The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 328 Gentlemen, this is your pledge of loyalty! (6k)

"Shhhhh-"

Five streaks of light shot into the sky from the bottom of the ship's cabin, and a terrifying aura instantly swept across the entire sea of ​​clouds.

The old man in the black robe at the head ripped off his hood, revealing a wrinkled but dignified face.

"Yin Hongxiao! Tu Qianyue! Mo Qisha!"

The old man's eyes widened in anger, and his voice boomed like thunder, "You bandits are truly becoming more and more rampant!"

The sea of ​​clouds trembled slightly at this angry shout, and the churning black mist was dispersed in some places.

The four retainers behind the old man simultaneously released their oppressive auras, their five peak Nascent Soul Realm auras intertwining into a net that enveloped the entire battlefield.

"Who do we have here?" Yin Hongxiao leaned lazily against the giant python's head, a cold smile curving her red lips. "So it's Elder Mo from the Duobao Merchant Guild. What, are you personally escorting the goods this time?"

"Traitor!" Elder Mo suddenly roared, his gaze like lightning shooting towards Zou Lun. "The Chamber of Commerce has treated you well, yet you dare to collude with bandits!"

Zou Lun's face turned pale, and he staggered back a few steps, but Tu Qianyue grabbed his shoulder.

"Old man, enough nonsense!" Tu Qianyue laughed wildly, his muscles bulging, his star tattoos radiating dazzling blood-red light. "Today, I'm going to have this Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus!"

"boom--"

The war broke out instantly!

Elder Mo formed a hand seal, and a bronze cauldron flew out from his sleeve, growing to a size of a hundred feet in the wind.

The inscriptions on the cauldron lit up, spewing out a sky full of blue flames, burning the three giant cloud-swallowing pythons that were pouncing towards them, causing them to roar and writhe.

"Formation!"

The four retainers attacked simultaneously.

A battle flag appeared in each of the four directions—east, west, south, and north—fluttering in the wind, and in the blink of an eye, the "Four Symbols Demon-Slaying Formation" was set up.

Four illusory figures—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—converged in the sea of ​​clouds, roaring as they pounced on the bandits of the Calamity Cloud.

"Little tricks!"

Yin Hongxiao gave a sharp rebuke and lightly raised her jade hand.

Suddenly, the crimson feather between her brows fell off, transforming into a shower of crimson feathers that shot out into the sky. Each feather precisely struck a node on the array flag, causing the great array to shake violently.

Tu Qianyue was even more ferocious, charging directly at Elder Mo with his bare hands.

As he swung his fists, cracks appeared in the void.

A straight punch slammed into the bronze cauldron, denting the high-grade spiritual artifact!

"Pfft—" Elder Mo spat out a mouthful of blood, but gritted his teeth and continued to perform the hand seal.

The azure flames within the cauldron suddenly turned a deep blue, and the temperature plummeted, freezing a layer of frost onto Tu Qianyue's right arm.

"That old scoundrel has some skill!"

Instead of getting angry, Tu Qianyue laughed, his blood surging and the frost instantly evaporating.

He suddenly stepped into the void, and his figure roared as he charged out again.

On the other side, Mo Qisha's figure appeared and disappeared in the black mist. Especially after the spiritual energy shield of the merchant ship was about to collapse, he easily rushed in.

The "Formless Demon Scripture" he cultivated was extremely strange; every time he appeared, a guard would scream and fall into the sea of ​​clouds.

Blood stained the deck of the airship, and a pungent smell of blood filled the air.

"Traitor, die!" A retainer suddenly summoned a purple lightning sword and aimed it straight at Zou Lun's throat.

Zou Lun hurriedly dodged, but his cheek was slashed by the sword energy.

"Save me!" he screamed at Yin Hongxiao, but she just smiled coldly and remained silent.

Just as the Purple Lightning Flying Sword was about to pierce Zou Lun's throat, a sudden change occurred!

"Zheng——"

A blood-red chain suddenly shot out from the void and precisely entangled the flying sword.

The chains were covered with fine barbs, each one frantically devouring the spiritual energy from the flying sword.

In the blink of an eye, the spirit sword dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Hehehe~" Yin Hongxiao covered her lips and chuckled softly, her fingertips entwining the other end of the chain.

"This must be Elder Liu. To kill someone right in front of me, isn't that a huge disrespect to me?"

Before she could finish speaking, the giant python suddenly opened its blood-red maw and spewed out a cloud of foul-smelling poisonous mist.

"Be careful! It's a bone-corroding poison mist!" Elder Mo warned sharply.

The retainer hurriedly made a hand seal, and a golden light shield appeared around his body.

However, the moment the poisonous mist touched the light shield, the golden light shield melted away like ice and snow!

"what--"

Amidst a piercing scream, the right arm of the worshipper instantly turned into bones.

He acted decisively, his left hand forming a knife-like shape, and he severed his right arm at the shoulder!

"Yin Hongxiao!" The elder surnamed Liu's eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Today, I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!"

"You think you can take it?" Yin Hongxiao sneered and suddenly leaped up from the python's head.

As her red dress billowed, countless blood-red feathers shot out.

Each feather transformed into a small, blood-red snake in mid-air, hissing and spitting its tongue as it lunged at the crowd.

At the same time, Tu Qianyue and Mo Qisha's attacks became increasingly fierce.

Tu Qianyue's blood surged, and a pair of blood-red fleshy wings actually condensed on his back.

As he swung his fists, the space itself seemed to distort in the direction of the wind from his punches!
"What are you all standing there for? Get me that damn boat!"

At his command, in an instant—

"Whoosh whoosh!"

From the depths of the dark clouds, dozens of raiding warships suddenly appeared!
The ship's hull was as black as ink, and the menacing beast-head cannons at the bow all shone with a blinding blood-red light!
"put!"

"Boom boom boom——!!"

Countless crimson beams of light tore through the sea of ​​clouds, pouring down like a torrential rain!

The protective barrier of the Cloud Whale trembled violently, and the spiritual patterns crumbled inch by inch!
-

In the heart of the ship's cabin, Luo Lingling, carrying an old hen, strode over, her clothes fluttering as she reached Zhou Qing's side.

The old hen fluttered restlessly in her arms, her black bean-like eyes scanning her surroundings warily.

"This ship won't last much longer," Luo Lingling whispered to Zhou Qing.

Feeling the roar outside and the swaying merchant ship, a formation master dressed in a gray robe squeezed forward.

At this moment, sweat beaded on his forehead, his eyes gleamed, and he rubbed his hands together as he approached Jin Mantang, lowering his voice to say, "Shopkeeper, why don't you hand over the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus to me to take away?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Jin Mantang's gloomy face, then quickly added, "I'm not a member of the Chamber of Commerce, they shouldn't..."

"What do you mean, 'can't do anything'?" As the manager in charge of a branch of the prefecture, Jin Mantang quickly recovered from the shock of Zou Lun's betrayal.

Faced with the array master's suggestion, he sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "You won't hunt you down? Or you won't extract your soul and refine it?"

The gray-robed formation master was speechless, and awkwardly took two steps back, but still refused to give up: "But...but if we stay on the ship, everyone will want us."

"Get out!" Jin Mantang suddenly roared, his pressure as a Nascent Soul Realm expert forced the formation master back several steps, causing him to crash into the cabin wall, his face turning deathly pale.

The other four were also terrified. They had only come to get paid to do something, and who would have thought they would be so unlucky as to run into such a thing.

For a moment, the cabin was completely silent, with only the muffled booming sounds from outside and the cracking sounds of the barrier breaking.

Jin Mantang remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed and took out spirit stones from his storage bag.

"Gentlemen, this is the payment as agreed."

His voice was hoarse, yet unusually calm, as he distributed the spirit stones to everyone.

When two top-grade wood spirit stones, entirely emerald green and with an understated spiritual light, were presented to Zhou Qing, the spiritual energy in the entire cabin was invigorated.

"Master Chicken, no one wants to see such an accident, but since it has happened, it is my fate to suffer this calamity, and I can't blame anyone else!"

He gave a wry smile: "Consider the extra one as compensation."

"Let's take advantage of the chaos and leave," Jin Mantang said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Zhou Qing.

“He’s right. You’re not from the Chamber of Commerce, so they shouldn’t make things difficult for you. Besides, the core of the formation is damaged, and the five elders won’t be able to hold out for much longer.”

His voice carried a hint of weariness and a touch of resolve.

Now, those who had taken the money were starting to hesitate.

Who doesn't know the infamous reputation of the three leaders of the Robbery Cloud Thieves?
The leader of the gang, Tu Qianyue, once killed the thirteenth prince of the capital and is still on the royal family's wanted list!

"You wouldn't be thinking of using us as bait to lure them away, would you?"

Someone shrank back, their eyes darting around, and muttered under their breath.

Jin Mantang laughed angrily: "Leave if you want, stay if you want! Although I, Old Jin, am a businessman, I have been in the business world for thousands of years and have never cheated anyone."

Before the words were even finished, the entire airship suddenly tilted violently.

The lighting crystal on the cabin ceiling shattered with a "crack," and fragments rained down.

After a brief silence, the five men, clutching their payment, rushed toward the cabin door without looking back, scrambling to escape.

"Third Master! Someone's trying to escape!" Zou Lun's shrill voice pierced through the clouds.

A cold glint flashed in Yin Hongxiao's eyes. With a flick of her jade fingers, five giant pythons that swallowed clouds shot out like arrows.

Soon, screams of bones shattering echoed from the darkness.

……

Inside the cabin, Zhou Qing weighed the two top-grade wood spirit stones in his hand, then looked at Jin Mantang's hunched back.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of tragic grandeur about this businessman who reeked of money.

"You two should leave too." As Jin Mantang turned around, the anger on his face had turned into a weary calm.

"If escape is truly impossible, reveal your own spiritual seal. The Cloud Bandits are currently expanding and are eager to recruit mages. At worst... implant a slave seal; at least that will ensure your survival..."

Jin Mantang looked at Zhou Qing and offered his suggestion.

"And you?" Zhou Qing interrupted and asked.

Jin Mantang smiled bitterly and pointed to the ground: "The goods are here, but if the goods are lost..." He made a throat-slitting gesture with a bitter smile, "It's the Chamber of Commerce's rule."

Zhou Qing looked at him and saw that he didn't seem to be lying. His eyes flickered slightly, and he had roughly figured something out in his mind.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Qing slowly spoke:
"Manager Jin, the bandits outside say that your ship contains the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus, a semi-pure-blooded demon beast, and even ancient scrolls... Are such treasures really on board?"

Jin Mantang was taken aback, then frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhou Qing said calmly, "It doesn't mean anything. I just feel that... if I were a member of the Chamber of Commerce, I would never send only five Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection experts to escort them."

Jin Mantang shook his head and explained, "Sending Mo to offer sacrifices to them is precisely to cover up the truth! Many people are watching the sacrifices made in the Chamber of Commerce, so fewer people... will not arouse suspicion."

Zhou Qing's smile was meaningful, but he remained silent.

Jin Mantang's heart skipped a beat—he wasn't stupid. A chill ran down his spine, and his fingers trembled involuntarily.

"impossible"

He turned abruptly and staggered toward the bottom of the cabin.

The moment he burst through the cargo hold door—

air.

Everything was empty. The black iron cage he had personally registered and inspected, used to imprison the young thunder dragon, was gone.

The cold jade box that contained the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus disappeared, and even the most ordinary hundred or so cargo boxes were not left behind.

The entire cargo hold was spotless, as if nothing had ever been stored there.

"Hahaha"

Jin Mantang suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter tinged with a hint of malice.

His legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, laughing so hard he was doubled over, his face covered in tears and snot.

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is!" He pounded the ground, his voice hoarse. "My Yun Whale, from beginning to end, was just bait!"

He looked up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot: "The Chamber of Commerce is not sure if anyone will try to rob the goods, but how could news of escorting such a valuable treasure not leak out?"

"The Narwhale is just a exploratory pawn!"

After figuring all this out, Jin Mantang's maniacal laughter gradually subsided, and he trembled as he pulled out the merchant guild badge that had accompanied him for over a thousand years from his pocket.

The gilded surface has been polished to a shine, and there is even some wear on the edges.

"That's fine."

He murmured to himself, his fingers tracing the two characters "Duobao" on the badge.

"My wretched life was given to me by the Chamber of Commerce." He couldn't help but think of the little beggar who begged on the street a thousand years ago.

"If it weren't for the president taking me in, I would have starved to death in some ditch long ago."

"Not to mention what came later," his voice choked, "that helped me embark on my cultivation journey, step by step reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, and becoming a manager in a region..."

Jin Mantang clutched the badge tightly in his hand: "The Chamber of Commerce has made me Jin Mantang who I am today. It's time to repay it."

He slowly stood up, straightened his robes, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

When he turned around, his eyes were clear, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and then he walked outside...

……

Inside the core module.

Now that everyone had left, Luo Lingling, holding the old hen, whispered, "Shall we go?"

Zhou Qing didn't answer immediately, but instead stretched his muscles and bones, and his neck made a soft "crackling" sound.

His gaze swept over the damaged core of the formation, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "It's still more than a year before we reach the capital. Hiking is quite comfortable."

As he spoke, he weighed the two top-grade wood spirit stones in his hand and gently put them away.

Luo Lingling smiled upon hearing this, a sly glint in her eyes: "I think so too. I feel sorry for you, Senior Sister, if you control the flying boat, but my mental strength is no match for yours."

As she spoke, she picked up the old hen and walked outside, saying, "Since you're so confident, then you're not leaving."

"I will protect you."

Zhou Qing nodded, then suddenly took a step forward—

"Buzz!"

Four thousand spirit seals poured down like a galaxy, instantly illuminating the entire cabin!
Each spirit seal was crystal clear and white, with mysterious runes flowing across its surface, weaving into a dazzling net of light in the air.

"Four thousand?!"

Luo Lingling's eyes widened, and even the old hen in her arms seemed to be startled, letting out a "cluck" and ruffling its feathers.

She clearly remembered that back at the Taichu Dojo, Zhou Qing had only displayed three thousand spirit seals!

Each spiritual seal condensed by a formation master is like a cultivator's cultivation level; the further one progresses, the more difficult it becomes.

But how did Xiao Aqing suddenly become so many?

Did they choose to keep a low profile before?
Just like those two hundred spirit seals who impersonated level two array masters this time?
Zhou Qing did not explain, but instead conducted the "Daily Appraisal" first. After obtaining the relevant information, he quickly formed hand seals.

"go with!"

With a soft shout, four thousand spirit seals disappeared into the core formation area, beginning precise matching and repair...

At this moment, the sounds of fighting and explosions were deafening, and the entire Narwhal was groaning under the strain, its deck already tilting.

Jin Mantang staggered out of the cabin, his rough hands brushing against the mottled railing, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes: "Old buddy, I'm sorry."

"If you're still breathing, get up and let me kill you!"

Then, he suddenly roared, and his obese body burst forth with an astonishing aura.

A gilded abacus flew out from his sleeve, its beads raining down like rain, each one carrying a sharp spiritual power, instantly piercing through the three attacking Cloud Thief cultivators!
"kill!"

The remaining guards, already bloodthirsty, roared and charged again upon seeing the innkeeper's ferocity.

At this moment, Zou Lun hid in the shadows at the edge of the battlefield, nervously scanning his surroundings.

"I must not let anyone escape," he muttered to himself, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Although he had joined the Jieyun Bandits, he knew in his heart that if today's events were to get out, even if he became a level three array master in the future, he would still be despised by the entire circle.

Moreover, the Level 4 Array Master's Notes promised by the Boss are only the beginning; further cultivation will require the resources of the Treasure Merchant Guild.
"We must ensure everything goes perfectly. By the way, where's that Chicken Prince? We haven't seen him at all."

He stared intently at the battlefield, his gaze fixed on it with a sinister intensity, searching relentlessly.

"boom!"

Another fierce exchange ensued. The five elders quickly closed in, panting back to back, three of them already seriously injured.

Elder Mo's left arm was severed at the shoulder, and blood stained half of his body, yet he still gritted his teeth and made hand seals to maintain the protective aura around his body.

"Mission accomplished, the real transport ships should have already arrived in the other counties," Elder Mo gasped. "Let's retreat!"

At this moment, one of the priests looked at the teetering Narwhale and the people still fighting: "Old Mo, are we really going to abandon them?"

Elder Mo's eyes also flashed with a hint of reluctance: "Sacrificing a small group of people to ensure the safe arrival of the treasure is entirely worthwhile. Remember, everything should prioritize the interests of the Chamber of Commerce!"

He then quickly explained, "Moreover, the Cloud Thieves believe that living things cannot be taken away, but the Nine Nether Demon Lotus and the incomplete scroll may be taken by us."

"So once we scatter and escape, they will definitely chase after us. As for Manager Jin and the others, let's see what fate has in store."

"Furthermore, now that we've identified Zou Lun as the mole, we must inform headquarters as soon as possible!"

The other four nodded in agreement. Seeing Tu Qianyue and the others surround them again, they unleashed their strongest attacks almost simultaneously.

Elder Mo gave a low shout, formed a hand seal, and suddenly a hazy halo appeared around his body.

"The Artistic Conception: A Dream of Yellow Millet!"

In an instant, a layer of light suddenly appeared, and the enemies within a hundred feet radius froze, their eyes filled with a dazed look, as if they had fallen into a beautiful dream from which they could not wake up.

"Artistic Conception: Disorder!"

Another worshipper roared, and a phantom book appeared in his palm, its pages flipping wildly.

Several Cloud-Breaking cultivators suddenly clutched their heads and screamed in agony, their attacks inexplicably turning against their own people.

"Artistic Conception - Deprivation!"

The offering master responsible for covering the rear suddenly bit his tongue, and a blood-red destiny plate appeared behind him.

The horoscope emitted a faint glow, enveloping everyone nearby.

And above the heads of those shrouded in this light, "life candles" representing lifespan appear, and the flames are being quickly extinguished.

The other two also unleashed their respective artistic conceptions.

These five unprecedented and bizarre artistic conceptions erupted simultaneously, forcing even the formidable Tu Qianyue and his companions to temporarily evade their attacks.

"go!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the five broke through in five different directions, their figures shooting away into the distance like lightning.

Tu Qianyue remained calm and sneered, "We've had our fun."

He turned to look into the depths of the dark clouds: "Brothers, this is your pledge of allegiance to my Jieyun Bandit gang. Why don't you make your move?"

"boom!"

The dark clouds suddenly exploded, and six figures stepped out of the air, each exuding a terrifying aura of a Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage!
The leader had red hair and purple eyes, and his ankles were wrapped in Nine Netherworld Black Iron Chains. With each step he took, he left charred footprints in the void.

"Artistic Conception: Irredeemable Calamity!"

The red-haired man gently lifted his foot, and the entire world suddenly distorted.

The space around the Narwhal was like dough being kneaded by an invisible hand, beginning to collapse and deform in a bizarre way.

Elder Mo's Yellow Millet Intent was twisted into a pretzel shape as soon as it unfolded, and the backlash of spiritual energy caused him to spit out a mouthful of black blood.

"Hahaha!" A strange man covered in bandages let out a hoarse laugh. "This old geezer is mine!"

His bandages suddenly grew longer, wrapping around Elder Mo's severed arm wound like a living thing, with blood-sucking runes appearing on the bandages.

"Artistic Conception: Entangling Soul and Corpse Wrapping!"

Elder Mo's skin withered at a visible rate, and he was horrified to discover that his primordial spirit was being slowly pulled away by the bandages.

The bandaged monster took a deep, ecstatic breath: "A Nascent Soul at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage... truly delicious!"

On the other side, a woman wearing a bronze demon mask floated in.

She was toying with a string of human bone beads in her hand, each bead engraved with a painful human face.

"Artistic Conception - Howl!"

One of the retainers who was fleeing at top speed suddenly clutched his head and screamed in agony as hundreds of unfamiliar memories inexplicably flooded into his mind.

Each segment depicts the despair of different cultivators killed by this bronze ghost woman before their deaths.

These memories gnawed at his soul like venomous snakes, driving him into madness in the blink of an eye.

"No! Don't kill me!"

The dignified Great Perfection Nascent Soul cultivator rolled his eyes, knelt down and begged for mercy, tears streaming down his face as he scratched his face.

The masked woman chuckled softly, and with a gentle twist of her prayer beads, the offered head exploded like a watermelon.

Seeing that things were going badly, the third worshipper gritted his teeth and burned his life essence, intending to self-destruct.

Suddenly, a dwarf-like old man appeared behind him like a ghost, his withered fingers gently touching his back.

"Artistic Conception: Reversing the Path and Severing the Spirit!"

The next moment, the spiritual energy circulating within the worshipper's body flowed backward, and his meridians shattered inch by inch.

Even more terrifying, his primordial spirit began to rotate in reverse, and his cultivation level was lost like a flood.

The dwarf old man opened his mouth and directly absorbed the leaking spiritual energy into his stomach.

"Very nourishing!"

The old man licked his lips contentedly, while the worshipper, now a dried-up corpse, fell from the clouds with his eyes wide open in death.

The fourth offering was the most tragic.

A burly man carrying a drum made of human skin blocked his way, grinning maliciously as he struck the drum at his waist.

The sound waves emanating from the dull drumbeats transformed into an unknown artistic conception, enveloping him within it.

Before he could break through, his skin suddenly peeled off on its own, twisting in the air into a complete human skin.

Amidst a series of piercing screams, muscle fibers and blood vessels were torn apart, as if countless invisible hands were subjecting him to a slow, agonizing torture.

When the blood-stained skull fell into the sea, a new face appeared on the human skin drum.

As for the last offering, he was stopped by a young man who looked like a scholar.

Unaware of what had happened, he was kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly, and beginning to repent for all the sins of his life.

With each crime he confessed, a new bloodstain appeared on his chest, until finally his primordial spirit was gradually extracted from his body and exploded with a bang.

(End of this chapter)