Chapter 266

As the young man finished roaring, in an instant, a thick, excrement-yellow torrent within the sky screen, wrapped in endless filth, actually roared and charged toward that black-robed figure like an enraged primordial beast.

Seeing this, the black-robed figure turned pale, spat, and immediately retreated, hurriedly forming a shield with the other five to block it.

The moment the two sides collided, the scene of the explosion will not be described in detail; Zhou Qing felt nauseous again.

He immediately drove the flying boat to the side to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

One must know this was a new flying boat; if it got stained with any excrement-yellow filth, he would be disgusted to death.

By the way, did Shen Shen Hanyi come too?

She did say that next time they met, she would give some gifts as thanks.

I don't want anything else, a hundred or eighty wood-attribute spirit stones would be just fine.

"You're at least in the Soul Formation realm, yet you actually throw poop at us."

"Damn it, how can this guy comprehend such a perverted realm of understanding!"

"Are you all okay? This time we really tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice... Ugh~ what is this in my mouth, enoki mushrooms?"

The few cursed incessantly, their faces full of resentment and unwillingness, hurriedly using spiritual power to quickly remove the filth sticking to them.

Afterward, with fierce looks in their eyes, they tacitly surrounded him again, trapping the young man in the center, with the posture of not stopping until they took him down.

The young man's face, however, showed no fear. His gaze swept over this group of persistent opponents, and a mocking arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

He said coldly, "I didn't expect you lot to have been grain-fasting for so long. You really thought I had no other way? Hmph, truly stupid to the extreme!"

After speaking, the young man let out a sneer: "This time, let you taste the ultimate move of my Excrement Heavenly Emperor—Creation of Excrement from Nothing."

As he spoke, the young man's figure retreated violently, merging himself directly into the earthy-yellow sky screen of his realm of understanding behind him.

Upon hearing the name of this move, the five's expressions instantly became extremely ugly, a hint of panic flashing in their eyes.

After all, the previous battle had already been like "disgusting's mother opening the door for disgusting," disgusting to the extreme.

Now, this so-called ultimate move sounded indescribably disgusting just by its name.

Looking at Zhou Qing, who was watching covetously from the side, they felt even less confident.

Better forget it. This guy had some ability, and they couldn't even win five-against-one, which showed his background was absolutely extraordinary.

No need to get oneself covered in filth—no, in stench.

It really was quite unwilling, though.

After a brief silence, one of the black-robed figures gritted his teeth and whispered, "The target is tough, retreat!"

The others agreed, immediately leaping onto the black flying boat to the side and leaving quickly.

The young man also peeked out sneakily from the earthy-yellow sky screen at this time.

He first looked around vigilantly to confirm the five black-robed figures had completely left, and only then did a cold smile curl at the corner of his mouth.

He muttered in a low voice: "That's it? Still wanted to intercept and kill me, without even weighing your own worth."

Afterward, he turned his gaze to Zhou Qing, the smile on his face instantly becoming hearty. He put away his realm of understanding and cupped his hands from a distance.

"I am Shen Shen Yunzhou. Many thanks for today. May I ask how to address you, brother?"

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and returned the salute, a gentle smile on his face as he said, "Brother Shen is too polite. I am but a mere rogue cultivator."

"Since Brother Shen is already out of danger, and I still have urgent matters to attend to, I shall take my leave first."

Not yet knowing the other's purpose, Zhou Qing felt it was better not to have too much contact.

After speaking, he prepared to turn around and drive the flying boat to continue his journey.

Upon hearing this, Shen Shen Yunzhou immediately took out ten supreme-grade spirit stones.

"Since brother is unwilling to reveal your name, you must accept these ten spirit stones. This is the reward we agreed upon beforehand."

As he spoke, he channeled his spiritual power and pushed the spirit stones gently toward the direction of the flying boat, letting them drift leisurely toward Zhou Qing.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's gaze fell on the ten spirit stones, his expression calm.

"Brother Shen, from beginning to end, I didn't help much. I appreciate your kindness, but meeting is fate, and I would like to remind Brother Shen of one thing."

"Those people targeting you is most likely related to you being too extravagant in your spending."

"When out and about, remember not to show your wealth. The human heart in this world is complex; do not bring upon yourself unprovoked disaster due to a moment of negligence."

He was indeed short of money now, but he was clear about what should be taken and what should not.

This silly boy was probably spoiled by his family; his style of doing things was quite similar to Zhang Wan Bao's, with a pure heart.

Seeing this person, Zhou Qing couldn't help but frown.

In this fourth-level cultivation nation, the abundance of resources was far inferior to a fifth-level cultivation nation, so one needed to be even more cautious and low-key.

"You should take these spirit stones back; keeping them for future cultivation will definitely be of great use," Zhou Qing added.

Seeing Zhou Qing's firm words, the admiration in Shen Shen Yunzhou's eyes grew even more intense.

A mere rogue cultivator, yet able to hold firm to his original heart and remain unmoved in the face of supreme-grade spirit stones delivered to his door.

Such composure and noble character, unswayed by external things, were truly rare in this world.

"Meeting is fate, well said! My sister loves to emphasize the word 'fate' the most. Brother's high righteousness, Shen Yunzhou admires you to the ground!"

Shen Shen Yunzhou sighed with emotion.

Zhou Qing nodded, said no more, channeled his spiritual power, and drove the flying boat away.

"Could it be that Shen Shen Hanyi came specifically to repay a favor this time? And that's why she brought her brother along?"

Zhou Qing speculated to himself.

If that were really the case, he didn't need any other rewards, as long as he could obtain a large amount of supreme-grade wood-attribute spirit stones.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing hurriedly increased his speed.

About half a day later, on one side of the quiet cloud layer, a sharp whistling sound suddenly came.

Hearing the sound, Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the source, unable to help but be slightly stunned.

"Hi, brother, we meet again. It seems we are heading in the same direction!" On the deck of the flying boat, Shen Shen Yunzhou was full of smiles, waving his arms enthusiastically and greeting him loudly.

A flash of suspicion crossed Zhou Qing's eyes.

Could this guy also be going to the Taiqing Sect?

But that wasn't necessarily true; there were thousands of roads ahead, and countless places to go. Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

Facing Shen Shen Yunzhou's enthusiastic greeting, Zhou Qing nodded politely to show his response.

"Alright then, I'll take my leave first. We'll meet again if fate allows!"

Shen Shen Yunzhou seemed to notice Zhou Qing's slight aloofness, and to avoid causing unnecessary misunderstanding and awkwardness, as soon as he finished speaking, he manipulated the flying boat to accelerate instantly.

In the blink of an eye, that flying boat turned into a small black dot and disappeared into the vast sea of clouds ahead.

Zhou Qing looked at the direction Shen Shen Yunzhou left in, shook his head slightly, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

This scene reminded him of Number Six's flying boat; whether in material or performance, the two were similar in quality, both being top-tier works among flying boats.

Back when Shen Shen Hanyi was injured, he had manipulated that flying boat all the way from the island into the human border, and he had a deep understanding of its performance.

"However—"

Zhou Qing reached out and gently touched the deck of the flying boat under his feet, laughing softly.

"A golden nest or a silver nest is ultimately not as good as one's own doghouse. You are also quite good; this was personally crafted by our sect uncle."

Ten days later!

A flying boat landed steadily in front of the Taiqing Sect's mountain gate. Seeing this, Elder Elder Wu Zhu immediately led the crowd out.

Seeing someone coming, Shen Shen Yunzhou quickly put away the jade slip map he was using to record the route, his expression respectful as he bowed slightly and said, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist, is this the Taiqing Sect?"

Elder Elder Wu Zhu's gaze was like a torch, and he examined the young man before him with a solemn expression.

He saw that he was young and his face was tender, yet he possessed the astonishing cultivation base of the late Soul Formation realm.

And although his aura was deliberately restrained, the invisible pressure he emitted actually made him feel a hint of palpitations.

Elder Elder Wu Zhu sighed in admiration to himself, but his face remained calm.

He then raised his hand and pointed to the ancient and substantial giant stone at the mountain gate, saying, "That's right, this is indeed the Taiqing Sect. May I ask who you are—"

Shen Shen Yunzhou looked in the direction Elder Elder Wu Zhu pointed, and only then noticed the three ancient, large characters engraved on the stone tablet—"Taiqing Sect," a look of surprise instantly appearing on his face.

"I am Shen Shen Yunzhou. I have traveled ten thousand miles to come here to visit a benefactor named Zhou Qing. May I ask if he is cultivating here?" Shen Shen Yunzhou said.

Upon hearing this, Elder Elder Wu Zhu frowned slightly, his face showing confusion.

A benefactor?

Speaking of Zhou Qing, that child actually had quite a few enemies; when did he become a benefactor?

"Our Sect Master is not within the mountain gate; he went out for training recently."

Elder Elder Wu Zhu examined Shen Shen Yunzhou and responded cautiously, "May I ask what the favor you mentioned is about?"

Upon hearing that Zhou Qing was not there, a flash of disappointment crossed Shen Shen Yunzhou's eyes, but his expression quickly returned to normal.

Sect Master?

It seems the benefactor's status is not ordinary.

At this moment, he could only say, "It's nothing, only he himself knows about this matter. Then, when will he roughly return?"

Elder Elder Wu Zhu shook his head slightly and said, "Our sect's Sect Master never reports where he goes for training, so I cannot accurately estimate his return date."

Upon hearing this, Shen Shen Yunzhou fell into contemplation, his brows furrowing slightly.

Afterward, he looked up at Elder Elder Wu Zhu again, and a wave of suspicion suddenly surged in his heart.

Putting himself in the other's shoes, if he were in the other's position, facing a stranger who suddenly appeared, had an unknown background, and claimed to be the Sect Master's benefactor, he would inevitably be extremely cautious.

Thinking this way, perhaps Zhou Qing was not really out for training; perhaps it was just the sect being cautious and not wanting outsiders to know his whereabouts.

Thinking of this, Shen Shen Yunzhou steadied himself and spoke again: "It's like this, when I came up just now, I discovered there is a city at the foot of your sect's mountain."

"Since Brother Zhou has not returned from training, I shouldn't disturb your sect's cultivation too much. I plan to stay in the city at the foot of the mountain first and wait quietly for Brother Zhou's return."

He paused slightly, looked at Elder Elder Wu Zhu sincerely, and continued: "When he returns, please tell him the four words 'Silver-haired Ugly Woman.' Once he hears them, he will understand my identity and purpose."

Elder Elder Wu Zhu nodded.

This person's words were polite, and his actions were considered thoughtful; he did not look like someone with malicious intent.

It was just that the matter was of great importance, and one had to be on guard.

He would still have to report it to Peak Master Mo later to be safe.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, if the Sect Master returns, I will definitely pass it on to him," Elder Elder Wu Zhu said.

"The city at the foot of the mountain is called Yanlong City. There are many of our Taiqing Sect's industries and eyes and ears within the city."

"If you encounter any difficulties in the city, you can go to the Qingfeng Tower in the city and show this Taiqing Token, and someone will naturally resolve your troubles."

As he spoke, Elder Elder Wu Zhu took out a token engraved with the Taiqing Sect's emblem and handed it to Shen Shen Yunzhou.

The Sect Master had been out for more than a month now, and he really couldn't estimate exactly when he would return.

If what this Shen Shen Yunzhou said was true and he was indeed here to repay a favor, the Taiqing Sect, as the host, naturally could not lose etiquette and treat the guest poorly.

After all, having extensive connections in the cultivation world was crucial; making one more good connection meant one more source of help.

More importantly, Shen Shen Yunzhou was so young, yet he was already in the late Soul Formation realm.

In this cultivation world, strength was often linked to resources and background.

Being able to reach this realm at such an age showed that the family or sect behind him had a deep foundation and was definitely not ordinary.

Although the Taiqing Sect could be considered a sect, in this great world where the strong were as numerous as clouds, being able to be on good terms with such a force would have only benefits and no harm.

Shen Shen Yunzhou hurriedly took it with both hands and said gratefully, "Many thanks for the care, Elder! Shen Yunzhou will definitely not cause any trouble for your sect."

After Shen Shen Yunzhou took his leave, Elder Elder Wu Zhu watched his departing figure, took out his identity token, and told Cao Cao Zhengyang and Mo Mo Xingjian about the situation just now.

The two were also somewhat confused after hearing it, but Elder Elder Wu Zhu's actions were not inappropriate.

After all, several peak masters of the sect were currently at a critical stage of breaking through in seclusion and could not tolerate any external interference.

Furthermore, the matter of the Fifth Prince's fall had led the Prefect and the Prefectural Lord to intervene and investigate, and the entire situation was treacherous.

At this juncture, it was indeed not advisable to let a stranger of unknown origin enter the sect, so as to avoid complications.

However, thinking about it, Zhou Qing now had a flying boat built with all the best resources the sect could muster, so if there were no accidents, he would probably be back in these few days.

Everything would naturally be clear then.

Twenty days later, Zhou Qing finally returned successfully.

The flying boat landed steadily, and Zhou Qing's figure flashed, impatiently walking quickly toward Elder Elder Wu Zhu who had come to welcome him.

His gaze was filled with urgency as he asked repeatedly, "Elder, did someone come to the sect?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Elder Wu Zhu was stunned for a moment, then a flash of realization crossed his eyes, and he nodded immediately, saying, "That's right, it seems he wasn't lying."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing instantly became excited, his voice involuntarily rising a few notches as he pursued, "Silver-haired?"

Elder Elder Wu Zhu responded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, yes, he also said..."

Before Elder Elder Wu Zhu could finish his sentence, Zhou Qing could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart and turned to run toward the mountain.

Not long after, upon learning the specific news from Mo Mo Xingjian, he let out a laugh.

It turned out to be a false alarm; he had thought it was really Number Six who had come.

Helpless, Zhou Qing calmed his mood and came to the mountain gate again.

He asked if the young man had arrived driving an earthy-yellow flying boat.

After receiving an affirmative answer from Elder Elder Wu Zhu, Zhou Qing finally confirmed that the person who had come was indeed Shen Shen Yunzhou.

"Silver-haired ugly woman? Does every younger brother think his sister is very ugly?" Zhou Qing could not help but laugh, muttering to himself.

At this moment, Shen Shen Hanyi's cold and noble appearance involuntarily appeared in his mind, her silver hair like a waterfall, her temperament cold and otherworldly.

No matter how one looked at it, it had nothing to do with the word "ugly woman."

Of course, Number Six had been wearing a veil from beginning to end, and he had never seen her actual appearance.

But recognizing half of the characters, he thought it was probably about the same.

"Many thanks, Elder Elder Wu Zhu!" Afterward, Zhou Qing turned and headed toward Yanlong City.

Perhaps.

When he arrived at Yanlong City, the city was crowded with people, bustling and noisy.

Zhou Qing stood in the midst of it, looking at the bustling and lively scene before him, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment.

It seemed as if the Five Sects' Treasure Exchange Gathering had only just passed not long ago.

According to his inquiries, Zhou Qing soon found Shen Shen Yunzhou's current residence.

"What, he has already left?" Zhou Qing was full of surprise.

The innkeeper nodded and said, "He left five days ago."

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment and asked, "Did he leave any words or things behind?"

The innkeeper shook his head and said truthfully, "That he didn't. That day, someone passed by pulling a rotting monster beast corpse, and it was truly foul-smelling."

"When he heard the commotion, he ran out in a hurry. Not only did he buy the monster beast corpse at a high price, but he also carefully inquired about the location where the monster beast corpse was found. Since then, he has never returned."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing was stunned.

Afterward, he had no choice but to return to the Taiqing Sect with a wry smile.

Since he was here to find him and mentioned Number Six's appearance, Number Six must have told him something.

If he had known, he would have reported his real name when they met halfway, saving all this trouble.

After returning to the sect, Zhou Qing's first task was to return to his quiet room and carefully take out the Ancient Tea Tree of Enlightenment.

In the month of the return journey, under the nourishment of the spirit-gathering array and sufficient spirit stones, the ancient tea tree had completely recovered to its peak state.

At this moment, it stood quietly in the flowerpot, its branches and leaves spread out, and a rich and ethereal aura permeated the surroundings.

"Although I only comprehended a wisp of the Phoenix Dao Pattern for the inscription-level divine ability, its power is evident."

"But it consumes too much spiritual power. With my current cultivation, I can only use it once at most before my spiritual power is completely exhausted."

"Therefore, comprehending one wisp or two wisps actually makes no difference in essence."

Zhou Qing muttered to himself, then his gaze fell on the ancient tree glowing with emerald light, and a decision formed in his heart.

"The main purpose now is still to make money. If Brother Wan Bao helps me get wood-attribute spirit stones, but I don't have enough financial resources to exchange for them, wouldn't I be cheating him?"

Zhou Qing frowned deeply, his expression solemn.

"An array master is a profession that eats money, but it is also one that makes money. Crafting good magic arrays can not only save one's life at critical moments but also be sold, thus forming a virtuous cycle."

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing no longer hesitated, sat cross-legged, adjusted his breathing, and sank his mind into his sea of consciousness.

By the way, he held the Ancient Tea Tree of Enlightenment in his arms and began to comprehend the array inheritance left behind by Senior Xuan Xuan Qingzi...

Time flew by, and a month passed quietly.

In the quiet room, Zhou Qing was shrouded in a layer of brilliant light, and more than two thousand spirit seals circled around his side, rotating slowly.

Each spirit seal emitted a unique halo, intertwining and reflecting each other, extremely magnificent.

But if one counted carefully, these spirit seals actually numbered two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, just a hair's breadth away from the number three thousand, which held special significance.

And three thousand spirit seals were the significant mark of a third-level array master.

But at the next moment, Zhou Qing's whole body jolted violently, and a spiritual power vortex suddenly appeared at the center of his brow.

Another spirit seal was actually slowly condensing and forming within this vortex, and it could be vaguely seen that it was glowing with red light.

It was clearly another rare spirit seal, which had now been copied and comprehended by Zhou Qing.

As time passed quietly, the three-thousandth spirit seal finally completely formed.

In an instant, an ancient and vicissitudinous aura erupted from Zhou Qing's body. This aura was wrapped in a rich array rhyme, as if it came from the hands of an ancient array master, making one feel awe.

At the same time, this newly born spirit seal resonated instantly with the other two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine spirit seals, erupting with a deafening roar.

In an instant, an extremely dazzling light shot up from the quiet room, reaching the clouds.

It actually dyed the entire sky into a brilliant gold.

Such a strange phenomenon immediately attracted the attention of Mo Mo Xingjian at the peak.

He saw his expression change suddenly, his toes tapped lightly, and when he appeared again, he was already above Zhou Qing's residence.

Before he could recover, Sect Master Cao Cao Zhengyang and several Supreme Elders also stepped through the air one after another, their faces full of solemnity and confusion.

After all, the Taiqing Sect was in a special period recently, and any disturbance was enough to keep everyone on edge.

And the Small Spirit Peak where Zhou Qing was located was the top priority and received much attention.

"This is... array spirit seals?" Elder Duanmu Shu looked at the spirit seals in the light and could not help but exclaim.

"Look, the number of these spirit seals—" a peak master's voice trembled, reminding them in shock.

Everyone looked closely, counting involuntarily: "One, two... five hundred... one thousand... three, three thousand..."

When they confirmed the number of spirit seals reached three thousand, everyone was stunned, their faces full of disbelief.

One must know that three thousand spirit seals were the symbol of a third-level array master!

When Zhou Qing returned from the Master Bai Yu Taixu Academy, he only had one thousand spirit seals. It had only been a few years; how did he suddenly condense three thousand?

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes first filled with shock, then instantly replaced by wild joy.

They never imagined that Zhou Qing would possess such terrifying talent on the path of an array master.

Great, great, the Taiqing Sect's ancestral grave really was smoking with blue smoke.

Mo Mo Xingjian, who was standing in the air to the side, trembled with excitement, his eyes full of gratification and pride.

Others could not help but cheer, but quickly shushed each other, signaling for quiet so as not to disturb Zhou Qing.

At this time, more and more Small Spirit Peak disciples were awakened by this sudden strong light and ran out from their respective residences, looking up at the source of the light.

Seeing this, Elder Duanmu Shu immediately gave a wink to the other peak masters. Several peak masters understood and immediately turned and left to prevent anyone from approaching rashly.

"Everyone step back, do not disturb him!" Elder Duanmu Shu ordered in a low voice.

Everyone woke up as if from a dream, scattering quickly while vigilantly guarding the surroundings to prevent accidents.

At this time, other peak masters looked at Mo Mo Xingjian one after another, their eyes full of envy.

Junior Brother (Senior Brother) Mo really did take in a good disciple!

(End of chapter)