The Sect Leader Has Taken in a New Female Disciple

In the following days, Zhou Qing kept an eye on the Token of the Divine Ruins Celestial Palace, ready to follow as soon as Shen Hanyi entered.

With so many people flooding into the Desolate Forbidden, especially those in the Spirit Severing Realm, this was an excellent observation opportunity for the two.

Although Shen Hanyi had gone through multiple simulations before, she had not personally explored every mine pit.

Some places, she chose to avoid.

But now, watching other cultivators unexpectedly clash with taboo creatures allowed them to delve deeper into understanding these forbidden beings’ traits, even discovering their weaknesses.

These cultivators were intent on searching for the Three-Flower Corpse, unwilling to tangle with the taboo creatures and worried about being outmaneuvered.

But it’s precisely these inadvertent encounters that gave them, as observers, a wealth of useful information.

Simulating a few more times, they might perhaps strike once in reality and seize the opportunity contained within.

Of course, Shen Hanyi did not invite Zhou Qing every time.

Although they had a common exploration of forbidden zones, they also needed some personal space.

Zhou Qing understood this and turned to silently observe his second forbidden zone.

However, that fellow Sikong Yan was truly cunning; whenever Zhou Qing entered the Divine Ruins Celestial Palace, he would immediately exit.

As soon as Zhou Qing left, he would promptly enter.

This deliberate avoidance left Zhou Qing with no chance to even ask a question.

Thus, a year later, Zhou Qing finally arrived safely at the Fifth Tail of Nanhuang State.

Gazing at the unfamiliar territory before him, he excitedly hugged the old hen, taking off the mask.

"Han Yi..." he tried calling out, then frowned, "No, too awkward. Ah Han? Ah Yi..."

Before finishing, he shivered.

Forget it, their relationship isn’t that close yet.

What’s more, Shen Hanyi, being a proud daughter of the heavens, grew up in a noble family with a naturally cold personality.

To pierce through this thin barrier, he’d likely need to take the initiative.

But the path of a man pursuing a woman is like a mountain; for a woman, it’s as thin as a veil, a task not easily accomplished.

Furthermore, Shen Huangmao, her little brother, had already clearly expressed disapproval of him as a brother-in-law.

The complexities within the Shen Family, this enormous entity, made the Taiqing Sect fear they might get implicated.

In the end, it’s because their backgrounds don’t match.

In terms of background, the Taiqing Sect is merely a small sect in the Fourth-level Cultivation Country, as insignificant as a speck.

In terms of cultivation, he was just at the early-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, barely able to squeeze into the core of the Shen Family.

Even boasting about his Fourth-level Array Master status, he was only on par with Shen Hanyi’s rank, slightly ahead in Spirit Seal quantity.

With her talent, surpassing him is just a matter of time.

"Now, I can’t even produce a decent betrothal gift..." Zhou Qing shook his head with a bitter smile, while what troubled him more was Shen Family’s uncle still being alive.

Could he really say, "I’ll give you a grandson (daughter), such a big gift, you can marry your daughter to me? Isn’t that ridiculous?"

Having thought this through, Zhou Qing’s initially buoyant mood gradually sank.

"Well, let’s take it step by step. Anyway, I’m right under their noses!"

Feeling helpless, Zhou Qing donned his mask again, stowing the peering old hen back in, and stepped into the territory of the Fifth Tail...

...

The fifth region of Nanhuang State’s tail is vast, comparable to the Holy Martial Dynasty’s sum of five counties.

Here, powers are intertwined, consisting of both cities directly under the dynasty and territories of various sects and noble families.

Among them, the Shen Family, the largest in the Fifth Tail, has deep roots, many branches, controlling numerous resources and strategic locations.

Geographically, the Fifth Tail is fan-shaped, divided from the outside inward into three major regions—Outer Domain, Central Domain, and Inner Domain.

The Outer Domain borders the Barren Land, Poisonous Marsh Forest, Flowing Sand Desert, and even the "Boundary Cliff" adjacent to the Desolate Forbidden.

Demon Beasts roam here, Spiritual Qi is sparse, and it’s the frontline for beast tides.

Though barren, it’s a paradise for adventurers, trainee fighters, and mercenaries.

In the Central Domain, over seventy percent is plains, with large cities scattered densely.

Particularly the Spirit Vein mine belt running throughout—Surging Dragon Mountain—is divided among various powers.

Naturally, the Shen Family claims the largest share.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi also gradiently increases, becoming denser the closer to the Inner Domain, coexisting with trade routes and underground Black Markets.

As for the Inner Domain, it is indeed a Cultivation Holy Land.

It gathers the ancestral lands of all core families in the Fifth Tail, with Spiritual Qi so dense it almost materializes.

In some places, it even directly condenses into faint spiritual mist in the air.

Walking here, every breath seems to be inhaling the essence of heaven and earth, with even the simplest plants glowing with Spiritual Light.

On the streets, any passerby might be an ancestor of a hidden family or a proud child of the heavens.

At that moment, in a simple inn in the Outer Domain, Zhou Qing looked at the newly purchased information jade scroll, his brows furrowed.

He had considered the Shen Family’s power vast, but hadn’t imagined it would be so substantial, practically leaving traces in every region.

Zhou Qing slightly turned his head, his gaze falling on several mercenaries at the neighboring table.

These people exuded a heavy aura of Evil Qi, eating heartily without reservation.

The leader, a brawny man with a face full of rough features and a fierce scar across his left eye, was tearing into a roasted beast leg.

The tall, skinny one beside him was both gulping down spirits and spitting out crass jokes.

Most striking, however, was the silver badge they wore on their chests—a vivid snowflake pattern, rimmed with intricate vines.