The Void rippled like water.
It was as if something heavy had torn apart the curtain of space, causing distortions and fluctuations.
A figure in black stepped out from the center of the ripples, tall and slender, standing on the border of the Northern Region.
Like a solitary mountain peak, it suddenly descends upon this place where hustle and bustle coexist with death.
Behind them stretched a vast, boundless red earth, bearing witness to the timeless, ethereal beauty of Jade Pool.
Deep within the earth's veins, an ancient breath seemed to rise and fall gently.
Before them lay that infamous, perilous region known throughout the Big Dipper.
Northern Region Outer Sea
Deep blue, profound, almost ink-black.
If a mortal gazes on something for too long, their soul will feel a dizzying sensation of being dragged and swallowed up.
Legend has it that at the deepest part of this boundless sea lies an indescribable and terrifying being.
The mere aura emanating from the periphery was enough to terrify cultivators below the Immortal Platform.
A fierce wind blew from the depths of the open sea, ceaselessly tearing at Li Qingshan's black robes.
It rustled and whispered, like countless wind whispers whistling in your ears.
The wind carried an unyielding salty smell, mixed with pungent moisture, slapping against my face.
Cold and sticky, it tries to penetrate every pore, taking away warmth and vitality.
Li Qingshan stood silently in the Void, his gaze like two bottomless ancient wells, fixed on the deep blue that swallowed up the light.
This open sea is a complex of extreme contradictions.
As far as the eye could see, the deep, dark blue sea was eerily calm, as if it had been sealed for eternity, with even the surging waves appearing slow and heavy.
However, in the far distance beyond the reach of sight, a colossal vortex silently formed, greedily swallowing the occasional glimpses of sunlight and the floating remnants of stars;
The sea, which was stagnant just a moment ago, could suddenly be engulfed in a raging torrent without warning.
The turbid waves surged into the sky, as if to tear and shatter the entire heavens.
Even the high-hanging clouds were torn into fluffy pieces and vanished without a trace by this tyrannical force.
On the sea, broken islands are scattered like stars, their shapes grotesque and unlike anything natural.
Instead, it resembled the desolate remains of a world violently cleaved by an ancient giant with its Heaven-Opening- splitting battle axe, scattered forlornly.
Most of them are pale islands that have died out completely, resembling the bones of a giant beast weathered over countless millennia.
Not a blade of grass grows there; only jagged rocks speak of despair and impending doom.
However, amidst this desolation and destruction, there are also glimpses of life and auspicious signs.
Some islands, sheltered by ancient ruins, are still shrouded in mist and shimmering with rosy light, their vegetation lush and verdant.
It breathes in and out the purest essence of heaven and earth, making it a rare treasure land for cultivation.
Even more so, there are rumors that deep within some giant vortex eyes lies a perilous place where spatial rifts frequently appear.
On the contrary, it may nurture rare and precious medicinal plants that are extinct in the outside world, attracting countless desperate people to follow in its footsteps.
Some are bone boats made from the bones of giant beasts, or ancient bronze ships covered in rust and looking like they might fall apart at any moment.
Like ants struggling to survive, they traverse this sea of both crisis and opportunity with great difficulty.
"Damn it, what's wrong with this godforsaken place lately?"
Even those arrogant guys from the Central Continent have come?"
On a massive bronze ship, a man with a hideous scar on his face spat, and a thick, pungent smell of blood filled the air as he spoke.
He had just finished a small skirmish over some kind of deep-sea herb, and his clothes were still stained with his opponent's warm blood.
A gaunt, monkey-like cultivator beside him wiped the blood from the grooves on his hook blade as he responded in a shrill voice:
" Scarface Liu, you're way out of touch."
Haven't you heard?
It seems some incredibly important figure from the mainland is planning to do something big in this godforsaken place!
It's unclear what exactly it is, but attracting those important figures arriving in magnificent palaces and towers must be no small matter!
"What's the big deal!"
Another cultivator, shrouded entirely in a black robe with only his sinister eyes visible, coldly said...
The muddier the water, the easier it is to catch fish.
Those fat sheep from the mainland have the most treasures on them.
Let's find the right opportunity, pull off a big heist, and live a carefree life for decades!
"Hehe, you're right! But you have to be alive to enjoy it."
Yesterday, I saw with Laozi own eyes that a few fools were trying to take over a celestial ship that was flying a flag with the character "Jiang" on it.
Before they even got close, they were crushed to dust by a divine light, without even uttering a scream!
Scarface Liu glanced with lingering fear at the flying magical artifacts that were faintly visible in the distance, emanating powerful fluctuations.
As the group whispered among themselves, their gazes inadvertently swept over the solitary figure in black robes in the Void.
"Huh? Who's that kid? He looks unfamiliar, not like a familiar face around here."
The gaunt cultivator squinted and tentatively scanned the area with his divine sense, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea; he couldn't sense any aura, which made him slightly uneasy.
Scarface Liu, however, remained unfazed, licking his lips and a glint of greed in his eyes.
"A lone individual daring to wander around this place is either courting death or has someone backing them up."
Judging from his demeanor, he's probably a newcomer from some powerful organization, and he's likely got quite a bit of money on him."
Before he could finish speaking, the sinister-looking black-robed cultivator beside him suddenly shouted:
Shut up! If you want to die, don't drag us down with you!
That person is no ordinary person!
However, Scarface Liu was clearly blinded by greed, and his ferocity had not yet subsided after the recent battle.
He grinned maliciously.
"What's there to be afraid of! We're five against one, the advantage is in my hands."
They're not to be trifled with in this open sea!
Even if he's incredibly skilled, can't he take on all five of us by himself?
Look at his delicate skin and tender flesh, perfect for capturing. Maybe we can exchange him for some benefits with those mainland powers!
As he spoke, he disregarded his companions' advice and suddenly propelled the bronze boat beneath his feet, along with the other four equally fierce members of the group on board.
It transformed into a streak of azure light and charged menacingly toward Li Qingshan.
A fierce aura mixed with the smell of blood locked onto the figure in black.
"Hey kid up there! Stop right there! Get your clothes off!!!"
Scarface Liu's roar, like a broken gong, echoed in the sea breeze.
Li Qingshan seemed not to hear, his steps continued, and his direction remained unchanged.
Seeing this, Scarface Liu's face grew even more ferocious, and he was about to unleash his magic weapon.
The next moment, Li Qingshan took a step forward.
However, the moment his foot landed, the Void centered on the point where he landed...
It seemed to have transformed into an invisible swamp, or perhaps it bore the weight of the entire mountain.
"Buzz!"
A muffled, extremely deep hum.
The bronze ship that charged in, along with the five fierce-looking cultivators on board.
Before he could even utter a scream, he was crushed as if by an invisible, ancient giant foot, under the horrified gazes of several people not far away!
"Snap, plop!"
The bronze hull twisted and deformed instantly, then disintegrated into countless fragments!
The five cultivators on the ship exploded at the same moment, turning into five plumes of blood mist.
Along with the protective divine light they had just gathered and the rudiments of the magical artifacts they had unleashed.
They were crushed into fragments by that invisible, immense force, scattering into the deep blue sea.
From extreme motion to extreme stillness, and then to complete annihilation, it all happens in an instant.
Li Qingshan didn't stop walking; the figure in black had already disappeared into the distance.
It was as if he had simply stepped on a few insects blocking his way, without even glancing away from them.
The once noisy sea fell into a deathly silence at this moment.
In the distance, those desperados who had initially harbored some ambitions turned deathly pale, their backs instantly soaked with cold sweat.
They watched the wisp of blood-red mist that had not yet completely dissipated, and then gazed at the figure in black robes who was gradually moving away, seemingly becoming one with this treacherous sea.
A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.
"Monster, monster,"
The gaunt monk's teeth chattered, and he could no longer utter a single word.
The other desperate criminals who had been spying nearby were all horrified and fell silent.
All the previous greed and ferocity were crushed by the invisible power of that step.
Within their limited understanding, this was an incomprehensible horror.
However, all they could perceive was a faint glimmer of light unintentionally leaked from the figure in black.