Chapter 151: Crush, Crush, Crush Them All! (6k)

Dust returns to dust, earth to earth; Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao, filled with emotion, bowed deeply as a final farewell.

"I forgot to ask where the Starry Battlefield is!" Zhou Qing suddenly felt a pang of regret.

But then he thought better of it—Xuan Qingzi, a ninth-rank array master, had perished there; the danger level was obvious.

Knowing too much might only disrupt his Dao heart.

"That's the last stretch of the Great Wall!"

Xuan Qingzi's voice suddenly rang out without warning, startling both of them.

"Are you even dead?" Zhou Qing shouted into the darkness ahead.

But this time, no one answered.

Zhou Qing simply sat down on the ground; Lu Yaoyao dared not speak again, only scanning the surroundings warily.

As midnight arrived, after staring at the scroll, jade vial, and thunder pool for a long while, Zhou Qing first verified the scroll.

【Inheritance Scroll: This scroll contains nearly all Level One to Level Five array techniques; the knowledge within is immense, priceless.】

【Note: At least Nascent Soul-level spiritual sense is required to receive it; otherwise, the user will be instantly overwhelmed and shattered by the sheer volume of information. This scroll is single-use—exercise extreme caution when absorbing it.】

Seeing the feedback, Zhou Qing finally relaxed, more excited than ever.

Master Xuan Qingzi hadn't lied to them—did that mean everything he'd said before was true?

Zhou Qing immediately mobilized his spiritual power, pulling the scroll toward him while still avoiding contact with the Su Ni blood.

He turned to Lu Yaoyao, about to speak, but she smiled brightly and said first: "Senior Brother Zhou, I'm not interested in sealing techniques—take it for yourself. I'll keep it secret, I promise."

Zhou Qing froze, then his expression turned serious. He looked at Lu Yaoyao, voice tinged with accusation: "Tell me first—what's really going on here?"

Lu Yaoyao's face paled; she immediately lowered her head, lips pressed tight, staring at her toes, fingers nervously twisting her sleeves.

"Actually… actually, I learned about Spirit Skull Mountain from an ancient manuscript. My Master doesn't know. I don't even know who wrote it—but I thought it was credible, so… so I came to see if I could get lucky…"

Lu Yaoyao spoke, her face tense.

Seeing her nervousness, Zhou Qing had nothing left to say.

"Where's the manuscript?"

"I accidentally lost it."

Hah. What a pathetic excuse.

Whatever. Everyone has secrets. He wasn't the type to dig to the bottom. At least this time, it paid off—richly. Let it be.

"Thank you," Zhou Qing said to Lu Yaoyao, sincere.

Lu Yaoyao's head snapped up in shock, eyes wide with disbelief: "You're not mad at me?"

"Mad? I should be thanking you!" Zhou Qing waved the scroll, grinning.

Lu Yaoyao instantly relaxed, beaming with joy.

"This isn't suitable for you—it would only put you in danger. Wait one more day, and I'll confirm the Su Ni blood…"

Zhou Qing paused, suddenly worried.

He remembered when he first obtained the Jin Wu blood—if not for the Four Flowers at the Crown pulling it in and absorbing its scorching energy, he'd never have handled it. Every touch of his soul had sent him trembling in agony.

And back then, he was already Nascent Soul, with spiritual sense far beyond his peers.

This drop of Su Ni blood was essentially no different from the Jin Wu blood—perhaps even more ferocious due to its thunder nature. Lu Yaoyao was only at the mid-Jin Dan stage. What if something went wrong during absorption…?

Seeing Zhou Qing's expression, Lu Yaoyao understood his concern and quickly said: "Senior Brother Zhou, I don't want anything. Just being here with you, helping you—I'm already overjoyed."

His words made Zhou Qing feel ashamed. After all, she'd provided this place, and she'd endured countless dangers alongside him.

In the end, all the benefits went to him—it felt wrong. He couldn't bear it.

"Let's wait until tomorrow," Zhou Qing said.

Lu Yaoyao shook her head firmly: "These belong to you. I truly don't need them. The Su Ni blood perfectly matches your Cang Lei Sword Technique—and the thunder fluid will greatly aid you."

Seeing her earnest expression, Zhou Qing felt even more guilty.

"Besides, I haven't done anything on this journey—yet I've already gathered so many spirit stones and treasures. Those storage bags will earn me plenty of points when we return. I'm already satisfied!"

Lu Yaoyao added, her face glowing with contentment.

Zhou Qing fell silent for a moment, then said seriously: "Fine. I owe you this. If I ever get the chance, I'll repay this debt."

"Alright," Lu Yaoyao nodded reluctantly.

After another day passed, Zhou Qing finally verified the jade vial.

【Su Ni Blood: This is a purified drop of Su Ni blood, teeming with divine essence, still containing the bloodline technique《Thunderstorm Starfall Kill》. Its power is ferocious—note: requires exceptional physical strength and spiritual sense to refine.】

Seeing the info, Zhou Qing burst into joy—the Su Ni blood still retained its bloodline technique.

He'd recently trained《Flame Yang Mighty Body Art》, strengthening his physique, and his spiritual sense was still solid.

This was definitely not suited for the girl.

"Senior Brother Zhou, why wait a day to take one item?" Lu Yaoyao, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, watching his delighted expression.

Zhou Qing flushed, quickly fabricating an excuse: "Uh, my nose is unusually sensitive—I need time to smell everything carefully, check for traps or curses. Better safe than sorry."

Lu Yaoyao's gaze toward him grew even more reverent.

Calm temperament, keen nose, rich experience—remarkable for someone his age.

【Heart-Verification Points +9】

Soon, her 【Good Compassion】 tag changed to 【Good Cautious】.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but laugh bitterly—this trip was clearly meant to boost your points.

But now, after verifying the scroll and Su Ni blood, it was clear Master Xuan Qingzi had no intention of betraying them.

Still, for safety, Zhou Qing decided to wait two more days—caution was never wrong.

Lu Yaoyao had no objections; instead, she cheerfully built a fire and began roasting meat.

She showed not the slightest interest in the treasures here.

Watching her carefree, humming tune, Zhou Qing couldn't help but smile.

Yet on another level, it showed how deeply she trusted and relied on him.

Over the next two days, Zhou Qing verified the thunder fluid in the thunder pool and the space where Xuan Qingzi had been.

After confirming no anomalies, he finally relaxed.

He walked over with the moonstone, inspecting carefully—found nothing unusual.

"I'd planned to raid the Blood Rock Mine, but it's been days now. By the time Cangyan Dao Palace discovered Li Hong and the others' soul lamps extinguished, they'd already sent people here."

"This space is decent. And since there's no full moon, I can't find the exit. I'll just cultivate here for a while!"

Zhou Qing made his decision and turned to Lu Yaoyao.

Lu Yaoyao naturally had no objections—so long as she followed Zhou Qing, she was content.

"This thunder fluid holds extraordinary energy—I'll help you refine it," Zhou Qing walked over, collecting the two drops from the thunder pool and handing them to Lu Yaoyao.

She opened her mouth to protest, but Zhou Qing cut her off: "Obey me. I already have the Su Ni blood—I need nothing else."

Seeing his unyielding gaze, Lu Yaoyao nodded obediently, smiling sweetly: "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou!"

The two moved slightly away from the Su Ni remains. After Lu Yaoyao swallowed one drop, Zhou Qing immediately activated thunder techniques to guide and assist.

Only when the thunder fluid calmed did he quietly step aside.

Then he gazed at the Su Ni blood—beasts naturally possess affinity for heavenly treasures, guarding them fiercely to seize cosmic fortune.

This Su Ni, at the Cutting Spirit realm, had claimed this natural thunder pool, reaping countless benefits.

He could feel the energy within this purified drop was extraordinary—far beyond the thunder fluid.

This girl had always thought of him—could he really act so heartlessly?

"Two drops of thunder fluid should be enough for her to reach Jin Dan peak."

Watching the lightning arcs flickering over Lu Yaoyao's body, Zhou Qing smiled with quiet satisfaction, filled with anticipation.

As he opened the jade vial, a powerful, ancient primordial aura surged out.

Immediately, a miniature Su Ni phantom emerged from the vial's mouth, snarling and clawing at Zhou Qing as if warning him not to dare covet its blood.

Zhou Qing's expression didn't change. He flicked his finger lightly—a streak of spiritual power shot out, shattering the phantom instantly.

The phantom dissolved into streaks of lightning, vanishing into the air.

Then, a single silver-blue drop of blood slowly floated forth, radiating vast, violent energy.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, activated his spiritual power, prepared himself, gritted his teeth—and swallowed it whole, beginning refinement.

Instantly, terrifying lightning surged through his body, his limbs and bones screaming under the assault.

Zhou Qing clenched his teeth, body trembling violently, sweat pouring from his brow—but he forced his spirit to remain steady, guiding the energy slowly with《Yin-Yang Scripture》.

Soon, a four-colored lotus phantom slowly appeared above his head, radiating gentle light, as if guarding him.

Gradually, the ferocious force strangely softened, losing its wild, untamable nature.

Zhou Qing's furrowed brow slowly eased.

As refinement deepened, his body was gradually shrouded in shimmering silver-blue light.

Within the glow, faint lightning arcs flickered.

In a daze, Zhou Qing saw countless ancient runes intertwining, radiating primordial energy.

The next instant, they surged toward his spiritual sea like a storm, too fast to react.

His mind exploded with thunder—then he saw the blinding runes coalesce into a colossal Su Ni phantom, roaring in fury.

Zhou Qing's face changed—he prepared to mobilize his spiritual sense to resist—when the four-colored lotus above his head crashed down, exploding in blinding light, shattering the Su Ni phantom into glittering specks that vanished in his spiritual sea.

Immediately, information on《Thunderstorm Starfall Kill》flooded in: majestic images of Su Ni wielding the technique, exquisite methods of thunder control, and mysterious fusion rituals.

Zhou Qing rejoiced—again, he deeply felt the hidden benefits of the Four Flowers at the Crown.

No wonder those with Three Flowers at the Crown progress smoothly, with few cultivation bottlenecks, guaranteed to reach Cutting Spirit—it was true.

Moreover, he is one who has achieved the Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown, seemingly even more tyrannical.

The searing heat of the Jin Wu blood, the tyrannical fury of the Su Ni blood—yet beneath the four-colored flowers, all are suppressed!

At this moment, Zhou Qing was fully immersed in this flood of information, striving to digest it.

His soul force seemed to have transformed into a true Su Ni, standing beneath a storm-lashed starry sky, continuously practicing and mastering it.

Meanwhile, the powerful life force from the essence blood flowed ceaselessly into his flesh and spiritual power, nourishing his Nascent Soul, causing it to grow visibly stronger and more robust…

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Above a canyon, several figures sped past, moving so swiftly they stirred a howling wind, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.

Only after a long silence did two heads cautiously peek out from a pool below.

One had a round face and small eyes—who else but Yan Xiao Hu?

The other was a Nascent Soul cultivator of Jin Leizong named Lei Luo, whom Yan Xiao Hu had casually rescued during his escape.

In Jin Leizong, anyone with the surname Lei was almost certainly a direct descendant of the Sect Master Lei Wuji; upon asking, he learned this fellow was none other than Lei Lie's own younger brother.

Lei Lie was the Sect Master's top disciple, his cultivation base nearly equal to that of his senior brother, Ghost Hound. It was he who had hosted Zhou Qing during his last visit to Jin Leizong.

Now Yan Xiao Hu was like a clay Buddha crossing a river—unable to save himself, how could he possibly take someone else along? The target was far too large.

He'd only planned to ask the fellow for a few hundred high-grade spirit stones as rescue payment, but he never expected that the moment the man saw him, he burst out in worshipful admiration: "Jue Ye!"

Jue Ye?

This title sounded far better than "Knife Tyrant Yan Xiao Hu"—it made one's deceased ancestors shudder just hearing it.

Moreover, the man showed no fear of the Soul Transformation cultivators hunting them—he swore to follow Yan Xiao Hu through every peril.

Fine. Since he admired me so much, as his idol, Yan Xiao Hu would spare him the fee—just follow along.

"Jue Ye, what now? It feels like everyone is hunting you… no, hunting the two of us. Getting back to Taiqingmen won't be easy."

Lei Luo spoke while scanning the surroundings warily, his face filled with concern.

Lei Luo bore a faint resemblance to his brother Lei Lie, yet lacked his elder's calm authority, instead appearing altogether shifty.

In this, he matched Yan Xiao Hu's aura perfectly—anyone seeing them together would know trouble was brewing.

"I want to do it again!" Yan Xiao Hu's eyes suddenly glowed with madness.

Upon hearing this, Lei Luo instantly understood, his eyes brightening, his breath quickening, voice trembling: "You mean… you mean…"

"Exactly. They say never do it thrice—but I, the Tiger Lord… no, the Jue Ye, will do it a third time. Didn't you expect it? Even I didn't expect it—how much less them!"

As Yan Xiao Hu spoke, his face glowed with excitement, eyes blazing with fervor.

"I'm coming too! I'm coming too!" Hearing Yan Xiao Hu's plan, Lei Luo rushed over, his face flushed with barely contained excitement, terrified Yan Xiao Hu would leave him behind.

All his life, others had treated him as invisible—even his name was forgotten; when they mentioned him, it was only as "Lei Lie's younger brother."

No one saw that he, young as he was, had already reached the Nascent Soul realm—his talent was no slouch, but he'd been forever overshadowed by his brother's dazzling radiance.

Especially after the latest update to the Cangyan Dao Palace's Most Wanted List—his brother leapt to third place, while he remained just another obscure Nascent Soul cultivator.

After hearing how Yan Xiao Hu had twice dug up Cangyan Dao Palace's ancestral graves, stirring uproar across the Eastern Region and earning fame, he was utterly captivated—he wanted to pull off a grand heist himself.

But he'd never had the chance, and now he was trapped in a siege.

Just as he despaired, his idol descended from the heavens and saved him.

He'd missed the first two—this time, no matter what, he'd seize this chance to prove to everyone that Lei Luo was no coward!

"No. Taking you is too dangerous!" Yan Xiao Hu immediately refused.

Lei Luo panicked. "I've got plenty of things—family treasures. Look, this is Thunderstorm Pearl—it explodes with the force of a Nascent Soul strike. And this Thunder Banner—useful to delay pursuers at critical moments. You know the Lightning-Attracting Talisman…"

Without another word, Lei Luo dumped a pile of items from his storage pouch, frantically demonstrating his worth to Yan Xiao Hu.

So many treasures left Yan Xiao Hu's eyes burning with greed; after long consideration, he finally agreed.

"Fine. Since you gave me such a fine nickname, this time Jue Ye will take you along for a proper fame-making raid. Now, hand over everything you've got—I need to organize it properly!"

Yan Xiao Hu waved his hand grandly.

Lei Luo burst into delighted cheers, immediately spilling out all his belongings and explaining each one to Yan Xiao Hu…

Spirit Skull Mountain!

At this moment, Lu Yaoyao's entire aura surged. In her dantian, the Star Spirit—the twenty-sixth-ranked Heavenly Dao essence she'd absorbed earlier—now coalesced into a dazzling starry curtain.

Occasionally, streams of spiritual energy shaped like meteors flowed into her Golden Core.

The surface of her Golden Core flickered with spiritual runes, swelling continuously—until, in the next instant, her aura erupted violently.

Lu Yaoyao slowly opened her eyes, her face flushed with excitement.

"Late-stage Golden Core—I actually broke through!"

Lu Yaoyao was ecstatic. She could feel the energy within the Thunder Liquid remained immense, still pouring ceaselessly into her Golden Core.

She turned to share her joy with Zhou Qing—but found him seated nearby, eyes tightly shut, his aura steadily climbing—he was clearly in a critical cultivation phase.

She suppressed her excitement, stared at the final drop of Thunder Liquid, gritted her teeth, and swallowed it whole.

She intended to strike with full force, using the Thunder Liquid's power to break directly into Golden Core peak.

Thus, another half-month slipped by.

As Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes, twin lightning arcs shot from his pupils, radiating a sharp, piercing aura.

Even with a mere thought, his hair turned deep blue, each strand crackling with lightning.

He looked like a Thunder God descended from heaven!

"The 'Thunderstorm Meteor Kill' inherited from the Su Ni bloodline—I've only fully comprehended it so far. But achieving Minor Completion won't be easy; its power rivals the Jin Wu Clan's 'Jin Wu Burn the Heavens Scripture'!"

Zhou Qing murmured to himself—he'd need considerable time to master it and wield it effortlessly.

"Not urgent now. I've touched the barrier—I'll seize this chance and enter Nascent Soul mid-stage!"

Zhou Qing's eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.

After glancing at Lu Yaoyao, still in the midst of her breakthrough, he closed his eyes again, guiding his internal spiritual power with full focus, preparing for the final assault toward Nascent Soul mid-stage.

…………

The third time the Cangyan Dao Palace's ancestral grounds have been dug up!

This time, besides Yan Xiao Hu, another man named Lei Luo was involved.

And this time, Yan Xiao Hu's message explicitly declared he had retired the title "Knife Tyrant Yan Xiao Hu," now calling himself "Jue Ye."

But to Cangyan Dao Palace, what you called yourself mattered nothing—you were just a corpse awaiting dismemberment.

Again and again—this was no longer provocation or insult; it was outright contempt.

That same day, Cangyan Dao Palace retrieved all the ancestral corpses unearthed and moved them to a new mausoleum—no fourth theft would be allowed.

Immediately, they formed a special "Capture the Tiger" squad, led by two Soul Transformation Elders, to hunt down Yan Xiao Hu and Lei Luo with full force.

Moreover, they issued a stern declaration: if any other Soul Transformation cultivator interfered or offered aid before the fugitives returned to their sect, Cangyan Dao Palace would open full-scale Soul Transformation warfare.

From this, one could see just how furious Cangyan Dao Palace had become.

After all, being toyed with by a Nascent Soul cultivator—what dignity remained!

(End of Chapter)