Chapter 150

【Hey hey hey, didn't expect me, Old Tiger, to be back again, did you?】

【A bunch of unfilial descendants—when you rebury your ancestors, you don't even bother putting in good things? How miserly can you get?】

【And you too—facing such wicked descendants, why don't you rage up and crawl out of your coffins? How can you even sleep?】

【And this security? Old Tiger has to criticize you two: you don't respect your own ancestors at all! What if someone with ill intent sneaks in to whip the corpse?】

Same as always: Yan Xiao's message, and beside it, the image stone continuously replaying the scene inside the cave.

The Cangyan Dao Palace, burning with rage, immediately dispatched two Soul Transformation Elders to lead the pursuit.

This is simply unbearable! This guy keeps riding on our heads to defecate and urinate—how can we swallow this humiliation?

Once caught, we'll make him wish he were dead—and even then, death won't save him!

Mo Xingjian, who had just found a place to rest, froze in shock upon hearing the news.

He abandoned his meal at once, grumbling as he changed direction, rushing headlong to retrieve that troublesome troublemaker.

Not long after, the Hit List was updated again: Yan Xiao, previously ranked eighth, leapt straight to fifth.

"Who else?"

In a certain tree hollow, Yan Xiao laughed heartily.

…………

Meanwhile, Zhou Qing's luck held—tonight, the moon still hung bright overhead.

He quickly resumed the Cang Lei Sword Art; though still in the same spot, as he dug deeper, an unexpected sight appeared—a radiant thunder barrier shimmering with brilliant lightning.

With a single step, Zhou Qing crossed through it instantly, successfully breaching the barrier's restraint.

"What are you standing there for? Come down!" Zhou Qing soon popped his head back out of the barrier, grinning at Lu Yaoyao.

Lu Yaoyao was delighted for him but shook her head: "No, I'll keep watch up here."

"Keep watch? Afraid I'll steal the good stuff?" Zhou Qing summoned spiritual energy into a rope and yanked her down gently.

Once both entered, they found themselves in a vast, empty cavern, with threads of thunder energy flickering around, illuminating the surroundings.

"Reminds me of the underground space beneath that ghost city!" Zhou Qing marveled.

Without the Blood Tai Sui, I never would've entered that underground space, let alone obtained the Number One Token from the Skeleton's grasp.

But even now, I still don't know who the skeleton's master was.

And who turned the entire city into a ghost city, just to vent their rage?

As they advanced, an ancient, immense aura drifted faintly toward them, quickening their heartbeats.

They exchanged glances, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes, their steps unconsciously quickening.

"Senior Brother Zhou, look over there—" After passing through a grove of stones glowing with cold, phosphorescent light, Lu Yaoyao pointed ahead, trembling with excitement.

Before them lay a colossal beast skeleton, still crouched in repose; though time had reduced it to bone, its awe-inspiring aura lingered, as if its majesty had never dimmed with the passage of years.

Its head resembled a lion's, crowned with dragon horns.

Suanni—this was truly the corpse of a Suanni!

Zhou Qing trembled with excitement, especially since the remains were so perfectly preserved.

As they drew closer, a crushing pressure slammed into them, making their breaths catch, their bodies bound by invisible force.

"Incredible—it's been dead so long, yet still exerts this pressure. How strong must it have been in life?"

Lu Yaoyao's face was filled with awe and reverence.

Zhou Qing nodded in deep agreement; for a moment, he seemed to see the Suanni crossing the river of time, roaring a warning at them.

But soon he noticed something odd: only half the Suanni's skeleton glowed with an eerie silver radiance, while the rest resembled exquisite white jade, utterly different in appearance.

"It's a half-pure-blood Suanni!" Zhou Qing felt a pang of disappointment.

According to what he knew, a true Suanni's bones—even those of a cub—would glow like silver silk after death, naturally engraved with thunder patterns; that was the mark of pure bloodline.

"Half-blood?" Lu Yaoyao also looked regretful.

But she quickly smiled and comforted him: "Senior Brother Zhou, aren't you always telling me to look on the bright side? Even half-blood is better than nothing."

Zhou Qing paused, then laughed, nodding: "You're right—better to have something than nothing. Be careful!"

Slowly, they edged forward, hugging the cavern walls, moving with utmost caution.

Even after so many centuries, the pressure radiating from this half-blood Suanni remained extraordinarily powerful.

Zhou Qing had once faced the Flame Crocodile King; now he was certain this Suanni had been at least a Cut-Spirit realm powerhouse in life—truly astonishing.

As they drew nearer, the silver glow on its bones became clearer—like nimble silver serpents winding along the bone's ridges, flickering bright then dim.

"Senior Brother Zhou, if we take this out, could we sell it for a fortune?" Lu Yaoyao blinked curiously.

Zhou Qing nodded without hesitation.

Of course—there were barely a dozen Cut-Spirit cultivators in the entire Shengwu Empire. Even a fragment of this Suanni's bone would be fought over by countless buyers, let alone this complete skeleton.

If we could extract its essence blood, the benefits would be unimaginable.

"Essence blood?" Zhou Qing's eyes suddenly lit up—he remembered the Jin Wu Burn the Sky Scripture he now possessed.

In the third coffin, the giant crow skeleton had contained a trace of Jin Wu bloodline.

Later, the Crocodile King had refined and purified it into a single drop of true Jin Wu essence blood to nourish its scales.

"Wait!" Zhou Qing suddenly exclaimed, then fixed his gaze on the colossal bones and activated his appraisal.

【Suanni Bone: This is a half-pure-blood Suanni treasure bone. Regrettably, death occurred too long ago—its divine nature has long faded. Before death, to deter greedy successors from coveting its body, it placed a lethal prohibition upon itself: any attempt to move or dismantle it will unleash power capable of erasing an ordinary Cut-Spirit cultivator.】

Seeing the system's feedback, Zhou Qing sucked in a sharp breath, involuntarily swallowing.

Thank heavens I checked first—if I'd acted rashly, I wouldn't even have known how I died.

"Senior Brother Zhou, we've got plenty of storage bags—we can easily fit it all," Lu Yaoyao said eagerly, eyes shining with anticipation.

After all, she'd collected every storage bag from the dead of the Cangyan Dao Palace—she had more than enough space.

Zhou Qing hurriedly said: "Absolutely not. The dead deserve respect. Some money can be earned, but some must never be touched—otherwise, karma will come."

Lu Yaoyao didn't fully understand, but then she recalled how Zhou Qing had buried the Thunder Sound Golden Toad—and suddenly grasped it, nodding obediently.

【Heart-Appraisal Points +8】

Soon, the note floating above her head changed from 【Good Kindness】 to 【Good Compassion】.

Zhou Qing: "..."

This is embarrassing—I'd dig up the very soil beneath this Suanni and sell it too, if I weren't afraid of dying.

"Don't get close!" Zhou Qing warned firmly, his face full of reluctance.

If we could take this out, its value would start at top-grade spirit stones—and such a complete skeleton? Few could afford it whole. We'd have to break it apart to sell.

As they continued cautiously forward, they soon spotted a massive natural thunder pool ahead.

This place had lain desolate for countless years, yet astonishingly, a pool of liquid-like thunder still remained within.

Floating atop the liquid thunder were two droplets of deep blue lightning, gently sliding and bouncing.

"Is this… thunder essence?" Zhou Qing stared at the droplets, eyes blazing with excitement, breath quickening.

It was said that only after countless compressions and centuries of sedimentation could thunder rarely give birth to a single drop of essence.

The pure energy within was beyond imagination—Zhou Qing believed just one drop would let him break through to Nascent Soul mid-stage, perhaps even further.

The Jin Leizong's artificial thunder pools used special ores, catalyzed by lightning over a hundred years, to painstakingly produce a single drop.

But that artificial essence paled in comparison to this naturally formed one.

Even so, artificial thunder essence remained in constant shortage, hoarded as strategic material.

"Such pure energy!" Lu Yaoyao drew a deep breath, feeling the overwhelming power surge toward her, eyes gleaming.

Zhou Qing suppressed his excitement and said calmly: "We'll split one drop each—but for now, stay calm. Don't rush."

"Is there danger?" Lu Yaoyao asked nervously.

Zhou Qing shook his head gently, but the Suanni bone's warning had already put him on guard—now was no time for carelessness. Caution was essential.

In another hour or two, the next 【Daily Appraisal】 would refresh. We'll wait until then—ensure absolute safety.

"Someone! Someone's here!" Lu Yaoyao suddenly tensed, grabbing Zhou Qing's sleeve, her voice trembling.

Zhou Qing instantly stepped forward, drawing Po Shang Feng, shielding Lu Yaoyao behind him, eyes sharply fixed ahead.

There, not far off, stood a man—smiling at them, even waving gently.

When had he arrived? How had they sensed nothing? Zhou Qing's heart lurched with dread.

He immediately unleashed his Nascent Soul spiritual sense without restraint, seeking to probe the man's identity.

But strangely, where his spiritual sense passed, there was nothing—no trace of the man, as if he didn't exist in this space. Zhou Qing grew even more uneasy.

"He's strong—could he be a Cut-Spirit elder?" Zhou Qing tensed, yet dared not advance.

After all, we're near the Suanni's remains—if this turns into a death trap, we'll die together—who cares who's more afraid?

"Elder!" Zhou Qing bowed respectfully after a moment's thought.

Lu Yaoyao followed suit, then cautiously lifted her gaze.

The man wore a pale moon-white Dao robe, his face slender and sharp, eyes deep, radiating calm and serenity forged by time.

A long, glossy black beard fluttered gently in the breeze; merely standing there, he exuded an aura of perfect balance and harmony.

"Don't fear," he suddenly spoke. "I am Xuan Qingzi—now only a lingering attachment. I won't harm you."

But Zhou Qing still didn't move. The man's attire seemed ancient.

"Elder, we merely stumbled here by accident. Please forgive us—if we've disturbed you, we'll leave at once!" Zhou Qing chose his words carefully.

If he were truly just a lingering attachment, fine—but what if he was some terrifying elder trapped here for some reason? If he tried to possess us, we'd be doomed—no one would even cry for us.

He'd had a lesson before: in the Cave Heaven, he'd been tricked by Second Uncle into taking that broken bowl, then carried it out without realizing.

Thankfully, Second Uncle was decent and never harmed him—but he wouldn't risk it again.

Xuan Qingzi immediately panicked: "No, no! I've waited too long—my attachment won't last two more years. Won't you want your chance at fortune?"

Zhou Qing was about to speak, but Lu Yaoyao suddenly seemed to recall something, her eyes brightening as she hurriedly asked, "Is it about arrays and prohibitions?"

"Huh? How did you know?" Xuan Qingzi blinked, incredulous.

Lu Yaoyao immediately beamed, then turned to Zhou Qing: "It should be fine—reliable."

Yet Zhou Qing remained on high alert, his gaze locked tightly on Xuan Qingzi, ready for any sudden development.

"Wait a moment!" Soon, Xuan Qingzi turned and dashed into the darkness, returning moments later with an ancient scroll in hand, his expression nostalgic.

"I was once a Level Nine Array Master under General Zhongli Bo," Xuan Qingzi said bitterly. "But I was ambushed on the Starry Battlefield and perished, leaving only a fragment of my soul that fought desperately to flee here."

Zhou Qing's expression shifted slightly, his heart deeply shaken—he had heard the name Zhongli Bo again.

The Yin-Yang Scripture in the first coffin within the Cave Heaven had been left by this man; even the Yin-Yang Qi had been concealed and protected by him, seeing how young Zhou Qing was.

Thus, Xuan Qingzi's presence here must be extraordinarily ancient—no wonder no one had ever heard of him.

Lu Yaoyao playfully stuck out her tongue, thinking to herself: "So he's not a Five-Color Prohibition Master—he's a Nine-Color one? Then why did he learn so slowly?"

Xuan Qingzi continued: "To prevent my sect's legacy from being lost, I imprinted all I knew about prohibitions and barriers onto this scroll. But my wounds were too grave—I could only preserve knowledge up to Level Five before my soul fragment dissipated from exhaustion."

Lu Yaoyao: "..."

Zhou Qing frowned, glancing instinctively at Lu Yaoyao.

If Xuan Qingzi spoke truly, the situation didn't quite add up.

He fled all the way from the Starry Battlefield to here, hastily leaving only Level Five prohibition techniques before his soul fragment vanished—so how did the Sect Master's uncle even know someone of great power had perished here?

And told you?

And that this person was a master capable of setting Five-Color Prohibitions? Too much of a coincidence.

Meeting Zhou Qing's questioning gaze, Lu Yaoyao seemed to realize something, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes as she immediately lowered her head.

Xuan Qingzi said: "I ask for nothing else—I only hope my sect's legacy won't be severed. If you ever have the chance to reach the Starry Battlefield, please explain to General Zhongli Bo that I, Xuan Qingzi, am no coward, no deserter."

As he spoke, his eyes grew slightly red, and the jade slip in his hand floated gently toward them.

Zhou Qing pulled Lu Yaoyao back a step.

Seeing the two's extreme wariness, Xuan Qingzi placed the jade slip no closer than a meter away.

"It's a chance—after so long, to finally see a human of our race enter, my wish is fulfilled!"

Xuan Qingzi looked genuinely happy, his lingering spirit becoming slightly more translucent.

Zhou Qing considered, then asked: "May I also take this Suanni bone?"

At this, Xuan Qingzi's nearly dissipated spirit re-coalesced, his face filled with alarm as he urgently warned: "No, absolutely not! There's a natural thunder pool here—you must have seen it already."

"My soul fragment barely escaped here, hoping to use the celestial thunder energy to purge the death curse within my spirit. But in the end, it was useless. So I severed this place's connection to heaven and earth, sealing it completely."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing was deeply stunned.

He had personally witnessed the artificial thunder pool created by Jin Leizong—immense in power. This naturally formed one should be even more terrifying, yet this man had severed it with sheer divine power.

And this was merely the power of a soul fragment—imagine the strength he possessed in his prime!

Xuan Qingzi continued: "But I never expected this place to be seized by this half-pure-blooded beast, at the end of its Zhanling Realm. Soon after, it returned from outside and used its innate talent to force its way in."

"It even tried to devour and refine me. Forced to fight, I slew it—but my wounds worsened, leaving me no chance to preserve my full teachings."

"Before dying, it left a bloodline death prohibition on its body. Touch it, and you'll die instantly."

Hearing this, Lu Yaoyao gasped in shock—thankfully, she had listened to Zhou's warning and hadn't acted rashly; otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.

Zhou Qing's demeanor softened considerably—he had asked precisely to test the man.

A soul fragment had slain a half-pure-blooded beast at the end of the Zhanling Realm, and the place showed no major damage—clearly, Xuan Qingzi's control over power was exquisite, his cultivation profound.

Moreover, the death prohibition on the Suanni bone might serve as a safe haven he could exploit.

If he ever faced an unavoidable life-or-death crisis, he could come here—he didn't believe anyone would resist the temptation of such a precious treasure.

As long as someone dared to touch it, even a common Zhanling Realm cultivator would be instantly erased by the prohibition's power.

Zhou Qing quietly made his plan, yet his expression remained impassive as he observed Xuan Qingzi's every move.

"Oh! My mind's gone blank—I was so happy I nearly forgot something vital!" Xuan Qingzi suddenly remembered something important and turned back inside.

Moments later, he emerged holding a jade vial, which floated gently toward them.

"During my battle with this half-pure-blooded Suanni, I collected some of its blood. Over the years, with nothing else to do, I refined it using prohibition techniques—now, this vial contains a single drop of true Suanni essence blood."

"I originally intended to offer this blood as a master-apprentice gift to any future disciple who would take me as their master. But I waited so long—I no longer dared hope for anything else."

As he spoke, Xuan Qingzi offered a self-deprecating, bitter smile.

Who could have imagined that this thunder pool, sealed hastily to save his life and heal his wounds, had become his prison?

He clung to this lingering obsession for countless years—truly, fate is cruel.

Now, he only hoped someone would stumble in by accident and carry on his sect's prohibition arts—everything else was meaningless.

Fortunately, heaven had not abandoned him. When even his lingering will was about to vanish, someone finally entered.

Watching the jade vial settle beside the scroll, Zhou Qing's eyes gleamed—but he forced down his excitement, refraining from reaching for it.

Whether it was a trap must wait until 【Daily Inspection】 refreshed—better to be cautious.

Xuan Qingzi continued: "As for the thunder pool, it once held many thunder fluids, but now only two drops remain. They'll vanish in about two years. It's not dangerous—you may go directly to absorb and refine them. A rare opportunity indeed."

Then, looking at the two, he seemed finally at peace, his body growing even more translucent, yet his face radiant with joy.

"From where we came, there we return. The world's turmoil has its end. Life is a candle—only when it burns out does it rest. My candle is extinguished, yet I see the shore of freedom. Two of you, Xuan Qingzi departs!"

Xuan Qingzi laughed joyfully—his lingering will, having guarded for so long, finally vanished completely.

The end of the month is near—please give me a monthly vote to help San Xing reach a thousand. It'll be cleared if left unused.





(End of Chapter)