Chapter 822: Liu Changqing Returns, The Mastermind Behind the Trackers

Pinghu Xiaoqinghua has officially recognized its master.

The spiritual object returned the favor, causing a surge of majestic lingqi to erupt in the qihai.

Xu Xiaoshou instinctively activated the "Huxi Zhifa," and in the next second, he couldn't help but convulse and twitch all over.

"Hiss, hiss."

A large amount of lingqi was converted by the "Huxi Zhifa" and absorbed into the core of the qihai.

Xu Xiaoshou felt so refreshed that he collapsed limply on the ground.

He hadn't experienced this kind of pleasure in a long time.

In the past, when the "Huxi Zhifa" was at a lower level, the lingyuan he absorbed was of poor quality. Combined with prolonged cultivation, he gradually became desensitized to the pleasure, and the concept of twitching faded from his mind.

But at its core, Pinghu Xiaoqinghua was still a rare treasure involving jie nan zhili. Even when squeezing potential, it could extract a trace of sheng yi.

This wave of lingqi feedback let Xu Xiaoshou taste the sweetness—pain mixed with pleasure.

"So good, hiss ha."

In the cultivation room, Xu Xiaoshou lay sprawled on the floor without any dignity, like a drunken fish or shrimp, curled up in a ball with his knees clenched tightly together.

Each tremor that touched the ground sent a wave of delightful sensation through his skin, nearly making him ascend on the spot.

Earlier, when absorbing the Jinzhao Yuanzhong and Sandi Dongjie, Xu Xiaoshou had endured a similar shock of lingqi feedback.

Although Pinghu Xiaoqinghua's quality didn't match the two treasures inside him, it was incredibly gentle.

The lingqi conversion happened without any resistance, like high-concentration mint blooming in every cell. Besides the sheer bliss, Xu Xiaoshou felt no other pain.

It took a full half a quarter of an hour for this delightful sensation to subside.

After the peak, Xu Xiaoshou's face was flushed, and with a sense of lingering satisfaction, he checked his qihai.

After breaking through to Zongshi Tianxiang Jing, the capacity of his qihai had expanded more than tenfold. Previously, the same lingqi feedback could elevate his cultivation realm by several minor levels at once.

But that was when he was at the Xiantian stage.

Within Tianxiang Jing, this wave of lingqi feedback only solidified his early stage, without even breaking through to the mid-stage bottleneck.

"A bit scary..."

Xu Xiaoshou knew his qihai was unusual due to the presence of several major treasures, setting it apart from ordinary people.

Yet, this feedback only brought such a small breakthrough, which still surprised him.

For a typical Zongshi, this wave could propel them straight to mid-stage, late-stage, or even Tianxiang perfection.

"However, I'm different from ordinary people after all."

Xu Xiaoshou exhaled lightly, his eyes showing no disappointment.

He climbed from Xiantian physical body step by step to the throne through solid tempering, so it was normal for his qihai to be vast.

Whether his cultivation breaks through to Tianxiang mid-stage didn't matter.

But by withstanding this wave of lingqi feedback, the growth he gained wasn't any less than that of an ordinary Zongshi.

A bigger basin didn't hinder anything.

The key was that the amount of lingqi feedback was fixed—what you could handle was what you got.

Having a larger basin meant Xu Xiaoshou's foundation would be even more solid. His future breakthrough to the throne would be more powerful, and it didn't mean he'd received less lingqi just because he hadn't reached mid-stage yet.

"From Tianxiang, to Yin Yang, Xing Si, and then to the Wangzuo Daojing..."

After recovering, Xu Xiaoshou pondered.

"The Daojing insights at the Zongshi level are meaningless to me now. With the insights from the Jian Dao Wangzuo, I'm essentially without bottlenecks in the Zongshi realm. As long as lingyuan increases, breakthroughs will come naturally."

"But the Wangzuo Daojing is a major hurdle."

Xu Xiaoshou thought of Yu Ling Di and Ye Xiaotian.

He had already witnessed the terrifying combat power of Daojing perfection.

Although he was currently at Zongshi, he no longer needed to suppress his cultivation. He believed breaking through to Wangzuo was just a matter of time and accumulating treasures.

In the meantime, he had an unusual advantage—sensing the Great Dao in advance.

With the passive system, Xu Xiaoshou's Daojing insights would always surpass his cultivation by more than one step.

He wondered if it was possible to comprehend Jian Dao, Huo Dao, or other paths among the three thousand Great Daos to perfection before his cultivation reached Wangzuo.

If so, when he eventually broke through to Wangzuo, he could directly 斩 dao and reach the peak!

But...

"Jian Dao perfection?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly sighed, knowing how difficult that was.

Within the Five Domains, even the Seven Jianxian seemed to have only cultivated one or two of the nine major jian shu.

If they hadn't mastered all nine jian shu, how could one speak of Jian Dao perfection?

So, did anyone in this world truly achieve Jian Dao perfection?

Xu Xiaoshou fell into deep thought.

He suddenly thought of Ba Zun An.

He didn't know if Ba Zun An achieved Daojing perfection and then 斩 dao, but if anyone could reach Jian Dao perfection at the Wangzuo Daojing level, it would undoubtedly be Ba Zun An.

After all, that person integrated the nine major jian shu into one, creating the fearsome "Guan Jian Shu."

"Such a genius..."

In the past, unaware of the difficulty, Xu Xiaoshou didn't understand why Ba Zun An was hailed as the Eighth Jianxian, holding a status above the Seven Jianxian in the Dongyu Jian Shen Tian.

But now that he knew, thinking of this person filled him with admiration.

It was truly hard to connect this mythical figure with the eight-fingered masked man in his memories.

Not just learning or mastering, but thoroughly mastering the nine major jian shu...

It was simply too ferocious!

The process of Pinghu Xiaoqinghua's absorption went without any issues, and Xu Xiaoshou successfully emerged from seclusion.

During this time, he didn't want to cause any trouble or go out. He just hid in the Ta Zhu, observing the movements in Wang Cheng and secretly keeping watch.

In the evening, under the cover of Xukong Dao, the sky was completely dark.

Outside Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, a familiar fluctuation appeared.

Inside the Ta Zhu, Xu Xiaoshou sensed something and appeared in the first-floor hall.

"Xu Shao."

The visitor was Liu Changqing, unseen for many days. As soon as he appeared, he bowed respectfully.

"It's Xiao Qing..."

Xu Xiaoshou was a bit surprised.

Ever since they parted ways after the Ling Que trading event, he thought Liu Changqing might not return.

After all, that was the perfect opportunity for him to break free from major forces and regain his freedom.

But now that Liu Changqing had returned, it meant this old man was truly afraid. As a gui shou parasite host, he didn't believe he could remain as self-sufficient as before.

He was here to pledge loyalty... Xu Xiaoshou smiled at the elder in front of him and asked, "You're back?"

Liu Changqing's expression was serious: "Since I said I would serve Xu Shao, it wasn't just words."

After a pause, without waiting for Xu Shao to ask more, he explained: "After we parted that night, I didn't dare return to Tian Shang Di Yi Lou right away, fearing I was being tracked. So, I fled with the crowd from Dong Tian Wang Cheng and wandered outside for a few days. Along the way, I also verified the Tianji Shu... and the abilities it gave me." He pointed to his head.

Xu Xiaoshou nodded: "How did it go?"

"Very powerful, but it also made me realize just how high the danger level is that comes with such power." Liu Changqing sighed deeply.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled to himself.

How could a gui shou parasite not be powerful or dangerous? The one inside you is an existence that can challenge the Hui Wu Ren, not some primitive gui shou like Xin Gu Gu.

While thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou didn't say more and waited for Liu Changqing to continue.

Liu Changqing then took out a fang array disk from his robe and handed it over first: "This is the first task you gave me."

Xu Xiaoshou took it and realized it contained spatial power. He immediately recalled something: "A spatial teleportation array disk?"

"Yes." Liu Changqing nodded slightly. "These past few days, I've not only verified what I've learned but also improved it. Basically, under Taixu, using this array disk to escape should pose no problems. Even if you encounter a Taixu, you might still have a chance to slip away if they're caught off guard."

Xu Xiaoshou was impressed: "In just a few days, you achieved this? It seems you've benefited greatly?"

"It's all thanks to it..." Liu Changqing didn't take credit and shook his head with a mix of regret. "Tianji Shu is something completely foreign to me, but the knowledge it provides is so comprehensive—it's like a direct enlightenment. It's hard not to learn it."

At this point, Liu Changqing's face showed bitterness.

Over these days, while the gui shou parasite actively shared Tianji Shu with him, it repeatedly urged him to return to Xu Shao, saying that only by staying with Xu Shao could he ensure safety.

If possible, Liu Changqing wouldn't want to come back.

But because he couldn't resist, after merging with the gui shou, if they disagreed and reached a stalemate, the consequences...

Liu Changqing had already experienced that pain in the initial months; he didn't want to go through it again.

So, he had no choice but to accept.

In conceding, he gained mastery of the incredibly powerful Tianji Shu. Reflecting on it now, this might not be a bad thing.

After all, with Tianji Shu, even if he faced a Taixu, he might still have a fighting chance.

And by staying with Xu Shao, relying on the banner of the Bansheng successor, Liu Changqing felt he could at least protect himself.

Xu Xiaoshou pocketed the array disk in his ring and instructed: "Make more of these and distribute them to the others at Tian Shang Di Yi Lou. It's best if everyone has ten or a hundred on hand, just in case."

Ten or a hundred?

Liu Changqing's face twitched: "Xu Shao, these things are quite expensive to make..."

"Money isn't an issue!" Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand. "I'll give you the funds. You just focus on crafting them. If big things happen next, these will come in handy. Even if they succeed just once, it's worth it."

Big things... Liu Changqing took the black gold card from Xu Shao and felt like it was burning his hand.

From the sound of it, Xu Shao's next moves would still be significant.

But since he had decided to follow, Old Liu thought he just needed to do his duty.

"Understood!" he assured.

Crafting array disks wasn't difficult as long as there was money.

After accepting this new task, Liu Changqing had more to say: "Xu Shao, these past few days outside Wang Cheng, I haven't been idle. At first, I wasn't familiar with Tianji Shu, so I could only vaguely sense I was being tracked. But once I mastered its use, I conducted a counter-track..."

Xu Xiaoshou immediately perked up: "Oh?"

"Someone is following!" Liu Changqing said heavily. "All the major forces that fled Dong Tian Wang Cheng that night basically left a trailing line, and at the end of that trail is Hong Yi. Without a doubt, Rao Jianxian has a hold on most of their whereabouts—it's just that he hasn't closed the net yet."

"Oh?" Xu Xiaoshou had expected this, but he didn't anticipate Liu Changqing bringing such a surprise. "In your counter-track, did you find out who?"

"I couldn't detect exactly who it was. He's very cautious and an expert. The moment he noticed my movements, he cut off the track."

Liu Changqing frowned, seeming to find the tracker quite troublesome: "I had a brief remote exchange with him... more like half an encounter! Water-element abilities, not high cultivation—just Zhuan Dao, no jie nan zhili. It shouldn't be a Taixu hiding in the shadows, or they could have attacked directly."

"Water element?"

"Yes."

Xu Xiaoshou got confirmation and sank into thought.

Liu Changqing's words reminded him of a possibility he had overlooked.

Yu Ling Di!

But Yu Ling Di's existence was denied by Mei Si Ren. How could he possibly revive?

Moreover, Zhuan Dao cultivation didn't match his previous Daojing perfection power...

Wait!

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly had a flash of insight, and his scalp tingled: "Could it be that Sang Lao didn't kill him and even helped him Zhuan Dao?"

His heart started pounding.

How strong would a Daojing perfection Zhuan Dao be?

Don't believe rumors, don't believe rumors...

Xu Xiaoshou felt this was a bit absurd, but he asked in surprise: "Any other information?"

"None." Liu Changqing shook his head firmly. "That person's abilities are strong; he must be Rao Jianxian's hidden agent. He's basically in charge of the tracking. I only discovered him when I refined Tianji Shu and noticed abnormal water-element fluctuations in my body. For others, even a Zhuan Dao expert probably couldn't detect his presence."

"Even a Zhuan Dao can't detect him? Then why do you say he's not a Taixu?" Xu Xiaoshou's heart skipped a beat.

Liu Changqing's face was serious: "Because he's really not that strong. Maybe his tracking abilities are just exceptionally outstanding."

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent again.

Perhaps it's not that he's not strong.

Maybe he just didn't want to act and risk alerting the enemy.

After all, for Rao Yao Yao, the upcoming Wang Cheng trial and Xukong Dao were crucial.

Exposing such a major piece before that, just for a suspected gui shou parasite host, would be a huge loss if it turned out wrong.

"Xu Shao understands. This intelligence is incredibly valuable and came at just the right time." Xu Xiaoshou affirmed.

Liu Changqing finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was most worried that Xu Shao would think him disloyal for staying away these past few days.

Fortunately, his return with gains eased that concern.

At this moment, Liu Changqing noticed Xu Shao sizing him up and realized what it meant. He smiled and said: "Xu Shao, rest assured, it's impossible for that guy to have left any traces on me this time. Tianji Shu isn't a joke. Even if I couldn't detect it, it..."

Liu Changqing pointed to his head: "It values its own life more than I do and wouldn't joke with itself."

Xu Xiaoshou finally relaxed.

Xuan Wuji was known as the top Tianji Shu under Dao Qiong Cang. Even if that person was really Yu Ling Di, he probably couldn't track after being detected.

Just then, Liu Changqing suddenly smiled, turned toward the door, and said: "But there is one person Xu Shao might want to meet. He's the other one who's been relentlessly pursuing me from afar, trying to intercept me during this time—another practitioner of Tianji Shu."

"Oh?" Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow and looked in that direction.

Outside, Xiao Wanfeng came running in with quick steps. Seeing Xu Shao in the hall, his eyes lit up.

About to speak, he first spotted Liu Changqing and said in surprise: "Hey, how are you here? How did you get in?"

But thinking about it, since this is a Zhuan Dao senior who can sneak in unnoticed, it's not a big deal. He turned back to Xu Shao.

"Xu Shao, there's someone outside who wants to see you. He's quite handsome, a young man, and he calls himself... Si Tu Yongren?"