Chapter 243: Li Bin, you truly have a lot of nerve! (6k)

Seeing Zhou Qing falling, Li Bin reacted quickly, using his movement technique to catch him steadily.

"You handled this well. After this is over, there's no need to return to the Taiqing Sect," the old woman said, looking at Li Bin with satisfaction.

Li Bin looked at the unconscious Zhou Qing in his arms with a complex expression, then looked at the four old women, hesitating for a moment before speaking.

"Although I joined the Taiqing Sect as a mole back then, after all these years of living there, I have long since come to regard it as my second home."

"Ancestors, we had an agreement: you would never harm his life, only have him do a favor."

The four old women frowned slightly at this.

One of them spoke up: "Don't forget, it was the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong that saved your entire family's lives back then."

Li Bin lowered his head and said, "I will never forget that kindness, but—"

"There are no 'buts.' Rest assured, this time we are indeed just asking this child for a favor; for him, it is even a tremendous opportunity," one old woman interrupted Li Bin.

Seeing this, Li Bin found it difficult to say anything more.

This place was not suitable for a long stay. The night was deep, and the five of them left quietly.

Zhou Qing did not know how long he had been asleep; he only felt his head was heavy, with waves of throbbing pain attacking him one after another.

It was only after a great deal of effort that he slowly opened his eyes.

As he gradually regained consciousness, he suddenly remembered something and immediately flipped up, but because his body had not yet recovered, the piercing pain made him groan involuntarily.

"Damn Sleepy Gu—"

Zhou Qing cursed; he had truly capsized in the gutter.

As he rapidly circulated his spiritual power, he felt a little more comfortable.

Then, enduring the pain, he began to examine his surroundings.

The room was decorated very elegantly, with several landscape paintings of distant artistic conception hanging on the walls. On a table not far away were brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, as well as an incense burner with smoke curling upward.

Just then, the room door was opened.

Following that, a female figure carrying three long swords on her back walked in.

In her hands, she steadily carried a wooden tray, on which were placed several exquisite breakfast items, a bowl of spiritual porridge, and a small dish of bright-colored side dishes.

"Zhu He!"

Seeing this woman, Zhou Qing's brows furrowed involuntarily.

It seemed he should be at the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong now.

And after Zhu He placed the tray on the table, she turned to leave.

Just as Zhou Qing was about to angrily question her, Zhu He's expression changed drastically. She scanned the room rapidly, her eyes full of disbelief.

She quickly took out a message jade slip: "Supreme Elder, it's not good, Zhou Qing is gone!"

After speaking, she didn't wait for a response and turned to rush out the door.

"Where is the person? I'm asking you, where is the person?" Soon, Zhu He's frantic roar came from outside the house.

Immediately after, a burst of hurried footsteps approached, and six figures dressed in black tight-fitting clothes filed in.

Looking at the empty bed, the faces of the few were full of panic, and even deathly pale.

"We... we really don't know. No one entered this room, and we didn't see him go out," one of them said, trembling.

Hearing this, Zhu He was so angry that her whole body trembled. She stared at them viciously, her chest heaving violently.

"Search, all of you get out and search! If you delay the Master's great matter, none of you will have an easy time!"

"By the way, don't spread the word about this. If the news leaks out, you can just wait to commit suicide to apologize!"

Having said that, she flicked her sleeves violently and rushed out the door first.

Leaving only the six late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators standing there, looking at each other, before they also hurriedly chased after her.

Zhou Qing, who was sitting on the bed and wanted to vent his anger, blinked like this.

"The talent skill 【Lower Presence】, sometimes it really is a bit perverted!"

Zhou Qing beamed with joy, quickly got out of bed, shook his head, accelerated the circulation of his spiritual power, and as soon as he was no longer so dizzy, he immediately went out.

Before those old immortals arrived, he had to escape as soon as possible and establish contact with the sect.

After leaving the room, looking around, there were only a few scattered halls here, and the surroundings were eerily quiet. It was obvious that very few people came here.

He remembered that when he came last time, it seemed that this Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong was divided into inner and outer sects.

But he didn't expect that just as Zhou Qing slipped down, he saw a figure coming in a hurry.

That person was none other than Senior Sister Yuan Ya.

At this moment, Yuan Ya also saw Zhou Qing and couldn't help but stop.

Well, it seems he wasn't ignored.

But what Zhou Qing didn't expect was that Yuan Ya's expression was complex, but after glancing at the northwest direction, she immediately pretended to ignore him and left in a hurry.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's heart tightened. He immediately understood something, his eyes full of gratitude.

There was no time to think too much; he hurried toward the northwest direction.

Sure enough, he soon saw the barrier of the inner sect.

He might not have understood before, but now, as a second-level array master, although he couldn't undo this array, it was entirely possible to open a hole large enough for one person to pass through in a short time.

Just as over a thousand spiritual seals were radiating light around Zhou Qing, and he was sticking his butt out, working hard to break the prohibition, a long sigh suddenly sounded.

Zhou Qing's heart tightened, and the hair all over his body stood up instantly.

He turned his head abruptly, only to see Immortal Xuanyou with 【Potential Dangerous Person】 on her head, watching him quietly.

"One thousand spiritual seals, a second-level array master. From the time you went to the Bai Yu Taixu Academy to learn the way of arrays until now when you have returned after completing your studies, how long has it been? This kind of talent is truly terrifying!"

Immortal Xuanyou's voice was soft, yet it seemed to carry an invisible pressure.

Zhou Qing slowly put away the spiritual seals and looked at her, his eyes full of vigilance, saying: "Senior Xuanyou, what exactly do you want to do? Aren't you afraid of causing a great war between the two sects?"

Immortal Xuanyou shook her head slightly, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes, saying: "Of course I'm afraid. After all, the strongest in the Eastern Region today are the Taiqing Sect and the Cangyan Dao Palace. If a war breaks out, I'm afraid my Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong won't be able to hold on for long."

"Then why are you doing this?" Zhou Qing questioned.

A lonely expression appeared on Immortal Xuanyou's face, and she slowly said: "Because I am about to die."

Zhou Qing's expression changed involuntarily. Looking at her pale face and the decaying aura faintly emanating from her, he seemed to understand something.

No, logically speaking, she should still have lifespan, and she is even younger than the Sect Master and the others, how could it be so fast?

Swish swish swish!

Soon, four figures also flew over at this moment; it was those few old women.

One of the old women was frantic and wanted to say something, but was stopped by another, and then they all looked at Immortal Xuanyou.

Immortal Xuanyou put away her emotions and stared at Zhou Qing with burning eyes, saying: "Are you, or are you not, San Hua Sanhua Sanhua Juding?"

From their painstaking efforts, not hesitating to expose a department head, to now taking the initiative to say that her lifespan was coming to an end, Zhou Qing had long anticipated her next question.

Therefore, at this moment, Zhou Qing's face did not show the slightest shock, but rather a touch of helplessness and a bitter smile.

"I am not San Hua Sanhua Sanhua Juding; I am the Si Hua Sanhua Sanhua Juding that manifested in the world a few years ago."

Facing Zhou Qing's petulant words, of course, no one believed it at all.

Immortal Xuanyou shook her head slightly and said: "Once, an old friend told me that there is a person in the Taiqing Sect who can save my life, so I have been looking for him for so many years."

"I originally thought it was your senior brother Gui Ao, but after so many years of investigation, I found it wasn't him at all. Instead, it was you, whom I had never paid attention to..."

Immortal Xuanyou paused, her gaze scanning Zhou Qing back and forth, her eyes full of complexity.

"From the various performances in the Five Sect War, to the array learning at the Bai Yu Taixu Academy, and the consecutive battles against five deputy generals at the border."

"Whether it is the speed of advancement or combat power, it is truly too shocking. Therefore, all signs indicate that you are very likely that person."

Zhou Qing finally understood, and he didn't expect that they had secretly investigated him so carefully.

This Immortal Xuanyou was convinced that he was the San Hua Sanhua Sanhua Juding who could save her life and was preparing to force a dual cultivation with him.

How could this be allowed? Not to mention whether there were really great benefits as the Second Grandfather said, he hadn't even cultivated the inscription-level divine ability "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain" yet.

And the prerequisite for cultivating this divine ability was that one must maintain a virgin body.

When the Second Grandfather finished reading it back then, he was a bit frantic, and he had even jokingly asked him where he had lost his chastity.

Now it was going to be his turn so soon?

No, no, absolutely not!

The Dao-enlightening ancient tea tree had already sprouted; how could he give up halfway at this time?

"Senior Xuanyou, I don't know what you are talking about. If you are sick, just seek medical treatment. Why bother involving me?" Zhou Qing said, suppressing his anger.

Before Immortal Xuanyou could respond, an old woman stepped out, her gaze as sharp as a falcon, staring straight at Zhou Qing.

She said coldly: "During the days you were unconscious, all four of us tried to perform soul-searching on you."

Zhou Qing's face turned livid instantly, and a cold murderous intent emanated from his body like substance.

He stared at the four people, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, and the spiritual power in his body surged wildly, making bursts of roaring sounds.

Seeing Zhou Qing's angry appearance, the old woman raised her brows slightly, but spoke unwillingly.

"It's a pity that nothing was found. All the spiritual power that entered your sea of consciousness was swallowed up in an instant. What secrets are you hiding in this sea of consciousness?"

"Hiding your father!" Zhou Qing could no longer suppress the anger in his heart and directly burst into profanity.

He finally understood: kidnapping him here, soul-searching while he was down, plus a sect leader confessing to him that she was about to fall.

It was conceivable that the other party would definitely not let him leave alive easily.

Moreover, setting these aside, the speed at which his cultivation had improved over the years far exceeded that of his peers.

If Immortal Xuanyou really fell, and the Taiqing Sect refused to marry Zhu He, from the standpoint of the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong, they would definitely not tolerate his rise.

Having been bullied like this, why should he be polite to them anymore!

Hearing Zhou Qing's profanity, the four old women were suddenly furious, and the murderous intent in their eyes was fully exposed.

"Presumptuous!"

An old woman stepped out abruptly, her aura rising sharply, pressing toward Zhou Qing like a surging sea wave.

The powerful pressure made Zhou Qing feel as if he were carrying an invisible giant mountain, his body sinking downward involuntarily, and he couldn't help but bow his waist.

"Your mother—"

Zhou Qing instantly transformed into the second form of the Jin Peng true body, his whole body shining with golden light, like a golden god of war, resisting this pressure stubbornly.

Did they really think he had been training in the gravity zone for so many years for nothing?

He had to get away as soon as possible!

And when they saw Zhou Qing's strange appearance, everyone's expressions changed.

"You obtained the inheritance of that old Old Peng Wang from Canglan Mountain?" The old woman was full of surprise, her voice carrying a trace of disbelief.

Zhou Qing carried the pressure, a mocking smile curling at the corners of his mouth, and roared loudly: "Dead old woman, kneel down and call me Grandpa. If I'm in a good mood, I might be able to teach you a move or two!"

Another old woman snorted coldly and also exerted pressure.

This pressure was like a fierce hurricane, carrying a sharp whistling sound, frantically impacting Zhou Qing's body.

Zhou Qing gritted his teeth, his forehead covered in sweat, and his body trembled slightly, but he still held on stubbornly, constantly observing the surrounding environment.

Thanks to the storage bag still being there, otherwise, the things he had accumulated over the years would all be gone.

Also, wanting to soul-search me, it's simply wishful thinking!

Back when he was removing the blood curse seal left by the Peng Emperor in his sea of consciousness, the Second Grandfather, as a Soul Severance realm powerhouse, wanted to enter his sea of consciousness to check the situation because he was worried about his safety.

All were erased by those four-colored flowers, so what do you count for!

Suddenly, Zhou Qing's eyes sharpened, and the Tetanus in his hand shot out instantly, slashing violently to the right, accurately killing a sleeping bug that had quietly sneaked over.

"You want to use the same trick a second time!" Zhou Qing mocked loudly.

【Heart Appraisal Points +9】

The next moment, a prompt suddenly sounded in Zhou Qing's mind.

Immortal Xuanyou, who had been staring closely at Zhou Qing, saw the original 【Potential Dangerous Person】 note on her head change to 【Extremely Dangerous and Must Be Controlled Person】 at this moment.

Seeing this change, cold light flickered in Zhou Qing's eyes.

At this moment, he seemed to have guessed something and couldn't help laughing out loud.

It seemed that the two Supreme Elders of the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong who refined the Nine Nether Lotus Seeds must have failed, living a life worse than death, or even fallen directly.

After all, relying solely on this thing, no one could step into that step, but the key was that others didn't know, and they were all misled by the Old Emperor.

And as for Immortal Xuanyou, she must have encountered something in the mystical realm of Lingku Mountain, causing her lifespan to plummet, and she was about to pass away.

Seeing that the Taiqing Sect was in its prime, with Gui Ao and Luo Lingling in the younger generation, himself, and Li Daoxuan who was in seclusion preparing to break through.

This forced them to put all their eggs in one basket.

As long as Immortal Xuanyou could live, he believed that his disappearance would never be suspected by the Taiqing Sect to be their doing.

Seeing Zhou Qing laughing wildly, a figure suddenly rushed over from a distance.

"Sect Master, Supreme Elder!"

Li Bin saw Zhou Qing's flushed face and hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

"You said you were just asking him to do a favor, but why are you being so tough on him now?"

Li Bin's voice carried a trace of dissatisfaction.

An old woman snorted coldly, a look of displeasure on her face, and said: "We did intend to ask him for help, but you saw it too; he refuses a toast only to drink a forfeit. Being so ungrateful, how can we be polite?"

"Why not leave it to me? I'll try to persuade him," Li Bin suggested.

The old woman frowned and said impatiently: "Li Bin, you are also in the mid-stage of the Soul Formation realm and have lived for thousands of years; why are you still so naive?"

"Things have developed to this point; do you think that once Zhou Qing returns to the Taiqing Sect, what consequences the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong will face?"

"What's more—"

Several Supreme Elders looked at Zhou Qing with burning eyes, their gazes full of undisguised greed.

You know, that time in the abyss of Canglan Mountain attracted several Soul Severance realm powerhouses.

Regardless of whether the divine ability Zhou Qing displayed originated from the old Old Peng Wang's inheritance, they could feel its extraordinariness.

If this divine ability could be used by the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong, the sect's strength would surely achieve a qualitative leap.

Seeing that several Supreme Elders had made up their minds, Li Bin gritted his teeth, then looked at Immortal Xuanyou and mustered the courage to say: "Sect Master, I have already sent someone to inform the Taiqing Sect that Zhou Qing is a guest at the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp spiritual power whistled out.

With a bang, Li Bin's body flew backward like a broken kite, then hit the ground hard, kicking up a cloud of dust.

For a moment, Li Bin spat blood, twitching in pain.

And the person who attacked was one of the old women, her eyes cold, without a trace of pity.

"Li Bin, you truly have a lot of nerve!" the old woman who attacked shouted angrily, "You are betraying the sect!"

Li Bin endured the severe pain, raised his head, and said with difficulty: "Supreme Elder, you should know how many things I have done secretly for the sect over the years."

"In the first half of my life, I did many things against my will to repay kindness..."

Puchi—

Before he could finish, a thunderbolt as thick as an arm pierced through his forehead without warning.

Instantly, it pierced through Li Bin's head, and blood mist accompanied by fine bone fragments splashed out.

This scene happened too suddenly; a trace of unwillingness and disbelief still remained in Li Bin's eyes.

But soon, the light in his eyes dimmed rapidly, and his body fell forward like a pile of mud.

A translucent primordial spirit was just about to struggle to rush out when an old woman appeared beside him in an instant.

The old woman's five fingers turned into claws, thunder light lingering around her body, and she pressed down hard toward the primordial spirit.

In an instant, the primordial spirit inside the body let out bursts of shrill screams, which were hair-raising.

As the old woman increased her strength, the thunder light became more dazzling, stinging people's eyes so they couldn't open them.

After a while, the screaming stopped abruptly, and everything returned to calm.

"He didn't notify the Taiqing Sect!" the old woman who did it clapped her hands and said.

Regarding this, a trace of regret flashed in the eyes of the others.

Li Bin taking Zhou Qing out of the Taiqing Sect would surely leave traces, such as Little Spirit Peak, such as Elder Wu Zhu who guards the mountain gate, etc.

If Li Bin had really notified the Taiqing Sect, they could deny it at that time.

After all, in their plan, Li Bin was just a discarded pawn.

Now that he was wiped out by thunder, it superficially looked like the means of the Jin Leizong, but anyone with a brain could see the flaws. How could the Taiqing Sect be easily fooled?

But what they wanted was precisely this illusion of "what you think is what you think."

The muddier the water, the better!

"Whatever, his soul lamp is extinguished now, the Taiqing Sect will surely notice. Just throw him in a hidden yet slightly conspicuous place so they can discover him immediately!"

An old woman said indifferently.

The old woman who did it nodded, bent down, and carried Li Bin's body directly, disappearing from everyone's sight in a few leaps.

Zhou Qing just watched all this blankly, a deep sorrow welling up in his heart.

For the sake of the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong, Li Bin had been a mole in the Taiqing Sect for so many years, and even the sect hadn't noticed a thing.

He worked diligently, but in the end, he became a discarded pawn abandoned ruthlessly.

Then, Zhou Qing's eyes turned red, staring at the few people, especially Immortal Xuanyou.

Sure enough, none of those who could become the helmsmen of the five major sects were simple characters.

"Since it's impossible to detect whether you are San Hua Sanhua Sanhua Juding, now we can only treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor."

Immortal Xuanyou met Zhou Qing's gaze, her expression calm, as if the bloody scene that had just happened had nothing to do with her.

"We don't want to go to war with the Taiqing Sect either. As long as you cooperate obediently, we will naturally erase the relevant memories, and everyone will still be allies."

As she spoke, Immortal Xuanyou flicked her finger, and an ancient jade slip floated out of thin air, slowly drifting toward Zhou Qing.

"You should study this dual cultivation method early. If time permits, I hope to start tonight. Don't worry, you won't lose out; I am still a virgin."

Immortal Xuanyou's tone was flat, as if she were discussing something very ordinary.

Zhou Qing, bearing the pressure exerted by the two Supreme Elders, curled a mocking smile at the corners of his mouth and sneered: "Erase memories? How to erase? Can your spiritual sense enter my sea of consciousness?"

If the dual cultivation really succeeded, it would confirm that he was San Hua Sanhua Sanhua Juding. How could the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong tolerate the rise of a Soul Severance realm powerhouse whose strength would surpass the five major sects of the Eastern Region in the future?

Just his rapidly improving cultivation was already making them fearful, so how could they let him go.

To put it bluntly, this matter could no longer be ended well.

"Sect Master, I have a secret technique here that can make him cooperate obediently. There are too many eyes and ears here; it's better to take him in first!"

An old woman narrowed her eyes, a trace of sinister intent flashing in them, and stepped forward to advise.

Immortal Xuanyou frowned slightly, her gaze lingering on Zhou Qing for a moment, and then she nodded lightly.

Just as an old woman was about to make a move, Zhou Qing suddenly roared: "I agree!"

The three old women were stunned for a moment, and soon smiles appeared on their faces.

"Wouldn't it have been better if you were this sensible earlier? Don't worry, the Sect Master possesses the Empty Cicada Body; if you dual cultivate with her..."

"The one who agreed is me; he just misunderstood you!" Before the words were finished, a clear and bright voice came leisurely from the air.

Several people looked up suddenly, only to find that a figure in white had appeared at some point, standing in the air with his hands behind his back.

And Immortal Xuanyou and the three Supreme Elders' expressions changed drastically.

Who is this person?

When did he sneak into the inner sect?

How come they didn't notice at all?

Screech—

Taking advantage of the four people being distracted, Zhou Qing suddenly transformed into a huge Jin Peng, hissing toward the sky.

His eyes were sharp, majestic, and a powerful and wild aura emanated from his body.

His wings covered the sky and the sun, clapping violently, and a powerful airflow spread around him, instantly dispersing the pressure.

He himself used this power to rush toward the barrier with all his might.

"Stop him! Don't let him run!" Immortal Xuanyou saw this, her willow brows stood up, her beautiful eyes contained evil, and she immediately took action to block him.

But the man in white gently raised his hand, and an invisible barrier blocked all the attacks of the crowd.

Taking advantage of this gap, Zhou Qing rotated and climbed in the air, then dived down violently.

His huge wings carried the power of ten thousand jun, bringing up a sharp whistling sound, and fanned hard toward the barrier.

"Boom!"

A loud noise, as if the sky was collapsing and the earth was cracking, shook the entire inner sect.

The entire barrier appeared a huge opening under this powerful impact, light flickering, swaying and about to fall.

Zhou Qing did not hesitate at all, turned into a golden stream of light, and rushed out toward the opening of the barrier.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 244 =====