Chapter 230: New Discovery in the Talent Skill 【Daily Appraisal】 (6k+)

At this moment, Lu Yuanzhi’s eyes turned red, and she hurried forward.

She reached out to grasp the Imperial Consort’s hand, but since it was only a spiritual fragment, her hands passed straight through the phantom, grasping nothing.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Lu Yuanzhi asked, voice trembling with tears.

The Imperial Consort’s spiritual fragment was now nearly spent, growing dim, her form gradually fading.

Looking at her two sisters who had finally understood, she mustered all her strength to force out a faint smile.

All past misunderstandings seemed redeemed in this moment.

Currently, every single Spirit Severing cultivator in the Sacred Martial Empire is entangled with them in some way, especially the Nine You Lotus, which they treat as their exclusive possession.

I must give my all, maneuvering among them, to avoid arousing suspicion.

But now, it’s all worth it!

Yet she would be trapped in that cage for the rest of her life.

Shh!

In the next instant, a flash of light appeared, and Principal Weng Yunqi suddenly materialized without warning.

He glanced at the Imperial Consort with quiet pity in his eyes, then sighed softly.

He walked slowly to Lu Yuanzhi’s side, extended his hand slightly, and took the slip of paper.

His eyes swiftly scanned its contents, then he shook his head helplessly.

“Apart from the Nine You Lotus, everything else is merely the formula for a Grade-One Bone-Rebuilding Pill.”

At these words, everyone froze.

Lu Yuanzhi, incredulous, instinctively snatched the paper, eyes wide, reading every word over and over.

The Imperial Consort’s previously serene gaze froze instantly; she stood rigid, motionless.

Moments later, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, her body shaking uncontrollably.

Her eyes were filled with despair and confusion.

“He… he found out… he was mocking me all along…” the Imperial Consort whispered, voice heavy with sorrow.

All those years of endless pain and humiliation had bought her nothing but a scrap of paper.

“Third sister!” Lu Yuanzhi and Bawei cried out in alarm.

The Imperial Consort slowly lifted her head, her gaze blank as she stared at her two sisters.

Her lips trembled faintly as she whispered, “I’m sorry—”

As soon as she finished the final word, her figure vanished completely.

“Ah Zhi, take Ah Chen…” Bawei started to speak urgently, but the words died on her lips.

The current Emperor is suspicious by nature; since he never truly trusted Third Sister, how could the eldest, as the head, send Second Sister into further danger?

Lu Yuanzhi was frantic, then suddenly seized what felt like her last lifeline—she turned sharply toward Zhou Qing.

“Is she still in the academy?”

Zhou Qing could only answer truthfully: “She left this morning—likely forced out.”

Upon hearing this, Bawei’s dim eyes lit up instantly—she hadn’t realized Third Sister had been right beside her.

Lu Yuanzhi was overjoyed and moved to chase after her.

But she stopped abruptly, turned, and bowed deeply to Principal Weng Yunqi, voice trembling: “Please, Master, help me.”

Weng Yunqi slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with helplessness and regret: “I came here to avoid entanglement in any karmic threads—I can barely save myself. I’m sorry.”

Lu Yuanzhi’s eyes dimmed with disappointment, and she quickly said, “I apologize for my presumption.”

Then she turned urgently to Zhou Qing and Lin Daochen, eyes pleading: “Please, both of you, help me.”

And without delay, she rushed off.

Weng Yunqi watched Bawei’s eyes, now reignited with the will to live, and fell silent for a moment, saying nothing more.

He merely gave Zhou Qing a slight nod, then turned and walked back into the Haomiao Mansion’s general store.

He lay back on the bamboo chair, gazing at the bustling street outside, his gaze deep and unreadable, lost in thought.

At this moment, Bawei, enduring excruciating pain, slowly rose to her feet, mustering all her strength to lift her right leg and point to her left side, voice faint: “Great Masters, forgive my earlier disrespect—it’s right there!”

Lin Daochen nodded, but Zhou Qing glanced casually—and his pupils shrank in shock.

For beneath Bawei’s abdomen, four ice-blue crystals were embedded within the array.

These crystals emitted dense cold energy, like serpents of frost, drifting and weaving—wherever they passed, the air froze solid.

“Mystic Ice Marrow—” Zhou Qing exclaimed in delight.

Correct. According to the jade slip and illustrations Zhang Wanbao had given him, this substance forms only at the bottom of thousand-year frozen pools or deep within ice caves in extreme cold, with vanishingly low probability.

Lu Yuanzhi and the others were from the fox clan of the far north—he’d been planning to ask Lu Shi about it, yet here it was.

As if hearing Zhou Qing’s mutter, Bawei, enduring agony like her body was tearing apart, slowly extended her claw, painstakingly pried one crystal loose from the array, then pushed it out with great effort.

“Didn’t expect someone so young to recognize this. This was left by Ah Zhi specifically—but it does nothing for me. Take one.”

Bawei rasped.

Now, she wanted to live—at least knowing Third Sister was still in the capital gave her one more reason to hold on.

Zhou Qing felt profound gratitude.

Because he truly needed this right now.

He only lacked spiritual soil and Flame Spirit Blossoms—perhaps both were inside the Heaven Cave.

Once he successfully planted the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, his progress in both inscription-level divine arts and array crafting would surge beyond anything he’d imagined.

“Thank you, Elder!” Zhou Qing said, deeply grateful.

Then Bawei turned to Lin Daochen, about to reach again—but Lin Daochen quickly said, “I don’t need this.”

Bawei nodded, then, gritting her teeth against the pain, lay back down.

“Zhou Qing, come here!” Lin Daochen called.

Zhou Qing hurried over, and the two stared at the array before them, beginning their inspection.

Soon, seeing Lin Shi’s embarrassed, helpless expression, Zhou Qing immediately activated his appraisal.

【Damaged Array: This is a partial section of the Taiyin Nourishing Spirit Array, deliberately sabotaged one day ago. Fortunately, the damage is not severe.】

【Repair the four spirit patterns: Spirit Resonance Pattern, Spirit Harmonization Pattern, Spirit Stability Pattern, and Spirit Perception Pull Pattern—and the array will return to normal.】

Seeing the appraisal’s feedback, Zhou Qing finally exhaled in relief.

At least he could honor the Mystic Ice Marrow Bawei had given him.

“Zhou Qing—” Lin Daochen looked at him, embarrassed.

He’d only recently advanced to Third-Rank Array Master—he truly couldn’t repair a four-color array yet.

Zhou Qing quickly looked, pulled out the array notes left by Master Situ, studied them, then identified two spirit patterns.

“Master, repair these two!”

Lin Daochen followed Zhou Qing’s pointing, nodded repeatedly, eyes brightening with understanding, then stepped forward and unleashed three thousand spirit seals at once, beginning repairs.

Zhou Qing paced aside, gaze sharp, meticulously scanning the complex patterns.

Finally, he found the other two spirit patterns the system had indicated.

With a thought, a thousand spirit seals surged forth, spiritual energy subtly threading through some, sinking into the patterns, attempting alignment.

As Lin Daochen repeatedly rejected over a dozen spirit seals, he glanced casually at Zhou Qing—and froze.

“Thousand… thousand spirit seals? How is this possible!”

Didn’t Zhou Qing only have 186 spirit seals when repairing that four-color array at the border not long ago?

When did he suddenly gain so many?

Wait—this isn’t the point. Spirit seal comprehension is excruciatingly difficult, especially the rarer ones, which become nearly impossible to master.

How did he do it?

Soon, he let out a bitter laugh.

He never thought he’d witness firsthand what a true prodigy looked like.

Fighting alongside Si Yunya to slay the Demon Emperor, young as he was, he’d fought five peer-level deputy generals as a Soul Transformation cultivator.

And now, in array crafting, his spirit seal count has surged like this—his talent is truly monstrous.

“I have no regrets in this life,” Lin Daochen murmured, exhaled deeply, adjusted his state, and resumed his attempts.

Thus, until nightfall, Zhou Qing wiped sweat from his brow and finally repaired the two spirit patterns before him.

He turned to see Lin Shi had also successfully repaired one, but the other was only half-done—some rare spirit pattern was resisting, refusing alignment.

Seeing his master’s furrowed brow and helpless expression, Zhou Qing smiled and stepped forward: “Let me try.”

He then channeled spiritual energy, carefully selecting spirit seals to match the stubborn pattern.

Behind him, Lin Daochen watched Zhou Qing’s back, filled with pride and warmth.

…

It wasn’t until the next day that Zhou Qing finally repaired that final spirit seal, and only then did he exhale in relief.

Hum~

As the four spirit patterns were repaired, the entire array trembled.

Then it began to slowly activate, emitting a deep, rhythmic hum.

The blue array above Bawei’s head no longer flickered chaotically—it now pulsed in orderly, precise waves.

Powerful spiritual energy poured down, greatly easing her suffering.

Seeing this, Lin Daochen admired Zhou Qing even more.

This was a four-color array! One successful repair might be luck—but two consecutive successes? That was no accident.

This is undoubtedly a true genius, born with an innate sensitivity to arrays.

Right now it’s just repair work, but in no more than a few years, he could become a master of array arts.

“Thank you!” Eight-Tail opened her weary eyes, sensing the array’s change, and expressed her gratitude.

The two bowed: “You’re too kind!”

Then Zhou Qing watched as her massive body continuously repaired and tore apart, and he frowned.

Is the aftermath of a failed Soul-Cutting so terrifying?

As the Supreme Elder said, no one dares take this step until the very last moment.

For the least, the body suffers severe damage; for the worst, the soul is utterly scattered.

“Elder, I have a question—I’m not sure if I should ask it?” After much thought, Zhou Qing still couldn’t help but speak up.

Eight-Tail looked at Zhou Qing and nodded slightly. “Go ahead and ask.”

Zhou Qing said: “My senior told me that each person can consume only three seeds of the Nine You Lotus; after that, its efficacy vanishes. You’ve undergone two Soul-Cutting attempts—this…”

As if understanding Zhou Qing’s confusion, Eight-Tail spoke: “The Nine You Lotus is the supreme sacred herb of my fox clan, but it only matured in my generation.”

“For humans, three seeds are indeed the limit—but for our Yaozu , it’s doubled.”

Zhou Qing finally understood.

During the Battle of Canglan Mountain, Sikong Yan used the blood of millions of beast tribes to ripen a full twenty Nine You Lotus seeds: ten went to Cangyan Dao Palace, four to Tianji Gate.

Taiqingmen, Jin Leizong, and Qingyu Immortal Sect each received two; all have now arranged for their Supreme Elders to enter seclusion and refine them.

I wonder how things are going now?

I hope they don’t end up like this.

It’s truly worse than death.

“The Dean isn’t here, and Master Lu hasn’t returned—we can’t leave this realm. You’ve worked hard all day; why not rest here for now?”

Lin Daochen spoke up beside him.

Zhou Qing nodded. He had the same thought—and he felt it better to speak as little as possible with this elder.

Every word she spoke seemed to cost her dearly, and he couldn’t help feeling pity.

Then Zhou Qing pulled out a top-grade fire spirit stone and began refining it to replenish his spiritual power.

Thanks to his exclusive cultivation method, the Yin-Yang Scripture, and the constant spiritual energy supply from the four-color array, by noon Zhou Qing had fully restored his vigor.

Looking at the giant eight-tailed fox before him, he suddenly realized something.

His talent skill, “One Jianding Per Day,” could identify all things—except humans.

But the old hen had been successfully identified, because it wasn’t human.

Yet this eight-tailed fox, though she had reached the peak of Soul Transformation and could fully transform into human form, was currently nothing but a fox.

At least, there was not the slightest trace of humanity about her.

Could he identify her?

If so, wasn’t this a loophole?

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing’s interest surged. He immediately fixed his gaze on her and activated the Jianding .

【Eight-Tailed Fox: This is a fox clan member who failed twice to break through the Soul-Cutting realm. She has suffered backlash for many years and has long since wished for death.】

【Even with the four-color array, it only slows her suffering. With her long lifespan, her days of torment are far from over.】

Seeing the feedback, Zhou Qing’s eyes suddenly lit up.

It really works.

“What are you smiling at?” Lin Daochen, who had just recovered, whispered a warning beside him.

No matter the reason, smiling at a suffering eight-tailed fox seemed inappropriate—and might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Zhou Qing snapped back to himself, awkwardly pursed his lips, and flashed a flicker of apology in his eyes before turning back to the information.

There was no treatment plan listed. It seemed he could only wait for “One Jianding Per Day” to refresh again, hoping for better luck next time.

After all, Lu Yuanzhi treated Lu Yaoyao so well—and this elder had even gifted him a piece of Xuanbing Marrow without asking for anything.

If I can help, I should!

“You’re Zhou Qing, right?” At that moment, the eight-tailed fox opened her eyes again. Her voice was faint, yet calm and gentle.

Zhou Qing nodded earnestly. “Yes, Elder!”

“I’m Lu Yuanjiu. Pleased to meet you. Over the past few years, Azhi often came to chat with me and mentioned you and Lu Yaoyao many times—especially your journey to the border!” Lu Yuanjiu said.

Zhou Qing could only offer a polite smile.

“You’re young, yet already at the early stage of Soul Transformation—and you have extraordinary talent in array arts. You must learn well from Master Lin.” Lu Yuanjiu continued.

Zhou Qing nodded repeatedly, appearing humble and eager to learn.

Lin Daochen hadn’t expected her to know him—probably all from Master Lu’s words.

But the roles were reversed.

In the future, it might be he who needed to learn from Zhou Qing.

Seeing the elder’s spirit seemed better, and guessing she hadn’t spoken freely with anyone in a long time,

Zhou Qing suddenly felt a spark of curiosity and couldn’t help asking: “Elder, what exactly happened to Lin Jin?”

Lu Yuanjiu’s gaze grew distant. After a moment of silence, she said: “He was human, like you. He saved Anchen when he was in the Nascent Soul realm, and they became friends.”

“Unfortunately, during an expedition to an ancient ruin, they were trapped. In the end, Lin Jin sacrificed himself to give Anchen a way out.”

Zhou Qing listened, then nodded thoughtfully.

So, was that white-robed man really Lin Jin?

And did he have any connection to Sikong Yan?

“Elder, is there truly no other way to relieve the backlash after a failed Soul-Cutting? For example, abandoning this body and taking over another?”

After thinking, Zhou Qing asked again.

This time, Lu Yuanjiu didn’t answer. Lin Daochen spoke instead: “Soul-Cutting severs all past attachments and emotions. They don’t reside in the body—they’re here.”

Lin Daochen pointed to his third eye, the spiritual sea within his brow.

“Master Lin is right,” Lu Yuanjiu said helplessly. “They’re everywhere—in the spirit, the spiritual sea, memories, even the body itself. Traces of them linger everywhere.”

Zhou Qing sighed softly.

This step is truly difficult.

Now that Master Lin has advanced to the third-rank array master and reached the peak of Soul Transformation, will he one day attempt Soul-Cutting?

Will the old Emperor, recognizing the value of his status, offer him aid?

…

At dawn, as soon as “One Jianding Per Day” refreshed, Zhou Qing immediately activated it again.

【Eight-Tailed Fox: This is a fox clan member who failed twice to break through the Soul-Cutting realm. She has long since wished for death. To help her achieve true release, there are three methods.】

【First: Kill her.】

【Second: Help her succeed in breaking through the Soul-Cutting realm.】

【Third: Fortunately, she is a beast tribe member—her body is strong, her willpower extraordinary. If you use Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower to repair her spiritual sea and calm her attachments, she can fully recover within half a year.】

Seeing this new feedback, Zhou Qing’s tense heart finally eased.

At last, he could repay the gift of the Xuanbing Marrow.

The first two methods were likely impossible. But the third—he could try.

Then he picked up the jade slip Zhang Wanbao had given him and began searching for information on these two rare herbs.

He didn’t find the information until dawn.

【Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower: A companion herb of the Mist Miasma Toad. Its stalk is slender and flexible, with nine emerald leaves spiraling around it, capable of condensing the spirit.】

【Never consume it alone—neither spirit nor body can withstand its raw power. It must be neutralized with other herbs or refined into a pill to temper its violent effects.】

Beyond this, there was nothing else—only an illustration of a flower with deep blue petals and golden-glowing stamens.

“Spirit condensing? It seems no one has ever tried using this to treat the aftermath of failed Soul-Cutting,” Zhou Qing murmured to himself.

Not right—

“One Jianding Per Day” said it recommended this herb because Lu Yuanjiu was a beast tribe member with a strong body and unyielding will.

For a human with the same condition, the consequences could be incalculable.

He’d assumed it would work for all failed Soul-Cutting cases—if so, it would be a major discovery.

At that moment, a listless figure stumbled into the array—Lu Yuanzhi.

“Azhi, how did it go?” Seeing Lu Yuanzhi, Lu Yuanjiu forced herself up despite her weakness, her voice anxious.

Lu Yuanzhi looked at her elder sister, her eyes instantly reddening. She shook her head slightly, voice trembling: “I didn’t catch her.”

Hearing this, the eight-tailed Lu Yuanjiu let out a deafening roar to the sky—but immediately, her wounds, which had just begun healing, split open again, causing her to cry out in agony.

Lin Daochen, who now understood the situation, rushed out to comfort them.

“Don’t worry. She’s the birth mother of the Ninth Princess. The current Emperor won’t harm her.”

Lu Yuanzhi took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, then joined in the reassurance.

“Sister, Master Lin is right. Little Three has always been clever. Maybe she’s pretending she doesn’t know she’s been tricked, lying low in the Imperial Capital, waiting for the right moment to reappear.”

Saying this, Lu Yuanzhi quickly turned to Zhou Qing: “When Little Three gave you the jade casket, no one else knew, right?”

Zhou Qing nodded. “No one else knew.”

Lu Yuanzhi exhaled softly and turned urgently to Lu Yuanjiu: “Sister, did you hear that? She’s sharp.”

The trembling Lu Yuanjiu slowly calmed down.

“Anchen has suffered so much…” Lu Yuanjiu whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

Lu Yuanzhi wiped her eyes, then glanced at the steadily operating array; her furrowed brows finally relaxed, and a smile crept onto her face.

She stepped forward and bowed to the two of them.

She pulled out three Jipin spirit stones and said, “Thank you both so much—this is a small token of my gratitude; please don’t refuse it.”

Lin Daochen immediately refused.

First, he and she were both instructors at Bai Yu Tai Xu Academy; helping each other was only natural.

And what had he even done on this trip?

The symptoms were found by Zhou Qing, and in the end, he’d only repaired one spirit pattern—if he took this money, he’d be ashamed of himself.

Zhou Qing, though tempted, did not reach out.

Not to mention he’d already secured the Xuan Bing Sui; just for her devotion to Lu Shimei and helping her break through to Nascent Soul mid-stage, he was more than willing to help.

After several rounds of refusal, both declined to accept payment.

“I’ve embarrassed you both—since that’s the case, I’ll escort you out now, but please keep my elder sister’s matter secret!”

Lu Yuanzhi had no choice but to put the stones away again.

The two nodded and were escorted out of the secret realm.

Outside!

Seeing Lin Daochen leave, Zhou Qing watched Lu Yuanzhi prepare to re-enter the secret realm; after a brief hesitation, he spoke.

“Master Lu, there’s something I’m not sure whether I should say or not!”

Thank you, Grandmaster Tai Di Xiong, for the 1000 donation—thank you for your support.

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(End of Chapter)