Chapter 154: Whose Urine Is So Foul? (6k)

By midnight, after Zhou Qing had warned Lu Yaoyao not to wander off, he himself turned into a shadow, moving like a ghost, silently slipping toward the mine site.

He skillfully avoided every patrol post, then seized the perfect moment to strike, subduing a Foundation Establishment scout who had just finished urinating.

Before he could cry out for help, Zhou Qing immediately launched a soul-searching technique on him.

As the soul-searching deepened, Zhou Qing's expression grew increasingly grim.

Ever since the previous outpost in Youhuang City was dismantled and Song Yuan perished, the Blood Bone Elder, as the responsible official, had naturally been severely reprimanded and punished by Sikong Yan.

Yet with talent desperately needed now, and Blood Bone having experience in establishing outposts, he was ordered to build a new one.

After careful consideration, Blood Bone chose the Beimang Mine, which had recently suffered a devastating surprise attack by the Three Sects Alliance.

Logically, no one would strike again so soon.

Moreover, the location was remote, close to the main road leading to Lingyun Prefecture, making it easier to secretly capture people as puppets without detection.

And whether these cultivators were heading toward the mine or returning, their storage bags were packed with valuable items—surely a profitable venture.

Now, inside Mine No. 9—the very spot where Chaos Xuanjin was originally discovered—over a dozen Golden Core cultivators and one Nascent Soul cultivator had been imprisoned and modified.

After some time, they would don black robes, disguise themselves as ordinary people, and be secretly transported to Cangyan Dao Palace.

"Wait, that person is..."

Soon, Zhou Qing spotted the same figure recorded in Tian Xiong's memories from the Xueyan Mine—Simayaoji.

"So this new outpost... she's the one delivering the Spirit Orifice Conversion Array needed for the puppets!" Zhou Qing suddenly understood.

Or rather, Simayaoji had taken over Song Yuan's former role.

"If everyone else is powerless against these puppets, perhaps if I can fully comprehend even a fraction of the legacy left by Master Xuanqing, I might find a way to resolve this entirely."

Once he grasped this, Zhou Qing did not alert anyone. He quietly erased the man's memories to ensure Blood Bone the Old Ghost wouldn't grow suspicious, then slipped away silently.

For he now had a brand-new plan.

………

"Senior Brother Zhou!" Seeing Zhou Qing return safely, Lu Yaoyao's face lit up with joy.

Zhou Qing signaled for silence, then led Lu Yaoyao farther away, finding a cave to serve as their next cultivation retreat.

"I'm going to kill Simayaoji!" Zhou Qing spoke with solemn determination, his eyes brimming with cold, unyielding killing intent.

Lu Yaoyao's expression shifted slightly, but seeing his resolve, she nodded: "Alright, I'll help you."

"Aren't you going to ask why?" Zhou Qing asked curiously.

Lu Yaoyao shook her head, her face earnest: "No matter what you decide, I support you unconditionally."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing felt a warmth in his chest, then recounted what he had seen during the soul-searching.

Upon learning that this place also housed a cruel outpost like the one in Youhuang City's caves, Lu Yaoyao became furious.

"What's your plan?" Lu Yaoyao quickly regained her composure and asked.

Zhou Qing said: "We'll cultivate here and begin learning barrier techniques."

"Then where will we get the array materials?" Lu Yaoyao asked next.

They had come to Beimang Mine specifically for those materials, but dared not touch the warehouse's contents to avoid alerting anyone.

Zhou Qing raised four storage bags in his hand.

From Li Hong and Chu Yu on Lingku Mountain, Tian Xiong from the Xueyan Mine, and the Tianji Sect cultivator who ambushed Yuan Ya on the way here.

The contents of these four Nascent Soul cultivators' bags were more than enough for him to choose from.

"And I might have something you need too," Lu Yaoyao immediately pulled out hundreds of storage bags.

Though most belonged to Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators, some might have been lucky enough to acquire valuable items.

Zhou Qing nodded, expressing his thanks.

"Since we have free time, let's solidify our cultivation!" Zhou Qing then handed her a top-grade fire spirit stone.

Though the energy was modest, it was still a rare elemental spirit stone.

Lu Yaoyao was startled, then shook her head and refused, instead pulling out a top-grade wood-element spirit stone glowing with green light, proudly displaying it.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing smiled: "Your Sect Master really spoils you."

"Barrier techniques are hard to grasp—they drain mental energy. Why don't you take this? If you get tired..."

Before Lu Yaoyao could finish, Zhou Qing proudly produced a box. When opened, it revealed three remaining top-grade fire spirit stones, plus one each of wood and water elements.

Lu Yaoyao stared, stunned: "How do you have so many top-grade spirit stones?"

"Found them. So keep yours—I'll need you to guard me from now on!" Zhou Qing closed the box.

Lu Yaoyao nodded with a smile, puffing out her chest in assurance.

Zhou Qing then sat cross-legged, not attempting barriers first, but fully immersing himself in the Suanni 's "Thunderstorm Starfall Kill."

Over the next two months, friction between the Five Sects escalated constantly—whenever they encountered each other, regardless of what they were doing, the only word was: fight!

If they couldn't win, they immediately called for reinforcements.

Yet strangely, both sides subtly avoided deploying Soul Transformation cultivators, keeping the fighting within a relatively controlled range.

Except for the Capture Tiger Squad!

Inside Cangyan Dao Palace!

Lei Luo was ecstatic, gazing at Yan Xiao Hu with boundless admiration.

"No more than three times—we won't disturb the slumbering ancestors again!" Yan Xiao Hu said solemnly after careful thought.

Lei Luo nodded vigorously—even if they could go a fourth time, they couldn't manage it.

The new mausoleum was nothing like the outside world—layered barriers, guarded by Soul Transformation cultivators.

A single touch would summon Sikong Yan instantly; even if they wanted to flee, they wouldn't have time.

Yan Xiao Hu pulled out the latest Kill List: he remained in fifth place, behind his senior brother Gui Ao, second sister Luo Lingling, Lei Lie of Jin Leizong, and Zhu He of Qingyu Immortal Sect.

"It seems advancing further is impossible—the difficulty is extraordinary!" Yan Xiao Hu sighed.

The fourth brother still sat at tenth, unchanged.

But Lei Luo, once unknown, had gained some fame through his recent antics and now ranked within the top twenty.

"So we leave tonight?" Lei Luo whispered.

They'd nearly been exposed several times recently—staying longer was far too dangerous.

In response, Yan Xiao Hu nodded gravely: "I originally planned to pretend to accept a mission and slip away, but after observing lately, I noticed their mountain gate barrier is unusual—we'd be spotted if we left carelessly."

Lei Luo agreed: "I think so too—it seems more advanced than Jin Leizong's. There's a faint red glow on the barrier."

"A Hall-Entering One-Color Barrier, covering the entire sect—truly extravagant!" Yan Xiao Hu marveled.

When they entered, the mountain gate barrier had been fully open, so they hadn't probed it. Now, to prevent infiltration, entry and exit had become extremely strict, requiring multiple layers of inspection.

Lei Luo hurriedly asked: "Master Jue, didn't you say you had a way out?"

Yan Xiao Hu immediately pulled out a pearl, its luster greatly dimmed.

"What's this?" Lei Luo leaned in curiously.

Yan Xiao Hu grinned proudly: "A Barrier-Breaking Pearl—gifted by my brother-in-law. This is its final use. I wonder if it'll work?"

As he spoke, his pride faded, replaced by worry.

There were only three uses total: one to escape from Taiqingmen with the fourth brother, another to enter Qingyu Immortal Sect.

Fortunately, these two months weren't wasted—he carefully studied several weak spots in the barriers. Normally, it should be fine.

Lei Luo wondered: When did you even get a brother-in-law? And is this thing reliable?

"Follow the plan—act!" Yan Xiao Hu didn't elaborate, giving the order immediately.

Lei Luo's eyes lit up, pulling out a giant brush, his face thrilled: "I've been ready!"

"Go!"

The two swiftly vanished into the darkness...

The next day, Master Sikong Yan stared grimly at the "masterpiece" before him; everyone around dared not breathe, the atmosphere unnervingly silent.

Yet just as everyone held their breath, Sikong Yan suddenly smiled—a smile full of unfathomable meaning.

"These two have grown more interesting to me. Issue orders—I want them alive!"

After speaking, Sikong Yan turned and walked away, hands behind his back.

The others exchanged glances, then looked ahead.

This was the grand plaza where Cangyan Dao Palace held major ceremonies—now every massive jade pillar bore crude graffiti, nearly identical to the vandalism at the ancestral grounds.

【Hey hey hey, tiny Cangyan Dao Palace, your Jue Ye comes and goes as he pleases.】

【I, Lei Luo, will return and wipe you out—then the men become slaves, the women become prostitutes.】

【Five Heavenly Prodigies? All brainless, muscle-bound fools. The remaining three are mine—wash your necks clean and wait.】

【Protect your mausoleum well—maybe on a dark, windy night, Jue Ye will pay a visit. Oh, and don't forget the burial goods—otherwise it'll look too shabby.】

【Special reminder: we're still inside the palace. Come find us—if you do, you'll get Heiheihei.】

………

Across all thirty-six white jade pillars, such arrogant words were scrawled—the sight was blinding.

Worse, they'd even urinated at the base of the pillars to insult and provoke.

One of the stench—no one knew whose—was foul and pungent.

Everyone present turned red with rage, gritting their teeth, immediately launching a full-scale investigation.

Meanwhile, two figures were far from Cangyan Dao Palace, laughing heartily as if fish leaped freely in the sea and birds soared boundlessly in the sky.

It was too thrilling! They'd feared the pearl might fail, forcing them to rush back, erase their traces, and lie low again—but it worked.

"Next time I meet my brother-in-law, I'm taking that big pearl from him!" Yan Xiao Hu's eyes sparkled with excitement.

I just wonder where my brother-in-law is right now.

"Third brother-in-law!" Just then, a familiar voice rang out from afar.

Yan Xiao Hu froze, immediately halting his flying sword and turning to see a man with thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows beaming as he sped toward them.

Yan Xiao Hu's eyes lit up with ecstatic joy, his face splitting into a wide grin as he flew straight toward the man: "Brother-in-law!!!"

Lei Luo was stunned, staring at the man's simple, earnest appearance—could this really be Jueye's brother-in-law?

Wait—

Both of them still had their face masks on, and their cultivation bases were suppressed to Foundation Establishment—yet this brother-in-law recognized them at a glance. How terrifying!

"Brother-in-law, I've missed you so much!" Yan Xiao Hu rushed forward and gave him a huge hug.

Bai He was equally delighted; among the few from Xiao Ling Peak, only Yan Xiao Hu acknowledged his status and called him brother-in-law.

But hugging's one thing—what are you feeling up in my waist for?

My storage bag is stored in my spiritual sense now.

"Have you seen your second sister-in-law?" Bai He asked quickly.

Yan Xiao Hu reluctantly pulled his hand back and shook his head. "No. What's wrong with my second sister-in-law?"

"I can't find her. I thought she'd be worried about you and stay near Cangyan Dao Palace, but I've searched everywhere here for ages and haven't seen her—yet I ended up running into you two!"

Then Bai He recounted the general events.

Yan Xiao Hu hadn't expected his brother-in-law to have accidentally encountered Old Four and Lu Yaoyao.

Looks like everyone's been busy lately!

"Don't worry—based on my second sister-in-law's personality, she won't get into trouble. Since I'm fine now, let's just search for her together!" Yan Xiao Hu said confidently.

Bai He's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?"

"Of course it's true—who knows my sister-in-law better than I do? But if you run into danger during this time…"

Yan Xiao Hu hesitated, and Bai He immediately understood, pounding his chest in assurance: "No one will harm you so much as a single hair!"

"That's exactly what I'm waiting for. Let me give you an idea—we can track the number of enemies my second sister-in-law has killed on the Death List, then capture a few prisoners to find out who's been recently slain and their last known locations…"

The three spoke as they departed.

………

Lingku Mountain!

Lu Yaoyao felt she might be sick—sometimes, while utterly focused on guarding the outside, she'd suddenly forget why she was doing it.

Only when she accidentally glanced at Zhou Qing in seclusion did she remember: she was protecting him.

She quickly shook off the daze and checked herself thoroughly—but everything seemed fine.

Until this day, Zhou Qing's body suddenly stirred without wind, and immediately, a blue Suanni phantom surged from behind him, roaring incessantly.

Lu Yaoyao's expression darkened in alarm; she immediately went on guard.

The Suanni 's body was formed entirely of pure lightning energy, its eyes like twin blazing bolts of thunder.

The entire cave was instantly filled with this violent, crackling force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Outside, the sky darkened with storm clouds in an instant—but the next moment, as Zhou Qing opened his eyes, the Suanni vanished, and the sky returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Lu Yaoyao exhaled in relief.

It seemed Zhou Qing had gained a powerful technique from that Suanni essence blood—but if the manifestation was too grand, Xuegu the Old Ghost might notice. If he came to investigate out of curiosity, they'd be at a disadvantage.

Now Zhou Qing slowly opened his palms, watching the lightning arcs flickering across his skin, a faint smile on his lips.

"The Thunderstorm Starfall Kill has finally reached minor mastery!"

With this, his survival trump card grew by one more—but how much spiritual power it would drain, he still needed to visit Shen Xu Tian Gong to consult the wandering souls for an estimate.

"Congratulations, Master Zhou! Heartfelt congratulations!" Seeing Zhou Qing's joy, Lu Yaoyao hurried over to offer her felicitations.

Zhou Qing stood and stretched his body, then smiled. "Thank you for your help these past days."

"Master Zhou, you're being too formal!" Lu Yaoyao feigned annoyance.

Zhou Qing laughed heartily, apologized repeatedly, then said seriously: "I'll likely need your help for a while longer."

Lu Yaoyao had no objections—after all, soon they'd be facing Cangyan Dao Palace's prodigy, Sima Yaoji.

Remember: Du Kui and Luo Xue were both Nascent Soul—Du Kui at Nascent Soul peak, Luo Xue at Nascent Soul late stage. Yet even together, one died and one barely escaped.

That alone shows how strong she is!

After receiving Lu Yaoyao's assurance, Zhou Qing rested briefly, then pulled out various rare materials to study forbidden seals and barriers.

Days passed quietly. Three months later, Zhou Qing opened his eyes, exhausted—but his pupils burned with suppressed excitement.

During this time, he'd entered Shen Xu Tian Gong countless times, battling wandering souls with the Thunderstorm Starfall Kill, perfectly paired with the Cang Lei Sword Art and Jin Wu Burn the Sky Scripture.

Surprisingly, he'd held out until the third wave of wandering souls, developing a fairly mature combat style.

When no wandering souls appeared, he'd walked through the gravity zone and stood on the open ground where the grinding stone sat, practicing array formation.

After all, everything in Shen Xu Tian Gong was simulated—even if he consumed or damaged things, it didn't matter.

Today, he finally mastered the setup of an array called the Thunderflame Soul Devouring Array.

This is a Level One array; to truly master it, one must forge at least twenty spirit seals.

Spirit seals are the foundation and conduits of spirit arrays—and symbols of an array master's identity and strength.

In three months, he'd gone from complete novice to preliminary mastery—barely forging eight spirit seals.

This greatly weakened the array's power.

But there was no choice: in simulation mode, he hadn't been able to forge a ninth—or any more—for a long time.

In other words, he'd hit his first true bottleneck as an array master.

Thus, he had to end his seclusion early, slightly disappointed.

If the late Xuan Qingzi knew Zhou Qing's thoughts, he'd be stunned beyond measure.

A complete novice with no prior array experience who forges one spirit seal within a year counts as having talent.

If one achieves it within six months, they're a genius—with limitless potential.

If one forges a single spirit seal in just three months, they're a true prodigy—every master would fight to take them as a disciple.

But look at Zhou Qing: in three months, he forged eight spirit seals—just one short of mastery—and he's still unsatisfied?

Aren't you just driving others to despair?

After his moment of disappointment, Zhou Qing reexamined the Thunderflame Soul Devouring Array.

He chose it for three main reasons.

First, from its name alone, it's an array combining lightning, flame, and soul-draining properties.

This synergizes well with his Thunderstorm Starfall Kill and Jin Wu Burn the Sky Scripture.

And given the vast gap in cultivation between them, if he could trap her inside the array, he could rapidly drain her spiritual power.

Second, the materials he currently possessed were only sufficient for this array.

Third, among Level One arrays, it's relatively simple and easy to learn.

Now, everything was ready—just waiting for the wind!

Zhou Qing took out Jipin spirit stones and began cultivating to replenish his energy. When night fell, he opened his eyes again.

"Stay here—I'll be right back!" Zhou Qing instructed Lu Yaoyao, then slipped on his nightclothes and vanished silently.

After sneaking back into the Beimang Mine, he fixed his gaze on Mine Shaft Nine and crept forward slowly.

Soon, he stopped abruptly, refusing to advance.

He now had some understanding of arrays—before him lay a detection array, cleverly concealed, invisible to ordinary cultivators.

But if he stepped forward, he'd inevitably alert Xuegu the Old Ghost.

Zhou Qing retreated, peering sideways—light had appeared ahead.

Quickly, he saw the same scene from the Yuhuang Cave—but unlike before, the captives in the iron cages were no longer blank and numb; they were terrified, trembling violently.

"Over a hundred people—all mostly Jin Dan. No, two are Nascent Soul. They haven't been fitted with the array yet—meaning Sima Yaoji hasn't brought the array yet!"

Zhou Qing fell into deep thought.

He'd been in seclusion nearly half a year. From the bloodstains around the iron racks, she'd already come once and taken away a group.

"The cages are full—she'll be here soon."

Watching the butchers in red robes chatting together, Zhou Qing didn't alert them—he slipped away silently.

He couldn't save them. He mustn't save them.

No one knew where Xuegu the Old Ghost was hiding.

Month's end—please vote for a monthly ticket!

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(End of Chapter)