The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 327 The Treasures Hidden on the Cloud Whale (6k)

After Zhou Qing returned to the cabin, Luo Lingling slowly opened her eyes: "I suddenly realized something?"

"What?" Zhou Qing turned to look at her.

"Logically speaking, a large merchant guild like Duobao should have a complete soundproof barrier when transporting live animals."

Luo Lingling sat up straight, her eyes gleaming beneath her mask. "But this monster has been roaring ever since we boarded the ship, and..."

She held up one finger: "The calls are too regular. The pitch and rhythm are almost identical, like repeating several sounds in a loop."

"It's a pity I don't understand animal language, otherwise I might have been able to discern more clues."

Zhou Qing was taken aback upon hearing this, and after careful consideration, his expression changed slightly: "That's indeed the case."

"Should I go take a look?" he asked hesitantly.

Luo Lingling immediately shook her head: "The first rule of the Way of Survival: Curiosity killed the cat. Never—"

“Don’t worry,” Zhou Qing interrupted her, “I won’t alert anyone.”

As he spoke, he stood in the center of the room, facing the bottom of the cabin, and slowly closed his eyes.

Under Luo Lingling's questioning gaze, when Zhou Qing opened his eyes again, his originally clear eyes suddenly had a blood-red pupil in each of them.

And deep within those blood-red pupils, a phantom image of a jet-black spider could be faintly seen.

The spider had eight legs supporting it to the sky, its head raised and hissing, its body covered in ancient runes that flowed endlessly.

As its eight long legs trembled slightly, wisps of eerie aura seeped from its body, merging into Zhou Qing's vision.

"This is..." Luo Lingling subconsciously took a half step back. Even with her extensive experience, she had never seen such a bizarre pupil technique.

At this moment, with the aid of his dual pupils, Zhou Qing's vision began to penetrate the layers of deck.

The first level was a regular cargo hold, piled high with crates; the second level was equipped with restrictions, but these were ineffective against the twin pupils; the third level...
"Hiss—" Zhou Qing suddenly groaned, and bloodshot eyes appeared at the corners of his eyes.

The deeper he went, the stronger the restrictions that isolated his divine sense became. Each layer was like an invisible wall that he had to break through with his spiritual power.

Fourth floor. Fifth floor.
The excruciating pain spread from my eyes to my temples, as if a million steel needles were churning inside my brain.

But Zhou Qing gritted his teeth and continued looking down.

Finally, after penetrating the seventh deck, he saw five men in black robes sitting cross-legged in the center of the formation, each with a black array flag floating in front of them.

And in the middle of them was an echoing conch shell the size of a human head, from which the deafening roar of the beast came!

"A snail? How is that possible!" Zhou Qing examined the object again in disbelief, and after confirming that there was nothing else, he was filled with confusion.

Why expend so much manpower and resources to travel thousands of miles to the capital just to transport an echoing conch shell?

This thing could easily fit into a storage bag.

"Are you alright?" Seeing that Zhou Qing's pupils had returned to normal and he staggered backward, Luo Lingling quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Zhou Qing rubbed his sore eyes and said softly, "It's nothing, just excessive consumption of spiritual energy."

He then truthfully told his senior sister what he had seen.

Upon hearing this, Luo Lingling's expression immediately turned serious, and she paced back and forth in the cabin, resting her chin on her hand.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, a glint of light flashing in her eyes: "I understand!"

At this moment, Zhou Qing also suddenly realized, and the two said in unison: "Openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass!"

“This Cloud Whale is just a decoy,” Luo Lingling said in a low voice. “The real treasures have probably already been transported via other routes. They’ve used the Echo Conch to create a false impression in order to cover their tracks.”

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "It's understandable for a merchant ship to roar when it docks, but for it to last this long is too deliberate. This sound is probably a signal specifically for the traitor on board."

"It seems this trip won't be peaceful," Luo Lingling sighed softly, a worried look appearing between her brows.

Zhou Qing shook his head with a wry smile: "I thought I was getting a ride on a wave of good fortune, but I never expected to end up wading into muddy waters."

Luo Lingling looked at Zhou Qing and stepped forward, saying, "Logically speaking, since we know there's danger, we should make a decisive move and leave as soon as possible. But you urgently need wood-attribute spirit stones."

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment, as every wood-attribute spirit stone was now extremely precious to him.

Seeing his expression, Luo Lingling understood and said softly, "Then let's wait and see. Nobody's a fool. Sometimes, overthinking can backfire. Maybe the other side has already seen through the bait."

She paused, then added reassuringly, "Even if we do encounter robbers, they're mostly after the goods; what does that have to do with us?"

"With your current cultivation level, it should be a piece of cake for the two of us to escape."

Zhou Qing's expression softened slightly, and he nodded, saying, "Alright, let's wait and see. If the situation changes, we can make further plans later."

…………

At the same time, Zou Lun, on the other side of the cabin, suddenly opened his eyes.

He took out a jade slip map and examined it carefully, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Then he stood up and whispered, "The time has come."

He then pushed open the cabin door and walked straight towards the core of the formation deep inside the cabin.

Just a few flights of stairs down, they bumped into Jin Mantang, who was about to go out.

"Where is Master Zou headed?" Jin Mantang asked respectfully.

The Duobao Chamber of Commerce has 35 branches in the 72 prefectures and 8 counties of the Holy Martial Dynasty, but so far it has only recruited Zou Lun, a second-level array master, to sit in the capital headquarters.

The Yunjing was damaged and docked at Yaoguang Prefecture. Master Zou Lun, who happened to be there on business, volunteered to help with the repairs and took the opportunity to return home.

Although Jin Mantang was grateful, he did not dare to trouble this important member of the headquarters too much, so he recruited another array master.

Faced with Jin Mantang's bow, Zou Lun smiled calmly: "I had nothing to do, so I thought I'd check the operation of the formation to ensure the safety of the journey ahead."

“Master Zou, you are too kind. Why don’t I accompany you?” Jin Mantang suggested.

Zou Lun waved his hand: "I've heard that Manager Jin's Cloud Whale uses a dual-color magic array, which is quite expensive. I'd like to take this opportunity to study it on my own."

Upon hearing this, Jin Mantang looked troubled: "To be honest, this Yunjing is like my child, having been with me for nearly a thousand years. No one knows it better than me. Why don't I explain it to you?"

"Manager Jin, do you not trust me?" Zou Lun's tone suddenly turned cold.

Jin Mantang's expression changed, and he quickly apologized, "How dare I, how dare I."

He then took out a strange key from his pocket, which was entirely emerald green and shaped like a swimming fish. "I will now open the core area for you."

Then, he led Zou Lun, whose expression was still displeased, to a lower level, and immediately formed hand seals.

As the hand seals changed, the key slowly floated up, drawing a mysterious trajectory in the air.

In an instant, the array patterns on the four walls of the cabin lit up one after another, like an inverted galaxy, weaving into a dazzling net of light in the void.

Jin Mantang muttered incantations, then suddenly shouted, "Open!"

The fish-shaped key transformed into a streak of light and disappeared directly into an inconspicuous groove on the bulkhead.

Accompanied by the deep hum of machinery, the heavy black iron hatch slowly opened, revealing the dark blue array core inside.

In the center of the core area, a three-foot square crystal array plate floats in mid-air, with gold and silver light flowing around it, intertwined as if they were living things.

Around the array plate, twelve bronze pillars were arranged according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Each pillar was topped with a top-grade spirit stone the size of a fist, emitting a heart-palpitating energy fluctuation.

Looking at the scene before him, a fleeting hint of surprise flashed in Zou Lun's eyes.

He then glanced at Jin Mantang and said indifferently, "Manager Jin, I can figure it out on my own. You may go about your business."

Jin Mantang didn't know what to say at this point, so he cupped his hands and said, "Master Zou, please make yourself at home. If you need anything, please call me anytime."

Zou Lun nodded slightly, said no more, and stepped straight into the core area.

The hatch slowly closed behind him, blocking out the array's light, and the corridor fell into darkness once more.

Jin Mantang frowned and glanced at the tightly closed cabin door, feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He shook his head, turned to leave, and suddenly—

"boom!"

The entire Narwal ship suddenly shuddered, as if it had collided with an invisible giant wave. The ship tilted violently, and Jin Mantang stumbled and almost fell.

His expression changed drastically. He quickly pulled out a jade slip radiating spiritual light from his sleeve, activated it, and his pupils contracted as he scanned it.

"The Sea of ​​No Light?!"

On the map, the marker representing the Narwhal has already entered a pitch-black area, which is the perilous pass on the way to the capital – the Sea of ​​No Light!

This airspace is shrouded in thick black clouds all year round, resembling an endless sea of ​​ink suspended thousands of feet in the sky.

If an ordinary flying boat were to mistakenly enter this place, it would lose its way in an instant.

Some unsuspecting cultivators, once inside the flying magical artifact, feel as if they have fallen into an abyss, losing all five senses, and may even be lost there for the rest of their lives.

Fortunately, the Narwhal's unique "star compass" emitted a faint light in the center of the deck, which was their reliance on the fact that they had been able to travel through this deadly airspace countless times without incident.

"Time really flies. Once we cross the Sea of ​​No Light, we'll arrive at Crimson Flame County..."

Before Jin Mantang could finish speaking, the entire merchant ship trembled again, and the protective runes on the bulkheads flickered violently.

"What's going on?" Jin Mantang's expression changed drastically.

Although the Sea of ​​No Light is dangerous, it has always been eerily calm and has never experienced such intense fluctuations before.

At least over the years, he has never encountered it once.

As he flashed toward the deck and pushed open the hatch, thick, inky black clouds rushed toward him.

The lighting talismans that usually floated around the flying boat were now as if extinguished by an invisible hand, leaving only the central compass emitting a faint light.

Dozens of guards from the merchant ship were currently searching around with spirit-detecting mirrors.

"Manager!" The first mate stumbled out of the black mist. "It's like the airship crashed into some invisible barrier!"

boom!
A muffled thud came from the bottom of the airship, and the entire ship tilted sharply at a 30-degree angle.

Jin Mantang stumbled and grabbed the railing, quickly making a hand seal to activate the captain's command talisman.

"A bright light appears!"

With a sharp shout, a blinding golden light suddenly burst forth from around the Narwhal.

As the light shone, the dark clouds receded like a tide, revealing a chilling scene.

Countless translucent magnetic chains coiled around the flying boat like a spider web, each chain covered with runes that shimmered with an eerie light.

Even more terrifying, outside the mesh of the interwoven chains, dozens of giant, cloud-swallowing pythons with metallic scales were coiling and swimming.

Each of their scales blended perfectly into the black clouds, with only their scarlet forked tongues appearing and disappearing in the golden light.

"It's the Cloud Robbers!" Upon seeing the chains and the giant cloud-swallowing python, Jin Mantang suddenly realized something, and his face turned deathly pale.

The Cloud Robbers—a notorious high-altitude plundering organization, ruthless in its methods, targeting trade routes along the Cloud Sea, and almost wanted to death by major merchant guilds.

Among them, the most feared was the third leader, Blood Feather Demon Lord – Yin Hongxiao.

This person is skilled in the art of beast taming, and the creatures he keeps are these giant cloud-swallowing pythons!
"Oops!"

He looked up abruptly and saw the giant python at the head suddenly arch its body, its thick tail, as thick as a bowl, lashing out at the protective barrier with a whooshing sound!

"Click——"

The barrier's spiritual light flickered violently, and it even showed signs of shattering!
Without hesitation, Jin Mantang crushed the jade talisman in his robes.

“Buzz——!!!”

The piercing alarm sirens instantly resounded throughout the entire airship, and the combat runes in each cabin lit up one after another. The guards on the deck took out their weapons and stood ready for battle.

At the bottom of the ship's cabin, five figures sitting cross-legged opened their eyes simultaneously. One of them sighed, "We still couldn't dodge it."

At the same time, Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling also noticed something was wrong.

"There's quite a commotion." Zhou Qing frowned and handed the old hen in his arms to Luo Lingling. "I'll go take a look."

Luo Lingling nodded: "Be careful."

Zhou Qing darted out and, as soon as he stepped onto the deck, he saw dozens of guards operating crossbows and talismans, frantically bombarding the giant cloud-swallowing pythons that were swimming around them.

Jin Mantang stood at the bow of the ship, holding a golden array plate, and was fully controlling the defensive turrets on the flying boat to fight back.

Seeing Zhou Qing and the others arrive, he quickly called out:
"Gentlemen! We've been ambushed by the Cloud Bandits!"

"The airship is trapped by the magnetic chains and can't move! What's worse—" his face was grim, "the power array is damaged, and both its defense and attack are weakening!"

"The flock of sword-beaked eagles we encountered earlier was probably a test by the Cloud Robbers! Now that the core of the formation is damaged, it must be repaired immediately!"

He gritted his teeth and growled, "Master Zou Lun is in the core area. Please follow me to provide support immediately!"

Zhou Qing did not move immediately, but stood still, his cold gaze sweeping over the churning black clouds around him.

As he closed his eyes and opened them again, crimson pupils quietly appeared.

In an instant, the thick, inky darkness before my eyes vanished, and my vision suddenly became clear—

"hiss……"

Zhou Qing's pupils suddenly contracted!

Within the churning black clouds, dozens of dark warships were lurking, surrounding the Cloud Whale like a pack of hungry wolves!

The decks of each warship were filled with Jieyun bandit cultivators clad in black armor and wielding weapons, exuding a chilling aura!
What's even more terrifying is that these warships are not stationary, but are slowly approaching in some mysterious formation.

The runes on the ship's surface were flashing, clearly indicating that some kind of combined attack was brewing!

This is to completely cut off the Narwhale's escape route!
He then followed Manager Jin and the other five array masters who had been recruited, rushing to the core cabin.

When Jin Mantang led everyone into the core area of ​​the formation and opened it with the key, everyone's expression changed drastically.

There was no trace of Zou Lun inside.

Even more terrifying is that the core of the array, which was originally operating in a precise manner, has now been destroyed and is in complete disarray!
In the center, the three-foot square crystal array plate should have been floating in mid-air, but at this moment, the spiritual patterns on the array plate were broken, the light was dim, and it almost stopped!

The twelve bronze pillars around were leaning to one side and to the other, and all the top-grade spirit stones had been taken away in a rough manner.

"Master Zou?!" Jin Mantang's voice trembled as he frantically searched the core module, but Zou Lun was nowhere to be seen.

"Shopkeeper! Look here!" A formation master suddenly pointed to the wall.

Jin Mantang quickly looked over and saw that on the hard black iron cabin wall, someone had used spiritual power to carve a line of hastily written characters, the strokes sharp as knives, revealing undisguised sarcasm:
"Old Jin, I'm sorry, but they really gave us too much."

Jin Mantang was struck dumb, staggered back two steps, and his face turned ashen.

As a seasoned veteran who had navigated the business world for many years, how could he not understand what had happened?
"Zou Lun... is in cahoots with those bandits!"

"It's over..."

His lips trembled, and his whole body felt cold.

With the core of the formation destroyed, the backup spiritual energy source couldn't sustain it for long.

Moreover, the goods being transported on this ship are extremely rare. If they are robbed, even if Jin Mantang had ten lives, it wouldn't be enough to compensate for the loss!
Zhou Qing frowned, his gaze silently scrutinizing Jin Mantang.

Although this person was a cultivator in the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, his despair, anger, and disbelief at this moment were all terrifyingly real.

"It seems the entire Narwhal has been used as bait..."

"Including this shopkeeper."

"Otherwise, this acting is just too..."

Just as he was pondering—

"Hahaha!"

A chilling, ear-piercing laugh suddenly tore through the dark clouds, like the howl of a demon from the deepest hell, echoing throughout the entire airship!
The guards on the deck looked in the direction of the sound and saw a blurry figure slowly emerging from the thick, inky sea of ​​clouds.

The man stood in mid-air, surrounded by swirling black mist. His face seemed to be concealed by some secret technique, with only a pair of scarlet eyes staring intently at the crowd like venomous snakes.

The second-in-command of the Robbery Cloud Bandits—the Faceless Ghost Owl—Mo Qisha!

"The Cloud Whale, Manager Jin, is that you?" Mo Qisha asked in a sinister tone, his voice carrying a mocking, cat-and-mouse tone. "I heard you brought some incredible treasure this time?"

"Especially that Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus..."

He slowly raised his hand, and the black mist condensed in his palm into an eerie black lotus. As the lotus petals opened and closed, it seemed as if thousands of wronged souls were wailing.

"How about... I share some?"

-

The air inside the sealed room suddenly froze!

Everyone turned to look at Jin Mantang, their eyes filled with shock and greed; even Zhou Qing's pupils constricted slightly.

Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus!

Once this thing matures, consuming its lotus seeds and using its deathly power to suppress the obsessive spirit will give you a 20% chance of breaking through to the Spirit Severing Realm!

This was a secret revealed by the old emperor in his early years, which drove countless cultivators mad.

but--

Such a rare and precious creature is too extraordinary! Legend has it that it only grows on the edge of the Nine Netherworld Purgatory, rooted in the place where the remains and essence of ten thousand demons converge, and only after thousands of years does a sliver of life break through the soil.

This is an unparalleled elixir, extremely rare and hard to find in the world!
But now...

There's a plant hidden on this ship?!

For a moment, all of them looked at Jin Mantang with greedy expressions.

Zhou Qing remained silent. Back then, in order to catalyze the maturation of the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus, Sikong Yan set up a flawed Five-Colored Killing Array in Canglan Mountain, sacrificing millions of demon beasts.

Although it eventually matured, countless high-ranking members of sects throughout the Eastern Region were buried there.

Moreover, none of the five sects who attempted to refine the lotus seeds succeeded; instead, several perished.

According to Second Uncle, the Nine Nether Lotus Seed was just one of the auxiliary ingredients in the secret technique released by the old emperor. The real key was hidden very deeply!
-

"Giggle-"

Suddenly, a charming laugh rang out, as clear as a silver bell, yet carrying a chilling undertone.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a giant python, ten feet long, slowly swimming towards them. On the python's head, a woman in a red dress sat lazily to the side.

Her skin was as white as snow, her lips as red as cinnabar, and a blood-red feather mark between her brows was dazzlingly beautiful. Her slender fingers were playing with a scarlet snake scale.

Blood Feather Demon Lord – Cin Hongxiao!

The third leader of the Robbery Cloud Thieves is unparalleled in the Cloud Sea with his beast-taming skills!
"Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus? This concubine has no interest in it~"

Her red lips parted slightly, and her gaze seemed to penetrate through the layers of decks, looking down into the lowest cabin.

"But I'm quite interested in that... half-pureblooded thunder dragon cub on your ship!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in another uproar!
Thunder Dragon!

It is rumored that the Great Completion Thunder Flood Dragon can easily break through to the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, and is a true ancient remnant species!

"I'm tired of raising these Cloud-Swallowing Pythons..."

Yin Hongxiao licked her lips, a greedy glint in her eyes.

"Perfect as a snack for the little one!"

-

"Hahaha!"

A burst of wild laughter erupted, shaking the sky like thunder!
Everyone turned around in shock, only to see a burly figure shattering through the black clouds as he walked, the void trembling slightly with each step!
He was nine feet tall, with muscles like coiled dragons, his bare upper body covered with star-like tattoos, his eyes like torches, and his aura terrifying!
Shattered Star Demon - Tu Qianyue!

The leader of the Jieyun Thieves, whose physical cultivation is so powerful that he can tear mountains and rivers apart with his bare hands!

"I have no interest in lotus seeds or dragons!"

He grinned maliciously at Jin Mantang, his voice booming like a bell.

"But hand over that scroll of 'The True Explanation of Taixu Refining Weapons - Fragment' on your ship!"

-

Zhou Qing and the others were utterly shocked, and all looked at Jin Mantang, whose face was ashen.

On this ship...

Just how many more amazing treasures are hidden away?!

call out!
Just then, a figure suddenly darted out from the shadows of the cabin—it was none other than Zou Lun, who had been missing for a long time!

With a fawning expression, he rushed towards the three leaders of the Cloud Robbery Bandits, only to be blocked by a giant cloud-swallowing python, its blood-red maw already wide open—

"Wait a minute!"

With a slight lift of her crimson silk hand, the giant python immediately lowered its head obediently.

Zou Lun flashed and leaped several times to the three leaders, kneeling on one knee and clasping his hands in greeting, "Your subordinate Zou Lun has lived up to your mission!"

"Furthermore, I have already discovered that all the treasures are hidden in a secret chamber in the lower deck, guarded by five Great Perfection Nascent Soul Realm experts!"

The leader, Tu Qianyue, nodded in satisfaction: "Well done."

Zou Lun hurriedly said, "Then what you promised me..."

"Don't worry, the notes of that level four array master have been prepared for you. In addition, you will also receive one Nine Nether Lotus Seed, but—"

He then changed the subject meaningfully, saying, "You're only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, so you probably won't need it for a while!"

Zou Lun's face showed excitement, and the greed in his eyes was almost overflowing.

If you don't need it for a short time, then use it for a long time.

But soon his face showed worry: "If word gets out that I have betrayed the Duobao Merchant Guild this time..."

"Giggle~"

The third leader, Yin Hongxiao, covered her mouth and chuckled softly, a strand of hair twirling between her fingers. "Don't worry, little Zou Lun, I promise."

She suddenly stopped smiling, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes. "On this ship, not even an ant can leave alive."

"After all, we're still waiting for you to use the resources of the Duobao Chamber of Commerce to become a Level 3 Array Master~"

Upon hearing this, the last trace of hesitation on Zou Lun's face vanished.

He turned to look at the teetering Narwhale, a complex expression flashing in his eyes, but the last trace of guilt was quickly replaced by ruthlessness.

Those who achieve great things... know when to make decisive decisions!

……

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(End of this chapter)