The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 394 He must still be alive, I will continue searching! (6k)

"Report!"

Another urgent announcement rang out, and a guard rushed into the hall, his face full of excitement.

"Reporting to the city lord, they've arrived! The people have come!"

Upon hearing this, Li Changhong flashed and instantly appeared outside the city lord's mansion.

An elderly woman dressed in a plain-colored robe was slowly walking towards the gate of the mansion.

Her head of silver hair was loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, with a few stray strands falling across her wrinkled forehead.

His weathered face had sunken eyes and a slightly downturned mouth, giving him a weary look.

The hem of his plain robe was covered with a little dust, indicating that he had traveled a long and arduous journey.

"Master Ji!" Li Changhong's pupils shrank slightly, his face filled with disbelief, then he showed joy and quickly stepped forward to greet him.

Ji Yunlu bowed respectfully and said in a clear voice, "Lord Li, it's been a long time."

Li Changhong could not hide his excitement: "I never expected to find you in Tianlan City! With you here, the broken passage in Nanhuang Prefecture can be saved!"

Ji Yunluo smiled slightly: "I originally intended to go to Nanhuang Prefecture, but upon hearing that the passage was damaged and receiving your urgent summons, I came here."

Upon hearing this, Li Changhong sighed softly: "Is your trip here to find Elder Weng?"

Ji Yunluo's eyes dimmed, but she said firmly, "I believe he is still alive. I have never given up all these years, and I will continue to search for him."

Li Changhong looked on with admiration.

Back then, Weng Yunqi was ambushed by several supreme beings, and his severely injured body fell into the endless void.

The last thing I saw was a ferocious void beast opening its blood-red maw to tear at me; any hope of survival was as faint as smoke.

But the old woman before him, now frail and nearing the end of her life, was the confidante of the old man, and for over a thousand years she had traversed most of the Tianyun Holy Dynasty's territory, never giving up her search.

She firmly believed that Old Man Weng was still alive and had escaped from the void, forced to land in some large continent.

Li Changhong felt a pang of sadness; he would never forget the kindness of the old man who had saved his life.

As an official of the imperial court, there was very little he could do in the face of those supreme rulers with powerful backgrounds. This guilt was like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

"Did you find any clues during your trip to Nanhuang Prefecture?" Li Changhong asked softly.

Ji Yunluo suddenly looked up, a glimmer of light flashing in his cloudy eyes: "Someone said they saw a figure there from behind that looked exactly like him."

Li Changhong sighed inwardly, but could only say, "I wish you good luck."

This scene has been repeated countless times over the past thousand years.

A blurry figure, a similar aura of a cultivation technique, even just the same name.
Master Ji would always rush there regardless of the consequences.

But each time, I returned disappointed.

"Let's not talk about that now. What's the situation with the passage?" Ji Yunluo's hoarse voice broke the heavy atmosphere.

Li Changhong quickly took out an image stone: "You'll see the details at a glance, but the damage is still expanding."

Ji Yunluo took the image stone, and with his withered fingers gently stroked it, causing ripples to spread across its surface.

Immediately afterwards, a horrifying scene was projected:

The once orderly spatial passage is now shattered, with jagged cracks spreading like a spider web, and dark void turbulence raging between the cracks.

The most shocking thing is the huge gap in the center, with the edges still collapsing, like a gaping maw that is expanding.

Li Changhong said in a deep voice, "Two hours ago, the array plate suddenly issued a warning, indicating that there were spatial fluctuations in the Nanhuang Passage."

"Master Jiang then took three disciples to inspect the repairs. I was unable to go because I had other matters to attend to, and unexpectedly we were ambushed."

"An ambush?" Ji Yunluo's eyes suddenly narrowed.

“Those beasts are getting more and more cunning.” Li Changhong’s fists clenched unconsciously. “They first smash a spatial node, and then lie in wait in the void rift, waiting for their prey to come to them.”

"According to the surviving disciples, Master Jiang was concentrating on forming hand seals to repair the crack when it was suddenly torn open—"

His voice trembled: "A gigantic maw full of fangs shot out and instantly bit Master Jiang in the waist, leaving him no time to scream."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yunluo trembled, and couldn't help but think of the old man in the same scene back then.

"By the time I arrived, the breach had widened several times over," Li Changhong said with a wry smile. "I tried to repair it with spiritual power, but to no avail. This is ultimately the domain of an array master."

As he spoke, he took out a jade slip that gleamed with an ancient feel: "This is the array diagram of the Southern Phoenix Passage. Although it is only one-tenth of the diagram, it already contains detailed operational array patterns of the broken opening. Please take a look."

Ji Yunluo took it and examined it closely, her brows furrowing more and more: "The damage is too severe. I can't handle it alone. I need at least one partner."

"What?" Li Changhong exclaimed in disbelief, "You are a master who has condensed 30,000 spirit seals!"

“Thirty thousand spirit seals are true,” Ji Yunluo shook his head and sighed, “but these seven teleportation arrays were built by several level-five masters together a long time ago.”

"It appears to be at level four, but it actually conceals hidden complexities. With such a large gap now, even with my current mastery of formations, repairing it alone would be extremely difficult."

Li Changhong's expression was grave: "What should we do? Tianlan City is small, and we are already very fortunate to have your help. Where can we find another fourth-level array master? If we delay any longer, the entire passage may collapse and become paralyzed."

His voice trembled: "Moreover, the six groups of cultivators who set off from Nanhuang Prefecture will reach the breach in just over two months."

"At that time, with their front and rear routes blocked, all that awaits them is death."

Ji Yunlu remained silent for a long time before finally sighing, "Of course I understand, but to be honest, even with help, my chances of successfully repairing it are only about 40%."

"Forty percent?!" Li Changhong was struck dumb.

“That’s right. Although this teleportation array is only level four, the ‘Star Shift Array Eye’ at its core is the lifeline of the entire array. It was placed near the entrance to facilitate daily repairs, but it was precisely destroyed.”

As Ji Yunluo spoke, his withered fingers traced a complex array pattern in the air.

"Now that the core of the array is damaged, the power of space is constantly leaking out. If I'm not mistaken, the other six teleportation arrays are probably showing signs of instability."

Li Changhong nodded with a gloomy expression: "That's right, the array plate shows increasingly violent fluctuations."

"It seems the situation is worse than expected." A hint of seriousness flashed in Ji Yunluo's cloudy eyes. "That node was special to begin with, and the timing of the Void Beast's ambush was so precise."

"Even I have some suspicions that there might be someone skilled in formations manipulating this behind the scenes."

“Absolutely impossible!” Li Changhong said decisively. “Although the Void Beasts come in many forms and are inherently violent, almost no one can subdue them.”

"Nothing in this world is absolute," Ji Yunluo interrupted. "Don't forget the methods of those alien races in the Starry Sky Battlefield, not to mention some demonic beasts with Void Bloodlines."

Li Changhong was speechless for a moment, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

“Never mind,” Ji Yunluo shook her head. “Perhaps I’m overthinking it. They just got lucky.”

Li Changhong rubbed his temples and said, "Alright, but I have already reported the situation to several state lords, but it takes time for the message to be transmitted."

"Even if they send array masters immediately, it will take at least several months. By then, all the teleportation arrays will probably have completely collapsed, and reinforcements will be unable to arrive."

Ji Yunlu pondered for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up: "There is another way—go find the envoy who is guarding the ancient teleportation array."

"You mean Elder Wen?" Li Changhong gave a wry smile, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. "He is a direct envoy of the Imperial Alliance and never interferes in the affairs of the various dynasties."

"That level-six ancient teleportation array is of great importance. Let alone a few level-four teleportation arrays, even if the entire Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty were to fall, he would not make a move."

Ji Yunluo narrowed her cloudy eyes slightly: "I know that, of course. What I mean is, we can ask him for a favor."

"After all, those who are transmitted from ancient times are mostly people from other cultivation countries or imperial alliances. If there happens to be a high-level array master present, they may be able to be invited if offered a large sum of money."

Upon hearing this, Li Changhong's eyes flashed with a brilliant light: "Brilliant plan! I'll get right to it."

He was speaking when his expression suddenly changed. "Oh no! The ancient teleportation array was just completed a few days ago, and according to regulations, it needs to be sealed for a year for maintenance."

"Besides, even if we go now, it will take at least seven days to travel there and back, by which time the teleportation array will probably have already collapsed."

At this point, the two looked at each other and saw a deep sense of helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Well, it seems we can only leave it to fate." Li Changhong sighed and looked up at the darkening sky.

"We should hurry and go check the passage. If we delay any longer, the cracks in the spatial barrier will only get bigger."

Ji Yunluo nodded slightly: "Then let's go."

The two immediately tore through space and rushed towards the teleportation area in the center of the city...

……

As dusk approached, the two figures finally arrived.

It wasn't that they were intentionally delaying; it was simply that Tianlan City was far too vast.

Furthermore, the two were not in a hurry to travel, and it was their first time visiting this city of a fifth-level cultivation kingdom, so they simply strolled along at a leisurely pace.

Especially Lu Yaoyao, who was secretly planning to stall for as long as possible.

She didn't want her father to take the risk; by the time they leisurely strolled to the city lord's mansion, the other array masters in the city might have already solved the problem.

Then Dad won't need to get involved.

"stop!"

Just as the two stopped to admire the magnificent architecture of the city lord's mansion, a silver-armored guard came over with a halberd, its gleaming tip pointing directly at them.

Zhou Qing remained calm and bowed respectfully, saying, "I have come here specifically to assist in repairing the teleportation array."

The guard was taken aback at first, then his face lit up with joy: "Really? The city lord has ordered us to wait here for a long time, hoping that a formation master will come!"

He rubbed his hands together excitedly, "I've been waiting for so long, it's finally here!"

He quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, asking, "May I ask how you are addressed, Master?"

"Zhou Qing".

"Master Zhou!" The guard's eyes gleamed with hope, his voice tinged with trepidation. "Could you... could you perhaps offer some proof?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qing's mind stirred slightly.

In an instant, myriad spiritual seals burst forth from the acupoints all over the body, swirling and flowing like an inverted galaxy.

Each spirit seal exudes a unique rhythm of spiritual power, outlining a mysterious trajectory in the air.

"This...this..." The guard stared in disbelief, his halberd drooping unconsciously in his hand.

He snapped back to his senses, then stepped aside to lead the way, saying, "Master, please follow me!"

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao exchanged a glance and then followed.

The guards dared not delay and immediately summoned the jade flying boat that the city lord had left there.

The flying boat grew larger as it faced the wind, transforming into a three-zhang-long vessel in the blink of an eye, its entire body shimmering with azure spiritual light.

The three boarded the flying boat and transformed into a streak of light, heading straight for the teleportation plaza in the center of the city.

After flying for a full hour, the outlines of seven majestic teleportation platforms gradually appeared on the distant horizon. As they drew closer, the magnificent sight became increasingly clear—seven giant teleportation platforms floated in mid-air, crafted entirely from rare void crystals, reflecting a mesmerizing glow under the moonlight.

Six of the array platforms emitted stable, towering beams of light, but the hexagonal array platform on the far right had an inconsistent and flickering light.

Twelve towering jade pillars surround the area, each carved with a different mythical beast pattern.

The sealed spirit beasts occasionally let out low growls, causing the surrounding space to tremble slightly.

The guards moved about nervously, and a somber atmosphere permeated the entire square.

"Senior Brother Zhou, look over there—" Lu Yaoyao suddenly tugged at Zhou Qing's sleeve, pointing to the unstable array platform.

The edge of the array platform was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and silver spatial turbulence occasionally spilled out of the cracks, drawing dangerous trajectories in the air.

Even more alarming is that the rune chains suspended at the bottom of the platform have broken off by more than half, and the remaining parts are shaking violently, as if they may collapse completely at any moment.

Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened. With his inherited array formation skills from his predecessor Xuan Qingzi, he could tell at a glance that the core array pattern of this array platform was severely damaged.

If it is not repaired in time, it will probably collapse completely within three days, at which point the entire teleportation system will be affected.

"Master, please follow me." The guard respectfully led the way, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Lord City Lord and Master Ji are urgently repairing the array inside. Please wait here for a moment while I go and inform them."

The three of them walked quickly across the square, and the guards along the way made way for them when they saw the token in the guard's hand.

As the distance closed, the spatial fluctuations emanating from the array platform became increasingly intense, even making the air thicker.

Lu Yaoyao had to use her spiritual power to protect herself in order to withstand the suffocating pressure.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly, feeling that the extent of the damage was more serious than he had imagined.

When the guards led Zhou Qing to the array platform, two middle-aged men in brocade robes were guarding it, exuding the unique aura of a Spirit Slaying Realm expert.

"Greetings, Your Excellencies!" The guard bowed respectfully. "This is Master Zhou Qing, who has been summoned to repair the magic array!"

Upon hearing this, the two men's eyes lit up, and they quickly cupped their hands in greeting: "Greetings, Master Zhou!"

Zhou Qing calmly returned the greeting.

One of them couldn't hide his joy: "I didn't expect that Tianlan City would have a level four array master in charge, this is wonderful!"

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master, could you please demonstrate?"

Zhou Qing understood their caution and immediately condensed ten thousand spirit seals again.

"That's wonderful!" The two were overjoyed. One of them said urgently, "Master, the situation is urgent. I'll take you inside right away!"

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, then turned to Lu Yaoyao and instructed her, "You wait here and don't wander off."

Lu Yaoyao nodded, her face full of worry, and said, "You must be careful."

"Don't worry!" Zhou Qing took the old hen; this was his trump card.

The other man patted his chest and assured him, "Master, rest assured, with me watching over her, your junior sister will be perfectly safe."

The man didn't dare to delay and quickly led Zhou Qing into the array platform.

As they drew closer, the spatial fluctuations intensified, even distorting the air itself.

"Phew—" Zhou Qing let out a long breath and deftly took out a specially made rope.

Then he tied the old hen tightly to his chest.

The old hen clucked twice in dissatisfaction, tilted her head, and pecked at the rope with her beak, but surprisingly did not struggle.

“Old friend,” Zhou Qing gently stroked the chicken’s head, his voice low and gentle, “There’s something you might not know: from the moment I bought you, I’ve considered you the closest family member I’ve ever had.”

As Zhou Qing finished speaking, a hint of humanity flashed in the old hen's originally bulging eyes.

“Since we’re family,” Zhou Qing’s lips curled into a smile, “we should all be together, sharing life and death!”

Before he finished speaking, he followed the other person and stepped inside...

……

Inside the teleportation array, silver light cascaded down like a waterfall, forming a dazzling light curtain around them.

However, within this silvery glow, a massive black hole had opened up, its edges twisting and tearing to reveal the raging, pitch-black void behind it.

Ji Yunluo stood in mid-air, right in the center of this terrifying gap.

Her emaciated body appeared particularly frail amidst the raging spatial turbulence, surrounded by 30,000 spiritual seals, each radiating a dazzling light.

"Stop!" Ji Yunluo gritted his teeth, his hands forming hand seals so fast they were almost invisible.

The 30,000 spirit seals split into three torrents: one transformed into silver threads, continuously stitching together the edges of the gap.

A barrier of light formed, blocking the erosion of the void's power.

The last one formed a protective shield around her, resisting the spatial turbulence that attacked from time to time.

Sweat streamed down her wrinkled face, and her arms were already trembling slightly, yet she dared not relax for a moment.

"Master Ji, hold on!" Li Changhong's voice came from the other end of the passage.

He held a long sword that gleamed with a bluish light, watching the notch warily.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted: "Watch out on your right!"

Suddenly, from the darkness on the right side of the gap, a pitch-black claw covered in barbs shot out and viciously grabbed at Ji Yunluo.

The claws were wreathed in a chilling power of the void, causing distorted ripples to appear in the space around them.

Li Changhong's sword flashed like lightning, instantly unleashing three sharp sword energies that forced the claw back.

The sword energy clashed with the sharp claws, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound that echoed through the passage.

“These beasts are still here after all,” Ji Yunluo gasped, his hands constantly changing hand seals.

Blood had seeped from her fingertips, yet she dared not relax her vigilance in the slightest.

But soon she noticed that new cracks were starting to appear on the edge of the newly repaired gap, and her heart sank.

The cracks spread rapidly like a spider web, each one exuding an aura of despair.

"Lord of the City, I'm afraid I'm truly powerless to help." Ji Yunluo's voice was already hoarse beyond recognition.

Several hours have passed, but they are still going around in circles.

She felt her spiritual power rapidly draining away, and the light of the 30,000 spiritual seals grew dimmer and dimmer.

Li Changhong's hand gripping the sword was bulging with veins, and he watched helplessly as the gap continued to widen.

The next moment, another ferocious beast head emerged from the left side of the gap, its blood-red eyes staring intently at the two of them.

The beast's head was covered with sharp bone spikes, and corrosive black liquid dripped from between its fangs, scorching the passage walls and causing them to hiss and emit white smoke.

Li Changhong hurriedly swung his sword to strike, but at the same time, three sharp claws wrapped in black mist shot out from the right!
Each claw blade gleamed with a chilling light, and the tips of the claws were imbued with terrifying spatial tearing power.

"You beast!" Li Changhong's eyes were filled with rage, and veins bulged on his forehead.

In an instant, the space at the gap twisted violently, and the three pitch-black void beast claws tore through the light curtain at the same time, rushing straight towards us with violent spatial turbulence!

Wherever the claw blades passed, even the solid barriers of the passage were easily torn apart like thin paper, revealing the distorted void behind them.

"Pfft—" Ji Yunluo suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and the light screen composed of 30,000 spirit seals instantly shattered by more than half.

Her body swayed violently, her emaciated frame being pulled toward the opening by the violent suction force, her robes already torn in several places by the spatial turbulence.

"Master Ji!" Li Changhong's eyes were bloodshot, and the long sword in his hand emitted a dazzling blue light, instantly unleashing seven solid sword energies.

The sword energy collided with the beast's claws, unleashing a deafening explosion, and the violent fluctuations of spiritual energy caused the entire passage to tremble.

He seized the opportunity to grab the swaying Ji Yunluo: "Let's get out of here first, there's no other way!"

But at this critical moment, the ferocious beast head on the left side of the gap suddenly opened its blood-red maw, spewing out highly corrosive black mist from between its fangs, biting straight at the necks of the two!

Li Changhong hurriedly swung his sword to block, but was forced to retreat repeatedly by two sharp claws that suddenly attacked from his right.

Each step backward left a deep footprint on the passageway floor.

"No, I'll try again!"

Ji Yunluo stared intently at the void beast that exuded the aura of the Great Perfection of the Spirit Slaying Realm, his turbid eyes suddenly bursting with astonishing fury.

"It's all because of you—"

She roared, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, a resolute glint flashing in her cloudy eyes.

Then, with trembling hands, the thirty thousand dim spiritual seals around her lit up again.

"Om-"

The spirit seal transformed into countless silver chains, which wrapped around the edge of the gap as if they were alive.

This time, crimson runes pulsed on every chain.

Chains intertwined into a net, sealing the breach layer by layer.

"Seal it!"

Her hoarse roar echoed through the passageway.

The crimson chains tightened suddenly, forcing the Void Beast, a cultivator at the peak of the Spirit Slaying Realm, back half a step.

The beast's head let out a painful roar, and corrosive black blood spurted from between its fangs, scorching black pits into the walls of the silver passage.

But the price was that blood began to seep from Ji Yunluo's seven orifices, sliding down her wrinkled cheeks.

"Master Ji!" Li Changhong exclaimed with concern, immediately placing a palm on her back and continuously channeling his abundant spiritual energy into her body.

"Let's go, I've done my best!" Li Changhong said in a deep voice, his voice filled with deep helplessness.

Ji Yunluo stared intently at the ever-expanding breach, her eyes filled with resentment and pain.

Finally, he let out a long sigh and slowly nodded.

But just as the two were about to leave—

"Buzz!"

A dazzling golden light suddenly swept past the two of them, so fast that even Li Changhong, a Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, only saw a fleeting afterimage.

The next second, ten thousand spiritual seals poured out from the figure's body at the same time, rushing towards the gap with a whooshing sound...

(End of this chapter)