The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 316 Wuzu Mountain Range, Another Hypocritical Old Man Appears (6k)

When Zhou Qing asked her a question, Lu Yaoyao shook her head smugly.

“When we came back from the border before, you always made a special detour to the academy to inquire about Senior Sister Luo.”

"Today, Ji Xifeng said he was entrusted by Master Lin Daochen. I guess he must have some clues about Senior Sister Luo."

Zhou Qing sighed and wanted to persuade him again, "This trip might be dangerous. You should stay with Master Lu and cultivate properly..."

"Master Lu and the others are too busy right now, I can't see them at all." Lu Yaoyao pouted.

"Besides, you said last time at the Kunpeng Palace that I was your lucky star."

She blinked. "Maybe taking me with you will make finding my senior sister easier."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing hesitated.

At this moment, Lu Yaoyao caught sight of the hen perched on Zhou Qing's shoulder and immediately stomped her foot in feigned anger: "So now you'd rather carry a chicken than me, huh?"

The old hen seemed to understand what she meant, and with a disgruntled "cluck," she pecked at Zhou Qing's ear with her beak.

"Alright, alright, let's go together." Zhou Qing finally gave in.

Lu Yaoyao immediately beamed and patted her chest to assure everyone, "I'm already in the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, and my understanding of the Intent is also taking shape. I definitely won't hold you back."

Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly, took out a flying boat, and the two boarded it, heading towards the Lingyun Mansion teleportation array...

……

Two months later!

A dusty flying boat slowly landed outside the White Jade Taixu Courtyard.

Zhou Qing put away the flying boat and looked at the desolate scene before him, his heart tightening.

The once bustling academy is now deserted.

The withered yellow leaves covered the bluestone steps, and no one swept them.

Wild vines climbed all over the courtyard walls, and several half-open doors and windows creaked in the wind.

The entire academy resembled an old man in his twilight years, quietly awaiting its final moment.

"How could this happen?" Lu Yaoyao murmured softly, unconsciously clenching her fists.

In fact, Zhou Qing had a detailed discussion with Lu Yuanzhi about the academy on the second day after Lu Yuanzhi arrived at Taiqing Gate.

According to Master Lu, Dean Weng Yunqi is not from the Holy Martial Dynasty, but is most likely a powerful figure from the fifth-level cultivation country, the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty.

I came here only to heal my wounds, and now that I am fully recovered, it is only natural that I must return to my homeland.

As for why the academy was dissolved, the reasons remain unknown.

When she followed her elder sister to Taiqing Gate, many instructors had already been poached by various sects with high salaries.

The students also returned home as the war between the two regions of Haomiao Prefecture came to an end.

now--

As Zhou Qing's divine sense swept across the area, the vast academy was completely empty.

Most of the disciples have already left, with only a few scattered figures still lingering, seemingly reluctant to leave this place where they once cultivated.

"Let's go," Zhou Qing said softly, then led Lu Yaoyao familiarly toward Lin Daochen's residence.

After turning through several corridors, the scene before him made Zhou Qing's heart ache.

In the small courtyard in the woods where Lin Shi lived, he was sweeping up the fallen leaves.

This once spirited master of formations now appears somewhat hunched over.

"If all else fails, I'll invite him to Taiqing Sect," Zhou Qing decided to himself.

Just then, Lin Daochen seemed to sense something and slowly raised his head.

When he saw who it was, his cloudy eyes suddenly lit up:
"You came!"

Those three simple words brought tears to Zhou Qing's eyes.

He strode forward and bowed to Lu Yaoyao together:
"Greetings, Master Lin."

……

On the stone table in the courtyard, Lin Daochen took out an image stone that glowed with a bluish light from his storage bag and gently pushed it in front of Zhou Qing.

Over the years, he used many of his accumulated connections to inquire about Zhou Qing's second senior sister.

Not long ago, someone unexpectedly obtained this image from a Golden Core cultivator. The people in the painting are suspected to be Luo Lingling and Bai He.

But we'll have to wait and see for Zhou Qing to come up with the specifics.

Zhou Qing quickly took the image stone, his fingertips trembling slightly.

The moment the spiritual energy was injected, a blurry image was projected into the air.

"Look closely, everyone! This is a wonderful photo I took of you at the risk of my life!"

An old man's deliberately lowered voice came from the video, "The ones fighting now are Nascent Soul Realm monsters. Look at their aura, their oppressive power."

The screen shook violently, and a gray-robed old man could be vaguely seen crouching furtively in a crevice in the rocks.

As the camera panned, two figures flashed by in the distance.

They were a man and a woman, both lurking on the edge of the battlefield.

When the woman turned around as if sensing something, Zhou Qing's heart almost stopped.

"Second Senior Sister!" he cried out in a trembling voice.

The woman in the picture who raised her finger to make a "shh" sound is none other than Luo Lingling, who has been missing for many years!
In the scene, it appears that many people are fighting. The old man posed for a photo for a while, but was then caught in the crossfire and fled in panic.

Zhou Qing looked up anxiously: "Teacher Lin, where is this?"

Lin Daochen sighed softly and spoke slowly.

"You should be aware of the situation here in Haomiao Prefecture. Initially, it was a chaotic battle between the six major sects of the Western Regions, but it was suppressed and ended by the strongest Hunyuan Sect in just one year."

"But not long after, for some unknown reason, the seven major sects of the Western Regions and the Southern Regions inexplicably started fighting again."

"The most intense and frequent fighting took place at the border between the two southwestern regions—the Wuzu Mountains."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing nodded silently.

He knew this, of course. After his domineering aura had taken shape, he originally planned to go there to "challenge" and hone it in order to enhance and perfect it.

It was Zhang Wanbao who revealed the information, saying that experts at the Nascent Soul Realm frequently appeared there.

But just as they were about to set off, Uncle Er returned.

He was both surprised and delighted to see that he had grasped the essence of the conception in just ten months.

He then adjusted his plan, revealing the secrets and dark secrets of these major sects that were unknown to others, forcing them to hunt him down with all their might.

It was under this life-or-death pressure that his artistic conception was perfected in just three years, and he successfully broke through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Didn't I run into Ma Cheng, the third elder of the Hunyuan Sect, a few years ago around the Lingku Mountain Range?

The other party recognized him with an extremely special Nascent Soul amplification. In order to prevent their secret from being exposed, they tried to kill him to silence him, but he killed them instead.

The murder scene was also witnessed by two monks from Jiyuan Temple, Jueming and Kongchan.

However, the two did not intervene, but instead stepped forward to perform a ritual for the deceased after their own battle.

After Sikong Yan killed the Fifth Prince, the fighting in Haomiao Prefecture gradually subsided.

It is clear that Lingyun Mansion and Haomiao Mansion were both orchestrated by this guy behind the scenes.

Lin Daochen continued, "The person who took the photo was a rogue cultivator who risked infiltrating the Witch Ancestor Mountain Range so that his disciple could witness the power of the Nascent Soul Realm."

"And the Wuzu Mountain Range, due to the frequent deadly battles between the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in the southwest region, unexpectedly created a spatial rift."

“There seems to be an ancient ruin hidden deep within the rift,” Lin Daochen said in a low voice. “That’s why the thirteen sects of the two domains secretly agreed to explore it together, while on the surface they continued to pretend to fight each other.”

"Perhaps as more and more people came to observe, they gradually stopped fighting to prevent the ruins from being exposed."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened.

"But as this image stone was discovered, my old friend felt that there must be a reason why your senior sister and the others were there."

"So I went to the Wuzu Mountains to search carefully, and that's when I unexpectedly discovered the secret realm there, but I was chased and seriously injured."

Lin Daochen gave a wry smile, "I had no choice but to find someone else to deliver the message to you."

After listening to Master Lin's words, Zhou Qing's expression turned solemn.

The ruins part is pretty much correct, otherwise he wouldn't have asked Master Lin to help him mainly explore the various secret realms in the Vast Expanse Prefecture.

After all, according to what my second senior sister said back then, she did enter a ruin and rescued the white crane that had been trapped there for many years.

That's why the white crane kept pestering him afterward.

After the second senior sister went into seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, Bai He went back again and brought a congratulatory gift.

But after checking, his senior sister said he was "buying the box and returning the pearl," having lost the most important thing.

This led to the two of them making another trip to Haomiao Prefecture.

"Based on the timeline, the ruins should have been discovered by Second Senior Sister and Bai He first," Zhou Qing analyzed.

"It was only later, during the war between the two regions, that it was unexpectedly exposed."

The senior sister and the white crane in the video are clearly observing from the shadows, not there to watch the excitement.

"Is Senior Sister Luo alright?" Lu Yaoyao asked worriedly.

She still remembers that when Senior Sister Luo returned from her travels and heard that the sect leader had taken on a new disciple, she specially brought her a gift.

She will always remember this kindness.

Zhou Qing frowned, his worries deepening.

Second Senior Sister and White Crane are only at the early stage of Nascent Soul, while the thirteen major sects of the Witch Ancestor Mountain Range are all no weaker than the Taiqing Sect.

There are countless experts at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage alone, not to mention those cultivators at the early, middle, and late stages of the Nascent Soul stage.

Coupled with the fact that there had been no news for so many years, Zhou Qing couldn't help but feel a little panicked.

"Don't worry too much. Maybe they didn't even go in and left a long time ago!" Lin Daochen comforted him gently.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm: "Where exactly is the ruin located?"

Seeing that Zhou Qing was determined to leave, Lin Daochen took out a yellowed map from his bosom, which was stained with mottled bloodstains.

"I'll go with you!" Lin Daochen said firmly.

Zhou Qing gently shook his head: "Teacher Lin, you have already helped me too much. Let me go by myself this time."

Seeing that Lin Daochen was about to persuade him further, Zhou Qing changed the subject: "By the way, the academy is about to disband. Would you like to come to Taiqing Sect? Our place has beautiful scenery and abundant spiritual energy."

A hint of gratitude flashed in Lin Daochen's eyes, but he still shook his head: "My lifespan is coming to an end, and my only wish in this life is to condense three thousand spiritual seals."

He stroked the stone table in the courtyard as if he were stroking an old friend of many years. "When I achieved this goal a few years ago, I unexpectedly broke through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage."

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face.

Looking at Zhou Qing, he recalled, "Afterwards, I also taught you and the senior Si Yunya (Second Uncle), and I have no regrets."

"I have repaired the four-color array on the border and Lu Yuanjiu's healing array. Senior Si Yunya also gifted me Master Situ Jiuyao's array notes. My life has been wonderful enough."

He looked around the courtyard, his gaze gentle: "Although the academy has dispersed, I've grown accustomed to every blade of grass and every tree here. As one gets older, one becomes more attached to home."

Looking at the old man's calm face, Zhou Qing felt a mix of emotions.

Suddenly, he made a decision.

He took out a blank jade slip from his storage bag and stuck it on his forehead, imprinting all the two-color and three-color magic arrays inherited from Xuan Qingzi onto it.

He could tell that Master Lin had no desires and was simply waiting for his death.

But as long as one is alive, one always needs something to look forward to—hopefully, these secrets of the formation could enrich the old man's spiritual world for the rest of his life. After a long while, Zhou Qing finally put down the jade slip, fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

"A parting gift for you." He handed the jade slip to Lin Daochen, and said with a forced smile, "If I don't return within a year, I'll have to trouble you to go to the Taiqing Sect to ask for reinforcements!"

Lin Daochen took the jade slip, initially with some doubts.

But when his divine sense probed into it, the man's eyes widened, his breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently.

When he looked up again, Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao had already disappeared into the distance.

He solemnly bowed deeply in the direction the two had left, remaining there for a long time.

……

Half a month later!

A flying boat slowly landed in the dense forest on the outskirts of the Wuzu Mountain Range. Zhou Qing put away the flying artifact and looked solemnly into the distance.

The rolling mountains resemble a sleeping dragon, stretching across the sky and earth.

The towering main peak was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, and at its foot, a rushing river roared past.

"This is the Wuzu Mountain Range?" Lu Yaoyao lowered her voice, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Zhou Qing nodded, his divine sense spreading out like silk: "Conceal your aura and be careful."

The old hen in his arms stirred restlessly, but he gently pressed it down.

The two concealed their presence and cautiously moved along the edge of the dense forest.

The closer one gets to the depths of the mountains, the more chaotic the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air become, and occasionally the sound of air being torn apart can be heard from afar.

Although the fighting in the southwest has subsided, this region remains bustling with activity.

"Whoosh-"

A streak of light flashed overhead; it was a Golden Core cultivator searching for something.

From Qi Condensation to Spirit Transformation, this place was once a true meat grinder.

Although the war has ended, many cultivators still come here every day to try their luck.

Perhaps finding a lost storage bag or a damaged magical artifact would be a bonus.

The thirteen sects of the two regions not only did not hinder these treasure hunters, but also opened the door to them with great convenience.

After all, the more stringent the precautions, the more likely it is to arouse suspicion.

Now that things are left to their own devices, no one would suspect that ancient ruins are hidden here.

As the two continued onward, watching groups of cultivators searching through the ruins in the distance, Zhou Qing began to feel a sense of admiration.

They were all old foxes who had lived for thousands of years. Since some things were unavoidable, they simply put on a grand show for everyone.

The open fighting among the lower and middle-level cultivators not only fulfilled the Fifth Prince's purpose of instigating the war, but also provided training for his disciples.

Meanwhile, the higher-ups secretly explored the ruins and made a fortune.

"Killing three birds with one stone, what a clever scheme," Zhou Qing sighed softly.

If it weren't for the clues discovered by an old friend of Lin's, this secret would probably never have been exposed.

Just as he was pondering, Lu Yaoyao suddenly squatted down in a panic, looked around, and took out her identity token to send a message.

Zhou Qing helplessly pressed down on her hand: "What are you doing?"

"Ah!" Lu Yaoyao trembled in fright, almost dropping the token. "Senior Brother Zhou, what...how could you..."

"I've always been by your side." Zhou Qing shook his head and chuckled. "What's wrong?"

"No, Third Aunt... um, I've already practiced the correct 'Ice Cleansing Technique,' so why am I still experiencing side effects?"

Lu Yaoyao blushed slightly.

Zhou Qing smiled helplessly and said, "This has nothing to do with side effects. You're probably just too nervous."

As he spoke, he pressed the restless hen in his arms further in. The little guy seemed to sense something and kept fidgeting.

Lu Yaoyao could only let out a long sigh and keep comforting herself.

In fact, she didn't feel nervous at all.

Then, the two continued on their way, following the map given to them by Lin Shi.

As they ventured deeper, an invisible barrier loomed ahead, about a hundred feet away.

Thirteen auras, as deep and vast as the ocean, were distributed around the area, like thirteen towering pillars, suppressing all directions.

Just the sight of it from afar is enough to make one feel breathless.

“Thirteen Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivators; it seems each family has sent someone to oversee things.” Zhou Qing’s expression was solemn.

Sensing the oppressive atmosphere, he understood.

If Lin Shi's old friend hadn't discovered this place and escaped, these old monsters would never have so openly moved from the shadows to the open to guard it.

Although the cultivators are still allowed to move around freely on the surface, anyone who dares to approach the barrier will be instantly annihilated.

In the short time they were hiding and observing, the corpses of five Golden Core Realm cultivators and one Nascent Soul Realm cultivator fell from the sky, without even having time to scream.

"I wonder if [Reduce Presence] will trigger successfully?" Zhou Qing pondered to himself, but quickly dismissed the idea.

Although he was confident that he was invincible below the Spirit Severing Realm, his chances of winning were slim when facing the siege of thirteen Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivators, plus the possibility of powerful figures hidden within the ruins.

Moreover, even if you can fool one or two people, it's impossible to fool everyone's senses at the same time.

Zhou Qing quietly turned his head and made a few complicated gestures to Lu Yaoyao.

Lu Yaoyao stared wide-eyed at the book, but shook her head slightly, looking bewildered, and whispered, "I don't understand!"

Zhou Qing: "..."

"Stay close to me and don't wander off," he whispered helplessly.

"Furthermore, fluctuations in divine sense transmission can also attract the attention of certain old monsters, because you never know what their Nascent Soul amplification and Divine Transformation realm are."

Lu Yaoyao nodded in sudden understanding, then patted her chest to show that she understood and that she could rest assured.

Subsequently, under Zhou Qing's perception, the two began to move forward along the gaps in each other's divine sense scans.

Each step he took was precisely placed in a blind spot scanned by the opponent's divine sense.

Lu Yaoyao followed nervously behind, clutching a teleportation talisman tightly in her hand, ready to react at any moment.

After passing through several warning lines, a strange distortion suddenly appeared on the distant mountainside.

The space was like folded silk, with a faint blue crack visible, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

"stop!"

A glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and he suddenly grabbed Lu Yaoyao's wrist.

The two of them spun around quickly and pressed themselves against the back of the protruding rock wall.

In that split second, a sharp, sword-like divine sense swept across from above, so close that one could even feel the chilling killing intent contained within it.

Lu Yaoyao's back was pressed tightly against the cold rock, and she even stopped breathing.

Zhou Qing narrowed his eyes, already understanding the situation.

These powerful figures who remained behind were likely all at the level of Grand Elders of their respective sects.

It would be virtually impossible to sneak in unnoticed under the noses of thirteen Nascent Soul cultivators at the Great Perfection stage.

Zhou Qing pondered to himself, “On the surface, it seems like we’re cooperating and exploring together, but in reality, we’re wary of each other and each has our own ulterior motives.”

He keenly noticed that the seemingly random placement of these powerful individuals' divine senses actually contained hidden secrets.

While everyone was monitoring the entrance to the ruins, they were also secretly on guard against their companions from other sects.

After all, no one wants to see other sects send more people into such ancient ruins.

Perhaps we can take advantage of their mutual distrust to find a sliver of an opportunity!
Just as he was pondering a solution, several whooshing sounds suddenly came from afar.

More than a dozen figures broke through the air and the divine senses of the stationed experts immediately swept over them like a tide.

When Zhou Qing saw eight people dressed in black and red clothing, with embroidered flame patterns on their robes, he immediately knew where they came from.

"The Hall of Calamity and Fire—" Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened.

In the Western Regions, the Hunyuan Sect is the most revered, while in the Southern Regions, the strongest of the seven major sects is the Jiehuo Hall.

As for the other eight people, they were all wearing black hoods.

At this moment, the leader slowly removed his hood, revealing a face that surprised Zhou Qing.

"It's him!" Upon seeing the person who had arrived, Lu Yaoyao immediately tugged at Zhou Qing quietly.

A cold smile crept across Zhou Qing's lips.

The newcomer was none other than Wu Tiangang, a level-three array master, followed by his personal disciples.

"A hypocritical old scoundrel." Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with cold light.

He still remembers that when the four-color magic array was being repaired at the border, this guy colluded with Su Lishan to make the array unrepairable, almost causing Master Lin to take the blame.

If it weren't for his own "Daily Reflection," Lin Daochen, who had just been promoted to a level three formation master, would probably have already lost his Dao heart.

Not only will they suffer the pain of lifelong guilt, but they will also never dare to touch the formation again, and they will bear the scorn of a million soldiers.

However, later, during the time in the Spirit Skull Mountain Secret Realm, Wu Tiangang and Su Lishan were invited over by Xiao Ji, the Lord of Lingyun Prefecture, and Ke Zhenxiong, the Lord of Haomiao Prefecture, respectively.

Needless to say, both men were seriously injured, especially Wu Tiangang, who had half of his body destroyed.

It seems that the recovery is going quite well now.

call out!
A crimson figure suddenly appeared, and the five Nascent Soul cultivators from the Tribulation Fire Hall immediately bowed: "Greetings, Ancestor!"

Elder Xie Chixiao of the Tribulation Fire Hall greeted Wu Tiangang with a broad smile and bowed respectfully: "Master Wu, you have come from afar. Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly!"

Wu Tiangang merely nodded slightly, his expression arrogant.

In terms of cultivation, both of them were at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage.

In terms of mastery of array formations, he was one of only three level-three array masters in the Holy Martial Dynasty.

Even the newly promoted Lin Daochen had to humbly seek his guidance back then.

As for connections, needless to say.

Even Prince Xuanyuan Shuo, who is at the Spirit Severing Realm, has to treat him with utmost respect.

"Is this the ruin?" Wu Tiangang asked bluntly, his eyes scanning the spatial rift ahead with keen insight.

Xie Chixiao nodded hurriedly: "It is truly an honor for our Tribulation Fire Hall that you have accepted our invitation, Master. The Hall Master specifically instructed that we must—"

Wu Tiangang waved his hand impatiently to interrupt: "I happen to have some free time recently, so let's talk about the conditions promised by your Tribulation Fire Palace."

"Of course it counts!" Xie Chixiao hurriedly replied, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes. "If the harvest is plentiful, doubling the reward is not out of the question."

Upon hearing this, Wu Tiangang's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and he stroked his beard with satisfaction.

"Very good. However, I will have to rely on you for safety. I will need to be fully focused when breaking the formation."

"Master, please rest assured!" Xie Chixiao patted his chest and assured him.

"Old Xie!" Just then, a sinister voice came from somewhere.

“We agreed in advance that each sect could only send twenty people. Since your Tribulation Fire Palace has invited outside help, you need to balance the number of people.”

Xie Chixiao's face darkened, and he snorted coldly: "Don't worry, the Fire Robbery Hall never violates the rules when it acts."

As he spoke, he took out a specially made jade slip and crushed it with force.

The jade transformed into a stream of light and dissipated, disappearing into the spatial rift behind it...

(End of this chapter)