The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 412 is finished, my house was robbed! (6k)

At the main gate of the Shen family!
A yellowish-brown flying boat pierced the sky and crashed erratically in front of the bluestone steps, shaking the ground.

Shen Yunzhou flicked his sleeves in disgust, and the flying boat "whooshed" into the storage bag.

He frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the empty gate—there should have been more than a dozen guards at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, but now there was no one there.

"Strange," he muttered to himself. "When did the Shen family become so arrogant that they didn't even bother to defend their gates?"

Just as he lifted his foot to step onto the stairs, he suddenly froze, a terrifying thought popping into his mind—could it be… that the Shen family had been wiped out?
In an instant, a bloody scene flashed before his eyes: a mysterious powerful figure slaughtered all the guards and was now wreaking havoc in the mansion, "hehehe" all the while.

If I go in now, wouldn't I be walking into a trap?
"Hiss—" He gasped, and without a word, he withdrew his foot and sneakily retreated to the ancient tree next to him.

He pulled out a communication jade slip and frantically called out, "Great Wisdom!"

However, after waiting for a long time, the jade slip did not react at all, which made him even more certain of his guess.

"It's over, it's over..." Sweat beaded on his forehead. "Although I don't like my family, if we're really wiped out, won't I be left without anyone to rely on?"

Just as he was wondering whether he should hurry up and run to find his older sister to tell her the news, suddenly, a ripple appeared at the main gate of the Shen family.

Immediately afterwards, seven guards came out with their arms around each other's shoulders, huddled together and whispered among themselves, occasionally letting out lewd laughter.

Shen Yunzhou narrowed his eyes, becoming even more hesitant to make any rash moves.

Although these are acquaintances, who knows if they've been put into a puppet spell?

It might be bait deliberately laid out by the enemy!

After all, the Shen family is powerful and has a complex network of connections, and most of its members are busy working outside.

If the other party really wants to wipe them all out, it's perfectly normal for them to put on some disguise.

Snapped!
Just as he was pondering this, something suddenly nudged his butt hard, startling him so much that he almost jumped up on the spot.

Turning around, I saw several inconspicuous stones rolling around on the ground.

One of the pieces cracked open with several fissures, revealing a pair of eerie green eyes that were staring at him slyly.

"Da Congming?!" Shen Yunzhou's eyes lit up. "What are you doing outside?"

This stone monster was his best friend since childhood. When his older sister locked him in a dark room, it was this monster that secretly opened the door and let him slip out.

The rock grinned and attracted several surrounding rocks, stacking them into a small pile.

Then, in a muffled voice, she said, "It was too stuffy at home, so I came out for some fresh air. Why did you suddenly come back?"

Shen Yunzhou quickly made a shushing gesture and lowered his voice, asking, "Has something happened at home?"

The stone monster nodded: "You've heard?"

"As expected!" Shen Yunzhou's expression changed, secretly glad that he hadn't rushed in rashly.

"Where is Miss? Didn't she come back with you?" the stone monster asked again.

"Why did my sister come back? Is she looking for trouble?" Shen Yunzhou rolled his eyes.

The stone monster looked puzzled: "Why would you want to die? Shouldn't we be improving together?"

"Progress? What does that mean?"

The stone monster then slowly recounted the story of a formation master who had condensed 30,000 spirit seals visiting his home.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunzhou's expression froze, and after a long pause, he coughed awkwardly, "...So that's how it is."

Damn, what a huge blunder!

However, thirty thousand spirit seals? That's even more terrifying than Master Situ Jiuyao's...

"None of you are coming back, leaving me all alone at home. I'm so bored!" the stone monster complained.

Shen Yunzhou patted it and said perfunctorily, "I just came back to get something. You stay here for now. In case someone follows me when I leave, you can inform them. I'll definitely take you out to play next time!"

After saying that, he straightened his clothes and swaggered toward the main entrance.

Upon seeing him, the guards immediately fell silent and bowed in unison: "Greetings, young master!"

Although the artistic conception that this fourth son comprehended was truly disgusting, and anyone who got involved with it would be unlucky, he was still a legitimate member of the direct lineage.

Not to mention that, like his monstrous older sister, they both inherited the terrifying talent of the fourth branch master and entered the Spirit Severing Realm at a young age.

The old man, who was in seclusion for many years, showed particular favor to this brother and sister.

Back when this kid was at the Divine Realm, some filth fell from the sky and almost flooded the ancestral land, but the old man only scolded him a few times and that was the end of it.

Shen Yunzhou stood casually in front of the door, the five-colored barrier sweeping over him as it swirled.

After confirming that it was not a counterfeit, the door opened with a "buzz".

He stepped inside, his eyes darting around, and headed straight for the residence of the newly arrived Master Qingzhou.

"If my older sister knew that such a big shot had come to our house, she would definitely be curious too!" he muttered, rubbing his hands together.

Although he didn't understand formations, his older sister was a genius formation master who had condensed 17,000 spirit seals.

If only we could make contact.
But when he arrived at the place, he was dumbfounded—the long queue outside the hall was almost as long as a coil of incense.

Upon closer inspection, good heavens! The twins, Chaolu and Xishuang, in my second aunt's courtyard were serving tea and snacks when a young man wearing a tiger-head hat teased them until they blushed.

"Tsk, Second Aunt is quick on the uptake." Shen Yunzhou stroked his chin, pondering.

According to Da Congming, this master only arrived yesterday.

However, the other party's current residence was not arranged in any of the three-bedroom areas, but rather in a separate central area.

It seems that each family is secretly vying for power, and the battle hasn't come to a conclusion yet!
Just as they were pondering this, the palace door creaked open, and seven members of the Shen family escorted a middle-aged man in a blue robe as he slowly walked out, all with fawning smiles on their faces.

"Is this Master Qingzhou?" Shen Yunzhou dove behind the artificial hill with a somersault and quickly took out the image stone to take a picture.

My older sister has the best eye for people; maybe this person will become her "destined one."

Unfortunately, before he could take enough photos, another group of people filed in, and then the door slammed shut, completely cutting off his view.

"Tsk, so stingy!" Shen Yunzhou curled his lip, then turned around sullenly, only to unexpectedly meet a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling but weren't—

"Oh my god!" Shen Yunzhou jumped three feet high in fright. After seeing who it was, he quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Aunt!"

Lin Jingtang straightened her sleeves and smiled kindly: "Yunzhou, did you just get back?"

"Yes, yes, nephew is just looking around..." Shen Yunzhou chuckled dryly, then tried to slip away.

"Auntie, please go ahead with your work. I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave now!"

"Wait a minute," Lin Jingtang suddenly called out to him.

Shen Yunzhou paused, his heart skipped a beat, and he turned around with a forced smile: "Auntie... is there anything else?"

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Lin Jingtang's face as she said softly, "It's like this, do you know where your sister is lately?"

Shen Yunzhou's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface and immediately shook his head, saying, "I really don't know."

"As you know, my sister has always been a loner and never tells anyone where she goes."

"Sigh~~" Lin Jingtang sighed softly.

She paused, her tone tinged with helplessness: "As you know, your cousin has long since reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, but he has yet to dare to sever his spiritual essence."

“Especially after your recent breakthrough, he feels even more pressure and is now anxious all day long.”

"Although your uncle and I have made ample preparations for him, it's always good to have a better chance of success."

Shen Yunzhou frowned slightly and interrupted directly, "Aunt, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Lin Jingtang lightly touched her sleeve, her eyes flashing slightly: "Then Auntie won't beat around the bush. We're all family. When Auntie wanted to buy your Spirit-Slaying Sword, your sister set up that four-colored magic array for you."

Shen Yunzhou's pupils contracted, and he immediately understood what his aunt was referring to—the Nine Revolutions Spirit Condensation Array, a mid-level four-color magic array.

This formation was originally created by my older sister when Brother Zhou broke through to the Spirit Severing stage.

Later, after returning to Nanhuang Prefecture, my older sister used countless rare and precious materials to create a replica based on her memory.

This formation was indeed a great help when he severed the spirit.

Ah, so that's what you were planning.

Shen Yunzhou sneered inwardly.

Knowing his older sister as he did, he knew there was no way this formation could be passed on to outsiders—it was something his brother had worked so hard to obtain, and his sister already felt guilty for replicating it without permission; it would be even more unthinkable to pass it on to outsiders.
Today it's for my cousin, tomorrow it's for my older cousin, and the day after tomorrow will even the guards of the Shen family need a share?
If Brother Zhou comes knocking on my door, where will I put my face?

“Auntie,” Shen Yunzhou said with a troubled expression, “to be honest, that formation was something my sister obtained by chance from an ancient ruin, and it was a one-time use one.”

"She still can't figure out the mystery, otherwise she would have offered it to the family long ago."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Lin Jingtang's eyes, and she forced a smile, saying, "I see, what a pity."

She turned to look at the tightly closed palace doors and said softly, "Master Qingzhou joined the Shen family in order to seek a breakthrough opportunity."

"Yunzhou, some news can't be suppressed. It won't be long before the other families find out about Master Qingzhou."

Shen Yunzhou's heart skipped a beat, but then his aunt suddenly turned around and asked, "Do you still remember the matter of the Yan family uncle and nephew?"

"I remember." Shen Yunzhou seemed to have thought of something, and his hands clenched so tightly that they cracked.

Lin Jingtang sighed, "Do you know why the Yan family dares to be so presumptuous?"

"Strength." Shen Yunzhou squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth.

“That’s right!” Lin Jingtang’s eyes flashed like lightning. “The Yan family ranks third among the eight great families. Back then, when they wanted to force your sister into a marriage alliance, we had to pretend to be overjoyed!”

She became more and more agitated as she spoke: "Your sister's talent is clearly unparalleled among her peers, yet we are forced to give it away!"

"Even after Yan Sen and his nephew died unexpectedly, they came to our door to interrogate us without asking any questions, and we had to put on a smiling face and explain!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunzhou's forehead veins bulged, his eyes became bloodshot, and his spiritual power surged uncontrollably throughout his body.

"Feeling frustrated?"

"How frustrating!" Shen Yunzhou slammed his fist into the stone pillar beside him, creating a spiderweb-like crack.

Lin Jingtang's gaze was intense: "If our Shen family were stronger and ranked higher than the Yan family, do you think they would still come to our door to interrogate us with such impunity as they did that day?"

Shen Yunzhou remained silent.

“Therefore, the Shen family must seize every opportunity to rise.” Lin Jingtang’s voice was low. “Master Qingzhou chose our Shen family because he is new here and does not yet understand the various forces.” She paused and glanced at the clansmen queuing in the distance: “When he first arrived yesterday, he frankly said that he was willing to lend a hand to the Shen family, and we should also help him break through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, and even attempt to break through to the Spirit Severing Realm—this is a fair trade.”

"But if he finds out that even the eldest son of the main branch is stuck at the threshold of the Spirit Severing Realm, what can he, an outsider, rely on?"

"Staying at the Shen family's place is a waste of time."

A few soft laughs came from afar; it was the tribespeople waiting in line chatting and laughing.

“At that time,” Lin Jingtang looked at everyone, a sharp glint in her eyes, “if other powerful families take the opportunity to extend olive branches and offer substantial benefits, do you think he would not be tempted?”

She suddenly turned around: "If the Yan family gains this assistance, wouldn't it be like a tiger with wings?"

"And then there's the Zhao family. Those brutes know they're not smart enough, so they've been searching for clever people all these years."

"If a few more years pass," Lin Jingtang's voice choked, her eyes slightly red, "the Shen family falls out of the top five, and then another family will be bullying us?"

Shen Yunzhou sighed deeply, his heart heavy with emotion.

Lin Jingtang wiped her eyes, her tone suddenly softening: "I know you siblings don't feel a sense of belonging to the Shen family."

She suddenly raised her hand, her fingertips brushing away non-existent dust from Shen Yunzhou's shoulder: "But your mother was killed while working for the family business."

"And your father, though he spends his days with wine jars, has he ever left the Shen family's home even once in all these years?"

At this point, Lin Jingtang suddenly pressed her hand to her chest: "These traditions and honors were built by our ancestors with their blood and lives, brick by brick by every member of the Shen family."

She looked intently at Shen Yunzhou, "Do you understand?"

Shen Yunzhou's Adam's apple bobbed, and he slowly nodded: "I understand. If my sister can break that formation, if I can meet her... I will definitely tell her."

"Thank you." Lin Jingtang showed a hint of relief, then looked towards the main hall. "The various departments can compete with each other on ordinary days, but when it comes to the big picture, they must work together as one."

“In the entire Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, there are only a handful of fifth-level array masters, and they are all treated as honored guests by the royal family and top powers. Master Qingzhou is an opportunity bestowed upon the Shen family by Heaven.”

"Adding flowers to brocade is ultimately not as good as providing charcoal in the snow. If we can help him break through the Spirit Severing Realm and condense 20,000 spirit seals to advance to a level 5 array master..."

Her eyes gleamed with a sharp light. "Let alone the Eight-Tailed Region, who would dare to bully my Shen family in the entire Southern Phoenix Prefecture?"

Shen Yunzhou's chest heaved, and a surge of hot blood rushed to the top of his head.

"Aunt!" he said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "Yunzhou knows what to do!"

Lin Jingtang nodded with a smile, but her eyes flickered slightly as she turned away, a fleeting, inscrutable expression vanishing in an instant.

Then, she quietly gazed towards the main hall, watching people come and go...

……

Seven days later, deep within the main hall.

Zhou Qing sat cross-legged, his spiritual energy surging like the tide, his robes fluttering even without wind.

A spiritual mark between his brows flickered, each flash causing the spiritual energy within the hall to tremble.

He hadn't expected that the opportunity for a breakthrough would come so quickly after experiencing the last person's state of mind; now he could barely contain himself.

"Good lad!" Uncle Er's eyes widened, and he even forgot to put the melon seeds in his mouth.

"I didn't expect you to reach the mid-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm so soon. Your spiritual energy is practically overflowing. When did you accumulate that?"

Zhou Qing clenched his teeth, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead: "I was trapped in the void for over a hundred years. If it weren't for the fact that my artistic conception couldn't be perfected, I would have been long ago..."

Before he could finish speaking, another surge of spiritual energy erupted within his body, causing the futon beneath him to shatter inch by inch.

The second uncle clicked his tongue: "I see, but you can't break through here in the Shen family, lest you be discovered."

Then, he mysteriously reached for his storage pouch at his waist, "Luckily, I have this treasure—"

He patted his storage bag, and a dusty, broken bowl emerged, with several cracks on the rim, looking like it had been picked up from some roadside stall.

"Do you still recognize it?" Uncle Er grinned.

Looking at the broken bowl, Zhou Qing couldn't help but chuckle, a hint of nostalgia appearing in his eyes.

How could he not recognize him?
When he first entered the forbidden area of ​​the cave, his second uncle tricked him with this broken bowl.

They even called it "the right opportunity," saying that as long as you pass a test, you will receive tremendous benefits.

He still remembers that tricky question clearly to this day—

[If you practiced hard for a hundred years and finally avenged your enemy, wiping out his entire family, and suddenly found a child hiding in the corner, what would you do?]

In fact, no matter what he answers, as long as he touches the bowl, the second uncle can use his body as a vessel to escape.

Seeing Zhou Qing's expression, the second uncle chuckled, "You know, time really flies. Back then, we were trapped in the third coffin..."

"Grandpa, how about we reminisce another day, okay?" Zhou Qing said with a wry smile.

Uncle Er gave an awkward smile, then said seriously, "Alright, don't let its ugliness fool you, it has an extremely imposing name—'Mustard Seed Universe Cup'!"

"Great name!" Zhou Qing agreed.

Uncle Er immediately smiled smugly: "Of course, look who named it, it was from a street stall back then... Alright, alright, I know, I know."

Seeing Zhou Qing's increasingly tense expression, he quickly changed his words: "In short, if you break through here, the outside world will not be able to sense the slightest aura."

"However, the various energies that have accumulated and dissipated inside must be released within a year."

As he spoke, he infused his spiritual power, and the broken bowl was thrown into the air. It grew taller in the wind and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a giant bowl about ten feet in size, which then fell upside down.

The bowl became its own world, and Zhou Qing felt the pressure around him suddenly decrease, finally finding an outlet for his rampaging spiritual energy.

"Hurry up and break through!" Second Uncle's voice came from outside. "The twins in the side hall seem to have received a mission and are determined to take you down!"

With his second uncle's assurance, Zhou Qing no longer suppressed the surging spiritual power within his body.

He took a deep breath, formed a hand seal, and the spiritual power that had been accumulating within him surged out like a flood bursting its banks.

"boom!"

A muffled thud echoed inside the bowl, and a dazzling spiritual light burst forth from every pore of Zhou Qing's body.

His aura steadily increased, soon reaching a critical point.

Almost simultaneously, the void above his head suddenly twisted, and a four-colored flower appeared out of thin air.

The four petals—silver, red, blue, and gold—bloomed with dazzling light at the same time.

The four colors of light intertwined and flowed, forming a perfect vortex of spiritual energy above Zhou Qing's head.

Silver light cuts, red light tempers, blue light nourishes, and gold light constructs; the four forces complement each other and work together to propel his breakthrough.

For a moment, the inside of the bowl was filled with turmoil, while outside, all was silent.

"Good heavens!" The second uncle, who had seen it all from outside, quickly formed a hand seal to reinforce the seal. "This commotion is even more astonishing than when I broke through back then!"

Inside the bowl, Zhou Qing's body was undergoing a dramatic transformation.

"Crack, crack—" His bones made crisp popping sounds, each bone was being reorganized and strengthened.

A faint, shimmering light emanated from deep within the bone marrow, as if countless tiny runes were flowing across the surface of the bone.

The meridians continued to widen, and spiritual energy surged like a flood bursting its banks.

It rapidly forms a dazzling network of spiritual energy within the body, making the meridian walls more resilient with each flush.

The flesh and blood became more solidified, and a faint radiance flowed beneath the skin, with every inch of muscle fiber containing explosive power.

Even the seven-colored primordial spirit within his sea of ​​consciousness was violently shaking.

As his primordial spirit formed hand seals, each breath caused the tides of his consciousness to surge, and the power of his divine sense expanded outward at a visible speed...

And so, after a whole night, the contents of the bowl gradually calmed down.

After a long while, Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes.

His pupils shimmered with four colors, and his aura was restrained and profound.

With a gentle clench of his fist, subtle ripples appeared in the surrounding space, demonstrating the profound control of spatial power by those at the Spirit Severing Realm.

"This is the power of the mid-stage Spirit Severing Realm."

As Zhou Qing felt the spiritual energy within his body, a confident smile crept onto his lips.

Compared to before the breakthrough, their combat power has increased by at least three times.

what does this mean?
This means that the moment he stepped into the mid-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, he was already able to completely crush cultivators of the same level, and even had the ability to fight against those of higher levels!
So what if you're in the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm?

Even if he can't kill him easily, the other party shouldn't even think about getting the slightest advantage from him!

At this moment, the broken bowl above his head slowly shrank and transformed into a stream of light, flying back into Second Uncle's storage bag.

The second uncle squinted, looked him up and down, and grinned: "Kid, how does it feel?"

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, and surging spiritual energy flowed continuously through his meridians.

He slowly raised his right hand, palm up, and saw silver, red, blue and gold spiritual light flowing at his fingertips, blending together yet clearly distinct.

With his successful breakthrough, he seemed to have some innate ability to mobilize the energy within the four-colored exotic flower for the first time.

“It’s amazing,” he said softly, his tone tinged with curiosity.

This initial grasp of the four powers both excited and confused him.

I used to think it was just a simple increase in four types of Nascent Soul, but now it seems that it is not.

However, although we can perceive their characteristics, it will probably take a long time to explore and adapt in order to fully master them.

The second uncle looked at the four-colored spiritual light, his eyes flashing, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Since ancient times, there has never been a case of four flowers gathering at the top.

Moreover, as someone who has been through it, everyone's insights after breaking through are unique, and too much guidance may backfire.

"Hurry up and stabilize it, lest others notice something!" the second uncle reminded in a low voice, his eyes scanning the direction of the palace gate warily.

Zhou Qing nodded, then closed his eyes again.

The four-colored spiritual light flowed slowly around him, forming a perfect cycle, and within this tranquil hall, a transformative metamorphosis continued.
……

(End of this chapter)