The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 365 Oh, isn't this Master Zhou? What's gotten into him? (6k)

Just as the opponent's demonic energy completely dissipated, Zhou Qing suddenly felt a blackout.

At this moment, his meridians were exhausted, and his spiritual power was so depleted that he could not even maintain the most basic ability to fly.

My body plummeted uncontrollably from a height of thousands of feet, the howling wind whistling in my ears, and the sky in my field of vision constantly spinning and twisting.

"It really has reached its limit..."

He bit his tongue to rouse himself, his trembling hand reaching into his storage bag, grabbing a handful of top-grade spirit stones and frantically holding them in his palm to absorb their spiritual power.

But in the next moment——

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, a thin black light, as thin as a hair, split open in the void and shot towards Zhou Qing like a venomous snake that had been lying in wait for a long time!

A frenzied fluctuation of divine thought emanated from the black light:
"Hahaha, in the end, I am the one who has the last laugh!"

The black light arrived in an instant, heading straight for Zhou Qing's ancestral aperture between his eyebrows!
At the critical moment—

"Buzz!"

A crimson-gold cage suddenly tore through the void and descended, with nine gilded chains intertwining into a net that instantly imprisoned the black light!

Ancient demon-suppressing runes flowed across the surface of the cage, each line radiating a terrifying pressure belonging to the Spirit Severing Realm.

The black light darted left and right within, emitting a shrill scream: "Who, who is it?!"

"boom!"

Zhou Qing crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Ignoring the excruciating pain all over his body, he abruptly looked up—

Atop a hundred feet in the sky, a burly figure stood, treading on the air.

His dark robe fluttered in the wind, and a mocking sneer graced his chiseled face as his eagle eyes looked down at him with amusement.

“Nangong…Xiongba!” Zhou Qing’s pupils contracted sharply, and his fingers gripping the spirit stone tightened involuntarily.

Nangong Xiong Ba leisurely toyed with the crimson-gold cage in his palm, watching the black light struggling wildly within, then suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth:

"Oh dear, my Master Zhou, how did you end up like this?"

He shook his head and sighed dramatically, "If I had arrived any later, you might have been possessed by this old monster, tsk tsk."

The black light in the cage let out a desperate wail, and Zhou Qing's heart sank to the bottom at that moment.

He never expected to encounter this nemesis on the border.

Logically speaking, Nangong Xiong Ba, who was rescued by Xuan Yuan Shuo, should be hiding in Yao Guang Mansion to recuperate from his injuries, or secretly lurking in the capital to seek revenge.

How did I end up here?
"What? You can't even speak when you see an old friend?" Nangong Xiong Ba slowly lowered the altitude.

The crimson-gold cage slowly rotated in his palm, reflecting his face, which had a half-smile. "Oh no, strictly speaking, this should be considered our first official meeting, right?"

Zhou Qing did not answer, but instead focused all his energy on circulating the Yin-Yang Technique, frantically absorbing the spiritual power from the spirit stone.

If I'm not mistaken, this place is not far from the exit of the Hidden Dragon Path.

If they can gain a brief respite and get close to the spatial node, they can use the jade talisman bestowed by Elder Mo to tear through the void and escape into it, using the teleportation array to flee the perilous situation.

We must stall him no matter what and give ourselves a chance to recover.

Upon hearing that this suddenly appearing Spirit Slayer Realm expert was not Zhou Qing's friend, the black light trembled violently within the cage, emitting rapid mental fluctuations.

"Fellow Daoist, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! I'm willing to withdraw now and will not interfere in this matter! I hope you will show mercy!"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Xiong Ba's lips curled into a mocking sneer: "Oh, you want me to let you go? Tsk tsk, that won't do."

"You should know that my goal is actually the same as yours. What if you leak information if I release you?"

"What?!" The black light trembled violently. "You, a mere Spirit Severing Realm cultivator, actually want to possess a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

"What are you saying?" Nangong Xiong Ba sneered. "Your cultivation level far surpassed that of Zhan Ling in your previous life, yet you still coveted this kid's body, didn't you?"

Hei Mang was speechless for a moment.

Can those be the same?

Nangong Xiong Ba examined the cage with great interest: "Speaking of which, you must be a spirit medium, right? What a pity."

He shook his head and sighed, "He didn't inherit any of his previous combat experience; it's such a waste."

"You—" Black Light suddenly realized something, "You've been lurking in the shadows from the very beginning?

"Brilliant!" Nangong Xiong Ba snapped his fingers. "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. I'll possess this brat once I've done so."

A greedy glint flashed in his eyes. "I'll use you for research; maybe I can uncover some ancient secrets."

Having said that, he unleashed several golden patterns from his fingertips, completely sealing the cage and storing it in his sleeve.

At this moment, Zhou Qing's face was ashen, and his body swayed precariously.

Nangong Xiongba slowly descended again, surveying the devastated battlefield, and exclaimed in amazement, "The fighting was truly brutal; one could believe it if you said it was a battle between two Spirit Slayers."

Zhou Qing forced himself to lift his head and weakly asked, "What do you look like?"

As Nangong Xiongba said, this was indeed their first real meeting.

When he killed his direct disciple Nangong Lu, he only saw his illusory image, which looked like a hunched old man.

Later, when he and Sikong Yan went to the Nangong family to steal their internal treasury, he left first, while Sikong Yan had a sparring session with him.

After that, I heard that he went to Lingyun Mansion and was seriously injured by the Lu sisters and his master.

However, the jade slip containing information about the Imperial Capital's Spirit-Slaying Clan, provided by Elder Mo, contained the very face before him.

That's why he was able to recognize it immediately.

Nangong Xiong Ba looked down at Zhou Qing from his high position, his gaze falling on Zhou Qing's hands that were constantly absorbing spiritual energy, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

This powerful being who had slain a spirit did not conceal his composure at all; he even deliberately slowed down his pace, enjoying the thrill of his prey's dying struggle.

Let alone Zhou Qing's current state of exhaustion after a fierce battle, even at his peak, he would have been nothing more than a slightly larger ant in his presence.

Zhou Qing is now like fish on a chopping board, completely at his mercy.

"Tsk tsk, what a sorry sight." Nangong Xiong Ba didn't answer first, but shook his head contemptuously, his black robe fluttering in the wind.

He suddenly leaned down, a glint of excitement in his eyes: "Do you know how long I've been waiting for this day?"

His voice held a suppressed, twisted pleasure, "Ever since Lu'er died at the hands of you, you brat, I've imagined this moment every single moment."

"Also, were you referring to the old dharma image that you left on Lu'er?"

Nangong Xiongba straightened up, made a gesture in the air with his right hand, and conjured up the white-haired phantom from that day. "It's just an illusion."

He suddenly changed the subject, his eyes flashing with greed: "By the way, that divine power you just used, where you condensed ten thousand spirit seals and merged them with lightning, was it the same move that severed my soul seal in the Ancient Beast Wilderness?"

Zhou Qing stared at him coldly, the spirit stone in his hand rapidly dimming.

“I must say, it’s quite impressive.” Nangong Xiong Ba suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth. “It could be considered a legendary inscription-level divine ability.”

He tilted his head, pretending to think, "Although I have never seen such supernatural power, I think it should be close enough."

He paced back a few steps, scrutinizing Zhou Qing closely, his eyes gleaming.

"Moreover, a few years ago you used eight thousand spirit seals, but now you use ten thousand spirit seals. Such talent is simply... unparalleled in the world."

At this point, Nangong Xiong Ba laughed loudly, but his laughter carried a hint of madness: "Don't you think that Seventh Prince is stupid?"

He suddenly leaned closer, almost touching Zhou Qing's face, "Such a young Nascent Soul Realm Great Perfection cultivator, a Level 4 Array Master!"

His breathing became heavy. "He actually thinks he's just naturally talented? He thinks that as a member of the royal family, his luck is better than yours?"

Nangong Xiongba straightened up and exaggeratedly slapped his thigh: "Do you know?"

A morbid glee gleamed in his eyes. "The moment he suffered the backlash, I almost died laughing!"

Despite the excruciating pain in his meridians, Zhou Qing continued to stall for time: "So, like that monster, you also want to possess me?"

"Surprised? Unexpected?" Nangong Xiong Ba spread his arms and spun around like a madman. "You would never have guessed that, would you?"

His expression suddenly turned sinister. "In fact, I didn't expect this even an hour ago."

Zhou Qing's expression turned even more unpleasant.

Nangong Xiong Ba continued, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, "Although breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage increases lifespan to six thousand years..."

His voice quickly lowered again, "But it has already taken two thousand years to condense Qi to reach the Nascent Soul stage."

He held up two fingers and waved them in front of Zhou Qing's eyes. "I barely broke through to the Spirit Severing Realm by stepping on that line."

A shadow of gloom crossed his eyes: "Now another two thousand years have passed."

Nangong Xiongba flew into a rage and smashed a boulder beside him with a single palm strike. "I am still stuck at the early stage of the Spirit Severing Realm!"

Amidst the flying debris, his voice was filled with deep-seated hatred, "This is the downside of getting ahead by taking drugs!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhou Qing crushed another spirit stone and pretended to be weak, saying, "I think the old emperor has already broken through to the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, and even Xuan Yuanshuo is in the middle stage."

“Yes.” Nangong Xiong Ba suddenly calmed down, his voice tinged with unspeakable jealousy, “I don’t know how they managed to do it.”

His gaze drifted into the distance. "Perhaps it's the destiny of the royal family."

Then he let out a cold laugh, "Or perhaps they kept that secret medicine a secret so they could control us with peace of mind."

He quickly turned to look at Zhou Qing, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "But it doesn't matter."

Nangong Xiongba revealed a twisted smile, "Now that we have the strength and lifespan of the Spirit Severing Realm, it's already very good. Even if there are drawbacks, we'll accept it."

Then, his expression turned blissful: "It's so good to be alive!"

Nangong Xiongba crouched down, picked a flower from the ruins, and took a deep breath. "In the years to come, I can see many landscapes I've never seen before, and meet many legendary figures."

At this point, he suddenly lowered his head, staring intently at Zhou Qing: "If I hadn't broken through to the Spirit Severing Realm back then..."

Nangong Xiong Ba's voice suddenly softened, yet it sent chills down one's spine, "How could it be... more than two thousand years later?"

His fingers gently stroked Zhou Qing's cheek. "Seeing such a prodigy as you suddenly appear in the world, how wonderful!"

Zhou Qing remained silent, but secretly increased the intensity of his spiritual energy absorption.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the originally dim primordial spirit finally began to glow with faint light.

Nangong Xiong Ba seemed to sense something, but smiled nonchalantly: "No rush."

His voice was as gentle as a viper's, "I'll give you time to recover slowly."

He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. "After all, even if a withered primordial spirit were to possess another body, it would be tasteless and unpleasant."

He suddenly leaned close to Zhou Qing's ear, his warm breath brushing against her face: "Me? I like it a little chewy."

Zhou Qing snorted coldly, a chilling glint in his eyes.

Nangong Xiong Ba straightened up, stood with his hands behind his back, and let out another burst of maniacal laughter.

“To be honest,” his laughter stopped abruptly, and his voice became eerily calm, “I never imagined that the persona I’ve maintained for over two thousand years would collapse like this in just a few years because of you and because of the Taiqing Sect.”

He strode up to Zhou Qing, looking down at him condescendingly: "A Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, nurtured by the family for many years."

His voice was filled with suppressed anger, "You slaughtered most of them, and now all the major families are eyeing us covetously, wanting to plant their people in my Nangong family."

“And then,” Nangong Xiong Ba said in a low voice, “the wealth accumulated by generations of ancestors was also taken away in one fell swoop.”

At this point, he suddenly stomped his foot on the ground in a fit of rage, "To this day, I still don't know who did it!"

Amidst the flying debris, his voice was filled with deep-seated hatred: "Originally, after Xuan Yuan Yichen betrayed me, I planned to massacre the Taiqing Sect to vent my anger."

"And the result?" he laughed hysterically, "I was beaten to death by three Spirit Slayers, leaving only a wisp of my primordial spirit to escape!"

"Isn't it pretty tragic?" He tilted his head, leaned closer to Zhou Qing again, and asked like an innocent child, "In the entire Holy Martial Dynasty, is there anyone more tragic than me who has been cut down to the Spirit Realm?"

His eyes turned venomous: "Even if I go back now, I'll become a laughingstock in the entire Spirit Slayer circle."

He suddenly grabbed Zhou Qing by the collar, "And for many years to come! Everyone who mentions you, Master Zhou, will bring up my Nangong family as a stepping stone!"

"So, I can say that I have lost everything now, and all of this is thanks to you."

Despite the pain, Zhou Qing asked in a deep voice, "Have you ever thought about why all of this happened?"

"The reason?" Nangong Xiong Ba released his grip, laughing maniacally, his laughter tinged with madness. "Isn't it all because of that good-for-nothing Nangong Xiao?"

He suppressed his smile, his voice growing cold: "Then do you think that as a family of spirit-slaying clans, even if the other party was at fault for the murder of a member of our family, we should reclaim our rightful dignity?"

"Do you expect us to apologize to your Ghost Mastiff senior brother to show our magnanimity?"

He looked down at Zhou Qing, his eyes flashing with cold light. "Boy, when you truly stand at the pinnacle of power in the Holy Martial Dynasty, you will understand that sometimes being overly reasonable and deliberately displaying kindness will only make you appear weak and vulnerable in the eyes of others."

“In this dog-eat-dog world, kindness is often interpreted as cowardice, and tolerance is often seen as incompetence.”

Zhou Qing remained silent, but his disapproval was clearly visible in his eyes.

In his mind, if a disciple of the Taiqing Sect made a mistake, his senior uncles and elder brothers would definitely come to apologize. This was the true demeanor of a strong person.

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Nangong Xiong Ba suddenly changed the subject, his tone turning gloomy.

"Of course, I'm not stupid. I know exactly why Xuanyuan Shuo saved me."

He held up a finger: "Either become a generous gift to win over you, a promising fourth-level array master, and those three formidable Spirit Slayer experts from the Taiqing Sect."

“Or…” he raised a second finger, “become their tool, and be gradually forced into the royal cage.”

"And after I've used you," Nangong Xiong Ba laughed again, a hint of desolation in his voice, "I'll still die in the end."

His expression turned ferocious. "But what you get in return is your gratitude and unwavering loyalty to the Xuanyuan family. It's a really good deal."

“Oh, right.” He suddenly remembered something, “At worst, we can make an example of them, serving as a warning to other Spirit Slayer families.”

He suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing strange rune marks on his chest: "That old bastard Xuanyuan Shuo pretended to heal my wounds, but secretly planted a restriction, imprisoning me in this borderland."

"He even had the audacity to ask me to look after this side of the border, while he's busy at the Taichu Dojo in the Haomiao Prefecture next."

"Plus, I witnessed the Seventh Prince's tragic death without being able to rescue him in time..." He sneered, "Anyway, no matter what the possibility is, I am destined to die; it's just a matter of time."

Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened: "So you want to possess me?"

Hearing Zhou Qing's words, Nangong Xiong Ba leaned closer to Zhou Qing again, his eyes flashing with fanaticism: "That's right!"

His voice even trembled with excitement, "Who would have thought you would walk right into my trap? For me, this is a godsend!"

"I originally wanted to kill you to vent my anger, but that dark thing just now gave me some good inspiration."

"Moreover, after careful consideration, I found this idea to be truly ingenious. Let me tell you about the benefits of possession."

He licked his lips. "With your talent, advancing to the Spirit Slayer realm is only a matter of time."

"If I succeed in possessing your body, my success rate will only be higher, based on my experience. Even if I fail, given your lifespan and foundation, I will still make a profit."

His speech quickened: "What's even better is that I can inherit all the memories of your level four array master."

"This alone is enough to make me live a life of luxury from now on."

"At worst, I can use your identity to join the Xuanyuan family and obtain the secret medicine again, which will surely allow me to advance to the Spirit Slaying stage."

Zhou Qing's expression grew increasingly gloomy.

"But this is only the worst-case scenario!" Nangong Xiongba waved his arms excitedly.

"With your talent to complete the path of others in two thousand years in fifty years, after possessing my body, I will definitely be able to break through to the mid-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, or even the late stage or higher!"

His eyes suddenly turned sinister: "What's even more interesting is that I can use your identity to take revenge on everyone who has ever made things difficult for me, such as the Taiqing Sect."

A surge of murderous intent flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes.

"And the Xuanyuan family," Nangong Xiong Ba sneered, "aren't they the ones who love to use others to do their dirty work?"

"Now it's my turn." He licked his lips with his scarlet tongue. "Kill a few princes, or launch a sneak attack on Xuanyuan Hao."

He burst into laughter, "Then we'll frame your Taiqing Sect, and let the Xuanyuan family massacre the Taiqing Sect, leaving no one alive!"

"Or the same goes for other Spirit Slaying families who have a grudge against me." A cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Anyway, they are all sect feuds, which is completely in line with the rules of the Cultivation Alliance."

As he spoke, he suddenly revealed a strange smile: "Speaking of which, I really have to thank that brat Nangong Xiao, although I can't even remember what he looks like."

"But he gave me a chance to be reborn, which is truly a blessing in disguise!"

Zhou Qing's eyes were as cold as ice, and the temperature around him seemed to drop as well.

Nangong Xiong Ba sighed, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his face: "That's enough, I've said enough. Old people just talk too much, they can't control their mouths."

He glanced at Zhou Qing with a sinister look: "It was the same back in front of the Taiqing Sect's gate. You let slip your information about your time in the capital. You thought it was a sure thing, but in the end, you made a fool of yourself."

"But now," he narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Zhou Qing, "judging from your spiritual energy fluctuations, you should be almost fully recovered, right? Are you ready?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qing suddenly sprang to his feet, abruptly throwing away the spirit stone he was still absorbing with his right hand, and tetanus instantly appeared.

The rusty sword blade, carrying a wisp of dark light, pierced straight towards Nangong Xiongba's throat!
"Ding!"

Nangong Xiongba seemed to have been prepared all along. He simply flicked his finger, and his fingertip struck the sword precisely.

The seemingly casual strike contained the terrifying spiritual power of a cultivator at the Spirit Severing Realm.

The tetanus trembled violently, emitting a piercing buzzing sound, and then flew out of my hand, drawing an arc in the air before embedding itself deeply into the rock wall ten feet away with a "clang".

Zhou Qing took advantage of the momentum to retreat sharply, but suddenly, an invisible and terrifying pressure descended like Mount Tai crashing down, pinning him firmly to the spot.

His bones creaked under the strain, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.

"Trying to escape?" Nangong Xiong Ba's chilling voice rang in his ears. "Faced with a Spirit Severing Realm cultivator, your speed is pathetic."

He slowly raised his hand, his five fingers loosely clenched, "Not even as good as an ant!"

Zhou Qing gritted his teeth, frantically trying to break free with the little spiritual power in his body, only to find that he couldn't even move a single finger.

Nangong Xiong Ba sat cross-legged opposite Zhou Qing, his seven-colored primordial spirit slowly leaving his body: "I'll give you one last chance. Do you have any last words?"

Zhou Qing trembled violently, veins bulging on his forehead, and he squeezed out each word through gritted teeth: "I... fuck... your... grandmother!"

"Hahaha!" Nangong Xiongba's primordial spirit let out a deafening laugh, full of mockery.

"What a pity," he shook his head with feigned regret, "I've never even seen what my maternal grandmother looks like, otherwise I would definitely send her here for you to vent your anger."

The seven-colored primordial spirit suddenly shone brightly and slowly floated towards Zhou Qing: "Say goodbye to this world."

His voice suddenly softened, yet carried a chilling undertone, "I'll watch the rest of the world for you. I'll live a life a thousand times more exciting than yours."

Before the last sentence was finished, the seven-colored primordial spirit was about to enter Zhou Qing's sea of ​​consciousness, but it abruptly stopped.

He suddenly turned to one side, his eyes flashing with a terrifying cold light.

"Hmm?" His voice suddenly turned cold. "Why are there still four ants? Shouldn't they be guarding from thousands of miles away?"

"This is absolutely disappointing!"

The seven-colored primordial spirit instantly returned to the physical body.

Nangong Xiongba slowly raised his right hand, palm down, the movement seemingly gentle but carrying a world-destroying power.

"Since you're in such a hurry to die," he slammed his hand down, as if the entire world had sank, "then let's all go together!"

……

(End of this chapter)