Chapter 131: Storm Surge

Chapter 131: Storm Surge

In a small inn within the city, Chen Qiu stood before a bronze mirror, gazing at the familiar interface floating above his dantian, enveloped in clouds.

"Cultivation level has greatly increased, officially entering the second stage of the Golden Core."

"Please choose one of the following three randomly generated formulas within ten breaths."

1.

Formula Name: Storm Surge

Formula Rank: Blue

Formula Effect: When you are on the sea surface or in the rain, the power of your water-based spells will greatly increase. If you are in a storm with dark clouds, thunder, and lightning, your lightning-based spells will become more powerful.

2.

Formula Name: Rebirth Reset

Formula Rank: Yellow

Formula Effect: You will lose all memories, formulas, cultivation, and more. You will return to the time and place of your birth, starting anew. Your lifespan and physical age will also reset, and all injuries and hidden ailments will be healed.

3.

Formula Name: Escape Technique

Formula Rank: White

Formula Effect: After your physical body's death, the speed at which your Golden Core escapes and flees will greatly increase.

These were the three formulas he randomly obtained upon reaching the second stage of the Golden Core.

There was no room for choice.

Chen Qiu raised an eyebrow and immediately selected the first formula. The first formula had certain limitations; it was only effective in specific environments, requiring him to be on the sea surface or during a thunderstorm to enhance some of his spells.

It could be considered a formula that could only be used in certain situations.

But for him, it was like a permanent, passive formula.

His Lightning Summoning Art, when unleashed with full force, could effortlessly manipulate the power of heaven and earth, turning the location into a storm with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. This meant that every time he used the Lightning Summoning Art at full power, he would receive a boost.

He increasingly felt that the Lightning Summoning Art had advantages beyond being a Spell Cultivator's exclusive spell.

It excelled in instant activation with zero startup frames.

Take the Master of the Flower Cult, for example. To be honest, the towering skeleton shadow behind him was quite intimidating, and the terrifying pressure made it difficult to breathe. However, its biggest drawback was the lengthy preparation time.

As a result, the Master of the Flower Cult often perished before even unleashing his ultimate move.

No one is foolish enough to stand idly by and wait for their opponent to finish casting their ultimate move. Moreover, Chen Qiu's ordinary Lightning Summoning Art, enhanced by his various techniques, already surpassed the full-power attacks of most cultivators of the same level.

It was a perfect combination of ultimate move and instant activation.

He felt that he could use this spell for a long time.

The second formula was even less useful to him. His current formula set was already perfect, the envy of all Spell Cultivators. Why would he want to start over with Rebirth Reset? The third formula did tempt him a bit, as it was a means of self-preservation.

If he ever encountered a formidable enemy he couldn't defeat, he could at least escape with his Golden Core.

But even with this temptation, it was useless. He didn't have a Celestial Superior-grade Time Rewind Talisman, and he couldn't choose to go back and select one of the three formulas he had previously rejected during the Golden Core stage. He had asked the scholar about it, and the scholar had said that Celestial Superior-grade Time Rewind Talismans were quite rare, occasionally appearing at auctions with exorbitant prices.

So, he didn't inquire further.

These things were all about fate; if it was meant to be, it would happen, and if not, it wouldn't.

Chen Qiu straightened his clothes and strode towards the door, intending to take Fat Dragon and the others for a stroll around the city. There was no particular destination in mind; they were just going for a walk. The Sea Tribe's invasion was still a day or two away.

Besides cultivation, it was essential to take breaks and relax.

Occasional sightseeing was also beneficial for one's mental and physical health.

Currently, he had only two offensive spells in his repertoire: the Lightning Summoning Art and the Nine Toxins Soul Annihilation Spell. The former was a basic spell in the cultivation world, known to many, while the latter was a mutated spell more suited for Poison Cultivators.

Although he considered himself a Spell Cultivator, he hadn't learned any of the symbolic spells associated with Spell Cultivators, which was quite odd.

After a brief stroll through the city, Chen Qiu returned to the inn with Fat Dragon and the others to continue their cultivation.

They cultivated diligently until midnight, when ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills arrived.

Chen Qiu consumed them and continued his arduous cultivation.

By dawn, he sat cross-legged on the bed, exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, and gazed at his cultivation progress above his dantian with satisfaction.

Cultivation: Second Stage of the Golden Core (40.2%)



His cultivation progress had increased by almost half, and in just a day or two, he would be able to advance to the third layer of the Golden Core.

Why was he so powerful?

While others wasted time chatting, he diligently cultivated. While others enjoyed music at the brothel, he diligently cultivated. While others compared their Spiritual Treasures, he diligently cultivated.

It was this perseverance that allowed his strength to steadily rise.

After reaching the second stage of the Golden Core, each Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill could only increase his cultivation progress by 4%, slightly less than the first stage. As his cultivation level increased, the effectiveness of the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills also decreased.

Nevertheless, he was already satisfied.

His cultivation speed far surpassed that of all Golden Core cultivators in Great Xia, and he was undoubtedly the fastest cultivator. After all, few could consume Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills as casually as he did.

During these two days of consuming the pills, he also practiced his cultivation techniques, further increasing his progress by 0.1%.

On this day, with nothing else to do, Chen Qiu and his group once again ventured out for a leisurely stroll. After a quick meal, they returned to the inn to continue cultivating, preparing for the impending Sea Tribe invasion the next day.

No one dared to challenge them along the way.

Although Chen Qiu wasn't wearing his concealing aura mask, his appearance had already spread throughout Great Xia through the shadow stones. Even if someone hadn't seen his recent shadow stone due to his seclusion, they could still recognize him from the whispers and murmurs of those around him.

In this situation, to still dare to provoke them, either their brains are not functioning properly, or there must be a conspiracy behind it.

The midnight hour arrived quickly, and the rewards for the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill were credited once more.

After dawn, his cultivation base also reached—

-

"Cultivation Base": Second Stage of the Golden Core Stage (80.2%).

-

Dawn broke.

Chen Qiu sat in the inn, glancing out the window. Today, the sea was not as calm as it usually was; dense, dark clouds covered the entire sea, including the coastal areas, and there was no end in sight to the clouds.

The light dimmed, and the psychological pressure from the dark clouds was immense, giving a suffocating feeling.

A gale carrying a putrid stench howled incessantly from the depths of the ocean.

Layer upon layer of waves relentlessly crashed against the coastal cliffs, splashing up huge sprays of water and creating a deafening roar. The seemingly ordinary waves, devoid of any apparent power, struck the cliff face with such force that it sounded like thunder.

The waves grew larger.

The wind intensified.

Though it hadn't started raining yet, it already seemed like a storm was about to hit.

At this moment, there wasn't a single mortal left in the city. Even those mortals who wanted to earn more money and were bolder had fled during the night. They were daring, not fearless, and there was a significant difference between the two.

Not a single sea demon was in sight, but everyone knew that the sea demons were about to make their appearance.

Numerous cultivators stood on the coastal cliffs, their faces solemn as they looked down at the overwhelming waves below, tightly gripping their swords.

Chen Qiu, leaning on the Celestial Omnipotent Umbrella, stood on a cliff overlooking the sea, his face calm as he gazed into the distance without saying a word, his thoughts unknown. Behind him, Fat Dragon and the others stood quietly.

The coastline was not short.

It stretched for nearly ten thousand li.

One-third of the eastern territory of the Great Xia was coastal,

and no one knew where the sea demons would invade from, so most cultivators headed to the location closest to their sect, patiently waiting for the sea demons to come ashore.

"Boom!!!"

The waves grew larger, and the enormous waves crashed against the cliffs, causing them to tremble slightly. Then, accompanied by the howling wind, a large amount of wind blew in from the sea, and the sea level suddenly rose sharply.

The waves kept getting higher.

Until a nearly ten-zhang-tall wave crashed down from the sky onto all the cultivators standing on the cliffs! All the cultivators were forced to fly away from the cliffs and hover in the air, but the waves continued to rise, even threatening to submerge the coastal city. This caused many to frown slightly, as it meant they could only fight in the air.

However, the Foundation Establishment cultivators did not have the ability to fight in the air for an extended period.

If they exhausted their spirit qi in the air, they would be at a severe disadvantage when facing the countless sea demons. Therefore, almost all the Foundation Establishment cultivators were extremely cautious when attacking.

They were afraid of depleting their spirit qi.

Just then—

"I'll take care of this."

A powerful Golden Core cultivation pressure instantly enveloped all the sea demons below. A middle-aged man with a First Stage Golden Core cultivation base, his body emitting a powerful aura, stood ready to strike with his bare fists, his face cold.

The next moment!

The middle-aged man's body suddenly stiffened in mid-air, and he looked up at Chen Qiu, who was standing on a cliff that was already one-third submerged in seawater. Just as he was about to strike, Chen Qiu's spirit sense firmly locked onto him!

Chen Qiu was a little shaken. Just a few days ago, during the Heaven's Pride Ranking Competition, this man had been at the First Stage of the Golden Core, but now he had reached the Second Stage.

He had witnessed Chen Qiu's capabilities before. If Chen Qiu wanted to kill him, even with a First Stage Golden Core cultivation, he could easily torture and kill him, let alone a Second Stage Golden Core. But he was puzzled as to why Chen Qiu suddenly locked onto him with his spirit sense at the onset of the battle, as he had no prior grievances with Chen Qiu.

Being locked onto by a Spell Cultivator's spirit sense was not a pleasant experience.

Just then, Chen Qiu approached him in mid-air, glanced at him, then at his companion of equal cultivation level behind him, and shook his head, saying, "Hold your attacks for now."

Without waiting for the two Golden Core Cultivators to speak, Chen Qiu turned his head towards the distant coastline and said softly, "The Great Xia's coastline stretches nearly ten thousand miles. It's impossible for the Sea Tribe to land at only one location, and it's highly unlikely that we'd be so fortunate as to catch them at this exact spot."

"I'm inclined to believe that the Sea Tribe is landing from hundreds of different directions simultaneously."

"Then, by observing the casualties among the sea demons, we can determine which direction has the weakest defensive strength. They will then gather a large number of sea demons at the location they perceive as the weakest, and launch a full-scale assault."

"My suggestion is for you two to temporarily refrain from taking action. Lead these Foundation Establishment Cultivators in a retreat, allowing the sea demons to believe that our direction is the weakest. When the sea demons prepare to launch their main attack in our direction, we can strike and annihilate them in one go."

"What do you think?"

". . ."

The two middle-aged men at the First Stage Golden Core exchanged glances, seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. They wanted to point out that only those of equal strength could negotiate, and Chen Qiu's words were more like orders. Did they have any choice but to comply? However, Chen Qiu's plan was indeed sound.

"The plan is good, but..."

After hesitating for a while, one of the middle-aged men looked down at the dense crowd of sea demons below and said with hesitation, "So far, not a single Golden Core Sea Demon has come ashore, but there must be Golden Core Sea Demons among them. If they really launch a full-scale attack towards us..."

"What if there are many Golden Core Sea Demons? Can we withstand them?"

Chen Qiu smiled and said softly, "We can."

"Then there's no problem."

Seeing Chen Qiu's confidence, the two middle-aged men felt reassured. After all, Chen Qiu's combat prowess in the Talent Realm had left a deep impression on them. With his abilities, as long as the Sea Demons didn't have overly powerful Golden Cores, it shouldn't be a problem.

"Alright."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly, "In that case, I'd appreciate it if you two fellow cultivators could lead these Foundation Establishment Cultivators in a retreat, and try to minimize the number of Sea Demons killed."

Then, he sped off into the distance with the scholars and the others.

The two middle-aged men watched as Chen Qiu's figure disappeared into the horizon, exchanged glances once more, and then a loud voice echoed in the ears of all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, "Everyone, retreat!"

Golden Core Cultivators naturally held a higher position compared to Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Even if they weren't from the same sect or family, or had never met before, as long as a Golden Core Cultivator gave an order, Foundation Establishment Cultivators would generally obey out of respect for the strong and fear of death.

At that moment, with the help of the scholars, Chen Qiu was swiftly exploring along the coastline.

Just as he had guessed, nearly a thousand Sea Tribe members had landed along the coastline, with a group landing approximately every 200 miles. Moreover, these Sea Tribe members only chose to land in areas with cities, completely ignoring uninhabited regions.

As Chen Qiu passed by each battlefield, he casually unleashed nearly a thousand Lightning Summoning Arts, which, in the midst of the natural storm surge, gained significant power enhancement due to the newly acquired formula "Storm Surge."

With each casual strike, he would clear a large area of Sea Demons on the battlefield.

He didn't linger for long, nor did he pay attention to the complex gazes of the cultivators on the battlefield as he sped off into the distance once more.

His plan was simple.

He also intended to kill a large number of demons to enhance his dantian's spirit qi capacity. With a coastline stretching ten thousand miles, it was impossible for him to run back and forth, as the scholars' spirit qi couldn't support such an endeavor. Even without the scholars' assistance, his own long-distance escape technique wouldn't allow him to do so.

His plan was to use certain methods to control the Sea Demons and make them launch a full-scale attack at a specific location, and then annihilate them all at once.

In this way, after nearly two hours, with the help of the scholars' flying swords, Chen Qiu had almost covered the entire coastline. Every time he passed by a battlefield, he unleashed nearly a thousand lightning dragons, instantly clearing a large area each time.

At this moment, he had returned to Flying Fish City.

The city had long been flooded, and a large number of densely packed Sea Demons were advancing inland, riding the waves.

Led by three Golden Core Cultivators, a large number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators were in a continuous retreat, focusing on defense rather than attacking. In other battlefields, the Sea Demons had only advanced inland by four or five miles at most.

But here, the Sea Demons had already penetrated nearly twenty miles inland.

Chen Qiu scanned the Sea Demons below, noticing that their numbers were significantly higher than on other battlefields. Moreover, a continuous stream of Sea Demons was still emerging from the waves. However, the timing wasn't right yet, as he hadn't spotted the main force of the Sea Demons.

Just then—

The three Golden Core Cultivators also spotted Chen Qiu and immediately flew towards him.

The middle-aged man who had been locked onto by Chen Qiu's spirit sense earlier, now bare-chested and unarmed, had a hint of excitement in his eyes. "Senior, is the timing right now? There are more Sea Demons gathered below, several times more than before."

"I've instructed the group below to control their attacks and focus on retreating and defending, without killing the Sea Demons."

Then, the middle-aged man pointed to a bald man in a robe standing beside him, who had arrived after Chen Qiu's departure, and introduced him, "Senior, this fellow cultivator came to reinforce us after you left. He's also at the First Stage Golden Core, and like you, he's a Spell Cultivator."

"I told him about your plan, Senior, and he thought it was great, so he joined us too."

"Mm-hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly at the bald man in a robe, acknowledging his presence. The robe he wore was clearly a Spiritual Treasure, with dense Spirit Qi fluctuations flowing on its surface, far superior to the robe Chen Qiu had bought for two Spirit Stones in Ask Heaven Market.

It seemed he needed to get himself a robe like that too.

Then, he looked down at the dense crowd of demon beasts below and shook his head, "Wait a little longer, the number is still too small. I've scouted all the battlefields, and based on my observations of the sea demons, the main assault force should be at least ten times this number."

"Wait a bit longer."

"Okay."

The three Golden Core Cultivators had no objections, but the bald man in the robe, a Spell Cultivator, looked at Chen Qiu with a mixture of fervor and admiration. Only a fellow Spell Cultivator could truly understand how formidable Chen Qiu's strength was!

Even Chen Qiu himself didn't know the extent of his power.

He had become a god in the eyes of all Spell Cultivators in Great Xia, the epitome of their craft!

The notion that he was fragile, breaking at the slightest touch, was a slander!

Chen Qiu didn't remain hovering above the sea demons but retreated to a cliff at the rear, overlooking the dense horde of sea demons swarming onto the land. Lost in thought, he didn't speak. This sea tribe invasion was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

It was even more significant than the invasion of the Evil Tribes.

The Evil Tribes weren't demons, but these sea demons were genuine, full-blooded sea monsters.

With every demon beast he killed, his dantian expanded by a full li, allowing him to contain more Spirit Qi.

His original dantian was 21,000 li.

It was with this vast amount of Spirit Qi, far surpassing his peers, that he had created many miracles.

After two hours and passing through numerous battlefields, his dantian had expanded to 60,000 li.

The dantian was like a small world within the body, and there was no worry of it overflowing.

This meant that in just two hours, his Spirit Qi capacity had tripled.

Before,

At full power, he could unleash nearly ten thousand Lightning Dragons, both real and illusory. Now, at full power, he could unleash nearly thirty thousand Lightning Dragons, both real and illusory!

His burst damage had increased significantly.

However, in prolonged battles, there wasn't much change. After all, when his Spirit Qi was depleted, it only took ten breaths to reactivate his arm armor and restore his Spirit Qi to full. Now, with a larger Spirit Qi capacity, it took thirty breaths to recover after reactivating his arm armor.

Perhaps the sea tribe's main force was gathering at the bottom of the sea at a much slower pace than the bookish man.

They waited for a full hour.

Just as they were starting to wonder if these were the main force of the sea demons, the sea suddenly erupted with tens of thousands of small, demon-qi-carrying seagulls, flying towards them.

Then, countless sea demons emerged from the waves, trampling over the ocean's surface. In just a few breaths, the number of sea demons doubled, a sudden and violent increase.

"They're finally here."

Leaning on the Celestial Omnipotent Umbrella, Chen Qiu stood at the edge of the cliff, looking into the distance with a faint smile. He had waited for this moment, and after these sea demons were all dead, he couldn't even imagine how immense his Spirit Qi capacity would become.

There was no place in Great Xia with such a dense concentration of demon beasts.

"Everyone, fall back and give the sea tribe enough space to land."

His Divine Sense transmitted this message to the three Golden Core Cultivators, who then led the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in a swift retreat, leaving the battlefield to Chen Qiu.

After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn,

Countless sea demons had landed and were rushing deep into the mainland. The sea demons were so dense that one couldn't see the end of them, with some flying in the sky, some in the sea, and some amphibious.

Countless seagulls carrying demon qi flew towards Chen Qiu, but none of them could get close before self-destructing.

The number of sea demons had increased by over tenfold compared to when they first landed, and the influx continued, with more and more sea demons surging from the depths.

"Are there really that many sea demons in the sea?"

Chen Qiu stood on the cliff, overlooking the sea demons below, and muttered, "I always thought the most demon beasts in Great Xia were in the Endless Desert, but I never imagined there would be even more in the Boundless Sea."

"These might still just be the vanguard."

The bookish man's brows furrowed slightly as he looked down at the demon beasts, "So far, I haven't seen a single Golden Core sea demon, and most of them are at the Qi Condensation stage, with only a small portion at the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Aside from their numbers and fearlessness, I don't see any particularly dangerous traits."

Perhaps hearing the bookish man's words,

Just as he finished speaking,

Three Golden Core sea demons, standing upright and humanoid, emerged from the sea. They were naked, each holding a Spiritual Treasure made of Abyssal Obsidian Iron, roughly forged to suit demon beasts.

Their faces were cold, their eyes filled with killing intent, and their Golden Core Cultivation enveloped the hearts of the cultivators, the overwhelming demon qi almost tangible.

With every step,

Countless sea demons died under the feet of these three Golden Core sea demons.

All of them were at the first stage of Golden Core.

"..."

Chen Qiu's brows furrowed slightly as he watched this scene, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. Those sea demons were his prey, and they were being trampled to death?

This was the first time he had seen Golden Core sea demons.

He hadn't seen a single Golden Core sea demon on other battlefields, and their appearance here indicated that the sea tribe had chosen this place as their main target.

The plan was initially successful.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end