The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 368 A God-Sent Opportunity, Time Waits for No One, See You at the Same Place! (6k)

After listening to Zhao Muye's words, a look of understanding flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes.

As Sikong Yan said, the overall structure of the cultivation world determines the cultivators' vision.

In the Holy Martial Dynasty, everyone is worried about how to obtain good Heavenly Qi, how to condense a Nascent Soul, and how to comprehend the Divine Transformation Realm.

The Zhao family, however, had already been paving the way for the Spirit Severing Realm, avoiding the hidden dangers of inner demons from the very beginning of their cultivation.

"So," Zhao Muyi suddenly changed the subject, somewhat embarrassed, "outsiders say that we Zhao family members are simple-minded, all brawn and no brains, and that we are all reckless brutes who don't consider the consequences!"

He looked intently at Zhou Qing, “But you are different, Brother Zhou. You are a level four array master at such a young age. It’s a waste of your talent to stay in this small place.”

As he spoke, he solemnly stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "I, Zhao Muyi, on behalf of the Zhao family, sincerely invite you to join my Zhao family and serve as our honorifics. What do you say?"

Zhou Qing was taken aback.

This was too sudden.

Shen Yunzhou continued to transmit his voice, with a hint of sarcasm: "What he said is true. The Zhao family's muscle-bound brutes really can't outsmart the other families' cunning and intricacies."

"But his greatest strength lies in his incredible perseverance, coupled with that ancestral body-refining secret technique."

He paused, then added, "The number of Spirit Severing Realm cultivators is indeed significantly higher than that of other families."

"In order to gain a foothold in the power struggles among aristocratic families and avoid being used as pawns, the Zhao family has become smarter in recent years."

Shen Yunzhou's voice transmission carried a hint of amusement, "They specifically look for intelligent people like you—those with exceptional talent but clean backgrounds, and no ties to other powerful families."

"Now, you're being targeted by this brute."

Zhou Qing: "..."

He frowned slightly and replied telepathically, "If I travel with you now, wouldn't that already be getting involved with the Shen family?"

"This..." Shen Yunzhou was momentarily speechless, then laughed nonchalantly, "Who knows? Maybe I just find you particularly pleasing to the eye?"

A sly glint flashed in his eyes. "But this is for the best. If you join the Zhao family, you'll have a powerful backer."

"When I pursue my sister in the future, those monsters and demons in the Shen family will have to think twice before trying to trip me up."

Seeing that Zhou Qing remained silent, Shen Yunzhou added with great interest: "You haven't seen how protective the Zhao family is! A dozen muscle-bound brutes at the Spirit Severing Realm rolled up their sleeves and charged in."

"The scene was like a herd of mad ancient bulls trampling the farmland, and the ground was uprooted wherever they went."

Zhou Qing's lips twitched, speechless.

Suddenly, Shen Yunzhou seemed to realize something and shook his head repeatedly: "No, no! It's still too close to Nanhuang Prefecture!"

He muttered to himself, "If she's going to marry, she should marry someone far away, so my sister won't have to keep coming back to her parents' house."

At this moment, Gui'ao and Luo Lingling both turned their gazes to Zhou Qing, their eyes filled with shock and anticipation.

To be so respectfully invited by a powerful expert in the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm is an opportunity unprecedented in the entire Holy Martial Dynasty.

It should be noted that what Zhao Muyi has shown us is only the tip of the iceberg of the Zhao family's strength.

If they can join, Taiqing Sect will truly have the confidence to be both offensive and defensive.

With two senior members of the Lu family and the master in charge, and a behemoth like the Zhao family as their backing, they will have the opportunity to achieve their goals.

Lu Yaoyao seemed somewhat hesitant.

The main problem is that she really doesn't understand any of these things.

In my memory, my father, who always had a weathered face, almost never talked about these things, except when he saw her eating snacks and smiled when he brought her to the city.

At this moment, as she looked at Zhou Qing, her heart was filled with ripples.

Was all of this fate that was destined to happen, or was it a change brought about by my arrival?

Feeling the gazes of the crowd, Zhou Qing quickly helped Zhao Muyi, who was bowing respectfully, to his feet: "Brother Zhao, actually I..."

"Don't be so quick to refuse!" Zhao Muyi laughed heartily, waving his rough hand. "I understand, better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond!"

In this fourth-level cultivation kingdom, Zhou Qing is a fourth-level array master revered by thousands, and even the Xuanyuan royal family has to show him respect.

However, if he went to Nanhuang Prefecture, the Zhao family could indeed give him a broader stage, but the competition would be fierce.

None of the 'smart people' they recruited were easy to deal with.

Seeing Zhou Qing deep in thought, Zhao Muye patted him on the shoulder: "If you ever come to your senses, you can come to my Zhao family in Nanhuang Prefecture. Just mention my name, Zhao Muye, and you're good to go. How about that?"

Looking at his sincere and enthusiastic appearance, Zhou Qing weighed the matter carefully before finally nodding slowly.

In front of everyone, directly refusing the invitation from a late-stage Spirit Severing Realm expert would be too disrespectful and might even cause unnecessary trouble.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Muyi's rugged face immediately broke into a bright smile.

"Good!" His voice boomed, and he slapped Zhou Qing's shoulder heavily with his large, fan-like hand. "Then I, Old Zhao, will be waiting for you at the Zhao family home!"

The slap made Zhou Qing's shoulder ache, but it also relieved everyone present.

Just then, a deafening elephant's roar suddenly resounded through the sky.

Zhao Muyi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his face lit up with wild joy: "We've found that guy, Yama!"

He clasped his hands in a fist and smiled at everyone: "Alright then, I won't bother you any longer. Everyone, let's meet again someday!"

Before he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot in a flash.

Zhou Qing rushed to the window and opened it. He saw that all the cultivators on the street were looking up at the sky with shocked expressions.

"hold head high--"

Another elephant's cry shook the windowpanes.

Above the clouds, a colossal, silver-white elephant, the size of a small mountain, stood in mid-air. Its tusks, over ten feet long, were entwined with blood-red lightning patterns, and each swing of its trunk stirred up ripples in the space.

What was most alarming was the overwhelming pressure emanating from it, which turned the faces of all the cultivators on the street pale.

This is actually a demon emperor!
"Wow, that nose isn't all that long for nothing. Where is that guy?"

Zhao Muye's loud laughter came from high above, and he instantly appeared beside the giant elephant.

To everyone's astonishment, the giant elephant stood upright, its body radiating a bronze glow.

With a series of cracking sounds, he instantly transformed into a burly man with a thick beard, about two meters tall, just like him.

The dragon scale pattern was faintly visible on its bronze skin, and the string of black iron bells around its neck jingled.

"You actually cheated on me with food?! And you even drank alcohol?"

The burly man suddenly leaned close to Zhao Muye, twitched his nose a few times, and then flew into a rage, questioning him in a booming voice.

Zhao Muyi immediately rubbed his hands guiltily: "How could that be! We were just looking for people separately. We happened to run into an acquaintance who insisted on toasting me."

He pointed to the inn below, "That kid from the Shen family, he just couldn't refuse their hospitality."

The burly man's eyes flashed with golden light, instantly locking onto Shen Yunzhou, who was peering at them from the window.

"So it's a dung beetle from the Shen family, no wonder it stinks so much!" he grumbled disgustedly. "Aren't you afraid that once you have something in your stomach, it'll give you a 'fishbone stuck in your throat'?"

Zhao Muyi felt a chill run down his spine and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Let's go, let's take care of business first! Where is he?"

The giant, who was actually a dragon and an elephant, flicked the black iron bell around his neck and pointed his thick arm toward the nine-tiered palace above his head: "It's right there!"

He suddenly patted his stomach and said, "After you've finished your business, I'm going to eat a thousand whole roasted cows!"

“Sure! Plenty!” Zhao Muye replied with a hearty laugh.

The two smiled at each other, then simultaneously raised their hands and tore open a dark rift in the void.

They leaped in and vanished in an instant, leaving only the gradually healing spatial cracks.

The entire street erupted in chaos, with everyone discussing it animatedly.

"Two more experts at the Spirit Severing Realm have arrived!"

"Judging by their aura, they must be experts from the neighboring Nine Li Dynasty?"

"Why is the capital so lively lately?"

……

At this moment, Shen Yunzhou curled his lips and explained to Zhou Qing, "That guy is Zhao Muye's mount and brother, a half-purebred ancient dragon-elephant, a genuine demon emperor."

He added sourly, "Beasts born with spatial abilities never need flying boats to travel; they simply tear through space to traverse it."

"Where Zhao the Madman wants to go, he can just sit on its back."

Upon hearing this, a hint of envy flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes.

He recalled that Sikong Yan had once said that even a Spirit Severing Realm expert would not dare to travel through the void for an extended period of time.

Spatial turbulence, storms, and those ferocious spatial beasts could cause people to be lost in the void forever at any time.

Having a space-type demon king as a mount is truly the envy of everyone.

"Damn it! Even if you're standing this high up, can't you speak a little quieter?"

Shen Yunzhou suddenly raised his arm and sniffed under his armpit, cursing, "Where do I stink?"

He gagged as soon as he finished speaking.

"Ugh—it does actually have a tiny bit of that taste."

Zhou Qing, however, had no time to ponder these questions and asked with a furrowed brow, "Will they kill Yama?"

Shen Yunzhou reluctantly lowered his arm and rubbed his reddened nose: "What are you thinking? Zhao Fengzi is just looking for a live target to practice on."

He curled his lip, revealing a hint of disdain, "This guy's life motto is just two words—fight! He's either fighting or on his way to fight."

Seeing that Zhou Qing still looked confused, Shen Yunzhou leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "The evil body-refining technique of the Zhao family is completely different from what we know. You have to keep fighting to improve it."

He made an exaggerated shuddering gesture, "Those lunatics only feel good when they get beaten to a pulp while they're cultivating. The more they're injured, the faster they break through. They're a bunch of masochists!"

"Of course, don't overthink it. The Zhao family's body-refining secret technique is a bloodline inheritance. Even if outsiders search their souls and steal their spirits, they can't learn it."

He shrugged. "To put it bluntly, only the Zhao family can use this method of breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage by taking a beating."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes.

He had originally hoped that these two guys could take care of the troublesome Yama.

“I know what you’re worried about,” Shen Yunzhou said, looking at Zhou Qing. “Don’t worry, Yama won’t be able to find you.”

A shrewd glint flashed in his eyes. "When my older sister and I left the Yan family, that scoundrel Yan Luo wasn't even in the clan. He had been traveling for many years."

"However, given the Yan family's methods, he will eventually receive a message from the clan and learn about the matter between Yan Sen and his nephew."

Shen Yunzhou suddenly grinned, "But you'll be fine as long as you're careful. Besides, my older sister is still here keeping watch, isn't she?"

Seeing Zhou Qing's brows furrowing more and more, Shen Yunzhou couldn't help but look ashamed: "I'm sorry, we've dragged you into this."

It's all that bastard Yan Sen's fault!
If he hadn't orchestrated his own descent into that secret realm, he wouldn't have fallen victim to that damned curse.
In order to find two transforming medicinal herbs to save him, his older sister has been traveling everywhere and has even ventured into different forbidden zones.

Later at Kunpeng Palace, although he received help from Zhou Qing, he was also targeted by Yan Sen.

Although Yan Sen is dead, he has left such a huge hidden danger for Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao. Zhou Qing looked at Shen Yunzhou's remorseful appearance and gently shook his head: "You have apologized many times. It has nothing to do with you. Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's eat. The food is getting cold."

Ghost Mastiff and Luo Lingling, who were standing nearby, were completely confused.

The junior apprentice's relationship with the Shen siblings seems to be different from what they imagined.

What's even stranger is why the junior brother is so wary of Yama, whom he has never met before.

And who are the Yan family uncles and nephews?

What does this have to do with my younger brother?
The atmosphere in the private room suddenly became somewhat subtle.

Lu Yaoyao looked at Zhou Qing with some concern, after all, the matter involving the Yan family uncle and nephew was something that she and her father had done together.

boom!
Before the group could even pick up their chopsticks, another tremendous roar echoed from the horizon, and a terrifying pressure swept down like a raging torrent, causing the entire restaurant to tremble slightly.

Zhou Qing's expression changed drastically, and he dashed out of the window in a flash.

Looking up, one could see two figures locked in fierce combat above the distant nine-tiered palace. The violent fluctuations of spiritual energy shattered the clouds and distorted the void.

"That's... the old emperor, Xuanyuan Chong?!"

Zhou Qing's pupils contracted as he recognized one of them—it was none other than the reclusive old emperor of the dynasty!
At this moment, he was radiant with golden light, like an ancient war god. Every punch he threw was accompanied by a roar like a dragon's cry, shaking the heavens and the earth.

His opponent was a young man wearing black bone armor, his armor covered with scarlet blood grooves, as if it were forged from the bones of countless ferocious beasts.

Black mist surged around him, exuding a terrifying aura.

His blood-red eyes were cold and ruthless. In his hand, a jet-black longsword unleashed a blade of light that stretched for thousands of feet, cleaving even space itself in its wake!

"He is Yama!" Shen Yunzhou appeared instantly beside Zhou Qing, his voice filled with undisguised shock.

Zhou Qing's heart trembled violently, and his gaze was fixed on that figure.

This person dared to make a move in the Nine Heavens Palace. Could it be that he, like those foreign Spirit Severing Realm cultivators, came for the Xuanyuan family's Spirit Severing Secret Formula?

Was it just a sudden whim?

Where did Zhao Muyi and his ancient dragon elephant go?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the old emperor Xuanyuan Chong suddenly unleashed a punch, the golden fist imprint exploding like the blazing sun, forcing Yama back a hundred feet.

His figure then transformed into a dazzling golden rainbow and sped towards the outside of the city!

"What you want is on me. If you have the ability, come and take it yourself!" Xuan Yuanchong's voice thundered across the sky.

"Trying to escape?!" Yama sneered, his black mist surging like a tide, transforming into thousands of hideous ghost faces that pounced out to attack.

The two of them, one in front of the other, swept past the imperial city in the blink of an eye and headed straight for the outer city.

"If the old emperor can take this opportunity to kill Yama," Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately turned around and said, "Senior brothers and sisters, please wait here. I'll be right back!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already transformed into a streak of light and disappeared.

"Battles at the Spirit Severing Realm are incredibly terrifying; even being caught in the crossfire can sometimes be fatal."

"Don't wander off! I'll take care of Brother Zhou!" Shen Yunzhou hurriedly instructed before chasing after them.

Just as Lu Yaoyao was about to speak, Luo Lingling grabbed her arm and said, "Listen to them!"

The ghost mastiff also cast a disapproving glance, and the girl had no choice but to give up in frustration.

At this moment, countless streaks of light, like a meteor shower, chased after the direction of the battle above the entire imperial city, making her itch with anticipation.

……

"Gone!" Zhou Qing suddenly stopped in mid-air, his brows furrowed.

A powerful being at the Spirit Severing Realm can tear through space in an instant, covering tens of thousands of miles. At this moment, they are like headless flies, completely losing their direction of pursuit.

"Look at those people!" Shen Yunzhou pointed into the distance and saw thousands of Nascent Soul cultivators rushing in the same direction, clearly knowing where the battlefield was.

"Master Zhou? My God! It really is Master Zhou!" A gruff voice suddenly rang out.

A middle-aged man dressed in a brown outfit was trembling with excitement as he rushed forward.

His face flushed, and he awkwardly pulled out a photographic stone: "I am Zhang Geng, your most loyal follower! May I take a picture with you as a memento?"

Zhou Qing was only then surprised to realize that he was not wearing a mask.

I was just at the inn with my loved ones, so there was no need to hide anything. Now, in my haste to chase after them, I completely forgot about that.

Seeing this, Shen Yunzhou couldn't help but smile, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Zhou Qing returned the greeting with a slightly embarrassed bow: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, do you know where we are headed?"

Zhang Geng hurriedly activated the image stone, imprinting the two figures onto it, before explaining.

“Master Zhou, you may not know this, but in the past, there were often foreign Spirit Severing Realm cultivators who came to provoke the old emperor. The old emperor was kind and feared that the fighting among the Spirit Severing Realm cultivators would affect the innocent.”

"So every time, the battlefield is lured to Wuxiang Mountain." He lowered his voice. "Many Spirit Severing Realm cultivators have fallen there, and the Forbidden Zone of Resentment is extremely terrifying."

Zhou Qing suddenly realized that the residents of the imperial city were already used to this.

"Master Zhou is already at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage at such a young age; he will surely reach the Spirit Severing realm one day!"

Zhang Geng's eyes lit up, and he said eagerly, "Battles at the Spirit Severing Realm are rare and highly beneficial to cultivation! How about I lead the way for you!"

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand and summoned the flying boat: "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Zhang Geng eagerly leaped onto the deck, excitedly exclaiming, "Head northwest! You'll see a blood-red mountain range then!"

Zhou Qing nodded and immediately steered the flying boat away.

On the deck, Zhang Geng frantically pulled out seven or eight image stones and took photos from different angles:

"Master! Look behind me! This is none other than Master Zhou himself, the first Level 4 Array Master in the history of our Holy Martial Dynasty!"

His voice trembled with excitement.

He then adopted a fawning expression and said to another image stone, "Master Zhou, look over here, would you mind saying hello to my fellow disciples?"

Then his expression changed again, and he gritted his teeth at the third image stone: "Xiao Yan! Fortune changes every thirty years, and today I, Zhang Geng, will say it right here!"

"See this guy next to me? I'm not pretending anymore, this is just the tip of the iceberg of my connections! Now you know you regret it, right? Come kneeling down and begging me!"

Finally, he put on a forced smile and said, "Brother Sun, the weather is really nice today. Look around you. Oh, by the way, don't misunderstand, this is just one of my many friends, and we're just traveling together."

"Speaking of which, you owe me those spirit stones, it's been 437 years and 8 months, hasn't it?"

……

Shen Yunzhou watched Zhang Geng pacing back and forth on the deck, his eyes twitching.

This kid's ability to seize every opportunity is even more masterful than mine.

He was about to speak when he saw Zhou Qing's brows furrowed, his gaze fixed intently on the distance, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a hearty laugh boomed from the sky:
"Haha, you run pretty fast!"

The two looked up abruptly and saw Zhao Muye riding an ancient dragon elephant, walking through the air.

As the giant elephant roared to the sky, its thick trunk stirred up ripples in the air.

A person and an elephant tore through the void in an instant, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"Well, looks like we can only watch from afar this time." Shen Yunzhou clicked his tongue, his expression grave. "Four Spirit Severing Realm experts fighting each other—the slightest mistake could lead to cataclysmic disaster."

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Qing's expression suddenly changed, and he took out a jade slip from his storage bag.

The jade slip was covered with flowing spiritual patterns, which were the very ones that Sikong Yan had given it to him at the teahouse.

He hesitated for a moment, then channeled his spiritual power, and a line of text immediately appeared:
This is a golden opportunity, don't miss it! See you at the usual spot!

Zhou Qing's eyes flickered, then he called out, "Fellow Daoist Zhang!"

"What are your instructions, Master Zhou?" Zhang Geng quickly put away the image stone, ran over, and bowed.

"How long does the old emperor's battle usually last?"

Zhang Geng pondered for a moment, then respectfully replied, "Master Zhou, the outcome of this battle is truly unpredictable. There have been experts at the Spirit Severing Realm who fought the old emperor for months, while others fled within days of seeing the situation turn unfavorable."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly: "I have other important matters to attend to, so—"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Geng understood and immediately cupped his hands and said, "Master Zhou, please continue with your work. I won't disturb you any longer."

After saying this, he leaped out of the flying boat, and before leaving, he did not forget to give a deep bow.

Once it was far away, Zhou Qing suddenly urged the flying boat to accelerate, and when it reached a deserted place, he abruptly changed direction.

"What happened?" Shen Yunzhou frowned.

Zhou Qing said in a deep voice, "If I can return in time, I will definitely go to watch the battle. I have important matters to attend to right now, so I'll trouble you to keep an eye on the battle situation for me, and it would be best if you could record it using the image stone."

Seeing Zhou Qing's solemn expression, Shen Yunzhou nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I will keep a close eye on Yama's life and death. Whatever you do... please be careful!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and summoned his yellowish-brown flying boat: "Take care."

Before the words were even finished, the person had already transformed into a streak of light and sped away.

Zhou Qing then changed his clothes and three-colored mask, turned around and headed straight for the [Jintian Palace].

Although this action was hasty, it was indeed a golden opportunity.

The old emperor is currently engaged in a life-or-death struggle with Yama, so the palace defenses must be weak.

Even with one or two Spirit Severing Realm experts in charge, Sikong Yan was there to help them out.

more importantly.
As long as you help Sikong Yan, the [Random Post] will continue to refresh.

"Don't miss this opportunity!"

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, and a resolute look ignited in his eyes beneath the mask.

……

Three hours later, a stream of light quietly disappeared into the [Jintian Palace].

As soon as he landed, Sikong Yan rushed over excitedly.

"You arrived pretty quickly. Are you ready?"

Zhou Qing's eyes flickered slightly, and he lowered his voice to probe, "Are you sure the old emperor's secret recipe is in that place you mentioned?"

"Hahaha!" Sikong Yan let out a deep laugh. "You can rest assured! I'm absolutely confident this time!"

He suddenly stopped smiling, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "Let's not delay, let's go!"

"Shoot-"

With his five fingers like hooks, he tore through the void, and a dark spatial rift appeared.

A violent spatial turbulence erupted from it, distorting and deforming the surrounding spiritual energy.

Without hesitation, Sikong Yan leaped in, his figure instantly swallowed by darkness, leaving only an echoing voice: "Stay close!"

Zhou Qing gazed at the distorted and uncertain spatial rift, sighed softly, and finally stepped into it.
(End of this chapter)