The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 255 Three Thousand Phoenix Dao Patterns, Xuan Yuan Shuo's Ruthlessness (6k)

Although the eldest and second daughters entered the Nascent Soul stage before Zhou Qing, even if they were at the Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment stage, it would probably take them some years to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

It was nowhere near as swift as Zhou Qing's.

Zhou Qing smiled shyly, then asked Mo Xingjian about the recent situation of the sect.

Fortunately, nothing has changed much compared to the past.

Only the Spirit Skull Mountain Secret Realm has fewer people compared to before.

Now, a large portion of them have chosen to leave, leaving only a few stubborn individuals who are still holding on, hoping that the secret realm will open again.

Not long after, Yan Xiaohu arrived, carrying an old hen, his eyes filled with envy.

One is the senior student, and the other is the junior student.

One is at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and the other is at the mid-stage of the Divine Transformation realm.

The difference is immediately apparent!

"How about we address each other differently from now on? You can call me Senior Brother, and I'll call you Senior or Elder, whatever you like!" Yan Xiaohu said, his eyes darting around.

Zhou Qing, both amused and exasperated, picked up the old hen.

"Third Senior Brother, stop fooling around!"

Despite saying that, Zhou Qing still took out a jade bottle from his storage ring and handed it to him.

Yan Xiaohu took the jade bottle with a puzzled look on his face and asked, "What's this?"

Zhou Qing said, "Two drops of pure-blooded Golden-Winged Roc essence blood."

Of the nine drops, he only refined seven, and with the addition of the Yin Spirit Stone, he successfully broke through.

The remaining two drops were of little use to him; they were tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away.

Moreover, this essence blood is different from the previous Golden Crow essence blood or Old Peng King essence blood; it is much gentler and not frenzied.

It doesn't need the four-colored flowers to suppress it; it's a treasure containing immense energy, which is a great tonic for Yan Xiaohu, who is in the Nascent Soul stage.

Upon hearing Zhou Qing's words, Yan Xiaohu's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with ecstasy. He immediately knelt down on one knee and grabbed Zhou Qing's leg.

"Fourth brother, I'm following you from now on. From now on, throw all the scraps you don't need in my face, I won't mind!" Yan Xiaohu shouted loudly.

Zhou Qing quickly helped him up, while Mo Xingjian shook his head with a wry smile.

He's glib and shameless. How could I have taken such a jerk as my apprentice?

Upon learning that Zhou Qing had emerged from seclusion, Li Daoxuan arrived in excitement.

After all, before he went into seclusion, he made a bold statement that once he advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm, he would definitely spar with Zhou Qing and see who was better.

Zhou Qing readily agreed, but he still asked earnestly, "Senior Brother Li, if we're sparring, should I hold back 30% or 40% of my strength?"

Upon hearing this, Li Daoxuan immediately objected: "Junior Brother Zhou, you're underestimating me. I am, after all, the chief senior brother of Shenyue Peak. Your questioning is an insult to me!"

"Fifty percent?" Zhou Qing asked tentatively.

Li Daoxuan straightened his back and said, "I know you have sparred with many officers on the border, but I am different from them. I am Li Daoxuan, Li Daoxuan of the Taiqing Sect!"

"What percentage exactly?" Zhou Qing stretched his neck, and a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body, causing the surrounding air to vibrate.

Upon seeing this, Li Daoxuan's expression changed drastically. He subconsciously drew his long sword, his expression solemn. After taking a deep breath, he said, "Absolutely!"

Zhou Qing: "..."

In less than half an hour, Zhou Qing returned to the courtyard and fed the old hen some spirit stones.

He has now broken through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, which means he can absolutely crush those of the same level, fight against opponents of higher levels, and even easily turn the tables.

As for Senior Brother Li, who had just broken through not long ago, even though he only used 20% of his strength and deliberately held back, he managed to hold on for a little longer before finally losing.

"Pervert!" These were the words Li Daoxuan uttered as he limped away.

Zhou Qing simply smiled without saying a word.

Then, he carefully took out the potted Wudao Ancient Tea Tree.

Although he was in seclusion for a year and a half, he would often take time out of his cultivation breaks to carefully water it with spiritual liquid.

Today, this ancient tea tree, which has attained enlightenment, is quite different from what it used to be.

The once lifeless dead tree has now sprouted eight tender green buds, each the size of a hair tip.

Moreover, the edges of the leaves shimmered with a faint golden halo, which was extremely magical.

As you get closer, the faint fragrance becomes stronger, clearing your mind.

Out of caution, Zhou Qing conducted another appraisal.

[Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree: This is an ancient tea tree that has been carefully cultivated and revitalized. Although small, it still possesses the power of sudden enlightenment, far surpassing that of ordinary transforming medicines.]

[By meditating in silence, one can easily enter a state of enlightenment, helping cultivators break through bottlenecks, comprehend cultivation techniques, and glimpse the mysteries of the laws of heaven and earth.]

However, it is worth noting that each instance of enlightenment can only last for a maximum of one hour per day; otherwise, an inextinguishable "Dao-eroding moss" will grow on the body, corroding both cultivation and physical strength.

Furthermore, this tree is still young, and the enlightenment it generates requires a top-grade wood-attribute spirit stone as energy for exchange.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but gasp.

"The Dao corrodes moss? Corrodes cultivation and physical body?" Zhou Qing exclaimed in shock.

Indeed, one should not be greedy for anything. Fortunately, I did a thorough inspection beforehand.

Otherwise, possessing such a miraculous medicine, one might unknowingly die under its spell.

I wonder how well the ten top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones under the formation have been used up.

"As expected, there's no such thing as a free lunch; everything comes at a price!" Zhou Qing gave a wry smile.

It's practically a money-devouring beast; where will we find wood-attribute spirit stones in the future?

Why can't we get rich?

"Let's give it a try first!" Zhou Qing quickly put those thoughts out of his mind and then excitedly rubbed his hands together.

But before that, he took out a piece of Time-Sparkling Jade, which was engraved with the shape of a sundial and could be used to keep time and remind people.

After doing all this, he immediately took out the scroll of the "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain" technique and let out a long breath.

As it slowly unfolds, those intricate runes leap out.

Although he had studied these characters countless times and had long since memorized them, each time he saw them, it was as if he were encountering them for the first time, and the sense of profundity and obscurity never faded.

Putting aside everything else, Second Uncle is such a genius, but the inscription-level divine power he obtained, the Nine Tribulations Thunder Talisman Scripture, contains a total of thirty-six thunder inscriptions, and he has only cultivated half of it so far.

He even lamented to Zhou Qing that he didn't know if he would be able to fully cultivate it in his lifetime.

The complexity of the "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain," a treasured technique inherited from the Blood Phoenix Clan, far exceeds expectations.

It contains a full three thousand Phoenix Dao patterns, which is nearly a hundred times more than the Nine Tribulations Thunder Talisman Scripture.

If one can master it completely, its power is comparable to a Dao-level divine ability.

"My second uncle once said that many experts at the Spirit Severing Realm never get to see a single inscription-level divine ability in their entire lives. If a person can cultivate one in their lifetime, it is already an immense opportunity."

Zhou Qing muttered to himself.

"The Blood Phoenix Clan is able to inherit such powerful divine abilities, so it must be similar to the Kunpeng Clan. In ancient times, they must have been a dominant force in their respective regions."

"Such supernatural power must be cherished and cultivated."

He then hugged the ancient tea tree to his chest, closed his eyes, focused his mind, adjusted his breathing, and entered a state of deep meditation.

The branches and leaves of the ancient tea tree swayed gently, exuding an ethereal aura.

In just a moment, his consciousness gradually became blurred, and the originally obscure and difficult-to-understand runes began to take shape in his mind in a hazy state.

Zhou Qing was overjoyed. He quickly composed himself, focused all his energy, and strung together the flashing runes to construct the complete operating mechanism of this supernatural power.

An hour later, reminded by the Starlight Jade, Zhou Qing opened his eyes, still feeling unsatisfied.

The excitement and euphoria from the moment of sudden enlightenment still lingered in his eyes.

wonderful!
That's wonderful!
Although some key nodes are still not fully connected and the connections between some runes still seem awkward, it is a world of difference compared to before.

At the very least, I already have a sense of familiarity similar to cultivating the "Emperor's Scripture".

Then, Zhou Qing looked at the ancient tea tree of enlightenment again, overjoyed.

"Perhaps it's because he's still too young. Although his comprehension can't compare to the [Sudden Enlightenment Manual], it's already very close!"

Zhou Qing was overjoyed.

In any case, it's more than enough for cultivating the "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain" or the array inheritance left by Senior Xuan Qingzi.

……

A month later, a faint blood-red light began to appear around Zhou Qing's body. This light appeared gentle, yet it exuded a unique majesty.

Furthermore, miniature phantoms of a golden crow and a golden roc materialized, bowing their heads in awe, as if worshipping a supreme being.

At this moment, in his mind, there was a huge blood phoenix roaring to the sky amidst the raging blood flames.

Each of its feathers was covered with patterns similar to the Dao patterns that Zhou Qing had comprehended, and around the Blood Phoenix was a world shrouded in an endless blood curtain.

The blood curtain surged, and everything in its path was reduced to nothingness.

After an unknown amount of time, one of the feathers on the Blood Phoenix turned an unusually bright red, as if a vast power was accumulating within it.

If you look closely, you can see that inside that feather is a space woven from countless Dao patterns. These Dao patterns intertwine and collide, constantly giving rise to all sorts of wonderful changes.

Each collision of Dao patterns releases a strange energy fluctuation.

If Zhou Qing wanted, he could draw out this energy at any time, but then, like the golden flower among the four-colored flowers, he would need to spend time replenishing it.

"Is this considered a wisp of Phoenix Dao pattern that has already evolved?" Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes, unable to hide his excitement.

According to the scroll, it should be correct.

In this way, he gained another life-saving ability, and it was the trump card among trump cards.

Then, Zhou Qing looked at the ancient tea tree that had attained enlightenment.

Although it is still green, it has lost its former vitality, giving people a feeling of being strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and you can't feel that ethereal atmosphere when you get close.

"An equivalent exchange!" Zhou Qing shook his head with a smile, but it was all extremely worthwhile.

Otherwise, who knows how many years it would have taken him to comprehend this wisp of Phoenix Dao Pattern.

"We need to make money! We absolutely have to make money!"

Zhou Qing's first thought was Zhang Wanbao, wondering if he still had any wood-attribute spirit stones. Even if he did, it would cost a hundred ordinary top-grade spirit stones to exchange for them, and that was at an insider price.

After contacting his master, he decided to go and take a look at the Vast Expanse of Heaven.

But Mo Xingjian arrived very quickly.

"Now that you've emerged from seclusion, why don't you come with me somewhere?" Mo Xingjian said.

Zhou Qing, filled with doubt, asked, "Where to?"

Mo Xingjian smiled slightly and uttered four words: "Qingyu Immortal Sect!"

……

When Zhou Qing arrived at the back mountain of the sect, he discovered that one of the two teleportation arrays, which had been shut down long ago, was now running again.

"Master, this teleportation array..." Zhou Qing asked, full of doubt.

Mo Xingjian explained calmly, "This is a one-sided matter. In other words, all of us from the Taiqing Sect can enter the inner sect of the Qingyu Immortal Sect without their consent!"

Zhou Qing suddenly realized, and recalling everything that had happened before, he couldn't help but ask, "So, this was the condition that my master uncle made to them when we left the Azure Feather Immortal Sect?"

Mo Xingjian nodded slightly, his tone calm and composed: "Yes, it's one of several hundred conditions."

Zhou Qing: "..."

"They almost killed you. If it weren't for the situation in the Eastern Region, do you really think your senior uncle would have let them off so easily?"

"Now that the Azure Feather Immortal Sect has lost its four Supreme Elders and Sect Master Xuan You, it will ultimately have to rely on our help. Remember, between sects, there is only ever benefit and exploitation; never talk about feelings."

Do not speak lightly, but earnestly and repeatedly remind yourself.

Zhou Qing nodded solemnly.

Then, the master and apprentice stepped into the operating teleportation array side by side.

In an instant, a great light shone, completely enveloping their figures. In the blink of an eye, the two disappeared from the spot.

When they reappeared, they had already arrived at the inner sect area of ​​the Azure Feather Immortal Sect.

Sect Master Xuan You and his entourage had been waiting there for quite some time.

Compared to their last meeting, everyone's attitude was noticeably more respectful this time.

"Greetings, Peak Master Mo! Greetings, Junior Sect Leader!" The five bowed in unison, showing utmost respect.

Mo Xingjian didn't say much, but glanced at Zhou Qing without leaving a trace.

The main reason he brought Zhou Qing along was because he was worried that the previous experience would leave a shadow in Zhou Qing's mind.

Seeing Zhou Qing's calm expression as usual, Mo Xingjian nodded inwardly, his face full of admiration.

It seems I was overthinking things. With such a strong mental fortitude, I can finally rest assured.

"Is everything ready?" Mo Xing asked bluntly.

Xuan You hurriedly stepped forward, handed over a storage bag, and said respectfully, "This is all the information about the other major sects that my sect has collected and compiled. It has now been fully organized."

Mo Xingjian took the storage bag, quickly scanned it with his divine sense, and nodded in satisfaction after confirming that everything was correct.

"Do you have any top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones?" Mo Xingjian then asked.

Xuan You nodded in response: "There are five left."

“Okay, bring them all over, I need them,” Mo Xingjian said.

Upon hearing this, the Supreme Elder Ji Xuan immediately turned and left without the slightest hesitation or reluctance.

Zhou Qing stood aside, not saying a word from beginning to end.

It seems that the Taiqing Sect has quietly incorporated the Qingyu Immortal Sect into its development track as an affiliated sect.

I remember at the beginning of the Five Sects War, he and his third senior brother secretly sneaked into the Qingyu Immortal Sect to deliver a message. Then, they each pried off a wood-attribute spirit stone from the magic array in the inner sect hall.

In this way, he finally accumulated enough Five Elements Spirit Stones and returned them to his master.

"Young Master, I am truly sorry!" Fairy Xuanyou raised her head, looked at Zhou Qing, and sincerely apologized again.

Zhou Qing simply nodded slightly, his expression indifferent.

Unbeknownst to them, their identities had undergone a dramatic transformation.

To be honest, regardless of the fact that Fairy Xuanyou's lifespan is less than eight years, even at her peak, Zhou Qing's current strength would be more than enough to easily crush her, or even achieve a counter-kill.

Not long after, Ji Xuan returned, accompanied by Yuan Ya.

“Zhou…” Yuan Ya saw Zhou Qing and subconsciously wanted to call him Junior Brother Zhou.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I felt they were inappropriate.

In terms of cultivation, Zhou Qing had long since left her far behind.

In terms of status, Zhou Qing is the future headmaster of the Taiqing Sect, while she is just an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

Seeing that Yuan Ya was safe and sound, Zhou Qing finally smiled sincerely and said softly, "It's good that you're alright!"

Hearing Zhou Qing take the initiative to speak to her, his tone as friendly as before, a look of joy appeared on Yuan Ya's face.

At this moment, Mo Xingjian took out a jade slip and handed it to Xuan You and the others, saying, "These are the things you need. Also, we need to start preparing for the other things that our senior brother, the sect leader, instructed us to do in advance."

Xuan You Fairy took the jade slip, and a look of surprise instantly appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, this matter will benefit both of our sects. We will do our best and make no mistakes."

"In addition, the Golden Thunder Sect and the Heavenly Pivot Sect have recently been in private contact with me. This is what was recorded by the image stone during the meeting."

As she spoke, Fairy Xuanyou handed over two more image stones.

However, Mo Xingjian did not reach out to take it.

"Whether it's genuine or feigned, I trust you can make your own judgment. Zhou Qing, let's go!"

Mo Xingjian said no more and left with Zhou Qing.

Xuan You Fairy and the others looked at each other, then sighed deeply.

……

Taiqing Gate!
After exiting the teleportation array, Mo Xingjian immediately handed five top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones to Zhou Qing.

"To be honest, the Five Elements Spirit Stones are extremely scarce in the sect. Even if there are any, they are mostly of other attributes. Otherwise, I wouldn't have spent so much time accumulating them back then."

Mo Xingjian explained with a guilty expression.

Two years ago, Zhou Qing refined a two-color magic array for the sect, and Cao Zhengyang spent a lot of resources on it.

Afterwards, the peak masters of each peak, including himself, needed a massive amount of energy to break through their realms with the help of the Yin Spirit Stone.

With a large number of disciples, the sect's resources are already stretched thin, let alone the Five Elements Spirit Stones among the top-grade spirit stones.

Zhou Qing was deeply grateful and quickly said, "Master, please don't say that. I'm already very satisfied. I can save up slowly, there's no rush."

Mo Xingjian asked with concern, "Do you want these spirit stones to refine a magic array?"

Zhou Qing shook his head and replied, "No, it's for cultivation. It's really nothing, Master, don't worry."

After listening, Mo Xingjian nodded slightly and said earnestly, "Everything requires a balance of tension and relaxation. You have only recently broken through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. If you are always in seclusion to cultivate, you are likely to get stuck in a rut and develop an obsession. You should understand what I mean."

Zhou Qing smiled and said, "Master, I understand. By the way, how are my senior uncles doing now?"

Mo Xingjian said, "Everything is normal, there's no problem."

Zhou Qing was also full of anticipation. In less than two years, the sect would have so many Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivators, plus the dual-colored sect protection formation. Looking at the entire Lingyun Prefecture, who could easily invade?
Then, Mo Xingjian took out the information provided by Qingyu Immortal Sect and began to look at it. As he looked at it, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"I never expected that they would actually find out who the Golden Thunder Sect and the Heavenly Pivot Sect were trying to refine with the medicine, something we had been unable to do all this time. It's just a pity that they all failed, and some even perished!"

Mo Xingjian frowned again as he said this.

"I just wonder what's going on with the Azure Flame Dao Palace. They got ten Nine Nether Lotus Seeds!"

Zhou Qing remained silent, knowing full well that, under normal circumstances, almost everyone would end up failing.

After all, the old emperor was too cunning.

Just then, Yan Xiaohu sent a message: [Master, where are you? Has Fourth Brother come out of seclusion? That Prince Xuanyuan Shuo is here!]

Zhou Qing was taken aback when he saw the message.

Could it be that Xuanyuan Shuo came to ask him for help in transforming into the Peng Emperor?
The master and apprentice exchanged a glance and immediately headed towards the front of the mountain.

……

Upon seeing Zhou Qing, Xuanyuan Shuo immediately set up a soundproof barrier and then asked urgently, "The Spider Emperor is dead? Did you know about this?"

Zhou Qing instinctively wanted to shake his head in denial, but then he thought that there was no need to hide it.

After all, the only eyewitness, Jiao Huang, is still alive, and some things simply cannot be kept secret.

Sure enough, before Zhou Qing could answer, Xuan Yuanshuo impatiently pressed on, "What's her name? How did you two meet? Where did she take you?"

Three questions were posed in a row, and Zhou Qing didn't know which one to answer first.

But it's clear that Xuanyuan Shuo wasn't completely ignorant, otherwise he wouldn't have asked such a targeted question.

"Senior, I really don't know. She just asked us to help out, but something seemed to have happened halfway there, so she left me and Junior Sister Lu behind and left in a hurry. We came back by taking a teleportation array."

Zhou Qing said with a serious expression.

Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Shuo frowned: "That's strange. When we met at the burial site of the old Peng King, she didn't show such strength during the struggle, but now she can easily suppress and kill the Spider Queen."

Then, he turned his gaze to Zhou Qing.

During his brief encounter with the Flood Dragon King, he managed to extract some information from him.

Unexpectedly, the two attendants, a man and a woman, on the veiled woman's boat described by the Flood Dragon Emperor turned out to be Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao.

After all, the border situation is now in chaos, and the original balance of power has been completely broken.

Of course, chaos also contains many opportunities.

"Then what were you doing in the territory of the Bell and Gong Beast?" Xuan Yuanshuo then asked.

Zhou Qing immediately feigned indignation and said, "She just left us there and went on her own."

"Later, I encountered the Demon Emperor, and in order to survive, I had no choice but to impersonate the Peng Emperor."

Xuanyuan Shuo finally understood and exclaimed, "No wonder! It all makes sense now. Jiang Pojun reported that a flying ship had crossed the border, and it turned out to be you!"

Zhou Qing then asked, "Senior, what is the current situation at the border?"

(End of this chapter)