Chapter 100: The First Manifestation of the Dragon Soul
Li Qingqiu did not stop Zhang Yuchun and Yang Jueding from arguing; he even hoped they would speak more and lay out all the pros and cons.
Zhang Yuchun’s words gained the approval of Li Dongyue and Li Sijin.
Compared to the entire world, they cared more about protecting the people of Clear Sky Mountain.
Li Sifeng rarely supported Yang Jueding, but this time he did.
He believed that if they helped the Crown Prince ascend the throne, it would be a deed of establishing a new emperor, and the Clear Sky Sect could then become the Number One Sect Under Heaven.
Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning remained silent, quietly waiting for the decision.
After a long time—
Zhang Yuchun and Yang Jueding were arguing so fiercely they were out of breath.
Sitting down, Zhang Yuchun turned toward Li Qingqiu and said, “Senior Brother, say something! Are you inclined to save him or not?”
Yang Jueding also sat down, his gaze fixed tensely on Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu pondered.
“Hall Master Zhang worries that if we fail to save the Crown Prince, it will bring disaster to the Clear Sky Sect. What if we conceal our identities to rescue him? If the Crown Prince succeeds, we can quietly withdraw; if he encounters danger, we act masked, without exposing the Clear Sky Sect.”
Zhang Yuchun opened his mouth but said nothing—he understood Senior Brother’s meaning.
Yang Jueding expressed his agreement.
Though he cared for the world, he was not so stubborn as to drag the whole sect into danger.
“It’s the Imperial City we’re talking about,” Zhu Yan said earnestly.
“Experts are countless there. You must understand—those within the city are far stronger than the ones in the martial world. No man can escape fame and fortune. Imperial power gathers the most formidable people under heaven.”
She felt gratified that Li Qingqiu was willing to act for the Crown Prince and believed she had not followed the wrong person.
“I’ll go!”
“I’ll go!”
Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning spoke simultaneously, then turned to glare at each other, neither willing to yield.
Hearing this, all the Hall Masters—including Zhu Yan—let out a breath of relief.
No matter which of the two went, there would be no problem with self-preservation.
Li Qingqiu smiled.
“You’ll go together. Act according to the situation. Protecting the Crown Prince is the top priority. Remember—do not reveal your identities.”
Xu Ning frowned; Jiang Zhaoxia hesitated to speak.
Li Qingqiu continued, “You two are the sharpest blades of the Clear Sky Sect. Only if you go together can I rest assured. This will be your first time joining forces—even if monsters and demons hide within the Imperial City, I believe you’ll both return safely.”
Hearing that, Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning could only nod.
Li Sifeng, sitting in the corner, lowered his gaze to the Emperor Mystic Sword in his arms, feeling a strange discomfort.
He thought that if the Emperor Mystic Sword were given to Jiang Zhaoxia or Xu Ning, their strength would greatly increase, and they could accomplish anything.
Yet now, the Emperor Mystic Sword was in his hands, and Senior Brother did not trust him to act alone.
“Do you wish to become stronger? Then wield me—truly wield me.”
A hoarse and ancient voice echoed in Li Sifeng’s mind, making him dazed.
Only when someone patted his shoulder did he come back to himself.
“What are you thinking about, so absent-minded?” Li Sijin frowned and stared at him, worried.
Li Sifeng regained his senses and noticed Li Qingqiu was also watching him, while the others had already left.
He quickly said, “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about sword techniques.”
After speaking, he stood up and hurriedly left Lingxiao Courtyard as if escaping.
As the Seven Halls became busier, most Hall Masters began staying overnight in their respective halls—there was simply too much to handle.
“Senior Brother, my brother’s really fine?” Li Sijin asked Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu smiled.
“He is, but it’s a good kind of ‘something.’”
He stood up and walked toward his residence.
Hearing that, Li Sijin breathed a sigh of relief.
Though Senior Brother wouldn’t elaborate, she trusted his judgment.
When the moon set and the sun rose, Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning quietly descended the mountain at dawn, following Ma Yu.
Upon learning that Li Qingqiu had sent these two to assist him in rescuing the Crown Prince, Ma Yu was thrilled.
Even while staying in the Imperial City, he had heard of Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning—their reputations thundered through the martial world as peerless geniuses.
The three moved in utmost secrecy, undetected by other disciples of the Clear Sky Sect.
Atop the mountain, Li Qingqiu practiced his cultivation, with Zhao Zhen and Yuan Li meditating behind him.
He was evaluating the sect’s overall combat strength.
Shen Yue’s loyalty was steadily rising—it had reached 80.
His power was equivalent to the Sixth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm, comparable even to the Seventh.
When he had lost to Li Qingqiu, it wasn’t merely because of realm differences.
After all, Li Qingqiu possessed the Hundred-Refinement Demonic Body, a hundredfold reservoir of Vital Energy.
Next came Li Sifeng—he had recently broken through to the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm.
With the Emperor Mystic Sword, his true power was hard to measure.
Wu Man’er and Xue Jin were both at the Fourth Layer, talented fighters who formed the sect’s backbone—though Xue Jin was currently away on a mission.
Zhao Zhen and Ji Ya were also improving quickly, but they were still too young, best kept within the sect for now.
Then again, Li Qingqiu remembered that he and Jiang Zhaoxia had begun killing enemies when they were mere youths, so he reminded himself not to underestimate the next generation.
“We’re still short on manpower… we must endure a while longer.”
He thought quietly.
In his expectations, when the Clear Sky Sect could challenge all of the Nine Provinces’ martial world single-handedly, that would mark its peak as a martial sect.
Becoming an Immortal Cultivation Sect didn’t necessarily mean transcending the mortal world—it could also mean standing above it, without leaving it behind.
After his morning cultivation, Li Qingqiu went to the Sword Sect Hall to inspect the disciples.
The first batch already numbered over a hundred.
When Li Qingqiu entered the Sword Sect Hall, he saw Shen Yue instructing them in sword practice—one hundred disciples aligned in neat formation, swinging their swords in unison.
It was an awe-inspiring sight.
Li Qingqiu also noticed Li Sifeng there, which brought a smile to his face.
“The Sect Master has arrived!”
Someone shouted, and all eyes turned toward Li Qingqiu.
Excitement burst across their faces—they could hardly restrain themselves from rushing forward.
“Focus!”
Shen Yue’s voice cut through the air, snapping everyone back to discipline.
Yang Lin and her four companions trembled with excitement upon seeing Li Qingqiu.
Each had been personally carried out of the medicine vat by him—they would never forget the feeling of opening their eyes and seeing him that day.
Though still young, they already bore hearts willing to follow Li Qingqiu through fire and water.
Li Qingqiu observed them one by one.
Seeing no problems, he was secretly satisfied—Yuan Qi and his small followers had handled things perfectly.
Jiang Zhaoxia’s disciple Han Lang was also nervous, afraid that his swordplay might disappoint the Sect Master.
Within the Clear Sky Sect, regardless of whose disciple one was, all held nearly blind admiration for the Sect Master.
In their eyes, he was the perfect strong one—gentle yet invincible—the ideal they longed to become.
Li Qingqiu watched for a while, then quietly turned away, not interrupting Shen Yue’s instruction.
Shen Yue, noticing this, was pleased.
This young Sect Master was indeed extraordinary—if Li Qingqiu had forced an unnecessary speech and interrupted his teaching, Shen Yue would’ve had to endure it, as his own senior brother loved giving such useless speeches when founding the sect.
Leaving the Sword Sect Hall, Li Qingqiu went to Li Sijin’s Medicine Garden.
Chen Huilan and her father Chen Yu had already been transferred to the Free Spirit Hall and now resided in the Medicine Garden to assist Li Sijin.
She now had eighteen disciples under her command, and the garden had expanded considerably.
Both father and daughter were deeply interested in Spiritual Plants, studying their cultivation alongside Li Sijin.
Chen Huilan’s loyalty had reached 80, so Li Qingqiu taught her the First Layer of the Primordial Unity Scripture.
As for her father, he still needed further observation.
That entire day, Li Qingqiu made rounds across all seven halls.
Every disciple who saw him was thrilled.
Though he merely walked around and showed concern, nearly twenty disciples’ loyalty rose to 90.
It seemed that periodic inspections indeed had their benefits.
……
Snow was falling thickly.
Li Yang practiced with his spear in the courtyard.
Now at the Third Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm, he once again performed his family’s spear technique—his aura far stronger than before.
Vital Energy coiled around his body, faintly forming the shape of a dragon, making him look even more imposing.
The Dragon Soul’s first manifestation!
Zhao Linglong hurried into the courtyard.
She stopped beside the stone table, watching Li Yang.
“Cousin, something’s happened in the Imperial City. The Li Family summons you home.”
Li Yang did not halt his movements.
“What’s happened?” he asked.
“The Crown Prince is likely to rebel.
The palace has been sealed, and many ministers are urging him to act decisively—but he’s still hesitating.”
Li Yang finally stopped upon hearing her words.
He frowned.
“Why would the Crown Prince rebel? The throne will be his sooner or later.”
“Don’t forget—His Majesty is pursuing the Elixir of Immortality.”
Li Yang fell silent.
At those words, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
The bloody tragedy at the Guzhou State Capital still burned in his memory.
“Whom does the Li Family intend to support?” he asked.
Zhao Linglong hesitated, then said, “Likely the Crown Prince. Not only the Li Family—many great clans have decided the same. His Majesty grows increasingly tyrannical, threatening the interests of all major families. This time, they intend to overthrow the court and establish a new order. So, they summoned you back—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to earn merit.”
Li Yang replied, “I must consult with the Sect Master about this.”
He grabbed his silver spear and strode out of the courtyard.
Zhao Linglong turned after him, worry flashing in her eyes.
She felt her cousin was becoming more distant—no longer talking about fame or achievements, always mentioning the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect.
She wondered what sort of spell that Sect Master had cast over him.
Half an hour later, Li Yang tracked down Li Qingqiu in a forest, where he was instructing Chai Yunshang in cultivation.
“Sect Master!”
Li Yang called from afar.
When Li Qingqiu turned and waved him over, he quickly approached.
He relayed everything Zhao Linglong had said, then asked, “Sect Master, do you think I should return?”
Chai Yunshang, who had been practicing the Ghostly Immortal Needle of Rejuvenation, quietly stepped aside to continue her training alone.
Li Qingqiu met Li Yang’s gaze and said, “From a personal standpoint, I’d rather you stay. In a struggle for imperial power, no matter who wins, the people always suffer. The only difference is how long they suffer. The Clear Sky Sect cannot yet protect all under heaven—but we can shield the commoners near the Ancient Great Mountain Range.”
Li Yang nodded.
“Then I’ll stay.”
He smiled and added, “Sect Master, my Dragon Soul grows stronger by the day. Might you give me some guidance?”