The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 277 Nannan, this is Brother Zhou Qing. He and your father are good friends. (6k)

Faced with Zhou Qing's sudden question, Shen Yunzhou immediately became interested.

After looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, he lowered his voice and a sly smile appeared on his face.

"You would never guess that it was her Nascent Soul amplification."

"Nascent Soul amplification?" Zhou Qing was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had previously made some guesses, but he was more inclined to believe that it was related to the Nascent Soul stage. He never expected that it would be related to the nascent soul stage.

Shen Yunzhou deliberately kept everyone in suspense, leaning closer mysteriously and lowering his voice to say, "What my sister refined is the third-ranked Heavenly Dao Qi, [Qian Yin]."

"The Entwined Nascent Soul she awakened places great importance on fate. In any case, anyone she feels is a kindred spirit must have a very compatible magnetic field with her."

"Only those who can bring her peace of mind when she is with them and who can provide her with tangible benefits can catch her eye."

Zhou Qing was somewhat shocked after hearing this.

If I remember correctly, there are ten Heavenly-level Nascent Souls in total, and the Entangled Nascent Soul is ranked third, almost second only to the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top and the Four Symbols Returning to the Void.

No wonder she reached the Spirit Severing Realm at such a young age; her talent is truly astonishing!
However, since I am now at the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, I am no longer strictly speaking among the Heavenly Nascent Soul cultivators. I really don't know where I will go in the future.
"By the way, how old is your sister?" Zhou Qing finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked.

Shen Yunzhou immediately looked at Zhou Qing as if he were a thief, his tone full of vigilance: "What? You've been chosen as my sister's soulmate, so you've started having other ideas?"

"No, don't misunderstand, I'm just curious. After all, she looks very young, but she's already at the Spirit Severing Realm," Zhou Qing hurriedly waved his hand and explained.

Shen Yunzhou relaxed, but still shook his head: "A girl's age is a huge secret. I can't tell her, or my sister will beat me to death."

"And don't take it too seriously. Since she refined the Qi of Heaven and embarked on the path of cultivation, the number of people she has recognized as destined for her is countless."

"However, very few can maintain this relationship for a long time and continue to bring benefits."

Zhou Qing fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

This kind of relationship, where people "gather for mutual benefit and disperse when the benefit is gone," sounds a bit like "starting a relationship and then abandoning it."

Does being a friend mean you're good to me today, but become strangers tomorrow if things don't go your way?
Seeing Zhou Qing's furrowed brows, Shen Yunzhou smiled and nudged his shoulder: "What are you worried about? Just consider it a chance encounter. If I get it, I'm lucky; if I lose it, it's my fate."

"Even my own brother wasn't considered her soulmate, so what are you still hesitating about?"

Zhou Qing smiled and said, "No, I just think her Heavenly Nascent Soul is quite amazing."

“Of course!” Shen Yunzhou became interested, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “The four levels of Nascent Soul, Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, each have their own merits.”

"By the way, Brother Zhou, what kind of Heavenly Dao Qi did you refine? And what kind of Nascent Soul did you awaken?"

Soon, Shen Yunzhou looked at Zhou Qing curiously and asked.

Zhou Qing looked embarrassed, then said seriously, "I... I'm fine, it's nothing. What about you?"

"Tch, fine, don't tell me then. I won't tell you mine either," Shen Yunzhou said, seeing that Zhou Qing was unwilling to talk, and he didn't ask any more questions.

However, he could still guess that Zhou Qing was definitely at the Foundation Establishment stage of the Heavenly Dao, otherwise he wouldn't have reached the mid-stage of the Divine Transformation realm at such a young age. He just didn't know which level of Nascent Soul he was.

"Huh, what's that?" Just then, Shen Yunzhou turned his head and saw two figures in black suddenly climb up from the abyss below.

No, when they checked just now, there was no sign of life. Where did these two people come from?

When Zhou Qing saw the two people, his pupils immediately contracted.

"Black-clad puppet!"

After the two black-clad puppets climbed out of the abyss below, they immediately looked around.

Shen Yunzhou was about to say something when Zhou Qing quickly pulled him aside and hid him.

Fortunately, the other party merely observed the surroundings for a moment before quickly leaving.

"You know him?" Shen Yunzhou asked curiously after being pulled aside.

Watching their furtive figures, Zhou Qing shushed them, hesitated briefly, and then followed them.

Soon, the two black-clad puppets went straight to the deeper abyss not far away.

At this moment, more and more black-clad puppets crawled out from below, densely packed, numbering over 100,000, creating an indescribably spectacular scene.

Seeing this, Shen Yunzhou finally understood and exclaimed in shock, "These aren't people, they're puppets?"

Zhou Qing frowned and nodded heavily.

It's been a long time since I've seen these black-clad puppets. What are they doing in Canglan Mountain?
"This puppet is interesting. It seems to have been made directly from a living person. It looks so lifelike, yet it doesn't have the aura of a living person!"

Shen Yunzhou clicked his tongue repeatedly.

What's even more terrifying is the sheer number of them.

Although most of them are Nascent Soul, Golden Core, or even Foundation Establishment cultivators, if they were to truly unite, even a large number of Deity Transformation cultivators would be overwhelmed.

After all, these puppets only obey orders unconditionally, feel no pain, and are not afraid of death.

Zhou Qing remained silent, his gaze fixed on the ever-growing army of puppets.

Their gazes all seemed to be focused in the same direction.

"Let's go." Zhou Qing suddenly spoke, and with a flash, he rushed forward.

Shen Yunzhou didn't dare to delay and quickly followed.

Soon, they spotted two figures, one large and one small, on the northeastern edge.

"Sikong Yan—" Seeing the figure with his back to them, Zhou Qing didn't seem too surprised.

only--

However, when his gaze fell on the little girl in the floral dress next to Sikong Yan, his pupils contracted sharply again, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Because that girl was the little girl whose image was captured in the image stone that Sikong Yan had sent to Gao Xuan's senior uncle some time ago—Nannan.

Zhou Qing quickly rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

what happened?

Is Nannan still alive?

The image captured in that image stone is not of the past Nannan, but of the present?
Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!

According to Master Gao Xuan, Nannan has been dead for a long time. Even if she were alive, she shouldn't still be in the same state as before.

Suddenly, Shen Yunzhou gently touched Zhou Qing with his hand and swallowed nervously.

When Zhou Qing came to his senses, he looked around and found that there were countless black-clad puppets surrounding the two of them, each with a blank expression.

Zhou Qing's expression immediately changed.

"Fellow Daoist, you've been spying for so long, why don't you come over and have a chat?" Sikong Yan slowly turned his head from afar and said with a smile.

Shen Yunzhou looked at Zhou Qing and sighed deeply, wishing he hadn't joined in the fun.

"Who is this person? What is his cultivation level? Can the two of us brothers handle him?" Shen Yunzhou asked in a low voice.

Zhou Qing frowned even more as he looked at the "Fish" label above Sikong Yan's head.

"The Palace Master of the Cangyan Dao Palace, one of the five major sects, is at the Great Perfection of the Divine Transformation Realm!" Zhou Qing explained.

Shen Yunzhou nodded in realization and said, "It's a bit troublesome. There are too many puppets here, so the flying boat can't operate freely. If necessary, Brother Zhou will have to help distract them later."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, then looked at Sikong Yan with a solemn expression.

The last time they met offline was when the Spirit Skull Mountain Secret Realm opened, and he even secretly bound himself to her.

Just as Zhou Qing was about to leave, Sikong Yan spoke again.

“Fellow Daoist, few people come here anymore. Since you have come alone, you must be someone with a story to tell. Why don’t you come out and chat?”

Shen Yunzhou was a little confused when he heard Sikong Yan's words.

alone?

Are you blind? With so many puppets as your eyes, can't you tell if it's one person or two?
Zhou Qing immediately pulled his foot back, a strange look on his face.

He then coughed lightly and said, "He's calling you. Go out."

Shen Yunzhou: "..."

What, are you not human?
“Brother, I’m from here!” Zhou Qing said earnestly.

Shen Yunzhou chuckled.

Don't think I haven't learned about you just because I'm new here. During the Five Sects War, you killed more than one of their prodigies.

They're locals, but they're also enemies.

"Don't believe me? Then I'll show you!" Zhou Qing said, turning around and weaving through the gaps between the black-clad puppets around him.

Throughout the entire ordeal, these black-clad puppets did not hinder Zhou Qing in the slightest, as if they were completely blind to his presence.

This made Shen Yunzhou doubt his own eyes.

No, what happened?

Treat them differently, right?

No, could it be that Brother Zhou has discovered a loophole in these puppets?
Seeing that Zhou Qing had already passed through the puppet and was running quickly towards the outer perimeter, Shen Yunzhou rubbed his hands together, quickly took a step back, and was about to seize an opportunity to slip out.

But the next moment, all the black-clad puppets stepped forward in unison, their empty gazes like cold, sharp arrows, fixed on him.

Shen Yunzhou: "..."

……

"Uncle, who is that big brother?" Nannan asked curiously, looking at the young man who walked out surrounded by a group of black-clad puppets.

Sikong Yan smiled faintly as his gaze fell on Shen Yunzhou.

She said slowly, "I've never seen him before, but this older brother seems a bit reserved, probably because he's been frightened. Nannan, why don't you ask them to leave?"

The little girl nodded obediently and waved her pink little hand gently.

In an instant, all the black-clad puppets lowered their heads as if controlled by invisible threads.

Then, like clusters of black shadows, they quickly disappeared into the ground without a trace. In the distance, Zhou Qing, who witnessed this scene, frowned and quickly used his image stone to capture the moment.

He had personally witnessed the modification process of these black-clad puppets, and even Senior Sister Shi Zhen had almost suffered a terrible fate at their hands.

The third senior brother had speculated that the magic arrays inside these black-clad puppets all had subtle differences.

There must be a mother entity that the Azure Flame Dao Palace can control unilaterally. To get rid of them, you either need to forcefully suppress them or directly eliminate the mother entity to solve the problem once and for all.

In retrospect, the third senior brother's guess was correct.

However, Zhou Qing could not connect the cute little girl, who was only five or six years old, with the entity controlling the puppet.

But what had just happened forced him to believe the facts before him.

Shen Yunzhou was equally astonished, his mouth agape. If he wanted to escape, it seemed the other party was indeed powerless to stop him.

However, after a brief hesitation, he still chose to step forward.

With her big, watery eyes wide open, Nannan cautiously stepped forward and said softly, "Big brother, don't be afraid. Uncle is a very kind person and won't hurt you."

Shen Yunzhou looked at the cute and innocent little girl in front of him and forced a smile.

He composed himself, then looked at Sikong Yan, and bowed slightly, saying, "Greetings, fellow Daoist!"

Sikong Yan nodded slightly, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, and slowly said, "I heard that in the Gobi Desert of Tianji Sect, someone stumbled upon the secret base of Jinlei Sect and then fled in panic. You must be the one?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Shen Yunzhou's eyes, and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Hey, you're quite an interesting person, aren't you? Your information network is so good?"

Despite saying this, he did not continue forward, but instead kept a proper distance from Sikong Yan, maintaining a vigilant posture.

Sikong Yan chuckled calmly, looking him up and down: "You're so young and already at the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, you're not from Lingyun Mansion, are you?"

Shen Yunzhou crossed his arms, tilted his chin up, and his eyes revealed a hint of unruliness: "You have good taste. But I'm more curious, are you a puppeteer?"

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan gently shook his head, his tone indifferent: "It was merely a superficial attempt. May I ask your name, and why you are here?"

"Is this your backyard? Can't I even take a stroll?" Shen Yunzhou retorted, raising an eyebrow.

Sikong Yan was not annoyed. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Of course, you can do as you please. But your temperament reminds me of an old friend. He seems to be here as well."

Before he finished speaking, his gaze had already drifted almost imperceptibly towards the distant mountains and forests.

Zhou Qing, who had been observing from the shadows, suddenly saw the two of them looking at him, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly turned around.

Not far behind him, a man in white stood quietly with his back to him, his clothes fluttering in the wind, his back exuding a cold and aloof air.

Zhou Qing looked at Lin Jin, then at Sikong Yan who was looking in their direction. At that moment, all the doubts in his heart were completely resolved.

"So you two really do know each other!" Zhou Qing said coldly.

Last time, outside the Taiqing Sect's mountain gate, Lin Jin insisted on buying a large quantity of the "Bad Luck Scroll" from him, but he refused.

When she simply asked him why he had used the "Bad Luck Post" on the Grand Eunuch Gao Xianzong, he left without saying a word.

And now, by sheer coincidence, I've appeared here again.

Furthermore, in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace, Seventh Sikong Yan said that he had killed the Fifth Prince, which is enough to prove that the relationship between the two is extraordinary.

This further explains why Lin Jin initially tormented his third senior brother back in the White Jade Taixu Academy.

Because the third senior brother dug up the ancestral graves of the Cangyan Dao Palace three times in a row, and the last time he even sneaked into the sect and left messages and urinated with Lei Luo in the square.

"Young friend Zhou, it's been a long time. How about we come over and catch up?" Sikong Yan's voice, imbued with spiritual energy, drifted from afar.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath.

He possesses the "Emperor's Scripture," tetanus, and the inscription-level divine power "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain," which is sufficient for him to deal with ordinary Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivators.

What's more, Shen Yunzhou is right there. Once he unleashes his "Shit Atmosphere," he'll disgust you to death.

"Let's go together, Lin Jin!" Zhou Qing glanced at Lin Jin and then left.

At the edge of the abyss, watching Zhou Qing walk through the air, Shen Yunzhou couldn't help but smile.

I really thought you'd abandoned me.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who's always trying to put on airs? He's here too!"

Soon, Shen Yunzhou saw a figure in white fly backwards and land on the treetop.

He never showed his face from beginning to end.

"What are you pretending to be so profound for?" Shen Yunzhou curled his lip, his eyes full of disdain.

After landing, Zhou Qing first clasped his hands in a salute to Sikong Yan.

After all, no matter what, the other party is of the same generation as the headmaster, and he is currently just a rising star among juniors.

After the ceremony, his gaze involuntarily fell on the girl in the floral dress hiding behind Sikong Yan. His brows furrowed tightly, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.

"Good brother!" Shen Yunzhou came over with a smile, seemingly standing casually side by side, but actually watching the man in white warily in case of a surprise attack.

Sikong Yan looked Zhou Qing up and down, clicking his tongue repeatedly.

"It seems like the last time we met was at Spirit Skull Mountain. I heard that you returned from the White Jade Taixu Academy and entered the Nascent Soul Realm."

"In just a few years, he has already reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Such progress is truly astonishing!"

Zhou Qing cupped his hands again, speaking humbly: "Palace Master is too kind. It was merely a lucky break that allowed me to achieve this breakthrough."

Sikong Yan laughed and said, "Luck? Let me calculate. Since the Five Sects War, you were lucky to kill five of my sect's greatest talents and dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators; you were lucky to expose and destroy the puppet-making workshop."

"He was fortunate enough to reach the top of the kill list; he was fortunate enough to break through the defenses of Canglan Mountain and rescue the Taiqing Sect members; in just a few years, he was also fortunate enough to comprehend the essence of the art, advance to the Nascent Soul stage, and incidentally become a formation master."

“The word ‘luck’ carries a heavy weight,” Sikong Yan said, counting off the words one by one on his fingers.

Zhou Qing remained silent, while Shen Yunzhou looked at him with surprise.

It seems I haven't asked you enough!
"Nannan, this is Brother Zhou Qing. He and your father are good friends."

Seeing that Zhou Qing remained silent, Sikong Yan suddenly squatted down and gently pushed the timid little girl forward.

Zhou Qing's pupils suddenly contracted.

nah nah?

Could she really be Master Gao Xuan's daughter?

Before he could react, the little girl had already rushed forward on her short legs, her bright eyes full of expectation, and excitedly asked, "Brother Zhou Qing, do you really know my daddy?"

Zhou Qing glanced at Nannan, then looked at Sikong Yan, wondering what he was up to.

But at this moment, he could only feign ignorance, asking with a puzzled expression, "His father is—"

"You don't recognize it? I remember sending an image stone to your Taiqing Sect a few months ago, and I still haven't received a reply."

Sikong Yan looked regretful as he said this, then squatted down and tugged at Nannan's sleeve, saying, "Nannan, it seems your father doesn't want you anymore."

Upon hearing this, Nannan's eyes instantly filled with tears, and large teardrops rolled down her cheeks.

"No, Father won't abandon me—" she cried out suddenly, clutching Sikong Yan's sleeve, her childish voice filled with fear and unease.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's heart tightened.

Shen Yunzhou looked puzzled, wanting to interject but unsure what to say.

Sikong Yan gently wiped away the little girl's tears, but a subtle smile appeared on his lips: "So, it's not that your uncle won't take you to find your father, it's that your father has already forgotten you."

"How about this, I'll be your dad from now on, okay? Sweetie, call me daddy!"

Zhou Qing's expression instantly darkened, and a chilling aura emanated from him. He took a step forward, his voice as cold as ice.

Making a child recognize a thief as her father? Dream on!
“Senior Sikong, Senior Uncle Gao has been in seclusion for a long time, and the image stone you sent has never been delivered to him.”

Sikong Yan slowly turned his head, a mocking smile curving his lips: "Senior Uncle Gao? When did I say her father's surname was Gao? Nannan, what's your father's surname?"

“My father’s surname is Dong, and so is my surname Dong. My mother’s surname is Lan,” Nannan answered, sobbing, tears still clinging to her pink cheeks.

"Oh, so her surname is Dong. Why did you mistake her for your Uncle Gao's daughter, young friend Zhou?" Sikong Yan asked with a curious look.

Zhou Qing's face immediately turned extremely ugly, and he simply said, "If you have something to say, senior, please speak frankly!"

At this moment, Sikong Yan took out a handkerchief embroidered with gold thread and gently wiped away Nannan's tears: "It seems that some pawns have been jumping around outside for too long and have really forgotten their place. Tell me, what else did he reveal?"

Zhou Qing's hands clenched so tightly they cracked.

No wonder Senior Uncle Gao Xuan said that the Cangyan Dao Palace hadn't assigned him any tasks for a long time; it seems they really had noticed something.

Before Zhou Qing could speak, the girl, who had been crying, suddenly lost all color in her fair face, and then her body went limp and she collapsed.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qing's expression changed: "What did you do to her?"

Sikong Yan gently placed Nannan on the ground, and several black-clad puppets suddenly emerged from the ground.

He carefully held her in his arms, then disappeared into the ground.

Sikong Yan dusted off her sleeves and stood up, her tone nonchalant: "I didn't do anything, it's just that the child is sick and I haven't fully cured him yet."

Zhou Qing's chest heaved violently, yet he was helpless.

Whether in reality or in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace, he could never see through him.

Shen Yunzhou had already understood something by now. He took a step forward, his spiritual energy surging around him, and the hem of his green robe was lifted by an invisible wave of energy.

He glared angrily at Sikong Yan, his eyes practically spitting fire: "Fellow Daoist, you have cultivated for countless years, you should know that the conflicts among cultivators have never extended to family members."

"What kind of gentleman uses such a small child to threaten others!"

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan immediately threw his head back and burst into laughter, his laughter filled with mockery and disdain.

He casually flicked his sleeves: "I'm hardly a gentleman. According to common folklore, I should be considered a demon, a villain."

"Judging from your strong江湖 (jianghu) spirit, you should know that villains never follow any rules! In my case, the more ruthless the means, the more effective they are, as long as they achieve their goal."

“You…” Shen Yunzhou’s face immediately turned red with anger.

Suppressing his anger, Zhou Qingqiang said in a deep voice, "Senior, just say it. What do you want? Or what can I do for you to take Nannan away?"

(End of this chapter)