Near a sheer cliff on an island in the Ink sea, Chu Danqing focused on his painting as the Dragon King of Ink Sea stood with his arms behind his back, giving him guidance from time to time. Suddenly, he raised his head, and a pair of dragon pupils condensed in his blank eyes.
“Danqing, we’ll stop here for today!”
“Yes, master.”
“Leave the Ink sea.”
“Huh?” Chu Danqing was surprised.
“He’s come.”
“Must you really fight?”
“We must fight.”
The Dragon King of Ink Sea made his way out of the hut. He gazed across the sea and met with a pair of scarlet eyes.
Li Qingshan stood with his back to the sun, on a piece of black reef. The smell of ink drifted through the sea wind, sweeping up his scarlet hair.
He was full of curiosity, bending down like a large cat. He wondered what the water of the Ink sea tasted like.
“Hey, you over there! You can’t drink seawater!”
A fisherman was returning to shore on his boat. When he saw this, he could not help but warn him loudly.
Li Qingshan looked up and glanced at him. The fisherman saw how his scarlet hair had not been dyed red by the setting sun, and his scarlet eyes seemed to possess powers of their own, silencing him.
Li Qingshan still took a sip of seawater. The sickeningly bitter, astringent, and salty taste filled his mouth. He swallowed it with a gulp and stuck out his pitch-black tongue, murmuring to himself, “Sure enough, it’s horrible, but the taste is quite special!”
Then he waved towards the fisherman. “Hey, old bro, go home quick. A storm is coming.”
“Ah… alright…” The fisherman returned to his senses and rowed away in a hurry.
Li Qingshan took out a painting scroll from his clothes. It was the Three Absolutes Calligraphy by the very hand of the Five Absolutes Immortal. He looked through it carefully again. From when he obtained the first fragment, the Cursive Sword Calligraphy, in the Black Wind stronghold until now, everything that had been related to it flashed across his mind. In the end, he cast it into the Ink sea.
The Three Absolutes Calligraphy drifted on the surface that seemed to be set alight by the setting sun and gradually sank down. The strokes that bore a sword-like sharpness on the painting gradually dissolved in the inky seawater.
Li Qingshan revealed a smile. The Dragon King of Ink Sea had not declined. This was very good!
Then he looked back at the fisherman who rowed away arduously and could not help but shake his head. Leaping up, he cupped his hands and yelled out, “Everyone by the Ink sea, listen up. A storm is coming!”
Sound waves swept across the ocean and reached the entire Ink sea, echoing like the voice of a god. Countless people were surprised before rowing away desperately, leaving the ocean.
“Qingshan!”
Chu Danqing heard this and suddenly left the Dragon King of Ink Sea, flying towards where the voice came from. Soon after he had left the island, the dragon cries from behind him rang through the air everywhere, and the island was swallowed by the furious sea waves. A dignified ink dragon coiled on the island, gripping the rock with its sharp dragon claws. Its colossal body bobbed in and out of view among the huge waves, letting out a cry with its head raised like it was giving a reply to Li Qingshan.
“Sigh!” Chu Danqing furrowed his brows and let out a great sigh before accelerating. However, the surging sea water below him was already churning towards the shore faster than him. The sky rapidly dimmed.
The glow of the setting sun dimmed and vanished. The world was dark.
A great wave lapped against the black reef, smashing into pieces and landing on Li Qingshan’s face. His heart was just like the sea before him. It began to surge.
A black speck flew over from the surface of the sea, and Li Qingshan waved his hand. “Oh, Danqing. Long time no see!”
“Qingshan, please don’t fight. Just treat it as I’m begging you!”
Chu Danqing landed before Li Qingshan and grabbed him by the shoulder, gasping for air.
“The disciple of the Dragon King of Ink Sea shouldn’t just beg others without good reason.”
Li Qingshan continued to smile. His fighting spirit burned brighter.
“I’m not just doing it for my master, but also for my friend. I don’t wish to see anything happen to either of you!” Chu Danqing pleaded.
“No one will die. Your master’s true body isn’t here, isn’t that the case?”
“Li Qingshan, do you think your victory is guaranteed?”
The Dragon King of Ink Sea’s deep voice rang out from the sea water as if the entire ocean was speaking.
“Of course.”
Li Qingshan was filled with confidence, even if this was the Dragon King of Ink Sea’s home field.
There would not be any helpers in this battle, nor would there be any Nirvā?a Rebirths. It would just be him and the Dragon King of Ink Sea. It was no longer for the sake of revenge, but for the sake of testing himself, to see if he had the power that surpassed the Ten Daemon Kings.
“What arrogance!”
With a furious roar, a black dragon rose up into the cloudy sky. The ocean surged with “mountains”, which seemed to link up with the low-hanging clouds. The dragon traversed between the clouds and the sea.
Bang!
Rubble shot off everywhere, and the reef beneath Li Qingshan’s feet shattered. He curled his lip. “How stingy!”
“Qingshan…” Chu Danqing wanted to continue to persuade him into changing his mind. Li Qingshan suddenly stared straight into his eyes and said sternly, Go away!”
Chu Danqing could not help but let go. Li Qingshan patted his shoulder and smiled. “If you have nothing else to do, then paint a painting!”
Chu Danqing watched blankly as Li Qingshan stepped into this churning Ink sea, swallowed by the water in the blink of an eye and nowhere to be seen anymore.
But following closely, a mountain rushed out of the Ink sea and stood up on the horizon. The pair of curved horns ripped through the clouds, filled with an unyielding battle spirit. A pair of magnificent, resplendent wings spread three thousand meters across, shining with a divine glow.
The colossal waves slammed against the mountain, but they could not even shake it. Instead, the waves around it gradually settled down, becoming perfectly still like a mirror.
Li Qingshan strided forward, advancing towards the centre of the Ink sea. Wherever he passed by, the furious sea would settle down, which formed an extremely great contrast against the raging waves in the surroundings.
Met with the cool sea water, Chu Danqing suddenly quivered and flew high into the air. A piece of white paper unfurled before him and he gripped a brush firmly in his right hand, staring closely at the ocean.
At this moment, Gu Yanying and Si Bao arrived, staring at the Ink sea.
“Big sis, they’re actually going to fight!” Si Bao said in amazement.
“This is completely unavoidable. Let’s just watch!” Gu Yanying shrugged.
“It’s good that they fight. So much for telling me to enter secluded cultivation. I missed so many interesting events!”
Si Bao was extremely excited. Even her eyebrows rose up.
Gu Yanying, on the other hand, was powerless.
“Big sis, who do you think will win?”
Si Bao took out a bag of dried fruit and ate one of them, even crushing the seed inside with her teeth.
“Logically speaking, no one can defeat the Dragon King of Ink Sea in the Ink sea,” said Gu Yanying.
“But he just doesn’t conform to logic, does he? It sure is unexpecting, to think that that kid would actually become so powerful!”
Si Bao remembered the battles she had missed out on and could not help but feel both pity and anticipation.
The tall statue of the first King of Chu pressed down on his sword and gazed at the magnificent Ink sea, also as if he was in thought. In the lofty South Hub city behind him, the cultivators all climbed onto the city walls to watch, only to see the world unleash its range, which left them startled.
Li Qingshan had almost reached the centre of the Ink sea and the waves became even more violent, such that even the water around him rippled. The dragon cries faded in and out between the fierce wind and waves, but it never halted, wrapping around him slowly.
As a result, he raised his blade high into the air!
