The first Dao Lineage reward triggered by the sect's development?
Li Qingqiu stared at the glowing text before his eyes, deep in thought. He realized this might be a clue—a direction to help him guide Qingxiao Sect's future growth.
He turned and quickly walked back toward the sect's inner courtyard, eager to see what kind of Dao Lineage Inheritance Reward he would receive this time.
Meanwhile, down in the forested mountain path, Qin Jue glanced sideways at Yang Jueding and said with a sigh, "Your Sect Master might be young, but he's quite calculating. That kid, Li Sifeng—his ruthless strike earlier must have been arranged by him."
Yang Jueding chuckled. "Who knows? At least you didn't get hurt, right? Honestly, that method saves time. It lets you experience Qingxiao Sect's strength firsthand."
Qin Jue nodded. He wasn't a petty man. In fact, before this visit, he had worried Qingxiao Sect might not have the stability to last long. If it fell, the Qin family's investment would be wasted.
That was precisely why his father hadn't come in person.
Qingxiao Sect already carried a strong reputation in the martial world. The two previous Sect Masters had been figures of renown across Jianghu. But since Lin Xunfeng had declared his retirement, the sect had inevitably become a tempting target for countless other forces.
Now, Qin Jue no longer worried. On the contrary, he began to look forward to seeing what kind of legendary tale Qingxiao Sect would carve into the rivers and lakes of the martial world.
"Young Master Qin," Yang Jueding said earnestly, "I'll tell you this—Qingxiao Sect's strongest member wasn't even here today. That one is far more terrifying. To be honest, even I don't want to offend him. I recommended your family only because of my friendship with your father. Once word of Qingxiao Sect's geniuses spreads, powerful families and nobles will come flocking. By then, your Qin family might not even get a spot in line."
His tone was sincere. He wasn't trying to flatter either side—it was simply the truth as he saw it.
Qin Jue nodded in understanding. After a moment of silence, he said, "Aside from what we agreed on earlier, I plan to contribute additional funds and resources personally. I want my son to become that Sect Master's direct disciple."
Yang Jueding burst into laughter. "So you're leaving yourself a backdoor, huh?"
Qin Jue replied calmly, "When you have many brothers, it's best to prepare for trouble."
Hearing that, Yang Jueding fell quiet. His expression darkened slightly, as if recalling something from his past.
The two men soon disappeared into the depths of the forest.
…
After seeing them off, Li Qingqiu hurried back to his courtyard. He entered his room and closed the door behind him.
The disciples were all busy with their evening tasks, paying no attention to his movements.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Li Qingqiu immediately opened the reward interface.
[Claim Inheritance Reward]
[Activating Dao Lineage Inheritance]
[You have obtained the Secret Technique — Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles]
[Accept Inheritance?]
Secret technique?
Curiosity flashed across Li Qingqiu's eyes. Without hesitation, he selected to accept.
A flood of information surged into his mind. The rush of memory was intoxicating. He closed his eyes, letting it wash through him like a wave of light.
When he opened them again, the sky outside the window had turned orange with dusk.
He recalled what he had just learned, and a look of astonishment and delight appeared on his face.
The Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles could stop bleeding, purge poisons, and stimulate the five viscera—it was an all-purpose technique of immense medical value. But beyond its healing uses, it could also be used to kill. The needles, when infused with vital energy, could strike as swiftly as lightning, unpredictable like the hand of a ghost or an immortal.
This needle technique relied on the user's vital energy. The amount consumed during healing varied depending on the situation, but when used offensively, it required very little.
'This is far more practical than the Supreme Sword Defense Technique,' he thought with satisfaction.
At his current Nurturing Essence stage, his vital energy wasn't strong enough for large-scale techniques like the Supreme Sword Defense. But firing needles with a flick of the finger? That was ideal—low cost, high lethality.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked it.
Dao Lineage Inheritance didn't automatically grant mastery of a spell, but the knowledge became deeply imprinted in his memory—word for word. That made learning and cultivating the technique much easier later on.
Standing up, Li Qingqiu straightened his robe and stepped outside. It was time for dinner.
Although cultivators at the second layer of Nurturing Essence could reduce their need for sleep, they still couldn't live without food.
When he arrived at the courtyard, the disciples were already preparing dishes. He took his seat at the head of the table. Li Sijin, Xu Ning, and the others were chatting animatedly about the Qin family's visit.
The boldest, Li Sijin, looked up and asked, "Senior Brother, are we getting new disciples again?"
The others turned to him with expectant faces. For children, the idea of new friends was always exciting.
Li Qingqiu nodded. "Yes. The man who visited today will be sending six young members of his clan to join us. Beyond that, over the next half-year, Qingxiao Sect will recruit more disciples. My goal is to reach fifty disciples by the end of the year."
The disciples gasped and broke into excited chatter.
At the far end of the table, Yang Jueding sat with a faint smile, quietly enjoying the scene.
He didn't speak—he didn't need to. He knew what he had accomplished today was a major contribution.
Now, what he looked forward to most was Li Qingqiu teaching him Qingxiao Sect's unique internal cultivation method. He was eager to see what kind of technique could make these children so powerful.
Night gradually fell. Oil lamps lit up across the courtyard, their flickering glow soft and warm. Even after dinner ended, some disciples stayed behind to play and laugh under the light.
Li Qingqiu and Li Dongyue sat to one side, each holding a small knife as they whittled thin wooden sticks.
Qingxiao Sect already had some weapons, but no silver needles. For now, this would have to do.
"Thank you for your hard work. Go rest early."
Li Qingqiu picked up the wooden needles, spoke calmly, and turned back toward his room. The sky had already darkened, making it unsuitable to practice the Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles. He planned to begin cultivating it the next morning, after completing his breathing exercises.
Li Dongyue sat on a small stool, watching her senior brother's back as he left, her eyes full of confusion.
That same night, Zhang Yuchun came to Li Qingqiu's room. He was clearly uneasy about the arrival of the Qin family's disciples. Bringing six new people at once was risky—it could easily lead to factions forming, especially since one of them was to become Li Qingqiu's direct disciple.
Li Qingqiu reassured him patiently for a while before sending him off.
He already had plans for how to handle the Qin family disciples. There was no way he would let them enjoy the same privileges as the others right away.
Within Qingxiao Sect, the hierarchy of seniority had to be firmly established.
Not only that—there needed to be a clear distinction between the martial and the immortal paths.
Unless a disciple's aptitude was truly exceptional, everyone would begin by training in martial arts first. Only through merit could they earn the right to receive immortal cultivation teachings.
The details would require further thought, but for now, his mind was occupied only with the Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles.
Although he couldn't yet practice it that night, he could still review and reinforce the key principles in his mind, laying the foundation for future mastery.
Over the next two days, Li Qingqiu devoted nearly all his time to cultivating the new needle technique.
Progress was slow, and he found himself missing the more straightforward sensation of sword cultivation. He also wondered when he would next unlock another Fate to copy.
On the third day after Qin Jue's departure, Jiang Zhaoxia and his group finally returned, bringing with them a tailor.
The mountain paths had been rough, and the poor tailor was drenched in sweat by the time they arrived. The moment he entered the courtyard, he collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
Zhang Yuchun hurriedly poured him some water.
Li Qingqiu, however, wasn't in a rush to have the sect robes made. Instead, he led Jiang Zhaoxia back to his room for a private talk, with Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue following closely behind.
Outside, the younger disciples surrounded the tailor in curiosity, while Yang Jueding remained inside, deeply absorbed in the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra.
Once everyone was seated, Jiang Zhaoxia recounted everything that had happened during the trip. Beyond finding the tailor and buying fabric, he had also gone out of his way to scout for new opportunities—and he had found one.
"There are many bounty notices posted in the city," he said with a grin. "Some are for solving mysterious cases, others for hunting bandits. The rewards are quite high. We could take on those tasks—or even escort merchant caravans passing near the Taikun Mountain Range."
Jiang Zhaoxia looked confident, certain that this could help Qingxiao Sect quickly accumulate wealth.
Zhang Yuchun asked about the exact amounts, then fell silent for a moment after comparing them. "Too little," he said finally. "Not worth it. Even if you worked yourself to death, it wouldn't match what the Qin family will send us each year."
"The Qin family?" Jiang Zhaoxia frowned, surprised.
Zhang Yuchun immediately explained the agreement Li Qingqiu had made with Qin Jue.
After listening, Jiang Zhaoxia didn't look pleased. He fixed his gaze on Li Qingqiu and said coldly, "Senior Brother, we shouldn't be so eager to lower ourselves. We're capable people. Earning money isn't hard for us."
Li Qingqiu shot him a look. "If you spend all your time chasing money, when will you cultivate? Remember, you're not ordinary disciples. You're Qingxiao Sect's core. Your job isn't to handle trivial affairs. Especially you," he added, meeting Jiang Zhaoxia's eyes. "Your focus should be on training. Once you become the strongest in the martial world, people will beg to throw money at us."
Li Dongyue nodded in agreement. "Senior Brother is right. Third Brother, don't forget— the Seven Peaks Alliance and the Qing Sect could attack again at any time. We don't know how many experts they'll bring next time."
Jiang Zhaoxia's expression softened as he thought it over.
She was right.
A destined war still loomed ahead—how could he waste time worrying about silver and trade?
"As long as you're strong enough, no one can threaten us," Li Qingqiu said meaningfully.
Jiang Zhaoxia nodded firmly. "From now on, besides my regular cultivation, I'll dedicate my time to mastering the Supreme Sword Defense Technique."
Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue exchanged envious looks. They had both seen the sword technique once, and even watching it had given them headaches—it was incredibly difficult to comprehend.
Li Qingqiu and Jiang Zhaoxia's level of comprehension was simply on another level.
"Starting today, Third Junior Brother will focus entirely on cultivation," Li Qingqiu continued. "Yuchun, you'll take charge of managing daily affairs. I'll also begin teaching Dongyue personally—I plan to train her properly."
His words made Li Dongyue both nervous and touched. She feared disappointing her senior brother, but her nature was gentle and obedient. No matter how worried she felt, she would never refuse his guidance.
Zhang Yuchun didn't mind the extra work—if anything, he looked excited. The more disciples they had, the more chances he had to teach and spar. Besides, Li Qingqiu had already told him to start preparing for another round of recruitment.
Jiang Zhaoxia added, "When the six Qin family disciples arrive, I'll personally test them."
Li Qingqiu smiled and nodded. "Good."
The four of them talked for a while longer before leaving the room together. The tailor would rest for the night, and work on the sect robes would begin the next morning.
At dawn, Li Qingqiu handed the tailor a detailed drawing he had made beforehand. Since he only had black ink, he carefully explained which sections were meant to be dyed in which colors.
After giving his instructions, he took Li Dongyue with him down the mountain—to teach her the Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles.
He hadn't fully mastered it himself yet, so this would be the perfect chance to train together and exchange insights.
In his vision, all six of his junior disciples would specialize in different techniques. Each would refine their art to perfection—so that together, they could complement and strengthen one another.