Chapter 112: Martial God Pass
After confirming Li Sifeng’s intentions, Li Qingqiu no longer worried about the matter.
Li Sifeng also wasn’t in a hurry to get married; following his Senior Brother’s arrangement, he decided to wait for a year first, using the time to strengthen his own power.
Li Sifeng began training diligently.
His change in attitude inspired the disciples of the Tempering Hall.
In the past, since Li Sifeng had spent long periods outside, the hall’s discipline had grown lax, placing its overall strength at the bottom among the Seven Halls.
Now, with Li Sifeng taking the lead in cultivation and the Thirteen Sword Fiends joining in, the Tempering Hall finally ushered in a chance for transformation.
The Clear Sky Sect continued its steady growth.
At the end of February, Li Qingqiu permitted the Seven Halls to recruit ten more disciples, stirring a considerable commotion within the sect.
Although the disciples of the Seven Halls didn’t enjoy the same treatment as the True Transmission Disciples, their privileges far exceeded those of Inner Disciples — they held both wealth and authority.
Naturally, most disciples coveted such a position.
In the forest, Li Qingqiu watched Zhao Zhen and Li Yang sparring using the Divine Dragon Transformation.
Two golden dragons clashed continuously, shaking the mountains and forests, dust billowing skyward — a magnificent sight indeed.
Li Qingqiu’s robes and black hair were blown wildly by the wind.
Zhang Yuchun stood beside Li Qingqiu.
This wasn’t his first time seeing Zhao Zhen and Li Yang duel with the Divine Dragon Transformation.
The first time, he had been shocked; after witnessing it several times, the feeling faded — yet his gaze was still inevitably drawn to the spectacle.
He had to admit, after Zhao Zhen modified the Divine Dragon Transformation into a spell, it became extremely impressive to watch.
Zhang Yuchun even felt an urge to learn it himself — yet, no matter how he practiced from the secret manual Zhao Zhen wrote, he couldn’t grasp it.
“Senior Brother, those great families are really outrageous. For a single Seven Hall quota, they’re willing to throw in ten thousand taels of gold. Do you know how many disciples could live off that?”
Zhang Yuchun said indignantly.
The more he dealt with those noble families, the more he realized how cruel the world was.
Their wealth was beyond the imagination of commoners — most townsfolk had never even read a book.
If you placed that much money before them, they wouldn’t even know how to count it.
Li Qingqiu said calmly, “Such things are inevitable. You might refuse, but you can’t guarantee others will.”
In the Great Li Dynasty, the weight of gold differed from the modern world.
It was more akin to ancient times — and gold wasn’t pure, but a special red-gold alloy.
Ten thousand taels weighed about a thousand catties, yet even so, it was an extravagant fortune.
“What should we do then? If this precedent is set, won’t those great families do whatever they want?” Zhang Yuchun grew anxious.
“What’s there to fear? Leave such matters to the Enforcement Hall. The more you worry and try to intervene, the harder you make things for them.”
Li Qingqiu replied as he saw the two golden dragons cease their battle — the dragon aura dissipated, revealing Zhao Zhen and Li Yang’s true forms.
“The Enforcement Hall?”
Zhang Yuchun froze.
The image of Chai Yunshang surfaced in his mind, and he asked with concern, “With Chai Yunshang’s temper, won’t she end up making enemies?”
Li Qingqiu rolled his eyes and said impatiently, “So what if she does? Anyone who dares to break our rules is provoking us to begin with. Enough, stop worrying about it. Just hold fast to your principles — don’t let the day come when Chai Yunshang throws evidence of your wrongdoing in my face.”
Zhang Yuchun looked embarrassed.
“The Clear Sky Sect is our sect. How could I ever harm it for money?”
“There’s something called emotion,” Li Qingqiu said quietly.
“And the power of emotion is terrifying — it can make a man lose his principles and even change his nature.”
With that, Li Qingqiu stepped forward toward Zhao Zhen and Li Yang.
Zhang Yuchun pondered Li Qingqiu’s words and did not follow.
Zhao Zhen placed his hands on his hips and grinned proudly.
“Well? My Divine Dragon Transformation is still stronger, isn’t it?”
Li Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of admiration.
“Indeed, you’re stronger. But I really don’t get it — your body’s smaller than mine, yet how do you keep such an advantage?”
He had once believed that through effort and his physical advantage, he could surpass Zhao Zhen — yet reality proved otherwise.
Though Zhao Zhen was only nine years old, the pressure he exuded in combat was immense.
Li Yang felt as though every one of his moves was seen through, leaving him uncomfortable in every exchange.
Seeing Li Yang admit defeat, Zhao Zhen coughed lightly and said, “Actually, if you had used your Dragon Soul, I might not have won.”
Speaking of the Dragon Soul, he couldn’t fully understand it.
It didn’t seem like martial arts — more like a ghostly presence.
Could ghosts truly be used by people?
Zhao Zhen faintly began to form an idea.
“When you grow up, even with the power of the Dragon Soul, I’ll probably find it hard to defeat you,” Li Yang said with a smile and a shake of his head.
Though there was an age gap, their temperaments matched.
They spent every day together now, forming a close bond — which, however, caused Zhao Zhen’s relationship with Yuan Li to grow distant, and Li Yang to see less of his cousin.
Li Qingqiu didn’t like to interfere with disciples’ personal relationships.
In fact, Zhao Zhen and Li Yang growing closer wasn’t necessarily a bad thing — only, it was pitiful for Yuan Li, who was now always alone.
“I’ve also mastered the Divine Dragon Transformation. How about the two of you join hands and spar with me?”
Li Qingqiu walked forward as he spoke.
Hearing this, Zhao Zhen and Li Yang exchanged excited glances.
Zhang Yuchun quietly left, not disturbing them.
——
By mid-March, a storm-like piece of news swept across the lands of the Nine Provinces — and soon reached the Clear Sky Sect.
Before the Martial Arena, as disciples and patrons awaited the start of the matches, they chatted about worldly affairs.
“Have you heard? King of Weizhou led the armies of seven provinces to attack Martial God Pass in Zhongtian Province — and still hasn’t breached it.”
“Of course I’ve heard. They say the court has a general who’s won fifty-two consecutive duels on the battlefield. Even peerless martial experts of the martial world can’t withstand a single move from him.”
“If they can’t even cross Martial God Pass, how can they hope to capture the Demon Emperor?”
“Sigh, that Demonic Cult runs rampant in the northern martial world.
They used to act in secret, but now they plunder children and slaughter entire families in broad daylight.
This world grows darker by the day.”
“At least Guzhou has become the safest province. Many refugees, noble families, and merchants are all migrating there.”
While the disciples gossiped, Li Qingqiu faced the matter directly.
Inside the Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun sat at a long table.
Across from them sat three men — one of whom was Qin Jue, Qin Ye’s father.
After exchanging glances with the other two, Qin Jue said, “Sect Master, I know your Clear Sky Sect wishes to stay apart from worldly conflict, and indeed, it is a place of purity. But when calamity strikes the world, none can remain untouched. The Demon Emperor Zhao Zhi disregards the welfare of the people and unrestrainedly orders the Demonic Cult to abduct the children of commoners. The evils committed by the Demonic Cult in Guzhou’s state capital — Sect Master, you surely remember. Sooner or later, they will march south, and then the Clear Sky Sect won’t be able to avoid war with them.”
“Only by storming Martial God Pass and attacking Zhenyang Imperial City will the Demon Emperor gather all his forces to confront the allied army. If the Clear Sky Sect could dispatch a single expert to slay that demonic general for us, the allied forces could advance unhindered — and countless commoners would be saved.”
The two men beside him nodded in agreement.
Both were from different noble families, having come sincerely.
Large chests filled with gold and jewels stood in the courtyard.
Li Qingqiu asked, “Tell me more about that demonic general. How formidable is he?”
The Pei family member seated to Qin Jue’s left spoke at once, “That demonic general is named Chang Wu. He learned martial arts from the Great Martial Sect and later joined the army, fighting on the borders for more than a decade. Though formidable in the past, he was nowhere near his current level. Now, his strength is monstrous — ordinary arrows bounce off his skin. On the battlefield, he’s a force of nature, a slaughtering machine. Only dueling limits his destructive power.”
Li Qingqiu’s expression grew thoughtful.
He recalled Lady Chen Huilan once saying that she had refined Martial God Pills for the Cui Family — and the effects of those pills matched Chang Wu’s condition perfectly.
The three visitors waited anxiously.
The frontlines were in peril, and many sects had already sent their experts — all of whom perished under Chang Wu’s hand.
Now, the Clear Sky Sect was their last hope.
“You may go for now,” Li Qingqiu said at last.
“Tomorrow, I’ll assign someone to accompany you to Martial God Pass.”
The three men were overjoyed, rising quickly to bow in thanks.
Zhang Yuchun escorted them out and returned a while later.
Sitting beside Li Qingqiu, he said emotionally, “The two men Qin Jue brought are no ordinary figures. Pei Xuantang of the Pei Clan once topped the imperial examinations — he’s famous throughout Zhongtian Province. The other, Lu Yi, is a decorated general commanding five thousand elite cavalrymen.”
Li Qingqiu said, “I plan to send Li Sifeng and Wu Man’er. What do you think?”
Zhang Yuchun frowned.
“Their martial strength doesn’t worry me — both are at the Fifth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm. I’m only afraid their minds aren’t yet seasoned, and they might fall into a trap.”
“Then take Zhang Yu along. Didn’t that fellow say he wanted to see more of the world?”
“That works. Zhang Yu is clever and resourceful — with him there, I’ll feel more at ease.”
Zhang Yuchun smiled.
Zhang Yu had served them faithfully for years and was trustworthy.
Li Qingqiu instructed, “Tell them about this tonight. Have them prepare and depart early tomorrow.”
“Understood!”
Zhang Yuchun left excitedly.
Li Qingqiu looked up at the sky.
It was such a clear blue — it hardly seemed part of this turbid world.
That evening, the seven gathered at the Lingxiao Courtyard for dinner.
Li Dongyue sat beside Wu Man’er, chatting nonstop, while Li Sijin kept warning Li Sifeng to look after Wu Man’er.
“Come on, I’ve been down the mountain plenty of times. And with Fifth Senior Brother so strong, what’s there to worry about? Even if ten Chang Wus come at us, we’ll cut them down one by one!” Li Sifeng said loudly, full of confidence.
Wu Man’er grinned innocently.
“Yeah, we’re not afraid. We’re really strong.”
Though simple-minded, he had his own thoughts.
He had always been curious about the outside world, but his senior brothers and sisters never let him go.
He didn’t want them to worry, so he had stayed silent until now.
“If need be, I’ll go too — I’ll protect them from the shadows without stealing their glory,” Jiang Zhaoxia whispered beside Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu looked at Wu Man’er and smiled softly.
“No need.”
Jiang Zhaoxia frowned.
“Senior Brother, better be cautious — we can’t risk something irreversible.”
Li Qingqiu turned to him, his lips moving slightly.
Jiang Zhaoxia’s eyes widened — then he exhaled in relief.
But a moment later, realization struck.
He looked around — no one else seemed to have heard Li Qingqiu’s words.