Finally, someone within the Qingxiao Sect had unlocked the Dao of Formations. The discovery brought Li Qingqiu genuine joy. And because of that, he decided to grant the black-clad assassins before him a swift end.
His expression hardened, and his sword techniques turned even sharper. He still didn't use any spells—only pure speed and skill.
With each stroke, one life ended.
It didn't take long before every black-clad assassin lay dead at his feet.
Only the commander remained, kneeling before Li Qingqiu. His trembling hand clutched the edge of the Tianhong Sword's blade, blood running between his fingers.
Li Qingqiu tilted the sword slightly, the tip resting against the man's throat, keeping him from collapsing. Then, with a soft chant, he activated the Soul-Confining Curse.
Moments later, Lin Chuan and Nangong E emerged from within his body, their ghostly forms flickering like pale smoke.
Ghost servants could never stray far from their master. Whenever Li Qingqiu traveled, he carried them within his body, where they were nourished by his vital energy.
He had many ideas about improving the nature of his ghost servants—and was now testing them one by one.
As the curse took hold, the commander's memories flooded into Li Qingqiu's mind.
He saw Xuan Gong.
He saw Emperor Zhao Zhi.
It turned out that the Cui family truly served the emperor. After presenting their first batch of Martial God Pills, the emperor had been overjoyed and rewarded them generously, granting them control over logistical supplies for the ongoing war. The Cui family's estate in Pancheng was one of the main sites where those pills were produced.
Within the man's memories appeared a Daoist claiming to be Grandmaster Jiang—an eccentric alchemist appointed by the emperor himself to refine the Elixir of Immortality. It was said that he was skilled in strange arts and arcane methods, though the commander's memories held no image of him using any true spell techniques.
Through this man's recollections, Li Qingqiu gained a deeper understanding of Xuan Gong and the Martial Enforcement Guard. The emperor's court contained several powerful figures, each holding their own authority and often opposing Xuan Gong's influence. Yet among them all, in pure martial power, Xuan Gong remained unmatched.
After reading every last memory, Li Qingqiu gave a quiet order. Lin Chuan and Nangong E bowed once before rushing forward, devouring the souls of the fallen.
The men of the Martial Enforcement Guard were soaked in blood and sin, their lives steeped in cruelty. Their deaths were more than deserved.
Becoming one of the Guard's enforcers required them to kill their closest kin with their own hands—a ritual of madness that turned loyalty into demonic servitude. Every one of them had chosen this path willingly.
Li Qingqiu turned away and walked toward the cliff's edge. He looked down upon Martial God Pass below. The fortress had fallen, the battlefield now sprawled behind its shattered gates. From the distance, he could see waves of imperial troops still rushing forward—preparing for a war the likes of which the dynasty had never seen since its founding.
Time passed slowly.
By sunset, the battle below was over. The imperial army had retreated, and the army of the seven provinces—now in control of Martial God Pass—did not pursue. Instead, they began to fortify and rest.
Far in the sky, Li Qingqiu noticed a familiar dark silhouette. He whistled sharply. Xiao Ba, hearing the call, swooped down from the clouds on massive wings.
…
Night fell.
One by one, the Hall Masters entered the Lingxiao Hall. Shen Yue arrived as well, as usual sitting quietly at the far end of the long table.
Li Qingqiu emerged from the forest behind the mountain. The moment he stepped in, all the Hall Masters rose to their feet, bowing respectfully with a hand salute. Even his own junior brothers and sisters followed the formal gesture.
As Zhang Yu once put it—the Sect Master's authority defines the sect's strength; even kin must pay respect.
Li Qingqiu took his seat at the head of the table. His calm gaze swept across the room before he began recounting the events of the past two days. When he mentioned that Wu Man'er had slain Chang Wu in just three strikes, everyone's faces lit up with excitement.
Shen Yue exhaled softly. "That boy's physique truly is remarkable. No wonder the Wu clan spent a hundred years crafting him into a weapon of war."
Wu Man'er's background was no secret anymore. His clan had been exterminated—and most believed the emperor himself was behind it.
Li Qingqiu continued. "The emperor has made his move. He's issued a death order—the Qingxiao Sect must be destroyed within this year."
Jiang Zhaoxia scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. "The imperial court still has time to gather armies to deal with us? He should focus on saving what's left of his throne."
The others shared her dismissive attitude. Their confidence came not only from the shifting tides of the world but from the Qingxiao Sect's overwhelming growth.
Even Shen Yue had to admit—it was now the foremost sect under heaven. The so-called Three Great Sects of the dynasty could no longer compare. Qingxiao lacked only reputation and time.
Li Qingqiu's tone turned colder. "The emperor plans to send the Three Great Sects and the Martial Enforcement Guard together against us. They're likely to rely on two things—the Martial God Pill and another one called the Yin Ghost Pill.
"The Martial God Pill amplifies strength and vital energy to monstrous levels. Chang Wu's defense of the pass was due to it. But the Yin Ghost Pill… it transforms a person into a vengeful ghost. They feel no pain, and their speed surpasses human limits."
Everyone froze.
The name Yin Ghost Pill was new to them all.
Zhu Yan frowned. "Yin Ghost Pill? Was that created by Chen Huilan?"
Li Qingqiu shook his head. "No. It was the work of that so-called Daoist, Grandmaster Jiang. Aside from rare ingredients, the pill requires the blood of young maidens—and that blood must be drawn while the victims are consumed with hatred. Their deaths are deliberately cruel, to ensure the blood's potency."
A cold silence filled the hall.
"From what I can tell," Li Qingqiu continued, "this Grandmaster Jiang has inherited some knowledge from a true cultivator. Whether he himself has any cultivation, I can't yet confirm. But judging by what we know, he's likely similar to Daoist Wei—someone who never stepped onto the true path of cultivation, yet uses fragments of it to profit from the emperor's greed."
Yang Jueding's face darkened. "What kind of twisted medicine is that? I've never even heard of something so vile."
He clenched his fists, realizing that the emperor's so-called alchemists and warlocks might not be mere charlatans—they were far more dangerous.
Jiang Zhaoxia turned to Li Qingqiu. "After consuming the Yin Ghost Pill, how strong would such a creature be? What level of cultivation would it take to defeat one?"
Everyone in the hall went silent, eyes fixed on Li Qingqiu. None of them doubted his information. None asked how he knew. His methods and precision left no room for question.
Li Qingqiu answered evenly, "The Yin Ghost Pill's power depends on the user's original strength. From what I've analyzed, only a cultivator at least at the third layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm could fight one with reasonable certainty."
His words turned every face grim.
Yang Jueding pressed on, his tone tense. "How many people have taken the Yin Ghost Pill?"
Li Qingqiu shook his head. "That, I don't know. But it's certainly not just a few."
A heavy silence fell over the hall. The unknown always weighed heavier than numbers. No one liked fighting an enemy they couldn't measure.
Li Qingqiu broke the silence. "If soldiers come, we'll block them; if water floods, we'll hold the ground. Just keep our patrols sharp. The emperor's forces won't be few, but even so, they shouldn't be able to sneak into Qingxiao Mountain unnoticed."
Shen Yue spoke next. "The Sword Sect disciples have already crossed the threshold of true sword mastery. I've nothing left to teach them for now. How about I take over the patrols? I can use the chance to admire the ridges of Mount Taikun—I've been here this long and haven't even seen the scenery."
Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. Shen Yue volunteering was unexpected—he had always kept a distant attitude, rarely involving himself in internal affairs.
Meeting their looks, Shen Yue cleared his throat and muttered, "I am part of Qingxiao Sect after all. Protecting our own—what's wrong with that?"
Zhang Yuchun laughed. "Nothing wrong with it at all! That's great news. I'd feel uneasy letting ordinary disciples handle patrols anyway."
Xu Ning narrowed her eyes. "I think you just want to test how strong you've become."
Shen Yue stroked his beard and said nothing.
The realization dawned on the others—he had been cultivating the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra for quite some time now. His current strength was likely far more terrifying than before.
Jiang Zhaoxia frowned. "I'll go too. We can take different routes and see who finds trouble first."
Even after reaching the seventh layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, he still couldn't gauge Shen Yue's depth. That alone irked him.
Li Qingqiu smiled. "If you're both willing to volunteer, even better."
He could already imagine it—the Martial Enforcement Guard or the Three Great Sects sending their pill-fed monsters up the mountain, only to be stopped cold by either Shen Yue or Jiang Zhaoxia. Those enemies would crumble before they even realized what hit them.
The rest of the hall, though slightly tense, felt reassured. Everyone believed in the two's strength.
Zhu Yan spoke up next. "Sect Master, there's something to report. A disciple of the Heavenly Works Hall has successfully created the Spirit-Gathering Array you once mentioned. I tested it myself—it truly gathers spiritual energy from heaven and earth, making cultivation easier."
That caught everyone's attention at once.
Li Qingqiu's eyes brightened. He had been waiting for this report. "Who created it?" he asked curiously.
"A disciple named Mingguang," Zhu Yan replied.
"Mingguang?"
Li Qingqiu frowned slightly. The name didn't ring strongly in his memory. The boy's aptitude and comprehension were ordinary—nothing special, no notable Fate or talent.
Zhang Yuchun suddenly remembered. "Ah, I know him! He was an orphan. Didn't even have a proper name when he joined. I gave him the name Mingguang myself. Never expected he'd be the one to show such insight."
Li Qingqiu nodded slowly. He had already seen the system's confirmation earlier, proving the formation was genuine. Without hesitation, he declared, "From this day forth, Mingguang shall be promoted to True Disciple. In addition, the Heavenly Works Hall will erect a stele in his honor, engraved with his contribution. It shall be placed along the path before the Mystic Heart Hall. From now on, any disciple who makes a major contribution to the sect will have their deeds inscribed there—for all future generations to remember."
The hall erupted in applause and murmurs of approval.
Li Sijin's eyes sparkled. "If that's the case, then the path in front of Mystic Heart Hall might become famous someday. Why not call it Contribution Road?"
Li Qingqiu shot her an exasperated look. "Contribution Road? That sounds ridiculous. But your idea's good. We'll decide on a proper name later—it'll serve to inspire disciples."
Li Sijin grinned. "Then if I grow a new spiritual plant, do I get a stele too?"
"Of course," Li Qingqiu replied. "But not yet. You'll have to work harder first."
Li Sijin pouted at that, while others began asking eagerly what kind of achievement would qualify for a stele.
Li Qingqiu explained patiently. "Only things that bring foundational or developmental progress to the sect—something that pushes us forward in a new direction. Learning a powerful technique isn't enough. I'll be the one to judge what counts."
Shen Yue seemed lost in thought. Jiang Zhaoxia noticed his expression and began thinking as well.
After answering a few more questions, Li Qingqiu dismissed the Hall Masters.
Only Li Dongyue remained. She took a seat beside him and asked softly, "Eldest Brother, with the emperor in control of the Martial God Pill and Yin Ghost Pill, the Zhenyang Imperial City must be unimaginably dangerous. Will Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother be in danger? Shouldn't we send someone to assist them?"
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly. "Of course it's dangerous. But this is their trial—and their chance. You must have faith in their strength. Even if they can't win, they can protect themselves."
Hearing that, Li Dongyue nodded. His words made sense.
Li Qingqiu rose to his feet. "Fourth Junior Sister, come with me tomorrow morning. There's a place I want to visit."
"What place?" she asked, curious.
"You'll know tomorrow."
He didn't elaborate and headed back to his quarters. It wasn't secrecy—it was that he himself didn't know yet what this Fortune Opportunity would lead to.
Inside his room, he closed the door, sat cross-legged on the bed, and summoned the Dao Lineage interface. Lines of glowing text appeared before his eyes one by one.
[ Claim Fortune Opportunity Reward ]
[ Activate Fortune Opportunity ]
[ Detecting Fortune Opportunity… ]
[ Fortune Opportunity Detected: Low-Level Monster Realm Found. Accept Fortune Guidance? ]