The Emperor of Zongmen Workers is here

Mo Yunsheng stood there, staring intently into the distance, silently praying for the safe return of the paper figurine he had sent out to gather information. Finally, a small, wobbly dot appeared at the end of his sight, flying towards him. As it drew closer, Mo Yunsheng's heart tightened—it was none other than the paper figurine he had sent out!

However, when the little paper figurine flew before him, Mo Yunsheng gasped. The figurine's body was battered and tattered, covered in black scorch marks and scratches of varying depths, clearly having been subjected to a fierce attack. Its once pristine whiteness had now turned dull and gray, and its speed had greatly decreased, staggering towards Mo Yunsheng.

Mo Yunsheng's heart ached, and she quickly reached out to the little paper figurine. Like a wounded child, the little figurine fell obediently into her warm palms. Looking at the scarred, dimly lit little figurine in her hands, Mo Yunsheng's brow furrowed tightly, her eyes filled with worry.

She carefully held the little paper figurine in front of her, carefully examining every wound. Those hideous scars seemed to tell of the gruesome battle the little paper figurine had endured, weighing heavily on Mo Yunsheng's heart. The crowd gathered around them, their eyes fixed on Mo Yunsheng and the little paper figurine, waiting with bated breath for news.

Mo Yunsheng took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil. He then slowly spoke, "The little paper figurine brought back crucial information... This stronghold is far more dangerous than any we've encountered before. It saw a large number of demonized cultivators and ferocious monsters gathered there. Furthermore, there are some unprecedentedly powerful sorcery formations, the power of which is probably unimaginable."

Mo Yunsheng paused, looking around at the solemn expressions on everyone's faces before continuing, "This operation will undoubtedly be filled with difficulties and obstacles, but we must not retreat! No matter what, we must uncover the truth hidden behind this mysterious stronghold."

As if under a spell, everyone fell into a brief silence. The air seemed to freeze, and the once relaxed and joyful atmosphere suddenly became solemn, almost suffocating. At this suffocating moment, a clear and pleasant laugh, like a stream breaking through the ice on a spring day, broke the silence.

It was Jiang Qingwu who laughed. She raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and said to Lin Muci and Su Chen in a tone that seemed joking but also contained a certain degree of seriousness: "Look at this situation, it seems that we are facing another thrilling battle this time! Lin Muci, Su Chen, you two have to be extremely alert and be prepared to be busy treating everyone!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the rest of the people seemed to be suddenly unsealed and burst into laughter, and they all echoed Jiang Qingwu's words with a smile.

Among them, Zhongli Xiu was the most uninhibited. He waved his hand and laughed heartily, "Haha, that's right! Junior Master-Uncle is absolutely right! You two must prepare enough medicinal pills, otherwise, when the critical moment comes, our lives will be in danger!"

Faced with Zhongli Xiu's blunt ridicule, Lin Muci and Su Chen could only smile bitterly and shake their heads slightly.

Lin Muci responded helplessly, "Oh, my little uncle-master, please don't make fun of us! We are of course aware that this journey is filled with countless unknown dangers and challenges, but please rest assured, no matter what, we will do our best to prepare sufficient elixirs for everyone and ensure everyone's safety."

Su Chen, standing beside him, nodded slightly, agreeing with Lin Muci's statement. His deep, bright eyes gleamed with a resolute light as he said solemnly, "Yes, Junior Master, please believe that we will be able to protect everyone."

Jiang Qingwu took in everyone's reactions and couldn't help but think to himself: After all this back-to-back travel, everyone's clearly showing signs of fatigue. If they continue to push on, not only will they not be able to perform at their best, they might even make unnecessary mistakes due to overwork.

So, she made a prompt decision - to set up camp on the spot, let everyone have a good rest and recuperate, and then regroup and set out tomorrow to capture the mysterious new hideout hidden in the deep mountains and forests in one fell swoop.

Everyone expressed overwhelming support for Jiang Qingwu's decision. After careful deliberation, they finally chose a spacious, open area. Feng Ci carefully pulled out the mysterious wooden box his master had given him. The box glowed faintly, as if it held endless mysteries.

When Feng Ci slowly opened the wooden box, the eyes of everyone present were focused on it.

A magnificent and beautiful five-courtyard courtyard is now revealed before everyone's eyes! This courtyard is exquisitely laid out, with pavilions and towers scattered in an orderly manner, and rockery and flowing water complement each other. Every detail demonstrates the master's exquisite craftsmanship.

Feng Ci then muttered something, a difficult-to-understand formula uttered from his mouth. As the formula sounded, the courtyard in the wooden box suddenly seemed to have a life of its own, slowly rising from the box, gradually growing larger, and finally landing steadily on the open space.

The previously empty ground was suddenly transformed into an exquisite courtyard, and the visual impact it brought left everyone stunned. Everyone gathered around to admire this ingenious courtyard up close.

Everyone's face was filled with unconcealed astonishment, especially Feng Jingchen, who couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "This courtyard treasure box is truly amazing! Every time I see the wondrous scene it displays, I'm filled with awe!"

Zhong Lixiu, standing nearby, was incredibly excited. He ran around the courtyard like a child, then said with anticipation, "Oh my! It would be so great if I could own this treasure! When I have some free time, I'll definitely go find my Second Uncle-Master and ask him to get me one to play with."

Hearing this, Mo Yunsheng couldn't help but laugh out loud, and jokingly responded, "Third Senior Brother, don't just be envious. In my opinion, you might as well learn the art of refining this magical weapon from Second Senior Uncle. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to refine such a powerful magical weapon yourself in the future!"

After hearing this, everyone burst into laughter again, and then dispersed and went into their own rooms to prepare to start meditation and practice.

Mo Yunsheng sat quietly in the room, eyes slightly closed, intently sensing the rich spiritual energy surging around her. Due to her unique physique, her cultivation progress had always been much faster than others.

At this moment, she could clearly feel the spiritual energy continuously flowing into her body, nourishing her meridians and dantian...

The profound insights brought about by this fierce battle, combined with her past profound accumulation, complemented each other, causing the spiritual power in her body to continuously impact the bottleneck like a surging torrent.

Finally, at a certain moment, the barrier that hindered her cultivation improvement was easily broken through like thin paper, and her cultivation quietly entered a new stage - the late Golden Core stage.

As she slowly opened her eyes, a flicker of unconcealable surprise flashed across their depths. She quietly felt the powerful, filling energy within her body, a wave of emotion welling up in her heart: her long, unremitting efforts had finally paid off, and now she had finally achieved such remarkable progress.

Just as everyone was absorbed in their cultivation, deafening roars of thunder suddenly erupted, one after another, continuously. Everyone was awakened by this sudden change and hurried out of their rooms, eager to find out what had happened.

Zhongli Xiu shouted in astonishment: "What is going on? Is there a powerful enemy attacking us?" His voice was full of panic and confusion.

At this moment, Feng Ci carefully sensed the subtle energy fluctuations in the air around him. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically, and he cried out in shock, "Oh no! This is actually my thunder tribulation coming!"

After hearing this, everyone suddenly realized that Feng Ci, who had been stuck in the current realm for a long time, finally had the opportunity to break through.

Zhongli Xiu hurriedly shouted to Feng Ci anxiously, "Ah Ci, there is no time to lose. Get away from here immediately, lest this terrifying thunderbolt accidentally damage this exquisite and magnificent courtyard and the invaluable treasure box within."

Feng Ci nodded slightly when he heard this, indicating that he understood. Then his body flashed and turned into a stream of light, rushing towards the distance at lightning speed.

The people who stayed in place stood in the courtyard with solemn expressions, looking up at the increasingly dense and heavy black clouds in the sky.

Perhaps because this region hadn't seen a Nascent Soul cultivator for a long time, the power of this thunder tribulation seemed particularly astonishing. The rolling thunderclouds resembled a ferocious and violent beast, roaring and snarling, releasing a terrifying pressure.

Time passed minute by minute, yet the earth-shaking thunder showed no sign of abating; instead, it grew even louder. Three full days and nights passed before the devastating thunderstorm finally subsided, and the tranquility of the past returned to the world.

After the calamity rain, the sky gradually cleared up, and the sun shone through the clouds, bringing warmth and vitality to the earth. And it was during this calamity rain that Feng Ci experienced an arduous journey of cultivation, and finally successfully advanced to become a master of the Nascent Soul stage.

Feng Ci was filled with joy at this moment, unable to contain his excitement. He flew back to the courtyard as light as a swallow. As soon as he landed, he couldn't wait to explore his own background. He didn't know until he did. After investigating, even he couldn't help but be shocked - he discovered that his current realm had surpassed the early stage of the Nascent Soul and firmly entered the middle stage of the Nascent Soul!

Feng Ci was so excited that his voice trembled a little, and he shouted loudly: "Haha, I didn't expect that after this breakthrough, my cultivation level could actually jump to the middle stage of the Nascent Soul. This is really a huge surprise!" After hearing the news, the people around were stunned at first, and then they gathered around and congratulated Feng Ci with smiles on their faces.

Zhong Lixiu patted Feng Ci's shoulder vigorously, laughed and said, "Good boy, you are amazing! Your strength has increased greatly now. From now on, we will rely on you for protection!" Lin Muci, who was standing beside him, also smiled and said, "Congratulations, Senior Brother Feng Ci, your progress is amazingly fast, leaving me far behind!"

However, amidst this joyful and peaceful atmosphere, one person's gaze stood out. It was Su Chen, standing outside the crowd, his eyes filled with envy, yet also tinged with a complex tinge of regret. This expression caught the eye of the attentive Jiang Qingwu.

In fact, ever since they last left the sect to train together, Jiang Qingwu had noticed several times that something was amiss with Su Chen. She would often find him daydreaming, distracted, restless even during training, and even when meditating, he always looked distracted.

Jiang Qingwu pondered inwardly: "Regardless of common sense, with Su Chen's unique physique, achieving a breakthrough should be as easy and natural as eating and drinking for ordinary people. Why has he been stuck at this stage for so long? Is there some hidden secret?"

Thinking of this, Jiang Qingwu decided to find a suitable opportunity to have a good talk with Su Chen to see if he could help him resolve this knot in his heart.

Because Feng Ci's thunder tribulation was too powerful, everyone had to rest for a full day longer than originally planned. That night, the darkness was as dark as ink, and all was silent. Jiang Qingwu, already paying close attention to Su Chen's every move, keenly noticed the slight sound as he emerged from the room. With a sudden thought, she followed him silently.

Moonlight streamed down like water, and from afar Jiang Qingwu could see Su Chen standing quietly beneath a lush tree. His figure, against the backdrop of the moonlight, seemed somewhat lonely and desolate, as if he was the only one left in the world.

Jiang Qingwu approached carefully, afraid to disturb Su Chen's deep thoughts. When she finally reached Su Chen's side, she softly asked, "Su Chen, what's wrong with you?"

Su Chen seemed to be immersed in his own thoughts. When he suddenly heard Jiang Qingwu's voice, his body trembled slightly, and he was obviously surprised.

But he soon returned to normal, with a bitter smile on his lips, and slowly replied: "Junior Master, I'm fine." However, his evasive gaze and furrowed brows betrayed his true emotions.

Jiang Qingwu stared into Su Chen's eyes, which were now covered with a faint haze. She shook her head gently and said softly, "You can't lie to me, Ah Chen. I can sense that you are feeling very heavy. Is it because Feng Ci has successfully broken through, while you have been stagnant, that you are so distressed?"

Faced with Jiang Qingwu's frankness, Su Chen was stunned at first, and then he fell silent as if his secrets had been exposed.

After a long while, he sighed deeply, nodded helplessly and admitted: "Junior Master, you are right. During this period of time, no matter how hard I tried to practice, I could not calm down. It felt like there was an invisible wall in front of me, and no matter how I rushed, it was difficult to cross. I really don't know what to do..." At the end, Su Chen's voice gradually became low, full of confusion and helplessness.

Jiang Qingwu patted Su Chen's shoulder gently and soothed him softly, "Su Chen, how can the path of cultivation be smooth sailing? It's normal to be filled with thorns and setbacks! Everyone will encounter bottlenecks during their cultivation journey, and no one can achieve success overnight. So don't be impatient, perhaps it's just that the opportunity that belongs to you has not yet arrived."

Su Chen slowly shook his head, a hint of frustration showing on his face, and muttered to himself, "Junior Master, ever since I embarked on this path of cultivation, I have always believed that I would be able to make smooth sailing and make rapid progress. But I never expected to encounter such a difficult problem here."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh deeply, and then continued, "Little Master, to be honest, ever since I failed to advance last time, I've been plagued by inner demons..."

At this point, he suddenly stopped talking, his eyes fixed on Jiang Qingwu, his lips trembling slightly, as if he wanted to continue talking, but in the end, he didn't say anything. His hesitant look made people feel pity. And his eyes were full of unspeakable thoughts.

Jiang Qingwu stared at Su Chen, whose face was filled with sorrow, and felt mixed emotions. She had a keen sense that Su Chen's inner demons might be related to her...

She sighed heavily. She had originally intended to keep this matter buried deep in her heart, never letting anyone know. But now, watching Su Chen struggle in agony, and after much inner turmoil and struggle, Jiang Qingwu finally made up her mind, deciding it was time to tell Su Chen everything...