Li Qingqiu did not stop Zhang Yuchun and Yang Jueding from arguing. In fact, he hoped they would continue—laying out every advantage and risk for all to hear.
Zhang Yuchun's reasoning won the support of Li Dongyue and Li Sijin. To them, protecting the people on Qingxiao Mountain mattered far more than the fate of the entire world.
Li Sifeng, surprisingly, sided with Yang Jueding. He believed that helping the Crown Prince ascend to the throne would be a deed of "serving the dragon," one that would ensure Qingxiao Sect's rise as the foremost sect under heaven.
Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning remained silent, quietly waiting for the final decision.
After a long silence, Zhang Yuchun and Yang Jueding were both out of breath from arguing. Zhang Yuchun sat down, turned toward Li Qingqiu, and said, "Senior Brother, say something. Do you lean toward saving him or not?"
Yang Jueding also took his seat, his gaze fixed intently on Li Qingqiu, eyes full of tension.
Li Qingqiu finally spoke after some thought. "Hall Master Zhang worries that if our rescue fails, it will bring disaster upon Qingxiao Sect. What if we act in secret instead? If the Crown Prince gains the upper hand, we withdraw. If he falls into danger, we strike masked—never revealing who we are."
Zhang Yuchun hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. He understood what his senior brother was planning.
Yang Jueding also nodded in agreement. Though he cared deeply for the world, even he wasn't so reckless as to drag the entire sect into ruin.
"That's the capital we're talking about," Zhu Yan reminded them gravely. "It's filled with masters—true elites. You must all understand this: the experts hidden within the imperial city are far beyond those of the martial world. No one escapes the lure of fame and fortune. Imperial power gathers the strongest under one banner."
Her voice carried the weight of experience. To her, Li Qingqiu's willingness to act for the Crown Prince only reaffirmed that she had chosen the right leader to follow.
"I'll go!"
"I'll go!"
Both Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning spoke at once. Their eyes met immediately after, sparks flying—neither willing to yield.
The rest of the hall exhaled in relief, Zhu Yan included. With either of them involved, survival was assured.
Li Qingqiu smiled. "You'll go together. Act according to the situation. Protecting the Crown Prince comes first. Remember—do not expose your identities."
Xu Ning frowned slightly, while Jiang Zhaoxia opened his mouth as if to protest, but stopped himself.
Li Qingqiu continued, "You two are Qingxiao Sect's sharpest blades. Only together can I rest easy. And this will be your first time fighting side by side. Even if the imperial city hides demons and monsters, I believe you'll both return safely."
At that, the two could only bow their heads and accept the order.
In the corner, Li Sifeng sat quietly, eyes lowered toward the Emperor Xuan Sword resting in his arms. A strange feeling welled up in his chest.
He thought to himself—if that sword were given to Jiang Zhaoxia or Xu Ning, their strength would soar instantly. They'd be unstoppable.
Yet the sword was in his possession, and his senior brother clearly didn't trust him enough to send him on such a mission.
"Do you wish to become strong? Then take me—truly take me."
A deep, ancient voice rasped suddenly in his mind, cold and hoarse. Li Sifeng froze, disoriented.
It wasn't until someone patted his shoulder that he blinked back to reality.
"What's wrong with you? Why do you look so dazed?" Li Sijin frowned, staring at him in concern.
Li Sifeng snapped out of it, noticing that Li Qingqiu was also watching him. The others had already left.
"I'm fine," he said quickly. "I was just thinking about sword techniques."
Then, without another word, he stood up and hurried out of the Lingxiao Courtyard, almost as if fleeing.
With all seven halls becoming increasingly busy, most of the Hall Masters were now spending their nights in their respective halls. There was simply too much to handle.
"Senior Brother, is my brother really okay?" Li Sijin asked softly.
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly. "Something's happening—but it's a good thing."
He rose and walked toward his quarters.
Hearing that, Li Sijin finally let out a small sigh of relief. Though her senior brother hadn't elaborated, she trusted his judgment completely.
The moon sank, and dawn came.
At first light, Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning quietly left the mountain with Ma Yu.
When Ma Yu learned that Li Qingqiu had sent these two renowned warriors to assist him in saving the Crown Prince, his heart surged with excitement. Even in the imperial city, he had heard tales of Qingxiao Sect's Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning—their names thundered across the martial world like rolling drums.
The three moved in secrecy, their departure unnoticed by any other disciples of Qingxiao Sect.
At the mountain peak, Li Qingqiu practiced his cultivation, while Zhao Zhen and Yuan Li sat behind him in meditation.
He was carefully assessing the sect's overall combat strength.
Shen Yue's loyalty continued to rise—now reaching 80. His strength equaled that of a cultivator at the sixth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, perhaps even the seventh.
His earlier defeat by Li Qingqiu had not been due to a difference in cultivation alone. After all, Li Qingqiu possessed the Hundred-Refined Demon Body, granting him hundredfold vital energy—a near-unbreakable advantage.
Next was Li Sifeng, who had recently broken through to the fourth layer of Nurturing Essence. With the Emperor Xuan Sword in hand, his true strength was immeasurable.
Wu Man'er and Xue Jin were also both at the fourth layer, with outstanding battle instincts—forming the sect's reliable mid-tier power. Xue Jin was currently away on a mission.
Meanwhile, Zhao Zhen and Ji Ya were advancing rapidly, though still too young for front-line assignments. They were better suited to remain within the sect's protection.
Still, remembering his own youth—how he and Jiang Zhaoxia had begun fighting battles as mere teenagers—Li Qingqiu couldn't help but smile wryly. Perhaps he shouldn't underestimate the younger generation.
"Manpower is still too limited," he muttered under his breath. "We'll just have to hold on a little longer."
Li Qingqiu thought quietly to himself. In his vision, Qingxiao Sect would only truly stand at the pinnacle of the martial world once it could challenge all the martial sects across the Nine Provinces single-handedly.
To become an immortal sect didn't necessarily mean one had to transcend the mortal world entirely. It could also mean standing above the martial world while still remaining within the mortal realm.
After finishing his morning cultivation, Li Qingqiu headed toward the Sword Sect to inspect its disciples.
The Sword Sect's first generation already exceeded 100 disciples. When Li Qingqiu entered the courtyard, he saw Shen Yue teaching them sword techniques. A hundred disciples stood in neat rows, swinging their swords in perfect rhythm. The sight was truly grand.
He also noticed Li Sifeng among them, which made him smile.
"The Sect Master is here!"
A disciple shouted in surprise, drawing every gaze toward Li Qingqiu. Their expressions filled with awe and excitement—many nearly lost control of themselves in joy.
"Focus!"
Shen Yue's voice rang out sharply, snapping everyone back to reality.
Among the crowd, Yang Lin and her four companions trembled with excitement. Each of them had been rescued by Li Qingqiu personally—pulled from the medicine vats with his own hands. They would never forget that first moment of seeing him upon opening their eyes.
Though they were still young, they already carried a deep, unshakable gratitude—a willingness to follow Li Qingqiu through fire and water if he commanded it.
As Li Qingqiu surveyed the field, he found everything orderly and proper. His heart filled with satisfaction. Yuan Qi and his group of helpers had done their jobs well—without a single mistake.
Han Lang, the disciple of Jiang Zhaoxia, was visibly nervous, terrified that his sword form might disappoint the Sect Master.
Within Qingxiao Sect, no matter who their direct teacher was, every disciple harbored an almost fanatical reverence for Li Qingqiu. To them, he was the perfect cultivator—powerful yet gentle, wise yet approachable—the very image of what they aspired to become.
After observing for a while, Li Qingqiu turned to leave, not interrupting Shen Yue's lesson.
Seeing this, Shen Yue secretly nodded in approval. This young Sect Master was indeed extraordinary. If Li Qingqiu had insisted on giving a long-winded speech, wasting precious teaching time, Shen Yue would have had no choice but to endure it. His own senior brother, when founding a sect, had loved to make such useless speeches.
Leaving the Sword Sect courtyard, Li Qingqiu made his way to Li Sijin's Medicine Garden.
There, Chen Huilan and her father Chen Yu had recently moved in from the Cultivation Hall to assist her. Under Li Sijin's supervision, the garden had expanded, now staffed with 18 disciples.
Both father and daughter showed great enthusiasm toward the study of spiritual herbs, working closely with Li Sijin to explore the Dao of Spirit Plants.
Chen Huilan's loyalty had reached 80, so Li Qingqiu had passed her the first layer of the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra. As for her father, he would still need to be observed a while longer before earning such trust.
That entire day, Li Qingqiu spent inspecting the Seven Halls. Whenever disciples caught sight of him, their excitement was uncontrollable. He merely made his rounds—asking a few questions and offering encouragement—yet by day's end, nearly 20 disciples had their loyalty rise above 90.
It seemed regular inspections were quite effective after all.
…
Snow fell heavily that winter afternoon.
In a courtyard blanketed in white, Li Yang practiced with his silver spear. Having reached the third layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, his family's spear art now carried far greater power than before.
Vital energy surged around his body, coiling faintly into the shape of a dragon.
The Dragon Soul had begun to manifest!
Zhao Linglong hurried into the courtyard, walking briskly toward the stone table. "Cousin," she called, "something's happened in the imperial city. The Li clan has summoned you home."
Li Yang did not stop his movements. "What happened?"
"The Crown Prince is preparing to rebel," Zhao Linglong said quickly. "The palace is sealed off. Many ministers are urging him to make his move, but he's still hesitating."
At her words, Li Yang lowered his spear and frowned. "Why would the Crown Prince rebel? The throne will be his eventually."
"Don't forget," Zhao Linglong said solemnly, "the Emperor is obsessed with finding an elixir of immortality."
Li Yang fell silent. The moment he heard that, a dark fury flashed in his eyes.
The horrific memory of the Guzhou Prefecture massacre still burned in his mind, filling him with rage.
"Who is our Li clan supporting?" he asked.
Zhao Linglong hesitated before replying, "It should be the Crown Prince. Not just our clan—many great families are siding with him. The Emperor's tyranny has become unbearable. He's begun threatening the very foundations of the noble houses. This time, they intend to unite, overthrow the dynasty, and build a new order. That's why they've called you back. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for glory."
Li Yang nodded slowly. "I'll need to speak with the Sect Master first."
Gripping his silver spear, he strode toward the courtyard gate. Zhao Linglong turned to watch him go, worry flickering in her eyes.
She could feel her cousin growing more distant with each passing day. He no longer spoke of fame and merit, no longer burned with worldly ambition—now, everything he did seemed to revolve around the Sect Master of Qingxiao Sect.
She couldn't help but wonder just what kind of spell this Li Qingqiu had cast on him.
Half an hour later, after asking around, Li Yang finally found Li Qingqiu in a forest glade. The Sect Master was instructing Chai Yunshang in cultivation.
"Sect Master!" Li Yang called from afar.
Li Qingqiu turned, waved him over, and Li Yang quickly approached.
He recounted everything Zhao Linglong had told him, then asked directly, "Sect Master, do you think I should return?"
Chai Yunshang, who had been practicing the Secret Technique — Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles, turned aside to give them space, continuing her practice quietly in the distance.
Li Qingqiu looked Li Yang straight in the eyes. "Speaking from a personal standpoint," he said calmly, "I'd prefer you stay. The struggle for imperial power will only bring suffering to the people—no matter who wins. The difference lies only in how long that suffering lasts. Qingxiao Sect can't yet protect the whole world, but we can protect the people around Taikun Mountain Range."
Li Yang nodded. "Then I'll stay."
He smiled faintly. "Sect Master, my Dragon Soul is getting stronger. Could you give me some guidance?"