Chapter 269: No Wonder My Father Never Mentioned This Uncle

“Ugh~”

Inside the Jade Feast Hall!

Lu Yaoyao and Yan Xiaohu staggered out of the room, clutching the corridor pillars as they vomited violently.

Zhou Qing barely held back the churning acid in his stomach, his Adam’s apple bobbing incessantly.

Only Shen Yunzhou stood frozen in place, his fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of his wine cup, his face slightly flushed.

“That… do you all dislike me?” he asked cautiously.

Lu Yaoyao and Yan Xiaohu hastily wiped their mouths, forcing stiff smiles onto their faces.

Yan Xiaohu waved his hands frantically. “No, really not! Don’t misunderstand—I’ve just been eating this place’s food too much lately, and I’m a bit sick of it.”

Before he finished speaking, the master of the Jade Feast Hall happened to pass by the door.

The silver-haired old man halted instantly, his cloudy eyes narrowing into two icy slits: “Oh? Sick of it? Xiao Wang, hang a sign outside—the Jade Feast Hall will henceforth bar Yan Xiaohu and dogs from entering!”

Yan Xiaohu’s face turned ashen; he scrambled after the old man, crawling on his hands and knees. “Uncle! Uncle, listen to me! I was just joking—”

Lu Yaoyao returned to the table, her cheeks flushed, shifting uncomfortably on her seat.

As the host, since his guest had traveled a great distance and presented so many supreme wood-element spirit stones, Zhou Qing naturally invited him to dinner first.

And the Jade Feast Hall was undoubtedly the best choice.

Upon hearing a guest was coming, Yan Xiaohu naturally trotted along eagerly to join the meal.

Then, at the dinner table, Shen Yunzhou began recounting his experience in comprehending the “Dung Realm.”

Can you imagine? After getting drunk and falling into a dung pit, eating his fill and bathing himself clean, he discovered everyone avoided him—and suddenly, he had an epiphany.

He also developed a bold idea.

Since then, he began studying all kinds of filth, even traveling to demonic beast habitats to observe their origins firsthand, smell their stench, and even… taste them.

Especially when he broke through from Nascent Soul peak to Soul Transformation, he directly attained enlightenment in “Dung Arrives,” causing the entire Shen family to shit for three days and three nights—can you believe that?

The Shen family patriarch, his grandfather, nearly moved out of sheer nausea.

From then on, everyone avoided him, their eyes filled with revulsion.

But he found it endlessly enjoyable—there were countless Soul Transformation cultivators in this world, yet how many were remembered?

“Now I’m at the late stage of Soul Transformation. To break through to peak, I must urgently deepen my comprehension. Do you have any…?”

“Stop! Don’t say more!” Lu Yaoyao suddenly raised her hand, fighting back the rising acid in her throat.

Her gaze toward Shen Yunzhou now carried clear disdain; she felt as if every inch of his body had been tainted by every kind of filth.

If Third Mom was truly his mother, no wonder Father never mentioned this uncle.

Zhou Qing stared at the lavish feast before him, his stomach clenching.

It seemed that for a long time ahead, even Grain Grain Bigu would be a blessing.

Shen Yunzhou looked disappointed but grinned again. “It’s fine—I’ve learned a bit. Your fourth-tier spiritual nation is huge; there must be many strange places.”

Then he pulled out a dull yellow clay jar; faint rustling came from beneath the cloth covering its mouth.

“Let me introduce my trusted partner!” he proudly lifted the cloth. “Black Gold Dung Pusher—the dung beetle. I rely on it to find rare excrement…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Qing swiftly grabbed his wrist. “It’s getting late. Brother Shen, you’ve traveled far—why not rest first?”

Lu Yaoyao nodded vigorously.

Shen Yunzhou reluctantly tucked the jar away. “Alright! Then I’ll show you another day.”

Afterwards, Zhou Qing led Shen Yunzhou to Xiao Ling Peak to reside.

After all, Shen Yue Peak, as the main peak of Taiqingmen, housed forbidden zones in the back mountains—entry and exit required strict control.

Soon after, Yan Xiaohu returned with a gloomy face, staring at the nearly untouched dishes on the table, his heart torn.

Finally, he clenched his teeth and shouted toward the door.

“Pack it up! My brother Niu Guangmo and the others haven’t eaten yet!”

…

In the following days, besides reinserting the ten supreme wood-element spirit stones into the potted plant, Zhou Qing spent nearly all his time escorting the “curious child” Shen Yunzhou around.

This gave him a general understanding of Taiqingmen.

“So you sneaked out behind your sister’s back?” Zhou Qing exclaimed in surprise one day.

He’d assumed Sixth had been busy and sent Shen Yunzhou to thank him—but apparently, he’d come on his own.

Shen Yunzhou nodded vigorously, still shaken. “Absolutely! If she found out, she’d drag me straight back to the black room—that place’s practically my second home.”

Zhou Qing fell silent.

Clearly, this guy has been causing trouble since childhood.

“Where’s Miss Lu? Why hasn’t she shown up these past two days?” Shen Yunzhou glanced around curiously.

And that round-faced, small-eyed Yan Xiaohu—he was also a troublemaker, and he’d vanished too.

Zhou Qing gave him a cool glance but said nothing.

Don’t you already know why they’re not here?

If I weren’t indebted to you, do you think I wouldn’t declare myself in seclusion too?

“By the way, I just remembered something. A few years ago, my sister mentioned your region had a Four-Petal Crown appear—something never seen before. It drew attention from several neighboring spiritual nations.”

Shen Yunzhou suddenly recalled something important, his eyes lighting up.

Zhou Qing’s heart lurched; he immediately grew wary, then calmly replied: “I don’t know anything about it. The imperial court says it was visitors from other spiritual nations.”

“Alright, Three-Petal Crowns are rare enough—Four-Petal Crowns are truly unbelievable,” Shen Yunzhou nodded, a hint of regret on his face.

Then he pulled out an image stone, eagerly asking: “Brother Zhou, I have a question—do you know where this is?”

Zhou Qing took it, puzzled, and activated it with spiritual power. A scene immediately projected.

The image showed a pitch-black tunnel, resembling an abandoned mine shaft.

At that moment, an old man burst out—but seemed to fear something, quickly vanishing back into the darkness.

The instant Zhou Qing saw the man, his eyes narrowed sharply.

“Jin Leizong’s Sect Master—Lei Wuji!” Zhou Qing murmured, more shocked than anything.

Because Lei Wuji’s condition was extremely abnormal—his eyes were bloodshot, half his skin nearly black, and strange markings seemed etched onto his forehead.

Then the image abruptly ended, nothing more.

“Jin Leizong? One of the Five Sects of the Eastern Region? No wonder they’re so powerful—I must’ve accidentally trespassed!”

Shen Yunzhou suddenly understood, looking embarrassed.

Zhou Qing frowned. “When did you go to Jin Leizong’s territory?”

Shen Yunzhou scratched his head, sheepish. “Well, I didn’t know the area well. I was waiting for you at an inn, and one day, my Black Gold Dung Pusher suddenly smelled an unusual stench…”

As Shen Yunzhou recounted, Zhou Qing’s brow tightened, a faint unease growing in his chest.

Shen Yunzhou’s current realm required constant insight into all kinds of filth, with stench being the most critical.

And his dung beetle had an extremely sensitive sense of smell.

That day on the main street, someone passed by pulling a cart loaded with half a decayed demonic beast corpse.

The unique stench of rotting flesh had even caused strange green mists to rise into the air—a smell the dung beetle had never encountered before.

So it became wildly excited.

For Shen Yunzhou, such a thing was a “great tonic” for his realm—he immediately bought it and inquired about its origin.

When he arrived at the location, he found only a desert wasteland covered in endless crimson-red sandstone.

It looked ordinary, with nothing unusual, and even others flew past on swords overhead.

Just as he doubted he’d been tricked, his dung beetle darted to one spot and began frantically digging with its front legs.

Shen Yunzhou crouched down and noticed faint, intermittent runes hidden among the ordinary gravel.

You may never have eaten pork—but haven’t you seen pigs run?

He wasn’t an array master, but his sister was.

So he immediately realized a forbidden barrier concealed this place.

After all, the half-dead demonic beast’s corpse carried some stench that helped him immensely.

If he could get more of it, it would be even better.

So he used the array plate his sister had left him, attempting to slowly dismantle it.

Fortunately, the barrier was just a simple two-color array—he soon melted a small hole just wide enough for one person to pass.

Inside, he found a bottomless cave entrance.

But before he could go far, bolts of lightning shot toward him, followed by a wild-haired old man wreathed in violet-gold lightning, charging at him.

The man attacked with lethal intent, clearly aiming to kill him—no chance for explanation.

In his escape, he hastily recorded the scene with the image stone, planning to later use connections to negotiate—just let him experience that stench once.

“Brother Zhou, since you know him, can you plead for me? I’ll pay!” Shen Yunzhou pleaded eagerly.

“I’ve never smelled anything so foul and strange—this might be the key to completing my realm and reaching Soul Transformation peak.”

Zhou Qing frowned, replaying the image stone several times. The more he watched, the more wrong Lei Wuji seemed.

Then he pulled out a map of the Eastern Region, pressing his fingertip on a spot. “Brother Shen, is this the desert wasteland?”

Shen Yunzhou leaned close, comparing it to landmarks he remembered, then nodded firmly. “Yes, that’s it—but slightly northward.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing’s heart sank.

Because that region belonged to Tianji Men.

But during the Five Sects War, all sides attacked each other’s resource zones—there, the Three Alliance…

Wait—

Originally, the ones who attacked there were likely Jin Leizong; after the place was leveled to the ground, no one paid attention to it again.

Now that Lei Wuji has appeared there and set up a barrier to conceal it, there’s definitely something wrong.

“Was that person the only one there at the time?” Zhou Qing asked, his expression grave.

Shen Yunzhou shook his head. “No, I sensed many powerful energies inside—otherwise, how could I have escaped? On my way here to the Eastern Region, five men chased me and I wasn’t even afraid.”

“Brother Shen, thank you!” Zhou Qing immediately stood up. “Wait here for a moment—I’ll be right back.”

After speaking, he quickly took the image stone to find his master.

The current situation in the Eastern Region is treacherous and shifting; on the surface, all is calm, but beneath, rival factions churn with hidden currents.

Qingyu Immortal Sect has become a subordinate of Taiqingmen; surviving with its lineage intact is already a stroke of luck.

Tianji Gate appears weak and has allied with Cangyan Dao Palace, yet secretly controls Sikong Yan using eight drops of heart’s blood, constantly influencing his decisions and thoughts.

That leaves only Jin Leizong struggling to survive between two powerful rivals.

Never underestimate an opponent who deliberately feigns weakness.

Jin Leizong must not be taken lightly!

Shen Yunzhou watched Zhou Qing’s retreating back, scratched his head, and felt utterly confused.

Soon, Mo Xingjian, after examining the image stone, solemnly contacted the Sect Master, Cao Zhengyang.

Within half an hour, all members of the Shenyue Peak council chamber had gathered—except the five peak masters in seclusion.

The master of Danhua Peak broke the silence first: “Lei Wuji’s sudden appearance in the abandoned mining zone of former Tianji Gate is highly suspicious.”

The master of Xuanbing Peak, however, scoffed, a sneer curling at his lips.

“What’s to fear? Qingyu Immortal Sect is now under our control. Master Mo brought back plenty of secrets from the Xuanyou Immortal not long ago. Jin Leizong has few strong cultivators left.”

The master of Yunmeng Peak agreed: “Exactly! They failed to refine the Jiuyou Lotus Seed too—one died, one was severely wounded.”

“Jin Leizong now has only five Supreme Elders at the peak of Soul Transformation, and Lei Wuji himself is merely late-stage Soul Transformation.”

Hearing this, everyone’s faces relaxed; whispers filled the room with disdain.

Cao Zhengyang’s gaze burned as he swept over them. “Are you all floating? Don’t forget—you’ve only been at the peak of Soul Transformation for less than two years!”

The hall fell silent. Everyone flushed with embarrassment and lowered their heads.

But then again, Taiqingmen now has eight Supreme Elders, plus these peak masters—sixteen cultivators at the peak of Soul Transformation.

Even if Jin Leizong and Tianji Gate joined forces, we could crush them completely.

“Zhou Qing, what do you think?” Cao Zhengyang turned his gaze to the silent Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing paused, then spoke slowly: “It may seem like overreaction, but I feel we shouldn’t be careless—especially since the Fifth Imperial Prince perished in the Eastern Region.”

He really wanted to tell them the Fifth Imperial Prince was the mastermind behind the Five Sects War, but this was something Sikong Yan told him in the Shenxu Tiangong.

Once you open that door, there’s no closing it again.

Cao Zhengyang nodded, then looked at his fellow disciples.

“I’ve confirmed it—the Fifth Imperial Prince, Xuan Yuan Fengtai, was only early-stage Soul Transformation, but he was escorted by three Supreme Elders at the peak of Soul Transformation.”

“Yet such a force was silently slaughtered, and the scene was cleaned up perfectly. The killer is no ordinary person.”

“From the Five Sects War, to the Old Great Peng King’s ruins at Canglan Mountain, to the Beast Tide battle, to the death of a Soul Severing cultivator at Linggu Mountain, and now the Fifth Imperial Prince’s death—chaos keeps erupting in the Eastern Region. We must be vigilant.”

The others exchanged glances, their expressions grim; their earlier disdain vanished.

“You’ve all seen it—Lei Wuji’s condition is severely off, and we haven’t heard a word from him in ages.”

Mo Xingjian added: “That young master Shen said he smelled a strange stench there. I think we should investigate personally.”

The peak masters nodded vigorously.

“We humbly follow the Sect Master’s orders!”

…

Shen Yunzhou was bewildered, staring at the ten peak-level Soul Transformation cultivators behind Zhou Qing, blinking in surprise.

Several others, including Duanmu Shu, curiously sized him up.

According to Zhou Qing, this boy was the younger brother of that silver-haired Soul Severing elder?

He must be taken care of.

After all, Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao helped that elder before—now his younger brother has come. That’s a good omen.

Some connections are built this way, silently and without notice.

“These are our Supreme Elders of Taiqingmen. This is the Sect Master. This is my Master,” Zhou Qing introduced them one by one.

Shen Yunzhou snapped to attention and bowed respectfully.

He had never imagined a sect from a Level Four cultivation country could hide such astonishing power.

Cao Zhengyang smiled warmly. “Young Master Shen, please lead the way. We’ll go together. If there’s anything you need inside, take it without hesitation.”

Hearing this, Shen Yunzhou finally understood, turned to Zhou Qing, and his face filled with emotion.

So… all this commotion was for me?

Thank you—thank you so much!

Then, the group boarded Shen Yunzhou’s flying vessel and headed toward the desert…

Five days later!

Before them stretched an endless expanse of crimson desert.

Under the blazing sun, visible heatwaves twisted the air, and flocks of vultures occasionally screeched overhead.

To conceal their presence, they retracted their vessel and flew low, riding their swords.

“It’s right there, Brother Zhou—you’re an array expert and helped me before—you should see it better than I do… Brother Zhou? Brother Zhou, where did you go?”

Shen Yunzhou turned around—Zhou Qing was gone.

The others’ expressions changed instantly; all eyes snapped forward.

“Could that boy have gone in alone?” Cao Zhengyang worried.

Mo Xingjian sighed and moved to follow—but a soft cough sounded beside them.

“Uh… everyone, don’t panic—I’m right here,” Zhou Qing’s voice came from nearby.

Everyone froze. Only then did they realize Zhou Qing had been standing still the whole time, as if he’d never moved.

But he’d clearly vanished just now.

Was this daylight ghosting?

Soon, even Supreme Elder Duanmu Shu and others felt embarrassed.

Here they were, a squad of elite cultivators, and they’d panicked for no reason.

Shen Yunzhou rubbed his eyes, laughing bitterly at himself.

He was the Heaven-Defying Emperor, fearless of heaven or earth—could he really be hallucinating?

This was ridiculous.

Zhou Qing hadn’t expected everyone to ignore him so completely—Shen Yunzhou’s sudden outburst left him momentarily stunned.

Unfortunately, after upgrading his talent skill [Reduced Presence] to LV6, further progression couldn’t be fueled by Soul Transformation cultivation alone.

“We haven’t fully broken ties with Jin Leizong yet—we still maintain the facade of our old alliance. Let’s disguise ourselves.”

Cao Zhengyang suggested.

Everyone nodded and changed into black stealth robes and dark masks.

The master of Wanshi Peak chuckled: “So far, no other sects know we’ve all broken through. If so many peak-level Soul Transformation cultivators suddenly appear, they’ll never guess which faction we are.”

Others chuckled too.

Shen Yunzhou watched silently, suddenly feeling how harmonious this sect truly was—he couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

Unlike his own Shen family—though they resided in a Level Five cultivation country, his uncles all harbored hidden agendas, especially the faction behind his aunt, which constantly coveted Shen family resources and status.

Though his grandfather maintained a fragile peace through sheer prestige, his elder sister, a late-stage Soul Severing cultivator and Level Four array master, had to tread carefully at every step, fearing one misstep could plunge her into irrecoverable ruin.

“Ready? Let’s go,” Cao Zhengyang said.

The group moved forward silently, and when they reached the site, Shen Yunzhou carefully reopened the barrier.

They entered one by one, but out of caution, Cao Zhengyang left two peak masters outside as backup.

Once inside, they faced a dark, vertical shaft plunging deep underground.

At close range, a chilling coldness, mixed with an indescribable stench of decay, washed over them.

“We’ll lead. You guard the rear. Xiao Shen and Zhou Qing stay central!” Duanmu Shu ordered, drawing her magic treasure.

Three Supreme Elders had come; the rest were peak masters.

After Duanmu Shu’s order, Cao Zhengyang and the others immediately positioned themselves behind Zhou Qing and Shen Yunzhou.

Zhou Qing had been about to speak, but Mo Xingjian subtly shook his head.

Zhou Qing understood—and seized the moment to scan the cave entrance with his ability.

After all, Shen Yunzhou had already alerted them, and over a month had passed—Lei Wuji would surely be prepared.

Quickly, an analysis returned.

【Corpse Cultivation Ground: This is the entrance to a Corpse Yin Sect corpse cultivation site from a Level Three cultivation country. It once held massive amounts of corpse qi and malevolent energy, but due to its age, most has already dissipated.】

Seeing this, Zhou Qing frowned deeply—he seemed to understand something.

Before this, the region had belonged to a Level Three cultivation country, but after the old Emperor of Shengwu Empire broke through, the Cultivation Alliance granted it upgrade status.

It seemed that long ago, when Jin Leizong was tasked with handling Tianji Gate’s mine, they accidentally discovered this place and concealed it.

But then again—their cultivation base is thunder-based, which should suppress these yin evils. So what was Lei Wuji researching here?

And why had he become like this?

As Zhou Qing pondered, Duanmu Shu and the others had already entered ahead.

“Brother Zhou, what’s wrong?” Shen Yunzhou, seeing Zhou Qing motionless, whispered a reminder.

Zhou Qing gave a slight shake of his head, signaling he was fine, then followed them inside.

“Strange, why is no one here this time? Last time, right here, that guy appeared like a ghost, suddenly lunging at me without a word.”

After advancing a short distance, Shen Yunzhou quietly sent a voice message to the others.

“Perhaps they’ve already left!” Duanmu Shu quietly extended her spiritual sense but sensed no life signs, unable to help but speculate.

(End of Chapter)