Chapter 1480 - 431: I Am Number One—the One Who Sang Love Songs With You Under the Jujube Tree!

Shen Hanyi was just about to speak when Zhou Qing’s voice sounded in her Sea of Consciousness: "Don’t speak, listen to me first."

Zhou Qing continued, "Do you remember when we left the villa, I said I would tell you a secret upon my return?"

Shen Hanyi stared at him blankly, nodding instinctively.

"I can tell you now," Zhou Qing’s tone suddenly became exceptionally serious.

"No, don’t..." Shen Hanyi suddenly became flustered, her voice trembling, "It’s not too late to talk about it after we escape!"

Zhou Qing, however, looked straight into her eyes and interrupted directly, transmitting his voice word by word: "I am Number One."

This transmission exploded in Shen Hanyi’s Sea of Consciousness like a thunderbolt.

She was frozen in place, her pupils contracting violently, even her breathing came to a halt.

"I am Number One," Zhou Qing repeated, a familiar smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "The Number One who sang love songs with you under the jujube tree, the one who taught you Inscription-level Divine Techniques and gave you the Eightfold Sticker."

Under her veil, Shen Hanyi’s lips opened slightly, but no sound came out.

Images of her time in the Divine Ruins Celestial Palace with Number One flashed swiftly in her mind, yet—

How could this be possible!!!

In her moment of distraction, Zhou Qing turned his back to Bai Fengyin and discreetly slipped his Storage Bag into her palm.

"I’m the ’senior’ you speak of," he blinked, a sly smile on his face, "My methods for staying alive probably far exceed your imagination."

"So, trust me," Zhou Qing gently held her trembling hand, "I will definitely escape. And your cultivation is higher than mine, giving you a better chance of getting away."

Shen Hanyi’s lips trembled violently, her eyes welling up with tears.

She wanted to say something but found her voice blocked by something.

Zhou Qing softly transmitted his voice, "I will tell you everything once we escape."

"No, I can’t—" Shen Hanyi’s Divine Thought fluctuated violently, showing obvious resistance.

Zhou Qing placed a hand on her shoulder, "You’re not someone who hesitates. Bai Fengyin is determined to kill you; if you die, Yaoyao will also cease to exist. If you both..."

His voice choked for a moment, "Then what meaning would my life have? Besides, he won’t spare me either."

Shen Hanyi’s Divine Thought was silent for a moment, "But after all, he is in the Supreme Realm..."

"Trust me," Zhou Qing reassured, "Even if a Celestial Venerable were here, I have a way to escape. Your staying here would only distract me."

In her Sea of Consciousness, Shen Hanyi’s Divine Thought trembled violently before ultimately turning into a sigh: "You promise not to deceive me?"

"I have lied to you many times before, but this time, I will not lie to you!" Zhou Qing said gently.

Their exchange of Divine Thought happened in an instant, and Zhou Qing had already turned to face the ever-composed Bai Fengyin.

In the eyes of the Supreme, the struggle of two in the Spirit Severing Realm was indeed insignificant.

"Finished speaking?" Bai Fengyin asked with a smile that wasn’t really a smile.

Zhou Qing cupped his fists in salute, "Since the senior is so magnanimous, I have a secret to reveal as well."

"Oh?" Bai Fengyin raised an eyebrow.

"The person in the Imaging Stone casting the Blood Phoenix Divine Techniques is actually me." Zhou Qing confessed calmly.

A hint of surprise flashed in Bai Fengyin’s eyes.

Shen Hanyi’s Divine Thought tensed up instantly, immediately understanding Zhou Qing’s intention.

"When traveling outside, one must always keep a backup plan," Zhou Qing spoke unhurriedly, "The least likely person is often the least suspect, especially when identities contrast."

Bai Fengyin furrowed his brows slightly, a suspicion flashing in his eyes: "But you’ve only been with the Shen Family for a few months. How could you know this girl?"

Zhou Qing’s lips curled into a meaningful smile, "As the senior said, I only recently joined the Shen Family, so how did I suddenly go from Late Stage Divinity Transformation Realm to Mid-stage Spirit Severing Realm?"

"Since even the cultivation realm can be fabricated, why couldn’t I have known Miss Shen beforehand?"

Bai Fengyin’s eyes gleamed with a hint of thought about this possibility.

Seizing the moment, Zhou Qing added, "Further, if this Inscription-level Divine Techniques were truly hers, she certainly wouldn’t teach them to me easily."

"And it’s even less likely that in such a short time, I could thoroughly understand such a profound Divine Techniques, right?"

No sooner had he finished speaking, Zhou Qing’s aura underwent a drastic change.

A phoenix’s cry that shook the firmament resounded, and from his back, the void twisted as a colossal blood-colored phoenix phantom appeared out of nowhere.

The entire phoenix was blood-red, with five feathers on its chest glowing with an eerie light, each feather flowing with unfathomable Dao Patterns.

The sky was filled with inscriptions like a starry river pouring down, casting a blood-red hue over a hundred-zhang radius.

Witnessing this, Bai Fengyin’s pupils contracted sharply, shock finally crossing his face: "It really is you?!"

"I, Zhou Qing, always act decisively," Zhou Qing stood with hands behind his back, robes fluttering in the blood-red light, "Senior, if you want these techniques, you are welcome to try and take them yourself!"

"Go!" Zhou Qing quickly transmitted to Shen Hanyi.

Shen Hanyi’s eyes shone with tears, echoing back: "Return alive!"

As her words fell, she transformed into a streak of ice-blue light, shooting skyward.

At the same time, Zhou Qing formed hand seals, and the blood-colored phoenix phantom suddenly spread its wings.

Countless feathers turned into a rain of blood-colored arrows, shooting towards Bai Fengyin with world-destroying power.

Each arrow flashed through the void, leaving behind lasting blood-red trails.

Facing this overwhelming offensive, Bai Fengyin dared not be careless, for this was indeed an Inscription-level Divine Techniques.

Though the caster was in the Spirit Severing Realm, unable to use its full power, it still contained the Power of Heaven and Earth.

A slight carelessness, and even the Supreme would suffer.

With a cold snort, he spread his sleeves, and an ancient golden-red rune appeared on his palm, pushing it forward.