All-class Gu Immortal

Chapter 218 An Unexpected Twist, A Blessing in Disguise! (Two Chapters Combined)

"Three blood transfusions, and that's all."

As Zhou Qing felt the surging blood and qi within his body, a smile appeared on his face. As he activated his blood and qi, his entire body's blood and qi reached a high boiling point, and thick blood and qi gushed out from his skin and pores, finally transforming into a blood-red gauze robe on his body.

Unlike before, this time the thin veil of qi and blood completely enveloped Zhou Qing's body without leaving any gaps.

Because Zhou Qing has a deep foundation, the quantity and quality of his blood and qi are far superior to those of other martial artists of the same level. Therefore, he has already reached the peak of this realm after completing three blood exchanges. His blood and qi veil is completely condensed, and he has gained all-round defense.

At this moment, the power of the Ice Soul Spider's bloodline was activated again after Zhou Qing broke through to the next realm. The icy cold energy emanated from his body, forming another layer of icy blue cold energy shield on the surface of the thin veil of blood and qi.

Zhou Qing took out the Heavenly Centipede Blade and controlled the blade with his true essence.

Whoosh!
The Heavenly Centipede Blade shot into the sky, then released a crescent-shaped scarlet blade light that fell straight towards his chest.

Buzz!
The icy blue protective shield around Zhou Qing's body trembled violently before being shattered by the blade's edge.

The blade's momentum did not diminish, and it eventually pierced through the thin veil of qi and blood.

Just as the blade's edge was about to touch Zhou Qing's body, an invisible membrane seemed to appear on his skin, consuming each other's power with the crimson blade's edge. This invisible membrane faintly shimmered with an icy blue hue.

"Boom~"

A faint sound, like a bubble bursting, rang out. This invisible membrane was also broken through by the blade's edge, but it also consumed most of its power. Finally, it struck Zhou Qing's chest, tearing his clothes and leaving a white mark on his chest muscles, which were as if they were cast from refined steel.

Zhou Qing pulled open the tear in her clothes and looked at the white mark on her chest, her face showing surprise.

"The amplification of the physical body by the Golden Poison Dragon Body is indeed exaggerated!"

Although the Heavenly Centipede Blade is only one of the components of a third-tier divine weapon, and can only be considered a flawed second-tier divine weapon, its power is extremely strong. Among the second-tier divine weapons that Zhou Qing has encountered so far, it is considered to be above average.

In particular, his two major professions advanced one after another. His silkworm breeding technique reached its peak, greatly enhancing the dexterity of his hands. As a result, his swordsmanship also improved by leaps and bounds.

He has mastered the three forms of the Crescent Moon Blade Technique: Crescent Moon, Half Crescent Moon, and Full Moon, and has already reached the third form, Full Moon.

He had tried it a few days ago; even a mid-grade second-tier Heavenly Fire Centipede dared not use its shell to withstand the third move.

When facing the second move, Crescent Moon, the Heavenly Fire Centipede mostly relied on hit-and-run tactics. Only when it couldn't dodge would it use its carapace to withstand the attack, leaving several obvious marks on the blade's edge.

At this moment, Zhou Qing used the Poison Dragon Golden Body to complete three blood exchanges. With his blood and qi, the icy coldness of his awakened bloodline, and the entangling ice force of the White Cloud Palm Technique, his defensive ability was almost on par with the Heavenly Fire Centipede.

It should be noted that most of the large-sized mythical beasts possess powerful qi and blood, and have astonishing defensive capabilities.

As an offensive Gu worm, the Heavenly Fire Centipede, after being hatched by a fire-attribute metamorphosed divine seed, boasts top-tier defensive capabilities among its peers.

With the Heavenly Fire Centipede as a reference, one can see just how exaggerated Zhou Qing's defensive measures are.

Now he can just stand still and let martial artists of the same level attack him. It will take a lot of effort for the opponent to break through his defenses.

Of course, in actual combat, Zhou Qing would not dare to be so overconfident.

However, with such enhanced defense, it can have a surprising effect in battles against multiple opponents, as well as against enemies of a higher level.

After all, apart from melee Gu Masters, most Gu Masters are high in attack and low in defense, and are good at mid- to long-range combat.

Although all sorts of strange and wonderful Gu worms can enhance defense and increase speed, Gu masters themselves are still relatively fragile. Once they are caught in close combat, the outcome of the battle may be decided in an instant.

If, during a battle, the enemy goes to great lengths to break through the Gu worms' attack range and arrive in front of him, only to find that his attack and defense are in no way inferior to the Gu worms, and even slightly superior in some aspects, one wonders what kind of expression he will show.

"Next, we just need to wait for the Tiger Demon Grand Duke to digest the Heavenly Poison Insect's deadly poison."

Zhou Qing pondered to himself as his qi and blood, along with the icy coldness of the Ice Soul, returned to his body through his pores.

"Pfft!" Erqing exclaimed excitedly.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely let you try it first," Zhou Qing said with a smile.

"Pfft!"

Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye.

After Zhou Qing's cultivation level stabilized, he fully adapted to the increase in strength and continued to lead a fulfilling life of cultivation.

As time went by, the Tiger Demon Tai Sui gradually showed signs of awakening.

Zhou Qing also received a notification from the clan leader that in a little over a month, he would be able to awaken the Spirit-Slaying Gu and help him awaken his Gu Master aptitude.

That morning, Zhou Qing was asleep when he heard Miao Yin's footsteps approaching his room in a hurry.

Zhou Qing, who was lying in bed, opened her eyes.

"Young Master Zongzheng, are you awake?" Miaoyin's tone was slightly urgent, but her voice was still melodious and charming.

"What is it?" Zhou Qing, dressed in his undergarments, got up and opened the door.

“The disciples sent by our ancestor have returned to the mountain stronghold. Judging by the time, they should arrive today. The clan leader has instructed the clansmen to go to the south gate to welcome them!” Miaoyin explained.

"understood."

Zhou Qing's eyes flickered slightly before he nodded.

The Ice Spirit Clan's ancestor, the Second Ancestor, son of the Xuanzhu Venerable, must be three hundred years old already.

"I'll help you change." Miaoyin hurriedly entered the room, took out a rather decent blue robe for Zhou Qing, and helped him change.

After getting dressed, the two headed together toward the south gate of Bingyun Mountain Village.

When the two arrived, thousands of people had already gathered at the gate. In addition to hundreds of Gu Masters, almost all the other clansmen with names and surnames in the mountain village were also present.

At this moment, Clan Chief Wanqi Zongyuan stood in the middle of the gate, with him and the Ice Spirit Clan's high-ranking members, along with more than a dozen elders, lined up on both sides of the procession, all quietly gazing at the sky ahead.

When Zhou Qing and Miao Yin arrived, most of the clansmen who heard the commotion greeted them with smiles, because Zhou Qing had greatly enhanced the reputation of the Ice Spirit Clan during this trip to Fallen Immortal Valley.

Today, his name has even spread among the high-ranking members of various ethnic groups.

When Wanqi Zongyuan saw Zhou Qing, he nodded in greeting.

Wanqi Zongbo smiled slightly and waved to Zhou Qing, signaling him to come over.

Zhou Qing paused for a moment, then walked over.

“You stand here,” Wan Qizongbo said, pointing to his left.

The elder who was originally standing next to him very consciously took a few steps back.

At this moment, in the team opposite Zhou Qing, the first person standing was Wan Qizongxuan, and the person to his left was Wan Qiyunting.

Zhou Qing's rank is the same as Wan Qiyunting's.

This was clearly approved by the clan leader, Wanqi Zongyuan, meaning that the Ice Spirit Clan would focus on cultivating Zhou Qing going forward.

The clansmen present were filled with envy and jealousy, wishing they could take his place.

Rank not only represents one's status in the bandit group, but more importantly, it represents the power and resource allocation that corresponds to that status.

However, despite the dissatisfaction of some, the elders remained silent, so how could they possibly have the right to express their opinions?

Now that Zhou Qing has made great contributions and is highly sought after, offending him at this time would also offend the clan leader and the academy elders.

At this moment, Miaoyin, who was originally standing at the back of the crowd, walked to the position behind Zhou Qing like a proud peacock. As his concubine, Miaoyin had the right to do so.

"You slut!" Looking at Miaoyin's graceful and alluring figure, the girls who had been taken with her by the clan leader to be chosen by Zhou Qing couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Who would have thought that a clansman who had been separated from his clan would rise to a position on equal footing with the elders in less than a year? He should have been shameless enough to stay, even if it was just as a maid.

Seeing Miaoyin climb up that big tree filled them with envy. Among these tribespeople, the happiest were Miaoyin's parents and her cousin.

"Fortunately, I wasn't blinded by beauty and went against the Imperial Clan." Wan Qijingsheng wiped the cold sweat from his brow. He had almost gone to confront Miaoyin back then.

Time passed slowly, and as the sun began to set, none of the ancestors' disciples appeared.

"Didn't you say you'd arrive during the day? Why haven't you shown up yet at this hour?"

"What do you mean? Are you deliberately trying to intimidate me?"

"It shouldn't be that bad, something might have delayed them."

The clansmen whispered among themselves, and many harbored resentment.

After a while, as the sun was about to set completely, a huge black beetle appeared in the distant sky, with two tall antennae sticking up from its head.

"coming!"

Two young Gu masters, a man and a woman, each holding a tentacle, stood steadily on the back of the black beetle.

"That's... a Heavenly Beetle Gu? A third-tier Gu worm?"

"The Longhorn Beetle Gu, touted as having the best endurance and being among the top three in flight speed among third-tier Gu worms?! Am I seeing things?"

The black beetle flew directly above the gate of the mountain stronghold and landed on everyone's heads.

The man and woman above both looked down at the crowd below with an air of arrogance.

The elders of the Ice Spirit Clan had varying expressions; most remained calm, but the clansmen were somewhat dissatisfied.

"It seems that if the blood relation is too distant, it's as if there's no relation at all," Zhou Qing thought to himself.

Judging from their auras, both of them were second-tier Gu Masters, but they didn't have the same oppressive aura as Wanqi Zongyuan, indicating that their cultivation levels weren't much higher than his. The fact that they gave him such a show of force right from the start suggests that the Ice Spirit Clan's ancestor didn't have much affection for the Ice Spirit Clan.

Otherwise, why would he condone his disciple's behavior?

If it were Zhou Qing, and his master asked him to help his mother's clan, he would never have acted this way.

Of course, it's understandable that someone who achieves early success might be a bit arrogant.

For these people, coming to Bingling Mountain Village might feel like going from a big city to a remote mountain area, giving them a great sense of superiority.

At this moment, the Heavenly Beetle Gu slowly descended, and the two young Gu Masters, a man and a woman, leaped up from it. The young man spoke first:

"Wu Hongyang, accompanied by his junior sister Wu Xia, greets the clan leader and all the elders."

"You've come from afar, envoy. You must be tired." Wanqi Zongyuan greeted him with a smile.

As the head of the clan, although he was dissatisfied with the attitude of the two, he would not show it in the slightest.

These two, as disciples of the second generation ancestor of the Ice Spirit Clan, are of higher seniority than him, the clan leader. For now, they can simply be treated as envoys.

"Greetings, envoy!" The other elders and clansmen, seeing that the clan leader had no objections, also greeted the two.

"The journey has been long, and I apologize for keeping you all waiting." Wu Hongyang put on a fake smile, but his junior sister Wu Xia made no attempt to hide her disdain.

"The clan has prepared a banquet, and we are just waiting for the arrival of the two envoys to begin," Wanqi Zongyuan said with a smile.

"Then thank you very much, clan chief," Wu Hongyang said with a smile.

"please!"

"Please go first, clan leader!"

Wanqi Zongyuan led the way.

The luncheon turned into a dinner party. During the meal, Wu Hongyang behaved normally, while his junior sister Wu Xia remained silent, appearing as if she didn't like to talk.

After the dinner, Zhou Qing took Miaoyin home.

The arrival of Wu Hongyang and Wu Xia did not seem to bring any changes to the mountain village.

The two have always lived a secluded life, spending most of their time in the back mountains, residing in a stilted house near Wanqi Zongyuan, and there have been no incidents of conflict with their clansmen.

Everything remained the same until a month later.

Upon receiving the clan leader's notification, Zhou Qing suppressed his excitement and went to Wanqi Zongyuan's residence in the back mountain.

Upon entering the room, besides Wan Qizongyuan, there were also Wu Hongyang and Wu Xia.

Seeing that Wanqi Zongyuan's expression was not good, Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt something was wrong.

"Master Zong, according to the previous plan, I will awaken the Spirit-Slaying Gu in the coming days to help you improve your Gu Master aptitude. However, the two envoys have brought orders from our ancestors. They want to use the Spirit-Slaying Gu to improve your aptitude first, so you will have to wait a few more days. What do you think?" Wanqi Zongyuan asked.

Zhou Qing met Wanqi Zongyuan's gaze and had his answer in mind. He then bowed respectfully to him and said, "I will follow the clan leader's arrangements."

“This Brother Zongzheng is indeed a reasonable person. Once my senior brother and I complete our mission, there will be two outer disciple slots for Jin Hong Dao. If Brother Zongzheng is willing, we can take you back to Jin Hong Dao with us.” Wu Hongyang said with a smile.

"I can introduce you to my master and make you an outer disciple of my Azure Sky lineage." Wu Xia was in a great mood and rarely spoke. In the entire Ice Cloud Mountain Stronghold, the only person she could look up to was this second-level Gu Master who was not yet twenty years old.

"Thank you both, envoys. I have finally returned to the Ice Spirit Clan and do not wish to leave the stronghold for the time being. I would like to give this opportunity to my clansmen." Zhou Qing was displeased, but on the surface he still had to thank the two.

He now has the potential to cultivate to the third level here, so how could he possibly go with the two of them to become an outer disciple? Wouldn't that be crazy?
Moreover, there is also a blessed land of longevity waiting for Zhou Qing.

"That's fine then." Wu Hongyang nodded.

Wu Xia snorted coldly, her face instantly turning cold.

"Since the clan leader has agreed, my brother and I will await good news from the clan leader."

Wu Hongyang got up and left with Wu Xia.

After the two left, Wanqi Zongyuan sighed, "I have broken my promise. I am sorry."

"You flatter me, clan leader," Zhou Qing quickly replied.

“These two did not carry any letters from our ancestors. Their desire to use the Spirit-Subduing Gu is most likely not an order from our ancestors. However, I had no choice but to agree, otherwise, if they shirk their duties, the entire Ice Spirit Clan would suffer,” Wanqi Zongyuan explained.

"I understand," Zhou Qing nodded.

"Both of them are second-tier Gu Masters. If they use their ancestral bloodline to activate the Spirit-Subduing Gu, it will greatly unleash the Gu's potential. However, they will probably drain the Gu's power completely before it's your turn to use it."

Wanqi Zongyuan pondered for a moment.

"Alright then, I'll make the decision: for the next twenty years, you will have the right to use the Spirit-Subduing Gu."

You can slowly nurture the Spirit-Subduing Gu with the power of your bloodline. In this way, you will gradually improve your aptitude to the first tier.

The Spirit-Subduing Gu will continuously refine your bloodline; carrying it for a long time will greatly enhance your martial arts foundation, which can be considered a small compensation for you.

"Thank you, clan chief!" Zhou Qing was secretly delighted, but remained outwardly composed.

There was an entire Ice Soul Spider lying in his storage space!

With twenty years of use, he was able to maximize the effects of the Spirit-Slaying Gu.

In a way, Wu Hongyang and Wu Xia's interference actually brought him good fortune.

Of course, he wouldn't thank the two of them.

The enmity of being blocked from the road is not so easily resolved.

(End of this chapter)