Chapter 136: My Fourth Brother Really Needs to Fire-Drain (6k)

"Understood, perhaps we can extract some extremely valuable treasures from his mind sea. I'll handle these Golden Core cultivators later!" Zhou Qing whispered.

Yan Xiaohu immediately replied, "Isn't that too risky? He's nothing like that previous guy, and the battle noises around us are dangerously close—if we don't finish quickly, we'll expose our position!"

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Zhou Qing gripped his broken sword tightly.

With that, Yan Xiaohu said no more, silently shifting his stance to carefully observe the positioning of the dozen Golden Core cultivators, ensuring none could escape.

Upon hearing that the Taiqing Sect had been ambushed, Yuan Ya's pale face instantly turned hopeless.

Yes, Ji Ying and Huang Xiu, deliberately released, must have told the Taiqing Sect it was the Golden Thunder Sect that attacked.

But they didn’t know the Cangyan Dao Palace had already set up an ambush halfway—just who could she turn to for help?

It’s been three days already, and not a single ally has arrived—have the other major sects truly abandoned the Qingyu Immortal Sect?

"Your head is worth at least two thousand points. I’ll keep your Yuan Ying as a prized collection—after all, you are quite a beauty!"

As Meng Xing spoke, he involuntarily licked his lips, his mind filled with vile thoughts, then let out a grotesque, deranged laugh.

"The disciples of Qingyu Immortal Sect would rather die than become prisoners—you’ll never get your wish!"

Yuan Ya cursed fiercely, her entire aura instantly surging into chaos.

Seeing the danger, Meng Xing swiftly waved his hand—a crimson light, like a sentient serpent, coiled around Yuan Ya, suppressing her explosive power.

"I’ve been expecting this trick—wait, do you all just love self-destructing? All my collected treasures look like this—I just don’t get you people..."

Meng Xing shook his head, watching Yuan Ya collapse to the ground, writhing in agony with desperate eyes, and moved forward to sever her head and extract her Nascent Soul.

Zhou Qing scanned the surroundings again, gave Yan Xiaohu a subtle nod, then suddenly called out, "Senior Brother Meng—"

Meng Xing froze instantly, his gaze shooting toward Zhou Qing like lightning; in an instant, he seemed to understand, flicked his finger lightly, and a mid-grade spirit stone emitting a soft glow landed on the ground.

"You two have done an invaluable job—keep this mid-grade spirit stone as your reward!" Meng Xing’s tone carried arrogance and condescension.

Zhou Qing wore a sycophantic smile, stepped forward quickly to pick up the spirit stone, and moved closer to Meng Xing, saying, "Senior Brother Meng, you misunderstand—I didn’t come here for a reward."

Meng Xing frowned slightly, as if pondering, then said after a moment, "Which squad are you from? Who’s your squad leader? If you have any issues, have him come directly to me."

At this point, the two were less than a meter apart; Zhou Qing clearly felt the surging spiritual energy radiating from Meng Xing.

Zhou Qing’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, then he chuckled, "Senior Brother Meng, what’s your Yuan Ying enhancement?"

“What?” Meng Xing froze, seemingly not understanding the meaning of those words.

Zhou Qing said, "Honestly, I’m not good at ambushes—it’s not exactly honorable. But you guys had the numbers, right? As long as the result is good, no one cares about the method."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qing moved instantly—his body surged forward without hesitation, the broken sword erupting in blinding cold light as it stabbed straight for Meng Xing’s throat.

With a wet thud, the broken sword pierced cleanly through his throat—but strangely, not a single drop of blood spilled forth.

In the next instant, Meng Xing’s body split into afterimages, as if dividing—another identical figure stepped out from his physical form.

Then his face twisted in horror; he instinctively clutched his neck, while the body pierced by Zhou Qing deflated like a punctured leather sack, collapsing limply to the ground.

Zhou Qing’s pupils contracted sharply—what an eerie Yuan Ying enhancement! It was almost like a substitute life talisman.

At that moment, everyone present stood frozen in shock, even Yuan Ya, who had been struggling on the ground, froze in place.

Everything happened too fast—so fast that no one had time to comprehend what had just occurred.

Yan Xiaohu no longer concealed his power—he instantly ascended to mid-stage Yuan Ying, spiritual energy surging as his figure flickered like a phantom, dashing among the nearby Golden Core cultivators and launching a one-sided massacre.

Zhou Qing snapped back to reality, silver light flashing beneath his feet as he lightly tapped the ground and closed in again.

"Who are you really?" Meng Xing finally reacted, desperately trying to retreat, his voice trembling with panic and fury.

Zhou Qing ignored him, unleashing his full Nascent Soul cultivation base without restraint; the broken sword slashed through the air in a strange arc, striking again toward Meng Xing’s heart.

Meng Xing frantically formed hand seals, and instantly a spiritual energy shield materialized before him.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing instantly changed tactics.

He retracted his right hand, pulling back the broken sword—it was razor-sharp, but useless against spiritual shields.

Instead, he gathered all his spiritual energy into his left fist, which blazed with brilliant light; he roared, and his left fist smashed forward like a bamboo pole splitting apart, striking the shield with full force.

With a crack, the shield suddenly showed fine fissures.

Meng Xing’s face turned ashen.

Seizing this perfect chance to close in, Zhou Qing’s left fist glowed faintly with searing light, and within the glow echoed a cry like that of the Jin Wu—ancient, primal, echoing from the primordial void.

Under this overwhelming force, the shield before Meng Xing shattered violently, dissolving into countless specks of spiritual light.

"Try using your Yuan Ying enhancement again!" Zhou Qing sneered, his right hand twisting the broken sword like a serpent, slicing it across Meng Xing’s neck.

With a soft hiss, a thin line of blood burst open, blood gushing forth like a fountain.

Feeling the searing pain in his neck, Meng Xing felt an unprecedented terror surge through him.

For the first time in his life, he truly felt the breath of death—he clutched his neck, spun around, and fled in utter panic, completely abandoning his former arrogance.

Zhou Qing wouldn’t give him a chance—he immediately sprinted after him at top speed.

By now, Yan Xiaohu had already slain seven Golden Core cultivators; the remaining five were utterly terrified, especially after seeing Meng Xing wounded and fleeing—they scattered in blind panic, crawling and stumbling in every direction.

Seeing this, Yan Xiaohu dashed forward, freed Yuan Ya from her bindings, and pulled a pill from his pouch, handing it to her.

"Take care of those two!"

Without delay, he chased after the other three.

Yuan Ya stared blankly at the pill in her hand, then suddenly understood.

Those two men were either impostors from her own sect—or the vanguard of reinforcements.

Oh heavens, she had almost killed her own people.

Filled with renewed determination, she ignored everything else, swallowed the pill immediately, her face hardening with murderous intent as she locked onto the two fleeing northeast and charged after them with her sword.

In the distance, thunder roared violently, and sword qi whirled like a dragon.

Instantly, a head fell from the sky amid a rain of blood; Zhou Qing moved like lightning, snatching the fleeing Yuan Ying out of midair.

Then he vanished swiftly.

Returning to the scene, he found neither Yan Xiaohu nor Yuan Ya—only Meng Xing’s wounded Yuan Ying, begging for mercy on the ground. Zhou Qing sneered and immediately initiated soul-searching.

Zhou Qing despised such cowardly, twisted psychopaths who bullied the weak and cowered before the strong.

But as he delved deeper into the soul-searching, his frown deepened.

The humanoid puppets infiltrating Qingyu Immortal Sect numbered over four thousand—weak ones at Golden Core, the strongest even at the Nascent Soul stage.

Though only three of them, each possessed terrifying combat power capable of fighting three opponents at once—truly chilling.

And this was only a fraction—the true elite puppets had already followed Sikong Yan to ambush the Taiqing Sect.

The exact number remained unknown.

Zhou Qing swallowed hard—Cangyan Dao Palace had clearly been planning this for years, in secret.

This was going to be a serious problem.

Soon, Yan Xiaohu returned excitedly, looking at the corpses at Zhou Qing’s feet with deep admiration.

"What so-called Five Prodigies? They’re all garbage compared to my younger brother!" Yan Xiaohu declared loudly, brimming with pride.

Zhou Qing’s expression turned grave; he tossed Meng Xing’s Yuan Ying to Yan Xiaohu, who, as he performed soul-searching, his face gradually grew serious.

"Thank heavens our Sect Master didn’t believe that old fool Xuanji—otherwise, the Taiqing Sect would’ve been finished!" Yan Xiaohu said, still shaken.

Zhou Qing nodded: "But I wonder where those eighteen people went?"

At that moment, Yan Xiaohu sensed something and turned—Yuan Ya returned, drenched in blood.

"Should we disguise our appearance?" Yan Xiaohu whispered.

Zhou Qing paused, then shook his head: "First, ask her if she knows where Xuan You Immortal is."

The two whispered rapidly; Yuan Ya immediately landed, her legs buckling as she collapsed to her knees.

Yan Xiaohu rushed forward to support her: "Sister Yuan Ya, you don’t need to be so formal."

Yuan Ya, unusually blushing, forced herself upright and bowed respectfully to the two: "Thank you both, young brothers—may I ask who you are?"

"I’m Zhang San from Taiqing Sect, and this is my younger brother Li Si!" Yan Xiaohu quickly introduced them.

Hearing they were from Taiqing Sect, Yuan Ya’s eyes instantly brightened.

"You didn’t get ambushed?" she asked urgently.

Yan Xiaohu shook his head proudly: "Do you think those Cangyan Dao Palace bastards can outsmart our Sect Master? Don’t be ridiculous—reinforcements are already on the way!"

Hearing this, Yuan Ya was overjoyed—but then she remembered her master dying to protect her escape, never seeing the reinforcements arrive, and tears welled up as she quietly wept.

Then her gaze fell on Meng Xing’s corpse; rage filled her heart. She seized her sword and charged like a madwoman, stabbing the corpse repeatedly, blood splattering everywhere in a gruesome scene.

"Sister, it’s unnecessary—" Yan Xiaohu hurried to stop her.

Yuan Ya was lost in madness; spotting Meng Xing’s nearly lifeless Yuan Ying, she snatched it up and began biting into it with her teeth, wild and horrifying.

This man, along with others, had conspired to dismember her master in the cruelest way possible.

Only when her master’s spiritual core self-exploded did she gain the chance to escape.

After venting her fury, Yuan Ya’s tightly wound nerves snapped—her body went limp, collapsing completely.

Her eyes were hollow and vacant, tears and blood mingling down her face in streaked trails.

Yan Xiaohu knew Zhou Qing couldn’t reveal his identity yet, so he stepped forward gently and comforted her: "Sister, it’s all over now. We’re on a secret mission from our elders to find Xuan You Immortal—do you know where she is now?"

Hearing this, Yuan Ya wiped her tears, forced herself upright, and weakly said, "I know—but before that, I still need to confirm your identities."

Yan Xiaohu nodded and handed her his identity token: "All the Golden Thunder Sect members now are impostors—this token isn’t reliable, but Xuan You Immortal recognizes us."

Yuan Ya examined the token, then nodded: "Fine, I believe you. Follow me."

Seeing this, Zhou Qing’s face lit up; he quickly pulled out his own token, pretending to check it, and said to Yan Xiaohu: "Senior Brother, I just received a message—Younger Brother Zhou Qing is rushing here. I have urgent business—I’ll leave first."

Yan Xiao understood instantly, grasping Zhou Qing’s intent, and nodded quickly: “Alright, younger brother, be extra careful.”

Then Zhou Qing bowed to Yuan Ya and swiftly departed.

Yan Xiaohu turned to Yuan Ya: "Sister Yuan Ya, could you wait a moment?"

Yuan Ya nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she asked: "Is it the Younger Brother Zhou Qing who helped us so much at the Five Sects Exchange Fair?"

Yan Xiao Hu laughed: “That’s him. By the way, when we Taiqingmen sent so many people to help, including me, why do you only remember Zhou Qing?”

Yuan Ya’s face flushed with embarrassment—there was nothing to be done, he was simply more famous.

But wasn’t it said his Golden Core was crushed? Last time, the Sect Master even brought Cui Yingying and others to visit him.

How did he come to such a dangerous place?

As if sensing Yuan Ya’s confusion, Yan Xiao Hu said: “My younger brother has now cultivated an extremely powerful body refinement technique—ordinary people can’t even get close to him. Don’t look down on body cultivators; his abs are carved like blocks, his stance rock-solid, and he’s been itching for someone to let off steam every day.”

“Let off… steam?” Yuan Ya froze.

Yan Xiao Hu said: “Exactly. His fire is burning fierce. Though he’s lost his spiritual power and can’t use any divine arts, when he heard you were in trouble, he insisted on coming with me to help. After this is over, you’ll have to help him out.”

Yuan Ya, already at Nascent Soul mid-stage, was no naive maiden—she instantly understood the hidden meaning in Yan Xiao Hu’s words.

Of course, she was deeply moved that Zhou Qing had come to aid them.

She nodded afterward: “Rest assured, I’ll make arrangements after this.”

"Third Brother, what are you talking about?" At that moment, a figure sprinted toward them from afar; though still distant, Yuan Ya felt a scorching aura rushing toward her.

Indeed, his fire was even fiercer.

Too bad he wore a mask, hiding his true face.

Probably took a hard blow.

“Let me introduce you—this is Yuan Ya, Senior Sister Yuan. This is Zhou Qing!” Yan Xiao Hu quickly changed the subject.

They bowed to each other, formally meeting.

“Then let’s not delay—we must hurry and deliver this good news to the Sect Master and the others!” Yuan Ya said eagerly.

Without further hesitation, the three dashed off toward a specific direction…

Meanwhile, at the Shanmen of Cangyan Dao Palace!

To prevent the barrier from shattering due to passive attacks, the disciples left behind at Cangyan Dao Palace poured out en masse to buy time for their Sect Master’s reinforcements.

Meanwhile, the core and true transmission disciples of Taiqingmen fought fiercely—blade glints and sword flashes crisscrossed, magic treasures blazed in chaotic light, and battle cries shook heaven and earth.

The six Supreme Elders stood solemnly in midair, overseeing the battlefield, their gazes blazing as they watched every corner, ever vigilant against sudden attacks from those ancient foes.

“Retreat!” After glancing at the sky, Duanmu Shu and others decisively ordered withdrawal.

He Han and the others obeyed instantly, swiftly and orderly carrying the bodies of Taiqingmen’s fallen disciples back onto their ships, then speeding away.

The Cangyan Dao Palace forces watched the enemy retreat but dared not pursue rashly—yet their cheers rose in waves.

To prevent a feigned retreat and counterattack, they hurried to repair the damaged barrier.

Soon after, a vast fleet of Cangyan Dao Palace warships surged across the horizon like dark clouds blotting out the sun.

The returning Elders showed no great surprise upon hearing that Taiqingmen had departed.

After all, it was all foreseen by their Sect Master—she had merely brought back one-third of their strength as a precaution.

Meanwhile, the Sect Master herself led the remaining two-thirds, pressing forward without pause toward Qingyu Immortal Sect, ready to strike decisively and crush it completely.

…………

Inside Qingyu Immortal Sect, chaos reigned.

Yuan Ya led Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu along secluded paths, hurrying forward, often hiding their forms until the figures soaring overhead passed far away, then continuing their stealthy advance.

Passing before the ruins of a grand hall, they saw a group of Qingyu Immortal Sect female disciples trapped in a sea of fire, surrounded by the raucous laughter of “Jin Leizong” members, who mercilessly attacked them.

Seeing this, Yuan Ya’s eyes burned with rage, her fists clenched tight, yet she could only shed silent tears before swiftly leading the two away.

“Our Qingyu Immortal Sect has two zones: Inner and Outer. A few days ago, the Sect Master was injured and hurried into the Inner Sect; several Supreme Elders followed, then activated the healing array.”

“But no one expected that, that very night, a Soul Transformation Elder stormed in and immediately self-destructed. The Sect Master was instantly gravely wounded and fell unconscious; several Supreme Elders suffered backlash from the array, each sustaining varying degrees of injury.”

“At the same time, traitors launched a surprise attack on the barrier guards, colluding with external enemies to open the Shanmen. Our Qingyu Immortal Sect was suddenly leaderless and could only respond hastily—otherwise, how could we have fallen to this state?”

As she hurried forward, Yuan Ya explained to Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu, her face filled with fury.

The two understood at once—of course! Qingyu Immortal Sect was one of the Five Great Sects; how could it have been overrun so quickly?

Moreover, most of Cangyan Dao Palace’s strength hadn’t even appeared—initially, it had seemed only Jin Leizong was attacking; many familiar powerful figures had never shown themselves.

Yan Xiao Hu asked: “If the Xuanyou Sect Master is injured, why didn’t she immediately reinforce the Shanmen barrier? For a Sect Master to be injured is already a terrible omen.”

Yuan Ya replied: “You don’t know—every year around this time, the Sect Master enters the Inner Sect to heal. I don’t know what’s wrong with her—perhaps she was exploring some secret realm.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu exchanged glances—they understood at once.

Looks like she’s had a relapse.

Then again, according to Second Uncle, when he faked his death and left, Xuanyou Xianzi had just joined the sect, suffering from a grave illness, and had no choice but to cultivate a forbidden technique.

That technique could save a life and accelerate cultivation rapidly—but it completely severed any future path to advancement.

And when she came to Taiqingmen, Second Uncle had pulled Zhou Qing aside to sneak a peek through the window—back then, she was indeed enduring unimaginable torment.

Yuan Ya didn’t notice their expressions and continued: “The incident happened too suddenly. The Supreme Elders had no choice but to seal off the Inner Sect and focus entirely on healing, then issued orders: hold out for seven days.”

“It’s only been three days, and the Outer Sect is already like this—there’s no way we can hold out until day seven.”

Seeing everything once familiar around them reduced to rubble, Yuan Ya’s eyes turned bloodshot, nearly bleeding.

“This morning, we accidentally discovered someone we knew—and realized these weren’t Jin Leizong forces at all, but Cangyan Dao Palace in disguise. To get me out to seek aid, my Master, she…”

Yuan Ya broke into sobs, unable to continue.

The two could only sigh softly, offering quiet comfort.

About half an hour later, without Yuan Ya’s introduction, the two saw a shimmering barrier, its light rippling over a vast mountain range.

This must be the Inner Sect of Qingyu Immortal Sect.

Outside the barrier, “Jin Leizong” and other powerful figures relentlessly bombarded it, while the disciples who had retreated inside looked exhausted, desperately repairing the barrier to maintain this final line of defense.

The ones shouting insults, calling them cowards, were none other than the Jin Leizong Sect Master and his two Deputy Sect Masters.

It seems this place has also been concealed by Heavenly Mechanism Art.

Zhou Qing searched carefully and soon spotted a faint glow emanating from the center of the Jin Leizong assault force—unfortunately, it was heavily protected, its full form impossible to discern.

But it must be this object that created the illusion.

“How do we get in?” Zhou Qing asked.

Yuan Ya said: “Follow me!”

The three crept around in a wide circle until they reached a secluded spot.

“Brother Zhang San, please unleash your full strength and strike!” Yuan Ya looked at Yan Xiao Hu and pointed at the barrier.

(End of Chapter)