Chapter 249: If You Don

Zhou Qing saw this and his expression instantly turned into a mixture of exasperation and helplessness.

He quickly lowered his voice, pleading: “Auntie, I beg you, don’t ruin me, alright?”

“I’m not ruining you,” Lu Yaoyao blinked innocently. “This journey is so boring—just a little fun won’t hurt!”

Zhou Qing hurriedly asked: “Then why don’t you go talk to her yourself?”

“If I talk, it’s boring. It needs drama, flair—you’re the one who should do it.”

Lu Yaoyao tilted her head, a sly smile spreading across her face.

Zhou Qing couldn’t resist her any longer; he stood up at once and fled to the rear of the flying vessel like escaping a plague demon, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to cultivate.

Don’t think I don’t know what scheme you’re hatching—even if you want to be a matchmaker, check if they’re even a match.

Who is she? A prodigy at the late or peak stage of the Soul Severing Realm, a Level Four Array Master, a citizen of a Level Five Spiritual Nation.

To her, we’re probably not even ants.

And someone like her has countless suitors—I still want to live a few more years.

Seeing Zhou Qing flee like a startled deer, Lu Yaoyao pouted, a hint of disappointment crossing her face.

She quickly tucked away her book, smiled again, and scampered over with a chuckle.

Gazing at the near-perfect waist and back of the other girl, Lu Yaoyao stared enviously and gestured at her own figure.

They weren’t even on the same level.

“Sister, are you so beautiful that you wear a veil to keep others from coveting you?”

“Sister, may I boldly ask your surname?”

“You and my Senior Brother Zhou really have fate—meeting so many times already, and every time it’s luck, right?”

“My Senior Brother Zhou is kind, good-hearted, and not bad-looking—many girls in the sect like him, but he never even looks at them.”

“He even has an old hen. It’s hilarious.”

…

Listening to Lu Yaoyao chatter like a little sparrow, Number Six slowly turned, her expression unreadable.

“Now that we have time, I’ll guide you in properly cultivating the Ice Lotus.”

Lu Yaoyao’s face stiffened slightly; her earlier excitement froze instantly.

She nodded reluctantly, sat cross-legged obediently, and accepted Number Six’s instruction.

Two days later!

Lu Yaoyao rushed over excitedly, glanced around, then her expression changed at once.

She was about to cry out in panic, then remembered something—she quickly checked every corner around her, confirmed Zhou Qing was nowhere in sight, and shouted loudly:

“Senior Brother Zhou, are you—”

“Cough—cough!”

Zhou Qing, seated cross-legged in the corner, had no choice but to clear his throat as a reminder.

After upgrading “Reduce Presence” to Level Six, even Soul Transformation cultivators had a 90% chance of ignoring him.

But Lu Yaoyao, at mid-stage Nascent Soul, was completely helpless against it.

Hearing Zhou Qing’s voice now, Lu Yaoyao turned with an embarrassed expression.

It seemed the side effects of the Ice Lotus really took a long time to fade—this wasn’t even the first time she’d made a fool of herself.

“Senior Brother Zhou, give me some money!”

Lu Yaoyao scampered up with a grin, tugging his arm like a kitten, her face beaming with sweet, pleading charm.

Zhou Qing froze, instinctively reaching out to feel her forehead.

“You’re not feverish—why are you asking me for money?” he asked, bewildered.

Lu Yaoyao nodded seriously: “Then who else should I ask?”

Zhou Qing: “...”

So impressive—asking for money with such confidence, as if it were natural, and not even saying “lend”—she just demands it outright.

He sighed helplessly. “How much?”

Lu Yaoyao grinned and held up two fingers, waving them in the air.

Zhou Qing immediately rummaged through his storage pouch: “Mid-grade or high-grade?”

“Top-grade!” Lu Yaoyao chirped.

Zhou Qing’s hand froze. He stared at her in disbelief.

“Why do you need top-grade spirit stones? Didn’t your Uncle Bai give you cultivation resources before you left?” Zhou Qing exclaimed.

Lu Yaoyao said: “He gave me some, but no top-grade stones—just give me yours quickly.”

“No, what exactly are you using them for?” Zhou Qing pressed.

Lu Yaoyao replied: “It’s for wood carving—useful, that’s all.”

Seeing she didn’t seem to be lying, Zhou Qing pulled out two top-grade spirit stones and handed them to her.

Life’s gotten better now—before, giving you two high-grade stones would’ve made me ache.

Luckily, we got a batch of cultivation resources from Xuanjizi’s storage pouch.

Upon receiving the spirit stones, Lu Yaoyao bounced away with pure delight.

Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly—honestly, her wood carving skills really are impressive.

After my Golden Core shattered, she carved many beasts I’d never even seen, bringing them to cheer me up.

She even claimed they were dreamt demon emperors—ones I’d slain myself.

I wonder what she carved this time that requires top-grade spirit stones for decoration.

So wasteful!

…

As Zhou Qing had predicted, three months later, they finally reached the borderlands.

In the distance, a great wall, like a black dragon spanning heaven and earth, stretched across the land—majestic, awe-inspiring.

Shhh-shhh-shhh!

At that moment, patrol troops spotted an unfamiliar flying vessel arriving from the interior and immediately rose into the air.

Coincidentally, the leader was Jiang Pojun—the subordinate who had lost to Zhou Qing.

But before he could approach to question them, Number Six’s vessel instantly crossed the border line.

“General Jiang, this—” the Longxiang Army soldiers stared, stunned and at a loss.

Jiang Pojun shook his head slightly, his expression calm. “You can’t reason with a man bent on death. Let them pass—if it’s not a large-scale demon clan incursion, it’s fine.”

The Shengwu Empire’s territory is vast beyond measure; even deploying countless armies couldn’t cover all borders.

Our patrol units merely give a passing warning when we spot unfamiliar vessels.

Besides, that vessel’s material looked extraordinary—its occupants are likely beyond our reach.

At this moment, Zhou Qing lay on the deck, leaning forward, curiously peering downward.

After crossing the border, he’d only followed Xuan Yuanshuo and Second Uncle to Taiyao Mountain, where the Peng Emperor resided—he’d never set foot elsewhere.

“Senior, how far now?” Zhou Qing couldn’t help asking.

Number Six replied coldly: “Almost there.”

Then, unable to resist, she glanced at Zhou Qing, her beautiful eyes flickering with hesitation. “Has she always talked this much?”

Zhou Qing instinctively turned—there, not far off, stood a human ice sculpture, inside which Lu Yaoyao’s dark eyes kept darting.

Her lips moved constantly, as if muttering something—but the ice layer blocked all sound.

Zhou Qing sighed helplessly. Fortunately, she cultivated ice techniques too—this wouldn’t harm her; it’d just quiet their ears a bit.

Heaven knows how they survived these three months—if only they’d used a teleportation array, they’d have avoided so much torment.

Zhou Qing’s face flushed slightly. He explained: “In the sect, she was always the icy little junior sister—rarely spoke. But lately, she’s been unusually excitable.”

After speaking, Zhou Qing glanced at Number Six, silently grumbling inside.

You’re kind of the same.

Right now, you’re icy and distant—but in the Divine Ruins Tiangong, you talked a lot too.

The contrast is truly extreme.

Ten more days passed. Below, the landscape gradually shifted from emerald mountains to dark red ranges.

All mountains glowed with an eerie crimson hue, shrouded in rolling blood mists that slowly churned, exuding a pungent, metallic stench.

Demon energy surged skyward; occasionally, beasts would fight each other.

“Blood Prison Mountain—Jiao Emperor’s territory!” Zhou Qing suddenly realized.

After all, back at Taiyao Mountain, he’d swindled Jiao Emperor and Zhu Emperor each out of dozens of top-grade spirit stones.

At this moment, Lu Yaoyao had already been freed from the ice—she too now peered curiously downward.

“Sister, can you check if I have any demonic bloodline...”

As soon as Lu Yaoyao finished, she caught the faint frown on Number Six’s brow and instinctively clapped her hand over her mouth.

Zhou Qing sighed helplessly.

You never learn—can’t you just keep your mouth shut?

Lu Yaoyao felt a little hurt.

Consort Chen was a fox spirit, but Xuan Yuan Muqian showed no demonic traits.

She just wanted to confirm whether she’d inherited demonic blood from her grandmother—to rule it out.

Roar!

In the next instant, a deafening dragon roar suddenly erupted from below.

Immediately after, a massive black jade dragon spiraled upward from beneath.

The dragon was hundreds of zhang long, its entire body covered in bluish-black scales shimmering with cold luster.

Its demonic aura spilled wildly, intertwining with the blood mist to form a violent field that directly blocked the airship’s path.

Feeling the opponent’s aura, Lu Yaoyao turned pale and stepped back behind Zhou Qing.

A demon emperor—this is a true demon emperor!

Zhou Qing, by contrast, regarded the black water jade dragon with keen interest.

After all, they had already met once on Heilingshan Peak in Taiyao Mountain, though back then he had disguised himself as Penghuang to bluff his way through.

“Immortal Miss, long time no see. This is our second meeting—quite the fate. Why not come down for a drink?”

The jade emperor’s voice boomed like a burly man’s, shaking their ears with its resonance.

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao instinctively turned to look at Six Number.

Presumably, she had found the location recorded on the old Pengwang’s hide scroll, which had led to some contact with this jade dragon.

“Get lost—”

Six Number spoke coldly, her voice low yet carrying a freezing power that instantly froze the surrounding air.

The jade emperor’s form flickered, transforming into a burly man with chest hair, his grin carrying a roguish charm.

“Don’t be like that,” the jade emperor said earnestly. “Though we only briefly clashed, I took one look at you and fell head over heels. We could get to know each other properly.”

Six Number stared at him coldly and snorted: “We have no fate together.”

“In less than a year, this is the second time you’ve passed by my royal gate—how fated it is!” the jade emperor pressed on.

Six Number looked at him, her tone icy: “True fate brings good fortune. You… don’t.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing blinked.

So, he—the one with fate—was the one who brought her good fortune?

Now that he thought about it, it seemed true.

The first time, she appeared at his courtyard gate at midnight, asking about the red token—he told her about Ke Shu.

And he told her that the man should be at Cangyan Dao Palace.

After all, during the Ghost City incident, besides himself and his group, Cangyan Dao Palace’s people had also gone—but were killed by his master disguised as Niu Guangmo.

The second time was at the Canglan Mountain Abyss, the five-color seal and the treasure-laden stone platform.

In reality, this was the third time. If she’d suffered misfortune from him, would he no longer be her fated one?

Hearing this, the jade emperor looked puzzled.

“How haven’t I brought you good fortune?”

Six Number had no patience for him. She shifted her spirit and tried to steer the airship past, but the jade emperor blocked her again.

“Immortal Miss, since I began cultivating, I’ve never seen—”

“Move aside—or die!” Six Number cut him off, her voice brimming with killing intent.

Lu Yaoyao glanced at Zhou Qing, unmoved, then hurried over and nudged him with her elbow, her face anxious.

“What are you waiting for? This is your chance to shine!” Lu Yaoyao whispered.

Zhou Qing rolled his eyes at her.

“What am I supposed to do? One claw and your senior brother gets crushed—do you believe me?” Zhou Qing whispered back.

Lu Yaoyao said: “I know, but aren’t you her fated one? She came to you for help—she won’t let you die in front of her eyes.”

Zhou Qing was stunned.

Lu Yaoyao continued: “So this is about attitude. It’s the moment for a man to step forward. If you’re too scared even when there’s no real danger, how will she ever like you?”

Zhou Qing’s lip twitched.

The logic seemed sound, but something felt off.

Besides, I don’t need her to like me.

As they whispered to each other, a sultry, light laugh suddenly echoed across the heavens.

Immediately after, dark clouds churned in the distance, revealing a giant eight-legged spider within.

In an instant, it transformed into a seductive woman clad in a red long dress.

Her figure swayed gracefully, each step radiating boundless charm, every gesture exuding innate languor and allure.

“Oh, Brother Qiu, is this the human female cultivator you mentioned, the one you briefly clashed with? Need your little sister to lend a hand?”

The speaker was Ye Luo, the ruler of the neighboring Qianhuan Miku.

She smiled sweetly as she spoke.

The jade emperor, Xuan Qiu, stiffened and said gravely: “Ye Luo, today is not the time to discuss matters. I have business—leave if you have nothing else.”

Hearing this, the spider empress covered her mouth and laughed, her charm overflowing in an instant.

“Brother Qiu, you were the one who invited me here today to discuss Taiyao Mountain. Now that I’ve come, you’re sending me away? That’s hardly polite.”

The spider empress pouted pitifully.

Seeing this, Six Number frowned and immediately turned the airship to leave.

But the spider empress flashed forward, appearing directly before the airship and blocking its path.

“Oh, such a cold little sister—even from afar, I can feel the chill radiating from you. Truly heartrending.”

Ye Luo’s gaze swept over Six Number.

“Forgive me for not introducing myself—I’m from another peak, a neighbor to Brother Qiu.”

“In the Shengwu Empire, we know every cultivator of the Zhanling realm. Yet we’ve never heard your name.”

“You must be from another cultivation country. In that case, we have no conflicting interests.”

“Little sister, we’re preparing a major undertaking. If you’re not opposed, we’d be honored to invite you to join. When it’s done, there will be great rewards.”

Six Number, icy as frost, refused outright: “Not interested.”

The jade emperor, Xuan Qiu, seemed to guess the spider empress’s intent. His eyes lit up and he hurried to speak: “Immortal Miss, here’s the situation: Taiyao Mountain is home to a demon peng.”

“He’s been in seclusion lately, but strange events have occurred. We’ve pondered them repeatedly and feel something’s amiss—we plan to investigate further.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing’s expression changed slightly.

Is this… a slip-up?

Xuan Qiu didn’t notice Zhou Qing’s reaction and continued: “But Taiyao Mountain faces the human border, where Prince Xuan Yuan Shuo is stationed, constantly monitoring the mountain’s movements.”

Six Number frowned slightly.

Penghuang?

Xuan Yuan Shuo?

Slightly familiar—must be the two from Canglan Mountain who fought over the old Pengwang’s corpse.

Xuan Qiu went on: “The penghuang’s dwelling is on a peak called Heilingshan, guarded by a five-color seal. It’s nearly impossible to break in a short time. If we attack recklessly, we’ll alert Xuan Yuan Shuo.”

Upon hearing “five-color seal,” Six Number’s eyes flashed with sudden interest.

Zhou Qing’s heart sank—he groaned inwardly: The penghuang you’re calling “in seclusion” is standing right before you.

But these two demon emperors clearly didn’t regard them as threats—likely mistaking them for Six Number’s attendants.

Zhou Qing immediately turned to look at Six Number.

She was a Level Four Array Master, deeply versed in seals.

And that five-color seal? It was one her acquaintance, Situ Jiuyao, had retrieved from an ancient ruin.

He just wondered where Xuan Yuan Shuo had buried the master’s corpse.

Seeing Six Number’s slight hesitation on the deck, Xuan Qiu pressed on: “We suspect the penghuang is already dead, but we lack proof—he was seen alive just a few years ago.”

“Recently, Ye Luo underwent a sudden awakening during meditation and retrogressed to her ancestral bloodline—she now possesses the Void Spider’s divine ability: ‘Double Pupils.’”

“Even without being a human array master, she can discern the five-color array’s flow in moments and find an entry point.”

Hearing this, Six Number and Zhou Qing all showed surprise, their gazes locking onto Ye Luo.

Ye Luo smiled coyly and quickly said: “Brother Qiu, since I awakened this ability, I’ve never touched an array—let alone a five-color seal. Don’t exaggerate.”

Xuan Qiu paused, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face. “Didn’t you say yourself that the five-color array was nothing to you?”

Ye Luo merely smiled lightly, then turned to Six Number and cooed: “I’ve truly never tried it. What if the demon peng is still inside? Breaking his seal would be so awkward.”

“Last time I just brushed against it—I had to pay him thirty supreme-grade spirit stones.”

Zhou Qing’s face twisted in awkwardness.

Xuan Qiu hurried to say: “Immortal Miss, you wouldn’t even need to act—just in case.”

“If the penghuang is truly dead, we’ll split the treasures in his cave three ways.”

“If he’s still alive, he’ll surely be enraged and might draw Xuan Yuan Shuo. All you’d need to do is delay him briefly.”

Xuan Qiu didn’t reveal that Xuan Yuan Shuo had reached Zhanling Mid-Stage—he feared she’d back out.

He’d fought her once; she was likely at the same initial stage as them.

But Xuan Yuan Shuo had somehow broken through to Zhanling Mid-Stage.

With just him and Ye Luo, plus their innate abilities, they could barely match him.

Add the penghuang, and it would be dangerous.

So they needed another Zhanling cultivator to join their plan.

Watching the veiled woman on deck hesitate, Ye Luo and Xuan Qiu smiled on the surface—but their hearts were tense.

In truth, they didn’t truly believe the penghuang was dead—they’d seen him with their own eyes last time.

What they truly feared was that the penghuang, after entering human territory, had somehow received the old pengwang’s inheritance.

The last time they met, Penghuang’s aura was overwhelmingly strong; after transforming into his true form, his entire body glowed golden, as if he were truly about to evolve into the legendary Jin Chida.

After furiously driving them out, Penghuang immediately declared he was entering seclusion.

What if he breaks through to the Mid-Stage of Zhan Ling Realm this time?

In their demon clan, strength is always revered; at that point, Xueyu Mountain and Qianhuan Miku might well become Penghuang’s territories.

Even the two of them might end up as Penghuang’s subordinates.

This was a scenario both utterly refused to accept.

Fortunately, when they last saw him, Penghuang’s face was pale, as if injured; by common logic, he should still be in the healing phase.

That’s why they decided to risk it—even if they couldn’t kill him, they had to worsen his injuries further.

For this, each of them prepared poison sacs and bloodfire, confident these would be enough to cripple him.

As for why they invited a human to assist, the reason was simple.

The two other demon emperors behind them, Weilun Yao and Qingluo Shou, refused to cooperate after learning Penghuang was still alive.

Moreover, these two were always opportunists, insatiably greedy; betrayal could come in an instant.

Thus, to ensure the plan succeeded, they had no choice but to seek another Zhan Ling expert.

This human woman was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

If she were from the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty, eliminating a demon emperor plaguing the border would surely delight her.

Even if she weren’t, it didn’t matter—she wouldn’t ally with Xuan Yuan Shuo or turn against them.

(End of Chapter)