Chapter 103: The World Trembles
In Li Qingqiu’s view, an unawakened constitution inevitably required a certain kind of stimulus—either a stimulus to the body or to the mind.
Yet, to what degree such a stimulus must reach, that was difficult to determine.
However, seeing that Yuan Li was still young, he could not bring himself to be ruthless.
Forget it.
The current sense of loss was also a form of tempering for one’s mentality.
Li Qingqiu believed that with his disciple’s heart of a Grandmaster and his resilient fate, Yuan Li would walk the right path and not lose his way.
Li Qingqiu closed his eyes and continued cultivating.
The Eighth Layer was drawing nearer and nearer.
……
Night descended.
Li Sifeng returned to Lingxiao Courtyard carrying the Emperor Mystic Sword.
He was utterly exhausted—today’s cultivation had drained his vital energy and spirit.
Though tired, he felt fulfilled.
The feeling of growing stronger day by day was truly wonderful.
Why had he never cherished it before?
Did he have to experience despair before awakening?
As Li Sifeng recalled how Cheng Xiu had come to watch him practice swordsmanship that afternoon, her face filled with admiration, his heart brimmed with a sense of accomplishment.
If the Prison Qilin had not arrived that day, not only would he have died, but Cheng Xiu and her younger brother would have perished as well.
The thought alone sent chills down his spine.
He looked up and saw his Senior Brother sitting at the long table.
“Senior Brother, it’s so late—why haven’t you rested yet?”
Li Sifeng approached with a smile.
Li Qingqiu set down the book in his hand and looked at him.
“I was waiting for you. I wish to assign you a task.”
Upon hearing this, Li Sifeng grew curious.
“What task?”
“With the fastest possible speed, reach the Fifth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm—and then annihilate the Pei Clan.” Li Qingqiu’s tone was calm.
At the mention of the Pei Clan, Li Sifeng’s eyes changed instantly.
He hated the Pei Clan to the bone.
Even without Li Qingqiu’s instruction, he had long sworn to settle that score one day.
“Alright!” Li Sifeng agreed without hesitation.
Li Qingqiu looked at him and said seriously, “Originally, our Clear Sky Sect had no grievances with the Pei Clan. But because you set your eyes on the Emperor Mystic Sword they coveted, a battle ensued, and enmity that cannot coexist was born between us. Many of our disciples died because of this. I’m not blaming you—the worthy obtain the treasure, and the Emperor Mystic Sword never belonged to the Pei Clan to begin with. I just hope that, from now on, before you act, you weigh the pros and cons carefully. You’ve grown up—it’s time to be mature.”
Hearing this, Li Sifeng felt deeply ashamed.
This time, he did not argue for himself.
“Go rest.” Li Qingqiu picked up his book again.
Li Sifeng took a deep breath, nodded firmly, and turned to leave.
……
Twenty days after Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning’s departure, they finally returned.
However, Li Qingqiu did not see Yan Lan.
Observing the heavy expressions on their faces, he already had a guess.
Li Qingqiu dismissed Zhao Zhen, Yuan Li, and the others from the courtyard—he wished to speak privately with the two.
Once the others had left, Li Qingqiu motioned for Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning to sit.
“The Crown Prince is dead.”
Jiang Zhaoxia’s first words made Li Qingqiu frown.
Though he had already suspected it, hearing it confirmed still stirred a complex feeling in his heart.
Seeing that neither of them was injured, he asked, “You didn’t make it in time?”
“We did. We even rescued him from the Imperial Palace. But on the way out of the city, the poison suddenly took effect. It must have been lying dormant in his body for at least half a month. That means, before his uprising, someone had already poisoned him. The poison was extremely insidious— even with the power of the Primordial Unity Scripture, we couldn’t expel it. He chose to stay behind and face death, telling us to escape.” Jiang Zhaoxia’s voice was heavy—this was his first failed mission, and his mood was grim.
Xu Ning’s expression was just as somber.
The two had spoken little on their return journey.
“So you abandoned him?” Li Qingqiu asked in surprise.
“Of course not,” Jiang Zhaoxia frowned.
“We wanted to bring him back for you to heal, but he refused at all costs. He said he couldn’t flee—if he did, Zhao Zhen and the Clear Sky Sect would be in danger. He had to die within the Imperial City. Before long, the poison erupted, and he died. We could only leave his body behind.”
Xu Ning nodded.
“He was right.”
Li Qingqiu fell silent.
He had not spent much time with Yan Lan, and their friendship was shallow.
But Yan Lan was Zhao Zhen’s father, and he feared that his death might change Zhao Zhen’s temperament.
“Also, the masters in the Imperial Palace were no ordinary people. There was one named Xuan Gong—his martial strength was not inferior to Shen Yue’s. Though the two of us were confident that together we could kill him, he had many subordinates, all powerful and well-coordinated. Since we had to protect the Crown Prince, we were forced to flee,” Jiang Zhaoxia continued, his expression grave at the mention of Xuan Gong.
Xu Ning added, “Xuan Gong’s cultivation far surpassed the Sword God’s, though the Sword God’s sword intent made up for it. We fear this may only be the tip of the iceberg. If Xuan Gong could personally pursue us, that means there are likely others of similar strength remaining in the palace to guard the Emperor.”
“And there’s another possibility—that the Emperor himself is stronger than Xuan Gong. Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep Xuan Gong within the palace. Moreover, the Emperor has consumed the Martial Legend’s Inner Core…”
She did not finish, but Li Qingqiu understood.
That Emperor’s strength was now unfathomable—he could not be underestimated.
Li Qingqiu looked up.
At some point, rolling dark clouds had gathered across the heavens.
He murmured, “Looks like it’s going to rain.”
……
The Crown Prince’s rebellion—and his death at the hands of the Forbidden Martial Guards under His Majesty’s command—spread like a storm across the Nine Provinces, shaking the world.
From the common folk to the martial world, all spoke of it.
Countless officials and noble clans were subjected to severe investigation by imperial decree.
In Zhenyang Imperial City, heads rolled daily; the execution grounds flowed with rivers of blood.
When this news reached the Clear Sky Sect, it was precisely during the New Year Festival.
The disciples were celebrating merrily when pilgrims arriving on the mountain brought the news.
Word spread quickly among them, and soon it became the topic of every discussion.
Ku Yi and Ku Er sought out Zhao Zhen, afraid he might act rashly.
Yet, they found him seated in meditation atop a peak, spiritual energy swirling around him.
The two exchanged glances, choosing not to disturb him—but neither did they leave.
They feared Zhao Zhen might lose control.
Within Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu gathered the Hall Masters to discuss the matter.
“From this moment on, Zhao Zhen’s identity is a sect secret. It must not be disclosed to anyone.” Li Qingqiu’s gaze swept over the group as he spoke solemnly.
Zhu Yan’s expression was troubled.
Noticing this, Li Qingqiu asked, “Hall Master Zhu, what’s wrong?”
All eyes turned toward Zhu Yan.
The Crown Prince’s death had placed great pressure upon them all.
They could already sense that the Emperor would not rest easy.
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Yan said, “My family hasn’t sent word lately. I fear they’ve been implicated.”
Li Qingqiu asked, “Do you and Lady Su need to return to check?”
Zhu Yan shook her head.
“If something truly has happened, going back would serve no purpose. It’s better to remain in the Clear Sky Sect and observe the situation. Even if the Zhu Family chose the wrong side, as long as some bloodline remains, I must stay to protect it.”
She paused, then added, “If Sect Master wishes for us to avoid suspicion, we can descend the mountain immediately.”
Li Qingqiu smiled wryly.
“We dared to shelter the Crown Prince’s son—why would we fear sheltering you?”
At this, Zhu Yan smiled faintly.
Li Qingqiu then opened his Dao Lineage panel to check her loyalty.
Hmm, increased by one point.
Not bad.
“Senior Brother, how should we respond to the turmoil sweeping across the realm?” Li Dongyue asked.
Before Li Qingqiu could answer, Zhang Yuchun spoke first.
“This is a struggle for imperial power—it has nothing to do with us. As long as Third Junior Brother and Disciple Xu haven’t revealed their identities, all is fine. I’ve already arranged to monitor Guzhou’s checkpoints. If anything arises, we’ll be informed immediately.”
The Crown Prince’s death actually relieved him somewhat.
Had Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning truly brought the Crown Prince back to the Clear Sky Sect, he would not have known how to handle it.
One thing was certain—the Emperor would never let it go.
No matter how well they hid, eventually the truth would come out.
He admitted his thoughts were selfish, but in his eyes, the Clear Sky Sect came first.
Zhao Zhen was not his disciple.
The sect could not afford to be dragged into ruin for the sake of the boy’s father.
The others nodded in agreement.
Their stance was unanimous—stay quiet, strengthen themselves, and watch the tides of the world unfold.
Hearing their responses, Li Qingqiu said no more on the matter.
Instead, he shifted the topic.
“A new year has come. This is my eighth year as Sect Master. Our goal this year: excluding servant disciples, our total disciples should surpass three thousand, and True Transmission Disciples should exceed four hundred. But this growth must be steady—we must not chase quick success.”
He continued outlining the major objectives for the Seven Halls and the Sword Sect, which the Hall Masters recorded diligently.
By dusk, Li Qingqiu went to the cliff where Zhao Zhen was cultivating.
He dismissed Ku Yi and Ku Er, then approached his disciple alone.
“Why are you cultivating here by yourself?” Li Qingqiu asked.
Zhao Zhen opened his eyes and turned toward his Master.
“Master, you need not worry about me, nor comfort me. My father already told me before sending me to the Clear Sky Sect—his situation was one of certain death. He said he would either die of illness or at my grandfather’s hand.”
Li Qingqiu was surprised—he hadn’t expected Yan Lan to have told his son beforehand.
Zhao Zhen had been so young then, yet had not let that knowledge crush his spirit.
Even now, at only eight years old, upon hearing of his father’s death, he did not cry.
Li Qingqiu found himself unsure how to comfort him.
Zhao Zhen said seriously, “My father said that if he must die, he’d rather die meaningfully. If he died at my grandfather’s hand, the world would surely tremble. The commoners would curse my grandfather’s folly, and no matter how powerful the imperial throne, it would one day collapse beneath the weight of the people’s hearts.”
Li Qingqiu reached out and ruffled his hair.
“I sent your Third Martial Uncle and Senior Sister to rescue your father, but he was already poisoned and could not be saved. Before dying, his last wish was to perish within the Imperial City—to spare you, and the Clear Sky Sect, from trouble.”
Hearing this, Zhao Zhen smiled faintly.
“Master, though my father was weak in body, would you say his final act makes him a true man?”
Li Qingqiu smiled in return.
“Of course. He was a man among men—and a great father.”
Zhao Zhen’s smile brightened.
Bowing with his fists clasped, his expression held a hint of Yan Lan’s former spirit.
“I will train hard—I won’t let Father down.”
Watching Zhao Zhen’s resolve, Li Qingqiu suddenly thought of his disciple’s fragile fate—one destined for calamity.
Would the Emperor seek to eliminate every last root, even his own grandson?