The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 425 Dad, I'm about to disappear (6k)

"The little guy kicked me today," Shen Hanyi said softly.

Zhou Qing was taken aback at first, then almost jumped up with excitement, instinctively moving closer to her: "How was the pressure?"

"It's alright." Shen Hanyi's ears turned red, her voice grew softer and softer, and her fingers unconsciously touched her abdomen.

"Hahaha—" Zhou Qing suddenly burst into laughter, then looked at Shen Hanyi with eyes so tender they could melt water: "Have you decided on a name yet?"

Shen Hanyi's face flushed even more, and she gently shook her head: "I haven't thought about it."

Zhou Qing subtly moved closer to her, so close that he could smell the fragrance of her hair: "Actually, ever since I found out you were pregnant with my baby, I've thought of a few things."

Shen Hanyi turned her head and realized that the two of them were very close.

Normally, she would have already walked away with a cold face, but this time she just looked at him quietly: "What?"

Zhou Qing chuckled, took a deep breath, and greedily inhaled the faint fragrance emanating from her.

He patted the storage bag, took out a delicate little booklet, and carefully handed it over.

Shen Hanyi took it with a puzzled look and gently turned to the first page.

Under the moonlight, the three characters "Zhou Muhan" were neatly written on it.

Meaning: Admirable as a gentle breeze, cold as the bright moon. May he/she be as elegant and noble as you.

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she continued scrolling down: [Zhou Nianyi]

Meaning: Unforgettable memories, ripples that last forever. May he/she always remember the love of their parents.

Page 3:
Zhou Sigui

Meaning: Longing and yearning, with an intense desire to return home. May he/she find their way home no matter how far they travel.

……

Shen Hanyi flipped through the pages one by one. Each name was neat and beautiful, with its meaning and origin carefully marked next to it.

When she turned to the last page, her eyes were already slightly red.

The last page reads:

If you don't like these ideas, we can think about them slowly. The important thing is that he/she came into this world safe and healthy.

A gentle night breeze blew, and a fallen leaf twirled and landed on the booklet.

Shen Hanyi gently closed the booklet, looked up at Zhou Qing whose eyes were full of expectation, and smiled slightly: "Everything is fine."

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up instantly, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

These three words are the greatest recognition for him.

“The booklet will stay with you,” he said in a light voice, his joy barely concealed.

"If you have any good suggestions, feel free to write them down anytime, no need for my permission. Names like Gou Dan, Tie Zhu, Er Lengzi, Da Zhuang, Shuanzi are all fine—"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Shen Hanyi glared at him reproachfully, but her eyes held an undisguised smile.

Zhou Qing stared at her smile, momentarily mesmerized.

The moonlight shone on her delicate profile, and her faint smile was like the first melting of snow, so beautiful it made one's heart tremble.

“Actually,” he said softly, “you look quite pretty when you smile.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Hanyi's smile vanished instantly, and she reverted to her usual aloof demeanor.

She carefully put the booklet into her storage bag, then looked up at Zhou Qing and said earnestly, "Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" Zhou Qing scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.

Shen Hanyi's gaze softened slightly: "Thank you for everything you've done for me."

Zhou Qing paused for a moment, then grinned, his eyes full of tenderness: "Between you and me, there's no need for thanks?"

He paused, then lowered his voice slightly: "I'd do anything for you willingly."

Shen Hanyi lowered her eyes slightly, and beneath the veil, the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into a barely perceptible smile.

"Let's go to the villa and find your junior sister!" The next moment, Shen Hanyi stood up.

Zhou Qing nodded in agreement, but still took out a communication jade slip from his robes, gathering spiritual power at his fingertips as he prepared to write—

The jade slip suddenly lit up on its own, and then a line of text appeared:
[Stop sending messages. I've been back since you named the child. But let's pretend I didn't come back, giving you two a chance to be alone on the way, so you won't get in my way.]

Zhou Qing blushed and hurriedly stuffed the jade slip back into his storage bag, coughing twice to cover his embarrassment: "Then let's go."

Shen Hanyi nodded slightly.

Zhou Qing then took out an exquisite flying boat from his storage bag. It grew taller as it faced the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it became three zhang in size.

The boat shimmered with a faint, ethereal light, appearing exceptionally beautiful under the moonlight.

"Don't use your spiritual power or tear through space to travel during this time," Zhou Qing said seriously. "Leave the travel to me."

Shen Hanyi looked at the flying boat, remained silent for a moment, and then lightly touched the ground with her toes and landed gracefully on the boat.

Zhou Qing quickly followed, and as he controlled the flying boat to take off, he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

The flying boat sliced ​​through the night sky and quickly disappeared into the vast darkness.

A moment later, Uncle Er emerged from the darkness, looked at the still-burning campfire on the ground, shook his head and sighed, "These two kids, they didn't even bother to put out the fire before leaving. Don't they know that preventing forest fires is everyone's responsibility?"

With a flick of his sleeve, a flash of light appeared, and the campfire was extinguished instantly, leaving not even ashes behind.

He then looked up in the direction the flying boat had gone, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. With a flicker of his body, he gave chase...

……

A month later, a flying ship finally returned to the inner domain from the outer domain.

As soon as he entered the inner territory, Zhou Qing sensed that something was wrong.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, everyone is talking about one thing—

Shen Yunlan, the second master of the Shen family, has fallen!
"Have you heard? That's a veteran at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm!"

"It's said they're almost at the threshold of the Supreme Realm! They started collecting void crystal cores and other materials two hundred years ago, preparing to refine the Tribulation Transformation Diagram to overcome their tribulation."

"He just died so quietly? Who has such ability?"

Even more shocking is the rumor that Shen Yunlan met with misfortune while protecting the newly joined "Master Qingzhou" on an errand.

The whereabouts of that fourth-level array master who condensed 30,000 spirit seals are now unknown.

"Someone must be jealous that the Shen family has such a master!"

"The Shen family is furious and has dispatched a large number of people to search for them."

However, recently, someone discovered two astonishing areas of obsession formed by the fall of a Spirit Severing Realm cultivator deep in a wild mountain range in the outer realm.

Based on the scope and intensity of the obsession, the fallen person was most likely a powerful expert at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm.

Currently, all parties have dispatched skilled explorers to try to reconstruct the battle situation and identify the deceased by examining the remaining traces of combat in that area.

However, there is no definite news yet, and no one knows which powerful figure perished here or who killed him.

Zhou Qing subtly touched the mask on his face to make sure everything was in perfect condition.

“This is just the beginning,” Shen Hanyi said calmly. “I have a feeling that Father is about to begin his reckoning.”

"Uncle is awesome!" Zhou Qing grinned.

Shen Hanyi glanced at him: "Let's not worry about these things for now. Keep going, and we'll soon reach a mountain villa."

Her voice softened a bit, "Your junior sister has basically stayed there all these years."

Zhou Qing nodded and said, "I have already contacted her through the communication jade slip, and she already knows that I am back."

……

Soon after, the airship slowly descended, and the outline of the mountain villa in the distance gradually became clear.

Before the airship had even fully landed, a silver-haired figure rushed over like a gust of wind.

"Senior brother——"

With tears streaming down her face, Lu Yaoyao threw herself into Zhou Qing's arms.

She clung tightly to his waist, her body trembling as she cried, "I thought you were dead. I thought I'd never see you again."

Zhou Qing was at a loss and looked at Shen Hanyi awkwardly.

The latter turned her face away, her profile hidden by her silver hair, but her body temperature seemed to drop a few degrees.

"Alright, alright, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" Zhou Qing gently patted Lu Yaoyao's back, comforting her softly like a child.

He carefully created some distance between them and gently wiped away her tears with his sleeve.

Lu Yaoyao looked him over, sobbing, and suddenly reached out and poked the corner of his eye: "Senior brother, you've gotten old."

"Huh?" Zhou Qing was both amused and exasperated. "It's only been a little over a hundred years, how could I possibly have aged?"

"I'm getting old!" Lu Yaoyao stubbornly poked it again. "Look, there are wrinkles here!"

"Alright, alright, I'm getting old." Zhou Qing surrendered helplessly, then laughed and said, "But you, you've already broken through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. It seems you haven't been slacking off all these years."

Lu Yaoyao then stopped crying and started laughing. Suddenly noticing Shen Hanyi standing to the side, she quickly and respectfully bowed, saying, "Sister Shen."

Shen Hanyi nodded slightly, her voice still cold: "Let's go inside and talk about it."

……

Inside the villa, Lu Yaoyao pestered Zhou Qing to tell her about what happened after she fell into the endless void while repairing the teleportation array in Tianlan City.

Zhou Qing spoke casually, deliberately omitting the near-death experiences.

He focused on how he turned misfortune into blessing and the opportunity to gather 30,000 spiritual seals.

“Recently, there have been rumors outside that Master Qingzhou has died,” Lu Yaoyao said, resting her chin on her hand, still feeling fear. “I’ve been so worried that I haven’t been able to sleep at night.”

"Silly girl," Zhou Qing ruffled her hair, "I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

Afterwards, Lu Yaoyao looked around and, after confirming that Shen Hanyi was not nearby, she immediately whispered mysteriously in Zhou Qing's ear.

He lowered his voice and whispered, "Senior brother, let's go."

"Go? Where to?" Zhou Qing didn't react for a moment.

“Go find someone.” Lu Yaoyao’s eyes suddenly became complicated. “Someone I know very well.”

"Who is it? Swift?"

"No." Lu Yaoyao hesitated before speaking.

There's nothing left to stay here.

The most urgent task is to find Fourth Mother as soon as possible and uncover the truth of what happened back then from the smallest clues.

If something is already showing signs, she must take precautions as soon as possible.

Perhaps, having unwittingly arrived in my father's youth, this is my mission.

However, Sister Shen was really good to her, and even helped her break through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.

However, during the years her father was missing, she had already found a Daoist partner and was pregnant. Clearly, like Fairy Xuanyou and Xuanyuan Muqian, she was no longer the person she wanted.

“Let’s go to Jiyuan Temple!” Lu Yaoyao suddenly suggested.

Zhou Qing shook his head: "I've already been there."

Lu Yaoyao's eyes lit up: "Aren't those Bodhisattvas beautiful?"

"I haven't seen the Bodhisattva, but I have met several venerable monks from Jiyuan Temple," Zhou Qing replied.

Lu Yaoyao's face immediately showed disappointment.

"Don't overthink things lately," Zhou Qing said seriously. "I won't be going out for a while; I have things to do."

According to what he had inquired about, Shen Hanyi's childbirth was probably in the last few years, because pregnant women in the Spirit Severing Realm don't show much.

With the Shen family's situation still uncertain, he must stay by Shen Hanyi's side to prevent her from being disturbed. Also, the mirror of the ultimate weapon, the [Mirror of Infernal Karma], is located on the second level of the Desolate Forbidden Zone. He needs to hurry up and find and simulate it before going in with his second uncle.

Now I have the opportunity to cultivate the inscription-level divine power [Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal], so I must quickly master the first seal [Demon Suppression].

I'm overwhelmed with many things and simply can't spare the time.

Lu Yaoyao wanted to say something more, but Zhou Qing gently patted the top of her head and said, "Be good."

The girl immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, silently lowering her head and remaining silent.

……

In the days that followed, Zhou Qing never stepped out of the villa.

My second uncle sent word that he was going to travel around the inner region and that I shouldn't worry about him.

However, within a few days, the two areas of obsession formed after the fall of the Spirit Severing Realm were confirmed one after another.

One of them was left by Shen Yunlan, the second master of the Shen family.

Meanwhile, in another place, there was the prodigy Yama, who came from the Third Tail Yama family!

As expected of a prodigy, the area of ​​Yama's obsession is so vast that it can rival that of a powerhouse at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm.

In fact, the Yan family had already sent people to search for the Fifth Tail after the Yama Soul Lamp went out.

Now that it was confirmed, they immediately went to the Shen family in a menacing manner to search for relevant clues.

After all, Yanluo was ordered by his family to come to the Shen family to invite Master Qingzhou, and he left from there.

For a moment, an invisible oppressive atmosphere enveloped the entire Shen family, like the calm before a storm, making people vaguely uneasy.

Shen Hanyi has not gone out in the past few days.

Although this place was still several days' journey from the Shen family's main residence, she was still silently waiting for something.

Zhou Qing couldn't help but wonder how his "future father-in-law" would handle this matter.

Inside the room, Zhou Qing inexplicably felt an unprecedented sense of urgency.

He decided to stop thinking about it and took out the ancient tea tree that had attained enlightenment. He sat cross-legged and began to cultivate the Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal.

……

At this moment, the verdant leaves moved swiftly without wind, emitting wisps of Taoist charm that swirled and flowed within the room.

Zhou Qing slowly closed his eyes, his mind sinking into the depths of his consciousness.

The profound scriptures of the Great Luo Demon-Sealing Seal appeared in my mind, each character as if cast in gilded gold, exuding a magnificent power to suppress all evil.

As the mental cultivation method circulated, his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly churned—

"boom!"

A golden Dharma seal, obscuring the sky and covering the sun, appeared out of thin air, its entire body wrapped in blazing Dao patterns, like a scorching sun falling into the underworld.

Thousands of runes poured down like a galaxy, each one as heavy as a mountain.

Zhou Qing's bones immediately began to crack under the strain, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

In a daze, he saw once again an ancient demon god, towering and majestic, roaring.

The demon had eight heads and sixteen arms, and each of its demonic eyes burned with world-destroying black flames.

However, the golden seal crashed down, and countless inscribed chains shot out from the void, pinning the demon god firmly to the Netherworld.

Demonic flames and golden light intertwined and tore at each other, and finally, amidst the demon god's mournful howls, that immortal demonic body disintegrated into ashes inch by inch.

"Suppress the Demon—!"

Zhou Qing let out a low shout, his hands unconsciously forming a mudra.

The golden light flowing between his fingers condensed into an illusory mark above the potted plant. Although it was not even one ten-thousandth of the power in his sea of ​​consciousness, it still caused the Enlightenment Tea Tree to tremble.

Just as the hour was about to be completed, Zhou Qing suddenly stopped his attack and forcibly dispersed his spiritual power.

He opened his eyes as his chest heaved violently, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

"The difficulty of cultivation is in no way inferior to the [Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain]!" Zhou Qing exclaimed in a low voice, raising his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

After carefully examining his meridians and confirming that there were no signs of "Dao Erosion Moss," he adjusted his breathing briefly and then immersed himself in cultivation once again.

This time, he deliberately slowed down the hand seals, allowing each golden ray to flow along a specific trajectory, attempting to find a balance between power and backlash.

The branches and leaves of the ancient tea tree swayed slightly, emitting a faint blue halo, which made Zhou Qing's mind clear and his comprehension several times higher than that of ordinary people.

"The Demon-Suppressing Seal is designed for suppression, not destruction."

Zhou Qing understood immediately, and the hand seals on his hands changed accordingly.

The originally violent golden light gradually subsided, transforming into fine lines that intertwined into a net in his palm.

Faintly, a deep chanting of Buddhist hymns seemed to echo in the room, carrying a solemn aura that suppressed all evil.

"I never expected that the 'Demon-Subduing Golden Bone' would have an auxiliary effect on this inscription-level divine power. It's a pleasant surprise!"

As his cultivation deepened, Zhou Qing suddenly noticed a faint golden light emanating from his bones, which resonated strangely with the suppressive power of the Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal.

He was startled and immediately realized that the Demon-Subduing Golden Bone Technique was operating on its own!

This technique, which strengthens the body and suppresses obsessive thoughts, is based on the true meaning of subduing demons in Buddhism.

At this moment, it actually complements the suppressive power of the Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal.

Zhou Qing could clearly feel that the golden patterns on his bones were becoming clearer as the magic seal condensed.

It was as if every bone was coated with an immortal golden radiance.

"I see!"

He suddenly felt enlightened.

The Buddhist essence of subduing demons, refined in the "Golden Bone of Subduing Demons," can just right neutralize the violent suppressive power of the "Great Luo Demon-Sealing Seal," preventing it from easily backfiring on itself.

The power of the Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal, in turn, strengthened the foundation of the Demon-Subduing Golden Bone.

This will make his physique more resilient, enough to withstand higher levels of suppression.

"With one seal, all evils are subdued—the real key lies not in brute force, but in one's own ability to bear this power!"

Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately adjusted his cultivation method.

He no longer rushed to unleash the full power of the seal, but instead first stabilized himself with the Subduing Demon Golden Bone, and then slowly guided the power of the Great Luo Sealing Demon Seal to flow.

Gradually, the golden magic seal that formed in his palm was no longer as violent as before, but instead exuded a calm and profound aura.

The ancient tea tree, now trembling, swayed gently, emanating a soft Taoist charm that complemented the golden light emanating from Zhou Qing.

"At this rate, it might not be long before I truly master the first seal, [Demon Suppression]!"

Zhou Qing was thrilled, but he didn't get impatient. He took a deep breath and began to adjust the speed at which the magic seal condensed, ensuring that each wisp of golden light flowed precisely along his meridians...

And so, in the days that followed, Zhou Qing would visit Shen Hanyi from time to time while diligently studying the [Demon Suppression] Seal.

Lu Yaoyao leaned on the windowsill, resting her chin on her hand, watching Zhou Qing walk out of Shen Hanyi's residence, her lips slightly pursed.

"Dad, you've changed... It's a pity we were too late. I wonder which lecherous fellow beat us to it. Sigh~"

Falling flowers are intentional, flowing water is ruthless.

She sighed softly, wondering if her father was truly interested in Sister Shen, or if they were simply exchanging insights on formations.

"I hope it's the latter..."

Otherwise, how heartbroken would he be if he knew the truth?

She shook her head and was about to close the window when suddenly, her entire outstretched arm became transparent without warning.

His hand passed right through the window frame and grabbed nothing.

Lu Yaoyao's expression changed slightly as she stared blankly at her translucent arm.

In fact, her body has experienced this abnormality many times over the past 150 years.

From the little finger initially, to all five fingers, and now to the entire arm, the area of ​​transparency is expanding.

The first time was at Taiqing Gate.

She still remembers that day when a huge golden palm print suddenly appeared in the sky above Taiqing Gate, carrying a familiar aura.

She rushed to find her father in a panic, thinking she was seeing things.

Later, when her father fell into the endless void, she and Sister Shen waited bitterly outside Tianlan City for ten years before she appeared once more.

Over the course of more than a hundred years at this mountain resort, this phenomenon has become increasingly frequent.

She had Sister Shen, a powerful expert at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, carefully examine her body, and everything was normal, with no problems in the circulation of her cultivation technique.

Then, only one possibility remains—

She is leaving.

Just like when I first came to this era in a daze.

Perhaps one day, when her body becomes completely transparent, there will be no more "Lu Yaoyao" in this era.

but……

She hasn't found out the truth about what happened back then!
Who is my real mother?
She was reluctant to leave her current father and didn't know if she would be able to come back in the future.

On the other hand, the thought that she might soon return to her original era filled her with a faint sense of anticipation—

Because in that era, my father was all alone, being hunted down by the Demon Emperor.

I wonder how he is doing now?

Now that she has broken through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, she can finally be of some help...

Lu Yaoyao felt a pang of sadness, and her eyes reddened slightly.

Just as she was lost in thought, her previously transparent arm returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

Watching Zhou Qing walk back to her room with a satisfied expression, her eyes were filled with reluctance, and she murmured softly:

"Dad..."

……

A month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Witnesses claimed to have personally witnessed Yan Luo and Zhao Muye of the Zhao family engaging in no fewer than three fierce battles.

Now, everyone suspects that Zhao Muyi may have killed Yanluo—after all, the two were of similar cultivation and strength.

However, there was a clear agreement among the eight great families: the younger generation's sparring and fighting would be left to fate, with life and death to be determined by destiny.

This is an unspoken rule for maintaining balance among the eight great families—elders are not allowed to interfere in the struggles between the younger generation.

That is why the Zhao family never intervened when Yanluo repeatedly injured Zhao Muye.

"The grudges of the younger generation should be resolved by the younger generation themselves."

This is an unspoken understanding among the eight great families.

But now that Yama is dead, the Yama family is furious, but there is nothing they can do.

After all, the rules are there, and breaking them rashly will only cause greater turmoil.

However, to find out the truth, we need to ask Zhao Muye in person.

Today, Zhou Qing suddenly opened his eyes in the room, golden light swirling in them, and an aura of suppressing all evil rose from his body.

He slowly raised his right hand, and a golden magic seal appeared and disappeared in his palm, radiating a heart-palpitating aura.

"Finally, it's done!"

(End of this chapter)