C53

The one who spoke up was a lean young man standing beside Luo Xuan. When he saw Zhou Qing look over, the young man's mouth twitched, and a hint of undisguised disdain appeared on his lazy face.

Then, he glanced sideways at Luo Xuan, who was beside him, and a hint of fawning flashed through his eyes.

The skinny young man once again spoke to provoke Duan Ling Tian, it was obviously because Luo Xuan ordered it.

When he first arrived here, he was provoked again and again. The smile on Zhou Qing's face also gradually disappeared.

The hall became noisy. Obviously, Luo Xuan's and the skinny youth's words had stirred up the crowd.

For a moment, all sorts of strange gazes swept towards Zhou Qing, and Su Leng's beautiful eyes even had a sense of complacency.

"Enough!"

Su Mu was a bit angry. He let out a low growl and a huge pressure began to radiate out from him. Only then did the Procedural Hall return to its previous calm state.

"This is the Ancient Tablet Sect, not the Mysterious Sky Sect. Both of you, hold back!"

Su Mu let out a cold harrumph. He glared at Luo Xuan and the skinny young man, causing Zhou Qing's pupils to shrink slightly.

Luo Xuan called himself a nephew. He should be an uncle to Su Mu. Moreover, he was a disciple of the Mysterious Sky Sect. It was no wonder he dared to be so impudent.

"Yao Qing, remember Uncle Su's words. Don't be too direct with your words."

The lean young man, who was called Yao Qing, grinned and didn't seem to care. Only then did Luo Xuan smile and cupped his hands towards Su Mu.

"Uncle Su, my junior brother is young and straightforward. Please forgive him."

As he finished speaking, he intentionally glanced at Zhou Qing, the corners of his mouth curving upwards.

At this moment, Zhou Qing actually ignored this person.

Secondly, since he had just arrived at the entrance of the ancient monument, he didn't want to take the initiative to make a move either. He had humiliated the sect head, Su Mu.

However, if this Luo Xuan still didn't know what was good for him, Zhou Qing wouldn't mind teaching him an unforgettable lesson.

Su Mu's face turned cold. However, there was nothing he could do about the two of them. He helplessly waved his hand and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the school has already prepared rooms for you to rest. Tomorrow morning, a disciple will bring you all to the Martial Arts Practice Grounds. "

"Little friend Song, please wait a moment."

As the sound of Su Mu's voice faded, the crowd gradually dispersed.

The red-clothed young girl, Su Leng, angrily glared at Zhou Qing before leaving the hall with Luo Xuan.

"Little friend Song, Leng'er did not have any ill intentions. Merely, I did not allow her to participate in the battle for the quota. In anger, I decided to treat you like that. Please forgive me."

"And Luo Xuan and Yao Qing, they are both the elite disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect. Luo Xuan is also the son of my old friend …" "If Young Master Song is angered, it's our ancient monument sect's fault."

After everyone left, Su Mu apologetically explained.

Zhou Qing suddenly understood. Smiling, he shook his head. At the same time, his good impression of Zhou Qing had increased by a lot.

Zhou Qing knew the reason why the disciples of the Mysterious Sky Sect had come to the ancient monument. This was an opportunity for the disciples of the Mysterious Sky Sect to take part in the trial.

The internal hierarchy of the Black Heaven Sect was very clear. Just the disciples themselves were divided into three levels.

Ordinary disciples, elite disciples, and direct disciples.

As the name implied, ordinary disciples were the lowest level disciples. After these kinds of people entered the Black Heaven School, they would be assigned to the Elders of the various peaks. They could practice the Black Heaven Sect's techniques and martial arts, and also have their own cultivation resources, but it was very difficult to get the Elders to personally guide them.

Elite disciples were the true disciples of the elders of the various peaks of the Mysterious Sky Sect. Not only could they practice higher level and more powerful martial arts, they would also have more cultivation resources and receive personal guidance from the elders.

As for the direct disciples, they were the smallest in number, but they were the true core disciples of the Mysterious Sky Sect. Each of them were extremely dazzling geniuses of the same level, and their status was even higher than some sect masters.

Similarly, there were different levels, which meant that there was an upgrade system.

The Ranking Tournament was a rare opportunity for the ordinary disciples and elite disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect to level up.

These two levels of disciples could represent the various sects in the competition. If they could help the Celestial Sect increase its ranking, then not only would they receive the rewards provided by the Celestial Sect, their status would be increased by a level.

Ordinary disciples could be promoted to elite disciples, while elite disciples could be promoted to core disciples!

This was the ultimate reason why Luo Xuan and Yao Qing came to the entrance of the ancient monument.

The truth was, the reason why the ranking tournament was so popular in the Profound Heaven Continent for a hundred years wasn't just because it was an opportunity for the Immortal Sect's hundred clans, but also because it was an opportunity for the Mysterious Sky Sect to consolidate its rule.

In the Xuan Tian Continent, aside from the Red Dust Sect, which had a special status that transcended the rest of the world, the Black Heaven Sect was the most respected sect. Below that were the four great families and then the hundreds of celestial sects.

Strictly speaking, the four great clans and the hundreds of immortal sects were all vassals of the Celestial Sect of Wonders.

It was like a pagoda, and the clans of the Celestial Sect of Wonders wanted to climb up. The Mysterious Sky Sect, which was located at the peak of the pagoda, wanted to become powerful and develop its own strength to make the pagoda more stable.

Thus, the Ranking Tournament was born.

If the Four Great Clans occupied this position all year round and enjoyed a large amount of resources, their gradual development would become a potential threat to the Mysterious Sky Sect.

For the ranking tournament, the hundreds of immortal clans would fight for more resources and would attack the Four Great Clans. If they succeeded in replacing them, the Four Great Clans would decline more or less, and this threat would be easily dispelled.

Su Mu suddenly coughed twice as he covered his mouth. His face became increasingly pale.

"Cough, cough …" "You were injured earlier on, but you still haven't recovered from it. You must be joking, young friend."

Zhou Qing's expression changed slightly when he heard this. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Clan Master Su, I have something I would like to ask."

Su Mu didn't mind and nodded slightly.

"I heard from Elder Cai that if one can obtain a spot in the competition and enter the top four, one can enter the Spirit Transformation Pool to temper their physical body …"

Zhou Qing asked.

"Exactly."

In place of the rewards for participating, the ancient monument would be made public in order to attract experts of the same level. Therefore, Su Mu did not hide anything from them.

When Zhou Qing heard this, he pondered for a moment.

The purpose of his trip this time was to enter the Spirit Transformation Pool to repair the damage to his meridians. Then, he would help the Ancient Tablet Gate to enter the top four.

However, if he wanted to accomplish his second goal, his meridians would be damaged, and being unable to exert his full strength had become his greatest obstacle.

If he could enter the Spirit Transformation Pool and solve the problem of his meridians, Zhou Qing wouldn't have been able to 100% sure that he would be able to help the Ancient Tablet Gate reach the top 4, but he was 70 to 80% confident that he could do it.

With that in mind, Zhou Qing no longer hesitated and spoke in a deep voice: "Clan Master Su, if I can guarantee that I can help the Ancient Tablet Sect obtain the top four rankings in the Soul Condensation Competition, would it be possible to borrow the Spirit Transformation Pool in advance?"

As the sound of his voice faded, Su Mu's facial expression changed slightly.

He had also heard of the rumours that were spread outside, which was why he had invited Song Changqing over. However, he had never personally witnessed the latter make a move, so he was still a bit suspicious in his heart.

After all, a Mid Condensing Reality Realm disciple was way too weak compared to the rest of them.

However, facing the repeated provocations from Luo Xuan and the others, Song Changqing's expression was calm and unperturbed. When the situation changed, he truly had a whole new level of respect for them.

However, his words had once again changed Su Mu's opinion of him.

Arrogant, too arrogant!

Not to mention that the top hundred ranks were filled with geniuses, it would be extremely difficult for them to enter the top four.

Just tomorrow alone, there would be a battle for the spots.

Of the ten people, only one was chosen!

The remaining nine people were all Soul Condensation experts that Su Mu had invited over after a series of comparisons. Although Luo Xuan and Yao Qing were extremely arrogant, as the elite disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect, their combat prowess was absolutely formidable.

However, from the meaning behind Song Changqing's words, it seemed as if he was firmly in the bag and did not place any importance on the rest of the contestants …

This kind of person was either a true genius or an arrogant fool.

"The Spirit Transformation Pool is our sect's secret treasure, and the price for it to open is quite high. Not only does it require a large amount of Spirit Stones as a guide, it also requires the four elders to act at the same time."

Su Mu shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Little friend Song, if you were to enter the Spirit Transformation Pool earlier, you would not be able to enter the top four after this. It would be too much of a loss …" The sect can't afford to take this risk, I hope you understand. "

"Then I'll be rude."

Zhou Qing shrugged his shoulders, and then changed the subject: "Clan Master Su, I heard that during the Spirit Stage Competition, the Ancient Tablet Sect will send you out to battle, is that true?"

"Yes."

It was not a secret, but his tone was no longer as polite as it was before.

"Then what are the odds of Sect Master Su being able to enter the top four?"

Zhou Qing smiled as he spoke again.

"Little friend Song, you have a lot of questions."

At this moment, Su Mu's complexion had already turned ugly. He let out a cold harrumph.

However, Zhou Qing was not annoyed. He continued: "Clan Master Su is extremely powerful, and is considered one of the top powerhouses amongst the Mages. I have long heard of this. But with your old ailment, I'm afraid... The odds of winning aren't that high, right? "

"What exactly do you mean?"

At this moment, Su Mu's face had turned ice-cold. The might of a powerful mage was also released slightly.

Previously, he had rather admired this Song Changqing, but now it seemed that this kid really didn't know what was good for him.

"There are no malicious intents. I merely want to make a deal with Lord Su."

"I will borrow the Spirit Transformation Pool for the next use. In exchange, I can allow Sect Leader Su to have a greater grasp of the situation when you battle."

Zhou Qing's expression was indifferent, as if he wasn't affected in the slightest.

As the sound of his voice faded, Su Mu's body trembled and his eyes widened, "You're saying …"

"I can help Clan Master Su dispel the trouble caused by the death aura in your body."

Zhou Qing grinned and continued: "Without the death aura, Sect Leader Su should be able to return to peak condition, right?"

Zhou Qing sensed something when they entered the main hall.

Su Mu had a strange aura on his body. He was very familiar with this aura, but he couldn't be completely sure.

Only when they were very close did Su Mu cough once again. Only then did Zhou Qing finally come to his conclusion.

The rumors he had heard before were indeed true.

Within Su Mu's body, there was an extremely strong aura of death!

"You … How do you know? "

Su Mu abruptly stood up and stared at Zhou Qing. This peak Spirit Realm expert, however, had an extremely excited expression on his face.

Two years ago, when he went out to the Demon Hunt Squad, his target was a powerful King Corpse at the peak of the Spirit Realm. Although he was killed after a fierce battle, he was still wounded, and the death aura entered his body.

For the past two years, this deathly aura had been like a gangrene attached to the bones, and no matter what, it was unable to be dispelled. Not only did it cause Su Mu's battle prowess to be severely damaged, it even continued to wear down his lifespan.

However, for the sake of the Ancient Tablet Sect's situation, Su Mu did not disclose this matter to the public. Besides Su Leng and a few other sect elders, he did not inform anyone else.

But now, a brat in the middle stage of the Soul Condensation Realm was able to pinpoint his true weakness. How could he not be shocked?

"I obtained an ancient secret art by chance. I can sense the presence of the death aura. Among the secret arts and skills, there are also special techniques which use one's own strength to extinguish the aura of death. "

Zhou Qing's expression was calm as he said the words he had thought of beforehand.

The method of absorbing the dead aura and converting it into spiritual energy was too shocking, and he might even be suspected of being a Demonic cultivator. Zhou Qing did not want to be exposed.

Su Mu's face flushed red and his facial muscles trembled slightly. He stared at Zhou Qing for a long time before speaking, "How confident are you?"

If he could dispel the dead energy within his body, he could very quickly return to his peak state.

Su Mu, at his peak, was just as the rumours said. Even among the mages, he was considered one of the top experts!

If he could fight in the Spirit Stage Tournament with his peak combat strength, Su Mu had a seventy percent chance of breaking through to the top four with the ancient monument.

"Eighty percent."

Zhou Qing said confidently after pondering for a moment.

In fact, he only needed to circulate the Ten Thousand Spirit Codex to absorb the death aura from Su Mu's body.

However, there were some things that needed to be concealed.

"Good!" If little friend Song can cure this illness completely, so what if you open the Spirit Transformation Pool once more in advance? "

Su Mu almost didn't think twice before agreeing with a hearty laugh.

It could be said that an 80% chance of success was extremely high. It was more than enough for him to give it a try.

Although Song Changqing's performance was mysterious, Su Mu, as a peak Spirit Realm expert, was not worried that the former would play any tricks.

When Zhou Qing heard this, a smile appeared on his face.

There was a high chance that the aura of death would dissipate. Su Mu was extremely anxious, and he didn't want to stay any longer, directly bringing Zhou Qing along with him towards the depths of the ancient monument.

Soon, the two of them arrived at a secret training room.

Su Mu's style of doing things was almost the same as Cai Yuanhu's. He was vigorous and swift like the wind, swift and decisive like the wind.

After inquiring about Zhou Qing's precautions, he immediately took off his clothes and sat down cross-legged, his upper body bare.

Zhou Qing did not waste any time on words. As he circulated his Spiritual Energy, he placed both of his palms on Su Mu's back. Very quickly, he was able to clearly sense the situation within Su Mu's body.

When Zhou Qing saw the faint golden color on Su Mu's body, he was also slightly surprised.

Spirit Realm experts were known as mages, but once they reached the peak of Spirit Realm, if they wanted to break through the barrier and become a true person, they would first need to use their mana to refine their physical body to the limit and attain the Jade Bone Golden Body.

The process of refining the Jade Bone Golden Body had been further divided into one to five cycles.

Five Revolving Golden Body powerhouses, bones like jade, blood like liquid gold, indestructible bodies, and their bodies were even more indestructible than superior magic tools.

The body of a peak Spirit Realm cultivator like Old Demon Feng was destroyed by the Corpse King, it should be because he had yet to start refining the Jade Bone Golden Body, it couldn't even be considered a Golden Body Transformation.

And back then, Hai Zun Tian who was in charge of the auction was known as a 'half-step legendary being'.

Zhou Qing had also forged the Five-Colored Golden Body, so he naturally knew about this.

However, his cultivation base had been destroyed by Taoist Master Great Sun, and even his golden body had been completely destroyed, disappearing without a trace.

In front of him, Su Mu's internal organs were as clear as glass and his flesh was a light gold color. There were even some places where gold color began to appear. It was a sign that he was about to enter the Fourth Cycle of the Golden Body!

However, although Su Mu had already cast the Golden Body, a cold and gloomy black Qi swirled within his internal organs, constantly wearing down his Golden Body and life essence.

This black gas was the aura of death!