Chapter 274: Don't misunderstand, it

One month later, Taiqingmen!

Jiang Pojun drove the flying boat and came again.

"Please report, Right Deputy General of the Longxiang Army, Jiang Pojun, has matters to seek Zhou Qing!"

Elder Wu Zhu naturally recognized this young man and, after letting him wait for a moment, left.

At the same time, in the quiet room, Zhou Qing held the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree in his arms, a layer of faint blood light emerging around his body.

A miniature phantom of a Golden Crow and a Jin Peng each floated on the left and right sides, faces full of awe.

And in Zhou Qing's sea of consciousness, a huge Blood Phoenix hissed toward the sky amidst the burning blood flames.

And on its chest, what was originally only one feather that was abnormally red all over had now turned into two.

Inside was a space interwoven with dense Dao patterns, and the majestic power contained within made one's heart tremble.

"Finally, I've comprehended the second strand of Phoenix Dao patterns!" Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes, his eyes full of excitement.

Since the Second Grandfather obtained the inscription-level divine ability "Nine Tribulations Thunder Talisman Scripture," it has recorded thirty-six thunder inscriptions, and so far, only thirteen have been condensed.

And he has already condensed two strands now; if there are enough supreme-grade wood-attribute spirit stones, this progress can be even faster!

The next moment, he felt something in his heart and took out his identity token; the message was sent by Yan Xiaohu.

After seeing the content, a meaningful smile couldn't help but appear on Zhou Qing's face.

"Since he's here, Xuan Yuan Shuo must have made some concessions; I just don't know how much!"

Zhou Qing put away the token, stretched his body, which was slightly stiff from sitting for a long time, and pushed the door out.

I, Zhou Qing, am not someone who likes to suffer in silence!

Outside the mountain gate, Lu Yaoyao's willow brows were raised, her hands on her hips, her eyes full of anger.

Yan Xiaohu crossed his arms, looking ready to make a move at any time.

Shen Yunzhou stood with his hands behind his back, spiritual power faintly circulating around him.

The three formed a triangular formation, firmly blocking Jiang Pojun in the middle.

Looking at Jiang Pojun, he was rubbing his hands awkwardly, his face embarrassed, explaining something anxiously with a red face.

In fact, even though it was his second time coming, he didn't know what exactly had happened between Zhou Qing and the Prince.

He believed firmly in Zhou Qing's character, but he also respected the Prince's character.

And behind the mountain gate barrier, Sect Master Cao Zhengyang stood with his hands behind his back, his brows locked, emitting a cold aura.

Mo Xingjian crossed his arms, his eyes full of vigilance and dissatisfaction.

The two looked gloomy, quietly watching Jiang Pojun.

They knew that with Xuan Yuan Shuo's Soul Severance realm strength, he wouldn't come to the door twice for no reason.

Back then, they had repeatedly warned Zhou Qing to keep his distance from the Imperial Family.

What the Imperial Family values is the vast and boundless territory of the Holy Martial Dynasty, the livelihood of hundreds of millions of people, and the intricate interests of all parties.

For the stability of the Imperial Dynasty, they can weigh the pros and cons in the court, plan layouts at the border, and even sacrifice local interests for the sake of the big picture.

But the sect is different; Taiqingmen is just a small world, a place for disciples to cultivate with focus.

What they pursue is the Great Dao, a realm beyond the mundane, valuing the continuation of inheritance and the growth of disciples.

In their eyes, the dignity and inheritance of the sect cannot be trampled upon in the slightest, which is completely different from the grand vision of the Imperial Family focusing on the world.

Although they didn't know how much grievance Zhou Qing had suffered without their knowledge.

But according to the rough descriptions of Lu Yaoyao and Yan Xiaohu, it definitely touched Zhou Qing's bottom line, or was even an insult.

Just then, Zhou Qing came from Small Spirit Peak and was slightly stunned after seeing the two: "Master, Shibo, what are you doing here?"

Cao Zhengyang's gaze was like a torch, looking at Zhou Qing with full worry: "I didn't expect this Xuan Yuan Shuo to be so tough; you clearly refused, yet they still sent someone."

He paused, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes, "Don't worry, we still have the Forbidden Cave Heaven, and the First Ancestor sitting in town; at worst, we'll fight to the death!"

Mo Xingjian nudged Cao Zhengyang with his elbow and rolled his eyes: "I don't want the fourth brother to suffer grievances either, but we can't fight to the death right now; we have to plan for the long term."

Cao Zhengyang snorted coldly and said no more.

Mo Xingjian turned to look at Zhou Qing, his tone much gentler: "A person can have the sea and sky to leap and fly; if it really doesn't work, you can go out to train."

"With your talent, find a hidden place to cultivate with focus, and even if they want to find you, there will be nowhere to look. You don't need to worry about the sect; we are guarding it."

Zhou Qing, seeing this, knew they had misunderstood, but still felt warmth surging in his heart.

He smiled and said, "Master, Shibo, don't worry, it hasn't reached the point of swords drawn and bows bent; I can handle it."

After speaking, Zhou Qing gave them a reassuring look and then went out.

"Brother Zhou!" Seeing Zhou Qing come out, Jiang Pojun bowed from afar, even with some trepidation.

Seeing Lu Yaoyao and the others still wanting to say something, Zhou Qing shook his head slightly and stepped forward.

And signaled Jiang Pojun to talk further ahead.

Until the two were far away from the crowd, Jiang Pojun looked at Zhou Qing with some embarrassment.

Then he said seriously: "The Prince said, although your temper is vengeful, he appreciates your straightforwardness. It's much better than those villains hiding in the dark who give people a fatal blow out of nowhere."

He paused, his expression becoming solemn, "However, ten supreme-grade wood-attribute spirit stones are really too many; it's hard to gather them all at once. The Prince said, five; I wonder if Brother Zhou can accept that?"

As he spoke, he took out a storage bag and handed it over.

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up, his heart full of surprise.

He originally thought Xuan Yuan Shuo would give at most two spirit stones, but he didn't expect him to step back by half; such straightforwardness was beyond his expectations.

"I guess the Second Grandfather's face is also involved!" Zhou Qing pondered secretly.

He estimated that he didn't know the news of the Second Grandfather's departure, and he hadn't seen the Second Grandfather show up to find him to make trouble yet; Zhou Qing guessed that he might also have some concerns in his heart.

By demanding compensation this time, Xuan Yuan Shuo must have also used the slope to get off the donkey, both giving himself a step down and maintaining the cooperative relationship between the two sides.

Thinking of this, a smile curled on Zhou Qing's lips, and then, under Jiang Pojun's nervous gaze, he took the storage bag.

Jiang Pojun was relieved and let out a long breath: "Many thanks, Brother Zhou!"

Zhou Qing was a bit embarrassed: "It's been hard for you to run twice."

Even taking a teleportation array, just getting from Taiqingmen to Lingyun Prefecture takes a month, not to mention the even more distant border.

But Jiang Pojun went back and forth in such a short time, showing that the urgency of the situation far exceeded imagination.

"It's okay, the Imperial Dynasty has a dedicated teleportation channel, and I only sent the news back!"

Seeming to understand what Zhou Qing was thinking, Jiang Pojun hurriedly explained.

Zhou Qing nodded and said, "When are we leaving?"

Jiang Pojun's eyes were happy: "The sooner the better!"

"Okay, give me some time to prepare; we leave in the afternoon!" Zhou Qing said.

Jiang Pojun bowed excitedly: "Many thanks for your understanding, Brother Zhou!"

"Time is still early, let's go inside and talk!" Zhou Qing stepped aside to invite him.

Jiang Pojun looked at the three of Lu Yaoyao, who were glaring not far away, and the gloomy Cao Zhengyang and others at the mountain gate barrier, his face awkward.

"No, no, there are still some affairs on the flying boat that need to be handled in advance; I'll wait for Brother Zhou there."

After Zhou Qing invited him repeatedly, he had to give up and turned back.

"I want to go with you!" Lu Yaoyao saw Zhou Qing take the storage bag; although she didn't know what it was, she understood that her father had agreed to Xuan Yuan Shuo's request to help.

Helping a Soul Severance realm expert isn't easy; last time Third Mama took them to the Kunpeng Palace ruins, the danger level goes without saying.

Zhou Qing was about to shake his head when Lu Yaoyao said: "Third... when Third Sister killed the Spider Emperor, the Dragon Emperor saw us with his own eyes; at a critical moment, with me by your side, we can still use the fox to pretend to be the tiger."

Zhou Qing thought carefully; it was indeed a good method, but he still shook his head.

After all, he was going to enter the demon territory in the identity of the Peng Emperor; it wasn't appropriate for Lu Yaoyao to follow.

More importantly, what if Xuan Yuan Shuo had ulterior motives and searched her soul?

No one would know if he erased her memory afterward, but wouldn't the secret on that island be exposed?

Knowing he could unlock the six-colored restriction, Xuan Yuan Shuo might have other ideas, and what would be left for him would be trouble.

"I'm going too!" Yan Xiaohu followed.

He followed last time he repaired the four-colored array; at the very least, he was familiar with the place and the people.

Zhou Qing looked at the two and refused directly, then detailed the pros and cons to them using sound transmission secret technique.

Only then did the two know that Xuan Yuan Shuo had actually searched Zhou Qing's soul.

This old guy really doesn't talk about martial virtue at all.

Lu Yaoyao couldn't help but snort coldly; although she was unwilling, she understood the danger and had to nod in agreement helplessly.

Yan Xiaohu was even more cold-sweated; if he had followed, wouldn't the other party have been able to search out the matter of the fourth brother's Four Flowers Gathering at the Top?

Isn't this helping with a disservice?

Forget it, I'll go find Old Mo later and have him help me lock the memory about this directly.

"I'll go with you; I don't know anything, and I don't need to worry about anything."

"Don't refuse yet; I'm not from your Taiqingmen, you can't control my decision, and my flying boat is much faster than yours!"

At this time, Shen Yunzhou spoke up.

Zhou Qing thought about it and agreed.

Afterward, he entered the mountain gate and told his master and Sect Master Shibo about it.

"Don't worry, he will need my help for a long time to come, plus the Second Grandfather; he will naturally protect me!" Zhou Qing comforted.

With things said to this point, the two sighed and had to agree.

And Zhou Qing returned to his residence, handed the old hen to the third Shixiong, packed up, and went out with Shen Yunzhou.

"Brother Shen, you've met him; he has never been to the border, so he's following to broaden his horizons!" Zhou Qing explained.

Jiang Pojun nodded and said, "No problem, please board the ship, both of you!"

After Zhou Qing greeted those seeing him off at the mountain gate, the flying boat headed straight for Lingyun Prefecture.

Twenty days later, as the crowd came out of the central square of Haomiao Prefecture, Zhou Qing planned to go to the Bai Yu Taixu Academy first.

After all, when he left last time, he specifically asked Lin Shi to use his connections to help find the second Shijie.

He didn't know how it was going now.

Facing Zhou Qing's decision, Jiang Pojun could only agree, and it was on the way, so it wouldn't be delayed for too long.

Soon, Zhou Qing met Lin Daochen.

Lin Daochen was a bit guilty and said, "The scope of the investigation is constantly shrinking, but so far, no ruins or secret realms that can trap Divine Transformation realm experts have been found for the two of them."

"Could it be that they found a place unknown to others? Would you like to think carefully about some details?"

Zhou Qing shook his head after hearing this, his heart inevitably worried.

With the second Shijie's steady character, she shouldn't easily get involved in those extremely dangerous places; at the very least, she would leave a way out.

Could it be that they went elsewhere?

Like looking for the first Shixiong?

"Don't worry, there are still a few places I am asking for help to find; if they see them inside, they will definitely notify me!" Lin Daochen comforted.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, bowed respectfully, full of gratitude.

"When I came in just now, I saw Jiang Pojun; are you heading to the border?" Lin Daochen asked.

Zhou Qing nodded and explained, "Senior Xuan Yuan has some small matters that need my help."

"Is it related to the four-colored array? Wasn't it already repaired last time?" Lin Daochen showed a look of doubt.

That array repair, if not for Zhou Qing, he wouldn't have his current reputation.

But this child gave all the credit to him.

Zhou Qing smiled slightly and said, "It's not about the array, just some other small matters."

Lin Daochen nodded slightly and said, "That's good. If there are any difficulties in the future, just say the word. By the way, Lu Shi is back."

"When did she come back?" Zhou Qing's face was happy; after all, when she and Lu Yaoyao came last time, she didn't have any news.

Lin Daochen said, "Half a month ago, she even mentioned you to me, saying she planned to..."

"Zhou Qing!" Just then, a surprised shout rang out from outside.

Immediately after, a familiar figure ran in quickly.

Not seen for several years, Lu Yuanzhi was still as elegant as ever, wearing a light blue ice-pattern robe, her green hair like a waterfall, casually tied up.

Only that cold temperament that used to keep people thousands of miles away now had a bit more approachability.

Before Zhou Qing could come to his senses, the rushing Lu Yuanzhi didn't even have steady steps before she threw herself over.

Zhou Qing only felt a great force surging, and his whole person was tightly embraced by Lu Yuanzhi.

Lin Daochen to the side widened his eyes, his face full of shock.

And Zhou Qing was also instantly frozen, his brain blank.

"Thank you, really thank you so much!" After a moment, Lu Yuanzhi released Zhou Qing, her eyes red, tears shimmering in them.

Afterward, she suddenly pulled Zhou Qing's hand and said urgently: "You come with me; I can't wait for even a moment."

After speaking, she pulled Zhou Qing and walked out in big strides; from beginning to end, she didn't pay any attention to Lin Daochen.

Lin Daochen stared blankly at this scene, only coming to his senses after a long time.

No, what's going on?

Why am I a bit confused?

"Lu Shi, please wait a moment; things need to be explained clearly. Your actions like this are easy to cause misunderstandings!"

Zhou Qing hurriedly called out and immediately looked at Lin Daochen, who followed to watch the excitement.

Lu Yuanzhi then realized and apologized repeatedly, and looked at Lin Daochen, who was leaning against the courtyard door: "Lin Shi, it's not what you think between me and Zhou Qing; please don't misunderstand."

Lin Daochen had an "I understand" look and waved his hand with a smile, saying: "I didn't see anything; don't worry."

Zhou Qing: "..."

"Zhou Qing, that thing is really useful; Big Sister has already started to sleep; you come with me to see," Lu Yuanzhi hurriedly lowered her voice.

After all, Zhou Qing specifically urged her at the time not to let Lin Daochen know about the "Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower" to avoid implicating him.

Zhou Qing then understood and was also a bit curious, so the two headed toward the academy secret realm.

"You found the Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower?" Zhou Qing asked in surprise.

Lu Yuanzhi nodded and said, "Yes, there are many in the Misty Swamp of Qingming Prefecture, but I didn't expect that wanting to find a 'Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower' would really be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Fortunately, hard work pays off, or perhaps even Heaven saw my Big Sister was pitiful, and finally let me find one."

Zhou Qing heard this, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Since ancient times, breaking through the Soul Severance realm can be called a life-and-death experience; those who fail either become useless people living worse than death, or their souls scatter.

Those with good luck are naturally fine, just like eating some supplements.

For example, the two Supreme Elders of Taiqingmen, but this probability is extremely low; generally speaking, no one dares to try unless they are at the final desperate situation.

Soon, they arrived in the academy secret realm, passed through the four-colored array, and saw Lu Yuanjiu again.

She was still in the state of a huge eight-tailed fox, but compared to when they met last time, her state was much better.

The wounds that were constantly tearing and healing had now mostly disappeared.

Lu Yuanjiu was even sleeping with her eyes closed comfortably, occasionally making satisfied snoring sounds.

At this moment, Lu Yuanzhi's eyes were red, her voice carrying a slight choke, and she secretly transmitted: "Speaking of which, I haven't seen Big Sister sleep so peacefully for several years. Zhou Qing, thank you so much."

Zhou Qing looked at the scene before him and also felt very gratified.

The talent skill 【Daily Appraisal】 can only appraise objects, not people, but it has a loophole.

Just like the eight-tailed Lu Yuanjiu before him, she is a demonic beast herself and is in a demonic beast state at this moment, so she can be appraised directly, just like the old hen.

But Lu Yuanzhi, who maintains a human form, cannot be appraised.

To be absolutely sure, Zhou Qing focused and appraised again.

【Eight-Tailed Fox: This is a fox clan member who failed to break through the Soul Severance realm twice in a row. Fortunately, she has already taken the Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower, plus her strong physical body and years of tenacious perseverance, she will recover within half a year.】

Seeing the feedback information, Zhou Qing finally felt relieved.

After all, when he was able to plant the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree back then, the materials gifted by Lu Yuanjiu were indispensable.

"The Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower is not suitable for everyone; I hope Lu Shi understands what I mean!" Zhou Qing reminded solemnly via sound transmission.

Lu Yuanzhi nodded repeatedly; Zhou Qing had already warned her about the pros and cons back then, otherwise she wouldn't have kept it from Lin Shi until now.

"Originally I should have gone to Taiqingmen to thank you long ago, but I was still a bit worried about Big Sister, so I was delayed."

"I went out just now because of something and ran into Jiang Pojun, only then did I know you came to the academy." Lu Yuanzhi said gratefully.

Zhou Qing waved his hand with a smile: "No need for thanks. Keep an eye on Senior Jiu's condition; if there are no accidents, she will recover within half a year."

"Half a year? Really?" Lu Yuanzhi's eyes suddenly brightened after hearing this.

Zhou Qing said firmly: "Yes, no mistake."

"Great," Lu Yuanzhi was excited, then turned around, seeming to think of something, and looked at Zhou Qing seriously: "I am about to sever my soul."

Zhou Qing widened his eyes in shock, full of disbelief.

Lu Yuanzhi took a deep breath and explained slowly: "The 'Moon Worship Technique' our sisters practice is an ancestral mental method; our spiritual power can fit together."

"These years, I have injected spiritual power into Big Sister's body every once in a while to reduce the pain she suffered due to the backlash of the breakthrough."

"But once I break through the Soul Severance realm, the nature of the spiritual power produced will change drastically and can no longer maintain the original fit state."

"So, I have been suppressing it for so many years, but now, with the knot in my heart untied, I can feel that within five years, I will be able to take that step."

Zhou Qing was even more excited after hearing this.

This was the first time he had witnessed someone breaking through from the Divine Transformation realm perfection to Soul Severance.

"Then you don't need auxiliary items like Nine Nether Lotus Seeds? I mean, the complete formula," Zhou Qing asked hurriedly.

Lu Yuanzhi shook her head, her expression solemn: "No need. The so-called formula is actually the same as Foundation Establishment Pills or Nascent Soul Pills."

"Although this thing can give you a push and cross that threshold, it also greatly shackles the foundation of subsequent cultivation."

"The more pills you use, the more your Dao foundation is like a dust-covered mirror; it looks transparent, but it is actually difficult to remove the dirt. In the future, wanting to go further is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Zhou Qing nodded in deep agreement.

In the cultivation world, there are many who rely on pills for breakthroughs, but those who fall into bottlenecks and can never advance for life are everywhere.

But for those at the Divine Transformation realm perfection, facing the fear of running out of lifespan, they would rather gamble with the risk of damaging their foundation.

Just to step into the Soul Severance realm and obtain that long lifespan and supreme cultivation.

After all, as long as you are alive, there are infinite possibilities.

"Congratulations, Lu Shi, congratulations!" Zhou Qing was all smiles and bowed solemnly.

Lu Yuanzhi's eyes contained a smile: "There is another good news, do you want to hear it?"

"What?" Zhou Qing asked curiously.

"After Big Sister took the Nine-Leaf Spirit-Condensing Flower, she once said excitedly that she had a feeling that if she could recover this time, she might have a chance to sever her soul again."

Lu Yuanzhi's tone carried excitement that couldn't be hidden.

"Severing the soul twice in a row without dying; to others, that is a nightmare they would never dare to touch again, but to Big Sister, it might be a nirvana, and she already has two experiences."

Zhou Qing was both surprised and happy after hearing this.

This is really "those who survive a great disaster are bound to have good fortune."

"Congratulations again; you can be considered to have come out of bitterness and into sweetness!" Zhou Qing congratulated.

"Yes, bitterness ends and sweetness begins, it's just that the beginning was really too bitter."

Lu Yuanzhi sighed with emotion, then said seriously, "By the way, now that I have seen you, I don't plan to go to Taiqingmen to find you anymore."

"I will guard Big Sister for half a year until she recovers completely, and then our sisters will go into seclusion here for five years to impact the Soul Severance realm."

Zhou Qing looked around and nodded: "This place is not a bad place for seclusion, and the Dean himself is a Soul Severance realm expert, so no one dares to offend."

"The Dean has matters and hasn't returned for a long time; I don't know where he went."

Lu Yuanzhi paused, a flash of hesitation in her eyes, "However, there is one more thing that might need your consent."

"What is it?" Zhou Qing was confused.

Lu Yuanzhi said seriously: "If our sisters can both step into the Soul Severance realm this time, for the rest of our lives, we want to stay at Taiqingmen; is that okay?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 275 =====