Chapter 1439 - 421: Taoist Friend Zhou, Help! I am Yu Yan! (6k)_2

"Don’t worry, this mark is different from the one on Shen Yunlan, it dissipates more slowly." Second Uncle asked in return, "How is your recovery?"

"Fully recovered." Zhou Qing clenched his fist, spiritual power surging through his muscles and bones.

"Good!" Second Uncle’s eyes flashed, "What follows will surely be a fierce battle, but for you, it’s a rare opportunity for honing your skills."

He waved his hand to open the Spirit Beast Pouch, placing the still-playful Ten Thousand Year Blood Ginseng and old hen inside.

Then he took out an Array Disc, its faint green light flickering, indicating their target was a considerable distance away.

"By the way, what kind of person is that Yama?" Second Uncle suddenly asked.

Zhou Qing sneered, "A petty villain."

Second Uncle burst into laughter, "To reach the late-stage Spirit Severing Realm at such a young age, and having a counterfeit Extreme Dao Weapon by his side, he won’t be any easier to deal with than Shen Yunlan. However—"

He heavily patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder, "He’s the perfect opponent for you to practice on!"

Battle intent burned in Zhou Qing’s eyes, his lips curled into a fierce smirk, "Then let him see who is the real grindstone here."

...

Half a month passed by quickly.

Above a vast mountain forest, the space suddenly twisted, followed by two rips tearing open, and Zhou Qing and Second Uncle stepped out from within.

Second Uncle held an ancient-style Array Disc, his brows furrowed—because the originally flickering green light was now completely extinguished.

"Strange, he shouldn’t have noticed..." Second Uncle muttered to himself, tapping the disc with his finger, as if verifying if there was a mistake.

Zhou Qing, standing to the side, narrowed his eyes, pondering, "Could it be something in his Storage Bag interfering with the mark?"

Second Uncle shook his head, "Unlikely. It’s more likely that some incident occurred in the past few days, leading him to inadvertently discover a clue."

"What now?" Zhou Qing furrowed his brows, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"The mark only disappeared recently, indicating we’re very close to him now." Second Uncle put away the Array Disc, a fierce glint in his eyes, "Let’s split up and search."

Zhou Qing nodded, "We have no choice."

"Be cautious, and if you find anything, send a communication immediately." Second Uncle advised.

The two exchanged a look, said no more, and each transformed into a streak of light, heading in different directions...

Three days later, dusk was gradually falling.

Amidst the dimming light, a beam of Escape Light quietly landed atop an ancient tree, Zhou Qing concealed his Qi, focusing intently into the distance—

In the distance of several dozen miles, two immense realms were fiercely clashing!

In the eastern sky, azure lotuses blossomed in succession, each petal flowing with mysterious Dao patterns.

At the heart of the lotus, the phantom of an azure bird spread its wings and let out a long cry, the clear and melodious sound transforming into tangible sound wave ripples.

Opposite it, was a pitch-black sea of mist that covered the sky.

The mist twisted as if alive, withering grass and turning stones to dust wherever it touched.

From deep within the mist came terrifying howls, and numerous distorted ghostly faces could be seen faintly floating within.

Zhou Qing watched silently, feeling a sense of familiarity with these two realms.

Soon, his pupils constricted as he suddenly realized—

The black realm was none other than Yama’s "Eternal Night"!

The last time, to hide his identity and save Zhao Muye, he almost fell to this realm.

Viewing it from afar now, he almost didn’t recognize it.

"And that azure realm is..." His gaze touched the phantom of the azure bird, and Zhou Qing suddenly recalled—

This seems to be Miss Yu Yan of the Yu Race’s "Azure Feather Heavens" realm!

She had once used this realm to forcibly withstand the siege of four tributes of the Jiuli Dynasty, helping Zhao Muye escape.

Who knew Zhao Muye would escape the tiger’s den, only to be ambushed by the lurking Yama...

"Why are they fighting here? Where are Zhao Muye and Bai Xiang?" Zhou Qing surveyed his surroundings, unable to sense the presence of that master and servant pair.

No time to think deeply, he quickly took out the Communication Jade Scroll to contact Second Uncle.

However, just as Zhou Qing received a response from Second Uncle and put away the jade scroll, the distant battle suddenly changed—

Bang!

The azure realm shattered like glass, while the overwhelming black mist poured down like a breaking dam, engulfing everything within a radius of dozens of miles.

The world was suddenly plunged into chaos and darkness, even the sunlight was completely obscured.

"Pfft—"

A bloodstained figure staggered out of the black mist, it was indeed Yu Yan.

Her once delicate face was now as pale as paper, blood continuously dripped from her lips, and her azure dress was already stained dark red.

The most shocking was a bowl-sized bloody hole on her right shoulder, revealing glimpses of white bones.

"Cough...cough..." She endured the intense pain, trying to tear through space, but found that in her current physical state, it was impossible to traverse.

Having no choice, she flew through the air, but as she passed by an ancient tree, her figure suddenly paused.

In the shadow of the tree crown, a figure wearing a bronze mask stood quietly.

"Taoist friend, save me!" Hope flashed in Yu Yan’s eyes, her voice hoarse yet urgent, "I am Yu Yan of the Yu Race, if you can offer assistance, the Yu Race will reward you generously!"

Zhou Qing’s pupils under the mask slightly narrowed.

Although he had suspected, seeing confirmation of her identity with his own eyes still gave him a shock.

In that split second, the boiling black mist behind suddenly contracted violently, gathering into a sky-covering black giant palm.

Distinct palm lines were visible on its surface, each line flowing with a terrifying aura of the nether realm.

"Hmph!" Yama’s cold warning came from deep within the black mist, "Yama advises Taoist friend not to make a mistake!"

Zhou Qing stood motionless.

Seeing this, the light of hope in Yu Yan’s eyes gradually dimmed.

She gave a bleak laugh, suddenly turning to rush into the dense forest in another direction.