Chapter 188: Red Pagoda Mountain! (Happy New Year)

Zhou Qing heard this and couldn't help but twitch his face slightly.

This generational mess is truly ridiculous—don't end up getting treated as the next heir apparent just because you've been hanging around the sect too long.

Second Uncle said: "The White Jade Tai Xu Courtyard is far stronger than Taiqingmen. One of its instructors, named Lin Daochen, specializes in arrays and forbidden seals."

"Though he's only a Level Two Array Master, he's nearly touching Level Three—his understanding and mastery of arrays is profoundly deep."

"Lin Daochen?" Zhou Qing suddenly felt the name was oddly familiar; after thinking hard, he realized it must be the Lin Lao the Sect Master had mentioned.

The Master had once taken the black puppet from Cangyan Dao Palace to secretly visit this master in Haomiao Prefecture.

After examining the puppet's ever-changing forbidden seals, the man had been powerless to do anything.

It's said that even the Governor of Longyuan Commandery bows respectfully before this master and dares not show the slightest negligence.

I never expected Second Uncle had become his disciple.

This trip to White Jade Tai Xu Courtyard should yield rich rewards.

"By the way, Uncle! There's another matter!" Soon, Zhou Qing remembered something and took the opportunity to recount in detail the events at Canglan Mountain.

Judging by how hastily Second Uncle returned, he'd only heard a general outline of the Five Sects' affairs—especially about such secret matters, he'd know nothing.

Indeed, Second Uncle looked surprised after hearing it.

"This Sikong Yan must be a man of great fortune—intact Level Four forbidden seals, a damaged Level Five array plate, Nine You Lotus, and those black puppets—hmm, fascinating!"

Second Uncle muttered in wonder, his eyes gleaming with thought.

Zhou Qing asked: "So how long do you think before the Five Sects produce a Zhan Ling cultivator?"

Second Uncle shook his head: "The old emperor lied. With just the Nine You Lotus, the chance is at most half a percent. The so-called two percent comes from the old man consuming other substances too."

Zhou Qing's expression changed instantly upon hearing this.

"Are the Supreme Elders in danger?" Zhou Qing asked anxiously.

After all, no one lightly attempts Zhan Ling unless at their wit's end—failure means either severe bodily damage or immediate soul dispersal.

Second Uncle waved his hand calmly: "Don't worry. The Nine You Lotus is a rare and valuable thing—even if they fail to break through to Zhan Ling, it won't seriously harm them. On the contrary, it's a rare opportunity for them."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing's worries eased slightly.

"Wait a minute—we came here to seek opportunities! How can we be standing around chatting in such a dangerous place?"

Quickly, Second Uncle slapped his forehead—after all, this 【Invisibility Talisman】 had a time limit.

If the talisman expired and they were exposed in this strange place, trouble would be immense.

"You're a Level One Array Master now—show me how it's done!" Second Uncle pointed at the forbidden seal ahead.

Zhou Qing sighed: "Uncle, this is just a basic roadblock seal—there's nothing valuable inside. Why bother breaking it? Just go around."

Second Uncle: "..."

"Cough—" Second Uncle cleared his throat awkwardly, forcing calm: "I just wanted to test your array skills. What, you've got a problem with that?"

Zhou Qing quickly shook his head: "No problem—I'll try breaking it."

"Break it? Too wasteful—let's go!" Second Uncle immediately scowled, feigning seriousness, and turned to walk around the side.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but smile faintly, but hurried to catch up.

As they continued forward, a towering red pagoda suddenly emerged from nowhere, appearing before their eyes.

The entire pagoda was built from crimson stone, its surface rippling with faint, dark red patterns like flowing blood in veins—strange and eerie.

Above the pagoda hung a rusted copper plaque, slanting precariously as if about to fall at any moment.

"Red Pagoda Mountain!" Zhou Qing and Second Uncle both read aloud the faint characters on the plaque.

They exchanged glances—both felt an extremely terrifying forbidden seal emanating from the pagoda.

"There must be something valuable inside!" Second Uncle's eyes gleamed as he licked his lips.

Zhou Qing nodded in agreement.

Otherwise, such a dense array of seals wouldn't be used for protection.

"Move! Move!" Second Uncle buzzed with excitement, immediately circling Red Pagoda Mountain to study it closely.

Zhou Qing also exhaled slowly, but for caution's sake, he still performed an appraisal.

【Red Pagoda Mountain: This is a nine-story pagoda covered in three-colored forbidden seals. Each level, from bottom to top, holds considerable opportunities—but also a varying number of chang ghosts guarding them.】

Seeing the feedback, Zhou Qing's face twisted in resignation.

Chang ghosts? He didn't care—he had Second Uncle beside him. But three-colored forbidden seals? Look at the two of them—who could even break them?

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" Seeing Zhou Qing standing still, Second Uncle urged impatiently.

Zhou Qing pretended to examine the seal. Meanwhile, Second Uncle tried embedding spirit seals one by one into the pagoda—but each seal, upon touching the surface, struck an invisible barrier and was ruthlessly repelled.

Zhou Qing had slightly better luck—three spirit seals managed to penetrate.

"Don't blame me—I at least tried courtesy first. Step back!" Second Uncle said.

Zhou Qing immediately retreated.

Second Uncle's eyes flashed with resolve. His hands swiftly formed seals, spiritual power surging around him. With a loud roar, he thrust both palms forward—a massive column of spiritual energy blasted straight at Red Pagoda Mountain.

Instantly, the pagoda's surface blazed with light as a three-colored forbidden seal erupted like an unbreakable barrier.

The collision unleashed a deafening boom, violently churning the surrounding mist.

Seeing it was a three-colored seal, Second Uncle's face turned grim.

Then, cracks began spreading across the pagoda's surface, rapidly branching like spiderwebs.

But it wasn't over—vibrations from the pagoda caused a horde of chang ghosts to emerge from every corner, their glowing green eyes scanning the outside, emitting chilling howls.

Shiiii!

Soon, countless wandering souls sensed the disturbance and swarmed from all directions.

Seeing this, Second Uncle immediately halted his attack.

Though these yin evils weren't fearsome, brute force might destroy the treasures inside.

Moreover, combining Zhou Qing's earlier account with his own deductions, this place might truly harbor a Zhan Ling cultivator.

If too much slaughter or disturbance occurred, they might attract the cultivator's attention—and that would be disastrous.

"Why is it a three-colored seal?" Second Uncle scratched his head irritably.

Fortunately, the 【Invisibility Talisman】 meant neither chang ghosts nor wandering souls could lock onto them yet.

But Zhou Qing suddenly stared at his right hand—his face turned deathly pale. "Uncle! My hand!"

He realized in horror: his hand had lost its invisibility, suddenly visible in the misty environment—blatantly exposed.

Second Uncle, hearing the cry, looked down—and realized his own buttocks were also exposed.

"Does this talisman have a time limit?" Zhou Qing asked anxiously.

Second Uncle sighed: "Of course it does. Talismans are consumables—nothing lasts forever."

"But not this fast?" Zhou Qing was speechless.

Second Uncle explained: "This 【Invisibility Talisman】 isn't ordinary—it hides not just your body, but your soul, bloodline, and everything else. That's why the drain's so heavy."

"Do you have any others?" Zhou Qing asked urgently.

Second Uncle shook his head: "These are rare—only two existed. Forget it. Let's hurry to other places. We must leave before the talisman fails."

Saying this, Second Uncle reluctantly abandoned Red Pagoda Mountain and chose a random direction to go.

Zhou Qing stared at his hand and hurried after him.

Thick mist rolled like a heavy curtain as they walked forward.

Yet in this hazy, eerie atmosphere, one hand and one buttock stood out absurdly, swaying gently.

Some wandering souls passed by, puzzled by this bizarre sight.

As they drew closer, before even sniffing, the hand suddenly erupted with thunderous power and erased them instantly.

Soon, several more wandering souls arrived—but they seemed blind to the hand, instead lunging with claws and fangs toward the buttocks.

The buttocks immediately bolted. Zhou Qing cursed loudly and sprinted after them.

Soon, a ruined courtyard appeared before them.

Withered vines crawled over the crumbling walls, making the place utterly desolate.

Second Uncle cautiously approached the half-open wooden door, placed a hand on it, hesitated, then slowly pushed.

With a grating, teeth-chilling "creak," the door opened slowly. He peered inside warily.

Zhou Qing stepped over the collapsed wall beside him.

"You ignore the proper gate? That's disrespectful to this place!" Second Uncle turned and said.

Seeing Second Uncle's leg already fully exposed, Zhou Qing replied: "I feared traps."

Second Uncle stared blankly—look at you, scaredy-cat. Do you think your uncle eats only vegetables?

Soon, both noticed a lone ancient well standing in the courtyard's center. Moss covered its stone rim, but glowing runes shimmered upon it, emitting a cold, You light.

"Uncle, this place gives me the creeps—let's go!" Zhou Qing suggested.

Ancient wells like this usually held something foul.

His instinct told him not to linger.

As soon as he finished speaking, the runes on the well's mouth trembled violently—as if something inside was trying to burst out.

A stench of decay surged toward them, mixed with dampness.

Second Uncle frowned, peering down—and saw a mass of black hair writhing and twisting at the well's bottom.

"Disgusting! Pah!" He spat in revulsion.

Suddenly, his expression changed. He grabbed Zhou Qing, unleashed spiritual power, and vanished like lightning—appearing outside the courtyard in an instant.

The next moment, Zhou Qing watched in horror: the once-ruined courtyard twisted and warped, the surroundings rippling like water.

The broken houses and chaotic courtyards dissolved, replaced by a massive coffin.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Above the coffin, two more loud crashes rang out, instantly overlapping two additional layers.

Three coffins stacked atop one another, radiating a chilling aura.

This made Zhou Qing involuntarily swallow hard.

If he hadn't escaped just now, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

The coffin, seeing it had failed to swallow them both, seemed resentful, and immediately vanished into the mist.

"Old man, what exactly was that thing?" Zhou Qing asked, his face uneasy.

Second Grandpa shook his head. "I don't know. Probably some strange entity born from the yin energy here. What bad luck. Let's go to the next place."

Saying this, Second Grandpa led Zhou Qing forward again—but after just two steps, he slightly turned his head.

"Why do I always feel someone's following us? This first coffin is still too sinister—look at the place you picked!" Second Grandpa said, alert and wary.

Hearing this, Zhou Qing's face flushed awkwardly; he hurriedly stuck close behind Second Grandpa, never letting him out of sight.

……

Shhh! Shhh!

The two suddenly leapt out of the first coffin like fish breaking the surface.

Zhou Qing gasped heavily, his chest heaving wildly; still shaken, he instinctively glanced inside and saw countless wandering souls surging like a black tide, flooding down upon them.

Fortunately, Second Grandpa acted swiftly, slamming both hands down to shut the coffin lid tightly.

Then he grabbed Zhou Qing's arm and leapt straight into the river of blood.

They reached the passage just as the three corpse-wax crows appeared.

Leaning against the wall, they sat down slowly, exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

Before the 【Invisibility Talisman】 fully expired, every area they passed was sealed with forbidden arrays—even the weakest ones protected by dual-color barriers.

With their current array expertise, they had no chance of breaking through.

In the end, losing patience, Second Grandpa decided to gamble everything and brute-force attack the embroidered shoes hanging from the headless statue.

They'd expected treasure—but instead, countless dead rats burst from the shoes, surging toward them with thick death energy.

They barely managed to shake them off.

"We got nothing. Still not skilled enough. Looks like we need to advance to Level Two Array Master and condense two hundred spirit seals before we can even hope for fortune here!"

Second Grandpa sighed deeply, his voice heavy with helplessness and resentment.

The wandering souls were simply too numerous, and throughout the journey, he'd always felt watched—as if an unseen pair of eyes tracked every move they made.

Yet he couldn't detect a single trace. That was the most terrifying part—and made him dare not act rashly.

"Can you copy your Level Five inheritance for me?" Second Grandpa suddenly turned to Zhou Qing, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Zhou Qing looked troubled. "I'd love to, Grandpa. With your talent, if you learned it, you might even guide me further. But that inheritance—it's as mysterious as the bloodline techniques of the Suanni, Jin Wu, and even Jin Chida. It's too profound, too elusive to copy."

Second Grandpa froze. "What? Suanni? Jin Wu? Jin Chida? When did you get these bloodline techniques?"

Zhou Qing blinked innocently. "Didn't I tell you?"

"What did you tell me?!" Second Grandpa stamped his foot in frustration.

Zhou Qing sighed, then recounted in full detail how he had obtained these three techniques.

After hearing it, Second Grandpa's heart twisted with envy and bitterness.

【Heart Insight +9】

Soon, the note above Second Grandpa's head—originally 【Diligent and Reliable Little Kid】—changed to 【Little Kid with Nigh-Incredible Fortune】.

"Wait—you actually got a drop of Jin Wu essence blood inside the third coffin?!" Second Grandpa still couldn't believe it.

Zhou Qing nodded. "Yes. Didn't you say if I found the Jin Wu Fan at the bottom of the lava, everything else was mine? I meant to tell you then—but you told me to stay put."

"I…" Second Grandpa opened his mouth, but his throat felt choked—he had no reply.

The Jin Wu Fan was already a rare treasure. Back then, Zhou Qing had been burned all over by the molten lava; he naturally assumed nothing valuable remained below.

Who could have guessed a drop of Jin Wu essence blood lay hidden there?

"So the Jin Chida corpse-spirit tried to possess you because it sensed the Jin Wu and Suanni blood on you. Turns out it stole nothing but lost everything—got suppressed by Four Flowers at the Crown, and you ended up with the Emperor's Radiance Scripture!"

Second Grandpa mused aloud.

Zhou Qing nodded again. Every fortune came at the cost of his life.

"You're a lucky kid," Second Grandpa sighed.

On the return journey, Zhou Qing activated the opposite five-colored altar with his seal hand gestures.

When they crawled out of the tunnel, it was deep into the night—Lu Yaoyao had long since fallen asleep.

"You don't need to go back. Come with me to Linggu Mountain!" Second Grandpa said eagerly.

Zhou Qing couldn't help but warn: "Grandpa, that Suanni bone is intact, but it's sealed with a bloodline death curse. If triggered, it can erase even a Cut-Spirit cultivator."

"I know, I know. Just going to take a look—it was a late-stage Cut-Spirit cultivator in life, right?" Second Grandpa waved dismissively, only curious.

Zhou Qing nodded reluctantly.

Then Second Grandpa led Zhou Qing straight toward Linggu Mountain.

In less than a moment, they stood atop Linggu Mountain.

Zhou Qing felt a pang of envy. A Cut-Spirit cultivator could truly traverse the void—last time on Canglan Mountain, the silver-haired woman had done the same, transporting him and Lu Yaoyao back to Taiqingmen.

"Finding this place was no easy feat—no one ever mentioned it before!"

Standing atop the peak, Second Grandpa's gaze burned as he surveyed the mountains of piled white bones. A terrifying spiritual sense swept outward.

Soon, his face filled with astonishment.

The entire mountain showed no remarkable features—let alone the Suanni bone Zhou Qing described.

Zhou Qing looked up at the night sky, then shook his head. "Tonight's not a full moon. We can't enter."

"Where's the entrance?" Second Grandpa asked after a pause.

Zhou Qing led him to a patch of white bones and pointed downward.

Second Grandpa understood instantly, channeling spiritual power to project his spiritual sense deep into the ground.

After careful probing, he found nothing.

"This person was truly extraordinary—created an independent space, opened only by the full moon and thunder. What an ingenious entrance!"

Second Grandpa marveled, his curiosity burning.

Why would a Level Five Array Master leave his inheritance here?

And why kill the Suanni, extract its essence blood, and preserve it?

I'll have to examine it closely once we enter.

Days passed. Bored, Zhou Qing wandered over to the Blood Rock Mine.

There he discovered the mine had been abandoned by Cangyan Dao Palace—empty, silent, desolate, and ruined.

Finally, on the seventh night, a full moon hung high, bathing the land in silver light.

As Zhou Qing activated the entrance, the two stepped inside.

Inside the cave, Second Grandpa's gaze locked onto the exquisitely preserved giant Suanni bone, his eyes blazing with hunger.

Then he pulled out a trembling compass, studying its patterns and needle direction. After a moment, he shook his head helplessly, face filled with disappointment.

"You were right—if I touch it even slightly, we're dead. This Suanni was ruthless even in death!" Second Grandpa cursed under his breath.

To have such a treasure right before you—and be unable to take it—how infuriating.

Soon, Second Grandpa spotted the natural thunder pool and sighed heavily.

If he'd found it years ago, there might still have been thunder fluid left.

After searching further and finding nothing else useful, the two returned to Taiqingmen.

"The Five Sects probably won't fight again. And as you said, Sikong Yan acts strangely—there may be deeper motives. But frankly, I don't care. I'm giving you three days to pack."

After speaking, Second Grandpa vanished with a step.

Zhou Qing exhaled softly, spotted the old hen wandering out again, and gently picked her up, heading toward the mountaintop.

"Where have you been these days? You didn't even reply to my messages!" Mo Xingjian asked, puzzled.

Zhou Qing didn't hide anything—he told Mo Xingjian everything about Second Grandpa taking him to Baiyu Taixu Academy to study arrays.

Mo Xingjian frowned slightly, then slowly said: "I didn't think this through properly. Second Grandpa's plan is sound. In array arts, Lin Lao is far more expert. Go. With that status, it'll make your future endeavors easier."

Hearing his Master say this, Zhou Qing finally relaxed.

Moreover, Haomiao Prefecture, like Lingyun Prefecture, fell under Longyuan Commandery's jurisdiction—the distance wasn't great.

And between commanderies, large teleportation arrays connected them—Zhou Qing could return anytime he wished.

Looking at Zhou Qing's youthful face, Mo Xingjian felt a mix of emotions.

He'd never imagined his youngest disciple would leave so soon.

Taiqingmen was simply too small for him.

But Second Grandpa knew about Zhou Qing's Four Flowers at the Crown. With him around, nothing serious would happen—perhaps he'd just use Lin Daochen's identity to gain some prestige.

He'd likely return soon.

Then Mo Xingjian carefully listed every precaution. Zhou Qing listened intently, nodding to each point.

The next day, Zhou Qing went to Yan Xiao's place to say goodbye.

"What? You're going to Baiyu Taixu Academy with Second Grandpa? No way! Who'll take care of you without me? I'm coming with you!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiao's eyes widened; he immediately started packing his bags, determined to follow Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing was stunned.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year, prosperity in all things, and smooth success in every endeavor!

I will definitely update three times a week; also, it's the end of the month—please vote for a monthly ticket!

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(End of Chapter)