The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 456 Fellow Daoist, have you come to the wrong place? (6k)

Little Yao Yao's tiny fingers gently stroked the jade-like surface, as if she were caressing her mother's face.

"Daddy came back today too. He looked so tired, but he was still so gentle with Yao Yao."

At this point, Xiao Yaoyao suddenly lowered her voice, as if she wanted to tell a little secret.

"Mommy, please get well soon! Yao Yao has been practicing diligently every day. When Mommy wakes up, Yao Yao will show you the most powerful magic!"

The seven-colored light within the Soul-Nourishing Jade seemed to flicker slightly, as if responding to the little girl's words.

Little Yao Yao's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to Zhou Qing: "Daddy! Mommy heard it! She was glowing just now!"

Zhou Qing felt a surge of warmth in her heart and squatted down to be at eye level with her daughter: "Yes, Mother must have heard it. She also wants to wake up soon and see how amazing our little Yao Yao is."

The little girl happily pressed the Soul-Nourishing Jade to her chest, her face full of a blissful smile: "Then Yao Yao will talk to Mother a lot every day, so Mother won't be lonely."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, a gentle smile appearing on her lips.

The swift watched this scene quietly, a hint of heartache in its eyes.

She knew Shen Hanyi's situation better than anyone else, and she also knew that Zhou Qing had been running around all these years in search of a way to revive her.

Looking at this once spirited and promising young man, whose brows now always bore an unyielding weariness, she couldn't help but sigh softly.

“Brother Zhou,” Yu Yan said softly, “Sister Shen will definitely get better.”

Zhou Qing turned to look at her, her eyes filled with gratitude: "Thank you for taking care of Yao Yao during this time."

Swift shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her lips: "Yaoyao is very sensible. Rather than saying I take care of her, it's more accurate to say she keeps me company."

She paused, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "So what are our plans next?"

A sharp killing intent suddenly flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and he said in a cold voice, "Return to Nanhuang Prefecture!"

These four words seemed to carry a chilling aura, making Yu Yan's heart tremble.

But she quickly calmed down and nodded, saying, "Okay, when do we leave?"

Zhou Qing stood up and strode out of the cave, looking up at the bright moon overhead, his voice as cold as a knife: "Let Yao Yao rest for the night, we'll leave tomorrow!"

Those forty-odd demonic beasts at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm have all become nourishment for the Blood Pool in the Primordial Secret Realm.

The remaining Demon Emperors at the Spirit Severing Realm no longer pose any threat to the Holy Martial Dynasty.

Moreover, those eight people who entered the Primordial Secret Realm, unless they were fools, would always be able to retreat in time if they encountered danger.

Moreover, there are several powerful experts at the Spirit Severing Realm stationed in various places within the imperial territory, and they have not come here at all.

Most importantly, he completely disrupted the Primordial Monk's recovery process.

That old monster is unlikely to cause any trouble in the short term, and he won't be able to cause any substantial damage to the Holy Martial Dynasty.

"I've done everything I could," Zhou Qing muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with even greater coldness. "Now, it's time to settle the blood debt!"

He slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles making a crisp cracking sound.

This time, Zhou Qing is going to cause a huge uproar upon returning to Nanhuang Prefecture!
……

Two years later!
A blue-green flying boat glides through the sea of ​​clouds, its hull shimmering with a faint spiritual light, sparkling in the sunlight.

On the deck, a five-year-old girl was lying there listlessly, her little hands constantly fiddling with the drifting clouds.

Little Yao Yao was wearing a light pink dress, and her long black hair was tied into two small buns, swaying back and forth as she shook her head.

She exuded the spiritual energy fluctuations of the late Foundation Establishment stage, yet she was completely unaware of how astonishing it was for someone her age to have reached such a level of cultivation.

"How boring." She pouted, drawing circles in the clouds with her finger, watching the stirred clouds slowly return to their original state.

Just then, the cabin door creaked open, and Swift stepped out gracefully.

She wore a light blue dress, with only a white jade hairpin in her hair, looking elegant and refined.

"Aunt Yan—" Little Yao Yao heard the noise and immediately jumped up excitedly, her little face full of anticipation.

Swift smiled gently, walked over and squatted down beside her: "Are you bored?"

"Mmm!" Little Yao Yao nodded vigorously, her little face scrunched up. "It's so boring floating up here in the sky. We can't even go down to play."

Yu Yan gently stroked the top of her head: "We'll be there in about ten days. When that happens, Aunt Yan will take you to eat all the good food in the city, okay?"

"Really? That's great!" Little Yao Yao's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again as she secretly glanced at the tightly closed main cabin door. "Where's Daddy?"

Yu Yan paused, a complex look flashing in her eyes: "For the next period of time, you will live with Aunt Yan."

Little Yao Yao lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her little hands, and after a long while she said softly, "Okay, Daddy has more important things to do, I understand."

Seeing how sensible Yao Yao was, Yu Yan hugged her tightly with heartache.

Meanwhile, inside the main cabin.

Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes. The ancient tea tree he was holding had lost its former ethereal aura and become dull and lifeless.

During his return journey over the past two years, he worked day and night to comprehend the second seal of the Great Luo Demon Sealing Seal—the Heaven Sealing Seal!

Although the gains were substantial, this was, after all, a rare and exceptional inscription-level divine ability, and it would be virtually impossible to fully master it in a short period of time.

He sighed softly, and of course, he heard his daughter's sensible words outside, which made his heart ache.

But when he thought about the purpose of his trip, his eyes became determined again.

"There are some things that must be done." He muttered to himself, took out dozens of top-grade wood-attribute spirit stones, and planted them all into the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree.

With the infusion of spiritual energy, the ancient tea tree gradually regained some of its luster.

After storing the ancient tea tree in his storage bag, Zhou Qing straightened his robes and went out.

"Daddy—" As soon as Xiao Yaoyao saw him, she immediately broke free from Yu Yan's embrace and happily rushed over.

Zhou Qing laughed and lifted her high up. Just as he was about to speak, the little girl interrupted, "Daddy, Aunt Yan said this is her hometown. She knows a lot of delicious food and fun places. I want to go play with Aunt Yan!"

Seeing her daughter's expectant eyes pretending to be sensible, Zhou Qing felt a pang of heartache and said softly, "Okay, but don't be greedy, or you'll become a chubby girl."

"Ouch—" Little Yao Yao immediately puffed out her cheeks, scrunched up her little face, and squirmed in Zhou Qing's arms.

"Daddy's naughty! Yao Yao won't become a chubby girl! Yao Yao wants to be the most beautiful little fairy!"

As she spoke, she stretched out her chubby little hand and gently patted Zhou Qing's face, but she couldn't bear to hit him hard. In the end, she just angrily tugged at his beard.

Zhou Qing was amused by her adorable appearance and laughed heartily, kissing her rosy cheeks: "Okay, okay, our Yao Yao will always be the most beautiful little fairy!"

As she spoke, she gently stroked her daughter's little nose with her hand, and looking at her innocent and cheerful smile, she was filled with emotion.

At least for now, five-year-old Yao Yao can live a carefree life, no longer having to be constantly on guard against the Demon Emperor's pursuit as she did in the original timeline.

"Some things have changed after all," Zhou Qing murmured to himself.

He turned to look at Yuyan and said solemnly, "Miss Yuyan, I'll be troubling you to take good care of Yaoyao from now on."

Swift smiled slightly, her eyes full of determination: "Don't worry, I watched her grow up. Even if something happens to me, I will never let her suffer any harm."

Zhou Qing nodded and took out a bright red crystal from his storage bag—one of the three Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystals he had obtained by refining Prince Xuanyuan Shuo.

"Brother Zhou, what are you doing?" Yu Yan quickly waved her hand upon seeing this.

“These past few years, taking care of my daughter and me has taken up a lot of your cultivation time.” Zhou Qing handed over the Tribulation Crystal. “This is just a small token of my appreciation.”

"No, no, I..."

"Oh dear, Aunt Yan, please accept it!" Little Yao Yao suddenly interjected, snatching the Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal and shoving it into Yu Yan's hand.

"We're all family, what's there to be shy about? Unless Aunt Yan doesn't consider us family!"

After the little girl finished speaking, she winked at Zhou Qing, and the father and daughter exchanged a knowing smile.

Zhou Qing's eyes were full of doting affection, while Yao Yao proudly raised her chin, with an expression that said, "I'm so awesome, aren't I?"

Yu Yan looked at the warm, smooth crystal in her hand, then at Zhou Qing's sincere eyes, bit her lip, and then smiled: "Okay, then I'll accept it."

She carefully put the tribulation crystal into her storage bag, a warm feeling rising in her heart.

Zhou Qing looked around and continued, "I'll leave this flying boat to you; I don't need it anymore."

As he spoke, he took out another control token engraved with five-colored patterns and handed it to Yuyan.

Back then, Situ Jiuyao obtained a rare five-colored magic array from a dangerous place, but was killed by Penghuang Feng Xuanling when he passed through the border.

The five-colored magic array was later placed by the Peng Emperor on the Black Feather Peak of Taiyao Mountain.

Later, he, along with his second uncle and Xuanyuan Shuo, sneaked into Black Feather Peak.

Second Uncle obtained the transformed ten-thousand-year-old blood ginseng, while he luckily took away the unidentified root of the Enlightenment Ancient Tree, and the five-colored restriction fell into the hands of Xuanyuan Shuo.

However, in order to maintain border stability, Xuanyuan Shuo did not take away the array plate, but left it in place to deter other demon emperors.

Only occasionally does Zhou Qing need to transform into the appearance of the Peng Emperor to prove that this demon emperor is still "alive".

Later, Han Yi learned that Peng Huang had murdered his mentor, Situ Jiuyao, and angrily went to the border to verify the truth.

Xuanyuan Shuo quickly arrived ahead of time via the [Hidden Dragon Path] teleportation array and deactivated the five-colored restriction.

Now that Xuanyuan Shuo is dead, all the treasures in his storage bag naturally belong to Zhou Qing.

During his travels over the past two years, Zhou Qing had perfectly refined this set of five-colored protective restrictions onto the flying boat while comprehending the inscription-level divine abilities.

It should be noted that the entrance restriction of the Primordial Secret Realm is a rare and high-level five-colored restriction.

The fact that so many powerful cultivators at the Spirit Severing Realm joined forces to attack it for over 160 years without success demonstrates the strength of its defenses.

Although the five-colored restrictions on this flying boat cannot compare with those at the entrance to the secret realm, lacking the support of such a vast amount of spiritual power, their defensive capabilities are still astonishing.

In a short time, even an equal number of Spirit Severing Realm experts would find it difficult to break through. Having learned from the precedent of the Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal, Yu Yan no longer hesitated this time and solemnly put the control token into her pocket.

Then, Zhou Qing looked down at Yao Yao in his arms and said softly, "Then Father will go and get busy. You must be a good girl and listen to Aunt Yan. Don't run around."

"Okay!" Little Yao Yao replied crisply, a bright smile on her face.

Zhou Qing gave further detailed instructions, especially emphasizing to Yu Yan how to use the five-colored protective barrier on the flying boat.

This left the swift completely shocked.

After confirming everything was correct, Zhou Qing gently patted his daughter's head one last time, then his figure flickered and transformed into a dazzling golden streak of light, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

Only when the golden light disappeared completely did Xiao Yaoyao, who had been forcing a smile, lose her composure and slump onto the ship's railing, staring blankly at the sea of ​​clouds.

Yu Yan knelt down with heartache and gently put her arm around her little shoulder: "Don't worry, your father is the most capable person I've ever met. He will definitely come back safely."

Little Yao Yao nodded, her little hands gripping the gunwale tightly: "I know, Father never breaks his promises to me."

Amidst the churning sea of ​​clouds, the flying boat continued its journey forward.

Swift quietly got up, looked behind her, and kept praying in her heart.

……

Nanhuang Prefecture, Fifth Tail Region!
The once-dominant Shen family has long since declined, and its former glory has been divided up by various forces.

Now, it is the Xiao family, which was once second only to the eight great families, that has risen to prominence and become the new master of this area.

Although the Liu family, the culprits, profited greatly from the situation, they did not relocate the entire clan there.

After all, they have been operating in the Sixth Tail for many years and have a deep foundation. They will not easily move away because of a mere empty name.

Therefore, the vast area of ​​the Fifth Tail now belongs to the Xiao family.

However, too many powerful cultivators at the Spirit Severing Realm had perished in the Shen family in the past, and the entire ancestral land was shrouded in obsession and resentment, so the Xiao family had to choose another auspicious location as their base.

After years of development, the Xiao family mansion is now magnificent and its scale is comparable to that of the Shen family in its heyday.

Today, a figure wearing a bronze mask and with a full head of white hair appeared silently in front of the Xiao family's main gate.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp as lightning. With a single step, he directly passed through the four-colored restriction that the Xiao family was so proud of.

Even more strangely, none of the dozens of guards at the gate noticed anything amiss.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the Xiao family.

The patriarch, Xiao Tianze, was frowning as he flipped through the jade slips.

This newly crowned overlord had a resolute face and an imposing aura between his brows, which was further enhanced by his dark green robe.

Below him, two elders at the Spirit Severing Realm stood with their hands at their sides, the atmosphere in the hall so heavy it was almost suffocating.

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Xiao Tianze suddenly flew into a rage and threw the jade slip in his hand hard onto the ground.

"After searching for so long, we still can't find Shen Canghai, who is seriously injured? Where could a cripple have gone?"

The jade slip fell to the ground with a crisp sound, which was particularly jarring in the silent hall.

Elder Xiao Yuanshan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Patriarch, please calm down. After all, the Shen family patriarch is a late-stage Supreme Realm expert."

"Back then, he even made a bet with the Liu family patriarch, to see who would break through to the Great Perfection first and obtain the other half of the inscription-level divine power in the other's possession."

“Such a person, even if seriously injured and dying, is not someone we can easily find.”

The other elders nodded in agreement.

Xiao Tianze snorted coldly: "How could I not know? But this is an order jointly issued by the Liu family and the Yan family!"

"Can our Xiao family maintain its position among the eight great families without their support?"

Second Elder Xiao Yunhai's eyes darted around, and he stepped forward to offer a suggestion: "Patriarch, in my opinion, instead of searching for the Shen family patriarch like looking for a needle in a haystack, we should first look for Zhou Qing."

"This boy has a close relationship with the Shen family. If we can capture him, we might be able to lure out Shen Canghai."

Xiao Tianze, the head of the Xiao family, sneered: "You're thinking too simply. Zhou Qing possesses two inscription-level divine abilities, and even the Heavenly Phoenix Palace is after him."

"Unfortunately, the Heavenly Phoenix Palace is too far away from us, making it impossible for us to reach it."

He stood up, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back: "It is said that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. If our Xiao family wants to gain a foothold in Nanhuang Prefecture, we still need the help of the Yan family, which ranks third, and the Liu family, which ranks fifth."

The First Elder, Xiao Yuanshan, nodded in agreement: "The Patriarch is right. Last time, Yan Xiang, the prodigy of the Yan family, saw Zhou Qing in the Desolate Forbidden Zone, which attracted a large number of people to search for him, but they have not found even a trace of him so far."

He stroked his beard and continued, "Instead of wasting time searching for him, we should focus on finding the Shen family patriarch."

"That old thing was severely injured by several Supreme Realm experts working together back then, and his injuries have not yet healed."

"But if we delay any longer, and he recovers from his injuries, the Yan and Liu families will really suffer as a Supreme Realm madman with no ties to his name."

Second Elder Xiao Yunhai said thoughtfully, "It was my shortsightedness. However..."

He then changed the subject, "In the past two years, many of the Liu family's mines have been repeatedly damaged, and all the guarding cultivators have been killed. Could this be the work of the Shen family's patriarch?"

"Absurd!" Xiao Tianze sneered. "You underestimate this Supreme Realm old monster too much. How could such a low-level revenge be the work of Shen Canghai? It's probably the remnants of the Shen family causing trouble."

He waved his hand: "Alright, let's not talk about that. There are still a few places we haven't searched. Now, listen to my instructions."

After Xiao Tianze finished making the arrangements, the elders received their orders and left, and the main hall immediately fell silent.

He sat alone on the throne of the head of the family, his brows furrowed, his fingers constantly rubbing his temples.

Suddenly, his expression changed drastically, and a long spear, entirely crimson and wreathed in flame patterns, appeared in his hand.

Then, with a swift movement, he retreated to the other end of the hall, cautiously peering into the corner.

Beside a stone pillar with a coiled dragon, a figure wearing a bronze mask appeared out of nowhere.

The man stood with his arms crossed, his gaze beneath the mask as cold as a knife.

Xiao Tianze's face was gloomy, and the flame patterns on the Burning Heaven Flame Dragon Spear in his hand became even more intense, with the spear tip pointing directly at Zhou Qing: "What exactly is your intention in trespassing on the important grounds of my Xiao family?"

Zhou Qing stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I came here only to ask you for something. I will leave after I'm done."

"Oh?" A glint flashed in Xiao Tianze's eyes. "What would you like to ask, sir?"

"From your conversation just now, it seems the whereabouts of the Shen family patriarch are still unknown?" Zhou Qing's voice was unreadable.

"Indeed, we haven't found him yet." Xiao Tianze answered while secretly observing the murderous aura surrounding Zhou Qing. Suddenly, he frowned. "Are you from the Blood Pact Pavilion?"

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he asked in return, "The Blood Pact Pavilion is also involved?"

Hearing this question, Xiao Tianze knew he had guessed wrong, and snorted coldly: "I have only heard that the Yan family and the Liu family have issued a bounty over there. As for whether anyone has accepted the order, I have no idea."

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment, then continued, "Based on the clues you currently have, do you know who else in the Shen family is still alive?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tianze's face showed a mocking expression: "Your Excellency, this is a core secret of a prestigious family."

"You think you can extract the results of my Xiao family's investigations over the years with just a few words? You are far too disrespectful to me."

“It was indeed somewhat rude,” Zhou Qing said calmly, “but if you tell the truth, I may consider sparing your life.”

"Spare my life?" Xiao Tianze laughed loudly, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

Before his laughter subsided, his expression changed drastically, and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes: "Fellow Daoist, are you a remnant of the Shen family?"

"Oh? How so?" Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow slightly beneath his mask.

Xiao Tianze sneered, "When you questioned the survivors of the Shen family just now, there was a hint of concern in your tone. I've seen this kind of sentiment far too often when interrogating the remnants of the Shen family over the past few years."

"Are they the people locked up in the dungeon behind the Xiao family's mountain?" Zhou Qing's voice suddenly turned cold.

Xiao Tianze's pupils suddenly contracted: "It seems that you have already searched the souls of my Xiao family's direct descendants."

“We did search a few.” Zhou Qing walked slowly forward, and with each step, the temperature inside the hall dropped a degree.

"We also saw that although the Shen family had fallen apart, there were still many direct descendants and people who had received favors from them scattered in various places who would rather die than submit."

He stopped in his tracks, his voice as cold as ice: "Thanks to your Xiao family, tens of thousands of 'pledges of allegiance' have been sent to the Liu and Yan families over the years, and without exception, all of them have met a tragic end."

Zhou Qing slowly raised his hand, a point of purple-gold lightning condensing at his fingertips: "And right now, you still have hundreds of Shen family members imprisoned in your dungeon, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tianze's face showed a hint of sarcasm: "You understand it quite thoroughly. Indeed, in order for my Xiao family to gain a foothold in Nanhuang Prefecture, there are some things that are beyond our control."

He changed the subject, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "But I'm very curious, where do you get the confidence to threaten the head of a clan like this on the territory of a powerful family, when you are only at the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the hall doors burst open with a roar.

The two elders who had just left returned, each wielding a weapon and exuding murderous intent, and rushed in, instantly surrounding Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing looked around and said calmly, "I heard that the Xiao family patriarch is only at the early stage of the Supreme Realm and is currently traveling around looking for the whereabouts of the Shen family patriarch."

"The Xiao family currently has only a patriarch at the peak of the Spirit Severing Realm and two elders at the later stages."

"What?" Xiao Tianze interrupted with a sneer, "With so many of us, we can't even take care of you, fellow Daoist?"

Zhou Qing shook his head, raised his hand and waved it, and a stream of spiritual energy condensed in the air to form an image of Shen Yunzhou: "I came here today just to confirm whether there have been any clues about him in the past few years."

Upon seeing the portrait, a hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Tianze's eyes: "Shen Yunzhou, the most detestable member of the Shen family? I actually have clues about him, and I almost caught him."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Although reason told him that Shen Yunzhou could not have escaped from Bai Fengyin, the deputy palace master of Tianhuang Palace, who was in the late stage of the Supreme Realm, he still had a sliver of hope in his heart when he returned to his old haunts.

After all, he hadn't seen the body with his own eyes a few years ago.

"Where is he?" Zhou Qing's voice trembled slightly.

(End of this chapter)