Although Jiang Zhaoxia returned wounded, none of the Qingxiao Sect disciples were disheartened. Thanks to Li Sifeng's dramatic storytelling, the entire sect soon knew of his glorious battles.
1. Fought the Fifth Alliance Master of the Seven Peaks Alliance — won in five moves!
2. Fought True Person Xuan Dang— won in seven moves!
3. Fought the Divine Monk of the Chanding Temple — won in twenty-three moves!
4. Fought the Law Enforcement Elder of Iron Peak — won in twenty-five moves!
5. Fought the top martial artist, Yu Zhiyi — narrowly lost after two hundred moves!
Each victory set their blood boiling. Jiang Zhaoxia's prestige within Qingxiao Sect reached its peak. Other than Xu Ning, every disciple admired him deeply.
Li Sifeng, proud as ever, even declared, "Our Third Senior Brother is the second strongest under heaven!"
…
"In the martial world, danger lurks everywhere. It's never just an empty saying. Even scholars seeking fame through the imperial exams face the darkness of human hearts."
In the newly built courtyard, Zhang Yuchun held a bamboo fan as he spoke slowly.
Nearly thirty disciples sat listening to his lecture. It was Li Qingqiu who had ordered this class—without his say, Zhang Yuchun could never have gathered such a crowd. Even Li Sifeng was forced to sit down and listen.
Qingxiao Sect stood apart from worldly struggles. Life here was peaceful, free from politics and blood feuds. Its disciples were still pure-hearted, so Li Qingqiu thought it was time they received some lessons in worldly wisdom.
"That woman, Xi Niang," Zhang Yuchun said, "her story had too many loose ends. Li Sifeng was too young, too inexperienced, and overlooked much. Today, let's review the matter again."
He began counting on his fingers.
One, as the keeper of a simple inn, how could she poison the right target with such precision? Facing two powerful martial experts, any first-time poisoner would've panicked and slipped—but she left not a single flaw.
Two, Elder Jiang's inner power runs deep, and his hearing is exceptional. Even behind a wall, he can catch whispered speech. Yet that woman made no noise, gave no sign of her intent before acting.
Three, after reaching the mountain, she immediately sought death. Why? If she truly wanted to die, she could have done so anywhere. Why insist on dying before our eyes? Could it be she knew we would try to save her?
One question followed another. Even the impatient Li Sifeng fell silent, thinking deeply.
The more he thought, the more he realized something was wrong with Xi Niang's story.
Zhang Yuchun then began recounting old tales from the martial world.
Countless experts had died not on the battlefield but by ambush and treachery. Few ever fell in fair, open duels.
Sometimes, the stronger your martial skill, the larger your blind spots become.
The disciples listened intently. Even someone as powerful as "the second strongest under heaven," Jiang Zhaoxia, had nearly lost his life—how could they not take this lesson to heart?
Li Qingqiu came by for a while to observe. Seeing that Zhang Yuchun was speaking with clarity and no personal bias, he quietly left, satisfied.
…
The fame Jiang Zhaoxia gained from the Martial Gathering spread far wider than Li Qingqiu had expected.
A month after his return, Zhang Yuchun descended the mountain to recruit new disciples—and for the first time, sixteen people joined in a single trip. Every one of them came because of Jiang Zhaoxia's name.
Among them, one youth possessed notably good Cultivation Aptitude, whom Li Qingqiu secretly noted for special observation.
He always followed two principles when passing down the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra: first, to judge aptitude; second, to reward contribution. Even those with poor aptitude would get a chance—Li Qingqiu firmly believed that hard work could still change one's fate.
As autumn arrived, several martial sects came to visit. Their intent was friendly, without schemes or hidden motives. Li Qingqiu welcomed them warmly, and they left on good terms.
One such sect was the White Crane Sect, a second-rate sect from Guzhou's territory. Its Sect Master had attended the Martial Gathering and befriended Jiang Zhaoxia there. He came with five disciples, stayed at Qingxiao Sect for two days, and left soon after. Li Qingqiu, Jiang Zhaoxia, and Zhang Yuchun personally saw them off.
"Master Li," the White Crane Sect Master said with a cheerful smile, gripping Li Qingqiu's hand, "you must visit my sect sometime. I promise you'll be treated as an honored guest!"
The man was nearly fifty years old and exuded warmth. Li Qingqiu returned his enthusiasm with polite agreement, though whether he'd actually go—he hadn't decided.
Watching the six figures disappear down the mountain, Li Qingqiu sighed softly. "Third Brother, you've truly made a name for yourself with that one battle."
In a world where information spread slowly, Li Qingqiu had always believed fame took years to build. Yet Jiang Zhaoxia's single trip to the Martial Gathering had spread his name across the land almost overnight.
Jiang Zhaoxia's face remained stoic. "Don't mention it. I came back seriously injured. To me, that trip was a failure."
At the thought, he clenched his fists inside his sleeves. Being tricked by the Heavenly Saber Sect was a humiliation he couldn't forgive.
Li Qingqiu patted his shoulder with a laugh. "Don't dwell on it. The martial world is full of hidden dangers. No matter how much you plan ahead, true experience only comes through hardship."
Even an old hero like Yang Jueding had once fallen prey to poison. In the martial world, no one could guard against everything.
Zhang Yuchun chuckled. "Exactly! You managed to escape the Heavenly Saber Sect's ambush alive. Tell me—how many in Guzhou's martial world could do that?"
Encouraged by their words, Jiang Zhaoxia's mood brightened, though he quietly vowed that this grudge wasn't over.
Once he reached the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, he would take his revenge!
With his third-layer strength, he had already defeated the Heavenly Saber Sect Master, Lu Fuhu. When he broke through to the fourth, he was confident he could storm their headquarters and make Lu Fuhu meet the same fate as Lü Taidou of the Seven Peaks Alliance.
After chatting a while, the three brothers went their separate ways—Jiang Zhaoxia back to his cultivation, while Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun discussed plans for Qingxiao Sect's next source of income.
First, they would need to erect a stone monument at the foot of the mountain, guiding travelers toward the sect.
If possible, they would also construct a simple mountain path—one that would lead the world straight to Qingxiao Sect's gates.
For ordinary townsfolk, finding the Qingxiao Sect on the mountain was no easy task. Even farmers and hunters from the nearby villages often lost their way trying to reach it.
Li Dongyue wanted to contribute to the sect, so she asked Zhang Yuchun to spread word among the people—she would offer treatment for difficult and rare illnesses.
Meanwhile, another group of disciples began preparing for hunting trips, planning to sell wild game in the nearby markets.
Li Qingqiu decided that every disciple's contribution must be properly recorded. In the future, he would reward them with spirit stones or spiritual plants according to their merit.
…
Autumn deepened, and by late October, Xu Ning achieved a breakthrough—reaching the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, becoming the second person in Qingxiao Sect to reach this level.
Within the Underground Spiritual Lake, Li Qingqiu personally witnessed her advancement. Sharing the same Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root, he knew exactly how powerful that root could be.
Moreover, Xu Ning's Cultivation Aptitude was Exceptional, the highest among all the disciples of Qingxiao Sect. Because she rarely descended the mountain and devoted nearly all her time to cultivation, she had surpassed even Jiang Zhaoxia.
Even though Li Qingqiu understood why her progress was so rapid, he couldn't help but be amazed.
She was only eleven years old.
Eleven years old, and already at the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm!
In comparison, Li Sijin, Li Dongyue, and Yang Jueding were all still at the second layer, making the difference in talent glaringly obvious.
After stabilizing her new realm, Xu Ning stood up, walked to Li Qingqiu's side, bowed deeply, and said softly, "Master, I've broken through to the fourth layer."
Though she appeared calm, Li Qingqiu could feel her trying hard to suppress her excitement.
He gently pulled her wrist forward, smiling as he said, "Ning'er, you're truly remarkable. At this rate, it won't be long before you surpass your master."
He said it lightly, though in truth, he was already on the verge of breaking through to the fifth layer himself.
Xu Ning quickly shook her head. "Master is the strongest. I could never surpass you."
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly. "I've told you to keep your cultivation hidden and avoid sparring with others, to stay out of the spotlight. Do you ever resent that?"
Xu Ning shook her head firmly. "How could I? You're protecting me. Uncle Jiang stands as the strongest openly, but he's been injured several times already. The sect needs a hidden card to rely on. I'm willing to stay in the shadows with you, Master, to safeguard Qingxiao Sect."
Many disciples knew Xu Ning was a prodigy, but none knew the true depth of her power—only Li Qingqiu did.
Even Li Sifeng and Yang Jueding could only sense that her cultivation was unfathomable. They had no way to measure it.
And soon, there would be one more person who found her unfathomable—Jiang Zhaoxia.
Still, Li Qingqiu could tell that Jiang Zhaoxia was close to breaking through as well. That young man's heart burned with vengeance, and it wouldn't be long before his fury turned into power.
The more Li Qingqiu looked at Xu Ning, the more he appreciated her. Though still young, she was obedient and mature, never arrogant because of her talent. Her competitiveness was directed inward, never toward others.
He'd asked about her background before—her late father had been just a humble hunter. She had no great enmities or burdens, only a quiet heart.
In all of Qingxiao Sect, Li Qingqiu felt that Xu Ning was the one who most embodied the spirit of a true cultivator—the one who could accompany him the longest.
He then passed her the fifth-layer cultivation method of the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra.
That profound art contained different breathing and qi-gathering methods for each minor realm. Li Qingqiu only taught it one layer at a time—even Jiang Zhaoxia had to personally request the next stage from him each time he advanced.
They trained together until dusk. Then, master and disciple left the Underground Spiritual Lake and agreed to a little competition—to see who could return to the Qingxiao Sect's main courtyard first, without being spotted by any disciples along the way.
At the mention of a challenge, even if it was just a contest of lightness skill, Xu Ning's eyes lit up. Both of them vanished into the forest in an instant.
…
Halfway up the mountain, Qin Ye gripped a wooden staff tightly, practicing the Ten Thousand Armies Demon-Subduing Staff Technique. His movements were fierce yet graceful, his body flowing with each strike until man and staff seemed one.
After every hundred repetitions, he could feel new progress—his body already beginning to generate traces of inner energy.
The sheer might of the staff technique gave him great confidence. He truly believed that with enough effort, he could one day avenge Wu Baoyu.
He hadn't told anyone, but deep in his heart, a single seed had already taken root—to kill the dog emperor.
Suddenly, Qin Ye stopped mid-swing. He frowned. There had been a faint rustling sound—something darting past the bushes, fast and light.
With his current level of skill, he was sure it wasn't his imagination.
A wild animal?
A while back, Yuan Qi had claimed to have seen a black panther in the mountains. Qin Ye had thought he'd imagined it then, but now…
Just as he was wondering, a man in plain robes appeared not far ahead, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a flute at his waist.
When the man lifted his head, his weathered face came into view—it was none other than Jiang Kuatian of the White Emperor Mansion.
Jiang Kuatian smiled at him. "Young man, that staff technique of yours is impressive. Even from a distance, I could hear the wind it stirred. You're a disciple of Qingxiao Sect, aren't you?"
Qin Ye kept his guard up, replying coldly, "This mountain belongs to Qingxiao Sect, so naturally I am one of its disciples. May I ask which sect you come from, and why you've climbed our mountain?"
At that, Jiang Kuatian's eyes brightened. He twirled his wrist slightly as he approached, chuckling. "Two years gone, and not only has that brat Jiang Zhaoxia made a grand name for himself, but now Qingxiao Sect has produced another prodigy like you. How interesting. Could it be that True Person Qingxiao has returned?"
He stopped a few paces away and grinned. "Come, young man—let's have a little spar. I'll only use one hand. Let's see what you're capable of."