First-Class Mortal Sect!
Divine Ability Inheritance?
Li Qingqiu's attention was immediately drawn to the sudden notification that appeared before his eyes. He remembered when he first opened the Dao Lineage panel—the Qingxiao Sect had been rated Unranked back then.
Now it had risen to First-Class Mortal, which meant that while Qingxiao Sect had grown strong, it had not yet transcended the mortal world.
He opened the Dao Lineage panel again and noticed new text at the bottom:
[Divine Ability Inheritance Attempts Available: 0]
'So, unlocking the function doesn't grant me the inheritance directly?'
A trace of disappointment crossed his heart, but he was already used to the system's rules. Having another mechanism to look forward to wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
What mattered most now was that he had two Fate Selection Opportunities—and it was time to use one.
'The sooner I use one, the sooner I'll benefit from it. I'll just keep the second in reserve for later.'
Seeing that Yuan Li and Ji Ya were focused on their training, Li Qingqiu walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down cross-legged, his back facing his three disciples.
He opened the Dao Lineage panel once more, checking through his disciples' profiles, looking for a Fate that caught his interest.
...
As the year drew to a close, more disciples returned from the mortal world, each hoping to spend the new year at the sect.
Inside his cave residence, Li Qingqiu sat in meditation, browsing through the panels of the new disciples one by one.
Unfortunately, none of them possessed a Fate that particularly impressed him. His standards had been raised after seeing Fates like Mortal God and Ghost and Hundred-Refined Demon Body.
Even the Dragon Soul Protection of Li Yang or the Heart of Heaven and Earth of Yang Xuan no longer stirred much interest in him.
Just then, Yuan Qi's voice came from outside the cave.
"Sect Master, a group has arrived at the foot of the mountain, saying you invited them. They're from Panzhou City, and their leader is someone named Bo Zhao."
Li Qingqiu immediately replied, "Bring them to Lingxiao Pavilion."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Once Yuan Qi's footsteps faded away, Li Qingqiu sighed and closed the Dao Lineage panel. None of the new disciples had any special Fate today either.
Having two Fate Selection Opportunities and being unable to use them made him feel slightly anxious.
He shifted his focus to Bo Zhao as he walked out of the cave, recalling the events of two years ago.
Back then, during his trip to Martial God Pass, he had stayed for a time in Panzhou City. There, he casually exterminated the wicked Cui family. Before leaving, he had made a promise to a young constable: if the children taken by the Cui family had nowhere to go, they could be sent to Qingxiao Sect.
That young constable's name was Bo Zhao.
Two years had passed since then, and Li Qingqiu had almost forgotten about the matter. He hadn't expected Bo Zhao to actually appear.
They must have encountered serious trouble—otherwise, they wouldn't have come at this particular time.
Li Qingqiu walked to Lingxiao Pavilion and began waiting. The courtyard was quiet, only his own figure present. He picked up a broom and began sweeping snow. Though he could have used vital energy to clear it instantly, he preferred the slow, rhythmic motion—it calmed his heart.
After one stick of incense's time, Yuan Qi finally arrived, leading a group of people.
Li Qingqiu turned to look and immediately recognized Bo Zhao. The young man had grown taller and sturdier than before. His frame was now strong, though the stubble on his face made him look a little worn.
Beside Bo Zhao stood a female disciple of Qingxiao Sect. Behind them were two constables wearing tattered uniforms, and behind those men stood eight young girls, their clothes dirty and their faces full of tension.
When Bo Zhao saw Li Qingqiu, his eyes instantly turned red. The two constables also recognized him and were just as emotional.
"Sect Master Li, I've brought them here to seek refuge under you," Bo Zhao said as he walked forward, dropping to his knees. His voice was low and solemn.
"What are you doing?" Li Qingqiu asked in surprise.
Bo Zhao gritted his teeth. "I failed my duty. Four of the girls died along the way..."
Hearing that, the two constables lowered their heads in shame, while the eight surviving girls' expressions turned dark and hollow.
Li Qingqiu turned his gaze toward the female disciple beside them. "You must be Ding Xuan, right? Since you accompanied them, do you know what they've been through?"
The woman named Ding Xuan looked to be in her early twenties. Her skin was pale, her long hair tied neatly behind her head with a jade pin. Her face was delicate and serene, her chin slightly pointed, giving her a calm and distant air.
When she heard the Sect Master call her name, a flicker of emotion appeared in her eyes, and she quickly bowed in respect.
"I met them in Dongling Prefecture," she said evenly. "They were ambushed by a group of bandits, and I intervened. Bo Zhao, seeing that I had some skill, asked which sect I belonged to. I didn't hide it. Once he learned I was from Qingxiao Sect, he told me about his past promise to you. So I escorted them all the way back. Before meeting me, they must have suffered a great deal. The roads are dangerous now, and traveling from the border of Zhongtian Prefecture was no easy feat."
Her voice was calm, devoid of pride or sorrow.
After listening, Li Qingqiu turned back to Bo Zhao. "Now that you've reached Qingxiao Sect, you can stay. From this day forward, all of you are disciples of the sect. But tell me—did you make any enemies along the way?"
Bo Zhao hesitated, unsure whether to answer.
One of the tall constables stepped forward and said, "We met countless troubles along the road, Sect Master. The worst came from the Fang family of Zhulu County in Dongling Prefecture. They pretended to take pity on us and offered shelter. But their second young master got drunk and assaulted one of the girls. She took her own life by jumping into a well. When we tried to seek justice, they drove us out and nearly beat Bo Zhao to death. We had to kneel and beg before they agreed to spare us..."
As he spoke, the second constable's face twisted with anger, and the eight girls' eyes burned with hatred.
"I understand," Li Qingqiu said softly. "The Fang family will pay in blood for their sins. Back then, I didn't personally escort you here. Do you hate me for that?"
At his question, both constables and all eight girls immediately shook their heads.
"How could we ever hate you? Without you, we'd have died in the Cui family's hands long ago."
"That's right, Sect Master Li," another added. "We've heard of your deeds—you personally slew the emperor to rid the world of evil. Following you would only have slowed you down from doing greater things."
"You're our savior. How could we dare to ask for anything more? Before leaving Panzhou, we were already prepared. Rather than living in misery there, we decided to seek you out."
"Why would we hate you? If anyone's to blame, it's us three for lacking skill in martial arts…"
Hearing their words, Li Qingqiu let out a quiet sigh. In truth, he had been capable of bringing those girls back at the time—but he hadn't. His heart had been preoccupied with Wu Man'er, and besides, part of him simply disliked trouble. He had thought he had no obligation to take on such burdens.
Now, hearing of their suffering, he felt a faint pang of guilt.
With his strength, he could save countless people. But doing so would consume his cultivation time, and he had long since disciplined himself not to bear too much weight on his shoulders.
"Yuan Qi," he said calmly, "take them down the mountain and arrange quarters. All of them will become Outer Disciples."
"Yes, Sect Master."
Yuan Qi immediately obeyed, leading Bo Zhao and the others away.
Ever since Bo Zhao had knelt, he had barely spoken again—his mood heavy, his face solemn.
Ding Xuan turned to follow, but Li Qingqiu called her to stay behind.
He was genuinely pleased with her righteous spirit. He praised her actions and granted her permission to choose one manual from the fourth floor of the Scripture Pavilion, with Yuan Qi personally escorting her there later.
"Sect Master," Ding Xuan said seriously, "there's no need for such a reward. Before I joined the sect, my parents and I wandered homeless. One day, a local tyrant tried to take me away by force, but Elder Li Sifeng led his men to rescue us. I only did what Qingxiao Sect has always taught—uphold justice. This was simply my duty."
Her eyes were steady and her tone firm. Though she was a woman, there was a heroic boldness in her that few men possessed.
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly. "Just go. The stronger you become, the more people you'll be able to save."
Ding Xuan wanted to say more, but Li Qingqiu had already turned and started walking back toward his cave.
She took a deep breath, bowed deeply to his retreating figure, and quietly departed.
Back in his cave, Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged and resumed cultivation.
After only a short while, he found his thoughts drifting.
'Could one of Bo Zhao's group possess a special Fate?' he wondered. 'As the saying goes, those who survive calamity are destined for fortune.'
From Panzhou to Qingxiao Mountain—it was nearly a journey like the pilgrimage for scriptures in the old legends. Perhaps among them was someone truly fated for greatness.
He decided to wait until Bo Zhao's group officially joined the sect before checking.
Yuan Qi was efficient as always. Less than half an hour later, the names and portraits of Bo Zhao's group appeared on the Dao Lineage panel.
Bo Zhao's cultivation aptitude was Mediocre, his comprehension Unranked, and his only Fate was Bravery—which, though admirable, was of little use for cultivation.
Li Qingqiu frowned slightly and kept looking.
The two constables were no different—ordinary in every respect.
Then came the eight girls.
At first glance, none of them showed promise. Not only did they lack any special Fate, but their aptitude and comprehension didn't even reach the Mediocre level.
But when Li Qingqiu reached the seventh girl's profile, his eyes suddenly lit up.
[Name: Yun Cai]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 16]
[Loyalty (Sect Master/Sect): 92/65 (Max Value: 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Excellent]
[Comprehension: Mediocre]
[Fate: Myriad-Law Spirit Eyes, Hundredfold Tempering]
[Myriad-Law Spirit Eyes: An ancient divine eye capable of perceiving the bones, meridians, and soul of cultivators, and seeing through flaws in their techniques. Upon reaching sufficient cultivation, it can awaken a personal divine ability.]
[Hundredfold Tempering: When practicing any technique, divine ability, or secret art, persistence will lead to mastery, reaching realms of perfect comprehension and flawless execution.]
...
Dual special Fates!
And both were cultivation and combat-related!
A true prodigy!
Li Qingqiu's heart stirred with excitement.
These two Fates were incredibly practical—and both could be replicated. Myriad-Law Spirit Eyes would grant him overwhelming insight in battle, while Hundredfold Tempering could elevate his mastery of every art he learned.
Up to this point, the only technique Li Qingqiu had fully mastered was the Supreme Sword Control Art. Yet even that wasn't unique to him—Jiang Zhaoxia had also mastered it, and his comprehension wasn't any lower.
But if Li Qingqiu gained the Fate of Hundredfold Tempering, wouldn't he be able to bring every art, spell, and secret technique to its peak? He could become a true grandmaster of all paths!
He made up his mind. He would use one of his two Fate Selection Opportunities on Yun Cai.
The only question was—which Fate to take?
Her cultivation aptitude was Excellent, worthy of special attention.
'Which hall should I assign her to?' he thought briefly.
Then he smiled. 'Forget it. Better to keep her close to me.'
A talent like this, nurtured personally, could stun the entire sect in the next Dao Combat Tournament—perhaps even take first place and bring glory to Qingxiao Sect.
'Yes, that's perfect,' he thought. 'Raise her quietly, let her emerge when the time is right, and show everyone the Sect Master's eye for talent and teaching skill.'