Chapter 246: Evil Entities Bring Disaster to the North
At dawn, Xu Ning, Zhao Zhen, Yuan Li, and Ji Ya arrived at the Lingxiao Courtyard one after another. They had already known last night why their Master had summoned them today—they were going to meet their Sixth Junior Brother.
As for Hu Yan, the three of Zhao Zhen were filled with curiosity and excitement. At last, there was a little junior brother they could bully.
Cough cough, take care of!
Li Qingqiu had also arrived early in the courtyard. Times were different now, and conditions were different as well. Accepting disciples truly required proper etiquette—this not only represented him, but also the solemn dignity of the Clear Sky Sect.
Becoming Li Qingqiu’s disciple was destined to entail bearing certain responsibilities of the sect.
Xu Ning—whenever the sect encountered major missions, she was always the first person thought of.
Zhao Zhen—the number one contributor of the Scripture Repository.
Yuan Li—his Body Cultivation Path had already influenced more than half of the disciples.
Ji Ya—over the past two years, he had begun operating within Guzhou, resolving troubles that ordinary disciples found difficult to handle.
In the future, Li Qingqiu would also assign them specific duties and determine their authority.
Li Dongyue, Li Sijin, and Clear Sky Daoist were also in the courtyard. They were all very interested in Li Qingqiu’s newly accepted disciple.
“Before we knew it, Zhao Zhen and Yuan Li are already eighteen. Time really passes quickly,” Li Sijin sighed.
Zhao Zhen and Yuan Li looked at each other and both realized that they had grown quite a bit taller.
The twenty-five-year-old Ji Ya was even more steady. A smile hung on his face. Although he spoke little, as his Vital Energy grew stronger and stronger, his presence could no longer be concealed. Sitting there, he resembled a calm male lion.
Li Dongyue looked at Li Sijin and smiled. “You’ve grown up too.”
Li Sijin was also about to turn twenty-five this year. In the eyes of Li Qingqiu and the others, she would forever be the Little Junior Sister, a child. But in the eyes of the sect disciples, she was the dignified Cultivation Hall Hall Master.
Li Qingqiu sat on his chair, listening to their reflections, and suddenly felt a strong sense of accomplishment in his heart.
After his Master had departed, he had protected his junior brothers and sisters very well.
He hoped that a hundred years later, the seven of them would still be there. Li Qingqiu would strive toward this goal.
Everyone chatted and laughed, reminiscing about the past.
No matter who it was, all could feel the tremendous changes within the Clear Sky Sect.
According to the sect’s current development trend, the number of registered disciples would exceed twenty thousand this year. This was no small number.
After a while, Hu Yan arrived.
The disciple receiving him only escorted him to the gate of the Lingxiao Courtyard. He carefully entered the courtyard, and as he did, everyone’s gaze fell upon him.
Hu Yan felt immense pressure.
Xu Ning—he had already met her before. Her presence was overwhelming.
The ones bringing him the greatest pressure now were Zhao Zhen and Ji Ya.
Zhao Zhen’s high-spirited aura surged forth, the momentum of a heaven-favored genius crashing toward him head-on. Ji Ya stared at him seriously; if not for the absence of malice, Hu Yan would have suspected that Ji Ya had something against him.
Steeling himself, he walked up to Li Qingqiu, lifted his robe hem, knelt, and said, “Hu Yan greets Master.”
Li Qingqiu smiled and said, “Get up. Find a seat and sit.”
Hu Yan rose. After hesitating for a moment, he chose to sit beside Yuan Li.
Yuan Li turned his head to look at him and revealed a friendly smile. That smile reduced Hu Yan’s pressure by quite a bit.
Li Qingqiu then instructed, “From eldest to youngest, introduce yourselves in order.”
Xu Ning nodded and took the lead in introducing herself. Yuan Li followed closely after, which surprised Hu Yan.
He had not expected Yuan Li to be the Third Senior Brother. The two who looked the hardest to provoke were actually the youngest.
“My name is Zhao Zhen, your Fourth Senior Brother,” Zhao Zhen said with a squinting smile as he looked at Hu Yan.
So he was Zhao Zhen!
Although Hu Yan had only joined the Clear Sky Sect for less than three days, he had already heard of Zhao Zhen’s name.
The number one genius of the Clear Sky Sect!
As expected, his reputation was well deserved. That confidence was simply too intense.
Ji Ya smiled and said, “My name is Ji Ya, your Fifth Senior Brother. We’ll be interacting a lot in the future.”
He had a different temperament from Zhao Zhen and Yuan Li, and it was usually hard for them to really play together. Thus, he had some expectations for Hu Yan, hoping they could become like-minded friends.
“My name is Hu Yan. Greetings, Senior Sister and Senior Brothers!”
Hu Yan quickly stood up, bowed, and saluted everyone.
After that, Li Qingqiu introduced Li Dongyue and Li Sijin to Hu Yan as well. The two women had prepared gifts in advance, all placed inside storage pouches, making Hu Yan feel both flattered and overwhelmed.
Just as Hu Yan was about to speak, Xiao Wuqing strode into the courtyard, interrupting his thoughts.
Xiao Wuqing came to the table, bent at the waist, and saluted Li Qingqiu, saying, “Sect Master, something has happened again in the Northern Border!”
Upon hearing this, Li Qingqiu’s smile vanished, and the others also frowned.
Xiao Wuqing’s gaze flicked toward Hu Yan without leaving a trace, and he made a judgment in his heart.
The three brothers had all wanted to take Li Qingqiu as their Master. Unfortunately, Li Qingqiu had not thought highly of them. Thus, upon learning that Li Qingqiu had accepted a new disciple, they felt quite bitter inside.
Of course, they did not harbor hostility toward Hu Yan. They merely wanted to know what qualifications Hu Yan had to receive such an honor.
“What happened?” Li Qingqiu asked.
At the mention of the Northern Border, his first thought was Ghost King Ridge.
Could it be that those evil ghosts who wanted to flee Ghost King Ridge had gone south?
Xiao Wuqing spoke quickly. “The Northern Court sent someone to visit you, saying that the Northern Border needs the Clear Sky Sect’s aid. As for the specifics, he said he must speak to you in person.”
“The Northern Court sent someone? What’s his name?”
“He calls himself Fang Tianshu.”
“Let him come in.”
Li Qingqiu pondered. He had not expected the Northern Court to seek help from him.
Xiao Wuqing immediately acknowledged the order and left. Li Qingqiu did not dismiss the disciples, instead letting them face this matter together.
Hu Yan instantly grew nervous. He had just taken a Master, and already he was facing such a major matter.
He knew of the Northern Court—the dynasty of the Northern Barbarians. The Northern Court and the lands of the Nine Provinces had endless grievances. News of the Clear Sky Sect dispatching disciples to drive away the Northern Barbarians had spread throughout the world. Under such circumstances, for what reason would the Northern Court request help from Li Qingqiu?
Very soon, Xiao Wuqing brought Fang Tianshu into the courtyard.
Fang Tianshu had already disguised himself as a martial artist of the Nine Provinces. His build was burly, and his face was fierce. Even though he tried his utmost to conceal it, the aura of a Northern Barbarian Great General still stood out.
When he saw Li Qingqiu, joy appeared on his face.
The battle at Xuanji Mountain had made it impossible for him to forget Li Qingqiu’s appearance.
He quickly stepped forward, knelt behind Xu Ning, looked at Li Qingqiu, and said excitedly, “Sect Master Li, please save the Northern Court. The Northern Court is willing to offer you and the Clear Sky Sect eternal reverence for generations to come.”
Li Qingqiu looked at him and said, “Shouldn’t you first make your intentions clear?”
Fang Tianshu took a deep breath and said, “After you left, evil entities once again appeared and brought calamity to the Northern Border. There was even an evil ghost that broke into the imperial palace… committing countless atrocities. The current Northern Court is not only suffering among the common people—even the Heavenly Son lives every day in fear.”
“How many evil entities are there?”
“It’s hard to judge. Ghost soldiers have even emerged among the people of the Northern Court. They act at night, and their numbers keep increasing. If this continues, the entire Northern Court will become a ghost army, and they will inevitably move south. If the Clear Sky Sect intervenes now, you would not only be saving our Northern Court, but also the future lands of the Nine Provinces.”
He spoke rapidly. Seeing Li Qingqiu deep in thought, he went on to describe in detail the concrete atrocities committed by those evil entities.
Villages and tribes were slaughtered, hearts torn out and organs ripped apart. All kinds of unbearable scenes played out daily. The entire Northern Court had descended into chaos. Officials and generals everywhere could barely protect themselves—let alone march south to contend for the world. They could not even protect the Heavenly Son.
Upon hearing how tragic the situation in the Northern Court was, everyone’s expressions changed drastically.
Hu Yan’s understanding was severely shaken. He had not expected the Northern Border to be suffering such a terrifying calamity. Evil ghosts truly existed in this world—and their methods were extremely cruel.
After listening, Li Qingqiu confirmed that what he had feared had indeed happened.
He admitted that Fang Tianshu was right. If those evil entities were allowed to rampage unchecked, they would sooner or later threaten the Clear Sky Sect. However, this matter could not be handled carelessly.
The power of the Silent Nether Ghost King was something Li Qingqiu understood well. Just because he could deal with it did not mean the other disciples could.
After Fang Tianshu finished speaking, Li Qingqiu said, “This matter requires discussion within the Clear Sky Sect. You may go down and stay for a few days first.”
Upon hearing this, Fang Tianshu immediately grew anxious. However, when he met Li Qingqiu’s gaze, he did not dare to argue and could only agree in the end.
Li Qingqiu gave Xiao Wuqing a look, signaling him to take Fang Tianshu away.
After the two left, Li Qingqiu looked at his disciples and said, “You’ve all heard it. The Clear Sky Sect is currently at its peak within the Nine Provinces, but there are still many hardships awaiting us under heaven. The stronger we become, the more enemies and tribulations we will face—this is unavoidable. If we were merely an ordinary martial sect, then within a few decades, those evil entities might not even move south, and our lives would never encounter such matters. But we are not a martial sect. The pursuit of longevity itself is a path that defies heaven.”
Xu Ning, Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, Ji Ya, and Hu Yan fell silent, all feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.
Li Dongyue and Li Sijin were relatively calm. After all, they managed internal affairs. They had already learned to regulate their mindset—do their own work well and trust the sect.
Li Qingqiu looked at Hu Yan and said, “Come find me early tomorrow morning. I will transmit our sect’s supreme art to you—the Primordial Unity Scripture.”
Just as Hu Yan was about to speak, Ji Ya said, “Master, why trouble yourself with such a small matter? How about I transmit the Primordial Unity Scripture to him?”
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu’s gaze fell upon Ji Ya, his eyes carrying a trace of gratification.
This kid had finally taken this step—no longer just revolving around those small circles of companions.
“Alright,” Li Qingqiu agreed.
Ji Ya smiled, while Hu Yan grew a bit nervous, afraid that he might perform poorly and anger this Senior Brother.
Afterward, Li Qingqiu personally explained the sect rules to Hu Yan, as well as his expectations for his disciples. The explanation lasted a full half-hour before he allowed the disciples to leave.
Regarding the Northern Court’s request for aid, he did not immediately convene the sect’s upper echelons, instead planning to enjoy a few days of leisure first.
Early the next morning, Ji Ya proactively went to Hu Yan’s courtyard to teach him the Primordial Unity Scripture.
Hu Yan discovered that this Senior Brother was not as hard to get along with as he appeared—his temperament was far better than imagined.
With outstanding cultivation aptitude, Hu Yan’s cultivation process was naturally smooth. In truth, Ji Ya was also somewhat nervous, afraid he might not teach well. Yet in less than One Incense Stick’s Time, Hu Yan had already cultivated Vital Energy.
“Genius!”
This was Ji Ya’s immediate evaluation of Hu Yan. He was secretly shocked. Uncle Zhang had been right—Master’s eye for talent was indeed terrifying. Yesterday, he truly had not seen that Hu Yan possessed such extraordinary aptitude.
He looked at Hu Yan, who was sitting cross-legged in the courtyard absorbing Inner Energy, and could sense a certain presence awakening within him.
He even produced an absurd thought.
This Junior Brother’s aptitude might be even higher than his, Yuan Li’s, and Zhao Zhen’s!