Chapter 287
Stand alone
Chapter 287 Taking Charge Independently
At dawn, Li Qingqiu arrived at a courtyard where ten-year-old Li Shouzheng and Li Shoumin were reading.
These two boys have already reached the fourth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm. In addition to cultivation, Li Qingqiu also requires them to read more books, which they do not resist. The stories in the books have benefited them greatly.
"Master Uncle, the monsters in this book are truly powerful. Take this Zhuyin, for example. Legend has it that Zhuyin comes from the north and likes to travel south to find people with strong blood and energy. After it has eaten its fill, it will bring rain to the human world. Therefore, some people call it a calamity beast, while others call it an auspicious omen."
Li Shoumin held an ancient book and exclaimed in amazement.
He enjoyed reading ancient books about ghosts and strange tales, while Li Shouzhen preferred books that recorded local customs and traditions.
Li Qingqiu picked up a wooden sword from the table, examined it closely, and said, "So-called auspicious omens are nothing more than people's judgments based on their own interests."
Li Shoumin turned to Li Qingqiu and asked, "Senior Uncle, can Xiao Ba become an auspicious creature? It's so big, and it can even speak human language now. We can make it a divine beast of the Xuan Dynasty and write auspicious stories about it, so that it can be remembered in history."
He became more and more excited as he talked, feeling that it was a very fulfilling thing.
Li Qingqiu rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "What do you want to do?"
"Let's create a legend of good fortune!"
"Whether something is considered auspicious should be determined by people's hearts, not by fabricating stories to manipulate them."
Li Qingqiu snorted, "This kid has already shown signs of ambition for the world and the destiny of a tyrant."
Upon hearing Li Qingqiu's words, Li Shoumin scratched his head and smiled. After calming down, he also realized that he had been playing a fool of everyone.
He put aside his distractions and continued reading the next story.
Li Qingqiu came to read with them not to supervise them, but because he enjoyed being with them; it brought him immense peace of mind.
After acquiring the [Righteous Spirit], Li Qingqiu's heart was no longer restless. Once he truly calmed down, he could consider the affairs of Qingxiao Sect from a different perspective and reflect on his own path of cultivation. He really enjoyed this feeling of reflection.
A knock came from the courtyard gate, and Li Qingqiu said without turning her head, "Come in."
The visitor was Qin Ye, Li Qingqiu's second disciple.
His cultivation level is now at the seventh level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm, which is nothing special in the Qingxiao Sect today, since he has been away from the sect for many years due to his training.
After unifying the world, he retired from the military and returned to the mountains to focus on cultivation.
Qin Ye approached Li Qingqiu, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master, our Qin family is preparing to head south to sea. Do you agree?"
Li Qingqiu put down the wooden sword in her hand, turned to look at him, and asked, "Why do you want to go to sea?"
Qin Ye replied, "Some family members want to explore the seas to create a map for the Qingxiao Sect, and at the same time, they also want to find more cultivation resources."
Although he had never participated in the Lingxiao Palace council, he knew to some extent that the sect did not allow its disciples to go to sea, so he came to inquire.
Li Qingqiu pondered for a moment and said, "The ocean is vast and fraught with danger. Even with your cultivation level, you may perish at the bottom of the sea. Think it over carefully. If you really want to go, then go. But remember, once you are out at sea, do not mention the name of Qingxiao Sect."
He agreed because he had recently received news that some secular families had begun exploring the ocean. Qingxiao Sect had no reason to stop them, and it was impossible to prevent such things, as Qingxiao Sect did not have enough manpower to blockade the mainland coast.
Since that's the case, why not also support the aristocratic families within the Qingxiao Sect to go and explore?
According to Wei Tianxiong, although Ziyang Island is the closest cultivation sect to Qingxiao Sect, the distance between the two is actually very far, even farther than crossing the Nine Provinces. For ordinary people to cross the sea and find Ziyang Island, it is more difficult than ascending to heaven.
There are always undiscovered islands hidden in the vast sea; whether they bring fortune or misfortune depends entirely on one's fate.
"Thank you for your kindness, Master," Qin Ye immediately bowed and expressed his gratitude.
Li Qingqiu waved his hand, and Qin Ye bowed and took his leave.
This incident was just a minor episode for Li Qingqiu, but it symbolized the general trend of the world.
With peace prevailing throughout the land, the people lived in contentment and prosperity, and all industries began to flourish. Meanwhile, aristocratic families with ambitions to cultivate immortality began to flee the land in search of immortal destiny.
Having witnessed the power of cultivators, most people find it hard to resist and all want to cultivate immortality. Against this backdrop, one exciting story after another is unfolding.
……
As autumn fades into winter, the Taikun Mountains are covered in snow.
Early that morning, Li Qingqiu practiced his sword on the cliff outside his cave, while Jin Lang practiced his saber beside him. The two, one human and one mantis, appeared quite harmonious. Although their moves were different, each of their techniques exuded a unique charm.
A figure passed through Lingxiao Courtyard and walked quickly toward Li Qingqiu.
It was Yun Cai, dressed in black, wearing a bamboo hat, looking travel-worn.
She came up behind Li Qingqiu, raised her hand in greeting, and said, "Sect Master, the mission is complete. The demon that ravaged the Northern Border was named Zhuyin. I have sent its body to the Training Hall, and its soul has been sealed by me with a Soul-Binding Bag."
The Soul-Binding Bag is a magical artifact crafted by Wu Xingyue, specifically designed to suppress ghosts. It was developed by Chu Jing and Wu Xingyue together and has now become the most widely used ghost-related magical artifact within the Qingxiao Sect.
The "one sword, two bags" plan was implemented by Li Qingqiu to ensure that every outer disciple possessed such equipment.
As things have developed to this point, the requirements for outer and inner disciples have also increased. Nowadays, only those who have cultivated a trace of Yuan Qi can become outer disciples, while inner disciples need to reach the fourth level of the Yuan Qi Nourishing Realm. The requirements for true disciples have also increased, requiring them to reach the fifth level of the Yuan Qi Nourishing Realm.
With his back to Yun Cai, Li Qingqiu asked, "What is the origin of this demon?" He had already passed the Soul-Binding Spell to Yun Cai and believed that she had finished searching Zhu Yin's soul memories.
Among all of Li Qingqiu's disciples, none are as well-rounded as Yun Cai. She is the true inheritor of Li Qingqiu's legacy. Of course, it's not that Li Qingqiu favors her; it's just that she possesses the "Refined Through a Thousand Hammers" destiny.
If the same spell is taught to other disciples, it might delay their cultivation, but if it is taught to her, she will definitely be able to master it.
"It comes from the north and has nothing to do with the land of demons, but it knows about the land of demons. In its memory, I saw a towering mountain that seemed like an insurmountable barrier, stretching across the end of the earth. It is said that the land of demons lies behind the mountain. Even demons like Zhuyin dare not climb that mountain. The reason it went south is because its cultivation has reached a bottleneck and it needs a lot of blood and energy to break through its current level."
Yun Cai replied, and recalling the high mountain she had seen, a look of fear appeared in her eyes.
That mountain was so high; she had never seen such a high mountain before. It was awe-inspiring. How terrifying must a demonic land be that required such a high mountain to isolate it?
Li Qingqiu paid little attention to Zhuyin, but was more concerned about the land of demons.
He began to press her about the memories she had seen.
Jinlang, standing to the side, was completely focused on practicing his swordsmanship, his movements never faltering.
Through Zhuyin's memories, Yun Cai also learned that many demons in the north were heading south or west, trying to escape the land of demons. All signs indicated that the land of demons would bring disaster to the human world, just like in ancient legends.
Legend has it that every thousand years, the land of demons is unsealed, and endless demons break out to wreak havoc on the human world.
Even monsters spread such legends, proving that the land of demons does indeed ravage according to a certain time pattern.
According to the clouds, the mountain peaks beyond the land of demons are invisible, stretching for hundreds of miles on both sides, as if they were the end of the world, the northernmost point.
After getting a general idea of the information, Li Qingqiu felt relieved. He could now send someone to respond to Beiting, proving that Qingxiao Sect had not betrayed Beiting's trust and support.
"By the way, what is the strength of Zhuyin?" Li Qingqiu asked with concern.
Seeing that Yun Cai was not injured, he did not ask the question immediately.
Yun Cai thought for a moment and said, "Compared to that great demon Luo, he's a bit weaker, but stronger than the evil spirits we've encountered before."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingqiu's expression turned strange.
Since breaking through to the Spiritual Consciousness Realm, Yun Cai has stopped fighting with others, and no one knows her strength, including Li Qingqiu.
Is this girl already close to the strength of a Great Demon Lord?
Li Qingqiu was once again moved by her "Myriad Laws Spiritual Eyes" destiny.
“You did a good job this time. I’ll talk to Xue Jin and ask him to double the reward for this mission,” Li Qingqiu said earnestly.
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
A smile appeared on Yun Cai's face. She raised her hand and waved to Li Qingqiu before turning and leaving.
Her departure left Li Qingqiu feeling somewhat uneasy.
In the past, she would never easily leave his side if she had the chance.
"After all, we've grown up."
Li Qingqiu remarked that he was in a very good mood. This mission proved that Yun Cai had the ability to stand on her own and had become a fighting force comparable to Xu Ning, Jiang Zhaoxia, Shen Yue, and Zhao Zhen.
When he encounters bigger trouble in the future, he will have even more cards to play.
Li Qingqiu didn't want the sect to always rely on him to act alone.
He turned to Jin Lang and smiled, "You also need to work hard to become the number one demon in Qingxiao Sect."
Although Jinlang previously served Baizhi, its talent was fully unleashed under Li Qingqiu's tutelage, and it has now reached the eighth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm. With its [Innate Blade Cultivator] destiny, its strength is already comparable to that of a ninth-level Nourishing Yuan Realm cultivator.
Li Qingqiu also had high expectations for it.
Using Jinlang as an assassin would be absolutely effective.
"I will."
Jinlang responded with a slightly somber tone, remaining focused on practicing his swordsmanship.
……
As the new month arrived, the Hall of Experiences posted the monthly ranking of Dao Affinity, and Yun Cai dominated the top spot, causing an uproar.
Since the end of the martial arts tournament, Yun Cai has kept a low profile, so the disciples don't usually talk about her. Unexpectedly, she either remains silent or makes a stunning debut.
Many disciples were curious about what task she had undertaken to obtain such a massive amount of Dao opportunities.
Later, news spread that Yun Cai had slain the legendary demon Zhu Yin, averting a calamity for the Nine Provinces. Zhu Yin's strength was extremely terrifying, surpassing even the ordinary Spiritual Consciousness Realm.
Once this news spread, Yun Cai's prestige soared.
When Xiao Wuqing reported this matter to Li Qingqiu, he simply smiled, keeping his merits and fame hidden.
(End of this chapter)