Chapter 169

During this time, Zhou Qing had intermittently accumulated quite a few ignore points.

Seeing Lu Yaoyao's face turn icy blue again from the chilling death energy, Zhou Qing waved his hand, and another wisp of Jin Wu flame enveloped her, dispelling the cold.

"Senior Zhou, fewer people are coming now—when will we leave?" Lu Yaoyao turned to him and asked.

Zhou Qing stood up at once upon hearing this.

Indeed, lately far fewer people had come here compared to before; the last time he'd gained an ignore point had been two days ago, and even then it had only added one point.

With a flick of his mind, his personal panel appeared before him.

【Name: Zhou Qing】

【Age: Twenty-four】

【Cultivation Base: Nascent Soul Realm, Mid-stage】

【Inner Method: Yin-Yang Scripture】

【Talent Skill: One Inspection Per Day】

【Insight of the Heart—LV4 (238/400)】

【Reduced Presence—LV4 (78/100)】

【Skill Fragment: 2/3 (Unobtainable)】

Looking at the data displayed on the panel, Zhou Qing was quite satisfied.

After all, under current conditions, within the entire Nascent Soul realm, whether beginner or peak, there was a 78 percent chance they would simply overlook him.

This was already a solid trump card, worth the month he'd spent here.

But the final skill fragment was exceptionally hard to grind—it seemed he still needed a good opportunity.

Ideally, he needed an uninterrupted streak to pull it off in one go.

"Let's go!" Zhou Qing glanced around; only a scattered thirty or so people remained. After leaving a spiritual sense behind, he led Lu Yaoyao away.

But they didn't go far—when the place was utterly empty, that would be his moment to act.

After all, this place had been thoroughly searched by so many already, all coming up empty-handed; surely no one else would come soon.

"Senior Zhou, have you found something?" Seeing Zhou Qing's relaxed demeanor, Lu Yaoyao suddenly realized, her face bright with excitement as she hurriedly asked.

Zhou Qing merely smiled without answering.

Seeing this, Lu Yaoyao grew even more excited.

Yet she didn't understand one thing: if they were waiting until no one was left to act, why had they stayed down here all month?

But Lu Yaoyao didn't press further; she trusted that her young father had his reasons, and she only needed to follow his lead.

Thus, another full month passed; the abyss below was now completely empty, eerily silent.

Under the bright moon and sparse stars, Zhou Qing brought Lu Yaoyao back down and arrived at the stone wall.

"So it really is here!" Seeing the scene before her, Lu Yaoyao's eyes lit up, filled with anticipation.

Yet out of caution, Zhou Qing immediately planted the Fotu Array around them; if anything happened, at least they'd have some buffer.

Just as Zhou Qing prepared to use his soul force to activate the ancient characters of the Emperor's Radiance Scripture, he suddenly shuddered uncontrollably.

It was a chill unlike the surrounding death energy—a strange, eerie coldness.

Both their faces stiffened; they exchanged a glance and silently cursed.

Turning around, they saw a silver-haired woman wearing a veil, slowly walking toward them from not far behind.

With each step she took, a bone-chilling ice force spread beneath her feet, instantly forming a crystalline ice path across the ground.

As she lightly raised her hand, the Fotu Array's flags, previously hidden around them, were yanked out by an invisible force and landed neatly in her palm.

"The materials for these array flags are crude, but the craftsmanship is exquisite. You're an array master?"

The silver-haired woman's voice was clear and melodious, yet carried a bone-deep chill as she spoke coolly.

Zhou Qing truly hadn't expected that after so long, this silver-haired woman was still in the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty.

In contrast, Lu Yaoyao's face lit up with excitement, and she instinctively cried out: "Third Mama—"

"Hmm?"

This cry made both the silver-haired woman and Zhou Qing turn sharply toward her, eyes filled with confusion.

Realizing her mistake, Lu Yaoyao's face flushed crimson; she hastily explained: "I meant—oh my gosh, sister, you're so beautiful, right, Senior Zhou?"

Zhou Qing's face twitched involuntarily; he felt utterly helpless, but at this moment, he could only nod vigorously and agree: "Yes, yes, you're beautiful…"

But the moment he finished, Zhou Qing wanted to slap himself.

Damn it, he'd almost been led astray by Lu Yaoyao.

You, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, telling a Cutting-Soul cultivator she's beautiful? At best, it's sincere praise; at worst, it's outright flirtation.

Isn't this basically asking for death?

"Those array flags belong to my clan's elders—I'm not an array master," Zhou Qing gritted his teeth and lied.

The silver-haired woman merely gazed at him calmly, her expression unreadable, then slowly spoke: "Then you're useless."

No sooner had she spoken than a vast, overwhelming coldness surged from her body, instantly spreading through the entire abyss.

In an instant, the abyss became a colossal ice vault, radiating endless cold and stillness.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's face changed drastically; he cursed inwardly and lunged forward, shielding Lu Yaoyao tightly behind him.

Then he quickly bowed respectfully, his voice urgent: "I was just joking, Elder! I am an array master—don't believe me? Look!"

As he spoke, his hands moved rapidly to form seals; spiritual energy flowed along his fingertips, and as the incantation changed, twenty distinct spiritual seals floated into the air around him.

Though Zhou Qing forced a smile, inside he groaned in despair.

Why did this have to happen now? She's been here for nearly three months and still hasn't left?

The silver-haired woman's face remained expressionless as she coldly asked: "How did you discover this place?"

"Actually, I—" Zhou Qing began to explain.

"Think carefully before you speak. Otherwise, I won't mind performing soul-searching directly."

The silver-haired woman spoke again, her tone brooking no defiance.

Zhou Qing's face turned instantly pale; meeting her cold, emotionless gaze, his throat tightened.

If he mishandled this, he might die here today.

He frantically pulled out the material he'd carved from the stone wall two months ago, etched with array patterns.

As he handed it over, he recounted every theory he'd had, including the strange angles he'd observed from the Jin Chida's silhouette.

"I sensed a forbidden aura here, so I planned to wait until everyone had left before bringing my junior sister to verify it. I didn't expect you to arrive just as we did."

Zhou Qing spoke cautiously, terrified of saying the wrong thing and angering this formidable woman.

The silver-haired woman watched him silently; under their tense, breathless gazes, she finally spoke: "This is our third meeting, isn't it?"

Hearing her tone had softened, Zhou Qing nodded vigorously and replied respectfully: "Yes, Elder."

"It seems fate has brought us together. Since you're an array master, you might actually be able to assist me." The silver-haired woman said.

Zhou Qing immediately replied: "Assisting you is my honor, Elder."

"Senior Zhou, you don't need to be so humble—treat her like your…" Lu Yaoyao's words were cut short as Zhou Qing swiftly clamped his hand over her mouth.

He then turned to the silver-haired woman with an embarrassed expression and hurriedly explained: "Elder, please don't misunderstand—you've seen for yourself, my junior sister isn't very bright; she often says shocking things. Please don't take it to heart."

The silver-haired woman said nothing more; she flicked her finger lightly, and the Fotu Array flags she'd taken earlier flew back toward Zhou Qing, who quickly caught them.

"Move aside," she ordered coldly.

Zhou Qing dared not delay; he grabbed Lu Yaoyao and quickly stepped aside.

The silver-haired woman stepped lightly forward, waved her hand, and countless golden Jin Peng feathers materialized out of thin air.

Though still stained with dried blood, each feather shimmered brilliantly with golden radiance.

They must have been taken from the Jin Chida after the old Emperor crushed it with a single finger.

Now, her gaze was icy as she stared at the stone wall, her hands moving swiftly; incantations flew from her fingertips, striking each feather precisely.

As the incantations infused them, the feathers trembled slightly, glowing even brighter, then arranged themselves in a mysterious pattern, hovering in midair before the wall.

Zhou Qing stared in awe.

Obviously, she'd long sensed something unusual here—just like him, she'd held back out of caution.

She'd chosen to lie low, waiting patiently until no one remained before acting.

After all, besides the Corpse-Wax Crow, two other Cutting-Soul experts had been watching that day; no one dared move.

But now the question was: after she finished, would she kill them to silence them—or, in mercy, erase their memories?

Either way, they couldn't fight her or escape; if she grew angry, she could wipe out the entire Taiqingmen, and no one would dare utter a word.

"She must be the No. 6 blue ball—but she's the cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside type."

"At least in the Divine Ruins Tiangong, she was warm-hearted and despised No. 4 green ball for trying to trick me. Someone like that wouldn't kill two innocent people, would she?"

Zhou Qing's mind raced, recalling their first meeting: when he mentioned seeing the red token's portrait in Hao Miao Mansion's Ke Shu, she'd believed him instantly and left without soul-searching.

During their second meeting, though she'd already implanted a black snowflake in him, when she saw the humanoid demon clan member turn to black blood fleeing the abyss, she immediately retracted it and didn't force him down.

And she kept mentioning "fate"—could it be connected to her?

Judging from these events, she seemed principled and kind.

Under these circumstances, Zhou Qing could only rely on this limited understanding and silently pray she'd show mercy.

"Senior Zhou, I feel this sister is good—she has no intent to kill us. You should boldly ask her name."

Lu Yaoyao whispered to Zhou Qing, her voice tinged with excitement.

Zhou Qing stared at her in utter disbelief.

My lady, we're barely clinging to life—how can you even think about this now?

Oh, my dear auntie, we're barely holding onto our lives—how could we possibly have the leisure to think about this now?

Even if you want to flirt before dying and become a lecherous ghost, you should at least pick your target and assess the situation—what kind of time is this?

"You're a newborn calf unafraid of tigers—pray we even live to see tomorrow's sun!" Zhou Qing replied with a sigh through telepathy.

Lu Yaoyao merely pursed her lips, unconcerned, then gazed with sparkling eyes at the tall figure ahead, utterly unfazed.

She even reached out, gesturing at the slender waist, letting out an involuntary sigh of admiration, her eyes brimming with envy.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing startled and quickly grabbed her arm.

Watch out—this Spirit-Cutting expert might have eyes on the back of his head; he might chop off your hand.

Yet no one noticed that the silver-haired woman, still chanting before them, subtly lifted the corner of her lips beneath her veil, stirred by Lu Yaoyao's admiring gesture.

But the faint expression vanished instantly, replaced once more by her icy demeanor.

Hum—

The next instant, all the feathers suspended in midair suddenly surged as if pulled by an invisible force, shooting en masse into the stone wall.

Immediately after, an ancient aura slowly emanated from the stone wall.

Then came a low rumble from within, and a golden vortex suddenly appeared before them.

The silver-haired woman said nothing, stepping directly into the golden vortex.

Seeing this, Lu Yaoyao followed without hesitation, but Zhou Qing, reaching out behind her, failed to grab her.

He sighed helplessly—there was no turning back now; he had no choice but to step in.

In the next instant, Zhou Qing felt a thick, almost solidified essence rush toward him, causing every pore of his body to open wide, greedily absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.

Zhou Qing stared in shock, then looked around and realized they were standing inside a small cave, its walls embedded with nearly a thousand supreme spirit stones.

Among them, hundreds each of the five elemental spirit stones.

This astonishing sight left Zhou Qing stunned for a long while—is this the terrifying wealth of a Spirit-Cutting expert?

Lu Yaoyao beside him was equally speechless, mouth agape.

But the silver-haired woman shook her head, and as her foot touched the ground, an invisible ripple erupted from beneath her.

The breathtaking scene vanished instantly, leaving only an ordinary cave.

Even the rough stone walls bore faint traces of age and erosion.

Both were dumbfounded.

When they looked again at the supreme spirit stones, they realized they were hollow shells—the previous vision had been an illusion.

Perhaps long ago, this place truly looked as they'd seen—but now, all was changed.

Zhou Qing felt deep disappointment and sorrow—he'd thought he might strike it rich.

Watching the silver-haired woman walk deeper into the cave, Zhou Qing hurried forward and grabbed Lu Yaoyao's arm.

"Why are you following so close? In places like this, taking one step too far, seeing what you shouldn't, can get you killed!" Zhou Qing warned sternly.

Lu Yaoyao chuckled, realizing she'd been reckless, and quickly apologized to Zhou Qing, then obediently followed behind him, no longer daring to act impulsively.

Not long after, the three spotted a stone platform ahead.

Upon it rested three jade vials of different colors, an ancient-looking beast-skin scroll, and an exquisitely crafted storage pouch.

Around the platform, however, lay a barrier woven from five colors, emitting a faint glow.

Within the glow, numerous powerful and intricate runes slowly rotated.

Zhou Qing was stunned again—this was the second five-colored barrier array he'd ever seen, after his Second Uncle's Five-Color Altar.

Even after all these years, with all the supreme spirit stones around depleted, the array on the platform still functioned, radiating an extremely dangerous aura—evidencing its extraordinary nature.

At that moment, the silver-haired woman suddenly turned to Zhou Qing, her cold gaze carrying an unspoken question.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing quickly waved his hands.

You're overestimating me—I'm only a Level One Array Master. This thing's too high-level; no one in the Sacred Martial Empire could possibly unravel it.

No, in this Fourth-Rank cultivation realm, there has never been a Level Five Array Master—I have no such ability.

But meeting her emotionless stare, Zhou Qing's heart trembled; he forced a weak smile and said, "I… I can study it."

If I can't contribute now, why keep me around?

"Just assist me," the silver-haired woman said, her voice still cool.

As she spoke, her hands moved rapidly, forming seals—countless luminous spirit seals shot from her fingertips in rapid succession.

A rough count revealed no fewer than ten thousand spirit seals.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's heart trembled violently.

A Level One Array Master must condense twenty distinct, complex spirit seals; a Level Two must multiply that tenfold—two hundred.

A Level Three must reach three thousand; a Level Four must condense ten thousand.

Level Five through Nine increase by increments of fifty thousand, sixty thousand, and so on, until Level Nine requires over one hundred thousand spirit seals.

Looking at this awe-inspiring scene, Zhou Qing never imagined the woman before him was a hidden Level Four Array Master.

Such fair skin, beautiful face, a Spirit-Cutting expert, and a formidable Array Master—what kind of prodigious talent, what kind of powerful lineage did she possess?

Even Lu Yaoyao now stared wide-eyed, her face filled with disbelief.

But it quickly turned to awe.

Then the silver-haired woman thrust both hands forward, and countless spirit seals enveloped the platform.

The previously calm barrier rippled violently.

She grew even more cautious, slowing her pace as if testing something.

After several attempts, one spirit seal finally merged into the platform—their lights briefly intertwined.

The platform's seals flickered faintly, as if acknowledging the foreign seal.

Seeing this, the silver-haired woman revealed a barely perceptible smile and moved to the next seal.

Of course, some triggered fierce resistance—light flared violently between them, even generating small spiritual storms that churned the surrounding air into chaos.

The entire process was like using her own ten thousand seals to resonate with the hidden ones.

As an Array Master himself, Zhou Qing understood—this was the safest and most effective way to dismantle such complex barriers, though it was excruciatingly time-consuming.

Once enough seals were confirmed, they had to be rearranged repeatedly until perfectly matching the original barrier's structure.

Ideally, the entire barrier would be fully unlocked; if not, the remaining parts could be forcibly destroyed.

But this required minimizing danger as much as possible, ensuring no damage to the precious items on the platform.

Time slipped away slowly amid this tense, drawn-out process of unraveling.

The two were astonished to notice that beads of sweat had formed on the silver-haired woman's forehead—once as cold as ice.

Yet her gaze remained intensely focused, accelerating her movements as she guided her seals into the platform's system, merging with them—some rebounded, forcing her to adjust and retry.

Eventually, the barrier's color across the platform began to dim gradually.

"Master-level!" After exhausting all her spirit seals, the silver-haired woman spoke, her tone heavy with regret.

Zhou Qing wholeheartedly agreed.

Judging by this, she was at least a Level Five Array Master, controlling over fifty thousand distinct spirit seals.

Those controlling between ten thousand and fifty thousand are all called Level Four Array Masters—you're clearly the lowest tier.

Her possible combinations are simply too vast.

(End of Chapter)