The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 263 These monks are quite strange! (6k)

As soon as Zhou Qing spoke, the crowd erupted in excitement once again.

Soon, an elderly man in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, dressed in a blue Taoist robe and with a thin face, stepped out and transmitted his voice: "Fellow Daoist, in previous auctions, a single-color magic array would cost anywhere from two top-grade spirit stones to dozens of them."

"This Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain Formation looks brand new to me. The formation flags are brand new and seem to have never been used before. I'm willing to offer six top-grade spirit stones. What do you think?"

Zhou Qing remained calm, showing no sign of his inner elation, but he was secretly delighted.

After all, he was willing to sell it if the price reached five top-grade spirit stones.

After all, the material used for refining was only one top-grade spirit stone, and there were two of them.

He did not reply immediately, but simply nodded slightly to the old man.

Immediately afterward, a tall, slender woman in the late Nascent Soul stage with a ponytail also transmitted her voice, saying, "Fellow Daoist, I am willing to offer four top-grade spirit stones. I wonder if you would be willing to part with them?"

"I'm willing to contribute five!" a dark-skinned, burly man said in a deep voice.

While everyone was fiercely bidding against Zhou Qing, a middle-aged man was watching coldly from a distant boulder.

His hair was disheveled, his face was thin, his cheekbones were slightly prominent, his skin had a pale complexion that had never seen the sun, and his eyes were narrow and cold.

He wasn't interested in the single-color magic array. He had only glanced at Zhou Qing casually at first, but then he was stunned.

"Hmm, this feeling..."

Soon, he inexplicably sensed a familiar aura emanating from Zhou Qing.

But the boy in front of him was someone he was certain he had never seen before, and was completely unfamiliar with.

However, he has absolute confidence in his unique divine realm of "all things".

This state of mind has no other function, but it can firmly remember all the people or things that have had a deep contact with him.

This is precisely why he possesses unparalleled talent in treasure hunting.

Any object that he has ever come into contact with possesses the same aura will be detected within a three-mile radius, no matter how well it is hidden.

This is especially true for people. No matter what kind of disguise you use, under the influence of all things, your true form will be revealed and you will have nowhere to hide.

"Interesting. It seems to be an old acquaintance of mine. Let me see who you are!"

A hint of curiosity flashed in the man's eyes. After muttering to himself, he quickly moved his hands and began to carefully examine Zhou Qing's direction.

After about half an incense stick's time, he suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with disbelief, which quickly turned into a strong killing intent.

"Oh it's you--"

……

Zhou Qing was overjoyed, never expecting that his carefully crafted monochromatic magic array would be so highly regarded.

Amidst the fierce bidding, the first magic array was quickly sold for a high price of eight top-grade spirit stones.

As for the second magic array, although the transaction price was slightly lower than the first, only five top-grade spirit stones were obtained, it still far exceeded his expectations.

After all, what he refined was only a small magic array, not a large magic array worth forty or fifty yuan.

However, this is already very good. In just three months of refining, after deducting the cost, we still made a net profit of twelve top-grade spirit stones.

Converted to market price, that's a whopping 1,200 high-grade spirit stones, which is far more than the hard-earned profits of the third senior brother and his group.

"The market demand for magic arrays seems quite substantial. If necessary, we should make a direct trip to Lingyun Prefecture."

"On the one hand, we should try to find out about top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones; on the other hand, we can use this money to purchase some rare materials."

"Once it's successfully refined, we'll trade it to the Myriad Elephants Auction House, killing two birds with one stone!"

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing was overjoyed.

"Even if Brother Wanbao were still in Haomiao Prefecture, without relying on his connections, it would only cost a maximum of sixty top-grade spirit stones to acquire it. If the materials allow, it would be enough to refine a two-color magic array!"

After settling the score, Zhou Qing felt full of energy and immediately flew away on his sword.

……

Not long after, Zhou Qing, who was walking briskly, suddenly narrowed his eyes, and a strange sense of vigilance rose from the bottom of his heart.

Almost at the same instant, a tetanus ointment quietly appeared in his hand, and he himself stopped suspended in mid-air.

"Fellow Daoist, aren't you tired after following me for so long?" Zhou Qing's expression was calm, his robes fluttering in the wind.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the void behind him.

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure slowly emerged from the clouds behind them.

It was that pale-faced, cold-eyed middle-aged man.

At this moment, he was suspended in mid-air, exuding a unique and chilling aura.

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

I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.

Seeing Zhou Qing's expression, the man narrowed his long, narrow eyes slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "What, do you also find me somewhat familiar?"

Upon hearing this, alarm bells rang in Zhou Qing's mind.

At that moment, he suddenly realized who the other person was.

In the western region of the Vast Expanse Prefecture, there is Ma Cheng, the fifth elder of the Hunyuan Sect!
After he comprehended the domineering intent, his second uncle wanted him to completely make up for it and advance to the Nascent Soul stage.

He deliberately took him around to find those powerful cultivators in the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm or the Great Perfection Realm who had achieved great mastery of their artistic conception, to engage in life-or-death battles.

To provoke them into killing him, they even sent in a photograph taken years earlier.

That's why, when those people faced Zhou Qing, they all wished they could silence him so that their own stains on their lives could be forever buried in the past.

Zhou Qing clearly remembered that Ma Cheng, as the fifth elder of the Hunyuan Sect, behaved improperly and secretly colluded with Madam Sun, the Daoist partner of the third elder, in an ambiguous relationship.

Even worse, the two colluded and joined forces to cruelly kill the Third Elder.

All these shameful and shameful deeds were completely documented by Uncle Er using a photographic stone.

I never expected them to come to the Eastern Region.

Judging from this, they recognize me?

But that shouldn't be the case. At the time, he was carrying the Nascent Soul Amplification Puppet given to him by his second uncle, which had transformed into Li Hanshan's appearance. Logically, he shouldn't have been able to see through it...

But facing his questioning, Zhou Qing remained calm and composed, saying, "What are you talking about, fellow Daoist? I don't understand a word you're saying."

Ma Cheng chuckled, a chill running through him, and said, "Don't understand? No problem, I'll help you recall."

As Ma Cheng spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of resentment flashing in his cold gaze.

Then he slowly said, "Many years ago, there was a young man who had comprehended the essence of the Nascent Soul stage and called himself Li Hanshan. He brought an image stone to the mountain gate to report."

“That image stone contains some of my past secrets. To prevent these secrets from being leaked, I chased after it, intending to kill it to silence it.”

"Unfortunately, I fell into the two-colored magic array that the other party had prepared in advance, and my cultivation was suppressed."

As Ma Cheng spoke, a hint of anger and resentment flashed in his eyes.

"How could the spiritual power of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator compare to that of a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator? After the opponent exhausted his spiritual power, I originally intended to deliver a fatal blow, but outside the formation, a terrifying pressure locked onto me."

At this point, Ma Cheng was clearly still a little shaken.

Zhou Qing listened quietly without interrupting.

"That was the legendary pressure of the Spirit Severing Realm. Only at that moment did I realize that from the very beginning, I was just a whetstone chosen by the other party."

"Although the other party gave me the image stone before leaving and repeatedly assured me that there would be no other copies, how credible do you think that statement is?"

After Ma Cheng finished speaking, he stared intently at Zhou Qing.

"You know, once the secrets inside are exposed, I will be completely disgraced and lose everything I've worked so hard to acquire over the years."

At that moment, his voice carried a hint of despair and madness.

"Therefore, I absolutely cannot allow this to happen, but unfortunately, there are Spirit Severing Realm experts behind the other party, so I have no choice but to endure it."

"I originally thought that things would just pass like this, but I didn't expect that during this trip to the Eastern Region of Lingyun Prefecture, I would accidentally hear someone say that there was a genius in Cangyan Dao Palace named Li Hanshan, but unfortunately he died a long time ago."

Ma Cheng sneered slightly, "Moreover, he was killed by Zhou Qing of the Taiqing Sect. But I inquired and found that there is a serious difference between the time of his death and when he fought me in the Haomiao Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but sigh softly.

I should have known better than to use the name Li Hanshan.

Ma Cheng continued, "Moreover, I also heard that a few years ago, the Qingyu Immortal Sect here spread the word that Zhou Qing of the Taiqing Sect had obtained the inheritance of the Old Peng King."

"This reminds me of when I fought that 'Li Hanshan' once used a divine power similar to the Golden-Winged Roc."

"Although it was later said that the Qingyu Immortal Sect spread rumors to divert attention from the massacre of the Taiqing Sect, I still decided to go and investigate."

Ma Cheng slowly shook his head, "But I didn't expect that before I even went there, he would come to me on his own. You agree, right, Li Hanshan, no, I should call you Zhou Qing?"

After Ma Cheng finished speaking, his gaze sharpened as he stared intently at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing hadn't expected the other party to be so perceptive; it had been so long that he had almost forgotten about it himself.

Moreover, the image stone was indeed given to you. In the words of the second uncle, it was considered even, and there was no longer any cause and effect involved.

"So, you've been talking to me for so long just to set up a magic array below?" Zhou Qing sighed.

As soon as he finished speaking, several beams of light suddenly shot out from the calm ground below, enveloping the entire area.

In an instant, a complex barrier was formed, with swirling mist and a nauseating stench.

On the surface, red and blue light constantly flashes and flows.

Seeing that the plan was going smoothly, Ma Cheng couldn't help but show a smug smile.

"That's right, it was mainly to prevent you from sending a message to that Spirit Severing Realm cultivator. But now, you have no chance. Hand over the remaining image stones, and I will consider leaving you with a complete corpse!"

Ma Cheng spoke in a low voice.

Zhou Qing observed the magic array with great interest, clicking his tongue in amazement.

It must be said that the Hunyuan Sect truly lives up to its reputation as the dominant sect in the Western Regions of the Vast Expanse. From the very beginning, it was able to quickly suppress other sects and establish an absolute ruling position. Take Ma Cheng in front of us, for example. He is merely an elder, yet he can casually summon such a powerful dual-color formation, which is truly astonishing.

On the other hand, if I had this thing, wouldn't I be able to exchange it for money directly, saving me the trouble of refining it?

"I have a question. How did you determine that the person was me?" Zhou Qing turned to Ma Cheng and asked calmly.

Ma Cheng snorted coldly, a smug look on his face, and said, "I'm not afraid to tell you, my artistic conception is somewhat special."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing suddenly understood and finally realized the reason.

With that, he could rest assured. After all, in order to compensate for the lack of artistic conception, he had transformed into Li Hanshan, which offended too many sect leaders and elders.

If all these people can recognize him, then there will truly be no way out.

"Are you sure you want to attack me?" Zhou Qing stared intently at Ma Cheng and asked again.

Ma Cheng snorted coldly, his expression chilling and disdainful, and said, "Stop pretending. Years ago, you were only at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm. Even if you are at the Perfection of the Intent Realm now, you have only broken through to the early stage of the Divine Transformation Realm at most."

"The difference between an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a seasoned late-stage cultivator like myself is like heaven and earth. Do you think you have a chance of winning?"

Ma Cheng slowly raised his right hand, and the entire magic array immediately began to operate at high speed, emitting a muffled roar, as if an ancient beast had awakened and was roaring.

Countless massive black scorpions materialized from the magic circle, their eyes gleaming with an eerie green light, all staring at Zhou Qing and emitting chilling hissing sounds.

"Now that you've run into my hands, don't even think about leaving alive. The matter of the Image Stone must not be compromised in the slightest."

"Only by completely eliminating you can we prevent future troubles!"

Ma Cheng gritted his teeth and said, his killing intent growing stronger. As his right hand fell, the magic array roared and launched a direct attack on Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing shook his head slightly, a helpless smile on his face, and said, "You're too arrogant, and you talk too much. Besides, who said I'm in the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm!"

As Zhou Qing finished speaking, a powerful aura belonging to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm erupted.

This caused Ma Cheng's expression to change drastically, and he instinctively blurted out, "How is this possible!"

"There are many impossible things in this world!" Zhou Qing shouted, and the Vulnerable Wind Sword in his hand roared like thunder.

Several thick bolts of lightning roared out like dragons, then headed straight for Ma Cheng...

……

An hour later, in a certain mountain forest, the two-colored magic circle that was originally formed by black smoke gradually faded until it disappeared completely.

Instead, it was a scene of devastation, with traces of fierce fighting everywhere.

The ground was torn into jagged ravines, trees were leaning to one side and fallen branches and leaves were scattered all over the ground.

Various toxic fumes filled the air, emitting a pungent odor that made people want to vomit.

However, at this moment, in the center, there was a winged figure with a golden body, carrying Ma Cheng's corpse in one hand.

"Please, please let me go..."

Ma Cheng's primordial spirit was trapped in a cage constructed of lightning, his face contorted, his eyes filled with pleading.

At this moment, he no longer possessed any of the prestige and arrogance he had shown as an elder of the Hunyuan Sect.

He never expected that the boy who was once just a Nascent Soul Realm kid in his eyes would suddenly transform into a mid-stage Divine Transformation Realm cultivator.

He was only in the mid-stage, but his combat power was terrifying beyond imagination, completely overwhelming him.

He couldn't quite tell who the newcomer was and who the senior was.

That terrifying thunderous sword energy, the Suanni divine power, the Golden Crow divine power, and the terrifyingly defensive Golden Roc technique.

Each one left him feeling utterly powerless. In the end, he almost used his lifespan as a catalyst to employ a forbidden technique, which finally managed to break one of his arms.

Strangely, his broken bones emitted a golden light and healed themselves in the blink of an eye.

Do you even think this person is human?

He was on the verge of collapse at that time, because in his understanding, perhaps only those ancient mythical beasts with immortal bodies could possess such heaven-defying self-healing abilities.

And that two-color magic array—he had spent countless efforts and resources to finally purchase it from Master Wu Tiangang.

But this person not only easily found the flaw in the magic array, but could even use it to manipulate it and turn against him. Can you believe it?

Faced with Ma Cheng's pleas, Zhou Qing's black hair flew wildly, her eyes like cold stars, staring sharply at him without the slightest pity.

But at this moment, he slowly turned his head to look into the distance.

There, two monks, one tall and one short, stood with their hands clasped together, quietly watching him.

It was precisely because he sensed the arrival of outsiders that Zhou Qing quickened the pace of the battle, but fortunately, the other party did not participate at all.

Zhou Qing became wary. After glancing at the two monks briefly, he looked back at Ma Cheng and said, "To be honest, I really didn't leave any copies. You're overthinking it."

"I...I believe..." Ma Cheng's breath was weak, his eyes filled with fear and regret.

Zhou Qing stared calmly at Ma Cheng and said slowly, "But I don't like leaving myself any future troubles, especially since you have such a strong killing intent towards me."

After speaking, Zhou Qing unleashed a torrent of lightning, thick bolts of lightning darting through the cage like raging dragons.

Until the other party, amidst a shrill scream, turned into a wisp of green smoke and vanished into the world.

At the same time, Zhou Qing's right hand surged with golden crow fire, radiating a scorching and pure aura, instantly enveloping Ma Cheng's corpse.

It burned to ashes in a short time, truly achieving complete annihilation.

Then, a storage bag fell down and was quickly caught by Zhou Qing.

After doing all this, he immediately mobilized the reserve spiritual energy from the golden flower, and his entire body returned to its peak condition.

Only then did he look at the pair of monks again.

At this moment, the two monks, one big and one small, walked over. They first nodded slightly to Zhou Qing, then sat cross-legged and began chanting sutras for salvation.

Zhou Qing took a step back warily, full of doubt.

This is not quite what I imagined.

Aren't monks supposed to be compassionate? They didn't stop me when I killed Ma Cheng.

After killing them, they came back to chant sutras to pray for their souls to be saved?
Moreover, this little monk is quite extraordinary. He looks only seven or eight years old, but he has already cultivated to the early stage of the Golden Core Realm.

Keep in mind that he was only at the Qi Condensation Realm when he was just over ten years old, and even his third senior brother had only broken through from the Golden Core Realm to the Nascent Soul Realm many years ago.

And this great monk, his aura was restrained, as if he had returned to simplicity, and even with his limited understanding, he could not see through him at all.

Seeing that the two ignored him, Zhou Qing quickly and carefully left.

These two monks appeared too strangely, and their strength was unfathomable. It was best not to get too entangled with them.

After a long while, the abbot opened his eyes with a look of compassion and said "Amitabha" to Ma Cheng's body, which had turned to ashes.

"Master, you could have saved that benefactor, why did you just watch him be killed by another benefactor?"

The young monk finished the ritual at this moment, stood up, and asked curiously.

The senior monk sighed softly, turned around to look in the direction Zhou Qing had left, his eyes deep and calm, and slowly spoke.

“My disciple, everything in the world has its cause and effect. Although we cultivators uphold the principle of compassion, we should not arbitrarily interfere with the predetermined cause and effect of others.”

"Just like just now, if I had forcibly intervened, it might have seemed like I was saving the world, but in reality, it could have disrupted the delicate balance of the world and triggered more uncontrollable chain reactions."

"Cause and effect, karma, are intricate and complex; a single move can affect the whole situation."

"If one changes the fate of others out of momentary compassion, it may inadvertently bring disaster to more people."

The young monk nodded thoughtfully.

The senior monk suddenly smiled: "Furthermore, life and death are not the end. It is also our duty as monks to help his soul pass on and be liberated."

"The path of spiritual practice is about understanding the true meaning amidst the complexities of cause and effect. Only by following the natural order can one see one's true nature and find the path to liberation."

Upon hearing this, the young monk's eyes lit up, and he said, "Master, I understand. Understanding is only the beginning; practice is the key. This is also the principle you taught me this morning."

The senior monk smiled with satisfaction, raised his hand and gently patted the young monk's head, saying, "Excellent, excellent!"

"Master, where are we going next?" the little monk asked.

The senior monk looked ahead again and said, "I heard that many people died there as well. After the rituals are completed, let's go to the five major sects in the Eastern Region to ask for alms."

……

To be on the safe side, Zhou Qing did not return to the sect first. Instead, he quietly circled back to Spirit Skull Mountain, put on a black robe, and found a corner to sit cross-legged.

It continuously released its divine sense to observe its surroundings.

After waiting for a full day and confirming that there was no danger, they were about to set off on their swords when they suddenly saw two familiar figures walking slowly towards them.

The people who came were the two monks, one big and one small.

He had previously worried that the other party would covet the "Emperor's Scripture," but now it seems that he had been overthinking it.

After a brief hesitation, Zhou Qing slowly sat down again and adjusted his posture to appear more composed.

But his gaze was fixed on the two monks, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Soon, the two bald men attracted the attention of others, who cast strange glances at them.

But the two monks seemed oblivious, and continued calmly toward the abyss.

It only stopped when it reached the edge.

The young monk frowned slightly, his innocent face full of doubt, and said in a clear voice, "Master, it doesn't seem like there are that many resentments!"

The senior monk also looked puzzled. Wasn't it said that a secret realm had appeared here and many people had died?

But now, looking around, apart from a few scattered, withered tomb guardians, all that remains is the lingering aura of those who have fallen from the Spirit Severing Realm.

“Strange—” The monk reached out and touched his shiny head, then looked around at the people around him.

Could the rumors be wrong?

(End of this chapter)