When Xue Jin's words fell, the forest went silent for a brief moment.
"One."
Boom!
The explosion of sound was followed by chaos. Hundreds of refugees screamed in terror, jolted by the sight of the hunchbacked old man's beheading. They scattered in all directions, tripping over one another as they fled for their lives. None dared to resist.
For Li Sijin and the disciples beside her, this was the first time they had witnessed Xue Jin's true methods. Since being reassigned to the Training Hall, he hadn't drawn blood in a long time. Even during the Grand Dao Combat Tournament, he had maintained a calm, refined demeanor.
As the refugees ran for their lives, Li Sijin and the three disciples from the Cultivation Hall all sighed in relief, assuming that Xue Jin had only meant to frighten them.
But when his count reached ten, he didn't stop. He really started killing.
And it wasn't a slow, measured slaughter—it was an overwhelming storm.
With the Gale Technique, Xue Jin became a blur, his sword flashing like lightning. He caught up to the fleeing refugees in an instant. Regardless of age or gender, anyone he met was struck down with a single, merciless slash.
The sound of steel cutting through flesh echoed again and again. Screams rang out from deep within the forest, sharp and unending. Even after Xue Jin had vanished from sight, Li Sijin and the others could still hear the faint, chilling cries from far away.
The disciples of the Training Hall hesitated for only a moment before rushing forward to assist.
Seeing this, the three disciples from the Cultivation Hall turned to Li Sijin, eyes wide with unease, silently asking for direction.
Li Sijin gathered herself and said, "Fighting and killing aren't our concern. The Cultivation Hall is responsible for creation and the gathering of cultivation resources. Go get some people. Once this is over, find a place to bury the corpses."
The three disciples looked relieved and quickly left to fetch reinforcements.
By dusk, the massacre had ended.
Li Sijin crossed Lingxiao Pavilion and came to the entrance of Li Qingqiu's cave dwelling. She knocked gently.
Inside, Li Qingqiu was meditating cross-legged. He tapped the wall beside him, and the stone door rumbled open. Li Sijin hurried inside, and the door sealed itself shut behind her.
This cave dwelling was no longer a secret. Hall Masters and Elders alike had come to admire it, many filled with envy that Li Qingqiu possessed such a spiritual sanctuary. Because of that, Mingguang—who built the cave—had become immensely sought after.
But once they learned how scarce the materials were, even the high-ranking elders stopped pressing for one of their own.
Li Sijin stepped forward quickly and reported what had happened with the refugees.
"Xue Jin said he would kill until his sword bent from the slaughter," she said, her tone uneasy. "But after he wrapped his blade in vital energy and cut down every single one of them, his sword still hadn't bent in the slightest."
She sighed softly. "If he was going to kill them, then fine—but to make them think they had hope, only to cut them down anyway… I don't even know what to say about that."
Li Qingqiu wasn't surprised. That was precisely why he had chosen Xue Jin for the task.
"Are you sure all of them are dead?" he asked evenly.
Li Sijin nodded. "Yes. Xue Jin confirmed it himself."
"Good. Then let's wait and see what happens next."
He smiled faintly, though there was an unreadable depth behind it.
"All dead? What else could possibly happen?" Li Sijin asked, frowning.
Li Qingqiu didn't answer. Instead, he changed the subject and began asking about her cultivation.
To his displeasure, her cultivation was still stuck at the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. She had spent too much time managing spiritual plants and not enough on her own progress. That wouldn't do. He needed to remind her of her priorities.
But Li Sijin's thoughts were still lingering on the earlier event.
She couldn't understand it. Her senior brother had acted for the sake of the people, yet those very people now cursed him as the source of disaster.
When July ended, the first Grand Dao Combat Tournament of Qingxiao Sect finally determined its Top Ten.
They were: Zhao Zhen, Li Yang, Xue Jin, Han Lang, Lu Qing, Gu Changping, Zhu Xunyang, Ji Ya, Yang Dong, and Yang Chengyu.
The names of these ten quickly spread throughout the entire sect—and soon, across the martial world.
Together with Xu Ning, they would compete for the top three ranks, establishing the true hierarchy of Qingxiao Sect's younger generation.
At the beginning of August, as preparations began for the tournament's final stage, Zhang Yuchun and Zhu Yan came to meet Li Qingqiu.
He didn't have them report right away. Instead, he asked Yuan Qi to summon Li Sijin.
While waiting, Li Qingqiu praised the two halls for their excellent disciple training.
Among the Top Ten, Yang Dong hailed from the Demon-Subjugation Hall, while Zhu Xunyang came from the Heavenly Works Hall—a descendant of the Zhu family.
Zhang Yuchun chuckled modestly. "Yang Dong was your recommendation, Senior Brother. I only did what I was supposed to do."
Despite his words, there was clear pride on his face. Having one of his disciples reach the Top Ten was an honor for the entire Demon-Subjugation Hall.
Zhu Yan followed with a smile. "I honestly didn't see Zhu Xunyang's potential at first. It was you, Sect Master, who recognized his talent. Without your insight, I wouldn't have focused so much attention on him."
In truth, even without Li Qingqiu's intervention, these two would have risen on their own eventually. But during the early years of the sect, the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra wasn't freely available to every disciple. Li Qingqiu's personal recommendation had saved them years of waiting.
From here onward, Qingxiao Sect would see many geniuses rise who had nothing to do with the Sect Master's direct influence. Unless someone possessed an extraordinary Fate, Li Qingqiu no longer intended to handpick every talent himself.
Zhu Yan's thoughts drifted for a moment as she spoke of Zhu Xunyang. Once, he had been merely a branch family descendant. Now, he had become a rising star—so influential that even the main Zhu clan treated him with reverence.
Through him, Zhu Yan herself had gained far greater influence within the family.
Under her suggestion, the Zhu clan had already begun forming deep alliances with Qingxiao Sect, offering resources and intelligence in exchange for long-term cooperation.
Li Qingqiu didn't treat them unfairly either. Every year, he granted the Zhu clan a batch of new disciple slots, strengthening their bond further.
As the three continued talking, their conversation shifted from Yang Dong and Zhu Xunyang to the future of the sect's younger generation and the prospect of the second Grand Dao Combat Tournament.
Li Qingqiu said, "We can't hold the tournament every year. It would affect the sect's atmosphere. Once every ten years is enough. Make it a grand event, like the imperial examinations—an opportunity for any capable disciple to rise to the heavens in a single leap."
Li Qingqiu's final decision left Zhang Yuchun a little disappointed. The Grand Dao Combat Tournament had brought the Qingxiao Sect both fame and fortune, and he was already looking forward to the next one.
Half an hour later, Yuan Qi returned with Li Sijin and bowed before taking his leave.
"What's so urgent?" Li Sijin asked, her tone carrying a hint of complaint. She had clearly rushed over from Ziyang Peak.
Li Qingqiu gestured for her to sit, then motioned for Zhang Yuchun and Zhu Yan to explain why they had come.
Zhang Yuchun glanced at Li Sijin before speaking. "The matter of Xue Jin slaughtering the refugees has spread. The martial world is full of voices condemning us."
"What?" Li Sijin widened her eyes in shock. "Spread? Everyone there is dead—who could've spread it?"
An informant?
No, that didn't make sense. Her three disciples hadn't left the mountain, and Xue Jin was far too disciplined to let his subordinates leak information. Even if there were spies, how could the news spread so quickly?
Zhu Yan added, "It's not just the martial world. The noble families are also discussing it. Something about this feels wrong—someone's using this to frame us."
Zhang Yuchun gave a bitter smile. "The rumors say we massacred many refugees. They don't even realize that what we actually did was kill all of them."
He didn't judge whether Xue Jin's actions were right or wrong, but one thing was certain—it was something Qingxiao Sect had to do.
In his heart, his view of Xue Jin had completely changed. He no longer saw him as a mere junior, but as someone capable of discussing matters of great importance.
At that moment, Li Sijin finally understood what her senior brother had meant that day. Whether they killed the refugees or not, someone would have smeared their name all the same.
Li Qingqiu's expression remained calm. "Who do you think is behind this?"
Zhang Yuchun replied, "From the martial world's perspective, it's most likely Lingtian Sect. They've long aimed to dominate the martial world, and they can't do that without going through us. But if we look at it from the political side, it could only be one of the major feudal lords in the neighboring prefectures—one who's already consolidated his rule. The smaller ones are too busy defending their own lands to plot against us."
Zhu Yan nodded thoughtfully. "I suspect one of those great lords has allied with Lingtian Sect. Otherwise, the rumors couldn't have spread so quickly through both official and martial channels."
Hearing their reasoning, Li Sijin felt the weight of pressure pressing down on her.
But then Li Qingqiu smiled. "I thought we might get a few more peaceful years. I didn't expect someone to make a move so soon. Good. This just means our disciples will have a chance to earn more Dao Fate."
He smiled without the slightest hint of hostility—pure amusement from the depths of his heart.
Li Sijin felt her own tension fade a little upon seeing that expression.
"Keep investigating," Li Qingqiu said. "Send word to Xue Jin and tell the disciples in the Training Hall to warn everyone taking missions. There will be people down the mountain targeting Qingxiao Sect, so they must act with caution. We won't move for now. Let's finish the Grand Dao Combat Tournament first."
His tone grew firm as he continued, "If killing one emperor wasn't enough, then we'll kill a few more. It's time the world understood just how strong Qingxiao Sect really is."
Both Zhang Yuchun and Zhu Yan nodded solemnly.
Li Qingqiu gave them a look, signaling they could leave. The two stood, bowed deeply, and exited Lingxiao Pavilion together.
Turning to Li Sijin, Li Qingqiu said softly, "I called you here so you could understand this world more clearly. Don't feel pressured. Even if the sky falls, your senior brother will be the one to hold it up."
He was already picturing it—the disciples of Qingxiao Sect descending the mountain, sweeping through the world with unstoppable force.
He would show everyone that Qingxiao Sect wasn't just his sword alone.
At the same time, he needed his disciples to realize that the sect's Dao inheritance was different from that of the martial world. Only when they understood this could their hearts shift from chasing worldly fame to pursuing the true immortal path.
Li Sijin nodded earnestly. "Don't worry, Senior Brother. I'll cultivate harder from now on. Even if you can shoulder everything, I'll still share your burden. I'm a Hall Master, after all."
Li Qingqiu smiled with satisfaction and began chatting with her about their childhood memories, easing the heavy atmosphere in the room.
By mid-August, the Top Ten duels began, lasting three days and three nights. In the end, the Top Three emerged.
First place went to Xu Ning, at the seventh layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. Her strength was undeniable—none of the other Top Ten disciples could even withstand a single strike from her. The entire sect finally realized just how terrifyingly strong the Sect Master's eldest disciple truly was.
Second place was taken by Xue Jin, whose fifth-layer Nurturing Essence Realm cultivation, paired with years of honed killing techniques, made him formidable. After three hundred moves, his sword tip rested at Zhao Zhen's throat, ending the duel.
Third place was Zhao Zhen, only ten years old, yet already at the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. With his Great Sun Pure Yang Art and Divine Dragon Transformation, he nearly forced Xue Jin off the stage multiple times. Though he lost, everyone believed he would soon surpass Xue Jin—and perhaps even challenge Xu Ning herself.
Among the top three, two were direct disciples of the Sect Master, and the other was one he had personally nurtured. Inevitably, whenever the disciples talked about the three, the conversation always circled back to Li Qingqiu.
Through the Dao Lineage Interface, Li Qingqiu noticed that the loyalty of nearly all disciples had risen significantly.
That realization brought a rare smile to his face.