Let's go back one month.
Daoist Qingzhu, who had been meditating to accumulate True Essence and break through to the Nascent Soul stage, suddenly opened his eyes, a look of worry on his face.
"Qingfeng still hasn't returned to the sect. Could something have happened to him?"
He had entered the Core Formation Realm three hundred years ago. Back then, full of youthful vigor, he believed his talent was extraordinary, no weaker than the disciples of major sects like Mount Emei, Mount Hua, and Wutai Mountain, so he had no intention of taking on disciples.
It was only after traveling around that he realized good talent alone was useless. Compared to the superior cultivation conditions and various resources available to those major sect disciples, he was far too lacking.
He reached the Golden Core stage in one hundred years, and after another three hundred years of arduous cultivation, he reached the peak of Golden Core. He could indeed reach Nascent Soul before his five-hundred-year lifespan ended, possibly even breaking through before he was four hundred and fifty, but that would be his limit.
The further one cultivated, the harder it became. At his current cultivation speed, by the time his thousand-year lifespan was exhausted, he would likely only be at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, without even a chance to pass the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
Danchenzi of Mount Emei, who was his contemporary, reached Golden Core at seventy, Nascent Soul at two hundred, and passed the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation to achieve the Earth Immortal Realm before four hundred years old. There was simply no comparison.
So he gave up on arduous cultivation and spent most of his time looking for disciples to continue the sect's legacy.
Fortunately, perhaps it was a predestined fate bestowed by Heaven, not too far from his sect, he actually discovered Li Qingfeng, who had even better aptitude than him, in a small Village. He brought him back to the sect and carefully taught him.
Afterward, he went out five more times, but the disciples he brought back had very ordinary aptitudes, similar to his three Master Brothers who were still cultivating diligently.
Xiao Zhu Mountain's spiritual energy was not abundant, making it impossible to take on too many disciples. So, after accepting the sixth one, he stopped leaving the mountain gate. Instead, he cultivated diligently within the sect to transform into an Infant, while also taking time to instruct his six disciples.
Two years ago, Li Qingfeng, on whom he placed his highest hopes, broke through to the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage after only twelve years of cultivation. He specifically allowed him to return home to visit his parents and settle his worldly affairs, and for his safety, he bestowed upon him his own magical treasure, the Crimson Spirit Fire Pearl.
Unexpectedly, the agreed two-year period had passed, and even an additional month had elapsed, yet his disciple Li Qingfeng had still not returned to the sect.
"Mingyue, you stay in the sect and supervise your Master Brothers and Master Sisters in their cultivation. I, your Master, will go out and see why your Master Brother has not returned yet."
Still worried, Daoist Qingzhu instructed his second disciple, then stepped onto his magical treasure, the Green Bamboo, and left the sect, flying towards the small Village where he had met Li Qingfeng.
The small Village was not too far from the sect. He reached the location in less than an hour.
However, the small Village that had once housed hundreds of people was now nothing but ruins. According to his magical detection, all the villagers had met with misfortune.
He also detected traces of demonic cultivators' spells.
His heart immediately sank. He quickly followed the traces and finally, in a patch of forest, found a faint trace of his own former magical treasure, the Crimson Spirit Fire Pearl.
According to his judgment, the Village must have been very unlucky to encounter low-level demonic cultivators who massacred them to refine magical treasures, and his disciple Li Qingfeng discovered this and pursued them into this forest.
He couldn't determine the outcome of their battle, but given that Li Qingfeng hadn't returned to the sect, it was likely he had met a tragic end.
However, fortunately, he later discovered a faint trace of lightning magic. His disciple Li Qingfeng did not practice lightning magic, and demonic cultivators would certainly not. Therefore, a third party must have intervened, which gave him a glimmer of hope.
Thus, with this forest as the center, he began inquiring about Li Qingfeng in the surrounding towns, Villages, and even some cultivation sects.
More than a month later, there were still no clues.
However, he did hear a rumor that Mount Emei had produced another peerless genius who defeated the Blood God Child of the Blood Demon Palace. His name was also Li Qingfeng, the same as his disciple.
But he knew that it certainly wasn't his disciple, because his disciple was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, was not a Mount Emei disciple, and could not possibly defeat the famous Blood God Child.
One day, still unwilling to give up, he was inquiring about Li Qingfeng with a portrait in a small Village when two middle-aged cultivators suddenly blocked his path.
"We heard you're looking for a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator named Li Qingfeng?"
"Yes, that's him. He's my disciple. He went out for training two years ago and disappeared. Have you two seen him?"
Daoist Qingzhu couldn't discern their cultivation levels, but seeing that they seemed to have information about his disciple, he immediately took out Li Qingfeng's portrait.
The two middle-aged cultivators carefully examined the portrait, then exchanged glances, and a strange smile appeared on their faces.
"Seen him? Of course, we've seen him. Two years ago, your disciple and I even fought. You really did raise a good disciple."
Behind the middle-aged cultivator on the left, a faint blood river subtly appeared.
At this moment, Daoist Qingzhu also realized something was wrong. He quickly retreated and summoned his magical treasure, the Five-Section Green Bamboo Staff:
"Who exactly are you? Where have you taken my disciple, Li Qingfeng!"
"Us?"
Seeing this, the two middle-aged men calmly introduced themselves.
"Blood God Child of the Blood Demon Palace!"
"Yin Jiutian, Sect Master of the Xuan Yin Sect!"
"What!"
Daoist Qingzhu's pupils constricted upon hearing this. He immediately activated his magical treasure and fled into the distance at his fastest speed.
Are you kidding? Although he was at the peak of Golden Core, the two individuals opposite him were old devil heads at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Even if his disciple Li Qingfeng had truly been killed by the two old devil heads, he couldn't avenge him.
However, Yin Jiutian, the Sect Master of the Xuan Yin Sect, calmly patted the back of his head. A black light swiftly flew out, caught up to Daoist Qingzhu, and then transformed into a large cauldron engraved with various ghosts and monsters, covering him.
"Be collected by this Venerable One!"
As Yin Jiutian chanted his incantation, the large cauldron directly absorbed Daoist Qingzhu into its interior, then shrank and returned to his hand.
During this time, Daoist Qingzhu tried to summon his magical treasure to resist, but it had no effect whatsoever.
"Master Brother Jiutian's Great Sumeru Profound Yin Cauldron is truly becoming more and more formidable. But don't actually refine him. We still need him to open the Heavenly Evolution Thirty-Six Divine Bamboo Restriction of Xiao Zhu Mountain and kill Li Qingfeng for revenge."
The Blood God Child saw Yin Jiutian instantly subdue Daoist Qingzhu and reminded him with a smile.
Yin Jiutian replied with a hint of respect:
"Master Brother is joking. No matter how powerful my Great Sumeru Profound Yin Cauldron is, once it enters your Blood River, its divine essence will still be lost.
And Master Brother, please rest assured, I haven't activated the killing formation. I've only temporarily suppressed his cultivation."
Two years ago, his Master Brother left the mountain gate to avenge his disciple, but unexpectedly, he disappeared without a trace. Later, he received news from the Blood God Child that he had actually been killed by a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Li Qingfeng.
This time, he also accepted the Blood God Child's invitation to come together and destroy Xiao Zhu Mountain and Li Qingfeng, to avenge his Master Brother.
"That's good."
The Blood God Child nodded upon hearing this and flew towards Xiao Zhu Mountain with Yin Jiutian.
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