All-class Gu Immortal

Chapter 228 Life and death are preordained, the situation changes drastically (Part 2)

A month passed quietly.

Although the Phantom Divine Skill is a top-tier movement technique, it's not difficult for Zhou Qing to master even the basics.

Unfortunately, after mastering the first level of the Phantom Divine Skill, he was unable to control the Demon Shadow Pearl.

"It seems that either my cultivation technique is not advanced enough, or my realm is not high enough."

Zhou Qing thought to himself.

To wield the Demon-Controlling Shadow Pearl, one needs to have perfected the Illusionary Divine Skill and achieved six blood transfusions in martial arts cultivation.

Zhou Qing is now at the beginner level of the Phantom Divine Skill, and his martial arts cultivation has undergone four blood transfusions.

Based solely on the effects of the Divine Weapon Master profession, it seems impossible to lower the requirements for wielding a third-tier divine weapon so significantly.

However, Zhou Qing was mentally prepared for this. Moreover, having mastered the Illusionary Divine Skill, his movement techniques had improved, and he had made considerable progress.

"It's time to set off."

After confirming that he would not be able to control the Demon Shadow Pearl for a short period of time, Zhou Qing decided to return to Nanli County City first.

After all, it would probably take more than half a year to master the first level of the Phantom Divine Skill. The martial arts resources in Nanli County are much richer, so it would be much faster to cultivate there.

Moreover, Zhou Qing was afraid that if he stayed here too long, something might happen to the Five Poisons Sect.

With this in mind, Zhou Qing took Miaoyin and prepared to set off. As for Ruyan, he had already put her into his storage space.

With such a major incident occurring at Huanglong Mountain, the Witch God Cult will definitely send people to investigate.

The previous contamination of the Ruyan statue was eliminated after Feng Xingyun's death.

Unfortunately, Zhou Qing couldn't find the secret technique or divine weapon of the defiled idol on Feng Xingyun's body, and didn't know what method he used.

For safety's sake, we must take Ruyan with us.

In fact, Zhou Qing also reminded Liang Chao's family that he wanted to take them to Nanli County City, but Liang Chao refused.

Liang Chao said that if the Witch God Cult really targets everyone associated with Zhou Qing, it would probably kill most of the residents of Xin'an Lane.

Although the Witch God Cult is unlikely to find out that he was the one who did it so quickly, and there is no need for them to retaliate against Liang Chao, Zhou Qing has already made preparations just in case.

But since Liang Chao was unwilling, Zhou Qing could only respect his choice.

In fact, going to Nanli County is not necessarily very safe.

Ultimately, it still depends on one's own strength.

Zhou Qing rode his horse at full speed and arrived at the outskirts of Nanli County by evening the next day.

"How could this be?"

Along the way, Zhou Qing discovered that many villages were deserted, the land was barren, there were many refugees causing trouble, and there were thugs gathering in almost every mountain.

In just two years, Nanli County seems to have undergone some kind of dramatic change.

"The area around Ping'an County and Heishan Town is relatively stable."

Zhou Qing felt a pang of regret.

A few years ago, the Heishui River would flood frequently, causing many villages and towns along the river to be submerged and displaced. Although there were some displaced people, they would soon disappear, unlike now when there are so many displaced people.

Before arriving in Nanli County, Zhou Qing left Miaoyin in a small town dozens of miles away from the city.

"Miaoyin, what I'm about to do is quite risky, so you'll have to stay here for the time being."

Zhou Qing instructed Miao Yin that he could protect himself if he went to Nanli County and the Five Poisons Sect alone, but it would be hard to say if he took Miao Yin with him.

A nineteen-year-old at the Blood Exchange Realm is a genius anywhere, but Zhou Qing's enemies don't care whether Miao Yin is a genius or not; they only want to know if they can use Miao Yin to control Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing didn't want to leave such a hidden danger for herself.

No one here knows Miaoyin now, so leaving her outside is the best course of action.

"My lord, please return soon and be careful. I will wait for your return here." Miaoyin did not ask Zhou Qing what he was going to do, but looked at him with concern.

"Don't worry, I'll come back to you as soon as I finish what I'm doing. Don't come looking for me in the meantime. I'll leave Tiger Eagle here with you. If anything happens, just have Tiger Eagle send me a message."

Zhou Qing released the tiger eagle, and then handed a bamboo whistle to Miaoyin.

"Yes." Miaoyin carefully took the bamboo whistle.

After settling Miaoyin in, Zhou Qing left the town and headed straight for Nanli County. Before going to the Five Poisons Sect, he wanted to visit Uncle Han and Grandma Han at the Han family.

After Zhou Qing arrived outside the Han family's residence and presented his visiting card, a woman dressed in a white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) came out shortly afterward. Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, her eyes like morning stars, and her pretty red lips were lightly touched up, giving her the air of a well-bred young lady.

The person who arrived was none other than Han Qingqing.

"Brother Zhou! It really is you!" Han Qingqing smiled when she saw that the person who came was Zhou Qing.

"Qingqing, it's been a long time," Zhou Qing said with a smile.

"It's been two years, and Brother Zhou seems quite distant. You used to call me Qingqing all the time," Han Qingqing joked. Compared to two years ago, she had grown much taller and lost some of her girlish arrogance, appearing much more mature and dignified.

"Qingqing, I wonder if Uncle Han is at home?" Zhou Qing changed the subject.

"My father is in the Shenwei Camp. He rarely comes home since my grandmother passed away." Han Qingqing's expression turned somber as she mentioned this.

"Grandma passed away?!" Zhou Qing's smile suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning.

"Didn't Grandma still..."

Zhou Qing found it hard to accept for a moment.

“Ever since Grandma came home, she wanted to bring Grandpa’s remains back, so Father accompanied her to Asakawa County. But she contracted the plague on the way and fell seriously ill. Although she recovered with great difficulty, she was weakened and passed away half a year ago.” Han Qingqing said sadly.

"How could this happen? Where is Grandma buried? I want to go and pay my respects." Zhou Qing took a deep breath.

"Grandma is buried in the suburbs, near Tianzhu Mountain. I'll take you there."

Han Qingqing agreed. She called the gatekeeper over, gave him a few instructions, and soon a servant arranged a carriage.

The two entered the carriage, and Han Qingqing, seeing that Zhou Qing was in low spirits, did not speak.

When the carriage stopped, Zhou Qing got off and was greeted by a neatly planned cemetery.

Led by Han Qingqing, he arrived at a tombstone.

Two large characters were written in the middle of the inscription—

first

考妣
张殷
武采
Of

Grave

The tombstone is inscribed with the year and the names of the descendants on both sides.

After confirming that the name on the tombstone was that of the old woman, Zhou Qing felt a little dazed.

He felt as if he had returned to the original Black Mountain Town, and memories of the past kept surfacing in his mind.

"This old woman is all alone and getting old. She has a very poor appetite. Here, have some."

"If you ever get hungry in the future, come find me around this time. If I have any work to do, I'll give you a steamed bun."

Zhou Qing seemed to hear the words his grandmother had said when she first handed him the cornbread.

There was an indescribable sadness in my heart.

Little did she know that her parting with her grandmother two years ago would be the last time she saw her. "Grandma passed away peacefully, in her sleep," Han Qingqing whispered.

"When Grandma was sick, she often talked about the days in Heishan Town."

"I want to be alone for a while," Zhou Qing said slowly.

"Hmm." Han Qingqing nodded slightly, walked a short distance away, dismissed the coachman, and boarded the carriage alone.

A moment later, Zhou Qing arrived at the carriage.

"Qingqing, I'll go to the Divine Might Camp first, and then I'll come back to find you!"

"Brother Zhou," Han Qingqing lifted the curtain, and Zhou Qing's figure ran far away.

Han Qingqing looked surprised as she watched Zhou Qing's figure disappear quickly.

"Military camp, restricted area! Halt!"

Zhou Qing arrived at a valley on the outskirts of the Qilian Mountains. As soon as he reached the entrance of the encampment, he was stopped by soldiers dressed in black armor.

He tossed out the military officer's badge, which the soldier examined for a moment before shaking his head and saying:

"This badge is now invalid! You are not allowed to enter the camp. If you are looking for someone, I can inform them on your behalf."

The soldiers were friendly because Zhou Qing had arrived with astonishing speed, clearly indicating he was a master.

"It's void?" Zhou Qing was taken aback, then pondered and said, "In that case, please inform Commandant Han that Zhou Qing has come to visit."

"Captain? Lord Han?" The soldier frowned slightly. "Our captain is Lord Sima, not surnamed Han. However, there is a military officer in the camp with the surname Han!"

"What?" Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened. "Is that adjutant Han Wending?"

"Exactly." The soldier nodded.

"Then please inform Lord Han." Zhou Qing bowed and stuffed a large silver ingot into the soldier's hand.

"Please wait a moment, sir, I'll be right there!" The soldier beamed, said a few words to his companion, and then entered the valley.

In a short while, a warrior who was over two meters tall and covered in black armor emerged from the valley. It was Han Wending.

"Nephew! Is it really you?!" Han Wending was even more excited than Han Qingqing when he saw Zhou Qing.

"Greetings, Uncle Han." Zhou Qing bowed respectfully.

"This isn't the place to talk, let's go!" Han Wending scrutinized Zhou Qing, seemingly sensing something different about him.

He summoned his soldiers, who led out two strong and healthy horses.

The two mounted their horses and headed towards Nanli County.

Along the way, the two talked about what had happened in the past two years.

"Uncle Han, is it because of me that you lost your position as Commandant?" Zhou Qing brought up the matter.

Upon hearing this, Han Wending shook his head, tightened the reins, and said in a deep voice, "This matter concerns the Su family, so you must not leak it out."

A year ago, the Su family patriarch and the Five Poisons Sect patriarch joined forces to go to the headquarters of the Witch God Sect and fight against the sect leader Lan Canghai.

The outcome of this battle remains unknown to everyone. All that is known is that shortly after the battle, the Su family patriarch went into seclusion to attempt to break through to the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top realm.

The Su family patriarch attempted to reverse Yin and Yang by using a fire-attribute spiritual seed to achieve the transformation of Yang into Yin, but failed and died on the spot.

Just then, an epidemic broke out in many parts of Shuntian Prefecture, especially in the area around Nanli County. So the prefectural lord sent Sima Changhe, a master of eleven blood transfusions, to investigate the matter.

To stabilize the situation, the Su family requested that the prefect allow Sima Changhe to be stationed here permanently, so I voluntarily relinquished my position as commandant.

"I see." Zhou Qing suddenly realized, not expecting so many things to have happened in the past two years.

"Nephew, it seems the barbarians have not treated you badly; you are much stronger than you were two years ago!"

Han Wending changed the subject. Although martial artists do not unleash their full power when not in combat, making it impossible to discern their exact level at a glance, he could roughly sense Zhou Qing's blood flow, which resembled a rushing river and was definitely several times stronger than before.

"I was fortunate enough to complete four blood transfusions," Zhou Qing said directly, without any intention of hiding anything.

"Four blood transfusions?!" Han Wending exclaimed in surprise.

“Nephew, you really shouldn’t have come back.”

Han Wending suddenly sighed.

"What does Uncle Han mean by this?" Zhou Qing asked.

"Now the entire Shuntian Prefecture is ravaged by plague. Whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made calamity, it is not a good omen."

Moreover, Shuntian Prefecture and the Wuxi barbarians are irreconcilable enemies, and your identity cannot be hidden from those with ulterior motives in Nanli County.

Now that Shuntian Prefecture has sent Sima Changhe to oversee this area, although he is unlikely to attack you, no one can guarantee that Shuntian Prefecture will not take other actions against the barbarians.

Legend has it that this plague was created by the Wuxi barbarians in their quest to refine poisonous insects.

Han Wending explained.

"After the death of the Su family patriarch, some people said that he did not actually die from the failure to break through the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, but was seriously injured by the leader of the Witch God Sect and died from his injuries."

There are also rumors that the patriarch of the Five Poisons Sect is in dire straits.

"If you return to Nanli County at this sensitive time, Wan Guiliu will definitely think you've come to seize the throne."

"How is that Sect Master Wan doing now?" Zhou Qing suddenly asked.

"Two years ago, Wan Guiliu suddenly disappeared for several months, and then his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Half a year ago, he reached the peak of the eighth blood exchange. Whether he has completed the ninth blood exchange is still unknown," Han Wending replied.

"Your cultivation level has advanced by leaps and bounds?" Zhou Qing was taken aback.

"It seems that the old sect leader of the Five Poisons Sect has decided to pass on his skills to Wan Guiliu, otherwise his cultivation would not have improved so quickly."

It's a pity. If your master had accepted the old sect leader's teachings, you would have avoided a lot of trouble.

With your master's talent, if it weren't for the accident back then, he would probably have already entered the Qi and Blood Furnace realm.

With the old sect leader passing on his skills, it probably won't be long before he becomes another top expert renowned throughout the city.

How could things have turned out like this, with me under house arrest within the Five Poisons Sect?

Han Wending couldn't help but sigh. Among his contemporaries in the entire Nanli County, there were few he admired, but Wei Sheng was definitely one of them.

"I'm preparing to return to the Five Poisons Sect!" Zhou Qing said solemnly.

"Are you really going to compete with Wan Guiliu?" Han Wending was startled and immediately understood Zhou Qing's thoughts.

Zhou Qing is now in his early twenties and has already reached the Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke Realm, having undergone four blood transfusions. In addition, his master is Wei Sheng, a direct descendant of the Five Poisons Sect. He is fully qualified and has the potential to compete for the position of sect leader of the Five Poisons Sect.

Therefore, it will inevitably be targeted by Wan Guiliu.

This is exactly what Han Wending is worried about.

With Zhou Qing's talent, reaching the peak of the twelve-times blood exchange in the future will not be a problem, and he will have more time to break through to the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top. There is no need for him to wade into the muddy waters of Nanli County City now.

“I’m not the same person I was two years ago,” Zhou Qing said with confidence.

"Even if you return to the Five Poisons Sect, Wan Guiliu will make a big deal out of your barbarian bloodline. If you don't become the sect leader, you won't be able to change the old sect leader's idea of ​​passing on his skills to Wan Guiliu," Han Wending advised.

"I can't be the sect leader," Zhou Qing shook his head, stating firmly, "but my master can!"

The poison from the poison feathers aggravated Wei Sheng's injuries, severely depleting his vital energy, which led to his stagnation in cultivation.

Zhou Qing now possesses the Heavenly Silkworm, which can directly restore vitality and solve Wei Sheng's problem at its root.

(End of this chapter)