"You are all forbidden to go."
Li Qingqiu spoke, cutting off the silent stare-down between Xiao Wudi and Yun Cai.
What a joke—sending these four would be nothing short of feeding them to the enemy.
Li Qingqiu acknowledged that their talent was outstanding, but at present, none of them were a match for Li Yang.
Since even Li Yang had been defeated by Yan Daozong, Li Qingqiu was now even more certain that Yan Daozong was a Dao-Entry expert.
Hearing Li Qingqiu's words, Xiao Wudi and Yun Cai could only withdraw their gazes.
Xiao Wuqing reminded him, "Sect Master, you cannot send disciples whose strength is similar to Senior Brother Li Yang's. Every defeat only helps Tianxuan Mountain and Yan Daozong accumulate prestige. While their momentum has just begun, we should dispatch a true expert from the sect to suppress their arrogance in one fell swoop. When that happens, the person stirring up public opinion behind the scenes will definitely be unable to stay hidden."
Li Qingqiu nodded and said, "I will consider it. You may all withdraw for now—this matter has nothing to do with you."
The four immediately bowed and took their leave.
Li Qingqiu remained where he was for a moment, then went to Lingxiao Courtyard. He sent a transmission voice to Yuan Qi outside the courtyard, instructing him to summon Zhang Yuchun and Shen Yue.
After the New Year, Xu Ning had gone to the Tianshan Spirit Pool, and Jiang Zhaoxia had gone to the Source Iron Blessed Land. The strongest person remaining in the sect was Shen Yue.
Thinking about it now, their trump cards were still insufficient.
Talents such as Xue Jin, Zhao Zhen, Yun Cai, Yang Xuan, Ji Ya, and the Xiao clan's three brothers still needed time to grow.
If only they could recruit Yan Daozong into their ranks—that would be ideal. Not only would he be immediate combat strength, but he would also represent tremendous potential.
As long as Yan Daozong had not killed any Qingxiao Sect disciples, there was still room to maneuver.
Li Qingqiu sat at the long table, waiting, his thoughts drifting.
Soon, Zhang Yuchun entered the courtyard first. His expression was grim, clearly having already learned of the situation.
He sat down in front of Li Qingqiu, took a deep breath, and said, "I underestimated Tianxuan Mountain. I originally thought that sending Yang Dong would be enough to investigate everything."
Yang Dong was the strongest disciple of the Spirit-Taming Hall. His cultivation aptitude had reached the Excellent level, and in terms of cultivation speed, he was not inferior to Zhao Zhen. His only weakness was mediocre comprehension. Normally, Yang Dong cultivated diligently, and this year he had stepped into the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence realm, becoming a true powerhouse.
Zhang Yuchun had been full of confidence in Yang Dong's strength, yet he never expected Yang Dong to be defeated.
"How are Li Yang and Yang Dong now?" Li Qingqiu asked.
Zhang Yuchun replied, "They have already left Tianxuan Mountain and are recuperating at a mansion. The owner of that mansion has close ties with our Qingxiao Sect, and his young master is a Qingxiao Sect disciple. They will be well taken care of."
Li Qingqiu nodded slightly upon hearing this. Yan Daozong was quite proper in his conduct.
Even if Yan Daozong had refrained from killing Qingxiao Sect disciples out of caution, as long as he did not kill them, Qingxiao Sect owed him a measure of goodwill—at the very least, Li Qingqiu would remember this matter.
At this moment, Shen Yue walked into the courtyard. Zhang Yuchun glanced back at him, and his expression eased.
Jiang Zhaoxia, Xu Ning, and Shen Yue were recognized as the strongest three beneath the sect master. Even Zhang Yuchun himself could not command them.
Seeing Shen Yue arrive, Zhang Yuchun knew that Li Qingqiu was taking this seriously.
Shen Yue stepped up to the table and raised his hand in greeting to Li Qingqiu. His posture was not particularly respectful, but Li Qingqiu did not mind such things.
"The Dao-Entry expert you mentioned has appeared. It's Yan Daozong of Tianxuan Mountain. Li Yang, Yang Dong, and Mo Jiuhong have all been defeated by him. If I send you, do you have confidence in defeating him?"
Li Qingqiu stared at Shen Yue as revealed this. Shen Yue raised an eyebrow.
"Yan Daozong? Then I really must go meet him. What is the specific task—do I need to kill him?" Shen Yue asked.
Ever since Xue Jin lost an arm, Shen Yue had deeply reflected on himself and resolved to make changes.
Li Qingqiu replied, "You only need to defeat him. As for what comes after, adapt as you see fit. Tianxuan Mountain may be hiding secrets unknown to others."
Shen Yue nodded and then asked, "Do you want me to bring disciples along to broaden their horizons?"
Li Qingqiu looked at him deeply and said, "You are an elder of the Sword Sect. Decide for yourself. If you bring disciples down the mountain, remember to register it with the Spirit-Taming Hall."
"Alright!"
Shen Yue turned and left.
Zhang Yuchun watched him go. After Shen Yue exited Lingxiao Courtyard, Zhang Yuchun finally sighed, "This Sword God truly still carries the same elegance as ever. His aptitude hasn't declined at all with age. Compared to him, our grandmaster really falls far short."
Li Qingqiu smiled and said, "Shen Yue's aptitude was never inferior to the sect's geniuses. As for our grandmaster, he has simply lost his drive."
Shen Yue was a pure sword fanatic, a cultivation maniac—of the same type as Xu Ning, Jiang Zhaoxia, and Zhao Zhen, only even more extreme. That was why he could always maintain a powerful presence and continuously widen the gap between himself and others.
True Person Qingxiao had squandered much of his life and no longer harbored ambitions of competing with others. Now, he only wanted to enjoy life and contribute what he could to Qingxiao Sect. As such, he was not in a hurry to cultivate—he believed that even if he worked hard, the help he could offer the sect would be limited.
Zhang Yuchun smiled and said, "Who knows what our mindset will be like fifty years from now?"
Li Qingqiu replied, "I probably won't change much. But you—you're immersed in power struggles every day. Don't let your heart change."
Zhang Yuchun restrained his smile and said, "No matter how I change, the interests of Qingxiao Sect are paramount in my heart, and the bond between us senior brothers is even more important."
Li Qingqiu nodded. Zhang Yuchun had it hard on a daily basis. A reminder was enough—Li Qingqiu would never be harsh with him.
After that, the two discussed various matters concerning the sect.
The ships built with assistance from the Zhu clan had already been delivered to the Xi River. Zhang Yuchun had established a simple harbor about 50 kilometers below the mountain and was preparing to conduct trial voyages next, to see whether the route could reach Source Iron Harbor Town.
The primary purpose of this route was trade and transport. After all, crossing numerous perilous peaks from Qingxiao Mountain to the Source Iron Blessed Land was no easy task, and transporting source iron was extremely difficult unless the number of storage bags increased significantly.
Storage bags were far harder to craft than ordinary artifacts. It was said that Wu Xingyue had grown several strands of white hair already from researching them.
After chatting for quite some time, the two parted ways. Zhang Yuchun continued with his work, while Li Qingqiu returned to his cave dwelling to cultivate.
Reaching the Awakening Spirit realm was merely a starting point for Li Qingqiu. Even without powerful enemies at present, he would continue cultivating without wavering.
The geniuses within the sect were placing pressure on one another. In truth, Li Qingqiu himself also felt pressure—he did not want to be overtaken by his own disciples.
That very day, the Sword God Shen Yue led a group of Sword Sect disciples down the mountain. It was said they were heading north to visit Tianxuan Mountain, and this news greatly excited the entire sect.
Word of Li Yang and Yang Dong's crushing defeat at Yan Daozong's hands had spread far too quickly, filling the disciples with indignation. They all hoped the sect could reclaim its honor. Now that the Sword God was going down the mountain, they were naturally delighted.
Shen Yue's strength was beyond doubt. Within the sect, only the sect master could firmly suppress him. With such an expert heading out, everyone felt reassured.
By evening.
Ku Yi and Ku Er arrived at Zhao Zhen's cave dwelling and informed him of Yan Daozong's defeat of Li Yang and Yang Dong.
"Li Yang was actually defeated?" Zhao Zhen exclaimed in shock.
He knew Li Yang's strength all too well—even he himself could not guarantee a steady victory.
Not just him. Qingxiao Sect disciples all carried a certain pride: that Qingxiao Sect far surpassed all secular sects. Even if they were to lose, they should lose to fellow sect members. How could cultivators be defeated by martial artists?
"Could this Yan Daozong also be a cultivator?" Zhao Zhen pressed.
Ku Yi shook his head and said, "He does not cultivate the immortal path. He entered the Dao through martial arts—that is a realm of legend, one that even the martial world's myths of old never reached. Perhaps the martial Dao is no weaker than the immortal Dao. It's just that, like the immortal Dao, the martial Dao has declined. The immortal Dao was revived by the sect master; the martial Dao likewise needs someone to push it forward again. The question is whether that person is Yan Daozong."
Zhao Zhen fell silent, feeling deeply uncomfortable. After all, Yan Daozong had built his reputation by stepping on Qingxiao Sect disciples.
Ku Er continued, "No matter what, with such a powerful expert stationed there, you no longer need to worry about your mother's safety."
Zhao Zhen took a deep breath and said, "When I go to Tianxuan Mountain, I will also challenge that Yan Daozong. I want to see for myself just how powerful someone who entered the Dao through martial arts truly is."
"You don't actually need to be hostile toward him," Ku Yi suddenly said.
Zhao Zhen glanced at him, frowning.
Ku Er followed up, "The Zhao clan has deep ties with Tianxuan Mountain. Back then, the High Ancestor also trained in martial arts at Tianxuan Mountain. Precisely because of this, even when Tianxuan Mountain refused the High Ancestor's recruitment, he did not suppress them."
Zhao Zhen's brow furrowed even more, and he suddenly shouted, "Enough!"
Ku Yi and Ku Er both shuddered, staring at him in shock.
"Don't think I don't know what you're really thinking," Zhao Zhen said coldly, staring at them. "Tianxuan Mountain and my mother—are you hoping I reclaim the realm and revive the Great Li Dynasty?"
At these words, both Ku Yi and Ku Er's expressions changed drastically. They had not expected a 14-year-old Zhao Zhen to see through this.
Ku Er's face darkened as he said, "Your Highness, would you truly betray your father's dying wish? If your father were still alive, he would never allow the world to fall into such chaos. You are the disciple of the Qingxiao Sect Master, and your mother comes from Tianxuan Mountain. If you are willing to step forward, with the support of both factions, you could carve out an unprecedented great enterprise!"
Ku Yi also joined in persuading him.
In their view, even if imperial authority were suppressed by Qingxiao Sect in the future, it would not matter. Zhao Zhen was also a Qingxiao Sect disciple, and they had seen with their own eyes how much Li Qingqiu cherished him. They believed that the throne was, for Zhao Zhen, practically within easy reach.
Zhao Zhen's mother also hoped he could seize the realm. That was why she had written to him, urging him to go to Tianxuan Mountain—she wanted to personally persuade him. This was precisely what Ku Yi and Ku Er wished to see.
Zhao Zhen snorted coldly and said, "My father? He's already dead. Before he sent me up the mountain back then, he told me to live the life I wanted. I don't want to be emperor. I don't want my descendants killing each other. I only want to cultivate the immortal path. Staying at Qingxiao Sect makes me happy, and I will not change what I have now."
"If my mother truly thinks the same way you do, then when I go to Tianxuan Mountain, it will no longer be a family visit—but a trip representing Qingxiao Sect."
Ku Yi and Ku Er immediately panicked and continued trying to persuade Zhao Zhen. Unfortunately, Zhao Zhen remained unmoved.
They failed to notice that from the nearby rock wall, a head had quietly poked out, staring at them with curiosity—one hand covering its mouth as it stifled a laugh.