Chapter 165: Eat your mother's dog-fart!

Looking at the mountain range before him, Zhou Qing pondered for a moment before speaking.

"I will lure Yu Ziqi and the others away to create an opportunity for Shijie. Don't worry, Second Granduncle taught me the 'Silver Dragon Step'; they won't necessarily be able to catch up to me."

Mo Xingjian, however, shook his head, his expression solemn as he said, "Do not underestimate the terror of a realm of understanding. Even if they have only grasped the basics, their combat power is at least equivalent to three ordinary Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivators."

"Are you truly certain you can successfully escape from the encirclement of six people like Sima Yaoji?"

Zhou Qing fell silent; it was clear he could not.

"The two of you must not separate; I will be right behind you!" Mo Xingjian said after a brief moment of contemplation.

The two nodded and immediately entered Mount Canglan.

To avoid detection by Soul Formation experts and certain spirit beasts, the two hid their aura with all their might. They dared not fly at high altitudes, instead darting rapidly through the dense forest while continuously trying to contact the Second Shijie.

"If only I were proficient in beast language, then everything flying in the sky and running on the ground in all of Mount Canglan would be my eyes and ears!" Yan Xiaohu couldn't help but transmit his voice.

One could imagine how vast this place was, having once served as a trial ground for the five great sects.

Zhou Qing, who had been moving forward, felt a sudden chill in his heart upon hearing this. He recalled that on the image stone Yu Ziqi had given him, there was a seven-colored bird controlled by the even more terrifying Li Hanshan.

It could not only pinpoint the Second Shijie's whereabouts with precision but also do so silently and without a trace.

"Watch out for that bird!" Zhou Qing warned.

Yan Xiaohu understood immediately and nodded slightly to show he understood. He then quietly flew up to the canopy of an ancient tree and looked ahead, checking to see where flocks of birds might be taking flight or where intense fighting might be occurring.

Unfortunately, clouds and mist swirled before them, locking away one mountain peak after another.

Zhou Qing looked back once, not seeing his Master's figure, yet he could feel that his Master was watching them the entire time.

Looking up, the green shade overhead was dense; sunlight could only spill through the gaps in the layers of branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows onto the moss-covered ground.

Thick vines coiled and wound between tree trunks and giant rocks like sleeping giant pythons, making one dare not be careless.

On the ground, the remains or droppings of various spirit beasts could be seen everywhere.

The two moved forward, sometimes one in front and one behind, sometimes side-by-side, while constantly observing their surroundings.

"Third Shixiong, why is this place used as the trial ground for the five sects every sixty years? Have you participated before?" Zhou Qing asked via voice transmission during their journey.

He knew very little about Mount Canglan and hoped to use this to grasp some important clues to better deal with the various dangers they might encounter.

Yan Xiaohu replied, "I've participated once. Look over there."

Zhou Qing followed the gesture and was shocked to find some roof tiles and even floor bricks scattered under a few trees.

"Was there a city here once?" Zhou Qing asked softly, his face showing surprise.

Yan Xiaohu shook his head. "Not a city, but a sect—a sect with a history even more ancient than the five sects. To this day, no one knows its actual name."

Zhou Qing nodded, finally understanding.

"After the five sects were established, no one knows when they discovered this place, so they explored it together. Over the generations, it has been searched thoroughly, though, of course, there hasn't been any practical progress."

"Because this region is vast, inhabited by numerous spirit beasts, and located at a relatively central position equidistant from the five sects, it was established as a trial ground."

"If the conflict hadn't occurred this time, it would have been about time for it to open again after the five sects' treasure exchange gathering concluded."

Yan Xiaohu sighed deeply at this point, his tone filled with regret and helplessness.

Just then, Zhou Qing's gaze suddenly and keenly captured an anomaly ahead.

His figure flashed, and within a few leaps, he had landed rapidly at a spot.

Looking at the ancient tree that had been pierced through before him, he reached out to touch it, his expression solemn as he said, "This wound... it looks like it was caused by the Second Shijie's short sword."

Yan Xiaohu also stepped forward to look, then immediately nodded. "That's right, it is. That sword looks short, but it can instantly become very, very long, making it impossible to guard against. It seems our luck is good."

The two were delighted and hurriedly followed the trail to continue moving forward...

At the same time, deep within Mount Canglan, four figures were each holding a peculiar object, focusing intently on sensing something.

Some of them were covered in hard scales, others had gorgeous feathers, or sharp horns on their heads. The only commonality was that they all had a pair of golden wings on their backs, appearing particularly striking in the dark mountain forest.

They were actually humanoid spirit beasts.

What was eerie was that the aura they emitted was only at the Nascent Soul realm.

However, according to common sense, only Soul Formation spirit beasts could take human form, and even after transforming, they would retain some characteristics of the demon race.

But these four had broken this convention, which was truly difficult to understand.

Besides them, an old man stood behind them with his hands behind his back.

From his appearance, he looked no different from an ordinary person, but if one looked closely, one could see his pupils flashing with a strange golden light, revealing an indescribable depth.

This was actually a true Soul Severance powerhouse!

"Feng Lao, it should be here!"

A man covered in hard scales came running excitedly to the old man's side, his voice trembling slightly with excitement as he spoke.

The old man called Feng Lao narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, and he couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"How many years has it been? After gathering so many clues, we have finally found the burial place of the Old Old Peng Wang. Good, good, give me the essence blood!"

As Feng Lao spoke, he reached out his hand impatiently.

Hearing this, the four did not hesitate, immediately slapping their chests hard, and each opened their mouths to spit out a blood bead containing extremely rich essence, carefully handing them to Feng Lao.

After receiving the blood beads, Feng Lao's expression became solemn, and his hands quickly formed incredibly complex seals.

Under the expectant gazes of the group, a magic array gradually took shape following his movements. As light flickered, a giant Peng bird emitting brilliant golden light suddenly flew out from within, letting out a long cry toward the sky.

…………

Boom, boom, boom!

Suddenly, the entire ground of Mount Canglan shook violently, as if a great earthquake had occurred. Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu, who had been moving, immediately became alert.

After exchanging a glance, they leaped onto the treetops and looked into the distance, only to see rocks rolling down one after another, crashing toward the foot of the mountain with a thunderous roar, dust billowing into the air.

The flocks of birds that had been resting in the forest were also startled by the sudden change, flying everywhere, their cries filling the entire sky, the scene in complete chaos.

"Could it be that the Second Shijie is fighting them?" A flash of joy crossed their eyes.

Mo Xingjian, however, suddenly appeared beside them, his face solemn and filled with worry, warning in a deep voice, "Be careful, I felt an extremely terrifying aura coming from that direction."

Yan Xiaohu was anxious and said urgently, "Let's go over and see first. What if it is her?"

Mo Xingjian frowned slightly, and after a brief moment of contemplation, he finally nodded, and the three of them sped off together.

…………

"The old man feels a massive life aura!" In another part of Mount Canglan, a Soul Formation expert from the Cangyan Dao Palace spoke with a gleam in his eyes.

The other two accompanying Soul Formation cultivators nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, their eyes filled with excitement and curiosity.

"Could it be that a heavenly treasure has matured?" One of them felt a stir in his heart and guessed with anticipation.

After all, in Mount Canglan, there was never a shortage of rare treasures, and this place was home to many powerful Spirit Commanders, and even a more terrifying Soul Formation Spirit King.

These spirit beasts were best at guarding all kinds of rare treasures; perhaps this time a great opportunity had truly appeared.

"Let's go, go take a look!" The three Soul Formation cultivators exchanged glances and, without further hesitation, immediately unleashed their divine abilities and flew rapidly toward the direction from which the aura came.

At this moment, Yu Ziqi watched as the three Elders hurried away. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Li Hanshan, carrying that heavy halberd, also chasing after them rapidly.

"The injured person, you are capable of handling!" Li Hanshan's cold voice came from afar, devoid of any emotion.

This made Yu Ziqi's expression even uglier.

This Luo Lingling was simply too cunning. In just three days, she had disappeared without a trace, and when they finally found her, it turned out to be a paper doll.

Should he stay behind to torture those related to Zhou Qing to vent his hatred, or watch as a potential opportunity slipped through his fingers for nothing?

Yu Ziqi couldn't help but feel conflicted.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Yu Ziqi gritted his teeth, a flash of determination in his eyes, and hurriedly used his movement technique to chase after them.

After all, the dead are gone, and for the living, once an opportunity is missed, it is hard to encounter again.

People, after all, must look forward.

…………

Luo Lingling was currently covered in blood, looking quite disheveled. She wore a bitter expression, seizing the time to absorb the spiritual power from spirit stones, attempting to recover from her injuries as quickly as possible.

"What a pity for a Life-Substitution Talisman. It wasn't even used when Little Aqing was undergoing the Four-Flower Gathering. Now, it's been consumed here instead. Old Mo, facing the same scene as in the past, I seem to understand your choice back then a little better."

Suddenly, the ground shook, and a roaring sound came from ahead, which made her eyes light up.

"Could there be others here? Perhaps I can use this opportunity to fish in troubled waters and shake off the pursuit of those guys."

Thinking of this, Luo Lingling first looked behind her vigilantly, and after confirming there was no immediate danger, she flashed her figure and sped toward the source of the tremor.

…………

Deep in Mount Canglan, a humanoid figure with a rugged build, thick hair, and a long tail dragging behind him slowly walked out of a cave.

He stood at the cave entrance, looking out at the dense and deep mountain forest ahead, took a deep breath, and clicked his tongue.

He raised his hand and beckoned lightly, and a staff as thick as a stone pillar instantly appeared in his hand.

Then, with a light tap of his feet, he stepped into the air and broke through the sky toward a certain direction.

…………

"Eh~" At the same time, a sound of surprise rang out from the void.

Immediately after, a silver-haired woman wearing a veil tore through space and stepped out.

"I underestimated this remote place; there's actually an unexpected harvest!" After speaking, she immediately descended.

…………

At the same time, at the back mountain of the Taiqingmen, Duanmu Shu and the others, who had been in seclusion, suddenly changed their expressions and came out one after another.

Soon, they saw ripples appearing in the space not far away, and the next moment, they saw a giant corpse-wax crow walk out from within.

It looked toward a certain location with empty eyes, as if suddenly stimulated by something, and suddenly spread its wings, flying straight toward the sky, disappearing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

"How did it come out of the Cave Heaven?"

"I don't know, but something big must have happened."

"You keep an eye on the other two; we'll follow and take a look."

…………

By the time Zhou Qing and the other two arrived, they saw that the lush forest hinterland had collapsed at some point, revealing a huge, pitch-black abyss.

And high in the sky, two old men were fiercely entangled in battle.

One of them had wings growing from his back, flashing with a strange light under the reflection of the sun.

And the other, in his moves, faintly emitted an incomparably majestic imperial aura, his every gesture showing dominance.

"Soul Severance Demon Emperor!" When he saw the old man with golden eyes and wings, Mo Xingjian was filled with horror.

As a late-stage Soul Formation expert, he could clearly feel the terrifying pressure emitted by the other party.

Hearing Mo Xingjian's words, Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu also looked on in shock.

Soul Severance realm?

In the entire fourth-level cultivation nation, with its eight commanderies and seventy-two prefectures, Soul Severance powerhouses were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. There were only a dozen or so in total, and yet one had appeared alive and well here in Mount Canglan?

And it was a demon?

The last time Zhou Qing saw such a terrifying great demon was the Flame Crocodile King in the third coffin of the Cave Heaven.

"Xuan Yuan Shuo, I thought you would follow along quietly like a mouse!" The Feng Lao currently in battle mocked the old man opposite him while unleashing a sharp divine ability.

The old man opposite laughed loudly: "Ridiculous, this is this King's territory, and I have always walked openly. On the contrary, you lot are sneaky, like a few mice, sneaking in from the border. So it was for the inheritance of the Golden-Winged Peng."

"We are inherently those who contain the bloodline of the Jin Peng clan. The Xumi Sect that was here in the past even revered it as their ancestor. It is only right and proper for us to come and accept this inheritance; it is not your place to comment!"

Feng Lao glared and retorted loudly.

Xuan Yuan Shuo snorted coldly: "Heaven knows how long ago that was. Ever since my Shengwu Imperial Dynasty was promoted to a fourth-level cultivation nation, many third-level cultivation nations, including this place and countless territories, have been granted to us by the Cultivation Alliance. Even if there really is some inheritance here, it is absolutely not your demon race's turn to covet it!"

"Eat your mother's dog-fart, let's see the truth in battle!" Feng Lao was so angry he cursed, no longer willing to waste words, and immediately unleashed even more violent moves, attacking Xuan Yuan Shuo.

Subsequently, the battle between the two sides became increasingly intense, every collision erupting with terrifying energy fluctuations, as if they were about to tear this piece of sky apart.

Mo Xingjian looked at the human old man in surprise, muttering to himself: "Xuan Yuan Shuo? It's actually him!"

Yan Xiaohu was shocked and hurriedly asked: "Master, is this Xuan Yuan Shuo also a Soul Severance expert?"

Mo Xingjian nodded slightly, explaining solemnly: "That's right. More than three thousand years ago, after the Old Emperor successfully promoted to the Soul Severance realm, he immediately used the massive resources of the imperial family to help his younger brother, the Prince Xuan Yuan Shuo before us, also promote to the Soul Severance realm."

"After all, fighting tigers requires brothers, and going into battle requires father and son. With the two of them supporting each other, they finally stabilized the foundation of the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty. After that, they also helped the ancestors of other sects successfully step into this realm."

"Later, many years passed, and the Old Emperor passed the throne to the current Emperor, then chose to go into seclusion to cultivate. This Prince Xuan Yuan Shuo has been guarding the border area, rarely appearing before the public, so many people are not very familiar with him."

Hearing Mo Xingjian's explanation, the two finally understood, and felt a few more points of awe and amazement when facing such a powerhouse.

"Shh, the people from Cangyan Dao Palace are here!" Just then, Mo Xingjian seemed to have sensed something, his gaze looking toward a certain direction, and he hurriedly made a shushing gesture, remembering the direction from which the other party came.

Soon, five people including Yu Ziqi hurried over, but when they sensed the terrifying duel between the two in the sky, they were filled with shock.

"Is the Second Shijie alright?"

Looking at the expressions of the five, Yan Xiaohu was worried. They had all come here; had they given up on the Second Shijie or was it already over?

Zhou Qing was also filled with worry, trying to send a message to the Second Shijie again.

The very next moment, a reply from Luo Lingling came on the token: "Who told you to come?"

Seeing this message, Zhou Qing was overjoyed, and the heart that had been hanging finally settled down.

"Master, Third Shixiong, look!" Zhou Qing hurriedly shouted.

Seeing Luo Lingling's reply, Master and Third Shixiong were also delighted and hurriedly contacted her.

Before long, they saw Luo Lingling coming from the other side, covered in blood.

Seeing this, Yu Ziqi was about to make a move, but Mo Xingjian immediately stepped out, staring at him with cold eyes.

"There will be plenty of opportunities later; the opportunity at hand is what's important!" A Soul Formation Elder from Cangyan Dao Palace hurriedly spoke to stop him.

They truly did not expect that Zhou Qing and the others had actually come here. If it weren't for this sudden event, their layout would have already been unfolded by now.

Yu Ziqi was helpless and could only give up in anger.

However, being able to let two Soul Severance experts, who usually see the head but not the tail, fight fiercely here showed how huge the opportunity here was. They had to notify their Palace Master and the others immediately.

It was just that for any of the five sects to get here, it would take at least three days of travel.

Fortunately, they had a third teleportation array, and it was not far from here. Perhaps this was an opportunity.

Immediately, a Soul Formation Elder flew away rapidly.

"Second Shijie!"

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu hurriedly ran over to support her, and Mo Xingjian immediately began to investigate.

Fortunately, there was no major harm.

"You guys are really..." Luo Lingling looked at the three and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Boom!

Following another intense collision between the two, they separated rapidly again, then looked toward the sky in unison.

Zhou Qing and the others couldn't help but shiver, as if the temperature between heaven and earth had suddenly dropped significantly.

Immediately after, snowflakes drifted down one after another. Everyone looked up and was shocked to find a silver-haired woman wearing a veil slowly descending from the sky.

Zhou Qing's pupils shrank instantly.

"It's her!"

Feng Lao and Xuan Yuan Shuo exchanged glances; neither had expected that in this small prefecture, there would exist a third Soul Severance expert.

Especially Xuan Yuan Shuo, who knew all the Soul Severance experts in the entire Shengwu Imperial Dynasty like the back of his hand, yet this woman before him made him feel incredibly unfamiliar.

The woman just glanced at Xuan Yuan Shuo and Feng Lao indifferently, her eyes revealing a coldness that disregarded life and death.

Subsequently, she moved her lotus steps lightly and walked slowly toward the bottomless, pitch-black abyss.

Wherever she passed, the air seemed to freeze instantly, forming pieces of crystal-clear ice.

But the very next moment, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from beneath the abyss, which was like an endless black hole.

Within the light, ancient and mysterious runes could be faintly seen flickering and jumping, accompanied by an aura of death that made one's heart cold.

At the same time, a pressure so powerful it was suffocating permeated from the bottom of the abyss, making everyone's heart sink.

Zhou Qing and the others felt their bodies tense up involuntarily, the spiritual power within them running wildly, attempting to resist this terrifying pressure.

Seeing this, the woman immediately retreated, and all the runes faded away at this moment.

Xuan Yuan Shuo suddenly laughed loudly: "It is rumored that long ago, the Old Old Peng Wang had reached the Soul Severance Great Perfection realm. Even after being dead for a long time, the arrangements he left behind are still no small matter."

"We cannot get in; there are restrictions. However, the four Nascent Soul experts brought by this mixed-feather bird have successfully entered."

Hearing this, the woman couldn't help but frown slightly.

And Feng Lao, who was cursed as a mixed-feather bird, cursed at Xuan Yuan Shuo.

In an instant, a divine sense swept over everyone. Before Zhou Qing could react, the woman had already teleported in front of them.

Mo Xingjian quickly flashed in front of his three disciples, bowing respectfully: "Senior, if there is anything, this junior is willing to do it for you."

Although the woman was veiled, her appearance beneath the veil looked extremely young, even a few years more tender than Luo Lingling.

However, her Soul Severance realm cultivation forced Mo Xingjian, who had reached a certain age, to consider himself a junior.

The woman just glanced at Yan Xiaohu and the others indifferently, then focused her gaze on Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing felt a bad omen in his heart.

Before the woman could speak, Yan Xiaohu hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Senior, our cultivation is low, and we fear we are unable to take on the heavy responsibility of scouting the path for you. To avoid delaying your important business, I am willing to offer a plan."

He reached out and pointed not far away, then continued: "Senior, please look, that one carrying the halberd is called Li Hanshan, and the one carrying the sword box is Yu Ziqi. Both are at the Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivation; I believe they will surely be able to help you."

Facing Yan Xiaohu pointing at them, Li Hanshan and Yu Ziqi immediately revealed murderous intent.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 166 =====