Chapter 212

Yan Xiaohu's eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly agape, and then he was filled with excitement.

When Old Four had the four-flower gathering at the top, he, like everyone else at the Taiqingmen, only caught a glimpse of that shocking scene from afar through the hazy image projected across the sky.

At that time, only Master and Second Shijie were able to personally experience the mystery within.

Now, at the moment of Old Four's Divine Transformation, he finally had the opportunity to witness this scene up close.

At this moment, the four-colored flower became more solid; the first petal flashed with silver radiance, soft and cold, full of tranquility.

The second petal presented a magma-like red, passionate and violent, appearing like a volcano about to erupt.

The third petal was as deep blue as the ocean, profound and serene.

The last petal, storing spiritual power and essence blood, was golden, dazzling and eye-catching, like a scorching sun, emitting powerful life energy.

These four colors represented Zhou Qing's four Nascent Soul amplifications.

Now, with the breakthrough to Divine Transformation, the colors were even deeper than before.

Zhou Qing himself had not expected that the phantom of the four-colored petals would be projected at this critical moment of breakthrough, and it seemed to be undergoing an indescribable transformation.

After only a short time, the first petal changed first, turning into tiny specks of light, drifting leisurely toward the Primordial Spirit.

As the silver light specks touched his sea of consciousness, Zhou Qing only felt a cool, strange sensation pouring into his mind; in an instant, he felt as if he were under a vast starry sky.

At this moment, his mind was clearer than ever, as if all distracting thoughts had been washed away by this pure moonlight.

"This feeling is..." Soon, Zhou Qing's eyes were full of shock.

His state at this moment was just like when he had used the 【Epiphany Post】 before; his comprehension had been greatly improved.

Although he didn't know why, such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity must not be missed.

Without a word, he hurriedly circulated his spiritual power, immersing himself entirely in the formation comprehension left to him by Senior Xuan Qingzi.

In an instant, sixty-six spirit seals emerged around the Primordial Spirit Dharma image.

These spirit seals flickered with faint light, like stars, slowly rotating around the Primordial Spirit Dharma image.

Soon, the sixty-seventh, sixty-eighth, sixty-ninth... were condensed.

In a short time, thirty were added directly, reaching ninety-six spirit seals.

Er Daye was already dumbfounded, unable to recover for a long time.

He was also a first-grade formation master, but he had never seen spirit seals condensed like this; shouldn't it be like a hen laying eggs, step by step?

As for Yan Xiaohu, he had seen such a bizarre scene with his own eyes before, and now witnessing it again, he couldn't help but ponder.

"It seems that the path of a formation master should be very simple; it looks like I will have a new identity next!" he muttered to himself.

Just like that, after the silver light specks were completely consumed, the second red petal began to turn into light specks and merge into the Primordial Spirit.

Zhou Qing felt as if he were in magma again, with powerful surrounding forces constantly impacting his senses.

This caused his blood to begin to boil, and every cell in his body was activated, full of vitality.

His thinking also became sharper, and his perception of the surroundings became incomparably clear.

Almost simultaneously, the ninety-sixth spirit seal, which had been stagnant around the Dharma image, began to condense the ninety-seventh and ninety-eighth.

As the red light specks were completely integrated, Zhou Qing condensed another thirty, and the number of spirit seals reached one hundred and twenty-six.

Watching this scene of condensing spirit seals so easily, Er Daye only felt a sense of exhaustion.

He had painstakingly studied formations, immersing himself in obscure formation classics and complex spiritual power patterns for countless days and nights—what was it all for?

Wasn't it because the remaining five coffins were full of restrictions?

But after such great effort, he had only condensed forty in total.

Look at him; condensing spirit seals was as simple as drinking cold water, so easy.

Comparing the two, his heart was filled with mixed feelings, completely unbalanced.

At this moment, he suddenly had the urge to give up; instead of being so brain-burning, why not cultivate Zhou Qing well, and when his formation attainments were higher, just take him to break the restrictions?

At this moment, Zhou Qing was still wanting more; the effect was similar to the 【Epiphany Post】, it was just that the time was too short.

Subsequently, the third petal was the same, making him feel as if he had turned into a drop of water, merging into the boundless ocean.

The gentleness and resilience of water, as well as its endless tolerance, made his state of mind even more peaceful.

When the one hundred and fifty-sixth spirit seal was condensed, Er Daye's expression had long since gone numb.

All that was left was a "Hehe."

When the last golden light specks merged, Zhou Qing clearly felt his spiritual power and essence blood growing rapidly, as if his body had been injected with a powerful life force.

As the one hundred and eighty-sixth spirit seal was condensed and suspended around the Primordial Spirit, the eyes of the Primordial Spirit Dharma image slowly opened.

Two beams of light, one black and one white, mapped the heaven and earth, overlooking the world like a god.

This made Yan Xiaohu's heart tremble.

Afterward, the Primordial Spirit Dharma image slowly dissipated, the anomaly in the sky gradually returned to normal, and everything returned to tranquility.

Er Daye's expression was complex.

Currently, in the entire fourth-grade cultivation nation, there were only nine second-grade formation masters; now Zhou Qing was only fourteen spirit seals away from becoming the tenth.

It was enough to make one die of envy!

At this moment, Er Daye landed, his figure flashed, and he was already in the cave; Yan Xiaohu hurriedly picked up the hen and followed.

Inside the cave, Zhou Qing sat cross-legged, surrounded by a thick layer of spirit stone powder.

This breakthrough to Divine Transformation had almost emptied all his belongings from these past few years.

No way around it; the energy required for Divine Transformation was already incomparably huge, not to mention that he was different from ordinary people.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly!

"Finally reached Divine Transformation!" Feeling the power in his body that far exceeded the Nascent Soul, and the one hundred and eighty-six spirit seals suspended around his Primordial Spirit, Zhou Qing was overjoyed.

Everything was worth it!

From now on, the Primordial Spirit, which is more powerful than the Nascent Soul, can survive away from the body for a long time.

If danger is encountered, even if the physical body is severely damaged, the remaining Primordial Spirit can be repaired and reborn, unlike the Nascent Soul, which risks being wiped out once damaged.

In addition, his lifespan was increased from the previous thousand years to three thousand years.

The condensation of the Primordial Spirit also allowed him to perform certain powerful spiritual secret arts, possessing more means and advantages in battle and cultivation.

The benefits were even more numerous.

Just as he was immersed in joy, Er Daye suddenly appeared before his eyes, smiling and saying, "Congratulations to you; at less than forty years old, you have already broken through to Divine Transformation; the future is promising!"

Zhou Qing immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to Er Daye.

If it weren't for Er Daye, heaven knows how long it would have taken him to break through to Divine Transformation, especially the help just now, which he also kept in mind.

"Thank you!" Zhou Qing said.

Er Daye raised his hand to help Zhou Qing up and said, "This is all your own effort, it has nothing to do with others."

Zhou Qing's talent, temperament, and means of handling affairs were the most outstanding he had ever seen.

Sometimes he really wanted to take him as a disciple, but it was a bit late.

But then again, if he weren't Mo Xingjian's disciple, he himself would probably still be trapped in the third coffin right now.

"Rest, rest; after your aura settles, I'll take you back to the academy first, I also happen to pick up some things, and then you will follow me to the border!" Er Daye said.

Zhou Qing nodded; after all, two years ago, Great Uncle had already mentioned this to him.

It was just a bit worrying; after all, as a mid Soul Severance realm powerhouse, Xuan Yuan Shuo had heaven-defying means, and the disciples and adopted sons he took in were also elite soldiers and fierce generals, whose strength could not be underestimated.

Could he really win?

Seeming to see Zhou Qing's concerns, Er Daye explained, "If you want to eradicate the mark in your sea of consciousness, you need something to stimulate it, and that thing is only available at the border."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing no longer hesitated and immediately said, "Alright, everything will be as Great Uncle says."

"Zhou Shixiong!"

Upon learning the news of Zhou Qing's return, Lu Yaoyao didn't delay even for a moment, rushing over in a flurry.

This left Lu Yuanzhi speechless; just coming out of the mystical realm for training, you should at least change your clothes before going.

In these past few years, that kid has come back often, it's not like you haven't seen him.

If he hadn't explained the relationship between the two of you in advance, I would really have to think too much sometimes.

【Heart Appraisal Point +9】

When Zhou Qing said he had broken through to Divine Transformation, Lu Yaoyao's eyes were full of admiration, and her eyes were almost smiling into crescents.

The 【So Annoying】 on her head directly changed to 【So Amazing】.

"By the way, where is Li Shixiong?" Zhou Qing asked.

When he returned a year ago, Li Daoxuan had already successfully comprehended the prototype of his own realm of understanding, and they had celebrated it well at that time.

Lu Yaoyao blinked and answered crisply, "He returned to the sect!"

Zhou Qing was stunned.

Lu Yaoyao had to explain that when the war of the five sects had not yet ended, he had left the Eastern Region and traveled all the way to Haomiao Prefecture to comprehend his realm of understanding.

So many years have passed, and now that he has finally achieved something, he thought of going back to take a look, incidentally fulfilling the obsession in his heart.

As for the rest, he planned to devote himself to enriching his own realm of understanding, striving to break through to the Divine Transformation realm as soon as possible.

After hearing this, Zhou Qing understood.

"Then why didn't you think of going back to take a look?" Zhou Qing asked.

Speaking of which, Lu Yaoyao hadn't been back for several years; last time when he and Third Shixiong went back, Shibo had specifically asked.

Even He Han Shixiong had blocked the door to their home.

Lu Yaoyao shook her head, looked at Zhou Qing, and said, "Master Lu is very good to me, and Eldest Shixiong told me not to waste the opportunity; besides, I have to wait for you to come back—wherever you are, I will be."

Zhou Qing's face felt a bit sheepish after hearing this, but his heart felt warm.

After thinking it over, he still told her about going to the border next.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yaoyao didn't even think about it, immediately and categorically stating that she wanted to go too.

"I was just worried you would be like this; the mystical realm here at the academy..."

"I know, but the border has..." Lu Yaoyao immediately interrupted Zhou Qing's words, but when the words reached her lips, she suddenly stopped.

Zhou Qing was confused and said, "Has what?"

Lu Yaoyao pouted and said, "I just remembered some things; anyway, I want to go with you. If you don't let me go, I'll go secretly."

Zhou Qing sighed, looking at her stubborn appearance; sometimes he really had no way to deal with her.

And Lu Yaoyao, who had returned to her cave dwelling, quietly took out the manual with the big mama, second mama, and third mama drawn on it.

But at this moment, her expression was solemn; she turned the booklet upside down and slowly opened the first page.

What came into view was a middle-aged man with slightly slovenly clothes; he was full of vicissitudes, his eye sockets were sunken, his eyes were dim and lusterless, and he carried a broken sword on his back, while his hand tightly held a five or six-year-old little girl.

Lu Yaoyao watched quietly, her lips biting unconsciously, especially the fear and unease in the little girl's eyes, which made her seem to recall something, and she remained silent for a long time.

Then, she slowly opened the second page.

The scene switched to a quiet forest with twinkling stars.

Under the night, the middle-aged man was even more haggard, sitting alone by the campfire with a stubbly beard, his eyes staring straight at the fire, not knowing what he was thinking about.

And beside him, the little girl was covered in a tattered piece of clothing, curled up there in a sound sleep.

Lu Yaoyao looked at this painting, her eyes full of tenderness and pity, and couldn't help but reach out to touch the middle-aged man's face.

When she opened the third page, they were already in a prosperous human city.

On the dining table were many delicious things: lotus flower cakes, sugar-steamed cream, fermented rice balls, mung bean cakes...

The little girl sat in front of the table, her eyes smiling into slits; it seemed she hadn't been this happy for a long time, and she was eating ravenously, with some pastry crumbs still on the corners of her mouth.

And the middle-aged man just sat quietly on the side watching; although there was no obvious smile on his face, his eyes were full of doting, as if the little girl's happiness was his greatest happiness.

Lu Yaoyao saw this scene, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and a hint of warmth flashed in her eyes, but it was soon replaced by a hint of sadness.

Because on the fourth page, the middle-aged man was like a god of slaughter descending, holding a broken sword, and behind him appeared an extremely terrifying blood-colored curtain.

At this moment, he was in the midst of a fierce battle, facing powerful existences at the Demon Emperor level.

And in a corner far away, a little girl was curled up, her body trembling, waiting with a look of terror.

She was staring fixedly at the direction where the middle-aged man was fighting.

Seeing this page, tears welled up in Lu Yaoyao's eyes.

Besides this, there was nothing else.

Since she could remember, she had been hunted down with her old man, and the most frequent ones were those terrifying Demon Emperors.

The border of the Sacred Martial Dynasty is near several demon mountains, and there is more than one Demon Emperor; perhaps the truth of that year started from there, it's not impossible.

But that very evening, Zhou Qing, who was breathing in the cave dwelling, suddenly opened his eyes.

Yan Xiaohu on the side poked his head out.

After the two looked at each other, they hurriedly ran out.

And they were not the only ones who noticed the collapse of the spiritual energy in the air; many inner and outer courtyard disciples were awakened from their dreams.

Under the night, a dazzling light soon shot into the sky.

"That direction is... Teacher?" Soon, Zhou Qing seemed to think of something, his eyes lit up, and he hurried over.

After arriving at the place, he discovered that the periphery was already surrounded by inner courtyard disciples, and even several instructors were standing in the air.

Following the light source, he saw Lin Daochen standing with his eyes closed, his body surrounded by spirit seals interwoven with countless rays of light.

His aura was vigorous, as if he had just broken through to the perfection of the Divine Transformation realm, and the spiritual power between heaven and earth was still constantly pouring into his body.

Of course, this was not the point; the point was that the number of spirit seals suspended around him had already exceeded three thousand.

These marks were constantly intertwining and colliding, emitting a pleasant humming sound.

"Three thousand spirit seals, it really is three thousand spirit seals; Master Lin has finally become a third-grade formation master."

"Yes, the Sacred Martial Dynasty has finally ushered in its third third-grade formation master after so many years; it is a joyous and congratulatory event."

"I reckon it won't be long before people from the Imperial Capital come to congratulate him."

"Oh my, if I had known, I should have followed Teacher to learn properly; with such a powerful endorsement, I'd like to see who would dare to bully me in the future."

Everyone discussed animatedly, their eyes full of amazement and envy.

Never did they expect to witness the birth of a third-grade formation master at such close range one day.

Zhou Qing, who was in the crowd, was also genuinely happy for his teacher.

After a long time, Lin Daochen slowly opened his eyes, his eyes full of joy.

"Congratulations, Teacher, congratulations!"

Many students bowed to congratulate him.

Lin Daochen nodded slightly, a gentle and humble smile appearing on his face, and said, "Congratulations to all, congratulations to all!"

Not long after, the news that Lin Daochen of the Bai Yu Tai Xu Academy in Haomiao Prefecture had been promoted to a third-grade formation master spread rapidly.

Two days later, the Governor of Long Yuanjun actually came in person to offer congratulations.

After all, this third-grade formation master came from one of the nine prefectures under his jurisdiction.

When a large number of Blood Forbidden Army entered the academy, everyone was full of awe and amazement.

It is said that the difficulty of the Blood Forbidden Army's assessment is terrifying; every member needs to be at least at the Divine Transformation realm, and they have always strictly maintained an establishment of three hundred people.

This means that at least three hundred Divine Transformation powerhouses are directly under the command of the Governor.

Such a powerful force is enough to make any force not dare to underestimate it.

Inside the thatched cottage!

The Governor of Long Yuanjun, Zhong Yao, dressed in solemn official robes, sat upright in his chair, his gaze fixed tightly on Lin Daochen on the side, his face full of respect.

"Master Lin, we are old acquaintances who have known each other for a long time, so I won't beat around the bush and will get straight to the point." Zhong Yao's voice was steady and powerful, "I came to visit this time because I was entrusted by the Prince."

Lin Daochen was somewhat surprised after hearing this: "The Prince has something?"

Zhong Yao sighed slightly, his expression becoming somewhat solemn, and then he stood up.

He slowly said, "Ever since the Demon Emperor of Taiyao Mountain died in Lingyun Prefecture, the situation at the border has become increasingly complex, especially in the last two years, with constant conflicts and casualties on both sides."

Zhong Yao paused, then continued, "The Prince originally didn't intend to look for you; he had previously invited Master Su and Master Wu to go over, and they have been secretly assisting in setting up defensive formations."

"But this time you successfully promoted to a third-grade formation master, and the Prince thought your formation attainments had reached a higher level, so he hoped you could come out of the mountains to help and add another layer of protection to the border's defense."

Lin Daochen listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, lost in thought.

Su Lishan and Wu Tiangang were third-grade formation masters who had been famous in the Sacred Martial Dynasty for many years.

He had the honor of visiting them once before and benefited greatly from them.

He didn't expect that even they had already rushed to the border; if he went this time, he could just exchange formation insights with the two seniors.

Soon, Lin Daochen looked up and said, "That's no problem, but this time I want to take two people to help out."

Upon hearing this, the joy on Zhong Yao's originally slightly worried face instantly bloomed, and he hurriedly said, "Many thanks, Master; let alone two people, even two hundred would be no problem. I suppose these two must be your proud disciples?"

Lin Daochen nodded, a hint of gratification appearing in his eyes.

"They have extremely high talent for formation comprehension and excellent aptitude. This time I was able to have some insights and successfully promote to a third-grade formation master, which is even more thanks to one of them. It's just that the border is full of dangers, and I don't know if they are willing to go?"

Zhong Yao hurriedly said, "Do you need me to go and do some ideological work for them?"

"No, I'd better talk to them myself when the time comes." Lin Daochen hurriedly spoke to stop him.

"If you go, the nature of it will change, and I have never had the habit of forcing others since I started practicing."

Zhong Yao nodded repeatedly after hearing this.

Soon, Lin Daochen seemed to suddenly think of something and asked, "I've actually always been curious, was that Demon Emperor of Taiyao Mountain really killed by the Prince?"

Zhong Yao smiled bitterly: "I have no way of knowing such confidential matters, and I dare not discuss them casually. But in the face of various speculations and voices from the outside world, the Prince has never denied it, so..."

Lin Daochen understood and nodded, then stood up and asked, "When are we leaving?"

Zhong Yao's expression brightened, and he said, "Of course, the sooner the better."

Lin Daochen thought for a moment and said, "Understood, I'll prepare for two days, incidentally say goodbye to some old friends, and also arrange the affairs here."

Zhong Yao nodded and said, "Then I will trouble you; I will prepare the teleportation arrays and space ships for each prefecture in advance to ensure the safety of you and your entourage."

After speaking, Zhong Yao bowed to Lin Daochen and turned to leave the thatched cottage.

Lin Daochen looked at Zhong Yao's retreating back, pondered for a moment, and walked toward Er Daye's cave dwelling.

Zhou Qing was introduced by Si Si Yunya; if Si Si Yunya agreed to go to the border, then this little guy would probably be willing to go together.

Inside the cave dwelling!

Er Daye had just returned and also heard the news of Lin Daochen's promotion to a third-grade formation master, feeling very happy.

"It's about what I expected; you should also work hard and strive to promote to a second-grade formation master as soon as possible, so that you can just fill that vacancy!" Er Daye said with full expectation.

Previously, the number of second-grade formation masters in the Sacred Martial Dynasty had been maintained at nine; now that Lin Daochen had successfully promoted to third-grade, a position had opened up in the team of second-grade formation masters.

Zhou Qing smiled slightly, feeling somewhat expectant.

After all, he was only fourteen spirit seals away; if another Epiphany Post refreshed one day, he could easily achieve it with his eyes closed.

"Great Uncle, do we need to say hello to Teacher?" Zhou Qing asked after hesitating.

Er Daye thought for a while, shook his head, and said, "Forget it, there should be quite a lot of people visiting him recently, and the Governor of Long Yuanjun is there right now; let's wait until Teacher is free after a while."

The two nodded.

(End of chapter)