Chapter 241: Teasing Number Six Basketball (6k)

According to Second Uncle’s guess, the Canglong True Person back then must have obtained this item and thereby broken through to Soul Transformation peak.

But now that he’s become like this, it’s rather intriguing.

But no matter what, he was truly a worthy man.

“This extra piece—once your realm deepens further, after refining it, you’ll break through to Soul Transformation mid-realm!” Second Uncle said, handing the storage bag to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing stared at the storage bag being offered, his heart churning with mixed emotions.

The gravity zone was secretly guarded by Guo Guiqi, the first Sect Master of Taiqingmen, who willingly turned himself into a puppet to become the sect’s second line of defense.

And inside the first coffin lay the previous Sect Master, Canglong True Person—despite his unspoken burdens, he never stopped thinking of the sect’s members.

“How should I tell Master and the others?” Zhou Qing looked up, his expression complex.

Second Uncle said, “Tell them the truth—it’ll give them something to believe in. Besides, the atmosphere here at Taiqingmen is good; with a core to rally around, they’ll grow even more united.”

Zhou Qing nodded thoughtfully.

“Now that the first coffin is sealed shut and the third holds nothing valuable, the remaining four coffins are far more dangerous, and their seals are vastly more advanced.”

At this, Second Uncle’s gaze softened as he gazed quietly at Zhou Qing, his eyes filled with hope and reluctance.

He spoke slowly: “I have little left to cling to for now, so I plan to leave for a while.”

“With Xiao Xuezi, I now have the confidence to venture into that place I’ve dreamed of for years.”

Zhou Qing immediately looked up at Second Uncle.

He could feel this farewell wasn’t like the previous ones—lasting only a few years. This might take a long time.

A sense of loss welled up in his heart.

He wanted to say something to hold him back, but words stuck in his throat.

Second Uncle saw Zhou Qing’s reaction and smiled faintly. “No feast lasts forever. Your path must be walked by you alone.”

Zhou Qing took a deep breath and bowed deeply, respectfully.

It was respect. Gratitude. Reluctance.

“You cultivate well too—I’m already looking forward to our next meeting!” Second Uncle suddenly laughed.

“I won’t let you down!” Zhou Qing vowed.

Second Uncle nodded, patted Zhou Qing’s shoulder, then took him and left the corridor.

…

When he returned to his quarters, it was already deep night.

Looking at the old hen munching spirit stones beside him, Zhou Qing’s heart swelled with complex emotions.

He didn’t know when he’d see Second Uncle again, and the place he was going to likely lay beyond the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty.

He took a deep breath, forcing down the sorrow of parting, then remembered something joyful—his spirits lifted instantly, and he quickly set up a barrier.

After finishing, he hurried to the table and took out a jade basin from the storage bag.

Then, covering his hands with gentle spiritual power, he carefully extracted the spirit soil and spread it evenly across the basin.

Next, he pulled ten top-grade wood-element spirit stones from the storage bag and placed them at different spots within the soil.

He added other rare materials, arranging them into a dual-color spirit gathering array.

As the array formed, the spiritual energy interwove, emitting a faint hum.

Seeing the results were promising, Zhou Qing didn’t pause—he took out all the Yan Ling Flowers.

Under the refining of Jin Wu fire, the Yan Ling Flowers gradually melted into droplets of spiritual fluid, releasing a rich, alluring fragrance.

Zhou Qing carefully collected the fluid into a large jade bottle, focusing entirely, not daring to waste a single drop.

“Only one step left!” Zhou Qing beamed, pulling out Xuan Bing Sui and covering it with Lei Ting.

After a full day, the Xuan Bing Sui had transformed into a bottle of deep blue milky liquid.

After a brief rest, he eagerly took out the branch of the Wu Dao Ancient Tea Tree and gently inserted it into the jade basin.

Then he picked up the bottle of Xuan Bing Sui fluid and slowly poured it along the base of the branch.

The Xuan Bing Sui fluid touched the spirit soil and instantly seeped in.

Next, Zhou Qing dripped two drops of Yan Ling Flower fluid to further stimulate the branch’s vitality.

He stared unblinkingly at the Wu Dao Ancient Tea Tree branch, full of anticipation.

Minutes passed, then hours—the branch showed no change, lying still in the basin like a dead twig.

Zhou Qing felt a pang of disappointment, but quickly comforted himself.

After all, reviving the Wu Dao Ancient Tea Tree wasn’t something that could happen overnight—it required patience.

After comforting himself, Zhou Qing put it away and then took out Xuanjizi’s storage bag.

The man was dead; the bag’s spiritual sense had long vanished. Zhou Qing’s spiritual sense slipped inside effortlessly.

To his surprise, the bag was packed with all sorts of odd items—every kind of secret manual: cultivation methods, spells, elixir formulas, everything.

Considering Tianji Sect’s overall strength, Zhou Qing thought for a moment and decided to abandon them outright.

Too much is indigestible, and these items were of little use.

“Thirty thousand upper-grade spirit stones, twelve top-grade spirit stones—and three of them are fire-element top-grade!”

As he continued searching, Zhou Qing grew excited—these were exactly what he lacked.

“Hmm?” Soon, a strange box appeared before Zhou Qing, covered entirely in talismans.

“These spiritual talismans seem to mask its aura, preventing detection—could there be something valuable inside?”

Intrigued, Zhou Qing pulled it out.

But to be safe, he decided to first verify it.

【Tianji Box: A box crafted by Tianji Sect using special methods, containing a single drop of heart’s blood from Sikong Yan of Cangyan Dao Palace.】

【When activated by a special method, it can roughly determine the target’s location and even influence their decisions and thoughts.】

【There are eight such boxes in total, each held by a different person, none aware of the others’ identities.】

Seeing the system’s feedback, Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

“Influence a person’s decisions and thoughts? This—”

Zhou Qing stared in disbelief—could Tianji Sect really possess such a bizarre technique?

Was this why they felt so secure?

No wonder they dared to ally with Cangyan Dao Palace—they could manipulate Sikong Yan to some degree.

This was too incredible.

Eight drops of heart’s blood—how did they even obtain them?

Did Sikong Yan know about this?

Zhou Qing stared at the box, his brow tightly furrowed.

He must have known—but since the eight drops were scattered among eight different people, Sikong Yan, fearing retaliation, couldn’t take forceful action against Tianji Sect.

They say the dog that bites doesn’t bark. Who’d have thought Tianji Sect, the weakest in combat, could manipulate Cangyan Dao Palace, the strongest?

Is this what it feels like to be the puppet master?

“So in that battle at Canglan Mountain, Sikong Yan included Tianji Sect in his calculations—was it a test?”

“Even though Tianji Sect suffered heavy losses, they still acted submissive, loyal to Cangyan Dao Palace—because Sikong Yan is, to some extent, their puppet.”

Zhou Qing muttered to himself, glancing again at the system’s appraisal.

“It’s probably only occasional, subtle guidance—Sikong Yan still retains most of his own will.”

Zhou Qing examined the box more closely.

“Could this be why that guy became mentally unstable?”

At this thought, Zhou Qing had a bold idea.

The enemy is in the open; he’s in the shadows. And this thing is useless to him.

If he returned this drop of blood to Sikong Yan, what would he think?

He’d surely regard him with the same awe and fear as he would Number Six.

He knew everything about them; they knew nothing about him.

And only by doing this could he stop them from investigating Taiqingmen’s cave heaven.

After all, his mind was already abnormal.

With these thirteen Yin Spirit Jade pieces, Master and the others now need time to break through.

Once Taiqingmen gains thirteen Soul Transformation peak cultivators, even if others suspect secrets within the sect, at least they’ll have the strength to resist.

After thinking it through, Zhou Qing carefully stored the box and meticulously erased all traces of himself from it.

“Xuanjizi died in the cave heaven. No one from Taiqingmen entered. Yet now I’m returning this heart’s blood box to him!”

Zhou Qing’s lips curled slightly—he’d never guess who Number One really was.

After checking the storage bag once more and confirming no other useful items remained, Zhou Qing headed toward the mountain peak.

Soon, thirteen figures rapidly gathered on Xiao Ling Peak.

Seeing the thirteen Yin Spirit Jade pieces on the table, the peak masters’ eyes filled with shock and barely contained excitement.

But beside them, Mo Xingjian trembled slightly, his gaze darting urgently across the faces of the others—first landing on Sect Master Cao Zhengyang, his lips parting as if he had a thousand words to say.

Yet he hesitated, then finally turned his eyes to Zhou Qing.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing first bowed respectfully, then spoke solemnly: “All my senior uncles and uncles, tonight, Second Uncle returned and took me into the first coffin. Inside, I met my Grandmaster…”

As Zhou Qing spoke, the others’ expressions shifted from initial confusion to shock—except Gao Xuan, all others had tear-filled eyes.

But above all, an uncontrollable surge of excitement rose within them.

They never imagined Taiqingmen had a Cutting Spirit cultivator—and that he was their own master, the former Sect Master.

“He only told me to bring out these Yin Spirit Jade pieces, then sealed the entire coffin!” Zhou Qing informed everyone of the final situation.

“Master—” As Zhou Qing finished speaking, everyone turned toward the Yin Spirit Jade on the table and knelt down; several began to weep.

Watching this scene, Zhou Qing’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Soon, Cao Zheng rose first, wiped his eyes with a hand, struggled to calm his inner turmoil, then looked at his junior brothers and sisters.

He then said in a low voice: “I demand you swear by the Dao of Heaven: no one is to speak of tonight’s events.”

The miniature world inside the first coffin is, in fact, the same as the secret realm of Linggu Mountain; very few know this secret, including each peak master.

But if word spreads that Taiqingmen has a Zhan Ling cultivator, other Zhan Ling cultivators will surely flock here, seeking to establish contact and goodwill.

Even the old Emperor and his court might take action.

At that point, the secrets within the cave heaven would very likely be exposed.

Yet the current situation is clear: Master’s breakthrough to Zhan Ling was utterly unexpected, and he must have encountered some problem himself.

Add to that the fact he slew numerous Nascent Soul elders from other sects at Linggu Mountain—if these facts come to light, Taiqingmen will face a catastrophic disaster.

Facing Cao Zheng’s demand, all peak masters hesitated not at all and immediately swore their oaths on the spot.

“Second Uncle said that with these items, all of you senior uncles and aunts should be able to break through to Nascent Soul Perfection within three years!” Zhou Qing spoke up at the right moment.

After their grief, the crowd’s emotions reignited, filled with excitement.

After an hour of deliberation, to avoid arousing suspicion from the other four sects, Cao Zheng decided the group should break through in two batches.

Moreover, Zhou Qing had given him the materials needed to forge the dual-colored protective sect array, and he needed to gather them all as soon as possible—some materials even required a trip to the auction house in Lingyun Prefecture.

Everyone immediately agreed to this decision.

“Having you is Taiqingmen’s blessing!” After giving all instructions, Cao Zheng stepped forward, his eyes brimming with relief and gratitude, and said to Zhou Qing.

Looking back carefully, Taiqingmen had already avoided several life-or-death crises thanks to Zhou Qing.

The other peak masters also turned their gazes toward Zhou Qing, their eyes filled with recognition and admiration.

Meeting their stares, Zhou Qing bowed respectfully: “It is my honor to be a disciple of Taiqingmen in this lifetime!”

…

Soon, the first group of six quietly entered seclusion, including Zhou Qing’s master, Mo Xingjian.

Zhou Qing, meanwhile, silently departed one night and returned three days later.

He then continued refining his own realm while quietly waiting for No. 7 Kong Yan to come online.

Meanwhile, the entrance to the secret realm beneath Linggu Mountain’s abyss had remained closed since its last shutdown.

Yet many refused to give up, still waiting desperately at the site.

After all, they had personally witnessed the countless treasures within.

Even if there was a Zhan Ling ghost emperor inside, there was only one.

Now that they had one experience entering, if given another chance, perhaps they could escape safely again—and bring something out this time too.

…

Half a month later, Kong Yan finally came online.

Seeing the purple dot flickering on the token, Zhou Qing’s lips curled slightly; he deliberately waited a long while before entering.

As expected, his forbidden zone screen was now entirely purple—clearly, a simulation was underway.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing quietly waited to the side.

His own No. 1 red token came from a hidden space beneath the Ghost City, where Blood Tai Sui resided.

But where did Kong Yan’s purple token originate?

Was it from this very terrifying forbidden zone before him?

Moreover, Kong Yan not only knew how to activate the token, but also clearly understood its origin and function.

That was interesting.

“Who are you?” Just as Zhou Qing grew bored waiting, a voice suddenly sounded beside him.

Zhou Qing turned and realized that No. 6 Blue Sphere had come online—somehow, he hadn’t noticed.

That voice sounded frantic.

Did you already bother that poor fool who fancied you?

Zhou Qing looked at No. 6, expression calm: “What are you worried about? Don’t fear—I won’t harm you.”

Actually, I’m the one who should be worried!

If you don’t mess with me, I’ll thank heaven and earth—you really don’t need to be so anxious.

No. 6 stared at Zhou Qing, silent for a long while.

Indeed, he had never entertained any thought of harming her; when she asked for help, he had gone out of his way to assist and even offered ideas.

Thanks to him, she not only saved someone with Bingli Lingque Zhi, but also broke through in her own cultivation.

“I’m sorry—”

After realizing this, No. 6’s expression turned sincere, and she apologized voluntarily.

Zhou Qing smiled faintly and said softly: “It’s fine. Put yourself in my shoes—I’d probably be even more anxious. These uncertain variables are truly unsettling.”

“Do you like playing games?” No. 6 asked suddenly after a pause.

Zhou Qing looked puzzled, but answered honestly: “No, why?”

No. 6: “...”

“If you liked games, perhaps you could give me a little information about yourself, and I’ll investigate—while you observe secretly. That could be fun too,” No. 6 said.

Zhou Qing laughed aloud: “That’s amusing indeed, but the key point is—I truly don’t like games.”

“Just pretend you do. I’m bored anyway!”

“I don’t pretend.”

“You—”

No. 6 was so infuriated by Zhou Qing she couldn’t speak for a long moment.

At that moment, Kong Yan began gathering his purple sphere—clearly, the simulation had failed.

Seeing this, No. 6 immediately left.

He claimed to be from the same place as No. 1—yet he probably doesn’t even know No. 1 knows him. To avoid exposure, she should minimize contact.

Soon, Kong Yan reformed his purple sphere, looking dissatisfied, preparing to try again—when suddenly he felt something and turned his head.

Only then did he notice Zhou Qing’s red sphere quietly floating in this space.

Seeing this, he smiled and said: “I accept your previous condition. From now on, we interfere with nothing. I won’t probe you at all. How’s that?”

Zhou Qing’s expression remained calm; he looked at Kong Yan steadily and said slowly: “That’s better. I came here this time to give you something.”

“Oh? Can things be exchanged within this space?” Kong Yan’s interest immediately sparked.

Zhou Qing spoke calmly: “Not here. Go to the Blood Rock Mine sometime—don’t delay too long. The mine is less than half a day’s journey from Linggu Mountain, which is now the hottest spot.”

Zhou Qing finished speaking and immediately exited.

Kong Yan frowned slightly, then stared at his forbidden zone screen; after brief hesitation, he too exited.

…

Cangyan Dao Palace!

Secret Hall!

Kong Yan slowly opened his eyes, staring at the purple token in his hand, his gaze flickering with unspoken thoughts.

As he put the token away, he rose slowly.

Turning his head, he saw the hall surrounded by countless black-clad puppets.

In the center of the formation, a little girl in a floral dress lay motionless, her body suffused with thick death energy.

“Where is the problem?” he muttered to himself, then stepped out of the hall.

Without taking anyone, he headed alone toward the abandoned mine of Cangyan Dao Palace—the Blood Rock Mine.

Upon arrival, the place had long been deserted; moreover, due to its proximity to Linggu Mountain, over a dozen people were resting there.

He ignored them, walking silently while scanning and sensing the surroundings.

Shiiii!

The dozen or so men, clearly from the same sect, saw the stranger and exchanged glances, understanding each other.

Instantly, they flashed into position, surrounding Kong Yan.

As a mid-sized sect of Xinghan Prefecture, they clearly didn’t recognize Kong Yan.

But a lone traveler might carry unexpected treasures.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with a face full of fat stepped forward, gripping a large blade, grinning coldly: “Smart man, hand over your—”

Pupupup!

Before he finished speaking, purple flames erupted from the ground—so fast, no one could react.

The man didn’t even scream—he turned to ash instantly.

The others stared in terror, turning to flee.

But the same scene repeated: purple flames mercilessly devoured them all.

Over a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators—including one early Nascent Soul—vanished without a sound.

Only charred traces and faint, lingering wisps of smoke remained.

Throughout it all, Kong Yan never paused, continuing his search.

After a long while, he reached a mine tunnel, reached out, and a box wrapped in layers of talismans shot out from the rock wall, landing squarely in his hand.

As he opened it and saw the single drop of heart’s blood inside, he was surprised—but not overly pleased.

"Interesting—you know more than most. Too bad, this is merely Kong Yan’s heartblood, not mine. Wait a little longer; this body will soon be free of its constraints!"

After speaking, Kong Yan unleashed purple flames, and the heartblood along with the box turned instantly to ash.

"Even if the entire Cangyan Dao Palace were destroyed, what would that have to do with me? I’ve merely stayed here because the game on this board has yet to unfold!"

"But now, not only is there that interesting little brat, but also you—what a pleasant surprise."

"Who, exactly, are you?"

Kong Yan muttered to himself, then turned and walked away.

…

In the days that followed, Zhou Qing devoted himself to cultivation and, every three days, dripped two drops of spiritual fluid onto the Wudao Ancient Tea Tree.

For safety, he specifically verified its condition.

When the feedback confirmed the Wudao Ancient Tea Tree was reviving, he finally exhaled a long, relieved breath.

Normally, two or three drops of Yanling Flower fluid would suffice, but Second Uncle had him collect over a dozen.

Thus, the surplus, amplified by supreme fire-element spirit stones, absorbed far better than expected.

Especially the flame within the four-colored blossom—seemingly savoring the energy—it grew increasingly lively and radiant.

Three months later, Cao Zhengyang returned from Lingyun Mansion, bringing all the materials Zhou Qing needed to forge the sect’s protective formation.

He’d spent a fortune, yet showed no regret—only intense excitement.

In no time, Taiqingmen will have thirteen Nascent Soul cultivators at peak completion, paired with the dual-color formation—who, short of a Cutting Spirit cultivator, could possibly threaten them?

"Forging the formation consumes immense mental energy. These are a small token of our gratitude, nephew!"

After solemnly handing the materials to Zhou Qing, Cao Zhengyang pulled from his storage pouch a large pile of colorful elixirs and over fifty supreme spirit stones.

They could have offered more, but they were about to enter seclusion—even with Yin Spirit Jade to aid them, they’d still need vast energy reserves.

Zhou Qing was deeply grateful.

After greeting Lu Yaoyao and Yan Xiaohu, Zhou Qing deactivated his communication token and began full-scale forging…

…

(End of Chapter)