The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 349 Senior, when did my Taiqing Sect offend you? (6k)

"Little Qing, where have you been these past two years?!"

"That's right, you disappeared as soon as we opened our eyes, we were so worried!"

After Zhou Qing confirmed the safety of his senior brother and second senior sister using the communication jade slip, he deliberately circled the outer city mountain range several times before returning to his cave.

As soon as they stepped through the stone gate, two figures hurriedly came to greet them.

Luo Lingling grabbed his arm, her fingertips circulating spiritual energy as she carefully examined his internal condition: "Are you injured? Have you encountered any danger?"

"It's nothing, I just went out for a walk."

Zhou Qing twirled around in high spirits, his robes fluttering in the wind, a long-lost relaxed smile on his face.

I've spent almost all of the last two years on the road.

It took eight months to go there, and when they returned, without the spatial travel abilities of the Spirit Severing Realm, it took them a full year and five months.

Along the way, he poured all the wood-attribute spirit stones into the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree.

Because each session could only last for a maximum of one hour, and with the added travel time, the comprehension was done intermittently.

He has now condensed 9,800 spirit seals within his body, and is only one step away from becoming a level four array master.

"I should be able to break through in three months at most!" Zhou Qing told the two of them the general situation, his eyes full of anticipation.

The two were overjoyed upon hearing this.

I never expected him to go to Yaoguang Mansion with Sikong Yan. No wonder it took so long.

But it's still too risky.

However, after confirming that Zhou Qing was indeed safe and sound, Gui Ao and Luo Lingling secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon, the two began to feel anxious and uncertain again.

He wanted to help his junior brother, but he was also afraid of dragging him down again.

After all, Zhou Qing has been in danger twice because of them, and now the three of them dare not go out, lest they arouse suspicion.

However, if they didn't help and let their junior brother venture into the perilous capital alone, they, as his senior brothers and sisters, would feel really bad.

"Oh right, where's the old hen? Why didn't you bring it back?" Luo Lingling suddenly remembered something, her gaze sweeping over Zhou Qingkong's bare shoulders.

Zhou Qing was taken aback and immediately looked around the cave: "I didn't bring it with me."

The cave became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The three looked at each other, simultaneously realizing something.

"When did it disappear?" Zhou Qing asked hurriedly, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels.

Luo Lingling frowned as she recalled, "When we woke up, it was gone. We thought you had taken it with you."

The three hurriedly checked the time, their expressions gradually becoming serious. Finally, they confirmed that the old hen had been missing for a full two years and three months!
In other words, it disappeared a few days after Zhou Qing left.

Zhou Qing frowned.

The reason why we took the old hen away instead of leaving her in the care of Lu Yaoyao or our third senior brother was because during that simulated entry into the forbidden area of ​​the cave, we discovered that the old hen was swimming in the Blood River.

Engulfed in eerie blue flames, it leisurely pecked at floating dead crows, even swimming off into the depths of the blood river on its own.

He wanted to follow along to find out what was going on, but he was repeatedly killed by two carrion crows.

Shortly after exiting the simulation environment, it reappeared unharmed outside the courtyard, its feathers still damp with the undried blood river water.
I just don't know how it got in, or how it got out.
Although the three carrion crows ignored it, who can guarantee that this wasn't just luck?

If it is left alone, it might one day be swallowed by a river of blood.
"It was our fault for not keeping an eye on it," the second senior sister said, blaming herself.

Zhou Qing shook his head: "I also bear some responsibility."

“This mountain range is far from the three most dangerous places,” the eldest brother calmly analyzed, “and it might just be trapped in some mountain valley.”

Luo Lingling nodded repeatedly: "You know how good its digestive ability is. Didn't you say that when you were away for several months last time, it had gnawed the roof beams down to half and several floor tiles were missing?"

"With all the grass, trees and rocks on this mountain, it won't go hungry."

Zhou Qing felt a little relieved and nodded, saying, "Alright, let's split up and search."

Without further ado, the three exchanged a glance and tacitly split into three different directions.

Zhou Qing's figure flashed, transforming into a streak of azure light and heading straight east.

His eyes were slightly closed, and his divine sense spread out like a tide, leaving no inch of space unexplored, from towering ancient trees to underground insects and ants...

……

Meanwhile, in the eastern region of Lingyun Prefecture!

Before dawn, the Taiqing Mountains were shrouded in a pale purple mist. Nangong Xiongba's figure stood quietly on a thousand-year-old pine tree ten miles away from the mountain gate.

His aura was completely contained, and even his robes seemed to be frozen by some kind of power, without the slightest movement.

"Three-color ban..."

Nangong Xiong Ba narrowed his eyes, looking at the three-colored light screen that enveloped the entire sect completely. "That kid Xuan Yuan Yi Chen didn't lie to me."

When he first arrived in the Eastern Region a day earlier, he had made a point of inquiring about the current situation of the Taiqing Sect.

This sect, which he had never heard of before, has now annexed three major forces: Qingyu Immortal Sect, Jinlei Sect, and Tianji Sect, and has even encroached on nearly half of the territory of Cangyan Dao Palace.

At this rate, the Eastern Region will be unified in less than six months.

Not only that, he also found out the name of the Ghost Mastiff, and the portrait was exactly the same as the one others had identified.

The fact that Xuanyuan Yichen said "Chicken Prince is Zhou Qing" has now been confirmed without a doubt.

Zhou Qing's deeds are simply astonishing: in the Five Sects War, he killed many prodigies with his sword, fought against opponents of higher ranks, and became famous in one battle.

In the battle of Canglan Mountain, he turned the tide and saved hundreds of thousands of disciples from several major sects.

He further became a disciple of Lin Daochen, a third-level array master, and received his true teachings.
With so many dazzling achievements, he has long been a legend sought after by young cultivators in the Eastern Region.

"A mere minor sect in the mountains dares to use a three-colored restriction? What a waste!"

Nangong Xiongba's eyes flashed with a cold light, his tone full of contempt and disdain.

"cough--"

Suddenly, he groaned, and a trace of crimson blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He never expected that the mysterious Spirit Slayer Realm expert wearing a mask that night more than a year ago would have such bizarre and unpredictable methods.

Although it was just a hasty exchange of blows, it left him with a hidden injury that was difficult to remove.

"He's just a newbie who's just entered the Spirit Slaying Realm," he said, wiping away the blood and a sinister glint in his eyes.

Although that person was quite strong, his application of the many mysteries of the Spirit Severing Realm was clearly clumsy, indicating that he must have been a recent breakthrough.

Thinking of this, Nangong Xiong Ba's anger intensified.

That thief not only stole the treasures accumulated by the Nangong family over thousands of years, but he even dared to use him as a whetstone to practice his skills!
This kind of humiliation is simply outrageous!
"This matter will not end here," he muttered through gritted teeth. "After dealing with Young Master Chicken and the others, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Then, he turned his gaze towards the capital, and Nangong Xiong Ba's black robes fluttered without wind: "Young Master Chicken, Ghost Mastiff, since you insist on hiding in the capital..."

He slowly raised his right hand, a chilling surge of spiritual energy gathering in his palm: "Then don't blame me for starting with your sects!"

……

When the morning bell of Taiqing Gate rang for the seventh time, Nangong Xiong Ba suddenly moved.

Without any build-up or warning, he simply raised his right hand and gently pressed it towards the mountain gate.

"boom--!!!"

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth went berserk instantly, and the clouds within a ten-mile radius were torn to shreds by an invisible force.

A gigantic palm of spiritual energy, capable of blotting out the sky, materialized out of thin air. Its palm lines were as clearly visible as ravines, and it crashed down with an overwhelming force that could suppress the heavens and the earth.

Before the palm strike even arrived, the bluestone ground outside the mountain gate was already cracking inch by inch, and the century-old pine and cypress trees on both sides were snapped in half.

"Enemy attack——!"

Elder Wuzhu, who was guarding the mountain gate, only had time to utter a sharp shout.

The next instant, a terrifying spiritual pressure swept over him like a raging sea, and his chest felt as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood!

"Om-!"

The "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array," which Zhou Qing had spent a year refining, instantly burst forth with dazzling light!
Silver, blue, and red spiritual light intertwined and flowed like a cascading galaxy, condensing into countless profound array patterns in the void, forcefully resisting that earth-shattering palm strike!
"Crack——!"

The great array of light trembled violently, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its surface, but it ultimately did not break!

"Hmm?" Nangong Xiong Ba frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "You actually managed to block eighty percent of my power?"

"Who dares to offend my Taiqing Sect?!"

A furious roar, as loud as thunder, erupted from the depths of the Taiqing Sect, and five figures soared into the sky!

The leader was none other than Cao Zhengyang, the head of the Taiqing Sect.

His hair and beard bristled, his spiritual energy roared like an angry dragon, and the green sword in his hand rang incessantly, its light soaring straight into the sky!

Behind him, the six peak masters, including Mo Xingjian and Gao Xuan, appeared together, each unleashing their natal magic treasures. In an instant, the treasures shone brightly and their spiritual power surged.

Nangong Xiongba stood with his hands behind his back in the void, his black robe fluttering even without wind.

Faced with the oppressive aura of the five Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivators, he curled his lips into a mocking smile: "Insects."

The moment those two words were uttered, the world changed drastically!
"boom--"

The unique pressure of the Spirit Severing Realm was like a celestial river pouring down, and the spiritual power around Cao Zhengyang and the others instantly froze.

Their natal magic weapons trembled violently, emitting a piercing sound; their sword light dimmed, and the cauldron fire went out.

Even the void beneath their feet began to collapse inch by inch!
"This is...!" Cao Zhengyang's pupils dilated, and the veins on his right hand holding the sword bulged. "The Spirit Severing Realm?!"

His voice was filled with disbelief and horror.

When has the Taiqing Sect ever provoked such an existence?

Why would a Spirit Severing Realm expert suddenly appear at our door without warning?

"senior!"

Despite the excruciating pain from the pressure on his internal organs, a metallic taste rising in his throat, Cao Zhengyang stepped out of the barrier and bowed, saying, "The Taiqing Sect has no enmity with you, senior. If we have offended you in any way..."

"Noisy."

With a flick of his sleeve, Nangong Xiongba unleashed an invisible burst of energy that struck Cao Zhengyang's chest like divine punishment.

Cao Zhengyang's chest caved in instantly, and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting blood, and crashed heavily into the light screen of the mountain-protecting formation.

The silver, blue, and red array patterns vibrated violently, rippling with layers of crimson light.

"Sect Leader!" Mo Xingjian's eyes were bloodshot as he and several peak masters transformed into streaks of light and rushed out of the formation.

They then used their respective magical treasures for cover, quickly dragging the dying Cao Zhengyang back into the formation.

"Cough cough cough," blood trickled from the corner of Cao Zhengyang's mouth as he stared intently at the demon-like figure outside the formation.

His voice was hoarse: "Quickly send word to all my senior uncles... and to the peak masters outside the sect to return and provide support via the sect's teleportation array."

"The rest of the people"

Cao Zhengyang forced himself to stand up despite his severe injuries, forming the Taiqing Seal with both hands, "Follow me to guard the stars!"

"Yes!"

One of the peak masters immediately left, while the other five quickly watched as Cao Zhengyang took out the array plate. At the same time, they made hand seals, and a surge of spiritual power poured into the array plate like a river bursting its banks.

In an instant, the brilliance of the "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array" surged. Silver starlight transformed into a celestial net, blue spiritual light wove a net on the ground, and red runes flickered like stars embedded within.

“A dying struggle!” Nangong Xiong Ba sneered, raising his hand and lightly tapping the air with his index finger.

In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged, and the wind and clouds changed color!
"I'd like to see if your tortoise shell can compare to my Nangong family's Nine Luminaries Burning Heaven Formation!"

"boom--"

A gigantic, jet-black finger descended from the heavens!
The finger was a hundred feet thick, its surface wreathed in a grayish-white death aura, like the finger of a demon god reaching out from the deepest hell.

Strange, blood-red runes appeared on his knuckles, each line seemingly twisted from countless vengeful spirits.

Wherever it passed, space twisted and shattered like glass, and everything decayed—

Necromancer's Finger!

This is Nangong Xiongba's signature move. The wisp of Dharma body in Nangong Luyu Pendant used this move to crush Zhou Qing.

"Shhhhh-"

The sound of something breaking through the air rang out one after another, and all the stewards, elders and disciples of the Taiqing Sect rushed over.

Streams of spiritual energy, like rivers flowing into the sea, poured frantically into the array plate.

"laugh--"

The Necromancer's Finger collided violently with the Three-Colored Array!
There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected, only a chilling sound of corrosion.

Only the grayish-white deathly aura, like a festering sore, frantically devoured the array's light barrier.

The three-colored aura dimmed at a visible speed, emitting a mournful cry of unbearable strain.

"Hold on, everyone!" Cao Zhengyang's face was contorted with rage, blood was flowing from his seven orifices, and his hands were pressed tightly against the array plate.

however--

"puff!"

In just a few breaths, the six peak masters were struck as if by lightning, spitting blood and flying backward.

Cao Zhengyang's right arm was rapidly withered and decayed under the corrosive influence of death energy, with flesh and blood dissolving until only bare bones remained!
But the group disregarded everything else, got up again, and poured all their spiritual energy into the array plate.

Seeing this scene, Nangong Xiongba's lips curled into a cruel smile, and his eyes gleamed with a mocking, cat-and-mouse-like smirk.

"Interesting." He slowly raised his right hand again, his fingers spreading and then closing. "A mere Nascent Soul cultivator dares to resist me?"

Before he finished speaking, he brought his right index and middle fingers together, and an even more terrifying pressure descended suddenly.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged wildly, forming a jet-black vortex at his fingertips.

Within the vortex, the wails of countless wronged souls could be faintly seen, and blood-red runes flowed around them.

"Since one finger isn't enough," Nangong Xiong Ba's eyes flashed with a cold light, "then let's use another one!"

"boom--"

The second Necromancer's Finger descended with overwhelming ferocity!

This giant finger was even more solid than before, and its entire body was wrapped in scarlet blood patterns.

The runes that appeared on the knuckles were no longer gray and white, but a dazzling dark red, as if they were formed from the essence and blood of thousands of cultivators.

Before the giant finger had even fully descended, the terrifying spiritual pressure had already caused the light barrier of the mountain-protecting array to violently distort and deform, emitting a teeth-grinding "crackling" sound, as if it were about to shatter at any moment.

"A bunch of ignorant country bumpkins!" Nangong Xiong Ba stood in mid-air, his black robes fluttering in the wind.

"Today I will show you just how vast the chasm lies between the Nascent Soul stage and the Spirit Severing stage!"

"Click——"

The space could not withstand this oppressive force and began to crumble inch by inch.

The Taiqing Mountains trembled violently, rocks tumbled down, ancient trees collapsed, and the entire sect seemed to be facing its end.

shhhhhh!
At this critical moment, the three teleportation arrays on the back mountain of Shenyue Peak simultaneously emitted a dazzling light.

One figure after another came from the Golden Thunder Sect and the Heavenly Pivot Sect.

Even the sect leader of the Azure Feather Immortal Sect, Fairy Xuanyou, arrived with the remaining four Supreme Elders.

No matter what formidable enemies the Taiqing Sect encountered, at this moment they were already one, inseparable.

We all prosper together, and we all perish together!
In the blink of an eye, twenty-six Nascent Soul Realm experts, led by Cao Zhengyang, simultaneously attacked, pouring vast amounts of spiritual energy into the array plate.

The three-colored light screen of the [Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array] suddenly surged, and the silver, blue and red spiritual light intertwined to form a net that forcefully resisted this earth-shattering finger strike.

Nangong Xiong Ba's pupils contracted slightly, clearly not expecting the Taiqing Sect to have such a profound foundation.

He immediately snorted coldly. The Nangong family originally had so many Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivators, but they were all slaughtered by that damned Chicken Prince.

"Twenty-six people, what a coincidence! In that case, let's settle this blood debt with blood!"

He formed a hand seal, and the power of his two Deathly Finger fingers surged, continuously suppressing downwards.

To his surprise, the combined efforts of the twenty-six experts from the Taiqing Sect resulted in a brief stalemate with him.

"This formation is quite interesting..." Nangong Xiong Ba narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the dazzling three-colored formation.

"This formation must have been created by that young master chicken. Once we crush the Taiqing Sect, we can seize it for our Nangong family!"

In the blink of an eye, a bloody gash suddenly appeared between his brows.

"Third finger, appear!"

"Rumble--"

The world suddenly changed color!

The third Necromancer's Finger burst forth, forming a triangular encirclement with the first two.

This finger strike was even more powerful, its entire body wreathed in purplish-black destructive lightning, and the blood-red runes at the knuckles transformed into a hideous ghost face, emitting a chilling shriek!

"Puff puff!"

The light barrier of the great array distorted violently, and the array patterns on the array plate began to collapse one after another.

Of the twenty-six cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, more than half immediately coughed up blood and their auras weakened.

Spiderweb-like cracks of death aura also appeared on the bodies of the others, and their flesh decayed at a visible speed.

At this moment, no one noticed that on a solitary peak dozens of miles away from Taiqing Gate, a figure stood quietly.

Xuanyuan Shuo stood with his hands behind his back, his black brocade robe fluttering in the wind, his eyes reflecting the devastating scene in the distance.

He toyed with a crystal-clear image stone between his fingers, recording the scene of Nangong Xiong Ba slaughtering the Taiqing Sect.

"Tsk, this old ghost didn't even use the royal teleportation array," he muttered to himself, his tone tinged with impatience.

"You've made me wait here for nothing."

Within the image stone, three necromancer fingers descended like towering pillars.

The protective array of Taiqing Sect trembled violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

Xuanyuan Shuo's eyes were deep and thoughtful.

"According to what that brat Yi Chen said, Zhou Qing will only pledge allegiance to the royal family after the Taiqing Sect is wiped out."

He stroked his chin and suddenly sneered, "But I think that if a person loses all his ties, he will become the most dangerous lone wolf."

"With his talent, he could easily leave and have his revenge done, even after ten years!"

“You have to lose something to gain something.” Xuan Yuanshuo narrowed his eyes, as if weighing the pros and cons. “However, at least 30% of them must be left behind so that Zhou Qing will still have something to worry about.”

He raised his hand to calculate, as if assessing the opportunity.

"He had no choice but to accept the favor of saving 30% of the 70% who were going to die."

The image stone shimmered, reflecting the image of the Zhou Tian Star Array collapsing.

Xuanyuan Shuo stared at the array patterns interwoven with silver, blue, and red, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.

"I never expected that Zhou Qing could actually condense eight thousand spirit seals." He murmured softly.

When he came to reward Xuanyuan Fengtai on behalf of the royal family, he thought that the protective formation was a gift from Lin Daochen. Now it seems that it was clearly Zhou Qing's doing.

"Lin Daochen..." He shook his head slightly, "His technique is simply not good enough!"

In the Wuzu Mountains in the southwest region of the Vast Expanse Prefecture, the ruins of a Primordial Daoist Temple suddenly appeared.

Two demon emperors wreaked havoc, slaughtering countless cultivators and mortals in cities to collect their essence blood. Even Wu Tiangang and Su Lishan, two third-level masters, perished in the chaos.

He had to join forces with five powerful cultivators at the Spirit Severing Realm and fight for many days before finally killing him.

When everyone was dividing the Demon Emperor's body, they discovered that there seemed to be another unsealed Demon Emperor inside the dojo.

The demons also sensed the danger and forcibly closed the entrance to the dojo from the inside.

Therefore, he specially invited Lin Daochen, the only level-three array master in the Holy Martial Dynasty, to break the restriction.

If they can open the dojo as soon as possible, they can nip these potential threats in the bud and also investigate the area.

However, several years have passed, and this newly promoted Level 3 Master has not even been able to open a single gap.

When the level-four magic array [Seven Star Demon Binding Array] was repaired at the border, it was Zhou Qing and Lin Daochen who worked together to complete it.

But he realized at the time that Zhou Qing must have found the key point and given the credit to Lin Daochen.

Therefore, he quickly sought Zhou Qing's help.

However, when he went to Taiqing Gate in person, Cao Zhengyang and others gave evasive answers, only saying that Zhou Qing had gone out and had not returned.

Remembering Zhou Qing's icy attitude after the failed soul search last time, Xuan Yuanshuo ultimately didn't dare to use force again.

Now it seems he went to the capital to find his senior brother, Ghost Mastiff, and even caused such a commotion under the name of Young Master Chicken. He should have expected this.

"Back then in Penghuang Cave, he only offered three sticks of incense to Situ Jiuyao, yet he received the inheritance of a full eight hundred spirit seals."

"He directly became the tenth second-level array master of the Holy Martial Dynasty, but now, only a short time has passed, he is about to be promoted to a fourth-level array master."

Such talent!

He suddenly chuckled, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "No wonder he's someone Second Master values."

"What a pity." His tone suddenly turned cold, tinged with sarcasm.

"I took Situ Jiuyao's corpse to the capital, affixed its seal, and made the Xuanyuan family's sons kneel and pay homage to it every day."

He sneered, "To this day, not a single person has been able to condense a spirit seal. How laughable!"

His thoughts drifted far away, and Xuan Yuanshuo frowned deeply.

During this period, he was extremely busy, having to keep an eye on the Taichu Dojo in the Vast Expanse Prefecture and deal with the strange events deep in the border region.

"Especially in the Qingluo Beast Island region, the mysterious deaths of Spirit Severing Realm cultivators have occurred, covering such a large area of ​​residual obsession. To this day, we still haven't figured out what exactly happened."

"Now, countless sea creatures have become its guardians, dwelling there."

Then, he shook his head slightly, dispelling his distracting thoughts, and refocused his gaze on the distant battlefield.

"The formation is about to break," he muttered to himself. "If I want Zhou Qing to be grateful to me, I must save his master no matter what."

Xuanyuan Shuo's spiritual energy stirred slightly, ready to set off at any moment.

But the next moment, his expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with disbelief: "This is—"

P.S.: Today is the last day to vote for monthly tickets. The lottery will start tomorrow, so everyone, let's all vote and see who wins the grand prize.

(End of this chapter)