The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 354 Dad—(6k)

Shen Hanyi stood quietly in front of the coffin, her fingertips gently stroking the cold jade outer coffin.

Lu Yaoyao and Shen Yunzhou stood to the side, holding their breath and barely breathing.

“Situ Jiuyao,” Shen Yunzhou explained to Lu Yaoyao in a low voice.

"A level four formation master of the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, my sister's mentor in formations, and an elder of the Wind Erosion Ancient Sect."

Lu Yaoyao nodded slightly, her gaze falling on Shen Hanyi's tense profile.

Those usually aloof eyes were now filled with a turbulent expression, as if a thousand emotions were churning beneath the icy surface.

But she had other worries in her heart at the moment.

After visiting the Seventh Prince years ago, my father disappeared without a trace. Now that I have come, the other party has sent people to follow me and hidden a mark in the jade slip.

The things he said to himself and the information he revealed were like a carefully woven net.

Is Princess Jiu, the second mother he trusts the most, also part of this scheme?
She remembered something her father had once told her: "The human heart is like the Yellow River, seemingly from the same source, but in reality, it has countless undercurrents."

Did the Seventh Prince go to such great lengths? Did his father and Ghost Senior Brother know the inside story?
Could they have been ambushed and escaped with serious injuries?

Now, does the Seventh Prince intend to use her as a lead to catch all the escapees in one fell swoop?
The moment this thought crossed her mind, it made her even more anxious.

"I need to go to the border first." After a long while, Shen Hanyi suddenly spoke, her voice as cold as ice.

With a wave of her hand, the jade coffin vanished as a stream of light from her sleeve.

Lu Yaoyao bit her lip: "I want to stay in the capital to find Senior Brother Zhou."

"I'll go with Lu Meizi!" Shen Yunzhou quickly declared, glancing at his older sister's expression out of the corner of his eye, afraid that she might cast a "Frost Silence" spell on him if she was displeased.

He was secretly delighted; finally, he had a chance to escape this living devil!

When there are other people around, she at least puts on some airs, but if you're alone with her...
Thinking of this, Shen Yunzhou couldn't help but shudder.

Shen Hanyi's gaze was like a knife, scraping across Shen Yunzhou's face several times until he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Don't cause me any trouble."

These five words were squeezed out from between her teeth, each word as if wrapped in ice shards.

"Don't worry, sis!" Seeing his older sister agree, Shen Yunzhou nodded vigorously, patting his chest loudly, "We will definitely wait for you to come back obediently!"

Afterwards, Shen Hanyi hurried away, heading straight for the border...

Lu Yaoyao doesn't trust anyone anymore and plans to secretly go to the places where her father used to appear to look for clues.

Shen Yunzhou naturally accompanied him the whole way; after all, he was a Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm.

……

Soon, news of a white-haired spirit slayer causing havoc in the royal array hall spread rapidly throughout the entire capital.

"Have you heard? Yesterday, a white-haired female cultivator stormed the array hall alone and even severely injured Prince Xuanyuan Shuo!"

"real or fake?"

“It’s absolutely true! I just came from there, the entire hall is in ruins.”

……

In teahouses and taverns, this earth-shattering event became the hottest topic of conversation.

Curious onlookers flocked to investigate, only to find that the once solemn array hall was now nothing but ruins, with royal guards cleaning up the scene with grim faces.

"Tsk tsk, the Xuanyuan family has really had a run of bad luck these past two years."

"First, the Grand Eunuch was killed in the street by a mysterious Spirit Slayer, and now even the newly built palace has been destroyed."

"I wonder who this white-haired female cultivator really is."

Just as everyone was still discussing this matter, a few days later, an even more explosive piece of news exploded like a thunderclap—

The true identity of the Chicken Prince, who had disappeared for many years, was completely exposed!
It turns out that Nangong Xiongba, who had seemingly reconciled with Chicken Prince, had already found out his background a year ago and had even single-handedly stormed the other party's sect to seek revenge!
That sect was none other than the Taiqing Sect, located in the eastern region of Lingyun Prefecture!

Who would have thought that the Taiqing Sect actually harbored three experts at the Spirit Severing Realm, none of whom were among the seventeen Spirit Severing Realm experts recorded by the Holy Martial Dynasty.

Nangong Xiong Ba's attempt to steal a chicken backfired, as he was severely injured by the combined forces of three Spirit Severing Realm experts. Now, he only has a seven-colored primordial spirit left, and he has fled in panic.

No wonder Young Master Chicken's combat prowess is astonishing; he showed no fear even when facing the Spirit Slayer Clan. It turns out he has such a powerful backer.

A single family possessing three Spirit Slayers—such a foundation is truly astonishing, unprecedented even in the Holy Martial Dynasty.

This incident further enraged the royal family.

The harm should not extend to his family. Nangong Xiong Ba outwardly negotiated peace, but secretly committed this despicable act.

The royal family immediately dispatched troops to besiege the Nangong family and demand an explanation, but Nangong Xiong Ba has not yet returned, presumably still recovering from his injuries somewhere.

The royal family has solemnly declared that they will capture Nangong Xiongba and give the Chicken Prince an explanation.

Such actions are rather intriguing.

After all, neither aristocratic families nor sects are under the jurisdiction of a single dynasty, let alone the Spirit Slayer Aristocratic Family.

It seems that the Xuanyuan family is determined to win over that young master Ji, even at the cost of breaking some rules.

The young master, whose real name is Zhou Qing, is a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm. Rumor has it that he is not yet fifty years old and can be called a peerless genius.

Unfortunately, no portrait has been circulated yet, but a large number of cultivators have already set off for Lingyun Prefecture to collect it. However, the round trip will take four or five years, which is really making people eager to see it.

……

Inside an inn, Lu Yaoyao, upon hearing the discussion, suddenly changed her expression.

She never expected that a dignified Spirit Slaying Realm expert would launch a sneak attack on the Taiqing Sect; it was truly shameless.

Shen Yunzhou, who was enjoying his meal, blinked curiously: "Didn't your Taiqing Sect only have those two female Spirit Slayers? When did you get another one?"

Lu Yaoyao remained silent.

If I'm not mistaken, the third Spirit Severing Realm expert is most likely the former sect leader of the Cave Heaven Forbidden Zone, True Person Canglong.

Previously, when the Ghost King's Secret Realm of Spirit Skull Mountain appeared, her father had vaguely mentioned this matter to her.

It was precisely because of this that the Master and the peak masters of each peak were able to break through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage one after another with the help of the Yin Spirit Stone.

"As long as the sect is alright, that's all that matters." Lu Yaoyao breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that she would not say anything more, Shen Yunzhou also wisely kept quiet.

When he was at Taiqing Gate, he was well taken care of by everyone.

In particular, when he discovered the corpse fluid of the Golden Thunder Sect and informed Zhou Qing, the entire high-ranking members of the Taiqing Sect mobilized to accompany him in the search.

In that cave in the Gobi Desert, the Golden Thunder Sect set up a self-destruction restriction. If it weren't for a Grand Elder's swift reaction and timely removal of him, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Later, he further perfected his artistic conception by using the corpse fluid, and broke through to the Great Perfection in one fell swoop.

Hearing that Taiqing Sect was safe and sound, he was overjoyed.

"It seems Brother Zhou is about to make a name for himself!" Shen Yunzhou said with a smile.

Lu Yaoyao was silent for a moment, then her eyes suddenly flashed, and she said, "If we continue searching like this, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Now that the Nangong family's attack on the Taiqing Sect has been exposed, given Senior Brother Zhou's personality, he will definitely go to the Nangong family to demand an explanation."

"Especially since Nangong Xiongba is still seriously injured, we will take advantage of his illness to kill him. Senior Brother Zhou will never let this opportunity pass!"

Shen Yunzhou nodded: "That is indeed possible. But the Nangong family is in Yaoguang Prefecture. Even if my flying boat is fast, it will still take about a year."

"Besides, the royal family has already announced the siege of the Nangong family, and Nangong Xiong Ba has yet to appear. If we rush there, what if my older sister comes back and can't find him? Wouldn't that be troublesome?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yaoyao hesitated.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the inn, and everyone exclaimed and looked out the window.

Lu Yaoyao and Shen Yunzhou were sitting by the window when they peered out in surprise, and their expressions immediately changed—

……

The outer city of the imperial capital, deep in the mountains, tens of thousands of miles away.

Inside a secluded cave, Zhou Qing sat cross-legged, surrounded by a dense array of spiritual seals, each shimmering with different runes.

It may resemble the shifting of stars, the undulating mountains and rivers, the surging of streams, or the vitality of plants and trees...

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine spirit seals slowly rotated around him, like a dazzling galaxy, or like all spirits paying homage.

The last spiritual seal was gathering in his palm.

"Om-"

The spirit seal was initially formed, and the runes flickered, but they were sometimes bright and sometimes dim, as if they were unstable.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly, and his spiritual power surged out like a tide, forcefully suppressing the restlessness of the spiritual seal.

"Congeal!"

With a low shout, the last spirit seal finally stabilized, and the rune was fully formed!

Ten thousand spirit seals!

—The threshold for becoming a level four formation master!
The instant the ten thousand spirit seals were successfully condensed—

"boom!!!"

A vast power of heaven and earth suddenly descended!

Outside the cave, the once clear sky suddenly changed color!

Above the capital, the clouds seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, swirling into a vortex.

Layer upon layer of spiritual light descended from the sky, transforming into a pillar of light that reached the heavens and the earth, soaring straight into the nine heavens!

Within the pillar of light, countless runes flickered, like falling stars or the manifestation of all spirits.

Mountains rise abruptly from the ground, rivers surge ceaselessly, vegetation grows wildly and withers, birds flap their wings and sing, and beasts roar to the sky...

All the phenomena of heaven and earth manifested in the sky at this moment!
"This...this is..."

Inside and outside the capital, countless cultivators looked up at the sky, their expressions filled with shock!

"A strange phenomenon has appeared in the sky! What kind of omen is this?!"

"Could it be that someone has advanced to the Spirit Severing Realm?!"

"Have you ever seen such a strange phenomenon after breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage? It always happens silently."

"No! These runes... this spiritual light... could it be the legendary 'Profound Array Dao'?!"

"The Dao of Arrays is profound? What is that?"

"Ancient texts record that a master of array formations, when cultivated to the highest level, can resonate with the heavens and earth! But such a phenomenon has never occurred in the Holy Martial Dynasty!"

"Could it be... the reappearance of an ancient formation?!"

"Impossible! Ancient formations have long been lost! Unless..."

"Unless someone breaks through the legendary 'All Seals Return to One' realm!"

"All seals unite into one? Isn't that the mark of a level four formation master?!"

"But when has the Holy Martial Dynasty ever produced a Level 4 Array Master?!"

Discussions swept through the entire capital like a tidal wave, leaving countless people shocked, speculating, and filled with doubt!
Outside the cave, two figures stood atop the mountain; they were Ghost Hound and Luo Lingling, who were in charge of protecting the Dharma.

"Ten thousand spirit seals... Junior Brother, you really succeeded!" Luo Lingling's beautiful eyes were filled with shock and excitement.

Ghost Mastiff's expression was solemn as he scanned his surroundings. He said in a deep voice, "The strange phenomena in the heavens and earth are too obvious. They have probably already attracted the attention of the powerful figures in the capital. We must be on guard!"

Luo Lingling nodded, her long sword already drawn, its cold light flashing.

"Whoever dares to disturb Junior Brother's breakthrough, kill them!"

……

Within the inner city of the imperial capital, several powerful auras soared into the sky!

The Murong family! The Murong family's Spirit Slayer Ancestor stood with his hands behind his back on the clouds, his white beard flowing, and his eyes gleaming.

“Interesting, very interesting.” He stroked his beard and smiled. “I never expected that after so many years of silence, the Holy Martial Dynasty would produce such a figure.”

A middle-aged man behind him bowed and said, "Ancestor, should we..."

"Of course we'll go!" Patriarch Murong laughed. "Pass on my order to prepare generous gifts. If it really is that Young Master Zhou Qing, our Murong family will be the first to win him over!"

His gaze was profound: "A level four array master who is not yet fifty years old is someone my Murong family should befriend with with all our might!"

……

Duobao Chamber of Commerce!

Mo Tianheng stared blankly at the strange phenomenon in the sky, then burst into laughter.

"It seems I have underestimated this little guy's potential once again. A level four array master! This is probably my most successful investment since I advanced to the Spirit Slayer realm."

He then turned to the shopkeepers behind him and said, "Pass on my order: all branches in various regions are to do everything in their power to collect wood-attribute spirit stones, no matter what method they use."

"Yes, President!"

……

Jintian Palace!
Sikong Yan lay lazily on the roof of the glazed tile roof, crossing his legs and admiring the strange phenomenon of heaven and earth.

"When we stormed the Nangong family's treasury together, we only had nine thousand spirit seals," he said with a smile. "In less than two years, you've condensed ten thousand. You truly live up to your reputation."

He turned and stood up, patting his robes: "It seems you're fully prepared. I need to speed things up here too."

Before he finished speaking, his figure had already turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared.

The Wang family, the Sun family, the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, the Yellow Springs Sect, the Zhuge family...

All the powerful families in the capital who could slay spirits were in turmoil.

Someone immediately activated the communication array to contact the Spirit Slayer Ancestor, who was located in various prefectures.

Some people hurriedly prepared generous gifts, wanting to show their goodwill as soon as possible.

Even more extreme, some have already torn through the void and headed straight for the source of the strange phenomenon.

……

In an ancient place, the old emperor Xuanyuan Chong slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly reflecting the movement of stars.

"A fourth-level array master," he murmured softly. "The Holy Martial Dynasty has been quite lively these past few years. First, there was the bizarre gathering of four flowers at the top, and now a fourth-level array master has appeared in the world."

With a slight movement of his lips, an invisible wave traveled into the distance.

Meanwhile, in the nine-tiered palace high above the capital, inside the main hall beneath a golden dragon symbolizing fortune.

A middle-aged man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe opened his eyes.

His face was dignified, and his brows bore a resemblance to Xuan Yuan Chong, but he possessed a more composed and dignified air—he was none other than the current emperor, Xuan Yuan Hao.

"Remember, if it really is Zhou Qing, you must treat him with courtesy." The old emperor's voice echoed in the hall.

"Such a talent, coupled with the three Spirit Severing Realm experts from the sect behind him, is not someone our Xuanyuan family can afford to miss."

Xuanyuan Hao nodded slightly: "Your subject will go personally. But my imperial uncle—"

"He has already used the royal teleportation array to head to the border," the old emperor continued. "Whether it's the five-colored array plate or the follow-up matters, he needs to handle them personally."

Xuanyuan Hao understood. As he stood up, he flicked his sleeve, and a crack appeared in the space in front of him. He stepped into it and disappeared...

……

Inside the inn!
Shen Yunzhou slammed his hand on the table excitedly, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "That's right! This is the sign of a level four array master breaking through! My older sister did just that when she broke through."

He turned to the equally excited Lu Yaoyao, his tone certain: "It's definitely your Senior Brother Zhou! In the entire Holy Martial Dynasty, no one but him could reach this level in such a short time!"

Lu Yaoyao's eyes reddened, and she nodded repeatedly: "Yes! It must be him... I'm so glad he's alright..."

She wiped her eyes, then suddenly realized something: "Where should we look for him?"

Shen Yunzhou frowned, stroked his chin and pondered, "The way of the array master is to seize the creation of heaven and earth and steal the mysteries of yin and yang."

"A single array flag can command the power of mountains and rivers, and a few array patterns can alter the waxing and waning of the sun and moon. When setting up an array, one can harness the power of heaven and earth for one's own use; when breaking an array, one can neutralize the enemy's killing intent invisibly."

"Therefore, the spiritual seals condensed by array masters are also related to the power of heaven and earth. When there are enough of them, and they reach a kind of harmony with each other, they can manifest strange phenomena."

He sighed: "That's why the power of heaven and earth can also interfere with and conceal one's whereabouts."

"Just like when my sister broke through to the next level, she was clearly at the Shen family's house, but I couldn't find her no matter what I did, it was like being trapped in a maze."

“So…” he shrugged, “we can’t find them, and neither can those people.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Lu Yaoyao's eyes.

But he quickly looked up, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at the strange phenomenon in the sky.

Shen Yunzhou suddenly remembered something and quickly took out a crystal clear image stone from his storage ring.

He chuckled, "I almost forgot! Now it's Brother Zhou's moment to shine, I have to record it!"

Lu Yaoyao asked in confusion, "What highlight moment?"

Shen Yunzhou smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out soon enough."

And just like that, not long after, the strange phenomenon in the sky suddenly changed!

The churning clouds suddenly stopped, and the runes in the sky began to converge, gradually condensing into a huge figure!

The figure sat cross-legged in the void, surrounded by countless spiritual seals.

Beneath him was a dazzling array of markings, and behind his head appeared magnificent images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers!

"This...this is..."

Inside and outside the capital, countless people looked up, speechless with shock!
The figure was clearly defined, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and an otherworldly air about him—it was Zhou Qing!

"Is this what Young Master Zhou Qing looks like? He's so young!"

"A level four formation master under fifty years old... this talent is simply heaven-defying!"

"Don't forget, his terrifying fighting power of taking on twenty opponents single-handedly is truly remarkable!"

……

Various discussions arose one after another, and everyone was so shocked by this scene that they were speechless.

Shen Yunzhou excitedly recorded the footage, proudly saying, "How about that? I told you it was a highlight!"

Lu Yaoyao stared blankly at the sky, her eyes filled with pride and joy: "Dad..."

—At this moment, Zhou Qing's name resounded throughout the Holy Martial Dynasty!
……

At the outer city mountain range!
As time passed, the strange phenomena in the heavens and earth gradually subsided, but the vast power of the array still flowed slowly in the void.

Like an invisible tide, it envelops the entire mountain range.

Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes, and it seemed as if the Milky Way was reversed and all spirits were manifested in his eyes.

He gently raised his hand, his fingertips swirling with wisps of spiritual light, each wisp containing the power of an array capable of changing the world.

"A level four array master..." he muttered to himself, a smile playing on his lips, "Finally, I've succeeded."

With a wave of his hand, ten thousand spirit seals instantly returned to his body, transforming into a vast array of power that merged into his flesh, bones, and soul!
At this moment, he felt as if he were in harmony with heaven and earth, and every move he made could influence the power of heaven and earth!
As Zhou Qing withdrew his aura, the strange phenomenon in the sky gradually dissipated.

He raised his hand and waved it, and the ancient tea tree that still retained traces of Taoist charm transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into his sleeve.

"Little junior brother!"

Ghost Mastiff and Luo Lingling rushed into the cave almost simultaneously.

The Ghost Mastiff grinned and slapped Zhou Qing's shoulder hard with its large, fan-like hand: "Well done!"

Luo Lingling's eyes darted around, and suddenly she cried out "Ouch!" as if she had fallen down, then grabbed Zhou Qing's leg.

"I'd better stick close to this guy, he's a level four formation master!"

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her fingertips still drawing circles on Zhou Qing's leg.

"Second Senior Sister!" Zhou Qing's ears turned slightly red, and she quickly helped her up. "Now is not the time to play around."

Ghost Hound's smile vanished, and he said in a deep voice, "Your worries were indeed correct. With the breakthrough, strange phenomena have appeared in the world. I reckon those Spirit Severing Realm cultivators who can tear through space will probably come looking for us soon."

Zhou Qing nodded, then put away the "Mysterious Armor Returning to Origin Formation," revealing the true world outside the cave: "There's no time to lose, let's leave quickly."

“I’m going to retrieve the warning runes so they don’t use these clues as a basis for their discovery.”

Luo Lingling flashed and transformed into a streak of light, darting out of the cave.

With a gentle wave of her hand, the 3,600 hidden runes scattered within a ten-mile radius converged like fireflies.

Looking at the gradually emptying valley, Ghost Mastiff suddenly sighed, "I wonder where the old hen went? I guess we won't be able to come back from this place."

Zhou Qing's expression darkened, and he said softly, "It will be alright."

Two hours later, the first aura that tore through the void descended upon the valley, and Zhou Qing and the other two had already departed...

……

The inner city of the imperial capital!

The three walked through the bustling crowd, constantly hearing whispers and murmurs around them:
"I heard that the young master's real name is Zhou Qing, and he is a disciple of the Taiqing Sect!"

"Did you see the extraordinary celestial phenomena this morning? That Dharma image was absolutely amazing!"

"The Nangong family head has really bitten off more than he can chew this time. They dare to provoke a sect with three Spirit Slayers in charge?"

……

No, what Dharma form?
Are they in the eye of the storm?
Ghost Hound and Luo Lingling exchanged puzzled glances, after all, all they saw were pillars of light filling the sky and the manifestation of the spirit seal.

Now that everyone knows, why are they still wearing masks and deceiving themselves?
No, it's better to cover it up a bit to avoid trouble.

Zhou Qing, however, frowned and ignored these discussions.

He didn't care that his identity was exposed, but the fact that Nangong Xiong Ba dared to attack the Taiqing Sect made a cold glint flash in his eyes.

More than a year ago, on the day that Sikong Yan and I broke into the Nangong family's treasury at night.

How could he find out so quickly?

You should know that the reason I agreed to do this for Sikong Yan was not only to obtain wood-attribute spirit stones, but more importantly, to interfere with his investigation of the Taiqing Sect's clues.

Moreover, when he first arrived in the capital, he and his senior sister clearly traveled by airship the entire time, avoiding all teleportation arrays, so they shouldn't have left any clues.

Could it be——

Soon, Zhou Qing remembered what he had seen that night: the Seventh Prince, who was completely wrapped in a black robe.

But then he shook his head. The Seventh Prince had noted him as someone who could be used for a long time, so there would be no benefit in betraying him now.

Fortunately, the sect has two senior members from the Lu family in charge. As for the third Spirit Severing Realm cultivator, it should be the Azure Dragon True Man in the first coffin.

"It's all my fault!" Ghost Mastiff stepped forward with a face full of guilt.

Despite his best efforts to avoid implicating the sect, things ultimately didn't go as planned.

What worries him even more is that his fourth son, who possesses the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, has become the target of everyone's attention, with even powerful beings who have slain spirits casting their gazes in his direction.

Zhou Qing patted his senior brother on the shoulder with a carefree smile: "It's alright. From becoming famous in Lingyun Prefecture to shaking the dynasty, I think it's pretty good. After all, I was young and impetuous, you know."

Ghost Mastiff knew he was trying to comfort him, and felt even more heartbroken.

Turning to look at Luo Lingling, who was deliberately keeping her distance, he saw her nod slightly and transmit her voice, "No matter how big the problem is, we are all family and will always stand together."

Looking into their eyes, Ghost Mastiff felt a growing warmth in his heart.

Zhou Qing suddenly fell silent.

Because he heard another piece of news—

A mysterious white-haired woman, Zhan Ling, wreaked havoc in the array hall, severely injuring Xuan Yuan Shuo before leaving triumphantly.

(End of this chapter)