Chapter 198: No.1, Don

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and said, "So that's how it is—but I'd suggest you try refining it into a 【Ice Glass Soul-Ascending Pill】. The effect would be far better."

"Ice Glass Soul-Ascending Pill?" No. frowned; she had never heard of such an elixir.

She had assumed it could be refined directly.

From her tone, Zhou Qing knew she was unaware—but he didn't know either.

He cleared his throat and said, "It's just a suggestion. If this pill succeeds, even a Soul Severing cultivator could easily break through one or two realms."

No. 's eyes instantly lit up.

Wait—

She quickly realized something, eyeing Zhou Qing with suspicion.

Soul Severing?

How does he know I'm Soul Severing?

Or is it just luck?

Zhou Qing didn't notice No. 's unease and continued, "The 【Ice Glass Soul-Quetzal Herb】 seems fine—it's fully matured. Harvesting it now will yield the purest medicinal potency."

"But be careful when harvesting. Sacred herbs possess spirit. A single misstep could ruin everything."

No. sighed helplessly. "I know. The real problem is that bloodstained cloth—you saw it. It's bizarre. Every time I get near the stone altar, it senses me and launches attacks one after another."

"And those countless transparent cocoons—once during a simulation, it got desperate and released three hundred of them. The humanoid beings inside were utterly berserk, each capable of unleashing attacks at the peak of Soul Transformation."

Zhou Qing nodded gravely. He'd roughly counted the cocoons—there were at least thousands.

If all were unleashed, even a Soul Severing expert would struggle to withstand them.

"That's a shroud," Zhou Qing said. "It once wrapped a Celestial Emperor. The blood on it must be that of a Celestial Emperor."

No. stared, utterly incredulous.

A shroud?

A Celestial Emperor?

Wait—could it be—

No wonder blood phoenix bones were here. It wasn't just legend.

Regaining her composure, No. looked at Zhou Qing again, filled with reverence.

He recognized the Ice Glass Soul-Quetzal Herb. Knew the Ice Glass Soul-Ascending Pill. Knew about the Celestial Emperor's shroud. And earlier, he'd even hummed that song in the safe zone.

Who was this man? What realm was he in? Such profound knowledge—

"I do have a method to control the shroud," Zhou Qing said, looking at her. "But I don't know if you can receive it."

Master Xuanqing's legacy—he couldn't reveal it outwardly. Otherwise, Second Uncle would've demanded it, and he'd have given it.

With Second Uncle's guidance, he could master arrays and seals faster.

Hearing there was a way to control the shroud, No. grew excited. "Please, tell me."

Zhou Qing pulled out a blank jade slip from his storage pouch, placed it against his forehead, and tried to meditate the 【Great Yin Soul-Refining Array】 onto it.

But he couldn't. He sighed helplessly.

Then he looked at No. . "By the way, have you heard of the 【Great Yin Soul-Refining Array】?"

No. froze. "I've read about it in ancient texts—but never seen it. It's a four-color array, long lost, specifically designed to suppress yin and evil entities."

Zhou Qing was speechless. How had it become lost?

But after a moment, he said, "My situation is unusual—I can't imprint it onto a jade slip. If you don't mind, I'll transmit it directly via spiritual sense. Though I'm not sure if it'll work."

No. froze, then her eyes widened in shock.

She never imagined this No. knew such a long-lost array—and was willing to give it to her without hesitation.

Every array, especially a fourth-rank one, was the crystallized blood and sweat of an array master.

It was like a pill master handing out a precious, years-in-the-making formula to a stranger.

No. stared at Zhou Qing, speechless.

Was No. a higher-level array master?

Only such masters would casually give away a fourth-rank array—perhaps to them, fourth-rank arrays were nothing special.

After a brief hesitation, she nodded.

"Regardless of success, I'm truly grateful!" She took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly.

Zhou Qing said nothing more. He extended his index finger, its tip glowing faintly with spiritual power, and gently touched No. 's third eye.

At the moment of contact, a chill surged from his fingertip.

For No. , since cultivation began, the most frequent human contact she'd had was with No. during simulations.

Especially this intimate touch—her heartbeat spiked, her body trembling slightly.

Zhou Qing involuntarily swallowed. He forced calm, focused his soul force, and began transmitting the 【Great Yin Soul-Refining Array】's knowledge through spiritual sense.

To his surprise, the information flowed like a river finding its channel, smoothly entering No. 's spiritual sea.

It actually worked.

"In the Spirit Ruins Palace, jade slips can't be imprinted—but members can. How fascinating!" Zhou Qing thought inwardly.

Meanwhile, No. closed her eyes, absorbing the tidal wave of information.

As it poured in, her face flushed with excitement, her hands trembling involuntarily.

The long-lost, priceless 【Great Yin Soul-Refining Array】 was now right there in her spiritual sea?

It felt like a dream.

Moments later, the transmission ended.

No. slowly opened her eyes, brimming with gratitude.

Then she stepped back, bowed deeply to Zhou Qing. "Thank you for your generosity. I'll never forget this kindness. But this array is priceless—what do you ask in return?"

Zhou Qing waved his hand. "A fourth-rank array? No exchange needed. I only hope it helps you. As for materials—you'll have to find them yourself."

No. bowed again, deeply grateful.

Master—No. was undoubtedly a true array master.

And her awe for Zhou Qing deepened further.

"Alright, I'll go then. Do what you can. Don't overreach!" Zhou Qing advised.

After all, the red scroll on the altar had made even the shroud recoil when the blood phoenix appeared.

No. understood instantly, nodding vigorously.

Only after Zhou Qing's figure vanished completely did she turn back to her spiritual sea, eyes alight.

Moments later, she suddenly realized something and snapped her head toward where Zhou Qing had disappeared.

"He told me to find the materials himself—but never said I needed an array master to refine it. Does that mean he knows I'm a fourth-rank array master?"

No. frowned.

And earlier, he'd said the Ice Glass Soul-Quetzal Herb could be refined into the Ice Glass Soul-Ascending Pill to help a Soul Severing cultivator break through—meaning he knew her realm too.

Who is he?

Do I know him?

Why does he know me so well?

Instantly, she glanced at the stone wall beside her and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Maybe I'm overthinking. Every time I activate the blood phoenix bone to enter this hidden space, I use a spiritual seal. With so many seals used, my identity as a fourth-rank array master must've been exposed long ago!"

After muttering to herself, she withdrew.

…

As Zhou Qing opened his eyes, he saw the old hen clucking loudly nearby, having laid a spirit egg.

He smiled and walked over to pick her up.

He picked up the egg—it was warm. To his surprise, its spiritual energy was purer and denser than before, nearly matching that of a high-grade spirit stone.

After all, he now had more resources—the old hen ate whole mid-grade spirit stones. Better nutrition meant better eggs.

"You're a lucky chicken," Zhou Qing chuckled, stroking her head. The hen rubbed her beak against his hand.

After playing with the hen, Zhou Qing picked up the red scroll again, trying to open it.

As expected—it didn't budge.

"I'll have it appraised tomorrow. If that fails, I'll ask Second Uncle," Zhou Qing decided.

At that moment, Lu Yaoyao's clear voice came from outside the cave.

Zhou Qing dispelled the barrier.

Soon, Lu Yaoyao stormed in, arms wrapped around a soup pot.

Her cheeks were flushed, as if she'd run all the way—sweat glistened on her forehead.

"Oh? Looking good? Even taking the chicken for a walk?" Lu Yaoyao glanced at the hen in Zhou Qing's arms, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Zhou Qing blinked. He hadn't expected her to open with that. He chuckled awkwardly. "Third Senior Brother told me you've been looking after me these days. Thank you."

"Thank you? I don't deserve that. But—what's so great about alcohol? It makes you vomit and suffer. Every time I see you drinking alone… I just hate it when you drink!"

Lu Yaoyao seemed to recall something, hesitated, then fell silent—clearly upset.

Zhou Qing was stunned.

To cultivators, alcohol was a good thing—it relaxed the body and mind, even aided cultivation. He only drank occasionally.

And when had he ever drunk alone?

And why did she look so angry about him drinking?

Could it be… her older brother used to drink?

Zhou Qing wanted to say something, but thought better of it—he'd been cared for day and night by her during these days of drunkenness.

"This is the stomach-soothing soup I brewed—come and drink it right away!" Lu Yaoyao placed the soup pot on the table, ladling it out as she commanded.

For some reason, seeing Lu Yaoyao like this, Zhou Qing felt inexplicably guilty, like a child caught doing wrong, and walked over meekly to sit down, lifting the bowl to drink.

The moment it touched his lips, his eyes brightened—this stomach-soothing soup tasted surprisingly excellent, carrying a faint warmth that sank straight into his heart.

"How did you learn to make this?" Zhou Qing couldn't help asking.

Lu Yaoyao whispered, "Practice makes perfect."

Seeing her puffed-up cheeks, Zhou Qing gave an awkward smile.

It seemed she'd often brewed this kind of soup for her brother—no wonder she despised drinking so much.

【Heart Mirror +7】

A prompt tone rang out, and Zhou Qing instinctively looked up.

Only then did he notice that Lu Yaoyao, sitting beside him with pouting lips like an angry hamster, had her original 【Good Eyesight】 tag instantly changed to 【Good at Annoying】.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's face twitched.

The tag had changed with brutal directness—Lu Shimei was truly angry.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, he quickly lifted the bowl and drank one after another.

Seeing this, Lu Yaoyao's tense expression gradually softened, and the dissatisfaction in her eyes faded slightly.

"Huh? Why has your aura grown so fast?" As the tension lingered, Zhou Qing's mind raced and quickly changed the subject in surprise.

Lu Yaoyao's eyes lit up with excitement at once; her whole demeanor perked up as she beamed, "Master Lu gave me a special cultivation method—I'll break through to Nascent Soul mid-stage within three years!"

Zhou Qing was equally thrilled, filled with relief.

It seemed that the usually icy-cold Lu Yuanzhi truly cared for Lu Shimei—now he could rest easy.

"Breaking through requires spirit stones—I still have some, take them!" Zhou Qing said, pulling out a storage bag and handing it to her.

Lu Yaoyao shook her head gently: "No need—I have my own. Don't worry, I won't easily owe you favors… Don't change the subject—drink your soup. Afterward, I'm going to find Second Uncle—why are you drinking random liquor anyway?"

With that, her cheeks puffed up again, her face brimming with indignation.

Zhou Qing's expression changed instantly; he hurried to stop her: "No, no, no—Lu Shimei, listen to me! This drinking actually helped me. Not just anyone can drink the liquor Second Uncle offers. Even though I was drunk for days, my spiritual power increased dramatically…"

An hour later, Zhou Qing's throat was dry from pleading, and after much persuasion, he finally convinced Lu Yaoyao not to go see Second Uncle.

He promised her he'd never drink again, and only then did he escort her to the entrance of his cave.

"Oh? Lu Shimei's here? Lao Si, this academy really is a den of hidden dragons and tigers—look what I got! Fifty jars of spirit wine!"

At that moment, Yan Xiao's loud voice rang out from afar—he'd gone out earlier to satisfy his alcohol craving.

He beamed with excitement, cradling three jars of wine, his steps unsteady.

"It's not as good as what Second Uncle served you, but it'll do… Lao Si, what's wrong with your eyes?"

Yan Xiao frowned, then grinned at Lu Yaoyao: "Perfect—you're here too! Let's drink for three days and three nights! Oh, and let's call Brother Li Daoxuan too…"

Yan Xiao grew more excited, but before he could finish, he suddenly shivered.

His smile froze instantly: "It's so cold… Where's this killing intent coming from? Lu Shimei, what are you doing? I'm your senior—help me—"

…

After midnight passed, Zhou Qing took out the red scroll and immediately performed an appraisal.

【Blood Phoenix Clan Inherited Technique: This is an extremely rare Inscription-level scripture technique—Hundred Trials Blood Veil. It requires an Ultimate Weapon to unlock. If one can manifest the ultimate Three Thousand Phoenix Flame Dao Patterns, it rivals Dao-Trace level techniques.】

Seeing the appraisal result, Zhou Qing froze.

Inscription-level?

Dao-Trace level?

What does that mean?

He didn't understand, but he clearly saw it required an Ultimate Weapon to unlock.

If he remembered correctly, the grinding stone in Taiqingmen's Gravity Zone was a fragment from the Ultimate Weapon 【Void Ring】.

The broken sword had been obtained from there.

That grinding stone, as the key to the entire Gravity Zone, had guarded Taiqingmen generation after generation—yet it was merely a fragment of an Ultimate Weapon.

Thus, one could imagine how terrifying a true Ultimate Weapon must be.

He'd never even seen such a weapon, let alone used one to open this scroll.

Was a single Copy Scroll wasted just to get this?

Zhou Qing felt a wave of defeat.

After sighing, he suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled out the Broken Sword, scraping it against the scroll.

But after much trial, he still couldn't open it.

He looked at the broken sword and gave a self-deprecating smile.

He must have imagined too much.

After waiting another night, he tried appraisal again—the result was identical. With no other option, Zhou Qing decided to seek out Second Uncle.

…

Inside the cave!

Second Uncle stood before the stone table, eyes locked on the ancient scroll Zhou Qing held out with both hands—he stood frozen, unable to recover for a long time.

Zhou Qing's expression was serious, filled with sincerity, afraid Second Uncle wouldn't believe him.

"Uncle, I swear I'm not lying—this really was dug up by me. You know my cave now houses two people—it's cramped, so I thought to expand it. I didn't expect digging deeper would unearth this."

"Oh, there was a note attached to the scroll at the time."

Zhou Qing frowned slightly, straining to recall: "The note said it required an Ultimate Weapon to open. It mentioned Inscription-level and Dao-Trace-level. Uncle, what do those mean?"

Zhou Qing looked up, puzzled, seeking answers.

Upon hearing this, Second Uncle's face twitched uncontrollably—especially when he heard "Dao-Trace-level," his body jolted, and he snatched the scroll with both hands, as if fearing someone would steal it.

"W-Where's the note?" Second Uncle's voice trembled as he asked anxiously.

Zhou Qing sighed helplessly: "It's been too long—I touched it and it turned to dust instantly. Nothing remained."

Second Uncle's face paled with panic. Without another word, he grabbed Zhou Qing's arm and dragged him back to his cave.

Along the way, Second Uncle's expression was grave, and he said not a word.

Zhou Qing felt his arm might dislocate—but this only confirmed that the scroll from the Forbidden Zone held extraordinary secrets.

The two arrived quickly at Zhou Qing's cave.

Fortunately, he'd prepared ahead—he'd dug a large hole deep inside, with scattered earth and stones all around, looking chaotic.

Second Uncle didn't care—he rushed in and scrutinized the excavation site.

His hands frantically rummaged through the soil and rocks, leaving no corner unturned—but found nothing.

He stood up, face filled with disappointment.

"Is there nothing else?" Second Uncle asked.

Zhou Qing shook his head—you're even greedier than I am.

Even if you went there yourself, you probably couldn't bring anything out. I've already been incredibly lucky.

At that moment, Yan Xiao strolled in, humming a tune, leading his chicken back.

As soon as he stepped into the cave, he saw Zhou Qing and Second Uncle, and frowned in confusion.

Then, as if remembering something, he licked his lips.

Just as he was about to greet them, Second Uncle flicked his finger—a streak of spiritual energy shot straight to his forehead.

Yan Xiao had no chance to react—he rolled his eyes back and collapsed, snoring loudly.

The hen wobbled side to side, then slowly ambled over to a nearby puddle and splashed about contentedly.

Then, Second Uncle slowly turned, his movements solemn and cautious, gently pulling out the ancient scroll.

His eyes blazed with fervor and excitement; he cleared his throat and began explaining to Zhou Qing.

"On the path of cultivation, scripture techniques have tiers—of course, I don't need to tell you this; you already know."

Here, Second Uncle flicked his finger, writing in the air with spiritual energy.

"Scripture techniques are divided into four tiers: Common, Inscription-level, Dao-Trace-level, and Law-level."

"For example, the 【Azure Thunder Sword Art】, 【Silver Dragon Hand】, 【Silver Dragon Step】 you previously cultivated—all belong to Common-tier techniques."

"These techniques are common in the cultivation world, forming the foundation for most cultivators."

Zhou Qing frowned slightly, deep in thought.

Second Uncle paused, then continued: "Of course, techniques like 【Jin Wu Burn Sky Scripture】 and 【Thunderstorm Starfall Kill】, obtained from Jin Wu blood and Su Ni blood, are also Common-tier."

"But they are the pinnacle of Common techniques—drawing power from potent bloodlines, their strength far exceeds ordinary spells."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing felt a chill.

Those powerful techniques from divine bird bloodlines were still only Common-tier?

At that moment, Second Uncle channeled more energy into his finger—the characters he wrote in the air glowed brighter, his voice rising slightly, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"But there exist even more mysterious and powerful techniques. They use the laws of heaven and earth as ink, and the cultivator's essence as brush, carving the power of cosmic rules into tangible 【Law Inscriptions】. These are called Inscription-level techniques."

As he spoke, Second Uncle mimed the motion of engraving, allowing Zhou Qing to directly feel the overwhelming might of Inscription-level techniques.

"Above Inscription-level lies something even more terrifying: techniques forged by the soul as a guide and the Dao's primordial source as a seal—these are Dao-Trace-level techniques."

As he said this, Second Uncle's expression grew even more solemn, as if speaking of a forbidden entity.

"Dao-Trace-level techniques have touched the edge of the Dao itself. When activated, they summon unknown celestial phenomena."

"When you achieved Four Petals at the Crown, the commotion was witnessed across the Lingyun Prefecture. Any Dao-Trace-level technique possesses such earth-shattering power!"

Zhou Qing inwardly gasped.

Could a spiritual technique's manifestation really have such an extensive range of effects?

When he achieved the Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown, it was purely due to the desert's mirage—nothing compared to a true Dao-trace-level technique.

"As for the higher-level Law-level techniques," Second Uncle shook his head, a hint of awe on his face.

"They're beyond our level of understanding. Such techniques are exceedingly rare even in fifth- or sixth-grade spiritual nations."

"They embody complete Law-force, the power that governs heaven and earth. Just imagining their activation sends chills down your spine."

(End of Chapter)