Under the blazing sun, the rolling mountain peaks were covered in a scorched, parched yellow—as if they had been roasted.
A great river wound its way between two mountain ranges. Beside the river ran an official road, and at this moment, several hundred martial arts experts were galloping along it on fierce horses, kicking up a continuous plume of dust. On the backs of some of these martial artists, large banners stood upright, bearing the characters for "Seven Peaks"—an imposing sight, like an army on the march.
They wore uniform blue martial robes. Over their right shoulders hung flowing sashes, fluttering like flames. Their left shoulders were clad in bronze pauldrons shaped like tiger heads. Every face was cold, their killing intent barely contained. The procession advanced like a blue dragon through the mountains, unstoppable.
At the very front, a young man turned to the middle-aged man beside him and asked, "Master, aren't we overreacting? Sending this many people—even if Lin Xunfeng hadn't retired from the martial world, we could take him down."
The middle-aged man was named Yue Zhenchuan, one of the seven Alliance Masters of the Seven Peaks Alliance. His martial arts were formidable, and his reputation in the martial world was immense.
In response to his disciple's question, Yue Zhenchuan's expression didn't change. He replied, "Mo Jiujiao has been gone this long without returning. Something has definitely happened. Mo Jiujiao may not have been particularly skilled, but the fact that the Azure Firmament Sect dared to detain him shows they're prepared to oppose the Seven Peaks Alliance. The world is in flux; undercurrents run deep in the martial world. The Seven Peaks Alliance cannot afford to be careless. Sometimes, irreversible disaster begins with a single small defeat."
Hearing this, the young man nodded. Though he didn't fully agree in his heart, he wouldn't dare contradict his master.
"By the way, Master, just how powerful was Lin Xunfeng to monopolize the entire Taikun Mountain Range? Their territory is almost as large as our Seven Peaks Alliance." The young man shifted the topic. Behind him, other Seven Peaks disciples also turned their gazes to Yue Zhenchuan.
"That the Azure Firmament Sect could claim the Taikun Mountain Range was the doing of Lin Xunfeng's master—the sect's founder. That man, in his day, made the entire martial world tremble at his name. Unfortunately, in the end, he fell into demonic deviation and vanished without a trace. Lin Xunfeng inherited only a third of his power, but that was enough to hold the sect. Back then, three of our Seven Peaks Alliance Masters joined forces and still couldn't defeat him."
Yue Zhenchuan's tone was calm. Recounting these events, his voice held no fluctuation.
The young man asked curiously, "Did you fight him back then?"
"Not getting the chance to cross swords with Lin Xunfeng is one of the great regrets of my life. I hope this time I'll have the opportunity."
With that, Yue Zhenchuan cracked his whip. His horse neighed and surged forward. The other Seven Peaks disciples followed suit, all accelerating.
...
At noon, the sun blazed high overhead. In the courtyard, the disciples clustered together, all eyes on Zhang Yuchun.
Zhang Yuchun was wearing a brand new sect robe. It was a blue garment with wide sleeves and a fitted waist. Though not exquisite or luxurious, it made him stand tall and straight, radiating energy.
For the disciples of the Azure Firmament Sect, this was already quite good. Normally, they wore old, patched clothes.
Zhang Yuchun flicked his sleeves and looked at Li Qingqiu. "Senior Brother, aren't the sleeves too wide? If I have to fight someone, they might hinder my movements."
Li Qingqiu smiled. "I think they look great. Besides, the Azure Firmament Sect isn't a sect that thrives on violence and conflict. This is just the initial design. We'll upgrade the robes over time, making them better and better."
They were still far from achieving the aura of true immortality cultivators, but they already looked distinctly different from ordinary martial artists. That was enough for now. Refinements could come later.
The tailor standing nearby breathed a sigh of relief at Li Qingqiu's satisfaction. This commission was larger than he'd anticipated, and he was already regretting accepting it.
Next, Li Qingqiu called Yang Jueding and the seven disciples from the village to accompany him into the back mountain forest.
Huang Shan, Yu Lin, and the other five stood in a row, looking curiously at Li Qingqiu, wondering what instructions he had.
Li Qingqiu swept his gaze across them and spoke. "Since I took over as Sect Master, the Azure Firmament Sect has been walking an entirely new path. We still use the old sect name, but in truth, this is a brand new sect. The martial arts are different. The rules are different. You seven are the first batch of disciples recruited by this new Azure Firmament Sect. As more disciples join in the future, you will inevitably bear greater responsibilities."
The seven disciples all straightened up, their expressions turning serious.
Li Qingqiu smiled, satisfied. "Regardless of your aptitude or comprehension, later disciples will always respect you as seniors. But I won't let you rest on empty titles alone. From today onward, I grant you the title: the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament. Yang Jueding will teach you his peak-level internal arts, and bestow upon each of you unique techniques. Before you come of age, I aim for you to have the ability to roam the martial world freely."
Yang Jueding, standing beside him, spoke up. "From now on, I'll teach you my true martial arts—not the fancy, superficial stuff from before. This is a privilege the other disciples won't have."
Since beginning to cultivate the Chaos Genesis Scripture, he'd been astounded. He felt his entire lifetime of martial arts couldn't compare to this technique. Offering it up was no sacrifice.
The Seven Sons of Azure Firmament had already tried cultivating the Chaos Genesis Scripture, with no success. Shifting to his martial path was a good thing—no more wasted time.
Even as he made this promise, Yang Jueding felt a flicker of nervousness.
What if he couldn't master the Chaos Genesis Scripture either? That would be unbearable.
"Sect Master, we won't let you down!"
Huang Shan spoke first, his voice thick with emotion. The other disciples also gazed at Li Qingqiu with gratitude.
After the blow of failing with the Chaos Genesis Scripture, they had assumed the Sect Master would give up on them, let them serve their ten years, and then send them down the mountain. They never expected him to still invest in them. How could they not be moved?
Li Qingqiu offered a few more words of encouragement, then turned and left. The rest he left to Yang Jueding.
Yang Jueding wasn't Jiang Zhaoxia. Li Qingqiu wouldn't let him focus solely on cultivation; he'd have to devote half his time to teaching the disciples.
Li Qingqiu didn't return to the sect. Instead, he headed down the mountain to continue practicing the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle.
He had gained a preliminary grasp of this needle art, but there was still a long way to go before he could truly employ it effectively.
...
Early the next morning.
Li Sifeng, Li Sijin, and Xu Ning set off down the mountain together, heading for the underground spirit lake to cultivate.
Li Sifeng led the way, a wooden branch in his hand serving as a sword. He swung it as he walked, occasionally muttering the names of techniques.
Li Sijin and Xu Ning walked hand in hand behind him, chatting about the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament beginning their martial arts training. Starting this morning, the Seven Sons no longer trained with them—that was Li Qingqiu's arrangement.
Besides Li Sijin, Li Sifeng and Xu Ning now had the ability to protect themselves. Xu Ning occasionally sparred with Li Qingqiu to gain practical experience. This was why Li Qingqiu felt comfortable letting the three of them go down the mountain together.
The failure of the Seven Sons with the Chaos Genesis Scripture made them realize just how extraordinary the technique truly was. It made them cherish their own training time even more.
"Sword severs the dragon—no one else in this world like me..."
Li Sifeng reached a slope and leaped, landing on the grass below. He dropped into a half-kneel and slashed with his branch, striking a cool pose.
Head bowed, he immersed himself in the feeling, as if he had truly slain a dragon.
Suddenly.
He sensed something. His head snapped up. In the forest about a hundred feet away, a crowd of people was staring at him. They wore identical robes and held horses, watching him from a distance like a group of ghosts. His heart trembled.
"Not again..."
Li Sifeng groaned inwardly. Last time it was Du Xuanfeng and his companion. Now it was even more martial artists. His luck was terrible.
The aura of this group was clearly not ordinary.
Instantly, Li Sifeng thought of the Seven Peaks Alliance and the Azure Cult. He turned his head toward Li Sijin and Xu Ning, who were about to descend the slope. He didn't need to signal—Xu Ning had already spotted the several hundred martial artists of the Seven Peaks Alliance.
Hundreds of people, holding their horses, standing in the forest—the visual impact was immense. They seemed far more than just hundreds.
Li Sifeng hesitated. Should he run? But if he ran, that would be telling them they were Azure Firmament disciples.
If he didn't run, he could use their youth to gather information.
Just then, he saw a middle-aged man dismount and walk toward him. The man raised a hand, gesturing for the others to stay put.
Seeing this, Li Sifeng relaxed slightly. If the leader wasn't pressing forward en masse, there was room for negotiation.
If things went wrong, he could still take this leader hostage and force his subordinates to back off.
Decision made, Li Sifeng grew calmer. But he deliberately kept a nervous expression on his face.
"What should we do?" Li Sijin whispered. It was her first time facing so many people; instinctive fear gripped her.
Xu Ning's face was blank. She murmured, "Follow the plan we agreed on. We're from somewhere else, got separated from our parents on the mountain."
Li Sijin nodded, but couldn't help pressing closer to Xu Ning, gripping her sleeve.
The middle-aged man walking toward Li Sifeng was none other than Yue Zhenchuan, one of the Seven Peaks Alliance Masters.
Drawing nearer, Yue Zhenchuan tried to put on a gentle smile. As he walked, he said, "Little brother, don't be nervous. We're from the government offices, just passing through and looking for directions."
Government?
Li Sifeng glanced back at the forest behind him and suddenly spotted a banner embroidered with the characters for "Seven Peaks." Even noticing this, his expression didn't change. He still looked tense and uneasy.
Though Li Sifeng didn't answer, he didn't run. This reassured Yue Zhenchuan.
Yue Zhenchuan stopped about seven paces from Li Sifeng and asked with a smile, "Little brother, where are you from? Why aren't there any adults with you?"
Li Sifeng and the others were already wearing the Azure Firmament Sect's new robes, but Yue Zhenchuan had never seen these robes before, and they bore no characters for "Azure Firmament." He instinctively assumed they came from a nearby village, from a family well-off enough to afford such clothes.
Li Sifeng answered cautiously, "We're from Meishan Township. We were traveling with our uncles to visit distant relatives, but we got separated by accident. We're trying to find them."
Yue Zhenchuan smiled. "Then I'll help you find them. But first, can you tell me—have you encountered anyone else on the mountain recently?"
"Anyone else? Let me think... actually..."
Li Sifeng furrowed his brow, pretending to ponder. Before he could finish his sentence, like a small leopard, he launched himself at Yue Zhenchuan.