Chapter 32: There’s Definitely a Great Opportunity in the Demon Lock Prison!
Looking at the green-haired woman right in front of her, Zhou Qin felt her heart ache.
The days they had spent together, filled with her mentor’s patient teachings and companionship, were still vivid in her mind.
Her beautiful eyes grew misty. Once, Zhou Qin was the pride of her family, adored by everyone. Yet, when she fell from grace, they all scattered like birds in a storm. Even her once-loving parents treated her with cold indifference.
Only Aunt Qing saved her and offered the gentlest company.
To Zhou Qin, Aunt Qing had become the most important person in her life.
Zhou Qin flashed a radiant smile, though her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Aunt Qing, I’ll make sure to set you free, no matter what it takes.”
According to Aunt Qing, once the Yimu Green Emperor Cauldron was fully restored, she would be able to assume her physical form, break free from her restraints, and regain her life.
Sensing Zhou Qin’s sincerity, Aunt Qing smiled tenderly. “Alright, alright. I trust you, Little Qin.”
“Why are you crying, though? You’ll end up looking ugly. In my current state, I can’t even help you wipe your tears.”
“Hmph.” Zhou Qin turned her head away and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m not crying.”
After calming herself, Zhou Qin recalled the now-cooled Yimu Green Emperor Cauldron.
The massive cauldron began to shrink until it miraculously transformed into a piece of jade. It then flew back to her necklace, becoming the largest pendant resting against her chest.
Looking at the abundant herbs nearby, Zhou Qin couldn’t help but marvel, “Joining the Azure Lotus Sect was absolutely the right decision. I never thought it’d be this easy to obtain resources for alchemy.”
The sect had provided her with a wealth of spirit herbs, requiring only one-third of the finished pills in return. And that was simply because she showed a slight aptitude for alchemy.
She had expected fierce competition over such resources. Yet, there were surprisingly few disciples skilled in alchemy.
“Exactly,” Aunt Qing agreed. “That’s the advantage of a newly established sect—fewer people and more resources.”
“Moreover, the Sect Master possesses the Heavenly Ice Soul Saint Physique. If she continues to cultivate diligently, ascending to the higher realms shouldn’t be a problem. As long as she remains, the Azure Lotus Sect will only grow stronger.”
“All you need to do is stay here, Little Qin. In the future, you’ll become one of the sect’s pillars. With the sect’s resources backing you, why worry about your cultivation journey?”
“You’re right, Aunt Qing.”
Zhou Qin nodded in agreement.
If she worked hard enough to become the sect’s alchemy elder, she could refine whatever she wanted. The speed at which the Yimu Green Emperor Cauldron could be restored would far surpass what was possible elsewhere.
It was a perfect scenario.
At this moment, Zhou Qin felt immense gratitude that the other twelve sects, who initially extended invitations, had withdrawn their offers when she was at her lowest. This rejection led her to choose the newly established Azure Lotus Sect instead.
“Oh, by the way,” Aunt Qing suddenly asked, “isn’t the sect about to hold its grand competition? Are you participating, Little Qin?”
Zhou Qin shook her head. “I’m not interested. I’d rather spend my time refining more pills to restore the Yimu Green Emperor Cauldron.”
Aunt Qing didn’t agree with her. After some thought, she responded, “I think you should consider putting on a good performance.”
“Is it because of the rewards? Hmm… They are pretty generous,” Zhou Qin mused, but then shook her head again. “But since I’m bound to the Yimu Green Emperor Cauldron, those ordinary spirit pills and elixirs aren’t useful for me anymore.”
As for weapons and artifacts, she wasn’t particularly interested.
Zhou Qin didn’t enjoy adventuring outside and had little pursuit of combat prowess. Her joy lay in cultivating and refining pills. Competitions didn’t appeal to her.
Unless the rewards included rare herbs, she might not even consider it.
“It’s not about those rewards.”
“Then is it to become a disciple of the Sect Master or Grand Elder? But I already have you, Aunt Qing.”
Zhou Qin immediately dismissed the idea. To her, Aunt Qing was her one and only mentor.
The Sect Master might be strong, but her specialty seemed to be in formations—something not particularly helpful to Zhou Qin.
By contrast, Aunt Qing, as the spirit of a divine artifact, had unparalleled knowledge, especially in alchemy. There was likely no one in this world who could surpass her in this field.
The only downside was that Aunt Qing, despite having Golden Core-level power, couldn’t use her Yimu Green Emperor Cauldron to refine pills herself.
Otherwise, Zhou Qin wouldn’t even be needed.
“It’s close, but that’s not the main point.”
After a pause, Aunt Qing said calmly, “Do you remember the forbidden area that the guide mentioned on your first day in the sect?”
“The Demon Lock Prison?” Zhou Qin recalled.
“The Sect Master, Grand Elder, and Senior Sister have all entered it. Their strength soared afterward.”
“Moreover, from what I can tell, the Sect Master’s physique seems to have awakened midway through her life. Given her swift progress to the Nascent Soul realm in just a few decades, something about that place is extraordinary.”
“Not only that, but there’s something strange about the senior sister’s Divine Eyes,” Aunt Qing continued.
“A few days ago, while you were attending morning lessons, I overheard some disciples discussing her. They mentioned that she used to be blind and always covered her eyes with a black ribbon because of it.”
“Clearly, that senior sister had awakened her powers before, but failed. Yet somehow, she managed to awaken them again—a feat that defies all logic.”
“There’s definitely something extraordinary inside the Demon Lock Prison, something that could at least accelerate your cultivation, Little Qin!”
Hearing this, Zhou Qin was taken aback. “Really? I always thought those were just rumors.”
No wonder Aunt Qing wanted her to compete and draw attention.
It was said that the Grand Elder was Sect Master Liu’s junior sister, and Senior Sister Nangong was her personal disciple. It seemed like only trusted individuals were given access to such secrets.
Sigh, reality truly is harsh.