Chapter 168: Zhou Shixiong, Look—Isn

The two heard and quickly nodded in response.

"That's right—given her current condition, her realm breakthrough should happen within these two years. If so, I must prepare a proper gift for her!"

Bai He muttered to himself, his excitement barely concealed.

"Third brother-in-law, little brother-in-law, I just remembered something urgent—I'm leaving now!" With that, Bai He turned and hurried away.

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu exchanged glances.

He really did come and go in a flash.

Yet, deep down, they both felt they'd likely see him again before Second Sister emerged from her seclusion.

…………

Upon returning to the mountain, Zhou Qing did not follow Third Brother to Jin Leizong; instead, he calmed his mind and began carefully studying the *Emperor Huang Scripture*.

The *Emperor Huang Scripture* was a divine talent technique created by the third progenitor of the Jin Chida—Emperor Huang—and consisted of two parts.

The first was the Golden Peng True Body: the cultivator could awaken the latent Jin Chida bloodline within, instantly transforming into a colossal Golden Peng, gaining immense strength and astonishing speed, greatly enhancing their power.

The second was the Emperor's Majesty: upon reaching peak cultivation, the cultivator naturally radiated an aura of imperial dignity.

This majesty exerted powerful influence not only over humans but also over beast kin, inflicting profound spiritual intimidation.

It would compel them to involuntarily feel fear and reverence, severely impairing their will and ability to perform at full strength in battle.

But this was a bloodline inheritance technique of beast kin; for humans to cultivate it, they at least needed a crucial medicinal catalyst.

"At least one drop of Jin Chida essence blood!" Zhou Qing frowned tightly after reading the subsequent description.

The treasure lay before him, yet to unlock it, he needed the corresponding key.

Previously, when cultivating the techniques of the Jin Wu and Su Ni clans, he had relied on those two drops of essence blood.

That corpse spirit attempting to possess him back then was merely a hasty escape of a fragmented soul—not essence blood.

Zhou Qing clearly remembered how the old Emperor King had simply flicked a finger and slain it; only foul black blood and feathers had rained down, no essence blood.

"This is pure torture!" After understanding, Zhou Qing's face filled with helplessness and frustration.

Imagine cultivating the Golden Peng True Body, transforming into a being blazing with golden light—it was enough to stir the heart just by thinking of it.

And if he could unleash the Emperor's Majesty, making ten thousand beasts kneel—how glorious, how exhilarating that would be.

But the critical question was: where could he find Jin Chida essence blood now?

This wasn't ordinary blood—it was the very essence of the body.

A normal person losing even one drop could suffer catastrophic depletion of primordial energy, requiring long-term recuperation to recover.

The more Zhou Qing thought about it, the more his heart ached; all his other techniques had already reached peak cultivation.

If he could master this one, even against Soul Transformation experts, he wouldn't need to fight—he could simply outrun them.

"I wonder if there's any left in the abyss?" Zhou Qing immediately stood up, but quickly realized this was unrealistic.

After all, so many people had scoured the abyss thoroughly—even Soul Transformation experts—and what could possibly remain for him?

Yet seeing such a powerful technique right before him, yet unattainable—how could he accept it?

"Take Lu Yaoyao with me!" After much thought, Zhou Qing decided visiting the abyss was still the better option.

After all, last time on Linggu Mountain, bringing this girl had brought him good fortune.

Soon, Lu Yaoyao ran over, beaming—especially upon hearing they were going to Canglan Mountain, she grew even more excited.

"Zhou Shixiong, are you deliberately trying to make up for my regret?" Lu Yaoyao asked with eager anticipation.

Zhou Qing sighed. "You're overthinking it—we're just going there to find something."

After a brief preparation, the two stepped onto the teleportation array, first arriving at Jin Leizong.

Zhou Qing contacted Third Brother and learned he was with Lei Luo by the Thunder Pool, busy with something unknown.

"I won't go—Lu Shimei, stay safe!"

Yan Xiaohu sent a message; Zhou Qing read it and said nothing more, then left Jin Leizong with Lu Yaoyao, heading toward Canglan Mountain.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao had disguised themselves before departure.

That way, no matter which of the Five Sects they encountered, none would act rashly.

…………

Compared to last time, when their Master Mo Xingjian had brought them to Canglan Mountain in just three days, this journey took them a full seven days.

Gazing at the boundless forest sea before them, Lu Yaoyao sighed in awe.

"Master once said that once I reached a certain level, I could join the Five Sects' Trial—but who knew things would change so fast? War broke out, and now the Trial's canceled."

Lu Yaoyao's face was heavy with regret.

It was said the Five Sects' Trial, held only once every sixty years, offered lavish rewards—all treasures hoarded by the Five Sects themselves.

Eldest Brother Li Hanshan had won first place twice.

"Suppress your aura—stay alert!" Zhou Qing warned solemnly.

Then, the two cautiously advanced toward the direction of the abyss.

Shiiii!

At that moment, sharp whistling sounds pierced the air; Lu Yaoyao looked up and whispered low, "They don't look like members of the Five Sects—probably cultivators from minor sects."

Zhou Qing nodded.

After all, this wasn't anyone's private territory; cultivators from all sects could come here to seek fortune.

News of several Soul Transformation experts seizing treasures here could never be fully suppressed, so now everyone hoped to find leftovers.

"I didn't expect so many people would still come, even after twenty days!" Zhou Qing sighed.

And among those flying overhead, Jin Dan and Nascent Soul cultivators were not few.

"Looks like bringing Lu Yaoyao was the right choice—maybe I can use this chance to boost my Ignore Points!" Zhou Qing's eyes lit up.

Thus, the two slowly approached the abyss.

Soon, they saw a vast, pitch-black abyss in the forest sea, with countless figures continuously descending into it.

Others hid around its edges, lying in wait, clearly planning to reap the rewards of others' efforts.

In the next instant, several spiritual senses probed toward them.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing snorted coldly and unleashed a powerful spiritual sense, causing the hidden figures to all grunt in pain and immediately retract their probes.

Then, without hesitation, the two plunged into the abyss.

Upon entering, they were immediately struck by a thick, suffocating aura of death—a cold tide that instantly engulfed them.

Lu Yaoyao shivered involuntarily, but after a surge of spiritual power, she quickly recovered.

As they descended deeper, the death aura grew colder and sharper, pressing a heavy, oppressive feeling upon their hearts.

Zhou Qing hadn't expected the burial ground of the old Peng King to be so utterly lifeless.

He waved his right hand lightly, summoning a layer of Jin Wu flame formed from spiritual power to envelop Lu Yaoyao, easing the chill from her face.

"Thank you, Zhou Shixiong!" Lu Yaoyao smiled happily.

The two pressed deeper, soon looking down from above to see a massive depression in the earth.

Its shape precisely outlined the silhouette of a Jin Chida, its enormous wings clearly spread in death.

Clearly, this was where the Jin Chida had lain.

The sight made Zhou Qing momentarily dazed—he recalled how, last time with Second Uncle, he had seen the colossal corpse of a giant crow inside the third coffin.

"This Jin Chida is truly enormous—no wonder it was a Beast Emperor!" Lu Yaoyao marveled again, her eyes filled with awe.

As they landed, they saw numerous figures bustling about, nervously searching for something.

Judging by their attire, they belonged to different sects and factions, their gazes filled with suspicion and wariness.

Zhou Qing carefully scanned the surroundings, his brow slightly furrowing.

The place appeared utterly barren—even a single tile was missing. As the Supreme Elder had said, this was not the old Peng King's inheritance site, merely where he had been slain and buried.

"Stay close!" Zhou Qing turned to Lu Yaoyao and warned.

Lu Yaoyao nodded vigorously, clinging tightly to Zhou Qing's heels, never letting him out of sight.

After all, every passing figure around them had hostile eyes.

Thus, the two moved slowly through the abyss, constantly employing various methods to probe and search.

Yet after hours of effort, they found nothing of value—it was as if this were merely an ordinary, unremarkable abyss.

"That's odd—" Zhou Qing suddenly realized something crucial, a flicker of insight in his eyes.

At the beginning, a powerful barrier had hovered above this abyss, formidable enough to block even Soul Transformation and Soul Severance experts.

Even the silver-haired woman with Soul Severance cultivation had merely touched the barrier once before hastily retreating, unwilling to risk it.

Later, after absorbing the blood of several other beast kin, the Jin Chida had awakened and shattered the barrier.

Since then, the barrier had vanished without explanation.

From this sequence of events, two suspicious points emerged.

First, if the old Peng King had been cleanly slain, how could he have had time to set up such a barrier?

Consider his massive body, left exposed in the open air—not only would passersby notice, even beasts with slightly keen senses could have detected it.

How could his corpse have remained intact until now, let alone developed new sentience?

Second, when the corpse spirit Jin Chida fought the several Soul Severance experts, his body bore no wounds at all—he glowed golden, growing fiercer with every setback.

Could it be the old Peng King's soul was instantly obliterated?

But that contradicted the first hypothesis.

"Judging from the circumstances, the old Peng King was at least a formation master who had once healed here for a time—his condition improved, but ultimately realized the cure was superficial, and he was forced to perish here."

Zhou Qing surveyed the surroundings, forming his theory.

A Soul Severance peak expert could fully assume human form; knowing death was inevitable, he could at least have chosen a smaller place—a cave, a sanctuary—to avoid his body being plundered after death.

Or perhaps he hoped an enlightened soul would inherit his legacy, at the very least leaving behind the truth of those days, longing for someone to avenge him.

How could he possibly transform directly into his true form and just lie down here so casually, ignoring everything?

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing suddenly turned his head and looked toward the depression formed by the Jin Chida's lifeless body, where many people were frantically digging and scraping, utterly absorbed.

"Let's go up and take a look!" Zhou Qing decided instantly, carrying Lu Yaoyao straight toward the abyss's upper air.

As they slowly rose halfway, Zhou Qing gazed at the stone wall before him and reached out to gently touch its surface.

Not long after, he dug out a fragment of material from the wall, its energy nearly depleted, faint traces of ancient array patterns still visible upon it.

"So my guess was right—this Old Peng King was indeed an array master!"

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's eyes lit up instantly, filled with surprise and delight.

After all, he now had a certain level of understanding regarding arrays and barriers.

"Zhou Shixiong, look quick!" Soon, Lu Yaoyao quietly tugged at Zhou Qing's sleeve and pointed downward.

Zhou Qing frowned, but after staring for a long while, he saw nothing unusual.

Lu Yaoyao softly whispered into his mind: "I keep feeling that the Jin Chida's shape looks like it's tilting its head upward, staring at something."

With Lu Yaoyao's reminder, Zhou Qing looked again, carefully—his spirit trembled. It truly seemed so!

The two then slowly descended again, following the angle of the creature's raised head toward the front—but what met their eyes was still only an ordinary stone wall.

Even several cultivators had spent long hours observing and probing there, only to shake their heads in disappointment and leave.

It seemed others had noticed this too. Seeing this, Zhou Qing stepped forward, ready to use his spiritual sense for a thorough probe—when suddenly, the ten thousand ancient characters of the Emperor's Radiance Scripture within his spiritual sense trembled as one.

At the same time, he clearly felt a powerful sense of longing emanating from those ancient characters.

Zhou Qing's eyes flashed bright, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

There truly was something here!

Yet strangely, whether he used spiritual power to sense or released his spiritual sense to probe, all he saw before him was still just thick layers of earth.

Nothing else.

This scene resembled that of Linggu Mountain—requiring the full moon's light and thunder's power to unlock the true treasure site.

The key here must lie in the Emperor's Radiance Scripture—or some other special method.

For a moment, Zhou Qing felt deeply reassured.

"How is it?" Lu Yaoyao leaned over and whispered.

Zhou Qing forcibly suppressed his excitement, forcing his expression to remain as calm as ever.

After all, everyone around him had flickering eyes, constantly observing others in secret—anyone who found something would be immediately attacked by the crowd.

"The Cangyan Dao Palace and Tianji Gate have arrived!" Zhou Qing did not answer Lu Yaoyao directly, but instead glanced across and whispered to her.

At this, Lu Yaoyao's expression changed slightly.

On the opposite side, over thirty disciples from Cangyan Dao Palace and Tianji Gate descended slowly, accompanied by two elders radiating Soul Transformation aura—clearly prepared.

Seeing the appearance of the Five Great Sects' members, others nearby dared not slacken, hastily moving aside in caution, afraid of attracting trouble.

Fortunately, Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao had both disguised themselves, wearing masks—unlikely to be recognized.

Besides these two sects, members of Jin Leizong and Qingyu Immortal Sect also appeared in succession.

They each snorted coldly, filled with suspicion.

"Go over there!" Zhou Qing pointed to a corner nearby, then walked over.

While no one was watching, a miniature Suanni suddenly burst from his hand and slammed violently into the ground, instantly blasting a deep pit.

In truth, the entire abyss below was riddled with countless pits—everyone hoped to find something valuable beneath.

"Lu Shimei, guard me!" Zhou Qing said.

Lu Yaoyao immediately nodded vigorously, vowing no one would disturb him.

Saying this, she sat down squarely at the pit's edge, eyes sharply scanning everyone around.

Her posture suggested that anyone who dared approach would face instant attack.

Zhou Qing then sat cross-legged at the pit's bottom and began sleeping… no, cultivating.

This tense, crowded environment, with numerous Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators, plus Lu Yaoyao—who was familiar and low in cultivation—was the perfect spot to farm Ignore Points.

As for the stone wall, he could wait until no one was around to investigate—it wouldn't run away.

Time passed slowly. Less than an hour later, a familiar voice reached Zhou Qing's ears.

【Ignore Points +3】

Zhou Qing's face brightened. He slowly opened his eyes, gazing at Lu Yaoyao, fully focused above the pit—his heart warmed, and he smiled inwardly.

Sometimes he truly felt she was his lucky star.

His talent skill 【Lowered Presence】 had now reached Level 4—there was a 90% chance Jin Dan cultivators would ignore him.

"What are you doing here, pretending to cultivate?"

Suddenly, a scornful voice came from above. Zhou Qing looked up to see a mid-Nascent Soul male lying on the cliff wall above, seemingly probing something.

He lowered his head, spotted Zhou Qing seated at the pit's bottom, sneered, and wore a face full of mockery.

Zhou Qing cursed inwardly—his Ignore Time had reset. What bad luck!

At this, Lu Yaoyao snapped back to awareness, her face darkening. She immediately drew her weapon, glaring fiercely upward, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

But the man didn't bother saying another word—only snorted coldly and turned away toward another direction.

"Zhou… Zhou Shixiong, I'm sorry! I… I just got distracted!" Lu Yaoyao rushed to apologize, her eyes slightly reddened with guilt.

She felt a chill of fear—she had sworn to guard him, yet as time passed, she'd momentarily forgotten he was cultivating right behind her.

If that man had launched a surprise attack, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Thinking of it, she grew even more self-reproachful.

Zhou Qing smiled and comforted her: "It's fine. Just pretend I'm not here. Relax."

Lu Yaoyao bit her lip, her face filled with apology.

This time, she must remember exactly what she was doing—never again could she forget.

Thus, three hours passed without another prompt.

Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes to see Lu Yaoyao alternately scanning the surroundings and glancing back at him—her earnest, responsible demeanor made him want to laugh and cry.

This girl was too diligent!

No wonder he couldn't earn any points.

"Stop staring at me!" Zhou Qing said helplessly.

Lu Yaoyao replied seriously: "I'm just worried you might be in danger while cultivating."

Zhou Qing smiled: "First, I'm not cultivating… never mind, pretend I am. But if you keep staring at me like this, others will think we've found something valuable—and attract unwanted attention."

Lu Yaoyao frowned thoughtfully, then realized—he was right.

Watching her return to vigilantly scanning the surroundings, Zhou Qing dug deeper into the pit—now she couldn't see him from the edge.

As night slowly fell, the system's familiar prompt finally sounded again.

【Ignore Points +4】

Over the next month, this abyss became wildly busy—people kept arriving seeking opportunity, only to leave disappointed in droves.

Zhou Qing even saw several Nascent Soul beasts capable of human speech, clearly here by chance—their massive eyes gleamed with shrewdness, forbidding underestimation.

Zhou Qing's position was occasionally discovered.

Some would glance over, see him merely sitting in meditation, and assume his cultivation technique somehow connected to the area's peculiar death energy.

(End of Chapter)