True Person Qingxiao hadn't expected Zhang Ping to be so stubborn and unyielding. The young man looked so ordinary—by all logic, he should have been eager to cling to his "Sect Master's grandmaster" for an opportunity to climb higher.
"You're not bad," True Person Qingxiao finally managed to squeeze out after holding back his temper for a long moment. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and walked away.
Zhang Ping didn't care in the slightest. He just wanted to finish today's shift quickly and return to cultivate.
A few days later—
A new monument was erected along the Forging Path in front of the Mystic Heart Hall. On it was engraved Zhao Zhen's great contribution to the sect: the creation of the Great Sun Pure Yang True Vital Art.
The news spread fast. Countless disciples became curious—just how powerful was this new technique?
Though Zhao Zhen was only nine years old, the Forging Path's Monument of Contribution was not something made in jest. Many disciples had created their own martial arts and techniques, yet only Zhao Zhen had earned the right to be immortalized in stone.
Several True Disciples used their contribution merits to borrow the Great Sun Pure Yang True Vital Art from the Scripture Pavilion, eager to see whether it truly deserved its place on the monument.
By dusk, Li Qingqiu returned to the Lingxiao Courtyard. His junior brothers and sisters were already seated at the table. Unlike the old days of casual chatter, their discussions now centered on the various administrative challenges each department faced, exchanging ideas and advice.
Zhang Yuchun, clearly in a good mood, had personally cooked the meal. When he saw Li Qingqiu enter, he grinned. "Eldest brother, you really shouldn't let the Tianhong Sword float around all day. Senior Shen's gone half-crazed because of it! He spends every waking hour clutching a wooden sword, too distracted to eat or sleep."
Li Qingqiu answered lazily, "Why haven't you gone mad like him, then?"
Zhang Yuchun chuckled as he walked toward the kitchen. "I don't have his level of comprehension, and besides, I don't have time for that. The sect's affairs keep piling up—I'm barely keeping my head above water."
Despite his complaint, the smile on his face betrayed a deep satisfaction. For him, this constant busyness was the best proof of his value to the sect.
Li Qingqiu shook his head and sat down in his usual place.
No sooner had he settled in than Li Sifeng leaned over and whispered, "Eldest brother, there's a disciple in my hall who's created a new leg technique. Do you have time to take a look tomorrow?"
"It's just a leg technique. What's so special about that?"
"He's definitely a genius!"
"You've said that about half a dozen disciples already," Li Qingqiu replied dryly.
As he spoke, he casually opened the Dao Lineage panel, habitually checking the new disciples' cultivation aptitude and fate attributes.
Each day, between ten to twenty new disciples joined the sect—not even counting the menial ones.
Menial disciples didn't appear in the Dao Lineage panel, which annoyed Li Qingqiu since he couldn't assess their potential even if he wanted to. But there was no helping it. He couldn't just recruit everyone he met and then expel them later for lacking aptitude—that would be far too cruel.
Li Sijin also began recommending a few of her own disciples.
It was only natural—everyone wanted to help those close to them get better treatment. Li Qingqiu understood that well. He himself always did his best to care for his junior brothers and sisters.
Still, he only listened casually and never agreed to anything outright. If any of them tried to pull strings behind his back, he didn't bother investigating personally. That was what the Law Enforcement Hall was for. If they got caught, he'd deal with it then.
Suddenly, Li Qingqiu's gaze sharpened. His attention had been caught by a name on the panel.
[Name: Xiao Wudi]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 17 years old]
[Loyalty (Sect Master/Sect): 91 / 12 (max 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Excellent]
[Comprehension: Mediocre]
[Fate: Born Body Cultivator, Survivor of Desperation]
[Born Body Cultivator: Born with a physique far beyond ordinary men, naturally suited for body cultivation. Possesses extraordinary comprehension toward body-tempering techniques.]
[Survivor of Desperation: Each time he narrowly escapes death, his comprehension of body cultivation increases.]
…
'Not bad,' Li Qingqiu thought. A double special fate, and with excellent cultivation aptitude—definitely a rare talent. Not quite on Zhao Zhen's level, but certainly capable of becoming a core disciple like Xue Jin.
The Survivor of Desperation fate even made Li Qingqiu's heart stir slightly.
But he didn't like to take unnecessary risks. Copying that fate could backfire, so he held off for now.
'Maybe I can test him later,' he mused. 'Create a false life-and-death situation and see if his comprehension really improves under pressure. If it works, his value will skyrocket.'
He memorized Xiao Wudi's name and continued scrolling down. The next entry made him raise an eyebrow.
[Name: Xiao Wuqing]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 16 years old]
[Loyalty (Sect Master/Sect): 75 / 65 (max 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Excellent]
[Comprehension: Excellent]
[Fate: Insightful Eye for Talent, Right-Hand Man]
[Insightful Eye for Talent: Possesses exceptional judgment and can accurately discern potential in others.]
[Right-Hand Man: Once he pledges loyalty, he will serve with unwavering devotion and never betray his master until death.]
…
'Double excellence… impressive,' Li Qingqiu thought. His potential rivals Li Yang and Ji Ya. A pity his fates aren't combat or cultivation types—his personal strength may never reach their level.
Still, his fates were incredibly appealing.
'A support-type genius!'
Xiao Wudi, Xiao Wuqing… could they be brothers?
Li Qingqiu studied their portraits carefully—the resemblance was definitely there.
Wait… the next disciple's portrait also looked similar. Could it be…?
He immediately opened the next profile.
[Name: Xiao Wuming]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 16 years old]
[Loyalty (Sect Master/Sect): 81 / 72 (max 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Excellent]
[Comprehension: Fair]
[Fate: Poison Jiao's Malignant Heart, Promise Unto Death]
[Poison Jiao's Malignant Heart: His father was once swallowed by a Poison Jiao. Its venomous nature was inherited by his bloodline, making his blood fatally toxic—no cure exists. Only his own heart's blood can neutralize its poison. His emotions are cold, his aura carries an evil edge that instinctively repels others.]
[Promise Unto Death: Once he makes a promise, he will fulfill it at any cost, even if it means his own destruction.]
…
Good heavens—three new disciples in a row, all with excellent aptitude, and clearly brothers at that.
Could their father have been some peerless expert? That would explain why all of them possessed such outstanding potential.
Li Qingqiu's gaze lingered on the Poison Jiao's Malignant Heart fate description. 'If Xiao Wuming's father really survived being swallowed by a Poison Jiao, that man must have been something else. To be devoured by such a vicious beast and still live? Incredible.'
He scrolled further down the panel, but unfortunately, there was no fourth Xiao listed.
Both Xiao Wuqing's Right-Hand Man and Xiao Wuming's Promise Unto Death were rare and valuable fates—worthy of special cultivation.
Li Qingqiu felt thoroughly pleased. Even if no more prodigies appeared among the later entries, it wouldn't dampen his mood.
"Alright, enough arguing," he said, tapping the table. "If someone's a real genius, they'll shine sooner or later. I'll dig up the true talents myself. When I do, you'll all see what real genius looks like."
Li Sifeng and Li Sijin weren't upset—on the contrary, their eyes lit up with excitement.
"Eldest brother, if you do find some real geniuses, give me one, alright?" Li Sifeng grinned and rubbed his hands together. "My standards aren't high—someone like Xue Jin will do."
Li Qingqiu smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Get lost."
Li Sijin immediately clung to Li Qingqiu's arm, shaking it playfully. "Eldest brother~ I want one too! Please?"
He could only smile helplessly. "Fine, fine. Who told you to be my little junior sister?"
Li Sifeng's eyes widened in disbelief, and he nearly fainted from outrage.
"You're the best, eldest brother!" Li Sijin cheered, hugging his arm and shaking it happily.
Just then, Zhang Yuchun came over with a tray of food, smiling as he asked, "What's got everyone so cheerful?"
"Eldest brother promised to find me a genius disciple," Li Sijin said proudly.
Zhang Yuchun cleared his throat. "Senior brother, count me in too."
Li Qingqiu ignored him completely. Zhang Yuchun froze, embarrassed.
Seeing that, Li Sifeng burst out laughing, teasing, "With how busy the Spirit Management Hall is, any genius who ends up there would waste his potential. You'd just slow him down."
Zhang Yuchun couldn't think of a single comeback.
Dinner was as lively as always—any time Li Sifeng and Li Sijin were present, the table was full of noise and laughter.
The moon set, and the sun rose again.
The next morning, Li Qingqiu decided to take a rare break from cultivation. He descended the mountain, leisurely wandering through the various halls and courtyards.
Chu Jing floated quietly behind him, smiling faintly. "Master, it's rare to see you not cultivating and actually inspecting the sect."
As a spirit, his voice couldn't be heard by mortals—only cultivators of profound power could perceive it.
"After all, I'm the Sect Master," Li Qingqiu replied softly. "I need to see things with my own eyes. If any disciple faces injustice and can't reach me, how desperate would that be?"
His tone was light, but the words carried a weight that struck straight into Chu Jing's soul.
'He's worried his disciples might not find him?' Chu Jing thought, suddenly realizing that he still didn't truly understand Li Qingqiu.
For the rest of the day, he simply followed as Li Qingqiu wandered from one hall to another, not doing anything in particular nor meeting anyone special.
He was merely observing, quietly ensuring everything was in order. Fortunately, no disciples came seeking justice, meaning the sect was running smoothly—at least for now.
Two more days passed.
At noon, Li Qingqiu instructed Yuan Qi to summon the three Xiao brothers.
Half an hour later, Yuan Qi arrived with Xiao Wudi, Xiao Wuqing, and Xiao Wuming in tow. Li Qingqiu was quietly impressed—it wasn't easy to find three unfamiliar outer disciples so quickly among the thousands now on Qingxiao Mountain.
The three brothers stood before him, visibly nervous yet excited.
Though they had only joined the sect three days ago, they already knew of Li Qingqiu's legendary feats. They revered him deeply—he was the man hailed as the strongest in the world. Never in their dreams had they imagined being personally summoned by him.
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
Xiao Wudi stepped forward first and saluted, motioning for his younger brothers to follow.
Realizing their cue, Xiao Wuqing and Xiao Wuming quickly bowed deeply as well.
Yuan Qi watched curiously. For the Sect Master to personally summon them, their talent must truly be extraordinary.
Behind Li Qingqiu, Chu Jing floated silently, his expression complicated as he studied the three brothers.
'Why do they look so familiar…?' he thought with growing unease.
Li Qingqiu smiled. "I saw you three the afternoon before last. Do you still remember?"
Xiao Wudi looked up in shock. "Sect Master, you only glanced at us from afar—yet you remembered?"
Seated at the long table, Li Qingqiu set down his teacup and smiled faintly. "I trust my intuition. You three left me with a very good impression. I can't take you as direct disciples, but I'd like to have you work under me. I'll personally teach you a cultivation art—what do you say?"
Though the sect had long been divided into seven halls, Li Qingqiu still wanted a personal retinue—disciples loyal only to him, to handle sensitive matters and deliver messages.
The Xiao brothers seemed perfect for the role.
The three of them immediately knelt halfway, excitement shining in their eyes.
But just then—
"Wait!"
A voice echoed from outside as True Person Qingxiao rushed into the courtyard. He hurried straight toward the three brothers, his face tense as he looked at Li Qingqiu. "What did they do wrong?"
He had followed after hearing they'd been summoned, and upon seeing them kneeling, he had panicked.
Li Qingqiu chuckled. "They didn't do anything wrong. I intend to cultivate them."
True Person Qingxiao exhaled in relief, though confusion lingered in his eyes. Why was Li Qingqiu taking such an interest in these three?
"Could they be… his descendants?"
Chu Jing suddenly gasped, his tone full of shock.
Li Qingqiu's mind stirred. "Whose descendants?"
Chu Jing's expression turned complex. "The Martial Legend—Xiao Xuanzun."
Martial Legend…?
Li Qingqiu's eyes widened slightly. No wonder their talents were so astonishing—they carried the bloodline of one of the greatest heroes in martial history.
True Person Qingxiao frowned slightly. "Why are you so interested in them?" he asked, his tone uneasy.
Li Qingqiu smiled calmly. "They caught my eye, that's all. I simply wish to cultivate them—is that not allowed?"
Xiao Wudi quickly turned to reassure him. "Grandpa Lin, the Sect Master truly hasn't scolded us. He said exactly the same thing just now."
Xiao Wuqing and Xiao Wuming nodded firmly beside him.