Chapter 309: The Wind Blows Before the Storm

The 309th Chapter: Mountain Rain About to Arrive, Wind Filled with Flowers

The little dummy's eyes showed terror, his body trembling, struggling to break free, but Xu Qing's right hand, like iron pliers, tightly gripped his throat, making any further struggle futile.

The vast difference in cultivation level meant he had no chance to resist.

Even… he was already on the verge of Foundation Building.

This was why it was said "on the verge," for the little dummy's cultivation was strange, existing between Condensation and Foundation Building, as if the Foundation Building had no end.

This place was a bustling market, filled with passersby and many seven-blood pupils and other clan juniors, but everyone paused when they saw Xu Qing and the little dummy, commoners fleeing, while cultivators bowed low to Xu Qing.

Given Xu Qing's current status in the Eight-Clan Alliance, not only would gripping a junior's throat be unproblematic, even killing someone in broad daylight would face no consequences.

At worst, he would be reprimanded, and even that would not happen if he had any justification.

For in some degree, he had already been a representative of the Eight-Clan Alliance.

Xu Qing coldly looked at the little dummy, remembering how, during his river patrol, the little dummy had been a fully condensed cultivator about to enter Foundation Building, but now he was in this state. Connecting this to the vision of Guidi Mountain he had seen earlier, an answer surfaced in Xu Qing's mind.

He was certain the person before him was merely a shell, and the soul inside was not the little dummy's.

Seeing the person say nothing, Xu Qing lifted the little dummy and flew toward the array formation.

After arriving, he took out his remaining one-time explosive talisman, and as he stepped into the cabin, Xu Qing's hand suddenly released dark soul flames, flowing directly into the little dummy's throat.

In an instant, a wailing sound erupted from the little dummy's mouth, his body visibly weak, convulsing violently as his soul was extracted by Xu Qing's dark soul flames.

This soul, unlike the little dummy's appearance, was a changing black mist, emitting evil aura and thick, alien essence, as if trying to defile the world.

But under Xu Qing's dark soul flames, it could only tremble, and in the next moment, as Xu Qing's shadows scattered, opening eyes with a hungry desire to devour, the soul trembled even more.

Finally, Xu Qing sucked it in, merging it into his body, subduing it on the sixty-first meridian, as the meridian's power burned and refined it, causing the little dummy's body to convulse, his eyes slowly showing Xu Qing's familiar aura.

Xu Qing's face was expressionless as he released his grip.

The little dummy's body fell to the ground, panting, confused, but soon seemed to remember something, his face darkening, his eyes revealing killing intent.

He then knelt before Xu Qing, bowing three times, lifting his head to gaze at Xu Qing with gratitude.

Xu Qing carefully observed the little dummy, then spoke lightly, "What happened?"

The little dummy immediately took out a jade slip, hastily inscribed it, and respectfully handed it to Xu Qing. After receiving it, he glanced at his body, which had lost its fur coat, clearly uncomfortable.

"Go change into it," Xu Qing's calm voice prompted, and the little dummy quickly retrieved his old dog hide coat from his storage bag, putting it on, his expression finally at ease, crouching there, waiting silently for Xu Qing's orders.

Xu Qing examined the jade slip and quickly understood the reason.

Everything was due to the little dummy's Foundation Building.

Cultivators undergoing Foundation Building would face great calamities, requiring the clan's protection and relying on the surrounding lights for safety.

The little dummy had indeed done this, but his peculiarity lay in his extraordinary perception, extremely sharp, which usually aided him greatly, even allowing him to sense the shadows' existence.

However, during the moment of Foundation Building, this terrifying intuition became a major flaw, his perception and sharpness like a brilliant, dazzling torch, attracting more unknown entities and making it easier for them to occupy him.

Thus, he encountered the great calamity of Foundation Building, being pounced upon by black shadows from another world, one of which even took possession of him, subduing his soul almost to a takeover.

If not for Xu Qing's observation, it was likely that after some time, the little dummy's soul would be fused and devoured, and at that point, it would be hard to detect any flaws, let alone others' awareness.

Xu Qing pondered, glancing at the little dummy, whose body was weak but expression calm, recalling his past behavior, in a way, he was already his loyal subordinate.

After all, from the beginning, the little dummy had frequently shown a desire to follow him, and later worked diligently in the department he was assigned.

Thus, Xu Qing recovered his gaze and spoke mildly, "Since you're here with me, go undergo Foundation Building."

The little dummy's eyes lit up, with no hesitation, immediately sitting in a meditative posture.

In his understanding, though Foundation Building contained great calamities, as long as Xu Qing was present, he feared none of them.

So during meditation, the little dummy quickly balanced his breathing, his cultivation gradually circulating, as the outside world grew dark.

Xu Qing also sat in meditation, until the third watch, when he opened his eyes to look at the little dummy.

At that moment, the little dummy's meridians were opening, seeking the meridians, while cold winds blew around.

Xu Qing's expression was normal, his headgear suddenly flashing, the Great Black Umbrella rapidly forming, which he flicked, placing it above the little dummy's head, descending with a strike, immediately illuminating the little dummy.

The protective force scattered, brightening the surroundings, making it hard to hear with ears, but the soul could sense the piercing screams coming from all around.

Those were countless black shadows, fleeing rapidly at the sudden illumination of the black umbrella's light, their wails echoing.

But before they could escape entirely, Xu Qing's shadows moved suddenly, spreading out, forming wide mouths, greedily devouring, and with the sound of chewing, most of the black shadows were swallowed by the shadows.

Xu Qing thought deeply, suddenly lifting his hand to grab the remaining black shadows, which could not escape, immediately being caught by Xu Qing and merged into his body, subduing them on the sixty-first meridian.

In an instant, the sixty-first meridian's subduing force was complete.

"Can this work?" Xu Qing's eyes brightened, the side shadows felt a bit resentful, their food being stolen by Xu's demon head, but dared not show it, silently closing their mouths.

Xu Qing's eyes widened; after pondering, he willed his great black umbrella's light to inwardly collect, so the protective force did not disperse but remained hidden.

Thus, the soul-light would not harm the surrounding black shadows, and soon the black shadows circled again, under the cold winds, these shadows, lacking much intelligence, instinctively and greedily rushed toward the little dummy.

But what awaited them was Xu Qing's dark soul flames as he waved his hand.

This flame suddenly spread and swept around, enveloping all the black shadows, and with a single swirl, they were all drawn into Xu Qing's body, falling rapidly onto the sixty-second meridian, and the sixty-second meridian was instantly complete.

Xu Qing was pleased, thinking he had not expected such a method to be so effective, far easier than going out to hunt and absorb them. As long as the little dummy was undergoing Foundation Building, these black shadows came endlessly.

Thus, time passed.

A night passed, Xu Qing's mood extremely pleased, in that night, the fully subdued meridians from sixty-two to seventy-three.

Such speed made Xu Qing satisfied when looking at the little dummy.

Especially since the little dummy's meridians were not yet finished, it seemed there would be several more days. Xu Qing calculated in his heart, thinking he could probably subdue all 120 meridians with souls this time.

Even occasionally, Xu Qing would encounter the great calamity arriving, which in his eyes showed Guidi Mountain clearly, a massive black shadow far larger than the ones he had subdued.

Its form was not a mist, but transformed into various weird shapes, such as the giant black fish appearing in Xu Qing's perception at that moment.

This fish's body was hundreds of zhang long, after being attracted, it circled around, finally seeming unable to bear, suddenly approaching. At the moment it neared, Xu Qing moved forward, appearing beside the little dummy, raising his hand and pressing down.

The black fish trembled all over, trying to retreat but too late, the explosion of dark soul flames, like a giant net, directly enveloping the great fish, contracting suddenly, the icy soul force flowing into Xu Qing's body along the fire.

Subduing it on the seventy-fourth meridian, perfecting this meridian.

Xu Qing was satisfied, sitting in meditation, continuing to wait.

This time, the little dummy's Foundation Building, having already progressed halfway, lasted only seven days.

Though brief, it was enough for Xu Qing to fish, for in the black shadows' perception, the little dummy was like a bright lamp in the dark, full of attraction.

Soon, Xu Qing's fully subdued meridians reached eighty, then ninety, until on the sixth day, he successfully subdued all 120 meridians with souls!

But Xu Qing did not stop, for the souls subdued within the meridians could be replaced by better ones, so on the seventh day, Xu Qing continued, successfully subduing three great black shadows.

Thereafter, as the little dummy's meridian perception ended, he truly began Foundation Building, and the black shadows completely dispersed, no longer coming.

Xu Qing was somewhat regretful but mostly satisfied.

As for the little dummy, on the ninth day's light rain night, he opened his eyes, a newly opened meridian scattered law fluctuations, he successfully tread Foundation Building!

Feeling the cultivation, the little dummy prostrated himself before Xu Qing again, bowing his head.

Xu Qing glanced at the young alchemist and spoke with calm composure.

"You must master the Devouring Flame of the Savage Fire, and swiftly ignite the True Flame of Life; otherwise, without establishing the Xuan Yao Foundation, you are but a wandering chicken clucking on the earth."

"Only by forming the First True Flame and awakening the Xuan Yao State can one truly be deemed a Foundation-Building Cultivator."

With a sudden crash, the young alchemist bowed heavily, his eyes gleaming with resolve.

At the same time, in the distant mountains of the Eternal Degree beyond the Eight Clans Alliance, beneath the cold rain of the night, two figures emerged from a solitary tomb, gliding silently through the rain-soaked darkness.

The surroundings were eerily still, as if the very presence of their arrival compelled all living things to withhold a whisper, save for the faint, chilling patter of raindrops, barely audible, like distant sighs.

These two figures, clad in pitch-black robes that shrouded their forms, their faces concealed by masks resembling the remnants of a divine visage, exuded an aura of dread that warped the very void around them.

From afar, under the rain-lashed night, they resembled gods walking the mortal realm.

No being of any cultivation level could perceive or recognize them, for their existence transcended the boundaries of life and death itself.

These were the Night Owl and its master.

"The Eight Clans Alliance is near; the one who invited us to witness the performance—is he prepared?" The figure ahead, beneath his mask, carried the voice of a youth.

"Master, he is ready."