Zhang Yuchun's suggestion made Zhao Zhen panic. He had always dreamed of becoming the strongest disciple in Qingxiao Sect—no, the strongest person of all. His failure at the Grand Dao Combat Tournament still stung deeply.
Losing to Xu Ning was acceptable. After all, she was his senior and had begun her cultivation long before him.
But losing to Xue Jin—that was something he could not tolerate. He had already lost to Xue Jin multiple times before the tournament. Back then, he could still use his age as an excuse. But now, at eleven years old, that excuse wouldn't last much longer.
He had sworn that in the Grand Dao Combat Tournament ten years from now, he would take first place.
For that goal, he had willingly given up the rewards of the next tournament, choosing instead to skip straight to the Top Ten Duel like Xu Ning had—just for the sake of victory. It had taken much persuasion before his master finally agreed.
And now Zhang Yuchun wanted to crush that dream before it even began?
Impossible!
Li Dongyue frowned and said, "Second Senior Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? Other disciples are still disciples. How can Senior Brother's disciples not count as members of the sect?"
Zhang Yuchun laughed lightly. "I was only joking. I just meant that the Grand Dao Combat Tournament is a way for disciples to fight for cultivation resources. Senior Brother's disciples already have abundant resources and natural talent—they don't need to compete. Even if Zhao Zhen doesn't care about the rewards, his participation will surely push other disciples out of the rankings—just like Xu Ning did before."
Li Sijin arrived carrying dishes and said impatiently, "Second Senior Brother, stop pretending to be fair. You just want to help your own disciples. Even if Zhao Zhen doesn't compete, your disciples and those of the Spirit Management Hall still won't win first place. Next time, Yang Dong will definitely lose to my disciple, Yang Chengyu."
Zhao Zhen grew even more anxious. What were they doing? Were they seriously canceling his qualification to compete right in front of him?
"Yang Chengyu is impressive," Zhang Yuchun replied, "but the geniuses in my hall aren't limited to Yang Dong."
The two were about to start arguing when Li Dongyue interjected, "Are you two done? Only Senior Brother's disciples have resources? Don't your halls also receive them? If we're talking about fairness, then no disciples from any hall should be allowed to join."
Zhang Yuchun smiled awkwardly. "You're right. I admit it—I was just startled by Xu Ning. Senior Brother truly has an eye for talent. Even if Zhao Zhen doesn't compete, there's still Ji Ya. To be honest, that boy's vital energy is absurdly strong—it's beyond my comprehension. Not just my disciples—even yours wouldn't stand a chance against him."
He didn't deny that he had some bias. But honestly, he believed Senior Brother's disciples had nothing left to prove.
Everyone knew that becoming the Sect Master's disciple already meant one possessed unmatched talent.
Anything ordinary disciples could win at the Grand Dao Combat Tournament, those chosen by the Sect Master already received by default.
Li Qingqiu tapped the table lightly and spoke. "What are you all saying? Since when did the Grand Dao Combat Tournament become a platform for fighting over resources? Those rewards are just bonuses, not the true purpose. The real goal is to test each disciple's progress and let them understand their own strength. When you walk the martial world and encounter enemies, will you tell them, 'Hey, your background and resources are better than mine, so you're not allowed to fight me'?"
Zhang Yuchun's face flushed red, and he didn't dare to speak again.
Li Sijin, however, seemed immune to embarrassment. She leaned over from behind Li Qingqiu and said smugly, "Exactly! Second Senior Brother, you're too naive!"
Zhang Yuchun nearly exploded with anger. Naive? You're the one who's naive!
Still, he realized that Senior Brother was right. If everything was reduced to profit and benefit, then the spirit of cultivation would be lost.
Li Qingqiu continued, "It's natural to want the best for your disciples. But don't go too far. In any sect, resources should naturally favor disciples with higher talent or greater contribution. Absolute fairness doesn't exist. Giving someone the chance to begin cultivation under our sect is already an act of great mercy."
His calm gaze fell on Zhang Yuchun. Though his tone remained even, it carried weight that made Zhang Yuchun's chest tighten.
Seeing that Li Qingqiu was serious, Li Sijin instantly stopped her playful act.
Zhao Zhen, on the other hand, sighed in relief. He looked at his master with admiration in his eyes.
Li Qingqiu turned back to Zhang Yuchun and said, "Yuchun, stop focusing only on affairs outside the mountain. Pay more attention to your own disciples. Don't just believe whatever they tell you. And by the way—Law Enforcement Hall will be handling Qin Yue's matter. That was my decision."
No one was perfect, and Li Qingqiu knew it. Zhang Yuchun had already done an excellent job. But his duties were heavy—managing the Spirit Management Hall, negotiating with noble families, and handling intelligence networks. Naturally, he neglected his disciples from time to time.
Perhaps that sense of guilt was why he tried so hard to help them now.
As Sect Master, Li Qingqiu's role was simply to remind him at the right moment.
Disagreements were fine—they had grown up arguing since childhood. But Li Qingqiu trusted that neither Zhang Yuchun nor his other juniors would ever harm Qingxiao Sect's interests.
At the mention of Qin Yue, Zhang Yuchun froze. His face tensed as he asked cautiously, "Senior Brother, what did he do wrong?"
"You'll know tomorrow," Li Qingqiu said flatly.
Zhang Yuchun instantly understood—his senior was angry. He felt a pang of fear and resolved to investigate thoroughly the next day.
He didn't dare to approach Qin Yue tonight—doing so might only alert him.
Between his disciple and his senior brother, he trusted Li Qingqiu without hesitation.
His care for his disciples stemmed from the same reason—because of how Li Qingqiu had protected them all since childhood. He would never forget that.
In Zhang Yuchun's heart, there was no Qingxiao Sect without Li Qingqiu. For his senior brother's sake, he would even give up the sect itself if needed.
"Senior Brother," Li Dongyue said softly, "don't scare Second Brother like that. It's the New Year, after all. He works hard all year, and because he takes on so much, you get more time to teach and cultivate your disciples."
Li Qingqiu smiled, giving her a light glare. "And here I was, just starting to sound intimidating—you had to ruin it."
Zhang Yuchun laughed, too. It reminded him of their youth. Every time their senior brother scolded or hit them, it was always Li Dongyue who stepped in to calm things down.
Come to think of it, she was the only one who never made their senior angry—and never managed to anger anyone else, either.
Seeing the mood lighten, Li Sijin smiled and said, "Senior Brother, I have an idea. Waiting ten years between each Grand Dao Combat Tournament is too long. The disciples' enthusiasm for dueling is at an all-time high. Why not hold Outer Sect, Inner Sect, and True Transmission competitions every year? That way, the gap in cultivation levels won't grow too wide."
Zhang Yuchun's eyes lit up instantly. "That's a great idea!" he exclaimed.
Li Dongyue sighed helplessly. "Great idea? Do you know how much that would cost?"
Li Qingqiu waved his hand. "We'll discuss that later. It's New Year's. No more sect business talk."
Then he looked around with a faint smile. "So, disciples, do we have any good wine today?"
A hearty laugh echoed from the courtyard entrance. True Person Qingxiao swaggered in, smiling from ear to ear.
The moment Li Sijin saw him, her face darkened. She rolled her eyes and immediately turned toward the kitchen without saying a word.
Li Qingqiu blinked in confusion.
Li Dongyue chuckled quietly and explained, "Grandmaster has his eyes on her disciple, Yang Chengyu. He wants to recruit him into the Law Enforcement Hall. She's still angry about it."
Li Qingqiu understood at once.
Yang Chengyu was the most talented disciple in the Cultivation Hall and had already ranked among the top ten in the Grand Dao Combat Tournament. It was only natural that others would try to recruit him.
Among the Seven Halls, the Cultivation Hall had always been the weakest on paper. Most gifted disciples rarely chose to join it, thinking that tending to spiritual herbs and flowers offered no future.
Yang Chengyu had been handpicked by Li Qingqiu himself for Li Sijin to recruit. Back then, the boy hadn't yet shown any sign of his innate talent.
Many so-called geniuses looked ordinary before stepping onto the path of cultivation. Martial ability and spiritual talent were entirely different things—the latter demanded far more potential.
To this, Li Qingqiu had no intention of intervening. Such matters couldn't truly be prevented. Disciples weren't property; they all had their own ambitions and choices.
Once True Person Qingxiao arrived, Lingxiao Courtyard burst into lively chatter.
Spotting Zhao Zhen scribbling away, the old man strode over and began lecturing him. "At your age, you should be training, not wasting time with fancy ideas!"
Zhao Zhen argued back immediately. He insisted he was contributing to the sect by writing down techniques. The two soon got into a heated back-and-forth.
Before long, other high-ranking members of Qingxiao Sect began to arrive—Wu Man'er, Yang Jueding, Zhang Yu, Zhu Yan, Shen Yue, and Chai Yunshang among them.
Li Qingqiu's gaze paused briefly on Shen Yue.
'This old man's cultivation speed is outrageous,' he thought.
He had already reached the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm!
As expected of someone with excellent cultivation aptitude and exceptional comprehension, though Li Qingqiu knew the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land had played a big part in that progress.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder—between Shen Yue, now a sword cultivator, and Xu Ning, who was stronger?
…
The bustling New Year festival passed quickly. As winter snow began to melt from the peaks of the Taikun Mountain Range, the mountain once again revealed its quiet grandeur.
At dawn, Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged on the cliff's edge, a small silver sword shadow floating before him.
He was meditating while perfecting his self-created technique—the Soul-Stealing Flying Sword.
He had been pondering a single question for a long time: What spell was he truly best at?
He knew many arts but had never truly mastered any one of them. His ability to defeat opponents so easily came mostly from his overwhelming cultivation level.
But after acquiring the Fate [Hundredfold Tempering], Li Qingqiu had made up his mind—to forge one unmatched technique that no other cultivator could reach, no matter how much they tried.
With his Fate [Born Sword Maniac], he could quickly grasp sword principles. Combined with [Hundredfold Tempering], it was the perfect pairing—allowing him to achieve mastery over a single divine technique in record time.
Over and over, he condensed the silver sword shadow of his Soul-Stealing Flying Sword, each attempt sparking new insights and deepening his understanding.
He had entered a state of pure flow—utterly absorbed, unable to stop.
Then, suddenly—
A figure flew up from below the cliff. It was Zhang Yuchun.
He, too, had learned sword flight by now, though his cultivation remained at the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. That was enough for him; his duties left him little time to cultivate in spiritual lands.
He landed beside Li Qingqiu, his expression solemn. "Senior Brother," he said quietly, "something happened to the Jiang clan."
Without opening his eyes, Li Qingqiu asked, "Which Jiang clan?"
"Third Junior Brother's family," Zhang Yuchun replied gravely. "The entire Jiang clan was massacred by the Ling Tian Sect. Only one person escaped—Third Brother's younger sibling, Jiang Nian. You might remember him—he came to Qingxiao Mountain once when he was a child."
Li Qingqiu's eyes slowly opened. His calm gaze turned sharp as a blade.
"What was the reason?" he asked.
Zhang Yuchun hesitated briefly before answering, "They were targeting Third Brother. The attackers sent Jiang Nian with a message—'The next will be the Li clan. Before the sixth month, the Li family will be annihilated.'"