My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1407 Searching
Ling Xue picked up a remnant of the tribulation fire and said, "Next time we cultivate together, we should use this temperature."

Just then, the roar of the 342nd tribulation lightning bolt echoed from afar. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue exchanged a smile, then joined hands and stepped towards the new challenge, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance amidst the lightning…

Zhou Xing slowly awoke, feeling an icy chill throughout his body. Looking down, he saw that he was encased in a piece of icy jade, surrounded by a putrid aura.

It turned out that he had become a half-demon cub, ruthlessly abandoned by the demon race in this desolate place. Just when he was filled with despair, a figure quietly appeared at the cave entrance.

The visitor was none other than Ling Xue, the Elf Queen, who had come in search of a rare herb. When she saw Zhou Xing lying on the verge of death in the ice cave, she couldn't help but feel compassion.

Ling Xue approached Zhou Xing and was surprised to find that the little guy's pupils had rare silver moon patterns. A thought struck her, and she secretly used an elven secret technique to conceal the demonic aura on his body.

Just then, a commotion arose outside. It turned out that patrolling demon soldiers had discovered the situation and were heading towards the cave.

Ling Xue's heart tightened. She quickly cast a spell, hiding Zhou Xing in a nearby flower bud. Then, she cleverly set a trap to lure away the pursuers.

Zhou Xing listened quietly to the sounds outside from inside the flower bud, his heart filled with gratitude. After Ling Xue returned, he emerged from the flower bud.

Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing and said softly, "Little guy, you'll be with me from now on." As she spoke, she took out a glowing cocoon from her bosom. "This is a gift for you."

Zhou Xing looked at the cocoon with curiosity. The moment he touched it, a strange power surged into his palm. Soon, a silver scale grew on his palm.

Late at night, Ling Xue brought Zhou Xing to the Moon Goddess Temple. She tore open her skirt and bandaged Zhou Xing's wounds. Moonlight shone through the glass windows, tracing streaks of blood on her neck.

Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue and suddenly asked, "Why did you save me?"

Ling Xue lowered her eyes, her fingertips tracing the newly formed demonic patterns on Zhou Xing's body, and said softly, "In your eyes lies the last missing piece of the star map of my clan's altar."

Zhou Xing was startled; he hadn't expected that the silver moon pattern he saw would hide such an important secret.

Soon after, the Demon King learned of Zhou Xing's existence and ordered his shadow guards to bring him poisoned wine, demanding that Zhou Xing drink it.

Ling Xue stared anxiously at the cup of poisoned wine. She used a clever trick, switching the cup with illusion magic. Then, she and Zhou Xing drank the wine together in front of everyone.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Demon King flew into a rage and ordered Zhou Xing to be executed.

On the execution ground, Zhou Xing was tied to a pillar, surrounded by a group of menacing demon soldiers. Ling Xue stood in front of Zhou Xing, her eyes firm and resolute.

Suddenly, the silver moon on Zhou Xing's forehead shone brightly, and he awakened the teleportation technique. He grabbed Ling Xue and vanished from the spot in an instant.

The two arrived at the edge of a cliff, with a raging waterfall behind them. Ling Xue tore off the pearl hair chain and set up an elven enchantment at the edge of the cliff.

She looked at Zhou Xing and said with a smile, "Hold on tight, or you'll fall into an abyss."

Zhou Xing held Ling Xue tightly, his heart filled with trust. As the barrier shattered, the two plunged into the abyss.

During the fall, Zhou Xing tried his best to control his body. He used his demonic power to condense a pair of wings and tightly protected Ling Xue.

When they landed, Zhou Xing realized that his wings were stained red with blood. Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing, her heart filled with heartache.

To escape the pursuit of the demon race, Ling Xue led Zhou Xing into the underground black market. This place was a melting pot of all sorts of people and fraught with danger.

Ling Xue disguised herself as a merchant and traded three vials of elven blood for a submerged vessel. Zhou Xing, on the other hand, disguised himself as her attendant and followed behind her.

In the black market, Zhou Xing, with his keen insight, saw through the fox clan merchant's gambling scam. He used demonic fire to melt through the merchant's mask, revealing a ferocious face.

However, their actions aroused the suspicion of the gambling den owner. The owner blew a bone whistle, summoning a bronze golem.

Ling Xue and Zhou Xing were in a predicament. Just when they thought they couldn't escape, Ling Xue suddenly cut her palm and drew a talisman with her blood. Instantly, vines surged from the ground and tightly bound the bronze puppet.

Taking advantage of the situation, the two boarded an underground ark and left the black market. Inside the ark, Zhou Xing noticed that Ling Xue's face was somewhat pale, and he asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Ling Xue shook her head and said, "It's just that the fox clan has placed a tracking spell on my back. It'll be fine in a bit."

After returning to safety, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue began searching for a way to remove the tracking spell. However, before they could find a solution, the Demon King, in alliance with the vampires, launched a siege on the elven territory.

Upon learning the news, Zhou Xing immediately transformed into his demon form and went into battle. With his immense power, he slew seven vampire counts. However, during his duel with the vampire lord, he suddenly suffered a backlash.

It turned out that the vampire lord had used evil magic to restrict Zhou Xing's power. Ling Xue was extremely anxious when she saw Zhou Xing in danger.

She burned her primordial essence to activate the ancient elven array. The array shone brightly, temporarily halting the vampires' attack.

The two stood back to back, adjusting their breathing at the center of the formation. Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue and suddenly noticed cracks appearing behind her ear. Startled, he asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Ling Xue said weakly, "I forcibly activated the ancient spirit array, which consumed a large amount of my primordial essence blood. I'm afraid..."

Zhou Xing interrupted her, saying, "You'll be alright. We'll definitely get through this."

Just then, the vampires launched an even fiercer attack. To save the elves, Zhou Xing decided to absorb the vampire lord's power. In the intense battle, Zhou Xing successfully absorbed the vampire lord's power. However, his left eye transformed into a blood-red vertical pupil.

Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing, her heart filled with mixed emotions. With trembling hands, she placed the elven crown on Zhou Xing's head and said, "Now you look more like a monster than I do."

Having survived the ordeal, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue returned to the Haoqing Sect. However, they discovered that the sect had expelled them and considered them traitors.

Zhou Xing sneered, and with a wave of his sleeve, three thousand steps were frozen solid. He shouted, "Today we have returned, and we will make this sect remember us again!"

With that, the two shattered the protective mountain array and entered the depths of the sect. In the sect's forbidden area, they discovered three hundred and forty calamity tablets recording the deaths of their comrades. Each tablet was inscribed with the four characters "The Extermination of Demons is Not Yet Complete," as if telling the story of their past suffering.

Unable to contain his rage, Zhou Xing was about to destroy the sect. Ling Xue quickly grasped his trembling hand and said, "These are nothing but projections of inner demons."

Just then, their swords resonated, pointing towards the true 9,999th tribulation cloud. They smiled at each other and walked hand in hand towards that unknown challenge.

With the double calamity striking, time and space froze. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue saw each other's silhouettes from 340 reincarnations in the void. In each reincarnation, they endured hardships in different small worlds, yet remained inseparable.

Ling Xue smiled gently, transforming her hairpin into a ferry, and said, "This boat can carry three souls and seven spirits, but one must relinquish one emotion."

Without hesitation, Zhou Xing crushed the oar and said, "Then let's dismantle this damn boat."

The two, with their demonic bodies, fought against the chains of heaven. In the fierce battle, their figures gradually shattered and reformed. Finally, the calamity clouds dissipated, and the two sat on the ruins, taking stock of their spoils.

Zhou Xing pulled out magical treasures he had collected from various worlds, piling them up into a small mountain. Ling Xue picked up a remnant of tribulation fire and said, "Next time we cultivate together, we should use this temperature."

Just then, the roar of the 344th tribulation lightning bolt echoed from afar. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue exchanged a smile, then joined hands and stepped towards the new challenge, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance amidst the lightning…

Zhou Xing felt a sudden dizziness, and his consciousness gradually blurred. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in an unfamiliar mountain forest. He looked down at his clothes—a magnificent official robe—and then touched his hair. Underneath the black gauze hat was the face of an unfamiliar middle-aged man.

Just then, memories of his past life flooded his mind like a tidal wave. He remembered that he was originally a prodigy disciple of the Demon Sect Haoqing Sect, and now, to ascend to the Upper Realm, he needed to undergo nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine tribulations, each of which would take place in a different small world. Before he could fully digest these memories, a cacophony of sounds arose around him.

"My lord, you're finally back!" A steward-like man rushed over, knelt down and bowed. "You've been missing for three days, and now His Majesty is demanding the payment of the grain transport tax. What are we to do?"

Zhou Xing was startled. He didn't know how to handle the canal transport tax, but in order not to give himself away, he could only bite the bullet and pretend to be calm, saying, "I have my own plan. You may leave now." The steward acknowledged the order and left. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Zhou Xing pondered to himself that the first hurdle was to solve the problem of the canal transport tax.

Meanwhile, Ling Xue, the eldest daughter of the richest man, was sitting in her boudoir, dressing in front of the mirror. Suddenly, her eyes became vacant, and a blood-red lotus mark appeared on her palm. This was the signal that her memories of her past life were being awakened. Soon, she learned from her maid that the "Tianji Pavilion" auction would be held in three days, and that Zhou Xing, the Minister of Revenue, would be representing the royal family to preside over the event.

Late into the night, Zhou Xing was still worrying about the grain transport tax. Suddenly, a hidden weapon flew in through the window. He instinctively caught it and found a note attached to it that read: "To resolve the grain transport tax crisis, tomorrow at 5 PM, at the abandoned granary south of the city." It was signed with the character "Xue" (雪).

Zhou Xing's heart skipped a beat. Although he wasn't sure who this "Xue" was, she might be a glimmer of hope in solving the problem of the grain transport tax. He summoned his guards and ordered them to secretly follow this mysterious person. Meanwhile, Ling Xue was in her room, having learned some of Zhou Xing's background through her family's informants, and had begun secretly investigating the Great Yuan Kingdom.

Ling Xue disguised herself as a merchant and arrived at the black market. Using her wit and resourcefulness, she traded half a jade pendant for information about the Canal Gang. Just as she was making the deal with the gang's second-in-command, she suddenly discovered that Zhou Xing's bodyguards, disguised as beggars, were watching them.

Ling Xue was startled, but she quickly calmed herself down and deliberately gave herself away by slipping the forged ledger into the canal gang's cargo box. She knew that Zhou Xing would definitely check that box, and this way she could test Zhou Xing's attitude.

The following day, Zhou Xing, under the pretext of "investigating the deficit," seized three pawnshops belonging to the Ling family. Ling Xue, upon learning this, remained calm. She had anticipated Zhou Xing's actions and, taking advantage of the situation, "accidentally" let the secret box containing evidence of the stolen goods fall into the hands of the officials.

The two put on a show in the interrogation room of the yamen, testing each other's identities and bottom lines. Zhou Xing looked at the intelligent woman before him and couldn't help but admire her, but he also understood that in this complex situation, he couldn't easily trust anyone.

However, their cooperation did not go smoothly. The third leader of the Canal Gang suddenly died, and his body was found to be infected with a demonic Gu worm. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue realized that there must be a larger conspiracy behind this. After some investigation, they discovered that the real culprit was a demonic cultivator who had disguised himself as a merchant, and that this person's target was the royal dragon vein.

To expose the demonic cultivator spy, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue decided to feign a falling out. In front of everyone, Ling Xue slapped Zhou Xing hard across the face, then left in tears. Zhou Xing watched her leave with a furious expression; no one knew they were acting.

After returning to her residence, Ling Xue deliberately leaked a forged "letter of treason," giving the demonic cultivator infiltrator the illusion that they had an opportunity. Meanwhile, Zhou Xing was secretly keeping a close watch on the demonic cultivator's every move.

Soon after, the demonic cultivator infiltrator fell into the trap and hijacked the cargo ship with a group of men. Zhou Xing was prepared and led his soldiers to surround them. In the ensuing bloody battle, Ling Xue disguised herself as a cook and infiltrated the enemy ship. She took the opportunity to plant a demonic sect explosive talisman in the core of the enemy ship's formation.

With a deafening roar, the enemy ship was blasted to pieces, and the demonic cultivator spy was severely injured. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue captured him, and after interrogation, they learned that the demonic cultivator's goal was to use the dragon vein to restart the ancient demonic array.

To thwart the demonic cultivator's plan, Zhou Xing forcibly activated the Haoqing Sect's cultivation technique, instantly teleporting and killing another lurking demonic cultivator. This act triggered a backlash from the Heavenly Dao, causing him to vomit blood on the spot. Seeing this, Ling Xue hurriedly used a secret family medicine to cover his injuries.

During the investigation, Zhou Xing discovered Ling Xue's true identity. He was shocked, but even more so, puzzled. So, he called Ling Xue to his side and questioned her about why she had concealed her identity to get close to him.

Ling Xue smiled coldly through her tears and said, "If I had remembered my past life first, you would have been annihilated long ago." In fact, she had already regained her memories of her past life, but she dared not say it, for she was afraid it would affect their mission.

During their confrontation, the two accidentally triggered a forbidden technique of the Demonic Sect, instantly creating a series of illusions. Within these illusions, they experienced three lifetimes of tragic love, with countless memories flooding their minds. The illusions only shattered when blood trickled from their lips.

At this moment, the demonic cultivators activated the city-protecting formation, plunging the Great Abyss Kingdom into crisis. To save the Great Abyss Kingdom, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were forced to join forces to break the formation. Zhou Xing sacrificed his lifespan to activate a forbidden technique, while Ling Xue burned her life essence to draw the Demonic Sect's God-Slaying Talisman.

In the midst of the fierce battle, the projection of the "Nine Thousand Tribulations" inscription appeared at the core of the formation. The two looked at the familiar inscription, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. But they knew this was not the time for sentimentality; they had to break the formation as soon as possible.

Just as they were about to successfully break the formation, the demonic elder appeared and mocked, "Entangled in the threads of love, one can never achieve sainthood." These words pierced the hearts of Zhou Xing and Ling Xue.

Zhou Xing made a ruthless decision, shattering his emotional soul, bleeding from all seven orifices, yet laughing as he killed a god.