The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 405 Buddhist prayer beads must not leave the temple (6k)

When Zhou Qing asked her question, Shen Hanyi did not answer directly, but instead gently patted the storage bag at her waist with her delicate hand.

With a flash of light, a humanoid puppet with a cold, metallic sheen appeared before the two.

This is a male puppet, exquisitely crafted, with intricate runes engraved on its joints.

There was even a conspicuous note with the word "male" stuck to its face, which glowed faintly in the dim environment.

"This was made by me," Shen Hanyi said, gently tapping the back of the puppet's head with her jade-like fingers.

"God, could you let me feel it, since we both worry about each other?"

A familiar song suddenly came from the puppet's mouth, and Zhou Qing's expression immediately turned strange.

Because the voice belonged to none other than Shen Huangmao, and it sounded extremely unwilling.

He could only give a thumbs up, suppressing a smile to express his appreciation.

Then, he turned his gaze to the crooked jujube tree.

Under the shade of the tree, a number of cultivators were gathered, healing their wounds. Among them was even a powerful expert at the Spirit Severing Realm.

This gives a glimpse into the danger of this desolate place.

This is a special safe zone.

According to Shen Hanyi's statement many years ago, she has discovered three such places through simulations over the years.

Zhou Qing had personally examined the tree and determined that it was the remains of a strange spirit that had perished in ancient times.

She spent her entire life waiting for a young Taoist priest carrying a peach wood sword to come and take her away.

If a man and woman sing love songs to each other under this tree, they will receive unexpected guidance.

That's why this love song came about.

Other cultivators, like those in the distance, could only rely on luck to search for the keys to pass through those black ships.

“Only one key will appear on those ghost ships each day,” Shen Hanyi stepped forward to explain.

"Once someone gets the key and passes through, it won't refresh until the next day. So don't be fooled by the large number of people here now; actually, very few people have actually gone inside!"

Zhou Qing nodded thoughtfully.

It seems most people are just there to make up the numbers, unlike them who have found a shortcut.

With a love song, the crooked jujube tree will directly point out the ghost ship that holds the real key, greatly reducing the cost and time of trial and error.

Who exactly are you?

Just then, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang in Zhou Qing's mind.

This was not the indistinguishable male and female voice they were using during their conversation, but rather Shen Hanyi's genuine feelings.

Zhou Qing's eyes suddenly lit up.

Is this the effect of the "Mind Reading Post"?

It's truly amazing!

If we could get more posts like this, and then infiltrate the restricted areas of numbers four and five, wouldn't we be able to pinpoint their voice characteristics in advance?
In case we encounter this again, will we be able to detect it in advance?
Thinking of this, Zhou Qing immediately turned his head.

Sure enough, Shen Hanyi was staring intently at his back.

Seeing him suddenly turn around, she immediately tilted her head slightly, pretending to be observing the ghost ship in front of her.

Then, Shen Hanyi gently patted the storage bag again.

This time, a female puppet appeared.

Unlike the one next to it, this puppet has flowing waist-length hair, a paper strip with the character "woman" pasted on its face, and is more exquisitely crafted.

It seems they were afraid that they wouldn't recognize the remains of this eerie spirit that had long since lost its sentience.

After all, it only had a wisp of obsession left, which was scattered in every corner of the entire desolate forbidden land.

Zhou Qing couldn't help but shake his head slightly; this method was indeed quite ingenious.

Under her control, the two puppets slowly walked to the jujube tree and began to sing that particular love song.

As soon as the song ended, the crooked jujube tree suddenly started moving without any wind, and the paper money under the tree spun and flew up.

Then a winding path was laid out in front of them, leading all the way to one of the many ghost ships.

On the ship, a pale blue candle lit up, standing out starkly in the dim environment.

"Senior, please!" Shen Hanyi turned slightly to the side and made an inviting gesture.

I desperately need those three flowers. I hope that with his help this time, we can successfully open that dangerous place.

Almost simultaneously, Shen Hanyi's thoughts echoed in Zhou Qing's mind once again.

Zhou Qing's heart stirred slightly, his expression complex.

To be honest, he could do without those three flowers, after all, he's still far from reaching the Supreme Tribulation.

Shen Hanyi was different. One hundred and sixty years ago, after the incident in the cave, Shen Hanyi used his Four Flowers Gathering at the Top technique to directly break through to the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm.

Now that so much time has passed, with her talent, she may already be half a step into the Supreme Realm; all she's missing is the Supreme Tribulation.

But the problem is, you're carrying my baby in your belly, how are you going to overcome this tribulation?
Got struck by lightning?
Seriously injured?

Blood and Qi deficiency?
Back when he was undergoing the weakened version of the Supreme Tribulation, she strictly forbade anyone from approaching the Tribulation Circle.

Those who are not destined to face the calamity will not only fail to help, but will also intensify the power of the heavenly tribulation.

Isn't my baby a person?
What if the foundation is damaged during the tribulation, and the child born suffers any sequelae?

That's completely irresponsible.

Thinking about this, Zhou Qing felt increasingly conflicted.

He both hoped that Shen Hanyi could break through smoothly, but he didn't want her to risk taking the three flowers.

The two flew past, and as they passed the central oasis, the water once again reflected a strange image.

Just like last time, each of them had a pale-faced child clinging to their necks, strangling them tightly.

However, after breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage, Zhou Qing no longer experienced that suffocating feeling and the sharp pain in his shoulder, though only for a short time.

"There are many strange and dangerous creatures in the desert. If you cannot cross the desert and reach the mining area in time, you will be slowly strangled by these things and lose your senses, eventually losing your mind and becoming a member of the ghost ship."

Shen Hanyi once explained it this way: the process is like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, making it impossible to guard against.

To save time, Shen Hanyi lightly tapped the oasis with her jade-like fingers.

All the water surged into the air, solidifying into a crystal-clear ice bridge that led directly to the ghost ship with its candles burning.

[It's unclear what level of cultivation Number One possesses; he has always kept it hidden.]

The voice from his heart came again, and Zhou Qing gave a bitter smile.

What other level of cultivation could it be?
You're nowhere near as good as me!
I came along to offer suggestions, hoping they'd make me reveal my true strength.

There are no doors!

Last time, due to the matter of the dried corpse of Kudi, he used the inscription-level divine power "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain" in a moment of desperation.

In order to conceal his identity, he had no choice but to teach her this supernatural power, and even fabricated a story that someone else also knew this skill.

Fortunately, he managed to cover up the lie later, but he would never make such a mistake again.

The two stepped onto the ice bridge—space travel was impossible in the forbidden zone, and this was already the maximum allowed by the restricted area.

Soon, they arrived at the ancient ship that was lit by a ghostly blue candle.

On the table inside the cabin, an ancient-looking token lay quietly.

As the candlelight flickered, eerie rustling sounds echoed from the surrounding darkness.

Zhou Qing was actually very curious and wanted to go into the darkness to see what those things were.

Before the shortcut of love songs, Shen Hanyi could only board ships randomly and fight her way here.

It was these strange creatures that repeatedly injured her, a cultivator at the Spirit Severing Realm, forcing her to retreat to the jujube tree to recuperate.

At this moment, Shen Hanyi was already very familiar with this challenge.

She gently raised her jade-like hand, and a layer of ice crystals spread out like mist, eventually condensing into a chilling icy hand, which steadily took the token.

As spiritual energy was infused, the token suddenly emitted a dazzling light, and the surrounding scenery spun around it—

In an instant, the ancient ship and the darkness vanished, replaced by a vast and boundless ancient mine.

A rich spiritual energy wafted over, yet it was mixed with the stench of blood and decay, sending chills down one's spine.

Looking around, the mine shafts are densely packed like a honeycomb, numbering no less than 100,000.

The "Ice Glass Spirit Sparrow Mushroom," a transforming divine medicine and an inscribed supernatural power, was obtained from one of the mines.

The sky here was gloomy and oppressive, so dark it was suffocating. Further in, there lay the scene of his second forbidden zone.

"Senior, do you still remember the mine where you helped me obtain the Transformation Elixir?" Shen Hanyi suddenly asked.

Zhou Qing's heart stirred slightly, and he nodded, saying, "Of course I remember."

“That mine had already been thoroughly explored. I only discovered the hidden world inside after I accidentally obtained a piece of Blood Phoenix Bone.” Shen Hanyi’s gaze was profound.

"Thanks to your help, senior, I was able to obtain that divine medicine to save my brother. Furthermore, at your suggestion, I even used the scraps to refine the 'Ice Glass Spirit Ascension Pill,' which helped me break through to the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm."

Zhou Qing sighed inwardly, realizing that many years had passed in the blink of an eye.

"Does the senior still remember the blood-red scroll next to the divine medicine?" Shen Hanyi suddenly changed the subject.

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat—had she sensed something?
Shen Hanyi looked directly at him: "It's quite a coincidence that my Blood Phoenix Bone can open that hidden place."

"And outside that scroll, there was a miniature blood phoenix phantom guarding it. Unfortunately, that shroud was too powerful, and I still can't do anything about it, and I have been killed by it many times."

"What do you want to say?" Zhou Qing asked in a deep voice.

Shen Hanyi said softly, "Senior, please don't misunderstand."

"Since you have imparted to me the inscription-level divine power of the Blood Phoenix Clan, I guess that what is recorded in that blood-red scroll may also be some kind of bloodline inheritance of the Blood Phoenix Clan."

"You want it?" Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow.

Shen Hanyi nodded solemnly: "You are aware of my situation. I can no longer practice the 'Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain,' but I still yearn for inscription-level divine abilities."

"So I'd like to try my luck and hope you can help me, senior."

As she spoke, she bowed respectfully.

Zhou Qing sighed inwardly.

How can I help?
Since the blood-red scroll contains the "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain," let's not bother with it.

Even if you get it, you can't open it without the ultimate weapon.

Moreover, there is a shroud there that once wrapped the body of an ancient human emperor, and it has already developed its own consciousness.

Didn't you just say that even someone at the peak of the Spirit Severing Realm like you can still be killed? I'm even less likely to be.

You must help me! You must help me!

Shen Hanyi's thoughts echoed in Zhou Qing's mind, her muttered tone a stark contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.

Zhou Qing couldn't help but smile.

Perhaps it was because of that incident, and also because he had now entered the Spirit Severing Realm, and the spiritual seal he had condensed had even surpassed hers.

The once unapproachable Senior Zhanling now appears somewhat endearing.

“I remember there were many large human-shaped cocoons hanging from the ceiling of that cave,” Zhou Qing said, feigning a moment of contemplation. “Have they hatched yet?”

Shen Hanyi gently shook her head: "Not yet."

“That won’t do!” Zhou Qing said decisively.

"Why?" Shen Hanyi frowned in confusion.

“Those large cocoons are the offspring that the Human Emperor’s shroud conceived for himself,” Zhou Qing said meaningfully. “Do you understand the principle that a mother’s strength is boundless?” Hearing Zhou Qing’s words, Han Yi unconsciously touched her lower abdomen.

This subtle gesture warmed Zhou Qing's heart—she really cared about this child.

“The elixir of transformation is long gone, and the scroll is in a self-protective state,” Zhou Qing explained patiently.

"Once those cocoons break open, the Emperor's Shroud will take them away. At that time, the cave will be empty, and retrieving the scrolls will be a piece of cake."

Seeing Shen Hanyi remain silent, Zhou Qing added fuel to the fire: "As a mother myself, you should be able to understand."

Shen Hanyi's eyes flickered slightly, and she finally nodded slowly: "Okay."

“That’s more like it.” Zhou Qing changed the subject casually, “Um… don’t think I’m being nosy, but the child’s father is…”

Shen Hanyi abruptly lowered her hand from her abdomen, her voice turning icy: "Senior, this is a private matter for me. Although I know you are incredibly powerful, please leave me some room to maneuver."

Is he really dead?

Almost simultaneously, her thoughts echoed in Zhou Qing's mind.

His heart pounded wildly—this "him" must be himself!

Only his own disappearance could justify this statement.

More importantly, there was no resentment in her words, but rather a lot of worry.

In other words, this child really is mine, that's wonderful.

Zhou Qing almost burst out laughing.

Fortunately, in his hazy state, the other party could not see his ecstatic expression.

[Heart Judgment Points +7]

The next moment, another prompt sounded.

Immediately afterwards, the original caption above Shen Hanyi's head, "What a destined person!", instantly changed to "Bastard!"
Zhou Qing: "..."

Well, it seems she still harbors some resentment towards herself.

He completely understood—a woman of exceptional talent, at the height of her cultivation, became pregnant due to an accident.

The man she had been intimate with had only met her a few times.

She only considered him a chance encounter because he had helped her a few times.

For the past 160 years, there has been no word from that person, leaving her to bear everything alone.

When the child is born, he is destined to be a child without a father.

The one who is truly irresponsible is Zhou Qing himself.

Thinking of this, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, but even more so, a sense of guilt.

Now that she has confirmed that the child is hers, Zhou Qing has a clear goal in mind.

He wants to protect this mother and child and spend the rest of his life making up for the years he has missed.

As for the identity of "Number One," it must absolutely not be revealed.

To her, this was nothing short of an elaborate deception that only made her more unable to see herself clearly, let alone believe it.

Moreover, there are some things you simply can't explain, such as inscription-level divine abilities, love songs sung under the jujube tree, the Human Emperor's shroud, and the eight-fold bonus...

"Haha~" Zhou Qing chuckled dryly, pretending to be relaxed, and said, "What kind of person do you take me for?"

"It was purely by accident that I found out you were number seven. I'm not the kind of old pervert who likes to pry into other people's private affairs, so you can rest assured."

Shen Hanyi bowed again: "Thank you, senior."

[I hope you keep your word. But as long as Yunzhou doesn't let anything slip, I doubt you'll be able to trace it back to him.]

[It's a pity. You only taught the "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain" to two people, and now neither of them can cultivate it.]

Hearing this heartfelt sentiment, Zhou Qing's lips curled into a slight smile.

I'd rather have you and the child than lose a powerful inscription-level divine ability!

The two quickened their pace, carefully avoiding the mine tunnels along the way.

These caves are almost all inhabited by terrifying taboos, which, while not actively attacking, regard trespassers as prey.

Fortunately, Shen Hanyi had spent many years simulating and had already figured out a safe route that could perfectly avoid the perception of these beings.

Zhou Qing followed silently, memorizing the route.

Meanwhile, various forbidden objects kept emerging from several mine shafts below.

Dark clouds, thick as ink, rolled and churned, obscuring the sky. Countless moths with human faces fluttered and buzzed, while swarms of desiccated corpses roared and crawled out.
These terrifying beings are frantically attacking the cultivators who have dared to intrude.

The two even witnessed an old man in the early stage of the Spirit Severing Realm being tightly bound by scarlet tentacles that suddenly emerged from the mine.

The tentacles were covered with suckers. The old man struggled desperately but to no avail. In the end, he chose to self-destruct in terror.

A seven-colored primordial spirit fled in panic, while its shattered physical body had already been dragged into the bottomless mine.

Fortunately, the two were in different dimensional spaces, and the terrifying beings in those mines were unaware of them.

But this scene is enough to prove just how dangerous the 100,000-mine tunnel in the second level is.

"I wonder where Old Man Weng is now." Zhou Qing frowned. "And what about Second Uncle? What exactly is his intention in orchestrating this game?"

As they ventured deeper, fewer and fewer cultivators were able to reach this place.

In the end, there wasn't a single person to be seen around.

"Hey, what's that—"

Suddenly, a colossal image of Buddha appeared on the distant horizon, accompanied by chanting and radiant light.

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat, as if he had thought of something. He immediately accelerated and flew away, with Shen Hanyi following closely behind.

Upon closer inspection, one sees a dilapidated ancient temple below.

Weeds grow rampant among the ruins, the mottled pagoda leans precariously, and only a few broken Buddha statues stubbornly stand still.

In the air, five monks draped in robes were working together to unleash Buddhist supernatural powers.

Golden Sanskrit characters, like chains, coiled around and firmly bound the mummified corpse below.

The mummified corpse was draped in a golden robe, with eighteen faintly glowing Buddhist prayer beads strung around its neck, and a cold, sharp-looking dagger in its hand. It was struggling and roaring madly.
"Buddhist prayer beads must never leave the temple."

“It’s the five Venerable Ones of Jiyuan Temple: Juechen, Juejing, Jueming, Jueyuan, and Juezhen!” Shen Hanyi exclaimed in surprise.

"It seems they've finally found Master Kudi after all these years of searching!"

Zhou Qing nodded slightly.

He had spent half a year traveling to Tianlan City to find Lu Yaoyao, and he originally thought that Venerable Jueming and the others had already set off to find her.

Unexpectedly, it has only now come that they have finally found the hiding place of the Master of Bitter Truth.

Indeed, it was purely by chance that he and Shen Hanyi ended up in this place.

And it kept going around in circles, which is how it unexpectedly encountered the mummified corpse of the Bitter Truth.

I passed through this place several times afterward, but could never find any trace of that ancient temple again.

It seems that these venerable monks of Jiyuan Temple must have used some kind of secret Buddhist method to reveal the true nature of this secluded ancient temple.

Then, Zhou Qing looked at the two high-ranking monks at the head of the group.

Venerable Juechen and Venerable Juejing were surrounded by Buddhist light, and the aura they exuded was clearly that of cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm.

The three Venerables Jueming, Jueyuan, and Juezhen were also at the late stage of the Spirit Severing realm.

The Buddha wheel behind their heads shone brightly, and amidst the swirling chants, the Buddha light of the three merged into one, transforming into a gigantic Vajra image.

Such a lineup would be a national-level power in any fourth-level cultivation country.

"You've fallen to evil; you're doomed to fail!"

But at that moment, the dried corpse of Kudi suddenly looked up and let out a long, mournful howl, its decaying vocal cords producing a chilling sound.

In an instant, the eighteen sarira beads on his neck bone simultaneously emitted a dazzling golden light.

A miniature image of Buddha appears in each of the prayer beads.

Eighteen Buddhas chanted sutras in unison, and the vast power of Buddha erupted like a tsunami!
"Om-"

A visible golden ripple swept out, and the Sanskrit chains laid down by the five Venerables shattered inch by inch.

Venerable Juechen's expression changed drastically. The vajra in his hand trembled violently, his tiger's mouth burst open, and blood dripped down the vajra.

"Not good! He's about to break free!" Venerable Juejing shouted sharply, his hands forming hand seals so fast they were just afterimages. "Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon, Prajna Buddhas, suppress!"

A golden dragon flew out from his palm, its roar shaking the heavens, and pounced towards Kudi.

At the same time, the three Venerables Jueming, Jueyuan, and Juezhen simultaneously offered up their personal Buddhist treasures—a vajra, a string of Bodhi prayer beads, and an ancient Buddha lamp.

The three Buddhist treasures intertwined in the air to form a swastika symbol, which pressed down on him.

Two eerie green flames suddenly ignited in the empty eye sockets of the mummy, and the monk's knife in his hand rang out with a dragon's roar, with dense Sanskrit characters appearing on the blade.

Holding the knife in one hand, he single-handedly withstood the attacks of the five Venerable Ones!

"boom--"

The entire dilapidated temple trembled amidst the deafening explosion.

The golden robe of the mummy was torn to shreds, revealing the shriveled body beneath.

The body was covered with strange black patterns that writhed like living things.

"This is... a demonic rune?!" Venerable Juechen exclaimed in shock. "Uncle-Master Kudi has truly fallen into demonic possession. The abbot didn't lie to us!"

The dried-up corpse of the Bitter Truth ignored him, and swept his sword horizontally, tearing through the sky with a crescent-shaped golden blade of energy.

The five Venerables hurriedly dodged, and the space was torn apart wherever the sword energy passed.

But it seemed as if some unseen force quickly repaired it, completely eliminating the ability of the Spirit Slayer Realm to tear through space.

"He's trying to escape! Stop him!" Venerable Jueming shouted urgently.

The dried corpse of Kudi flickered and transformed into eighteen afterimages, each lifelike, flying in a different direction.

Eighteen relic beads flew out simultaneously, setting up a small Buddhist array in the air, temporarily trapping the five venerable ones.

"Uncle-Master, it's time for you to go home!" Venerable Juechen roared, biting his tongue and spitting a mouthful of blood onto the vajra.

The vajra suddenly grew a hundredfold, like a giant pillar supporting the sky, and slammed down on the Buddhist formation.

"Boom!"

The moment the Buddhist formation shattered, the true form of the dried corpse of Kudi broke through the encirclement and disappeared into the mist deep within the desolate forbidden area in the blink of an eye.

"The abbot said that we must bring that item back no matter what. Hurry and chase after them!" Venerable Juechen said in a deep voice.

Then, five golden figures transformed into streaks of light and gave chase.

Zhou Qing and Shen Hanyi stood still, watching them leave.

Zhou Qing, in particular, had a furrowed brow and was filled with doubts.

Ku'e said that Ku Di had fallen into demonic possession, and he had indeed seen those strange demonic patterns just now.

But the Bitter Truth had long since turned into a dried-up corpse, fallen many years ago, and was now nothing more than a walking corpse sustained by obsession.

But when the Truth of Suffering was about to depart, he said that Suffering had fallen into demonic possession.
Who among them is the true demon possessor?
The image of the Buddhist disciple Gui Zang that day involuntarily surfaced in Zhou Qing's mind.

She tried to persuade him to stay, but at the same time, she maintained a distant attitude.

Even more strangely, they also gifted a thousand rare wood-attribute spirit stones.
“It is said that only when a Buddha passes away will a new Buddha be born,” Zhou Qing murmured to himself. “So, has Ku’e already passed away, or is he still alive?”

What exactly did Kudi take away from Jiyuan Temple back then?
How could it have kept the high monks in the temple searching for it until now?

(End of this chapter)