The thunderous sound, akin to the roar of lightning, grew ever closer.
On the now-constricted surface of the sea, waves surged one after another, becoming an unending torrent.
To the due east of Lingfu Island, the seawater had been completely stained a deep crimson.
Time was becoming increasingly urgent, and thus, the strikes from Chu Weiyang and Miss Qinghe became less precise and more frantic.
In no time, water and fire clashed, and the malevolent qi surged, directly tearing apart the bodies of numerous demon fish in the sea.
Yet, despite the blood-soaked waters, countless demon fish continued to swim towards them recklessly, as if possessed, crashing directly into the duo's lethal techniques.
Before long, accompanied by a sound that pierced the air, the Mountain and River Cauldron suddenly leaped out of the sea, its spiritual light swirling continuously.
Upon closer inspection, the seawater remained crimson, but the blood within had diminished its malevolent qi.
Looking at the Mountain and River Cauldron, the water and fire within swirled, still unable to conceal the vibrant red spiritual light belonging to the precious medicine.
At the same time, Chu Weiyang positioned the Mirror of Tranquility in front of him.
In an instant, gray, fragmented forms of demon beasts floated out from the Mountain and River Cauldron.
Before the spiritual light could fully manifest, they transformed into a gray torrent under the guidance of the talisman array and entered Chu Weiyang's nostrils.
Finally, with a single gulp, he swallowed the swirling water and fire along with the red spiritual light.
Even after watching for a long time, Miss Qinghe felt a shiver run down her spine.
This method of cultivation was indeed among the most reckless, even among the practitioners of the demonic sects.
It could only be said that this forced breakthrough to the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Stage had opened up a brand new world for Chu Weiyang.
After a moment of astonishment, Miss Qinghe instinctively continued to gaze at Chu Weiyang with envy.
In her perception, Chu Weiyang's cultivation aura was genuinely rising continuously.
It was important to note that standing at a brand new cultivation realm was a recent occurrence.
Such progress would draw the attention of anyone aspiring to the path of longevity!
I too am cultivating the Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique...
At this thought, even Miss Qinghe couldn't help but let her imagination run wild.
Just then, Chu Weiyang's movements paused, and the Mountain and River Cauldron that was continuously swirling suddenly hovered beside him.
The reason he did not continue was that there were no more demon fish swimming in the seawater before him.
It was not that they had finally realized to avoid danger and left this place of slaughter.
Rather, the towering waves, as high as mountains, were about to crash down before them.
The remaining brief distance felt like a vast chasm, leaving no space for any demon beasts to survive.
At this moment, even breathing began to feel difficult.
The damp air became thick, as if each breath pulled in a portion of water vapor along with it.
Coupled with the overwhelming pressure, it was almost suffocating, making it hard to struggle free.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths...
...
It was getting closer!
The thunderous roar was almost exploding above Chu Weiyang's head, cracking in his ears.
He could even clearly see the remnants of living beings swirling within the suspended "barrier" of seawater, alongside broken wood, shattered stones, mud, and blood...
The most brutal aspects of the outer sea seemed to be wrapped within this seawater barrier, swirling in the dark currents, like a painting suspended between heaven and earth.
Amidst the continuous rumbling akin to thunder, Chu Weiyang's stomach was almost uncontrollably convulsing.
When he opened his mouth again, he might not have even realized that his hoarse voice was tearing apart.
"Activate—
Formation—!"
As his voice fell, Miss Qinghe formed a lotus seal with her hands, as if turning the heavens, as if supporting a mountain.
The compass that rose above them seemed to contain immense power!
In an instant, Chu Weiyang also used a masterful hand seal, lifting mountains and carrying peaks!
An unprecedented bright light suddenly illuminated the entire island, shattering the original dark protective barrier.
In the blink of an eye, nine red inscriptions appeared, resembling a whirlpool in the sea, drawing in the surrounding water vapor.
Upon closer inspection, the nine palaces of spiritual light shifted, eight red inscriptions spiraled in a loop, revealing the energy of the innate Eight Trigrams.
In the center, a red inscription transformed into the Celestial Mirror, connecting to the changes of heavenly mechanisms!
In the hazy atmosphere, the condensed water vapor wrapped around the nine red inscriptions, and at a glance, it was no longer an island, but a colossal Nine-Headed Mystic Turtle sitting upon the sea!
At the same time, the deep green flames that had long been nurtured within the wooden Dao Hall finally burst forth with brilliant light at this moment!
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Almost in an instant, the sound of breaking air echoed as the blazing flames condensed into the true form of the Five Phoenixes!
With the invigorating cries, the Five Phoenix Fire surged through the air, instantly scorching the vast water vapor into waves of white mist, and then, under Chu Weiyang's gaze, they almost instantly crashed down upon the same spot of the barrier.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was right before their eyes!
The towering seawater barrier, under the roar of the law flames and the violent sweep of the fire malevolent qi, exploded with a thunderous sound!
The sky darkened in that instant.
Layers peeled away from the barrier, yet the waves still carried immense power, crashing down continuously!
In the blink of an eye, the protective formation around the island flickered with unstable spiritual light, and in the depths, it seemed as if mournful cries echoed endlessly.
It was as if in the next moment, the entire great formation would reach its limit and completely collapse.
Yet, the essence of the innate Eight Trigrams still flowed within those red inscriptions.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths...
In the dark environment, that brief time seemed to stretch out infinitely.
With each wave crashing down, both Chu Weiyang and Miss Qinghe's faces turned pale, feeling as if torrents of magical power were pouring into the suspended compass.
...
Before long, at the edge of the formation, the sound of metal clashing echoed.
At this moment, Chu Weiyang could not see clearly, only sensing vaguely that some demon beast's body, some shattered wood and stone, and all that had once floated within the seawater barrier were also washing against the protective great formation.
More than ten breaths passed.
Miss Qinghe's face turned deathly pale in an instant and never recovered.
Following that, an indescribable dryness within Chu Weiyang's meridians made him feel slightly dizzy.
After all, they were merely mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators; no matter how brilliant their cultivation methods, the magical power they nurtured always had its limits.
It was hard to say who acted first in that fleeting moment.
Like a drowning person instinctively grasping for a root, both of them reached out towards each other almost unconsciously.
But in their exhaustion, their bodies inevitably stumbled.
Without steadying herself, Miss Qinghe fell directly into Chu Weiyang's embrace.
This collision caused Chu Weiyang to stumble sideways as well, and the two of them rolled together on the muddy beach.
In the next moment, the support of the protective formation seemed to have finally reached its limit.
The towering waves, like mountains, transformed into surging seawater, and in the moment they broke through the protective formation, the thunderous rumble made it seem as if the entire Lingfu Island was sinking into the deep sea.
Holding the trembling Miss Qinghe, Chu Weiyang raised his hand to summon the compass, and as he looked again, the Mountain and River Cauldron spun, swelling against the wind, and then flipped the two of them beneath the precious artifact.
After a while.
After several dozen breaths of crashing waves passed.
When the Mountain and River Cauldron finally re-entered Chu Weiyang's sleeve, the once beautiful Lingfu Island was now in utter disarray.
Looking at the previously cultivated spiritual fields, it was evident that nearly half had been destroyed.
Fortunately, with the protection of the earth vein's fire malevolent qi, the wooden Dao Hall at the center remained relatively intact.
Gently shaking the compass in his hand, waves of spiritual light fell.
Around them, water vapor enveloped, and points of spiritual light condensed, reopening the protective formation, transforming into a dim black light shield that covered the area where the island once stood.
Yes.
The area where the island once stood.
The towering waves swept past like mountains.
In the previous moment, the vast sea had submerged the island, and in the next moment, the entire sea level suddenly dropped significantly.
Amidst the continuous rumbling, the earth vein trembled violently.
In Chu Weiyang's observation, the surrounding seawater had already surged in, filling the void.
In the more distant places, perhaps the mountains and stones collapsed, perhaps the earth vein rolled, perhaps the island fell silent.
That towering wave was not the calamity itself; it was merely a small part of the disaster.
In the distant horizon, at the end of his vision, another gray wave seemed to be brewing.
Just as he was feeling contemplative, suddenly, Miss Qinghe's soft voice reached Chu Weiyang's ears.
"Master... you..."
...
Miss Qinghe seemed hesitant to speak.
If it weren't for the fact that the roaring wind and waves had quieted significantly, Chu Weiyang might not have heard her clearly.
Turning to follow the sound, Chu Weiyang realized the awkwardness of the situation; after the waves had passed, he had unconsciously forgotten to release Miss Qinghe from his embrace.
The heavy seawater had soaked both their robes, clinging tightly to their bodies.
It was summer, and the thin layers of gauze between them felt almost nonexistent.
Chu Weiyang could distinctly sense the astonishing touch of another person, the trembling warmth beyond the cold seawater.
He looked closely at Miss Qinghe's face.
Her originally pale complexion was now flushed with a rosy hue, perhaps due to the earlier waves startling her composure, now filled with other emotions.
In tandem, the talismans within Chu Weiyang's mind were also flashing with rose-red spiritual light.
To be honest, Chu Weiyang was not a person bound by traditional morals; his extensive knowledge from his past life ensured he could not become a gentleman in the conventional sense.
He too had desires, and his experiences over the years made him feel like a fervent volcano, needing to vent his pent-up emotions.
Yet, the thirst for survival overshadowed everything.
Before advancing into the Foundation Establishment realm, True Yang must not falter!
In that fleeting moment, all that remained in Chu Weiyang's feelings was the coolness of the seawater pouring down.
Turning his head, he suddenly released the arms that had encircled her.
Not far away on the beach, a dazzling spiritual light suddenly illuminated the area, prompting Chu Weiyang to hurriedly stride over.
"Eh, such spiritual light, such abundant qi and blood..."
No matter how one looked at it, the demon beast corpses washed ashore by the waves had spiritual light and qi that far exceeded what Chu Weiyang could comprehend at the Qi Refining Stage.
Foundation Establishment—?
At this thought, Chu Weiyang's heart suddenly trembled.
With a flip of his hand, the Mountain and River Cauldron was already cradled in his palm.
At the same time, Miss Qinghe finally gathered her thoughts, as if nothing had happened, and took a few steps to follow closely behind Chu Weiyang.
There was indeed some change.
At least, when Miss Qinghe spoke again, her address towards Chu Weiyang flowed much more smoothly.
"Master, are you planning to refine pills using the combination of water and fire? I don't understand much, but I do have a few pill formulas here. On the surface, they seem to use the malevolent qi of a hundred flowers, but in reality, they involve the rotation of the five elements, and the poison within the flowers..."