In the wilderness, a woman and a young boy were struggling up a mountain path while carrying a stretcher. Lying on it was a young man covered in wounds, clutching a sword tightly in his arms.
That young man was none other than Li Sifeng. His face was pale, his body battered and bloodied, and a scar ran between his brows.
The boy led the way, his thin body drenched in sweat as he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
"Sanwa, if you can't carry him anymore, let me take over," said the woman behind him, her voice full of concern. She looked to be in her early twenties, dressed in worn linen clothes, her long hair tied with an old strip of cloth. Her fair face was slick with beads of sweat.
The boy called Sanwa didn't even look back. "It's fine, Sister. Even if my feet bleed raw, I'll protect our benefactor!"
The woman, named Cheng Xiu, smiled softly despite her exhaustion. Her eyes were filled with both pride and sorrow.
Li Sifeng half-opened his eyes, his voice weak and trembling. "Miss Xiu… once we make it through this… and return to Qingxiao Sect… no one will ever hurt us again… My Senior Brother is very protective of me… and my Third Senior Brother can't stand even a speck of dirt in his eyes… he'll definitely avenge us… Those who harmed us… none of them will live…"
The woman he called Miss Xiu was indeed Cheng Xiu.
She forced a smile. "Alright, don't worry. We'll definitely get you back to Qingxiao Sect."
Her entire family had been slaughtered by vile men. If not for Li Sifeng's timely intervention, her younger brother would have died, and she herself would have met a far worse fate. Even though following Li Sifeng since then had meant enduring hunger and hardship, neither of them regretted it.
Li Sifeng no longer had the strength to open his eyes. His breath grew weaker as he muttered faintly, "My Senior Brother…"
He clutched the sword to his chest tightly. Sunlight fell across the dark-golden scabbard, which gleamed with cold light. The hilt was patterned like dragon scales—aged yet majestic, exuding a sense of power and history.
The mountain path stretched endlessly ahead, swallowed by the wilderness.
The siblings pressed onward with the stretcher. By the time the sun began to sink behind the peaks, they were still walking. Their bodies trembled with fatigue, but they didn't stop. The evening glow wrapped around them like a golden veil.
Whoosh—
A sharp whistle sliced through the air from behind. Before they could react, an arrow tore into Cheng Xiu's leg. Blood splattered as she screamed and collapsed to her knees. Sanwa lost his balance and fell sideways, the stretcher tipping over. Li Sifeng rolled down the slope, crashing through rocks and brush—but even as he tumbled, he refused to let go of his sword.
When he finally stopped, pain shot through every bone in his body. He opened his eyes weakly, despair flashing in his gaze.
A group of mounted martial artists was charging toward them—less than a hundred meters away.
Cheng Xiu and Sanwa turned their heads and froze in terror, their faces drained of color.
They had no strength left to run. All they could do was watch as their pursuers drew closer and closer.
"Roooar!"
A deafening roar erupted from the mountain above, scattering the birds in the forest. The siblings turned their heads in shock, their eyes widening in disbelief.
At the peak stood a majestic, dark-red beast. Its body resembled a deer, its head like a dragon, twin horns sharp as blades, and its four hooves burned with blazing fire. Its dark-golden eyes looked down at them with a commanding gaze.
Li Sifeng turned his head and froze.
"Prison Qilin…" he whispered, his voice trembling. He couldn't believe his eyes, thinking it must be a dying hallucination.
The next moment, the Prison Qilin leapt from the mountaintop, soaring over Cheng Xiu and Sanwa. For an instant, the sky turned dark as its massive shadow blotted out the light. Then, brightness returned as it landed with a thunderous crash.
It charged straight at the mounted pursuers. The beasts' earlier roar had already spooked their horses, and now, faced with the creature's terrifying aura, the horses panicked completely. Before their riders could react, they reared, bolted, and threw many of the martial artists to the ground.
"What… what is that thing?"
Sanwa collapsed on the ground, stunned beyond words.
Cheng Xiu couldn't answer—her mind was blank with shock.
…
In the distant mountains, a giant black eagle was circling through the clouds. Standing on its back, Li Qingqiu frowned deeply.
He had spent half a day flying across the entire Taikun Mountain Range, searching everywhere, but there was still no trace of the Prison Qilin.
Normally, the Qilin was allowed to roam freely, as long as it didn't approach living humans. But today, Li Dongyue had reported that it hadn't been seen for several days.
That was what prompted him to search personally.
He hadn't expected that the Qilin had already left the Taikun Mountains.
For some reason, unease welled in his heart.
'The Qilin is an auspicious beast,' he thought. 'And it recognizes Sifeng as its master… could something have happened to him?'
But even if he wanted to look for Li Sifeng now, it would be nearly impossible. The world was vast, and he had never been to Dongling Prefecture before—he didn't even know the roads.
He patted Xiao Ba's head, signaling it to turn back.
By the time he returned to Lingxiao Courtyard, dusk had already fallen. The entire flight home, he kept thinking whether he should send someone to search for Li Sifeng.
Yet Li Sifeng had gone down the mountain by choice. If there were enemies strong enough to challenge him, sending other disciples would only put them in danger as well.
Just as he entered the courtyard, Zhang Yuchun came hurrying in with a broad smile.
"Senior Brother, that Chu Jing really is a genius! His martial arts are improving ridiculously fast. What do you think—should we teach him the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra?" Zhang Yuchun said excitedly, coming right up to Li Qingqiu.
It had been ten days since Chu Jing had joined under Zhang Yuchun's tutelage, and Li Qingqiu hadn't expected his junior brother to come speaking on the boy's behalf so soon.
It seemed Chu Jing's talent for persuasion was even greater than he had imagined.
Li Qingqiu's expression turned solemn. "Second Junior Brother, this Chu Jing cannot be trusted."
Zhang Yuchun froze in surprise. "Why? He seems serious about his work and treats the other disciples warmly."
"That's exactly what makes him dangerous," Li Qingqiu said gravely. "He isn't what you think. To be precise, he is a genius—but not the kind you imagine. His martial strength is terrifying, far beyond what he lets others see. Even the Demon Emperor can't compare to him. And when I once placed my hand on his shoulder, I sensed his body—older than any elder I've ever met. The only reason I haven't expelled him yet is because I want to see what he intends to do."
He had originally planned to stay calm and observe, but now that Zhang Yuchun had fallen under Chu Jing's influence, that could not be allowed.
If Zhang Yuchun refused to see reason, Li Qingqiu would have to abandon his plan and act early—force Chu Jing to reveal his true form.
Zhang Yuchun's face paled with shock. "Someone like that actually exists in this world? Could he have come for the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra? It makes sense—his rate of improvement is already far beyond the other disciples. I was too blinded by his supposed talent. If we really let him learn the Sutra, the consequences would be unimaginable…"
His expression grew darker and darker, his eyes filling with both fear and anger.
Seeing that Zhang Yuchun now believed him, Li Qingqiu felt slightly relieved.
"Now I'll give you two choices," Li Qingqiu said firmly. "One, I'll capture him myself and force him to show his true face. Two, you'll continue to work with him—but don't agree to any of his requests. Try to find out his true identity and purpose. That'll test your mind and your acting skills. You might not be able to pull it off."
He looked straight into Zhang Yuchun's eyes as he spoke.
"I'll choose the second plan," Zhang Yuchun replied without hesitation. "That man's too terrifying. He must have powerful backing behind him. We can't alert him prematurely. Don't worry, Senior Brother—I won't let him see through me."
Even as he spoke, Zhang Yuchun's mind was already racing, coming up with ways to handle Chu Jing.
"Remember my words," Li Qingqiu said seriously. "His martial arts are truly profound. Avoid being alone with him at all costs. I'm not joking."
Zhang Yuchun nodded quickly. He wasn't about to gamble with his life.
"Now that we've discussed him," Li Qingqiu continued, "let's talk about Sifeng. The Prison Qilin is missing. I suspect something's happened to him."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuchun frowned again and fell silent for a moment. "Since that auspicious beast has gone down the mountain, maybe it'll bring him good fortune. But Senior Brother, you mustn't descend the mountain yourself. It could be a trap. And besides, Qingxiao Sect still needs you here. Strange people and demons have been sneaking into Qingxiao Mountain lately."
Li Qingqiu still looked uneasy. "We'll wait ten more days. If he still doesn't return by then, I'll go down personally. When I do, I'll take Chu Jing with me."
Zhang Yuchun opened his mouth but didn't speak. After a moment, he nodded. That was indeed the safest course.
With both his Senior and Third Junior absent, keeping Chu Jing on the mountain was far too dangerous.
"Then we'll wait ten days," Zhang Yuchun said finally.
…
Over the next few days, Li Qingqiu found it hard to calm his mind. Countless thoughts crossed his head, but he couldn't act rashly—he had more disciples to consider than just Li Sifeng.
After five days, his anxiety worsened. Even cultivation felt frustrating. Fortunately, when he checked the Dao Lineage panel, Li Sifeng's portrait was still lit—it meant he was alive.
Then, on the seventh day, Li Sifeng returned.
The news came from Yuan Qi.
"Sect Master, Hall Master Li Sifeng has returned. He's at the foot of the mountain," Yuan Qi said breathlessly. "I heard he's badly injured. Hall Master Zhang and Hall Master Li have already led people down to bring him back."
Li Qingqiu frowned. "How bad are the injuries?"
"I'm not sure," Yuan Qi replied, shaking his head. "But it seems he's unconscious."
"I understand. You may leave."
With a wave of his sleeve, Li Qingqiu dismissed him.
Since Li Dongyue had already gone, there was no need for him to rush. In fact, he intended to use this as a chance to teach Li Sifeng a lesson.
'That kid is far too reckless,' he thought grimly.
But he ended up waiting for an entire hour before Zhang Yuchun finally arrived, carrying Li Sifeng on his back, with Li Dongyue following behind.
Li Qingqiu sat at the long table, not bothering to rise. "How is he?" he asked calmly.
"He suffered internal injuries," Zhang Yuchun said quickly. "But Fourth Junior Sister has stabilized his condition. No permanent damage."
Li Qingqiu quietly exhaled, relieved, though his face stayed stern. Then he noticed Li Sifeng's right hand still clutched a sword tightly—and his temper flared. He strode forward and yanked the sword out of Li Sifeng's grasp.
Li Sifeng jolted awake, shouting hoarsely, "Let go—!"
But when his eyes focused and he saw that it was Li Qingqiu holding his sword, his anger vanished. Relief and joy spread across his pale face—then he fainted again.
"This brat's completely obsessed!" Zhang Yuchun grumbled, still supporting him. But when he glanced at Li Qingqiu, his expression froze.
Li Qingqiu stood motionless, holding the sword with a strange look on his face. His gaze was locked on the scabbard, as if his very soul had been drawn into it.
He didn't move. He didn't even blink.
The sight was unsettling.