The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 359 So this is the secret formula for breaking through to the Spirit Severing Realm! (6k)

While the thirty-six figures outside the tower were conducting their routine inspection, no one noticed that subtle ripples were spreading across the dome of the "Hidden Star Pavilion" on the seventh floor of the tower.

"Click——"

The subtle cracking sound was perfectly masked by the roar of surging spiritual energy.

On the star map mural on the dome, a three-inch-long crack suddenly appeared at the position symbolizing the "Po Jun Star".

Immediately afterwards, two hands wearing black iron gloves emerged from the crack, their fingertips wrapped with spatial power as thin as hair, and they gently tore it apart.

"Wow!"

The entire starry sky mural is like a shattered mirror, revealing a dark void passage behind it.

Two dark figures silently landed, their toes touching the jade floor tiles without disturbing even the dust.

"Can you break through the 'Nine Heavens Restriction' that covers the entire layer within half an hour?" Sikong Yan asked in a low voice.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"

"The pagoda only has a one-hour window to replenish the spiritual energy of the restriction," Sikong Yan quickly explained. "After that, the restriction will activate its screening function to check all the artifacts. If anything is missing, it will trigger an alert."

He clicked his tongue softly and said, "Next time we come, we won't just be greeted by Nascent Soul Guardians."

A sly glint flashed in his eyes: "However, if you could make the restriction 'not see' the defect, and let it report to the outside world that everything is normal, that would be great."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes: "Why are you only bringing this up now?"

"I just remembered, and so much time has passed. I've split my primordial spirit, possessed another body, and then merged with it. I'm lucky if I can even tell which way is which."

Sikong Yan helplessly shrugged.

Zhou Qing clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, then took a deep breath and looked up to examine the three-colored restrictions flowing across the dome.

The red, blue, and purple patterns intertwine and writhe like living things, forming a complex structure like a net covering the sky and the earth.

Half an hour? Are you kidding me?
Although he was a level four array master, the art of array formation was profound and unpredictable.

Even the simplest single-color restriction can sometimes take several hours to break.

Those that are tedious and complicated require several days of work.

Not to mention that what's in front of them is the last barrier used by the Xuanyuan royal family to protect their treasure vault, a final defense specifically designed to guard against powerful cultivators at the Spirit Severing Realm from other races.

"It can't be solved!" Zhou Qing said bluntly.

Sikong Yan shrugged: "See? You still blame me for not telling you beforehand. Even if I had, you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it."

A dangerous glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes as he spoke.

"Don't glare at me," Sikong Yan said with a grin, taking a half-step back. "We'll still need me to tear through space to get out."

Seeing Zhou Qing's expression grow increasingly cold, he quickly waved his hand, "It was just a joke, you're so easily amused."

His expression turned serious, and his tone became urgent: "Time is of the essence, there's no time for idle chatter. Let's split up and see how much we get, it all depends on our abilities."

He paused, then added, "By the way, the wood-attribute spirit stone should be on the sixth floor; this is the seventh floor."

Before he finished speaking, his gaze had already turned forward.

Inside the entire seventh-floor Star Pavilion, three hundred and sixty fist-sized star beads floated silently, slowly rotating according to the trajectory of the Zhou Tian Star Array.

The stars shimmered, just like a real galaxy.

Each bead contains a rare treasure, and the spiritual energy it emits is terrifying.

But soon, Sikong Yan's pupils contracted slightly, and he whispered, "Oh no..."

His voice was slightly deep, with a hint of solemnity: "It seems that in the years since I 'died,' it wasn't just us who coveted this treasure trove—experts from other cultivation kingdoms at the Spirit Severing Realm have probably also come to 'visit' it."

"Now these Star Beads have been additionally enchanted by the old emperor with restrictions unique to the Spirit Severing Realm, making them far more difficult to break than before."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and took out the ancient compass. With a flick of his finger, seven jade tokens flew out and shot swiftly toward the first star bead.

The moment the jade token touched the bead's surface, the restriction patterns suddenly lit up, spiritual energy surged, and Sikong Yan frowned slightly, beginning to focus on deciphering it...

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhou Qing moved swiftly, like a streak of blue lightning, instantly passing through the protective barrier and rushing up the stairs to the sixth floor.

As soon as you step inside, the view suddenly opens up.

The entire space is even more magnificent than the seventh floor. Hundreds of luminous pearls are embedded in the dome, illuminating the entire pavilion as if it were daytime.

The ground was paved with "spirit-nourishing jade," a rare and precious material.

Stepping onto it, one feels a gentle warmth, as if it were water, and it could absorb the spiritual energy dissipated from the cultivator's body, preventing any aura from leaking out.

The pavilion displays dozens of sandalwood shelves, each emitting a faint sandalwood fragrance.

The shelves were filled with a dazzling array of rare treasures, neatly categorized and arranged in an orderly fashion.

On the far left wooden shelf, there were thousands of jade boxes, each with runes representing the five elements engraved on its lid, faintly shimmering with spiritual light.

A glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and he could hardly suppress the urge to rush over, but being cautious as he was, he first activated his [Dual Pupils].

In an instant, the view changed drastically!

The once tranquil wooden frame was now surrounded by a dense network of silver threads, intertwined like a spider web, completely enveloping the thousands of jade boxes.

Each thread contains a sharp, restrictive force; the slightest carelessness could trigger a deadly attack!
"We have to speed things up!" Zhou Qing thought to himself. "Half an hour is already tight, and Sikong Yan doesn't have [Dual Pupils]. If he accidentally triggers the restriction, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Without further hesitation, he suddenly spread his hands, and ten thousand spiritual seals poured out like a galaxy, instantly unfolding.

If he were to crack the code piece by piece like he did in the Nangong family's inner treasury, there simply wouldn't be enough time—what he wanted was to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!
What's more, all of these thousand top-grade spirit stones are of the five elements, with as many as two hundred of them being of the wood element!

“I made a lot of money this time!”

A flash of spiritual light appeared at his fingertips, and under the precise guidance of [Dual Pupils], ten thousand spiritual imprints pierced into the restriction nodes like a torrential rain.

“Ka-ka-ka—”

A series of subtle cracking sounds rang out as the monochrome barrier was peeled away, its silver threads snapping one by one, scattering tiny sparks.

Zhou Qing's hand seals were forming faster and faster, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. Clearly, controlling ten thousand spirit seals at the same time in such a hurry was a huge burden for him.

"Snapped!"

Time passed slowly, and soon after, the last silver thread snapped!

At the same time, thousands of jade boxes emitted a faint light. Zhou Qing rolled up his sleeves, and the opening of his storage bag, like a giant whale sucking in water, swallowed all the jade boxes.

"It's done!"

As the last jade box disappeared into the bag, Zhou Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

A burning desire flashed in his eyes—so many Five Elements Spirit Stones were enough for him to do so many things.

He glanced at the time; there was still some money to spare. His gaze then swept over the other treasures in the pavilion…

Behind the Spirit Stone area, various rare spiritual materials are displayed.

Ten-thousand-year-old Xuan Yin Wood, Crimson Flame Gold Essence, Nine Netherworld Iron, Heavenly Silkworm Silk... each of these items is enough to stir up a bloodbath in the outside world.

Zhou Qing's gaze was intense, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

However, in the vision of [Double Pupils], these treasures were all firmly sealed by a monochrome restriction, like prey entangled in silver threads.

"This tower only has seven floors. The Star Bead that Sikong Yan deciphered was imbued with a Spirit Severing Realm restriction, but the sixth floor only has a single-color restriction..."

His mind raced, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "Could it be that the defenses weaken as you go down? Or perhaps there are no restrictions at all?"

There's not enough time right now, so he needs to do whatever is most convenient.

Just as he was about to leave, [Double Pupils] suddenly caught a glimpse of something unusual—

On the surface of the Spirit Nourishing Jade, there was a fine, dark golden line that blended perfectly into the jade's texture.

Like a serpent, it meanders and flows, eventually converging at the base of the central jade pillar, forming an extremely hidden array eye.

If he hadn't glanced at it casually, he wouldn't have noticed anything amiss.

"This is……?!"

Zhou Qing's heart suddenly raced.

He held his breath and crouched down, his fingertips forming several spiritual seals as he slowly probed along the patterns. The instant his spiritual energy touched the core of the array—

"Click."

The jade pillar cracked silently, revealing a small, hidden compartment.

A jade slip, shimmering with starlight, lay quietly inside, with a note attached beside it:
[I'm very curious, as the second person to see this, are you excited?]

"I?!"

Zhou Qing's pupils constricted sharply. "The Emperor's doing?!"

A chill instantly crept up his spine and up to the back of his neck.

He didn't touch it rashly, but instead activated his [Dual Pupils] to investigate carefully, but still found nothing.

They then examined the jade pillar repeatedly, but it remained unremarkable.

He crouched down again, staring at the jade slip in the hidden compartment, his gaze falling once more on the note.

The word "朕" (zhen, meaning "I, the emperor") gave him a jolt.

In the current Holy Martial Dynasty, only the Emperor can use this title to refer to himself.

After all, the Holy Martial Dynasty was promoted to a fourth-level cultivation country under the old emperor, and it built these nine palaces to demonstrate the majesty of the royal family.

If this item was not left by the current emperor, it must have been the work of the former emperor.

"Something's fishy!" Zhou Qing cautiously took a step back and immediately used [Daily Insight].

[Secret Formula for Breaking Through to the Spirit Severing Realm: This is a secret formula that the former emperor of the Holy Martial Dynasty specially hid here; it can be used to break through to the Spirit Severing Realm.]

To prevent discovery, no spiritual markings were left on this secret recipe.

"what?"

When Zhou Qing saw the feedback, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his face was filled with disbelief.

Throughout the entire Holy Martial Dynasty, countless cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm dreamed of it, and countless powerful cultivators at the Spirit Severing Realm from foreign lands had coveted it for many years.

Even Sikong Yan, who was currently breaking the restrictions upstairs, had his goal of countless years—the secret method to break through to the Spirit Severing Realm—exposed so nakedly in front of him.

If he hadn't had unwavering faith in the "Daily Remedy," he would never have believed that such an important secret formula would appear in such a casual way.

This is too simple, too childish!

When Sikong Yan was the eldest prince, he believed that the most dangerous place was the safest place, and he even searched this place specifically.

In retrospect, this judgment was correct; it was indeed a case of the eye being blind to what's right under your nose.

Back then, Sikong Yan only had the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Realm, so how could he have discovered that this item was hidden in such an obvious place?
Even though he is now a level four array master, he almost missed it just now.

If it weren't for the constant activation of the [Double Pupils] to guard against hidden restrictions, and if it weren't for the numerous rare spiritual seals he had condensed, how could he have discovered and activated this hidden compartment?
While this spirit-slaying technique may seem to appear too easily, it is actually intricately linked and subtly aligns with the secrets of heaven.

It should be noted that this place is a nine-tiered palace, where powerful experts at the Spirit Severing Realm are stationed year-round.

Outsiders who wish to seize the secret technique must first breach the palace and then break through the three-colored restrictions.

Finally, this item was found among thousands of treasures—even if Shen Hanyi, number six, were to personally go there, she probably wouldn't have been able to find it.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and he felt his heart pounding violently in his chest.

In a daze, he seemed to see his master and senior brothers breaking through to the Spirit Severing Realm.

"I'd like to see what this so-called secret recipe is all about."

He was about to reach out when he stopped.

After a slight hesitation, he took out a pair of special gloves and put them on.

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, he did not pick up the jade slip directly, but instead touched it lightly with his fingertips, allowing his divine sense to slowly seep into it like a gentle stream—

The first thing that comes to mind is the list of materials needed to refine the Spirit-Slaying Elixir.

The first ingredient was none other than the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus, followed by a detailed record of its growing location and harvesting method.

Next came the second ingredient, the Mysterious Green Vine, which was exactly what Sikong Yan had seen back then.

Then came the Celestial Dew, the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Ginseng, and the Blood Soul Demon Fruit...

However, when he saw the last two main ingredients, the look of anticipation on Zhou Qing's face gradually froze, replaced by a deathly pale expression.

The forty-sixth secret medicine—the Seven Emotions Soul-Severing Grass—must be planted in the womb of a pregnant woman when she is about to give birth, so that it can grow by taking advantage of the newborn baby's innate energy.

When the infant reaches the age of seven, he must experience the seven extreme emotions of joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, and fright before his heart can be extracted to refine this medicinal ingredient. Furthermore, three hundred such ingredients are required for a safe outcome.

The forty-seventh spiritual herb, 【Ten Thousand Souls Condensed Dew】, requires the complete Nascent Soul realm primordial spirit to be forcibly separated, imprisoned with a specially made magical artifact, and refined in an extremely yin place for a hundred years.

During this process, the souls of newly deceased people must be continuously fed in, and only then can they condense into a drop of jet-black soul dew.

Then came the detailed methods for refining these forty-seven secret medicines.

Zhou Qing was increasingly alarmed as he looked at the scene. His face turned ashen, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

He never imagined that the secret medicine for the Spirit Severing Realm, which countless cultivators dreamed of, was actually refined in such a vicious way.

Apart from rare and precious herbs like the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus, other spiritual herbs, though rare, are not unattainable.

But what is most appalling is—

Zhou Qing's throat bobbed, his gaze fixed on the record of the forty-sixth secret herb.

He simply couldn't imagine how many unborn babies would suffer if Sikong Yan leaked this secret recipe!
Even more frightening is that this kind of heinous secret medicine may very well be turned into an "industry" for people to operate.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing felt a chill run straight to the top of his head, and he trembled with anger.

So, are all the Spirit Slaying Realm experts in the Holy Martial Dynasty today created by the old emperor, Xuan Yuanchong, using such cruel methods?
If a Spirit Severing Realm cultivator survives and breaks through after dozens of people have taken the medicine, then how many innocent infants have lost their lives because of this over the years?
If it weren't for the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus, which is extremely difficult to obtain, setting a limit, Zhou Qing wouldn't have dared to think any further.

Looking at the jade slip in front of him, Zhou Qing was furious and instinctively wanted to destroy it.

But then, in a flash, he awoke with a start—

This recipe is just a backup!
The true secret recipe is still deeply engraved in the old emperor's mind.

If what Sikong Yan said is true, the old emperor would only temporarily erase this memory when facing a life-or-death situation, and then come back here to retrieve a backup after escaping danger.

In other words, destroying the jade slip at this moment would be of no use.

After they leave, the three-colored restriction "Nine Heavens Net" will automatically activate its investigation and issue a warning.

When the old emperor personally investigates, even if he discovers the secret formula is lost, he will simply choose another place to reprint it.

The real problem is that he will definitely use every means to track down the intruder.

As a newly promoted fourth-level array master who happens to be at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul realm, I would undoubtedly become the primary suspect.

To break through the restriction silently is something that only a Spirit Severing Realm expert combined with a high-level array master can accomplish.

Looking across the capital, who else could be more skilled in formations and on the verge of a breakthrough than him?

What's even more terrifying is that, given the methods of the Xuanyuan family, even with three Venerable Spirit Slaying Realm experts guarding the Taiqing Sect, they are nothing more than ants that can be destroyed with a flick of the finger in the eyes of the old emperor.

You should know that he personally witnessed Shen Hanyi's terrifying power in killing the Spider King with a single finger back then.

And which of the seventeen Spirit Slaying Realm experts of the Holy Martial Dynasty didn't owe a great favor to the old Emperor?

Only by maintaining the status quo can we avoid getting burned when something happens.

After figuring it out, Zhou Qing clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and finally quietly closed the hidden compartment, carefully erasing all traces to ensure there was no flaw left.

He took a few steps back, his gaze fixed on the jade pillar, his heart churning with indescribable complex emotions.

The secret formula is in hand, but must we really harm countless infants in order to extend lifespan and achieve a breakthrough?

Moreover, the success rate is so low that only one person might succeed by sheer luck after dozens of people take it...

If this probability holds true, the Taiqing Sect would only have twenty-one Great Perfection Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, and perhaps not even one person could reach that level.

After all, these people only achieved their perfect advancement with the help of Yin Spirit Stones, and they are no match for those veteran prodigies who demonstrated their self-worth and future potential to the old emperor.

Despite all this, those people have turned into forgotten skeletons.

But what if?
At this moment, conflict tore at Zhou Qing's rationality. His master and the others were nearing the end of their lives, with only one or two hundred years left. He longed for them to continue to stay with him.

But if it's done with such inhumane methods...

"This secret recipe should never have existed in the world!" Soon, a resolute glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and a murderous intent suddenly appeared.

If leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Fortunately, only the old emperor knows this secret formula. If we can kill him and destroy this backup...

But the old emperor is a late-stage Spirit Severing Realm expert, and he is blessed with the dynasty's fortune, as well as seventeen Spirit Severing Realm allies to help him. Who can kill him?
Even Shen Hanyi couldn't do that.

He suddenly felt a sense of despair.

"The only way right now is to prevent the Nine Nether Demon Lotus from appearing in the world and cut off its refining materials!" Zhou Qing made a quick decision.

But the world is vast, and the old emperor had already spread the news that the Nine Netherworld Demon Lotus could help people break through to the Spirit Severing Realm, causing countless cultivators to search for it frantically...

What should I do?
How to break the deadlock?

Just as he was feeling troubled, footsteps suddenly came from the stairs.

Zhou Qing quickly moved to the side, pretending to break the restriction on the elixir.

"Did you get the stuff?" Sikong Yan rushed over in a flurry, his eyes gleaming with excitement, clearly having made a great haul on the seventh floor.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly: "It's alright."

"Haha!" Sikong Yan laughed loudly, "Follow me and I'll guarantee you'll live a life of luxury! I've discovered that we're a perfect match."

"Look, I have the strength, and you have the skills. Where in the capital can't we go?"

Zhou Qing forced a smile to deal with him.

Sikong Yan was taken aback, and stroked his chin suspiciously, saying, "Strange, you usually have a cold face, why did you smile at my suggestion this time?"

Zhou Qing's heart tightened, and he immediately explained, "Because the number of wood-attribute spirit stones stored here far exceeds my expectations, and thankfully you didn't cause any trouble this time."

Upon hearing this explanation, Sikong Yan laughed again, but then raised an eyebrow and revealed a sly smile: "Just because you didn't cause trouble earlier doesn't mean you won't cause trouble later."

Zhou Qing's expression changed drastically.

Seeing this, Sikong Yan laughed even harder: "Just kidding! Don't bother with these medicinal herbs. Although they are precious, with your relationship with Mo Tianheng of the Duobao Chamber of Commerce, getting such spiritual herbs is just a matter of a word."

Zhou Qing had no choice but to pretend to be reluctant to give up.

"Look at you, so greedy!" Sikong Yan urged, "Hurry up and let's go, time's almost up!"

After saying that, he took out a compass and tore open the space in front of him.

Zhou Qing also took out his token and followed closely behind, disappearing into the crevice.

The spatial rift then closed and disappeared without a trace.

About ten breaths later, the entire glazed pagoda suddenly shook violently!
The Nine Heavens Restriction was activated instantly, with red, blue, and purple light intertwining and flowing, and dense array patterns appearing on the ground, walls, and dome of each floor inside the tower.

The spiritual light swept across every inch of space like a tide, and the power of the restrictions swept through like a torrent, checking the location, quantity, and aura of all the collections one by one.

When this force swept to the sixth level, the restriction suddenly stopped.

"Om-"

A deep, resonant bell rang out from within the tower, its sound waves piercing through the void and instantly spreading throughout the entire palace.

Outside the tower, the thirty-six Nascent Soul guardians all changed color simultaneously.

"Nine Heavens Net is issuing a warning?!" The head guard's pupils constricted, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "The treasure vault is missing! How could this be!"

Before the words were finished, the nine black iron chains wrapped around the tower suddenly taut, emitting a piercing "clanging" sound.

The ancient runes on the chains lit up with crimson light one after another, weaving into a net that sealed the entire pagoda completely.

The next moment, the entire world suddenly fell silent.

Suddenly, a dark crack appeared in the void, and then Emperor Xuanyuan Hao stepped out of the void, with golden lotuses blooming beneath his feet.

He wore a nine-dragon robe and a crown with mountains and rivers on his head, and his face was imposing without being angry.

The imperial dragon aura surrounding him compressed the space slightly, making it seem as if the entire world was about to submit to him simply by standing there.

"How brave!"

The two words, spoken so casually, struck the thirty-six Nascent Soul Guardians as if by lightning. They knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed against the blue bricks, their breath caught in their throats.

Xuanyuan Hao snorted coldly, his sleeves fluttering even without wind.

He raised his hand and pressed down, and the nine chain array patterns immediately creaked under the strain, and were actually forced open with a gap.

"open!"

With a low shout, the pagoda gates burst open.

Xuanyuan Hao entered with his hands behind his back, and with each step he took, a circle of golden ripples lit up the ground.

A vast amount of divine consciousness surged out like a tide, instantly filling every corner of the tower.

The sixth shelf of spirit stones was empty, and the three star beads on the seventh shelf had vanished without a trace.

Even more bizarrely, there wasn't a trace of human presence left inside the entire pagoda.

"Interesting." Xuan Yuanhao narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and focused his attention once more on probing...

……

(End of this chapter)