Chapter 23: Supreme Expert, Retreating Unscathed
Li Qingqiu had not expected that this journey of vengeance would allow him to obtain such a great treasure.
On his way back from the escape, he had already set down a hundred-year plan for the Clear Sky Sect in his heart.
That was to focus on nurturing Yuan Li!
He would find a way to awaken Yuan Li’s physique and let him learn whatever he wished.
With the heart of a grandmaster, Yuan Li would certainly create countless martial arts and techniques for the Clear Sky Sect.
“Heaven truly has eyes. Good deeds do have rewards. If I hadn’t softened just now, I would have missed this boy—and if he were to grow up within the Seven Peaks Alliance, he would’ve become a great and unpredictable threat.”
Li Qingqiu thought silently, his mood becoming brighter.
Being held in one arm, Yuan Qi was thinking how incredible this big brother was holding his younger brother in one arm, carrying him with the other, and still wielding a sword in hand.
It was simply too cool.
He swore he would become someone like that in the future!
The Seven Peaks Alliance was located atop a mountain.
Sheer cliffs surrounded it on all sides.
Even with the highest level of lightness skill, no one could leap to another peak.
The only way out was through the main gate from which they came.
Li Qingqiu, carrying Yuan Qi and Yuan Li, landed upon a rooftop eave and stopped moving forward.
Yuan Qi turned his head, his grimy little face showing a clear change of expression panic uncontrollably filled his eyes.
Following his gaze, a hundred zhang away, down along the stone steps, countless Seven Peaks Alliance disciples were gathering upon the training grounds.
Their numbers were still increasing, the sea of heads and flickering firelight forming an oppressive sight.
Yuan Qi’s heart sank into despair.
With so many people, how could they possibly escape alive?
Were he and his younger brother destined never to leave this demonic lair that was the Seven Peaks Alliance?
Li Qingqiu also felt the pressure.
He hadn’t expected the Seven Peaks Alliance to react so quickly, gathering so many disciples before the mountain gate.
It wasn’t that he doubted his own strength, but he feared that forcing a path through might harm Yuan Qi and Yuan Li.
He stood still, circulating his energy, absorbing the spiritual energy within the spirit stone hidden in his robe, converting it into vital energy.
He needed to break through the encirclement in his best state.
Yuan Qi turned to look at Li Qingqiu.
He couldn’t tell what Li Qingqiu was thinking.
Believing he was hesitating, Yuan Qi whispered, “Big brother, put us down and escape alone.
No matter what, you have slain the Alliance Leader of the Seven Peaks Alliance.
Whichever one he was, we are deeply grateful to you.”
Li Qingqiu cast him a glance and said, “Seems you two carry deep blood feuds. Once we’re off this mountain, I’ll listen to your story.”
Hearing this, Yuan Qi was moved yet confused.
So many enemies—how could they possibly get down the mountain?
He dared not disturb Li Qingqiu again and waited patiently.
Li Qingqiu did not wait long.
Once he had adjusted himself to his peak state, he carried Yuan Qi and charged forward once more.
His feet stepped upon the rooftops without a sound.
Yuan Qi was astonished.
The whistling of the wind filled his ears, and as the crowd ahead grew nearer, his heart leapt to his throat.
Was big brother really going to charge through them head-on?
Li Qingqiu reached the final edge of the eaves, leapt down, and began to walk toward the stone steps.
His appearance drew the attention of many Seven Peaks Alliance disciples.
However, seeing his Alliance robes, none of them grew wary only puzzled why he was holding two children.
Among the crowd, two Alliance Leaders were speaking the Second Alliance Leader, Guang Lantian, and the Fourth Alliance Leader, Xu Ziheng.
Xu Ziheng was thin and gaunt, his hair messy.
Yawning, he asked, “What’s causing such a commotion?”
Guang Lantian, around sixty years old, somewhat plump, with a full beard, frowned and said, “I don’t know either.
But judging from the scale, it’s probably something serious—maybe connected to the Azure Sect.”
“Azure Sect again! Those lunatics know no bounds. Ever since they set their sights on our sect’s signature techniques, they’ve harassed us endlessly!”
Xu Ziheng cursed.
Just mentioning the Azure Sect made him angry.
Guang Lantian shook his head.
“The Azure Sect has ties with high-ranking court officials now. Their arrogance is growing. We must be cautious.”
Xu Ziheng was about to reply when he suddenly heard the murmuring of disciples.
Turning his head, he saw a disciple descending the upper steps—carrying two children.
That one glance instantly ignited his fury.
He bellowed, “Insolence! Who allowed you to touch them?”
Before his words finished, Xu Ziheng leapt up, stepping across the shoulders of several disciples, before springing high toward Li Qingqiu.
His voice boomed like thunder, his aura fierce as a tiger, making Yuan Qi tremble all over.
Internal energy coiled around Xu Ziheng’s body.
As he descended, his speed suddenly surged.
With one palm thrust forward, an overwhelming blast of energy swept toward the three.
Li Qingqiu drew his sword with his right hand, slashing upward.
A streak of sword energy shot forth, its gleam reflected upon the faces of many Seven Peaks Alliance disciples.
Xu Ziheng in midair had no time to dodge.
His palm strike was shattered by the sword energy, which then struck him head-on.
“Pff—”
It was as though he had been struck by an immense force; his body arched backward, a mouthful of blood spattering forth as he crashed into the crowd below.
The disciples, caught off guard, instinctively tried to catch him—only to be crushed as Xu Ziheng fell upon them.
Guang Lantian’s eyes widened in shock.
The other disciples were also terrified.
Xu Ziheng was an Alliance Leader—ranked fourth on Guzhou’s Martial Heaven List.
Unless facing one of the supreme experts atop that list, no one could defeat him.
And yet what did they just witness?
Such a formidable Xu Ziheng had been gravely wounded by a single sword strike!
As they looked upon Li Qingqiu, still in the posture of his swing, fear filled every gaze.
Dark clouds rolled across the night sky, the half-hidden moon casting faint light upon the steps.
Standing tall at the top, Li Qingqiu held a child in one arm, a sword in the other, his robes fluttering wildly in the wind.
The aura he exuded alone intimidated hundreds of Seven Peaks Alliance disciples below.
A supreme expert!
That was Guang Lantian’s instant thought.
He reacted swiftly, barking an order: “Form ranks! Don’t let him escape!”
Then, pulling a wooden whistle from his sleeve, he blew hard—its sharp note piercing the clouds.
Li Qingqiu moved.
He charged down the steps swiftly.
The sword in his hand was not the Tianhong Sword, but Chen Ye’s.
Though the disciples were frightened, their sheer numbers bolstered their courage.
Upon receiving the command, they unsheathed their blades and surged upward, a flood of steel flowing toward the steps.
Li Qingqiu plunged into the crowd, his sword flashing rapidly.
Sword light gleamed, blood splattered.
His footwork was ghostly, dodging countless weapons, his blade always finding its mark at the enemy’s throat.
Yuan Qi shut his eyes tight in fear, pressing against Li Qingqiu’s shoulder.
Yuan Li, still hanging in his arms, furrowed his brows in unconscious pain, too weak to open his eyes.
With every step, Li Qingqiu felled another man.
Even as enemies poured in, he did not retreat.
From above, the flood of disciples seemed to be pushed back by one man alone.
Guang Lantian, not backing down, stepped forward using a mysterious footwork, weaving through the crowd like a swimming dragon, swiftly closing in from behind.
Yuan Qi, clinging to Li Qingqiu’s shoulder, felt a gust of killing wind.
He opened his eyes instinctively—only to see Guang Lantian charging in like a feral beast, his right palm slicing through the air, bringing the scent of blood.
At that moment, Yuan Qi remembered the scene of his father’s heart being torn out by Guang Lantian.
His pupils trembled, terror engulfing him.
Just then, Li Qingqiu seemed to grow eyes in his back.
He turned and slashed in one smooth motion.
That sword strike was incredibly sharp—the blade even crackled with lightning, driving away the darkness before Yuan Qi’s eyes.
Startled by the sudden counterattack, Guang Lantian leaned backward, narrowly dodging the strike.
But before he could react, Li Qingqiu’s foot slammed into his chest, sending him flying.
Guang Lantian tumbled across the ground several times, knocking over a number of disciples.
Li Qingqiu drew his leg back, feeling a slight numbness.
Though his physique had been enhanced, facing Guang Lantian’s full-speed charge infused with internal energy had been taxing.
He turned and continued fighting.
What he sought now was not slaughter—but escape.
Yet before he could advance far, more Seven Peaks Alliance disciples came rushing down from above.
At the same time—
On a distant cliff, the black-clad woman stood at the edge.
She saw the fog between the two mountains dissipating, and firelights blooming rapidly within the Seven Peaks Alliance.
She had been asleep, only to be awakened by the alarm of invasion.
“He actually stirred up such a commotion…”
The black-clad woman recalled Li Qingqiu’s face, astonished within.
After a moment of hesitation, she turned to descend the mountain, unwilling to be dragged into trouble.
…
Li Qingqiu discarded the broken sword in his hand and drew the Tianhong Sword from his waist, continuing the fight.
Behind him lay dozens of fallen bodies.
He was surrounded on all sides, encircled so tightly that not even water could flow through.
Though he appeared unstoppable, he had not broken the disciples’ courage.
Li Qingqiu’s gaze hardened.
His right hand released the scabbard—but even so, the Tianhong Sword remained hovering before him.
The blade trembled slightly, its point turning forward.
The front ranks of disciples stared in shock.
Boom—
With a sonic crack as air was torn apart, the Tianhong Sword shot forward, surging ahead like lightning.
Vital energy condensed into sword qi, ravaging all in its path as Li Qingqiu followed closely behind.
The sounds of slicing flesh and grinding bone echoed endlessly as he used the Supreme Sword Controlling Technique to carve a bloody path through the crowd.
Clutching his chest, Guang Lantian struggled to stand, only to witness this terrifying scene.
He coughed violently, blood gushing from his mouth, his eyes filled with sheer terror.
Before his gaze, Li Qingqiu broke through the siege, vanishing swiftly into the night.
The Seven Peaks Alliance disciples dared not pursue.
From the speed and might Li Qingqiu had displayed, they knew they could never catch him.
Faces pale, they turned toward Guang Lantian, fear still etched upon them.
Guang Lantian gave no command—for he too dared not chase.
“Not good! The Grand Alliance Leader has been slain by the intruder!”
A panicked voice came from behind.
A disciple stumbled up the steps, shouting loudly.
To the hundreds of disciples who had just survived that brutal battle, the words were like thunder.
Guang Lantian felt his world collapse.
Turning his head, he saw Xu Ziheng lying motionless in a pool of blood—dead beyond doubt.
Elsewhere—
Li Qingqiu sped down the mountain, the two children in his arms.
He was anxious; more than half his vital energy had been spent.
He could not afford another prolonged battle.
Just then, a line of text appeared before his eyes:
【Because you have decapitated an enemy sect for the first time and retreated unscathed, preserving the prestige of the Clear Sky Sect, you have received one inheritance reward opportunity.】