Chapter 268: Clear Sky Alone Reigned Supreme
Supreme Sword Sect!
Li Qingqiu’s gaze turned subtle.
He remembered Great Demon Luo mentioning the Supreme Sword Sect. From Great Demon Luo’s tone, the Supreme Sword Sect’s foundation was not inferior to the Clear Sky Sect’s. Otherwise, Great Demon Luo would not have suspected that the Clear Sky Sect’s establishment was based on the Supreme Sword Sect’s inheritance.
Seeing the Sect Master react, Zhang Ping immediately felt something was wrong.
Was the Sect Master interested too?
If the Sect Master ordered him to accompany Bai Ning’er, he could only grit his teeth and go.
Bai Ning’er roughly explained what he knew about the Supreme Sword Sect. After finishing, he looked at Li Qingqiu and said, “Sect Master, this Supreme Sword Sect is not simple. It might even unveil the mystery of why the ancient immortal cultivation sects left.”
Li Qingqiu nodded. “Yes. It is indeed worth exploring.”
Hearing that, Bai Ning’er immediately beamed with joy and even shot Zhang Ping a smug look. Zhang Ping, however, wore a painfully helpless expression.
Li Qingqiu continued, “Go back and wait. I will have Elder Shen Yue accompany you. As for Zhang Ping, do not force him.”
As soon as those words fell, Bai Ning’er froze. Zhang Ping was overjoyed and hurriedly saluted in thanks to Li Qingqiu.
Seeing Bai Ning’er still dazed, Li Qingqiu could not help darkening his face. “What? You look down on Elder Shen?”
Bai Ning’er snapped back to his senses and quickly said, “How could I? With Elder Shen accompanying me, this will certainly be secure. Thank you, Sect Master!”
He felt a bit regretful inside. Adventuring with an elder—how could it be as fun as adventuring with a close friend?
“Go back and prepare first.”
Li Qingqiu waved his hand. Bai Ning’er immediately saluted and withdrew.
After he left, Zhang Ping finally let out a full breath of relief.
“How has your cultivation been lately?” Li Qingqiu looked at Zhang Ping, a smile on his face, and asked with concern.
Ever since changing his fate against the heavens, Zhang Ping had entered the ranks of geniuses. Only, he was low-key and his reputation did not stand out.
He was already at the Seventh Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm. In terms of actual combat strength, even Yang Dong, one of the Top Ten disciples of the Free Spirit Hall, would find it hard to take him down—this was what Zhang Yuchun had told Li Qingqiu.
Zhang Ping’s rise made Zhang Yuchun admire Li Qingqiu to the point of heartfelt conviction, because Zhang Ping was a disciple of the Free Spirit Hall and Zhang Yuchun knew him extremely well.
Zhang Ping’s aptitude absolutely could not be called genius-level, and his temperament was not good either. In Zhang Yuchun’s eyes, Zhang Ping had far too many flaws—yet Li Qingqiu valued him. Later, Zhang Ping underwent a complete transformation through a fortuitous encounter, making Zhang Yuchun suspect that Li Qingqiu truly could calculate fate, not merely see through others’ aptitude.
Faced with Li Qingqiu’s concern, Zhang Ping felt honored and flustered. But the two had already spoken heart-to-heart before. He trusted Li Qingqiu completely and felt no pressure, so he honestly described his cultivation situation.
After Zhang Ping finished, Li Qingqiu said earnestly, “Being low-key does not automatically let you avoid trouble. Only by becoming as strong as possible can you have the confidence to handle anything. Do not wait until calamity arrives, only to regret that you did not work harder back then, that you did not strive.”
“Within the Clear Sky Sect, you may strive boldly for what you want. With me as your backer, you will not encounter trouble just because you are too outstanding.”
Those words moved Zhang Ping deeply. He felt that the Sect Master understood him.
He gave a bitter smile. “I understand the principle too, but sometimes I cannot restrain my emotions. I always end up worrying about this and that.”
“Try forcing yourself once. Use next year’s Grand Dao Tournament as a test—see what results you can achieve when you go all out.”
“I… alright, I will try.”
Meeting Li Qingqiu’s gaze, Zhang Ping could not help changing his words and agreeing.
The corners of Li Qingqiu’s mouth lifted. “Do not underestimate the other disciples. Even if you go all out, you may still not obtain the results you expect.”
He patted Zhang Ping’s shoulder and then walked past him.
Zhang Ping turned and saluted Li Qingqiu’s back.
Li Qingqiu’s words stirred Zhang Ping’s competitive spirit.
He had been very confident in his current strength, but it seemed the Sect Master still did not think he was strong enough.
He changed his mind and decided that next year he would fully sprint for the Grand Dao Tournament, to see what results he could achieve when he went all out!
…
Li Qingqiu stopped and started along the way, and at last he arrived outside Bai Yutian’s courtyard before nightfall.
The disciples here were almost all new disciples. Hearing that the Sect Master had come, every one of them was excited.
After receiving the news, Bai Yutian immediately came out. He saw Li Qingqiu surrounded by a crowd, and excitement appeared on his face.
Even though he had already spoken with Li Qingqiu before, he still held Li Qingqiu in awe.
That feeling only deepened the longer he cultivated immortality.
Only by truly cultivating immortality did one understand Li Qingqiu’s greatness—an emotion he could never have felt back at Fengxia Mountain.
When he had been at Fengxia Mountain, Li Qingqiu had merely been “Number One Under Heaven” in his eyes.
He had never understood how far “Number One Under Heaven” was from him.
Now, he still did not understand how far it was, but he knew it was truly, truly far.
Li Qingqiu did not walk to Bai Yutian right away. He casually chatted with the disciples around him. Even if what he said had no substance, it still made the disciples excited and honored.
Watching someone as lofty as Li Qingqiu converse with low-level disciples like this, Bai Yutian felt he was truly astonishing.
His master, his grandmaster—neither could manage such gentleness toward juniors.
One had to know that Li Qingqiu’s control over the Clear Sky Sect was far beyond what other sect masters could match.
Even while holding absolute authority, he could still be so approachable. That meant Li Qingqiu was truly this kind of person, not someone pretending.
Bai Yutian wanted to become such a person as well.
He watched Li Qingqiu and thought that.
After quite a while, Li Qingqiu finally walked out of the crowd. He seemed to notice Bai Yutian “by chance,” then smiled as he came over.
Bai Yutian hurriedly saluted Li Qingqiu. Facing him, he felt uneasy, not knowing how to speak with the Sect Master.
…
After chatting with Bai Yutian for a period of time, Li Qingqiu finally felt at ease.
He could sense the ghostly energy within Bai Yutian. That ghostly energy had its own consciousness, but it had not altered Bai Yutian’s temperament or beliefs. That meant this ghost had no ill intent.
Since it was a disciple’s fortuitous encounter, it was not appropriate for him to interfere further.
After all, Li Sifeng still carried a mysterious sword soul within him as well.
Early the next morning, Shen Yue and Yan Daozong went to find Bai Ning’er, and the three of them went down the mountain together.
Originally, Li Qingqiu had only arranged for Shen Yue, but Shen Yue suggested bringing Yan Daozong along. Since he felt there was nothing urgent in the Martial Sect, Li Qingqiu agreed.
The three leaving the mountain caused no stir within the Clear Sky Sect. There were simply too many people and events drawing the disciples’ attention.
Before the New Year Festival even arrived, the Clear Sky Sect was already lively every day, as if it were celebrating a festival.
As the year’s end arrived, the day of offering sacrifice to Heaven and founding the dynasty finally came.
Li Qingqiu did not appear. He cultivated within his cave dwelling.
Zhang Yuchun, however, represented the Clear Sky Sect and rang the Lingxiao Bell for Liu Jing. As Liu Jing swore vows and made petitions to the heavens, the Nine Provinces world entered a new era.
The Xuan Dynasty was founded!
…
After the founding came the New Year, and the Clear Sky Sect continued its liveliness.
This year’s New Year Festival lifted the Clear Sky Sect disciples’ spirits even higher, because they had witnessed the founding of a new dynasty. At the same time, they would also welcome the Grand Dao Tournament held once every ten years.
Regarding the Grand Dao Tournament, no one in the entire sect did not look forward to it.
Zhang Yuchun regarded the Grand Dao Tournament as extremely important. He had already had the Heavenly Works Hall build nine Dao duel platforms at the foot of the mountain. Before the tournament even began, disciples were already sparring on those platforms.
At midday.
Within Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu sat in a chair cracking melon seeds. Li Dongyue brewed tea for him. Yun Cai peeled fruit for him. Meanwhile, he watched Li Sifeng and Yang Jueding boast at each other.
Zhao Zhen, Yuan Li, Ji Ya, Hu Yan, the Three Xiao Brothers, Li Shouzheng, and Li Shoumin were also there. Along with other sect upper ranks, Lingxiao Courtyard felt somewhat crowded.
It was precisely because it was crowded that it felt lively.
Some people sat, some stood, each with their own topics.
Xu Ning was chatting with Zhu Yan about what the Heavenly Works Hall would do next, and Zhu Yan hoped to receive Xu Ning’s help.
Xu Ning’s Heavenly Thunder Vital Energy was a great assistance to the Heavenly Works Hall’s creation disciples, so Zhu Yan often went to find her. Their relationship thus grew closer and closer.
“Recently, another immortal cultivation sect emerged in the martial world, called the Thousand Autumn Sect. Its sect master claimed to be the reincarnation of the Heavenly Nine-Curves Immortal Lord. He spoke of it so mysteriously, and the momentum is not small.”
Clear Sky Daoist suddenly brought up this matter, drawing everyone at the long table to look at him.
Seeing that, he unconsciously straightened his back and continued recounting the rumors about the Thousand Autumn Sect.
Li Qingqiu listened as well, but he did not care much and treated it as amusement.
The Xuan Dynasty had been founded, and Clear Sky Alone Reigned Supreme. From this point on, all Nine Provinces belonged to the Clear Sky Sect. Any sect that dared oppose them or seize cultivation resources—he could take action against them with full legitimacy.
If they did not seize resources and cultivated on their own, then there was no issue.
Li Qingqiu was still quite generous.
Of course, he also understood very clearly: immortal cultivation was, by nature, a struggle against others and a battle against the heavens. Once immortal cultivation sects rose, enemies of the Clear Sky Sect would inevitably appear.
They were enemies, but also trials that tempered the Clear Sky Sect.
He was also searching for a better way to coexist. If none existed, then those small sects could be treated as training grounds for Clear Sky Sect disciples—used to level up.
After listening for a while, Yun Cai lost interest in the Thousand Autumn Sect.
“Sect Master, after the Grand Dao Tournament ends, I want to go down the mountain and temper myself for one year. Is that alright?” Yun Cai asked Li Qingqiu in a low voice.
“Of course. Will you bring your sisters with you?” Li Qingqiu asked.
“Yes. We already discussed it together.”
“Go, then. When roaming the martial world, keep your guard up. Do not think that just because you are an immortal cultivator, you can fear no one,” Li Qingqiu reminded her. He was not in a rush to have Yun Cai break into the Spirit Perception Realm. Appropriate tempering was also a good thing.
Yun Cai nodded, and a smile bloomed on her face. She knew Li Qingqiu would agree to let her go down the mountain to temper herself.
Sitting on Li Qingqiu’s other side, Li Dongyue suddenly smiled and said, “When you return, will you bring back a disciple you accepted in the secular world?”
Yun Cai quickly said, “I will not take disciples down the mountain. At most, I will help those suffering.”
Li Qingqiu said calmly, “If you meet someone with Eye Affinity and want to accept a disciple, that is also fine. You do not need to bind yourself with too many restraints.”
“I will pass. Taking disciples is too troublesome,” Yun Cai shook her head.
Li Qingqiu did not say more. He turned his head and saw Zhang Yuchun walking over with a basin of hot food.
“Spirit fish meat—one bite saves three days of bitter cultivation!”
Zhang Yuchun’s laughter rang out, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.