Chapter 146: Stunned Coward, Absolutely a Stunned Coward—Why Dig Up Someone

At that moment, Zhou Qing sharply sensed Lu Yaoyao's cultivation base and exclaimed in surprise: "You've broken through to the mid-Jin Dan realm? Impressive!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yaoyao immediately imitated Zhou Qing's earlier modest posture, spreading her hands and saying, "It was just luck! Nothing special."

Seeing her adorable and mischievous expression, Zhou Qing couldn't help but smile, genuinely delighted for her.

Seeing Zhou Qing open the door, Lu Yaoyao quickly picked up the old hen on the ground and followed him inside.

"When I came back, I heard that Sima Yaoji, one of the Five Heavenly Prodigies of Cangyan Dao Palace, has declared she'll kill you personally to avenge Meng Xing and Song Yuan—be careful from now on!"

Sitting down, Lu Yaoyao stroked the old hen as she worriedly told Zhou Qing.

Upon hearing that name, Zhou Qing's eyes instantly brimmed with killing intent.

It was this woman who cruelly murdered Sister Luo Xue and severely wounded Brother Du Kui.

Kill me?

Once I'm ready, I'll go find her myself—and then blood shall pay for blood.

Zhou Qing then told her about Sister Luo Xue's death. Lu Yaoyao leapt to her feet, eyes wide, face filled with disbelief.

Back when we were searching for the missing disciples of Qingyu Immortal Sect, you and I were nearly killed by Yin Xiao—only when Brother Du Kui and Sister Luo Xue arrived in the nick of time did they save our lives.

But now, Sister Luo Xue has…

"I originally planned to visit Brother Du Kui—I heard he's fallen into deep despair, but I never found the right moment, so I didn't dare disturb him," Zhou Qing sighed.

Lu Yaoyao fell silent, still unable to believe that someone she knew had vanished so suddenly—her heart felt hollow.

"Cangyan Dao Palace is now blinded by bloodlust—when you go out, be extremely cautious!" Zhou Qing emphasized solemnly.

Lu Yaoyao nodded, eyes red, and said, "Yes, I know, Brother Zhou—you be careful too."

"Since you're back, why not go see Sister Shi Zhen? She was badly injured too—I wonder if she's recovered."

After all, they were close friends within the sect.

"Sister Shi Zhen was injured too?" Lu Yaoyao was stunned again.

Zhou Qing then recounted the events in the cave that day.

Lu Yaoyao only knew that Zhou Qing had slain Song Yuan in Youhuang City and recorded his inhumane acts—but she didn't know Shi Zhen had been captured too.

Those scenes were meant to be made public, but to protect Sister Shi Zhen's reputation, Zhou Qing had deliberately excluded her from the recording.

After a brief chat with Zhou Qing, Lu Yaoyao hurried off toward Yuqing Peak.

After calming his emotions, Zhou Qing began fully cultivating the fourth form of the Cang Lei Sword Art.

Only by continuously strengthening himself could he survive in this turbulent situation.

………

Two days later, Lu Yaoyao and Shi Zhen arrived together.

Shi Zhen brought gifts to express her gratitude; her previous note above her head—【To repay Zhou Shidi for the rest of my life】—had already been replaced by 【New Rising Star Zhou Shidi】.

Zhou Qing could not refuse, so he accepted them.

Of course, she had prepared a gift for his third brother too—no sooner had she left than a familiar figure appeared outside.

Seeing Elder Duanmu Shu's embarrassed expression, Zhou Qing immediately felt a sense of unease.

"Elder Duanmu Shu," Zhou Qing bowed respectfully.

Elder Duanmu Shu looked slightly awkward and said, "Zhou Qing, first, congratulations on restoring your cultivation. Um… are you free today? Honestly, I have no other choice—I came because I'm desperate."

"With the Five Sects War ongoing, if we can obtain something valuable from the Cave Heaven, it would greatly aid our sect."

Zhou Qing still deeply appreciated Elder Duanmu Shu.

Not to mention last time, after she learned he was cultivating his body, she personally opened the No. 2 Flame Spirit Blood Pool for him to soak in, using its power to aid his cultivation.

Thanks to that rare opportunity, he discovered the Flame Spirit Blood Paste and the secret tunnel beneath the pool dug by Second Elder—enabling him to gather enough spiritual energy to break through to Nascent Soul and achieve Four Flowers at the Crown.

And the Silver Dragon Hand and Cang Lei Sword Art, now his secret weapons.

Zhou Qing immediately bowed and said, "I will do my best."

He did not refuse—if the Wandering Souls ignored him, he'd help Elder Duanmu Shu open the gravity zone, and his Master had surely informed them to use the Dead Crow River Crossing method.

If Wandering Souls appeared, his full-power Jin Wu Burn the Sky Scripture would be enough to let him retreat.

After this, Elder Duanmu Shu would likely not ask him again.

Everything is left to fate!

Upon hearing Zhou Qing's agreement, Elder Duanmu Shu was instantly thrilled, her face filled with relief and gratitude.

Now that Zhou Qing was at the late Jin Dan realm, the dangers he'd face from Wandering Souls would be greater.

Under these circumstances, Zhou Qing still agreed so readily to help—he truly was a kind-hearted, big-picture-minded young man.

Not long after, when Zhou Qing returned to the Cave Heaven, seven Elders stood behind him.

Having waited so long for this chance, they didn't want to miss it—each stared at Zhou Qing with eager anticipation.

"Stay safe!" the Elders all urged anxiously.

Zhou Qing nodded, took a deep breath, stepped through the bronze gate, and barely entered the gravity zone when that spine-chilling sense of being watched instantly appeared—before him came the familiar howling.

Zhou Qing sighed.

After all, in the simulation, he hadn't even survived the second wave before being torn apart by multiple Nascent Soul Wandering Souls.

BOOM!

Seeing twenty Nascent Soul Wandering Souls roaring toward him, Zhou Qing didn't hesitate—he swiftly formed hand seals and chanted incantations.

Instantly, a golden-winged Jin Wu, wreathed in blinding golden flames, surged forward.

Roars and screams erupted together, echoing throughout the entire gravity zone.

Exhausted, Zhou Qing's face turned pale—he seized the moment and turned to flee.

Staggering out, he met the Elders' gazes and bowed apologetically: "Elders, I've disappointed you!"

………

Back at Xiao Ling Peak, Zhou Qing felt conflicted.

He could have told the Elders about the tunnel—even the control incantations for the Five-Colored Altar.

He could've blamed it all on Second Elder—after all, the messages inside the tunnel were left by Second Elder for the Elders to discover.

But the problem was, the six coffins inside the tunnel were perilous—even Second Elder dared not open them lightly, and had even left to study sealing techniques.

Take the third coffin, for instance—it seals a Crocodile King of the Zhan Ling realm. Who could possibly handle that?

If it were accidentally released, the consequences would be unimaginable—Taiqingmen might be utterly destroyed under its rampage.

If the Elders entered recklessly, they'd be lambs entering a tiger's den.

As for the other five coffins, there was no need to guess—their dangers were certainly no less.

And with the Five Sects War raging, every Elder was the spiritual pillar of the entire sect—they could not afford to be lost.

If any Elder met misfortune because of this tunnel, Zhou Qing would be consumed by guilt.

Even if the Elders discovered the tunnel bypassing the gravity zone and leading directly to the forbidden zone, what do you think they'd do first?

They'd erase the memory of anyone who knew this secret—this matter was too grave to leave even a sliver of risk.

Especially when a "Jin Dan" disciple had learned such a secret.

And this "Jin Dan" disciple was now on Cangyan Dao Palace's kill list.

If captured, torture and soul-searching were inevitable—the aftermath was unthinkable.

Of course, even in the best-case scenario—if the Elders merely took the Five-Colored Altar—it wouldn't be good for Zhou Qing either.

He still planned to use the Shen Xu Tian Gong simulation to enter the forbidden zone and search for treasures.

And when Second Elder returned from his training and found the altar gone, wouldn't he be stunned?

After all, their relationship had been quite good—teacher and friend alike—and whenever there was a benefit, Second Elder always included him.

He ate meat, and Zhou Qing could follow behind and sip the broth.

The supreme fire-element spirit stones and the Jin Wu Burn the Sky Scripture he'd obtained this time were perfect proof.

After weighing all these pros and cons, Zhou Qing's guilt eased slightly—he settled his mind and began focusing entirely on studying the fourth form of the Cang Lei Sword Art.

………

Soon, urgent messages rapidly reached the Three Alliances.

Cangyan Dao Palace's vast army of humanoid puppets was launching frenzied attacks on the mining veins of the three sects.

The guards at the veins were overwhelmed, suffering heavy casualties—urgent distress calls poured in from all directions; the situation was dire.

Upon receiving orders from their sects, disciples rushed without delay to the affected locations for support.

Meanwhile, after coordinating among themselves, the three sects launched retaliatory strikes against Cangyan Dao Palace's mining veins.

In an instant, the war between the five sects escalated fully, engulfing the entire Eastern Region in tension.

Several days later, in the dead of night, Yan Xiao stood quietly at a distance, gazing at Mo Xingjian's residence, his face resolute—he bowed deeply and slipped away.

This act of his would surely make the name "Knife Tyrant Yan Xiao" echo throughout the Eastern Region.

The next day, when Zhou Qing heard news about Mo Xingjian, he froze—then immediately sent a message to his third brother.

But due to distance, he received no reply.

"He's already Nascent Soul—why does he still act like a child!" Zhou Qing frowned, helplessly.

Even if he wanted to chase after him now, he had no idea which direction to go—he could only wait anxiously.

"Don't worry—don't let his rough exterior fool you; when it comes to action, he's actually shrewd and careful—he won't get into serious trouble," Mo Xingjian reassured him.

He knew Yan Xiao well—he understood that though the boy seemed reckless, he was often surprisingly reliable.

Zhou Qing agreed with this assessment—now he could only hope Yan Xiao returned safely.

"Don't wander off lately—new reports say several Nascent Soul hermits are planning to capture you for a bounty," Mo Xingjian warned seriously.

Zhou Qing understood—he wouldn't risk going out until he fully mastered the fourth form of the Cang Lei Sword Art.

What no one expected was that a month later, Yan Xiao Hu truly became famous.

This fool had actually dug up the ancestral graves of Cangyan Dao Palace!!!

Cangyan Dao Palace had an ancestral land located several thousand li from the sect, in Yangyang Valley.

That place should have been its true sect seat, but due to the depletion of underground fire-element spiritual energy, it could no longer meet the sect's daily cultivation and developmental needs, forcing it to relocate.

To avoid disturbing the ancestors' rest, the ancestral cemetery had been left largely untouched, preserved exactly as it was, with three Nascent Soul cultivators and numerous Jin Dan disciples specially assigned to guard it.

After all, it wasn't too far from the main sect—should any emergency arise, they could return in time.

But as time passed, the sect built a new cemetery, and after each successive Palace Master or Elder passed away, they were gradually buried at the new site, while the ancestral land saw fewer and fewer visitors.

Now, with the Five Sects War escalating, the three Nascent Soul guardians at the ancestral land grew bored, watching the battles outside with restless longing.

So they secretly left the ancestral land to hunt down disciples of the Three Alliances, seeking opportunities to gain rewards.

But they never imagined that the moment they left, Yan Xiao Hu—who had been lying in wait for months—stole their home.

【I can't beat the living, but can't I do something to the dead? Ancestors of Cangyan Dao Palace, your descendant has no choice. Today I've dug you up to show you what these degenerate successors are doing—acts so heinous they enrage heaven and horrify men.】

【But then again, I feel sorry for you—almost all the burial goods have been looted by these unworthy descendants, leaving only a lone stone stele standing lonely among cold, empty mounds.】

【You bastards, open your dog eyes and look well—the grave robber is Dao King Yan Xiao Hu!】

This was Yan Xiao Hu's message, with images from the cave continuously playing on the surrounding memory stones.

Instantly, Cangyan Dao Palace erupted in fury, dispatching Soul Transformation cultivators to hunt him down, with Tianji Gate lending aid.

On that same day, the Most Wanted List was fully updated: Yan Xiao Hu of Xiaoling Peak rose to eighth place, with a bounty of four supreme-grade spirit stones—and they demanded him alive, by name!

"You idiot, you absolute idiot!" Mo Xingjian, upon hearing the news, cursed loudly and without hesitation rushed out of the sect immediately to assist.

Zhou Qing was stunned for a long moment before moving to follow, when his identity token received a message from Mo Xingjian.

【Stay put. Don't wander off!】

Zhou Qing stared at the message. Though he was unwilling, he feared his Master would worry more if he left, so he gritted his teeth and agreed, silently praying his third brother would return safely.

Now, Taiqingmen's Xiaoling Peak had become utterly famous.

Half of the top ten on the Most Wanted List were from Taiqingmen.

Of those five, except for ninth-ranked Li Daoxuan, first, second, eighth, and tenth were all disciples of Mo Xingjian.

While anxiously waiting, Zhou Qing continuously refined the fourth technique of the Cang Lei Sword Art, occasionally entering the Divine Ruins Palace to train with wandering souls—his progress was astonishing.

Another month passed, and Yan Xiao Hu returned, his clothes torn and ragged.

"You're amazing, truly amazing!" As soon as he reached the mountain gate, Elder Wu Zhu extended his thumb in admiration, praising him profusely.

After witnessing the horrific scenes inside the cave—what Cangyan Dao Palace's disciples had done—all hearts held not a shred of sympathy, only revulsion.

Yan Xiao Hu had done what everyone wanted to do but dared not—though morally questionable, it was necessary to show the ancestors what Cangyan Dao Palace had become.

Utterly depraved!

Facing Elder Wu Zhu's praise and the worshipful gazes of surrounding disciples, Yan Xiao Hu crossed his arms, beaming with pride, bursting into laughter.

Yet he feigned humility, waving his hands: "It's nothing, just a trifle. Don't idolize me—I'm just a legend, hahaha~~"

"By the way, where's your Master?" Soon, Elder Wu Zhu glanced around, puzzled.

Only then did Yan Xiao Hu realize his Master had left to find him.

"If I dared do this, I planned every escape route. Soul Transformation? Do you think I'll give him a chance?" Yan Xiao Hu said with full confidence.

Soul Transformation cultivators hadn't yet entered the fray—he couldn't let himself trigger their direct involvement.

Otherwise, the Alliance's disciples would suffer massive casualties.

After speaking, he excitedly dashed into the mountain gate.

When Zhou Qing saw his third brother's message, his anxious heart finally eased.

He hurried toward the Jade Kitchen Hall…

At this moment, Yan Xiao Hu had placed his great blade beside the table, radiating a fierce aura of slaughter, solemnly ordering food, utterly focused, as if the world around him didn't exist.

Though several private rooms remained empty, he sat alone at the central table in the main hall, silent.

This striking scene quickly drew attention.

"Did I see right? That's Yan Xiao Hu of Xiaoling Peak?"

"Yes, it really is him—he must've just returned."

"Incredible, truly incredible. He dug up their ancestral graves—minimal damage, maximum humiliation. Lucky for us, our own ancestral graves are inside the sect—we don't have to worry about someone doing the same to us."

"But now that spies are everywhere, I heard the Sect Master has reinforced guards at our ancestral graves to prevent retaliation."

"Brother Yan is a true hero—he finally gave us some long-overdue revenge."

…………

The crowd murmured quietly. Yan Xiao Hu suppressed his inner excitement, feigning calm, silently drinking wine.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—last time I came, you all only saw Fourth Brother. How's this? Am I not just as strong?

"Third Brother—" At that moment, Zhou Qing rushed over and sat down across from him.

Seeing him covered in blood, Zhou Qing's heart ached—he couldn't imagine what pursuit and ambush his third brother had endured to return safely in just one month.

"Why did you do this?" Zhou Qing sighed.

Yan Xiao Hu, however, grinned carelessly, picked up the wine jug, poured Zhou Qing a cup, and laughed heartily: "What can I do? That's just my nature. I did it."

He raised his cup, nodded to Zhou Qing, and drained it in one gulp.

Zhou Qing had no choice but to toast his safe return—though he wondered where his Master might be wandering now.

Soon, the food arrived, exactly as expected—all free of charge.

Yan Xiao Hu looked at the serving disciple and asked: "Didn't the Head Chef ask for a signature?"

"Respected Brother Yan, the Head Chef is away—he left several days ago to gather ingredients. But he specifically ordered: anyone on Cangyan Dao Palace's Most Wanted List top twenty gets their first meal free!" the disciple replied respectfully.

Yan Xiao Hu: "..."

Damn it.

Whatever. At least it's free—better eat first.

Meanwhile, another blood-soaked figure was flying on a sword, clutching a square box tightly to his chest, his eyes filled with urgency and exhaustion.

When he saw the familiar silhouette of Taiqingmen, a look of relief finally crossed his face.

"Jinyang Peak core disciple Tan Qiang—my storage bag was lost, I have no identity token. Please, Elder Wu Zhu, grant me entry!"

The man landed, utterly weakened, and shouted loudly toward Elder Wu Zhu at the gate.

To prevent impostors, nearly all returning disciples underwent multiple verifications before entering.

Hearing the man's voice, Elder Wu Zhu slowly stepped forward—then suddenly froze, his expression changing.

The man named Tan Qiang's smile slowly stiffened, then his entire body began uncontrollably trembling, blood seeping from all seven orifices.

His eyes widened in disbelief; he reached out, lips trembling, struggling to utter: "S-save me..."

Before he could finish, he collapsed straight down, his Nascent Soul never escaping—he was dead.

Elder Wu Zhu was shocked, instinctively stepping forward—then remembered something and halted. He immediately contacted the Sect Master and Jinyang Peak's Peak Master Gao Xuan.

Soon, two figures arrived swiftly.

Cao Zhengyang's face was filled with rage, dark as if dripping water—this was an outright provocation.

Giving the boy hope, then letting him die in despair at the sect's very gate—the perpetrator was cruel beyond measure.

Gao Xuan stared at his fourth disciple lying on the ground, a flash of grief crossing his eyes. He rushed forward, knelt, and placed a hand on Tan Qiang's pulse.

Soon, his brow furrowed…

(End of Chapter)