The news that Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng would represent Qingxiao Sect at the Martial Gathering filled every disciple with excitement. Outside their daily chores, everyone's enthusiasm for martial practice soared to new heights.
Yang Jueding, who couldn't go to the Martial Gathering himself, felt regret gnawing at him. To vent that fighting spirit, he turned his full attention toward training the Seven Sons of Qingxiao.
As the earliest batch of disciples, both Li Qingqiu and Yang Jueding hoped these seven would grow into the sect's true pillars—capable of taking on management and leadership responsibilities in the future.
The reason Yang Jueding wasn't chosen to attend the Martial Gathering was simple: the growing threat of the Qing Sect. In addition, Jiang Zhaoxia already had experience going down the mountain and could use this trip to hone his skills further.
Even so, the sect felt strangely calm that spring and summer. Without the lively presence of Li Sifeng, it was almost too quiet—despite the ever-increasing number of disciples.
Every month, Zhang Yuchun went down the mountain once. Besides recruiting new disciples, he also brought craftsmen to the sect. His goal was to construct a grand hall that would serve as a gathering place for all disciples. Li Qingqiu didn't object—after all, Qingxiao Sect's architecture did need improvement.
The gold bars left behind by Li Yang weren't ordinary—they were fine ingots crafted in Linchuan. Though not pure gold, their workmanship was exquisite. When Zhang Yuchun took one to the city, it sold for 300 guan of copper coins. Combined with Qingxiao Sect's remaining funds, building a grand hall was no longer difficult. It didn't need to be luxurious—just solid and functional.
The process wasn't entirely smooth; Zhang Yuchun encountered some trouble, but thankfully Yang Jueding had accompanied him.
In the Great Li Dynasty, 1 guan equaled 1,000 copper coins, and 30 coins could buy 1 dou of rice—about 6 kilograms.
On top of that, the Qin family sent yearly donations of wealth and supplies. Even after expenses, Qingxiao Sect maintained a comfortable surplus.
Still, the sect had yet to develop its own industries, so income remained limited. Li Qingqiu didn't mind—most disciples were still young, focused on martial training rather than earning profits. Their ability to help with farming or basic labor was already a great relief.
Even a martial sect needed money. People had to eat, weapons cost silver, and martial cultivation was an endless money pit.
…
One summer day, Li Qingqiu and Li Sijin were cultivating by the Underground Spiritual Lake.
Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged beside the water while Li Sijin crouched across the lake, examining a small patch of grassland carefully.
This was no ordinary grassland—it was filled with medicinal herbs. Li Qingqiu wanted to test whether the spiritual energy of the underground lake could transform common herbs into spiritual plants imbued with qi. He had entrusted this task to Li Sijin.
"Senior Brother, it worked!"
Li Sijin's delighted shout snapped Li Qingqiu out of his meditation. He leapt lightly across the water and landed beside her.
She crouched by a sprouting herb, her eyes shining. "Look, Senior Brother—feel it carefully. There's qi flowing inside it, and it's even releasing a faint aura! Does this count as a spiritual plant like you said?"
Li Qingqiu crouched down, closing his eyes to sense it carefully—and indeed, he could feel the spiritual fluctuation within. His heart leapt with excitement.
This meant Qingxiao Sect had taken its first true step toward a cultivation sect.
Once the sect fully transformed from martial to immortal, worldly gold and copper would lose their value. Instead, spirit stones and spiritual plants would become the true currency—resources disciples could directly use for cultivation. That was why Li Qingqiu paid such close attention to this experiment.
"Excellent, Sijin. You've done it—this is a major achievement!"
He spoke with genuine praise. Since the start of spring, Li Sijin had spent nearly all her free time nurturing the herbs while balancing her studies of the Earth Talisman Codex. Her results came faster than he ever expected.
Then, a new realization dawned on him.
Dao Lineage Inheritance alone wasn't what determined a sect's strength—Fortune Opportunity was.
A single Underground Spiritual Lake had already given Qingxiao Sect a foundation strong enough to rival other sects. If he could find a few more like it, the sect would surely rise to prominence.
The Taikun Mountain Range was vast and resource-rich—who knew how many more such lakes might be hidden beneath it?
"Really? Then I'll remember that," Li Sijin said with a proud grin. "When I grow up, I'm going to be an elder!"
A bright sense of achievement filled her chest. For the first time, she felt that tending to herbs wasn't boring—it was meaningful.
Li Qingqiu said earnestly, "If you manage this well and continue mastering the Earth Talisman Codex, you'll become one of the most important members of Qingxiao Sect."
Li Sijin giggled. "You're exaggerating, Senior Brother. You're the truly important one. Qingxiao Sect could survive without anyone else—but not without you."
"Hahaha, wrong," Li Qingqiu laughed. "It's not me—it's us seven together."
They both laughed and began checking the other herbs, searching to see if any more had transformed.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a second spiritual plant. Still, neither of them was disappointed—one success was proof enough that it could be done.
…
The news of the first spiritual plant didn't spread through the sect, but Li Qingqiu's mood noticeably improved. For the next few days, he greeted every disciple with a smile, leaving them confused and flattered, wondering what joy he had found.
By midday one particularly hot day, he stood in the forest, watching disciples train.
Ahead, a clearing had been filled with wooden stakes of varying heights—dozens of them. Cheng Canghai balanced lightly on top, leaping swiftly from one stake to another. His movements were agile and graceful, drawing gasps of admiration from the eight disciples waiting their turn at the edge.
This was a new training ground for lightness skill, built by Cheng Canghai himself. It was his first lesson as an instructor, and Li Qingqiu had come personally to observe. Judging by the results, the effect was impressive.
The King of Thieves still lived up to his name.
After missing his chance to attend the Crown Prince's hunt, Cheng Canghai had abandoned that dream entirely. Out of both curiosity and admiration for Qingxiao Sect, he officially joined as a disciple.
His Cultivation Aptitude and Comprehension were both rated Fair, and though he lacked any special Fate, that level already qualified him for immortal cultivation.
On the surface, Cheng Canghai seemed confident—but inwardly, he was anxious.
He had joined Qingxiao Sect with ambition. He wanted real power, to stand shoulder to shoulder with Yang Jueding. So, he held nothing back, teaching the disciples sincerely and with all his skill.
After demonstrating several times, Cheng Canghai let the disciples take turns practicing on the wooden stakes. He stayed below, ready to catch anyone who might fall.
His careful and patient attitude made Li Qingqiu nod approvingly. Cheng Canghai caught sight of this from the corner of his eye, and his confidence surged immediately.
Just then—
A line of glowing text suddenly appeared before Li Qingqiu's eyes:
[Because the Qingxiao Sect under your leadership has gained its first renown in the martial world and established a path of prestige for your Dao Lineage, you have gained one Fate Selection Opportunity.]
"Huh?"
Had Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng succeeded?
A smile spread across Li Qingqiu's face. It seemed sending disciples out into the world had indeed been the right choice. Staying secluded in the mountains might have protected them, but it would have also stifled the growth of their Dao Lineage.
This time, the reward he received was precisely what he'd been waiting for—the third Fate Selection Opportunity. He had already decided to save it for Yuan Li.
The words Indestructible Tyrant Body alone were enough to stir anyone's blood. Among all his disciples, none had a truly remarkable Fate yet, and he was far less interested in Wu Man'er's Tiger Body or Elephant Strength.
Wu Man'er might be formidable in physical combat, but if Li Qingqiu fought seriously, the Secret Technique — Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles could end such a fight in an instant.
He gave Cheng Canghai a slight smile and a nod before turning away. His gesture encouraged Cheng Canghai greatly, giving him renewed motivation to train harder.
After checking on Cheng Canghai's martial instruction, Li Qingqiu still needed to inspect the other training grounds— the fish pond, the horse stables, and the cultivated farmland were all under his supervision as well.
People were naturally lazy by nature. As Sect Master, Li Qingqiu's presence not only served as a reminder of discipline but also as a source of morale. When disciples saw him observing their work, they felt valued—and worked with even more dedication.
The larger the sect grew, the busier Li Qingqiu became. He noticed that disciples' loyalty toward him and the sect fluctuated slightly depending on his presence. It made him more curious about the art of leadership—how to govern hearts and inspire loyalty.
For now, Qingxiao Sect was thriving, showing signs of steady growth and vitality. There were no major issues in sight.
…
A month passed quickly, and summer drew to an end.
Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng finally returned—but Jiang Zhaoxia was gravely injured. He was carried up the mountain by Li Sifeng and a woman in yellow robes, both supporting him on a wooden stretcher.
By the time Li Qingqiu arrived at the courtyard, Li Dongyue was already using the Secret Technique — Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles to treat him.
The moment Li Qingqiu appeared, his face darkened. The surrounding disciples instinctively stepped aside, giving him a clear path.
Li Sifeng turned toward him, his expression pitiful, eyes red and watery.
"What happened?" Li Qingqiu asked in a low, steady voice.
Jiang Zhaoxia was at the third layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. For someone of that level to be seriously wounded and unconscious—what kind of battle could have caused this?
Could they have been ambushed again by an overwhelming force?
Clenching his jaw, Li Sifeng said, "We were ambushed by the Heavenly Saber Sect on our way back. The sect master of Heavenly Saber Sect, having been defeated by Third Senior Brother earlier, held a grudge. He gathered his disciples and intercepted us in the Taikun Mountain Range."
"The Heavenly Saber Sect?"
Li Qingqiu turned toward Yang Jueding. The older man's expression shifted the instant he heard that name.
Yang Jueding stepped forward quickly. "The Heavenly Saber Sect is one of the Seven Great Sects of Guzhou. They've existed for over two hundred years. Their signature art, the Heavenly Saber Technique, is the most ruthless saber style in existence. The sect operates among the common folk—its branches spread across the riverlands and surrounding towns. No one knows how many disciples they have. They constantly fight with other sects—more domineering than even the Seven Peaks Alliance."
He paused, frowning sharply. "Wait—you just said Jiang defeated the Heavenly Saber Sect Master?"
Yang Jueding stared at Li Sifeng in disbelief, his eyes wide.
Standing at the edge of the crowd, Cheng Canghai felt a chill in his heart. Even the Heavenly Saber Sect Master wasn't a match for Jiang Zhaoxia?
Though he was once known as the King of Thieves, even he considered that man untouchable—a figure only spoken of in legend.
Li Sifeng lifted his chin proudly. "Of course. Third Senior Brother defeated the Heavenly Saber Sect Master within thirty moves. And that's not all—he also fought and beat more than ten martial experts afterward. In the end, he was only narrowly defeated by the martial champion of Guzhou. If he hadn't been exhausted from continuous battles and running low on internal energy, he might not have lost at all! Even so, Third Senior Brother made a name for himself—many sects came forward to befriend us, and we met several prominent masters."
Yang Jueding quickly asked, "Who took the title of number one in the martial world?"
"A man named Yu Zhiyi—an old fellow," Li Sifeng replied.
"Ah… Elder Yu himself."
Yang Jueding's eyes softened with awe. "So the old legend has come down from the mountain after all. No wonder."
Li Qingqiu extended his spiritual sense briefly. Jiang Zhaoxia's pulse was weak, but his life wasn't in danger. Still, Li Qingqiu's frown deepened. He fixed his gaze on Li Sifeng. "Don't change the subject. Tell me clearly—how exactly did he get hurt?"
If even the Heavenly Saber Sect Master couldn't defeat him, there had to be more to this story.
Li Sifeng hesitated, torn between honesty and shame.
Before he could answer, the woman in yellow stepped forward. Her face was pale and grief-stricken.
"It's my fault," she said quietly. "He was injured because of me."
Her voice trembled. "A man named Old Master Cheng took my younger brother hostage. He forced me to poison Young Master Jiang in secret. That was how the Heavenly Saber Sect ambushed us. I… I had no choice. I'm just an ordinary woman who doesn't know martial arts. My father and I ran an inn before he passed away. Since then, it's been just me and my brother depending on each other for survival. But now, my brother was murdered by Old Master Cheng… and I have no face or will left to live in this world."
With that, she suddenly turned away and lunged toward the wooden pillar behind her, aiming to smash her head against it and end her life.