Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 113: Joine Island

As the pearl fell, it created a tideflow power that caused the sea to surge. Waves crashed like the massive hand of a giant heading at top speed toward the Merfolk Isles.

However, at the same time, an enormous shield of light shot up around the four islands. It was a grand protective spell formation operated by the Merfolk, and with its incredible power active, the black pearl slowed down. However, its might was not lessened, and the shield trembled.

As for the incoming mass of waves, the shield blocked them, causing a huge crashing sound to fill the air. Along with it came a howl of rage from Emiche Island.

“Seven Blood Eyes! What is the meaning of this?”

As the voice rang out, a huge face appeared in the air by means of projection, growing larger and larger until it surpassed the size of the island below. It looked like an old man with gills on the side of his face, his eyes radiating astonishing might as he glared at the dracolizard. But even as the old man’s howl still echoed through the air…

Many of the buildings that were connected to the spell formation nodes exploded! More than forty buildings suffered, causing an instant change to the formation. In addition, booms and shockwaves exploded out on other parts of the islands. Seven Blood Eyes wanted to slaughter Merfolk, and had been making preparations for a while now. They wouldn’t have come this day unless they were completely confident in succeeding.

The old merman’s face fell as the black pearl again flickered with dark light. As the light spread out, it became a massive hand that blotted out the sky. Covered with violet lightning, it crushed down toward the shield projected by the grand spell formation.

A deafening boom rang out as the spell formation shield sank inward. Then that portion collapsed, causing a huge hand-shaped hole to appear in the shield. Countless violet lightning bolts then shot down onto the jagged, broken parts of the formation. Every lightning bolt that landed destroyed more of the formation. After only a few dozen breaths of time passed, the Merfolk’s massive protective formation had been destroyed. The force unleashed by the destruction caused more explosions on the islands.

Meanwhile, after piercing through the shield, the huge hand grew larger and larger, until it smashed into the projected face of the old merman and shoved it into the surface of the Emiche Island. A huge boom rang out as a massive palm print appeared on it..

Within that palm print were countless crushed buildings, as well as pulverized flesh and blood. Only one building stood up to the palm, and though it wasn’t destroyed, it did end up covered in cracks.

It looked like some sort of temple made from bones, and appeared both magnificent and profoundly sinister. The reason for its sinister nature was that, astonishingly, the bones that made it up were all human! And from the bits of spirit power that remained in the bones, it was obvious that the majority were from Seven Blood Eyes disciples!

The old merman whose face had just been projected above the island was now fleeing from inside that tower, coughing up blood, his face very unsightly. After looking up into the sky, he started moving as if to fight back.

Up in the air, on one of the palaces on the dracolizard, a figure appeared, looking down at the temple on Emiche Island. When he spoke, his cold voice echoed throughout heaven and earth.

“Merfolk! For years, Seven Blood Eyes has treated your people well. After you became our ally, we provided immense financial aid. Twenty-three years ago, when you faced a mutagen plague, we spared nothing to help you. We provided you countless resources that surpassed a value of 100,000,000 spirit stones.

“Sixteen years ago, when the Witherspirits attacked you, and you faced the threat of extermination, no one came to your aid. But I personally brought a group of disciples here, many of whom sacrificed their lives as we resolved the crisis. Countless members of your people begged us to bury our disciples here as a testament to our friendship. You should have honored those sacrificed disciples, but instead, you curried favor with the Seazombies by digging up the bodies and using them to build a tower as a blood tribute.

“You have forgotten favors and violated justice. You have returned evil for good. Heaven and earth will not tolerate your existence, and thus, you will be exterminated.”

The speaker stepped out into the air, revealing that he was the peaklord of the Seventh Peak, Master Seventh. He wore a violet gown, and his eyes shone as if with lightning. He seemed threatening without being angry, and had such an imposing and magnificent manner that his voice caused the clouds to stir around him. Glaring at the Merfolk patriarch, he unleashed another palm strike, then flicked his sleeve and pointed down with his right hand.

Rumbling sounds echoed out as the Merfolk patriarch was crushed downward. At the same time, innumerable water droplets appeared around him, forming into a huge sphere.

Inside the sphere, the Merfolk patriarch tried to struggle, but was incapable of doing so. Face distorting, he howled, “Don’t waste your breath, Zheng Kaiyi. The Seazombies will protect us. Their army will make you pay for this incursion. In fact, they’re already on the way!” [1]

“I’m waiting,” Master Seventh said coolly, and then he extended his finger. The spot where he pointed to rippled and distorted, and then astonishingly, a figure appeared there.

It wasn’t a Merfolk, but instead, appeared to be a middle-aged human cultivator. He wore a black suit of armor, and had a powerful aura. However, he reeked of death; his skin was covered with necrotic patches, some of which were infested with maggots. It was like he was actually a corpse.

He had obviously been waiting in hiding to launch an ambush. Now that he had been revealed, he wanted to attack, but was unable to. Countless water droplets surrounded him, transforming into a sphere that kept him sealed inside. Just like the Merfolk patriarch, he was now immobile.

After sealing the two, Master Seventh ignored them and turned his attention to the Merfolk Isles. He pointed, and the dracolizard howled. Shockingly, row upon row of magical devices appeared on its back, releasing a host of magical techniques.

At the same time, numerous figures appeared within the violet sea above. They were the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Seventh Peak, and alongside them were their astonishing dharmaskiffs. They came in all sizes and shapes, but all of them were incredibly magnificent. As they lined up, dharma force converged, then was unleashed in a massive attack.

Numerous dharmaskiffs unleashed magical techniques, like a hundred deadly spears shooting down. In addition, there were thirteen watercraft that were even more dramatic than the hundred. Each one was around 200 to 250 meters in length. They were dharmaships, and they also released terrifying attacks on the islands.

The four islands trembled as the attacks of the Seven Blood Eyes forces focused on the places where they had either magical devices or Gold Core cultivators.

The locations with magical devices were all destroyed. As for the Gold Core cultivators, they had nowhere to hide. They were all locked down, sucked up into the air, and then suppressed.

A moment later, there wasn’t a single Gold Core entity on any of the four islands!

Having accomplished these things, Master Seventh waved his hand, and the violet sea of light descended onto the four Merfolk islands. It created an all-encompassing formation that crushed down on the Merfolk within, provoking howls of grief. Numerous Merfolk cultivators coughed up blood.

Those in Qi Condensation didn’t suffer many ill effects. But those Foundation Establishment cultivators found their cultivation bases restricted, forcing them to drop down an entire realm into the great circle of Qi Condensation.

At the same time, violet teleportation light rose up from the Forbidden Sea around the Merfolk Isles as the Seventh Peak disciples arrived. None were fazed by the fact that they were teleporting in above water. They simply took out their dharmaboats and landed on the sea. Xu Qing was among them.

This was when Master Seventh spoke coolly from above.

“The Seventh Peak Grand Competition has officially begun, my wolf pups. This Grand Competition… will be observed by many peoples. Kill well, and make every kill bring glory to Seven Blood Eyes!”

With that, he flicked his sleeve, and a violent wind sprang up, giving a blessing of speed to the 4,000 disciples’ dharmaboats, and sending them shooting through the water like blades toward the four islands!

Xu Qing looked up at the terrifying dharmaskiffs overhead, and the islands covered by the violet spell formation, and he felt deeply shaken. From his perspective, he had simply gone through a teleportation. Yet in that short amount of time, victory had already been decided. It was just as the captain had said. The important matters had been handled by the Onpeak bigwigs.

For the Offpeak disciples, the important thing was to get rich. Of course, the premise was that you needed to be capable of taking what you wanted to get.

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered. He had already decided the direction he wanted to take, and thus shifted his dharmaboat to head toward Joine Island. That was the location of the Foundation Establishment lamp and the Foundation Establishment Pills. Although he couldn’t think of how the former would be of much use, if he could sell it for 500,000 spirit stones….

He wasn’t the only disciple to be thinking in that way. Many others who had high cultivation bases headed toward Joine Island. In fact, from above, it looked like more than a thousand were going there. Some whose dharmaboats focused on speed had already arrived.

But Xu Qing wasn’t far behind. When he reached the shore, he put away his dharmaboat and immediately raced toward the jungle. Just before he reached the tree line, his eyes glittered as a magical rain of arrows shot out toward him with deadly speed.

There were Merfolk cultivators in the jungle, and seeing Xu Qing arrive, their killing intent boiled over. Howling, they rushed toward him. Xu Qing didn’t slow down. His dagger flew, taking off a head. Three more bodies fell. Then he suddenly lunged backward, and blood sprayed as he ripped open the belly of a Merfolk cultivator who had been about to fall on him from behind. Then more snarling Merfolk cultivators rushed out of the jungle in his direction.

His eyes narrowed. Although he had no deep hatred for Merfolk, he was here for the Foundation Establishment lamp, and didn’t want to waste time. So he turned to go around them.

However, more Merfolk cultivators arrived, and they immediately fanned out, their killing intent burning. It only took moments before he was surrounded. Seeing that he had no easy way to leave, he lunged forward to take the fight to them.

Shortly after, he left the scene of the battle behind, his dagger dripping blood as he entered the forest.

At this point, Seventh Peak disciples were all over the Merfolk Isles, and fierce fighting had broken out everywhere!

1. Zheng Kaiyi: Zheng is listed #21 on the list of the 100 most common Chinese surnames. Kai means “armor” and Yi means “pleased, to rejoice.” Madam Deathblade says this name makes her think of an average guy. At the same time, there’s a popular celebrity named Zheng Kai (same characters) and she said the name also makes her think of him. Here’s what he looks like. Remember, that’s just her impression; there’s no indication the author intended for people to think of this celebrity in relation to Master Seventh. ☜