Chapter 279: No way, is this Shen Shen Yunzhou a dog demon in human form? (6k)

Facing Zhou Qing's words, Senior Sikong Yan shook his head lightly, a faint smile on his face.

"Didn't I just say? This child's illness hasn't been cured yet. If you rashly take her away, her life will truly be in danger."

"Who are you trying to fool? She is clearly perfectly healthy. I think you just want to keep her by your side as a bargaining chip!"

Shen Shen Yunzhou's face was full of anger; he stared straight at Senior Sikong Yan without a hint of fear and retorted loudly.

Hearing this, Senior Sikong Yan was not angry at all; instead, the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a playful, mocking smile.

He gave Shen Shen Yunzhou a thumbs-up, his tone laced with sarcasm: "This young man's brain works well. To think you could see even this through—truly remarkable!"

Shen Shen Yunzhou: "..."

Afterward, Senior Sikong Yan stopped paying attention to Shen Shen Yunzhou and slowly turned his gaze back to Zhou Qing, a flash of imperceptible light crossing his eyes.

"That fellow choosing to surrender was actually within my expectations."

"And, since he was even willing to confide the most painful memories from the depths of his heart to you, it seems his trust in you is truly extraordinary!"

Senior Sikong Yan narrowed his eyes as he said this.

"And judging by your move to protect him just now, the relationship between you must be quite good. How about this, let's play a little game, shall we?"

Senior Sikong Yan's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something fun, and he looked at Zhou Qing with great interest.

Zhou Qing's heart tightened. He watched Senior Sikong Yan vigilantly and asked in a deep voice: "What game?"

Senior Sikong Yan stood with his hands behind his back, his spine straight, and paced leisurely, circling Zhou Qing and Shen Shen Yunzhou unhurriedly.

"Let's bet on what a person will do when faced with a dilemma."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Qing looked puzzled, but a strong sense of foreboding had already surged in his heart.

Senior Sikong Yan continued to circle them, his pace steady, his voice calm and unhurried.

"You say, if he were to see that his daughter is still alive, that feeling of recovering what was lost—I'm afraid few people in this world could truly empathize with that, right?"

Zhou Qing frowned, staring at Senior Sikong Yan. Vaguely, he seemed to guess something, and a sense of unease churned in the bottom of his heart.

"I will set a condition for him: if he wants Nannan back, he must bring me the heads of three Peak Masters from your Taiqingmen. What do you think he will do?"

Senior Sikong Yan suddenly stopped and stared straight into Zhou Qing's eyes.

"You..." Zhou Qing was furious, his hands clenched into fists, and even the Qi on his body became somewhat chaotic.

Senior Sikong Yan suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with a trace of mockery and playfulness: "On one side is inseparable family affection, on the other is friendship built day and night. It is indeed a difficult choice, isn't it?"

He began to pace slowly again, saying as he walked: "But to be honest, I am more inclined to believe he will choose his daughter. What do you think?"

Before Zhou Qing could retort, Shen Shen Yunzhou was already so angry that smoke was practically coming out of his seven orifices. The spiritual energy around his body surged violently, and he was about to lash out.

But the little girl was nowhere to be seen now; if they started a fight, it would only make things worse.

Zhou Qing also suppressed the anger in his heart, trying his best to keep his voice calm: "What is the point of doing this? What can you possibly gain?"

Senior Sikong Yan tilted his head, pretending to ponder for a moment, and said: "That's true, too. Aside from punishing a traitor, there really doesn't seem to be any tangible benefit. In fact, it might even trigger a great war between the two sects."

Afterward, a strange, half-smiling expression appeared on his face. "But, I still find it quite interesting. Just as I said, this is a game. And games should be fun."

"Of course, just in case, you can control that fellow first, or even..."

Senior Sikong Yan suddenly smiled and gestured lightly across his own throat with his finger: "Slaughter him. That would be a permanent solution."

"It's just a pity for Nannan. After finally being resurrected, she would become a child without a father or mother, all alone."

Zhou Qing's face was livid, but he couldn't be impulsive, or he would fall right into his trap.

Senior Sikong Yan continued unhurriedly: "Thinking about it, this father and daughter are so pitiful. When the father was there, the daughter wasn't; when the daughter is there, the father is gone. Like two parallel lines, never intersecting."

"But don't worry, if it really comes to that, I will teach Nannan well, train her to be a top-tier assassin, and use the portraits of everyone in your Taiqingmen as her training targets."

"After all, the executioners are you..." Senior Sikong Yan deliberately dragged out his voice, his face wearing a chilling expression.

Zhou Qing's clenched fists trembled slightly, the veins on his forehead bulging. He gritted his teeth and said word by word: "Senior Sikong Yan, don't go too far!"

"Shameless!" Shen Shen Yunzhou couldn't help but curse out loud.

Senior Sikong Yan threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Alright, hurry back and discuss a solution. After all, time is tight. Let the game begin today!"

With that, he waved his hand at the two of them and turned to leave.

Shen Shen Yunzhou was furious and was about to rush forward, but Zhou Qing grabbed him with quick reflexes.

He struggled for a moment, his face full of unwillingness and annoyance, his eyes bloodshot, and he said indignantly, "No, are we just going to watch him walk away so brazenly?"

Zhou Qing frowned, his gaze cold, and said in a deep voice: "Then do you think, with our current ability, we can keep him here?"

Shen Shen Yunzhou opened his mouth, but the retort that had reached his lips was swallowed back down.

In the end, he could only clench his fists helplessly and stomp his feet heavily.

After a brief silence, Zhou Qing's expression turned solemn.

Then, he slowly turned his head and looked at the lonely white-clad figure on the tree crown not far away, and said: "She is just a child."

Lin Jin was also silent for a long time, as if pondering something.

A moment later, his tone was flat, yet it seemed to contain endless vicissitudes and desolation: "I am also curious about his choice. Besides, my time is running out."

Having said that, Lin Jin's figure flashed, and he left.

Zhou Qing's heart sank suddenly.

Time is running out?

What does that mean?

Shen Shen Yunzhou was so angry his face turned red, and he cursed: "Damn it, I haven't been this frustrated in a long time! Brother Zhou, don't worry about this. I'll call my elder sister over and raze this shitty Cangyan Dao Palace to the ground!"

Zhou Qing felt a stir in his heart, but he shook his head.

Even if a Soul Severance expert strikes, they cannot be faster than a madman with no scruples.

This guy has always acted without any rules, and now he even dares to kill members of the Imperial family and mock them wantonly.

Besides, how do you know he doesn't have a Soul Severance expert backing him?

Furthermore, he is Number Seven of the Shenxu Tiangong, someone who has seen the existence of terrifying forbidden zones. No one knows how many trump cards he still has hidden.

Now that he treats this as a game, Nannan should not be in any immediate danger of losing her life.

But once a Soul Severance expert intervenes and things escalate, the situation will become completely uncontrollable.

"No, this is a grudge between our two sects. We will handle it ourselves!"

Zhou Qing's voice carried an unquestionable momentum.

Shen Shen Yunzhou sighed, his face full of guilt.

He looked around and blamed himself: "Brother Zhou, it's all my fault for insisting on coming to this place to investigate. That guy clearly acted on a whim. If we hadn't come, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Zhou Qing patted him on the shoulder and comforted him: "This is not your fault. That guy is a madman by nature, acting as he pleases, doing whatever comes to mind. Let's return to the sect first and plan from there."

Afterward, the two boarded the flying boat and sped toward Taiqingmen.

Inside Taiqingmen, everyone was full of joy and excitement to see Zhou Qing return safely from the border.

But when they saw Zhou Qing's gloomy face and his extremely strange expression, Cao Cao Zhengyang and Mo Mo Xingjian couldn't help but ask with concern: "What's wrong? What happened?"

Zhou Qing looked at them, his face solemn, his eyes narrowed, and he spoke in a deep tone: "I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Cao Cao Zhengyang and Mo Mo Xingjian looked at each other and said: "The bad news. Let's have the bitterness before the sweetness."

Zhou Qing nodded, took out his recording stone, and recounted the experience of encountering Senior Sikong Yan at Mount Canglan.

As he spoke, Cao Cao Zhengyang and Mo Mo Xingjian's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and their complexions gradually became solemn.

This secret regarding the real Gao Xuan being replaced was known only to the two of them until now.

"How could Nannan still be alive? And after so many years, her appearance hasn't changed at all..."

Cao Cao Zhengyang stared at the little girl in the floral dress in the recording, watching the scene of over a hundred thousand black-clad puppets sinking into the ground, his tone full of doubt and unease.

Mo Mo Xingjian sighed: "If it were me, in such a dilemma, I would probably choose my daughter too."

Cao Cao Zhengyang nodded silently.

No matter how close they were, it could never compare to the blood-connected affection of family.

Not to mention that Gao Xuan had endured humiliation to infiltrate Taiqingmen, and everything he had done over the years was to repay a debt of gratitude.

The real Gao Xuan had accidentally injured Nannan in a battle back then, and now Senior Sikong Yan had used some unknown method to resurrect her.

"This matter is too suspicious." Mo Mo Xingjian rubbed his chin, his expression solemn. "With Senior Sikong Yan's methods, if he really wanted to take the lives of our three Peak Masters, he had the chance during the Battle of Mount Canglan. Why go to such lengths to set up such a trap?"

"That's right." Cao Cao Zhengyang agreed. "What's even stranger is that he revealed the news in advance. This is clearly handing the initiative to us."

Zhou Qing said coldly: "He is just a person whose brain isn't quite right. He said it himself, this is just a game, or rather, a bit of fun."

The two snorted coldly after hearing this.

"By the way, there is one more thing, about that Lin Jin..."

Soon, Zhou Qing thought of something and told his Uncle-Master and Uncle-Master about what he currently knew regarding Lin Jin.

After listening, Mo Mo Xingjian was thoughtful: "Could it be that everything Senior Sikong Yan did was to help Lin Jin?"

"It's possible." Cao Cao Zhengyang nodded. "Lin Jin tortured you and Yan Yan Xiaohu at the Master Bai Yu Taixu Academy. Senior Sikong Yan might have designed this trap to repay a favor."

Mo Mo Xingjian's eyes flickered: "You mean to say that Lin Jin risked his life to save Imperial Consort Chen back then, but she ended up marrying the current Emperor?"

"The current situation is somewhat similar to what happened back then. That's why Lin Jin said he also wanted to see what choice Uncle-Master Gao Xuan would make again?"

Cao Cao Zhengyang nodded: "That should be it. Rather than calling this a game of choice, it's more like he wants to see what kind of ugly behavior people will display under extreme choices."

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment but shook his head.

"What is certain now is that Nannan is the mother body of those black-clad puppets, and he has kept her in her former appearance to this day, which shows that this matter has been prepared for many years."

"Furthermore, Lin Jin only said some irrelevant things at our residence every night at the academy. At most, it was just mental torture; he didn't inflict any substantial harm."

Mo Mo Xingjian stroked his long beard and pondered: "I think the Fourth's analysis is correct. The other party would never go to such great lengths just for some 'courtesy'."

Cao Cao Zhengyang scratched his head in frustration and said: "Then what do you say we should do? In less than a year or two, Junior Brother Gao will be coming out of seclusion. If he finds out his daughter is still alive, he will definitely go through fire and water to find her."

Mo Mo Xingjian sighed: "Never underestimate a father's love for his daughter."

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of his second daughter. Who knows where she has gone now?

If something happened to her, he really didn't know what kind of crazy things he would do.

But there is no doubt that he would absolutely slaughter his entire family, raze his sect to the ground, and even if he had to overturn the Nine Heavens, he would grind his enemies to dust!

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy; this matter really needed to be planned carefully.

At the very least, as long as Gao Xuan hadn't come out of seclusion, they had time to deploy. If they could rescue Nannan quietly, that would be even better.

"Right! What about the good news you mentioned earlier? Don't keep hanging us with bad news." Cao Cao Zhengyang suddenly remembered something and looked up at Zhou Qing.

Mo Mo Xingjian also let out a long sigh and looked over: "I hope this good news can wash away some of the bad luck."

Zhou Qing rubbed his temples with a bitter smile and said: "It still has to do with Imperial Consort Chen. To be precise, it's her eldest and second sisters. Strictly speaking, this matter starts from when Lin Shi and I helped them repair the Four-Color Array..."

Time passed bit by bit. The two, who originally only thought they were listening to gossip, ended up with wide eyes, rapid breathing, and chests heaving violently.

When Zhou Qing finished speaking, Cao Cao Zhengyang suddenly grabbed his wrist, his voice trembling: "You, are you saying all of this is true?"

Mo Mo Xingjian also clenched his hands tightly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down: "Soul Severance Realm? Two Soul Severance Realm experts!"

"I wanted to refuse at first." Zhou Qing spread his hands helplessly. "But once the academy is dissolved, they really have nowhere else to go..."

"You dared to refuse?!" Cao Cao Zhengyang almost jumped up, the veins on his forehead throbbing. "If you had really turned them away, I would go and crash into a monument at the back mountain right now!"

Mo Mo Xingjian suddenly threw his head back and laughed: "Five years, five years! Good, good, truly excellent!"

Cao Cao Zhengyang was gasping for air while pinching his own arm, afraid that it was just a dream.

"When I sent you to Master Bai Yu Taixu Academy back then, I was full of concerns. But your Master said that I couldn't restrict you too tightly, otherwise, even if you grew up, you would be all show and no substance."

"Now it seems that my vision was not far-sighted enough. I almost lost the allegiance of two Soul Severance experts!" Cao Cao Zhengyang said with great emotion.

Zhou Qing smiled slightly but reminded them: "Lu Lu Yuanzhi and Lu Lu Yuanjiu are both Nine-Tailed Fox clan members. I naturally trust their character, but I think some things still need to be made clear in advance."

After saying that, Zhou Qing explained the potential threats from the Imperial family and the concerns regarding the Cave Heaven forbidden zone.

The two gradually calmed down.

Therefore, once the two of them stepped into the Soul Severance Realm, they absolutely could not let the Imperial family know. They could only serve as the most secret and powerful trump card of Taiqingmen, hidden deep within the sect.

And the Cave Heaven, the small world of the five coffins, the first-generation ancestor, and so on—not a single mistake could be tolerated. They must not end up in a situation where it's easy to invite a god but hard to send them away.

After all, no one could predict what kind of terrifying power would erupt when two Soul Severance experts joined forces.

"These two pieces of news, one good and one bad, really require us to plan carefully. Put this matter aside for now; we will discuss the specific arrangements later. You have been traveling and are exhausted, go back and get some rest."

Mo Mo Xingjian waved his hand, his eyes filled with concern.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and bowed respectfully: "Then this disciple will take his leave."

When Zhou Qing came out of Shenyue Peak, he saw Lu Lu Yaoyao standing on tiptoe, looking out the door with a face full of anxiety.

And Yan Yan Xiaohu was holding his identity token, focusing on processing messages one by one.

Sensing Zhou Qing's figure, the two hurried up to meet him.

"Brother Zhou, nothing happened this time, right?" Lu Lu Yaoyao asked eagerly, her eyes full of worry.

Yan Yan Xiaohu looked Zhou Qing up and down carefully. Seeing that his complexion was ruddy and he was full of energy, he assumed he hadn't encountered that old beast's soul-searching again, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Zhou Qing looked at the two and comforted them softly: "It's fine, don't worry. However..."

He looked around vigilantly, and after confirming no one was there, he lowered his voice and briefly told them about Lu Lu Yuanzhi.

Hearing this, the two immediately showed surprise, especially Lu Lu Yaoyao, who was so excited that she clenched her hands tightly.

After all, Lu Shi was exceptionally good to her. If she could really break through to the Soul Severance Realm, the benefits for both her cultivation guidance and the entire sect would be immeasurable.

"Keep this matter secret, do not spread it!" Zhou Qing reminded.

The two nodded quickly, indicating they understood.

"Alright, I need to go find Brother Shen. I saved a lot of time by taking his flying boat on the way back, so I should thank him." Zhou Qing said.

Lu Lu Yaoyao hurried to say: "Brother Shen went to find the First Zhou Shixiong."

Zhou Qing was slightly startled, his face showing confusion: "Why is he looking for Li Hanshan? They shouldn't be familiar with each other."

Lu Lu Yaoyao said: "When I learned you were back, I ran to Xiaoling Peak first, but you weren't there. He, on the other hand, came out of the guest area looking unhappy."

"He said he was very frustrated now and needed to find someone to vent to, and asked me if I had any suitable candidates."

"I thought that since the First Zhou Shixiong broke through to the Divine Transformation Realm, he has been eager to find someone to spar with to perfect his own realm of understanding, so I recommended the First Zhou Shixiong."

Zhou Qing understood immediately after hearing this. It seems the matter of Nannan had also angered this guy quite a bit.

Afterward, he looked toward the martial arts arena, and some images couldn't help but appear in his mind, and he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

"It seems that for a long time to come, Li Hanshan will also have to practice Grain Grain Grain Grain Bigu!"

After returning to Xiaoling Peak, seeing the familiar ethereal aura permeating around the Ancient Tea Tree of Enlightenment again, Zhou Qing was overjoyed.

After all, on the way back, he had already filled it with ten supreme-grade wood-attribute spirit stones.

"Instead of worrying about things that haven't happened, it's better to focus on improving my own strength!"

As long as he could successfully comprehend five strands of Phoenix Dao patterns, he could condense the 【Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal】 at the appropriate time.

By then, breaking through to the late stage of the Divine Transformation Realm should also be just around the corner.

"Once I reach the late stage, plus the amplification of the Four-Flower Gathering at the Top, and the various methods I have, I will become the true number one person below the Soul Severance Realm!"

Thinking of this, heroic spirit surged in Zhou Qing's chest.

By then, as long as he didn't run into a Soul Severance expert, almost no one could pose any danger to him.

And he could do many things without scruples, no longer having to walk on thin ice like today.

"Fifty supreme-grade wood-attribute spirit stones, normally speaking, are enough for me to break through from the mid-stage to the late stage, but the math doesn't work like that!"

Those who are greedy for more will surely hurt themselves!

After all, absorbing spirit stones is like eating. After eating your fill at once, to eat the next meal, you at least have to wait until your body has digested it.

Being greedy for speed is like cooking with oil on a raging fire; it will only lead to self-destruction.

And this "cooling-off" process requires a long time, otherwise, as long as people had money, wouldn't everyone just go into seclusion and break through?

After arranging everything properly, Zhou Qing entered the quiet room and activated the sound-insulation barrier.

Immediately after, he hugged the Ancient Tea Tree of Enlightenment with both hands, closed his eyes and focused, his aura gradually restrained, and he entered a state of sudden enlightenment.

Just like that, a month later, as Zhou Qing opened his eyes again, the red light on his body dissipated. In his sea of consciousness, three feathers had already been lit up on the chest of the blood phoenix.

Afterward, he put the remaining ten supreme-grade wood-attribute spirit stones into the potted plant one by one, and only then did he stretch his body and come out.

"A month later, I can go into seclusion again." Zhou Qing whispered to himself, with a hint of anticipation.

Just as he walked out of the courtyard, he was surprised to find Li Li Daoxuan leaning against the tree in front of the courtyard with a pale face.

This made Zhou Qing slightly startled, and he hurried to ask: "Li Hanshan, what is this—"

Hearing Zhou Qing's voice, Li Li Daoxuan's originally dim eyes lit up instantly, as if he had grabbed the last straw.

His eye sockets were full of aggrieved tears, and then, he threw the long spear in his hand aside and rushed toward Zhou Qing.

"Junior Brother Zhou, you finally came out of seclusion. Woo woo, do you know how I spent this month? Ugh~"

Li Li Daoxuan rushed to Zhou Qing, and before he could finish speaking, he suddenly bent down and started vomiting violently on the ground.

A strong, pungent, sour stench immediately permeated the air, making Zhou Qing subconsciously cover his nose and mouth, frowning.

Li Li Daoxuan had almost vomited his gall out. He wiped his mouth with trembling hands, his eyes full of tears, and grabbed Zhou Qing's arm tightly.

"No, how can a person comprehend such a perverted realm of understanding? Dog demon, that Shen Shen Yunzhou is definitely a dog demon in human form."

Li Li Daoxuan shouted almost hoarsely.

(End of chapter)