Chapter 86: Fourth-Level Cultivation Nation (6k)

As soon as Zhou Qing turned his head, he saw Lu Yaoyao and Shi Zhen talking under a tree not far away. Upon seeing Zhou Qing, Lu Yaoyao ran over happily to greet him.

Zhou Qing quickly glanced left and right, and after confirming that Li Daoxuan, He Han, and the others were not nearby, he hurriedly handed the jade slip back.

First of all, he truly did not need this thing; his Master had long since imparted all kinds of insights and experiences regarding the Foundation Establishment realm to him, and later, his Eldest Shixiong, Second Shijie, and Third Shixiong had done the same.

He already understood everything regarding the cultivation matters of the Foundation Establishment realm.

What's more, he was now a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator; building upon their foundations, it was time to explore a path that belonged to himself.

"Many thanks, you should return it as soon as possible!" Zhou Qing said with sincere gratitude.

Lu Yaoyao nodded obediently.

Shi Zhen spoke with full admiration: "I heard Junior Sister Lu recount everything that happened in Green Wood City this time. I really didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable; you even knew about something like the Blood Tai Sui. This Shijie is dull-witted; let alone knowing about it, I haven't even seen it before."

【Heart Appraisal Points +9】

As soon as the words fell, the note 【Heart-wrenching Junior Shidi】 above Shi Zhen's head instantly changed to 【Junior Shidi who is as smart as him】.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but feel happy inside.

It seems that Eldest Shixiong holds an extraordinary weight in the heart of Senior Shijie Shi Zhen.

"Shijie is too kind; I just happened to see information about that thing by chance. It was purely a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse," Zhou Qing said with a smile.

Lu Yaoyao quickly added: "Senior Shixiong Zhou is not only knowledgeable, but his nose is also especially sharp. Do you believe that no matter what powder we wear today, he can smell it?"

Shi Zhen's pretty face instantly flushed with a blush, and Zhou Qing felt even more awkward.

"My nose isn't that sharp; don't listen to her nonsense," Zhou Qing hurriedly explained.

Shi Zhen, however, looked as usual and, after pondering slightly, said: "How is your sleepwalking condition lately? I have been looking for a solution these days, and now I have some leads."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing felt a wave of warmth.

He then bowed solemnly: "Many thanks for Shijie's concern; it is much better."

"Why don't we go eat together? Anyway, it's very close to the Jade Meal Hall from here!" Shi Zhen suggested.

Zhou Qing waved his hands quickly: "No, no, I still have some things to handle here. You two go eat; this Shidi will take his leave first!"

After saying this, Zhou Qing turned and left.

…………

"Zhou Qing!"

Just as Zhou Qing reached the middle of the mountainside, a familiar figure suddenly landed in front of him.

When he saw who it was, Zhou Qing's heart tightened, and he hurriedly paid his respects.

"Greetings, Shibo!"

Gao Xuan nodded slightly and said with a gentle face: "How is your practice of the 'Pale Thunder Sword Art' going? It just so happens that I am sending a batch of Thunder-Attracting Talismans to the Exchange Hall. If you need them, I can secretly spare two for you."

Zhou Qing hurriedly waved his hands to refuse.

You are truly too good to me; although I can't beat you up, I can hide from you.

"Thank you for your concern, Shibo, but this disciple might lack talent in practicing this technique. I haven't been able to get started for such a long time, so I gave it up. Besides, being struck by lightning is really painful."

Zhou Qing acted weak, like mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall, and looked very embarrassed.

As of now, the 'Pale Thunder Sword Art' can be considered his greatest reliance, and he absolutely cannot let others know about it easily.

Even that time in the Ghost City, it was performed in an underground space, and even Third Shixiong and the others had not seen it.

Hearing what Zhou Qing said, Gao Xuan's face was full of regret.

"It is truly a pity. After all, this 'Pale Thunder Sword Art' is a first-class cultivation technique; it can display great divine power even when reaching the Soul Formation realm," Gao Xuan shook his head and said.

Zhou Qing looked at Gao Xuan with slight surprise, as well as the 【Lamb for Slaughter】 note above his head.

This 'Pale Thunder Sword Art' has three forms, corresponding to the Foundation Establishment, Jin Dan, and Soul Formation realms respectively. He didn't expect Gao Xuan to be so knowledgeable.

Zhou Qing could only smile: "I have disappointed Shibo; perhaps I am really not that kind of material."

Gao Xuan, however, said: "Do not belittle yourself. If you don't try, how do you know you can't do it? Jin Leizong actually has a man-made Lei Chi, and an Elder who guards the Lei Chi owes me a favor. If you are willing, I can help you go speak to them."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing was filled with disbelief.

He was not surprised by the Lei Chi; after all, the Thunder-Form Sword Embryo had already condensed, and he no longer had any use for that thing.

What he didn't understand was why this fake Gao Xuan was kind to such a degree—using up a favor just like that?

I am not your direct disciple; is it worth it?

Could it be that the other force is truly Jin Leizong, and you are trying to send me into the tiger's mouth?

I am but a small pawn; is it worth going to such lengths?

Zhou Qing hurriedly said: "Many thanks for your good intentions, Shibo, but this disciple is truly mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall. There is really no need. I still have things to do; this disciple will take his leave first."

After Zhou Qing finished speaking, he turned and left.

【Heart Appraisal Points +8】.

A notification sound suddenly rang out. Zhou Qing, who was walking quickly, looked back and saw that the entry note above Gao Xuan's head had changed to 【Child who missed an opportunity】.

At this moment, Gao Xuan was still looking at him, so Zhou Qing could only smile slightly and speed up his departure.

No way, looking at it like this, he seems to sincerely want to find a Lei Chi for me to help me practice the 'Pale Thunder Sword Art'.

What exactly is the intention of this fake Shibo Gao Xuan?

First there were 【Dead Person】, 【Scapegoat】, 【Lamb for Slaughter】, and now 【Child who missed an opportunity】; your impression of me has absolutely no pattern to speak of.

Are you crazy?

Returning to Small Spirit Peak, Zhou Qing looked at the red token in front of him and fell into deep thought.

Since the Collection Pavilion has no records related to it, it is evident that this thing is not something that Taiqingmen can come into contact with.

After all, that skeleton, even though it had fallen for so many years, the pressure it emitted seemed to be stronger than his Master's. As for the person who snatched it, they were even more so, in their anger, fearing no killing karma, slaughtering the entire city to vent their rage.

"This item must be hidden well, otherwise it could truly bring disaster to the entire Taiqingmen!" Zhou Qing made a decision.

But holding a golden mountain in his hand yet finding no way to use it made Zhou Qing feel quite regretful.

Just as he wanted to put the spirit token into his storage space, his heart suddenly stirred.

I wonder if the same item can be appraised twice?

Anyway, today's 【Daily Appraisal】 hasn't been used yet, so I might as well try it.

As Zhou Qing aimed his gaze at the token again and performed the appraisal, another line of information, different from before, was fed back.

【Unactivated Key: As one of the nine keys to the Shenxu Tiangong, it is still in an unactivated state. As long as you place it at your own spirit core to nourish it for three days, and then mark it with your essence blood, you will become its new owner.】

Seeing this, Zhou Qing's eyes immediately lit up.

He didn't expect that it could actually be done; it was a waste of so many 【Daily Appraisal】 opportunities.

If you say throw this thing away, it's truly too much of a pity, but if you don't throw it away, what if someone else has other special means to perceive it? Then I would be walking into my own death.

Only by completely mastering it can one be at ease.

Zhou Qing did not hesitate and hurriedly sent it to his spirit core. Sure enough, wisps of black and white Qi, as if attracted, slowly wrapped around it.

"Old Four, Old Four!" Just as he finished all this, Yan Xiaohu's knocking sound rang out from outside the door.

Zhou Qing walked out and opened the door, seeing Yan Xiaohu looking excited.

"What, did Shibo Sect Master reimburse you for more?" Zhou Qing teased.

Yan Xiaohu waved his hands; after all, that reimbursement was a matter from a few days ago.

"I have inside information. In a few days, the Seventh Prince and Ninth Princess of the Sacred Martial Dynasty will come to visit our Taiqingmen." Yan Xiaohu was extremely excited.

Zhou Qing was a bit surprised, then seemed to think of something and asked: "Is that Ninth Princess coming to find you?"

"Find my ass, don't joke around. Could she take a fancy to me... no, could I take a fancy to her? Remember, brother is the man she will never get. What I mean is, Eldest Shixiong will come out of seclusion by then; after all, this Seventh Prince is coming to find him."

Yan Xiaohu said mysteriously.

Zhou Qing was puzzled.

Yan Xiaohu said: "You might not know, but this Seventh Prince and Eldest Shixiong can be considered to have become friends through fighting; the two have competed many times. I guess he's coming this time because he has achieved success in his cultivation and is prepared to compare notes again."

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment and asked with some doubt: "So that's how it is. In that way, our Taiqingmen can be considered to have a connection with the Royal Family. Then how dare the Cangyan Dao Palace secretly plot against us?"

After hearing this, Yan Xiaohu patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder, sighed, and said: "You are still too young; you don't know the twists and turns inside. It just so happens that Shixiong will give you a lesson."

Afterwards, Yan Xiaohu organized his thoughts and said: "Cultivation levels are divided into Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Jin Dan, Soul Formation, Divine Transformation, and Soul Severance. Of course, I heard that above Soul Severance, there are even higher realms. These are too far away for you and me, so I won't mention them."

"You should know that everyone is a part of a cultivation nation, including our Taiqingmen, and cultivation nations also have level divisions. Do you know which level we are at?"

Zhou Qing nodded: "A fourth-level cultivation nation!"

Yan Xiaohu said: "That's right. If a nation has cultivators who reach the Soul Severance stage, then that nation automatically climbs to a fourth-level cultivation nation, enjoying more resources and territory. Speaking of which, our Sacred Martial Nation only ascended three thousand years ago when the Old Emperor luckily stepped into Soul Severance."

"But having only one Soul Severance stage makes our Sacred Martial Dynasty the weakest fourth-level cultivation nation. To prevent being annexed, and also to help each other, the Old Emperor used a large amount of resources and shared his cultivation insights, helping the ancestors of some top sects successfully step into the Soul Severance stage."

"As of today, our Sacred Martial Dynasty already possesses at least thirteen Soul Severance cultivators, completely securing the title of a fourth-level cultivation nation."

Zhou Qing was also filled with emotion after hearing this; after all, before he became a disciple, he, being alone, already had some understanding of the environment he was in.

After entering Taiqingmen, with the help of the sect platform, he understood it even more thoroughly.

As for Taiqingmen, people like Shibo Sect Master and his Master are basically at the Divine Transformation stage.

Several Supreme Elders are at the Great Perfection of the Divine Transformation stage; there is probably no hope of breaking through to Soul Severance.

On the path of cultivation, the further one goes, the harder it is to cultivate. This is closely related to Foundation Establishment at different levels, personal talent, cultivation resources, and so on.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be the case that until now, in the vast Sacred Martial Dynasty, there are only those few Soul Severance stages, and they were born only in these few thousand years.

And Yan Xiaohu continued: "Our Sacred Martial Dynasty has vast territory, and sects like our Taiqingmen are countless. Almost all sects take the Sacred Martial Dynasty as the core."

"As for the question you just raised, it can be explained now. Because the current Emperor has many descendants, almost every prince has his own power behind him, more or less, but they are only those military generals or their own mother's side."

"The new Emperor has clearly stipulated that princes are not allowed to have ties with major sects to avoid too much involvement. For example, what if this Seventh Prince vents his anger for our Taiqingmen? Could the Cangyan Dao Palace easily let it go?"

"You have a background, so can't I find one with the same background? Or, before you even find one, someone will take the initiative to send themselves to your door. Heaven knows how fiercely these princes compete in secret."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing seemed to understand a little bit.

When will the cycle of revenge end? I suppose that's how it can be understood.

This prince deals with that prince, and other princes, seeing this situation, also take the opportunity to intervene and add fuel to the fire, causing them to both suffer.

By then, Taiqingmen and Cangyan Dao Palace are just sacrifices for them to solve their competitors.

If everyone does this, how can the entire Sacred Martial Dynasty develop? It would all be ruined.

Watching your own foundation and relatives being tossed away by your sons, once an outside enemy invades, do you think I will still have a sense of belonging?

Will I respond to the call to help?

If other cultivation nations secretly give me some benefits, do you believe I will stab you in the back at a critical moment?

Looking at Zhou Qing's thoughtful appearance, Yan Xiaohu knew that Zhou Qing understood.

"So this boundary, we will not easily cross, because it is good for no one, especially the sect side, but simple social interaction among the younger generation is fine, otherwise everyone doesn't know each other, which would be so awkward," Yan Xiaohu said.

Zhou Qing nodded, then looked at Yan Xiaohu and said: "Shixiong, actually I am very curious, where do you get so much inside information?"

Yan Xiaohu immediately smiled and said: "No way, I have nothing else, but I have many friends."

"Then are you sending a message to Senior Shijie Shi Zhen?" Zhou Qing thought for a while and said.

Yan Xiaohu said: "Must, otherwise wouldn't our meal be eaten in vain? What's more, rather than giving a surprise, it's better to let her be happy for a few more days. After all, we don't know what Eldest Shixiong is thinking right now, so we should just stop at that."

Regarding this point, Zhou Qing readily agreed.

And for the next two days, Zhou Qing used 【Daily Appraisal】 to appraise the old hen twice in a row, but the information he could obtain was almost no different from the first time.

It can be seen that for different things, the appraisal effect is different.

By the night of the third day, Zhou Qing, who was cultivating, felt something. As he opened his eyes, the token floated out from his spirit core.

Looking at it appearing even redder than before, Zhou Qing took a deep breath, slowly bit his fingertip, and a drop of bright red essence blood seeped out from the wound and dripped onto the token.

As the token absorbed it, in an instant, a strange heat flow came from the token and quickly spread to Zhou Qing's whole body.

He could clearly feel that he seemed to have established a wonderful connection with the token.

But in the next moment, the token in his hand suddenly released a strange red light, followed by a terrifying suction force.

Before Zhou Qing could react, his consciousness seemed to penetrate the endless void.

Until it suddenly became cold all around, he subconsciously became alert.

But only then did he discover that he was now a red spherical object, floating in mid-air.

And it was pitch black all around. In front of him was a huge vortex slowly rotating, emitting a mysterious and unpredictable aura.

And that vortex was like an endless abyss, deep and dark, making people look at it with awe, and not knowing where it led.

Besides that, around the vortex, there were three giant screens with frozen images floating.

Zhou Qing was secretly shocked.

But just at this moment, a green light ball suddenly appeared in the darkness.

"Yo, after so long, a newcomer has finally arrived!" The next moment, a surprised voice actually came from this green ball.

However, the voice seemed to have been deliberately covered up, and it was impossible to tell whether it was a man or a woman for a moment.

At the same time, on the green ball, there was also an ancient character 【Four】 on it.

Before Zhou Qing could react, another blue light ball suddenly appeared not far away.

"Red? It seems someone has obtained a red token. But this is too slow; when will we be able to collect all nine tokens?"

This cyan light ball also made a voice that couldn't distinguish between man and woman, full of sighs in its words.

And on it, there was a character 【Five】.

"Cough, I am Gongsun Liu. May I ask what your name is? Where are you now?" The first green ball that appeared couldn't help but ask.

Zhou Qing frowned. Looking at the colors of these two light balls, he seemed to understand a little bit.

So, the keys to this 【Shenxu Tiangong】 are of different colors. Once recognized as the master, the spiritual sense will be sucked into this strange space and appear in the corresponding color.

He hurriedly looked along his red light cluster. Sure enough, what appeared on it was a character 【One】.

Is it sorted by red, orange, green, cyan, blue, and purple?

"He is lying to you. Once you tell your name and location, I'm afraid it won't be long before the token in your hand will have a new master!"

Another voice rang out. Zhou Qing then noticed that in the darkness on the left, a blue light cluster appeared, and what was on it was the character 【Six】.

Four, five, six; this order is really...

Number Four green ball was speechless and said: "Number Six, this is meaningless. It's not easy for a newcomer to come. Of course, I was just joking with him."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing was immediately on guard against the Number Four green ball.

Number Five cyan ball opened its mouth and said: "Knowing the method to activate the token, do you think Number One would be an ordinary person? Could they be ignorant of the first layer of this Shenxu Tiangong? Number Four, you are asking for humiliation, haha~~"

Number Five laughed, while Number Four fell silent, seemingly too lazy to argue with it.

And Number Six blue ball, which had kindly reminded him before, said: "This is the first layer of the Shenxu Tiangong. You must know that next, it will extract the most mysterious place you have seen in your life and project it in the form of an image."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing looked thoughtfully at the three frozen images beside the huge vortex, seemingly understanding a little.

So this is just the first layer of the Shenxu Tiangong. It seems this mystical realm is far more mysterious than he imagined.

Soon, a wisp of airflow suddenly protruded from the vortex and landed on Zhou Qing.

As the spiritual power in the air intertwined, this space finally welcomed the fourth image.

The other three light balls immediately looked over curiously.

Soon, a red river that didn't know where it led appeared in the image, with countless dead black crows floating inside.

They emitted coldness and rot, making people's hair stand on end.

And on the other side of the red river, there was also a huge ancient tree growing. Although it presented a state of decay and dryness, on the top of the tree, there were more than a dozen thick iron chains, tightly binding a beating black heart like giant pythons.

Every time that heart beat, it made a dull and strange sound, echoing in the entire pitch-black space.

Not only that, under the giant tree, there were also six coffins arranged quietly.

Everything was full of strangeness.

Zhou Qing didn't expect that it would map out the scene he saw in the cave. In this way, the other three images should be the mysterious places these three people have seen in their lives.

But what is the use of this?

"Brother, or sister, what place is this? Why does it look so ominous?"

Number Four green ball hurriedly asked.

Zhou Qing chuckled; I want to know even more than you.

But he had only seen such a scene once, when he was forcibly pulled in by Er Daye, and with the help of him as a carrier, he brought it out from inside.

"Number One, invite me in for a stroll. Anyway, only you know the place. Even if there are any good things, I can't take them away. Do you think it's okay?"

At this time, Number Five cyan light ball started to negotiate with Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing was even more confused. What invitation?

Can this still be entered?

Afterwards, he subconsciously looked at the Number Six blue light ball. At the very least, so far, the other party's impression of him was not bad.

Seeing that this Number One didn't speak from beginning to end, the Number Six light ball was also a bit hesitant.

If you say he is a newcomer, the scene he saw was too terrifying. Being able to escape from this place in reality shows his high cultivation level.

And he also knows the activation method of this 【Shenxu Tiangong】 key.

If you say he is not a newcomer, he hasn't spoken until now, seemingly knowing nothing.

After a brief hesitation, he simply told the situation he knew, just as a good deed.

"It is rumored that this Shenxu Tiangong is an object of a seventh-level cultivation nation that had long since perished in the ancient times. It possesses countless opportunities inside and is divided into three layers in total. The first two layers are easy to talk about; it's just like us now, purely gathered in one place by spiritual sense."

"As for the third layer, that is the real bulk of the opportunities, but similarly, it requires nine tokens to be gathered in one place to open."

"And the wonderful use of this first layer is that it can project the most mysterious place seen in the life of the token holder. Of course, this place is not just any place; it needs to be recognized by the Shenxu and reach a certain evaluation standard before it will be manifested."

Hearing the explanation of the Number Six blue ball, Zhou Qing suddenly realized. So it can be like this.

However, what he didn't expect at all was that this Shenxu Tiangong actually came from a seventh-level cultivation nation. This is too incredible.

A seventh-level cultivation nation; he didn't even dare to imagine how strong this is.

(End of chapter)