Xu Qing turned his head and looked at the captain thoughtfully.
The captain also looked at Xu Qing with a spurious smile.
"This forbidden zone is a little strange but overall, it's alright," Xu Qing said.
"Mm, nice, nice. I mainly went to the sea and haven't been to the forbidden zone that much. Now, I can take a look and experience it properly." The captain laughed.
The two of them automatically avoided the topic from before as though they had forgotten about this matter and walked toward the forbidden zone.
They were very clear that they couldn't continue with that topic. That was a huge matter that concerned the plan of the Seven Blood Eyes. In fact, after thinking about it deeply, they could sense the monstrous ambitions hidden in this.
Although there were nine ancestral corpse statues in the Sea Corpse Race, this didn't mean that there had only been nine of them since the birth of the Sea Corpse Race…
In ancient times, there must have been more ancestral corpse statues. However, due to various accidents, they were taken away by the other races for research. Even if there were no clues or answers in the end, it was impossible for them to return the statues.
It was likely that the current nine ancestral statues were the only ones the Sea Corpse Race was able to hold on to.
Xu Qing thought about the war of the Seven Blood Eyes, and how the war fortress of the Sixth Peak wasn't mobilized. Lord Sixth only displayed it for revenge, but it only showed normal strength and didn't exceed the limit.
The meaning behind this was very deep.
Xu Qing buried this matter in his heart and understood why the captain fled and shamelessly insisted on following him.
On one hand, the captain had a strong desire to confide in someone. Knowing such a secret, he wouldn't feel comfortable if he didn't say it and show off.
On the other hand, if he remained in the Seven Blood Eyes, the sect would probably find a reason to lock him up for a period of time in order to keep some secrets.
Xu Qing shook his head. No matter how big this matter was, it didn't have much to do with him. Moreover, the war should be ending soon. It wouldn't be long before there would be an answer.
He drew in a deep breath and retracted all his emotions, walking into the jungle of the forbidden zone.
He had come to this place countless times back then and was extremely familiar with it. It was almost to the point where he could move freely inside with his eyes closed. All the vegetation in the surroundings seemed to match his memories.
The instant he entered the jungle, Xu Qing sped up. He was like a ghost as he whistled through the jungle. The captain was curiously surveying his surroundings.
He had indeed rarely gone to the forbidden zones. The only place he went to was the Phoenix Forbidden beside the sect. He went there to comprehend some divine powers but unfortunately, he failed.
Seeing that Xu Qing had increased his speed, he also increased his speed a little. He followed Xu Qing's footsteps and landed in the same places. As he moved, he observed his surroundings and fell into deep thought.
"So there was so much to learn." The captain watched as Xu Qing's figure rose and fell in the jungle. His observation was very meticulous. As for the anomalous substances permeating the air here, he didn't care.
The anomalous substances on the sea were denser than here. The Seven Blood Eyes' cultivation art was quite good at separating anomalous substances. Unless they were forced to the limit and were in a dangerous situation, it was very rare for the disciples of large sects to face the condition of having too much anomalous substances in their bodies.
Xu Qing didn't bother with the captain. At that moment, he was immersed in his memories. As he moved forward, scenes from the past flashed in his mind frame by frame. The closer he got to his destination, the more waves there were in his mind.
A while later, Xu Qing's footsteps slowed down. He walked past a thicket and saw a lone grave.
The surroundings of the tombstone were filled with weeds but the tombstone didn't disappear. It was still standing there. Although more than two years had passed, what Xu Qing had done at the scavenger campsite back then caused the subsequent scavengers to be filled with respect for this tomb after hearing about it.
Even if they didn't help to weed, they didn't destroy or disturb the grave.
After all, they were all scavengers. To have someone who would bury them after death was already a very blissful thing. Why take the risk and destroy it without any benefits?
Xu Qing looked at the tombstone and walked closer. He sat in front of the tomb and started to clear the weeds in the surroundings one by one. Finally, he picked up the wine flask and took a sip before pouring some on the tomb soil.
"Captain Lei, Grandmaster Bai has left too," Xu Qing said softly. He leaned against a large tree at the side and lifted his head to look at the black clouds in the sky through the gaps in the tree crowns.
The captain fell silent. He looked at the tomb and then at Xu Qing. He didn't speak or get close. Instead, he moved far away. He knew that the current Xu Qing needed to be alone.
Xu Qing indeed wanted to be alone. He leaned against the large tree and silently drank the wine. As the sky slowly darkened, Xu Qing lifted his head and looked at the depths of the jungle. There… was nothing there.
"Captain Lei, back then, you said that those who survived after hearing the singing voice here would see the person they miss the most after hearing the singing voice for the second time…"
"However, there are a few people I miss. I wonder if I'll see them all if I really hear the singing voice one day." Xu Qing mumbled softly and took another sip of wine.
The surroundings were quiet and there was no sound. The sky also slowly darkened and the entire jungle gradually turned pitch-black.
Xu Qing sat silently.
More than an hour later, he sighed softly and kowtowed to the tomb. When he got up, he placed the wine flask on the soil.
"I still haven't found the heavenfate flower." Xu Qing looked at the tombstone. After a long time, he turned and walked into the distance.
Step by step, he gradually disappeared into the night.
As Xu Qing moved forward, not long later, footsteps rang out from behind him. That was the captain.
"Xu Qing, if there's a chance in the future, accompany me back home. It's been a long time since I went back to pay my respects." The captain's voice was a little hoarse as he spoke softly.
Xu Qing nodded.
In the darkness of the night, their figures moved forward in the pitch-black jungle. During this time, no mutated beasts appeared. Their beast instincts allowed them to sense that the two people who appeared in the jungle today were completely different from the usual scavengers.
Late at night, Xu Qing arrived at the valley and walked in it. The bloodstains on the ground back then had long been filled with weeds. In the past two to three years, many seven-leaf grass had grown again and there were no signs of them being picked.
Clearly, this valley hadn't been discovered by other scavengers yet.
Looking at the collapsed wooden hut in the distance, Xu Qing recalled the scenes of him refining poison inside. The shadow also clearly expressed some emotional fluctuations. As for the Diamond Sect's ancestor, he had been silent since Xu Qing came here.
Xu Qing knew that a large area inside and outside this forbidden zone included not only his former residence but also the shadow's and the Diamond Sect's ancestor's.
After passing through the valley, Xu Qing looked at the cluster of temples in the distance.
In the dark night, as bolts of lightning appeared in the sky, with the help of the momentary brightness, the cluster of temples reflected in Xu Qing's eyes. They were no different from back then.
He could imagine that even if more time passed and the scavenger campsite outside eventually changed generations, this cluster of temples would still stand here forever.
"Hmm? There's actually an Extreme Heaven Dao Temple here too." When Xu Qing was staring at the temples, the captain exclaimed softly.
"Extreme Heaven Dao Temple?" Xu Qing looked at the captain.
"I remember now. Previously, I saw you displaying a divine power similar to heavenly saber. I felt that it was familiar at that time. From the looks of it now, did you comprehend the Extreme Heaven Saber here, right?" As the captain spoke, his eyes widened in surprise.
"The more I recall your saber strike, the more it looks like it. Was I really right?"
"Heavens, that's the Extreme Heaven Saber. Do you know what the Extreme Heaven Saber is? That's an amazing thing!"
Xu Qing cast a deep glance at the captain. He was already familiar with the other party's hobby of acting mysterious. He also knew that once he asked, he might inexplicably owe spirit stones. He also knew that to deal with such a hobby, he had to act like he was not curious. The captain would most likely spill the beans when he could not hold it in anymore.
He retracted his gaze and walked toward the cluster of temples. The captain blinked and followed behind, exclaiming in surprise as he walked.
"Incredible."
"Wow."
"Amazing."
As he spoke, Xu Qing arrived at the location of the cluster of temples. He found the temple where he had comprehended the saber strike back then and stepped in. He lifted his head and stared at the statue in the temple before sitting cross-legged at the side.
Other than paying his respects to Captain Lei, he also wanted to see if he could continue to comprehend the heavenly saber here and increase its might.
"As expected, it is the Extreme Heaven Dao Statue!" As soon as the captain entered the temple, he was attracted by the statue. He quickly went over and circled around it. He then looked at Xu Qing, who was sitting at the side and trying to comprehend something. The captain blinked and smiled spuriously but didn't speak.
Just like that, time flowed by and a night passed.
Xu Qing felt some regret. He analyzed that if he wanted to comprehend this saber strike, he would need to visit at a specific time. Moreover, he wasn't sure about this time. It might be a few months or decades.
Hence, as the first rays of the morning sun scattered down from the outside world, Xu Qing stood up. The captain was laughing brightly.
"You didn't succeed, right? It is to be expected. It would be strange if you could succeed."
"Why?" Xu Qing was surprised.
"You can't hold it in anymore, right? You have to ask me, right? Why don't you keep on holding it in anymore?" The captain was incomparably smug.
Xu Qing looked into the captain's eyes and didn't speak.
The captain blinked but didn't say anything.
A long time later, Xu Qing sighed.
"Senior Brother, please tell me the reason."
The captain laughed loudly and was extremely smug.
"Then I'll tell you. However, don't forget the 50,000 spirit stones you owe me." With that, the captain answered in one breath.
"It's said that the Extreme Heaven Dao Temple originated from the Extreme Heaven Dao Kingdom in the Extreme Heaven Era. However, there's very little history left behind by this Dao Kingdom. Only some forbidden zones have such Dao temples. The statues enshrined in the Dao temples are all the same. Many years ago, someone discovered that these Dao temples actually contain an extremely astonishing inheritance that when completely comprehended can be seen as an emperor-level cultivation art that all races can use."
"However, the difficulty of comprehension is very high and it depends on fate. The saber techniques in every Dao Temple are different, so no one knows how many saber moves there are in this emperor-level inheritance. However, I heard that someone comprehended one saber move and some comprehended two to three saber moves. It seems that the one who comprehended the most is only six to seven saber moves."
"However, no matter what, there's no doubt about its might. After comprehending more than three saber moves, it's comparable to a quasi-emperor-level divine ability. If it reaches six to seven saber moves, it'll definitely be an emperor-level divine ability."
"There's a similar Extreme Heaven Dao temple in the center of a large ruin in the Phoenix Forbidden beside the Seven Blood Eyes. I've tried to comprehend it before but I didn't succeed. You can go there to take a look when you have the chance later."
At this point, the captain's expression was a little strange as he continued.
"Also, once someone successfully comprehends the saber art in the Extreme Heaven Dao Temple, the Dao charm of the statue in that temple will dissipate. It will only form again after 30 years and the saber art in that statue can be comprehended again. So, it was impossible for you to succeed last night. It's not that I didn't tell you, but you didn't ask me. Actually, I was curious about what you were doing last night."
The veins on Xu Qing's forehead twitched.
The captain coughed and spoke again.
"Of course, it's not impossible to restore the Dao charm before this time. You just have to kill the person who comprehended the saber art in front of the statue they comprehended. This way, the charm of the statue will immediately recover and can be comprehended again."
