The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 358 Imperial Alliance and Cultivator Alliance: The True Order! (6k)

"The Hidden Dragon Path teleportation array requires a massive amount of spiritual energy to operate, but it is mostly idle."

Sikong Yan explained, "As the most important treasure, the royal treasury also requires a large amount of spiritual energy to maintain its restrictions."

"The Xuanyuan family simply connected the two, which not only saved resources, but also allowed them to quickly repair the treasure vault's restrictions with the help of the teleportation array's spiritual power when they were damaged."

Zhou Qing frowned slightly and nodded thoughtfully.

This design is indeed ingenious, as it avoids wasting spiritual energy and adds an extra layer of security to the treasure vault.

Seeing this, Sikong Yan lightly swiped his fingertip again, and the image of the crimson-gold spiritual vein magnified several times.

Countless fine runes appeared on the surface of the spiritual vein, like blood flowing in a vein.

"Do you see these runes?" Sikong Yan's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Every two weeks, this spiritual vein will supply spiritual energy to the treasure vault array. And at the moment of supply—"

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood what he meant: "The passage will be open temporarily!"

"Not bad!" Sikong Yan clenched his fist, and the image shattered, turning into specks of spiritual light that dissipated into the air.

"At that time, we will only need to use the token to enter the teleportation array, go upstream along the spiritual vein, and sneak into the treasure vault without anyone noticing."

Seeing Sikong Yan's excited expression, Zhou Qing couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Indeed, the most terrifying mole is the one you know inside and out.

Judging from this, he has completely severed all ties with the Xuanyuan family.

However, on the other hand, regarding Nangong Xiongba's actions against Taiqing Sect, firstly, the Seventh Prince Xuanyuan Yichen tipped him off, and then Prince Xuanyuan Shuo lurked in the shadows waiting for him.

Furthermore, the timely rescue of Nangong Xiongba—all of this might indeed be, as Second Senior Sister said, a scheme aimed at her.

If we can recruit this level four array master, that would be ideal. If not, we'd probably have to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Not to mention Xuan Yuanshuo's brutal soul-searching technique, which had already made Zhou Qing harbor resentment towards the Xuan Yuan family.

If it weren't for the help of the Lu sisters and their master, the Taiqing Sect would probably have already suffered because of him.

Thinking of this, he actually felt a little hopeful about Sikong Yan's proposed treasure-stealing plan, and felt no guilt at all.

Moreover, putting aside the sixth inscription-level divine power and the subsequent imitation of the spirit seal, just considering his current preparations for breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage, he needs some wood-attribute spirit stones to save his life at crucial moments.

Although he had two thousand top-grade spirit stones on him, that was only for the energy reserves needed for the crucial moment of the breakthrough.

Seeing Zhou Qing remain silent, a knowing glint flashed in Sikong Yan's eyes.

He coughed lightly and said in a gentler tone, "Don't worry, I know that place very well. I've been there many times before."

"I naively thought that the most dangerous place was the safest place."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I even went inside openly and searched around quite thoroughly."

Zhou Qing's eyes flickered slightly: "I'm very curious, if I were the old emperor, wouldn't it be safer to just carry a secret formula with me?"

"As it is a late-stage Spirit Severing Realm artifact, surely no one would dare to steal it. Why put it elsewhere?"

Sikong Yan chuckled, a glint of light in his eyes: "Because that's not an ordinary secret formula, but a rare treasure that can help a Nascent Soul cultivator break through to the Spirit Severing stage."

He paused, then his tone became serious, "Since I'm in such a good mood today, I'll tell you a few things in detail."

"Breaking through the Spirit Transformation Realm to the Spirit Severing Realm is entirely due to one's own cultivation; external assistance is negligible."

Sikong Yan's gaze was intense. "Even with a little help, it's not something ordinary people can access, like the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top..."

Zhou Qing seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.

He recalled the "Golden Bone of Subduing Demons" from Jiyuan Temple. This supernatural power could indeed help people sever their spirits, but so far only Abbot Ku'e and his junior brother Ku Di had achieved the Spirit Severing Realm.

If things have come to this point, wouldn't needing this supernatural power be like taking off your pants to fart?

Sikong Yan's gaze was deep as he continued, "Do you believe that a Level 5 Cultivation Kingdom has a shortcut to advancing to the Spirit Severing stage?"

"Instead of wasting my lifespan here, why not try my luck over there? After all, there are quite a few Spirit Severing Realm cultivators there."

Seeing Zhou Qing's expression shift slightly, Sikong Yan gently shook his head, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

"The idea is good, but unfortunately the world doesn't know that the reason why there are so many Spirit Severing Realm cultivators in the fifth-level cultivation country, and even the legendary sixth-level cultivation country, is because they possess endless resources."

“Starting from the Foundation Establishment stage,” Sikong Yan’s tone grew more serious, “the cultivators there can obtain the highest quality Heavenly Dao Qi.”

"Not to mention those rare opportunities for training that are hard for ordinary people to come by, as well as the personal guidance of powerful beings who can slay spirits."

"All of these factors enabled them to develop a Daoist foundation that far surpassed that of ordinary people from the very beginning of their cultivation."

Sikong Yan, with a profound gaze, continued, "Moreover, the territory of just one level-five cultivation country is equivalent to dozens, or even hundreds, of level-four cultivation countries like ours."

He shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with emotion: "Just think about it, in such a vast territory, how enormous is the number of cultivators, and how many geniuses must there be?"

"Even so, those who can truly step into the Spirit Severing Realm are extremely rare."

"It's just that the base number is so large that, when you add up the numbers, you feel that there are countless people at the Spirit Severing Realm in the fifth-level cultivation country."

Zhou Qing remained silent, as he had considered this matter beforehand.

If someone like Shen Yunzhou, who was at the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, could come here, then people from here can also reach there.

It's just that we don't have good flying boats, so it takes a little more time.

"This is like how some Nascent Soul cultivators from third-level cultivation countries look at our fourth-level cultivation countries and think that the Divine Transformation Realm is everywhere and that breaking through seems to be a piece of cake."

Sikong Yan looked directly at Zhou Qing, his tone turning serious: "Go and find out, which of the Nascent Soul cultivators here broke through using only the most basic Human Foundation Establishment method?"

"The vast majority of them start with the foundation building of the earth veins, and a few lucky ones use various rare heavenly energies."

Sikong Yan sighed softly: "Of course, nothing is absolute. Perhaps there really are cultivators who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage and can break through to the Nascent Soul stage with great perseverance. But generally speaking, that's the principle."

Zhou Qing fell silent upon hearing this, the image of his third senior brother, Yan Xiaohu, appearing in his mind.

He built his foundation with the earth's vein energy, so his chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime are only 40%, and the remaining 60% are likely to be stuck at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage for the rest of his life.

“Therefore,” Sikong Yan’s tone turned serious, “whether it is a level 5 or level 6 cultivation country, breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage is by no means an easy task.”

“Those who succeed often begin preparing from the very beginning of their journey of self-cultivation; this level of preparation is something we can only dream of.”

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "But now, the secret formula in the old emperor's hands can increase the chances of a breakthrough out of thin air. From that moment on, the Holy Martial Dynasty became the target of everyone's attacks."

"How many Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivators are eyeing it covetously? How many foreign Spirit Slayers are secretly coveting it?" Sikong Yan sneered, "Who wouldn't want to obtain such a heaven-defying treasure?"

"Once it is successfully refined, it is highly likely that fifty or sixty Nascent Soul cultivators at the Great Perfection stage will consume it, which will give birth to a Spirit Slayer. Just by piling up the quantity, we can add several powerful beings to our own group."

Zhou Qing remained silent.

In fact, this question had been lingering in his mind for many years, but he had never thought of a solution.

Seeing this, Sikong Yan continued meaningfully, "But have you noticed? Even though it's so tempting, no one dares to forcibly take it. Do you know why?"

A glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Is it because of the Imperial Dynasty Alliance?"

"Not bad!" Sikong Yan looked surprised, clearly not expecting Zhou Qing to have thought of this.

A hint of longing flashed in his eyes: "It is rumored that the Imperial Alliance was founded by several peerless experts from seventh-level cultivation countries, and its members are at least powerful figures from sixth-level cultivation countries."

"When the old emperor broke through to the Spirit Severing Realm, an envoy from the Imperial Dynasty Alliance descended upon the land."

"Not only did it annex all the surrounding third-level cultivation countries to the Holy Martial Dynasty, but it also issued a proclamation to all countries that they must not invade."

At this point, Sikong Yan sneered again: "This is why the Holy Martial Dynasty, despite its weak strength, has never been annexed by other established fourth-level or even fifth-level cultivation countries."

"Of course, in contrast," he changed the subject, "there is also the Cultivator Alliance."

"This equally ancient and powerful organization is backed by various hidden sects, making it a powerful patron of all sects in the world."

Sikong Yan concluded with a profound statement: "These two alliances check and balance each other. If any sect attempts to replace the dynasty, or if the dynasty seeks to annex a sect, envoys from both sides will surely intervene."

"This is where the true order of the cultivation world lies."

Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened slightly, and a sudden realization dawned on him.

Sikong Yan's words finally resolved his long-standing doubts.

“Unless one side willingly submits, no one dares to act rashly,” Sikong Yan added again.

At this moment, Zhou Qing finally understood why the imperial dynasty, despite possessing powerful beings capable of slaying spirits, had never dared to openly attack the sects.

The only way to achieve this is through underhanded means, such as instigating infighting between different prefectures and regions, making those weakened sects willingly attach themselves to a certain prince, and then gradually taking action.

Sikong Yan chuckled at this moment: "However, there are always some people who don't care about the big picture."

A hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes, "Those Spirit Severing Realm cultivators who watch helplessly as their Daoist partners and loved ones run out of lifespan, what do they care about rules?"

“In my memory,” he recalled, “there were often lone, powerful spirit-slaying beings who would come to the capital to plunder. Each time, the old emperor survived by relying on the dynasty’s fortune.”

"Interestingly, in these life-and-death trials, Xuan Yuanchong's cultivation level actually increased steadily."

At this point, Sikong Yan's expression turned cold: "This actually made him realize the advantage. Firstly, he could use the secret formula to consolidate the Xuanyuan family's position, and secondly, he could lure other Spirit Severing Realm cultivators to their deaths."

"With this two-birds-with-one-stone approach, he's even less likely to reveal the secret formula to the public."

"Moreover, over the years, this old man has never stepped out of the Holy Martial Dynasty, like a venomous spider lurking in its web, waiting for its prey to fall into its trap. The dynasty's fortune is his greatest life-saving charm."

"As for that secret recipe," Sikong Yan sneered even more, "even his closest relatives don't know it."

"The current emperor, Xuanyuan Hao, and his younger brother, Xuanyuan Shuo, are both kept in the dark. They are afraid that someone will search their souls and reveal the secrets of heaven."

Zhou Qing was startled upon hearing this.

The old emperor's caution and far-sighted calculations were truly chilling.

"After going through all this trouble, you still haven't explained why he didn't carry the secret formula with him?" Zhou Qing asked in a deep voice.

Sikong Yan suddenly let out a short, mocking laugh, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

Who can guarantee they'll never capsize?

He leaned lazily against the vermilion pillar, "What if one day, some being beyond the Spirit Severing Realm were to obliterate him like an ant?"

"Sometimes, those who break the rules might be beings beyond the Spirit Severing Realm. Whenever other Spirit Severing Realm beings come to snatch something, guess what the first thing they do is?"

Sikong Yan turned his head and looked at Zhou Qing with anticipation in his eyes.

Zhou Qing was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Erase the memories related to the secret formula?"

Sikong Yan froze for a moment, then burst into a burst of wild laughter: "I have to say, you're just like that old man, incredibly cunning. That's right, you erase memories."

As the laughter subsided, he lowered his voice and said, "Because only by doing this can he at least survive if he fails and others don't get the secret formula."

"After all, if someone else gets the secret recipe, they would probably do what that old man did to his alchemy brother: kill him to silence him and keep the secret recipe for themselves."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing gained a deeper understanding of the old emperor's profound cunning.

"Then how did you come across the secret recipe in the first place?" Zhou Qing pressed.

Sikong Yan chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." "Alright, let's not talk about that for now. In short, with you joining us this time, seizing the secret formula is just around the corner. Let's focus on the present."

Seeing this, Zhou Qing didn't press the matter further.

As the former eldest prince, he must have his own channels.

Sikong Yan looked at Zhou Qing, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes: "Judging by the time, in about three more days, the Glazed Pagoda will need to be replenished with spiritual energy to maintain its operation."

"This time you won't leave. You'll stay in the Jintian Palace, which will make things easier for us."

Zhou Qing's eyes suddenly sharpened: "I need you to promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Sikong Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Xuanyuan Shuo has returned to the court. Along with the old emperor, the current emperor, and other Spirit Severing Realm cultivators who have arrived one after another because of my advancement to the fourth level of array master."

Zhou Qing said, enunciating each word clearly, "Powerful figures are gathered here, and the situation is complex. I need your guarantee—"

He took a sudden step closer, his spiritual energy emanating from him: "Don't do anything reckless. Otherwise, our cooperation will end here."

Sikong Yan was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "You mean that time with the Nangong family?"

He shrugged, looking completely innocent. "I'm just doing this for the sake of the upcoming plan. I haven't fought anyone at the same level since I broke through to the Spirit Severing Realm."

A hint of excitement flashed in his eyes: "If things go wrong and we run into other Spirit Severing Realm cultivators, I'll be mentally prepared, won't I?"

Zhou Qing stared at him coldly.

"Alright, alright!" Sikong Yan raised his hands in surrender. "I know what's important. This time I promise to go in quietly and come out quietly! I absolutely won't cause any trouble!"

Zhou Qing then looked away: "You'd better keep your word."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Sikong Yan quickly caught up. "Why don't you stay here? The food that Granny makes is delicious, no worse than the food at your Taiqing Sect's Jade Dining Hall."

But Zhou Qing disappeared into the night with a few leaps.

Sikong Yan stood there, shaking his head helplessly: "He's like a stubborn little mule."

He pursed his lips. "They won't even drink a sip of water at my house, like they're afraid I'll poison them. Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

……

After leaving the [Jintian Palace], Zhou Qing did not go to look for his senior brother and second senior sister. Instead, he followed the map of the imperial capital region that he had purchased and traveled west alone.

After a long while, after passing through several abandoned palace paths and turning past a screen wall covered with withered vines, a courtyard suddenly appeared in front of us, isolated in a corner of the palace wall.

The ebony plaque bearing the inscription "Qinghe Garden" under the eaves has faded, and where the gold paint has peeled off, several cracks have been revealed.

The two mottled vermilion doors were ajar, and a few clumps of wild grass peeked out from the cracks.

The door knocker was covered with years of verdigris, clearly indicating that no one had knocked on it for a long time.

This is the residence of the Fourth Prince, Xuanyuan He.

After parting ways at the Taichu Dojo, Baihe returned to the capital and heard about the Ghost Mastiff.

After all, he had once been to the Taiqing Sect, and because of his second senior sister, he definitely knew his senior brother well.

Therefore, Zhou Qing guessed that with Bai He's cultivation level at the mid-stage of the Divine Transformation Realm and lack of deep connections, he could only choose the most clumsy method.

It took a whole year to travel to the Nangong family in Yaoguang Prefecture to wait outside, just to find any clues, and finally to notify Elder Mo to come to the aid of Taiqing Sect.

He deeply cherished this act of kindness in his heart.

Besides, if he really does end up with my second senior sister, I'll have to call him brother-in-law.

Zhou Qing observed carefully for a moment, then quietly leaped into the courtyard.

Under the corridor, several palace lanterns, long since extinguished, swayed gently in the wind, their shades covered with a thick layer of dust.

The stone steps in front of the main hall were covered with withered leaves, and overall, the view was slightly better than that of the [Jintian Palace].

"This white crane is really..." Zhou Qing shook his head and chuckled, unable to find the right words to describe it.

It is said that the Fourth Prince dislikes the power struggles of the imperial court and travels around for many years. Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I know that the rumors are true.

He then released his divine sense, but couldn't detect even a trace of a living person; it seemed they weren't there.

"Could he still be staying at Yaoguang Prefecture?" Zhou Qing wondered.

I found a quiet corner, brushed off the dust, and sat cross-legged.

Three days later, before the morning mist had dissipated, he headed straight for the [Jintian Palace].

……

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Sikong Yan greeted him, waving a wine jug: "I have good news for you. When Xuanyuan Yichen left the capital, I planted a Soul-Chasing Inducing Agent on him."

“When Xuanyuan Shuo returned this time, I made a special trip around outside, but I couldn’t sense any mark. That guy is probably still at the border.”

Sikong Yan said, shaking the wine pot.

Seeing Zhou Qing's eyes suddenly light up, Sikong Yan grinned and said, "After this matter is over, if you are still unwilling, you can go to the border to find him."

Zhou Qing narrowed his eyes slightly.

Now that we have mastered the [Hidden Dragon Path] passage, we can reach the border in as little as three months.

Moreover, this guy has some secrets, especially those from a fifth-level cultivation country.

If we really make a move here in the capital and fail to take him down in a short time, we'll only put ourselves in danger.

But the border is different.

He had been there many times and was familiar with the terrain.

Furthermore, with the border war god Xuanyuan Shuo absent, and even his upcoming journey to the Taichu Dojo in the Vast Expanse Prefecture, the situation is dire.

Moreover, he now possesses the true core of the Seven Star Demon Binding Array, and with proper control, he can quickly make it his own.

"We'll talk about this later. Are you ready?" Zhou Qing looked at Sikong Yan.

Sikong Yan patted his chest and said confidently, "Absolutely, don't worry, we will definitely succeed this time."

Zhou Qing nodded: "Then let's go to the same old place. We can go in through the nearest node."

With a flick of his sleeve, Sikong Yan caused a dark rift to open in the void.

He took out a bronze mask that he had never shown to anyone before and put it on his face. The mask was engraved with strange runes and shimmered with a faint blue light in the fluctuations of space.

"go!"

Before he could finish speaking, Sikong Yan had already stepped into the crevice.

Zhou Qing followed closely behind, only to feel himself enveloped by a strange spatial force, and the scene before him instantly distorted and changed.

Once the spatial fluctuations subsided, the two were already standing beneath that mottled ancient city wall.

After confirming that no one was around, Sikong Yan's eyes gleamed with excitement.

He formed a hand seal, and the void above his head tore open again, revealing the entrance to a dark passage.

The two exchanged a glance, simultaneously took out their cyan tokens, and then leaped into the spatial rift.

The scene before my eyes distorted again, and countless streaks of light flashed past my side.

As spiritual energy was injected, the token suddenly emitted a four-colored glow, and the spatial barrier in front of it melted like hot wax, revealing a gap that could only allow one person to pass through.

Sikong Yan couldn't help but exclaim, "This token is truly wondrous!"

Having said that, he couldn't wait to crawl inside.

Zhou Qing followed silently, ready to be vaccinated against tetanus at any moment.

The interior of the passage was as stable as before, with liquid spiritual light flowing through the walls, as if one were inside the blood vessels of a giant beast.

Sikong Yan then took out a jade slip and placed it between his eyebrows. After a moment, he pointed west and said, "Go towards the main vein."

The two transformed into streaks of light and sped away, the surrounding scenery constantly receding.

Upon reaching a certain point, Sikong Yan suddenly stopped.

A bronze compass appeared in his palm, its pointer spinning wildly and pointing to a point above his head.

"This should be it!" He suddenly pressed the compass to the top of the passage.

Zhou Qing activated the token simultaneously, and two beams of azure light intertwined to form a spiral, forcefully tearing a gap in the flowing passage.

A soft, melodious sound came from above, and through the gaps, one could see a massive amount of spiritual energy surging toward a certain place like an inverted Milky Way.

"Treasure trove, treasure trove, I'm back!" Sikong Yan rubbed his hands excitedly, then nodded to Zhou Qing and plunged inside.

Zhou Qing also breathed a sigh of relief, and after confirming that there were no problems with the new mask on his face, he stepped inside...

Meanwhile, the nine-tiered palace, suspended directly above the capital, was bathed in the blazing midday sun.

A base carved from a single piece of azure jade supports the continuous palace buildings, and a dome supported by seventy-two coiled dragon pillars pierces the sky, reflecting a dazzling golden light under the sunlight.

The golden dragon at the very top of the mountain surged in the sea of ​​clouds, and with each sway of its tail, the spiritual energy within a hundred miles rose and fell like the tide.

The glazed pagoda in the northwest corner was particularly dazzling at this moment, and the nine chain array patterns seemed to writhe like living things under the strong light.

Red, blue, and purple halos constantly moved across the tower, each flash causing a slight tremor in the surrounding space.

At this moment, the spiritual patterns at the bottom of the tower shone brightly, clearly indicating that they were being replenished by the spiritual energy transmitted from the spiritual vein.

Thirty-six figures walked and inspected outside the tower, each exuding the aura of a Great Perfection of the Divine Transformation Realm.

What's most alarming is that the positions of these guards correspond to the numbers of the stars in the heavens, and their energy is interconnected, forming a living, breathing array.

"Inspect the restrictions." At that moment, someone spoke in a deep voice.

The crowd immediately took action, some making hand seals and chanting incantations, others unleashing their magical treasures.

Someone held an ancient bronze mirror and shone it on the pagoda. Wherever the mirror light passed, the glazed pagoda walls rippled with water-like patterns.

Someone threw out thirty-six jade tokens, which formed a detection array in the air.

Three people worked together to propel a blood-red banner, its fluttering surface sweeping across every inch of the tower.

"The Nine Heavens Net Restriction is operating normally."

"No abnormalities were found in the core array."

"The treasure vault space is stable."

……

(End of this chapter)