Hearing Xue Jin's words, the boy let out a bitter smile. "How could I have any value? They raised nine Divine Sons, and I was the least talented of them all. I survived only by luck."
Xue Jin didn't respond. He closed his eyes and focused on healing his wounds.
Seeing that the man refused to abandon him, the boy's heart was deeply moved.
"Senior," the boy asked again after a moment of silence, "can you tell me what Qingxiao Sect is like? I've heard people mention it before—they said Qingxiao Sect is powerful and dangerous, but they never told me what kind of place it really is."
He wrapped his thin arms around himself, leaning forward slightly. The cold was starting to bite into him.
Without opening his eyes, Xue Jin said softly, "To me, Qingxiao Sect isn't just a sect—it's home. I've never seen another place where every disciple is guaranteed food and clothing, regardless of strength or birth. Every person there has equal rights as a human being. Even those in power can't insult or mistreat their juniors as they please. Yes, treatment differs with ability, but dignity does not."
"When I first joined Qingxiao Sect, I only wanted a meal to fill my stomach. But the Sect Master said I had a talent that others couldn't see. He forced me into the tutelage of his Third Junior Brother—who became my master. I still remember that moment. The way the disciples from noble families looked at me with envy… I'll never forget that feeling."
He spoke slowly, his voice calm and quiet, yet every word struck the boy's heart.
The boy, born into the Qi clan, could hardly believe such a place existed.
Dignity?
What a foreign word that was to him.
Listening to Xue Jin's description, he began to picture Qingxiao Sect in his mind—a place that felt almost like a dream.
The moon hung high and pale in the sky, the cold night wind sweeping through the trees, making the campfire's flames flicker restlessly.
No one knew how long had passed. The boy, exhausted, began to grow drowsy.
Lying on the ground, he murmured, "Senior… how far is Qingxiao Sect…"
Xue Jin opened his eyes. The firelight reflected off his face, cold and sharp. His gaze was deep and distant as he muttered to himself, "Saving people really is harder than killing them."
…
With Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning away, Shen Yue cultivating in the Source Iron Blessed Land, and much of the sect's strength dispatched elsewhere, Li Qingqiu suddenly realized Qingxiao Sect needed more top-tier power.
So he summoned the seven hall masters, ordering each to select one disciple at the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm to enter the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land for closed-door cultivation.
The seven hall masters were thrilled. After all, not everyone had the chance to train in the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land. Its spiritual energy wasn't infinite—it was born from the Thousand Spirits Tree itself. Too many cultivators drawing from it at once would thin the spiritual flow, so the number of disciples allowed inside had to be strictly controlled.
After arranging everything, Li Qingqiu returned to perfecting his Soul-Stealing Flying Sword technique.
Even though a group of core disciples had left, Qingxiao Sect remained lively. New disciples joined every day, filling the mountain with renewed vigor.
By the second month, the news of Ling Tian Sect's atrocities and declaration of war had spread throughout Qingxiao Sect. The massacre of the Jiang clan and its connection to Jiang Zhaoxia became widely known, inciting fury across the sect. Many disciples immediately went to the Training Hall to ask if there were any missions to fight Ling Tian Sect.
In the past two years, Ling Tian Sect's reputation had grown immensely. They had unified the northern martial world and were now pushing south—a feat no sect had achieved in hundreds of years.
Even the Demonic Sect of old had only caused chaos in individual regions; none had ever unified the martial world.
Before this, disciples of Qingxiao Sect had only treated the rumors of Ling Tian Sect as gossip. No matter how strong that sect became, they never believed it could threaten Qingxiao Sect.
After all, Qingxiao Sect didn't just train warriors—it produced cultivators. How could a mortal martial sect compare to one that walked the path of immortality?
That sentiment was shared by most of the disciples. Thus, when they heard Ling Tian Sect had the audacity to provoke Qingxiao Sect, they were enraged beyond words.
That same day—
While cultivating inside his cave, Li Qingqiu suddenly heard Yuan Qi's voice from outside.
"Sect Master, Senior Brother Xue Jin has returned."
Li Qingqiu opened his eyes. "Bring him to Lingxiao Courtyard."
"Yes, Master!"
As Yuan Qi's footsteps faded away, Li Qingqiu rose from meditation and walked toward the stone gate. During these past few days, one question had been gnawing at him.
Why did the Qi clan and Ling Tian Sect dare to oppose Qingxiao Sect?
What exactly was the conflict of interest?
The Qi clan was located far from Qingxiao Sect, with no real clash between their domains. The same went for Ling Tian Sect. The martial world was vast, and they were still a long way from reaching the Taikun Mountain Range.
After much thought, Li Qingqiu suspected that there had to be someone—or something—else behind them.
Of course, there was another possibility. Qingxiao Sect might possess something that forced them to take this risk.
The Qilin was one such treasure. But it couldn't be the only reason.
Now that Xue Jin had returned, perhaps he could shed light on the mystery.
Li Qingqiu walked into Lingxiao Courtyard and took his seat at the long table, quietly waiting.
After a short while, Yuan Qi entered with Xue Jin. Li Qingqiu turned his head slightly, his brows knitting together the moment he saw him.
Xue Jin hadn't even changed clothes. His black robes were torn and dirty, his hair disheveled, his face marked by exhaustion—and faint traces of killing intent still clung to him.
With a single glance, Li Qingqiu could tell that Xue Jin had sustained severe internal injuries.
Someone from the Qi clan managed to wound Xue Jin?
He was at the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. Even past experts like Zhao Zhi or Jiang Tianshi wouldn't have been his match.
Of course, if Jiang Tianshi had succeeded in refining the Soul-Refining Banner, that would have been another story.
But one thing was certain—as long as the Qi clan had no cultivators, it should have been impossible for them to injure Xue Jin.
"Sit," Li Qingqiu said calmly. "Tell me everything."
Li Qingqiu spoke first. Xue Jin approached the table, bowed respectfully, and sat down.
The moment he sat, three silver needles struck into the point just below his throat. He didn't resist, but inside, he was shocked.
As expected of the Sect Master… I didn't even have time to react before being struck by the Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles.
Yuan Qi quickly left the courtyard. When Xue Jin finally took a steady breath, Li Qingqiu motioned for him to begin his report.
"I spent three months tracking down the Qi clan," Xue Jin began. "Their clan is full of experts. I even saw warriors from the Northern Barbarians there. It seems the Qi clan has long colluded with them. Still, I must admit—they are strong. Within their ancestral city, they command a powerful private army. Every soldier practices martial arts. That army… it's the most elite force I've ever seen. Perhaps only the ancient Divine Martial Army could rival them."
"The Qi clan truly does worship a god—an ancient god. They've been offering sacrifices to it for nearly one hundred years. I was injured by that very being. It's a demonic tree—larger than our Thousand Spirits Tree. I saw its vines coiled around countless civilian corpses. The Qi clan feeds it with human flesh and blood."
"I also discovered that the Demonic Sect once worked with them. When they helped the emperor capture young boys and girls, they would seize others as well and send them all to Cangzhou."
Xue Jin's face was grim. Just mentioning the ancient god made his eyes dark with fear.
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow slightly. At his side, Chu Jing—hovering unseen—hurriedly spoke, "Master, I knew nothing about this. The Qi clan must have bribed the Demonic Sect. They've been secretly cooperating with Zhao Zhi for years. That man always kept me under watch. I wasn't aware of half the things he did."
He sighed softly. "No wonder Zhao Zhi was so obsessed with immortality pills. He must've known about the existence of that ancient god. Every time I suggested suppressing the Qi clan, he brushed it off."
Xue Jin glanced toward Li Qingqiu's side. He could feel a strange presence watching him, though his eyes saw no one there.
Li Qingqiu didn't explain Chu Jing's existence. If Xue Jin could sense spirits, that was a good sign—it meant his spiritual perception had grown.
"Continue," Li Qingqiu said lightly, lifting the teapot and pouring himself a cup.
Xue Jin took a deep breath. "They say that ancient god can grant power to its followers. The previous patriarch of the Qi clan received such strength and helped the founding emperor conquer the world. Not just him—ten others, known as the Divine Servants, also received the god's power. It was those ten who hunted me down. They attacked together—I could barely hold them off, but I made them pay dearly as well."
"I rescued a child from the Qi clan's ancestral estate. He was called a Divine Son. The Qi clan raised nine such Divine Sons—vessels prepared for the ancient god. Someday, the god will possess them, walk the mortal world, and help the Qi clan fulfill its grand ambition."
"Before I arrived, someone had already stormed the Qi clan estate and killed seven of the Divine Sons. I don't know who that person was, and neither did the surviving boy."
Divine Servants… Divine Sons…
Li Qingqiu's interest in this so-called ancient god deepened. Possession… that must mean seizing another's body.
He asked curiously, "Isn't the Qi clan afraid that this ancient god will turn on them?"
Xue Jin shook his head. "They believe the god saved them. Long ago, when the Qi clan was on the brink of extinction, they found that ancient god. Since then, they've relied on its power to survive and rise again. They worship it, and they're willing to serve it."
He took another breath and said gravely, "Sect Master, that god is terrifying. The entire tree radiates demonic energy. Its strength is impossible to measure. If I hadn't kept my distance, I'd be dead. Even from two li away, a single leaf it released nearly crippled me."
Li Qingqiu narrowed his eyes slightly.
So… it truly isn't simple.
But Li Qingqiu never underestimated any opponent. Even if he decided to deal with the Qi clan personally, he would first uncover every secret behind them.
And now—his focus had shifted. The target wasn't just the Qi clan anymore. It was the ancient god itself.
"What's the Qi clan's relationship with Ling Tian Sect?" Li Qingqiu asked.
"I'm not sure," Xue Jin replied. "But they seem to be close. The Qi clan treats members of Ling Tian Sect with great respect."
Respect?
Li Qingqiu's gaze deepened.
So it's even more complicated than I thought.
"Go rest for now," Li Qingqiu said at last. "Have Yuan Qi take that Divine Son to the Spirit Management Hall and register him as a Registered Disciple. Then bring him to me afterward."
Xue Jin blinked in surprise. "Sect Master, you won't investigate him first?"
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly. "You didn't drag him here in chains, which means you trust him. I trust you. Since he's here, he's one of our disciples now."
Hearing that, Xue Jin was moved. He immediately stood, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Sect Master."
"You've worked hard these past months," Li Qingqiu said. "From now on, rest and recover on the mountain. I'll grant you permission to cultivate at the Spiritual Ore Grounds until you reach the seventh layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm."
Xue Jin's voice trembled slightly. "Sect Master, the sect raised me. How could I call that hardship? It's my duty and my honor."
"Alright, enough of that," Li Qingqiu said with a smile. "You know I value you highly. I want you to become stronger. I don't ever want to see you hurt again."
Xue Jin's chest swelled with emotion. His knees almost buckled—he wanted to kneel.
"Do you need me to escort you out personally?"
Li Qingqiu shot him a mock glare, and Xue Jin couldn't help but laugh. He bowed again before finally taking his leave.
Floating nearby, Chu Jing murmured softly, "Master truly has the bearing of a great leader… what a pity."