Chapter 143: Oh My God, I

Soon, Zhou Qing helped Shi Zhen to her feet, while Yan Xiao Hu carried the puppet, and the group left the cave immediately.

As soon as they rose into the air, they saw many people curiously surrounding the mountain villa, followed by a deafening roar coming from the cave.

Without hesitation, they swiftly departed.

Fortunately, they proceeded with caution and made no unnecessary delays, taking five days to return safely to their sect.

"Shi Zhen—" Tong Min, the peak master of Jade Clear Peak, spotted Shi Zhen returning and rushed down in frantic concern.

With her came Pei Yan, the senior disciple of Jade Clear Peak.

Originally, after assisting Pei Yan in completing her mission, Shi Zhen learned of the five sects' war and planned to seize the opportunity to accumulate points for spirit stones.

After all, she couldn't use Zhou Qing's Nascent Soul Pill without repaying the debt.

But she never expected that shortly after parting from Senior Sister Pei, she encountered Blood Bone Elder and was captured.

Shortly after returning to the sect, Pei Yan received word from Jiang Pu, Elder of the Soul Lantern Tower, that Shi Zhen's soul lantern was in an extremely weak state.

Pei Yan was instantly frantic, preparing to set out immediately to search for her—only to find Shi Zhen had returned safely, filling her with joy.

"It was Young Master Zhou and Young Master Yan who saved me!" Shi Zhen said.

Zhou Qing smiled faintly; Yan Xiao Hu immediately puffed out his chest, beaming with pride.

"Thank you," Tong Min said sincerely, her gaze lingering on Zhou Qing, unable to help but marvel at how this boy always brought unexpected surprises.

Last time she was deeply impressed was when Zhou Qing developed sleepwalking and wandered aimlessly onto her Jade Clear Peak—she had to personally escort him back.

"We're family, Elder, no need for thanks!" Yan Xiao Hu grinned.

Zhou Qing nodded along, then turned to Shi Zhen: "Senior Sister, we'll take our leave—we have urgent matters to discuss with Master."

Shi Zhen softly replied, "Mm."

Previously, it was Senior Brother Ghost Hound who saved her once; when she went searching for the missing Qingyu Immortal Sect disciples, it was Zhou Qing who recognized her first.

Then he generously gifted her the Nascent Soul Pill, and now these two brothers risked their lives again to rescue her—this debt, Shi Zhen felt, she could never repay in a lifetime.

Soon after, Mo Xingjian finished viewing the recorded stone and his expression turned grave.

These puppets were crafted using such inhumane methods.

If that array could continuously produce them, wouldn't it mean the Cangyan Dao Palace could soon assemble an army of puppets capable of fighting three-to-one?

For other sects, this would be utter annihilation.

"Is this Song Yuan's Nascent Soul?" When he heard the second piece of news, Mo Xingjian's face filled with disbelief.

The sect had previously gathered intelligence on the Five Prodigies; Song Yuan, though young, had already reached the Nascent Soul late stage and even slain a full-stage expert by crossing realms—truly gifted.

But his cultivation path had been too smooth these past decades, making him arrogant and unrestrained.

Yet now, seeing the Nascent Soul Zhou Qing presented, Mo Xingjian still felt as if he were dreaming.

Zhou Qing merely nodded slightly: "Lucky."

Mo Xingjian's face twitched—this you call luck?

Look at Song Yuan's Nascent Soul—its eyes rolled back, as if still cursing.

But soon, a look of pride and relief appeared on his face.

His disciple, the Four Flowers at the Crown, was meticulous, formidable in battle, and now truly emerging as a powerful cultivator—how could he not be proud?

"Well done!" Mo Xingjian couldn't help but praise.

Yan Xiao Hu immediately said: "Don't forget me!"

"What did you accomplish?" Mo Xingjian asked.

Yan Xiao Hu puffed his chest: "All those minor thugs were handled by me alone—"

But mid-sentence, he suddenly realized something, frowning.

Wait—why do I feel like I did nothing this time, yet ended up badly injured?

Zhou Qing smiled and wrapped an arm around Yan Xiao Hu's shoulder, explaining to Mo Xingjian: "Song Yuan's death was thanks to Third Brother covering for me—otherwise, I couldn't have caught him off guard. Third Brother also fought desperately to hold back Blood Bone, buying me time."

Hearing this, Yan Xiao Hu's eyes welled with tears, gazing at Zhou Qing with deep gratitude.

I knew I had contributed—I just hadn't remembered exactly what I did.

"And we killed Meng Xing, one of the Five Prodigies!" Yan Xiao Hu suddenly remembered, quickly adding.

Mo Xingjian froze, then stared in shock: "You killed Meng Xing too?"

They'd only heard Meng Xing died inside Qingyu Immortal Sect—but not who did it.

"You did it?" Mo Xingjian asked again, stunned.

Thinking back, that was the time they sneaked into Qingyu Immortal Sect.

Yan Xiao Hu shook his head: "Not me—Fourth Brother did it. I handled the minor thugs—"

As soon as he said it, Yan Xiao Hu realized his mistake, silently turning away to wipe his eyes.

Has my brain been damaged lately?

Why did I make myself look so foolish?

Zhou Qing quickly stepped in: "If Third Brother hadn't held off the others, I couldn't have killed Meng Xing so smoothly."

Mo Xingjian waved his hand: "I understand, I understand—brothers should work in perfect sync. Go rest now. I must deliver this recorded stone and the puppets to the Sect Master immediately—this can't wait."

With that, Mo Xingjian hurried off.

Yan Xiao Hu sniffled, suddenly overwhelmed by a crushing sense of defeat.

Two attempts at heroism, and now a lifetime of introversion!

Zhou Qing didn't know how to comfort him, so he said: "The remaining three Prodigies—all of them are yours."

"Don't joke," Yan Xiao Hu said gloomily. "They're all Nascent Soul full-stage. He turned and walked away without looking back.

Zhou Qing could only sigh and shake his head, then returned to his quarters with the old hen.

Days later, the recorded stone footage of Zhou Qing spread wildly across countless sects in the Eastern Region.

Everyone who saw it felt a chill run down their spine.

If such heartless people ever seized control of the other major sects, wouldn't they all become lambs awaiting slaughter?

After all, even if they submitted, no puppet ever demanded rewards.

Suddenly, many began secretly contacting the Three Major Sects, offering allegiance and promising aid at the right moment.

Of course, some were so terrified by the footage they dared not pick a side.

Even some began evacuating the Eastern Region, heading toward Lingyun Prefecture—nothing more than seeking safety.

Meanwhile, the Cangyan Dao Palace never responded to any external criticism or condemnation.

Their indifference suggested they cared nothing for public opinion—this attitude only deepened other sects' dread.

At the same time, Qingyu Immortal Sect and Jin Leizong, preparing for possible threats, spent enormous resources to acquire three small teleportation arrays from the Wanxiang Auction House in Lingyun Prefecture.

These small arrays were nothing like the massive ones in Lingyun Prefecture capable of transporting entire districts—they could only carry five or six people at a time.

After coordinating with Taiqingmen, the three sects installed these three arrays.

Connected by the arrays, the three sects formed a tripod, allowing instant mutual support against the overwhelming pressure from the Cangyan Dao Palace's puppets.

The one who delivered and installed the three arrays was none other than the familiar Fu Kui.

After all, these items were extremely valuable—costing 150 supreme spirit stones—and met the auction house's escort requirements; no carelessness was allowed.

After installing the arrays, Fu Kui sought Zhou Qing but learned he was in seclusion due to injury.

He left a message with Yan Xiao Hu: Zhang Wanbao was delighted to hear Zhou Qing's cultivation had recovered, since returning home, the boy had been searching tirelessly for herbs to repair his Golden Core.

"Fu Elder, thank you for passing on my gratitude to Brother Wanbao—I'll visit him with Fourth Brother when I have time!" Yan Xiao Hu said.

Fu Kui nodded, then turned to Cao Zhengyang and added: "Keep your five sects fighting—don't end it too soon."

Cao Zhengyang's pupils contracted—he immediately recalled the three paintings sent by Imperial Prince Xuan Yuan Yichen.

He bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Elder."

After Fu Kui left, Zhou Qing dared to emerge.

Facing a super-strong cultivator suspected to be at the Cutting Spirit realm, he couldn't be sure his Void Realm Manifestation could hide his true cultivation.

"Brother Zhang Wanbao? Worth every bit of friendship!" Zhou Qing said, relieved.

Yan Xiao Hu nodded in agreement: "I wonder if your 'lure-and-capture' trick still works? Last time, after the Four Flowers arrived, Xiao Cancan gave that little fat guy a look full of resentment."

Thinking of it, both burst into laughter.

Then Zhou Qing's expression turned grave.

What did Fu Kui's final warning mean? What did he know?

In the following days, Zhou Qing continued studying the Jin Wu Burn Heaven Scripture—currently only at minor accomplishment, yet during his battle with Song Yuan, it brought him unexpected advantages.

If he could reach the grand accomplishment level like the Silver Dragon Hand, Silver Dragon Step, or Cangleijianjue, its power would be extraordinary.

The best test subjects were the simulated wandering souls in the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace.

As for Lu Yaoyao, she had gone out with Second Brother He Han and had become truly formidable, growing into a true cultivator.

Today, Yan Xiao Hu suddenly appeared outside Zhou Qing's quarters, yelling loudly and startling Zhou Qing just as he was about to take the hen out.

When Zhou Qing opened the gate, Yan Xiao Hu stared at him with a look of deep grievance.

"Why? Why—" Yan Xiao Hu grabbed Zhou Qing's arm and shook it violently, filled with grievance and resentment.

At their feet, the old hen stared at the big boots and began pecking them vigorously.

"What now?" Zhou Qing asked, confused—what was Third Brother up to this time?

Yan Xiao Hu angrily handed him a jade slip, fuming: "This is the Cangyan Dao Palace's latest kill list—look, you're ranked in the top ten! There are only a hundred names total, and they didn't even mention me! They're completely disrespecting Knife King Yan Xiao Hu!"

Zhou Qing quickly took it and probed it with his spiritual sense.

His eyes widened instantly, filled with astonishment.

Because the first name on the kill list was none other than Senior Brother Ghost Hound.

【Ghost Hound: Chief disciple of Xiao Ling Peak, Taiqingmen, Nascent Soul realm peak, wields a black long spear, ruthless in battle, has preliminarily grasped a certain realm of understanding; at least forty-seven Nascent Soul cultivators have died by his hand.】

【Reward: Fifteen supreme spirit stones, plus one Five-Element spirit stone.】

"Senior Brother is still in the Eastern Region? I thought he'd already left Lingyun Prefecture," Zhou Qing said, delighted upon reading the description.

And he's slain so many Nascent Soul cultivators—unbelievable.

"Senior Sister Two!"

And the second name on the list? None other than Senior Sister Two, Luo Lingling.

【Luo Lingling: Disciple of Xiao Ling Peak, Taiqingmen, Nascent Soul realm peak; this woman acts with extreme caution, and her weapons are bizarre and varied, leaving opponents helpless to defend.】

【Likely has also preliminarily grasped a certain realm of understanding; at least forty-three Nascent Soul cultivators have died by her hand.】

【Reward: Thirteen supreme spirit stones, plus one Five-Element spirit stone.】

It seems this chaos among the Five Sects may truly be an opportunity for them—perhaps even a chance to advance prematurely into Soul Transformation.

Further down, the list featured prodigies from Jin Leizong and Qingyu Immortal Sect; at ninth place, Zhou Qing even saw Li Daoxuan's name.

After he obtained a large quantity of Flame Spirit Blood Paste, Li Daoxuan left alone to cultivate and seek his own realm of understanding—and no word has come since.

Who would have thought that now, fifteen Nascent Soul cultivators have fallen to him? Clearly, his journey has been richly rewarding.

Then, as Zhou Qing's gaze fell upon the tenth position, he froze.

【Zhou Qing: Disciple of Xiao Ling Peak, Taiqingmen; suspected to be late Foundation Establishment, but combat prowess is extraordinary—likely possesses some secret technique allowing him to temporarily boost himself to early Nascent Soul, excels in poison, fond of chasing chickens, and extremely cunning.】

【Song Yuan and Meng Xing, two of the Five Prodigies of Cangyan Dao Palace, both died by his hand.】

【Reward: Two supreme spirit stones.】

Reading the description of himself, Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow, torn between laughter and frustration.

We're all from Xiao Ling Peak—Senior Brother is ruthless, Senior Sister two is cautious, but why is my description just "cunning"?

The distinction in personality traits is too stark.

And skilled in poison?

This clearly came from the Blood Bone who escaped from Youhuang City.

Song Yuan's death? Many witnessed it—he even shouted his name publicly to save face, so the news spreading is natural.

But how did they know Meng Xing was killed by me?

Even Yuan Ya of Qingyu Immortal Sect still believes it was Li Si—who's already dead.

I only told Master about this.

Yan Xiao Hu looked miserable, fuming as he complained.

"See? You're tenth! A reward of two supreme spirit stones! You've slain five Soul Transformation prodigies alone—a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Of our Xiao Ling Peak's four core disciples, three are in the top ten!"

"But me? Not even top hundred! Even the old hen made the list—am I worse than a chicken? When we went out with Master, I killed several Nascent Soul cultivators too! Unfair! Totally unfair!"

Yan Xiao Hu protested bitterly.

"They only count what they know," Zhou Qing said, frowning. "Senior Brother, this is a kill list—meant for thousands of sects across the Eastern Region. You think it's an honor?"

"If a Soul Transformation elder sees this list and quietly eliminates a few names, he could easily pocket dozens of supreme spirit stones."

Zhou Qing spoke with visible concern.

With this list out, everyone on it must now tread with extreme caution.

But it also proves Cangyan Dao Palace is truly enraged—every name in the top nine is Nascent Soul peak.

Even those below me? All Nascent Soul cultivators without exception.

Yet I'm just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet I'm placed tenth—right there, glaringly obvious—and the reward is so generous.

Who do you think outsiders will target first when they get this list?

"I don't care! In chaotic times, heroes rise! You're all famous now—I, Dao Ba Yan Xiao Hu, want to make my name echo across the Eastern Region!" Yan Xiao Hu insisted, neck stiff with defiance.

Zhou Qing sighed, teasing: "That's easy. Cangyan Dao Palace still has three Prodigies left. I killed two of the weakest and landed tenth. If you kill the remaining three, you'll surely leap into the top three."

Yan Xiao Hu: "..."

Just like poking a sore spot.

Zhou Qing looked again at the list: "Even if Cangyan Dao Palace merged with Tianji Men, they wouldn't have this many Nascent Soul cultivators. Looks like they included the humanoid puppets too."

【Heart Insight +9】

【Heart Insight +9】

【Heart Insight +9】

………

The next moment, system prompts kept chiming in Zhou Qing's ear until the eighth chime finally stopped.

Zhou Qing was stunned, instinctively glancing at Senior Brother—his title remained unchanged.

Then he looked at the list in his hand and let out a bitter laugh—he understood.

It seems everyone he'd bound, except Second Uncle, had seen this list.

With a thought, his personal panel appeared.

【Name: Zhou Qing】

【Age: Twenty-two】

【Cultivation: Nascent Soul realm early】

【Cultivation Method: Yin-Yang Scripture】

【Talent Skills: One Insight Per Day,】

【Heart Insight Vision—LV4 (211/400),】

【Reduce Presence—LV4 (11/100)】】

【Skill Fragments: 2/3 (unobtainable)】

His talent skill 【Heart Insight Vision】 still had two slots unbound—yet it had already reached half capacity so quickly.

The new skill fragment can only be obtained by leveling up 【Reduce Presence】.

At that moment, a figure arrived—it was Master Mo Xingjian.

Sure enough, his original title 【Extraordinarily Insightful Disciple】 had changed to 【Emerging Talent】.

"Come on, come on! Today, Master treats you all to a meal at Yushan Hall!" Mo Xingjian laughed heartily, beaming.

Three of his disciples were in the top ten of the Kill List—how could he not be delighted?

All he wanted now was to boast, to show everyone how outstanding his disciples were.

"No!" Yan Xiao Hu refused immediately.

Mo Xingjian glanced at him, deliberately saying: "I didn't ask you."

Yan Xiao Hu: "..."

"Oh? Trying to goad me? Fine—you don't want me to go? I'll go, and I'll order the most expensive dishes!" Yan Xiao Hu declared at once.

Zhou Qing then asked: "Master, about Meng Xing's death..."

Mo Xingjian looked embarrassed: "Ah, I just mentioned it offhand to the Sect Master—he went and spread it everywhere. It's all my fault..."

"But that doesn't match the timeline of my cultivation recovery," Zhou Qing quickly said.

Mo Xingjian waved his hand dismissively: "No problem. I already explained to the Sect Master—I said you stumbled upon the ruin earlier, and after your recovery, you kept a low profile. They didn't question it."

Well, since Master said so, Zhou Qing had no reason to press further.

The three of them then headed straight for Yushan Hall.

As expected, when many saw Zhou Qing, their eyes filled with admiration and reverence.

The Five Prodigies of Cangyan Dao Palace? Renowned figures across the land. Zhou Qing, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had slain two of them—this feat defied all logic.

And they call him "cunning"?

Pfft!

Without cunning, how could you bridge the gap between cultivation levels?

A Nascent Soul killing a Foundation Establishment? That's just swatting a fly. But when a Foundation Establishment uses clever tactics to kill a Nascent Soul, they call it ruthless and cunning?

The fault lies with Cangyan Dao Palace's so-called prodigies—simple-minded, overgrown brutes, outmatched in skill.

"Senior Brother Zhou, well done."

"Senior Brother Zhou, I'm leaving tomorrow—can you write me a blessing? Or just sign your name?"

"Our private room is full—we don't want to eat anymore. You may take it."

………

Everyone was warm and courteous.

Mo Xingjian walked at the front, glowing with pride, his delight almost overflowing.

Zhou Qing walked in the middle, embarrassed, even awkward.

Yan Xiao Hu trailed behind, face drooping, deeply miserable—he felt like mere green leaves beside red flowers, utterly invisible.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—wait and see. Soon, you'll hear how Dao Ba Yan Xiao Hu made Cangyan Dao Palace's people tremble in fear.

Thinking of this, Yan Xiao Hu's eyes flickered with a mad gleam—already, a bold plan seemed to form.

(End of Chapter)