Chapter 280: The Buddha

As Li Daoxuan recounted his grievance, Zhou Qing finally understood the full story.

Ever since Lu Yaoyao recommended him to spar with Shen Yunzhou, the match had begun with mere Shitan exchanges.

But soon, as Shen Yunzhou unfolded his realm, a nauseating stench instantly spread, nearly making Li Daoxuan vomit.

Out of respect for his guest, Li Daoxuan gritted his teeth and held on, forcing a composed expression.

Only after the match ended did he rush away without even saying goodbye, finding a secluded spot to vomit violently into the bushes.

He thought the matter was over—until that very night, his master, the Sect Master, arrived.

After lowering his realm to spar with Li Daoxuan, Shen Yunzhou’s gloomy mood over Nannan had noticeably improved.

Back at Xiao Ling Peak, he still felt unsatisfied and planned to spar with Zhou Qing next, since he still didn’t know what realm Zhou Qing had cultivated.

But he learned Zhou Qing had announced his seclusion; reluctantly, he turned to Yan Xiaohu to ask if Li Daoxuan was free tomorrow.

He didn’t know how long Zhou Qing would be in seclusion, and being alone in this unfamiliar Taiqingmen, he needed something to pass the time.

Besides, after this sparring, he felt Li Daoxuan was decent—at least unlike earlier opponents who’d shown nothing but contempt and revulsion at his realm.

Yan Xiaohu dared not decide on his own and immediately reported the matter to his master, Mo Xingjian.

Mo Xingjian pondered deeply, then contacted Cao Zhengyang.

After all, Shen Yunzhou’s elder sister was a late-stage Severing Spirit expert, and Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao had once aided her beyond the border; now that his younger brother had come, this was a perfect chance to strengthen ties.

At all costs, they must leave this esteemed guest with a good impression of Taiqingmen.

Since the guest specifically requested to spar with Li Daoxuan, this duty truly fell to him.

Moreover, sparring benefited both parties’ realm development—Cao Zhengyang naturally welcomed it.

What could Li Daoxuan do?

Zhou Qing had Haoburongyi secured for Taiqingmen a chance to build ties with a Severing Spirit expert.

As the senior disciple, if he couldn’t even help with this, wouldn’t he betray Zhou Qing’s efforts, let the sect miss a golden opportunity, and prove himself utterly irresponsible—unable to face his junior disciples again?

Helpless, he gritted his teeth and accepted the task.

But who could have imagined this would last a full month?

Now, Li Daoxuan could no longer look at any yellow fabric without instinctively gagging—let alone eat.

Sometimes in his dreams, he was trapped in a terrifying sea of excrement, frantically swimming.

He wanted to reach shore, but no matter how hard he struggled, the foulness stretched endlessly, with no land in sight.

That despair, helplessness, and collapse—no one who hadn’t lived it could ever understand.

So now, he refused food and sleep, showing up punctually each day to spar with Shen Yunzhou on the training ground, endlessly repeating the cycle.

After hearing this, Zhou Qing looked at Li Daoxuan’s sallow face, nearly vomiting bile, and felt not just sympathy but deep guilt.

“Senior Brother Li, I’m truly sorry. Don’t worry—I’ll handle this,” Zhou Qing comforted him.

Li Daoxuan nodded vigorously, tears streaming down his face in sudden emotion.

…

“Brother Zhou, what kind of seclusion were you in? Why did you emerge after only a month?” Seeing Zhou Qing, Shen Yunzhou rushed forward, delighted.

Zhou Qing smiled gently: “Just a bit of insight. How have you been these past months?”

“Very well—I’m growing fonder of Taiqingmen’s atmosphere. But Nannan’s matter still sticks in my heart like a thorn!”

At this, Shen Yunzhou sighed heavily.

Zhou Qing reassured him: “Don’t worry—we’re already working on it. By the way, I just ran into Senior Brother Li.”

“After a month of sparring with you, he’s gained some insight and is preparing to enter seclusion. He asked me to thank you.”

Shen Yunzhou was surprised: “That’s excellent! I knew Senior Brother Li wasn’t ordinary—he’s gained insight so quickly.”

“By the way, Brother Zhou, since you’re out of seclusion, how about a spar?” Shen Yunzhou looked at Zhou Qing, eager.

Zhou Qing’s gaze was calm; suddenly, a faint smile curled his lips: “Alright.”

This swift agreement thrilled Shen Yunzhou.

He hurriedly said: “Come on, come on—I’ve been dying to find out your realm. Don’t worry, I’ll suppress my cultivation to mid-stage.”

“No need,” Zhou Qing said calmly.

Shen Yunzhou froze, stunned: “What?”

“I said, go all out. Don’t hold back—I want to test my own strength!” Zhou Qing’s eyes burned with intensity.

Shen Yunzhou’s eyes lit up instantly: “You said it—I won’t hold back then!”

…

On the training ground!

Zhou Qing subtly rubbed his nose, staring at the shocking yellow stains on the ground and the empty, deserted surroundings, sighing inwardly.

Clearly, Shen Yunzhou’s previous sparring with Li Daoxuan here had terrified everyone—now even the cleaners dared not approach.

“Brother Zhou, watch out!” No sooner had Shen Yunzhou spoken than his aura surged violently.

As he rapidly formed hand seals, the clear sky instantly darkened with thick yellow clouds, pressing downward at terrifying speed.

Immediately behind him, a vast yellow canopy formed.

Inside, filth churned like a colossal latrine hung upside-down in the sky, the nauseating stench flooding Zhou Qing’s nostrils.

Zhou Qing inhaled lightly—acid surged into his nose, tears uncontrollably spilled.

Clearly, since acquiring those two jars of thousand-year corpse-water, his realm had strengthened considerably.

Shhh!

The next instant, his realm enveloped Zhou Qing entirely.

Zhou Qing frowned, and his stomach churned at the sight.

“Brother Zhou, let me start with a little appetizer—pay attention!” Shen Yunzhou grinned triumphantly.

Instantly, the surrounding filth transformed into countless writhing yellow “worm-snakes,” speeding toward Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing’s own realm had already silently probed outward and now swiftly dismantled it.

The next instant, as the yellow “worm-snakes” neared his robes, his aura suddenly retracted, his gaze turning icy.

Slowly, he raised his hand—his palm glowed faintly, unleashing a ruthless, overwhelming realm.

“Break!” Zhou Qing spoke softly, yet his voice rang like a great bell, shattering the foul space.

As he spoke, a ripple of golden light erupted instantly.

Where the golden light touched, Shen Yunzhou’s yellow canopy cracked and dissolved rapidly.

Even the writhing yellow “worm-snakes” turned instantly into pools of stinking sludge.

Shen Yunzhou’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

What? Where was his realm?

Where did it go?

“Again!” Without hesitation, he immediately formed seals again, draining vast spiritual power—just as the realm’s Chuxing reappeared in the sky, Zhou Qing spoke again.

“Break!” His realm shattered layer by layer.

“The Excrement Realm: A Lotus Bud Just Peeks Out…”

“Break!”

“The Excrement Realm: Seven Orifices Flowing Excrement…”

“Break!”

“The Excrement Realm: Swimming Against the Current…”

“Break!”

…

Soon, Shen Yunzhou’s face turned pale, he gasped for breath, his spiritual power utterly depleted.

He never imagined his prized Excrement Realm would be so utterly powerless before Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing simply lifted one foot and appeared before him, smiling faintly: “In actual combat, you’d be dead now.”

Shen Yunzhou swallowed hard, finally reacting, drawing a sharp breath: “Your realm… can destroy others’ realms?”

Zhou Qing smiled but said nothing.

Shen Yunzhou stood frozen, then broke into a bitter laugh.

“Everyone from the Nascent Soul stage agonizes to cultivate a realm—yet no matter how flashy or elaborate yours is, you just break it effortlessly!”

“You’re even more monstrous than me—how the hell did you even conceive this? How is such a thing even possible to cultivate?”

Zhou Qing spoke slowly: “One force breaks all methods—that’s all.”

Then he looked at Shen Yunzhou seriously: “Have you ever considered—even if your realm remains, if your opponent moves fast enough, like now—what would you do?”

Shen Yunzhou fell into thought.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing said no more, turned, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

…

“Senior Brother Zhou—”

Seeing Zhou Qing emerge from the training ground, Lu Yaoyao hurried over with a bright smile.

After all, she’d learned from the senior disciple that her father had emerged from seclusion, and watching her senior brother grow thinner each day, she’d felt deep guilt.

Zhou Qing frowned: “Why are you here?”

Lu Yaoyao hurriedly replied: “Master is looking for you, so I came to wait. Uncle… I mean, Brother Shen lost?”

Zhou Qing nodded: “Then wait here for him—I’m going to see Elder Bai.”

Lu Yaoyao shook her head: “I’ll come with you. He Han will arrive soon—he’ll guide you.”

Zhou Qing had no choice but to follow Lu Yaoyao toward the Hall of Council.

As he stepped through the doorway, he realized every peak master not in seclusion had gathered inside—even the eight Grand Elders sat in attendance.

“Zhou Qing has arrived! Come in!” Cao Zhengyang’s voice rang out; the murmurs instantly ceased, and every gaze turned sharply toward the door.

Seeing their grim expressions, Zhou Qing couldn’t help asking: “What’s happened?”

Cao Zhengyang gave Lu Yaoyao a glance; the girl’s face instantly fell, her lips pouting.

She stomped her foot reluctantly and turned away.

As the hall doors slowly closed, Cao Zhengyang spoke solemnly: “Since you’ve emerged from seclusion, it’s time you learned of certain matters.”

“For months, our sect’s ore veins have been repeatedly attacked. Last time, Li Daoxuan led a team to investigate—but found nothing. Now, another vein has been struck.”

“This is the final image left by a Jin Dan disciple before his death. Take a look.”

As he spoke, a memory stone slowly floated before Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing took it hesitantly, frowning slightly.

After all, he’d already heard of this from the Sect Master before he and Shen Yunzhou departed for the border.

He hadn’t expected that months later, there’d be no progress—and the situation had grown even more dire.

As spiritual power flowed into the stone, the light twisted, projecting a scene.

The image shook violently, filled with thunderous explosions; many disciples rushed to defend themselves.

Spells of every color erupted chaotically.

Then, in the next instant, a withered black shadow surged forward, reeking of blood.

It was a decayed humanoid corpse—skin cracked and peeling, revealing gleaming white bones; hollow eye sockets burned with eerie green ghostfire.

It let out a nonhuman shriek that made the air hum.

The memory stone was instantly knocked to the ground; the skewed view showed the corpse’s claw piercing the Jin Dan disciple’s chest with ease.

Then it tore out the still-beating Golden Core, swallowed it whole, and bit down hard on the disciple’s neck—blood sprayed everywhere.

Others rushed in with furious attacks, but the corpse leapt away instantly.

“To date, thirteen ore veins have been attacked. Over a thousand disciples have died—including six Nascent Soul cultivators.”

Cao Zhengyang’s voice was low, his eyes filled with pain.

“And judging by the order of attacks and the cultivation levels of the slain disciples, this corpse’s power is growing.”

Mo Xingjian looked at Zhou Qing and added slowly: “Almost all disciples in the mines have been drained of their blood. Their Golden Cores and Nascent Souls were consumed as nourishment.”

Zhou Qing’s expression turned grave. “What about the ore veins of other sects?”

The peak master of Longji Peak sighed bitterly. “The other four sects—and even smaller factions—remain untouched. This thing is clearly targeting only Taiqingmen.”

After a moment’s silence, Zhou Qing said firmly: “May I see the corpses of the fallen disciples?”

Cao Zhengyang handed him another memory stone: “All bodies have been returned and buried. But this footage is from two days ago.”

Zhou Qing took the stone and activated it again.

The projection showed incomplete corpses strewn across the ground—some limbs twisted, others with sunken chests and vanished organs; every face bore terror and unyielding resentment.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing’s eyes burned with killing intent.

These were his Taiqingmen junior brothers and sisters.

As he looked closer, nearly all the corpses were coated in a dark purple slime, like rotting flesh fermenting.

“By the way,” Cao Zhengyang suddenly spoke, “all the bodies carry an indescribable stench—like decay, but with a foul, demonic taint.”

Zhou Qing’s gaze sharpened, fixed on the image: “Were all the bodies brought back?”

Cao Zhengyang turned to the peak master of Yunmeng Peak—she was in charge of this matter.

She checked her identity token, then replied: “My Lord, the corpses from the Lingsha Ore Mine will be transported back in two hours for unified burial.”

Zhou Qing said decisively: “I’ll go then. Also, I’d like to bring Shen Yunzhou—he’s unusually sensitive to odors. He might spot something.”

“Agreed,” Cao Zhengyang nodded. “We still don’t know who’s behind this. Even Qingyu Immortal Sect can’t be fully trusted.”

“Speaking of Qingyu Immortal Sect, here’s the second matter.”

Cao Zhengyang looked at Zhou Qing: “The Xuanyou Immortal Lady is likely near death.”

Zhou Qing looked up in surprise. “So soon?”

Cao Zhengyang sneered. “She misjudged you as a Three Flowers Crowned body and tried forcing dual-cultivation. What happened? She brought it upon herself.”

“She should’ve had seven or eight more years. But she must’ve been unwilling to die—recently, she did something that accelerated her decline.”

Zhou Qing felt nothing but mild regret upon hearing this.

Then Cao Zhengyang discussed with the other peak masters how to handle Qingyu Immortal Sect next.

They guessed the sect would likely follow Tianji Sect’s example—delaying the election of a new Sect Master to buy time and prepare for any sudden upheaval.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qing studied the two memory stones’ images.

Soon after, Cao Zhengyang spoke again: “By the way, there’s one more thing you don’t know.”

Zhou Qing lifted his gaze, puzzled: “What?”

Cao Zhengyang’s expression turned grave: “While we secretly investigated Jin Leizong’s activities in the desert caves during your border mission, we discovered two monks—one old, one young—had arrived there.”

“Monks?” Zhou Qing’s expression shifted; he instantly recalled the two monks who stood idly by when he slew Ma Cheng, the third elder of Hunyuan Sect.

Seeing Zhou Qing lost in thought, Cao Zhengyang continued: “After entering Jin Leizong, they seemed to be searching for someone—but no one knows who. However, they posed three questions to Jin Leizong.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it over.

Zhou Qing took it, scanning the characters.

【Attachment is a lock—how to unlock it?】

【Where is the other shore?】

【All beings suffer—how to save them?】

“These are Buddhist koans?” Zhou Qing mused.

Cao Zhengyang nodded. “Yes. After deliberation, we suspect the person they seek is also a monk—one who may have lost his memory after a great battle.”

“He’s very likely joined one of our five sects. After the Battle of Canglan Mountain, the Eastern Region was shattered. All sects, including Taiqingmen, accepted outsiders to replenish our ranks.”

“Remember when we were ready to declare war on Qingyu Immortal Sect? Over thirty thousand were screened and secretly dispatched. Many remain unaccounted for.”

Zhou Qing looked at his senior uncle with mild surprise.

That was quite a stretch.

If he’d lost his memory, even if he grew hair or changed appearance, wouldn’t these two monks still recognize him?

Unless—he’d not only lost his memory but also possessed another body. That’s why they’re searching this way.

Seeing Zhou Qing deep in thought, Cao Zhengyang added: “These two monks only left Jin Leizong the day before yesterday.”

“Judging by their direction, their next stop will be Qingyu Immortal Sect—then likely Taiqingmen.”

Zhou Qing nodded slightly. He assumed it was trivial—let them search if they wished.

…

Two hours later, the Yunmeng Peak master received word: the corpses of the slain disciples had been transported back on a large airship.

Zhou Qing contacted Yan Xiao Hu, instructing him to bring Shen Yunzhou—who had just returned from the training grounds—to the Valley of Returning Heroic Souls.

This place was where Taiqingmen buried every disciple who died for the sect. Each tombstone bore the deceased’s life story, bearing witness to their loyalty and sacrifice.

The sect always valued loyalty and righteousness; descendants and families of these heroes were granted precious slots to join the sect and received compensation.

Even Du Kui, the senior brother who once sought to kill Zhou Qing and attained insight, lay buried here.

When Zhou Qing and the others arrived at the Valley of Returning Heroic Souls, a heavy aura of grief washed over them.

A mournful wind whispered through the valley, where countless tombstones stretched endlessly.

Farther away, the stones bore deep marks of time—those of disciples who fell under former Sect Masters, and their predecessors.

Fortunately, caretakers maintained the site; if names on the stones grew faint, they were immediately recopied.

Cao Zhengyang and the others bowed silently before the vast valley.

Soon, Yan Xiao Hu and Shen Yunzhou arrived.

Shen Yunzhou’s gaze toward Zhou Qing was filled with awe—someone who could shatter another’s insight was truly astonishing.

He first surveyed the rows of tombstones, his heart stirred.

Then he glanced at Cao Zhengyang and the other Soul Transformation masters, finally settling his eyes on Zhou Qing.

“Zhou Brother, why did you call me?” Shen Yunzhou asked.

Zhou Qing replied: “Wait a moment—I need your help.”

Shen Yunzhou was puzzled—what could he possibly help with?

At that moment, a low hum echoed from the sky.

A massive transport airship drifted slowly into view, its hull black as ink, its sails replaced with pure white cloth.

Along its edges hung countless bronze bells, chiming softly as the ship moved.

This was the sect bringing its fallen disciples… home.

On the deck stood rows of solemn disciples, holding white banners, silent—pressure so thick it choked the air.

Everyone waited quietly, eyes heavy with sorrow.

As the airship descended, the crowd surged forward.

The disciples on deck stepped down first, clasped fists, bowed deeply, voices choked: “Greetings, Sect Master! Greetings, all Peak Masters!”

Cao Zhengyang’s face was grim; he gave a slight nod, swept his sleeve, and stepped onto the ship first, the others following.

At that moment, Shen Yunzhou’s nostrils flared slightly, his eyes suddenly brightening.

“This scent is…”

He muttered to himself, his Adam’s apple rolling unconsciously.

He swiftly pulled a simple earthen jar from his storage pouch and yanked off the lid.

Soon, a black-gold dung beetle, no larger than a fist, crawled out.

Its carapace shimmered with eerie dark light, and the overlapping elytra on its back clicked like metallic gears.

In an instant, it unfolded into two pairs of translucent, cicada-wing membranes and shot toward the flying vessel like an arrow released from a bow.

“I knew I wasn’t imagining it—it really is!”

Shen Yunzhou could barely contain his excitement, stepping swiftly to follow the dung beetle.

(End of Chapter)