The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 345 Third Aunt, Uncle, what brings you here? (6k)

A main hall somewhere on the back mountain of Shenyue Peak!
Two figures stood smiling, and soon, ripples appeared in the space in front of them.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Yaoyao appeared out of thin air, still in the posture of bowing.

She looked up blankly, and when she saw the two people in front of her, she exclaimed with delight, "Two seniors!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Lu Yuanzhi created a barrier that instantly enveloped the entire hall.

She said softly, "Girl, could you please demonstrate the profound meaning you have grasped?"

Lu Yuanjiu also looked over curiously.

Lu Yaoyao blushed slightly, looking a little flustered, but still nodded.

After all, since her father passed away, she has been in seclusion for the past five years, devoting herself entirely to perfecting her artistic conception.

A few people knew that she used filial piety as the basis for her artistic conception, but no one knew exactly what this conception of filial piety meant.

The two senior members of the Lu family are not outsiders, so there's nothing wrong with them showing off their skills.

Under the expectant gazes of the two, Lu Yaoyao took a deep breath and then slowly closed her eyes.

In an instant, the world became quiet.

A faint golden halo emanated from her body, initially as faint as a firefly, gradually transforming into a dazzling galaxy that flowed endlessly in the void.

"The way of filial piety is to connect heaven and earth." The girl's lips parted slightly, her voice ethereal and melodious.

As she formed a hand seal, a hazy, ethereal veil suddenly unfolded, rippling outwards like water, enveloping the three of them completely.

"Please enlighten me, senior!" Lu Yaoyao's voice came from all directions.

Suddenly, three figures identical to Zhou Qing materialized in the sky, each displaying different supernatural abilities.

The first figure formed hand seals, and the Golden Crow True Fire and Suanni Thunder intertwined and swirled, transforming into a destructive torrent of red and blue.

The flames contained the power to scorch the heavens and boil the seas, while the thunder concealed the force to destroy all things. The two merged perfectly, evolving into a hellish inferno of thunder and fire.

The second figure held a broken sword; as the blade trembled slightly, sword energy, like a dragon, crisscrossed and intertwined.

Each sword aura contained a world-shattering sharpness, outlining a profound sword diagram in the air.

The third figure stood on the Seven Stars formation, waving a battle flag in his hand.

Countless runes emerged from the void, transforming the entire sky into an unparalleled killing formation.

Lu Yuanzhi was not surprised but delighted. With a gentle wave of her jade hand, petals of blue lotus blossomed out of thin air.

With each lotus flower that blooms, a phantom image of Zhou Qing shatters.

But strangely, those fragments quickly reassembled and regenerated, seemingly without end.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yuanjiu's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of surprise: "What a wonderful conception of filial piety that conveys the idea of ​​endless life!"

She became interested as well, and with a light wave of her hand, countless starlight transformed into sharp blades.

But those attacks, landing on the sky, vanished without a trace, quietly neutralized by the filial piety and righteousness they contained.

Just as the two were marveling at the scene, the sky suddenly shook violently.

All of Zhou Qing's illusory images merged into one, transforming into a colossal figure that stood tall and imposing.

With a wave of his hand, that figure actually concentrated the power of the entire Intent Sky Canopy into a single finger!
"You dare touch her and see what happens!" The finger pointed directly at the Lu sisters, and the threatening voice was chilling.

Lu Yuanzhi and Lu Yuanjiu were both taken aback.

Lu Yaoyao stuck out her tongue sheepishly: "The last one is an illusion, just for fooling people. It doesn't actually have any combat power."

Lu Yuanjiu couldn't help but chuckle: "It's quite amusing to see someone using another's power to intimidate others."

“Currently, I can only condense three Dharma forms based on Senior Brother Zhou’s…” Lu Yaoyao wiped the sweat from her forehead, “but with my current spiritual power, I can only support one Dharma form in battle at a time.”

Lu Yuanzhi nodded in understanding.

Although they had only tested each other with their early Nascent Soul stage cultivation, Lu Yaoyao had just broken through and her spiritual power was unstable, so using such an artistic conception still consumed too much energy.

“Since your artistic conception is based on Zhou Qing,” Lu Yuanzhi suddenly thought of something, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, “wouldn’t the subsequent refinement require observing him?”

Lu Yaoyao nodded and said, "That's right! So I plan to go to the capital to find him..."

"No!" Lu Yuanzhi interrupted decisively, her voice suddenly rising several decibels. "The capital is a den of dragons and tigers; how dare you trespass here so casually?"

Seeing Lu Yaoyao's gloomy expression, she softened her tone: "Entering the Dao through filial piety does not necessarily mean choosing Zhou Qing."

She said gently, "Since you can enter the realm as your senior brother, you can naturally also take your master Cao Zhengyang as your foundation. This master-disciple relationship is also a form of filial piety, which can help you perfect your artistic conception."

Seeing Lu Yuanzhi's resolute attitude, Lu Yaoyao suddenly realized, what if Master Lu doesn't let her go to the capital?
She also knew a little about their relationship with Consort Chen.

Therefore, they would never go to the capital. If they insisted on stopping them, wouldn't it be easy for them to restrict themselves with their cultivation level of the Spirit Severing Realm?

Her eyes darted around, and she immediately adopted a docile demeanor: "Master Lu is right, actually... I have a backup plan."

As she spoke, she formed a hand seal again, and three blurry outlines appeared behind Zhou Qing's three Dharma images.

Although her face was not clearly visible, her graceful figure and the icy aura she exuded clearly indicated that she was a woman.

Lu Yuanzhi's beautiful eyes suddenly lit up, and a barely perceptible blush appeared on her fair cheeks.

She cultivates ice-based techniques, and the aura emanating from these three figures is exactly the same as hers.

This girl actually incorporated her into the artistic conception!

"You silly child." Lu Yuanzhi coughed lightly, pretending to be serious, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

Lu Yuanjiu chuckled to himself, "Azhi, it seems you hold a significant place in the girl's heart."

Lu Yaoyao blinked her big eyes and then realized that they had misunderstood.

She opened her mouth as if to explain, but after seeing Lu Yuanzhi's rare shy expression, she ultimately couldn't bear to say it.

She simply smiled, her eyebrows curving into crescent moons.

Next, under the guise of providing guidance, the Lu sisters went on and on, giving a long and detailed explanation.

Only when the moon was high in the sky did he reluctantly let her leave.

Upon returning to her residence, Lu Yaoyao immediately began making intensive, secret preparations.

After all, she had been waiting for this day for five long years.

In the following days, she experienced a profound sense of loneliness.

In the vast Taiqing Sect, there is not a single person to whom one can confide.

As the fifth person among the younger generation to advance to the Nascent Soul stage, but Gui'ao, Luo Lingling, and his father are all in the capital, and his senior brother Li Daoxuan is stationed at Tianji Sect.

Other disciples either respected and distanced themselves from her, or were assigned to mines in various places.

Even if they occasionally meet, they have nothing to say to each other because of their vastly different social statuses.

What worries her even more is that her master and the others seem to be plotting something, with their sights set on the last remaining Cangyan Dao Palace.

Moreover, she had to go to the capital to find her father. Now that Nannan had recovered, based on her understanding of her father, he would definitely repay Sikong Yan's favor.

So she had to help, and she also had to keep up with the many secrets and mysteries surrounding the past that she hadn't yet unraveled.

There are even some things that, if they trigger a memory and he suddenly remembers them, can help his father avoid risks.

For example, the fifth-level array master inheritance from Spirit Skull Mountain, and the mirror in the nameless frame—he remembered his father saying that he obtained them in a black snow mountain.

Of course, what was more important to her was to know what happened to her father after he entered the Spirit Slaying stage, which turned him into that person and made him a target of many demon emperors.

In this way, half a month later, she had completely stabilized her cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage.

Moreover, all kinds of supplies and route maps for the journey have been prepared.

Without airships for transportation, even with a smooth journey, it would take four or five years to reach the capital.

Tonight, she prepared everything and concealed the passageway to the outhouse.

Their obedient behavior over the past two weeks has indeed worked; it seems that Master Lu and the others have completely let down their guard.

“Going through the main gate will definitely arouse suspicion from Elder Wuzhu, who will then report it to Master. My eldest brother is stationed at Tianji Gate, so I can use the internal teleportation array to get there and start from there, thus reducing suspicion!”

Just as she was concentrating on planning her route, a chill suddenly swept over her from behind.

"You've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

The cold voice sent a shiver down Lu Yaoyao's spine.

She turned around abruptly, and in the moonlight, two figures were already standing in front of the door.

Shen Hanyi was dressed in a white silk robe, her silver hair cascading down to her waist, and behind the veil, her icy blue eyes were quietly watching her.

He naturally exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

Shen Yunzhou beside her still had that carefree look, winking at her while holding his black and gold dog.

"Sister Shen!" Lu Yaoyao stood up in surprise. "Why are you here?"

Lu Yaoyao never expected that her third aunt and uncle would suddenly appear inside the Taiqing Gate.

Shen Hanyi's gaze swept over Lu Yaoyao like an icy blade, and she nodded slightly: "You've practiced the 'Ice Purification Technique' quite well."

These seven words, though brief, are already a rare compliment.

Lu Yaoyao nodded quickly. Last time, her third aunt needed to take her father to Kunpeng Palace to help, which had nothing to do with her.

However, he almost suffered a qi deviation due to a mishap while cultivating the "Ice Purity Technique," which is why he was fortunate enough to accompany them.

Along the way, although Third Mother didn't say much, she helped her completely resolve the hidden dangers in her cultivation technique.

"Thanks to Sister Shen's guidance, it was because of this mental cultivation manual you gave me that I avoided many detours."

Lu Yaoyao said sincerely, her eyes full of gratitude.

Shen Hanyi nodded slightly, then suddenly changed the subject: "Where is your Senior Brother Zhou? I didn't sense him at the Taiqing Sect."

Her voice remained cold and clear, but Lu Yaoyao keenly noticed a flicker of emotion in her icy blue eyes.

"He's not here. He's been in the capital for five years!" Lu Yaoyao blinked. "Did Sister Shen need to see him?"

With a gentle wave of her hand, Shen Hanyi instantly covered the entire courtyard with a layer of ice crystals, isolating it from the outside world.

She then spoke, "The Yan family's affairs have implicated you."

The brief statement conveyed a rare sense of apology.

Shen Yunzhou shrank back and whispered, "I told my older sister..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Hanyi's icy gaze turned towards him.

His voice grew softer and softer until he finally lowered his head and mumbled something silently.

Lu Yaoyao quickly waved her hand and lowered her voice as well: "It's okay, it's okay! All the traces have been cleaned up, the Yan family can't trace it back to us."

"Hmm." Shen Hanyi nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her icy blue eyes. "I know. I took the advice of a senior and didn't come to you rashly."

She paused, then continued, "But the Yan family is currently facing some trouble and has no time to attend to other matters, which is why I came out here."

Lu Yaoyao looked happy and was about to say something when Shen Hanyi asked first, "Tell me the details of what happened that day."

Her gaze was sharp as she emphasized, "Especially how the uncle and nephew perished in the palace." Lu Yaoyao nodded obediently and began to recount the story she had prepared with her father.

She deliberately slowed down her speech and paused to think from time to time, which made her seem particularly genuine.

After all, no one would believe that a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator and a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator could kill a mid-stage and a late-stage Spirit Transformation Realm expert.

Moreover, my father has too many secrets. Whether it's the strange technique that can turn others into blood crystals or the mirror frame that requires absorbing a massive amount of spiritual power, these cannot be known to outsiders.

Even Third Mother wouldn't do.

"Moreover," Lu Yaoyao's gaze lingered for a moment on Shen Hanyi's silver hair.

Now that she has advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, her originally black hair with silver streaks has, perhaps due to the influence of the "Ice Purification Technique," become almost identical to that of her third mother.

The two stood side by side, their silver hair fluttering in the wind; anyone who didn't know them would mistake them for sisters.

Although we have similar physical constitutions, whether that's actually the case is another matter.

Who knows what might have happened between Father and Second Mother Xuan Yuan Muqian in the capital right now?

There's also a group of female bodhisattvas waiting at Jiyuan Temple.

After hearing this, Shen Hanyi's icy expression finally softened, and she nodded slightly: "Greed leads to one's own downfall."

These eight simple words carry a chilling undertone.

The last time she went in, she only went to the outer perimeter of the palace, and the Azure Flame Tortoise, which was at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Slaying Realm, seriously injured her.

Those two dared to venture deep into the core area; they were practically courting death.

There might even be a demon emperor-level being inside.

Fortunately, Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao did not tell them that the palace only had a five-day time limit, and they hid as soon as they entered, thus escaping disaster.

After Lu Yaoyao finished speaking, she suddenly hesitated, then looked up and mustered her courage to say, "Sister Shen, isn't my Senior Brother Zhou the one destined to bring you good luck?"

Shen Hanyi nodded and said, "Of course."

“He is also my destined one!” Shen Yunzhou couldn’t help but interject.

If it weren't for Brother Zhou, where would he have found that corpse fluid, let alone now that he's broken through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm?

"Did I give you permission to speak?" Shen Hanyi's eyes narrowed slightly, a chill suddenly appearing.

Shen Yunzhou immediately fell silent, only daring to lower his head and mutter something under his breath.

Seeing this, Lu Yaoyao quickly chimed in, "It's like this, I've been having nightmares lately, dreaming that Senior Brother Zhou is covered in blood, he must have encountered danger. I want to go to the capital to find him."

She stole a glance at Shen Hanyi, then said softly in a slightly coquettish tone, "Sister, your flying boat is the fastest, could you give me a short ride? Just a short ride."

As he spoke, he stretched out his thumb and forefinger to make a tiny distance between them.

Shen Hanyi hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Okay!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yaoyao smiled broadly, her eyes and brows beaming with joy, though she was secretly plotting something.

Sister Shen is a powerful figure in the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, with cultivation comparable to the current emperor. Moreover, she comes from a legendary fifth-level cultivation country, and her strength is unfathomable.

Although I have some selfish motives in making this request, if I can take this opportunity to bring Sister Shen to the capital, it might be able to help my father.

“However,” Shen Hanyi said, “I need to go to Kunpeng Palace first to make sure that the Yan family uncle and nephew have not left any clues.”

"Okay!" Lu Yaoyao replied obediently, a sly glint in her eyes.

The moment she finished speaking, Shen Hanyi suddenly removed the barrier of cold air in the room, her gaze piercing through the void like lightning, shooting straight into the distance.

"puff--"

In the darkness, two figures who had been walking through the air suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The Lu sisters were filled with shock. They had sensed a terrifying aura while cultivating and followed it, but they never expected the other party's cultivation to be so unfathomable.

That oppressive aura seemed capable of crushing them with a single thought.

"Please forgive us, seniors!" The two hurriedly bowed and immediately became on guard.

Shen Hanyi's silver hair moved without wind as she coldly asked, "When did the Taiqing Sect acquire two more Spirit Severing Realm experts? What brings you here?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yaoyao realized what was happening and quickly explained, "Sister Shen, you've misunderstood. They are newly hired retainers of the Taiqing Sect, and they're one of our own!"

Shen Hanyi looked slightly surprised upon hearing this, and then withdrew her gaze, the oppressive aura around her dissipating.

"If that's the case, then so be it." She lightly raised her hand, drawing a spatial rift in the void. "Now that everything is ready, let's set off."

With that, he stepped into the crevice and disappeared.

Seeing this, Shen Yunzhou quickly urged, "Lu Meizi, hurry up and catch up. My older sister hates people who dawdle the most."

Having said that, he immediately followed and stepped into the void.

Taking this opportunity, Lu Yaoyao hurriedly called out, "Don't worry, Master Lu, I'm fine, let's go!"

After saying that, she let out a joyful cry and leaped into the spatial rift.

The Lu sisters exchanged glances, then quickly transformed into two streaks of light and sped towards Cao Zhengyang's location.
……

Imperial Capital, Outer Mountain Range!
Zhou Qing slowly opened her eyes, her gaze seemingly sparkling with stars.

At this moment, nine thousand spiritual seals surrounded him in the void, like a galaxy, each radiating a dazzling spiritual light.

"It's done!" He smiled slightly, waved his sleeve, and countless spiritual seals flowed into his body like rivers flowing into the sea.

Just as he had expected, this cultivation journey, with forty wood-attribute spirit stones and a year of time, condensed exactly nine thousand spirit seals as the last wisp of ethereal energy was exhausted.

"I might as well go all out and directly attempt to become a level four array master!" Zhou Qing muttered to himself.

Unfortunately, there are only twenty wood-attribute spirit stones left. If I want to continue breaking through, I need at least sixty.

In other words, he is still forty short.

"In a year, I wonder if Elder Mo has acquired any extra wood-attribute spirit stones?"

Zhou Qing shook his head self-deprecatingly, suddenly realizing that he was quite shameless.

Duobao Chamber of Commerce had practically become his private treasury, and the debts of gratitude were the hardest to repay.

But in this capital city, he had no other choice.

Upon exiting the cave, Ghost Mastiff and Luo Lingling were still in seclusion, while the old hen was fast asleep.

Zhou Qing left quietly without disturbing them, heading to the inner city alone.

……

A few days later, Zhou Qing, wearing a mask, reappeared in the teahouse opposite the Chamber of Commerce.

Compared to a year ago, there has been much less discussion about "Chicken Prince".

Some speculate that he has left the capital, especially since even the Nangong family's Spirit-Slaying Ancestor has returned to Yaoguang Prefecture.

Some suspect that he secretly allied himself with a certain family of spirit-slaying clans and reached a reconciliation with the Nangong family.

The hot topic in the city has now returned to the Spirit-Slaying Realm cultivator who killed the Grand Eunuch Gao Xianzong in the street.

This matter concerns the royal family's reputation, and the emperor has ordered a thorough investigation, vowing not to tolerate it.

Everyone was speculating: which powerful family was trying to intimidate the royal family?
Zhou Qing was indifferent to this, and changing the subject suited him perfectly.

"Little friend!"

At this moment, Mo Tianheng's voice suddenly rang in my mind, and the scene before my eyes changed abruptly.

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Qing found himself once again in that magnificent golden hall.

"Greetings, Elder Mo." Now seeing Mo Tianheng for the third time, Zhou Qing was full of embarrassment and bowed somewhat awkwardly.

Mo Tianheng guessed what it was, and then chuckled and said, "It seems that you have cultivated a remarkable divine ability, but the consumption... tsk tsk."

He sighed softly, "To my shame, the Chamber of Commerce has not received a single wood-attribute spirit stone in the past year or so."

The expectation in Zhou Qing's eyes dimmed slightly, but he still bowed respectfully: "Please tell me, Elder Mo, where else can I find wood-attribute spirit stones?"

Mo Tianheng pondered for a long time, his white eyebrows furrowing slightly: "Wood Spirit Stones are born deep within the roots of ten-thousand-year-old spiritual trees and require a pure and vibrant place to be nurtured."

"Of the known mineral veins, eight or nine out of ten are already depleted." He paused. "If we truly want to obtain large quantities, we can only search in those areas that have not yet been cultivated by humans."

"Senior, please clarify."

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range on the border is inhabited by demons who cultivate by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so they have almost no use for this item," Mo Tianheng said after thinking for a moment.

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up suddenly, after all, he was quite familiar with the border area.

But Mo Tianheng changed the subject and said, "However, as far as I know, the roots of several ancient spiritual trees on the border have long been dug out. If you want to find them, you can only go deeper into the mountains."

He shook his head and sighed, "This item is rare now, and the safest way is to wait for it to circulate in the market."

"I understand," Zhou Qing said, unable to hide his disappointment.

"Young friend, don't worry," Mo Tianheng comforted him. "I will do my best to keep an eye on things for you."

"Thank you very much, Elder Mo." Zhou Qing bowed gratefully again.

Mo Tianheng looked at Zhou Qing with some hesitation, and after careful consideration, he still spoke up: "Young friend, in the path of cultivation, sometimes making choices is the best strategy."

"Although we don't know what kind of supernatural power it is, such a consumption would be difficult for even the imperial dynasty to sustain."

Zhou Qing knew that Master Mo meant well, and nodded solemnly: "This junior will remember."

“There is one more thing.” A hint of seriousness flashed in Mo Tianheng’s eyes. “The person you chatted with at the teahouse that day. I sensed a dangerous aura about him. Young friend, you must be careful.”

Zhou Qing nodded solemnly, and the two chatted briefly before the surrounding scenery rapidly receded.

When he came to his senses, he was still in the teahouse.

"Looks like I can only try my luck with him," Zhou Qing muttered to himself, then got up and left the teahouse.

A moment later, in a secluded inn in the west of the city.

Zhou Qing requested a private room and took out the communication jade slip left by Sikong Yan.

After a slight hesitation, he finally infused it with spiritual power to activate it.

"Boom boom boom!"

About two hours later, there was a knock on the door.

"Would you like more tea, sir?" A familiar voice came from outside the door.

Zhou Qing's lips twitched slightly, and he had no choice but to get up and open the door.

But when they opened the door, there was no one outside.

Turning his head, he found Sikong Yan wearing a mask, sitting in the spot where he had just been, playing with his teacup.

"What are you standing there for? Close the door!" Sikong Yan turned around, looking nervous. "This is a secret meeting, we can't let anyone find out!"

Zhou Qing couldn't help but roll her eyes and mutter "crazy" under her breath, but still closed the door as instructed.

(End of this chapter)