Chapter 297: It

BOOM!

Yan Sen punched through the shattered rocks, his body drenched in blood yet still radiating terrifying aura.

He wiped blood from his lips and instinctively touched his chest.

With his spiritual sense, he found nothing—then instinctively turned toward Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao remained within the formation, staring silently at the six-colored pillars without looking back.

“An illusion—” he muttered, then turned again toward Yan Weiyi.

“Eighth Uncle—” Yan Sen called out and hurried over.

After rising, Yan Weiyi’s mouth spilled uncontrollable gouts of blood foam.

He waved his hand, his voice hoarse but brimming with suppressed excitement.

“It’s fine. Risk is part of any adventure. Fortunately, it was all worth it—we’ve finally returned that spirit seal to its original state.”

Yan Sen grew excited too. “Yes! Thanks to Eighth Uncle’s keen insight! Anyone else would’ve spent a hundred years before this formation and still never spotted that special spirit seal hidden within the folds.”

Hearing this, Yan Weiyi’s tone carried a hint of pride. “Just mastery through practice—nothing but a lifetime immersed in formation arts.”

“Then, it’s time for these two brats to take the stage.”

Yan Weiyi whirled sharply, his eyes glowing with cold, eerie light as he fixed them on Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao.

At that moment, the two remained silent in perfect unison, their gazes sharp as falcons, tracking every move of the Yan uncle and nephew.

Yan Sen hesitated. “The backlash is severe. Shouldn’t we rest before entering?”

“Resting inside is the same.”

Yan Weiyi stared at the pillars before him, a flicker of anxiety in his eyes. “This six-colored formation has been manifesting for over a month. I fear delaying further will draw others here.”

Yan Sen fully agreed.

Fortunately, this island is remote and rarely visited—but for safety, he still needed to check again.

With that, his aura turned instantly icy and lethal; his terrifying spiritual sense spread like an invisible net, sweeping across the island with unstoppable force.

Soon, his eyes narrowed sharply.

Several seemingly ordinary water droplets nearby carried a trace of spiritual vitality.

“Trouble!” The Qingluo beast immediately dove into the sea and fled at top speed.

Yan Sen snorted coldly, instantly vaporizing the droplets, then locked onto the fleeing beast-king.

But the opponent was too fast—already vanished from sight.

“Forget it. Not worth worrying about. Right now, focus on getting inside!” Yan Weiyi stopped Yan Sen from pursuing.

Yan Sen reluctantly retracted his spiritual sense and turned to Zhou Qing, dismantling the surrounding binding formation.

His triangular eyes glinted with cold fury. “What are you waiting for? If you can’t open it, you know what awaits you.”

Zhou Qing nodded, deliberately raising his voice. “Lu Sister, same as before—when we enter the narrow passage, you must help me with the cooling.”

Lu Yaoyao nodded. “Don’t worry, Brother Zhou. We’ve done this once already. This time, leave it to me.”

In the instant their eyes met, a faint, unnoticeable understanding passed between them.

Yan Sen frowned slightly, glancing at the old man’s shadow in the lower right corner, but said nothing more.

Since Shen Hanyi brought these two, they must have some role in opening the formation.

He waved his hand casually, signaling Zhou Qing to proceed.

To a Cutting Spirit cultivator, a Soul Transformation or Nascent Soul cultivator was no more than an ant—even if they played tricks, it was like a mantis trying to stop a cart.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing quietly exhaled. He’d feared they’d use Lu Yaoyao as leverage, separating them.

Or worse—imprinting his body or poisoning them, just in case.

This underestimation saved him much trouble.

He met Lu Yaoyao’s gaze, his body blazing with golden light as he erupted into the colossal form of the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

The girl leapt lightly onto its back, her fingertips Ningchu a ten-foot ice lotus, ice crystals coating the golden feathers, appearing as if naturally forged armor.

Seeing the Peng, Yan Weiyi was surprised—was this how they entered the six-colored formation?

But his eyes quickly filled with greed.

“Once inside, to prevent this secret realm from leaking, kill them!” Yan Weiyi ordered.

Yan Sen nodded, understanding.

In truth, he’d thought the same.

At this moment, Zhou Qing exhaled deeply, gazing at the old Peng King’s benevolent face, silently praying.

Then he and Lu Yaoyao shot straight toward the transparent figure.

The moment they touched it, that familiar resistance surged again—like sinking into thick mud.

Last time, Number Six had pushed him forward—but now, he had to rely on himself, and dared not let those two channel their spiritual power into him.

But he’d been through this once before. Zhou Qing roared, pouring more strength into it.

On his back, Lu Yaoyao watched her father strain with all his might, her eyes filled with sorrow.

All she could do now was pour her spiritual power into him without reservation.

Though it was like a drop in the ocean, she couldn’t just stand idle.

“Push—!”

Zhou Qing roared again, his spiritual power surging wildly as he fought to break free from the dragging resistance.

Behind him, Yan Sen and Yan Weiyi each held spirit stones, absorbing and replenishing their energy as they watched silently.

“Hold on tight!”

Zhou Qing shouted to Lu Yaoyao, then immediately channeled the reserve spiritual power from the golden flower.

With another surge, they instantly closed the distance to the old Peng King.

The moment they made contact, a vast, ancient power erupted violently.

Zhou Qing felt his body pulled by an immense force, slipping effortlessly into the ruins behind the old Peng King.

Simultaneously, behind him, a unique black passage formed due to his breakthrough.

“They actually got in!”

Seeing this, Yan Sen and Yan Weiyi’s faces lit up with joy.

Without hesitation, they rushed through the passage as fast as they could…

When they landed, they noticed towering stone platforms floating in midair.

Each was immense, yet covered in collapsed, bizarre structures.

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao had vanished.

“The aura here… so ancient!” Yan Weiyi inhaled deeply, eyes filled with awe.

Without another word, he began plundering.

Yan Sen was equally excited, but now regretted something.

He should’ve marked Zhou Qing with a tracking seal—after all, he was determined to claim the Emperor’s Radiance Scripture.

But now that Eighth Uncle had started searching for treasures, he couldn’t foolishly go hunting Zhou Qing, trading a sesame seed for a watermelon.

“The monk may run, but the temple stays—Taiqingmen is still right over there!”

Yan Sen abandoned the thought and flew to another distant floating platform to plunder.

But the moment he landed, before even moving, he felt a chill crawl up his back.

As if some terrifying creature had locked onto him.

He instantly drew his weapon and went on guard.

ROAR—

The next instant, from the collapsed ruins, a pair of enormous eyes snapped open.

Followed by a terrifying beast roar, radiating boundless authority and dread.

“It’s you again! Give back my spirit herbs!”

After violent tremors shook the ground, a massive black tortoise locked onto Yan Sen and roared in human speech.

Then it opened its bloodied maw and lunged to swallow Yan Sen whole.

Yan Sen’s face paled—he dared not linger a moment, and fled at top speed toward the platform where Yan Weiyi stood.

“A Completion-level Cutting Spirit Azure Fire Mystic Turtle—how bad is my luck? Eighth Uncle! Eighth Uncle—”

…

【Latest update: Poster accidentally intruded on Azure Fire Mystic Turtle’s resting place. It mistook the intruder for the thief of its “Crimson Flame Golden Vein Vine” and launched a furious pursuit.】

【Due to the vast power gap, the poster couldn’t dodge in time and took a direct claw strike—half his arm is severed.】

In a collapsed ruin on another platform, two figures suppressed their auras completely, motionless.

At that moment, a line of strange, screen-like text suddenly floated before Zhou Qing’s eyes.

Seeing this real-time report, as if from a “Bad Luck Post,” Zhou Qing’s face broke into a satisfied smile.

The “Misfortune Post” with tenfold effect—the “Cursed Post”—wasn’t just bad luck; it demanded blood.

“Three days. Don’t you dare die before then!” Zhou Qing murmured.

Lu Yaoyao lowered her voice in confusion. “Brother Zhou, what did you say?”

Zhou Qing turned to her and suddenly grinned. “Nothing. Right now, help me make a decision.”

“Help you make a decision? Why?” Lu Yaoyao asked curiously.

Zhou Qing’s voice dropped lower. “Because your luck is better—you’re my lucky star.”

Lu Yaoyao trembled slightly, momentarily dazed.

“Little lucky star, which way should Dad run?”

A bearded middle-aged man, his face etched with exhaustion, clutched a broken sword dripping blood with each steady *tap-tap*.

Yet he forced a smile and gently pinched her tiny nose.

“I don’t know—it’s all the same!” came the soft, naive Tongsheng .

The middle-aged man hoisted the child onto his shoulder, his rough palm firmly cradling her small bottom.

“True enough! Since we’re running either way, let’s head where the sun sets!”

Zhou Qing, watching Lu Yaoyao’s eyes suddenly flush red, felt momentarily at a loss.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Qing asked quickly.

Lu Yaoyao bit her lip: “Brother Zhou, do you really think I’m your lucky star?”

Zhou Qing froze, then understood, smiling faintly.

Without you, could I have received the legacy of Xuan Qingzi?

Without you, could I have racked up so many Ignore Points and Heart Insight Points?

Without you, could I have met so many interesting people and things?

Number Six thinks I’m her destined one—but in my world, you’re the one who brings me fortune.

“Of course!” Zhou Qing said firmly.

Lu Yaoyao’s tears turned to laughter; she wiped her eyes, beaming. “What’s the plan?”

Zhou Qing’s gaze sharpened: “First option: we hide here and wait to be expelled in five days.”

“Second option: since we’re here already, let’s go out and explore—and find a chance to kill those two bastards!”

As Zhou Qing spoke, a sharp wave of killing intent flared in his eyes.

Lu Yaoyao fell silent.

San Mama, a late-stage Soul Severing cultivator, barely escaped with grave injuries—yet these two have no idea of the rules here; they might go even deeper.

So the probability of encountering danger is far higher.

But five days is still too short—what if they get lucky?

Once we’re all expelled together, they’ll still have nowhere to run.

They’ll most likely be treated as tools, forced to activate the six-color array over and over until they drop dead.

But if this place is full of danger, why not do what we originally planned: set the tiger against the wolf?

If there’s no danger, we’ll create it.

She refused to believe the native inhabitants here would abandon Yan Sen and the others to chase after two insignificant ants.

That would be too humiliating!

Since we’re doomed either way, why not take a few down with us?

Maybe we’ll carve out a path to survival.

After thinking it through, Lu Yaoyao fixed her burning gaze on Zhou Qing.

Meeting her gaze, Zhou Qing smiled knowingly.

It seemed their thoughts were eerily aligned.

“Scared?” Zhou Qing asked softly.

Lu Yaoyao shook her head. “Not at all.”

“Good. Then let’s fight for our lives, brother and sister, in this dead end!” Zhou Qing’s eyes turned icy.

Lu Yaoyao even felt a flicker of excitement.

Everything felt like it had returned to the past.

“Go!” After a brief pause, the two slipped away silently.

…

[Latest update: The poster, after healing his arm, accidentally fell into a four-color killing array, suffering severe soul damage; his companion was injured trying to save him.]

[Latest update: The companion carried him to a safe spot to heal, only to find it was the lair of a late-stage Soul Severing demon emperor—they were ambushed at the entrance, and battle was imminent.]

[Latest update: The poster just escaped the demon emperor’s pursuit, but tripped an ancient puppet mechanism and is now being chased by hundreds of bronze puppets with no escape.]

[Latest update: The poster reached a floating platform, which suddenly tilted—just as a five-hundred-year spiritual current surge hit. Both were torn apart by violent spiritual flows and forced to flee in panic.]

…

Watching these updates one after another, Zhou Qing suddenly worried: would Yan Sen survive even three days?

It’s barely half a day—and look at what he’s endured; he’s probably cursing his ancestors by now.

If these uncle and nephew survive today, they’ll likely suspect each other’s birth charts are cursed.

“Brother Zhou, there are too many platforms here. We flew far to avoid them when we entered—where do we even start looking?”

Lu Yaoyao stood at the edge of a floating platform, gazing at the distant, undulating islands, her voice laced with concern.

They’d originally hoped to find some benefits along the way, but after discussing, they realized their ambitions were too grand.

If there were real treasures, Golden Peng King would’ve claimed them long ago—plus, there are many native demon emperors here.

How could it be left to them?

Even if there were, the risks are uncertain. And even if they got lucky, if those two survive, everything in their storage bags will still belong to them after five days.

Zhou Qing glanced again at the messages from the [Misfortune Post], then reshaped himself into Jin Chida.

“Look for nearby platforms that are currently tilting!” Zhou Qing suddenly had a direction in mind.

Lu Yaoyao was puzzled but didn’t ask; she leapt onto his back as he spread his wings and they began scanning the island cluster carefully.

Three hours later, Lu Yaoyao suddenly pointed sideways and cried out: “Brother Zhou, there!”

A platform shaped like a giant whale’s spine tilted unnaturally, its edge structures crumbling like stacked blocks, revealing churning blue spiritual currents below.

“How did you know such a place existed?” Her eyes were full of astonishment.

Zhou Qing’s face lit up; he landed on a nearby floating platform. “Suppress your aura. Stay silent. They might be nearby!”

The two hid in a crevice of the ruins, choosing a spot with clear sightline to watch the distance.

About an hour later, two figures suddenly shot upward from an adjacent platform.

Yan Weiyi’s aura was unstable, yet he still flew.

Yan Sen was drenched in blood, barely recognizable as human.

Too far to see details, but Lu Yaoyao whispered in shock: “This place is so dangerous—even Yan Sen looks like this!”

Zhou Qing only smiled, silent.

Only he knew this was merely the appetizer of the [Misfortune Post].

No rush. Take it slow—there are still two days left!

Now that we’ve found them, with patience, we’ll find our chance—and deliver a fatal strike.

They looked down on us as ants—yet it’s the ants that kill elephants.

“Follow!” Seeing them land on another nearby platform, the two moved forward slightly.

Soon after, another message appeared.

[Latest update: The poster found an ancient flag in pristine condition, mistaking it for an ancient treasure; he grabbed it first, angering his companion.]

But the moment he touched it, a million spectral souls surged forth, launching furious spiritual sense attacks, while some devoured his flesh.]

As soon as he read this, he saw the two figures on the stone platform fleeing in panic.

Behind them, a dark tide surged forward—the leading spirits radiated Ghost Emperor-level pressure.

Seeing this, Lu Yaoyao turned pale.

She finally understood: this Peng Palace, sealed by a six-color array, was never meant for cultivators of their level.

“Idiot, don’t follow me!” Yan Weiyi roared, attempting to tear open space—but due to chaotic spiritual energy, it failed; he fled as a streak of light.

To his shock, Yan Sen scrambled after him, provoking another furious curse.

Yan Sen wanted to cry but had no tears left.

He never imagined this place was so deadly—and that he’d suffered eight generations’ worth of bad luck.

In less than a day, look at what’s happened to me.

He wanted to find a place to heal, but seeing his uncle frantically hunting treasures, he felt pressured.

He had no choice but to follow—and what he got was one misfortune after another.

Now his uncle even called him an idiot.

Fuck your mother!

Without me, would you even know this place existed?

Now you think I’m a burden?

My body and soul are both severely injured, and behind me are hundreds of vengeful spirits—do you expect me to face them alone?

Even at my peak, I couldn’t withstand this—let alone now.

Who else am I supposed to follow?

Thinking this, Yan Sen yanked three black needles from his storage bag and drove them deep into his Danzhong , dantian, and other major acupoints.

The needles were engraved with dense Yin script; the moment they pierced his skin, his pupils shrank to needle-points, and his aura surged unnaturally.

His speed multiplied several times—he finally caught up to Yan Weiyi—but earned only a look of revulsion.

Zhou Qing and Lu Yaoyao hid behind the collapsed remains of a teleportation array, barely daring to breathe.

They watched helplessly as the Yan uncle and nephew were chased by Ghost Emperor-level spirits like stray dogs, too terrified to show themselves.

After all, neither the spirits nor the Soul Severing cultivators’ speed were within their current ability to confront.

After an unknown length of time, when the vengeful spirits receded like a tide, the two dared to cautiously advance.

【Latest News…】

【Latest News…】

…

Seeing the series of misfortunes that had surfaced for Yan Sen, Zhou Qing followed the clues and caught up with him again the next day.

【Heart Mirror Points +9】

Lu Yaoyao’s Touding 【Hao Ni Hai】 changed again to 【Hao Bi Zi】.

There were so many floating platforms here, the area boundless—yet Father always found them.

This nose of his is truly remarkable!

I still remember last time—he found and dug up a plaque inscribed with Jin Peng’s essence, buried so deep.

Why didn’t I inherit even a fraction of that?

“Serves you right—for choking my throat, this is karma!”

Watching Yan Sen and Yan Weiyi being chased away once more by three demonic emperors, Lu Yaoyao clenched her tiny fist, feeling deeply satisfied.

Zhou Qing merely shook his head and smiled.

But as he watched the direction they fled, he slowly furrowed his brow.

“Not yet,” Zhou Qing murmured to himself, then called to Lu Yaoyao and followed them once more.

…

By the afternoon of the third day, Zhou Qing had lost count of how many messages he’d received.

The 【Curse Scroll】 was truly hair-raising—its effect was terrifying.

Almost every half to one hour, Yan Sen suffered a bloody disaster.

Even when healing himself or taking elixirs, he would cough up blood violently due to qi and blood conflict.

【Latest News: A demonic emperor, severely wounded in a territorial dispute, forcibly possessed the scroll’s target to save his life.】

【Due to timely intervention by his companion, the possession failed; the target suffered catastrophic soul damage, and his companion chose to depart briefly.】

At that moment, another message appeared.

Zhou Qing was stunned.

It seems the number of demonic emperors within this palace isn’t ordinary at all—what exactly happened here so long ago?

As Zhou Qing pondered, a figure rose into the air from a distant floating platform—it was Yan Weiyi.

He appeared injured, muttering curses under his breath, then turned and headed deeper inward.

After waiting another hour, Zhou Qing immediately took Lu Yaoyao toward that location.

Soon, following the traces, they discovered Yan Sen, barely alive within a talisman array, desperately attempting to heal himself.

“This is a four-color talisman array!” Seeing the protective barrier, Zhou Qing frowned.

This complicates things.

“Strike while the iron is hot, Brother Zhou—take him down!”

Seeing Yan Sen’s pale face and weak breath, Lu Yaoyao quietly whispered through spiritual transmission.

But Zhou Qing gently shook his head and immediately began to analyze the talisman array…

(End of Chapter)