The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 298: Was this the person who gave you the image stone? (6k)

Lu Yaoyao's mind was filled with images of Shen Hanyi and Xuan Yuan Muqian again.

She was really curious about which of the women her father would have a child with in the future.

No, it might also involve the female bodhisattva from Jiyuan Temple.

Sometimes, she really wanted to tell her father her secrets, but do you think he would believe her?
Do we need to search her soul to prove its authenticity?
Even if he did believe it, would he change anything in advance if he knew how miserable his future would be?
She didn't care about the changes; she'd rather die than let her father live a happy life.

But what if the other path you choose later is even more difficult?
In fact, in a sense, she didn't even know how she got here.
That day, as usual, Father went out to lure the demon king who was chasing after him, and didn't return for several days.

Lacking any foundation in cultivation, she hid in that cold, damp cave. When she was so hungry that she could no longer bear it, she cautiously ventured out to find something to eat.

She walked for a very long time in that ancient forest, and even got lost. In the end, she didn't know what she stepped on, but in a flash of light, she lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes again, she was falling from tens of thousands of meters in the air, with the wind howling in her ears.

It wasn't until it crashed into the sea and encountered its master, who happened to be on a mission in that area, that it was brought back to the Taiqing Sect.

He then officially began his cultivation and met the young old man in front of him.

"Even if we recognize each other, what help can I possibly give him?" Lu Yaoyao thought to herself.

Although life was tough from then on, at least his father was now at the Spirit Severing Realm and could easily kill the Demon Emperor.

If I presumptuously change his life trajectory, what if he doesn't reach that level?

Moreover, now that she has arrived at an earlier point in time, she still wants to know who her mother is.
Why does Dad never mention it?
Why was he being hunted down by so many demon emperors?

Moreover, she has never seen her mother since she can remember.

And Taiqingmen, such a good family, why didn't Dad send him to live with them back then?

After all, in a sense, she was like a burden to her father, unable to help him in any way.

"Here, these spirit stones are fine. Remember this in the future: don't flaunt your wealth, don't show off your riches, and don't walk alone when you're in power!"

Just then, Zhou Qing's voice suddenly rang out, pulling her back from her thoughts.

“Shen Huangmao is a typical example. You must never follow his example!” Zhou Qing solemnly warned again.

Lu Yaoyao chuckled, nodded, and replied crisply, "Don't worry, how could I possibly become someone like him!"

After she finished speaking, she put the spirit stones away.

He quickly realized something, took out his sketchbook, dipped his pen in pine soot ink, and began to sketch the various adventures the two of them had recently experienced.

Perhaps this will greatly help me understand her artistic conception.

Five days later, Zhou Qing unexpectedly discovered that Lu Yaoyao, who had been completely immersed in the world of her paintings, actually had a faint outline of artistic conception appearing around her.

This made his eyes gleam.

Unexpectedly, Junior Sister Lu's path actually led her to success.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

If what she said is true, and the future scenario involves summoning him to fight the enemy, then the thought of that scenario seems rather strange.

call out!
Just then, a whooshing sound came from ahead, so fast that it whistled past them.

Zhou Qing looked at the earthen-yellow flying boat and scratched his head. Why did it feel so familiar?
Just as I was thinking this, the airship suddenly turned around 360 degrees again.

"Fellow Daoist, have you seen... Brother Zhou? My goodness, you're actually here? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Suddenly, a familiar, raspy voice rang out from the airship.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Yunzhou, his face full of surprise, jumped over from his flying boat with a shout.

But the next moment, it was bounced off by the spiritual energy shield that Zhou Qing's flying boat had not yet removed.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing sighed helplessly and turned to Lu Yaoyao, who had just put away her sketchbook, saying, "Remember, never imitate him!"

Soon, Shen Yunzhou climbed up from below and excitedly banged on the protective shield.

After Zhou Qing untied the clothes, he immediately rolled in and opened his arms to give Zhou Qing a bear hug.

But Zhou Qing quickly reached out to stop him.

You still have that disgusting stench of death on you, so please don't infect me.

Shen Yunzhou looked extremely happy. After being rejected by Zhou Qing, he turned around and pounced on Lu Yaoyao.

Lu Yaoyao darted behind Zhou Qing, pinching her nose and saying in disgust, "Don't come any closer! It stinks!"

Shen Yunzhou felt a little embarrassed, but he quickly said, "It's so good to see that you're all alright. You have no idea how worried I've been these past few days!"

He circled the two men once, making sure they were both physically intact, then suddenly opened his eyes wide with rage, gritted his teeth, and looked around.

"Where is Yan Sen? Where is that beast Yan Sen?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "How do you know Yan Sen?"

Shen Yunzhou had no choice but to quickly explain, especially since they had to ask around quite a bit before they learned that the Demon Emperor Qingluo Beast's territory was a sea area.

But the sea is too vast, with countless islands. He has been searching for several days, but he still can't pinpoint the location of the Kunpeng Palace.

But I never expected to run into them here.

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao hadn't expected that Shen Yunzhou's Nascent Soul amplification would be so bizarre.

It's almost equivalent to going back in time.

If this were a detective in the mortal world, he'd definitely be a genius!
A promotion and a raise are not just a dream!
"They should be dead!" Now that Shen Yunzhou already knew that the two of them had been kidnapped, Zhou Qing simply told him the truth.

Of course, I didn't kill them myself; rather, they entered the secret realm but didn't come out on time.

Anyway, Shen Hanyi, number six, knew about the special rules of the Kunpeng Secret Realm.

As for the strange phenomenon of spirits falling in the territory of the Demon Emperor Qingluo Beast, who could believe it was Yan Weiyi's doing?

It's unlikely that even the gong beast would deliberately cause trouble.

After hearing Zhou Qing's words, Shen Yunzhou burst into laughter.

"You deserve it! You were so greedy! You tricked me into that secret realm back then, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet. Now you're the ones who got yourself into trouble! It's truly a cycle of karma!"

After Shen Yunzhou finished cursing, he frowned again.

"The Eighth Uncle you mentioned should be Yan Weiyi, a late-stage Spirit Severing Realm cultivator and a four-color array master. If both he and his nephew have perished here, that would be a real problem!"

Shen Yunzhou looked at Zhou Qing immediately after saying this.

"In the Southern Phoenix Prefecture of the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, there are eight super families. Among them, the Yan family ranks third, and my Shen family is only fifth. As for Yan Sen... well, it seems I have to hurry back."

Seeing Shen Yunzhou's serious expression despite his usual carefree demeanor, Lu Yaoyao stepped forward with some concern and asked, "Is it serious?"

"It's more than just serious!" Shen Yunzhou lowered his voice. "The Yan family has an ancestor who dotes on Yan Sen the most, and his father only has this one son. Fortunately, he has been in seclusion for many years."

"Now we just hope that Yan Sen and Yan Weiyi, uncle and nephew, came here without telling anyone else. Otherwise, not to mention you, my sister will probably be implicated as well."

Then, Shen Yunzhou looked at Zhou Qing and said solemnly, "Remember, neither of you has ever seen them from beginning to end, and they have never kidnapped you."

"I need to go back and talk to my older sister now, and also find out if those two guys left any clues when they came."

"If anyone comes to investigate later, you should pretend you know nothing about it, and try to avoid contact if possible."

Shen Yunzhou paused for a moment, then said, "Of course, don't be nervous, this is just the worst-case scenario."

"Perhaps no one even knows where these two are. Yan Sen and Yan Weiyi have always been selfish and self-serving."

Faced with Shen Yunzhou's good intentions, Zhou Qing and the other person nodded repeatedly, indicating that they understood.

"No, I asked a few border soldiers about the Qingluo Beast Sea before I came. I need to go back and erase their memories."

"You all should go back quickly, and try your best not to let anyone know that you were ever here!"

After Shen Yunzhou finished speaking, he quickly drove the flying boat away.

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao looked at each other, their initial relief at surviving the ordeal turned into a feeling of unease after this guy's antics, as if a stone was weighing on their hearts.

But soon, Shen Yunzhou turned back and stood on the deck, bowing apologetically to Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao.

"We siblings have dragged you into this mess. We will repay you when the time is right!"

After Shen Yunzhou finished speaking, a smile appeared on his face.

"Brother Zhou, Sister Lu, until we meet again!"

Zhou Qing smiled and waved to him.

After watching Shen Yunzhou leave, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards the border.

……

Passing by the Blood Prison Mountain of the Flood Dragon Emperor, the area was still shrouded in the heavy, dark clouds left behind when the Spider Emperor fell, and a suffocating, oppressive atmosphere permeated the world.

However, since he impersonated the Peng Emperor and, following Xuan Yuanshuo's instructions, designated this area as a training ground for human border cultivators, it has become much more lively here.

From a distance, one could see many human soldiers dressed in uniform armor coming and going.

"Let's go!" Zhou Qing didn't approach, but only glanced at her indifferently before taking Lu Yaoyao and concealing their presence to take a detour.

Haomiao Mansion!
Zhou Qing changed his clothes and went to visit Lin Daochen.

Lin Daochen now felt somewhat guilty, as it had been so long and he still hadn't helped Zhou Qing find any clues about his second senior sister.

"It's alright, no rush. Maybe my second senior sister has found a place to go into seclusion!" Zhou Qing could only comfort her with a smile.

He then went to see the two sisters, Lu Yuanzhi and Lu Yuanjiu.

The two have now completely gone into seclusion, and he is unable to enter the academy's secret realm. Zhou Qing had no choice but to give up and embark on the return journey with Lu Yaoyao.

……

It was more than two months later when the two returned to Taiqing Gate safely.

Mo Xingjian and the others were completely unaware of the two's disappearance, and even the whereabouts of Shen Yunzhou were a mystery.

"Wasn't he investigating those six family massacre cases with you? Why hasn't he come back?"

Zhou Qing smiled and said that Shen Yunzhou had to leave first, without saying anything more.

As for the matter of Yan Sen and Yan Weiyi, the two of them naturally kept it to themselves. Informing the sect would only increase their worries and would not help the situation.

"Oh right, your Master Uncle and Martial Uncle Tong Min are back!" Mo Xingjian suddenly remembered something and reminded him.

Zhou Qing nodded.

When he passed through Lingyun Prefecture, he intended to visit Zhang Wanbao.

After all, the two top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones that Fu Kui had sent last time had solved his urgent problem, but after much consideration, he decided to give up, fearing that it might cause unforeseen complications.

He then visited the three shops of the Taiqing Sect in the area and learned that the sect leader had returned. Presumably, the materials for refining the three-colored magic array had been purchased, so hearing this news was not surprising.

"There's something else... a bit tricky." Mo Xingjian suddenly looked at Zhou Qing with a serious expression.

"what happened?"

“Your senior uncle Gao Xuan has emerged from seclusion ahead of schedule.”

Zhou Qing's expression changed slightly.

Sikong Yan has already sent two image stones related to Nannan, and has stated that he wants to play a game about family affection and sect ties.

"Did you give him the image stone?" Zhou Qing asked anxiously.

Mo Xingjian shook his head: "Of course not. But how can this be kept secret? Sikong Yan will definitely send more image stones, and besides, they already have other ways to contact each other."

Zhou Qing frowned and pondered for a moment, then asked again, "Has he broken through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage?"

Mo Xingjian nodded gently: "In the Taiqing Sect, he is everyone's senior brother, junior brother, master, and peak master. Everyone treats him like a real family member."

"Especially the Yin Spirit Stone you brought out from the first coffin helped him break through the bottleneck and advance to perfection."

"But now, faced with his daughter who has come back from the dead, coupled with Sikong Yan's twisted and playful nature... even I can't guess what choice he will make."

Mo Xingjian's voice was low, and his eyes were full of worry.

A hint of annoyance flashed across Zhou Qing's eyes. After a brief moment of thought, he said, "I'm going to talk to Sikong Yan!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Xingjian immediately became anxious and quickly stopped him, saying, "Are you crazy!"

"Master, I have broken through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm." Zhou Qing chuckled, subtly releasing his aura from his fingertips.

When he felt this oppressive aura, Mo Xingjian was briefly stunned before his face lit up with ecstasy.

As expected of the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, these people have lived for nearly two thousand years, and only recently, with the help of the Yin Spirit Stone, have they broken through from the late stage to the perfect stage.

But Zhou Qing, at less than forty years old, has reached a level that many people can only dream of.

Needless to say, the future is even more uncertain.

But the more this was the case, the less he could let Zhou Qing take any risks.

“That’s a madman. Even if you can fight beyond your level, you can’t fight against four hands with two fists!” Mo Xingjian quickly said.

If the Cangyan Dao Palace had a peerless genius who could pose a danger to the sect in the future, and he came to challenge the Taiqing Sect alone, he believed that, given the temperament of his senior brother, the sect leader, he might very well do something.

Not to mention Sikong Yan, who is known for his unconventional ways of doing things.

Don't forget, the Azure Flame Dao Palace also has nearly ten Supreme Elders and many elders in the middle and late stages of the Nascent Soul realm.

"But—Zhou Qing still wanted to argue."

"No buts!" Mo Xingjian interrupted decisively. "If we really have to choose, the Taiqing Sect would rather lose Gao Xuan, or even become his enemy, than let you take this risk!"

Seeing that Zhou Qing was still unwilling to give up, Mo Xingjian simply forced him to swear an oath not to go to the Cangyan Dao Palace without permission before he could finally relax.

After Zhou Qing left, he didn't dare to delay for a moment and hurriedly sought out Cao Zhengyang to discuss countermeasures.

……

As soon as Zhou Qing returned to his residence, Cao Zhengyang pushed open the door and entered with a beaming smile.

"These materials you requested weren't easy to find," he said with a smile, taking out a storage bag. "But thankfully, I've managed to gather them all for you."

"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Master." Zhou Qing bowed respectfully.

"You're being too polite," Cao Zhengyang waved his hand, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The Three-Colored Sect-Protecting Array! Which sect leader throughout history has ever had such an honor? Just thinking about it makes my heart race!"

Seeing Zhou Qing's embarrassed expression, he suddenly became serious and said, "The situation in the Eastern Region is currently unpredictable. Why don't we start refining it immediately?"

"So urgent?" Zhou Qing was taken aback.

"This concerns the safety of our sect, so we should act sooner rather than later!" Cao Zhengyang said earnestly, adding meaningfully, "As for Gao Xuan and the Golden Thunder Sect, we old bones will handle that."

Before Zhou Qing could decline, the sect leader bowed respectfully.

Startled, Zhou Qing quickly helped him up, saying, "Senior Uncle, you're too kind! This formation was originally my idea, and I will do my utmost to achieve it!"

Cao Zhengyang then smiled and said, "That's good. I have something to do, so I'll be going now. You should start early too!"

After saying that, he gave a few more earnest instructions before leaving.

As soon as the courtyard gate was closed, Cao Zhengyang's smiling face turned serious.

He gazed intently at Mo Xingjian, who was peeking out from not far away, and the two of them tacitly disappeared into the shadows.

"How is it?" Mo Xingjian asked in a low voice.

Cao Zhengyang said in a deep voice, "I should be able to calm down and refine it, but I'm still a little worried. I'll call Lao Liu over later. Those two kids get along well and can play together."

Mo Xingjian nodded, his brows furrowing slightly: "Very well. In the current situation, neither Gao Xuan, Jin Lei Sect, nor Cang Yan Dao Palace can afford to let him be distracted and take risks."

Cao Zhengyang said, "Of course I know that. Now that Zhou Qing has broken through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm and is also a three-color array master, such a promising talent will surely grow into a towering tree in the future, as long as he doesn't die young."

“And you, me, and others…” Cao Zhengyang’s voice lowered, but it was filled with an undeniable firmness.

"We must be the rock that protects his roots, and even if thunderbolts strike, we must never let him lose his foundation."

……

Inside the quiet room, Zhou Qing looked at the storage bag in front of him with a worried expression.

But after thinking it over, I decided to start refining it anyway.

Now that he has entered the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, both his spiritual power and mental power are far superior to before.

It should take at most two years to refine this "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array".

Once the new formation is completed, the original dual-color protective formation can be gifted to the Azure Feather Immortal Sect.

At that time, the Taiqing Sect, the Tianji Sect, and the Qingyu Immortal Sect will stand in a tripartite balance, helping and supporting each other.

Even if unforeseen circumstances arise, they can support each other and advance or retreat with a clear strategy.

After thinking it through, he didn't delay and began preparations.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yaoyao arrived in no time.

"Senior Brother Zhou, don't worry, Yao Yao will not disturb you. I will now focus on comprehending the essence of the realm!"

Lu Yaoyao said seriously.

Listening to Lu Yaoyao's words, Zhou Qing finally understood what his senior uncle meant.

He couldn't help but shake his head.

Fine, if you don't want me to get involved, then I won't.

After activating the soundproof barrier, Zhou Qing devoted himself entirely to the refining process...

……

Jinyang Peak!
Gao Xuan knew, of course, that because of his possession of another body, it would be much more difficult for him to break through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm than for others.

Ultimately, this body did not belong to him.

Even after many years of perfect harmony, there is still a slight sense of stagnation.

Fortunately, the Yin Spirit Stone that Zhou Qing brought out was of extremely high quality, allowing him to complete his breakthrough without any major incidents.

What he didn't expect was that in just a few years of seclusion, the outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Because Zhou Qing's friend discovered that Lei Wuji, the sect leader of the Golden Thunder Sect, had become such a grotesque figure.

Because of Zhou Qing's sudden decision, the Tianji Sect, which had occupied the Eastern Region for thousands of years, became an insignificant ripple in the long river of history.

Because of Zhou Qing, the sect leader of Qingyu Immortal Sect, Fairy Xuanyou, was able to be reborn, and the entire sect became completely devoted to Taiqing Sect.

Looking at each message, Gao Xuan still felt utterly incredulous.

[Heart Judgment Points +9]

The title that was originally "the true junior sect leader" above his head also changed into "the trustworthy leader of the Taiqing Sect" the moment Gao Xuan's lips curled into a gratified smile.

"Is there anything else?"

After digesting the news from the past few years, Gao Xuan looked at his two disciples and asked them a question.

Since the death of the chief senior brother Du Kui, Luo Xue, and the fifth brother Tan Qiang during the Five Sects War, only the third brother Qi Sheng and the fourth brother Meng Hexiu remain on Jin Yang Peak.

Upon hearing their master's question, the two quickly suppressed their joy.

Qi Sheng thought for a moment and said, "That's all. By the way, a few years ago when I went out, someone asked me to pass on an image stone, saying that they wanted to give it to Master personally."

"But you were in seclusion at the time, and Master Uncle and his men had just taken over the Tianji Sect, so all the sect affairs were being handled by Uncle Mo."

"This disciple dares not act on his own initiative, much less examine it privately, so I have handed the image stone over to Uncle Mo."

Upon hearing Qi Sheng's words, Gao Xuan frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

He has always lived a secluded life and rarely interacted with the outside world. How could someone have accurately found Qi Sheng and even specially asked him to bring back the image stone?

What's even stranger is that when Mo Xingjian and others came to offer their congratulations a few days ago, they didn't mention this matter at all.

"Could it be..." A sudden sense of foreboding welled up in Gao Xuan's heart.

His fingertips swirled with spiritual energy, swiftly sketching a lifelike portrait in the air.

"Was it this person who gave you the image stone?" Gao Xuan asked in a deep voice, his tone tinged with seriousness.

Qi Sheng looked up and examined him closely, then nodded quickly: "It is indeed this person! May I ask who this is?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Xuan's previously cheerful mood instantly plummeted, and his face turned extremely ugly.

Even the hands behind his back unconsciously clenched tightly.

"Wu Sha, it really is him!" A cold glint flashed in Gao Xuan's eyes.

Ever since he orchestrated the elimination of those people, Wu Sha has become the only hidden contact directly connected to him.

In recent years, Sikong Yan has not sent him any missions through Wu Sha.

He even suspected that the cunning palace master had already seen through something.
But why has Wu Sha suddenly appeared now?
Why did they specifically ask Qi Sheng to bring back the image stone?
What does the image stone capture?
After a brief moment of thought, just as he was about to head to Xiaoling Peak, he heard Cao Zhengyang's voice.

"Junior Brother Gao, please come to Shenyue Peak!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Xuan did not hesitate any longer and headed straight for Shenyue Peak.

……

(End of this chapter)