Li Qingqiu passed down the Heart-Eating Bee Refining Technique to Yun Cai, who took great interest in it and planned to start raising bees after returning to her quarters.
Heart-Eating Bees could be bred from ordinary mountain bees, and there were plenty of those on Mount Qingxiao. If she couldn't find enough, she could register with the Cultivation Hall, and they would help her purchase more from the secular world.
Seeing this, Li Qingqiu felt genuinely pleased. Though all these disciples had been personally taught by him, each one was walking a different path—and that was exactly what the Qingxiao Sect needed for future growth. One day, these disciples would take apprentices of their own, spreading the Dao Lineage even further and creating new branches of cultivation within the sect.
Some disciples had even begun developing their own Qi absorption methods, though over time, they realized that no matter how much they tried to innovate, none of their methods could compare to the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra. Gradually, research into new Qi absorption techniques dwindled.
Beyond watching over his disciples' progress, Li Qingqiu spent most of his focus on his own cultivation.
The sect's day-to-day affairs were managed by the various Hall Masters, leaving him with few worldly distractions.
From the ninth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm to the Awakening Spirit Realm was said to be only a single step—but that one step was a vast gulf.
The vital energy in Li Qingqiu's body had been continuously growing, seemingly without limit, yet he had not grasped the opportunity to break through into the Awakening Spirit Realm.
Since no breakthrough was in sight, he decided to continue cultivating—pushing his vital energy until it reached the absolute peak of what it could hold.
When July came, Qingxiao Sect announced a major decision: half of the disciples would be relocated from Mount Qingxiao to Ziyang Peak. The specific names would be posted gradually.
The sect was abuzz with discussion. Some disciples didn't want to leave, while others looked forward to a change of scenery. But no one dared question the decision. Those unwilling to move could only find ways to prove themselves useful enough to stay off the relocation list.
…
In the Demon-Taming Hall, within a quiet courtyard, Cheng Xiu, aged twenty-six, sat on the stone steps, staring blankly at the yard full of rabbits.
Although all the courtyards for the Demon-Taming Hall had been completed, the Hall itself had yet to be formally established. Over time, many disciples started saying the higher-ups were planning to dissolve it entirely.
Though Cheng Xiu and the other disciples of the Demon-Taming Hall still received the same stipends, the long stretches of idle time made everyone uneasy.
She herself felt lost. After years of effort, she had finally reached the third layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, but now even that wasn't enough to qualify as a True Disciple. The sect had recently added a Dao Fate requirement to the promotion criteria.
She was debating whether to go out on a mission when her younger brother Cheng San came running into the courtyard.
At seventeen years old, Cheng San had grown tall and steady compared to when he first joined the sect. He wasn't exactly handsome, but he carried the calm aura of a cultivator.
"Sis, I found out something big—I wanted to discuss it with you!" he said breathlessly as he sat beside her, eyes full of excitement.
"What is it?" Cheng Xiu asked lazily. She was long used to her brother's dramatic tone.
"The sect's selling land! Once you buy it, you can grow your own medicinal herbs, raise spirit beasts, even do other things if you want. We should go for it! Haven't people been saying cultivation in the future will rely more and more on spiritual plants and pills? We should get a head start!"
Cheng San rubbed his hands together, full of enthusiasm.
Cheng Xiu gave him a disinterested look. "It's not like they're selling land on Mount Qingxiao. Most of those plots are far away. The sect just wants disciples to spread out a bit instead of clustering here all the time."
"I get that," Cheng San said, his tone earnest, "but think about it—one day the entire Taikun Mountain Range might be worth a fortune. Either way, we should at least have a piece of land to call our own. Even if we don't use it now, it's better to hold onto it than to wait until it's so expensive we'd have to go thousands of miles to find any left!"
Cheng Xiu sighed helplessly. "You and your grand schemes. What's the point of thinking so far ahead? Don't tell me—you've fallen for some girl and want to settle down?"
At that, Cheng San's face turned red.
Her eyes widened. "You have, haven't you? Who is she? A sect disciple?"
"She is," he admitted after a pause. "An Inner Disciple, actually. I can't tell you her name yet—her background is complicated, and we're not… official. I'm still young, so right now, what matters most is working hard and preparing for the future."
As he spoke, his expression softened, but his eyes shone with determination.
Cheng Xiu suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Even in Qingxiao Sect, social standing still mattered. Disciples from noble families always had more resources and climbed faster. She and her brother were orphans with no backing—trying to reach that level was no easy feat.
Still, she wasn't worried that her brother might be bullied by the girl's family. This was Qingxiao Sect, after all.
"Alright," she said firmly. "I'll give you all my savings and Dao Fate. Go buy the land."
Cheng San's face lit up with joy. He threw his arms around her and kept thanking her over and over, his voice shaking with excitement.
Cheng Xiu pushed him away with a look of disgust. "Remember—don't slack on your cultivation. Immortal cultivation matters more than marriage."
"Don't worry, Sis!" he said, thumping his chest. "I'm going to be a hero like Brother Li someday. I won't get married so soon!"
The "Brother Li" he spoke of was Li Sifeng.
Cheng Xiu couldn't help but laugh. "You? A hero like him? Dream on."
"Hey, Sis, did you hear?" Cheng San said, lowering his voice, eyes shining. "Brother Li's down the mountain fighting in a real war! He's become a general under Governor Pei of Dongling Prefecture. Do you think he'll help the Pei Clan unite the realm?"
Cheng Xiu nodded gently. "Of course he will. A man like him—if he wants something done, it'll be done."
"Yeah… he's the Sect Master's junior brother, after all."
The two siblings talked long into the evening about Li Sifeng, their hearts filled with admiration and nostalgia.
If not for Li Sifeng saving them back then, they would've died long ago, never even stepping foot into Qingxiao Sect.
Now, though, their paths had completely diverged.
Li Sifeng stood high above—brilliant, dazzling, unreachable.
They could only look up to him, from afar.
…
Across the desolate plains, within the massive military tent of the Pei Clan's army, Li Sifeng stood before a large sand table, hands clasped behind his back.
To his left stood five True Disciples of the Qingxiao Sect, while outside the tent, another five were stationed, vigilantly watching the surroundings.
The general standing on Li Sifeng's right kept glancing at the five True Disciples outside and couldn't help shaking his head. Turning toward Li Sifeng, he asked, "General Li, who exactly are your ten fellow disciples guarding against? Surely no one in this army would dare harm you?"
These ten True Disciples had been with the army for quite some time. They followed Li Sifeng on every campaign, yet they never fought. Even when marching into battle among tens of thousands of soldiers, not one of them was ever injured. This both awed and baffled the army, leaving everyone wondering what exactly the Qingxiao Sect's disciples were up to.
Still staring at the sand table, Li Sifeng replied quietly, "They're simply carrying out orders. Let them be."
He found their presence annoying, but since this arrangement came from both his First Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother, he couldn't refuse.
If they had been sent only by Second Senior Brother, he would've thrown them out long ago.
The five True Disciples inside the tent said nothing during the conversation, their expressions perfectly composed.
In truth, they were communicating through Transmission Voice Technique—a method created by Li Qingqiu, which all True Disciples had learned to use when operating outside the sect.
"It's been so long, and still no sign of Ling Tian Sect."
"Maybe Elder Jiang and Senior Sister Xu have already destroyed them."
"Let's wait. If the mission gets canceled, someone will inform us."
"I heard Senior Brother Qin Ye already reached the Qin army camp. I wonder if he'll run into Hall Master Li on the battlefield."
"Even if they do, they'll keep it civil. No need to worry."
Though Li Sifeng couldn't hear their telepathic conversation, he sensed faint ripples of spiritual energy behind him and immediately guessed they were gossiping again.
Many generals and strategists had tried persuading him to have those ten True Disciples join the fight. With their unmatched martial strength, the soldiers believed victory would come easily if they took the field.
But Li Sifeng refused. He didn't want to put them in an awkward position.
He understood perfectly well—if his First Senior Brother truly desired to conquer the world, it would be effortless. But that was never his Senior Brother's ambition.
Li Sifeng had once declared boldly that he would achieve greatness through his own strength. Now, serving under the Pei Clan as a general was part of his personal trial—a way to master the Art of War.
Letting the Qingxiao disciples act would gain him nothing. It would only hand credit to the Pei Clan.
Seeing Li Sifeng remain silent and unwilling to involve his sectmates, the general merely shook his head and dropped the subject.
Just then, a soldier burst into the tent at a run.
"Report!—The grain supplies have been set ablaze! The fire's spreading fast! The Lord orders all three armies to prepare for battle!"
The soldier bowed low, speaking quickly and loudly.
The general beside Li Sifeng went pale, immediately rushing out of the tent.
Li Sifeng frowned deeply and followed him out.
"Let's go too," said Yang Dong, the leader of the ten True Disciples and one of the top ten members of the Spirit-Taming Hall.
At his command, the other four disciples in the tent nodded silently and moved to follow.
…
In a quiet cave residence, Li Qingqiu stood before a massive cauldron, with Li Sijin beside him.
Li Sijin was tossing herbs into the cauldron as she explained, "These are all herbs that strengthen qi and blood. Once infused with spiritual energy, they should become the body-tempering medicine you wanted, Senior Brother."
"Has anyone tested it yet?" Li Qingqiu asked.
Li Sijin sighed helplessly. "No one in the sect has dared use medicinal decoctions for body refinement. Who would risk being the first?"
"So, you're using me as a test subject?"
"Test subject? What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Just remember—if I die, tell the others it was your fault."
"Hey! If you're going to talk like that, I'm leaving!"
"Wait, wait—I'm just teasing you. Hurry and finish brewing."
Li Qingqiu coughed lightly, then sat down at the nearby stone table.
He didn't actually mind being the first to try it. With his cultivation as high as it was, even potent spiritual energy from these herbs couldn't possibly harm him.
Just then, a glowing line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Due to the Qingxiao Sect's disciples establishing a new sect outside, profoundly influencing the Dao Lineage's spread, you have obtained one Divine Ability Inheritance Reward.]
"Establishing a new sect?"
Li Qingqiu frowned, puzzled. 'Who would have the audacity to do that?'