Chapter 47: Blessed Land of a Thousand Spirits
Half an hour after parting ways with Yan Wujin, Li Qingqiu finally arrived at the place of fortuitous fate.
Standing amidst the forest, he gazed at the colossal tree before him — a tree so vast it resembled a towering mountain — and a strange light flickered in his eyes.
Sunlight poured down, breaking into a thousand shimmering strands that pierced through the gaps between the leaves, casting an otherworldly glow over the meadow below.
Following Li Qingqiu’s gaze, one could see that the hundred-zhang-tall tree spread its canopy over an open space more than two hundred zhang wide.
The scene looked as if it had stepped out of a dream.
Hanging from the branches were countless thick vines, each bearing fire-red fruits the size of a human fist.
The grass beneath the tree was lush and green, swaying lightly in the wind like waves on an emerald sea.
Standing there, Li Qingqiu could actually feel spiritual energy no less abundant than that of the Subterranean Spiritual Lake.
This discovery thrilled him greatly.
This place can serve as a cultivation ground as well!
The spiritual energy emanated from the giant tree itself — meaning the tree could endlessly generate spiritual energy.
No wonder it was called a treasure of heaven and earth.
Li Qingqiu stepped forward cautiously.
Though this was a place of fortune, he remained vigilant — it would be troublesome if he got injured here.
As he reached the base of the tree, the feeling of awe grew even stronger.
It was like standing before a sheer cliff face.
Placing his hand on the tree trunk, he gently caressed its surface.
Suddenly, his eyes widened in astonishment.
He could feel a pulse of life within the tree — even a force akin to vital energy surging through it.
Has this tree developed a spirit of its own?
Li Qingqiu instinctively took a step back.
Just then, one of the vines slowly extended toward him.
Strangely, he could sense no malice from it — an odd yet genuine feeling.
He stopped retreating and raised his right hand, touching the vine with his fingertips.
The “vine,” in truth, was nearly as thick as his waist.
Sunlight fell upon Li Qingqiu, and as he looked at the vine before him, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
——
Near noon, Li Qingqiu strolled back into the courtyard, swaying lazily.
He saw Zhang Yuchun and Zhang Yu sitting together — Zhang Yuchun speaking while Zhang Yu wrote notes with a brush.
Passing by the table, Li Qingqiu tossed a manual onto it.
“I’ll skip lunch. Don’t bother calling me.”
Without pausing, he continued toward the forest behind the mountain.
Zhang Yu looked down and read aloud, “Great Sun Pure Yang Art?”
Zhang Yuchun picked up the manual, flipped through a few pages, then turned to Li Qingqiu and asked, “Where did you get this manual?”
“Found it on the mountain.”
With that, Li Qingqiu disappeared down the forest path.
Zhang Yu frowned in thought, muttering, “I’ve heard of this manual somewhere before… strange, why can’t I recall?”
Zhang Yuchun didn’t dwell on it.
He set the manual aside and continued recording the Clear Sky Sect’s current grain production with Zhang Yu.
——
Elsewhere, Li Qingqiu arrived before Jiang Zhaoxia.
Today, Jiang Zhaoxia had not gone to the Subterranean Spiritual Lake.
After finishing his lesson with the Thirteen Sword Fiends, he hid himself away as usual to train.
“Third Junior Brother, tomorrow you’ll come with me somewhere,” Li Qingqiu said as he approached and sat beneath an old tree, keeping three zhang of distance between them.
Jiang Zhaoxia opened his eyes, glanced at him, and asked, “Are we going to hunt down the Absolute Saint Sect?”
Li Qingqiu’s mouth twitched.
He rolled his eyes.
“Do I look that bloodthirsty to you?”
“Are you not?”
“You’re getting cheeky. There’s a good opportunity tomorrow, and you’re the first I thought of. Don’t cry from gratitude when the time comes.”
“Heh, I never cry.”
“Really? When we were kids, I spanked you and you bawled loud enough for the whole sect to hear. Yuchun and Dongyue should still remember.”
“Senior Brother, you’ve gone too far!”
Seeing Jiang Zhaoxia’s flustered anger, Li Qingqiu’s mood lightened considerably.
It had been so long since he’d teased his junior brother — he missed it, truthfully.
Not wanting to stay on that topic, Jiang Zhaoxia asked again what the so-called “good opportunity” was, but Li Qingqiu refused to tell him, forcing him to drop the matter.
——
At dawn, Li Qingqiu stepped out of his room and saw Jiang Zhaoxia already waiting.
“You’re so slow. With your cultivation, you still need to sleep in?” Jiang Zhaoxia grumbled.
Li Qingqiu walked up and flicked his forehead.
“In front of disciples, address me as Sect Master.”
Jiang Zhaoxia pouted, earning silent admiration from the nearby disciples — the cold and ruthless Jiang Zhaoxia only behaved like this before the Sect Master.
Then, Li Qingqiu led him down the mountain.
——
An hour later.
The two passed through thick fog and arrived beneath the massive tree.
Jiang Zhaoxia stared at it, eyes wide, his usual stoic demeanor vanishing.
“This…”
He was utterly astonished.
Never had he imagined that such a colossal tree hid within the mountains behind the Clear Sky Sect — and the spiritual energy here was rich beyond belief, rivaling even the Subterranean Spiritual Lake.
Li Qingqiu chuckled.
“I’ve named this tree the Thousand Spirit Tree. From now on, this place shall be known as the Blessed Land of a Thousand Spirits. It’ll be one of the Clear Sky Sect’s secrets. Any disciple who wishes to cultivate here must first have my permission. You’ll stay here until you break through to the Fifth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm before leaving.”
Jiang Zhaoxia took a deep breath and asked, “Why not let Xu Ning come first? Her talent surpasses mine.”
Li Qingqiu glared at him.
“What nonsense? If a more talented disciple appears, should we just hand over every opportunity to them? My goal in growing the Clear Sky Sect is so that we Seven Sons can climb higher together. No matter what, the ones who benefit most from the sect’s growth will always be us — then the others.”
Jiang Zhaoxia felt deeply moved but still muttered, “That’s no way for a sect master to act.”
“Enough talk. Start cultivating. My disciple’s still young — and a girl at that — so when it comes to fighting, it’s still up to you.”
“Understood.”
Jiang Zhaoxia glanced once more at the Thousand Spirit Tree before sitting down to meditate.
Li Qingqiu, meanwhile, climbed the massive tree, examining it carefully.
There was still so much about it he wanted to understand.
It was autumn, yet the Thousand Spirit Tree showed no sign of withering.
Even the surrounding forest remained lush and green, teeming with life.
What intrigued Li Qingqiu most was the fruit’s effect.
There were at least a thousand fruits hanging from the branches, and many fallen ones lay rotting on the ground.
He decided to find an animal later to test the fruit’s properties.
Jiang Zhaoxia, already near the Fifth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm, took only six days — cultivating without rest — to break through.
When Li Qingqiu returned to the Blessed Land of a Thousand Spirits, Jiang Zhaoxia reported his success, greatly pleasing him.
However, Jiang Zhaoxia raised his sword, pointing it toward Li Qingqiu with a spirited grin.
“Senior Brother, it’s been ages since we sparred. How about a match?”
In the past, Li Qingqiu might have declined.
But now, even he felt an itch to fight.
Clang—
Drawing the Tianhong Sword from his waist, Li Qingqiu smirked.
“Junior Brother, don’t cry when you lose.”
“Senior Brother, I’ve never lost!”
Jiang Zhaoxia lunged forward like an arrow, and Li Qingqiu met him head-on.
Their swords clashed; their eyes locked.
Sparks of sword light burst between them as excitement spread across both their faces.
With a forceful exchange, both leapt backward — and in that instant, autumn vanished, replaced by a sudden snowfall blanketing the Blessed Land of a Thousand Spirits.
They rushed each other again, swords weaving in dazzling patterns, movements fluid and fierce — evenly matched.
Since Jiang Zhaoxia’s breakthrough to the Fifth Layer, the two had often sparred here.
Two months had passed in such duels.
Li Dongyue and Li Sijin sat meditating beneath the tree but opened their eyes to watch.
“Third Senior Brother, go for it!”
Li Sijin’s shout did not motivate Jiang Zhaoxia — it irritated him.
No matter what sword techniques he used, Li Qingqiu effortlessly countered them — even mirroring his moves.
It felt as though he were dueling another version of himself.
Absurd — yet undeniable.
He realized he wasn’t fighting himself, but that his senior brother’s sword mastery had far surpassed his own, easily reading his every move.
A month ago, that realization would have frustrated him.
Now, it only fueled his determination.
Defeating his senior brother had become his goal!
Li Dongyue glanced at Li Sijin.
“Focus on your cultivation. Don’t think reaching the Second Layer means you can relax.”
Indeed, both had already reached the Second Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm.
Over these two months, they spent most of their time here.
Even Zhang Yuchun had been sent by Li Qingqiu to the Subterranean Spiritual Lake and broke through to the Second Layer just yesterday.
As the core members advanced, responsibilities naturally began to shift toward the disciples.
The Seven Sons of Clear Sky, together with Qin Ye under Yang Jueding’s instruction, began managing sect affairs, sharing the burdens of Zhang Yuchun and the others.
Though Zhang Yuchun and the rest didn’t understand why their senior brother insisted they reach the Second Layer so urgently, they obeyed without question.
Chided by Li Dongyue, Li Sijin closed her eyes again and resumed her meditation.
She had always been closest to Li Dongyue and willingly listened to her words.
After the incense stick’s time, Li Qingqiu stopped.
With one smooth motion, he flicked his sword and sheathed it.
Jiang Zhaoxia was breathing heavily, while Li Qingqiu’s breathing remained calm.
“Senior Brother,” Jiang Zhaoxia said, “after the New Year, I’ll take the Thirteen Sword Fiends down the mountain to gain experience.
We’ll return within three months at most.”
Li Qingqiu understood his intent.
Seeing his determined gaze, he said, “I only have one demand — not a single one of those thirteen disciples may be lost.”
Jiang Zhaoxia smiled.
“Naturally.
They’re my disciples.
Even if I die, I won’t let them die.”
“Forget it — your safety comes first.
I forbid you to die.”
Li Qingqiu shook his head.
He wasn’t too worried about Jiang Zhaoxia’s revenge.
Back when Jiang Zhaoxia had only reached the Third Layer, he’d already defeated Lu Fuhu.
Now, having attained the Fifth Layer, how could he possibly lose?
It was worth mentioning that among the Thirteen Sword Fiends, one had already received direct instruction from Li Qingqiu and reached the First Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm.
That disciple was the first among the Thirteen — Xue Jin.
Using the excuse of Xue Jin being struck by Qin Ye, Li Qingqiu had called him over and taught him the Primordial Unity Scripture.
In truth, it wasn’t to make amends — Li Qingqiu had long recognized his extraordinary cultivation aptitude and simply didn’t want his talent to be wasted.
After exchanging a few words with Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Qingqiu stood where he was and whistled.
Moments later, the eastern forest trembled — two black shadows burst forth, circled in the air, and swooped toward him.