The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 259 So you were Number One?! How is that possible?! (6k)

Faced with Shen Hanyi's suggestion, Zhou Qing chuckled but did not reply.

"Alright, let's go!" Shen Hanyi sighed helplessly and invited Zhou Qing inside again.

After the two finished singing a love song under the crooked jujube tree and found the key to the second level on the ancient ship, the scene before them spun around as the key was activated.

The ancient ship and the surrounding darkness vanished instantly, replaced by a vast and boundless ancient mine.

Just like before, the spiritual energy here is rich, but it is mixed with traces of blood and decay, which makes people feel a chill.

Looking around, the sky and earth were gloomy, and countless mine shafts, densely packed like a honeycomb, came into view, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

In terms of sheer size, the 100,000 mines here are the second barrier in this restricted area. If that divine beast crashed in the central region, it's highly likely that there are third and fourth barriers after this restricted area, which gives you an idea of ​​just how vast this restricted area is.

"Actually, most people are stuck at the first hurdle. If it weren't for singing love songs, I probably wouldn't have found the key so easily."

“The real dangers in these 100,000 ancient mines are actually hidden in those mine shafts!” Shen Hanyi said.

Zhou Qing remained silent, simply observing quietly.

Now it seems that if I could one day reach the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, a fifth-level cultivation country, exploring this forbidden zone should not be too difficult.

"We can't fly too high, as some mines have no-fly zones, nor can we go too fast or tear through space to move forward. Don't be fooled by the seemingly calm surface; there are traps lurking everywhere..."

Shen Hanyi continued to supplement Zhou Qing with certain precautions that she had anticipated and understood.

Zhou Qing simply nodded slightly, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was worried that Shen Hanyi's speed was too fast and would expose that his true cultivation level was not at the Spirit Severing Realm.

The two then cautiously explored the area ahead, traversing through a series of ancient mines...

……

Meanwhile, in a misty, back-mountain area, there was a small, pitch-black house, shrouded in a faint, indistinct barrier.

The runes on the barrier flickered, and faintly, four colors of light flowed around it.

Soon, several inconspicuous stones began to roll silently on the ground, stopping abruptly after rolling a certain distance.

Immediately afterwards, several cracks slowly appeared on the stone, revealing pairs of eerie green eyes that warily surveyed their surroundings.

As they approached the small dark room, several stones were stacked on top of each other, forming a stone monster.

When it opened its mouth, a slender arm covered with stone patterns extended from it.

At the forearm, he held a black disc that exuded an ancient aura, the restrictive runes engraved on it being remarkably similar to those outside the small dark room.

"To open or not to open, that is a question worth pondering!" The stone monster held the key, its face showing deep thought.

"Big Smarty, what are you doing? While my sister's not around, hurry up and let me out!"

Soon, a young man's anxious voice came from the small dark room.

The stone monster, known as the Greatly Wise, looked up at the small dark room, hesitated briefly, and then swallowed the key again.

"Young master, perhaps we should just let it go. If the young lady finds out, she will definitely cripple me," the stone monster said in a gruff voice.

The young man's voice came again: "I'm cured now, and I have to repay the kindness."

"You're already doing a good job by not causing any trouble!" the stone monster couldn't help but raise its voice.

"Big shrewdness, when did I cause trouble? Do you know what my sister sacrificed for these two Nascent Soul herbs?" the young man said, his voice trembling with emotion.

The stone monster trembled slightly and said, "I know. When Miss returned with that Crimson Flame Golden Vine, she was severely injured but still persevered. It pained me to see that."

"So, I must repay this favor on behalf of my sister. If the restricted area won't let me in, then I can go to that level four cultivation country she mentioned, right?" the young man said firmly.

The stone monster, full of doubt, asked, "What are you going there for?"

“I vaguely overheard some of her conversation with my father. There was a man named Zhou Qing who helped her get this Crimson Flame Golden Vine.”

"But at the time she was seriously injured, and all her magical treasures and elixirs were used up. She left with only a thank you."

The young man raised his voice and continued, "How can this be? Our Shen family has always been grateful for kindness, especially since that miraculous herb saved my life. Therefore, I must repay this kindness in person. Da Congming, don't you agree?"

The stone monster hesitated for a moment.

The logic seems to make sense, but something just doesn't feel right.

"You're not going to cause trouble again, are you? Miss is at home right now!" The stone monster asked worriedly.

"How could that be? Do I look like that kind of person? Besides, I also want to continue to improve my artistic conception and break through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm as soon as possible, and advance to the Spirit Slaying Realm."

"Being locked in a dark room all the time isn't a long-term solution."

The young man's confident voice rang out.

"But—" the stone monster still hesitated.

The young man's voice rang out leisurely: "I have a recording stone here, the image inside is of someone who was drunk..."

"I'll drive, I'll drive! But I have one condition: you have to knock me unconscious!" Before the young man could finish speaking, the stone monster interrupted him abruptly, as if its tail had been stepped on, and hurriedly said.

A triumphant smile spread across the young man's face, and he readily replied, "No problem!"

Soon after, as the four-colored restriction rippled, a young man with features somewhat similar to Shen Hanyi excitedly slipped out.

Feeling the warm sunshine outside, he couldn't help but cheer.

"My God, the Heavenly Emperor has finally come out again!" the young man shouted excitedly.

The stone monster sighed helplessly and muttered, "Again and again, I can't even remember how many times this has happened. The Shen family is really unlucky to have you!"

"Great shrewdness, thank you very much. It wasn't for nothing that I saved your life back then. Are you ready?" The young man rubbed his hands together, looking eager to try.

The stone monster turned around skillfully, looking resigned, and said, "Actually, you can hit me anywhere, I can pretend to be knocked out. Don't always aim for the back of my head. Even though I'm a spirit made of stone, I'm still afraid of pain..."

Before he could finish speaking, a strong, almost pungent stench suddenly assaulted his senses.

The stone monster's previously calm face instantly contorted, its mouth agape, and it began to tremble violently.

"You coward, I'm never playing with you again, ugh~"

As it spoke, it began spitting out small stones of varying sizes from its mouth.

boom!
Then came a sudden blow from behind, knocking it unconscious.

"Sometimes it's good to distract yourself. I'll bring you something delicious when I get back!" The young man chuckled, then quickly and furtively left.

……

In the restricted area!
Zhou Qing and No. 6 sped forward, still looking cautious despite being in a simulated state.

"There are quite a lot of people who have successfully entered the mining area!" Zhou Qing couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the figures rushing past all around him.

Shen Hanyi nodded and said, "Danger always coexists with opportunity. Even a single feather from a pure-blooded divine beast is priceless and worth the risk."

Zhou Qingshen feels the same way.

The second uncle asked him to get the Golden Crow Fan from the lava at the bottom of the third coffin. It was made from the feathers of a pure-blooded Golden Crow.

With just a gentle swipe, he sent the pursuing fire crocodile flying.

But as they walked, Zhou Qing suddenly realized something.

The Corpse-Touching Token in my hand, which only has one last chance to be used, must not be used rashly to touch the divine beast.

Let's not even talk about whether we can successfully find its body in this dangerous restricted area.

Even if you are extremely lucky and actually find it, according to the rules of the Corpse-Touching Token, after touching the corpse, you must first deal with the deceased's last wishes before you have a chance to randomly obtain the deceased's precious possessions.

Are you sure that mythical beast is really dead, or not just injured?
Or can you fulfill its last wish?
For example, how about asking you to help it get revenge?
To deliver something to a level-six cultivation kingdom? Or something else?

Moreover, there might be some kind of scheme by the Second Uncle hidden in this.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but hesitate, and even had a slight thought of backing out.

“Something’s not right. We seem to have been here before!” Just then, Shen Hanyi, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and looked around warily.

Zhou Qing also realized what was happening, and his spiritual energy circulated around him as he immediately went into a state of alert.

In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, the temperature plummeted, and a sinister and oppressive atmosphere swept over us.

Just as they were wondering what was going on, an ancient temple suddenly appeared in front of them.

The ancient temple gate was half-closed, creaking and groaning in the wind.

"It seems we've stumbled upon a strange mine by accident!" Shen Hanyi said in a low voice, her expression grave.

Zhou Qing hadn't expected this restricted area to be so dangerous. They had tried their best to avoid it, but they still ended up getting caught.

Fortunately, this is just a simulation, so even if something unexpected happens, it will not endanger your real safety.

"Finding the divine beast's corpse is the priority, so let's not linger here. We'll exit and start over, and then we can avoid this place!" Shen Hanyi turned around and said to Zhou Qing.

She knew all too well the restricted mines here; the terror of certain dangerous areas was enough to silently annihilate even a powerful expert at the peak of the Spirit Severing Realm.

Especially in places like this, where they can unknowingly find themselves in trouble, the danger level is extremely high.

Zhou Qing became interested and said, "Why don't we go in and take a look first? Being killed and forced to leave is no different from leaving voluntarily; it will only take a little longer."

Shen Hanyi hesitated for a moment, but had no choice but to nod.

The two stepped forward and carefully pushed open the temple door, whose red paint was almost completely peeling off. As soon as they stepped inside, a stench of decay hit them.

Looking around, the interior of the ancient temple was a scene of desolation and decay.

The walls were covered with moss, and the corners were covered with cobwebs.

In the center of the main hall, a mummified corpse sat cross-legged on a futon.

The mummified corpse was draped in a golden robe, with eighteen faintly glowing Buddhist prayer beads strung on its neck. A Buddhist dagger lay across its knee, its blade gleaming coldly in the dim light.

"Buddhist prayer beads... must not leave the temple... must not..."

In a daze, a faint and hoarse voice seemed to echo in both of their minds at the same time.

Shen Hanyi stared intently at the runes on the ring knife, her eyes filled with doubt. She felt that these runes were familiar, as if she had seen them before in a fleeting moment, but she couldn't quite place where.

Soon, his eyes lit up, and he began to examine the mummified corpse more closely.

Unfortunately, the mummified body's skin appears to have been cruelly torn off, and its facial features are now blurred, making it impossible to discern what it looked like in life.

"Could it really be that senior from Jiyuan Temple?" Shen Hanyi muttered to herself.

Zhou Qing wanted to ask for details, but he was afraid of revealing his ignorance of many things about the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty and thus arousing suspicion.

After hesitating for a moment, he could only agree, saying, "I think so too."

Shen Hanyi nodded and continued, "It is said that many giant demons are suppressed under Jiyuan Temple. One of them managed to escape, and a Zen master went out to pursue him. Since then, he has been missing without a trace, and the Demon-Suppressing Blade also disappeared."

Zhou Qing remained silent, but from the sound of it, this so-called Jiyuan Temple should belong to the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, and its strength was extraordinary.

but--

Looking at the old monk's mummified corpse, Zhou Qing's heart stirred.

I wonder if I can get anything good from the Corpse-Touching Scroll?

The only question is what level of cultivation the other person possessed during their lifetime.
How difficult will it be to trigger the last wish?

Before Zhou Qing could even think of a clever way to ask, Shen Hanyi broke the silence first, her brows furrowed as she muttered to herself.

"If it really is Master Kudi, as a super strong expert at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, he has almost taken one step into that realm. How could he appear here all alone?"

She paused slightly, then continued to murmur, "This forbidden area isn't far from Jiyuan Temple. With his abilities, how could he not even be able to send a message back? The seniors in the temple have spent countless efforts searching for him."

Hearing Shen Hanyi's words, Zhou Qing's eyes shone even brighter.

The Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm—that's roughly the same level of cultivation as the ancient Peng King from long ago.

And just as he had guessed, Jiyuan Temple was indeed one of the forces of a fifth-level cultivation kingdom.

"Perhaps some force within this restricted area has trapped him here!"

Zhou Qing suppressed his excitement and tried his best to make his tone sound calm as he boldly guessed.

Shen Hanyi nodded thoughtfully, agreeing, "That's what I think too. And in these ten thousand years, I've never heard anyone mention encountering this place."

"The fact that we stumbled upon it by chance must be a very low probability accident, or something was triggered unintentionally."

Zhou Qing couldn't help but step forward.

"After ten thousand years, I wonder if the Corpse-Touching Scroll can still be found?"

Zhou Qing was also a little unsure. Moreover, it was extremely difficult to even meet a powerful expert at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, let alone have any interaction with them.

Now that he has finally encountered the mummified corpse of such a powerful being, he must seize the opportunity.

If something unexpected happens here later and the two of them are forced to exit the simulation, they might not be so lucky to encounter this place again.

Shen Hanyi asked, "Did you hear something just now? It sounded like something about Buddhist prayer beads not leaving the temple. What are you going to do with those prayer beads?"

Seeing Zhou Qing suddenly walk forward, Shen Hanyi looked somewhat surprised and quickly became alert.

Zhou Qing, however, disregarded everything else and pressed one hand against his body, immediately activating the Corpse-Touching Scroll.

The next moment, the post suddenly emitted a light, and the remaining area immediately dimmed before turning to ashes.

Following this, a series of glowing words emerged.

【Trigger the deceased's last wish.】

[First wish: That someone would eliminate "Blood Zen Master" and retrieve the stolen "Great Compassion Sutra".]

[Second wish: I hope someone will still remember my suffering.]

[My third wish: I hope someone can take me back to Jiyuan Temple, so that I may return to my roots at the Nirvana Pagoda.]

Upon seeing this information, Zhou Qing felt a surge of emotion, and was overwhelmed with excitement.

Unexpectedly, the Corpse-Touching Instruction actually worked here.

His first dying wish was to eliminate "Blood Zen Master" and retrieve the stolen "Great Compassion Without Form Sutra". Regardless of "Blood Zen Master's" strength, he was completely clueless about finding him.

The third last wish was to bring the remains of Zen Master Kudi back to Jiyuan Temple, which is within the territory of the fifth-level cultivation country, Tianyun Holy Dynasty. Given Zhou Qing's current strength and situation, it is simply impossible for him to do so.

In comparison, the second last wish seems simpler; for example, he already knows it now, doesn't he?

Moreover, this also confirmed Shen Hanyi's previous guess that the mummified corpse in front of her was indeed the Zen Master Kudi of Jiyuan Temple.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing immediately released his hand from the mummified corpse, solemnly bowed to it, and said loudly, "This junior greets Zen Master Kudi."

Although Shen Hanyi was full of doubts, seeing Zhou Qing's actions, she quickly followed suit and bowed.

It seems that Number One has also confirmed the identity of the mummified corpse. What method did he use?
Could he really be a member of the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty?
After Zhou Qing bowed, his expression suddenly froze, as if he had been frozen in place.

Immediately afterwards, within his field of vision, a series of images flashed by rapidly, as if he were taking a quick look at a slideshow.

"Looks like everything went smoothly!" Zhou Qing was even more delighted.

Now, according to the rules, shouldn't we randomly select the deceased's precious possessions from their lifetime?

Soon, his consciousness appeared in a magnificent temple. Everywhere he looked, there were red walls and golden tiles, flying eaves and brackets, all exuding solemnity and holiness.

Inside the temple, incense smoke curled upwards and the sound of bells rang out melodiously.

"Is this the so-called Jiyuan Temple?" Looking at the monks in brown robes walking in front of him, Zhou Qing had a vague guess in his heart.

Looking down, "he" was wearing a golden kasaya and had a string of ancient Buddhist beads around his neck.

As far as he knew, the golden robe was of a very high status in the temple.

"Could it be another epiphany about supernatural powers?" Zhou Qing thought with delight.

Then he saw "himself" suddenly put his hands together and chant.

"Amitabha Buddha, all sentient beings suffer, and demonic thoughts arise everywhere. Only by having a diamond-like body to break through all evil spirits, and by using bones as a foundation to subdue demonic power, can one attain great freedom."

"Abbot, I finally understand! This is the real 'Subduing Demon Golden Bone'!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Zhou Qing felt the same way, and a faint golden light gradually emanated from his entire body.

Countless Sanskrit characters seemed to flicker and leap within the light, followed by exclamations of surprise from the other monks around.

"It is the 'Subduing Demons Golden Bone'. Master Kudi has finally succeeded in comprehending this supreme supernatural power."

“Amitabha, that’s wonderful. This should be the second master in our Jiyuan Temple to successfully comprehend this supernatural power.”

"Of course, the other one is the abbot. I've heard that this technique can greatly help those at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm to successfully suppress their obsessions and sever their spirits. It is an unparalleled divine power."

"Indeed, it's just a pity that no monk has ever been able to fully comprehend it at the Nascent Soul stage."

……

The sounds grew fainter and fainter, seemingly fading into the distance, but Zhou Qing had already roughly understood what they were saying.

This Buddhist supernatural power, called "Subduing Demons Golden Bone," is generally beyond the comprehension of those at the Nascent Soul stage, but it can help with the Severing Spirit stage.

Good heavens, isn't this even more effective than the old emperor's formula?

Before he could think about it, Zhou Qing felt his bones begin to make a "crackling" sound, dull and powerful.

His spine became increasingly straight, like a golden dragon winding and coiling, exuding a powerful aura.

In addition, he seemed to fall into a strange epiphany, and all 206 bones of his body, large and small, turned golden at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The gold color grew increasingly intense, as if it were about to devour the surrounding light.

At the same time, after Shen Hanyi finished her bow, she was about to say something when she noticed a faint golden halo flowing across Number One's body.

This startled her, leaving her full of confusion.

Immediately afterwards, a huge golden phantom slowly emerged from behind it.

Vajra's eyes are wide open in anger, and he holds a vajra pestle, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

As the Vajra phantom appeared, the surrounding air began to fluctuate violently. A powerful pressure spread out, making Shen Hanyi feel suffocated.

"This, this is—" Shen Hanyi stared at the furious Vajra, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. As if she had realized something, she blurted out subconsciously, "So it was you!"

The supreme Buddhist supernatural power of Jiyuan Temple, "Subduing Demons Golden Bone," has only been successfully cultivated by two people throughout history.

One is the abbot, Zen Master Ku'e, and the other is the now-deceased Master Ku Di.

Not only is Number One absolutely certain that the mummified corpse is Kudi, but he is now uncontrollably displaying the "Demon-Subduing Golden Bone".

Need I say more?
At this moment, the sound of chanting filled the air, like hymns from an ancient Buddhist kingdom, melodious and solemn.

A tremendous bell rang out immediately afterward, echoing throughout the space.

"Watch out!" Shen Hanyi suddenly shouted.

The next moment, the previously motionless dried corpse of Kudi suddenly sprang up, its withered arm wielding a monk's knife, bringing a sharp gust of wind as it slashed directly at Zhou Qing's neck.

Zhou Qing, who had just come to his senses and was still feeling a bit unsatisfied, didn't have time to think much and subconsciously activated the "Subduing Demon Golden Bone" divine power that he had just comprehended.

In an instant, a layer of golden light condensed on his neck, and a peculiar swastika was imprinted on it.

With a loud clang, the monk's knife struck the golden light, sending up a shower of dazzling sparks.

The powerful impact jolted Zhou Qing's body, and his neck felt numb and tingly, almost causing him to get a stiff neck.

The spiritual energy that was originally saturated in his body was completely drained by this fatal blow from the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, and he barely managed to block the attack with all his might.

"Damn it!" Zhou Qing cursed inwardly.

Without a second thought, he immediately retreated at top speed, quickly drawing upon the reserve spiritual energy and essence from the four-colored flowers.

However, the dried corpse of Kudi followed closely, and with a slight lift of its foot, the distance between them, which was several feet apart, vanished instantly, and it was already in front of Zhou Qing.

Though he lacked a face, a ghostly light flickered in his empty eye sockets. He raised his dagger once more, and with a whooshing sound, slashed down towards Zhou Qing's head...

(End of this chapter)