The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 282 What distress call? What nonsense are you spouting in the middle of the night? (6k)

Listening to the reports from these dozen or so late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, Zhou Qing frowned slightly, then shook his head.

"I won't concern myself with this matter. You can report it to the sect leader and the others!"

The group exchanged bewildered glances, but the sect leader had specifically instructed them that these matters should be reported to the junior sect leader.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing waved his hand helplessly: "You've all worked hard, go and rest."

"Yes, sir!" The group immediately left.

Watching their retreating figures, Zhou Qing let out another long breath.

Power brings not only the thrill of controlling everything, but also a heavy responsibility.

The slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.

How many people's fates will be rewritten in this upcoming sect war?

……

And so, three days later, countless flying boats began to hover in the air.

As night fell, the protective array of the Tianji Sect transformed into a dome shimmering with starlight, with strands of starlight descending and illuminating the entire sect as if it were a celestial palace.

This grand formation can communicate with the heavens and stars at night, with countless runes moving along the star orbits, forming a defensive barrier that can easily deflect the attack power of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

During the day, although the great formation cannot draw upon the power of the stars, it connects with the earth's spiritual energy, forming thousands of hidden chains of spiritual energy.

Once touched, it will trigger a chain reaction of backlash, and even those who are proficient in formations will find it difficult to locate the core of the formation.

At this moment, Cao Zhengyang and the others stood on the deck of the flying boat, looking down at the sect shrouded in starlight, their expressions solemn, waiting for dawn.

Ultimately, the defensive capabilities will be reduced by at least 20% during the day.

I wonder if the people led by the Hundred Battles Peak Master have already joined forces with the secret agents to infiltrate, and how well they are preparing.

If all else fails, we'll have to rely on Zhou Qing to crack it.

After all, Zhou Qing is now the fourth level-three formation master of the Holy Martial Dynasty.

However, he did not want to reveal Zhou Qing's identity as a level three array master to the world too early, as such talent might attract jealousy.

"Isn't the Tianji Sect skilled in divination? I wonder if they foresaw that today would be the day their sect is destroyed?"

Cao Zhengyang's voice rang out in the night wind, deep and cold, carrying a hint of murderous intent.

Everyone remained silent, their eyes fixed on the great formation, waiting for the dawn to break.

Late into the night, Cao Zhengyang suddenly sensed something and immediately took out his identity token.

Upon seeing the message inside, his previously tense face instantly became gloomy.

The previous order given to the Hundred Battles Peak Master was to lead his men to infiltrate first, join forces with the spies within the Tianji Sect, and wait for the main force to arrive before launching a coordinated attack from within and without.

But who could have predicted that the Tianji Sect's protective formation would contain hidden secrets, with two sets of formations, one overt and one covert, complementing each other?

Forcibly breaking the visible array would not only be futile, but would also immediately activate the hidden array.

The members of Hundred Battles Peak are now trapped in the dark formation, which has completely alarmed the Tianji Sect.

Cao Zhengyang quickly found Zhou Qing and told him all the information in the jade slip.

Zhou Qing's expression changed drastically, and his brows furrowed.

It seems we've already alerted them, and catching Tianji Sect off guard is probably no longer an option.

“It’s late at night now. The protective array of the Tianji Sect can communicate with the power of the stars, and its power is comparable to the Three-Colored Array!” Cao Zhengyang said solemnly, his eyes full of worry.

The main peak master of Hundred Battles Peak is trapped in the formation, and the situation is now extremely precarious. If they attack from the outside, it is unknown how long it will take to break through.

Zhou Qing remained calm, understanding his master's worries even more clearly.

But so what? Although this formation is incredibly powerful, it is ultimately only "comparable" to, not a true three-color formation.

Then, he took a step forward, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at the large array below that shimmered with starlight.

Then take a deep breath and slowly close your eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, his blood-red pupils suddenly appeared, like two burning blood suns, absorbing all the surrounding light.

Under this strange pupil technique, the flow of runes in the great formation slowed down, and those seemingly natural starlight trajectories gradually revealed subtle discontinuities.

"This bloodline power from the Void Spider, the ancestor of the Spider King, is truly wondrous!" Zhou Qing couldn't help but exclaim.

Last time on the island, this innate ability helped Shen Hanyi find the "Azure Vine Seal" runes that deviated from their normal trajectory in the six-colored magic array.

In comparison, what is there to fear about this great formation before us?

Just as he was about to continue searching for a flaw, the great formation suddenly trembled violently, and three huge faces appeared on the glass dome.

Those were none other than the three remaining Supreme Elders of the Tianji Sect: Yuhengzi, Lingxuzi, and Tianshuzi.

The three voices boomed like thunder from within the formation: "Fellow Daoist Duanmu, Fellow Daoist Yunjing, what is the meaning of your two families joining forces to attack our sect's great formation in the middle of the night? Do you intend to provoke a war between sects?"

The sound was deafening, making everyone's eardrums ache.

Duanmu Shu and the others looked at each other in bewilderment as twelve Supreme Elders from their era stepped forward.

The oppressive aura emanating from him distorted space as if it were a tangible force, causing the air within a ten-mile radius to rustle.

They looked down at the enormous face that had appeared on the array, their eyes flashing with a cold, dagger-like light.

"Instigate a war between sects? What a joke! I should be asking you that question."

Duanmu Shu's voice was as cold as frost, carrying the imposing aura accumulated over a thousand years.

"They set a trap for the Golden Thunder Sect, then drove away the corpses of the Corpse Yin Sect, destroyed my mine, killed my disciples, and then used this to frame the Golden Thunder Sect. Did they really think they could get away with it?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Yuhengzi and the other two changed slightly.

How did they know that the mummified corpse was driven away by the Tianji Sect?
The carefully arranged image stone sent by Tian Hong not only failed to mislead the Taiqing Sect, but instead brought disaster upon himself.
How did you find it?
Where exactly did this elaborate scheme go wrong?
But Yu Hengzi quickly regained his composure, and a fake smile appeared on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Duanmu, what makes you say that? Since the end of the Five Sects War, my Tianji Sect has always upheld the alliance. How could we do such a despicable thing?"

Ling Xuzi shook his head as well, his tone full of regret: "Could it be that the Taiqing Sect has been deceived by villains and mistakenly believed the slander of treacherous people?"

"After all, the Eastern Region is now a mixed bag due to the secret realm of Spirit Skull Mountain, and it is possible that someone with ulterior motives is deliberately framing us."

Tian Shuzi chimed in, "Even if we concede further, you claim we manipulated some dried corpses to kill your sect's disciples. Where is the evidence? Where is the motive? Empty accusations won't convince the public."

Yu Hengzi then said, "If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext. I think you just want to reignite the war in the Eastern Region and cause widespread suffering."

"Don't forget, the Azure Feather Immortal Sect is now in cahoots with you. Who knows if you're just putting on an act, crying 'stop thief' while being the thief yourself?"

"What a silver tongue!" Cao Zhengyang's spiritual power surged, and the pressure of his perfected Nascent Soul Realm locked onto the three of them like a surging tide.

"I never falsely accuse anyone without reason! You want evidence? Fine, once I break through your shell, I'll show you the evidence!"

“You…” The three of them were so angry that their faces turned purple, and the runes on the surface of the formation trembled violently due to their emotional fluctuations.

Behind the sect's protective formation, the three of them watched the Hundred Battles Peak Master, who was trapped in the dark formation and was making a full-scale attack, and their hearts sank to the bottom.

"How did they even find out? Everything was going so perfectly!" Yu Hengzi said through gritted teeth.

Ling Xuzi and Tian Shuzi both had gloomy expressions, and it was unclear where they had slipped up.

What alarmed them even more at this moment was how the Taiqing Sect could suddenly have so many Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivators.
Fortunately, the sect's protective formation is as powerful as the three-colored formation, and it cannot be broken in a short time.

The most important thing now is to quickly seek help from the Golden Thunder Sect and the Azure Flame Dao Palace, because if the situation of the five sects is broken, it will not benefit anyone.

"We'll split into three groups," Yu Hengzi decided decisively, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

“I’ll send a message asking for help. If all else fails, I’ll use my Heart Blood to forcibly change Sikong Yan’s decision and make him come first.”

He turned to Tian Shuzi, "Go and retrieve all the top-grade spirit stones from the warehouse and insert them into the formation. During the day, the formation's power will be greatly reduced, and only the spirit stones will be able to maintain its operation!"

Finally, he looked at Ling Xuzi and said, "As for you, continue to deal with them. Perhaps they just want some compensation, just like the last time with the Qingyu Immortal Sect."

Before the words were even finished, the three of them immediately split up and took action.

……

Outside, after the three people had left, everyone turned their attention to Zhou Qing.

At this moment, a smile appeared on Zhou Qing's lips.

"There is still a weakness after all!" Soon, a faint dark pattern appeared in Zhou Qing's eyes at the center of the formation.

That was a momentary gap created when the runes connected, appearing only once every three breaths, following the rhythm of the stars' movement.

Then, Zhou Qing slowly raised his hand and used his spiritual power to draw a spiritual circle in the air. The same circle of light immediately appeared above the magic array, standing out prominently in the starlight.

"Dear senior uncles and senior masters, bombard this place with all your might!" Zhou Qing suddenly turned around and bowed.

Upon seeing this, Cao Zhengyang and the others' eyes sharpened instantly, and their spiritual energy surged wildly.

"What are you waiting for? Bombard us with all your might!" Cao Zhengyang shouted, his hands rapidly forming hand seals.

A dazzling beam of spiritual energy shot out from his palm, carrying an aura of destruction, and blasted towards the circle of spiritual energy marks on the magic circle.

Seeing this, the others unleashed their deadly moves.

Yun Jing and the other three looked at Zhou Qing with some surprise, but they didn't have time to think about it and quickly cast their spells as well.

It was fired precisely at the target.

In an instant, various magical lights shot into the sky, illuminating the night sky as bright as day.

The roar shook the earth and distorted the air.

Ling Xuzi's face suddenly appeared on the magic array. His eyes widened, and his face was full of horror.

"How could this be!" But his roar was instantly drowned out by the overwhelming roar of magic.

Why is this time different from the one with Qingyu Immortal Sect?
They are determined to destroy my sect's lineage!
Ling Xuzi felt a chill run through him and had no choice but to quickly withdraw his attention.

Seeing the countless disciples who were startled awake from their sleep, he felt a sudden panic.

He quickly ran back and used his secret technique to contact the leaders, sect masters, and elders of other smaller sects, requesting their support.

……

Meanwhile, inside the sleeping quarters of the Cangyan Dao Palace.

Sikong Yan, wearing a bathrobe, leaned against the jade couch listening to Wu Sha's report below, raising an eyebrow slightly: "You mean, the Taiqing Sect and the Qingyu Immortal Sect are jointly attacking the Tianji Sect?" "Reporting to the Palace Master, it is absolutely true. Both sects have mobilized all their forces, and it seems they will not give up until they take down the Tianji Sect," Wu Sha bowed and said.

"This is interesting. Why was there no news about it before?" Sikong Yan asked.

Wu Sha said, "It seems to be related to the attacks on the Taiqing Sect's mines in the past few months."

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan couldn't help but scoff.

"Those three self-righteous fools actually think the Taiqing Sect is easy to fool."

After hesitating, Wu Sha said, "Palace Master, the Tianji Sect has sent a request for help. What's our situation?"

Sikong Yan stood up abruptly and said casually, "What distress call? What nonsense are you spouting in the middle of the night? Don't you let people get any sleep?"

Wu Sha was taken aback, then immediately understood, but after a brief moment of thought, he still said, "Now that the Taiqing Sect has almost no one left, should we...?"

Sikong Yan looked over instantly, his face icy cold, and said, "Wu Sha, things shouldn't happen more than three times. Are you trying to teach me how to do things again?"

Wu Sha trembled violently, his legs went weak and he almost knelt on the ground. His voice trembled as he said, "No, no, this subordinate dared not! Please forgive me, Palace Master!"

Just as Sikong Yan was about to lash out, he suddenly swayed and pressed his fingertips firmly against his chest.

He then sneered, "Now that you're one blood behind, do you really think you can control my will again?"

He slowly straightened up, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "It would have taken some time to get rid of this broken body, but it seems that the Taiqing Sect has been a great help."

After saying that, he waved his hand impatiently: "What are you still standing there for? Go to sleep!"

Wu Sha felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly left the bedchamber.

……

Golden Thunder Sect!
Upon learning that Tianji Sect was under siege, Lei Lie panicked and immediately sought out the Supreme Elder for advice.

Currently, the Golden Thunder Sect still has five Supreme Elders, who are gathering together as quickly as possible to devise a solution.

To save or not to save, that is a question worth pondering.

If you're talking about saving them, didn't you hear that the two families have joined forces and the number of those at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm has reached twenty-four?

If they send so few people, they'll probably be courting death.

Moreover, the journey is long. Even if we start preparing now, it will be at least three days before the sect members arrive at Tianji Sect in a large group.

If they don't save them, the Golden Thunder Sect will face an extremely difficult situation. Once the Heavenly Pivot Sect is destroyed and the Azure Feather Immortal Sect relies on the Taiqing Sect, what will the Golden Thunder Sect do?
To form an alliance with the Azure Flame Dao Palace? That would be like seeking a tiger's skin.

If they try to remain aloof, the Cangyan Dao Palace might suddenly take action to annex them, just like the Taiqing Sect did to the Tianji Sect, in order to achieve a balance of power.

Their thousands of years of heritage will be completely severed then.

More importantly, the sect leader became like that because of those mummified corpses.

"Stay calm, you must stay calm, don't rush!" said one of the elders.

Another person chimed in, "Don't worry, the Tianji Sect's protective formation is known as the best among the five sects, and it will not be breached in a short time."

"That's right. Adding flowers to brocade is not as good as providing charcoal in the snow. We should wait until the two sects' offensives weaken and Tianji Sect is about to collapse before making a move. This will not only demonstrate our sect's loyalty but also allow us to obtain the greatest benefit at the lowest cost."

Another elder pondered for a moment before speaking.

Lei Lie nodded reluctantly, but the unease in his heart grew stronger.

We should prepare as soon as possible. I wonder how Master is doing now?

"Pass down the order: everyone to enter combat readiness!"

……

boom! boom! boom!
With the combined attack of twenty-four Nascent Soul Realm cultivators at the Great Perfection stage, the protective array of Tianji Sect, comparable in power to the Three-Colored Array, shone brightly.

The energy fluctuations continued to spread outwards, and for a moment, a tremendous roar was deafening.

Moreover, the surface of the magic circle was constantly flashing with light, and the runes were shaking violently, as if they might collapse at any moment.

"How is this possible!" Yu Hengzi staggered back half a step, his eyes fixed on the spiritual energy mark circle floating in the air, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Ling Xuzi's face was also pale: "It's all because of him! I had long heard that this kid had an amazing talent for formations, but I never expected that just one circle would directly lock onto the weakness of the sect's protective formation. We didn't even know about this weakness."

Tian Shuzi clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white: "What do we do now? If this continues, the great formation will probably collapse completely in less than half an hour!"

"You're asking me? How would I know! The plea for help was sent out a long time ago, but the Azure Flame Dao Palace and the Golden Thunder Sect are all turning a deaf ear!"

Enraged, Yu Hengzi smashed the stone pillar beside him, sending fragments of stone flying everywhere.

"Damn it, their arrival was so sudden, we had no time to prepare, let alone anticipate it," Yu Hengzi said, his voice filled with despair.

The three of them looked at the ripples spreading across the surface of the magic array, and then at the panicked disciples around them, feeling an overwhelming sense of resentment.

It was as if the game they had been secretly planning for so many years was progressing steadily according to their plan.

Unexpectedly, the Taiqing Sect's sudden attack tore all their plans to shreds.

They realized that even if reinforcements arrived, it would be too late; the formation would break in an instant.

At that time, the three of them would be no match for so many cultivators of the same realm.

Now, Zhou Qing may be the only way out.

This person's mastery of formations is exceptionally high, and he is also the future junior sect leader of the Taiqing Sect.

If we can capture him, even if we can't turn the tide of the battle, at least we can delay the arrival of reinforcements.

Even if things go wrong, they'll have more time to figure out a way to break through or negotiate with the Taiqing Sect.

Then, the three exchanged a glance, a ruthless understanding flashing in their eyes.

"Next, it's up to you!" Ling Xuzi and Tian Shuzi both looked at Yu Hengzi.

After all, only his artistic conception could unexpectedly capture Zhou Qing's attention.

"Understood, but we still need your cooperation!" Yuhengzi said.

The two nodded, indicating that they would do their best.

Then, Yu Hengzi looked at the elders and disciples who were almost all gathered at the mountain gate and took a deep breath.

His murderous intent vanished abruptly, replaced by a solemn sorrow.

"Disciples!" His voice, imbued with spiritual power, resounded throughout the entire sect like a great bell.

"The enemies who have invaded today are the Taiqing Sect and the Qingyu Immortal Sect. They are trying to raze my Tianji Sect to the ground and destroy my heritage! My Tianji Sect has stood tall in the Eastern Region for many years. How can we allow others to bully us?"

"If we cannot defend the mountain gate, how can the spirits of our ancestors rest in peace!"

Upon hearing this, the disciples, who were initially terrified, gradually turned bloodshot.

Yu Hengzi's voice grew increasingly impassioned: "What we are protecting is a thousand-year-old tradition! It is the pillar that stands tall in the Eastern Region!"

"Take up your weapons and let these invaders know that the bones of the Tianji Sect are harder than their magical treasures!"

"If we can repel the enemy, the entire sect will reward us handsomely! Even if we are killed in battle, our names will be remembered for eternity! Kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Amidst the earth-shattering roars, the disciples' faces turned crimson.

The three men looked at the crowd, whose morale had soared, exchanged glances, and were filled with satisfaction.

Half an hour later, with a crisp "crack" sound, the crack in the circle of spiritual energy markings on the magic circle finally broke completely.

A huge crack pierced through the entire magic array.

Immediately afterwards, the cracks spread rapidly, and the runes on the surface of the magic circle began to peel off one by one.

Upon seeing this, Cao Zhengyang and the others were overjoyed and instinctively looked at Zhou Qing.

The Tianji Sect's protective formation, which was hailed as the strongest among the five sects, collapsed so quickly under Zhou Qing's command.

"Good! Let's press on!" Cao Zhengyang's body shone brightly, and he pushed his hands forward with all his might, unleashing a surge of spiritual energy like a raging torrent.

With a final, deafening roar, the entire magic circle shattered completely, and countless fragments of runes scattered in all directions like an explosion.

"It's broken! It's broken!"

Upon seeing this, the people from Taiqing Sect and Qingyu Immortal Sect cheered soaring into the sky, the sound waves causing rocks to fall from the distant mountains.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qing's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief as the tetanus ointment instantly appeared in his hand.

A cold glint flashed, and a murderous intent surged in his eyes.

Don't you prefer working behind the scenes?
Don't you like using others as pawns?
Don't you like to scheme and plot in the shadows?
Today is the day you reap what you sow!
The next moment, a piercing alarm bell suddenly rang out from inside the Tianji Gate.

Countless figures soared into the sky from all parts of the sect, with the dozen or so Nascent Soul Realm elders at the forefront surging with spiritual power and exuding a menacing aura.

Ling Xuzi brandished the Star Banner in his hand, roaring hoarsely, "Protect the sect's heritage! Today, we'll make sure they never return!"

After saying that, he and Tian Shuzi rushed out first, followed closely by countless disciples, their dense figures covering half the sky.

At almost the same moment, the warships of Taiqing Sect and Qingyu Immortal Sect roared to life.

Hundreds of thousands of disciples rode flying swords and controlled magical artifacts, charging straight into the battlefield.

The moment the two groups made contact, it was a collision as devastating as a landslide.

Various spells exploded in the void, thunder and flames intertwined, and ice shards and wind blades flew together.

Wherever the light touched, people were instantly shredded into a bloody mist; as the sword flashed, heads rolled off like watermelons.

In particular, several elders from the Tianji Sect who rushed out unleashed the Star Wheel, drawing upon the power of the heavens to transform into a meteor shower that crashed down.

In an instant, severed limbs and fragments of magical artifacts flew through the air amidst the stench, and blood rained down, staining the entire battlefield crimson.

Despite this, the two sides were simply not on the same level in terms of either combat strength or numbers.

Soon, the battlefield turned into a near one-sided rout, with the defensive line formed by the Tianji Sect disciples constantly retreating.

Zhou Qing's body crackled with lightning, and the Wind-Slaying Sword in his hand transformed into a swimming dragon.

Dozens of Tianji Sect disciples who had just rushed over were struck through the chest by lightning before they could even see his movements, and they fell to the ground screaming in agony.

But just as he made a move, his hair suddenly stood on end.

(End of this chapter)