The morning sun rose slowly, painting the Taikun Mountain Range in soft gold. Li Qingqiu stepped out of his room early and went to wake his junior brothers and sisters for their morning training.
After a night of heavy snowfall, the courtyard was blanketed in a thick layer of white. Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue were already up, busy shoveling snow.
Li Qingqiu told them to put the shovels down and focus on practice first.
All seven of them climbed onto the roof together, sitting cross-legged in a line. They began drawing in the purple morning qi, and soon, faint streams of warmth rose above their heads.
Li Qingqiu opened one eye and glanced at them with quiet satisfaction.
Though they were still young, they were obedient and learned fast. Teaching them didn't exhaust him—on the contrary, it filled him with hope for Qingxiao Sect's future.
'This is my founding team,' he thought proudly.
After an hour of training, the disciples leapt down from the eaves, ready to go about their chores. Li Qingqiu called out to Zhang Yuchun, asking him to follow.
Zhang Yuchun had no objections, though his brow lifted slightly when he noticed Li Qingqiu carrying the Tianhong Sword.
The two walked side by side through the snow-covered forest, chatting casually about the sect's daily affairs.
The Taikun Mountains were steep and treacherous; even cultivators like them had to tread carefully, especially with the snow making the paths unstable.
After walking about ten li, Zhang Yuchun couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother, where exactly are we going?"
Without turning his head, Li Qingqiu replied, "Last night, I dreamed of an immortal's guidance. The immortal said a treasure was hidden in these mountains. The dream was so vivid that I think it's worth investigating."
In truth, the Fortune Opportunity had shown him the route in a vision—a vivid illusion he could still recall perfectly.
"An immortal's guidance?"
Zhang Yuchun almost stumbled. He wanted to say, 'Senior Brother, do you really take me for a fool?' but he didn't dare speak against Li Qingqiu and could only follow quietly.
The snow blanketed everything, making every path look the same. No matter how far they walked, it felt like they hadn't moved at all. Luckily, both of them had reached the first layer of Nurturing Essence, and their strengthened bodies allowed them to push forward without much fatigue.
After another ten or so li, Li Qingqiu finally stopped. The path ahead ended at a solid rock wall, narrow and hemmed in by snow on both sides.
Breathing into his cold palms, Zhang Yuchun looked around curiously. "Senior Brother, this doesn't look like the kind of place that hides treasure. Seems like your immortal wasn't too reliable. Should we turn back?"
Li Qingqiu didn't answer. He stepped up to the mountain wall and began feeling around with his hands.
After a moment, he seemed to find something and suddenly struck the wall hard. He hit it three times, and to Zhang Yuchun's astonishment, the rock split open.
Blinking in disbelief, Zhang Yuchun hurried forward to look.
After several breaths, when it became clear the rest of the wall couldn't be broken further, they were left staring at a hole barely big enough for a dog to crawl through. Li Qingqiu fell silent.
In the vision, the cave entrance had been much larger.
Zhang Yuchun crouched and peered inside. It was pitch dark, but warm air flowed outward in steady bursts.
"Let's go," Li Qingqiu said and immediately crawled in.
Zhang Yuchun hesitated, wanting to protest, but his senior brother moved too fast. Gritting his teeth, he followed close behind.
The tunnel sloped downward into darkness. A stream of warm air flowed through it, making the chill much more bearable. As they descended, the space gradually widened, easing the sense of confinement.
After crawling for about five zhang, they reached the end.
When Zhang Yuchun climbed out after Li Qingqiu, he found the drop short and landed easily. He raised his head—and froze. His mouth fell open in awe.
Before them stretched a vast underground cavern. The walls glimmered faintly, embedded with countless blue-silver crystals of all shapes and sizes. Below lay a broad underground lake, nearly ten zhang across, its surface glowing silver-blue like liquid moonlight—mystical and breathtaking.
For some reason, Zhang Yuchun felt invigorated the moment he entered. His mind cleared, his body lightened, and his spirit soared.
"Senior Brother, it feels like this whole place is filled with the same spiritual qi we breathe in during cultivation! If we trained here, wouldn't our inner energy grow faster?" he asked, unable to hide his excitement.
"Indeed," Li Qingqiu replied calmly, though a smile tugged at his lips. "This is a perfect place for cultivation. Heaven truly blesses Qingxiao Sect."
Inwardly, he was bursting with excitement. The moment he had activated the Fortune Opportunity, he'd imagined such a discovery—and now it was real.
The two began to explore, carefully observing the surroundings as they talked.
"Be careful, Senior Brother," Zhang Yuchun warned. "If there are poisonous creatures or beasts down here, that'd be bad."
"Senior Brother," he continued after a pause, "did an immortal really give you that dream? Or was it something Master told you before?"
He glanced around again and sighed. "It's a pity this place is so far from Qingxiao Sect. Just getting here takes half a day's walk."
Then, his eyes gleamed. "But tell me, Senior Brother—if we train here for ten years, do you think we could become the most powerful men in the martial world?"
Li Qingqiu gave vague, half-hearted answers, not really listening, and Zhang Yuchun didn't mind.
Though usually calm and reliable, he was still only fifteen. Around Li Qingqiu, he could drop his composure and act like the boy he really was.
After circling the cavern several times and confirming there was only one entrance and no immediate danger, they finally relaxed.
"What do you think?" Li Qingqiu asked, his gaze turning toward the glowing underground lake. "How should we arrange for our junior brothers and sisters to come here and train?"
Zhang Yuchun thought for a moment before saying, "We definitely can't all come here at once. Someone must stay behind to guard Qingxiao Sect. Besides, I'll need to go down the mountain soon to recruit new disciples. Senior Brother, no one outside our seven should know about this place. I suggest we come here in pairs—two at a time—to train for a day each, taking turns. What do you think?"
Li Qingqiu glanced at him and nodded approvingly. "Good. That's a solid plan. You've considered the risks, and that makes me proud."
Zhang Yuchun scratched his head and smiled shyly. "In those martial world stories Master used to tell, a lot of weak sects got wiped out just because they had some powerful technique or treasure."
"Exactly," Li Qingqiu replied with a sigh. "Qingxiao Sect only has the seven of us, and we're still young. We have to act carefully. Losing even one person would be too heavy a blow."
"One person…"
Zhang Yuchun's face tensed. Just the thought of seeing Li Qingqiu or one of their junior brothers and sisters die in front of him filled him with dread.
'No! I won't allow that to happen!'
He was an orphan too—abandoned when he was only six years old. Loneliness had followed him ever since. Qingxiao Sect was the first place he ever felt he belonged, and he already saw Li Qingqiu and the others as his own family. That was why he worked so hard without complaint—because this was home.
Li Qingqiu picked up a crystal stone beside the lake. The moment he touched it, he could feel dense spiritual energy pulsing inside. He thought about taking one with him, but then reconsidered. Even the faint spiritual energy from that small knife Jiang Kuatian gave him could be sensed by someone sensitive to qi. If he brought out a stone like this, it might attract unwanted trouble.
So he put the stone back and warned Zhang Yuchun, "No one is to take these crystals out of here. Ever."
After confirming there was nothing else of concern, they decided to return.
Climbing back up the tunnel, Li Qingqiu pulled together the surrounding weeds and branches to cover the hole, then piled snow over it until it looked like untouched ground. Only then did he finally relax.
"Don't mention this place outside," he said seriously. "If an expert happens to pass by and overhears us, it could bring disaster."
Zhang Yuchun nodded heavily. He fully understood how important the underground spiritual lake was.
They started back toward Qingxiao Sect, chatting idly along the way. Zhang Yuchun said he planned to wait until the snow melted before going down the mountain to recruit disciples. The snow was getting heavier lately, and he didn't want to risk any accidents bringing children up through the mountain paths.
Li Qingqiu had no objection. He wasn't in a hurry to expand the sect anyway. Strength came first—his core disciples had to grow powerful before they could safely interact with outsiders.
The path back was rough. Their earlier footprints had already been buried under a new layer of snow.
Halfway along, Li Qingqiu suddenly stopped walking.
Zhang Yuchun, following close behind, asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"
"Listen carefully," Li Qingqiu whispered.
Zhang Yuchun held his breath and focused. Soon, he caught it too—a faint, broken voice coming from somewhere deep in the woods.
"Help… me…"
Zhang Yuchun narrowed his eyes. With his first-layer Nurturing Essence strength, his sight pierced the gaps between the trees. There, behind a large trunk leaning against a rock, he spotted half a human face staring weakly in their direction.
Startled, he pointed. "Senior Brother, someone's calling for help! Should we help him?"
Li Qingqiu had already noticed the man before he spoke.
After a short hesitation, he said quietly, "Let's go have a look. But stay sharp—we can't be sure it's not a trap."
Zhang Yuchun nodded, and the two pushed through the snow and thickets toward the stranger.
The man—Yang Jueding—was on the verge of losing consciousness. When he saw the two young figures approaching, joy flashed across his weary face.
He had actually seen them earlier when they went down the mountain but had been too weak to call out. He'd been waiting here ever since, hoping they'd return. Just when he thought he wouldn't survive, they appeared.
He used the last of his strength to call for help, his voice barely audible.
Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun stopped several paces away, keeping a safe distance as they examined him carefully.
The man was covered in snow and filth. His robes were torn, and dried blood stuck to the stubble on his face. His tied-up hair had mostly come loose. Judging by his features, he looked to be in his early thirties, and his abdomen was badly wounded—blood had long frozen solid over the gash.
Zhang Yuchun asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Water… please…"
Yang Jueding's eyes fluttered open, his voice weak and hoarse. He tried to lift his right hand, but it barely moved.
Zhang Yuchun glanced at Li Qingqiu. When Li Qingqiu nodded, he took out a small water flask and tossed it over.
To their surprise, the man suddenly sat upright with startling energy, snatched the flask mid-air, yanked it open, and drank greedily.
Zhang Yuchun flinched and instinctively took a step back.
Li Qingqiu watched carefully, sensing faint fluctuations of internal energy radiating from the man's body. That inner strength was what had kept him alive and warm in the freezing cold.
'A martial expert who has cultivated internal qi?' he thought.
When Yang Jueding finally emptied the flask, he slumped back down with a long sigh of relief. The tension in his body eased, and he managed a faint grin.
"Thank you, young brothers, for saving me," he said. "My name is Yang Jueding."
Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun exchanged wary glances, still not lowering their guard.
Yang Jueding blinked, confused by their reaction. "You mean… you haven't heard of me? I'm the Dragon-Subduing Hero Yang Jueding—ranked top ten on Guzhou's Celestial Ranking!"