Chapter 288: You sound like you

And so, one month later!

Inside the quiet chamber, Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes.

As he extended his hand, the void twisted suddenly, and a bronze-colored frame slowly emerged from his palm.

“Finally, it’s been successfully assimilated!” Zhou Qing’s eyes blazed with sharp light.

With a thought, the runes on the fragment’s surface flared violently, and dark red flames surged along the bronze patterns, shaping a vast illusory mirror in the air.

Unlike when Yu Hengzi had used it, this mirror, though still hollow, radiated a terrifying pressure that made the heart tremble.

Zhou Qing didn’t know why this was so, but he suspected it had something to do with his four-colored flower.

After all, during the assimilation process, it was primarily his spiritual force that continuously seeped in and took control.

Throughout this time, the four-colored flower rooted in his mind sea continuously emitted four-colored energies, which flowed through his meridians and into the frame.

“As for its power, perhaps I can test it inside the Divine Ruins Tiangong!”

Zhou Qing felt eager, quickly pulled out his token, activated it with a spirit stone, and stepped inside.

This space was empty—no one was here. He wondered how well the Sixth had grasped the inscription-level technique he had taught.

He then directly plunged into his own restricted zone’s scene.

The instant he entered, the terrifying gravity slammed into him.

Immediately, a sensing gaze filled with mortal threat locked onto him.

The next moment, the ground shattered, and Guo Guiqi, the founding Sect Master, emerged from the earth, riding a massive skeleton, roaring as he charged forward.

Zhou Qing took a deep breath, his spiritual power surging wildly through his body.

He raised his hand and flicked it—the frame instantly appeared, runes swirling, and a column of dark red flame shot out with a thunderous roar.

This beam, like an unimaginable great blade, carried an indescribable aura and slammed straight into the founding Sect Master.

“Boom!” The skeleton was blasted backward by the force, carving a deep trench hundreds of meters long across the ground.

Almost simultaneously, Zhou Qing’s vision darkened, and he staggered, nearly falling.

Just this one strike had drained about eighty percent of his spiritual power; without hesitation, he immediately drew in reserve spiritual energy from his golden flower.

The skeleton, whose power rivaled that of a current prefect, staggered to its feet and charged again, brimming with endless killing intent.

“Again!” Zhou Qing gritted his teeth, and as he pushed more spiritual power into the frame, countless golden threads erupted from the mirror’s surface.

Each thread was wrapped in dark red karmic fire, the runes glowing brighter than when Yu Hengzi had used them.

Meanwhile, the skeleton controlled by the founding Sect Master shattered the ground, kicking up a storm of debris, ignoring gravity, and closing the distance to Zhou Qing to less than three meters in an instant.

“Forgive me!” Zhou Qing’s eyes flashed with cold light, and he sent a thought.

The golden threads shot through the air like spiritual serpents, weaving into a vast net shimmering with the aura of cosmic origins.

“Boom!”

The instant the skeleton struck the thread-net, a deafening explosion erupted.

“Shatter!”

Zhou Qing yanked his hands apart—the threads easily pierced through the bone joints, shredding the massive body into countless fragments.

Even the black-green dried corpse seated within the skull’s hollow was sliced to dust by threads wrapped in karmic fire.

This strike drained Zhou Qing’s last shred of spiritual power, and he collapsed to the ground.

In the final second before unconsciousness, he withdrew.

Reverting to a glowing orb, he was restored to peak condition once more.

At this moment, his eyes were filled with excitement.

No wonder it was an ultimate-path weapon—both offensive and defensive. Only two strikes had utterly shattered the founding Ancestor’s puppet.

It seems I now have another reliable tool for survival!

“Now, whether it’s the inscription-level technique or the ultimate-path weapon, both are enough to let me repel the founding Ancestor guarding the second line of defense in simulation mode!”

“Once these recent matters are settled, I can use the opportunity to investigate the other coffins!”

Zhou Qing muttered to himself, brimming with anticipation.

“Try again!” Zhou Qing eagerly re-entered…

…

The moment he pushed open the courtyard gate, feeling the fresh air outside, Zhou Qing felt refreshingly invigorated.

The Dao-Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree had already generated that ethereal aura; if Zhou Qing wished, in a month he could condense his fourth Phoenix Dao Mark.

But assimilating the ultimate-path weapon for so long had left him mentally and physically exhausted, so he decided to wait until he recovered.

There was no need to rush this!

After thinking for a moment, he activated his personal panel with a thought.

【Name: Zhou Qing】

【Age: Thirty-eight】

【Cultivation Base: Soul Transformation Mid-Stage】

【Core Method: Yin-Yang Scripture】

【Talent Skill: One Inspection Per Day】

【Random Post】

【Heart-Insight Vision—LV5 (128/500)】

【Reduce Presence—LV6 (1/100)】

【Skill Fragment: 0/3 (Unobtainable)】

The talent skill 【Random Post】 hadn’t refreshed a new post in a long time.

He could understand that—after all, randomness meant random quantity, random content, random duration, random trigger method, and so on.

Since 【Heart-Insight Vision】 reached Level 5, after binding Sikong Yan, Lin Jin, Yan Sen, and Shen Hanyi, there were still three slots left.

Without encountering anyone suitable, he chose to keep them reserved.

After all, unconsciously seeing others’ true opinions of him allowed him to make the most correct choices to handle potential threats.

【Reduce Presence】 remained unchanged—this level was useless for Soul Transformation.

To improve it, he’d need to find a Severing Spirit cultivator.

Just thinking of it gave Zhou Qing a headache.

A tense, high-stakes group environment meant he’d have to go on an adventure with at least seven or eight Severing Spirit cultivators, all while being completely ignored, just to have a chance to earn new points.

He doubted any Level Four spiritual nation could help him with that.

There were only about ten or so such cultivators total—how could he possibly gather them all in one place?

To refresh, he’d have to try his luck in a Level Five spiritual nation.

Moreover, most new talent skill fragments were obtained by accumulating “ignored” points.

The two were, in a sense, bound together.

“This… is Master’s spiritual power!” Soon, Zhou Qing’s thoughts returned, and he glanced at the doorframe to his right.

The next moment, Mo Xingjian’s voice came through.

“Fourth, you’ve come out of seclusion? Come to the peak hall!”

Hearing the voice, Zhou Qing smiled and floated upward.

…

“This was given to you by your Uncle a month ago, but since you were in seclusion, I didn’t dare disturb you!”

Mo Xingjian handed him a storage pouch; Zhou Qing took it, puzzled, but when he saw the Five-Element spirit stones inside—especially the three wood-element ones—his eyes lit up.

“Thank you, Master! Thank you, Uncle!” Zhou Qing was thrilled.

Combined with the two he got from Yu Hengzi, he now only needed three more wood-element spirit stones.

That meant, with the right opportunity, advancing to Soul Transformation Late Stage would be effortless.

At that point, he could rightly be called the strongest under Severing Spirit.

“What thanks? We’re family!” Mo Xingjian waved his hand with a smile.

“I don’t know why you need wood-element spirit stones, but your Uncle is still trying to find more—perhaps he can gather even more!”

Mo Xingjian then told Zhou Qing about Cao Zhengyang’s orders issued to the former Tianji Sect’s affiliated sects.

After hearing it, Zhou Qing felt even more moved.

“By the way, there’s another matter—Xuan You Immortal Lady nearly died half a month ago. Yun Jing and the others, who had been busy at Tianji Sect, rushed back immediately and pulled her back from the brink of death!”

“Seven days ago, Yun Jing and the others came looking for you. I told them you were in seclusion. To avoid disturbing you, they’ve been waiting outside the mountain gate ever since.”

“You know why they’re here. The Sect Master says: no matter what choice you make, we will support you unconditionally.”

Mo Xingjian spoke with solemn gravity.

Zhou Qing fell silent, then tapped his storage pouch, producing a box covered in spirit talismans.

Through soul-searching Lingxu Zi, he confirmed they weren’t lying, and that this pill had consumed considerable rare herbs and immense labor.

Besides Yu Hengzi and the other two, the Sect Master Tianji Zi and the other former Supreme Elders who had died after consuming the Nine You Lotus Seed had also participated.

“Master, what do you think?” Zhou Qing looked at Mo Xingjian.

Mo Xingjian smiled faintly: “How I feel is irrelevant—it’s your decision.”

“As for Qingyu Immortal Sect, what are your plans—or your Uncle’s? To absorb them?” Zhou Qing asked.

Mo Xingjian shook his head. “Dominance isn’t good.”

He gently opened a window beside the hall and pointed toward the distant mountain ranges and cloud seas. “Look at the vines climbing these mountains—if they climb too high, they snap. Rivers flowing into the sea dry up if no tributaries feed them.”

Then he looked at Zhou Qing, his gaze profound. “The Eastern Region needs balance—not oppression.”

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment, then said: “So whether the Profound Void Immortal Maiden lives or dies, Taiqingmen will not annex her sect—instead, we will support her.”

Mo Xingjian nodded and said: “Correct. The Qingyu Immortal Sect is now on the verge of collapse; they need allies, not masters.”

“If we swallow them one by one, it may seem our territory expands, but in truth we make countless enemies—and some things, if eaten too quickly, only cause bloating and diarrhea.”

“Even if we harbor other intentions, we must not overstep. We must proceed slowly. Right now, the Imperial Capital’s intentions are unclear—we cannot be the first to stick our necks out!”

After hearing his master’s words, Zhou Qing began to understand.

If I refuse, the Qingyu Immortal Sect may grow suspicious; if someone stirs up trouble, our former allies could instantly turn into hidden enemies—this would be a net loss.

Moreover, during our battle with the Tianji Sect, my master and I saw the Profound Void Immortal Maiden’s pitiful state.

Day after day, year after year, she has been tormented by the Seal-Spirit Forbidden Art; no one can help her except herself.

Even more tragic: she possesses an exceptional physique, yet since childhood—since her Qi Condensation stage—she has been betrayed by the Tianji Sect, and it is truly heartbreaking.

Any other cultivator would have perished long ago.

And perhaps fate had not yet abandoned her: everyone had given up, even she herself, yet Lingxu Zi suddenly revealed this shocking truth.

“Then give it to her!” Zhou Qing said after a silence.

He was no saint, nor the reckless youth who had first entered the sect.

Soul Transformation had brought not only an increase in cultivation base, but a transformation of his heart—causing him to unconsciously view the situation from a higher vantage point.

Even if the Profound Void Immortal Maiden takes the life-extending elixir, she will only prolong her suffering for a few more years.

Moreover, after Yun Jing and the other four Supreme Elders eventually pass away, no matter how much the Qingyu Immortal Sect develops, it will never rival Taiqingmen.

On the contrary, because of our aid during the Five Sects crisis, our cessation of hostilities after my capture, and now this elixir saving her life—

This debt is enough to make the Qingyu Immortal Sect willingly become our arm.

Should war come, they will surely shield Taiqingmen from all hidden arrows; our alliance will grow ever firmer, becoming each other’s most steadfast support.

Hearing Zhou Qing’s decision, Mo Xingjian gazed at his beloved disciple’s upright back and felt boundless emotion.

Though the young fourth disciple is still young, this broad-mindedness in considering the greater good is beyond the reach of many elders who have cultivated for a thousand years.

Even more rare: he possesses the Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown. If he can refine his heart through this great matter, he will face fewer demonic obsessions when severing attachments in the future.

“All of Taiqingmen respects your decision. Then why wait? Let’s act now—the longer we delay, the fewer days she has left!”

Mo Xingjian said after thinking.

Zhou Qing nodded, then exhaled slowly.

When faced with two diverging paths, a person regrets whichever road they choose.

Yet now he found that, after making his decision, his heart felt utterly clear.

Perhaps, to him, the Qingyu Immortal Sect was no longer the towering height it once seemed.

It was merely a tiny coordinate on the map of a fourth-tier spiritual nation.

When strength and vision rise together, what was once a mountain to be looked up to becomes nothing more than a footnote of the past.

The scenery he sought lay ahead—not beneath his feet!

…

Taiqingmen had a direct teleportation array to the Qingyu Immortal Sect, so Mo Xingjian notified Elder Wu Zhu to bring the four of them in.

Soon, Yun Jing and the other three arrived, heart pounding with excitement, rushing forward three steps at a time to stand before Zhou Qing, their eyes filled with hope and anxiety.

“Young Sect Master!” All four knelt to bow, but Zhou Qing swiftly raised his hand to stop them.

Their voices choked, tears streaming down.

“Please, save our Sect Master! She… she’s been unconscious for days—medicines have had almost no effect!”

Zhou Qing’s expression remained calm; he cut straight to the point and handed over the elixir box.

“I’ve been in seclusion and didn’t know you’d come, but this is the antidote Lingxu Zi mentioned—though its authenticity still needs verification.”

Seeing the box covered in spirit talismans, the four froze—they hadn’t expected Zhou Qing to be so straightforward.

After all, when they’d mistaken him for Three Flowers Gathering and forcibly dragged him here, they’d nearly killed him.

Yet gazing into Zhou Qing’s calm eyes, Yun Jing, the leader, trembled as she reached out to take the box.

As the lid opened, a refreshing medicinal fragrance surged forth.

Inside lay a pill the size of a pigeon’s egg, translucent throughout, its interior swirling with starry river-like patterns.

Seeing this, the four’s breaths trembled lightly.

“Thank you, Young Sect Master! Thank you, Young Sect Master! As long as there’s a sliver of hope, we won’t give up!”

Tears streamed down their aged faces as they wept with joy.

“If this elixir saves our Sect Master, the entire Qingyu Immortal Sect pledges itself as Taiqingmen’s vanguard—we will brave fire and water without hesitation!”

Their spiritual energy coalesced into blue light that erupted into the sky—directly swearing a Heavenly Oath with their life force.

Zhou Qing was stunned; he opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

Yet seeing their resolute gazes, he could only say: “The teleportation array is ready. You may return to Qingyu Immortal Sect.”

“Thank you, Young Sect Master! Thank you, Master Cao!” Yun Jing carefully stored the elixir box in her storage pouch, then, guided by a True Disciple, rushed straight to the teleportation array.

Mo Xingjian sighed: “They may not be shrewd schemers, but they are unquestionably devoted guardians of their sect. By the way, why aren’t you going with them?”

Zhou Qing said: “Why should I go? Show off in front of them?”

Mo Xingjian blinked, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

Zhou Qing said: “If this were a mortal novel, my going would indeed be a satisfying moment.”

“But Qingyu Immortal Sect is now beset by internal strife and external threats. If I appear now as a savior, it may seem they owe me gratitude—but in truth, it will breed fear.”

“Even if the Profound Void Immortal Maiden survives thanks to the elixir, do I expect her to kneel and thank me? Or gift me something precious?”

Zhou Qing paused, then continued.

“Since my uncles and aunts have no interest in Qingyu Immortal Sect, I must not let them think we intend to annex them—otherwise, we’ll provoke unnecessary resistance.”

“As for fleeting fame, I care even less!”

Hearing Zhou Qing’s words, Mo Xingjian’s eyes shone with admiration.

“If you didn’t possess that thing, perhaps in Taiqingmen’s small pond, you’d be the most outstanding Sect Master in history,” Mo Xingjian murmured softly.

…

“Fourth!”

“Brother Zhou!”

“Brother Zhou!”

As soon as Zhou Qing returned, he saw Lu Yaoyao, Yan Xiaohu, and Shen Yunzhou waiting outside the courtyard.

Seeing Zhou Qing, the three greeted him cheerfully.

“What are you doing here? Wait—Shen Brother, your hair—”

Zhou Qing quickly noticed Shen Yunzhou’s hair had turned completely dung-yellow.

A solid yellow mop!

Shen Yunzhou flushed with embarrassment, scratching his head: “Cultivation realms subtly alter hair color—I’m like my sister, you’ve seen her.”

“I never expected that after waking up half a month ago, I’d look like this!”

Zhou Qing burst into laughter.

“I think this color suits you. From now on, I’ll call you Shen Yellowhair. But Yellowhair… hmm, how to put it? There’s only one phrase to describe it!” Zhou Qing said.

Shen Yunzhou asked curiously: “What phrase?”

Zhou Qing looked at him seriously: “Prejudice in the human heart is a mountain—no matter how hard you try, you can’t move it.”

Shen Yunzhou shook his head: “My sister says my brain is only as big as a walnut, and I admit it—so this saying’s too deep. Just tell me: is it praise or insult?”

Zhou Qing said: “Let me put it this way: if I had a daughter, I’d never let her date you.”

Shen Yunzhou: “…”

Lu Yaoyao, cradling a hen, stepped beside Zhou Qing: “I feel the same. Your yellow hair keeps reminding me of…”

At that moment, she felt nauseous.

Last time at Jade Banquet Hall, she’d barely eaten before fleeing.

Though I’m at the stage to comprehend a realm, I’ll never cultivate a grotesque dung realm like yours.

Shen Yunzhou rolled his eyes: “You sound like you’re already Zhou Brother’s daughter—disliking me?”

Hearing this, Lu Yaoyao suddenly trembled, her heart pounding.

She stole a glance at Zhou Qing’s sharp profile, bit her lip, and said: “If Brother Zhou ever becomes a father, he’ll be an utterly responsible one.”

“If he had a daughter like me—cute, obedient—that would be the most envied father-daughter pair in the world.”

After speaking, Lu Yaoyao stared intently at Zhou Qing’s reaction, eyes filled with hope, tension, and anxiety.

Zhou Qing awkwardly rubbed his nose.

He now understood Lu Yaoyao’s feelings: having lost her family, she sought traces of kinship in those around her.

Like her silver hair—hence his actions toward the Profound Void Immortal Maiden, and even No. 6 Shen Hanyi.

And earlier events: he’d once thought she mistook him for her deceased brother, but after the Beast King Hou Shan incident, when she wanted to call him “Dad,” and now her words at Tianji Sect—he finally understood her true feelings.

But girl, I’m not much older than you—please don’t entertain any further thoughts.

Shen Yunzhou said: “I believe that. With Zhou Brother’s utterly dominant realm, women worthy of him are as rare as phoenix feathers.”

Lu Yaoyao sighed deeply, as if fulfilling a wish, visibly delighted, then smirked: “I think your sister would suit Brother Zhou well.”

Zhou Qing’s face darkened; he pulled Lu Yaoyao back: “Don’t stir trouble.”

Shen Yunzhou shook his head dramatically, shuddering: “No way—my sister’s too ugly for Zhou Brother!”

Lu Yaoyao: “…”

Zhou Qing saw the conversation veering further off track and quickly changed the subject: “What brings you here?”

Now it was finally Yan Xiao’s turn to speak—he had felt completely left out of the previous exchange.

He said: “Fourth Brother, you’re the smartest one—tell us how to answer these three questions?”

Zhou Qing stared at the slip of paper Yan Xiao handed him, stunned: “Aren’t these the same questions those two monks asked at Jin Leizong?”

Yan Xiao nodded eagerly, envious: “You really do know—of course you do. That meeting with the entire sect’s leadership? You were the only one who stayed the whole time. Even Lu Yaoyao got kicked out.”

Then Yan Xiao explained Cao Zhengyang’s plan.

Right now, nearly every core and true disciple in the sect is secretly preparing.

But reaching the answer those monks seek won’t be easy.

“I’ve heard the details too. I don’t know what they’re looking for, but Ji Yuan Temple is a household name in the Tianyun Holy Dynasty.”

“It’s a Buddhist holy site with a ten-thousand-year lineage, teeming with powerful cultivators—over thirty have reached the Cut-Spirit realm.”

“And Jue Ming has been in the Cut-Spirit realm for years—he ranks third among Ji Yuan Temple’s Ten Great Venerables,” Shen Yunzhou warned.

Zhou Qing immediately turned to look at Shen Huangmao, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Ji… Ji Yuan Temple? Those two monks—one big, one small—are from Ji Yuan Temple?” Zhou Qing exclaimed in shock.

(End of Chapter)