Chapter 271: Zhou Qing Quietly Shields Shen Hanyi Before Him! (6k)

“Elder, shall we continue?” Seeing Zhou Qing lost in thought, Shen Hanyi couldn’t help but remind him.

Zhou Qing finally snapped out of it, glanced at the scene before him, and chuckled: “I still remember last time I came here, someone was dragging herself over from over there in a fluster.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Hanyi’s earlobes instantly flushed crimson.

That time, she had been the one to end it, then hurried to the restricted zone to safely bring back her younger brother, Shen Yunzhou.

But she never expected him to escape from the dark room again—after learning from the stone monster, this time he’d gone to the Holy Martial Empire.

Probably to thank that fateful person, Zhou Qing.

The danger level of a fourth-tier cultivation nation is relatively low; aside from a mere dozen or so Cutting-Spirit experts, the rest are mostly Soul Transformation or below.

As long as he keeps a low profile, he shouldn’t encounter much danger.

Constantly shielding him isn’t a solution—better to let him venture out and undergo real trials to grow.

Later, she could simply go fetch him back.

“Forgive this humble one for the lapse,” Shen Hanyi said, gathering her thoughts and bowing respectfully.

Zhou Qing shook his head. “That kid’s interesting—though his realm insight is odd, at least he’s ambitious—‘Shit Heavenly Emperor’? That title’s truly unique.”

Shen Hanyi’s face flushed even redder.

Then, the two sang love songs beneath the crooked jujube tree, successfully locating the black boat holding the second-level key and entering the mine district.

“Elder, you’ve seen so much—could you help me acquire that red scroll? I want to see what kind of divine art it records.”

Shen Hanyi pointed to a mine tunnel at the edge.

Zhou Qing’s heart tightened instantly—he shook his head. “I’ve deliberately observed it several times. That scroll is no ordinary artifact; it’s surrounded by extremely perilous energy. Even I lack full confidence.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Hanyi felt a pang of disappointment.

In fact, since successfully retrieving the Ice Glass Spirit Sparrow Herb, she’d simulated the attempt many times—nearly every time, she was slain by the miniature blood phoenix that emerged from the scroll.

Blood phoenixes are among the most top-tier beasts; whatever’s recorded inside must be extraordinary.

Watching her expression, Zhou Qing suddenly had a bold idea.

“What if I taught her the Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain?”

First, this woman acts with clear principles—a trait I rarely see in Cutting-Spirit experts.

Unlike Xuan Yuan Shuo, whom I once admired for guarding the border and diligently protecting the empire’s people.

But after he forcibly tried to soul-search me, that respect vanished completely.

Now, the only one who truly cares for me is Second Uncle.

Moreover, since I successfully cultivated this inscription-level divine art, she’s the only one who’s seen me use it.

Even Second Uncle only helped me unlock it with an ultimate weapon—but he abandoned it because it requires a virgin body.

Besides, this technique originated from her bringing me into that secret chamber and using the [Copy Tag] to obtain it.

I have a feeling we’ll cross paths many more times; if I don’t lay groundwork now, I might get exposed.

After all, as the top figure of the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace, I still want to preserve this mystique and quietly blend in among others.

But I wonder if she can even receive it?

Last time, when I gave her the four-color array [Grand Yin Soul Refining Array] to control the shroud, blank jade slips wouldn’t work—I barely succeeded using spiritual sense.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing looked at her again. “You’ve never cultivated an inscription-level divine art?”

Shen Hanyi blinked, then smiled wryly. “Elder, you’re joking. Inscriptive-level divine arts are rare finds—nine out of ten Cutting-Spirit experts haven’t even heard of them, let alone cultivated them.”

Zhou Qing nodded thoughtfully—this matched what Second Uncle had said.

“Then what do you think of my inscription-level divine art?” Zhou Qing asked.

Shen Hanyi answered without hesitation: “It’s powerful! That day, though I only caught a glimpse, the inscription power within was unlike anything I’d ever seen—utterly shocking!”

Shen Hanyi spoke truthfully—Master Ku Di, though reduced to that state, still wielded Cutting-Spirit peak combat power.

Yet the Number One merely tapped him lightly with an inscription-level technique and sent him flying.

I just wonder why he ultimately abandoned the fight and chose to withdraw.

Zhou Qing sensed her longing for this art, then said seriously: “What if I taught it to you?”

At these words, Shen Hanyi froze in place, stunned, stammering: “W-what?”

Seeing her reaction, Zhou Qing dismissed it lightly: “It’s just an inscription-level divine art—not anything rare. I’ve got plenty. Do you want it or not?”

Shen Hanyi stood rigid, eyes wide, staring at Zhou Qing in disbelief, silent for a long while.

Though both were blurred forms, Zhou Qing could still imagine her expression.

For some reason, he felt a small surge of pride.

Then he cleared his throat and explained: “I’m telling the truth. I only teach those with destiny—you’re not the first. No need to be so astonished.”

He paused. “A few years ago, while traveling through a fourth-tier cultivation nation disguised as a beggar, a fairly clean-looking man took pity on me and bought me a meal.”

“I casually taught him this art—maybe you two will meet someday.”

At last, Shen Hanyi snapped out of her shock—her throat felt dry, her heart swelling with indescribable excitement.

This wasn’t an ordinary technique—it was inscription-level. Her Heavenly Fortune Holy Empire probably had no more than a handful.

The Shen family possessed one—but her grandfather held onto it and never taught it to anyone.

That’s why several of her aunts’ factions constantly coveted it.

And Number One just handed it out like it was free?

This… this…

Immediately, Shen Hanyi stepped back, bowed deeply, voice trembling: “Elder, this art is far too precious. I am unworthy of such a grand gift.”

Zhou Qing smiled faintly and shook his head. “Didn’t I say? To me, this thing is as common as cabbage—worthless.”

Hearing this, Shen Hanyi’s heart trembled again.

Clearly, her earlier guesses about Number One’s identity were far too low—his true status and power likely far exceeded her imagination.

“Thank you, Elder!” Shen Hanyi, seeing his sincerity, no longer refused, quickly bowing in gratitude.

After all, she’d never cultivated a technique of this caliber.

But Zhou Qing changed tone: “I don’t know if I can transmit it to you here, but before I try, I have one question.”

“Elder, please ask—I will answer truthfully!” Shen Hanyi replied at once.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, then fixed his gaze on her. “It may be impolite, but it’s essential for cultivation: are you still a virgin?”

When Zhou Qing asked this, Shen Hanyi froze again, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

Too bad both were blurred forms—Zhou Qing couldn’t see it, but he sharply sensed her body tremble.

Shen Hanyi lowered her head and whispered: “Elder… does this have anything to do with cultivating an inscription-level divine art?”

Zhou Qing felt slightly embarrassed but answered honestly: “This art is unique. Men must remain virgins; women must remain chaste.”

“I suspect it demands unity of body and spirit, resonance with heaven and earth. A chaste body means pure, unblemished essence—free of distractions and karmic burdens—making cultivation easier.”

Shen Hanyi fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath, looked up at Zhou Qing, and whispered like a mosquito: “Yes.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing felt an unexpected surge of delight.

Among all the Cutting-Spirit experts he’d seen, most were ancient elders—like Second Uncle, Xuan Yuan Shuo, and several demon emperors.

They’d all experienced everything there was to experience.

Shen Hanyi, though from a fifth-tier cultivation nation, with resources and talent far beyond places like the Holy Martial Empire,

was still the youngest and most beautiful Cutting-Spirit expert he’d ever seen.

Granted, he’d only seen half her face—but it was probably close enough.

That saying—thinking a goddess defecates makes you feel awful—

As a high-ranking Cutting-Spirit, if a virgin beauty like her hadn’t been claimed, any man would feel a little smug.

“Good,” Zhou Qing nodded, satisfied.

“This art is called the Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain, originating from the Blood Phoenix Clan. Its cultivation difficulty is extraordinary. If you can condense three thousand Phoenix Dao Marks, it rivals Dao-Trace level divine arts!”

Upon hearing this, Shen Hanyi’s shyness vanished—her eyes widened again, filled with disbelief.

“Dao-Trace level?” she gasped, utterly stunned.

In her mind, Dao-Trace level divine arts were legendary, unreachable.

But Zhou Qing merely smiled faintly. “Don’t be so shocked. Your talent isn’t bad. Once you’ve mastered this, I’ll casually gift you a few Dao-Trace level arts.”

Damn, never in his life had he boasted so much—but it felt amazing.

Especially in front of a beautiful, untouched immortal maiden.

“Elder really is… hmm~~”

Before Shen Hanyi could finish, Zhou Qing already touched her forehead—just like last time.

As his finger made contact, he again felt a chill run from his fingertip.

This second intimate touch made Shen Hanyi’s heartbeat surge, her body trembling slightly.

Instantly, a vast torrent of information flooded her spiritual sense.

Without hesitation, she focused entirely on absorbing this rare inscription-level divine art.

Time passed slowly—until a colossal blood phoenix roared into the sky within her spiritual sea, Shen Hanyi trembled with excitement.

Soon after, the transmission ended, and Zhou Qing withdrew his finger.

But Shen Hanyi remained motionless, still processing.

Zhou Qing exhaled softly—now the groundwork was laid. If he ever used this art again, he could at least blame it all on Number One.

Shen Hanyi certainly wouldn’t act like Xuan Yuan Shuo and attempt a soul-search.

“Thank you, Elder!” The next moment, Shen Hanyi opened her eyes and bowed gratefully.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly. “It’s nothing. Cultivate well. Then let’s keep going.”

Shen Hanyi nodded repeatedly, desperate to step out and begin her contemplation immediately.

As the two followed their previous route, they encountered not a single trace of the temple where Ku Di had perished.

It seemed their prior sighting of that temple had been pure luck.

No wonder Jiyuan Temple had never retrieved Ku Di’s remains— they simply couldn’t locate the temple’s position.

At that moment, two figures approached, radiating the aura of the Severing Spirit realm.

This filled Zhou Qing with envy.

The depth of a Level Five cultivation nation was truly unfathomable, especially in this forbidden zone, where encounters with Severing Spirit cultivators were so common.

“They’re from Bai Yu Wù!” Shen Hanyi warned.

Zhou Qing said nothing—he had no idea where Bai Yu Wù was, but it must be a sect of the Tianyun Holy Dynasty.

The two had coincidentally stopped right beside them, but due to differing latitudes, they remained unseen.

“Old Guan, are you sure you didn’t missee?”

One of them appeared disheveled, frantically absorbing two supreme spirit stones while urgently questioning his companion.

The Severing Spirit cultivator called Old Guan wiped blood from his lips, still trembling with lingering fear.

After all, these hundred thousand mines brimmed with endless dangers—some threats didn’t wait for you to enter; they attacked on their own, even setting traps to lure you in.

“Brother Jiang, do you think I’d lie to you? That divine beast is definitely in that plain—I heard its cries days ago. It’s not dead yet, but it’s close.”

Old Guan spoke with absolute certainty.

The other’s face darkened with greed.

“Then all’s well. We’ve come this far—that’s already immense fortune. Maybe heaven truly favors us today. If we can get even a scrap, you and I might advance further.”

After a brief rest, the two hurried forward.

Zhou Qing and Shen Hanyi exchanged glances, surprised.

The Emperor had issued a ban, declaring all circulating images false, yet they still clung to this pursuit.

“Let’s follow them,” Zhou Qing thought again of Second Uncle.

Shen Hanyi nodded.

Due to the forbidden zone’s extreme dangers, even Severing Spirit cultivators dared not tear space to move forward—you never knew where you’d reappear.

Thus, the two openly trailed the pair.

Yet after advancing less than a few li, a vast black cloud suddenly erupted from a previously calm mine below.

Two colossal white bone claws, entwined with blood-red chains, burst forth, radiating terrifying pressure as they lunged toward the two men.

“Watch out!” The cultivator called Old Guan’s pupils contracted—he reacted instantly, swinging a dark-gold iron sword.

The blade blazed with golden light, yet the instant it touched the claw, it shattered piece by piece.

The other seized the moment to hastily summon a defensive talisman barrier, its runes flashing as it swiftly enveloped them.

But as the claws descended, the barrier darkened as if corroded, then exploded with a thunderous *boom*.

Both Severing Spirit cultivators groaned in unison.

This sight turned Zhou Qing’s face pale.

The forbidden zone numbered Six was far more terrifying than his own.

“Master, they’re coming!” Shen Hanyi said grimly.

Indeed, from the mine below, two nearly identical white bone claws erupted again.

But this time, their target was them.

Strictly speaking, it was their simulated passage through this region that had triggered the forbidden creatures’ detection and attack.

Just as Zhou Qing had once watched Second Uncle push his grinding stone to the entrance of that corridor and set it down.

He had then followed, pushing his own stone at his latitude and placing it likewise.

“You handle it!” Zhou Qing silently stepped behind Shen Hanyi.

Shen Hanyi blinked in surprise, then nodded, her hands moving swiftly to form seals as spiritual power surged around her.

Instantly, threads of icy-blue light shot from her fingertips, weaving a translucent lotus phantom in midair.

The sky’s temperature plummeted; ice patterns spread across the ground.

The twin bone claws struck with blinding speed, their talons tearing the air into piercing shrieks.

Shen Hanyi cried out, and the ice lotus bloomed violently—countless ice blades, laced with bone-chilling cold, rained down upon the claws.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the two sides clashed, shockwaves radiated outward in all directions.

Zhou Qing, curious, stared down into the mine—what exactly lurked within?

Meanwhile, screams echoed from the other side. Zhou Qing looked up and saw the cultivator called Old Guan pierced through by one of the bone claws’ iron chains.

He was being dragged rapidly into the mine.

“Save me, save me—” he screamed in terror, unable to even abandon his body.

The remaining man, horrified, pushed back the claw with all his strength and fled without hesitation.

The claw, unwilling to lose its prey, roared after him.

Here, Shen Hanyi summoned five ice dragons, locked in fierce struggle with the claws.

Puff—

Soon, Shen Hanyi was flung backward, spitting blood.

Zhou Qing sighed softly—it seemed they couldn’t pass this place.

“Master, please lend me your strength!” Shen Hanyi wiped her lips and looked at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing shook his head. “Forget it. Let’s start over. Look over there!”

Following Zhou Qing’s gaze, they saw a centipede of a hundred segments, stitched from rotting corpses, crawling from the left mine—each segment embedded with the skulls of different cultivators.

From the right mine emerged a thousand bronze knights mounted on skeletal horses, each radiating terrifying pressure.

Seeing this, Shen Hanyi reluctantly gave up.

This was why, despite countless simulations, she dared not penetrate deeper into this forbidden zone.

After the two retreated and reformed into light orbs, both their physical strength and spiritual energy fully restored to peak.

“Master, with your casual Mingwen-level technique—no, Dao-trace-level technique—you should be able to pass through easily, right?” Shen Hanyi asked Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing looked slightly embarrassed, smiling awkwardly to mask his guilt. “I’m just not free to act.”

“Why?” Shen Hanyi frowned.

Zhou Qing sighed and fabricated an excuse: “Lately I’ve been wandering the mortal world. If I rashly use spiritual power now, all my prior cultivation might be undone.”

Shen Hanyi nodded slightly, half-understanding.

“Let’s take another path,” Zhou Qing suggested.

Shen Hanyi agreed, exhaled softly, and invited Zhou Qing to enter again.

This time, they chose a new direction—but soon encountered other forbidden zone obstacles.

Helpless, they once again transformed into light orbs.

After several such attempts, the farthest they reached was only a blurred view of the central strange plain.

They couldn’t touch anything else—even after avoiding all mines and avoiding conflict entirely.

In reality, who could possibly cross these hundred thousand mines?

They’d have died countless times by now.

Now, standing atop an ancient tree, gazing at the hazy plain, both felt weary.

Shen Hanyi stole a glance at Zhou Qing.

If Yi Yi could act, he’d surely carry her through effortlessly—but alas—

“Roar~”

Suddenly, from the once-quiet plain came an unheard-of wail, like the final mournful cry of a dying colossal beast.

Both their eyes lit up instantly.

Could it be that divine beast?

“Master, if we press forward, I’ll still be devoured by the transparent worms clinging to the ancient broken steles. I’ve tried every other path—they’re impassable.”

Shen Hanyi spoke with visible distress.

Zhou Qing stared at the plain, frustrated. After all this effort, this was the second time they’d come closest.

“Perhaps the newly spawned [8x Poster] could be tried!” Zhou Qing immediately turned to the Strange Poster Log.

This thing was useless if left idle for long—it might even ruin the refresh cycle of later posters, like the [Corpse-Feeling Poster] had.

But since the sound suggested the divine beast was near, why not test it now?

Deciding, Zhou Qing flipped his hand—the poster etched with eight rings appeared in his palm.

“Here!” He handed it to Shen Hanyi.

Shen Hanyi took it, puzzled. “What is this?”

“Don’t ask—pour all your spiritual sense into it!” Zhou Qing said eagerly.

Shen Hanyi frowned at the poster, uncertain.

Still, she decided to follow Zhou Qing’s instruction.

“Focus your gaze on the plain ahead!” Zhou Qing reminded her.

Shen Hanyi nodded, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began channeling her spiritual sense.

Her consciousness churned as her late Severing Spirit-level spiritual sense poured entirely into the poster.

And the scroll in her hand suddenly emitted a soft glow.

Gong—

In the next instant, a metallic clang rang out abruptly.

The sudden sound startled both of them, and then, before their eyes, a circular ring appeared.

The ring was black, radiating a faint halo, until within it, a distant mine entrance came into view.

At the mine’s entrance hung a bronze coffin; the rest of the space was thick with spiderwebs, and faintly, eight ghostly orbs glimmered within.

Seeing this, Shen Hanyi was stunned, and immediately looked instinctively at Zhou Qing.

“Th-this…”

(End of Chapter)