Chapter 135: The Power of Fate
Summer passed and autumn came.
After more than two months of spreading rumors, the people under heaven had completely confirmed one thing—the Son of Heaven was truly dead.
Inspector-General offices across the provinces began recruiting soldiers and buying horses.
Royal families and noble clans appeared one after another.
Increasing numbers of scholars took to the streets to persuade the townsfolk.
All under heaven could feel the unstoppable tide of chaos surging forth.
With Li Qingqiu’s record of achievements, the Clear Sky Sect entered an unprecedented stage.
Its gates were thronged with visitors, and the threshold of the Free Spirit Hall was nearly worn flat by endless footsteps.
Li Qingqiu no longer showed his face in public, devoting himself entirely to breaking through to the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm.
Zhang Yuchun also felt that it was time for him to put on some airs, as it was an excellent opportunity to elevate the Clear Sky Sect’s reputation in the martial world.
During this period, Clear Sky Daoist, Feng Dai, and Ma Yu returned to the sect.
Clear Sky Daoist was utterly astonished at the changes in the sect.
He even suspected he had gone to the wrong place.
Li Qingqiu gathered Zhang Yuchun, Wu Man’er, Li Sifeng, and Li Sijin, introducing Clear Sky Daoist to them and asking his junior brothers and sisters to keep him company for conversation.
Afterward, he went to receive Feng Dai and Ma Yu.
After some polite exchanges, he had Yuan Qi arrange lodging for the two.
That day, within the Subterranean Spiritual Lake.
Chu Jing opened his eyes and looked at Li Qingqiu, who was cultivating, unable to resist asking, “You are already invincible under heaven. Neither I, Zhao Zhi, nor Grandmaster Jiang could withstand a single sword from you. Why do you still cultivate so diligently?”
Despite his own formidable strength, Chu Jing had always allowed himself some rest in the past.
Yet, ever since following Li Qingqiu, he discovered that aside from guiding disciples in cultivation, eating, and attending meetings, Li Qingqiu spent all his time cultivating.
He began to understand why Li Qingqiu was so powerful, yet he still could not comprehend what drove him to cultivate so relentlessly.
Without opening his eyes, Li Qingqiu replied, “Because I like it.”
“Like it?”
“Mm. Don’t you think this feeling of constantly becoming stronger is wonderful? Besides, like Zhao Zhi, I also seek immortality—but I wish to achieve it through my own efforts, to truly transform myself into an undying being.”
Li Qingqiu’s answer left Chu Jing deep in thought.
At that moment, a voice came from a nearby passage:
“Master, may I come in?”
The voice belonged to Zhao Zhen.
Li Qingqiu opened his eyes and replied, “Come in.”
At those words, Zhao Zhen darted out from the passage and quickly ran toward Li Qingqiu.
Chu Jing turned his gaze toward Zhao Zhen.
He had been to the Clear Sky Sect before and had met the boy—an extraordinary genius who had shocked even him.
He also knew Zhao Zhen was Zhao Lan’s son and Emperor Zhao Zhi’s grandson.
“Master, I’ve improved the Great Sun Pure Yang Art again!” Zhao Zhen said excitedly as he reached Li Qingqiu.
He had already transformed the Great Sun Pure Yang Art into a cultivation method suitable for the Immortal Path, but he could still sense its inferiority compared to the Primordial Unity Scripture, so he kept seeking ways to refine it further.
Before Li Qingqiu could respond, Zhao Zhen began to circulate his energy.
As he raised his hands according to the technique, the Spiritual Energy within the entire Subterranean Spiritual Lake surged toward him.
The temperature around him began to rise rapidly.
“The Great Sun Pure Yang Art? Impossible...” Chu Jing’s pupils widened, as though witnessing something beyond belief.
He knew this art well—it was the Zhao Family’s hereditary technique, once practiced by Zhao Zhi.
However, ever since Grandmaster Jiang had presented the sinister technique, Zhao Zhi had abandoned it.
Chu Jing himself had secretly practiced the Great Sun Pure Yang Art before and knew its nature well.
For this child—only nine years old—to have refined it to such a level?
At that moment, he felt the power of fate.
Even without Li Qingqiu, with Zhao Zhen’s talent, both he and Zhao Zhi were destined to die.
He had never sent anyone to kill Zhao Zhen precisely because he admired Zhao Zhen’s father, Zhao Lan.
If Zhao Lan had been born a Nangong, Chu Jing would have laughed in his sleep.
As Zhao Zhen’s cultivation continued, the pure yang Vital Energy condensed behind him into a ball of flame, growing larger and larger, causing the temperature in the cavern to soar dramatically.
Lin Chuan and Nangong E shrank back in fear, and even Chu Jing looked on in astonishment.
This art could make ghosts feel pain from its heat?
This child…
Chu Jing’s expression grew increasingly complex.
After stepping into cultivation, he had discovered his aptitude far surpassed his martial talent, and he had grown proud, believing himself born for cultivation.
Yet upon seeing Zhao Zhen’s self-created technique today, he suddenly realized his own talent and comprehension were nothing remarkable.
Li Qingqiu was also somewhat surprised.
He hadn’t expected Zhao Zhen to refine the Great Sun Pure Yang Art to such a degree.
Not only had the Vital Energy grown stronger, but it could now draw upon the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth to reinforce itself.
Remarkable!
As the fireball behind Zhao Zhen continued to swell, Li Qingqiu finally said, “That’s enough, stop now.”
Zhao Zhen halted immediately, looking up at Li Qingqiu expectantly.
“Very good, Zhen’er. You are the greatest genius your master has ever seen—without equal. The current Great Sun Pure Yang Art is worthy of being recorded in the sect’s history and even of having a monument erected in your honor. Are you willing to have it entered into the Scripture Repository and your name engraved in stone?” Li Qingqiu said earnestly.
Overjoyed, Zhao Zhen nodded quickly.
“I am! Of course I am! All the techniques and martial arts I create can be added to the Scripture Repository. After all, my inspiration comes from you, Master—you are the source of it all.”
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly, finding the boy clever beyond his years.
The reason Zhao Zhen worked so hard to create techniques was, in truth, to earn a monument.
Many disciples sought to emulate Ming Guang, who had become a shining figure in the sect for his contributions.
Thanks to that stone monument, Ming Guang now outshone all the other prodigies of the sect.
Zhao Zhen moved closer to Li Qingqiu, eagerly discussing his new ideas while Li Qingqiu listened attentively.
Chu Jing sat beside them, watching this scene in a daze.
He recalled long ago, when he too, as a young boy, had proudly shown his martial talent before the Emperor of Great Wei.
Back then, the Emperor had gazed upon him with the same gentle eyes that Li Qingqiu now wore.
“By the way, Zhen’er, what are your plans for the future?” Li Qingqiu suddenly asked.
Zhao Zhen tilted his head.
“Plans? Of course—to keep cultivating, to keep creating techniques and martial arts for the sect. My great vengeance has already been avenged by you, Master—what other plans could I have?”
Li Qingqiu asked softly, “Do you resent your master?”
Zhao Zhen widened his eyes.
“Resent you? If it weren’t for you, I’d have had to kill my own grandfather. If that day had come, I don’t even know what kind of person I’d become. I only feel gratitude toward you—never resentment.”
And he truly meant it.
Deep down, he admired most the way his master had charged alone through thousands of troops with unmatched heroism.
Li Qingqiu thought of Zhao Zhen’s fragile fate.
Zhao Zhi and Xuan Gong were dead—would Zhao Zhen still face future calamities?
On reflection, neither Zhao Zhi nor Xuan Gong had truly threatened Zhao Zhen, and Li Qingqiu’s actions had not been for Zhao Zhen’s sake.
Yet he worried that the boy’s fate would bring even greater trials later.
“The world is in chaos. As one of royal blood, have you ever thought of becoming Emperor?” Li Qingqiu asked with a light smile, as if in casual talk.
Zhao Zhen shook his head.
“Forget it. I’m not fit to be an Emperor. I only want to practice martial arts. Besides, I don’t ever want to see myself or my descendants slaughtering each other.”
Li Qingqiu hadn’t expected such maturity from him.
He was pleased.
Truthfully, he also wished to keep Zhao Zhen within the Clear Sky Sect forever.
With Zhao Zhen’s talent and fate, being Emperor would be a waste.
“Today, your master will pass you another secret art,” Li Qingqiu said, rising with a gentle smile.
Zhao Zhen’s eyes lit up with anticipation.
Chu Jing’s feelings grew even more conflicted.
That which he could never relinquish—imperial power—had been so easily dismissed by Zhao Zhen.
He believed that if Li Qingqiu supported Zhao Zhen to claim the throne, the boy would surely succeed.
He couldn’t help but wonder—what meaning would restoring the Great Wei Dynasty even hold?
The Emperor he had once served would never return.
……
Free Spirit Hall.
It was Zhang Ping’s turn on duty today.
Sitting in his chair, he finally finished his work and let out a long breath.
“How long will these busy days last? I hope I can reach the Third Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm before the True Transmission Disciple threshold rises again,” he muttered while resting his head on the table.
Since the Sect Master slew the Emperor, his fame had spread far and wide, and the Free Spirit Hall had become busier than ever.
Zhang Ping now had less time to cultivate.
Even though his monthly stipend had increased, he was still dissatisfied.
He valued strength over wealth.
Now, everyone said that what the Clear Sky Sect taught was no longer martial arts—but immortal techniques.
Having practiced the Primordial Unity Scripture, Zhang Ping firmly believed it.
Since it was an immortal technique, he too would pursue immortality, striving to gain strength like the Sect Master.
“Hey, young man, could you help me with something?”
An aged voice came from behind.
Zhang Ping looked up to see a gray-robed elder walking into the hall.
“I don’t help people—I just do my job. So, what is it?” Zhang Ping replied calmly.
He had seen plenty like this before.
Even as an ordinary disciple of the Free Spirit Hall, nobles and fellow disciples alike had tried to win his favor.
The gray-robed elder was none other than Clear Sky Daoist.
Approaching the table, Clear Sky Daoist said softly, “I wish to recommend three people to join the Clear Sky Sect.”
“For joining the sect, please go out the left door. The courtyard beside it handles disciple assessments,” Zhang Ping said flatly, his expression unchanging.
Clear Sky Daoist coughed lightly.
“My Daoist title is Clear Sky Daoist—I am the founding ancestor of this sect. Could you give me some face?”
Zhang Ping looked at him with surprise, prompting the elder to lift his chin proudly.
“I’ve never heard of any founding ancestor. Even if there was one, the old Clear Sky Sect and the current one are two different things. I only recognize our Sect Master as the founding ancestor. If you’re trying to push people in through connections, find someone else—I can’t afford the consequences,” Zhang Ping replied evenly.
He had heard that the Sect Master and the Hall Masters once had a master named Lin Xunfeng, who had abandoned them in pursuit of immortality when they were young.
Yet, in just a few short years, the seven of them had built the Clear Sky Sect into what it was today.
If that Lin Xunfeng were to return and see the sect now possessing immortal techniques—what would he think?
Thinking of this only made Zhang Ping more resolute in his loyalty to the sect.
Clear Sky Daoist wasn’t angry.
Instead, he bent forward slightly and said quietly, “These three are extraordinary—rare geniuses, with unique backgrounds. They would surely benefit the Clear Sky Sect.”
“Then why not go to a Hall Master?”
“Zhang Yuchun is too smooth in his dealings—I fear he might have schemes.”
“What about the Sect Master?”
“Don’t even mention that brat! Since I’ve returned, I’ve only seen him once. I can’t even get into the Lingxiao Courtyard anymore!”
Clear Sky Daoist’s nose flared in frustration at the mention of Li Qingqiu.
Zhang Ping shrugged.
“Elder, I can’t handle this matter. At most, I can pass on your message to a Hall Master.”