Before evening, Li Qingqiu gathered all the disciples together and announced Jiang Zhaoxia's plan to form the Thirteen Sword Ferocities. This excited the disciples immensely; all of them looked at Jiang Zhaoxia expectantly.
He was the most formidable person in Azure Firmament Sect, and the Second in the martial world. Learning martial arts from him would surely lead to success.
Moreover, the name "Thirteen Sword Ferocities" sounded impressive just by itself. Currently, Azure Firmament Sect only had the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament with an established title. Now there would be the Thirteen Sword Ferocities—how could the disciples not be filled with anticipation?
Li Qingqiu watched as Jiang Zhaoxia selected his people. When Jiang Zhaoxia had chosen twelve, Li Qingqiu suddenly spoke, pointing at a disciple. "Third Junior Brother, give the last spot to him."
The disciple Li Qingqiu pointed to was named Xue Jin, sixteen years old. He had ordinary features and was not tall—standing in the crowd, he was quite inconspicuous.
When Li Qingqiu pointed at him, Xue Jin was momentarily stunned. He instinctively looked around, thinking the Sect Master might be referring to someone in front of or behind him.
Jiang Zhaoxia looked at Xue Jin and frowned slightly. He had no impression of Xue Jin whatsoever. No matter how he looked at him, this boy didn't seem like promising material.
Sensing his doubt, Li Qingqiu continued with a smile. "I can sense that his potential is unlimited. He'll be a good helper for you in the future."
Xue Jin was the only one among the new disciples whose aptitude and comprehension reached the "good" level. Since joining the sect, his loyalty had risen quickly, which was why Li Qingqiu felt confident putting him forward.
Though the word "good" might seem inferior to Xu Ning and Jiang Zhaoxia's natural endowments, within Azure Firmament Sect, it absolutely counted as genius-level.
None of the twelve Jiang Zhaoxia had chosen on his own were as talented as Xue Jin.
Hearing Li Qingqiu's words, Xue Jin's heart surged with excitement and gratitude. He even felt a burning sensation behind his eyes.
The Sect Master had actually noticed him?
Standing nearby, Yang Jueding, Cheng Canghai, Li Sifeng, and the others also looked at Xue Jin curiously. Li Qingqiu rarely praised disciples like this. With Xu Ning as a precedent, everyone instinctively felt a sense of anticipation.
Could this boy really be special?
Jiang Zhaoxia relented. "Since Senior Brother says so, I'll trust your judgment."
He crooked his finger at Xue Jin, signaling him to step forward. Then he led the selected Thirteen Sword Ferocities away.
The disciples who hadn't been chosen all felt somewhat disappointed, while simultaneously anticipating just how accomplished the Thirteen Sword Ferocities would become.
Li Qingqiu dismissed the disciples. Just then, Li Sifeng sidled up to him, grinning. "Second Senior Brother has the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament, and Third Senior Brother now has the Thirteen Sword Ferocities. Can I form a titled group too?"
Li Qingqiu glanced at him. "What title?"
"The Nine Ghosts of Azure Firmament. How's that?"
"Not good. Think again."
Li Qingqiu shot him a look of disdain, then headed toward the mountain gate.
Li Sifeng immediately chased after him, pestering him.
Though Li Qingqiu hadn't agreed to Li Sifeng's request, his words had given him an idea. Having his junior brothers and sisters each lead a group of disciples, passing things down generation by generation—wouldn't that create a power structure in the future?
Wu Man'er wasn't suited for leading disciples. Li Sifeng was too flighty—he wouldn't work either.
Li Qingqiu decided to have Li Dongyue and Li Sijin each select a group of disciples.
Li Dongyue's Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle inherently carried medical knowledge. Even without spiritual energy, practicing it would deepen her understanding of acupoints and qi and blood. In the future, she could use this to treat disciples within the sect and those who came up the mountain seeking healing.
Li Sijin could teach talisman-making. Even if they weren't true cultivation talismans, they could still be used to earn money. The world was full of secular people seeking peace of mind—provided Azure Firmament Sect's reputation spread.
Having made his decision, that very evening Li Qingqiu called Li Dongyue over to discuss the matter.
Li Dongyue was very pleased. She had wanted to do this for a long time but had been afraid Li Qingqiu wouldn't allow the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle to be passed on.
...
Early the next morning, Li Dongyue went to select her disciples. The commotion wasn't as great as Jiang Zhaoxia's, but it still sparked discussion among the disciples.
In the end, Li Dongyue chose nine disciples—seven girls and two boys.
As for Li Sijin, she didn't want to bother with it for now. She wanted to wait two more years before taking on disciples. Li Qingqiu naturally had no objection. As long as his junior sister had a plan, he would support her however she wanted.
That same day, Zhang Yuchun led a group down the mountain. This time, he didn't just take Huang Shan and Yu Lin—he brought all the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament along for the experience. Li Qingqiu, concerned for their safety, arranged for Li Sifeng to accompany them.
Zhang Yuchun's martial arts weren't particularly strong. In the current state of the world, Li Qingqiu worried about his safety.
Half a month later, Zhang Yuchun and the others returned. This time, they had actually recruited twenty-three new disciples.
The number of Azure Firmament Sect disciples suddenly exceeded eighty!
Li Qingqiu personally met with these new disciples, spoke a few words of encouragement, then had Li Dongyue arrange their lodging.
Over the past year, several more courtyards had been built below the new courtyard. Though somewhat simple, they were sufficient for the disciples to live in.
Li Qingqiu opened the Daoist Legacy panel and scanned through it. No one stood out in cultivation aptitude or comprehension, but one person's Destiny was somewhat special.
[Lucky Dog: Always prone to good luck, throughout their life.]
This boy was named Bai Ning'er, only thirteen years old. He was thin and small, with dark skin. Standing in the crowd, he was completely invisible.
"Lucky Dog"—it was such a conceptual term. One could imagine infinite possibilities, or it might not be that exaggerated at all. After all, Bai Ning'er's cultivation aptitude and comprehension were both mediocre.
He would need to observe further.
Li Qingqiu only glanced at Bai Ning'er. He made no special arrangements for him, nor did he inquire about him from Zhang Yuchun.
Azure Firmament Sect had gained twenty-three more disciples. Under Zhang Yuchun's arrangements, the pressure for labor at various construction sites and work areas was alleviated.
Heavy snow fell, and the mountains were submerged in a vast expanse of white.
On a mountain peak, Li Qingqiu and Qin Ye sat side by side in meditation, the wind and snow dispersed by the spiritual energy surrounding them.
Qin Ye slowly opened his eyes and said with emotion, "Master, the Chaos Genesis Scripture is truly broad and profound, and it suits my Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff perfectly. Just mentally rehearsing it, I've already gained many insights."
It was rare for him to cultivate alongside his master, and he was very happy. He could feel his master growing closer to him.
"You're still only at the first layer. When you reach the second layer, you'll be able to bring out even more of the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff's power."
Li Qingqiu said with his eyes closed. Qin Ye nodded, but inwardly he felt that reaching the second layer of the Chaos Genesis Scripture would be very difficult. He didn't know how many years it would take.
"Do you want to avenge Wu Baoyu?" Li Qingqiu suddenly asked.
Qin Ye was startled. His expression grew heavy. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Senior Wu died too tragically. I must clear his name and avenge him."
"Clearing his name is acceptable—after all, he passed on his legacy to you. But avenging him—aren't you being a bit presumptuous?" Li Qingqiu's tone was flat.
Qin Ye turned to look at him, disbelief on his face. He didn't understand why his master would hurt him like this.
Li Qingqiu continued, "Did Senior Wu ask you to avenge him?"
"No, but he must have been afraid I couldn't do it..."
"Do you remember what he said when he passed on his martial arts to you?"
"He said many things. I remember them all."
"In his heart, what was more important—revenge, or the stability of the realm?"
"This..."
Qin Ye suddenly didn't know how to answer. Wu Baoyu had once said he hoped Qin Ye would join the army and protect the Great Li realm.
"If you kill the Emperor, do you understand the consequences?" Li Qingqiu pressed on.
Qin Ye's face flushed and paled. Though young, he understood these principles. If the Emperor died, the realm would surely descend into chaos.
"Your master won't stop you from seeking revenge. But I hope you'll think about this: what Senior Wu passed on to you—was it martial arts, or was it his spirit? There are many ways to seek revenge. I hope you'll place the common people of the world in the most important position, and only then speak of revenge."
Li Qingqiu spoke earnestly. Throughout, he never opened his eyes.
Qin Ye sank into deep thought.
Li Qingqiu felt that the role of master was very weighty. It shouldn't be merely about transmitting techniques. While Qin Ye was still young and hadn't experienced the hardships of the secular world, he had to correct Qin Ye's thinking and prevent this boy from going to extremes.
After a while.
Qin Ye looked up at Li Qingqiu, curiosity in his eyes. "Master, does Azure Firmament Sect practice martial arts with the mission of protecting the realm?"
When Xi Niang had taken her own life, Li Qingqiu's words had been very cold. Many disciples had discussed it privately. Qin Ye had always remembered this, which was why he had always felt his master wasn't the type to be greatly benevolent and virtuous.
"The realm is too vast. That goal is too vague. But Azure Firmament Sect will protect all those who support us along the way—just like the villagers at the foot of the mountain. They help us build the sect, help us cultivate the fields, send us grain. Shouldn't we protect them? Azure Firmament Sect will continue to grow stronger, and those who help us will also increase. If one day, the entire world supports us, then we should protect the world."
Li Qingqiu's words suddenly clarified things for Qin Ye. The path Azure Firmament Sect was walking suddenly became clear.
Self-strengthening without losing benevolence and righteousness. Valuing one's own interests without neglecting gratitude.
The pent-up frustration that had accumulated in Qin Ye's heart for so long began to dissipate. He realized how ridiculous he had been in the past—not understanding Senior Wu's will, only immersing himself in hatred.
Looking back, he realized his relationships with the other five members of the Qin family had grown distant, let alone his connections with the other disciples.
As the Sect Master's disciple, this should not be.
While Li Qingqiu was instructing Qin Ye, Jiang Zhaoxia was doing the same.
Jiang Zhaoxia wasn't just teaching swordsmanship; he was also instilling the principles of the Thirteen Sword Ferocities. He wanted the Thirteen Sword Ferocities to place Azure Firmament Sect's interests above all else, to strangle every threat to the sect.
This winter was colder than previous years, but the hearts of the Azure Firmament Sect disciples were burning with fighting spirit.
...
After the New Year, before the liveliness of Azure Firmament Sect had even dissipated, Li Qingqiu welcomed a happy event: he successfully broke through to the fifth layer of the Nourishing Origin stage!
He told no one about this. He planned to keep a low profile as much as possible, only making a move when Azure Firmament Sect was in danger. He would let others be the public-facing strongest.
Having reached the fifth layer, his spiritual energy had multiplied. Now he finally understood what martial artists meant when they spoke of having deep reserves of power. From now on, when using spells, he wouldn't have to conserve energy as before.
After the New Year, Li Dongyue's medical practice opened for business. A merchant brought his daughter up the mountain, seeking treatment.
His daughter had fallen ill with a strange disease. He had sought out famous physicians everywhere, but she never fully recovered—the illness frequently recurred. By chance, he heard that Azure Firmament Sect could treat difficult and complicated illnesses, so he came to try his luck.