The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 437 Since you're useless, then die! (6k)

Inside an inn in the Fifth Tail Inner Domain, after setting up various restrictions, Zhou Qing took out the token of the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace.

During this period, he used the "Daily Appraisal" to repeatedly examine the Soul-Nourishing Jade, but the information he obtained remained the same.

There is no other way but to irrigate with the essence of the Blood Phoenix.

"It seems I have no choice but to try my luck at that mine..." he murmured, a determined glint in his eyes.

Upon activation, his consciousness was immediately drawn in.

When it reappeared, it was under that crooked jujube tree.

There were many figures under the tree, and cultivators came in an endless stream to search for the dried corpse of the Three Flowers, making a lot of noise.

Looking at all this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia, and then he took out the two male and female puppets from Han Yi's storage bag.

The moment the puppets were activated, watching them sing familiar love songs under the jujube tree, Zhou Qing's eyes welled up with tears again.

Just then, a faint light suddenly appeared on a black boat.

He rubbed his eyes, then his gaze sharpened. He put away the puppet and, with lightning speed, sped off in the direction the black ship had disappeared…

……

Not long after, Zhou Qing followed his previous memories and came to the mine alone.

In the deep tunnel, the ancient chisel marks remaining on the rock walls gleamed coldly, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell and a faint stench of blood.

The cave was deserted, except for two injured cultivators who were leaning against a stone pillar, meditating and chatting about the rumors of the Shen family's destruction and Zhou Qing's possession of two inscription-level divine abilities.

Fortunately, the two are in different dimensions, so the other cannot see Zhou Qing.

Just as Zhou Qing was about to delve deeper, one of the people's words made his expression change instantly.

"Where did you say Zhou Qing studied under? He looks so young in the portrait, what kind of organization could cultivate such a prodigy?"

"I don't know. I've never heard anyone mention it before. Maybe the two inscription-level divine abilities he possesses were bestowed upon him by his elders."

"That must be it. Otherwise, Heaven would be too biased—a fourth-level array master, with mid-stage Spirit Severing Realm cultivation, and possessing two divine abilities? This luck is simply heaven-defying."

“How precious are inscription-level divine abilities? Now, apart from the one palace, two temples, three sects, four clans, and eight aristocratic families in Nanhuang Prefecture, all other forces will surely flock here. I'm afraid that in just a few days, his sect’s origins will be thoroughly investigated.”

"Why bother with all this? Zhou Qing is a hot potato now; whoever gets involved will be in trouble. Let's think about the important matter: where exactly is the Three-Flower Mummy hidden?"

……

Zhou Qing frowned.

There are countless people in the world named Zhou Qing, yet these people are holding his portrait.

Fortunately, Taiqing Sect is extremely far from Nanhuang Prefecture, and several fourth-level cultivation kingdoms lie between them.

However, if someone traces the clues back to the Holy Martial Dynasty, they can immediately confirm that it is him.

After all, he is the youngest fourth-level array master in the history of the Holy Martial Dynasty, a self-made Spirit Severing Realm expert, and one of the four Spirit Severing Realm masters in his sect.
With these numerous honors bestowed upon him, the name "Zhou Qing" has long been a unique symbol of the Holy Martial Dynasty.

"Once this matter is settled, I must immediately return to Taiqing Sect to make arrangements." Zhou Qing's mind raced as he continued deeper into the mine.

……

Deep inside the mine, Zhou Qing stopped in front of a stone wall.

He took out the Blood Phoenix Bone from his storage bag, closed his eyes and concentrated, recalling the movements Han Yi made when she used this technique back then.

Suddenly, his fingertips trembled slightly, and thirty thousand spiritual seals poured out like a galaxy, enveloping the Blood Phoenix Bone layer by layer, with boundless spiritual power flowing into it.

The Blood Phoenix Bone suddenly burst forth with dazzling blood light, resonating and trembling with the Spirit Seal, emitting a deep hum.

Immediately afterwards, the seemingly ordinary stone wall in front of them began to ripple, and a dark passage appeared faintly where space distorted.

A glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and he stepped inside without hesitation.

The moment you pass through the passage, a mixture of millennia-old rotting flesh and the salty, fishy smell of the deep sea assaults your senses.

Even though it was his second time experiencing it, the nauseating smell still made his throat bob.

"If my brother-in-law survives, this place will surely help him perfect his artistic conception." Zhou Qing forced himself to look around despite his discomfort. The cave scenery was exactly the same as it had been back then.

—Thousands of translucent blood cocoons hang upside down from the dome, and humanoid creatures can be vaguely seen curled up inside.

The walls were covered with a viscous liquid that emitted a faint glow, pooling in the depressions in the ground and emitting a suffocating stench.

The blood-stained shroud slithered among the cocoons like a snake.

The previous appraisal confirmed that this item was once used to wrap the remains of an ancient human emperor.

Having absorbed the yin energy of the mining area over the years, it has long since developed sentience and is secretly cultivating a bizarre army.

It is unknown whether what it once contained was the emperor of a fourth-level cultivation kingdom, or something even more terrifying.

Even a cultivator as powerful as Han Yi, who was at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, suffered repeated heavy blows when fighting against him in the simulated state.

Including last time, because she could no longer cultivate the "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain," she hoped that I could help her get the blood-red scroll from this place.

She suspected that the scroll might also contain a secret technique related to the Blood Phoenix Clan.

However, he felt guilty and declined, so the two of them had to continue searching for the three-flowered mummy. Finally, they used the Eight Times Patch to glimpse the "Second Uncle" who was enticing multiple plants of the Transformation Divine Medicine on the third layer.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his gaze fixed solemnly on the floating shroud.

With his current strength, which is barely comparable to the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, it would be unwise to rashly disturb such a ferocious creature.

He held his breath and began to carefully explore the environment inside the cave.

The "Ice Glass Lingzhi Sparrow" has vanished without a trace, only the blood-red scroll on the stone platform remains lying still.

This scroll, which requires an ultimate weapon to activate, is now of little use to him.

There was nothing else in sight, and releasing any spiritual sense might disturb the shroud.

"We have no choice but to take a gamble!" Zhou Qing's eyes sharpened, and he flipped his hand to take out a four-colored array plate and its matching array flags.

This item is the [Taiyin Soul Refining Array] that was found in Han Yi's storage bag.

He obtained the method of restraint through a second examination of the shroud and then passed it on to her.

That was also the first time the two had a close encounter. Faced with this long-lost and wondrous formation, Han Yi was shocked and felt even more awe for his identity.

In the days that followed, she spent several months collecting materials and finally succeeded in refining the array, successfully obtaining the "Ice Glass Spirit Sparrow" to heal Shen Yunzhou.
"It should be able to trap it for half an incense stick's time!" Zhou Qing made a hand seal with his fingertips, then suddenly bit his tongue, spraying his blood essence onto the Taiyin rune in the center of the array plate.

"Activate!" With a loud shout, four beams of light of different colors burst forth from the array flags, outlining mysterious array patterns on the ground.

The chilling, bone-deep Yin energy surged forth like a tide, transforming into four chains that wrapped around the shroud.

"H-ho!"

The shroud suddenly stretched taut, emitting a piercing shriek.

The dried bloodstains on the cloth suddenly began to writhe and transform into hideous ghost faces.

The entire shroud writhed wildly like an enraged python, but was violently bounced back by the four-colored lightning when it touched the edge of the array pattern.

Zhou Qing's figure had already transformed into a purple lightning afterimage, and he began to carefully search every corner of the cave.

But soon, a small part of the transparent cocoon hanging from the cave ceiling suddenly cracked, and dozens of humanoid monsters emerged from the cocoon.

Their bodies were grayish-white like amber, with two black holes in their eye sockets, and their mouths were torn to the roots of their ears, revealing jagged fangs.

The withered claws suddenly grew three feet long, bringing with them the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Perfection stage, rushing in from all directions.

"roll!"

Zhou Qing's tetanus sword burst forth with blinding lightning, and nine lightning snakes followed the blade's path.

The three monsters at the front were instantly shredded into dust, and the rotten, grayish-white chunks of flesh were burned into blue smoke by lightning before they even hit the ground.

Zhou Qing's sword momentum did not stop; his figure spun like lightning, and twelve purple-gold lightning arcs swept out, causing the remaining monsters to explode.

His divine sense suddenly expanded from between his brows, sweeping across every inch of the cave—

"boom--!!!"

But the next moment, the Taiyin Chains snapped with a loud bang, shaking the entire cave.

The Emperor's shroud, which was originally bound by the great formation, was now forcibly torn apart by the [Taiyin Soul Refining Formation]!

The ancient blood patterns on the cloth writhe like countless living snakes, and the dried bloodstains suddenly turn bright red, as if the ancient malevolent energy has flowed anew.

Its aura surged, increasing several times in an instant. A decaying and violent pressure pressed down like a mountain, making the air inside the cave thick and suffocating.

“No wonder…” Zhou Qing’s pupils shrank suddenly. Han Yi had simulated fighting it many times, but she could never win and even suffered serious injuries on several occasions!

It turns out this thing had been hiding its strength all along, and only now, driven to the brink, has it truly revealed its terrifying power!
"If that's the case, then let's try this trick that was tailor-made for you!"

A cold light flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, his spiritual power surged wildly, and his hands rapidly formed hand seals.

In an instant, golden light surged around him, the void behind him twisted, and an enormous golden seal materialized out of thin air!

The seal was about ten feet in size, its entire body shining like the sun, its surface covered with dense ancient inscriptions, each line seemingly containing the true meaning of the Great Dao.

At the very center of the Dharma Seal, a huge swastika-shaped Buddhist pattern suddenly appeared and began to rotate.

Surrounded by Taoist demon-suppressing talismans, the two intertwined, unleashing supreme power to suppress all demons!

"town!"

Zhou Qing roared, and the golden magic seal crashed down like divine punishment, slamming hard onto the struggling shroud.

"Hiss!!!"

The shroud's shrill scream almost pierced eardrums. Its fabric twisted wildly, trying to break free, but was firmly pinned to the ground by the golden seal.

The inscriptions on the seal coiled around it like chains, tightening layer by layer, forcefully suppressing the surging evil energy within it.

It trembled violently, and the surface of the cloth even began to crack, oozing black pus and blood, clearly having suffered an unprecedented blow!
This time, it was truly suppressed!

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Qing immediately turned around and began frantically searching the entire cave.

He searched almost every inch of the ground, lifted every piece of rubble, and even used his divine sense to scan every crevice...

No matter how hard they searched, they could not find any other Blood Phoenix Bones!
"How could this be... how could it not be there..."

Zhou Qing let out a low, almost beast-like whimper.

Is the last glimmer of hope really about to be extinguished?

Just then, the shroud that had been suppressed let out a mocking roar.

“It’s so noisy!!!”

Zhou Qing suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his expression ferocious like a demon!
"boom--!!"

Arcs of lightning exploded around him, and 30,000 spirit seals emerged from his body at the same time. The purple-gold lightning intertwined and collapsed with the spirit seals, eventually collapsing into a purple-gold spear in his palm!
The gun body is wrapped in lightning patterns, and the tip of the gun spews out destructive lightning. Just holding it in your hand, the surrounding space is scorched and distorted by lightning!
He held his spear horizontally and looked up at the dense cocoons on the cave ceiling.

"Since we can't find it... then destroy it all!!!"

In an instant, he transformed into a streak of purple-gold lightning and soared into the sky!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" Gun beams rained down like a storm, and the cocoons on the cave ceiling burst one after another.

The foul-smelling slime poured down like a torrential rain, from which countless translucent humanoid creatures fell.

Some roared and pounced on Zhou Qing as soon as they landed, while others were smashed into a bloody pulp, and still others had their heads pierced by spears before they could even crawl out completely!
Inside the cave, screams, explosions, and thunderous roars mingled together, as if hell had descended upon it!

Zhou Qing was blinded by rage. He swept his spear horizontally, unleashing a torrent of lightning that destroyed everything in its path!
He no longer cares about reason or consequences!
At this moment, all he wanted was to vent his almost insane anger and resentment!

"Roar--!!"

The shroud struggled and roared under the golden seal, the cloth shaking violently as if in anger or fear.

It witnessed Zhou Qing slaughtering the offspring it had painstakingly raised in the cave, and the brutal killing intent made it tremble!
—Until the last cocoon was shredded by the lightning spear!

Zhou Qing landed, panting heavily, his eyes still bloodshot.

He slowly turned around, carrying the purple-gold spear, and walked step by step toward the shroud that had been suppressed.

"Now...it's your turn."

At this moment, it finally became afraid!

The cloth writhed wildly, making a begging gesture, and even twisting itself into a "kneeling" shape.

Zhou Qing sneered, flipped his palm, and the Blood Phoenix Bone floated out.

“You should be able to understand me.” His voice was hoarse and cold. “This bone…have you seen it before?”

The shroud nodded frantically, then the cloth extended, pointing towards the blood-red scroll on the stone platform.

Zhou Qing's eyes flashed, and he pointed his spear directly at it!
"You dare to lie to me?!"

He had already copied that scroll using the [Copy Post] function. If it contained the Blood Phoenix Bone, he should have discovered it long ago!

The shroud shook violently, its surface twisting and contorting.

This time, its trembling cloth tip pointed not at the blood-red scroll, but at the stone platform that held the scroll!
"Hmm?" Zhou Qing's eyes suddenly narrowed, and his heart skipped a beat.

Without hesitation, he turned around and strode toward the stone platform where the blood-red scroll was located.

However, just as he got close—

"Qiang!"

The blood-red scroll suddenly burst forth with a dazzling red light, and a phantom image of a blood phoenix emerged from it.

Its crimson feathers burned with an ancient pressure, and its pupils, like two blood moons, locked onto Zhou Qing, letting out a sharp cry!

"You're courting death!" Zhou Qing blocked with his purple-gold spear, its shaft crackling with lightning patterns, colliding fiercely with the phantom of the Blood Phoenix!
"boom--!!!"

A terrifying shockwave exploded, and Zhou Qing was forced back several steps, his hand split open, and blood flowed down his wrist.

His heart skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted slightly: "No wonder... even though the Taiyin Soul Refining Array briefly trapped the shroud, Han Yi could only take the Transformation Elixir, but couldn't take this scroll!"

"So the true power of protection was hidden within the stone platform!"

After striking once, the Blood Phoenix phantom did not pursue, but slowly dissipated and disappeared back into the scroll.

Zhou Qing narrowed his eyes, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes burned with an even more intense fighting spirit.

He took a deep breath, and his eyes suddenly split open—blood-red double pupils appeared!
"Break through illusion!"

Then, the gaze penetrated the surface of the stone platform, going deeper and deeper!
In that instant, he saw—

Inside the stone platform, there was a bone that was completely red, like blood.

The bone patterns burned like flames, exuding wisps of ancient aura, closely connected to the blood-red scroll.

And the power of that Blood Phoenix phantom originated from it!
"It really exists!" Zhou Qing laughed wildly, hope rekindling in his heart.

Then his double pupils narrowed, and he abruptly turned to look at the shroud that had been suppressed: "Bring it to me!"

The shroud trembled violently, its surface twisted, but it could only shake its head in despair—it couldn't do it!
A cold light flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and his right hand suddenly pressed down.

The Great Luo Demon-Sealing Seal, suspended in the air, suddenly shone with golden light, and the Taoist talismans at the bottom of the seal lit up with dazzling blue light.

The shroud was pressed deep into the ground, and spiderweb-like cracks began to appear on the surface of the cloth, with wisps of black smoke hissing out from the cracks.

"Roar."

The shroud emitted a mournful wail that sounded inhuman, and the twisting blood patterns suddenly coalesced into a blurry human face that revealed a pleading expression.

It struggled to point with the corner of its cloth at the blood-red scroll, then trembled as it pointed at the Blood Phoenix Bone in Zhou Qing's hand, before finally falling limply to the ground.

Zhou Qing carefully observed its "expression," a hint of hesitation flashing in his double pupils.

But then, remembering Han Yi's pale face, his eyes sharpened again: "Since you're useless, then die."

The next instant, the swastika Buddhist pattern on the Great Luo Demon-Sealing Seal began to spin rapidly.

The golden light solidified into nine chains, which rustled and wrapped around the entire shroud.

The shroud twisted in terror, the bloodstains on its surface swirling wildly, instantly transforming into hundreds of agonizing faces, each screaming silently.

"town!"

With a sharp shout from Zhou Qing, the golden magic seal crashed down.

The shroud was like ice scorched by the blazing sun; first, a large, charred hole appeared in the center of the cloth, and then cracks quickly spread to the entire body.

The faces formed by the blood-red patterns burst open one by one, turning into a foul-smelling blood mist.

In the final moments, the remaining corners of the shroud suddenly straightened, as if making a final stand.

But the next second—

"Oh!"

The entire piece of cloth exploded into countless fragments, each piece burning in the air and turning into ashes that drifted away.

Within the still-lingering blood mist, countless distorted human faces could be vaguely seen struggling in agony.

Finally, with a long, venomous sigh, it vanished completely into the air.

Zhou Qing withdrew his magic seal and looked down at the ground—where only a pool of thick black blood remained, sizzling and corroding the rocks, emitting foul-smelling blue smoke.

He snorted coldly, flicked his finger, and a wisp of purple-gold lightning fell, burning the last bit of filth to ashes.

"call--"

He took a deep breath; most of his spiritual energy had already been depleted.

Without further hesitation, he focused his mind into his sea of ​​consciousness, activating the golden flower reserves within the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top of the Head.

In an instant, a stream of pure spiritual energy, like a trickle, surged from his sea of ​​consciousness, quickly replenishing his depletion.

Once his breathing had stabilized, Zhou Qing looked up again, his gaze sharp as a knife, fixed on the blood-red scroll and the stone platform that held it.

"As long as Hanyi can be saved..."

He slowly gripped the purple-gold spear, and the lightning patterns on the spearhead lit up again, crackling with purple electricity.

Even if all the gods and Buddhas block my way, I will—kill them all!

"I'll see just how resilient you are!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Qing suddenly shot out, his purple-gold spear piercing the sky like thunder, straight at the stone platform!
"Qiang——!"

Sensing the threat, the crimson scroll instantly erupted with blinding crimson light, and a phantom of a blood phoenix flapped its wings and emerged.

Its crimson feathers burned like flames, its pupils were like blood moons, and it spat out a blazing stream of blood flames from its mouth!

"boom!"

Zhou Qing parried with his spear, but was still knocked back several steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He raised his hand to wipe away the blood, his eyes growing colder.

"Come again!"

He charged again, his spear like a dragon, unleashing a torrent of purple lightning!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Once! Twice! Three times! ...

Zhou Qing was repeatedly forced back, his arm bones were almost shattered, and his chest was scalded by the blood flames, but his fighting spirit remained undiminished!
"Not enough! More!"

He didn't know how long he had been fighting, only that his spiritual energy was exhausted time and time again, and he gritted his teeth and persevered each time.

Finally, after one of his charges, he discovered—

The phantom of the blood phoenix had shrunk by more than half, its feathers were dull, and its attack was clearly weakened!
"good chance!"

Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and the moment the Blood Phoenix phantom pounced, the Purple-Gold God-Slaying Spear suddenly pierced out!

"puff!"

The spear tip pierced through the Blood Phoenix's head, and the phantom let out a mournful cry before exploding into a sky full of bloody light!
The crimson scroll's red light quickly dimmed, as if it had lost its source of power.

Zhou Qing staggered to the ground, his face as pale as paper, his body covered in blood, but a crazy smile appeared on his lips.

"it is finally over!"

He was panting as he struggled forward.

Because it was in simulation mode, he could pick up the Crimson Scroll, but he couldn't actually open it—however, he didn't need to open it anyway.

After a brief moment of recuperation, Zhou Qing barely managed to gather the last bit of spiritual power, his body crackling with lightning arcs, and he slammed his palm down on the stone platform!
"Crack!"

The stone platform shattered, and rubble flew everywhere!
He quickly cleared away the rubble, and finally—

A bone, its entire body a fiery red, lay quietly deep within the stone platform!

Blood Phoenix Bone!

Zhou Qing picked it up with trembling hands; this bone was completely different from the other one in his hand.

The bone patterns resemble burning flames, and there seems to be crimson gold blood flowing inside. Just by holding it in your hand, you can feel an ancient pressure that is so powerful that it is suffocating!
He immediately conducted an identification.

A message came back very quickly.

[Blood Phoenix Bone: This is an extremely valuable Blood Phoenix Bone, containing a wisp of the Blood Phoenix's essence from its lifetime. If refined, it has a high probability of yielding a drop of Blood Phoenix essence blood.]

"Blood Phoenix Essence Blood..."

Zhou Qing was stunned, then her eyes welled up with tears that flowed uncontrollably.

Although it's only one drop... it's enough to improve Han Yi's current condition!
He pressed the Blood Phoenix Bone tightly against his chest, laughed loudly, and refused to let go for a long time.

—Finally found it!

However, at that moment, he suddenly sensed something was amiss and immediately withdrew from the simulation.

……

(End of this chapter)