Chapter 288: The Power of Clear Sky
During the New Year Festival, the Ancient Great Mountain Range was bustling with excitement.
Li Qingqiu stood upon a cliff, drinking wine as he looked down over the magnificent expanse of mountains. Even the heavy snow could not conceal the figures of disciples, spirit boats, and flying birds coming and going.
Li Dongyue walked up behind him and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
“I’ve noticed you like standing here alone more and more lately, admiring the scenery. What, are you enjoying the feeling of being lonely at the top?”
She looked down at the mountains below and asked with a soft smile.
Li Qingqiu laughed. “Of course not. It’s just that from here, I can clearly see the sect’s transformation. Every time I come up, I can see changes. Only these tangible changes let me truly feel that the sect is moving forward.”
Although he possessed the Dao Lineage Panel, Li Qingqiu still preferred to observe with his own eyes. Only through his own perception could he feel that everything was real—that he was not playing some management game, but truly living.
“The sect’s development is already fast enough. I even think it’s too fast,” Li Dongyue sighed.
She had now reached the Eighth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm. She cultivated diligently in her daily life; aside from managing the affairs of the Spirit Finance Hall, all her time was devoted to cultivation. Yet she still could not keep up with the sect’s first echelon.
Even within the Spirit Finance Hall, her cultivation did not rank among the top three.
At times, she could not help but feel that without Senior Brother, it would have been difficult for people like them to manage the Clear Sky Sect well.
“It’s not that fast, actually. You don’t need to be so anxious. As long as I am here, no one can threaten you in your position,” Li Qingqiu said gently.
As the sect grew larger, the pressure Li Dongyue faced also increased.
Genius disciples were arrogant, aristocratic families were powerful—voices of all kinds would inevitably reach her ears, making her hesitate with every decision. She feared being unfair to others, feared offending certain factions.
And it was not just Li Dongyue. The other Hall Masters were the same.
In Li Qingqiu’s view, the reason they felt such pressure was that they were not greedy enough and were too soft-hearted. Of course, that was not a bad thing—at least not for the sect’s development.
“Many people want to climb higher, but there are only so many Hall Master positions. Have you considered it?” Li Dongyue asked.
Li Qingqiu looked into the distance. “Precisely because of that, the Clear Sky Sect must develop even faster. The authority of a Deputy Hall Master now exceeds that of a Hall Master ten years ago, doesn’t it?”
Li Dongyue found that reasonable and nodded.
“You just need to worry about your own affairs. Thinking too much won’t do you any good. And you can’t control everything anyway. What, are you planning to usurp me and become Sect Master?” Li Qingqiu teased.
Li Dongyue could not help but laugh. “Speaking of which, some aristocratic families have already started placing their bets, speculating which of your disciples will inherit the position of Sect Master.”
Li Qingqiu’s disciples were now figures surrounded like stars around the moon. Even the youngest, Hu Yan, was pursued by numerous powerful nobles, so much so that he hardly dared to show his face in public.
“We are an Immortal Cultivation Sect. Our lives will be long. For the next few hundred years, the position of Sect Master will not change—unless I die,” Li Qingqiu snorted.
No matter how forceful he was, he could not completely suppress the growth of ambition.
“True. Then I’ll spread your words to prevent certain people from stirring up trouble,” Li Dongyue nodded.
Li Qingqiu did not stop her. He gazed across the Ancient Great Mountain Range, his eyes filled with visions of the future.
The Clear Sky Sect had grown strong—but it was far from enough.
…
With the arrival of the new year, Li Qingqiu convened a council at the Profound Heart Hall, summoning all those at the Elder level and above within the sect. There were over a hundred people.
Together, they discussed plans for the coming year. As for the goals Li Qingqiu set, the sect’s decision-makers felt both pressure and exhilaration.
After the council ended, the Free Spirit Hall posted notices at every peak and main courtyard, displaying the current numbers of disciples at each level within the Clear Sky Sect.
The number of registered disciples had surpassed forty thousand. Outer Disciples who had stepped into the First Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm exceeded twenty thousand. True Transmission Disciples who had reached the Fifth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm numbered over a thousand.
Each of these figures invigorated the entire sect. The news also spread throughout the Nine Provinces.
By now, the martial world had some understanding of the strength of Clear Sky Sect disciples. Those at the Fifth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm could absolutely sweep across the martial world, even standing alone against thousands of troops. And in the Clear Sky Sect, there were over a thousand such individuals.
Such strength struck fear not only into martial sects, but also into the princes and nobles of the Xuan Dynasty.
Li Qingqiu revealed only the sect’s strength up to the level of True Transmission Disciples, deliberately to deter the Nine Provinces. As for the numbers at higher realms, he kept them confidential—intended to guard against enemies beyond the Nine Provinces.
What he valued most now was combat power at the Spirit Perception Realm.
For this reason, he issued generous rewards within the circle of True Transmission Disciples. The first hundred disciples to step into the Spirit Perception Realm would receive enormous cultivation resources and even elevation in status.
The fighting spirit of the True Transmission Disciples was ignited. They realized that within the Clear Sky Sect, the faster one cultivated, the wider the gap would become—both in resources and treatment.
In February, the Clear Sky Sect announced that Yun Cai had been promoted to Divine Art Disciple. She became the second disciple after Zhao Zhen to cultivate a Divine Art, and for a time, she stood at the height of fame.
In spring, vitality flourished between heaven and earth.
After noon, Li Qingqiu arrived at the Heavenly Works Hall. He sat in Zhu Yan’s chair, while Zhu Yan and Wei Tianxiong stood before the table, jointly studying the Grand Formation to Mend the Heavens.
The Grand Formation to Mend the Heavens was a secret manual that Chu Jing had obtained over a hundred years ago. He had intended to encircle the Imperial City within the formation, enhancing the spiritual energy inside the city to push his martial arts to a higher level.
In truth, the Grand Formation to Mend the Heavens was an immortal cultivation formation—exquisitely profound. Though Li Qingqiu had possessed it for many years, he had never fully comprehended it. Fortunately, Wei Tianxiong’s arrival gave him hope.
Wei Tianxiong frowned tightly. “I’ve studied this formation for a long time and finally sorted it out. At its core, the Grand Formation to Mend the Heavens is a high-tier Spirit-Gathering Formation. It should have been left behind by the Supreme Sword Sect. To cover the entire Ancient Great Mountain Range, we would need a special spirit stone called the Earth-Guiding Spirit Stone. The sect currently does not possess such spirit stones.”
After hearing this, Li Qingqiu said, “Can you draw the Earth-Guiding Spirit Stone and annotate its characteristics? I will mobilize the entire sect to search for it. The Nine Provinces are vast—perhaps it exists.”
Wei Tianxiong nodded. In his view, the Earth-Guiding Spirit Stone was not an especially rare high-tier material. The Nine Provinces might indeed contain it.
The Nine Provinces were called a barren land only in comparison to the Heavenly Nether Sea and the Azure Dragon Domain.
Heaven and earth had their own cycles of creation. After the Supreme Sword Sect had exhausted high-tier resources in the Nine Provinces, heaven and earth would gradually give birth to new resources again, until reaching a new peak.
“Besides the Grand Formation to Mend the Heavens, we must also establish a mountain-protecting grand formation. Study both formations simultaneously. Whatever resources you need, speak freely,” Li Qingqiu instructed.
Zhu Yan and Wei Tianxiong both accepted the order.
After leaving the Heavenly Works Hall, however, Li Qingqiu frowned.
The Clear Sky Sect’s demand for spirit stones was growing greater and greater. The largest reserves they possessed were Spirit Copper—but Spirit Copper was not spirit stone; it could only be used for refining artifacts.
Excavating spirit mines had become the top priority for the Clear Sky Sect’s development.
That same day, Li Qingqiu summoned Xiao Wuqing to call Zhang Yuchun, Chu Jing, and Xue Jin. One task was to search for Earth-Guiding Spirit Stones; the other was to mobilize disciples to locate spirit mines. Both matters were urgent.
Once the Clear Sky Sect mobilized its full strength, results were immediate.
In just three months, an Earth-Guiding Spirit Stone was delivered before Li Qingqiu.
He summoned Wei Tianxiong, who confirmed it was indeed an Earth-Guiding Spirit Stone. However, the Grand Formation to Mend the Heavens required a massive quantity of them. Li Qingqiu was not anxious—if one could be found, more would follow.
At the beginning of June, news regarding a spirit mine also reached Li Qingqiu’s ears.
…
Zhongtian Province, deep within the mountains.
Mist filled the forest. Sunlight pierced through it, forming beams of light. Beneath those beams stood a Daoist temple, faintly visible.
Above the temple gates hung a plaque carved with three large characters.
Asking Immortals Temple.
Inside a great hall, Bai Ning’er stood with his hands clasped behind his back, examining the statue before him. It depicted a deity with three heads and six arms, sitting cross-legged, bare-chested. Two hands formed a gesture before his chest, while the other four arms extended outward, each holding a weapon. His hair flowed upward like burning flames. His eyes were wide open, fierce as a vajra glare.
“What immortal does your Asking Immortals Temple worship? He looks quite ferocious.”
Bai Ning’er asked curiously. To his right stood a Dao-robed young man with delicate features—almost feminine in appearance—who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen.
This Dao-robed man was the Temple Master of the Asking Immortals Temple, named Shi Yixian.
Shi Yixian smiled. His smile carried a beauty that could topple a kingdom. “This is the Compassionate Savior Immortal. A vajra countenance, but a compassionate heart.”
“Oh? And what is your basis for that? Why have I never heard of him?”
Faced with Bai Ning’er’s confusion, Shi Yixian’s smile did not fade.
“The Compassionate Savior Immortal is an ancient immortal deity, later erased by the Great Yan Dynasty. Naturally, you have not heard of him. I discovered his deeds in an ancient cave. Legend says he was once the Crown Prince of a dynasty. At that time, disasters were rampant, and the people lived in utter misery—even to the point of exchanging children to eat. When he learned of it, he was heartbroken. He offered sacrifice to Heaven and, before the people, cut flesh from his own body—nine hundred and ninety-nine pieces in total—distributing them to the people. He died violently from it. Heaven could not bear it and bestowed merit upon him, turning his bones into a golden body. Thus, he became the Compassionate Savior Immortal.”
“Whenever great calamities appear in the mortal world, the Compassionate Savior Immortal descends in mortal form, walking the world, using his will to move Heaven itself—bringing peace to the people and praying for wind and rain.”
After speaking, Shi Yixian brought his palms together and bowed devoutly to the statue.
For some reason, the scene made Bai Ning’er feel deeply uncomfortable.
He looked again at the statue of the Compassionate Savior Immortal. Sunlight streamed down from a broken gap in the eaves. Yet even bathed in light, the statue still made him uneasy.
He changed the subject. “I see that your temple does not have many disciples. If you wish to cultivate immortality, why not go to the Clear Sky Sect?”
Shi Yixian looked at Bai Ning’er and smiled. “If there were only one path to immortality in this world, wouldn’t that be a bad thing? Today, Sect Master Li Qingqiu is benevolent and compassionate, holding the common people in his heart. But if the next Sect Master were as cruel as Zhao Zhi of Great Li, then with the Clear Sky Sect’s power, what kind of darkness would descend upon this world?”