The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 384 The Secret Deep Within the Forbidden Zone of the Cave Heaven (6k)

The moment Zhou Qing stepped out of the cave, Mo Xingjian looked at the young man's spirited eyes and burst into tears.

His disciple, Mo Xingjian, has finally severed his spirit!
The Taiqing Sect has finally earned its own rightful Spirit Slaying Realm!

Gui'ao, Luo Lingling, and Yan Xiaohu were already crying tears of joy.

Lu Yaoyao was also in tears, but in addition to joy, her eyes also held a hint of fear for the future.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, well done!" Shen Yunzhou laughed and was about to step forward to hug him, but he suddenly stopped and scratched his head awkwardly.

He then realized that he shouldn't have been the first to rush forward.

Shen Hanyi stood quietly, sensing the domineering aura emanating from Zhou Qing that had not yet been fully subdued.

Despite having just broken through to the early stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, she felt a sense of pressure as if she were facing someone at the mid-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm.

Is this the power of Yin and Yang Qi and the Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul?

As the undisputed number one Dao Foundation in the cultivation world, it not only grants the refiner a sea of ​​consciousness and spiritual power far exceeding those of others of the same level, but also allows the holder to crush those of the same level in every realm, and even fight across levels.

Moreover, he also experienced an unprecedented Supreme Tribulation.
Zhou Qing slowly composed himself, solemnly walked up to Mo Xingjian, and bowed deeply: "Master, your disciple has not failed you!"

"Good, good." Mo Xingjian wiped away his tears with trembling hands, patted his beloved disciple's shoulder heavily, and all his unspoken words were condensed into these few words.

Turning to face the crowd, Zhou Qing bowed again: "Thank you all, protectors!"

Shen Hanyi nodded slightly and stepped forward to hand over a jade slip that shimmered with silver light: "As you first enter the Spirit Slaying stage, you still need to work on your use of spatial power. This contains some insights that may help you avoid some detours."

"Thank you!" Zhou Qing happily accepted the jade slip.

"Now that this matter is settled, I should take my leave," Shen Hanyi said calmly. "If you have some free time, you are welcome to visit Nanhuang Prefecture."

"Leaving so soon?" Zhou Qing was taken aback.

"That matter can't be delayed." Shen Hanyi said, glancing at Shen Yunzhou. "Until we meet again."

Shen Yunzhou immediately wore a bitter expression—he had originally intended to attend the victory celebration banquet.

But considering the threats posed by Third Aunt's family and the Blood Pact Pavilion, they had no choice but to accept their fate.

"Brother Zhou, this is a jade slip containing a map of Nanhuang Prefecture." He reluctantly handed over the jade slip. "Come visit sometime!"

Zhou Qing solemnly accepted it: "Definitely."

Currently, the level of the talent skill "Reduce Presence" is stuck at level six. The only way to continue improving it or obtain new skill fragments is to go to a level five cultivation country.

Perhaps he will soon embark on this journey.

"Let's go!" Shen Hanyi waved her hand lightly, and dozens of array flags flew from all directions of the mountain range, all disappearing into her storage bag.

She lightly leaped onto the flying boat, and Shen Yunzhou quickly followed.

Before leaving, she gave Zhou Qing a deep look, her eyes seeming to hold a thousand words, yet they vanished in an instant.

The flying boat transformed into a streak of white light and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

As Zhou Qing watched the light gradually recede into the distance, a sense of melancholy welled up in his heart, but even more so, a feeling of loss.

"Fourth!"

"Little A-Qing!"

Once the outsiders were gone, Ghost Hound and the others immediately surrounded him excitedly, their faces beaming with excitement.

As Zhou Qing felt the power within his body that was vastly different from that of the Nascent Soul Realm, he couldn't help but feel his blood boil.

"walk home!"

……

Three months later, when Zhou Qing and his group returned to Taiqing Sect, the entire sect was in an uproar.

After discussion, the news of Zhou Qing's breakthrough to the Spirit Severing Realm was officially announced to the public.

This is a perfectly legitimate breakthrough; why bother hiding it?

The Taiqing Sect now boasts four experts at the Spirit Slaying Realm, making its strength comparable to that of the Xuanyuan Royal Family.

In addition, given Zhou Qing's status as a level four formation master, no one dared to offend him easily from then on.

The Lu sisters were filled with emotion.

Although they had long anticipated that Zhou Qing would achieve this, they did not expect the breakthrough to come so quickly and smoothly.

Shortly after the ancestral worship ceremony, the twelve Spirit Slaying Realm experts from the Vast Expanse Palace who attacked the Primordial Beginning Dojo came together to offer their congratulations.

This time, Taiqing Gate opened its gates wide to welcome them with great ceremony.

Last time, due to the special status of the Lu sisters and the former sect leader, Master Canglong, it was inconvenient to receive them, but things are different now.

More importantly, Zhou Qing needs to integrate into the Spirit Severing Realm circle, which will make things easier for him in the future.

Otherwise, these people who broke through by taking drugs would naturally be jealous of a genius like Zhou Qing.

If you continue to act superior, you will inevitably be ostracized and sabotaged by this group of people.

During the gathering, everyone invited Zhou Qing, as a fourth-level array master, to assist in breaking the seal on the entrance to the Primordial Daoist Temple, promising him 20% of the spoils upon success.

Zhou Qing declined everyone's invitations, saying that he needed to go into seclusion to consolidate his cultivation after his breakthrough.

Seeing this, everyone had no choice but to give up.

After seeing them off, Zhou Qing stood alone in front of the mountain gate, his brows furrowed.

The complexity of the Taichu Dojo far exceeded expectations—the Second Senior Sister and the White Crane were trapped there for many years, and he himself glimpsed some of its secrets when he entered.

Based on the information previously obtained by the second senior sister, it can be confirmed that the Primordial Venerable was once a demon emperor-level being.

The number of demon emperors sleeping in the temple now is probably far more than just the few that are on the surface.

What's even more troublesome is that even a dozen Spirit Severing Realm experts working together couldn't break through the entrance, demonstrating its formidable defenses.

If you rush into participation, you may not only fail to achieve your goal, but you may also cause unnecessary disputes due to the large number of participants and the uneven distribution of resources.

More than two months later, Xuanyuan Shuo, who had returned to the border, came to offer his congratulations on behalf of the royal family.

This time, Zhou Qing no longer addressed him as "senior," but instead called him "Brother Xuanyuan."

The other party had no objections and was even pleased with the outcome. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xuanyuan Shuo took his leave.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, an unexpected figure appeared in front of the mountain gate—it was Wu Sha, a former subordinate of Sikong Yan.

Back then, he brought his recovered daughter to Taiqing Gate. In addition to fulfilling his promise, he also inquired about Sikong Yan's whereabouts from Zhou Qing.

After all, in his eyes, only by following his own sect leader could he have a future.

Zhou Qing frankly told him that Sikong Yan had gone to the capital.

After thanking him, Wu Sha left in a hurry.

However, Zhou Qing had stayed in the capital for several years but had never met him.

On the one hand, the capital city is as vast as the sea, making it difficult to find someone.

On the other hand, Sikong Yan acts secretly and hides in the shadows, so Wu Sha probably can't find his trace at all.

Upon seeing Zhou Qing again, Wu Sha, sensing the faint but palpable pressure emanating from him, bowed with a complex expression and presented a brocade box: "This is a congratulatory gift from my eldest brother to you."

"Your eldest son?" Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow.

“The Azure Flame Dao Palace is a thing of the past, and it is no longer appropriate to call it Palace Master,” Wu Sha explained.

Zhou Qing understood: "It seems you've found Brother Sikong."

"Indeed. The gift has been delivered; this junior will take his leave." Wu Sha bowed and hurriedly departed.

Zhou Qing opened the brocade box, inside which was only a note: "Brother Zhou, congratulations! I've been thinking a lot lately and have come up with another location. I look forward to our next collaboration!"

Zhou Qing shook his head, and a flash of lightning appeared in his palm, instantly turning the note to ashes.

He could no longer cooperate with Sikong Yan—he already knew the exact location of the secret formula, and their goals were completely opposite.

Sikong Yan was driven by a desire for revenge and vowed to expose the secret formula guarded by the Xuanyuan family.

After reading the contents of the secret recipe, Zhou Qing resolved to destroy it completely to prevent it from harming the common people.

He witnessed the entire battle between Yama of Wuxiang Mountain and the old emperor.

Even with his late-stage Spirit Severing Realm cultivation and the aid of a replica of an ultimate weapon, Yama still suffered a crushing defeat.

Not to mention that the old emperor was stationed in the capital, blessed by the fortune of the entire nation, making him almost invincible.

Moreover, there are also three direct descendants, Xuanyuan Shuo, Xuanyuan Hao, and Xuanyuan Sha, as well as seventeen... no, now sixteen Spirit Slaying Realm experts who have benefited from his kindness throughout the Holy Martial Dynasty.

Furthermore, with just a wave of his hand, he could summon countless cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, eager to receive the secret medicine as a reward.

After more than three thousand years of operation, heaven knows how many tricks this old emperor still has up his sleeve.

The Xuanyuan family remains a fearsome tiger.

To completely destroy that secret formula, we must take the old emperor's life with swift and decisive action, giving him no chance to react.

Moreover, it is essential to ensure that the Taiqing Sect is not implicated, otherwise the imperial retaliation would be unbearable.

Even a powerful expert at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm would probably find it difficult to do this in a short period of time.

If the entire dynasty were to be overthrown rashly, and the dynasty were left leaderless, not to mention the intervention of the imperial alliance.

The turmoil that hundreds of millions of people in the Holy Martial Dynasty will face alone is enough to make him a sinner for all time.

This matter requires further consideration.

Upon returning to his residence, Zhou Qing quickly noticed something amiss—the old hen was gone again.

In fact, during his free time, he had heard his third senior brother mention that the old hen often mysteriously disappeared, but always managed to return in a strange way, always carrying a fishy and foul smell.

Zhou Qing seemed to understand something, and immediately took out the token of the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace and entered the forbidden area.

Sure enough, as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the passage, he immediately saw the old hen swimming in a river of blood where dead crows were floating.

Still wreathed in blue flames from the Primordial Dojo, it was feasting on the dead crow.

The three carrion crows remained oblivious to this.

"It seems that after my godson took it away, it returned to the restricted area on its own in the same way."

Zhou Qing seemed thoughtful. "It was the same back in the capital. What's going on?"

He was stunned when he turned his gaze to the ancient tree at the end of the passage.

I've been busy with various matters these past few years and haven't been to the restricted area for a long time.

Only then did they realize that the once enormous black heart on the ancient tree bound by iron chains had shriveled up severely, its surface covered with cracks, and its beating had become extremely weak.

This sudden change startled Zhou Qing.

How is this going?

He soon saw the answer.

Wisps of black energy, like some kind of eerie life essence, were seeping from the shriveled heart and silently seeping into the old hen's body.

"This is..." His heart tightened, and he instinctively reached out to stop him.

However, the old hen continued to flutter happily, completely unaware of the strange changes happening inside her body.

It contentedly pecked at the dead crow, then paddled slowly towards the depths of the blood river, quickly disappearing into the thick blood mist.

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not chase after him.

Instead, he looked up at the ancient tree on the opposite bank of the river, which was wrapped with iron chains, and his brows furrowed more and more.

"So that's how it is," he murmured to himself. "Every time the old hen uncontrollably returns to the restricted area, it's this heart calling her." So, who exactly owns this heart?

What level of attainment did he reach during his lifetime?
Why choose an old hen now?
Just as he was deep in thought, three enormous carrion ravens slowly appeared in the darkness not far away.

Their bodies were covered in solidified amber, and eerie green flames flickered in their empty eye sockets. Their withered wings gleamed with a strange bluish-gray luster in the dim light.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing laughed instead: "Last time there were two. It seems that after advancing to the Spirit Slaying stage, I can enjoy the same treatment as Second Uncle!"

Before he finished speaking, the three alabaster crows seemed to realize that Zhou Qing was not easy to deal with.

One of them suddenly opened its blood-red maw and, just like last time, swallowed its companion whole.

Its body instantly swelled, and wriggling tumors bulged under its withered skin, its aura suddenly soaring to the Spirit Severing Realm.

But that wasn't the end of it—this newly born Corpse Raven in the Spirit Slayer Realm pounced on its last companion.

Accompanied by a chilling chewing sound, its size increased again, and the adipocere shell cracked inch by inch, revealing the writhing flesh underneath.

When the last feather was swallowed, its momentum had already reached the mid-stage of the Spirit Slaying Realm!

"Perfect for practicing with you." Zhou Qing's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. "I just broke through to the Spirit Severing stage and was worried about not finding a suitable sparring partner."

"Crack-"

A thousand bolts of lightning burst forth from every pore of his body, transforming into countless purple-gold lightning snakes that coiled and roamed around him.

Immediately afterwards, a full ten thousand array spirit seals roared out, but instead of forming an array, they directly merged into the raging lightning.

Each spirit seal transformed into the core of a thunderstorm, compressing the power of destruction to its extreme.

The space trembled, the blood river boiled, and even the gray mist above the forbidden zone was torn open with cracks.

"Thunder Seal Returns to One!"

With a low shout, the ten thousand spirit seals and lightning merged perfectly, eventually collapsing into a purple-gold lightning spear as thick as an arm.

Zhou Qing clenched his fist, the Thunder Spear appeared in his hand, and he transformed into a streak of purple-gold lightning, piercing straight at the Corpse Wax Crow!

The alabaster raven raised its head and let out a hoarse shriek. Its wings spread, and its rotting waxy feathers instantly burst into a ghostly green flame.

The faces of countless vengeful spirits emerged from the flames, howling as they lunged at Zhou Qing!

"boom--!!!"

A shockwave visible to the naked eye swept out, and the stone walls of the entire restricted area suddenly shattered into pieces.

Zhou Qing's tiger's mouth split open, the thunder spear trembled, and a charred crack was torn open on the right wing of the corpse wax crow, with wax dripping down and corroding the ground.

"What a powerful physique!" Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened, and he retreated rapidly while simultaneously making hand seals with his left hand.

"Crack!"

Streaks of purple-gold lightning burst forth from the void, transforming into chains that coiled around the corpse wax crow.

The crows howled, and the ghostly fire surged, scorching the lightning chains with a crackling sound.

But as soon as it broke free of its restraints, Zhou Qing closed in, his lightning spear like a dragon, aiming straight for its left eye!
"Pfft!"

The spear tip pierced the eye socket, and the eerie green flames exploded!
The alabaster crow howled in pain, but its left claw seized the opportunity to tear at Zhou Qing's chest.

Zhou Qing neither dodged nor evaded, taking the claw strike head-on.

"Hey!"

Flesh and blood rolled up, revealing white bones.

But as golden light and chanting arose, the shattered sternum instantly returned to its original state.

At this moment, Zhou Qing's lips curled into a cold smile: "Got you."

The lightning spear in his right hand suddenly disintegrated, turning into countless fine lightning threads that pierced into the crow's skull through its eye sockets!

"burst!"

"boom--!"

The crow's head exploded in half, and molten wax and ghost fire gushed out like a fountain.

But it did not fall. Its remaining right eye stared intently at Zhou Qing, its pupil flickering with a frenzied, eerie green flame.

Suddenly, its twisted neck stretched out, its beak opened wide, and a jet-black bead shot out from its throat!

The moment the bead appeared, the temperature in the entire restricted area plummeted.

Zhou Qing felt a chill run down his spine, instinctively sensing a deadly threat.

The surface of the bead was covered with strange patterns, as if it were sealed with some kind of ancient curse. Wherever it passed, even the space itself made a "crackling" sound as if it were about to collapse.

"This is... the origin of the Corpse Fiend?!" Zhou Qing's heart trembled violently.

He had read in ancient books that some cultivators who reached the pinnacle of the Corpse Path could condense their life's worth of corpse energy into a bead, which, once unleashed, was enough to corrode the life force within a radius of ten thousand miles.

The bead was extremely fast, reaching his chest in the blink of an eye.

In his haste, Zhou Qing only had time to block the lightning spear horizontally while retreating rapidly.

"boom!"

The black bead collided with the lightning spear, producing a piercing corrosive sound.

The purple-gold lightning was visibly blackened, and the lightning patterns on the gun body shattered inch by inch.

Even more terrifying, the corrupted lightning actually spread back towards Zhou Qing's arm!
"Not good!" Zhou Qing made a quick decision, his left hand forming a knife-like shape as he severed the connection between his right arm and the thunder spear.

Before the severed right arm even hit the ground, it turned into withered bones in the black mist.

The alabaster raven let out a triumphant cackle, its mutilated head held high.

But its smugness didn't last long—a cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and with a grab in the air with his left hand, a brand new lightning spear instantly materialized.

"You think you can win by cutting off my arm?" Zhou Qing sneered, and suddenly a dazzling burst of lightning erupted from his body.

The lightning bolts moved like living things, and actually condensed into a lightning arm at the severed arm!
The newly formed arm was more solid than before, with fine lightning patterns pulsating on its surface.

Then, Zhou Qing gripped the gun with both hands, and his entire body transformed into a bolt of lightning, soaring into the sky.

"This shot will send you to your death!"

The lightning spear, like a dragon, with a dazzling purple-gold light, pierced through the crow's broken head, sweeping away everything in its path, and finally emerged from its tail!

"boom--"

Wax fragments flew everywhere as the body of the alabaster raven exploded completely.

The eerie green flames tried to gather again, but were completely annihilated by the purifying power attached to the lightning spear.

Zhou Qing landed slowly, and the light on the newly formed Thunder Arm gradually subsided.

Looking at the scattered ashes, Zhou Qing let out a long sigh of relief, a relieved smile appearing on his lips.

Although it was only a simulated battle, the real corpse wax crows still guarded the depths of the forbidden zone.

Having been headshot by it so many times, finally being able to "kill" it this time was a relief.

Can you believe it? During the process of slaying the spirits, they appeared and blocked his path. If it weren't for the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top protecting his mind, his Dao heart would have almost collapsed under their attack.

On the other hand, with Second Uncle's strength, he could have completely killed them back then, but he always held back.

After all, although they lacked consciousness and even now, without any obsession or emotion, they were still the last line of defense for the Taiqing Sect's protected restricted area.

"Let's settle the matter."

After a brief moment of rest, Zhou Qing solemnly bowed to the scorch marks remaining on the ground, and then, with a heart full of curiosity, walked towards the depths of the Blood River.

The banks of the Blood River are still lined with jagged rocks, interlocking like dog teeth.

The air was thick with a putrid, rusty smell that was nauseating.

Without the interference of the carrion crows, Zhou Qing was able to investigate carefully, but unfortunately, the old hen was nowhere to be found.

Where does this river of blood ultimately flow?

His curiosity grew even stronger, and he began to venture deeper along the riverbank.

The Blood River is eerie; anyone who attempts to cross it will have their spiritual power and divine consciousness instantly dissipate, leaving them as ordinary as a mortal.

Even when the second uncle was with him, all he could do was place dead crows on his shoulders and head to delay the appearance and attack of the alabaster crows, thus buying time to push open the coffin.

I ask the predecessors of the Taiqing Sect throughout history, who would dare to venture into the waters rashly?

I'm afraid that before I even get ashore, I'll become a target for those three monsters.

Therefore, before the Second Uncle discovered the method of the dead crow, all explorers could only proceed cautiously along the riverbank, just like he was at that moment.

While preserving his cultivation, he hoped to find an opportunity in the depths.

Just like when he first entered the forbidden zone to obtain the gravity zone key for Elder Duanmu Shu.

Unfortunately, over the centuries, most intruders have returned battered and bruised, with very few actually gaining anything.

As the blood mist thickened, Zhou Qing looked around and discovered that the rock walls were covered with battle marks of varying depths.

The crisscrossing sword marks, the charred lightning strike marks, and the dented fist marks all tell the story of the fierce battles fought by our ancestors against the acanthus crows here.

As Zhou Qing continued deeper, faded writing began to appear on the wall.

"Xia Ming, the third leader of the Taiqing Sect, is here. I am ashamed!" The handwriting was vigorous and powerful. Although it was hastily written, it revealed a sense of unwillingness.

"Ruan Liang, the fourth leader of the Taiqing Sect, has arrived. Haha, he is indeed a bit stronger than his master. The student has surpassed the master!"

The calligraphy is vigorous and elegant, exuding a bold and unrestrained spirit.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but smile knowingly.

In a daze, he seemed to see a scene of senior Taiqing scholars hastily leaving messages and competing with each other.

Continuing forward, more and more names were hastily carved into the stone wall:
"Yang Zipeng, the peak master of Jinyang Peak of Taiqing Sect, has arrived!"

"Ji Cheng, the peak master of the Hundred Battles Peak of the Taiqing Sect, has arrived!"

"Bai Li Dongfeng, the peak master of Xiaoling Peak of Taiqing Sect, has arrived!"

……

Looking at these words left behind after the passage of time, Zhou Qing felt his blood boil.

Before each message, he would respectfully bow, as if traveling through time to converse with his ancestors.

They may have never met before, but they met here because of the same belief.

Deeper still, on a smooth rock face, Zhou Qing saw a message from the former sect leader, Master Canglong:

"I, the old Azure Dragon, have exhausted all my cultivation in this life, and now I stop here."

"Deep within the Blood River, there may be earth-shattering secrets. May those who come after uphold their original aspirations and continue their efforts. Members of the Taiqing Sect, take the revitalization of the sect as your own responsibility. Remember this well!"

Zhou Qing let out a soft breath.

He then turned around and gazed intently at the end of the blood river.

I wonder how my master is doing now in the first coffin?

When Nangong Xiong Ba attacked, he showed up to help. According to the Lu sisters, he was already at the mid-stage of the Spirit Slaying Realm at that time.

It must be the progress gained after opening the entrance and devouring many Nascent Soul Realm cultivators during the battle at Spirit Skull Mountain.

After exploring the Blood River, he planned to go inside the coffin to take a look. If he could be of any help, he would do his best.

Bypassing the mottled rock face, Zhou Qing continued deeper...

(End of this chapter)