"Uncle Jiang, I don't need the manual. If it's truly powerful, it might bring disaster upon me. If you really wish to leave something, why not give me that small knife instead?"
Li Qingqiu's gaze fell on the manual in Jiang Kuatian's hand as he spoke earnestly, raising his finger toward the small knife that radiated faint traces of spiritual energy.
Jiang Kuatian frowned—not because he cared about the knife, but because Li Qingqiu's words made him think.
He had assumed that warning the boy not to spread the technique would be enough. But once someone practiced a martial art, traces of it could always be exposed; it couldn't remain hidden forever.
A slight sense of shame stirred in Jiang Kuatian's chest. For all his years in the jianghu, he realized this young man thought things through more carefully than he did.
No wonder Lin Xunfeng had often gone down the mountain alone—leaving someone like Li Qingqiu to guard the sect meant he truly had no worries.
After a brief pause, Jiang Kuatian reached for the small knife, lifted it, and handed it to Li Qingqiu. "Alright. We're men of the jianghu—no need for formalities. If you ever get into trouble, come find me at White Emperor Mansion. Even if I have to walk through fire or shatter my bones, your Uncle Jiang will help you!"
Li Qingqiu took the knife with genuine delight. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang!"
His expression was filled with such gratitude that Jiang Kuatian couldn't help but feel pleased.
Li Qingqiu tucked the knife carefully into his robe and called for the others to come out and meet their guest. As soon as the disciples gathered, the quiet courtyard came alive.
At first, they were all a bit intimidated by Jiang Kuatian's towering frame and rough aura, standing stiffly and speaking little. But as he began recounting stories of the jianghu, their curiosity took over. They surrounded him eagerly, firing off questions one after another.
Half an hour passed before the rain finally stopped.
Jiang Zhaoxia emerged from the forest soon after. Ever since he began cultivating, he preferred to train alone. Li Qingqiu didn't mind—he could see both Jiang Zhaoxia's progress and loyalty level through the Dao Lineage Interface.
Geniuses always had their secrets, after all.
The moment Jiang Kuatian saw him, he was stunned. Circling the youth with wide eyes, he exclaimed that Jiang Zhaoxia was a once-in-a-century martial prodigy and tried his best to recruit him into White Emperor Mansion.
Unfortunately for him, Jiang Zhaoxia wasn't interested. His tone even carried a trace of disdain toward White Emperor Mansion, leaving Jiang Kuatian speechless with frustration.
Li Qingqiu noticed the way Jiang Zhaoxia barely acknowledged Jiang Kuatian—he wasn't afraid of offending him at all.
The confidence that came with cultivation was something unmatched. Although Jiang Zhaoxia was only at the first layer of Nurturing Essence, his spiritual qi was undoubtedly the strongest in Qingxiao Sect. Li Qingqiu could feel it clearly.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder—just how big was the difference between a cultivator at the first layer of Nurturing Essence and an ordinary martial artist?
…
The next morning, Jiang Kuatian didn't rise until noon. After eating his fill, he finally prepared to leave.
Before going, he slipped a martial manual into Wu Man'er's hands and said with a laugh, "If you ever decide to come down the mountain, visit me at White Emperor Mansion—before I grow old!"
He waved dramatically as he walked away, laughing freely, his figure fading into the misty forest.
Li Qingqiu stood watching until the man disappeared among the trees, then turned back to find his disciples whispering about Jiang Kuatian and White Emperor Mansion.
He ignored the chatter and returned to the courtyard. Jiang Zhaoxia followed close behind. Once they had put some distance between themselves and the others, Jiang Zhaoxia leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother, did Jiang Kuatian give you something with spiritual energy?"
He could faintly sense a weak fluctuation of qi coming from Li Qingqiu's chest. It was subtle, but undeniable—such an object was rare.
Li Qingqiu gave him a sidelong glance and said, "Yes. I'll study it carefully first. I'll get you one later too. Junior Brother, you need to understand—your cultivation speed far surpasses mine. I need some kind of backup. If one day you're not around, I still need a way to protect myself, right?"
Jiang Zhaoxia's chest swelled with pride, the corners of his mouth twitching upward despite his best efforts to stay composed. He gave a confident hum. "As if I'd ever not be around. Don't worry, Senior Brother. As long as I'm here, no one will ever threaten Qingxiao Sect."
That arrogance had always been part of his nature. Since cultivating the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra, his pride had only grown—he truly believed himself invincible.
The two brothers chatted as they strolled back toward the courtyard.
Once there, Li Qingqiu returned to his room, while Jiang Zhaoxia slipped off as usual to cultivate alone in the back mountain forest.
Inside his room, Li Qingqiu shut the door and sat cross-legged on the bed. He took out the small knife and began examining it carefully.
'A weapon infused with spiritual energy… could this be a magical artifact?'
The Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra wasn't just a breathing and qi-cultivation method. It also contained foundational knowledge of alchemy, artifact refinement, formations, and talismans. He decided to follow one of the simplest techniques described—injecting spiritual qi into the item to test for ownership seals.
The moment he did, his entire body jolted. His right hand spasmed, and the knife clattered to the ground.
There was a restriction!
Li Qingqiu looked down at his trembling hand. It felt as though it had been shocked numb.
'So it really is a magical artifact!'
"Seems my cultivation is still too low. I'll try again once I reach the second layer of Nurturing Essence."
The test had nearly drained half his qi—it wasn't something he could afford to repeat.
Carefully, he picked up the knife and pondered where to hide it.
After a few minutes of thought, he dug a small hole beneath his bed and buried the knife there, using the earth to muffle its faint spiritual aura.
Satisfied, he stood and left his room.
From now on, he planned to focus his efforts on helping Wu Man'er reach the first layer of Nurturing Essence. Once she succeeded, he could finally activate the Fortune Opportunity.
At the same time, a thought stirred in his heart—
'If every disciple steps into the realm of cultivation… will the Dao Lineage grant another reward?'
He couldn't wait to find out.
Jiang Kuatian's visit soon became nothing more than a brief episode for Qingxiao Sect. After he left, Li Qingqiu arranged for the disciples to take turns teaching the fifth disciple, Wu Man'er.
Although Wu Man'er's intelligence was lacking, after countless rounds of patient guidance, he finally developed muscle memory for breathing and energy circulation. In time, he adapted to the Nurturing Essence method. Before the cold winter arrived, he successfully stepped into the first layer of Nurturing Essence.
[ Because all your disciples have entered the first layer of Nurturing Essence for the first time, this marks a major milestone in Qingxiao Sect's history. You have received one Dao Lineage Inheritance Reward. ]
While sitting cross-legged on the mountaintop, breathing in the flow of spiritual energy, Li Qingqiu saw the notification flash before his eyes—even with them closed.
Joy surged through him. A Dao Lineage reward really had appeared!
He scooted back a full ten feet from the cliff edge to ensure he wouldn't accidentally fall off, then immediately activated the reward.
[ Claim Inheritance Reward ]
[ Activating Dao Lineage Inheritance ]
[ You have obtained a spell — Gale Technique ]
[ Would you like to accept this inheritance? ]
"Inheritance!"
A flood of memories burst into his mind, and his eyes shut tight.
Cold winds howled. The mountain range was veiled in thick fog, and snow began to fall from the heavens. Flakes landed softly on Li Qingqiu's shoulders, yet he remained unmoved, utterly still.
After a single incense stick's time, he opened his eyes again—his expression alight with joy.
The Gale Technique truly lived up to the name of a spell. It wrapped the body in spiritual wind, allowing low-altitude gliding and greatly enhancing reaction speed. In a mountainous forest like this, it was an incredibly useful ability.
The first thing Li Qingqiu thought of was how much easier going down the mountain would become once he mastered it.
Standing up, he could barely contain his excitement. He wanted to begin practicing right away.
But the mountaintop was no place for such training—if he fell, he'd die!
'A future giant of the immortal world can't die falling off a cliff,' he thought.
As the sun sank and the moon rose, the snow grew heavier.
That night, Qingxiao Sect was bustling with laughter. The disciples gathered to celebrate Wu Man'er's successful cultivation. Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue slaughtered a chicken for the occasion and even brought out the twenty-year-old wine their master had left behind.
Wu Man'er, though only thirteen, already had the frame of an ox—broad shoulders and a thick waist. Sitting between Li Sifeng and Li Sijin, he looked almost like an adult, his shoulders nearly as wide as the two of them combined.
Jiang Zhaoxia, seated beside Li Qingqiu, smirked proudly as he watched. "Fifth Junior may be a little slow, but his martial potential is definitely the highest among us. Give me ten years—no, five—and I'll make him one of the top experts in the jianghu."
Li Qingqiu poured himself a cup of wine, chuckling. "Big talk. And you? Do you count as a top expert yourself yet?"
He hadn't meant it seriously, but the moment he said it, Jiang Zhaoxia puffed up with pride.
"Actually, I might already be! I have to admit, Senior Brother, the internal art you gave us is amazing. In the martial world, this would definitely be considered a divine technique!"
For once, he actually praised Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu almost burst out laughing.
'Brother, that's not a martial art divine technique—it's a cultivation method for immortals!'
He wasn't planning to correct them though. So far, all of his junior brothers and sisters still believed the energy inside them was mere internal qi.
Everyone was in high spirits, drinking and talking excitedly about the future.
Half-drunk, Zhang Yuchun turned toward Li Qingqiu and said, "Senior Brother, I think we should start recruiting new disciples early. All the juniors need to focus on cultivation, and handling sect chores alone is wearing me out. I can't manage it all anymore."
He wasn't just complaining—he wanted to grow stronger too.
He knew very well that in the future Qingxiao Sect, seniority alone wouldn't earn respect. Real strength would.
Li Qingqiu was very pleased with Zhang Yuchun's diligence and agreed he'd been working too hard.
"Then let's recruit seven disciples for now," he said. "You'll handle it. Go to the villages at the foot of the mountain. We'll take in both boys and girls, offer food and lodging, and ask no money. Tell them it's our way of giving back to the people. After ten years of training, if anyone wishes to return home, we won't stop them."
Zhang Yuchun's face lit up, but then he frowned at the last part.
"Senior Brother, if we let them go after ten years, wouldn't all our effort in training them be wasted?" he asked.
Li Qingqiu waved a hand. "You can't see it that way. They'll be working hard for us during those ten years too. And if Qingxiao Sect can't make people want to stay, then that means we've failed as a sect."
Hearing that, Zhang Yuchun nodded slowly. The logic struck deep, and admiration welled in his heart.
'Senior Brother's vision is so much broader than mine. No wonder Master chose him as Sect Master. I still think too much about short-term gain.'
While Zhang Yuchun and Li Qingqiu discussed the sect's future, the other disciples chatted about cultivation and the martial world. Laughter and voices filled the courtyard, lively enough to drive away even the chill of the winter snow.
When the banquet finally ended, Li Qingqiu asked his disciples to clean up. He returned to his room alone.
Jiang Zhaoxia, of course, didn't help with the cleaning either—but aside from Li Qingqiu, no one dared to scold him.
In his room, Li Qingqiu placed a charcoal brazier before his bed, climbed onto the mattress, and summoned the Dao Lineage Interface.
He selected Activate Fortune Opportunity.
[ Claim Fortune Opportunity Reward ]
[ Activating Fortune Opportunity ]
[ Scanning for Fortune Opportunity ]
[ Fortune detected: Underground Spiritual Lake. Would you like to accept the Fortune's guidance? ]
"An underground spiritual lake?"
Li Qingqiu's eyebrows rose. His heart raced with excitement.
He had really struck gold this time.
'Perhaps this… will be the very foundation upon which Qingxiao Sect rises to glory!'