After Zhao Zhen had a fierce argument with Ku Yi and Ku Er, he drove the two of them out of his cave dwelling. He forced himself not to think about his mother or Tianxuan Mountain and instead focused all his attention on his own cultivation.
Yan Daozong's overwhelming strength had only ignited Zhao Zhen's fighting spirit even further.
The sixth layer of the Nurturing Essence realm was far from enough for him. He wanted to become a dependable powerhouse like Shen Yue, Xu Ning, and Jiang Zhaoxia.
He had believed that as long as he did not desire imperial authority, he could simply let everything go.
Little did he know that in this world, there were countless things that never went as one wished.
…
After Shen Yue went down the mountain, Qingxiao Sect continued to develop according to its original plan. The disturbance caused by Tianxuan Mountain was unable to shake this colossal entity in the slightest.
Although many disciples felt indignant, to the upper echelons of the Eight Halls, this was merely a trivial matter. They had far more important affairs to attend to.
The busyness of each hall signified that Qingxiao Sect had already shifted its gaze away from the secular world. They were pursuing far greater goals.
More than half a month had passed since Shen Yue left the mountain. On this day, Wu Xingyue from the Heavenly Works Hall came to find Li Qingqiu.
She placed a gray cloth pouch on the long table. Li Qingqiu's face lit up with delight as he reached out to pick it up and asked curiously, "Was it successful?"
A storage pouch belonging to Qingxiao Sect!
"Thanks to the Spirit Copper. It can maintain restrictions more effectively. I refined the Spirit Copper into thin copper threads and linked them inside the pouch. It's just that my craftsmanship isn't refined enough, so the internal space isn't very large," Wu Xingyue said with a smile. Upon closer inspection, there were already a few strands of white mixed into her long hair.
Li Qingqiu extended his Awakening Spirit into the storage pouch. The internal space truly wasn't large—completely incomparable to the storage pouch he possessed himself. It was roughly the size of a water vat.
He was not disappointed. Even at this level, it would already bring tremendous convenience to the disciples.
"Is the difficulty of making this kind of storage pouch high?" Li Qingqiu asked.
Wu Xingyue replied, "Not really. I've already passed the crafting method to the disciples under me. Although they aren't as fast as I am, as long as there's enough Spirit Copper, they'll be able to complete them. Later on, I'll also write this method into a book so more disciples can learn it."
Li Qingqiu nodded and sighed with emotion. "Wu Xingyue, just this storage pouch alone counts as an enormous contribution. I'll reward you with 10,000 Dao Fate for now. As for other rewards, I'll consider them further."
For talent like Wu Xingyue, no amount of reward would be excessive.
Her current momentum was already faintly surpassing Mingguang's.
Thinking about who the future Hall Master of the Heavenly Works Hall should be gave Li Qingqiu a slight headache.
Of course, the reason he was considering this had nothing to do with removing Zhu Yan. On the contrary, he intended to promote Zhu Yan as well as the other hall masters. However, the specific systems and distribution of authority would need to be thought through carefully over time.
Speaking of Zhu Yan alone, she truly had done an excellent job. Not only had she discovered Mingguang and Wu Xingyue, but she also spared no effort in supporting her subordinates. At the very least, Li Qingqiu had never heard Heavenly Works Hall disciples complain of being treated unfairly.
Being able to accommodate others was a major virtue for someone in power.
After hearing Li Qingqiu's praise, Wu Xingyue hesitated slightly.
Li Qingqiu toyed with the storage pouch she had made and said softly, "If you have something to say, just say it. As long as you're not asking me to pluck stars or move mountains and seas, I'll agree."
Wu Xingyue was amused by his words and laughed aloud. The pressure she felt immediately dissipated. She then said, "It's like this, Sect Master. I have a younger cousin whose aptitude isn't good. Right now, he's only a registered disciple. When I was young, his family once showed me great kindness, and I want to repay them. Could his status be raised a bit?"
Li Qingqiu lifted his gaze to look at her. His eyes made her heart flutter with unease, and she could not help but lower her head, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Then let him become an inner disciple. How about that?" Li Qingqiu asked.
Wu Xingyue was overjoyed and immediately nodded, then bowed repeatedly to thank Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu offered her a few more words of encouragement before letting her go rest.
Wu Xingyue bowed and withdrew. Watching her departing figure, Li Qingqiu could not help but shake his head.
Sure enough, as long as one was human, one would be bound by emotions.
He did not resent Wu Xingyue's request. It merely made him realize that in the future, Qingxiao Sect would not only face infiltration from established clans, but also the birth of new ones.
He stood up, hung the storage pouch Wu Xingyue had presented at his waist, and walked toward the forest at the back of the mountain.
After stepping out of Lingxiao Courtyard, he saw Jin Lang practicing blade techniques.
Strictly speaking, it was not merely blade practice, but the cultivation of a specific blade art. This was a blade technique Li Qingqiu had selected for it from the Scripture Pavilion, and Jin Lang had become utterly obsessed with it.
This mantis demon was truly diligent.
When it had followed Baizhi in the past, it had mostly relied on its own exploration. Now that it had Li Qingqiu, it displayed an immense thirst for growth, filling Li Qingqiu with great expectations for its future.
In the future, those who would contend with Jiang Zhaoxia, Xu Ning, and Shen Yue would not only be human disciples like Zhao Zhen, Yun Cai, Ji Ya, and the Xiao brothers, but demons as well!
Li Qingqiu did not disturb Jin Lang's cultivation and instead returned directly to his cave dwelling to cultivate.
…
Northern Liang Province, on a mountain plain.
Li Yang, Yang Dong, Bai Ning'er, Zhang Ping, and other Qingxiao Sect disciples were scattered about, seated on the ground. Beside them was a sheer cliff whose ends could not be seen, and the atmosphere among them was rather heavy.
At that moment, a disciple flew over on his sword. He landed swiftly and said excitedly, "Senior Sword God has arrived! He's going up the mountain to challenge Yan Daozong!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples all opened their eyes. Excitement surged across the faces of most of them.
Zhang Ping let out a sigh of relief. Since even the Sword God had arrived, this calamity should be survivable.
Previously, when he had followed Li Yang and the others up Tianxuan Mountain, he had felt uneasy the entire time—so uneasy that it even sent chills down his spine. He could not figure out why he had such a feeling.
His intuition told him that Tianxuan Mountain, which appeared solemn and tranquil on the surface, concealed a tremendous secret.
Li Yang's brows were tightly knit, his chest filled with a stifling sensation.
Shen Yue's arrival meant that the sect was already aware of this matter. His defeat had certainly spread back to Qingxiao Mountain, which left him feeling deeply frustrated.
However, when he thought of Yan Daozong's strength, he could not help but concede.
Bai Ning'er's eyes lit up instead, feeling that his mission might have found a new turning point.
The disciples chatted among themselves, inevitably bringing up Yan Daozong. Yan Daozong's use of Martial Dao to defeat the Immortal Dao still left them astonished to this day.
Neither Li Yang nor Yang Dong were people who could not accept defeat. After leaving Tianxuan Mountain, they too praised Yan Daozong's strength, which naturally put the other disciples at ease, allowing them to speak freely.
At the thought of the Sword God facing Yan Daozong in battle, the disciples grew unbearably excited.
That was, until someone raised a question that instantly doused everyone's excitement.
"What if even Senior Sword God loses to Yan Daozong? What should we do then?"
…
Sunlight spilled across a stretch of mountain forest. Yan Daozong, dressed in white robes, was practicing sword techniques among the trees. Leaves and grass clippings swirled around him, following his movements like a dragon in flight.
Tianxuan Mountain was vast and majestic, not a solitary peak. The higher one climbed, the more abundant the flowers, grass, and trees became. It was nothing like the desolation at the mountain's base. Precisely because of this, it bore the name Tianxuan Mountain. Ancient people once said that halfway up the mountain was like a mortal paradise.
An elderly daoist in robes appeared on the slope. Watching Yan Daozong practice his sword, his brows knitted tightly as he said, "Senior Brother, people from Qingxiao Sect have come again. I told you long ago—if you don't kill them and cover up the news, trouble will come endlessly."
Yan Daozong kept his eyes closed and replied, "If I kill them, will that truly cover up the news?"
"At the very least, it wouldn't be this troublesome. Qingxiao Sect has already set its sights on us."
"But from what I've seen, Qingxiao Sect's disciples possess the bearing of a great sect. Aside from the ones who secretly infiltrated earlier, the other Qingxiao Sect disciples have been very courteous and have not acted as though they were the Number One Sect Under Heaven. Perhaps you misunderstand Qingxiao Sect. Tianxuan Mountain and Qingxiao Sect can coexist peacefully."
Yan Daozong's tone was like a mountain breeze, devoid of any emotion as it gently drifted into the daoist elder's ears.
The daoist elder was named Hua Daozang, the Sword-Holding Elder of Tianxuan Mountain. Ever since Yan Daozong inherited the position of sect master, Tianxuan Mountain's authority had all fallen into his hands.
Hearing that Yan Daozong actually held goodwill toward Qingxiao Sect, Hua Daozang immediately grew angry. "A misunderstanding? How many sects has Qingxiao Sect already wiped out? And Li Qingqiu's junior brother is still fighting to conquer the world. If Qingxiao Sect gains control of imperial authority and also controls the entire martial world, they won't keep pretending then!"
"Throughout history, once anyone reaches the pinnacle of power, their mindset changes! Tianxuan Mountain is one of the Two Saints Under Heaven—how can we bow our heads to Qingxiao Sect?"
Yan Daozong remained unconcerned. After Hua Daozang finished speaking, he said leisurely, "Junior Brother, you're just afraid that Qingxiao Sect will obstruct your struggle for imperial authority, aren't you?"
Hua Daozang's anger dissipated at once, and he hurriedly explained, "How could that be? I tried to win over Zhao Zhen only because I believed Zhao Zhen could bring Qingxiao Sect's immortal arts to Tianxuan Mountain. I had no other intentions."
"But does acting this way still befit the name of a saint?" Yan Daozong asked calmly.
"Tianxuan Mountain wasn't a sacred land from the very beginning. I'm willing to bear the infamy. As long as you're here, Senior Brother, that's enough."
Despite his head of white hair, Yan Daozong's face looked youthful. He appeared more like Hua Daozang's junior than his senior.
Faced with Hua Daozang's stubborn attitude, Yan Daozong's sword speed did not change at all. His sword techniques remained agile and fluid.
"There is no need for Qingxiao's immortal arts. I will prove sainthood through Martial Dao alone. Junior Brother, believe me—just give me time."
Yan Daozong's words made Hua Daozang's expression darken. Gritting his teeth, he said, "You think that just because you defeated a few Qingxiao Sect disciples, you can compare yourself to Li Qingqiu?"
"I admit that you are indeed powerful—stronger than our master and stronger than every past ancestor. But the opponent we face is also one our predecessors never encountered. Shen Yue has already arrived and is rushing up the mountain. You should think about how to deal with him first before planning for the future!"
"It's not that I won't give you time—it's that Qingxiao Sect won't!"
Upon hearing Shen Yue's name, Yan Daozong opened his eyes. His sword techniques slowed, and he withdrew his steps and sheathed his sword. The leaves around him fell to the ground.
"The god of the Sword Dao. To be able to fight him within my lifetime—even if I die, I would die without regret."
Yan Daozong spoke from the heart, his voice revealing a rare trace of excitement.
Hua Daozang nearly fainted with anger, feeling that all his words had been wasted.
Yan Daozong turned to look at him and said, "Junior Brother, gather all the disciples and have them come watch my battle with the Sword God. Such a battle is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How much they can comprehend will depend entirely on their own fortune."
"Hmph!"
Hua Daozang snorted coldly and swept his sleeves as he left.
Yan Daozong raised his head to look at the sun in the sky. Sunlight shone upon his face, and within his pupils, golden light flickered.
"Dao-entry is by no means the end."