Li Qingqiu cast the Soul-Confining Curse upon the black fox spirit pinned beneath Lin Chuan, completely sealing its movement. Once the spirit was bound, Lin Chuan began devouring its essence without hesitation.
It was an odd sight, but Li Qingqiu could sense Lin Chuan's deep, instinctive hunger. He didn't stop him.
The Demon Emperor had committed countless atrocities. The demonic spirit attached to him could be nothing but foul.
When the black fox's soul finally lost consciousness, Li Qingqiu turned around and surveyed the battlefield.
The Demonic Sect wasn't made entirely of top-tier masters. Most of its members were merely stronger than ordinary fighters. Even if they attacked together, they couldn't break through Qingxiao Sect's outer formation.
Aside from Bai Ning'er and his partner who guarded the spirit mine, forty-four true disciples—each already in the first layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm—were now displaying their full strength. In one-on-one combat, the Demonic Sect warriors were no match at all.
Jiang Zhaoxia, Xu Ning, Zhang Yuchun, Li Dongyue, Wu Man'er, Li Sifeng, Li Sijin, the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might, the Seven Sons of Qingxiao, Qin Ye, Cheng Canghai, Su Xiling, Li Yang, and Zhao Linglong all fought among the true disciples, cutting through enemy ranks and relieving the pressure on their comrades.
Though the Demonic Sect fighters appeared fearless, the death of the Demon Emperor had shattered their morale. Their eyes betrayed their fear, and their so-called courage was only a façade.
As their numbers dwindled, the rest grew hesitant. Their formation wavered, and their steps slowed.
Meanwhile, Qingxiao's disciples grew more and more courageous with every clash. They could feel the surge of power flowing through them—each strike carried an overwhelming force, easily breaking the Demonic Sect warriors' defense.
'So this… this is the might of Qingxiao Sect's secret arts?'
A spark of hope flared in their hearts. If they kept training, would they one day be able to strike down a figure like the Demon Emperor with a single palm, just as their Sect Master had done?
By the time Lin Chuan had completely devoured the black fox's spirit, the enemy's ranks had begun to crumble. The long street was now littered with corpses.
Li Qingqiu simply watched from afar. Even when he noticed disciples getting injured, he didn't step in.
They had to experience battle. They had to learn the difference between training and real combat. Better they be wounded here under his watch than die helplessly elsewhere.
There was no better lesson than the battlefield.
As the Demonic Sect's collapse spread through the city streets, Li Qingqiu's expression suddenly changed. He turned his gaze toward the distance—where the Divine Monk Taihang lay.
That man had fallen from such a great height after suffering grave wounds… yet he was still alive.
Li Qingqiu immediately walked toward him.
…
Clang!
A heavy saber hit the ground, and the Demonic Sect warrior before Liu Yan fell lifeless. His mask split cleanly in two, the wound running from his brow straight down through his nose and chest—a terrifying, gruesome sight.
Seeing no one else behind him, Liu Yan exhaled deeply.
All her life, she had been shielded by Liu Fanzhou. She had never done hard labor, much less killed anyone. When she joined Qingxiao Sect's assault, she thought her father would forbid it—but instead, he encouraged her.
Now, after her first battle, after killing so many with her own hands, she realized that the fear she'd imagined never came. Instead, she felt an overwhelming rush—an intoxicating thrill.
She turned to look around. The other disciples shared that same fire in their eyes. Even those who were wounded didn't cry out.
For the first time, pride welled up from her heart—not just pride for herself, but for her fellow disciples, for Qingxiao Sect.
The Demonic Sect might be strong, but so what?
They had still been defeated—by Qingxiao Sect, who fought against impossible odds.
The street was soaked in blood, corpses everywhere, yet not a single Qingxiao disciple faltered. Their eyes turned toward Li Qingqiu.
They could still see it in their minds—the moment he struck down the Demon Emperor with one palm. The memory filled their chests with burning determination.
The Divine Monk Taihang, now treated with the Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles, opened his eyes weakly. Looking up at Li Qingqiu, he rasped, "Who… who are you?"
Li Qingqiu glanced at him. "Sect Master of Qingxiao Sect, Li Qingqiu. Your injuries have been stabilized, but we can't take you with us. We still have to go deeper into the prefecture."
With that, he turned and left.
The Divine Monk remained silent.
A piercing eagle's cry echoed overhead. He looked up just in time to see Li Qingqiu leap onto Xiao Ba's back. The giant eagle soared past above him, its shadow sweeping across the street—an image he would never forget for the rest of his life.
"Now is not the time to rest! Nor the time to collect spoils!"
"Don't forget our mission—to wipe out the Demonic Sect! Not just for the common people, but for Qingxiao Sect's future!"
"Everyone, move out!"
Zhang Yuchun stood atop a courtyard wall, his voice ringing loud and clear across the battlefield.
Cheng Canghai took the lead once more, full of energy. Li Qingqiu's strength and the disciples' tenacity filled him with pride.
If Qingxiao Sect truly defeated the Demonic Sect and saved the prefecture, their name would spread across the land.
What were the so-called Five Great Sects compared to that?
Guzhou's Number One Sect would soon have a new name!
He could already picture it—Qingxiao Mountain crowned with jade towers and golden halls, disciples numbering in the tens of thousands, their glory unmatched.
Jiang Zhaoxia walked at the front, his face stern, mind still replaying the image of Li Qingqiu's clash with the Demon Emperor.
He had once believed that reaching the sixth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm would make him invincible. But the Demon Emperor's power had shattered that illusion. He realized now that even with his current cultivation, he might not have stood a chance.
Yet when his senior brother struck, the Demon Emperor had fallen in a single move.
Just how vast was the gap between them?
That same question haunted another—Xu Ning.
The leader of the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao, Xue Jin, still couldn't shake the image of Li Qingqiu's overwhelming figure from his mind. That single sight burned itself deep into his thoughts and awakened a new desire within him.
He wanted to become someone like the Sect Master.
As the Qingxiao disciples advanced through the ruined city, each carried their own thoughts. Along the way, they encountered the bodies of monks from the Chanding Temple and disciples of the Xuan Dang Sect. Some lay dead in the streets, others hung from rooftops, and a few still clung weakly to life, barely breathing.
Li Dongyue and her disciples continuously stepped forward to help—saving those who could still be saved and offering quick mercy to those beyond rescue before moving on.
From time to time, Demonic Sect warriors ambushed them from alleys and rooftops, but the Qingxiao disciples reacted swiftly, preventing any casualties.
Guided by Cheng Canghai, they finally stopped before a vast mansion.
"I saw the Demonic Sect bring a lot of children from the city into this place that night," Cheng Canghai said loudly, his voice echoing off the courtyard walls. "There might be powerful guards inside. Everyone, stay sharp."
He didn't lower his voice on purpose. In fact, he wanted those inside to panic—to force them into revealing themselves.
Just then, Li Qingqiu descended from the sky, landing lightly before Jiang Zhaoxia.
He walked up to the gate and kicked it open with one sharp motion. Seeing him take the lead filled the disciples with renewed confidence, and they immediately followed him inside.
The mansion was large, with many courtyards and connected halls. Li Qingqiu glanced at Lin Chuan, who immediately floated up and sank into the ground, vanishing from sight.
Li Qingqiu stayed where he was, waiting quietly as more disciples entered, their numbers making the courtyard crowded.
Zhang Yuchun came up beside him. "Senior Brother, there are too many rooms in this estate. We can't split up the disciples—it's too dangerous."
Li Qingqiu nodded. "Let everyone rest here for now. Wait for my orders."
Zhang Yuchun turned and went to pass the word.
Jiang Zhaoxia approached next. "Why do I feel like the Demonic Sect has vanished?"
They had already killed countless enemies, but many had escaped—and now, even those stragglers seemed to have disappeared completely.
If not for the wounded Xuan Dang and Chanding Temple disciples they encountered along the way, they might have believed this city was completely deserted.
"Stay alert," Li Qingqiu said softly. "If nothing changes, we leave before nightfall. Watch over the disciples."
He was satisfied with their performance.
From the skies earlier, he had already seen the battle outside the city—the two armies still clashing, but the allied forces clearly gaining the upper hand. And now that Qingxiao Sect had wiped out so many Demonic Sect fighters, the tide had turned. The Demonic Sect's strength in Guzhou was broken.
But to destroy them completely was impossible. The emperor could raise another Demonic Sect anytime he pleased.
What Li Qingqiu wanted was simple—to make sure the Demonic Sect could no longer take root in Guzhou.
As long as they couldn't establish a foothold, they could never attack Qingxiao Sect by surprise, nor launch another large-scale invasion.
For now, his focus was saving as many lives as possible.
He never considered himself a savior of the world. Before acting, he had sent Cheng Canghai ahead to scout and confirm that the demonic warlock was not as invincible as rumored. Only then did he bring his disciples into the city.
He wouldn't risk their lives blindly for the sake of heroism.
In his heart, Qingxiao Sect always came first.
But if he could save others without endangering his disciples, he would never hold back.
Now that the potential threat to Qingxiao Sect had been eliminated, he would use this chance to save people—and that was exactly why he brought so many disciples with him.
After a short while, Lin Chuan emerged from the ground and floated to Li Qingqiu's side, gesturing animatedly while recounting what he had seen below.
Li Qingqiu's expression darkened as he listened.
He turned to Zhang Yuchun. "Stay here and be alert for any ambush. I'll go alone."
Without another word, he followed Lin Chuan through a few narrow paths and entered a large hall.
A huge portrait hung on the far wall. Li Qingqiu raised his right hand and waved—whoosh! The painting flew aside, revealing a hidden door.
He pushed it open and stepped into a narrow passageway, Lin Chuan drifting ahead to lead the way.
'Raising a ghost really has its uses,' he thought briefly.
But as Lin Chuan continued speaking, Li Qingqiu's face grew grim again.
They descended deeper underground, winding through several turns until they reached a wide subterranean chamber. Oil lamps lined the walls, casting a dim glow across the space.
There, Li Qingqiu saw rows upon rows of enormous water vats. He walked toward them slowly, his face darkening as he looked inside.
Each vat contained the corpse of a child—boys and girls alike—soaked in some strange liquid, their bloated bodies floating lifelessly with eyes shut tight.
Lin Chuan pointed toward a corner.
Li Qingqiu hurried over and peered into another vat. This one held a boy, perhaps eleven or twelve years old. Unlike the others, his body trembled faintly, his arms hugging himself.
Li Qingqiu reached in, his palms glowing with vital energy, and gently lifted the boy out.
The boy instinctively curled up in Li Qingqiu's arms, clutching his robe tightly. As Li Qingqiu infused him with warm vital energy, the child's shivering eased. Slowly, he opened his eyes, dazed and confused.
Li Qingqiu didn't know what kind of concoction filled these vats, but seeing so many dead and this one survivor could only mean one thing—the boy's body was extraordinary. Either through fate or by chance, he had endured what others could not.
"Are your parents still alive?" Li Qingqiu asked softly.
The boy's cracked lips trembled. "They… were beaten to death…"
Since being brought here, Li Qingqiu was the first person he'd seen without a demonic mask. Instinctively, the boy wanted to trust him.
"Anyone else left in your family?"
"They… were beaten to death too…"
Li Qingqiu's gaze softened. "From now on, you will join my sect. I'll give you a new home. Would you like that?"
The boy's voice was faint but steady. "I… would…"
He buried his face in Li Qingqiu's chest.
Li Qingqiu didn't worry about deceit. When he treated the boy earlier, he had already sealed his meridians.
Seeing the boy agree, Li Qingqiu called forth his Dao Lineage panel and searched for the child's image.
He found it.