The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 462 Mirror of Infernal Flames, Open It!!! (6k)

When Shen Yunzhou rushed into the house and saw that familiar face, he could no longer contain his emotions and burst into tears like a child.

Shen Juefeng slowly opened his eyes, and looking at his son's signature blond hair, his eyes couldn't help but redden.

But she still forced a stern face: "How old are you? Still so spineless!"

Shen Yunzhou rushed to his father's side, tears and snot streaming down his face: "Dad, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Silly child," Shen Juefeng said, fighting back tears, as he reached out and rubbed his head. "It's because your father has wronged you and your siblings too much over the years."

Shen Yunzhou shook his head frantically: "It was my fault for being ignorant. I kept complaining that Father didn't care about us and even hated me. I never expected that."

Shen Juefeng stood up and pulled him up, gently wiping away the tears on his face with his sleeve, and said seriously, "Your eyebrows and eyes look just like your mother's. To be honest, you and your sister have always been your father's pride."

This belated affirmation made Shen Yunzhou unable to hold back any longer, and he hugged his father tightly.

Shen Juefeng chuckled and patted his back gently, his voice hoarse: "I've heard everything from your brother-in-law about what's happened lately. Well done!"

Shen Yunzhou simply nodded vigorously, tightening his grip even more, as if afraid that the person in front of him would disappear if he let go.

Zhou Qing, who was standing quietly to the side, watched this heartwarming scene, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, a long-lost warmth welling up in his heart.

Shen Lieyang gave Zhou Qing a timely wink, and the two quietly slipped out of the house.

"Greetings, Third Uncle." Zhou Qing bowed respectfully.

The word "Uncle" brought Shen Lieyang a great sense of relief, and he quickly helped him up: "I am very pleased that you can put aside past grievances."

He patted Zhou Qing heavily on the shoulder, his eyes gleaming with approval: "Well done with the Xiao and Liu families! You really avenged us!"

"That's all I should do!" Zhou Qing said modestly.

Shen Lieyang sighed: "My original plan was to slowly torture these beasts and make them live in fear for the rest of their lives."

"But your father-in-law has been in a recovery process for the past few years."

He clenched his fist. "I'm not afraid of dying, I'm just afraid that no one will take care of him after I die. I never thought that you would be the one to do this for me in the end."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, and the two remained silent for a moment, standing quietly in the courtyard waiting in tacit understanding.

After an unknown amount of time, the door creaked open.

Shen Yunzhou walked out with red eyes, and immediately rushed over to Zhou Qing in a huff.

Zhou Qing touched his nose guiltily, his gaze shifting uncertainly.

Shen Lieyang couldn't help but laugh out loud—when he found Shen Yunzhou, the kid was covered in immobilization talismans and stood motionless in the inn.

After the talisman was removed, he even tripped and fell because his legs were numb.

"Father is calling you!" Shen Yunzhou finally managed to utter a sentence.

Zhou Qing felt as if he had been granted a pardon and dashed into the house.
In the days that followed, the four of them discussed their revenge plan in the abandoned manor while waiting for Shen Juefeng to recover.

With the help of the Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal, they are expected to recover within one or two months, at which time their chances of winning will greatly increase.

One month later, at dawn, Zhou Qing suggested, "Just in case, I'll go to the inner city to buy some more materials and make a set of three-color array plates for each of you."

He explained, "This array is quite powerful when detonated, and it can be used in crucial moments."

Shen Juefeng glanced at Zhou Qing thoughtfully.

Shen Lieyang wholeheartedly agreed.

Shen Yunzhou immediately jumped up: "Brother-in-law, I'll go with you!"

Zhou Qing gently patted Shen Yunzhou's shoulder: "It's too conspicuous for two people to travel together, and besides, your blond hair is too eye-catching. I'll be right back, it won't delay you."

He then took out a four-colored communication jade slip and waved it, "I found this in your sister's storage bag. You should have a corresponding jade slip too, right? I'll contact you immediately if anything happens."

Shen Yunzhou pursed his lips, but finally nodded: "Then come back soon."

After Zhou Qing's figure disappeared at the end of the mountain path, Shen Yunzhou breathed a long sigh of relief, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

The thought of fighting alongside his father, brother-in-law, and third uncle to avenge his family filled him with excitement.

In particular, the father, Shen Juefeng, has shown a significant improvement in his complexion after this period of recuperation.

He has recovered to the early stage of the Supreme Realm ahead of schedule, but it will take several more days to stabilize.

"We'll set off for the Liu family in two hours," Shen Juefeng suddenly said, his voice steady and powerful.

Shen Lieyang and Shen Yunzhou were both stunned.

"Aren't we going to wait for Zhou Qing?" Shen Lieyang asked, frowning.

Shen Yunzhou's eyes darted around, as if deep in thought: "Father, you don't want to implicate my brother-in-law? After all, this is a feud for our Shen family."

Shen Juefeng walked to the door, looking in the direction Zhou Qing had left, his expression complicated: "It's not that we're afraid of implicating him, but that this kid is afraid of implicating us."

Shen Yunzhou looked bewildered: "What do you mean?"

Shen Lieyang, the third-generation head of the household, immediately understood and his pupils contracted as he asked, "Fourth brother, are you saying that Zhou Qing isn't going to buy materials at all? He's going to the Liu family alone?"

"Hmm." Shen Juefeng nodded heavily.

"No, why?" Shen Yunzhou stamped his feet anxiously.

Shen Juefeng turned around, his gaze deep: "Over the past month, we've discussed so many plans, and each one has obvious flaws."

"As the last bloodline of the Shen family, we cannot afford any mistakes. We must ensure that everything is absolutely safe."

"But what about your brother-in-law?" he said with a wry smile. "He raves about every flawed plan. With his meticulous mind, how could he not see the problems?"

Shen Lieyang nodded thoughtfully: "So these plans are not his real intentions; he has other plans."

“That’s right.” Shen Juefeng sighed. “When you brought him back a month ago, and I advised him to wait until I recovered before taking any action, he agreed too readily. I had a vague idea of ​​what was going on then.”

As he spoke, he looked at Shen Yunzhou: "Do you know why he specifically brought up those four-colored communication jade slips?"

Shen Yunzhou quickly took out his jade slip.

Shen Juefeng took the jade slip and sighed softly: "He chose to leave today and deliberately brought up the jade slip. He's treating us as his last trump card."

“In case the situation changes,” Shen Juefeng said sharply, “at least we can be notified in time.”

"Besides, my injuries have almost healed. A surprise reinforcement might be able to turn the tide of the battle."

Shen Yunzhou looked anxious after hearing this: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go help him right away!"

Shen Juefeng revealed a meaningful smile, took a deep breath, and looked into the distance: "Wait a little longer."

He said softly, "Let that kid act according to his own plan first."

Previously, Zhou Qing insisted on not letting Yun Zhou follow, presumably because he did not want him to see the secret weapon that could deal with the Supreme Realm.

Now, choosing this moment to leave alone is most likely for that thing.

Since he doesn't want them to know, we should be mindful of our actions and respect his decision.

It's not too late for them to act when he sends out a distress signal.

Of course, Shen Juefeng hoped that all of this was just him overthinking things.

"Yi'er, your judgment was indeed correct," Shen Juefeng thought to himself.

……

In fact, just as Shen Juefeng had guessed, not long after, when Zhou Qing reappeared, he was already standing in front of the Liu family's magnificent main gate!

He looked up at the blinding midday sun and a chilling smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

The Liu family could never have imagined that someone would dare to come knocking on their door in broad daylight.

After confirming that everything was ready, Zhou Qing flashed around to the flank and began to break the clan's protective formation.

In a short while, he skillfully opened a rippled entrance that was only wide enough for one person to pass through, and slipped inside.

About an hour later, three figures appeared silently outside the Liu family's gate.

Shen Juefeng stared coldly at the clan's protective array, wondering whether the Shen family's former five-colored array had been taken by the Heavenly Phoenix Palace or the Yan family.
"Conceal your aura with all your might!" Shen Juefeng whispered.

Shen Lieyang and Shen Yunzhou nodded in unison, and the three of them quickly concealed themselves.

Shen Yunzhou gripped the communication jade slip tightly, staring intently at it, afraid of missing any message.
……

Inside the Liu family's reception room, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

Liu Hanchuan sat upright in a carved rosewood armchair, his dark brocade robe making his figure appear even more upright.

He had a refined appearance, yet his brows hinted at authority.

Long, slender fingers gently tapped the teacup, and when the lid was lifted, the amber-colored tea soup rippled slightly.

"Brother Xiao, try this newly arrived Snow Region Immortal Bud." He leisurely blew away the tender buds floating on the tea soup, and wisps of steam rose from the cup.

Across from him, Xiao Juechen, the patriarch of the Xiao family, nervously rubbed his hands together.

His once spirited face now shows signs of vicissitude; he no longer has the leisure to savor tea.

"Brother Liu, please inform him again that I have urgent business to attend to with the Ancestor," Xiao Juechen said urgently.

Liu Hanchuan took a sip of tea, gently closed the lid, and placed it on the table.

He looked up at Xiao Juechen, who was much older than him: "I am aware of the current situation of the Xiao family."

"So Zhou Qing sneaked back from the desolate area and, while you were away, killed the Xiao family patriarch and two elders, is that right?"

Xiao Juechen nodded repeatedly: "That's right! As you know, I was ordered to search for the seriously injured Shen Canghai, and that's why..."

"From what Brother Xiao is saying, are you blaming me?" Liu Hanchuan's brows furrowed suddenly.

Xiao Juechen hurriedly waved his hand: "Absolutely not! How could I dare?"

Liu Hanchuan snorted coldly: "Brother Xiao should know that if it weren't for my Liu family, your Xiao family would still be stuck in some obscure corner."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Xiao Juechen nodded repeatedly.

"To be honest, Zhou Qing had no prior grudges with the Xiao family. His actions this time were due to the Liu and Yan families." Liu Hanchuan's tone softened slightly. "We will naturally remember the sacrifices made by the Xiao family."

Xiao Juechen sighed deeply, his aged face showing even more weariness: "What I fear most now is his elusive revenge. Every member of the Xiao family lives in fear, not even daring to go out to buy groceries, for fear of..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Hanchuan raised his hand to interrupt him: "I understand. But as you can see, this is the state of my Liu family now."

He pointed to the area shrouded in black mist outside the window, saying, "The area of ​​obsession is expanding day by day, and we are too busy to take care of ourselves."

Xiao Juechen's expression shifted between light and dark: "My Xiao family isn't much better off. Most of the main hall has been corrupted by obsessions, so I'm afraid we'll have to find a new location again."

"Let them move then." Liu Hanchuan said indifferently, "Anyway, you've only been in Fifth Tail for five years, and many things are still not perfect."

Xiao Juechen: "..."

"By the way," Liu Hanchuan suddenly changed the subject, "you brought three Spirit Severing Realm cultivators with you this time?"

Xiao Juechen nodded: "They were all afraid of encountering Zhou Qing, so they came with me to avoid danger."

"Perfect." Liu Hanchuan smiled slightly. "My Liu family has lost six members at the Spirit Severing Realm in succession. I have a premonition that the other side will launch another round of retaliation. You should stay here for now, just in case."

"But what about the Xiao family?" Xiao Juechen looked worried.

Liu Hanchuan sneered: "As long as you are here, the Xiao family will remain. The Fifth Tail is nothing but an empty shell."

"Rest assured, as long as the Liu family exists, no one can take away the position of your Xiao family. Among the eight great families, you will always have a place."

Xiao Juechen was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Brother Liu!"

"Can we enjoy our tea now?" Liu Hanchuan picked up his teacup again. Xiao Juechen, beaming, quickly raised his cup: "Drink, drink!"

Then drink it all in one gulp.

Liu Hanchuan shook his head inwardly; this old man was as crude as ever.

Just as he was about to call for someone to add hot water, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly stood up.

"They've arrived." A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

……

And the place where he had personally destroyed the towering ancient willow and killed three members of the Liu family at the Spirit Severing Realm.

At this moment, Zhou Qing had already laid out numerous backup plans here.

In the hazy fog, he squinted, his sharp gaze piercing through the fog and sweeping across the rows of buildings ahead.

Then he exhaled a deep breath, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

He didn't know whether the Shen family patriarch had successfully escaped or had been captured by the Yan family or the Heavenly Phoenix Palace.
If they are really taken away by these two families, how much inside information do the higher-ups of the Liu family know?

He had killed several Spirit Severing Realm experts from the Liu family in succession, but he didn't know exactly who they suspected.

Therefore, all we can do right now is to get straight to the point.

After thinking it through, he took a deep breath, suppressed his cultivation to the mid-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, and then deliberately pretended to be cautious, quietly releasing a wisp of divine sense to investigate.

When his divine sense touched the two powerful auras of the Supreme Realm within the reception hall, he immediately withdrew.

Almost at the same moment, two figures appeared in the sky above the area of ​​obsession.

Amidst the swirling gray fog, Liu Hanchuan's sharp gaze pierced through the mist, meeting Zhou Qing's eyes.

"Zhou Qing?!" Liu Hanchuan was taken aback at first, then his face lit up with joy.

Upon recognizing Zhou Qing's face, Xiao Juechen's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "It's you, you little thief!"

Looking at the appearance of the Xiao family patriarch, Zhou Qing immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

Previously, when the Fifth Tail was planning its operation against the Xiao family, Zhou Qing had already thoroughly investigated the entire Xiao family.

He was especially familiar with the physical characteristics of Xiao Juechen, the patriarch of the Xiao family.

But who could have predicted that during this month-long delay, this old fellow would actually appear in the Liu family's territory?

"What an inauspicious start," he thought to himself with a bitter smile, a wave of bitterness washing over him.

Liu Hanchuan disregarded everything else and immediately began to chant a secret incantation.

In an instant, the space behind him was torn apart by an invisible force, and a hunched figure slowly stepped out.

He was an old man with snow-white hair, skin covered with wrinkles like withered tree bark, and a thin frame that looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

His body was also emanating a strong aura of the five signs of decay.

But in those murky eyes gleamed a chilling light—it was none other than Liu Xuancang, the patriarch of the Liu family.

"Zhou Qing!" Liu Xuancang shouted in a low voice, which, though hoarse, was as loud as a muffled thunderclap.

Zhou Qing looked up at the three Supreme Realm experts in mid-air, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

Even with thorough preparations, facing such a scene still made my heart pound wildly.

He feigned panic and took a step back, as if he were about to flee.

The moment he turned around, Liu Xuancang's cloudy old eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying light.

"Want to escape?"

The hoarse voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, and his withered right hand instantly rose, his five fingers pressing down like hooks—

"boom!"

The entire world seemed to freeze at that moment.

Zhou Qing's body suddenly froze in mid-air, as if he had crashed into an invisible wall.

Immediately afterwards, an unimaginable force descended from the sky, and he crashed down as if struck by a towering mountain.

"Crack!"

The ground of the previously formed crater cracked instantly, and the moment Zhou knelt down, bricks and stones within a radius of ten feet shattered into dust.

His entire skeleton creaked and his muscles trembled violently.

The veins on his forehead bulged like earthworms, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his clothes.

Even more terrifying was the stagnation of spiritual energy within the body. It was as if the meridians of the entire person were frozen, and even the slightest flow of spiritual energy was completely suppressed.

"Is this the terrifying power of the late stage of the Supreme Realm?" Zhou Qing was shocked.

Although I had witnessed Liu Xuancang's power at the Shen family before, it was nothing compared to experiencing this terror firsthand.

"what--"

Zhou Qing suddenly threw his head back and let out a thunderous roar, the veins on his neck bulging.

His eyes were bloodshot, his muscles were taut to the limit, and his skin had an abnormal flush.

As the four-colored flowers in his sea of ​​consciousness circulated rapidly, the originally stagnant spiritual energy in his body suddenly surged wildly through his meridians.

"Open it!"

Click!Click!
The ground beneath his feet immediately cracked into dust, and his knees struggled to leave the ground, only to be pressed back down heavily just as he was about to stand upright.

Blood seeped from between his clenched teeth, dripping down his chin to the ground.

A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Xuancang's cloudy eyes: "He does have some backbone."

Then the withered fingers applied a little more pressure.

"puff!"

Zhou Qing suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his back bent like a bow, but he still stubbornly refused to kneel down completely.

He trembled as he raised his bloodshot eyes, a狰狞 smile twisting his lips:

"Is that all the old man is capable of?"

Every word he uttered seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling ferocity.

A cold glint flashed in Liu Xuancang's eyes, and he took a step forward, his robes fluttering in the wind.

In an instant, it closed to within three meters of Zhou Qing, its withered hand gripping his throat like an eagle's claw.

Liu Hanchuan and Xiao Juechen followed closely behind, their figures moving like lightning, sealing off all of Zhou Qing's escape routes.

At this very moment——

"boom!"

Suddenly, dazzling array patterns lit up the ground, and four pillars of restrictive light—blue, red, white, and black—soared into the sky, like four giant swords reaching for the heavens, surrounding the three of them from all sides.

The array runes swirled wildly, and the immense power of confinement pressed down like a raging torrent, making even the air thick and heavy.

"An array?!" Liu Xuancang's expression changed slightly, and his cloudy pupils suddenly contracted.

He immediately looked around warily, his divine sense spreading out like a tide, trying to find if anyone else was lying in ambush.

—And in that instant when he was distracted!
Zhou Qing suddenly roared, his spiritual power erupting like a volcano, forcefully breaking free from Liu Xuancang's oppressive restraints.

He retreated more than ten feet, and with a flick of his right palm, an ancient bronze mirror appeared in his hand.

The mirror was as deep as an abyss, its edges engraved with obscure and ancient runes, with faint traces of crimson flames.

The ultimate demonic artifact—the [Mirror of Infernal Blaze]!
"puff!"

Without hesitation, Zhou Qing bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood containing his life essence onto the mirror.

The moment the blood droplets touched the mirror surface, they immediately wriggled like living things, seeping into the mirror along the lines.

"Om-!"

The mirror vibrated violently, emitting a teeth-grinding buzzing sound.

The runes on the frame lit up one after another, and the dazzling golden light burst out like the blazing sun, illuminating the entire Obsession Zone as bright as day.

Liu Xuancang suddenly turned around and saw that the space in the center of the mirror was distorted, and a strange red lotus was slowly blooming.

The nine lotus petals were covered with blood-soaked incantations, and a bloodshot, vertical pupil appeared in the heart of the lotus!

"Not good!" Liu Xuancang felt his hair stand on end and almost instinctively grabbed Xiao Juechen beside him, shielding him in front of him!

"What the hell..."

Before Xiao Juechen could react, the crimson vertical pupils in the mirror suddenly opened, and the cold and crazed gaze locked onto him!
This scene made Xiao Juechen feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Do not--!"

Amidst a piercing scream, countless chains burning with black karmic fire shot out from the mirror, instantly binding his limbs and neck, dragging him forcefully into the mirror!
"boom!"

The mirror surface rippled like water, and Xiao Juechen's figure completely disappeared, without even a shred of room to struggle.

Zhou Qing's face was as pale as paper, and his spiritual energy was rapidly draining away.

He gritted his teeth and slammed the four-colored spirit-gathering array he had prepared onto the back of the mirror, forcibly cutting off the devouring power of the Karmic Fire Mirror.

"Suppress the demon!"

He mustered his strength and rapidly formed hand seals. Suddenly, a large golden seal condensed in the sky and crashed down with the power to suppress all things!
"boom--"

Liu Xuancang's eyes were sinister, and his aged face looked particularly ferocious under the golden light.

But he dared not be careless at this moment, after all, he had personally witnessed the power of this inscription-level divine ability when he was in the Shen family.

Without thinking, he suddenly raised both palms to the sky, his sleeves ripped open, revealing arms covered with blue scales.

That's the "Azure Dragon Overturning the Sea Body" cultivated for thousands of years!
"Open it for me!"

He roared, his arm muscles bulging, and he actually used his physical body to withstand the golden seal.

The moment they made contact, the ground within a radius of several dozen feet collapsed with a deafening roar, and spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly.

Liu Xuancang's knees bent, and the ground continued to explode into layers of dust, yet he still stubbornly resisted the ever-pressing imprint.

"Click, click."

The sound of scales cracking was clearly audible, and blood continued to trickle down his trembling arm.

"What are you all standing there for! Take him down!" Liu Xuancang roared, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on his neck like dragons.

Liu Hanchuan was startled out of his shock, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and he transformed into a streak of azure light, rushing straight towards Zhou Qing.

"Crash!"

Ignoring everything else, Zhou Qing seized the moment when Liu Xuancang was suppressed and suddenly manipulated the [Mirror of Infernal Karma] to flip rapidly, causing the mirror to glow brightly red!

"what?!"

Dozens of chains burning with black flames shot out and instantly wrapped around Liu Xuancang's limbs and neck!
The karmic fire on the chains frantically eroded his protective spiritual power, emitting a hissing burning sound!
Before Liu Xuancang's terrified gaze could even change, he was pulled toward the mirror by an irresistible force!

The Taotie pattern on the ancient bronze mirror opened its blood-red eyes again, and ripples spread across the mirror surface, as if opening the gaping maw of an abyss to swallow him inch by inch!

(End of this chapter)