After staying in the Law Enforcement Hall for half an hour, Li Qingqiu visited several other halls across the mountain. He spent most of the day inspecting the sect's affairs before finally returning to Lingxiao Courtyard.
On his way back, he spotted Yun Cai and called out to her, motioning for her to follow him up the mountain.
Yun Cai quickly bid farewell to her seven companions and hurried to catch up.
They walked one after another along the stone path. As she watched Li Qingqiu nod in greeting to every disciple who passed, Yun Cai's heart filled with curiosity.
This Sect Master was completely different from the cold, ruthless image others described. When she was rescued from the Cui residence, all she saw were corpses scattered along the way—she never actually witnessed Li Qingqiu taking action.
Now that she had begun her own cultivation and understood more about the immortal path, she couldn't help but wonder how strong he truly was.
"How has your cultivation been lately?" Li Qingqiu asked casually as he turned his head.
Yun Cai blinked, startled out of her thoughts. "It's been going well. My vital energy keeps growing, but..."
"But what?"
She hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "My eyes… seem to have changed. I can see more things than before."
"Oh?" Li Qingqiu's interest was piqued. "Explain in detail."
He was aware of the Myriad-Law Spirit Eyes, but even he didn't know the full extent of their abilities.
Just yesterday, he had copied one of Yun Cai's Fates—[Hundredfold Tempering].
If the Myriad-Law Spirit Eyes turned out to be even stronger, he wouldn't mind copying it next. After all, he still had one Fate Selection Opportunity remaining.
"I can see the meridians inside other disciples' bodies," Yun Cai said earnestly. "I can clearly see every single blood vessel, and even how their vital energy flows..."
"Not just that—I can see the difference in the density of their vital energy. I can tell whose energy is weak or strong at a glance."
Her eyes grew brighter and more intense as she spoke, finally locking onto Li Qingqiu.
He smiled lightly. "Then can you see mine?"
"Yes," Yun Cai answered without hesitation. "Your vital energy is vast beyond measure. No one in the sect has anything close to it. You're like the blazing sun in the sky—every other disciple, even the True Disciples, are like grains of sand compared to your light."
She couldn't stop the awe in her voice. After witnessing his energy, she couldn't comprehend how any mortal body could contain something so immense.
It wasn't just powerful—it was terrifying.
Li Qingqiu chuckled softly. "It seems I still underestimated your potential. Ordinary cultivators can't perceive such things. Your eyes are special—remember, never reveal this ability to anyone. Only tell me."
Yun Cai nodded quickly, excitement blooming in her heart. To her, this secret connected her to him more than anything else ever could.
The two continued walking and talking as they ascended the path. Whenever disciples passed by, they fell silent; when the road was empty, they resumed their quiet discussion about the Myriad-Law Spirit Eyes.
When they finally stepped into Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu noticed that Xu Ning was already waiting there.
The moment Yun Cai saw her, she froze.
'Such powerful vital energy!'
Though still nowhere near the Sect Master's, it was incomparable to anyone else's she had seen. Among all the disciples in the sect, only Li Qingqiu's energy surpassed this woman's.
"Master, I've reached the eighth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm," Xu Ning announced directly, standing up with confidence.
She didn't try to hide her cultivation from Yun Cai, and Li Qingqiu hadn't asked her to either. She rarely spoke to others, so few people actually knew how strong she was.
The eighth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm.
Yun Cai's eyes widened so much they almost hurt. Her scalp tingled as her mind reeled.
She'd heard that a cultivator at the third layer could dominate the martial world, and reaching the fifth layer meant one could compete for the top three positions in the Grand Dao Combat Tournament.
But the eighth layer...
She hadn't even heard of a disciple breaking through the sixth.
What shocked her most wasn't just Xu Ning's strength—it was the overwhelming gap between her and the Sect Master.
In Yun Cai's eyes, Li Qingqiu's vital energy was hundreds of times, perhaps even thousands of times greater than Xu Ning's. It was like comparing an ocean to a pond.
"Excellent," Li Qingqiu said with visible pride. "You're the first in the entire sect, aside from me, to reach the eighth layer of Nurturing Essence. As expected of my most promising disciple."
He was genuinely pleased. The eighth layer of Nurturing Essence was no small matter—it was like wielding a nuclear weapon in the mortal world. Xu Ning's strength could support Qingxiao Sect in countless ways.
Hearing her master's praise, Xu Ning's face broke into a proud, radiant smile. Her usual coldness softened. Only before Li Qingqiu did she ever show such warmth.
'Disciple?'
Yun Cai's heart skipped. Could this be the legendary Xu Ning?
As she looked at her, a wave of inferiority washed over her. All the confidence she had gained over the past days seemed to crumble instantly.
She couldn't even imagine herself reaching the eighth layer before turning twenty.
Li Qingqiu turned to her with a smile. "Let me introduce you. This girl is Yun Cai. She's quite talented. From now on, she'll be cultivating under my guidance. Though she's not formally my disciple, I hope you'll get along well."
Yun Cai quickly came to her senses and stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Xu Ning.
Xu Ning's expression returned to calm indifference as she looked at Yun Cai. It wasn't that she disliked her—she was simply like this with everyone.
"Since Master said so," Xu Ning said softly, "if you ever need help, you can come to me at Ziyang Peak."
Her residence had been built there on Li Qingqiu's orders. He wanted her to oversee Ziyang Peak personally. Zhao Zhen and Xue Jin's caves were farther away; since Zhao Zhen was still young, Li Qingqiu had left him training in the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land and temporarily gave his cave to Li Yang for use.
"Thank you, Senior…"
Yun Cai quickly replied, almost blurting out Senior Sister, but she managed to swallow the words just in time.
Xu Ning gave her a long, meaningful glance, then bowed to Li Qingqiu before turning to leave.
"So soon?" Li Qingqiu asked, a little helpless.
This girl cultivated far too hard—she was either in seclusion or training nonstop.
"The eighth layer isn't enough for me," Xu Ning replied, stopping briefly. "I'm afraid Third Martial Uncle might catch up. I have to keep training."
Li Qingqiu sighed and smiled. "Go then, but don't always lock yourself away in that cave. Come out and see your master sometimes."
"I will, Master," she said.
As soon as she finished, Xu Ning's figure flashed. Sword energy gathered beneath her feet, and in the blink of an eye, she soared away, stepping upon swordlight as she disappeared into the swirling snow.
Yun Cai watched her vanishing silhouette, awe filling her heart.
She was beautiful, proud, and powerful—like a sword cutting through the heavens.
In that moment, Yun Cai felt a spark ignite within her.
She finally had a goal.
Staying beside the Sect Master wasn't enough. She needed her own path.
She wanted to become as strong as Xu Ning.
No—she wanted to surpass her.
Li Qingqiu led Yun Cai to the back of Lingxiao Courtyard, into a quiet forest. There, he began to teach her the Divine Curse of the Mountain Lord.
Yun Cai's comprehension was mediocre, and her progress in spells was slower than most. But with her Fate [Hundredfold Tempering], anything she practiced long enough would eventually surpass normal limits.
Now that Li Qingqiu was personally instructing her, her progress naturally accelerated.
In Qingxiao Sect, a "mediocre" comprehension level only looked poor when compared to geniuses like Xu Ning or Zhao Zhen. Among ordinary disciples, Yun Cai's comprehension was still considered fair.
By dusk, Lingxiao Courtyard grew lively again. Li Qingqiu brought Yun Cai back. He had wanted her to stay and celebrate the festival with them, but she politely declined—she wanted to spend it with her sisters.
After she left, Li Qingqiu sat down just as Li Dongyue turned her gaze toward him with a teasing smile.
"I heard that girl's a once-in-a-century genius?" she asked.
Li Qingqiu chuckled. "Calling her that actually underestimates her."
After inheriting the Fate [Hundredfold Tempering], he knew exactly how terrifying Yun Cai's potential was.
Zhao Zhen, Yang Xuan, Ji Ya, Yuan Li, and Yun Cai—these five were the ones he had chosen to represent the next decade's future of Qingxiao Sect. He was eager to see what heights they would reach in ten years.
"So incredible?" Dongyue blinked in surprise, then laughed softly. "Qingxiao Sect's geniuses just keep multiplying. We don't even need to recruit disciples from the lower mountains anymore—they come to us on their own."
"It's been ten years already," Li Qingqiu replied.
He glanced at Zhao Zhen, who sat across the room scribbling in a book.
The boy was rewriting martial arts into spell forms. Most of the techniques weren't profound, but they were diverse—and that was what the Scripture Pavilion needed most right now: quantity.
Watching him, Li Qingqiu's thoughts wandered to Zhao Zhen's Fate—[Fragile Destiny].
He was about to turn eleven. If he survived past sixteen, his comprehension would break through to an even higher level.
By then, Zhao Zhen would possess dual Exceptional-grade talents. Combined with his True Martial Body, he might one day rival Xu Ning or Jiang Zhaoxia.
Among sixteen-year-olds, only Chu Jing could compare—but Chu Jing had already become a Sword Soul.
Just then, Zhang Yuchun arrived carrying trays of food. He removed his apron and sat beside Li Qingqiu.
"Senior Brother," he said, "Dongling Prefecture has declared war on Guzhou. Both sides are amassing troops. Once spring arrives, a great battle will break out. I fear Sifeng and Qin Ye will meet on the battlefield."
Li Qingqiu picked up a candied fruit and said calmly, "No need to worry. Sifeng knows his limits."
"I'm only worried they'll become enemies," Zhang Yuchun sighed.
"They made their own choices," Li Qingqiu said gently. "No one forced them. I trust they'll keep their honor intact."
He wasn't particularly concerned about the war. Before leaving the mountain, Li Sifeng had already reached the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. With the Emperor Xuan Sword's soul aiding him, victory for Dongling Prefecture was inevitable.
As long as their army didn't provoke trouble in the Taikun Mountain Range, he wouldn't intervene.
The Qin family, on the other hand, had once been a fallen clan. Reaching the rank of regional lords had already cost them countless favors from Qingxiao Sect. From here on, they would have to rely on their own strength.
If they failed—then that was simply fate.
Seeing that Li Qingqiu wasn't interested in politics, Zhang Yuchun shifted the subject. "One more thing—Cangzhou has a new governor. His surname is Qi. It seems the Qi family is finally resurfacing. I wonder what's become of Xue Jin."
Li Qingqiu thought for a moment before replying, "If Xue Jin hasn't returned by early summer, I'll send Xu Ning to find him."
Zhang Yuchun smiled. "She's grown up indeed—ready to handle things on her own. By the way, what's her cultivation level now?"
It was clear he was quite satisfied with how many capable people Qingxiao Sect now had. With so many reliable hands, the administrator of internal affairs could finally rest easy. No matter what problems arose, he didn't have to panic.
"Eighth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm," Li Qingqiu said casually.
The room fell silent.
Zhang Yuchun's eyes lit up. Dongyue gasped. Zhao Zhen froze mid-sentence, his brush halting in midair.
After a moment, Zhang Yuchun laughed in disbelief. "At this rate, sending her to the Grand Dao Combat Tournament would be unfair to everyone else. Senior Brother, I think you'd better stop letting your disciples compete—especially Zhao Zhen."
Zhao Zhen immediately jumped to his feet, eyes wide. "No way! I still haven't taken first place yet!"