Chapter 207: Oh My God, There Are Two This Time! (6k)

So what if it is? Don't forget who's the meat on the chopping block—hand over your storage bag, and I might let you live!

The elder at the peak of Nascent Soul boasted loudly.

Zhou Qing sighed helplessly and urged again, "Leave now—better to end this here."

Yet the five continued pressing forward, ready to strike and rob at any moment.

Yan Xiao's eyes suddenly darted, and he turned straight toward Li Niang.

A sly grin spread across his face as he chuckled, "Li Niang, recognize me? I'm your brother-in-law."

Zhou Qing, hearing Yan Xiao's absurd words, gasped in shock and quickly signaled with his eyes, asking what he was doing.

Li Niang furrowed her brows, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment, as if struggling to recall the identity of this "brother-in-law," yet ultimately failing.

Still, she timidly whispered, "I… I recognize my brother-in-law."

At this, Zhou Qing immediately covered his forehead.

Yan Xiao beamed with excitement, feeling this was thrilling.

"Third Senior Brother, stop fooling around!" Zhou Qing whispered urgently.

Yan Xiao shrugged it off, replying in a whisper, "We can't be the ones cleaning up this mess—it's Li Niang's fault. Leave it to her."

Then, turning back to Li Niang, he said, "Your husband and I are too busy to act—you deal with them."

As he spoke, he pointed with his finger toward the group advancing toward them.

Li Niang, upon hearing this, shook her head frantically, instinctively shielding her swollen belly with both hands, her voice trembling with tears: "I can't fight them."

Yan Xiao shook his head, encouraging her: "Have confidence—you're the best, you know?"

Li Niang hesitated, then turned her pleading gaze toward Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing's expression was awkward, yet he admitted to himself: with Li Niang's peak Nascent Soul cultivation, crushing four Foundation Establishment cultivators would be effortless.

But she was pregnant—and these men, he could handle himself.

"Forget it, I'll—"

"Kill them!" Before Zhou Qing could finish, the other side had already lost patience.

The lead elder, at the peak of Nascent Soul, struck first—his magic treasure blazed with light and slashed down instantly.

The other three didn't hold back, launching their attacks simultaneously.

"Don't hurt my husband!" Li Niang's timid gaze turned icy at once.

With a sharp cry, she raised her hand—and dozens of spiritual energy blades erupted from her palm, slapping forward like a thunderclap.

The four felt a tidal wave of force crash into them; they spat blood violently and were hurled backward, smashing through dozens of massive trees before finally stopping.

They were dazed and disoriented, minds blank, utterly unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Nascent… Nascent Soul!" The lead elder, after a brief dizziness, suddenly realized—his face flooded with terror.

Oh my god, pretending to be weak!

You're a Nascent Soul expert—what the hell are you messing with us lowlifes for?!

"Run!" The elder didn't hesitate—he spun and fled.

The other three shook their heads, confused, but seeing their Sect Master flee, they instinctively sprinted after him.

They vanished from sight in moments.

Li Niang stared at her right hand, as if unable to believe it.

She was only Jin Dan—how could she have defeated Foundation Establishment cultivators?

Right—her husband had returned.

Instantly, she remembered something, whirling around eagerly—but the next second, her eyes flickered with confusion; the joy in them faded, replaced by clarity.

Yan Xiao clapped excitedly: "Li Niang, I told you you could do it—I'm genuinely proud of you—"

But before he finished, Zhou Qing, sensing something wrong, clamped a hand over his mouth.

Li Niang, as if waking from a sudden nightmare, looked terrified.

"I'm… I'm sorry—I… I mistook you for someone else." Her body trembled slightly, her voice barely audible, just as before—she turned and ran.

Seeing her, Zhou Qing sighed. Yan Xiao turned pale.

…

Li Niang's appearance was merely a minor detour on Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao's return journey.

When the two returned safely to the academy, they found the entire campus—inner and outer courtyards alike—unusually quiet.

After asking around, they learned everyone had gone to the Eastern Region of Lingyun Mansion.

After all, those admitted to Baiyu Tai Xu Academy were all prodigies from the Four Regions.

Now, news had spread of a Zhan Ling expert's death in the Eastern Region—such a monumental opportunity before their eyes—who wouldn't want their younger generation to go investigate? Perhaps they'd gain a great fortune.

Even the war between the Southwest Regions had mysteriously paused.

This left the two stunned.

"Senior Brother Zhou, you're back!" Lu Yaoyao rushed from the inner courtyard, her eyes sparkling with excitement—only after confirming Zhou Qing was unharmed did her heart finally calm.

Zhou Qing looked at Lu Yaoyao and noticed that after half a year, her aura had grown even more profound.

Li Daoxuan appeared beside them, smiling: "She's about to break into mid-stage—but she's been too worried about you two to close for cultivation. Even Lu Shi couldn't persuade her."

Lu Yaoyao, hearing this, blushed and hurriedly said, "I'll close—I'll close tomorrow!"

Yan Xiao watched this, filled with envy.

He realized he'd need to discipline himself soon—he must strive to advance further. If he couldn't even match Lu Yaoyao, he'd be utterly humiliated.

Then Li Daoxuan pulled Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao aside, eager to ask about the Zhan Ling death in their homeland.

Zhou Qing could only recount the general events—but deliberately omitted his own involvement, portraying himself as a mere observer.

The two listened, utterly astonished.

An actual Demon Emperor had fallen? The bordering demon clans would be in chaos!

"Come here!" Just then, Zhou Qing heard a whisper in his ear—Er Daye's voice.

Zhou Qing bid farewell to the others and hurried off.

Arriving at the cave dwelling, Er Daye poured him a cup of wine and gestured to a seat beside him, inviting him to sit.

Zhou Qing waved it off.

From now on, he would never drink again.

Er Daye frowned, thinking perhaps Zhou Qing was still wary after the last time he got drunk and revealed his sixty-six spirit seals.

But he didn't press—only nodded lightly and changed the subject: "So that feathered bird was really killed by Xuan Yuan Shuo?"

Zhou Qing had no intention of hiding anything from Er Daye—especially since he still needed help with the blood curse in his mind.

After gathering his thoughts, he recounted the full story.

Er Daye listened intently at first—but when he heard the Su Ni bone had been detonated, he winced in agony.

He'd been planning to retrieve it himself, once properly prepared.

After a long silence, he sighed.

What could he do? It was simply fate's cruel joke.

Yet seeing Zhou Qing unharmed, and so composed even in such perilous circumstances, he felt a surge of pride and relief.

Then Zhou Qing took out Lao Feng's memory stone and the Tai Yao Token and handed them to Er Daye.

Er Daye activated it, studied it carefully, and fell into deep thought.

"The Eastern Region of Lingyun Mansion is truly extraordinary. I've joined many sects, studied their ancient texts—I suspect something monumental happened there long ago, but I can't say what."

At this, Er Daye was also deeply curious.

Zhou Qing pondered silently: not long ago, the ancient Peng King had been a Zhan Ling peak expert—yet he'd been effortlessly erased.

Afterward, the killer hadn't even bothered with Peng King's corpse—clearly, his power was terrifying.

And this was only the tip of the iceberg; the hidden secrets unknown to all were surely countless.

Then Er Daye looked at Zhou Qing with clear admiration, returned the Tai Yao Token, and said, "Keep this. Since you earned it yourself, I won't take it from you."

Then, with grave expression, Er Daye examined the blood curse in Zhou Qing's mind, frowning.

"Difficult. It'll take time to find a way—but don't panic. These curses usually have a time limit—within a few hundred years, they fade on their own."

"If you ever break through to Zhan Ling, you might even erase it yourself," Er Daye reassured him.

Zhou Qing: "..."

"As for the old monkey, don't worry. Remember that Immortal Drunk I gave you? I stole it from him," Er Daye said, beaming with pride.

Zhou Qing recalled—Er Daye had once mentioned the old monkey of Tai Yao Mountain, but had cut the story short to drink.

"By the way, how far have you progressed with your Four Flowers at the Crown?" Er Daye suddenly leaned in, curious.

Zhou Qing paused, then recounted in detail how he'd fused the Jin Wu and Su Ni blood, and how the four-colored flowers had reacted during the Corpse Spirit's possession.

Er Daye stared, dumbfounded, his face filled with astonishment and envy.

"Fascinating. If I could find a way to provoke the blood curse, make it threaten you—perhaps the four-colored flowers would activate and erase it themselves."

Er Daye stroked his chin, analyzing.

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up—this was indeed a good idea.

"We must plan carefully—no rushing. By the way, since you're back, rest for a few days—I'll take you somewhere after!"

Er Daye clapped Zhou Qing on the shoulder, grinning mysteriously.

Zhou Qing nodded—then suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about your array class…?"

At this, Er Daye straightened up instantly, beaming with pride: "Learning is mutual. Half a month ago, I posed several extremely tricky questions—and guess what? The Master had an epiphany and went into seclusion."

He paused, then continued, "I suspect he'll now complete the Three Thousand Spirit Seals, becoming the third Level-Three Array Master in the Shengwu Empire—and possibly even break through to peak Nascent Soul!"

After hearing this, Zhou Qing was startled, but more so, he felt happy for Master.

After all, in the entire Level Four cultivation nation, there are currently only two Level Three Array Masters, and only nine Level Two Array Masters—far rarer than Qi Severing experts.

In the following days, Zhou Qing rested thoroughly.

After all, the entire academy was eerily quiet, with all eight instructors nearly suspended from teaching.

Under Lu Shi's careful arrangements, Lu Yaoyao officially entered seclusion, fully striving to break through to Nascent Soul mid-stage.

Li Daoxuan already had a vague direction for the realm he wished to comprehend; each day, under his instructor's guidance, he hurriedly ventured out to experience it firsthand.

Yan Xiaohu also felt urgency, putting aside his usual playfulness and focusing entirely on frantically absorbing spiritual energy from spirit stones.

That night, Zhou Qing stared at the sixth blue light point rekindling on the token, wondering inwardly: could she succeed in retrieving that spirit herb?

At that moment, he suddenly looked up, his brows instantly furrowing.

Simultaneously, Yan Xiaohu poked his head out from the side cave, muttering curses: "That guy's back again!"

The two swiftly stepped out of the cave.

Sure enough, the white-robed figure stood as usual, back turned, silently atop the distant treetop.

"What's that thing? You gave it to me last time." The white-robed man spoke first.

Zhou Qing's lips curled slightly into a faint smile.

Yan Xiaohu blinked.

Wait, what does that mean?

When you say it to me, it's sarcasm—but when you say it to Old Four, it becomes a serious question?

Ask if you must, but why phrase it as an inverted sentence?

You're nuts!

Zhou Qing spoke calmly: "Same as last time—apologize to my Third Senior Brother, and I'll tell you what it is."

The white-robed man fell silent for a moment, then replied bluntly: "Sorry!"

Both froze, utterly unprepared for how readily he conceded.

Remember, as a Soul Transformation expert, last time he was fiercely proud, refusing to yield even slightly, turning on his heel and leaving.

For a moment, Zhou Qing was at a loss, unsure how to respond.

Quickly, he cleared his throat, steadied his thoughts, and said: "This object cycles once a year—if not lifted in time, you'll suffer misfortune for a long while. If you'd come any later, you'd be drowning in bad luck again."

Upon hearing this, the white-robed man shuddered slightly, as if recalling something, his face lighting up with realization.

He then urgently said: "Remove it—quickly!"

Zhou Qing's expression remained calm, his gaze fixed on the white-robed man as he spoke: "I can remove it—but I want to know why. You keep coming to us repeatedly; there must be a reason."

Yan Xiaohu had long been seething with anger; now that Zhou Qing was pressing the issue, he stepped forward immediately.

He demanded aggressively: "Yeah! Do we even know each other? The moment I arrived at the academy, you targeted me—got me arrested by the Enforcement Hall twice! This debt can't just vanish!"

Seeing the man now cornered by Old Four, Yan Xiaohu pressed harder: "Speak up! Why?"

The man fell silent for a long while before speaking again: "You've got sneaky, rat-like eyes—I can't stand the look of you."

"What the hell!" Yan Xiaohu exploded at once.

"That's called focused eyes! How's that sneaky or rat-like?" Yan Xiaohu roared, rolling up his sleeves, ready to charge and teach the man a lesson.

But as he took one step forward, he remembered he was no match for this opponent—so he forced down his rage and turned a pleading gaze toward Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly. "That's it? Just because of how you look?"

The white-robed man didn't answer directly. Instead, he pulled out a memory stone from his storage pouch, flicked his wrist, and tossed it toward Zhou Qing.

"I know you won't bend under force—can this exchange for the method to lift it? Like this."

Zhou Qing, puzzled, caught the memory stone—and his expression instantly hardened.

For as soon as it activated, the scene showed Li Daoxuan being frantically chased by a tiger-like beast with four pairs of wings.

Based on certain features of the beast, it had clearly reached Soul Transformation—truly a beast king.

Li Daoxuan was battered and desperate, sprinting through the forest, his body riddled with wounds, blood soaking his robes.

Just as Li Daoxuan was about to be devoured by the beast, a beam of spiritual energy suddenly erupted from the side, piercing straight through the beast king's wings.

The beast king let out a piercing shriek, its body losing control and plummeting from the sky.

Li Daoxuan, shaken and drenched in blood, shouted into the surrounding woods: "Thank you for your help!" before fleeing hastily.

After watching the memory stone, Zhou Qing was filled with complex emotions—what could he say?

If the man had threatened Li Senior Brother's life, Zhou Qing wouldn't have cared—but since he'd saved his life, this debt of gratitude couldn't be ignored.

"Thank you," Zhou Qing said, always clear on separating personal and official matters. He calmed himself, clasped his fists, and bowed to the white-robed man.

Then he said nothing more, turning and walking into the cave.

He reached the stone table, poured himself a cup of tea, picked up several talismans from beside him, lit them with fire, and gently sprinkled the ash into the cup.

After finishing, he lifted the cup and stepped out, channeling spiritual power to gently float it toward the white-robed man.

"Drink it to lift the curse—though if you don't trust it..."

Before Zhou Qing finished speaking, the white-robed man snatched the cup, tilted his head back, and drank it all.

Then, with a few leaps, his figure vanished into the night.

"Could it really be Sikong Yan?" Zhou Qing murmured softly, watching the scene.

He turned his head and saw Yan Xiaohu approaching pitifully: "Old Four, do I really look sneaky and rat-like?"

Zhou Qing blinked, then replied sincerely: "Don't listen to him. Sure, your eyes are small—but your spirit is strong. Sure, your face is round—but your heart is kind."

"No matter what others think, in my eyes, you're the best—forever my most respected Third Senior Brother!"

Yan Xiaohu: "..."

【Today's posts are refreshing...】

【New post saved to the Wondrous Post Archive—please check promptly.】

At that moment, the system's alert chimed abruptly, startling Zhou Qing.

Can comforting someone trigger this thing?

He quickly checked the Wondrous Post Archive.

【Sudden Enlightenment Post: Can be implanted into one's body. Upon use, the spiritual platform clears, insight surges, cultivation efficiency increases a hundredfold—duration: three hours!】

Seeing the new post was the Sudden Enlightenment Post he'd longed for, Zhou Qing couldn't help but cheer.

Wait—

Zhou Qing noticed the edge of the Wondrous Post Archive seemed off; flipping to the second page, he saw another 【Sudden Enlightenment Post】.

Two this time?

Sneaky bastard—planning a surprise for me?

Soon, Zhou Qing grew excited.

Remember, last time three hours of sudden enlightenment allowed him not only to perfect the Emperor's Radiance Scripture but also to condense sixty-six spiritual seals.

Such duplicate posts should come more often.

What should he use it on?

Increase the number of spiritual seals?

Study Mingwen-level divine arts?

No—those can wait. Right now, the most important thing is comprehending the future realm.

With Second Uncle's careful guidance, plus these two Sudden Enlightenment Posts, perhaps he could finally grasp his own unique realm.

Watching Zhou Qing's ecstatic expression, Yan Xiaohu suddenly felt heartbroken. Without a word, he turned and walked inside.

Realizing this, Zhou Qing quickly called out: "Third Senior Brother, don't misunderstand—I really think you're great! What are you doing? Put down the chicken!"

The next day, Second Uncle took Zhou Qing away from the academy.

As for Yan Xiaohu, he remained in the cave, fully immersed in cultivation.

"This is... Haomiao Prefecture!" Zhou Qing stared at the vast, boundless city before him and exclaimed.

Even now, he could see the distant central plaza, where the teleportation array glowed continuously.

Second Uncle nodded. "Correct—Haomiao Prefecture. Back then, I was just walking through the crowd when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck me—I had a direction and a preliminary form for a realm."

Zhou Qing nodded, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "So, Second Uncle, what realm did you comprehend?"

Second Uncle chuckled, pulled out an old tobacco pipe, and lit it with practiced ease.

Under Zhou Qing's expectant gaze, he took a deep drag—and blew the smoke straight into Zhou Qing's face, choking him into a coughing fit, tears welling in his eyes.

"Not telling you!"

Second Uncle deliberately teased, grinning smugly.

"We've traveled far—first, treat me to a meal. That restaurant over there looks good!"

As if oblivious to Zhou Qing's exasperation, Second Uncle pointed toward a distant luxurious tavern.

The tavern was ornately carved, majestic, gleaming brilliantly under the sun.

Zhou Qing could only sigh and nod, leading Second Uncle toward the tavern.

After all, he needed the man's help.

Inside the private room, Zhou Qing ordered a full table of dishes—every delicacy stirred the appetite.

The two feasted heartily; Second Uncle pulled out fermented liquor, but Zhou Qing refused to drink even a sip.

Second Uncle, unfazed, drank alone.

After a full meal, Second Uncle leaned back in his chair, contentedly belched, then turned to Zhou Qing with a serious expression. "So—what exactly is a realm?"

Zhou Qing sat up straight at once and said, "In simple terms, artistic conception is fusing the laws of heaven and earth with personal insights, achieving a concrete manifestation of the Dao heart, then integrating it into the Nascent Soul to transform it into a Primordial Spirit."

After listening, the Second Uncle nodded in satisfaction and praised, "Looks like you've done your homework these past few days—good, good. But it's easy to say, hard to understand."

"I humbly ask for your guidance," Zhou Qing said at once, rising and bowing respectfully, his tone sincere.

The Second Uncle picked at his teeth, speaking slowly and calmly, "To comprehend artistic conception, there are stages. I've summed it up in nine characters: observe all things → comprehend true meaning → condense the Dao seed."

(End of chapter)