At the mountain gate, Li Qingqiu stood atop the stone steps, gazing down the mountain path where Jiang Zhaoxia and the others were ascending. A great crowd of disciples surrounded them, filling the road so densely it seemed narrow and cramped.
Jiang Zhaoxia remained as cold and stoic as ever, not showing the slightest expression. Li Sifeng, however, looked delighted, clearly enjoying the admiration of the disciples around him. Seeing that both of his junior brothers were unharmed, Li Qingqiu finally relaxed completely.
"Senior Brother!"
Li Sifeng spotted him from afar and immediately waved, shouting excitedly before sprinting up toward the gate. The other disciples escorted Jiang Zhaoxia, Wu Man'er, and Cheng Canghai to the steps before stopping.
Since the three courtyards behind the mountain gate had been renamed Lingxiao Courtyard, ordinary disciples were now forbidden to enter freely. The rule had already taken effect.
"Senior Brother," Li Sifeng said, puffing out his chest proudly, "I heard you repelled the invading martial army! But let me tell you, we contributed too! On our way back, we took care of quite a few sects that were planning to come cause trouble for Qingxiao Sect…"
He stood before Li Qingqiu, hands on his hips, boasting with all the youthful arrogance he could muster.
Li Qingqiu smiled, letting him brag as much as he liked.
Jiang Zhaoxia came forward, placing his right hand on the back of Li Sifeng's head and pushing him aside before speaking in his usual calm tone. "The Qing Sect has been completely destroyed. I personally executed their Sect Leader, and we burned their main headquarters to the ground. Though a few remnants escaped, they're too weak to regroup. We also wiped out all five of their branch bases."
No wonder the report had described it as "annihilation." Jiang Zhaoxia and the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might had practically erased the sect from existence.
Li Qingqiu's eyes curved with satisfaction. "You've all done well. Tonight, the entire sect will hold a banquet in your honor."
Li Sifeng and Wu Man'er cheered immediately. Jiang Zhaoxia's lips lifted slightly in a rare smile before he strode into Lingxiao Courtyard, with Cheng Canghai following close behind—his only thought at that moment being roast chicken.
"Senior Brother," Li Sifeng said mysteriously, "I have something to show you. Can you come with me for a bit?"
Li Qingqiu sensed this was something interesting. Without showing it on his face, he simply nodded, then turned to Wu Man'er. "Man'er, go rest first. You've worked hard these past days."
"Hehe, it wasn't hard at all."
Wu Man'er scratched his head and grinned, then headed into Lingxiao Courtyard.
Li Sifeng grabbed Li Qingqiu by the arm and led him down the mountain. Along the way, every disciple they passed stopped to salute Li Qingqiu respectfully.
News of his battle against the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect had spread throughout Qingxiao Sect, earning him the disciples' worship and awe.
They had always believed that Jiang Zhaoxia was the strongest person in the sect, but now they knew—their Sect Master's strength was unfathomable.
After about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, Li Sifeng brought Li Qingqiu into a secluded forest. The snow of winter was melting, the ground and grass glistening with damp light.
"Whistle—"
Li Sifeng blew a sharp whistle, then turned to Li Qingqiu with a puzzled look. "Senior Brother, how come you're not curious at all?"
All the way here, Li Qingqiu hadn't asked a single question, which frustrated Li Sifeng. He had been hoping to surprise him.
"When it set foot on Qingxiao Mountain, I already sensed it," Li Qingqiu said calmly, pretending to be inscrutable. "Now tell me, how did you meet it?"
Li Sifeng didn't doubt him at all. Ever since Li Qingqiu had passed them the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra, he had regarded his Senior Brother as the most powerful person alive—even stronger than their Third Brother.
"On the way back," Li Sifeng began animatedly, waving his arms, "we passed through a forest. I was, uh, taking a piss, when I heard Bai Ning'er scream. I didn't even have time to pull up my pants before running over—and there it was! It was badly wounded, so I stopped its bleeding, and after that, it just wouldn't leave me."
So that was it.
Once again, the Lucky One lived up to his Fate.
Li Qingqiu couldn't help but grow even fonder of Bai Ning'er. Previously, he had followed Li Sifeng down the mountain and even found him a magical artifact. Now he had somehow helped him discover a spiritual beast. Truly, he was his personal good-luck charm.
He had no plans to separate Li Sifeng and Bai Ning'er. In fact, he felt that with Li Sifeng's personality and Fate, he was bound to attract plenty of trouble. Having Bai Ning'er by his side would surely keep him out of danger.
Although the Dao Lineage System made Li Qingqiu feel as if he were playing a game, reality wasn't that simple. He couldn't keep his disciples cooped up in the mountains forever. Each of them had their own personalities and aspirations.
Take Qin Ye, for instance—he carried the hopes of the entire Qin family. There was no way he could stay in Qingxiao Sect all his life. Eventually, he would have to join the army, earn merit, and bring honor to his clan.
While the two brothers were talking, the trees ahead began to shake. Snow fell from the branches as something massive emerged from the forest's edge.
Li Qingqiu turned to look—and his eyes immediately lit up.
What a magnificent qilin!
It was a majestic beast covered in dark red scales that gleamed faintly in the light. It stood nearly two meters tall at the shoulder and a full three meters high at the head. Its long, sinewy body rippled with strength. The scales on its body were as sharp as blades, and the twin crimson horns on its head gleamed like swords, radiating a deadly edge.
Flames burned beneath its four hooves, and the tip of its tail—shaped like a lion's—was also wreathed in fire, flickering as it swayed lightly.
Its eyes were a deep gold, cold and piercing, exuding a pressure that made one's chest tighten. Just standing there, the beast embodied the dignity of a true divine creature.
The qilin walked toward Li Qingqiu and Li Sifeng at an unhurried pace, its movements cautious. It was clearly wary of Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu could sense a powerful force surging within its body—something similar to vital energy, yet purer and far stronger than any martial artist's inner strength. It was also fundamentally different from vital energy.
Such a mighty qilin… what kind of ordeal had left it so gravely wounded?
Li Qingqiu studied the creature quietly, unafraid. Though the qilin's strength was immense, he sensed no danger from it.
"How is it? Isn't it majestic?" Li Sifeng said excitedly. "I named it Prison Qilin! Doesn't it look like it crawled straight out of the underworld?"
Li Qingqiu smiled and praised, "Indeed, it's magnificent. But I don't think it's evil at all. It feels more like an auspicious beast. Its arrival might actually bring good fortune to Qingxiao Sect."
The Prison Qilin seemed to understand human speech. Upon hearing Li Qingqiu's words, the sharpness in its gaze softened. It quickened its pace, came up to them, and began rubbing its massive head affectionately against Li Sifeng, letting out deep, rhythmic breaths.
Watching the interaction, Li Qingqiu realized that despite its power, the creature still looked young.
'Could it be that this qilin hasn't even reached maturity yet?' he thought in surprise.
"From now on, you'll be responsible for taking care of it," Li Qingqiu said. "Don't let it wander where others can see."
He planned to keep Li Sifeng in the sect for the next one year anyway. Feeding and training the Prison Qilin would be the perfect task for him.
"No problem, Senior Brother! But tell me—my Prison Qilin's way cooler than your Xiao Ba, right?" Li Sifeng grinned, lifting his chin proudly, his tone full of playful challenge.
Li Qingqiu laughed. "Xiao Ba is just a mortal eagle. How could it compare to a qilin?"
Allowing the Prison Qilin to live on Qingxiao Mountain might even strengthen the sect's defenses. A divine beast like this could easily deter or detect any enemies sneaking in.
Hearing the praise, Li Sifeng beamed, and the qilin itself seemed to puff up with pride, its tail flicking excitedly.
...
That year's Spring Festival was unusually lively. Ever since Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Sifeng, and the others had returned, Qingxiao Sect had been celebrating nonstop.
The battles against the invading martial artists had brought the sect immense spoils—money, weapons, and countless martial manuals. But more importantly, it had bolstered everyone's confidence. The disciples now fully understood how powerful their sect truly was. Even if the three great sects joined forces again, Qingxiao Sect could still hold its own.
As time passed, more and more people began climbing the mountain—commoners, pilgrims, and martial artists alike. Commoners came hoping to apprentice their children, pilgrims came drawn by rumors of celestial blessings, and martial artists came seeking alliances after hearing of Qingxiao Sect's victories.
By the time the winter snow of the Taikun Mountain Range had completely melted, people were arriving every single day. The sect's once-quiet mountain paths had become bustling with visitors.
One day at noon, about 300 li away from Qingxiao Mountain, Li Qingqiu stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking a deep mountain ravine.
Below him, a massive cave mouth opened into darkness, leading underground. Four of the Seven Sons of Qingxiao stood at its edge, their figures framed against the shadowed void below.
Li Sifeng came running out of the darkness, looking up at Li Qingqiu with bright eyes. "Senior Brother! There really are spirit stones down there—tons of them! Way more than in the Underground Spiritual Lake! I couldn't even count them all!"
Li Qingqiu smiled slightly, unsurprised.
He had discovered the spirit mine through guidance from a Fortune Opportunity memory. Because the place was far from Qingxiao Sect, he had spent some time preparing and handpicking a few trustworthy disciples to accompany him.
He intended to establish an outpost here, assigning some of the True Disciples to stay and guard the spirit mine. That's why he had brought Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Sifeng, and Bai Ning'er with him.
The spirit mine's discovery was vital to Qingxiao Sect's future, so Li Qingqiu was taking no chances. Jiang Zhaoxia would be stationed here permanently, both to cultivate and to protect the site. Not only would this help his strength grow quickly, but it would also prevent outsiders from seizing the mine.
Relying solely on Li Sifeng wouldn't be enough to put him at ease.
With Bai Ning'er's "Lucky One" Fate present, however, Li Qingqiu felt reassured enough to leave.
"I understand," he said. "Call everyone up—I have some instructions."
He wasn't curious about the cave itself anymore. The memory of his Fortune Opportunity had already shown him what lay below.
Li Sifeng nodded and ran back into the darkness to summon the others.
While Li Qingqiu pondered how best to secure the mine, Qingxiao Sect's name was already shaking the martial world.
A great upheaval was brewing across Guzhou—a storm unlike any seen since the founding of the Great Li Dynasty.
And at its center stood Qingxiao Sect, destined to become famous across the land.
...
In the wilderness along the official road, a modest inn stood beside a cluster of pine trees. Outside its doors were five wooden tables, each surrounded by travelers and martial artists deep in discussion.
At one of the tables near the edge sat a woman in black—the same one who had once guided Li Qingqiu on his journey to the Seven Peaks Alliance. Across from her sat an old man in gray robes. Both were listening intently to the chatter around them.
"The Seven Peaks Alliance, the Qing Sect, and Iron Peak were among the Seven Great Sects," a burly man was saying. "They joined forces with dozens of second-rate factions—over ten thousand men in total—and marched on Qingxiao Sect. Yet they were crushed easily! It's unbelievable!"
"Yeah, I heard the Dragon-Subduing Hero Yang Jueding himself joined Qingxiao Sect," another man added.
"But even Yang Jueding isn't their strongest," a third voice said. "There's a woman named Xu Ning who killed the Blood Severing Saber Dian Ming. That man had been retired for over ten years, but back in his prime, he was the number one martial expert in Weizhou! And yet, he died beneath Qingxiao Sect's mountain. Xu Ning's name will soon echo through the entire martial world."
"That's nothing," someone else interjected. "Jiang Zhaoxia is even more terrifying. He led his thirteen disciples straight into the Qing Sect's main base and slaughtered everyone—the Sect Master, the Protectors, the Elders—all dead. They say he even wiped out all five branch halls. That's insane! No one in Guzhou's history has ever achieved such a feat. He basically single-handedly destroyed one of the Seven Great Sects! I'd say he's already surpassed Yu Zhiyi—he's the number one martial expert in Guzhou now!"
Excitement rippled through the inn. Every table was filled with martial artists talking about Qingxiao Sect. Whenever the names Jiang Zhaoxia or Xu Ning were mentioned, their voices were tinged with reverence and awe.
The gray-robed old man finally turned to the woman in black and sighed. "The martial world is changing fast. Who would've thought that after Lin Xunfeng, Qingxiao Sect would produce even greater disciples? From now on, Qingxiao Sect will surely rise among the Seven Great Sects. Miss, take my advice—forget about seeking that so-called legendary martial art. I, for one, have no desire to die in Qingxiao Sect's hands."
The woman in black fell silent, her expression complicated.
She hadn't expected Qingxiao Sect to be so terrifyingly strong.