"Only a month, and you've already mastered it? Are you serious?"
Li Qingqiu reached out and ruffled Zhao Zhen's hair, smiling with warmth in his tone.
Zhao Zhen wasn't as calm or mature as Yuan Li, but he was well-behaved and never caused trouble. Apart from eating and sleeping, he spent nearly all his time practicing martial arts. That kind of dedication alone was enough to make Li Qingqiu fond of him.
Zhao Zhen's eyes widened. "Master, you don't believe me? Then I'll show you right now!"
Just as he raised his hand to demonstrate the Divine Dragon Transformation, Li Qingqiu gently pressed him back down and chuckled. "When have I ever doubted you? I'm just surprised by your talent. Perfect timing, though—I was about to visit Elder Gu. Let him take a look and judge how well you've mastered it."
Zhao Zhen nodded eagerly and tugged on his master's sleeve, half dragging him down the mountain in excitement.
Qingxiao Sect had grown rapidly. The number of guest courtyards on Qingxiao Mountain was increasing by the day. Following Zhang Yuchun's plan, new buildings were being constructed all the way down the mountainside to prepare for future disciples. The Qin family and Liu Fanzhou had both been generously funding the expansion.
The more Qingxiao Sect grew, the more relaxed Li Qingqiu became about recruitment. The Qin family had already sent five young clan members to join, and Liu Fanzhou had sent three nephews. Though he called them nephews, they all looked suspiciously like him.
'Everyone has their own motives,' Li Qingqiu thought, but he didn't care. Those family disciples would only enter as ordinary students anyway.
As they descended the path, he quietly observed the changes within the sect. Along the way, disciples bowed respectfully as he passed, their expressions filled with reverence.
Eventually, they reached the guest courtyard where Chai Yunshang and Gu Dubao lived. There, Gu Dubao was in the middle of guiding Chai Yunshang in martial arts.
"Elder Gu! My master came to see you! Perfect timing—you can check if my Divine Dragon Transformation is really complete!"
Zhao Zhen's excited voice rang out as soon as he entered the courtyard. Both Gu Dubao and Chai Yunshang turned at the sound. Seeing Li Qingqiu, Gu Dubao's eyes lit up in joy.
It had been one month, and he hadn't managed to see the Sect Master even once. He'd started to suspect that Li Qingqiu might have gone back on his word about accepting a disciple. Luckily, Chai Yunshang had stayed calm, urging him to wait patiently. Since she wasn't anxious, he forced himself to stay composed too.
But wait—
"You said… you've mastered the Divine Dragon Transformation?"
Gu Dubao frowned at the boy, stunned. Was this child delusional?
The kid barely reached his waist, and he was claiming to have mastered one of the most demanding techniques in the martial world?
Chai Yunshang sheathed her sword and looked silently at Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu nodded slightly in acknowledgment, not pretending not to know her.
Zhao Zhen said nothing more. He stepped aside, feet firm, and raised his hands into the opening stance of the Divine Dragon Transformation. Even Chai Yunshang's attention was drawn in.
She had never heard Gu Dubao mention this technique before, so she didn't expect much—just thought the lively five-year-old was showing off.
Zhao Zhen inhaled slowly, guiding the flow of the Great Sun Pure Yang Art through his meridians. Vital energy surged from his dantian, coursing through the eight extraordinary channels. His hands began to move fluidly—his movements weren't fast, but steady and smooth, like flowing water. For one so young, each stance already carried the grace of a grandmaster.
The moment he began, Gu Dubao's expression shifted dramatically.
Under his gaze, a faint aura rose around Zhao Zhen. His robe rippled as the surrounding air trembled. Then, something incredible happened—Zhao Zhen's feet lifted off the ground.
Gu Dubao froze in shock. So did Chai Yunshang, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Li Qingqiu narrowed his eyes. Around Zhao Zhen, the energy was condensing—forming the shape of a dragon.
Dragon Coiling Form.
Zhao Zhen stood suspended within the swirling dragon aura, his small face calm and serious. He looked toward Gu Dubao. "Elder Gu, does this count as success?"
Thud!
Gu Dubao dropped to his knees, trembling all over. His eyes were wide, his voice shaking as he muttered to himself, "Impossible… Elder, do you see this? The one you spoke of… truly exists, right before me!"
Zhao Zhen frowned slightly. Why did this old man like kneeling so much?
'No spine at all,' he thought.
"That's enough," Li Qingqiu said quietly. "Any longer and you'll exhaust yourself."
At his words, Zhao Zhen immediately released his technique. The energy dissipated, and he landed softly on the ground.
A proud grin spread across his face as he looked up at Li Qingqiu, waiting for praise—but his master didn't respond.
Instead, Li Qingqiu turned to Chai Yunshang. "We've met before. There's no need to revisit the past. So, will you take me as your teacher?"
He had studied the Divine Dragon Transformation thoroughly—it was indeed an extraordinary art. Once mastered, the practitioner's body would move with their energy, their power flowing like a dragon's might, even capable of flight over lakes and rivers.
In his eyes, it had already transcended martial arts—approaching the realm of true spellcraft. He looked forward to seeing Zhao Zhen one day elevate it into a genuine Daoist technique.
Chai Yunshang glanced at Zhao Zhen. "I don't think I'm qualified to be your disciple. How about you just let me enter the sect as an ordinary member?"
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. Even a five-year-old would understand the difference between a true disciple and an ordinary one. After all her effort to join Qingxiao Sect, why was she suddenly changing her mind?
Gu Dubao, still kneeling, looked up at her in confusion.
Li Qingqiu wasn't interested in convincing anyone. "Fine. Go find Elder Zhang Yuchun and register. Tell him I approved it."
He turned toward the gate. As he stepped out, he glanced back at Gu Dubao and said lightly, "Elder Gu, the ground's uneven. Don't go breaking your knees."
Gu Dubao flushed red and scrambled to his feet.
He looked at Zhao Zhen again, still dazed, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed.
After Li Qingqiu and Zhao Zhen left, Gu Dubao turned toward Chai Yunshang, asking in surprise, "Why did you suddenly change your mind?"
Chai Yunshang's face remained calm. "I truly don't think I'm qualified to be his disciple. You saw that boy's talent yourself. Besides, if I join Qingxiao Sect as an ordinary member, maybe my family's control over me will weaken. They wouldn't dare come here and drag me away, right?"
Gu Dubao recalled the scene of Zhao Zhen displaying the Divine Dragon Transformation and silently admitted she had a point. Forcing a master-disciple relationship might have looked bad anyway.
But when he heard her last words, he couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
"Come to Qingxiao Sect to kidnap someone?"
That would be suicide.
He had once told Chai Yunshang that training in martial arts couldn't change fate—but that was only true for those too weak to reach the summit.
Someone like the Sect Master of Qingxiao could annihilate the entire Chai clan with ease if they ever dared provoke him.
...
Meanwhile, Li Qingqiu and Zhao Zhen were heading back up the mountain. Zhao Zhen chattered endlessly, trying to earn praise, but Li Qingqiu still refused to compliment him. Rather than getting discouraged, Zhao Zhen only grew more determined.
The climb was long. Out of habit, Li Qingqiu opened the Dao Lineage interface to locate Chai Yunshang's profile.
Even a verbal acceptance was enough to register someone into the sect, as long as both parties agreed.
Chai Yunshang's status appeared before him:
[Name: Chai Yunshang]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 23]
[Loyalty (to Sect Master / Sect): 82 / 70 (max 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Fair]
[Comprehension: Mediocre]
[Fate: Ruthless Immortal Fate, Talent for Judgment and Punishment]
[Ruthless Immortal Fate: From the moment of cultivation, the bearer must sever all emotional ties and never engage in yin-yang relations with any man. Their talent increases with every major realm breakthrough. However, once this fate dissipates, unpredictable consequences will occur.]
[Talent for Judgment and Punishment: Naturally suited to handle law enforcement, impartial and incorruptible, unafraid of any threat.]
...
Li Qingqiu nearly stopped walking. Two special fates?
The Ruthless Immortal Fate reminded him of Feng Dai's Late Bloomer fate—both were growth-based destinies.
Still, if she never embarked on the path of cultivation, this fate would remain dormant.
The Talent for Judgment and Punishment wasn't bad either. As Qingxiao Sect expanded, creating a disciplinary division was inevitable.
Of course, he couldn't just appoint her directly—it would draw gossip. But after seeing her stats, he resolved to nurture her carefully. Once her cultivation rose, her authority would be undeniable.
The more he studied the Ruthless Immortal Fate, the more he liked it. Most of the new disciples' aptitudes were average, but Chai Yunshang had limitless potential.
That said, there was no way he would copy that fate himself.
He had no intention of walking a path devoid of emotion.
He simply thought marriage and children weren't suitable for his current stage of cultivation—nothing more.
Feeling unexpectedly lighthearted, Li Qingqiu quickened his pace. Zhao Zhen had to hurry to keep up, turning their walk into a playful chase up the mountain.
...
Ten days later, Li Qingqiu arrived alone at the spiritual mine.
He stepped into the cavern, walking through a stretch of darkness until light began to glow ahead.
Oil lamps lined both sides of the tunnel—set up by Qingxiao Sect disciples, who had spent quite a sum making this place habitable.
After about 100 meters, he reached a wider fork in the path. Two disciples were seated cross-legged, cultivating. One of them was Bai Ning'er.
Seeing him, both immediately stood and bowed deeply.
"No need for formality. Continue cultivating."
With that, Li Qingqiu passed by and continued forward. The two disciples quickly sat back down and resumed their meditation.
The spiritual energy within the mine was dense and vibrant. Every few days, someone would break through, pushing the others to train harder for fear of falling behind.
He had promised them that this assignment wasn't permanent—but their future positions in the sect would depend on how much progress they made here.
After walking for a while, he entered a vast underground chamber—far larger than the Underground Spiritual Lake.
Dozens of spiritual stone pillars stood upright from the floor, and the cavern walls glittered with embedded spirit stones of various sizes, some even glowing red or purple.
Jiang Zhaoxia and over twenty disciples were meditating in a wide formation, keeping an orderly distance between each other.
Since discovering this spiritual mine, Li Qingqiu had been sending disciples here from time to time—all with loyalty levels above 90.
Jiang Zhaoxia opened his eyes as Li Qingqiu approached and immediately rose to greet him.
"Not bad," Li Qingqiu said with a faint smile. "You've reached the sixth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm."
He could clearly sense the vast flow of vital energy within Jiang Zhaoxia's body.
He knew exactly how strong the sixth layer was—he had experienced it himself.
But Jiang Zhaoxia didn't look pleased by the praise. Instead, his face grew serious. "Senior Brother, something's been appearing near the outer edge of the mine lately. I went to investigate two nights ago, but I couldn't find anything."
Li Qingqiu frowned slightly. He didn't doubt Jiang Zhaoxia's instincts. "When did it start?"
"About six days ago."
"Alright. I'll stay here tonight. First, tell me about the disciples' progress in cultivation."
Jiang Zhaoxia nodded, and Li Qingqiu's expression turned thoughtful.
'If even Jiang Zhaoxia can't trace it, then maybe something unclean has found its way in…'