The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 331 Fellow Daoist Lan, have you ever seen my senior brother, Ghost Mastiff? (6k)

The sea of ​​clouds surged, and rays of light shone in myriad directions.

A nimble flying boat glides through the vast sea of ​​clouds. Zhou Qing stands with his hands behind his back at the bow, his blue robe fluttering in the wind.

On the deck, Luo Lingling opened her arms, letting the breeze scatter her long hair.

She had already removed the bull-head mask, and her pretty face glowed with a radiant sheen in the sunlight.

After taking a deep breath, she suddenly shouted, "So—free!"

Zhou Qing smiled slightly, tapped his fingertips, and the flying boat accelerated as it shuttled up and down through the sea of ​​clouds.

A short while later, Luo Lingling moved lightly and came to Zhou Qing's side.

She tilted her head and sized up her junior brother, a mischievous smile in her eyes: "What, leaving without saying goodbye? Aren't you afraid Jin Mantang and the others will be jumping up and down in worry?"

Zhou Qing smiled faintly: "Everything that needs to be said has been said, why waste any more time? Besides—"

He paused, a deep glint in his eyes, "We shouldn't get too involved in the relationship between the Duobao Merchant Guild and the royal family."

Luo Lingling nodded thoughtfully.

In the past six months, while Zhou Qing was in seclusion cultivating, she had been trying to gather information from Jin Mantang.

As his savior, Manager Jin was almost completely open with his information—except, of course, for matters involving the Chamber of Commerce's core secrets.

According to Jin Mantang, the mysterious president of the Chamber of Commerce is a legendary expert at the Spirit Severing Realm.

This person was known for his business acumen, shrewdness, and extensive network of connections.

In order to break through to the Spirit Severing Realm, he once brought a seedling of the Nine Nether Demon Lotus to the old emperor to show his sincerity.

Ultimately, by passing the royal test, they were granted a breakthrough pill, but in return, the merchant guild would hand over 20% of its annual profits to the royal family, who would have the right of first refusal.

Therefore, the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus obtained by the Chamber of Commerce will eventually fall into the hands of the Xuanyuan family.

Finally, they developed a new secret medicine, which attracted more cultivators at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm to come and demonstrate their value, thus completing a transaction.

Moreover, according to Zhou Qing's deduction, the royal family's methods can be described as an open conspiracy.

He deliberately released the information that the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus was the key elixir for breaking through to the Spirit Severing Realm, causing cultivators all over the world to search for it.

Once it appears in the world, they will either buy it with a lot of money or seize it by force, but in the end, they will only benefit others.

For this reason, after his senior sister briefly mentioned it, Zhou Qing immediately decided to leave and try to have as little contact with the royals as possible.

At this moment, he turned his gaze to the distance.

There were still four months' journey to the capital, so he could take his time and enjoy the scenery along the way.

Strictly speaking, he was actually much faster than Sikong Yan.

Luo Lingling was about to say something when she remembered something and cautiously transmitted her voice.

"Little Aqing, you are a prodigy with the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top. The Spirit Severing Realm is just the starting point for you. Don't be like those mediocre people who rely on pills to break through the shackles. Senior sister believes in you."

Zhou Qing chuckled upon hearing this, his eyes sparkling with golden lines.

How could he possibly make some kind of deal with the Xuanyuan family in exchange for a breakthrough opportunity?

After all, the Lu sisters and his second uncle were guiding lights on his path of cultivation.

Even disregarding all that, with his talent, the Enlightened Ancient Tea Tree, the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, and the Subduing Demon Golden Bone, he has already paved the way to the Spirit Severing Realm.

It's only a matter of time before I break through to the Spirit Severing Realm!

Upon hearing this, a hint of appreciation flashed in Luo Lingling's eyes. Just as she was about to say something more, her gaze suddenly sharpened, and she pointed downwards, saying, "Huh? There seems to be a city over there!"

Zhou Qing followed her gaze and indeed saw an ancient city nestled among the mountains.

The mottled city wall is faintly visible, yet it exudes a sense of vicissitude and profound weight.

"Shall we go down and take a look?" Luo Lingling asked with great interest.

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, the airship changed direction and slowly descended towards the ancient city...

They had only descended halfway when they saw two figures locked in fierce combat on the desolate wilderness outside the city.

The chase and escape caused a surge of spiritual energy, which shook the surrounding vegetation to the ground.

"Heh, you can't escape the law of the jungle no matter where you go." Luo Lingling shook her head and sighed softly, her tone tinged with helplessness.

Zhou Qing simply smiled faintly, not taking it to heart.

That's just how the cultivation world is—survival of the fittest, and one is responsible for one's own life and death. He doesn't intend to interfere.

However, just as he was about to look away, the figure being chased suddenly staggered, revealing a face that was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar amidst the flying long hair.

"Hmm?" Zhou Qing's eyes narrowed. "It was her!"

Luo Lingling noticed his unusual behavior and turned to ask, "What, do you know him?"

Zhou Qing nodded, without giving a detailed answer, and directly activated the flying boat, transforming into a streak of light as it swooped down!

……

Lan Caiwei carried a carved longbow on her back, the bow gleaming with a faint, cold light.

She was like a frost flower in the cold night, aloof and proud.

However, at this moment, a trace of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth, and her face was slightly pale, clearly indicating that she was injured.

"Hehe, little lady, don't run so fast!"

Behind him, a bald, muscular man with a sinister grin chased after him. His head was covered in strange black runes, and his muscles were bulging. With each step he took, the ground trembled slightly.

Lan Caiwei gritted her teeth, a flash of anger in her eyes: "Despicable! What kind of skill is it to attack me while I'm injured!"

"Hahaha! What's the point of being despicable in the cultivation world? The victor reigns supreme!"

Blood Monk laughed loudly and suddenly threw a punch. The force of the punch transformed into a ferocious blood wolf, roaring and tearing at the target!

Lan Caiwei turned around quickly, flipped her jade hand, and a longbow appeared in her hand. She gathered spiritual power at her fingertips and shot an arrow!
The arrow flashed like frost, freezing the air, and collided with the blood wolf, bursting forth with dazzling spiritual light!

However, her injuries had not yet healed, and her spiritual energy was not flowing smoothly, so the power of this arrow was greatly reduced, only managing to neutralize most of the blood wolf's attack.

The aftershock still knocked her back several steps, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth again.

"Hmph, you're at your last gasp!" Blood Monk sneered, striding closer. "Hand over that Ghost Grass obediently, and after you've served me, I might even take you as my concubine!"

Lan Caiwei gritted her teeth, a resolute glint in her eyes: "Don't even think about it!"

She suddenly drew back the longbow, her spiritual power surging wildly within her body, and a chilling aura rose around her, actually condensing a field of ice crystals behind her!
"Extreme Cold Realm - Activate!"

In an instant, the temperature within a radius of a hundred feet plummeted, frost formed on the ground, and even the air seemed to freeze!
Blood Monk's expression changed slightly, but he quickly grinned maliciously again: "Interesting, but unfortunately... you won't last long!"

He clenched his fists, and the blood-red patterns all over his body suddenly lit up, unleashing a violent aura of bloodlust!
"Bloodlust Intent - Berserker!"

His body suddenly swelled up, his muscles bulged like steel, and with each step he took, the ice surface shattered inch by inch!

"Die!" he roared, throwing a punch that transformed into a gigantic blood tiger that lunged at Lan Caiwei!
Lan Caiwei gritted her teeth, forcefully activated her spiritual power, and shot out an arrow!
"Frost Breaks!"

The arrow flashed brilliantly and collided with the blood tiger, unleashing a deafening roar!

However, her injuries ultimately affected her strength, and the arrow failed to completely negate the Blood Tiger's attack; the aftershock slammed into her!

"Pfft—" She spat out a mouthful of blood, her body flew backward, and she crashed heavily to the ground, the longbow slipping from her hand.

Blood Monk laughed wildly: "It's over!"

He suddenly leaped up and threw a punch straight at Lan Caiwei's head!
Lan Caiwei closed her eyes in despair.

however--

"Zheng!"

A sword light crashed down, striking down suddenly!

"boom--!"

Before Blood Monk's fist could even land, he was cleaved dozens of feet away by the sword and crashed heavily into the ground, leaving a hideous sword wound on his chest that was so deep that bone was visible!
"Who?!" He looked up in shock and anger.

In mid-air, a flying boat hovered, and two masked figures slowly walked through the air.

One of them, wearing a chicken-head mask, said calmly, "Get lost, or die."

"A sneak attack? What kind of skill is that! If you have the guts, take off your mask and fight me fair and square!"

Blood Monk clutched the gruesome sword wound on his chest, but his eyes flashed with a fierce light as he gritted his teeth and shouted at Zhou Qing.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's lips curled slightly beneath his mask, his tone remaining calm.

"I've given you one last chance."

Before he finished speaking, he flashed and instantly appeared in front of Blood Monk.

Blood Monk's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively activated all his spiritual power, unleashing the Blood Fiend Intent once more.

His blood-red markings glowed with a blinding red light as he roared, "Blood Fiend Berserker Body—Activate!"

In an instant, his muscles swelled again, and ferocious blood-red patterns appeared on the surface of his skin. He was like a raging beast, and his fists suddenly slammed out!
His fist transformed into a crimson wave, carrying a violent destructive force, and crushed towards Zhou Qing!

Faced with this ferocious and unparalleled attack, Zhou Qing merely shook his head slightly, his tone indifferent:

"The last person who specialized in body cultivation like you is already dead."

He slowly raised his palm, his five fingers spread out, and lightning flashed in his palm!
"Besides, he's much better than you."

"boom--!"

Before he finished speaking, a dazzling bolt of lightning burst forth from his palm, instantly tearing apart the crimson fist wave and striking Blood Monk's chest like divine punishment!

"puff--!"

Blood Monk coughed up blood and flew backward like a broken sack, crashing heavily into the mountain wall dozens of feet away. His body was charred black and his blood-red patterns were completely shattered!
He struggled to get up, only to find that most of his bones were shattered and his meridians were severed.

"You...who are you?"

Blood Monk staggered to his feet, retreating repeatedly, fear finally appearing in his eyes.

Zhou Qing did not answer, but walked slowly forward, each step making him tremble all over.

Blood Monk finally realized that he was no match for him at all!

He gritted his teeth, pulled out a blood-red talisman from his pocket, and crushed it violently!

"Blood Escape Talisman—Go!"

"boom!"

His body instantly transformed into a streak of bloody light, fleeing wildly into the distance!

Zhou Qing's eyes turned cold, and he was about to give chase when Luo Lingling chuckled and waved her hand, sending out a beam of spiritual light.

"Trying to run? Did you ask me first?"

"Whoosh-!"

The beam of light arrived faster than expected; it was a silver needle as thin as a cow's hair, which instantly pierced the back of the Blood-Patterned Monk's neck!
"what--!"

He screamed in agony as his Blood Escape Technique was abruptly interrupted. He fell from mid-air and crashed heavily to the ground, convulsing and unable to move.

Zhou Qing looked at his second senior sister in surprise. She was still as cautious as ever, it seemed that she had been preparing for anything that might happen.

Zhou Qing slowly walked over, looking down at him, and said calmly, "I said, get lost, or die." The Blood Monk's face turned ashen, and finally, in utter despair, he stammered, "Spare...spare my life! I'll offer all my treasures, just to live!"

Zhou Qing ignored him and turned to Lan Caiwei, asking, "What do you want to do?"

Lan Caiwei also struggled to her feet. She glanced coldly at the Blood Monk, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes.

"Those who kill will always be killed."

Before she finished speaking, she had already taken a step forward. A flash of cold light appeared in her hand, and a short blade radiating cold energy shot out from her palm, instantly piercing through the Blood Monk's brow!
"what!"

Blood Monk let out a shrill scream as his entire skull was pierced through, extinguishing his life force.

However, at the very moment his physical body died, a blood-red primordial spirit suddenly burst out from his remains and fled into the distance at an astonishing speed!

"Humph!"

Lan Caiwei snorted coldly, a glint of cold light flashing in her eyes.

She flipped her right hand, and an ancient talisman appeared in her palm.

The talisman instantly ignited, transforming into a golden chain that caught up with the blood-red primordial spirit like lightning, binding it firmly!

"Fairy, spare my life!" The crimson primordial spirit twisted and deformed within the golden net, letting out a shrill wail: "I am willing to swear a soul pact, to be your slave for all eternity!"

Lan Caiwei remained unmoved, her expression icy.

With a light tap of her fingertip, the golden chains tightened abruptly!

"Destroy!"

"what--!"

With a shrill scream, the crimson primordial spirit was completely annihilated by the strangulation of the golden chains!

Zhou Qing watched this scene with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

As expected of a prodigy who is with his senior brother, Ghost Hound, he is decisive and ruthless in killing!
That's right, the reason he stepped in to save her was because he recognized her identity.

Although her name is unknown, she is one of the five Nascent Soul Realm prodigies who appeared in Qingmu City with their senior brother Gui Ao and made a pact to go to the capital!

As for Luo Lingling, her eyes lit up, as if she had met a kindred spirit.

Such a clean and efficient way of handling the aftermath, and such a meticulous style of doing things, are exactly the type she admires most.

After doing all this, Lan Caiwei grabbed the other party's storage bag, then presented it with a cupped hand and bowed solemnly to the two of them.

"Thank you both for saving my life, Lan Caiwei is deeply grateful!"

Her voice was clear and cold, but her tone carried sincere gratitude.

Zhou Qing couldn't wait to ask, "Fellow Daoist Lan, do you know where the Ghost Mastiff is?"

"A ghost mastiff?!" Lan Caiwei's pupils suddenly contracted, and she took three steps back, secretly fastening a talisman in her sleeve: "How do you know about mastiffs?"

Seeing Lan Caiwei's strong reaction, Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

Luo Lingling looked at Zhou Qing with a surprised expression.

I didn't have time to explain earlier. Does the person in front of me know my senior brother?

After quickly explaining to his second senior sister, Zhou Qing slowly removed his mask, revealing his angular face: "Fellow Daoist Lan, do you still remember me?"

Lan Caiwei looked closely, first puzzled, then suddenly realizing: "You are... that boy from Qingmu City!"

Her voice suddenly rose: "You're Ao's junior brother?!"

Zhou Qing nodded with a smile, but keenly caught the fleeting panic in Lan Caiwei's eyes.

She quickly lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her face, and when she looked up again, she had regained her composure.

Zhou Qing's eyes narrowed involuntarily.

"What a coincidence." Lan Caiwei forced a smile.

Zhou Qing's eyes were sharp, but his tone was gentle: "It is quite a coincidence. Back in Qingmu City, when you followed my senior brother to intimidate Sikong Yan, I was thinking of thanking you properly."

"It was just a small favor," Lan Caiwei replied softly, her eyes darting around.

"I never expected that you would break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm in just a few decades." Zhou Qing changed the subject, his tone filled with admiration.

Lan Caiwei forced a smile: "I never expected that Ao's junior brother would have grown to such a level."

Her voice suddenly choked, and as her eyelids drooped slightly, a hint of undisguised panic flashed across her eyes.

Luo Lingling keenly sensed something was wrong and suddenly asked in a cold voice, "Has something happened to my senior brother?"

"No!" Lan Caiwei blurted out almost immediately, then realized her mistake and hurriedly took a half step back.

She took a deep breath and explained quickly, "Xiang Chuan, one of our six, is seriously injured. Master Long of the Xuan Dan Pavilion diagnosed that he needs a batch of 'Xuan Yuan Yang Shen Dan' to be refined..."

"But finished pills are too expensive and there's no stock available. Fortunately, Master Long is willing to start the furnace for free, as long as we gather the medicinal materials."

"Today I came to Blood Fiend City to buy a 'Ghost Grass' as an auxiliary medicine, but I never expected to be targeted by thieves..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling's tense expressions visibly relaxed.

They thought something had happened to their senior brother.

"I see." Zhou Qing breathed a sigh of relief, and the worry between his brows gradually disappeared.

Indeed, when the Seventh Prince, Xuan Yuan Yichen, brought gifts to the Taiqing Sect to thank them for avenging the Fifth Prince, he specifically inquired about the whereabouts of the Senior Brother.

Xuanyuan Yichen said that he had seen his senior brother with a few strangers a few years ago, but the other party left in a hurry and he didn't have time to say hello.

Lan Caiwei's eyes flickered as she secretly sized up the two people in front of her.

The woman holding the old hen and wearing a bull's head mask should be Luo Lingling, the junior sister that Ghost Mastiff often mentions.

To her surprise, the other party's cultivation level was the same as hers, having reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

You should know that she was able to break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm after going through countless near-death experiences.

What made her even more uneasy was that Zhou Qing, who was standing to the side, exuded an aura as deep as the ocean, making it impossible to discern his true nature.

In that brief moment of silence, Zhou Qing had already taken out an exquisite jade box from his storage bag.

Upon opening the box, a lustrous pill lay quietly inside, with the five seal characters "Xuan Yuan Yang Shen Dan" prominently displayed on the box.

These are the pills that Second Senior Sister sorted out from the storage bag of one of the worshippers of the Duobao Merchant Guild.

Because of its exceptional quality, it was kept on purpose and not given to Jin Mantang to be exchanged for spirit stones.

Unexpectedly, it came in handy this time.

"What a coincidence, I happen to have this elixir." Zhou Qing handed over the jade box. "Saving lives is the priority. Where...where is Xiang Chuan now?"

When Lan Caiwei took the pill, her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.

She forced a smile: "In the capital."

"The capital?" Zhou Qing frowned slightly. "It's still four months' journey from here to the capital. You've traveled quite a distance."

"Medicinal herbs are cheaper in remote areas," Lan Caiwei explained in a low voice, avoiding eye contact with Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing nodded knowingly.

It's not easy for an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator to accumulate spirit stones, unlike him who became quite wealthy after the battle of the Sea of ​​No Light.

Jin Mantang still owes him several hundred top-grade spirit stones.

Thinking of this, he readily agreed, "Then let's go to the capital together; we might run into our senior brother."

“But,” Lan Caiwei’s voice suddenly lowered, “the mastiff’s whereabouts are unpredictable; you might not be able to catch it.”

"It's alright." Zhou Qing waved the sect token in his hand.

"With this item, as long as Senior Brother is within our perception range, he will definitely receive the message. Besides, he went to find medicine, so he will always come back."

Lan Caiwei nodded reluctantly, a barely perceptible hint of panic flashing in her eyes once again.

Zhou Qing then took out the flying boat, and after activating it, the three of them leaped onto it and sped off in a certain direction.

As the boat sailed through the sea of ​​clouds, Luo Lingling gently stroked the old hen while glancing at Lan Caiwei, who was healing with her eyes closed on the deck, her brows furrowed.

She gently stroked the rooster's comb and whispered, "Little Aqing, something's not right with this person."

Zhou Qing looked ahead and nodded almost imperceptibly: "I can see that. I hope Senior Brother is safe and sound."

……

Four months later, as the flying boat passed through the last sea of ​​clouds, the sight before them made Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling stand up simultaneously.

Even the old hen flapped its wings and jumped onto the fence, its beady green eyes reflecting a dazzling golden light, clucking incessantly.

"This is the capital?" The two unconsciously held their breath—this was no city, but a grotto-heaven world that had been refined into a physical form!

Although they were mentally prepared, the scene before them still far exceeded their expectations.

First, the outermost ninety-nine ring-shaped mountain ranges resemble a giant dragon coiled around, with a bronze-cast observatory standing atop each mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, seventy-two spiritual veins emerge like silver snakes from their caves, and the surging spiritual energy forms a seven-colored mist in the low sky. Within the mist, one can vaguely see cultivators wielding magical artifacts moving back and forth.

"Are those medicinal herb fields?" Luo Lingling suddenly pointed southeast.

The vast plain was divided into countless diamond-shaped areas, each planted with different grades of spiritual herbs.

Some of the spiritual herbs were even absorbing the essence of the sun, and each pulsation of the fruit triggered a small-scale tide of spiritual energy.

The airship continued its journey, passing through the mountains to reach a vast inland sea.

The seawater had an eerie, glassy color, and the shadows of giant beasts occasionally flashed beneath the surface.

"Look above the clouds!" Luo Lingling excitedly pointed to the sky again.

High above in the clouds, tens of thousands of floating islands are arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

Each island is shrouded in a barrier of a different color, with pavilions and towers faintly visible among them.

On the central island, the canopy of a towering divine tree pierces through the sea of ​​clouds, and countless bird-nest-like cultivator caves are built on its branches.

At this moment, Zhou Qing couldn't help but swallow, feeling like a country bumpkin who had just entered the city and had broadened his horizons.

And so, after flying all the way, passing countless mountains and lakes, the airship approached the real imperial city walls.

Only then did the two realize that what they had seen before was merely the outer scenery of the capital.

At this moment, what stretches across the sky and earth is a ten-thousand-foot-tall city wall cast from black iron and star sand.

The walls were covered with dense array runes, which were now glowing with a golden light as the sun rose.

Every thousand feet there is a floating arrow tower, with an unknown mirror embedded on the top, refracting the sunlight into colorful beams that weave a magnificent net in the clouds.

Even more breathtaking is the nine-tiered palace that floats above the capital.

The continuous palace buildings are supported by a base carved from a single piece of azure jade, and the dome supported by seventy-two coiled dragon pillars pierces the sky.

At the very top, nine golden dragons of fortune could be faintly seen churning in the sea of ​​clouds, each tail sway causing the spiritual energy within a hundred miles to tremble.

Zhou Qing remained stunned for a long time.

Along his journey, he had seen countless magnificent cities and great towns, but compared to the imperial capital before him, those cities were like toys built by children out of mud and sand.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and slowly steered the airship downwards...

(End of this chapter)