Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 156, 171: Advancing to Peak Master, Crossing Ice and Fire with a Needle (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets, 2527)

Upon hearing the news from Zhao Wuji, Lu Liyan, the master of Xuanji Peak, pondered for a moment, then calculated with his fingers hidden in his sleeve before finally lowering his voice and saying, "Zhong Kui once built a secret chamber underground in the imperial city."

Protected by the 'Nine Palaces Spirit Locking Array', and relying on dragon energy and source crystals, it can barely avoid the troubles of a spiritless environment, thus preventing an unforeseen event from happening one day.

In addition, the two major markets of Qingluo and Huangyun were also places he mainly operated, far away from the mountain gate.

If there is a secret room like that there, hiding inside would indeed make it difficult to find them in the short term.

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed, and he clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your frankness, Peak Master Lu."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I have come here on the orders of the two cave masters. I hope that Peak Master Xuanji will cooperate and hand over the array flags and array tokens of the sect's great array to me, or come with me to the main peak of Linlang to hand them over to the two cave masters."

Upon hearing this, Lu Liyan, the master of Xuanji Peak, trembled slightly with his fingers hidden in his sleeve. After a moment of silence, he glanced at the direction of the distant Linlang Main Peak.

The spiritual pressure there surged, clearly indicating that Yan Lan and Hua Qingshuang had completely taken control of the situation.

He sighed inwardly, a complex look flashing in his eyes, a mixture of resentment and relief.

"So be it..." Lu Liyan's voice was slightly hoarse, and he finally gave a bitter laugh. "I am willing to hand over the array flag and array token... but I beg the two cave masters to consider our fellow disciples and not implicate the innocent disciples of Xuanji Peak."

He untied the array token from his waist, which flew down into Zhao Wuji's hands along with the array flag.

A mountain breeze swept across the summit, and the dozen or so disciples of Xuanji Peak all wore complex expressions.

“The fault lies with Zhong Kui this time, and has nothing to do with the others in the cave.”

Zhao Wuji bowed and said he would not linger any longer. He recalled his Frost Flying Sword, which wrapped around him and transformed him into a streak of sword light as he sped toward the Linlang Main Peak, where the situation was already settled.

After a stick of incense.

Inside the octagonal pavilion on the main peak, Yan Lan set fire to the cave master's throne, then took out the Flaming Sun Stone throne that he had prepared beforehand. He leaned back barefoot on the throne, playing with a wisp of dancing flame with his fingertips, appearing extremely happy.

Hua Qingshuang stood in front of the sand table in the center of the hall, frowning as she deduced the information given by Zhao Wuji.

"Junior Sister Hua, in my opinion, there's no need to rush."

Yan Lan scoffed, "That old fox Zhong has three burrows! He's not so easy to take down, but..."

She suddenly clenched her fist, and the flames exploded into a sky full of sparks. "Now that we have taken control of the cave, we should make full use of the manpower and power advantages of the cave. Why bother to search for it ourselves?"

With this time, you and I should take the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, and with the help of our good junior nephew, make another breakthrough, thus conserving our energy for the future.

"Once we break through, the elders should be able to find Old Ghost Zhong's hiding place."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji also agreed that it made sense.

Otherwise, if the two peak masters did nothing but search for Zhong Kui's whereabouts at various suspected locations every day, they would be led by the nose by Old Ghost Zhong.

Now that he has become the cave master, he should use his power to mobilize the cave's manpower to search for Zhong Kui's whereabouts, while he himself should conserve his energy and strive for a breakthrough.

Seeing that Hua Qingshuang also nodded in agreement, Yan Lan immediately waved her hand, "Pass down the order."

The crimson silk from her sleeve flew out of the palace and exploded into flames in the sky.

A moment later, several deacons and elders rushed over to receive orders.

"Starting today, under the leadership of the stewards of the Affairs Hall, and carrying communication jade tokens, thirty disciples in green robes and ten disciples in blue robes will be dispatched to the secret chambers of the Imperial City and the two major markets to search for Zhong Kui's whereabouts!"

Yan Lan tapped the armrest lightly with her fingers. "Whoever first discovers and provides information on Zhong Kui's whereabouts will be rewarded with a storage bag! The entire team will be awarded 500 Source Crystals!"

Hua Qingshuang nodded slightly and added, "Send another disciple from the Array Formation Hall with an array-breaking talisman to the Imperial City. If the secret room appears, send a message immediately."

She turned to look at Zhao Wuji, a hint of approval flashing in her icy eyes, "Wuji, you have made a great contribution this time. You may choose any of the techniques on the top floor of the Scripture Pavilion to study on your own."

Furthermore, with your current strength, you are more than capable of holding down a peak. I hereby appoint you as the new peak master of Xuanji Peak, in charge of the protective array for the cave heaven!

"Thank you, Peak Master."

Zhao Wuji bowed and accepted the order, but in his heart he didn't take the position of the peak master too seriously.

As long as the two peak masters eliminate Zhong Kui and secure their positions as cave masters, he will be just as comfortable even if he doesn't become a peak master.

After everyone accepted the order and withdrew, they quickly went to investigate Zhong Kui's whereabouts.

Zhao Wuji then took out the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus and a bottle of Level 4 Spirit Essence Liquid and handed them to Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan.

"I never expected that you not only collected this Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, but you actually obtained a Level 4 Spirit Essence Liquid."

Yan Lan looked surprised, her beautiful eyes fixed on Hua Qingshuang as she said, "With this extra bottle of Spirit Essence Liquid, we will have a better chance of breaking through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm."

She glanced at Zhao Wuji, a smile escaping her red lips, "Good nephew, you've really given us a big surprise this time."

Zhao Wuji cupped his hands and looked at Hua Qingshuang with a solemn expression, saying, "This fourth-level spirit marrow liquid was also obtained from those mysterious dynasty cultivators. I even brought out the corpse of one of them."

There are some discoveries that I must inform you, Peak Master.

"Oh?" Hua Qingshuang's cool eyes showed surprise. A thought flashed through her mind, and she had already guessed what was going on. Her expression gradually became serious. "What is it?"

Zhao Wuji opened the storage bag and pulled out the corpse of a female cultivator in black armor.

The moment they removed each other's masks, both Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan were surprised, and their expressions gradually became suspicious.

"This woman..." Yan Lan's gaze swept over the female corpse on the ground and Hua Qingshuang's face with surprise and suspicion, then looked at Zhao Wuji and said uncertainly.

"This woman seems to resemble Junior Sister Hua somewhat?"

"That's right! And, her surname is also Hua."

Zhao Wuji's words were startling, causing Hua Qingshuang's expression to change drastically.

He then recounted in detail the various circumstances of his encounter with the dynasty cultivators within the secret realm.

When talking about the third senior sister who looked even more like her, the cultivators of the dynasty all referred to Hua Lengyun as a senior.

Finally, Hua Qingshuang frowned, pacing around the female corpse as she examined it, a cold glint in her eyes. "According to what you're saying, Wuji, it seems my father didn't die back then, but was captured by this so-called mysterious dynasty and is still alive?"

Zhao Wuji nodded, "There is a high probability of that. According to the confessions of the Dynasty cultivators I interrogated, it was your father who found the teleportation channel in that level-four spiritual vein."

Moreover, within that dynasty, people with the surname Hua seemed to hold a rather prestigious position; the Hua clan appeared to be a large and powerful family.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect Junior Sister Hua to have such a powerful background? It seems to be some cultivation family in another state?"

Yan Lan suddenly clapped her hands and laughed, then her eyes flashed, "But if Senior Hua did not perish, why has he never returned all these years?"
You should know that your peak master hasn't had a good time these past eleven years."

Upon hearing this, Hua Qingshuang's usually cold eyes flickered as she looked at Zhao Wuji.

“This is also what I’ve been wondering about,” Zhao Wuji shook his head and said, “Those dynasty cultivators were all under a restriction, and I couldn’t get any crucial clues out of them.”

Now it seems that Senior Hua has some unspeakable secret, after all, judging from the message in the sword intent he left behind back then, he seems to have been forcibly bound and taken away.”

"Hmm," Hua Qingshuang nodded slightly, her heart palpitations subsiding somewhat, and she felt much better.

She also agreed with the result, and an idea gradually began to take shape in her mind.

However, this idea can only be implemented after Zhong Kui is found and the cave is stabilized.

He immediately said, "We can discuss the matter of this mysterious dynasty after we find Zhong Kui. For now, I'd like to take the Yin-Yang Twin Flowers with your Uncle Yan to break through, just in case things get complicated."

“That’s right! Old Ghost Zhong’s injuries won’t heal in a short time, but we can use the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus to help him recover quickly.”

Yan Lan took the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, its petals half black and half white, exuding the aura of Yin and Yang.

She tossed the white lotus petal to Hua Qingshuang, then clutched the black lotus petal herself, her red lips curving into a sharp arc. "Once we both reach the mid-stage of the Condensation Realm, even if Old Ghost Zhong hides in the far south and escapes to the Central Plains, we'll make sure his soul is scattered!"

After saying that, she glanced at Zhao Wuji and chuckled, "Little Doctor Wuji, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again this time to assist me with my family's golden needle technique."

"However, after this, your peak master and I will be able to completely refine the cold and fire poisons, and fully master the Nine Revolutions Primordial Chaos Technique. We will no longer be afraid of that old ghost Zhong finding fault with our technique."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji bowed and said, "I am willing to serve you two cave masters with utmost loyalty!"

"Haha, I still prefer to hear you call me Master Uncle."

Yan Lan laughed unrestrainedly, then suddenly spun around, her fiery red robes billowing like blooming spider lilies. Barefoot, she stepped into the air, her jade-like fingers lightly hooking, "Then come quickly."

Zhao Wuji looked at Hua Qingshuang.

The aloof and detached peak master nodded slightly.

at the same time.

Deep within a secret area of ​​the Xuan Kingdom's imperial palace, a surge of crimson dragon energy billowed like mist within the dark interior.

Zhong Kui sat cross-legged in the center of the Dragon Pool, his robes soaked with cold sweat.

He dug his five fingers deep into the dragon marrow at the bottom of the pool inside the room. Streams of golden-red dragon energy surged into his body along his meridians, but most of it dissipated at the wound on his left shoulder, turning into wisps of black energy that escaped.

"cough--"

A mouthful of blood spurted onto the edge of the Dragon Pool, instantly absorbed by the dark patterns at the bottom. Zhong Kui stared at the spot where the bloodstain had disappeared and sneered, "What a Song Dynasty martial artist! He actually managed to injure my Primordial Golden Body." "And those two little snakes..."

The sense of vicissitude and coldness in the depths of his eyes grew even more solemn. He quickly took a deep breath, his gaze falling on the pool in front of him, his eyes revealing fear and struggle.

The dragon marrow at the bottom of the pool is less than 30% of its peak strength, and it is turbid like blood mixed with sand.

In this degenerate age, even the dragon energy accumulated by the royal family has become a mere resource for prolonging their existence.

But at this moment, he couldn't care less about anything else, and lay down in the pool to begin healing his wounds.

Almost the instant he lay down in the Dragon Pool.

Not far away, the Dragon Spirit Grottoes suddenly trembled slightly.

Deep within the grotto, in the river of dragon energy, the runes on the eighteen dragon-locking pillars flicker intermittently.

The chains of the central dragon-locking pillar, which sealed the gray-white stone dragon, rattled, and the scarlet aura at the reverse scales seemed to writhe like living creatures.

But then, a ghostly green flame flickered and ignited in the stone dragon's empty eye sockets, and a suffocating atmosphere filled the cave.

The dragon's head slowly rose three inches, and as its stone jaws opened and closed, a hoarse, metallic breathing, mixed with decay and dragon might, was heard.

With each slight increase in the dragon's head, the chains tightened further.

The stone skin on the surface of the pillar peeled off in a rustling sound, revealing the dark red dragon scales inside, which looked like flesh and blood.

Between the scales, dense royal runes could be faintly seen. With a muffled "thump," it was as if some enormous creature was turning over deep in the Dragon Qi River, about to awaken from some kind of unconscious state.

The main peak of Linlang is deep within the Octagonal Pavilion.

The hall, draped with crimson silk, was filled with a mist of interwoven ice and fire, as if the yin and yang energies were converging there.

Under the glow of the lanterns hanging from the ceiling, Yan Lan leaned against the blazing sun stone couch, the black lotus petals having transformed into a wisp of yin fire that entered his dantian.

Her red lips parted slightly as she exhaled a wisp of burning breath, her robe half-fallen to her shoulders, revealing large patches of crimson fire patterns spreading across her snow-white skin.

The patterns flowed like lava, scorching the air and causing it to distort slightly.

Hua Qingshuang sat cross-legged on the warm jade couch, the white lotus petals like frost seeping into her heart, her plain white inner garment soaked through by the cold poison, faintly revealing the icy blue veins flowing beneath her skin.

The cold air condensed into tiny ice crystals around her, which slowly dissipated with her breath.

Zhao Wuji stood in the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two peak masters. The golden needles in his sleeves were already poised to be fired, and he dared not relax for a moment.

His spiritual energy was already at its peak, ready to deal with any possible anomalies.

Suddenly, an extremely powerful aura erupted from Yan Lan and Hua Qingshuang.

"Wuji, make your move!"

Yan Lan made a hand seal with her fingertips, and the fire poison in her body suddenly surged, burning her waist and causing her to arch.

Crimson flames flared on her snow-white skin like boiling magma, and a suppressed groan escaped from her red lips.

"Alright! Master Uncle, please pay attention, I'm about to administer acupuncture!"

Zhao Wuji's gaze sharpened, and the golden needles in his sleeve shot out like dragons, their tails trembling like bees, scattering golden light and drawing mysterious trajectories in the air.

"Ten Dragons Playing with a Phoenix!"

Nine golden needles were inserted into the two people's major acupoints, such as Tianshu and Zhiyang. The last needle was suspended and not released, like a dragon's head looking down, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The moment the needle pierced through, the yin and yang energies suddenly connected, and the mist of ice and fire intertwined in the bedchamber surged violently!

"Ok!"

Hua Qingshuang suddenly tilted her head back, her black hair flying as her icy eyes flashed with a sharp light. The cold poison was quickly refined under the stimulation of the golden needles, and with the spiritual power of the Yin Lotus, the speed of spiritual power circulation in her body increased threefold!
Her slender hands gripped the edge of the warm jade couch tightly, her knuckles turning white, and the icy blue veins glowing inch by inch, actually condensing into frosty patterns on the surface of her skin.

Yan Lan, however, was still not satisfied. Her red lips curled up, and a red ribbon flew out, wrapping around Zhao Wuji's wrist: "Good nephew, isn't this 'Ten Dragons Playing with Phoenix' just one needle missing?"

Suddenly, three inches of crimson flame erupted from the fire patterns on her back. "Come on, finish that 'Phoenix Nod' for your senior master!"

Zhao Wuji was helpless. After giving this senior uncle acupuncture treatment so many times, the other party was almost always unsatisfied and had even figured out his acupuncture techniques.

"it is good!"

His wrist suddenly jerked!
"laugh!"

The suspended golden needle pierced Yan Lan's Dazhui acupoint with a resounding thud, and the needle's tail trembled violently, emitting a clear and melodious phoenix cry.

"Uh!"

Yan Lan's delicate body trembled violently as she let out a low cry. The fire poison erupted like molten lava, but under the guidance of the Phoenix Needle Technique, it gradually and perfectly blended with the medicinal power of Yang Lian, and was rapidly refined.

She couldn't help but let out a long, joyful cry, and the fire patterns and crimson flames around her transformed into a phoenix phantom, spreading its wings and letting out a long cry.

Together with the chilling aura emanating from Hua Qingshuang beside them, they seemed to complement each other like a fiery phoenix and an icy dragon.

The moment the two extreme forces collided, the entire palace shook violently.

Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan's auras rose steadily, suddenly breaking through a certain barrier, and an incomparably powerful spiritual force spread out instantly.

He broke through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm 30% faster than expected!
However, after their breakthrough, the two of them had flushed faces due to the excessive spiritual energy within their bodies.

Yan Lan's spiritual energy flickered erratically: "Even the ripples of spiritual energy from my breakthrough can't extend more than three zhang. This damned end of the Dharma world."

Hua Qingshuang gathered her strength to seal off the leaking spiritual power: "Be careful what you say. There is no spiritual energy in the outside world. If it weren't for Wuji finding the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus in the secret realm, we would not know when we would break through. We cannot afford to waste this opportunity."

Both of them tried their best to suppress and forcibly restrain the refining of spiritual energy.

However, this remaining spiritual energy was quite powerful. With several hissing sounds, the golden needles stuck in the two people were all shaken away.

The robes rippled, revealing a glimpse of purple and red gold threads.

"what happened!?"

Zhao Wuji was immediately shocked. The spiritual energy of these two people was very unstable, and he was afraid that something might happen to the two peak masters.

"The medicinal power and the fire poison are too... too abundant, they're about to burst me! I... I can't take it anymore!"

A dangerous glint flashed in Yan Lan's eyes. Suddenly, she raised her hand and wrapped a red ribbon around Zhao Wuji's wrist: "Good nephew, your spiritual power is too strong and cannot be wasted. Why don't you help us share some of it? Let us empower you!"

Before the words were finished, Hua Qingshuang, who was forcibly suppressing the refining process, tacitly waved her sleeve.

The Yantai Terrace and the Nuanyu Bed beneath the two began to rotate simultaneously.

The two exerted their strength simultaneously, and the white and red ribbons wrapped around Zhao Wuji's body, pulling the unsuspecting Zhao Wuji into the center of the vortex of spiritual energy where ice and fire merged.

"What is this, two peak masters? Hmm!"

Zhao Wuji had one arm bound by a red ribbon and the other by a white ribbon, sandwiched between the two men.

Before they could react, they felt two completely different spiritual energies pour into their bodies like a torrent along the red and white silk.

Yan Lan's fire elemental power was intense and domineering, while Hua Qingshuang's ice elemental power was cool and enduring. When the two were combined, they formed a perfect cycle in his meridians.

The next instant, the Yan Yang Terrace and the Nuan Yu Ta simultaneously contracted and collided.

Zhao Wuji's bound body fell to the ground with a thud.

"Snapped!!"

Four pale arms landed on his back and chest from two directions.

"Don't speak," Yan Lan's red lips were close to his eyes, her breath like fire, and a pair of hot, delicate hands pressed against his chest. "Concentrate on circulating your cultivation technique."

Behind him, Hua Qingshuang remained silent, but a rare tenderness flashed in her icy eyes as she gently pressed her cold, delicate hands against his vital acupoints on the back.

The two women exerted their power simultaneously, beginning the process of transmitting energy to the head.

Under the overwhelming spiritual energy of the contrasting ice and fire, Zhao Wuji felt as if his entire body had been infused with the fierce power of the two peak masters, and his meridians were being tempered.

He was already close to breaking through the ninth level of Qi Induction, and he broke through it in an instant.

However, what was even more astonishing was that the residual spiritual power of the two peak masters after their breakthroughs continued to pour in, as if it were about to burst his body apart!

"Ugh!!" Zhao Wuji couldn't help but let out a low shout.

At this perfect moment of spiritual energy fusion, a rapid bell suddenly rang out from outside the octagonal building, and immediately a steward approached to report.

"Reporting to the two cave masters! Zhong Kui has been spotted outside the secret chamber of the Imperial City!"

However, two majestic shouts, one in ice and one in fire, rang out simultaneously.

"Don't come in!"

"Wait outside!"
(End of this chapter)