The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 317 Disciple Dou Niwan, Ancestor, you can call me Wan'er (6k)

After finishing all this, Xie Chixiao glanced at the disciples behind Wu Tiangang.

He hesitated, then asked, "Master Wu, are they all going in?"

“Of course,” Wu Tiangang said without room for doubt. “They are responsible for assisting, and not one of them can be missing.”

Upon hearing this, the disciples immediately straightened their backs, their faces filled with arrogance.

Seeing this, Xie Chixiao had no choice but to nod helplessly.

Before long, ripples suddenly appeared at the entrance to the secret realm.

Eight figures staggered out, each with a deathly pale face, their late-stage Nascent Soul aura chaotic and disordered, their robes stained with blood and torn.

They had clearly just gone through a fierce battle.

"puff--"

One of them coughed up blood as soon as he stepped out of the secret realm, staggered a few steps, and was only able to stay upright with the help of his companions.

"Your subordinates pay their respects to the Supreme Elder." The group bowed with difficulty.

Xie Chixiao's expression was uncertain, as if he was already used to this situation. He simply waved his hand and said, "Go and heal your wounds first."

After the eight people left, he turned to Wu Tiangang and forced a smile: "Master Wu, please. My Lord of the Tribulation Fire Hall should have been waiting in the core area for quite some time."

Wu Tiangang frowned slightly, clearly noticing the unusual behavior of those people.

But thinking of the doubled pay, he nodded.

He then turned to his seven disciples and said in a deep voice, "Follow me closely and remember not to act on your own."

The disciples had long since lost their previous arrogance, and they all nodded solemnly.

With a spatial fluctuation, Wu Tiangang and his group gradually disappeared into the ripples.

Xie Chixiao stood there, the smile on his face gradually fading, replaced by deep worry.

But in an instant, he suddenly burst into laughter, his gaze mockingly fixed on a certain point in the void.

“Old Jiang!” Xie Chixiao drawled, “The Holy Martial Dynasty only has three Level 3 Array Masters in total.”

"Lin Daochen has only been promoted for two years, and neither of our families thinks highly of him. That's why we agreed to invite Masters Wu Tiangang and Su Lishan separately."

He deliberately raised his voice: "Now that Master Wu has been invited by my Jiehuo Hall, what about Master Su, whom your Hunyuan Sect invited?"

The void twisted, and an old man dressed in a black Taoist robe stepped out into the air.

Jiang Wangchuan's hair was as white as frost, and a hideous scar between his brows was particularly striking.

He glanced coldly at Xie Chixiao and snorted, "The Spirit Skull Mountain Secret Realm in the Eastern Region of Lingyun Prefecture caused both masters to suffer great losses. I heard that even Xuanjizi, the sect leader of Tianji Sect, perished there."

“Master Su’s injuries are much more serious than Master Wu’s.” Jiang Wangchuan changed the subject. “But don’t be too smug. Master Su will arrive in three days at the latest.”

Xie Chixiao gave a sarcastic "Oh," and said, "Then congratulations! But opportunities are fleeting."

"Our thirteen sects have an agreement: whoever goes into that barrier first will get the treasures inside."

“Of course I remember.” Jiang Wangchuan’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. “But there’s something I need to correct you on.”

"As far as I know, your Tribulation Fire Palace has sent people to invite Lin Daochen more than once. It's not that you look down on him, it's that he looks down on your Tribulation Fire Palace, isn't it?"

Xie Chixiao's face stiffened, then he sneered, "You talk as if your Hunyuan Sect has never run into a snag."

He looked around and raised his voice: "Five Ghosts Sect, Myriad Flowers Valley, Spirit Martial Sect, which one of you haven't invited?"

The mountains and forests were silent, and no one answered.

Xie Chixiao suddenly yawned and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Now that everyone's here, I should find a place to rest and recuperate."

Before he finished speaking, his figure had already turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared.

Jiang Wangchuan stood there, his face ashen, his eyes flashing with cold light.

A moment later, he suddenly snorted coldly, and in a flash, he appeared behind a boulder not far away.

"Strange..." Looking at the empty space behind the rocks, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, scanned the area carefully with his divine sense several times, and then reluctantly let it fade away.

……

Deep in the dense forest, Zhou Qing was rummaging through his storage bag.

Lu Yaoyao, holding the old hen, lowered her voice and said, "Senior Brother Zhou, I heard from the Hunyuan Sect that Su Lishan will arrive in two or three days."

"How about we intercept them halfway, feed them a few poison pills, and sneak in as their entourage?"

Zhou Qing shook his head after hearing this, but continued working on his hands.

Not to mention that he was ashamed to associate with the likes of Wu Tiangang and Su Lishan.

How did he manage to sneak in?
Su Lishan was also a veteran at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, and there were definitely many Nascent Soul Realm experts from the Hunyuan Sect accompanying her.

If someone were to shout at their ancestor at any moment, wouldn't they be walking right into a trap?

At that time, people from other sects will definitely be happy to do Su Lishan a favor as a master.

Besides——

Why blend in with them instead of becoming one of them?

Soon, Zhou Qing took out an ancient token engraved with the words "Hun Yuan".

These are spoils of war I left behind when I killed Ma Cheng. I never thought they would come in handy today.

In addition, there are several sets of clothing belonging to direct disciples of the Hunyuan Sect.

"Time is of the essence; it will take at least five days to travel from here to and from the Hunyuan Sect." Zhou Qing handed a set of female disciple's attire to Lu Yaoyao. "We have no choice but to take a gamble."

He then explained his plan in detail.

Lu Yaoyao was startled at first, then her eyes flashed with excitement.

After all, her understanding of artistic conception came from her various adventures with her father. The more dangerous the situation, the deeper the impression, and the faster she could make up for it.

Just like the last time the two of them returned from Kunpeng Palace, after the incident with Yan Sen and his nephew, her artistic conception could be described as leaping forward.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Zhou!" she said confidently as she took the clothes.

Zhou Qing nodded: "If we are truly exposed, I am confident that I can get you away safely."

This is no exaggeration—given his current strength and the infighting among the thirteen sects, he believes that most others will likely remain on the sidelines and watch the show unfold.

After changing his clothes, Zhou Qing put on a silver mask, stuffed the old hen into his arms, and carefully gave Lu Yaoyao a few more instructions.

The two exchanged a glance and then swaggered into the depths of the Wuzu Mountain Range.

"Om-"

As soon as they approached the warning range, thirteen terrifying divine senses pressed down like a tidal wave.

Zhou Qing snorted coldly, his divine sense solidifying into a tangible form, erecting an invisible barrier in front of him.

"Huh?" Several surprised and doubtful voices came from the shadows.

Lu Yaoyao immediately feigned panic and announced loudly, "Dou Niwan, a direct disciple of the Hunyuan Sect, has been ordered by the sect to invite Master Su here!"

Swish!
Jiang Wangchuan's figure appeared in front of the two of them in an instant.

If Lu Yaoyao hadn't been wearing the robes of a Hunyuan Sect disciple, not only him, but probably everyone else would have already made a move; how could anyone be allowed to get so close?

"Master Su?"

Jiang Wangchuan looked at Zhou Qing, who was wearing a mask, with suspicion, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Om-"

With a thought, Zhou Qing's body was suddenly covered with countless spiritual seals. These runes intertwined in the air to form a complex array, emitting mysterious fluctuations.

"It really is Master Su!" Jiang Wangchuan was both surprised and delighted to see this.

But then he frowned—wasn't it said it would take at least three more days to arrive? How come it's so fast?
Moreover, he didn't have several apprentices like Wu Tiangang.
Zhou Qing seemed to sense his doubts, so he imitated Su Lishan's voice and spoke in a deep, resonant voice with the aid of the mask.

"My face was injured during my trip to Lingku Mountain, and it has not yet fully healed, so I will not show my true face to anyone."

Jiang Wangchuan carefully examined the person in front of him.

To be honest, he had never actually seen this legendary array master in person.

The Holy Martial Dynasty has eight prefectures and seventy-two counties, covering a vast territory. Before Lin Daochen's advancement, the entire dynasty only had two third-level formation masters: Su Lishan and Wu Tiangang.

The two were constantly invited by prefects, governors, and various forces, and were rarely seen.

This was the first time in all his years at Hunyuan Sect that he had successfully invited this master.

"Master Su's temperament is indeed as refined as rumored." Jiang Wangchuan nodded to himself, not to mention that the dense array of spiritual seals was definitely not fake.

"Master Su's presence is truly a blessing for our Hunyuan Sect!" Jiang Wangchuan said excitedly, bowing with his hands clasped in greeting.

The frustration from Xie Chixiao's mockery vanished, and he felt triumphant.

He suddenly turned to Lu Yaoyao, his gaze sharp as lightning: "Why are you the only one here? Where are the others? I've never seen you before."

Lu Yaoyao immediately followed the pre-rehearsed plan, her eyes reddening, and with tears streaming down her face, she bowed and said, "Please, Ancestor, do justice for your disciple!"

He then took out Ma Cheng's identity token and respectfully handed it over.

"This disciple is a disciple of the Third Elder, Ma Cheng. This time, I accompanied my master and several elders to welcome Master Su. Who knew that on the return journey we would be ambushed by a large number of people..."

Her voice choked with emotion: "To ensure Master Su's safety, Master ordered his disciples to escort Master Su here first, while he and the other elders covered the rear..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wangchuan flew into a rage, his gaze filled with murderous intent as he stared in a certain direction.

Zhou Qingjing watched this scene from behind the mask, secretly relieved, thinking that her gamble had paid off.

After I kill Ma Cheng, the soul lamp left by the Hunyuan Sect will surely go out.

What he was most worried about was that the person in front of him would find out.

So he was betting that this person had been stationed here for a long time, and the higher-ups of the Hunyuan Sect might not inform him of the death, so as not to affect the exploration of this place.

After all, according to the timeline, the war in the southwest region of Haomiao Prefecture started earlier than that in the eastern region of Lingyun Prefecture.

Furthermore, even if the other party already knew, Lu Yaoyao could tell him that Ma Cheng had not perished, but was only seriously injured.

More importantly, after being publicly ridiculed by Xie Chixiao, Jiang Wangchuan was now most concerned about how to save face for the leader of the Western Regions in front of the other twelve sects.

"Thank you so much, Master Su, for coming all this way to help!" Jiang Wangchuan quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Is this the ruins right in front of us?"

"That's right," Jiang Wangchuan quickly replied. "Master Wu left an hour ago."

"Old Wu is here too?" Zhou Qing feigned surprise, then chuckled, "That's interesting."

He pointed at Lu Yaoyao, "To save time, I didn't bring any disciples with me. This little girl seems quite clever, so let her assist me."

Jiang Wangchuan was overjoyed upon hearing this.

The Hall of Calamity Fire had just sent in eight people, but they only had two on their side, and the girl was even a disciple of their Hunyuan Sect, which was a pleasant surprise.

"Master, please wait a moment!" He impatiently crushed a specially made jade slip, then turned to Lu Yaoyao: "What's your name again?"

“Disciple Dou Niwan,” Lu Yaoyao bowed obediently, “Grandmaster, you may call me Wan’er.”

Jiang Wangchuan waved his hand casually.

As supreme elders, they had long since ceased to concern themselves with worldly affairs. The elders of the sect would often take in dozens of disciples, so how could he possibly remember the names of all these juniors?

“Take good care of Master Su,” he said sternly. “If you dare to be negligent in the slightest, I will not let you off lightly!” “Don’t worry, Ancestor, your disciple will definitely not disappoint you!” Lu Yaoyao respectfully put away the token, a sly glint in her eyes.

Before long, two figures appeared from the entrance of the secret realm.

These were two late-stage Nascent Soul elders from the Hunyuan Sect, their faces also pale, their robes still stained with undried blood.

It is evident that although the ruins here have been secretly explored by the thirteen clans for many years, they remain extremely dangerous.

After bowing to Jiang Wangchuan, the two silently stepped aside.

"Shall we go in together?" Zhou Qing asked casually.

Jiang Wangchuan shook his head: "I won't go. I've already notified the sect leader to meet the master inside."

Zhou Qing nodded, then said to Lu Yaoyao, "Let's go!"

The two then headed towards the entrance.

Lu Yaoyao's eyes were full of excitement, and she secretly winked at Zhou Qing.

No, we just got away with this?
Isn't everything going a little too smoothly?
Where are the brains of these old monsters?

"Wait a moment!"

But the next moment, Jiang Wangchuan suddenly spoke up behind him, and Zhou Qing's heart tightened, and he paused slightly.

Have we discovered something?

The entrance is just a stone's throw away. If I were to reveal my true form as the Golden-Winged Roc right now, I might have a 60% chance of forcing my way in.
But it's still too risky.

He slowly turned around and saw that Lu Yaoyao had a bitter face and was muttering something silently.

But then Jiang Wangchuan strode forward, a broad smile on his face, and took out six top-grade spirit stones.

It symbolizes good fortune and smooth sailing!

"Master Su must have expended a great deal of energy breaking the formation; this is but a small token of my respect. After this matter is resolved, please stay at our sect for a couple of days..."

Zhou Qing's lips twitched beneath the mask—it was terrifying!
Money delivered to your doorstep is money you shouldn't refuse!
He calmly put away the spirit stones: "No problem, I'll be inconvenienced at the time."

"Not at all, not at all, it's an honor to have you here, I couldn't be happier!" Jiang Wangchuan repeatedly cupped his hands, his face crinkling into a smile like a chrysanthemum.

Lu Yaoyao also breathed a sigh of relief and secretly winked at Zhou Qing.

Then Zhou Qing led Lu Yaoyao into the portal, and their figures disappeared instantly.

Jiang Wangchuan let out a long sigh, stretched his limbs, looked smugly in Xie Chixiao's direction, and snorted coldly.

See that? That's what you call grandeur!

If you pay him before he does any work, how can he not put in the effort?
That restriction must be taken down by our Hunyuan Sect first!

……

The moment they passed through the portal, Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao felt dizzy and disoriented.

Once visibility returned to normal, a vast and ancient world came into view.

The sky was an eerie bluish-gray, with three blood-red setting suns hanging high, illuminating the entire world in a crimson hue.

In the distance, mountains hang upside down, rivers flow upstream, and ancient and violent spiritual energy fluctuations permeate the air.

The ground is riddled with bottomless cracks, constantly spewing out eerie blue fire.

Lu Yaoyao stared wide-eyed in shock at the scene before her.

The old hen poked her head out from Zhou Qing's arms, blinking her bulging eyes and curiously observing.

Zhou Qing didn't speak, but immediately scanned his surroundings with his divine sense, a slight chill running down his spine.

He could clearly feel that this world was filled with a powerful suppressive force, and his divine sense could only probe within one-tenth of the outside world.

"I wonder how Second Senior Sister and Bai He discovered this place in the first place?" Zhou Qing murmured softly.

Just then, Lu Yaoyao gently tugged at Zhou Qing and pointed to a spot not far away.

Several meters to their side, on the ground, lay several desiccated corpses, their clothes still faintly recognizable as those of disciples of the Thirteen Sects.

I just don't know which one it is?

"Judging from the color of their bones, they should all be at the Nascent Soul stage," Zhou Qing said in a deep voice. "It must be because this place is too dangerous that the Thirteen Sects switched to using the Deity Transformation stage for exploration."

He looked at Lu Yaoyao seriously: "Remember, you must never stray more than three zhang from me. Those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators who emerged injured are a prime example."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qing's expression changed drastically, and he grabbed Lu Yaoyao and retreated abruptly!

Almost simultaneously, the ground suddenly bulged up, and a giant claw covered in scales burst out of the earth!

The claw was as big as a millstone, its fingertips gleaming with a cold, eerie green light, barely grazing the hem of their clothes.

"Roar--"

Amidst a deafening roar, a ferocious beast resembling a pangolin but as large as a small mountain emerged completely from the ground.

Its scales opened and closed, spewing out poisonous mist, and its scarlet eyes were fixed on the two of them.

"A poisonous armored beast in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!" Zhou Qing's pupils constricted slightly.

We encountered a ferocious beast at the level of a demon king as soon as we entered?
No wonder those Nascent Soul disciples died so tragically.

To make matters worse, the ground around them began to rise one after another, and five more venomous armored beasts burst out of the ground!

They surrounded each other, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"Interesting!" Zhou Qing's eyes lit up.

These demonic beasts have cultivated to the level of demon kings, and in theory they should be able to transform into human form and speak human language, at most retaining only a small portion of their demonic beast characteristics.

But at this moment, their eyes only held primal bestiality, not at all like those of intelligent beings.

It reminded him of the fiery crocodiles in the third coffin in the forbidden cave.

It can only be said that either their bloodline is very ancient, or this world has been sealed for too long.

"Senior Brother Zhou, I'll hold one of them back!"

Although Lu Yaoyao was a little nervous, she immediately took out a longsword of ice and conjured it in her hand, with cold air swirling around its blade.

Zhou Qing's lips curled up slightly.

In his eyes, a mere five Nascent Soul stage demon kings were nothing more than chickens and dogs.

This is actually an excellent opportunity to condense the Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal.

After scanning the surroundings again with his divine sense to confirm that no one was around, he handed the old hen to Lu Yaoyao: "I'm here, it's not your turn to make a move yet!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qing had already taken to the air.

Just as he was about to unfurl his blood-wing phantom, the three blood-red suns in the sky suddenly shone brightly!
"boom!"

A crimson beam of light descended from the sky, and Zhou Qing felt his spiritual energy instantly freeze, forcibly suppressing him from mid-air.

"An anti-flight restriction?!" His heart trembled violently, and he couldn't help but look at the three eerie setting suns.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, the six-headed demon king attacked from different directions simultaneously!

Claws tore through the air, and poisonous mist surged forth like a tide.

"Senior Brother Zhou!" A chilling aura emanated from beneath Lu Yaoyao's feet, and ice crystals instantly spread for dozens of feet as she stepped forward to help.

"Back off!"

Zhou Qing gave a cold shout, and a flash of silver light appeared beneath his feet.

Even without the ability to fly, dealing with these beasts would still be a piece of cake.

His figure moved like a golden lightning bolt, instantly closing in on the nearest venomous beast.

The tetanus sword in his hand hummed and vibrated, and subtle ripples appeared in the space wherever the sword passed.

"Roar--"

A venomous beast pounced first, its claws tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.

Zhou Qing slightly turned his body, and with a slanted thrust of the broken sword, accurately pierced the joint of the man's forelimb.

The demon king roared in pain, his movements momentarily halting.

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhou Qing moved around and used the same method to leave wounds on the other four demon kings.

In a short time, all six ferocious beasts were injured and their movements became sluggish.

At this moment, a pair of blood-red phantoms suddenly appeared behind Zhou Qing. Their wings were faintly visible, yet they exuded a chilling and ferocious aura.

As the phantom of blood wings suddenly unfolded, it enveloped the wounded demon king like a net.

"Congeal!"

With a low shout, the Blood Wings suddenly contracted.

Several demon kings immediately let out mournful howls, their massive bodies visibly shrunken and withered away.

Soon, as the blood wings unfolded again, a blood-red crystal, only the size of a thumb, floated in the air.

Zhou Qing's face lit up with joy upon seeing the Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal.

Just like the last time when it killed Yan Sen, who had been plagued by misfortune for three days, this blood crystal had no other impurities, only a vast amount of spiritual energy and blood energy quietly surging within it.

"It seems we've come to the right place!" Zhou Qing's eyes gleamed.

"Unfortunately, there are too many people and too many eyes here. Although there are some inscription-level divine abilities that even the Spirit Severing Realm has never seen before, we still have to be careful just in case, otherwise, it could be a fatal disaster!"

Lu Yaoyao ran over excitedly, her face full of admiration.

"Give me a chance next time, I need to gain experience too," Lu Yaoyao said, looking eager to try.

Zhou Qing took the old hen and handed her the much smaller Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal.

"Focus on breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage first. Don't let anyone see this!" Zhou Qing solemnly instructed.

Lu Yaoyao looked at the crystal in her hand, her eyes shining, and nodded repeatedly.

After killing Yan Sen at the Kunpeng Palace last time, my father condensed three such crystals, but they were much larger than this one.

Moreover, when I was a child, my father would get such crystals every time he killed the demon queen he was chasing, but I never absorbed any of them.

She carefully put it away and said happily, "I understand."

Zhou Qing nodded and looked around.

When we first entered, the Supreme Elder of the Hunyuan Sect said that their sect leader would come to meet us. The same thing was said to Wu Tiangang when he entered the Jiehuo Hall.

Since flying is prohibited in this area, even if the other party receives the news, it will probably take them a while to get here.

Furthermore, we still don't know where Second Senior Sister and the others are, or which direction they should go.

Thirteen sects comparable to the Taiqing Sect have been exploring these secret realms for years with little progress; blindly searching for them would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I might as well wait here. Since I've borrowed the identity of "Su Lishan," perhaps I can get some clues out of this Hunyuan Sect Master.
"Senior Brother Zhou, look over there—"

Just as Zhou Qing was pondering, Lu Yaoyao suddenly exclaimed.

Zhou Qing subconsciously looked up and saw a huge shadow looming over him!

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(End of this chapter)