"You mean your Qin family can't handle this matter?" Zhang Yuchun asked in confusion.
After hearing Qin Jue's report, his heart was stirred.
His senior brother had mentioned many times that Qingxiao Sect needed disciples with talent in alchemy. Li Qingqiu had even told him to pay special attention to any alchemists he encountered.
But true alchemists were exceedingly rare. Most who claimed the title were frauds, deceiving others with smoke and mirrors. Over time, Zhang Yuchun had nearly given up on the search.
And now, one had practically delivered himself to their doorstep.
Qin Jue gave a bitter smile. "Do you think our Qin family could possibly handle the forces targeting an alchemy clan? We thought long and hard about it and realized only Qingxiao Sect has the ability to take this on. Besides, your sect is of the Daoist path—you should naturally be interested in alchemy."
Zhang Yuchun didn't answer right away. He didn't mention that Li Qingqiu himself needed such a disciple either. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Do you know who captured the man's daughter?"
"Cui Clan of Linchuan."
When he uttered those four words, Qin Jue's face turned grim.
Linchuan lay within Zhongtian Prefecture. Though it wasn't within the imperial capital of Zhenyang City, its heritage ran deep. Over the past four dynasties, it had produced prime ministers and grand marshals—one of the greatest families under heaven, with influence reaching every corner of the realm.
In today's Linchuan, four great families stood above all others—the Li, Tang, Cui, and Cai clans. Each had rendered great service at the founding of the Great Li Dynasty. Their power even rivaled that of imperial bloodlines.
Hearing the name Cui, Zhang Yuchun's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Cui clan's reach was unimaginable. They had branch families scattered across every province in the world. To provoke them was no trivial matter.
"I'll need to discuss this with our Sect Master," Zhang Yuchun said seriously.
Qin Jue naturally had no objection.
After a few more words, the two men left the Spirit Management Hall together.
Zhang Yuchun went to Lingxiao Courtyard to wait for Li Qingqiu. He waited until dusk. When Li Qingqiu finally returned, he didn't speak of the matter immediately. Only after dinner did the two sit down to talk.
Once seated, Zhang Yuchun recounted everything Qin Jue had told him.
When he finished, Li Qingqiu showed no sign of excitement. He simply looked at Zhang Yuchun and asked, "Do you think we should take it?"
An alchemy family didn't necessarily produce cultivation-grade alchemy geniuses—it just made the odds higher.
Zhang Yuchun answered, "We should take it. The Cui clan may be powerful, but in this world, any opportunity tied to benefit is worth fighting for. And right now, there's only one surviving branch of that alchemy family. If we miss it, who knows how many years we'll have to wait—or if we'll ever get another chance."
"The only question," he continued, "is whether the Cui clan is acting for themselves or on behalf of the emperor. The Demonic Sect's defeat in Guzhou and the sudden persecution of this alchemy family feel too coincidental. Even if we accept this task, we can't reveal our true identity."
Li Qingqiu also suspected the timing had something to do with the emperor.
"Then handle it as you see fit," he said after a pause. "If this is truly the emperor's doing, then by interfering we might save many innocent lives. Don't send too many disciples. Let Third Junior Brother lead the group—but he can't bring his Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might. They'll draw too much attention."
Zhang Yuchun nodded, smiling. "I was planning to have Sixth Junior Brother go along as well. It's time he shouldered more responsibility. He's nearly eighteen now, and his cultivation has already reached the third layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm—he's close to breaking through to the fourth."
Li Qingqiu had no objection. Li Sifeng indeed had enough strength to protect himself, especially with Jiang Zhaoxia accompanying him.
Sending the boy out to gain real-world experience would do him good. Better that than lazing around the Training Hall all day.
After finalizing the matter, Zhang Yuchun rose and went off to inform Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng.
Early the next morning, Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng disguised themselves and followed Qin Jue down the mountain, quietly, without alerting anyone else.
Li Qingqiu felt completely at ease about the two of them. The only real risk in this mission was exposure.
If they were exposed, then they'd simply have to meet force with force.
After all, Qingxiao Sect had already crushed the Demonic Sect, and Li Qingqiu himself had slain the Demon Emperor. Those deeds had placed their sect directly against the emperor's interests. The only reason the court hadn't moved against them yet was because Qingxiao Sect's fame and righteousness still served as a political shield. The emperor couldn't attack them openly—he even had to publicly praise them to appear wise before the people.
But with time, once the world forgot these events, the emperor would surely act.
All Li Qingqiu could do was make Qingxiao Sect stronger.
He planned to train another batch of disciples capable of standing on their own.
Cheng Canghai, Xue Jin, Chai Yunshang, Liu Yan—Li Qingqiu eagerly awaited their growth.
Their cultivation didn't need to reach the heavens. As long as they attained the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, they would be enough to dominate the martial world.
Spring and summer passed peacefully, and Qingxiao Sect encountered no trouble in the first half of the year.
That year, Li Qingqiu turned twenty-two, and the youngest junior sister, Li Sijin, had already reached sixteen.
Qingxiao Sect still looked young, but compared to the past, it had shed its immaturity and now carried the demeanor of a true grand sect.
Under the Thousand Spirits Tree, Li Qingqiu was sparring with Wu Man'er, while Li Dongyue and Chai Yunshang practiced nearby, watching intently.
Wu Man'er had recently reached the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. His Nine Heavens Divine Palm was now fearsomely powerful. Even from ten zhang away, Li Dongyue and Chai Yunshang could feel the fierce wind generated by his strikes.
Li Dongyue was currently at the third layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. Though her progress wasn't rapid, in the martial world, that already placed her among the top-tier experts. She simply hadn't yet found a chance to display her strength.
Chai Yunshang, with her fair cultivation aptitude, had reached the second layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. With that, she had become a True Disciple and gained access to cultivate within the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land.
The Thousand Spirits Blessed Land was no longer a secret. However, only True Disciples were allowed to train there, and even they could visit only once a month—for a single day each time—choosing between the Spiritual Mine or the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land.
After experiencing the immense spiritual energy of either place just once, every True Disciple left with renewed determination to grow stronger.
Chai Yunshang watched Wu Man'er move with overwhelming dominance, her heart quietly shaken. This was her first time seeing him fight. Normally, whenever she ran into Wu Man'er, he was always smiling foolishly, looking simple and harmless. She never imagined he'd become a completely different person in battle.
Ever since she started cultivating the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra, her own progress had been astonishing. She'd thought herself already strong—an elite martial artist by any standard—but facing Wu Man'er's Nine Heavens Divine Palm, she realized she couldn't even withstand a single strike.
Then she looked toward the Sect Master. Li Qingqiu stood calm and unruffled, effortlessly blocking Wu Man'er's ferocious attacks with one casual hand.
Wu Man'er's movements were fast and violent, yet Li Qingqiu moved slowly and gracefully. That stark contrast only made Li Qingqiu's stillness seem even more profound—his every motion radiated a steady, unshakable strength.
Although Li Qingqiu had yet to reach the eighth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, the Hundred-Refined Demon Body he cultivated made his strength soar. Against Wu Man'er, he didn't even need to use half of his power—it was effortless.
After three hundred exchanges, Li Qingqiu suddenly flipped his right palm. The motion was so fast it left afterimages, dazzling Wu Man'er's eyes. Before he could react, he felt a heavy impact on his chest—then the world spun wildly around him.
Wu Man'er flew backward, landing hard on the grass more than ten zhang away.
Li Dongyue frowned and called out, "Senior Brother, don't be too rough with Fifth Junior Brother!"
Ever since they were young, she'd always been protective of Wu Man'er. His mind wasn't sharp, and she constantly worried someone might bully him—especially Li Sifeng, that troublemaker who loved teasing him.
Li Qingqiu smiled. "Don't worry, he's tough. He'll be fine."
Sure enough, Wu Man'er climbed up from the ground. His expression softened as he scratched his head and said to Li Dongyue with a grin, "Fourth Senior Sister, I'm okay."
Li Qingqiu looked at him and said, "That's enough sparring for today. Go back and continue your cultivation."
Wu Man'er truly had an instinctive gift for battle. He wasn't intelligent, but during combat, not a single move of his wasted vital energy. That kind of precision wasn't something training could teach—it was raw talent, something most people could never achieve.
"Okay."
Wu Man'er nodded and walked toward Li Dongyue and Chai Yunshang, rubbing his chest. His face looked calm, but the pain still lingered—he hadn't felt this kind of ache in a long time.
Li Qingqiu whistled softly, then leapt into the air like an arrow. From beyond the trees, a massive shadow swooped toward him. It was Xiao Ba. The great black eagle caught him midair and soared off into the distant sky.
Though it wasn't the first time Chai Yunshang had seen Li Qingqiu summon Xiao Ba, she still couldn't hide her awe.
That single leap—so light, so effortless—carried him impossibly high.
She silently clenched her fists. Li Qingqiu had become her goal. She wanted to be someone like him one day.
After Li Qingqiu's departure, Li Dongyue began speaking with Chai Yunshang about the Law Enforcement Hall, asking for her opinions.
Li Qingqiu had already discussed this in advance with his junior brothers and sisters—he intended to train Chai Yunshang to become the future Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall.
Trusting Li Qingqiu's judgment, no one objected. On the contrary, they all held high expectations for her.
"There really are issues," Chai Yunshang said seriously. "Hall Master Xu is focused on his own cultivation. The other disciples in the Law Enforcement Hall care too much about maintaining harmony with their peers. Unless someone commits a major violation, they just turn a blind eye. The sect looks peaceful on the surface, but I think it's an illusion."
Li Dongyue's expression didn't change. "Tell me specifically what problems you've seen."
Without hesitation, Chai Yunshang began describing the issues she'd noticed one by one.
Halfway up Mount Qingxiao, around the Martial Platform, dozens of people had gathered, watching and murmuring among themselves.
On the platform stood two figures: twenty-year-old Xue Jin and thirteen-year-old Ji Ya. The difference in their aura was staggering.
Though Xue Jin had already reached the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, standing before Ji Ya, he felt immense pressure.
As the leader of the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might, Xue Jin enjoyed privileges few could match—more than ten days each month cultivating in either the Blessed Land or the Spiritual Mine. His cultivation aptitude was rated Excellent, and within the sect, few could compare to him.
He had already proven himself worthy of the Sect Master's expectations. Whenever people mentioned him, they called him a genius.
He had long surpassed Qin Ye, the one he once lost to. But now, standing here, he faced an even more terrifying genius.
Ji Ya—the youth rescued by the Sect Master during the prefectural war—was Li Qingqiu's fifth disciple. After just over half a year since joining the sect, he had already reached the third layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, becoming the brightest rising star in Qingxiao Sect.
Everyone was curious about this duel. Even now, more disciples were arriving to watch.
Even the Martial Champion, Li Yang, came, accompanied by Zhao Linglong.
"Cousin, are you still refusing to go back?" Zhao Linglong asked softly, walking beside Li Yang. "You've been staying here all this time—your family will want an explanation."
Her eyes turned toward the platform, where she knew both contestants well.
Xue Jin wasn't new to the Martial Platform. His rapid growth in strength had shocked her—he might already be no weaker than she was.
And then there was Ji Ya. The boy was young, his moves crude and unrefined, yet his internal power was so overwhelmingly strong that she simply couldn't understand it.