Before the mountain gate, Li Qingqiu stood on the steps, watching as Jiang Zhaoxia and the others ascended the mountain surrounded by a throng of disciples. The crowd was so large it made the mountain path seem narrow.
Jiang Zhaoxia remained as cold and aloof as ever, his expression stern and unsmiling. Li Sifeng, by contrast, was practically glowing with pride and excitement, basking in the praise and admiration of the disciples surrounding him. Seeing that his two junior brothers were uninjured, Li Qingqiu finally relaxed completely.
"Big Senior Brother!"
Li Sifeng spotted Li Qingqiu from afar and immediately waved his arm, shouting. He quickened his pace, charging toward the mountain gate. The other disciples escorted Jiang Zhaoxia, Wu Man'er, and Cheng Canghai to the steps before stopping.
Ever since the three courtyards behind the mountain gate had been renamed Lingxiao Courtyard, ordinary disciples were no longer permitted to enter without authorization. The new rules had already been put into effect.
"Big Senior Brother, I heard you crushed the martial arts army that came to attack us. Let me tell you, we made our contribution too! On the way back, we dealt with quite a few sects and factions that were heading for Azure Firmament Sect..."
Li Sifeng reached Li Qingqiu's side and began chattering endlessly, hands on his hips, radiating youthful exuberance.
Li Qingqiu listened with a slight smile as his sixth junior brother boasted about his achievements.
Jiang Zhaoxia walked up and casually pressed his right hand against Li Sifeng's face, pushing him aside. Then he reported to Li Qingqiu, "The Azure Cult has been destroyed. I personally killed their Cult Leader with my own hand, and we burned their headquarters to the ground. Though some remnant followers escaped, they're no longer a threat. We also wiped out all five of the Azure Cult's branch headquarters."
So that's what "destroying" meant—Jiang Zhaoxia and the Thirteen Sword Ferocities had annihilated both the main headquarters and all the branches.
Li Qingqiu smiled with satisfaction. "All of you are heroes. Today, the entire sect will hold a celebration feast in your honor."
Li Sifeng and Wu Man'er immediately cheered. Jiang Zhaoxia's lips curled upward slightly, and he led the way into Lingxiao Courtyard. Cheng Canghai followed close behind; right now, all he wanted was to eat roast chicken.
"Big Senior Brother, there's something I need to tell you. Can you come with me?" Li Sifeng asked mysteriously.
Li Qingqiu felt anticipation in his heart, but his face remained impassive. He nodded, then said to Wu Man'er, "Man'er, go ahead and rest. You've worked hard these past few days."
"Hehe, it wasn't hard at all."
Wu Man'er scratched his head with a simple, honest smile, then headed toward Lingxiao Courtyard.
Li Sifeng tugged Li Qingqiu down the mountain. Along the way, every disciple they encountered bowed respectfully to Li Qingqiu.
The battle between Li Qingqiu and the Demon Sect's Seven Evils had already spread throughout Azure Firmament Sect, earning him the worship of all disciples.
They had always believed Jiang Zhaoxia was the strongest in the sect; they never imagined the Sect Master himself possessed such incredible martial prowess.
About half an hour later, Li Sifeng led Li Qingqiu to a secluded forest. The winter snow was melting, and the snow on the ground and grass glistened with moisture.
"Whoosh—"
Li Sifeng whistled sharply, then turned to look at Li Qingqiu with confusion. "Big Senior Brother, why aren't you curious at all?"
Throughout the entire walk, Li Qingqiu hadn't asked a single question, which left Li Sifeng rather frustrated—he had wanted to surprise him.
"The moment it set foot on Azure Firmament Mountain, I already sensed its presence. How did you encounter it?" Li Qingqiu replied, feigning an air of profound mystery.
Li Sifeng didn't doubt him at all. Ever since Li Qingqiu had taught them the Chaos Genesis Scripture, in his heart, Li Qingqiu was the most formidable—even Third Senior Brother couldn't compare.
"On the way back, we passed through a mountain forest. I was taking a leak when suddenly I heard Bai Ning'er scream. I didn't even have time to fasten my pants before charging over, and there it was—badly injured. After I helped stop the bleeding, it just latched onto me."
Li Sifeng answered, gesturing animatedly as he vividly reenacted the scene.
As expected.
The Lucky Dog had struck again.
Li Qingqiu found himself liking Bai Ning'er more and more. Previously, Bai Ning'er had followed Li Sifeng down the mountain and picked up a magic treasure for him. Now she had helped him find an auspicious beast—truly a lucky star.
He had no intention of separating Li Sifeng and Bai Ning'er. He always felt that Li Sifeng's temperament and Destiny would lead him into plenty of trouble, and with Bai Ning'er around, it would surely help him turn danger into safety.
The Destiny Selection panel made Li Qingqiu feel like he was playing a game, but real life wasn't like that. He couldn't keep his junior brothers and sisters on the mountain forever, and the same went for his disciples. Each disciple had their own personality, their own pursuits—like Qin Ye, who carried the Qin family's heavy hopes and was destined not to stay at Azure Firmament Sect forever. Eventually, he would have to join the military, achieve merit, and bring glory to his family name.
As the two brothers chatted, the distant bushes rustled, and snow shook from the trees on either side. A massive creature slowly stepped into view.
Li Qingqiu turned to look, and his eyes immediately lit up.
What a magnificent qilin!
Before them, a qilin covered in dark red scales emerged from the undergrowth, picking its way through the grass. It stood two meters tall at the shoulder, with a head reaching three meters high, its body long and sleek. Its scales resembled countless blades, and the twin horns on its head were like two red swords, impossibly sharp. Flames danced around its hooves, and its tail, tipped with fire like a lion's, swayed gently.
Its dark golden eyes were sharp and indifferent, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure. Simply standing there, it embodied the dignity of a divine beast.
The qilin walked toward Li Qingqiu and Li Sifeng, its pace unhurried but clearly wary of Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu sensed a powerful force within it—similar to spiritual energy, far stronger than a martial artist's internal energy, yet fundamentally different in nature.
For such a powerful qilin to be injured... what had it encountered?
Li Qingqiu mused silently. He felt no fear, however, because although the qilin was strong, it didn't pose any danger to him.
"So? Isn't it majestic? I named it Blaze Qilin. Don't you think it looks like it's wreathed in flames?" Li Sifeng asked excitedly.
Li Qingqiu praised, "Indeed. But I don't sense any evil in it—it feels more like an auspicious omen. Its arrival will bring fortune to Azure Firmament Sect."
The Blaze Qilin seemed to understand human speech. Hearing Li Qingqiu's words, its gaze softened. It quickened its pace until it reached them, then began rubbing against Li Sifeng persistently, emitting deep, rumbling breaths.
Watching it like this, Li Qingqiu couldn't help but feel it was still young.
Could it be that it hadn't yet reached maturity?
"You'll take care of it from now on. Don't let it be seen by others," Li Qingqiu instructed.
For the coming year, he didn't plan to let Li Sifeng go down the mountain anyway—this would give him a good reason to stay and tend to the Blaze Qilin.
"No problem! Big Senior Brother, isn't my Blaze Qilin way more impressive than your Xiao Ba?" Li Sifeng raised his chin, looking at Li Qingqiu with a challenging expression.
Li Qingqiu smiled. "Xiao Ba is just an ordinary eagle. How could it compare to a qilin?"
Having the Blaze Qilin live on Azure Firmament Mountain might even help guard against enemies trying to sneak in.
Hearing Li Qingqiu's praise, Li Sifeng grew even happier, and the Blaze Qilin became more animated as well.
...
That year's Spring Festival was exceptionally lively. From the moment Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng's group returned, Azure Firmament Sect had been celebrating continuously.
Slaughtering the martial artists who had come to attack them netted the sect a substantial haul of money, weapons, and martial arts manuals. Most importantly, this battle greatly boosted the confidence of everyone in Azure Firmament Sect. The disciples realized that the sect they belonged to was truly formidable—capable of easily repelling even a joint attack by three major factions.
In the days that followed, more and more commoners, pilgrims, and martial artists came up the mountain. Commoners came to send their children for apprenticeship; pilgrims came having heard the legends of the Five Great Primordials, hoping to try their luck; and martial artists came drawn by tales of Azure Firmament Sect's achievements, seeking to forge connections.
By the time the winter snow in the Taikun Mountain Range had completely melted, people were ascending the mountain daily, making Azure Firmament Sect increasingly bustling.
One midday, three hundred li from Azure Firmament Mountain, Li Qingqiu stood on a cliff overlooking a mountain stream below.
Following his gaze, at the base of the cliff yawned a massive cave entrance leading underground. Four of the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament stood at the cave's edge, their figures seemingly on the verge of being swallowed by the darkness.
Li Sifeng emerged from the darkness, gazing up at Li Qingqiu as he shouted excitedly, "Big Senior Brother, there really are spirit stones! Even more than in the underground spirit lake—so many you can't count them!"
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu's lips curved upward. He wasn't surprised.
The reason he had discovered this spirit stone mine was, naturally, guided by the Fortune Opportunity memory.
Because this place was far from Azure Firmament Sect, he had needed time to prepare and carefully select trustworthy disciples to bring along.
He had decided to establish a stronghold here, assigning some true successor disciples to reside here and guard the spirit mine. To that end, he had brought Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Sifeng, and Bai Ning'er.
The spirit mine concerned Azure Firmament Sect's future, and Li Qingqiu regarded it with utmost importance. Jiang Zhaoxia would have to guard it—from now on, he would cultivate within the mine. This would not only accelerate his cultivation speed but also provide defense against external enemies. Relying solely on Li Sifeng, Li Qingqiu could never feel completely at ease.
With Bai Ning'er's Lucky Dog Destiny added to the mix, Li Qingqiu could return to Azure Firmament Sect with peace of mind.
"I understand. Bring them all up—I have instructions to give," Li Qingqiu called down. According to the Fortune Opportunity memory, he had already explored the cave, so he felt no curiosity.
Li Sifeng nodded and immediately walked back into the darkness to summon Jiang Zhaoxia and the others.
As Li Qingqiu contemplated how best to protect the spirit mine, Azure Firmament Sect was causing tremendous shockwaves throughout the martial arts world. A storm unlike anything Guzhou had seen since the dynasty's founding was about to break.
And Azure Firmament Sect would soon shake the world with its fame!
...
In the wilderness, beside an official road, stood an inn. Five tables were arrayed outside the entrance, each surrounded by seated patrons.
The black-robed woman who had once guided Li Qingqiu to the Seven Peaks Alliance sat at a table near the edge. Across from her sat a gray-robed elder. At this moment, the two were listening to other martial artists discuss the major events recently shaking the Guzhou martial world.
"The Seven Peaks Alliance, the Azure Cult, and Iron Moon Peak—all ranked among the seven great sects—brought experts from numerous second-rate factions to besiege Azure Firmament Sect. The scale was enormous, they say nearly ten thousand people. And yet, Azure Firmament Sect's experts crushed them effortlessly. Unbelievable."
"I know, right? I heard that the Dragon Subduing Hero, Yang Jueding, joined Azure Firmament Sect with his divine techniques."
"But the most formidable in Azure Firmament Sect isn't Yang Jueding. There's a young disciple named Xu Ning who killed Dian Ming, the Bloodblade. Dian Ming retired from the martial world for over a decade and was once the number one expert in Wei Prefecture. For someone of his caliber to die at the foot of Azure Firmament Mountain—Xu Ning's name will surely resound throughout the martial world."
"That's nothing compared to Jiang Zhaoxia. He led his thirteen disciples storming the Azure Cult headquarters and carved straight through them. Their Cult Leader, Dharma Protectors, Elders—all slain by his hand. They say even the Azure Cult's branch headquarters were wiped out by Jiang Zhaoxia. This Jiang Zhaoxia is terrifying—Guzhou's martial world has never seen such achievements. He almost single-handedly annihilated one of the seven great sects. I suspect Jiang Zhaoxia is even stronger than Yu Zhiyi now. He's the true number one in Guzhou!"
The martial artists at other tables were intensely excited, all discussing Azure Firmament Sect. When they mentioned Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning, their tones were filled with awe and reverence.
The gray-robed elder withdrew his gaze and looked at the black-robed woman, sighing emotionally, "Turbulent times in the martial world. Who would have thought that after Lin Xunfeng, Azure Firmament Sect could produce even more remarkable disciples? From now on, Azure Firmament Sect will rank among the seven great sects. Miss, I advise you to abandon your plans. Do not seek the Martial Arts Myth's divine art. This old man has no desire to die within Azure Firmament Sect."
The black-robed woman's expression was complex. She had never imagined Azure Firmament Sect would be this formidable.