Outside of Time

The moonlight scattered onto the surface of the sea, landing on the magic boat with the collapsed protective array. It also landed on Xu Qing’s side. He listened to the respectful voices of the Seventh Peak’s disciples outside with a dazed expression.

Although the breakthrough this time was within his expectations, the dangers in the process made his heart palpitate at this moment. This was especially so when he thought of the feeling of his body wanting to shatter when he broke through with the Mountains and Seas Art. Xu Qing couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

If it wasn’t for the recovery ability of the purple crystal, his body would probably have collapsed and died before the Ba shadow could appear. However, the increase in strength from such a dangerous situation was equally shocking.

The Ba shadow above his head was slowly dissipating and the terrifying power surging forth from it caused Xu Qing to reveal a hint of anticipation.

A long time later, Xu Qing walked out of the cabin. Under the moonlight, he stood tall and straight like a pine tree. His handsome face had a hint of coldness to it, as though it was carved from stone. There was a mystical charm to it that vaguely hinted a breakthrough in the Mountains and Seas Art.

“Thank you, fellow disciples.” Standing in the boat, Xu Qing calmly cupped his fists and bowed to the surrounding disciples.

Immediately, the surrounding disciples on the magic boats returned the greeting. It was as though they could tell that the fluctuations from Xu Qing’s cultivation hadn’t dissipated. Hence, most of them guessed that this breakthrough wasn’t the outcome of simply tonight’s cultivation.

After returning the greeting, everyone sensibly returned to their cabins and didn’t disturb Xu Qing.

This scene would have been inconceivable if it was a few months ago when Xu Qing had just arrived at the Seven Blood Eyes. But now, it had appeared.

Xu Qing retracted his gaze and returned to the cabin. He sat down cross-legged and glanced at the spirit stone that was filled with cracks in the spirit gathering array. He then glanced at the dilapidated cabin and frowned slightly.

He knew that the collapse of the protective barrier was due to the huge fluctuation that erupted in that instant. As the core of the barrier, the spirit stones couldn’t withstand it and shattered.

“I wonder if the next breakthrough of the Mountains and Seas Art will still be like this…”

Xu Qing mumbled. His heart still palpitated, but he felt even more heartache. After all, repairing the magic boat required money.

However, when he thought of the harvest he gained from killing the merfolk youth, he felt slightly better.

Now wasn’t the time to care about these. Xu Qing calmed the palpitations in his heart from breaking through with the Mountains and Seas Art. He could sense that his Sea Transformation Art was rumbling and churning in his body, as though it was about to break through as well.

He took a deep breath and replaced the useless spirit stone in the spirit gathering array with a new one.

At the next moment, the protective barrier on the magic boat was activated again.

Looking at the moonlight falling from the damaged cabin, Xu Qing pondered for a moment before deciding to put in another spirit stone. As he performed a series of hand seals, the magic boat rumbled. With the two spirit stones as the core, the protective barrier was even thicker. It was so thick that even the moonlight was obscured.

Xu Qing closed his eyes. He then sensed that the amount of boundless energy bursting forth from his body at this moment was several times greater than before.

One had to know that Xu Qing’s previous strength was already at the level of perfection in the Mountains and Seas Art. Now that he had broken through, it was like he had broken some sort of shackles, allowing his physical strength to reach an even higher level.

This power was so strong that Xu Qing had a feeling that even without using the Sea Transformation Art’s spell, he would be able to frighten Diamond Sect’s ancestor with just a full-strength punch from the Mountains and Seas Art.

After all, he was the first person in history to cultivate the Mountains and Seas Art to such an extent.

Before him, Kui shadow was already the limit. Now that the Kui shadow had transformed into an unprecedented Ba, not only did it contain the aura of the mountains and seas, but it also contained endless scorching flames.

The madness that wanted to evaporate all moisture and burn all living beings was still lingering in Xu Qing’s perception.

And this was only the eighth level. The Ba shadow was only newborn and hadn’t reached the complete state. Xu Qing couldn’t imagine what it would look like after the ninth level. Also, when the art reached the tenth level, would the Ba shadow transform?

No one could guide him on the path of the Mountains and Seas Art. Even the person who created this cultivation art couldn’t do it.

Xu Qing fell silent. After a long time, a glint flashed in his eyes. He closed his eyes again and began to circulate the Sea Transformation Art.

Time slowly passed. Two hours later, the wind stirred in Port 79…

This wind blew across the surface of the sea and gathered on Xu Qing’s magic boat, forming a vortex. It was like a black hole that swept the spirit energy from all directions over with rumbling sounds.

The surface of the sea swayed, and all the boats were swaying. The Seventh Peak’s disciples also focused their attention on the source of all this, as though they wanted to witness Xu Qing’s rise.

Boundless spirit energy rushed into Xu Qing’s boat from all directions and into his body. The spirit sea formed by the Sea Transformation Art in his body soared in all directions.

The increase in each level of the Sea Transformation Art seemed to only increase the spirit sea by 100 feet, but in reality, this increase was in all aspects. Regardless of length or depth, it was like the difference between a small circle and a large circle.

The depth was even more so. Xu Qing already had the foundation to break through and now that the spirit energy that contained the aura of the forbidden sea arrived, his body instantly rumbled. Waves of cracking sounds echoed in his mind and the spirit sea in Xu Qing’s body expanded abruptly.

The spirit sea directly broke through the last ten feet and reached 800 feet.

The instant it reached 800 feet, Xu Qing’s body trembled violently. Endless spirit energy quickly filled up the additional ten feet and it wasn’t over. It was still expanding.

820 feet, 830 feet, 840 feet…

Only when it reached 870 feet did the spirit sea in Xu Qing’s body feel saturated. As Xu Qing opened his eyes, amidst the dazzling purple light, there was an increasingly obvious extraordinariness.