Chapter 177: The Oppressive Presence of Clear Sky Sect
Boom——
The gate of an underground palace collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Immediately after, Li Qingqiu stepped inside together with Shen Yue and Mo Jiuhong.
The three of them stopped in their tracks, looking at rows upon rows of cabinets inside, filled with porcelain wares, jade artifacts, gold vessels—dazzling to the eye.
Mo Jiuhong snorted.
“This Qi Clan really knows how to enjoy themselves, hoarding so many treasures.”
“Calling this treasure?” Li Qingqiu said casually.
“We’ll just toss it all to the Heavenly Works Hall to melt later.” As he spoke, he quickly swept the area with his spiritual sense, afraid of missing the real treasures.
Shen Yue spoke up, “These things may not be worth much in times of chaos, but once the world is at peace, they’ll be priceless. Clear Sky Sect hasn’t fully detached from the secular world—we still need money.”
“I was just saying it offhand.” Li Qingqiu replied.
“There’s too much stuff here anyway, we can’t take it all. You two take whatever you want. Once we leave, whatever remains here will be left for those fated to find it.”
After speaking, Li Qingqiu scanned the surroundings once more.
Seeing no real treasures, he turned and left at once.
The Qi Clan had constructed an intricate underground city beneath Nightbright City, enough for them to search slowly.
Before long, the three split up.
Relying on Lin Chuan and Nangong E, Li Qingqiu was always able to find underground palaces and residences of value, while also rescuing some trapped townsfolk along the way.
When faced with the grateful inquiries of the common people, he did not hide his achievements or name, openly revealing his identity.
Li Qingqiu was not completely disdainful of worldly wealth.
For items that were clearly of extremely high value, he would still store them in his storage pouch.
This time, he had deliberately emptied his storage pouch before setting out, precisely to load it with spoils of war.
……
Winter snow blanketed the mountains and forests.
Deep within the forest, smoke curled lazily above the Azure Cloud Sect.
Qiu Dahu was leading his junior brothers and sisters in cleaning the courtyard, while Sect Master Zhou Ya cultivated inside his room.
“May I ask if the Azure Cloud Sect Master is present?”
A voice came from the courtyard, prompting the Azure Cloud Sect disciples to turn their heads.
They saw a group of people dressed in uniform blue robes stepping through the snow.
Each of them possessed extraordinary bearing—the men handsome and refined, the women cold and elegant—causing Qiu Dahu and the other youths to freeze in place.
Qiu Dahu immediately turned around and shouted, “Master, there are many people here looking for you!”
In these chaotic times, he had no choice but to be cautious and call out his master directly.
Soon, Zhou Ya’s door opened.
He stepped out, his gaze falling beyond the courtyard.
When he saw the person at the head of the group, his expression changed drastically.
He hurried forward, arriving at the courtyard gate, where he bent deeply in salute.
“Senior Brother Han Lang, why have you come?”
Zhou Ya asked in a flustered manner.
He did not think his actions had been exposed, believing that Han Lang and the others had simply come down the mountain for experience.
Seeing their master being so respectful, the Azure Cloud Sect disciples were all shocked.
Although Han Lang, who stood at the front, had a tall and upright figure, he looked very young—only a few years older than Qiu Dahu—yet their master addressed him as senior brother?
“What is your name?” Han Lang asked expressionlessly.
Before Li Qingqiu, he was a somewhat shy junior nephew, but before the vast majority of disciples, he was the dignified senior disciple of the Sword Sect.
His performance at the Grand Dao Tournament had made him known throughout the sect.
Zhou Ya hurriedly replied, “This one is Zhou Ya, a true transmission disciple. I once had the fortune of meeting Senior Brother Han.”
True transmission disciple?
Their master was actually a disciple of another sect?
Qiu Dahu and the others felt their minds spinning.
In their hearts, their master was the most powerful person there was.
“How dare you, Zhou Ya! Who allowed you to betray the sect and privately establish your own sect outside?”
Han Lang flew into a rage, glaring and shouting furiously.
Zhou Ya trembled all over and dropped to his knees with a thud.
The Azure Cloud Sect disciples were also startled, all of them nervously looking toward Han Lang and his group.
Realizing that the matter had been exposed, Zhou Ya completely panicked.
He suddenly understood something—Han Lang was a Sword Sect disciple.
Sword Sect disciples did not need to take missions from the Tempering Hall.
If they descended the mountain, it must be to settle accounts with traitors.
Zhou Ya raised his head and hurriedly explained, “I did not betray the sect. Establishing a sect was only to give these children a place to stay. Once they master martial arts, I will return to the sect. I will not remain here permanently.”
Han Lang’s face was cold, and the expressions of the other ten Sword Sect disciples were equally unpleasant.
Finding this place had taken them no small amount of effort.
“Isn’t your martial arts inherited from the sect? And your inner cultivation—who allowed you to privately teach it to others?” Han Lang said in a deep voice.
Zhou Ya’s face was filled with bitterness as he answered, “The martial arts I taught are all secular martial arts. As for inner cultivation, I did not teach the Primordial Unity Scripture. What I taught was a qi-gathering method I created myself. How could I possibly forget the sect rules?”
He did not teach the Primordial Unity Scripture?
Han Lang and the Sword Sect disciples relaxed slightly.
Han Lang shifted his gaze to the Azure Cloud Sect disciples.
Seeing that they were all children, he no longer kept his face stern.
He helped Zhou Ya up and said, “Junior Brother Zhou Ya, for something like this, you could have informed the sect, or brought them back to Clear Sky Sect.”
Zhou Ya said helplessly, “You know the current situation of the sect. The entry threshold keeps rising, and these children all carry deep hatred. I did not wish to bring trouble to the sect because of my compassion. So I taught them martial skills, hoping they could become self-reliant. Even if they eventually die on the path of revenge, it has nothing to do with me, and nothing to do with Clear Sky Sect.”
“Moreover, Clear Sky Mountain is not close. Bringing so many children, I was powerless despite my intentions. In today’s world, war and chaos are everywhere.”
After hearing this, Han Lang sighed and said, “Come with us. Return and see the Sect Master.”
He gave a look to the junior brothers and sisters behind him.
The Sword Sect disciples immediately understood and stepped forward.
Zhou Ya tensed up, thinking they were about to silence witnesses, but instead they merely checked whether the children had cultivated the Primordial Unity Scripture.
It was no wonder Zhou Ya overthought things—Clear Sky Sect had done plenty of eradication-at-the-root in the past.
Zhou Ya turned back to look at Han Lang and could not help asking, “Senior Brother Han Lang, I never encountered any other fellow disciples, nor did I ever return. How did you discover this matter?”
Han Lang snorted.
“The Sect Master sent me. He said there was a disciple who privately established a sect, which made me furious. Junior brother, do not do such things again. The Sect Master is an immortal reincarnated. Even if he is not by your side, if you violate the sect rules, he will certainly calculate it.”
Hearing that it was the Sect Master who had dispatched the Sword Sect disciples, cold sweat instantly drenched Zhou Ya.
He suddenly realized that Clear Sky Sect calling itself an Immortal Cultivation Sect was no exaggeration.
Just like now—the Sect Master’s capabilities made him shudder.
He could not even imagine them, his heart filled with lingering fear.
After a while, once the Sword Sect disciples confirmed that Qiu Dahu and the other children had not cultivated the Primordial Unity Scripture, Han Lang finally took Zhou Ya away.
“Master!”
The Azure Cloud Sect disciples hurried after them.
Zhou Ya stopped, looked at them, and smiled.
“No need to worry. Your master is merely returning to the sect. Remember, your martial arts originate from Clear Sky Sect. You must always retain respect and gratitude toward Clear Sky Sect. Understand?”
The more carefree he appeared, the more worried the disciples became.
Qiu Dahu hurriedly asked, “What will the Clear Sky Sect Master do to you? If he dares—”
“Silence!”
Zhou Ya glared, cutting Qiu Dahu off.
Qiu Dahu noticed that all the Sword Sect disciples were staring at him with hostile gazes, cold sweat pouring down his back.
He felt a tangible oppressive pressure that made him instinctively fearful.
“The Sect Master is the number one great hero under heaven, the foremost great hero. He acts openly and uprightly, his magnanimity unmatched. He will certainly handle my case justly. This matter was my fault—I should not have harbored a fluke mentality. From now on, you must rely on yourselves.”
After saying this, Zhou Ya turned around and left resolutely.
Qiu Dahu and the other children wanted to chase after him, but two Sword Sect disciples drew their swords to block them, frightening them into not daring to move.
Their eyes reddened as they watched their master being taken away by Han Lang and the others.
Qiu Dahu finally understood the words his master had once spoken to him.
This was his first time coming into contact with Clear Sky Sect.
Its power made him feel as though he could barely breathe.
……
Clear Sky Mountain, Spirit Finance Hall.
Li Dongyue sat on a chair, her gaze fixed outside the window, lost in thought.
A female disciple walked into the room—it was Li Dongyue’s eldest disciple, Liu Yan.
Many years had passed, and Liu Yan was no longer the thin and frail girl she once was, now fully displaying the bearing of a true transmission disciple of Clear Sky Sect.
Her father, Liu Fanzhou, had sponsored Clear Sky Sect in his early years.
Even now, in these chaotic times, with Clear Sky Sect as his backing, his business had grown enormously, spread across the Nine Provinces, making him a renowned great merchant under heaven.
“Master, you really need to talk properly with Martial Uncle Zhang. They come asking for money every few days. Even though it’s for proper matters, it shouldn’t be this frequent. Are they trying to drain the sect dry in one go?”
Liu Yan walked to the table and complained.
The Spirit Finance Hall not only had to strictly review allocations but also maintain the sect’s balance of income and expenditure, so their pressure was immense.
With the sect building towns and developing Ziyang Peak, money was needed everywhere.
There were also over a hundred true transmission disciples striving to break through realms, requiring Blessed Land slots.
The pressure on the Spirit Finance Hall had skyrocketed, and even Liu Yan had been summoned back to handle affairs.
Seeing that her master did not respond and continued staring out the window, Liu Yan frowned and asked, “Master, what are you thinking about? Could it be the matter of the tree demon invasion some days ago?”
The matter of Li Qingqiu and the other two leaving had not spread within the sect, so Liu Yan naturally did not know.
Li Dongyue came back to her senses and said, “No. I was just thinking whether our Spirit Finance Hall still has any good seedlings.”
Liu Yan raised an eyebrow.
“Why bother focusing on cultivating so many disciples? If you ask me, we should concentrate resources on Yang Xuan, let him reach the level of Zhao Zhen and Li Yang first, so he can hold up the sky for our Spirit Finance Hall. After that, cultivating other disciples would be even better.”
Yang Xuan, who possessed the fate traits of Human Dao Ancestor and Heart of Heaven and Earth, had already begun to shine.
Many within the sect knew that an unparalleled genius had emerged from the Spirit Finance Hall.
His cultivation speed was no slower than the Top Ten of the Grand Dao Tournament, greatly boosting the morale of the entire Spirit Finance Hall.
Just as Li Dongyue was about to reply, a disciple suddenly rushed in, brimming with excitement.
“Hall Master! The Sect Master’s Divine Eagle has returned! It actually brought back a section of gigantic wood—it’s really huge! After communicating with the Divine Eagle, Hall Master Li Sijin said that this giant wood is the true body of the Qi Clan demon! You should come take a look—it’s truly enormous!”
Upon hearing this, Li Dongyue sprang to her feet and hurried around the table toward the outside.
Liu Yan was also intrigued.
She wanted to see just how large that demon tree really was.