Chapter 131: Rescue Request from Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong (6k)

As a scorching energy entered his abdomen, Zhou Qing suddenly glimpsed a colossal golden crow, its entire body wreathed in golden flames that seemed capable of reducing all things to ash.

Its outstretched wings blotted out the sky and sun; with each beat, endless storms of fire roared and swept behind it.

It was nearly identical to the golden crow conjured by the Jin Wu Fan used by Second Uncle back then.

But as the appraisal had indicated, the divine essence within the blood was almost entirely gone, having been fully returned to the crocodile king's scales.

And precisely because of this, Zhou Qing could assimilate it—otherwise, with his current cultivation base, try assimilating a single drop of pure golden crow blood?

Exploding or being burned to death would be the least of it.

Soon, Zhou Qing's consciousness saw the golden crow standing still atop a lake formed entirely of flame, its body trembling slightly as the surrounding flames surged into it like living things.

It flapped its wings, and mysterious runes flickered forth from between them, intertwining and merging until they gradually formed an unusual pattern of movement.

In a daze, he seemed to become the golden crow himself, and his spiritual power began to flow along this same trajectory.

Some ancient, obscure characters slowly surfaced.

"The sun rises in radiance; spiritual essence resides in the heart. Guide the soul to summon flame, absorb the essence of fire," these were the opening words of the Jin Wu Scorches the Heavens Scripture.

As the incantation progressed, he seemed to see the golden crow unfurl its dazzling golden wings, driving his internal spiritual power into a surging torrent of flame that raced ceaselessly through his meridians.

"Flame surges, burning away all impurities; gathering fire into an abyss, the body becomes a kiln; the Scorches the Heavens Art reverses yin and yang…"

These characters glowed with golden light, each one seemingly imbued with boundless power and profound meaning, deeply etched into Zhou Qing's spiritual sense.

At this moment, Zhou Qing was utterly immersed, forgetting all outside matters, fully absorbing the secrets of the golden crow's secret art…

Several days later, Yan Xiaohu scrutinized Zhou Qing with suspicion.

"Is the Flame Yang Mighty Body Scripture really this powerful? Why does just getting near you feel like facing a burning furnace?" Yan Xiaohu couldn't help asking.

Zhou Qing smiled without answering—this Jin Wu Scorches the Heavens Scripture was truly an extraordinary inherited technique. He'd previously thought the Three Forms of the Azure Thunder Sword Art were hard to master, but compared to this divine art, they were incomparable.

After all, this cultivation transcends species; with his current talent, he hadn't even entered the threshold yet, which alone revealed just how difficult its cultivation truly was.

"I think Lu Lu Shimei is right—you really need to vent some heat. Look at all these pimples on your face, you're burning up!" Yan Xiaohu gave his advice with complete seriousness.

Zhou Qing touched his face and smiled: "It's fine—now there are only a few left."

Thank goodness Yan Xiaohu hadn't come by a few days ago; otherwise, he'd have been stunned beyond words.

The good part was that as the petals absorbed the fire poison, they left no scars—otherwise, with a face full of pockmarks, he'd have been called "Zhou Pockmarks" from now on.

"What do you want?" Zhou Qing asked.

Yan Xiaohu looked embarrassed. "Swimming."

"Swimming?" Zhou Qing froze.

Yan Xiaohu quickly sat down. "Look, Zhou Shixiong, I've been broke lately. I came up with several ideas hoping to make a fortune, but ended up losing everything—dragging Niu Niu Guangmo and the others down with me into eating dust and drinking wind."

"Now I've got no choice—I thought we could go back to the back of Shenyue Peak, maybe catch a couple of Ice Soul Shadow-Scaled Fish. You've got better luck; last time you caught two outright. And you can vent your heat too."

Zhou Qing thought for a moment. "Actually, I'd considered the same thing—but beneath that lake lies the meditation chamber of a Supreme Elder. Aren't you afraid of her?"

Yan Xiaohu's expression changed slightly, then he sighed deeply. "Compared to saving face, I'd rather have money—especially with several brothers waiting for me."

Zhou Qing nodded. "Alright, let's go try our luck again…"

DONG! DONG! DONG…

Before Zhou Qing could finish, a sharp, thunderous bell rang out across heaven and earth.

Both men's faces changed instantly; they ran outside.

Above, waves of energy converged relentlessly; as far as the eye could see, nearly every peak was enveloped.

As the final bell toll faded, Zhou Qing's face grew grim: "Eight rings. This alarm only sounds when the sect faces grave crisis—just one more ring, and it would signal existential doom."

Yan Xiaohu immediately pulled out his identity token, but before he could ask his master, Mo Mo Xingjian's voice echoed in their ears.

"Come to Shenyue Peak immediately!"

Yan Xiaohu said, "Something major's happened—I'll take you!"

He then dashed toward Shenyue Peak with Zhou Qing, and along the way, countless streaks of light surged toward the mountain gate, filling them with dread—what on earth had occurred?

When they arrived at Shenyue Peak's plaza, they found multiple core disciples and peak masters already gathered, and at the center stood over a hundred disciples dressed in Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong robes.

Cui Cui Yingying, whom Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu knew well, was among them.

But now they supported each other, gasping for breath, faces streaked with blood—as if they'd just survived a life-or-death battle.

Seeing this, both men's expressions changed, and they immediately sought out Mo Mo Xingjian.

"Master—" they rushed over.

But Mo Mo Xingjian shook his head slightly, gesturing toward the front.

At that moment, Cui Cui Yingying and the others all knelt, including the two Nascent Soul Elders ahead.

"Please, Grand Master Cao, save Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong! If we wait any longer, it'll be too late!" they cried in anguish.

Cao Cao Zhengyang frowned, stepping forward to help them up—but Ling Ling Yuexiao, Peak Master of Baizhan, gave him a warning glance.

Better to be cautious now!

He stepped forward himself and lifted them up.

"Brother Ji Ying, Brother Huang Xiu, don't panic. Tell us slowly—what happened?" Ling Ling Yuexiao said.

The Nascent Soul Elder known as Ji Ying had bloodshot eyes, his expression furious: "It was Jin Lei Sect—they launched a surprise attack on our sect! Not just them, but another unknown force, traitors, and those traitors…"

Ji Ying's eyes filled with tears, his rage overwhelming.

Everyone's faces turned pale.

Jin Lei Sect?

How could this be?

Were the Five Great Sects of the Eastern Region about to be completely reshuffled?

"Tell us slowly…" Ling Ling Yuexiao, snapping back to himself, urged.

But Ji Ying trembled with rage; instead, the other Nascent Soul Elder, Huang Xiu, wiped his tears and spoke: "It began last night, past midnight. I was the Elder guarding the mountain's barrier seal. Everything was normal at first—but I never expected, never expected…"

Huang Xiu had barely spoken two sentences before his fists clenched white, his knuckles turning bone-pale, his mind instantly returning to that bloody scene.

"Brother Ling, retreat!"

As everyone leaned in, eager to hear more, Cao Cao Zhengyang suddenly shouted, yanking Ling Ling Yuexiao back.

Before anyone could react, he roared, and a massive sealing force erupted from his palm.

At first, the sealing force appeared as a slender golden thread—but in an instant, it swelled violently into a colossal blue beast.

The beast was transparent, and with one gulp, it swallowed all the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong disciples in the center of the plaza.

"Get out now!" Cao Cao Zhengyang cried urgently.

But everything happened too fast—even Zhou Qing and the others, let alone the peak masters present, were momentarily stunned.

"Premonition of Danger"—Mo Mo Xingjian suddenly stared at Cao Cao Zhengyang.

Because when the Sect Master had entered Nascent Soul, he had awakened the Premonition of Danger—a sense that could detect life-or-death threats two to three breaths before they struck.

In the next instant, Ji Ying and Huang Xiu, the two Nascent Soul Elders within the transparent barrier, wore expressions of sheer terror—their spiritual power surged uncontrollably, gathering at a terrifying speed.

"This… this is self-destruction!" Mo Mo Xingjian shouted, instantly grabbing Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu and fleeing far away.

The other peak masters reacted swiftly, pulling their disciples back and immediately activating their strongest defensive techniques.

The hundred-plus Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong disciples inside the barrier stared in disbelief at the two Elders ahead.

In an instant, Ji Ying and Huang Xiu chose self-destruction.

A blinding flash of light illuminated the entire Shenyue Peak, followed by a terrifying energy shockwave—like the detonation of a star's core—that swept outward with unstoppable force.

The blue beast swelled violently, roaring to the heavens, its body cracking with fissures as if about to explode.

Cao Cao Zhengyang's face turned ashen; he spat blood, his hands frantically adjusting the sealing seals.

"Leave immediately!" Mo Mo Xingjian told the two, then immediately infused his own spiritual power into the seal.

"Take it beyond the mountain!" Elder Duanmu Shu and several other Tai Shan Elders tore open space and rushed out, joining forces to stabilize the blue beast's barrier.

Two Nascent Soul Elders self-destructing was already terrifying—but there seemed to be another, extremely subtle force hidden within.

Other peak masters rushed to assist; in moments, multiple beams of light converged into a colossal spiritual vortex.

Together, the group slowly began compressing the energy storm within the seal.

PUFF—

But in the next instant, Mo Mo Xingjian's face changed drastically. He spun around, seized a man beside Cao Cao Zhengyang, and clamped his arms around him like iron tongs. Then, with a light tap of his toe, he shot skyward like an arrow released from a bow.

BOOM!

In the next moment, a blinding flash erupted in the sky; violent energy surged outward, instantly scattering the clouds above into nothingness.

The ground below suffered a massive impact—dust exploded upward, stone pillars and slabs were flung into the air, nearby trees were uprooted, their branches and leaves shredded into powder by the energy.

"Master—"

Witnessing this, Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu's eyes burned red with anguish; they could no longer hold back and rushed forward—only to see Mo Mo Xingjian fall from the sky, face as white as paper, blood staining his lips, clothes torn.

He immediately shook his head slightly toward Zhou Qing, his eyes filled with warning—telling him not to act rashly, lest he expose himself.

"Brother Mo—"

"Brother Mo, are you alright?"

"What exactly happened?"

The peak masters, continuously pouring spiritual power into the seal, shouted anxiously in unison.

Mo Mo Xingjian coughed uncontrollably, his voice weak: "When I saw the two Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong Elders self-destruct, I realized they didn't even know what was happening—I immediately looked toward Liu Long."

Liu Long, a Nascent Soul Great Completion cultivator, was normally responsible for conveying Grand Master Cao Cao Zhengyang's orders and handling daily affairs.

Just moments ago, he had hurriedly informed all peak masters, claiming Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong had apparently been annihilated, the situation dire beyond measure, and ordered all peak masters to immediately gather their core disciples to witness the details and prepare for subsequent changes.

Had Grand Master Cao Cao Zhengyang not sensed the danger in advance and contained the explosive energy, all the Nascent Soul and Jin Dan core disciples gathered around would have suffered catastrophic losses.

This wasn't about letting them learn the situation—it was a plan to wipe them all out in one stroke.

If it were only these peak masters, their self-explosion energy, if avoided in time, would at most cause minor injuries.

Would the enemy go through such elaborate trouble to manipulate two rare Soul Transformation experts into self-destructing, just to put on a dazzling fireworks show for us?

Clearly not. Thus, the key must lie with Liu Long. He forged the Sect Master's orders and colluded with the enemy from within, orchestrating this entire scheme.

As expected, Mo Mo Xingjian immediately turned his gaze toward Liu Long, who was jointly maintaining the sealing force.

Liu Long's eyes flickered uncertainly, filled with inner turmoil; finally, as if making a sudden decision, he turned to Cao Cao Zhengyang, who was pouring all his spiritual power and soul force into maintaining the seal, his gaze revealing madness, and in an instant, his spiritual energy surged wildly and chaotically.

Perhaps this very situation had been within his calculations all along.

After all, he had followed Cao Cao Zhengyang for years—how could he not understand Cao Cao Zhengyang's Soul Transformation realm?

Once the "Early Warning Realm" had been activated once, the next time it sensed danger, it would require at least five hours to recover—and five hours was more than enough for him.

A near-absolute Nascent Soul expert suddenly self-exploded, while Cao Cao Zhengyang, utterly unprepared and having expended nearly all his spiritual and soul power to maintain the seal—under such circumstances, the outcome was obvious.

If he failed, Cao Cao Zhengyang would be directly exposed to the self-explosion impacts of the two Soul Transformation experts. This meticulously planned chain of events, even if Cao Cao Zhengyang somehow survived, would leave him with catastrophic injuries, nearly at his limit.

No—there were also these peak masters, hall masters, and the Supreme Elders.

At that point, Taiqingmen would be left leaderless. Such a scheme was nothing short of venomous.

Thus, Mo Mo Xingjian, who had immediately sensed the danger, was powerless to stop the explosion and could only, without hesitation, embrace him and rush straight into the sky, where the explosion finally erupted high above.

After hearing Mo Mo Xingjian's words, everyone involuntarily drew a sharp breath, their expressions grave; Gao Xuan also frowned deeply, his face filled with worry.

"Thank you!" Cao Cao Zhengyang's face was full of gratitude.

Mo Mo Xingjian shook his head slightly and said softly: "Given this situation, they must have long planned this, delaying only because of the Four Flowers Converging on the Crown. Now that matters have just settled, they've rushed to deliver this 'gift'."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded solemnly; a strong sense of urgency quietly took root and spread through their hearts.

Liu Long—someone they knew so well—had simply exploded without warning, acting with such finality, showing not the slightest mercy.

Also among them were Gu Tao, Chief of the Mission Hall, and Cao Wei, Deputy Director of the Spirit Field Bureau.

Who else in Taiqingmen, holding key positions, had been quietly turned?

What benefits had the enemy offered them to make them betray so willingly?

How had Taiqingmen ever wronged them?

"Forget these thoughts for now—quickly work together to move us out. Mo younger brother, rest and recover first, and keep a sharp eye on your surroundings!" Cao Cao Zhengyang ordered.

Mo Mo Xingjian nodded, indicating he understood.

"Master—"

Zhou Qing, seeing Mo Mo Xingjian's condition, felt a pang of heartache and rushed to his side, secretly pulling out a broken supreme fire spirit stone and handing it to him.

Mo Mo Xingjian paused slightly, then quickly shook his head, signaling Zhou Qing to put it away immediately.

"Don't worry—I'm fine!" Mo Mo Xingjian reassured him, then immediately rose into the air, fully alert and vigilant.

Yan Yan Xiaohu also hurried over, gesturing for him not to worry.

"Zhou Shixiong, everyone's watching," Lu Lu Yaoyao said, appearing beside him unexpectedly.

Zhou Qing clenched his fists tightly, watching as everyone collectively pushed the terrifying explosion energy slowly toward the sect's outer boundary.

The only one he could now focus on was Gao Xuan.

Ever since that man had given him that book, he had grown increasingly unable to understand him.

Time passed slowly; under everyone's tense gazes, they finally united to carry the energy sphere beyond the sect's borders.

Soon after, a deafening explosion roared from afar—even within the sect's protective barrier, everyone was shaken, their eardrums aching.

Immediately after, a blinding light shot skyward, vaporizing everything it touched.

The continuous mountain ranges collapsed violently; countless massive rocks were hurled into the air, then rained down, carving out enormous craters.

The energy storm surged like a tidal wave, raging outward in all directions…

Watching this near-cataclysmic scene, everyone's faces were grim, filled with both relief at survival and burning fury.

As Zhou Qing and the others exhaled in relief, sorrow welled up within them.

They had just witnessed Cui Cui Yingying, a core disciple, caught in the explosion—so insignificant against the two Soul Transformation experts' self-destruction, reduced instantly to ash.

"Is war coming?" Lu Lu Yaoyao couldn't help asking.

Zhou Qing and the others fell silent.

Perhaps it was. After all, that peaceful life was slipping away from them.

Soon after, Cao Cao Zhengyang and the others flew back rapidly.

"Send people immediately to investigate Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong's situation."

"Contact the people at Jin Lei Sect—find out what's going on."

"Notify all disciples on missions: protect yourselves, do not return now—beware ambushes on the way."

"Arrest all other confirmed moles from rival sects within the sect, and interrogate them collectively."

………

Orders kept coming; the alarm bell rang nine times in succession; Taiqingmen instantly mobilized, entering full combat readiness at once.

"Zhou Shixiong, be careful!" Lu Lu Yaoyao warned, then hurried off with He Han and the others.

Zhou Qing and Yan Yan Xiaohu also obeyed, racing back to Xiao Ling Peak to rally everyone in preparation for what lay ahead.

Only by afternoon did Mo Mo Xingjian return, exhausted.

"Master—" the two rushed forward.

Mo Mo Xingjian waved his hand: "According to the scouts' reports, Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong has already fallen—Jin Lei Sect was the attacker."

Hearing this, the two still could not believe it.

Zhou Qing immediately asked: "Could the other mysterious force be Jin Lei Sect?"

Mo Mo Xingjian shook his head: "Not yet certain. The force allied with Jin Lei Sect isn't Cangyan Dao Palace—it's another mysterious faction. They strike ruthlessly and act decisively; their origin remains unknown."

"What about Xuan You and the others?" Yan Yan Xiaohu asked urgently.

Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong was one of the Five Great Sects—how could it be overrun in just one day?

Mo Mo Xingjian said gravely: "The sect's protective barrier was opened from within, and the attack came in the dead of night, catching everyone completely off guard."

"Though Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong has fallen, its territory is vast—much of its strength still resists fiercely. The full situation remains unclear."

Zhou Qing frowned deeply in worry: "But if the sect gate is controlled, it's like trapping a turtle in a jar—total annihilation is only a matter of time. What does the Sect Master intend? Will he send aid?"

Mo Mo Xingjian slowly shook his head: "We don't know yet. The Sect Master fears the enemy has already set a trap, waiting for us to walk right in."

The two exchanged glances—this was now an open, undeniable strategy.

Send aid, and you face hidden traps ahead—Cangyan Dao Palace hasn't even moved yet. If they feign retreat to lure us out and strike our home, we'll be caught between two fires.

Don't send aid, and Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong—the only ally we can truly trust—will be destroyed, instantly shattering the balance among the Five Great Sects.

When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. The next target, even a fool could guess, is Taiqingmen.

Are we to ally with Tianji Sect, which has virtually no combat strength?

"Right now, the Sect Master is working desperately to identify this other faction—and why they're aiding Jin Lei Sect in attacking Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong…" Mo Mo Xingjian's words were cut short as he suddenly pulled out his identity token.

The message was from Cao Cao Zhengyang: he had received word from Tianji Sect's Sect Master, Master Xuanji Zi, asking what they should do.

Tianji Sect was the weakest—once the five-way balance collapsed, they would be the first to perish.

"Don't wander off anywhere—I'm going to Shen Zhen Yue Peak again!" Mo Mo Xingjian instructed, then hurried off once more.

Zhou Qing and Yan Yan Xiaohu exchanged glances—they could only wait now.

"What do you think?" Yan Yan Xiaohu asked Zhou Qing.

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(End of Chapter)