The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 422 Fellow Daoist Zhou, save me! I am Yu Yan! (6k)

"The Four Great Prodigies? Ha. Compared to your Yu Clan, my Yan family is far inferior."

Upon hearing Yu Zhu's question, Yan Luo curled his lips into a half-smile, his eyes icy cold.

"No, that's not true!" Yu Zhu hurriedly shook her head, completely unaware that the thin veil on her shoulder had slipped down. "Although the Yu Clan is one of the four ancient clans, it ranks at the bottom, sometimes even inferior to the eight great families."

Yanluo didn't reply, but simply asked, "Has the message been sent out?"

“It’s already been sent out!” Yu Zhu’s eyes shone with anticipation. “My cousin should arrive soon. She’s gentle and kind, and she’ll definitely get along well with Yan Lang.”

"very good."

Yanluo's lips curled slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Yu Zhu pulled her clothes tighter and hesitated, saying, "How could Yan Lang know Sister Yu Yan? She's always kept a low profile in the clan, and very few people know her."

Yama put down his long sword, walked slowly closer, and sat down beside her.

Yuzhu nestled into his arms, letting him stroke her smooth arms.

“I didn’t know her before.” Yan Luo’s fingertips slowly traced her skin, his tone growing colder, “But in recent years, she has repeatedly ruined my plans.”

"No way!" Yu Zhu tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with confusion. "She's always been quiet and dislikes meddling in other people's business."

Suddenly, Yama reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look directly at him: "You think I'm lying to you?"

"No! No," Yu Zhu's voice trembled slightly.

Yama stared at her, his eyes filled with chilling intent: "I had many opportunities to take the life of that brute from the Zhao family, but your dear sister is like a persistent, lingering ghost, making it impossible for me to find a chance to strike."

Yu Zhu's pupils shrank sharply, and her face turned deathly pale instantly.

She stared intently into Yama's eyes, suddenly realized what was happening, and struggled to get up, but Yama grabbed her by the throat and pressed her back down.

She struggled desperately, but was firmly bound by Yama's spiritual power, unable to move even a finger.

He grinned maliciously and leaned close to her ear, his voice chilling: "It's all thanks to you that we were able to trick her into coming here."

"A dignified cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Divine Transformation Realm is so stupid and dull."

Yama sneered, "How did your family protect you? In terms of talent and intellect, you can't even compare to one of your sister's fingers."

"He has mediocre talent, is not very bright, and is also quite plain-looking."

He said dismissively, "If I didn't want to taste the flavor of a Rain Clan woman, I wouldn't even bother to touch you."

Yu Zhu trembled all over, tears silently streaming down her face.

“Oh, right,” Yanluo suddenly remembered something, a greedy glint in his eyes, “I also have to thank you for telling me that your cousin is actually a rare Qingyue Jade Spirit Body.”

"Born to attract the power of moonlight, its spiritual energy is as pure as frost, which can help Daoist partners refine impurities."

“Jade marrow condenses fragrance, ice heart is pure and spotless.” He chuckled softly, “I don’t know how Shen Hanyi of the Shen family could break through to the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm in such a short time.”

"Tell me, if I had your cousin's help in dual cultivation, wouldn't I be able to advance further?"

Yu Zhu's throat was being choked, and she could only let out weak sobs, her eyes filled with desperate pleas.

Yan Luo merely shook his head dismissively, his knuckles slowly tightening: "I truly wish the entire Yu Clan were as stupid as you, then my Yan family could take their place in no time."

He suddenly chuckled softly, his tone playful: "Why do you think I saved you back then? Silly girl, if you're going to prepare for a game of chess, you have to make your move in advance."

Yu Zhu's pupils suddenly contracted, as if she had finally figured something out, and her struggle intensified—but it was too late.

"Fine." Yama's five fingers tightened suddenly, and spiritual power surged into her meridians like a venomous snake. "Since you've served me well, I'll give you a quick death."

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, his voice so gentle it sent chills down her spine: "Walk slowly on the road to the underworld. Soon, I'll bring your dear sister to keep you company."

Before he finished speaking, the spiritual power in his palm suddenly erupted.

Yu Zhu's body vanished like smoke and dust, leaving not a trace.

It truly achieved complete annihilation.

Yama casually wiped his hands, as if he were merely brushing away a speck of dust.

He raised his hand and the storage bag that had fallen to the ground flew into his palm.

After searching for a while, they successfully retrieved the communication jade slip used to contact the swift.

Looking at the chat logs, a cold smile crept onto his lips before he quickly got up and left…

……

Meanwhile, deep within a wild mountain range in a certain outer realm.

Beneath the towering ancient trees that block out the sun, small expedition teams or mercenaries occasionally flit through the dark jungle.

In a secluded corner, a hen with bulging eyes was flapping its wings and running wildly, carrying a delicately carved red bib baby on its back.

The little child giggled, clutching chicken feathers, and dashed through the bushes.

Not far away, Uncle Er and Zhou Qing sat cross-legged on a thick tree trunk, meditating.

Each of them held half a Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal in their hands, and the crystal was turning into dust at a speed visible to the naked eye, being completely absorbed by them.

"This is truly a wonderful thing! Its purity is astonishing." The second uncle opened his eyes and exclaimed as he looked at the crystal dust dissipating in his palm.

"The Blood Curtain of a Hundred Tribulations requires at least five strands of Phoenix Dao Patterns to condense into a Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal. You, kid, just met the requirement and lost your virginity, yet you still have this opportunity!"

Zhou Qing exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes gleaming with suppressed shrewdness: "My luck has improved a little."

"Luck is also part of strength!" Uncle Er grinned, then shouted into the distance, "Little Blood, don't go too far, have some fun and then come back!"

Before long, the ginseng rode the clucking hen back to the tree and continued to play.

Zhou Qing stood up, his gaze sharp as lightning: "Now that we're out, let's settle the matter of Yama at the same time. Sir, how long will the mark you left on his token last?"

"Don't worry, this mark is different from the one on Shen Yunlan's; it will fade more slowly." The second uncle asked in return, "How is your recovery going?"

"I've fully recovered." Zhou Qing clenched his fist, spiritual energy surging between his muscles and bones.

"Good!" A glint flashed in the Second Uncle's eyes. "What follows will surely be a fierce battle, but it will be a rare opportunity for you to hone your skills."

He waved his hand and opened the spirit beast pouch, taking in the still frolicking ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng and old hen.

They then took out an array plate, which was faintly flashing with green light, indicating that the target was quite far away from them.

"By the way, what kind of person is Yama?" Uncle Er suddenly asked.

Zhou Qing sneered: "A petty scoundrel."

The second uncle burst into laughter: "Reaching the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm at such a young age, and possessing a replica of an ultimate weapon, this person is probably no easier to deal with than Shen Yunlan. However—"

He patted Zhou Qing heavily on the shoulder, "He's the perfect practice subject for you!"

Zhou Qing's eyes burned with fighting spirit, and a sharp smile appeared on his lips: "Then let him see who the real whetstone is."

……

Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Above a vast, desolate mountain forest, space suddenly distorted, and then two cracks tore open, from which Zhou Qing and his second uncle stepped out.

The second uncle held an ancient array plate in his hand, his brows furrowed—because the previously flickering green light had now completely gone out.

"Strange, he shouldn't have noticed," the second uncle muttered to himself, tapping the array plate with his finger as if to confirm if something was wrong.

Standing to the side, Zhou Qing's gaze narrowed slightly as he pondered, "Could it be that something in his storage bag is interfering with the mark?"

The second uncle shook his head: "That's unlikely. Most likely something happened in the last few days that led him to discover the clue by chance."

"What do we do now?" Zhou Qing frowned slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

“The mark only disappeared in the last two days, which means we’re very close to him.” The second uncle put away the array plate, a ruthless glint in his eyes. “Let’s split up and search.”

Zhou Qing nodded: "That's the only way."

"Be careful, and if you discover anything, send a message immediately," the second uncle instructed.

The two exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and each transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the distance.
Three days later, dusk began to fall.

A streak of light silently landed atop an ancient tree. Zhou Qing concealed his aura and gazed intently into the distance—

Dozens of miles away, two vast realms of artistic conception were clashing fiercely!
On the eastern horizon, blue lotuses bloomed one after another, each petal swirling with mysterious Dao patterns.

At the heart of the lotus, a phantom bluebird spreads its wings and sings, its clear and melodious cry transforming into tangible sound waves.

Confronting it was a pitch-black sea of ​​fog that blotted out the sky.

The mist seemed to wriggle as if it were alive, and wherever it passed, the grass and trees withered, and the rocks turned to dust.

From the depths of the foggy sea came eerie roars from time to time, and countless twisted ghost faces could be vaguely seen floating within them.

Zhou Qing looked at it quietly, feeling that these two artistic conceptions were somewhat familiar.

His pupils contracted rapidly as he suddenly realized—

That dark atmosphere was none other than Yama's "Eternal Night of Depravity"!
Last time, in order to conceal his identity, he had to save Zhao Muye and almost fell into this predicament.

Looking at it from a distance now, I almost didn't recognize it.

"That azure aura is..." Zhou Qing suddenly remembered as his gaze fell upon the illusory image of the azure bird—

This seems to be the artistic conception of the Rain Clan's Swift Girl's "Azure Feather Net"!
She once used this artistic conception to forcefully withstand the siege of the four great masters of the Jiuli Dynasty, helping Zhao Muye escape from danger.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Muye was ambushed and killed by the lurking Yama, who had just escaped from the tiger's den.
"Why are they fighting here? Where are Zhao Muye and Bai Xiang?" Zhou Qing looked around but couldn't sense the presence of the master and servant.

Without time to think, he quickly took out the communication jade slip and contacted his second uncle.

However, just as Zhou Qing received his second uncle's reply and put away the jade slip, the battle situation in the distance suddenly changed—

Boom!

The azure realm shattered like glass, and the black mist that filled the sky poured down like a flood bursting its banks, instantly engulfing everything within a radius of dozens of miles.

The world was plunged into chaos and darkness, and even the sunlight was completely blocked.

"puff--"

A blood-stained figure staggered out of the black mist; it was Swift.

Her once beautiful face was now deathly pale, blood kept spilling from the corner of her mouth, and her blue dress had long been stained dark red.

The most shocking thing was a bloody hole the size of a bowl on her right shoulder, with the white bones vaguely visible.

"Cough cough." She tried to tear through space despite the excruciating pain, but found that her current physical condition made it impossible for her to travel through it. Left with no other choice, she had to fly through the air, but her body suddenly stopped as she passed by an ancient tree.

In the shadow of the tree canopy, a figure wearing a bronze mask stood silently.

"Fellow Daoist, save me!" Yu Yan's eyes shone with hope, her voice hoarse but urgent. "I am Yu Yan of the Yu Clan. If you can lend a helping hand, the Yu Clan will surely reward you handsomely!"

Zhou Qing's pupils, hidden beneath his mask, contracted slightly.

Although I had suspected it beforehand, I was still shocked when I saw the woman's identity with my own eyes.

In that split second, the surging black mist behind them suddenly contracted violently, instantly condensing into a gigantic, pitch-black hand that blotted out the sky.

The lines on the palm are clearly visible, and each line exudes a chilling, ghostly aura.

"Hmph!" A chilling warning came from the depths of the black mist, "I advise you, fellow Daoist, not to make a mistake!"

Zhou Qing stood still, without moving an inch.

Seeing this, the swift's hopeful light gradually faded.

She gave a bitter smile, then suddenly changed direction and rushed towards the dense forest on the other side.

Almost simultaneously, the giant, ghostly hand suddenly accelerated, hurtling towards them with a shrill whooshing sound.

Before the giant hand even arrived, its terrifying pressure had already snapped all the ancient trees along the way.

The swift's clothes ripped open on its back, instantly revealing countless bloodstains on its snow-white skin.

She closed her eyes in despair, then suddenly opened them again, clenching her teeth, ready to forcefully tear through space.

Even being shattered by the void storm or falling into the endless void is better than being captured, tortured, and humiliated by Yama!
Just as she exerted all her strength and a spatial fluctuation was formed at her fingertips, a figure suddenly appeared behind her!
"boom--!!"

Zhou Qing's right hand surged with lightning, and a dazzling bolt of lightning condensed in his palm, like a divine punishment descending upon the world, fiercely colliding with the giant black mist palm!

In an instant, the sky and the earth turned pale!

A violent energy storm swept out, instantly turning ancient trees within a hundred feet in radius into dust, causing the ground to collapse and space to distort!
Using the terrifying force of the recoil, Zhou Qing grabbed Yu Yan's slender waist and retreated with lightning speed!

As the swift lay dying and its consciousness blurred, it felt a strong arm encircle it, and the wind whistled past its ears.

She struggled to open her eyes, and through her blurry vision, she could only see a cold bronze mask and a pair of deep, abyss-like eyes.

"you……"

She couldn't believe that this person had actually saved her.

"Can you still hold on?" Zhou Qing asked in a low voice, a hoarse middle-aged man's voice coming from behind his mask.

The sound made the swift's pupils shrink sharply.

She recognized it all too well—it was clearly the voice of "Master Qingzhou," who should be in the Shen family now, or more precisely, Master Zhou Qing!
How come he is here?
Zhou Qing was also helpless. His second uncle's Nascent Soul Amplification Technique, along with the strange bead given by the ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng, prevented him from restoring his original appearance or changing his voice.

Otherwise, he would have been able to meet Shen Hanyi with his true face in the main hall back then.

"Yes!" Swift answered with difficulty, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

"court death!"

A furious roar came from behind.

Amidst the churning black mist, a long blade wreathed in ghostly energy pierced through the air, its blade corroding the very air and sending up hissing white smoke.

Zhou Qing flicked his arm, gently tossing the swift to a safe area a hundred feet away, while he turned to face the enemy.

With his second uncle backing him up this time, he has no more worries. This time, Yama is sure to die!
"boom!"

Zhou Qing's body erupted with dazzling purple-gold lightning, as if a thunder god had descended to earth.

The tetanus ointment instantly appeared in his hand, and lightning and sword energy merged perfectly, transforming into a stunning rainbow that cleaved straight at Yama!
"clang--!"

The moment the swords clashed, time seemed to stand still.

Then——

"Boom!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, a violent storm of spiritual energy spread out in a ring, sweeping countless fragments of rock high into the air, only to be reduced to dust in the turbulent flow of spiritual energy.

In the distance, the swift stumbled and landed, quickly taking out the pill and swallowing it.

Gazing at that figure who stood shoulder to shoulder with Yama, her eyes were filled with complex emotions.

When Zhou Qing rescued his cousin last time, he dared not reveal his identity because he was wary of the Taiqing Sect.

Now that he has gone into hiding under an assumed name in the Shen family, he must have something important to do, but he has once again been drawn into the conflict because of saving me.

"We must restore our fighting strength as soon as possible!" She gritted her teeth, took out three top-grade spirit stones, and formed hand seals to cast the Rain Clan's forbidden technique, "Azure Spirit Rejuvenation Technique."

The spirit stone dimmed at a visible speed, and her paper-pale face finally began to regain some color.

Unfortunately, her cousin and the white elephant had already left the Fifth Tail area and could not be contacted at all, otherwise she would not be in such a sorry state.

What chilled her to the bone even more was that her cousin Yuzhu's message turned out to be a meticulously planned murder plot.

If she hadn't been carrying a life-saving item bestowed upon her by her clan, she would have already met a tragic end at the hands of Yama.

"Not fast enough!" Sensing the increasingly intense battle fluctuations in the distance, she took out two more top-grade earth-attribute spirit stones and began frantically absorbing their energy...

At this moment, Zhou Qing and Yan Luo stood in mid-air, the space between them distorted and trembled due to the collision of spiritual energy.

Yama held a long, black sword, its blade wreathed in a chilling aura, as if countless souls were wailing on its edge.

A sinister smile curled at the corner of his lips, his eyes blazing with murderous intent: "You cowardly bastard, since you dare to interfere, then leave your life behind!"

Zhou Qing remained silent, the tetanus sword in his hand humming and trembling, its blade crackling with purple-gold lightning, and the air itself seemed to be scorched by the leaping arcs of electricity.

"boom--!"

Yama made the first move, slashing horizontally with his longsword. A jet-black blade of light tore through the sky, and wherever it passed, the grass and trees withered, and the earth cracked. It was as if even life itself had been extinguished by this one strike!

Zhou Qing flashed forward, advancing instead of retreating, his broken sword thrusting out with the force of thunder!

"clang--!"

Swords clashed, producing a piercing metallic clang, and a storm of spiritual energy exploded instantly.

A hint of surprise flashed in Yanluo's eyes. His strike contained the meaning of "Eternal Night's Demise," which would kill an ordinary cultivator upon contact. Yet this person before him was able to withstand it without retreating!

Moreover, the broken and rusty sword in the opponent's hand didn't even leave a nick after clashing with his own Black Prison Demon Blade.

"You've got some skills! No wonder you're trying to be a hero and save the damsel in distress!" Yama sneered.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the swift in the distance had not taken the opportunity to escape, but was instead busy healing its wounds, which immediately put his mind at ease.

This familiar scene reminded him of the last time he attacked and killed Zhao Muye.

It was the same at that time; a masked man suddenly appeared, and Zhao Muye, who should have fled for his life, chose to stay and fight alongside him.

"No wonder they're cousins; in this world, you only have the chance to do anything else if you're alive."

Yama's blade continued its thrust, his voice laced with sarcasm, "You insist on learning about gratitude, how utterly foolish!"

Before he finished speaking, his sword stance suddenly changed.

The jet-black longsword drew seven eerie arcs like a ghost, each strike carrying the murderous aura of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Where the blade passed, a scene of countless wronged souls wailing faintly appeared, as if to drag Zhou Qing into an endless purgatory!
Zhou Qing's eyes were as cold as frost, yet the broken sword in his hand emitted dazzling lightning.

His sword strikes were as swift as thunder, each strike precisely intercepting Yama's blade.

Thunder and malevolent energy collided continuously, exploding into bursts of spiritual energy fireworks in the void.

The resulting ripples of spiritual energy caused the swift watching from afar to experience a surge of qi and blood!

The two figures moved like lightning, flashing and intersecting in the air, each collision triggering a deafening explosion.

Yama's blade grew faster and heavier, as if he intended to crush Zhou Qing completely!

"die!"

Suddenly, Yama roared and slashed down with his long sword. A hundred-foot-long black blade of light descended from the sky, like a divine punishment!
Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with lightning, he raised his broken sword high, and the lightning in his body circulated wildly. The purple-gold lightning instantly condensed into a towering sword pillar, which fiercely met the attack!
"boom--!!!"

The moment the two forces collided, the world lost its color!

A terrifying shockwave swept out, causing the mountains within a radius of a thousand feet to collapse for the second time. The earth cracked, and even the clouds in the sky were shaken apart!
"No, this feeling is..." Yanluo's pupils suddenly contracted, and his sword strike abruptly halted. "You're the one who ruined my plans last time!"

As the battle continued, the familiar thunderous sword intent became more and more obvious. Yama finally recognized the person in front of him and roared in fury!
Zhou Qing stood in mid-air, snorted coldly, and remained silent.

Since the swift could instantly recognize him as Master Qingzhou from his voice, he had to minimize his speech as much as possible to be on the safe side.

After all, the situation with the Shen family is still unclear, and he might have to go back.

Moreover, the attitudes of the first and third wives are still unclear, and he cannot reveal his identity by speaking carelessly.

On the other hand, although he didn't know how long the two had been fighting, after a brief test, he could clearly feel that Yama's spiritual power was not as smooth as it had been at the beginning.

Although the sword strike was fierce, it subtly revealed a lack of follow-through.

It seems he had been battling the swift for quite some time and had expended considerable energy.
A cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and his killing intent intensified.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him!
Seeing that the other party remained silent, Yama's anger intensified.

This dismissive attitude is more insulting than any words!
"Good, very good!" Yama grinned maliciously, the murderous aura on his black longsword surging wildly. "Last time I almost killed you, and this time will be no different! I won't let you have a second chance!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly sprang up, his long sword transforming into a black lightning bolt that slashed straight at Zhou Qing's face!
This strike was devoid of any fancy moves, yet it contained the purest killing intent, as if even space itself was about to be cleaved in two!

Zhou Qing neither dodged nor evaded, his broken sword crackling with purple-gold lightning as he fiercely met the attack.

The moment the two forces collided, his left hand swiftly formed a hand seal, and a lightning talisman silently disappeared into the void—

"boom!"

Just as the swords were locked in a stalemate, a bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl suddenly exploded above Yama's head!
He dodged hastily, but was still grazed on the shoulder by the lightning, which immediately tore his skin open!

"Despicable!" Yama roared.

Zhou Qing sneered, but his attacks became even more ferocious.

The sword strikes surged like a tide, one wave following another, giving Yama no chance to catch his breath.

Each sword strike aimed directly at a vital point, forcing Yama to defend with all his might.

(End of this chapter)