The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 387 Senior Brother Zhou, Actually You're My Real Father (6k)

When Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling went to the capital, they also made a detour to Lingyun Prefecture.

After all, Zhang Wanbao, that chubby boy, had searched far and wide for wood-attribute spirit stones for him, so he naturally had to express his gratitude in person.

When they met, Zhang Wanbao happily told him about the marriage, but Xiao Cancan required him to break through to the Nascent Soul stage before they could get married.

At that time, he was only in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm. However, as the young master of the Wanxiang Auction House, he relied on his family's resources and insisted on using rare and precious materials to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

Zhang Wanbao felt a little embarrassed at the time and hoped that Zhou Qing could come to his wedding banquet on that day.

Zhou Qing readily agreed, and Zhang Wanbao even gave him a map to the capital. After leaving the Wanxiang Auction House, he went to find his second senior sister.

The second senior sister had already bought him the Chicken Prince mask, which led to the subsequent trip to the capital.

Now, more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, and this guy, who promised to reach the Nascent Soul stage in thirty years, has actually achieved it ahead of schedule.

However, Zhou Qing is now the first fourth-level array master of the Holy Martial Dynasty, a powerful Spirit Slayer.

Perhaps feeling that he was not good enough for him, or perhaps due to his father's instructions, Zhang Wanbao did not inform him this time.

Li Shitao had specially invited her third senior brother, but the straight man was too lazy to keep the appointment and only let it slip during their casual conversation.

Thanks to the convenience of the royal [Hidden Dragon Path], and Zhou Qing's tireless use of space travel and flying boats, the journey that originally took three months was completed in just twenty days, bringing them to Lingyun Prefecture.

The marriage between the lord's daughter and the young master of Wanxiang was the talk of the town.

"We've arrived too early; the formal ceremony will take place in seven days," Zhou Qing said with a smile after inquiring about the situation.

Lu Yaoyao, holding the old hen, suggested, "Shall we go find Zhang Wanbao first?"

Zhou Qing nodded.

He had originally planned to show up at the wedding to support his brother, but then he thought it was inappropriate—given his current status, he was afraid he would steal the spotlight from the newlyweds.

It would be better to meet in private as soon as possible.

"Let's go." Zhou Qing led Lu Yaoyao through space and arrived at the Zhang residence in an instant.

……

The mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the atmosphere was festive everywhere.

The servants were busy hanging red silk ribbons, and the maids carried auspicious fruits as they moved among them, each with a sincere smile on their face.

"So he hasn't severed his spirit yet." Zhou Qing stood in mid-air, his gaze falling on the busy Fu Kui.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this "senior" was just one step away from breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage, but seemed to have no intention of breaking through.

Fu Kui, who was directing his servants to hang up the wedding banners, suddenly sensed something and turned around abruptly.

Upon seeing Zhou Qing's smiling face, he froze on the spot.

"Brother Zhou! You actually came!"

Upon hearing Fu Kui's message, Zhang Wanbao, who was trying on his wedding robes, rushed out excitedly, not even having time to straighten the hem of his wedding dress.

Zhou Qing looked at Zhang Wanbao, who had clearly lost a lot of weight, and smiled, "Congratulations, you've finally won the heart of your beauty."

Lu Yaoyao smiled and handed over a brocade box: "Brother Wanbao, I wish you and Sister Cancan a long and happy marriage, many children, and a long and healthy life together!"

"Sister Lu!" Zhang Wanbao hurriedly waved his hand, "You are already a Nascent Soul cultivator, while I am just a lowly Golden Core cultivator. Calling me 'Big Brother' is too much of an honor. Just call me Wanbao."

"Golden Core Realm?" Zhou Qing was taken aback, then surprised after carefully sensing the surroundings. "You're only in the late Golden Core stage? Isn't it said that you can only get married after breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

Zhang Wanbao's face immediately turned red: "This is all thanks to you, Brother Zhou."

"I?"

"I was overjoyed to learn that my elder brother had advanced to the Spirit Severing stage. I wanted to go and celebrate with you, but Father wouldn't allow it."

Zhang Wanbao rubbed his hands together and stammered, "Later, I invited Cancan and Sister Tao to drink, and while we were drinking, we ended up doing *that*."

Zhou Qing suddenly realized: "A shotgun wedding?"

Zhang Wanbao nodded shyly: "Grandpa Fu took my pulse and said they are twins."

"Hahaha!" Zhou Qing laughed heartily. "You've got it early, kid. The higher your cultivation level, the harder it is to conceive, and the slower the fetus grows. Congratulations on becoming a father so early!"

“Yes,” Zhang Wanbao said, scratching his head. “My father said that some demon emperors can be pregnant for hundreds of years.”

“But their offspring might be born at the age of a Nascent Soul or a Spirit Slayer.” Zhou Qing sighed, thinking of Li Niang.

He was at the Foundation Establishment stage, but he dragged himself to the Deity Transformation stage, and used this to comprehend the essence of the realm.

Fortunately, all that painstaking effort paid off, and a Buddhist disciple was born.

Lu Yaoyao suddenly looked at Zhou Qing's profile with a worried expression.

If Mother really is Sister Shen, with her cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, plus Father's current Spirit Severing Realm, how many years would it take for her to carry me?

Also, when are you two going to get things done?
No, it might be some female bodhisattva from Jiyuan Temple.
Lu Yaoyao shook her head inwardly, deciding it was best to stay out of it.

After all, cause and effect are unpredictable, and if things go wrong by chance, the person we are now may not be the person we were originally.

"Brother Zhou, please come in!" Zhang Wanbao quickly stepped aside to greet him.

Before long, Zhang Yifu and Xiao Ji, having heard of Zhou Qing's visit, rushed over.

But when they knocked respectfully on the door, only Zhang Wanbao opened it.

"Where is Master Zhou?" the two asked anxiously.

“They’ve already left,” Zhang Wanbao replied.

The two immediately looked disappointed.

Zhang Wanbao was in a great mood: "Then I'll go try on the new clothes. The one I had custom-made seems a bit tight."

Watching their son's departing figure, the two elders exchanged a bitter smile.

Several days later, Zhou Qing and his companion arrived at the Baiyu Taixu Courtyard in the Vast Expanse Prefecture.

Since Dean Weng Yunqi returned to the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty and announced the dissolution of this place, the academy has long been deserted.

The mentors were recruited by various sects one after another. Now, in the desolate inner courtyard, only Master Lin is still studying the level three formation left by Zhou Qing.

That morning, Lin Shi, who had long since become indifferent to worldly affairs, was leisurely sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

Looking up, I suddenly saw Zhou Qing standing smiling outside the courtyard gate.

The old man paused for a moment, then a relieved smile gradually spread across his aged face.

"Smelly boy"

……

After bidding farewell to Master Lin, they reappeared a few days later on a secluded mountaintop, quietly overlooking the battle below.

The patriarch of the Zhuge family, who was at the head of the group, was wearing a purple-gold Taoist robe. As the sleeves rolled up, a blood-red rune condensed in his palm.

He let out a low shout, and the runes suddenly expanded, transforming into a gigantic seal hundreds of feet long, which slammed fiercely towards the entrance of the secret realm.

"boom--!"

The void trembled, ripples spread like waves, and fine cracks appeared at the entrance to the secret realm, only to heal completely in an instant.

On the other side, a middle-aged man dressed in a dark green robe formed hand seals, and countless emerald green vines appeared around his body.

Like a dragon or snake, it coiled upwards, weaving a massive cage in the void, attempting to forcibly tear open the barrier of the secret realm.

At the same time, the red-haired old woman from the Ji family stepped into the air, and a wisp of dark blue flame condensed at her fingertips. The flame swelled with the wind and transformed into a raging sea of ​​fire, burning the void.

"break!"

Vines and flames intertwined, bursting forth with dazzling spiritual light. The space at the entrance to the secret realm twisted violently, and cracks spread again, yet it still could not be completely opened.

"I feel like we're being stupid. How long has it been since we broke through this barrier?" said the burly man with a bushy beard from the Tuoba family in a cold voice.

He flipped his hand and summoned a bronze halberd, its blade gleaming coldly, seemingly capable of cleaving the heavens.

He took a step forward, his halberd sweeping across, its light cascading like a silver river, and slammed fiercely into the entrance to the secret realm.

"clang--!"

The sound of metal clashing resounded through the sky, and a layer of pale golden light appeared at the entrance of the secret realm, forcefully blocking the attack.

Upon seeing this, the others exchanged glances, all of them recognizing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

"Let's do it together!"

In an instant, twelve vast spiritual energies erupted simultaneously, with runes, supernatural powers, magical treasures, formations... all sorts of methods bombarding the entrance to the secret realm.

The entire world trembled, and the void cracked inch by inch, but the entrance to the secret realm remained standing. After the cracks reached their limit, they slowly healed.

"Could this be a five- or six-colored restriction? So many Spirit Severing Realm cultivators can't break it?"

Lu Yaoyao stared wide-eyed at the intense battle scene in the distance, her face filled with shock.

Zhou Qing's gaze was deep as he slowly shook his head.

That doesn't seem to be a restriction, but rather a special kind of seal.

You should know that back then, Second Senior Sister was able to enter quietly even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, or rather, Bai He should have entered even earlier.

Later, several major sects in the southwest region fought a great battle here, and even captured the figures of the two, thus taking over this secret realm and jointly developing it.

Fortunately, they escaped quickly; otherwise, they would probably have been reduced to ashes long ago.

"Taichu Shangren's backup plan, huh?" Zhou Qing murmured. Since the Demon Emperor within awakened, this secret realm must have activated something from within.

His gaze quickly swept across the battlefield, and he frowned slightly: "Strange, why isn't Xuanyuan Shuo here?"

Never mind, he'll probably be back soon.

The secrets of this place, the Xuanyuan family's secret recipe, Sikong Yan, the Kunpeng Secret Realm on the border, and the master of that giant hand are all things he will have to face next.

"Let's go." Zhou Qing withdrew his gaze, flicked his sleeve, and quietly left with Lu Yaoyao, without disturbing the battlefield in the slightest.

"Mmm!" Lu Yaoyao responded obediently, tightened her grip on the old hen in her arms, and hopped to keep up with her father's pace.

The old hen clucked twice in her arms, her bulging eyes fixed on the Primordial Daoist Temple, a barely perceptible glint of something unusual flashing across them.

……

Two years later!
The Nine Li Dynasty!

As the northern neighbor of the Holy Martial Dynasty, this long-established fourth-level cultivation nation has stood for over 60,000 years, far surpassing the Holy Martial Dynasty, which has only three thousand years of history.

As Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao piloted their flying boat through the clouds, the outline of the Jiuli capital finally came into view.

It was a colossal structure that could not be described as a "city".

The city wall is over a thousand feet high, pitch black, and covered with ancient dark gold runes, the patterns flowing slowly like blood vessels.

The city walls extend to the horizon on both sides, like a sleeping dragon coiled on the plain.

"How magnificent!" Lu Yaoyao lay on the deck of the airship, her little face flushed with excitement.

She stared intently at the Xuanjia cultivators patrolling below. The ferocious Taotie patterns on the spirit banners carried by those cultivators fluttered in the wind, as if they might come to life at any moment.

Zhou Qing smiled slightly and controlled the flying boat to descend slowly.

As a necessary route to the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, the capital of Jiuli is worth a visit.

More importantly, he wanted to find out if the master who had crafted the four-colored magic array for the border and created the [Hidden Dragon Path] teleportation array was still alive.

If one can communicate with him, it will greatly benefit his mastery of formations.

The flying boat landed in front of the Azure Dragon Gate. On either side of the three-hundred-foot-high gate, eighteen bronze giants knelt on one knee, holding ancient lamps with bluish-gray flames in their palms. Passing through the city gate, the main road paved with meteorite jade underfoot suddenly burst into dazzling starlight, and twelve avenues, each a hundred feet wide, stretched out like rays of the sun.

"How extravagant." Zhou Qing sighed softly, leading Lu Yaoyao toward the inn in the city.

When you arrive in a foreign country, you should definitely try the local cuisine first.

Inside the inn, the waiter served up a variety of delicacies: stir-fried jade marrow bamboo shoots, braised snow lotus with lingzhi mushrooms, and jade spirit bean soup.
Lu Yaoyao rubbed her hands excitedly and immediately began to eat heartily.

Zhou Qing tasted it and had to admit that Jiuli's spiritual cuisine was indeed unique.

"Waiter, a serving of steamed moonflower mushroom, stir-fried nine-aperture heart lotus, and a pot of jade dew spirit tea."

A clear, elegant voice drifted over, and the person gracefully took their seat at the next table.

"Alright, please wait a moment, sir!" The waiter quickly noted down the names of the dishes.

Zhou Qing casually tore off a chicken leg and placed it in the jade dish in front of the old hen.

It rolled its eyes and tilted its head, looking disgusted.

Just as Zhou Qing was about to make a joke, he caught a glimpse of the woman's profile at the next table and froze.

The woman appeared to be around sixteen years old, with skin as white as snow, hair as black as a waterfall, and a gentle and serene air about her, like a lady from a noble family, yet also possessing the otherworldly grace of a cultivator.

“It’s her—” Zhou Qing was stunned.

Is the world really that small?
How could I run into this?
Lu Yaoyao followed Zhou Qing's gaze and saw the woman lowering her eyes to pour tea.

Her slender, jade-like fingers, reflecting the tea soup, were even more lustrous than the finest mutton-fat jade.

When she slightly raised her eyes, her eyes, as clear as autumn water, seemed to see through people's hearts, yet they also carried a hint of aloof indifference.

"Sister Yuyan—" Lu Yaoyao called out softly without realizing it.

Upon hearing this, the woman turned her head, and when she saw Lu Yaoyao's silver hair, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "It's you?"

She recognized the silver-haired girl who had stared at her with tears in her eyes that night and praised her beauty in the inner city of the Holy Martial Dynasty.

"How do you know my name?" But the next moment, the woman's eyes suddenly turned cold, and she raised her hand slightly, a cold glint appearing at her fingertips.

Zhou Qing was also taken aback: "Your real name is Swift?"

"So, you were also sent by them to spy on me?" The woman sneered, and a sharp, powerful aura of a Spirit Slayer Realm expert suddenly erupted from her body.

Zhou Qing immediately shielded Lu Yaoyao behind him, and also released the aura of the Spirit Slaying Realm.

Two terrifying auras collided violently inside the inn, the air seemed to freeze for a moment, and then suddenly exploded.

Tables, chairs, bowls, and plates shattered under this invisible impact, scattering wood chips and porcelain shards everywhere.

The diners who were originally eating turned pale and scrambled towards the door. Some of them with lower cultivation levels were even knocked to the ground by the aftershocks, bleeding from their mouths and noses.

Even the slightest leak of energy from a battle at the Spirit Severing Realm is enough to cause these low-level cultivators to be annihilated.

However, the Jiuli Imperial Capital has explicitly prohibited fighting among those at the Spirit Slayer Realm within the city, with violators subject to imperial sanctions.

The two people in front of them were releasing their pressure without restraint, clearly newcomers to the place.

The woman sensed Zhou Qing's equally unfathomable aura, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes: "If there's a next time, don't blame me for being impolite!"

She gently raised her hand, and the space in front of her was torn open like a piece of paper, revealing a dark crack.

Then, with a single step, her robes fluttering, her figure vanished into the distorted void.

Zhou Qing stared silently at the slowly healing spatial rift.

When I turned to look at Lu Yaoyao, the girl was already clinging tightly to the old hen, burying her face in the hen's wings, with only her big, bright eyes showing.

"Sigh," Zhou Qing sighed, flicked his finger and sent out a wisp of spiritual energy, which steadily placed two high-grade spirit stones on the counter.

Then, with fingers pointing like a knife, he slashed a deep crack in the void.

"Let's go." He stepped inside, his voice tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Lu Yaoyao pouted and followed after them reluctantly.

……

On a fifteen-story glazed roof, ripples suddenly appeared in the space, followed by a dark crack.

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao stepped out one after the other, their clothes fluttering in the wind.

Zhou Qing stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the bustling streets below.

Countless streaks of light weaved through the streets, including cultivators riding flying swords and nobles traveling in spirit beast carriages.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke up: "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Lu Yaoyao lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously combing the old hen's feathers.

The old hen, on the other hand, half-closed her eyes, looking completely indifferent.

“I just want to know,” Zhou Qing turned around, his eyes blazing, “how do you know her name? And she’s a Spirit Severing Realm expert.”

If this matter isn't clarified, and we happen to meet again, the misunderstanding might deepen, which would only cause trouble for ourselves.

Lu Yaoyao bit her lip and whispered, "I really just dreamt about it."

"Do you think I'd still believe that reason?" Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

“Okay,” Lu Yaoyao’s eyes darted around, “Actually, I found a picture book at a street stall. It had her picture and name on it.”

Zhou Qing: "."

“This is your last chance,” Zhou Qing’s tone turned cold. “Otherwise, you can go back to Taiqing Sect.”

Lu Yaoyao's expression changed, and a struggle flashed in her eyes.

After a long silence, she took a deep breath, as if she had made a tremendous decision: "Senior Brother Zhou, you are actually my father."

"Get out of here!" Zhou Qing said angrily, turning around and leaving.

If they don't want to talk about it, then so be it. Everyone has secrets, including themselves.

I was indeed a bit too aggressive just now, forcing this girl to say such outrageous things to distract herself.

Lu Yaoyao watched Zhou Qingyuan's departing figure and pursed her lips: "I knew it, now is not the right time."

She sighed and quickly jogged to catch up.

"Senior Brother Zhou, this Sister Yuyan is a very kind person. She even gave me milk to drink. I mean, she found animal milk for me." Lu Yaoyao suddenly changed her words halfway through her sentence.

Zhou Qing was too lazy to argue with her anymore.

Forget it, let nature take its course.

Not long after, after making inquiries from various sources, Zhou Qing received some regrettable news.

Although the Jiuli Dynasty had six level-four array masters, the only one who had ever been to the Holy Martial Dynasty, a master named Cheng Bin, had already failed and perished during the Spirit Slaying.

This master, who devoted his life to studying formations, once condensed more than 35,000 spirit seals.

Unfortunately, his insights into formations and research findings have been gradually lost over time.

"What a pity," Zhou Qing sighed as he walked out of "Qianjifang," the largest intelligence building in the area.

Lu Yaoyao comforted him, "Senior Brother Zhou, don't be discouraged. Isn't Sister Shen also a level four array master? And in a level five cultivation country, there should be even more array masters like her."

Zhou Qing shook his head: "You don't understand the feeling of meeting a kindred spirit. Forget it, let's hurry up and get on our way."

Just as he was about to leave with Lu Yaoyao, a deafening roar suddenly came from the sky.

The entire sky trembled, and the clouds were torn to shreds by the violent shockwave.

Everyone looked up at the same time and saw a huge figure, like an ancient ferocious beast, standing in mid-air.

Covered in blood yet brimming with fighting spirit, he pounded his chest and laughed wildly.

Every battle mark on his body shone with dazzling golden light, as if countless golden dragons were swimming under his skin.

"It's Zhao Muye!" Lu Yaoyao exclaimed.

Zhou Qing recognized him as well, and frowned slightly.

After Shen Hanyi killed the "Blood Pact Pavilion" assassin who had reached the Great Perfection level, Yama appeared.

Didn't he then go after Yama to spar with him?
How did I end up here in such a sorry state?
Also, where did his white jade demon elephant that could travel through the void go?
"Come on! If I, Zhao Muye, even frown, I'm not Zhao!" he roared, his voice shaking the buildings below.

"Hmph, arrogant!" one of the Spirit Severing Realm cultivators sneered, raising his hand to unleash a "Star River Fall".

Suddenly, a ten-thousand-foot-wide rift opened in the sky, and countless illusory stars poured down like a torrential rain, each carrying a destructive pressure.

The space itself crumbled under this force, revealing dark void cracks.

The other three attacked simultaneously.

One person formed a hand seal, and suddenly thousands of red chains appeared in the world. Each chain was wrapped with ancient runes and coiled towards Zhao Muye as if they were alive.

The other person formed a sword shape with their fingers, and a dazzling blue light burst from their fingertips.

The azure light swelled with the wind, transforming into a sword aura that stretched across the heavens and earth. Wherever the sword light reached, even the sunlight was split in two, leaving a crack in the sky that lingered for a long time.

The last person gently pointed forward, and the spiritual energy within a hundred miles was instantly drained, condensing into a crystal-clear jade seal in his palm.

Although the jade seal was small, it was as heavy as a thousand pounds. With a gentle press, it caused several pavilions below to collapse.

"boom--!"

Zhao Muyi's battle markings suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light, as if an ancient war god had descended upon the world.

He withstood four devastating attacks, and the space around him was shattered by the force of the impact.

"puff--"

A mouthful of blood gushed out, but it transformed into a raging blood flame in mid-air.

Instead of getting angry, Zhao Muye laughed, revealing his bloodstained teeth: "That was satisfying!"

He suddenly threw a punch, a punch that seemed simple and direct, yet contained the most primal laws of power.

Wherever the fist passed, space shattered like fragile glass, revealing the distorted, chaotic currents behind it.

Using the recoil from that punch, he was thrown back a thousand feet and turned to flee.

"Didn't you call yourself a 'masochist'? Why are you running away!" a powerful expert at the Spirit Severing Realm mocked.

Zhao Muye laughed loudly without turning his head: "Bah! You four against one and you want me to stay? I'm not stupid! A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. You just wait!"

"Want revenge? Survive today first!" The four figures immediately transformed into streaks of light and gave chase, disappearing into the depths of the clouds in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, the cultivators watching the battle on the streets of the capital were already in an uproar:

"Who is this madman? How could he withstand a combined attack from four Spirit Severing Realm experts?"

"I don't know. It's obviously a Spirit Severing Realm expert from another country. Could it be from the Holy Martial Dynasty next door?"

"Tsk tsk, having offended the royal family's retainer, it's unlikely they'll escape alive."

"Why don't we chase after them and see? We might even get some benefits."

"He's crazy, but at least he's at the Spirit Severing Realm. You're just plain insane. With your Nascent Soul cultivation, you probably can't even withstand the aftershocks of a battle."

……

(End of this chapter)