Chapter 279: No Way, Is Shen Yunzhou Some Kind of Demon-Demon Forming? (6k)

Facing Zhou Qing’s words, Sikong Yan gently shook his head, a faint smile on his face.

“Didn’t I just say? The child’s illness hasn’t been cured yet. If you rashly take her away, she’ll truly be in mortal danger.”

“Who are you trying to fool? She’s perfectly healthy—I can see you just want to keep her as leverage!”

Shen Yunzhou’s face flushed with rage as he stared directly at Sikong Yan without fear, shouting his rebuttal.

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yan didn’t grow angry; instead, his lips curled into a mocking smile.

He raised a thumb toward Shen Yunzhou, his tone laced with teasing: “Young man, your mind is sharp indeed—how did you figure that out? Impressive!”

Shen Yunzhou: “...”

Then Sikong Yan ignored Shen Yunzhou entirely, slowly turning his gaze back to Zhou Qing, a faint glimmer flashing in his eyes.

“His decision to surrender was exactly what I expected.”

“And since he’s willing to share with you his deepest, most painful memories, his trust in you must be extraordinary.”

As Sikong Yan spoke these words, his eyes narrowed slightly.

“And from your defense of him just now, I can tell your bond is quite strong. How about we play a little game?”

Sikong Yan’s eyes lit up, as if he’d just thought of something delightful, watching Zhou Qing with keen interest.

Zhou Qing’s heart tightened; he watched Sikong Yan warily and asked in a low voice: “What game?”

Sikong Yan placed his hands behind his back, stood tall, and began pacing slowly around Zhou Qing and Shen Yunzhou.

“Let’s bet on what a man will do when faced with an impossible choice.”

“What do you mean?” Zhou Qing frowned, though a strong sense of dread already stirred in his chest.

Sikong Yan continued pacing, his voice calm and unhurried.

“If he were to see his daughter still alive, that feeling of regaining what was lost—how many people in this world could truly understand it?”

Zhou Qing stared intently at Sikong Yan, a chilling suspicion forming in his mind, unease churning within him.

“I’ll give him a condition: to get Nannan back, bring me the heads of three peak masters from your Taiqingmen. What do you think he’ll choose?”

Sikong Yan suddenly stopped pacing, locking his gaze directly into Zhou Qing’s eyes.

“You...” Zhou Qing’s face darkened with fury, fists clenched, his spiritual energy becoming chaotic.

Sikong Yan threw his head back and laughed loudly, his laughter laced with mockery: “One side is unbreakable kinship, the other is daily companionship—truly a hard choice, isn’t it?”

He resumed his slow pacing, speaking as he walked: “But to be honest, I’m more inclined to think he’ll choose his daughter. What do you think?”

Before Zhou Qing could respond, Shen Yunzhou was already seething with rage, his spiritual energy surging violently as he prepared to strike.

But the little girl had vanished—acting now would only make things worse.

Zhou Qing likewise suppressed his fury, forcing his voice to remain calm: “What’s the point of this? What do you gain?”

Sikong Yan tilted his head, feigning thought, then said: “Hmm, true—besides punishing a traitor, there’s no real benefit. In fact, it might spark a full-scale war between our two sects.”

Then his face twisted into a strange, half-smiling expression: “But I still find it amusing. As I said, it’s a game—and games should be fun.”

“Of course, to be safe, you could take control of him first—or...”

Sikong Yan suddenly smiled, raising a finger to his own throat and making a slicing motion.

“Kill him outright—simple, permanent, and efficient.”

“What a pity for Nannan—finally revived, only to become an orphan, all alone.”

Zhou Qing’s face turned ashen, but he dared not act rashly—otherwise, he’d fall right into Sikong Yan’s trap.

Sikong Yan continued speaking slowly: “Thinking about it, this father-daughter pair is so pitiful—when the father was alive, the daughter was gone; when the daughter returned, the father was gone. Like two parallel lines, never meeting.”

“But don’t worry—if that happens, I’ll raise Nannan myself. I’ll train her into a top-tier assassin, using every single Taiqingmen member’s portrait as her target.”

“After all, executioners are your...” Sikong Yan deliberately dragged out the words, his expression chillingly sinister.

Zhou Qing’s clenched fists trembled slightly, veins bulging on his forehead as he ground out each word: “Sikong Yan, don’t push too far!”

“Disgusting!” Shen Yunzhou couldn’t hold back his curses.

Sikong Yan threw his head back and laughed heartily: “Enough. Go back and discuss your options—time is short. The game begins today!”

With that, he waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave.

Shen Yunzhou, furious, lunged forward—but Zhou Qing grabbed him with lightning speed.

He struggled, face twisted with rage and helplessness, eyes red: “Are we just going to let him walk away like that?”

Zhou Qing frowned, his gaze cold and sharp: “Do you think we can stop him with our current strength?”

Shen Yunzhou opened his mouth, then swallowed his retort.

Finally, he clenched his fists and stomped his foot in frustration.

After a brief silence, Zhou Qing’s expression turned grave.

He slowly turned his head toward the solitary white-robed figure perched on the distant treetop and spoke: “She’s just a child.”

Lin Jin remained silent for a long while, as if deep in thought.

Then, in a flat tone laced with endless sorrow, he said: “I’m equally curious about his choice. Also, my time is running out.”

With that, Lin Jin vanished in a flash.

Zhou Qing’s heart sank sharply.

Time is running out?

Shen Yunzhou turned beet red with rage and shouted: “Fuck, I haven’t been this furious in ages! Zhou brother, don’t meddle in this—I’ll call my older sister right now and level this damn Cangyan Dao Palace to the ground!”

Shen Yunzhou’s face flushed crimson as he cursed: “Damn it! I haven’t been this furious in ages! Zhou brother, forget it—I’ll call my big sister. We’ll level this damn Cangyan Dao Palace to the ground!”

Zhou Qing’s mind stirred, but he still shook his head.

Even if a Zhanling cultivator moved fast, they couldn’t outpace a reckless madman.

This man always acted without logic—and now he dares kill imperial family members and mocks them freely.

Besides, how do you know he doesn’t have a Zhanling expert backing him?

Moreover, he’s No. 7 of the Shenxu Tian Gong—he’s seen terrifying forbidden zones. Who knows how many cards he still holds?

Right now, he treats this as a game—so Nannan won’t be in immediate danger.

But if a Zhanling cultivator intervenes, the situation will spiral completely out of control.

“No. This is a matter between our two sects—we’ll handle it ourselves.”

Zhou Qing’s voice carried an air of absolute authority.

Shen Yunzhou sighed deeply, his face filled with guilt.

He looked around, blaming himself: “Zhou brother, it’s all my fault—I insisted on coming here to investigate. That guy clearly acted on impulse. If we hadn’t come, none of this would’ve happened.”

Zhou Qing patted his shoulder reassuringly: “This isn’t your fault. That man’s a lunatic—he acts on whims. Let’s return to the sect and plan carefully.”

Then the two boarded their flying vessel and sped toward Taiqingmen.

Within Taiqingmen, everyone rejoiced and was filled with relief and excitement upon seeing Zhou Qing return safely from the border.

Inside Taiqingmen, the others rejoiced at Zhou Qing’s safe return from the border.

But when they saw his grim expression, Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian immediately asked with concern: “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Zhou Qing looked at them, his face heavy, his gaze lowered, and spoke solemnly: “There’s good news and bad news—which do you want to hear first?”

Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian exchanged glances, then said: “The bad news first—better to suffer now, enjoy later.”

Zhou Qing nodded, pulled out his recording spirit stone, and recounted the events at Canglan Mountain with Sikong Yan.

As he spoke, Cao Zhengyang and Mo Xingjian’s brows knitted tighter, their expressions growing increasingly grave.

“How could Nannan still be alive? And after all these years, she hasn’t aged at all.”

Cao Zhengyang stared at the little girl in the recording, clad in a floral dress, watching the tens of thousands of black puppets sink into the ground, his voice filled with confusion and unease.

Mo Xingjian sighed: “If it were me, I’d choose my daughter too.”

Cao Zhengyang nodded silently.

No matter how close they were, blood ties were stronger.

Moreover, Gao Xian had endured humiliation to infiltrate Taiqingmen—all his actions over the years were for the sake of repaying a debt.

The real Gao Xian had accidentally injured Nannan in battle; now Sikong Yan had somehow revived her.

“This is too suspicious,” Mo Xingjian murmured, stroking his beard, his expression grave. “If Sikong Yan truly wanted the heads of our three peak masters, he had the chance at Canglan Mountain—why go through such a complicated setup?”

“Exactly,” Cao Zhengyang agreed. “Even stranger—he leaked the information in advance. He’s handing us the initiative.”

Zhou Qing spoke coldly: “He’s just a mentally unstable man. He said it himself—it’s just a game, a form of amusement.”

Both men snorted in unison.

“By the way, there’s another matter—about Lin Jin...”

Zhou Qing suddenly remembered something and recounted everything he knew about Lin Jin to his senior and uncle.

After listening, Mo Xingjian pondered: “Could Sikong Yan’s actions all be meant to help Lin Jin?”

“Possible,” Cao Zhengyang nodded. “Lin Jin tortured you and Yan Xiaohu in the Baiyu Tai Xu Academy. Sikong Yan might be repaying a debt by setting up this trap.”

Mo Xingjian’s eyes flickered: “You mean, Lin Jin once sacrificed himself to save Imperial Consort Chen, yet she eventually married the current emperor?”

“So this situation mirrors the past—hence Lin Jin said he wants to see Gao Xian’s second choice?”

Cao Zhengyang nodded: “Yes. This isn’t really a choice—it’s him wanting to see what ugly side humans reveal under extreme pressure.”

Zhou Qing paused, then shook his head.

“What we can confirm now is that Nannan is the core of those black puppets—and she’s been preserved in her original form, meaning this plan has been prepared for years.”

“Besides, Lin Jin only spoke meaningless words to us each night at our quarters—mere psychological torment, no real harm done.”

Mo Xingjian stroked his beard thoughtfully: “I agree with the fourth one—no one would go through such a complex scheme just for a favor.”

Cao Zhengyang scratched his head irritably: “Then what do we do? In less than a year, Brother Gao will emerge from his seclusion. If he learns his daughter is alive, he’ll storm through hellfire to reach her.”

Mo Xingjian sighed: “Never underestimate a father’s love for his daughter.”

At this moment, he couldn’t help thinking of the Second Lady—wondering where she might be now.

If anything happened to her, he didn’t know what mad thing he might do.

But unquestionably, he would slaughter his entire family, level his sect, and even overturn the Nine Heavens to grind his enemy’s bones to dust!

The atmosphere grew heavy; this matter truly required careful deliberation.

At the very least, as long as Gao Xuan hasn’t emerged from seclusion, they still have time to prepare—if they could quietly rescue Nannan, all the better.

“By the way! Where’s that good news you mentioned earlier? Don’t keep feeding us nothing but bad tidings!” Cao Zhengyang suddenly remembered something and snapped his head up toward Zhou Qing.

Mo Xingjian also exhaled deeply and turned to look: “I hope this good news can dispel the gloom.”

Zhou Qing smiled wryly and rubbed his temples, then said: “It’s still about Imperial Consort Chen—more precisely, her eldest and second sisters. Strictly speaking, this begins with when I and Master Lin helped them repair the Four-Color Array…”

Time passed slowly; the two men, who had originally just listened as if hearing gossip, ended up staring wide-eyed, breathing rapidly, their chests heaving violently.

When Zhou Qing finished speaking, Cao Zhengyang suddenly seized his wrist, his voice trembling: “You—you’re telling the truth?”

Mo Xingjian clenched his fists tightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing: “Two Zhan Ling experts?!”

“I originally wanted to refuse,” Zhou Qing sighed, spreading his hands. “But if the academy disbanded, they truly had nowhere to go…”

“You dared to refuse?!” Cao Zhengyang nearly leapt up, veins bulging on his temples. “If you turn them away, I’ll go right now and bash my head against the back mountain stele!”

Mo Xingjian suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly: “Five years! Five years! Good, good—truly excellent!”

Cao Zhengyang panted heavily, pinching his own arm, afraid it was all just a dream.

“When I sent you to Bai Yu Tai Xu Academy, I was full of concerns. But your master said not to constrain you too tightly, or you’d grow up hollow, all surface and no substance.”

“Now I understand—I lacked vision. I nearly lost the loyalty of two Zhan Ling experts!” Cao Zhengyang said, deeply moved.

Zhou Qing smiled faintly but added: “Lu Yuanzhi and Lu Yuanjiu are both Nine-Tailed Foxes—I trust their character, but I think some things must be clarified in advance.”

He then outlined the potential threats from the imperial family and concerns regarding the Cave Heaven Forbidden Zone.

The two gradually calmed down.

Therefore, once the two of them reach Zhan Ling, they must not be discovered by the imperial family—they must remain the most secret and powerful trump card, hidden deep within the sect.

And as for the Cave Heaven, the five-coffin world, the First Ancestor, and all related matters—there can be no slip-up. We must never end up in a situation where summoning the spirit is easy, but sending him away is impossible.

After all, no one can predict the terrifying power two Zhan Ling experts might unleash when they join forces.

“These two pieces of news—one good, one bad—demand careful planning. Set this aside for now; we’ll deliberate further on the specifics later. You’ve traveled far and worked hard—go rest.”

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

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and bowed respectfully: “Then I’ll take my leave.”

When Zhou Qing stepped out of Shen Yue Peak, he saw Lu Yaoyao standing on tiptoe, anxiously peering outside the gate.

Yan Xiaohu held his identity token, diligently processing message after message.

Sensing Zhou Qing’s presence, both rushed forward.

“Zhou Senior Brother, did anything happen?” Lu Yaoyao asked, her eyes brimming with worry.

Yan Xiaohu carefully scanned Zhou Qing from head to toe; seeing his ruddy complexion and vibrant energy, he guessed he hadn’t suffered another soul-searching from that old beast, and breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Zhou Qing looked at them and soothed softly: “Nothing happened. Don’t worry. But…”

He glanced warily around, confirmed no one was nearby, then lowered his voice and briefly recounted Lu Yuanzhi’s story.

Upon hearing it, both faces lit up with delight—especially Lu Yaoyao, who clenched her hands tightly in excitement.

After all, Master Lu had been exceptionally kind to her; if she truly breaks through to Zhan Ling, the benefits to her cultivation and the entire sect would be incalculable.

“Keep this secret—do not speak of it to anyone!” Zhou Qing warned.

Both nodded quickly, understanding.

“Alright, I need to find Brother Shen. This journey back, I rode his airship and saved a great deal of time—I should thank him.”

Lu Yaoyao spoke up immediately: “Big Brother Shen went to find Senior Brother Li.”

Zhou Qing paused, frowning: “Why would he seek out Li Senior Brother? They aren’t close.”

Lu Yaoyao said: “When I heard you’d returned, I rushed to Xiao Ling Peak first—but you weren’t there. He came out of the guest quarters looking furious.”

“He said he was in a terrible mood and needed to vent on someone. He asked if I had any suitable candidates.”

“I thought Senior Brother Li, after breaking through to Soul Transformation, had been eager to spar and refine his realm—so I recommended him.”

Zhou Qing understood at once. Clearly, Nannan’s incident had infuriated this fellow too.

He glanced toward the training ground, images flashing in his mind, and shook his head with a faint smile.

“Looks like Senior Brother Li will be on Grain Grain Bigu for a long time!”

…

Back at Xiao Ling Peak, Zhou Qing felt joy as the familiar ethereal aura once again enveloped the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree.

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

“Rather than worrying about things that haven’t happened, better to focus on strengthening myself!”

If he could successfully comprehend five Phoenix Dao lines, he could condense the [Blood Phoenix Tribulation Crystal] at the right moment.

Then, breakthrough to the late stage of Soul Transformation should be within reach.

“Once I reach the late stage, with the Four Flowers at the Crown’s enhancement and all my other techniques, I’ll truly be the strongest under Zhan Ling!”

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing’s chest swelled with ambition.

At that point, as long as he doesn’t encounter a Zhan Ling expert, no one can pose a real threat.

And he could act freely, no longer walking on eggshells as he had today.

“Fifty supreme wood-element spirit stones should normally be enough to push me from mid-stage to late-stage—but you can’t calculate it that simply!”

Greed leads to self-destruction!

Absorbing spirit stones is like eating—you can’t gorge yourself and then immediately eat again. You must wait until your body digests.

Greed and haste are like pouring oil on a fire—it only burns you alive.

And this “cooling” period takes a long time; otherwise, everyone with money would just lock themselves away and break through endlessly.

After arranging everything, Zhou Qing entered the quiet chamber and activated the soundproofing formation.

Then, he embraced the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree, closed his eyes, calmed his spirit, and his aura gradually withdrew inward as he entered a state of sudden enlightenment.

A month later, when Zhou Qing opened his eyes again, the red light faded from his body; within his spiritual sea, the Blood Phoenix’s chest now glowed with three feathers lit.

He then placed his last ten supreme wood-element spirit stones one by one into the potted tree, stretched his body, and stepped outside.

“Another month, and I can close in again,” Zhou Qing murmured, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

But as he stepped out of the courtyard, he was startled to see Li Daoxuan leaning pale-faced against the tree by the gate.

Zhou Qing froze, then asked urgently: “Senior Brother Li, what happened to you—”

Hearing Zhou Qing’s voice, Li Daoxuan’s dull eyes instantly brightened, as if grasping his last lifeline.

Tears welled in his eyes; he dropped his spear beside him and rushed forward, lunging at Zhou Qing.

“Zhou Junior Brother, you’re finally out of seclusion! Waaah—you have no idea what I’ve endured this past month, puke～”

Li Daoxuan reached Zhou Qing, but before he finished speaking, he bent over violently and vomited onto the ground.

A thick, acrid stench spread instantly; Zhou Qing instinctively covered his nose and mouth, frowning.

Li Daoxuan nearly vomited up his gallbladder, trembling as he wiped his mouth, eyes brimming with tears, clutching Zhou Qing’s arm tightly.

“How can one person cultivate such a monstrous realm? That dog demon—Shen Yunzhou is definitely a dog demon in human form!”

Li Daoxuan screamed, voice hoarse.

(End of Chapter)