The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 445 The Vision of the Swift (6k)

As Yuan Ya spoke, she suddenly began to tremble violently, as if she were witnessing the horrific scene from that day once again.

Zhou Qing sensed that the remaining life force in her body was rapidly draining away, so he hurriedly poured in another stream of pure spiritual energy, only to find that it was like throwing a stone into the sea, having no effect whatsoever.

His brows were furrowed.

Dragon robe?

Is it the old emperor who has been in seclusion for many years, or the current emperor?
No, it shouldn't be that old geezer, Xuanyuan Chong.

That cowardly old fox never dared to step out of the capital.

After all, the Golden Dragon of Imperial Fortune was his last trump card for survival.

It was with this item that he was able to fight Yama, who wielded a replica of an ultimate weapon, to a standstill on Mount Wuxiang.

Yuan Ya continued with difficulty, "Then, dozens of figures descended from the flying boat."

Her voice was filled with deep fear, "Each one... radiated a suffocating pressure."

"They...they didn't give us a chance to explain at all..."

Yuan Ya's voice suddenly choked with emotion, "In just a short moment, the entire Qingyu Immortal Sect was reduced to a field of corpses."

At this point, she could no longer contain her emotions and burst into tears. Then she coughed violently and vomited a mouthful of blood.

Zhou Qing hurriedly tried to use his spiritual power again to stabilize her injuries, but found it was all in vain.

At this moment, Yuan Ya also felt that she was about to die, after all, she should have died three months ago.

I don't know how I managed to hold on until now, but to be able to see Zhou Qing in the final moments of my life is already an immense stroke of luck.

"Zhou Qing," she whispered weakly, then suddenly grabbed Zhou Qing's arm with all her might, "I don't have time, hurry... search my soul."

Zhou Qing's right hand clenched tightly.

“I can’t explain those people, I can’t describe them…” Yuan Ya’s eyes were bloodshot, and her breathing became increasingly rapid. “It’s too late.”

Looking into her pleading eyes, Zhou Qing felt a pang of pity.

But he also understood that he had no choice at this moment; he had to know the whereabouts of the Taiqing Sect and the truth of everything.

"I'm sorry to offend you," Zhou Qing said hoarsely.

Yuan Ya smiled with relief: "You saved me so many times during the Five Sects War."

Her voice grew softer and softer, "Now, I'm finally able to help you, and I'm so happy."

After saying these words, she seemed to have used up her last bit of strength, her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes beginning to glaze over.

Zhou Qing's eyes reddened, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his trembling fingers gently touching her brow.

He probed into her consciousness as gently as possible, afraid of causing her any unnecessary pain.

In an instant, countless fragments of memories flooded into his mind.

When Zhou Qing recognized the three familiar figures who had destroyed the Azure Feather Immortal Sect, he trembled violently.

"The Yan family—!!!"

A heart-wrenching roar echoed through the sky.

He never expected that the Yan family would track down his whereabouts so quickly and take action first.

Three months ago, wasn't that the moment he first set foot on the territory of the Holy Martial Dynasty?

Fragments of memory flashed like a revolving lantern, and one tragic scene after another exploded in Zhou Qing's sea of ​​consciousness.

He saw the current emperor, Xuanyuan Hao, standing hunched over with a fawning expression on his face.

They saw the Fifth Ancestor Yan Wuming's veins bulging as he gripped Xuan You Fairy's snow-white neck, his face contorted with rage as he interrogated her about something.

The Seventh Ancestor, Yan Wutian, laughed wildly as he brandished his blood-red longsword, the blade strangely absorbing the blood mist and wailing souls filling the sky.

The Ninth Ancestor Yan Wuxin wore a strange smile on his effeminate face. With his ten fingers flying, he shot out thousands of spider silk-like spiritual energy threads, manipulating the Qingyu disciples to kill each other like puppets.

There were also more than ten figures exuding the aura of slaying spirits, who were slaughtering wantonly throughout the Immortal Sect.

With every gesture they made, groups of disciples exploded and died, their blood staining the entire mountain.

"boom!"

Zhou Qing's spiritual power surged out of control, and the ground beneath his feet cracked instantly.

It turns out that the source of all these disasters was himself!

The next moment, the memory abruptly ended.

Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the peaceful smile on Yuan Ya's lips.

He slowly reached out and closed her eyes: "Farewell, Senior Sister. I will make the Yan family pay for this blood debt!"

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Qing lifted Yao Yao into the air, looking down at the ravaged land.

He then raised his right hand, fingers together like a sword, and bowed deeply to the ruins below.

"Now that you have joined the Taiqing Sect, you are my comrades-in-arms, Zhou Qing." His voice, amplified by the surge of spiritual energy, resounded like thunder. "Today, because of me, you have suffered this calamity. Zhou Qing deserves to die a thousand deaths for this!"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a terrifying cold light: "I, Zhou Qing, hereby swear that I will slaughter the entire Yan family to comfort your souls in heaven!"

"rise--"

With a sharp shout, a vast amount of spiritual energy surged out like a flood bursting its banks.

On the ground, countless severed limbs and broken fragments of magical artifacts rose from the ground.

A blood-stained blue robe, a broken flying sword, and charred bones.
Guided by the spiritual light, it slowly sank into a bottomless battle pit beside it, like a fallen leaf returning to its roots.

One after another, mutilated corpses drifted down, gradually filling the hundred-foot-deep abyss.

As the last body was safely laid to rest, Zhou Qing pointed his sword, and half a mountain in the distance collapsed with a deafening roar.

Thousands of pebbles fell like rain, covering the giant tomb that held the souls of hundreds of thousands of Qingyu Immortal Sect members with the final layer of earth.

He raised his hand and snatched a ten-zhang-tall piece of azure rock; as his sword fingers danced, stone chips fell in a flurry.

"The Tomb of Fellow Disciples of the Azure Feather Immortal Sect!"
"—Zhou Qing of Taiqing Gate, stand!"

After doing all this, Zhou Qing solemnly bowed three times before the towering tombstone, then, carrying Yao Yao, headed straight for the direction of the Golden Thunder Sect...

However, when he arrived at the Golden Thunder Sect, the scene before him made his heart sink to the bottom once again.

The ruins and corpses strewn across the ground were a scene of utter devastation, mirroring the tragic state of the Qingyu Immortal Sect.

Although he had expected it, the piercing pain he felt when he saw it with his own eyes still almost suffocated him.

"The Tomb of Fellow Disciples of the Golden Thunder Sect!"

"—Zhou Qing of Taiqing Gate, stand!"

……

"The Tomb of Fellow Disciples of the Tianji Sect!"

"—Zhou Qing of Taiqing Gate, stand!"

……

"The Tomb of Fellow Disciples of the Azure Flame Dao Palace!"
"—Zhou Qing of Taiqing Gate, stand!"

When Zhou Qing stood up after his final bow, the killing intent in his eyes had solidified into a tangible form.

It is obvious that without the leadership of the current emperor, Xuanyuan Hao, how could the Yan family have so accurately and thoroughly massacred all the affiliated sects of the Taiqing Sect?

In that case, let's start by settling this blood debt with the Xuanyuan family!
"who!"

Suddenly, Zhou Qing turned around abruptly, and a purple-gold lightning arc shot out.

But the moment the person's face was seen clearly, the lightning stopped a mere inch between their eyebrows.

"Miss Yuyan?" Zhou Qing stared incredulously at the gentle and graceful woman not far away, and immediately withdrew his lightning arc.

Yu Yan looked at Zhou Qing, forcing a smile.

She went to Taiqing Gate first, only to find that it had become an abyss.

After making inquiries from various sources, they learned that the various sects in the Eastern Region had been merged into the Taiqing Sect. They came here with a glimmer of hope, only to find rows of cold stone tablets.

Finally, in this last ruin, they encountered Zhou Qing, who was bowing.

Looking at the once spirited and promising young man before her, now with bloodshot eyes and a haggard appearance, Yu Yan felt an indescribable sorrow in her heart.

So young, yet burdened with such heavy pain, fate has been far too cruel to him.

"Brother Zhou," Yu Yan called softly, and stepped forward slowly.

Zhou Qing subconsciously took a half step back, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

Having experienced so much in such a short time, he was in a state of constant tension.

I had just returned to the Holy Martial Dynasty when I ran into an old friend?

This is too much of a coincidence.

Could the person before me be a member of the Yan family in disguise?

Fortunately, there were still two spots available for the [Heart's Eye] that had remained unused, and Zhou Qing immediately bound them.

Soon, the question mark above Swift's head was replaced by three golden notes: "[Lone Warrior]".

Zhou Qing: "..."

However, I am also completely relieved.

"Why are you here?" Zhou Qing asked in a hoarse voice.

Yu Yan stepped forward slowly, her gaze falling on his full head of white hair, and said softly, "Since I'm just idling around in Nanhuang Prefecture, I thought I'd come and see if I could help you in any way."

Seeing the wary look on Zhou Qing's face, she quickly added, "I deliberately took a long detour, so no one will be following me."

Zhou Qing gave a bitter smile, turned his head to look at the ruins of the Cangyan Dao Palace, and his eyes surged with killing intent: "They have come knocking on our door. This is their masterpiece."

"What?" Yu Yan's expression changed drastically.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, suddenly turned around, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "You've come at the right time. Do me a favor."

“Brother Zhou, please give your instructions!” Yu Yan replied without hesitation.

"Come with me somewhere."

"where?"

"The Imperial Capital!"

……

Three months later!

Using the convenient passage of the Hidden Dragon Path, Zhou Qing arrived in the capital without making a sound.

The blood feud between Qingyu Immortal Sect, Jinlei Sect, Tianji Sect, and Cangyan Dao Palace all started because of Xuanyuan Hao's guidance. He must settle this score!

But more importantly, it is necessary to find out the whereabouts of Taiqing Sect from Xuanyuan Hao's memories and investigate its relationship with the Yan family.

Of course, before coming here, he and Yu Yan traveled all over the Eastern Region, but they found no trace of the Yan family, and the iconic black flying boat was nowhere to be found.

What's even more intriguing is that even though the five major overlord sects of the Eastern Region have all been wiped out, those second- and third-rate sects that used to be eyeing them with predatory intent are now unusually quiet.

No one dared to take this opportunity to expand their territory, and no one dared to touch the ruins of the four major sects.

Everyone in the entire Eastern Region remained silent, fearing they might be associated with the massacre in the slightest.

After all, the incident happened three months ago, and given the Yan family's ruthless nature, this was a serious matter.

After annihilating the four major sects in a fit of rage, they realized they could no longer find any connections or weaknesses related to Zhou Qing that could threaten him, and left in a huff.

After all, the last place he appeared was in the Desolate Forbidden Zone, where there were three Supreme Realm cultivators and more than a dozen Spirit Severing Realm cultivators. Rather than wasting time in a Level 4 cultivation country, it would be better to try one's luck in the Desolate Forbidden Zone.

Don't forget, the patriarch of the Shen family, Shen Canghai, a late-stage Supreme Realm expert, is still alive.

Once he recovers, the revenge will be unimaginable.

Therefore, the only breakthrough for Zhou Qing in finding clues about the Taiqing Sect is now that humble and subservient emperor—Xuanyuan Hao.

At this moment, the two stood on the bustling main street of the capital. Yu Yan looked at the familiar street scene, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Once upon a time, on this very street, Lu Yaoyao suddenly appeared before her, weeping silently, and complimenting her on her beauty. Now, it all seems like a lifetime ago; everything has changed.

"Please look after Yao Yao for me!" Zhou Qing handed Yao Yao, whom he was holding, to Yu Yan.

Yuyan quickly opened her arms to take it, and Yaoyao squirmed gently in her arms before calming down.

After spending so much time together, the little girl had already become familiar with the gentle older sister's presence again.

"Then you must be careful," Yu Yan said, her voice trembling slightly.

Zhou Qing's gaze softened slightly: "Don't worry, as long as you take good care of Yao Yao, I won't have any worries."

"I will protect you with my life!" Yu Yan said resolutely, a determined look flashing in her eyes.

Zhou Qing gave her a deep look, then took out a communication jade slip that shimmered with a three-colored halo: "This commotion is probably going to be big. Remember, no matter what happens, stay in a safe place and wait for me."

Yu Yan gently took the jade slip, then stared at the man in front of her who had been suppressing his anger for too long, as if she could feel the overwhelming rage surging within him.

He needs a cathartic release.

"I'll wait for you to come back," she said softly.

Just as Zhou Qing nodded and was about to leave—

“Father.” A soft, sweet voice suddenly rang out.

Zhou Qing was startled and turned around abruptly.

Little Yao Yao in Yu Yan's arms stretched out her chubby little hand, her big, dark eyes brimming with tears, and her little mouth twitched as she called out again, "Daddy."

In that instant, Zhou Qing felt as if the softest part of her heart had been struck hard.

He scooped Yao Yao up in his arms and kissed her soft, pink face.

He quickly said, "Yaoyao, call out again?"

"Daddy~" The little girl tilted her head and called out softly again, reaching out her chubby little hand to wipe away the tears that had fallen from his eyes.

Zhou Qing could no longer hold back and pulled his daughter into his arms.

He felt the warmth emanating from this small body and placed one gentle kiss after another on the little girl's head: "Daddy's little Yao Yao. Daddy's darling."

The swift quietly wiped away its tears.

If Sister Hanyi were still alive, how wonderful that would be.

Then, Zhou Qing's voice choked with emotion: "Yaoyao, be good, Daddy will be back soon. Wait for Daddy here with your Aunt Yan, okay?"

Little Yao Yao hugged Zhou Qing's neck tightly, buried her face in the crook of his neck and rubbed against him, continuing in her childish voice, "Daddy..."

Zhou Qing's eyes were red because Han Yi had given birth after a major battle.

Yao Yao, who should have started speaking at around one year old, has shown no signs of speaking in the past two years, which worries him greatly.

I never expected to hear my daughter speak for the first time before I left.

At that moment, he felt happier than ever before.

But she reluctantly handed the child back to the swift and then resolutely left.

Holding Yao Yao, who was still murmuring "Daddy," Yu Yan watched the receding figure and silently prayed, "Please be safe!"

……

The moonlight at midnight, like a pale veil, enveloped an unnamed mountain range outside the capital.

The mountains here are treacherous and shrouded in mist all year round, so very few people venture here.

At this moment, a huge black flying boat is tearing through the clouds and slowly descending.

The flying boat was about a hundred feet long, and its surface was covered with strange dark red patterns that gleamed with a blood-red luster under the moonlight.

"Falling banner!"

A hoarse command came from the deck.

Three black-robed elders stood side by side at the bow of the ship, their imposing aura of being at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage causing the chirping of insects within a ten-mile radius to cease abruptly.

The old man on the far left raised his hand, which resembled withered tree bark, with wisps of dark red spiritual energy swirling between his fingers.

"As usual, I'll go open the door first." One of the old men coughed twice and took out a dark red token from his pocket.

Spiritual energy surged at his fingertips, and the token instantly emitted a beam of blood-red light, shooting straight towards the mountain wall in front.

The next moment, ripples suddenly appeared on the once calm surface of the mountain range, as if the entire mountain was just a phantom.

Then, a crack appeared in the center of the ripples, revealing a deep cave entrance.

Unknown patterns were carved along the edges of the cave entrance, and two large, pitch-black iron doors slowly opened, emitting a muffled rumble.

Behind the door was a deep darkness.

The three old men exchanged a smile, then waved towards the airship.

The side hatch of the flying boat slowly opened, and then teams of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators emerged one after another.

Two people worked together to drag a huge black iron cage.

The cage was covered with blood-red talismans, with faint spiritual patterns flowing around it, clearly indicating some kind of sealing technique.

Inside each iron cage were seven or eight pregnant women, their clothes stained with blood.

Most of them were pale and had despair in their eyes. Some were so weak that they curled up in a corner with blood trickling from their lips.

"Let's go!" the Nascent Soul cultivators shouted coldly, pulling the iron cage towards the cave.

Three elders at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm followed behind, their gazes sweeping indifferently over the cages, as if they were already used to it.

The cave was vast, yet dark and cold, with only a few eerie blue lamps hanging on the stone walls, barely illuminating the interior.

More than a hundred identical black iron cages were neatly arranged on the ground, each containing several pregnant women.

Some were already on the verge of death, while others were still struggling, their low sobs echoing in the cave, sounding particularly mournful.

"It looks like ships number 15 and 19 have returned."

One of the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, at the peak of his cultivation, glanced at the iron cage ahead and sneered, "They actually completed the mission before us."

The other person sighed and said, "There's nothing we can do. The place we went to this time was too far away, and it took a lot of time to get there and back. I wonder where those who received the spirit stones are now, enjoying themselves."

The third elder, who had previously used the token to open the cave's restrictions, suddenly frowned and twitched his nostrils, as if sniffing out something.

"What's wrong, Lao Song?" The other two noticed his unusual behavior and turned to ask.

The old man, referred to as Old Song, looked grave and said in a low voice, "Can't you smell blood?"

The two were taken aback, then sniffed carefully and couldn't help but chuckle.

Then he pointed to the cage and said, "Which of these female cultivators at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages is willing to surrender?"

"If we hadn't shown mercy and ensured the safety of their unborn children, they would have been dead long ago. A little bloody smell, isn't that normal?"

Old Song shook his head, his voice low: "Of course I knew they would resist, but this time the smell of blood seems... off, a bit too strong."

The other two old men couldn't help but exchange a glance. One of them patted him on the shoulder and said, "Stop being so suspicious. Hurry up and finish what you need to do and leave. This place is not safe to stay any longer."

Old Song frowned, but finally nodded, assuming he was just being paranoid.

However, in the instant he turned around—

A strong, nauseating smell of blood suddenly swept in from the direction of the cave entrance!

The three of them froze and looked up abruptly.

Under the moonlight, a figure appeared out of nowhere and stood quietly at the entrance of the cave.

He wore a straw hat, the shadows obscuring his face, with only a pair of cold eyes peering through the brim of the hat, staring directly at them.

In his hand, he held a broken sword, its blade stained with blood, and drops of crimson blood were flowing down its edge.

"Tick tock..."

The sound of blood droplets hitting the ground could be clearly heard in the deathly silent cave.

The three elders' pupils constricted sharply as they realized with shock that the Nascent Soul subordinates who had been carrying iron cages inside had vanished without a sound!

They swallowed hard, and the same thought simultaneously popped into their minds—to kill them and silence them!
They've done too many dirty and shady things for the royal family, and now it's finally their turn to be held accountable?

“M-Sir…” One of the elders stepped forward with a trembling voice, trying to explain.

However, he didn't finish speaking—

"Shh!"

The figure in the straw hat vanished suddenly!

The next moment, a terrifying and suffocating pressure suddenly descended!
The air inside the cave seemed to freeze instantly, and the heavy spiritual pressure rolled down like a mountain, causing the ground to tremble and the iron cage to creak under the strain.

"Spirit Severing Realm?!"

The three of them simultaneously changed their expressions drastically, turning pale with shock.

They had cultivated for nearly 1,500 years and had never felt such terrifying oppression.

That was a power far surpassing that of the current emperor; its mere aura made the flow of spiritual energy within their bodies sluggish!
"Formation!"

Old Song shouted, and the three of them instantly stood back to back, each summoning their natal magic weapon.

"boom!"

Black banners fluttered, and a chilling wind howled!

Nine death nails flew out from the old man with the goatee's sleeve, their bodies wreathed in scarlet malevolent energy, forming a killing array in the air!
The fat cultivator suddenly slapped his waist, and the seven skulls swelled up in the wind, transforming into seven ghost kings in the late stage of transformation, which pounced out ferociously!

however--

"laugh!"

A flash of sword light appeared like a startled swan!
Fast! Incredibly fast!

The old man with the goatee didn't even see the sword's path before he felt a chill on his neck.

He stared in horror as his head separated from his body, blood gushing out like a fountain!

"Do not--!"

His primordial spirit fled in panic, but before it could escape even three zhang, it was caught up by a lightning arc sword aura and instantly shredded!

"Old Li!" The second fat cultivator's eyes widened in fury as he frantically urged the seven ghost kings to attack.

But the figure in the straw hat simply flipped his wrist, lightly flicked his broken sword, and threw the seven ghost heads into the air at the same time!
"puff!"

The fat cultivator's chest was pierced by a sword. His primordial spirit had just left his body when it was locked by the sword intent. He turned into green smoke amidst a shrill howl!

Old Song was so terrified that he bit his tongue hard, spitting out a stream of blood.

Within the blood mist, his figure suddenly became ethereal, as he unleashed a blood escape technique that consumed his lifespan!
"Want to go?"

A hoarse voice sounded in my ear.

Old Song turned his head in horror, only to see the blood-dripping broken sword already pressed against his brow.

The sword tip was chillingly cold, locking onto his primordial spirit!
"My lord, please spare me..."

"laugh!"

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of sword light appeared, and he was instantly annihilated, body and soul!
As Old Song's body crashed to the ground, blood slowly spread across the stone floor.

Inside the cave, apart from the smell of blood, there was only an eerie silence.

The pregnant women who had just been brought in and locked in the iron cages all stared blankly at this scene.

A faint glimmer of light suddenly flashed in their previously empty eyes—a long-lost hope.

Some people even unconsciously gripped the iron bars, staring longingly at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing silently turned around and strode out of the cave.

Shortly after, a cracking sound and the dull thud of an object falling to the ground were heard outside.

When he returned to the cave, the heavy stone door slowly closed behind him, shutting out the last ray of moonlight.

He went straight to the darkest corner, sat cross-legged, placed the broken sword across his lap, and began a simple meditation...

(End of this chapter)