
Xu Qing soon arrived at the teleportation location. This place had already been cleared and there was no one in the surroundings. Only a few guards who were maintaining the operation of the array formation greeted Xu Qing with reverence while shaking.
“Greetings, Senior. The array formation is ready. Where are you going?”
Xu Qing looked at them and then glanced at the city lord who was following him from afar. This seemed normal but he knew the latter was actually extremely vigilant. He deeply sensed the status of a Foundation Building cultivator.
He walked to the teleportation array and calmly spoke.
“Seven Blood Eyes’ main city.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the guards who were maintaining the array formation in the surroundings hurriedly nodded and began to adjust the array formation for him. Only after confirming repeatedly that there were no problems did they respectfully retreat more than 100 feet.
Xu Qing’s gaze swept across the teleportation array. He didn’t understand array formations but after teleporting many times, he understood some things. After sweeping his gaze across it, he stepped in. The teleportation array shone and his figure instantly disappeared.
It was only when Xu Qing’s figure disappeared from the teleportation array that Zhou Hengli, who was far away, heaved a long sigh of relief. Although he was at the Foundation Building realm, he didn’t want to provoke such a murderous person.
“Under the rule that the Seven Blood Eyes doesn’t welcome foreign Foundation Building cultivators, he still dares to go there, it means that there’s a high chance that he’s not a wanted criminal. Could he be a Foundation Building cultivator of the Seven Blood Eyes?”
Zhou Hengli touched his neck and shook his head, no longer thinking about this matter. To him, all foreign Foundation Building cultivators were dangerous. If there was someone with life fire among them, he would probably die instantly. As such, sending them away as soon as possible was the best choice.
Otherwise, if there was really a conflict, he would die for nothing in this wilderness city far away from his family. It would be very difficult for his family to find out anything.
In the eastern part of the Nanhuang Continent, where the Truth Mountain Range was connected to the sea, under the gaze of the seven huge blood eyes, Xu Qing’s figure suddenly appeared in the teleportation array in the center of the extremely prosperous main city.
As soon as he appeared, he lifted his head before he could survey his surroundings. His expression changed slightly.
He felt a powerful aura coming from all directions in the main city, enveloping him. Although he didn’t make any movements, this aura lock was like a surveillance camera.
Xu Qing wasn’t unfamiliar with this aura. It was the power of the Seven Blood Eyes’ array formation.
In the past, when Xu Qing returned, he had never felt this way.
However, now that he had advanced to the Foundation Building realm and returned, he immediately understood the reason why foreign Foundation Building cultivators didn’t dare to rashly come to the Seven Blood Eyes.
Clearly, to this array formation, the priority of Foundation Building was greater than a disciple. Even though Xu Qing’s identity token was shining at this moment, he couldn’t resolve this feeling of surveillance because he hadn’t gone up the mountain to register his cultivation.
Xu Qing took a deep breath and retracted his gaze, calmly walking down the teleportation array.
The invisible envelopment of the array formation didn’t attract the attention of any cultivators or commoners. After Xu Qing left, he changed into the Daoist robe he had prepared.
Back then, on the trip to Sea Lizard Island, Xu Qing had gained some experience. Hence, he prepared several sets of Daoist robes in his storage bag.
Xu Qing wore the gray Daoist robe of a Seven Blood Eyes disciple and walked on the streets. He tried to restrain his cultivation base, observing if there would be any changes in the array formation.
However, even though he had concealed his cultivation base to the extreme, causing the surrounding cultivators who passed by to not be able to sense him, the lock-on and surveillance of the array formation still existed. This allowed Xu Qing to have a deeper understanding of the Seven Blood Eyes’ array formation.
“I wonder if I’ll be able to avoid the array formation’s lock by using the shadow to cover myself.”
Xu Qing pondered but didn’t test it. In his opinion, there was no need for this for the time being. Moreover, there were risks regardless of whether this worked or not.
“Then, let’s go up the mountain.”
Xu Qing mumbled. He looked at the Seventh Peak in the distance and walked toward it.
On the way, he passed by many shops. Looking at the indifferent and hurried pedestrians on the streets and the gray-robed disciples who would occasionally appear, he couldn’t help but recall the various things that had happened since he came to the Seven Blood Eyes.
He sighed inwardly, but he was filled with anticipation that he would be able to obtain at least 5,000 spirit stones a month in the future.
Just as his footsteps gradually quickened, a familiar figure appeared in the distance.
The other party’s appearance immediately aroused the reverence of the surrounding commoners. As they moved aside, the Seven Blood Eyes piedmont disciples in the crowd became even more respectful. It was difficult to hide the envy in their eyes.
It was a youth wearing a light purple Daoist robe. When he walked through the crowd, that hint of purple represented the nobility of his status. Coupled with his extraordinary appearance and powerful cultivation aura, this person looked like a divine son who had descended to the mortal world in everyone’s eyes.
It was Zhao Zhongheng.
Xu Qing saw him, and he also saw Xu Qing.
If it was in the past, Zhao Zhongheng would probably have turned around and left immediately, unwilling to say another word to Xu Qing. However, after seeing Xu Qing today, he snorted and suddenly pointed at the sky.
Immediately, a Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale appeared in the air. It roared at the sky before disappearing.
This scene caused exclamations in the surroundings. Many piedmont disciples did not forget to shower praises.
Zhao Zhongheng had a smug expression on his face as he looked at the expressionless Xu Qing and spoke proudly.
“I’ve also cultivated the Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale!”
Xu Qing’s expression didn’t change at all. He couldn’t be bothered with the other party and continued walking toward the Seventh Peak.
Zhao Zhongheng frowned. He felt uncomfortable when he didn’t see Xu Qing’s shocked expression. However, the scenes at sea back then had left a deep shadow in his mind. Hence, he endured it and didn’t continue to show off as he walked toward the Seventh Peak.
He had gone down the mountain this time because he had asked someone to forge an exquisite phoenix hairpin. Now, he was returning to the mountain to give it to Senior Sister Ding.
There was only the entrance to the Seven Blood Eyes’ Seven Peaks in the south of the city, so there were fewer and fewer pedestrians. As such, Zhao Zhongheng was surprised to see Xu Qing still continuing to walk forward.
He sensed that the other party was moving toward the entrance to the mountain peak.
Although he was curious, Zhao Zhongheng was proud and disdained to ask. However… as time passed, when Xu Qing was less than a thousand feet away from the steps of the Seventh Peak’s mountain path, Zhao Zhongheng couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Xu Qing, where are you going?” Zhao Zhongheng quickened his pace and asked after nearing him.
“Up the mountain.” Xu Qing frowned and calmly spoke.
“The mountain? Gray-robed disciples are not allowed to ascend the mountain unless they are summoned. Even if they are summoned, someone has to guide them! Only core disciples can ascend the mountain alone!”
Zhao Zhongheng sized up Xu Qing a few times but didn’t see any aura fluctuations from him. He also didn’t see anyone waiting on the mountain path ahead, so he said coldly.
Xu Qing didn’t care about Zhao Zhongheng and continued forward, reaching the steps on the mountain path.
Zhao Zhongheng sneered when he saw this scene.
“When a piedmont disciple steps onto the mountain path for no reason, they will be blasted out by the array formation. Xu Qing, I think you should…”
Before Zhao Zhongheng could finish speaking, Xu Qing, who was in front of him, had his usual expression as he stepped onto the first step.
The moment his right foot landed, the steps on the entire Seventh Peak’s mountain path suddenly blurred. An invisible force instantly swept toward him, as though it was confirming something.
Xu Qing lifted his head and looked at the mountain peak in the distance. At this moment, the cultivation base in his body erupted and his Foundation Building aura surged out intensely. The bell on the Seventh Peak instantly rang out.
Amidst the melodious and profound sounds, Xu Qing walked up the steps. As he walked forward step by step, Zhao Zhongheng, who was behind him, was hit by Xu Qing’s Foundation Building aura and was forced back. His body trembled and his face was pale. His eyes looked like they were about to fall out as waves of emotions surged in his mind.
“Found-Found-Foundation Building!!”