The year's end passed, and the festive season arrived.
Within a courtyard, 14-year-old Hu Yan stepped out of his room. He wore a slightly oversized blue sect robe, his hair casually tied atop his head. As sunlight poured down, he lifted his face, revealing a fair and delicate countenance.
Not only him—other disciples in the courtyard also emerged from their rooms one after another.
The Qingxiao Sect was no longer as it had been before. New disciples no longer had to live together; each person now had a room of their own.
Warm bedding, steaming water, flowers and fruit inside the room, along with pastries—Hu Yan had slept the most peacefully he ever had last night. Even now, everything felt like a dream, and he scarcely dared believe it was real.
"Hu Yan, what are you planning to do today?"
A female disciple of the same age, Duan Xiaojuan, leaned over and asked. The two had passed the assessment together yesterday and become Registered Disciples. Since they were both from Dongling Prefecture, they had become acquainted.
There were a total of 8 disciples in this courtyard, all of them new disciples.
Hu Yan pondered for a moment. "I'll walk around first and get to know the sect."
"Let's go together?"
Duan Xiaojuan smiled openly as she asked. Her skin was somewhat dark, and she was not particularly pretty, but her eyes and mouth were large, and her smile was infectious.
Perhaps because others had given Hu Yan an unpleasant feeling, he felt rather close to Duan Xiaojuan instead.
He nodded and did not refuse.
The two walked out of the courtyard together. Nearby was a main disciples' courtyard where they could eat. As they made their way there, the buildings along the path were decorated with lanterns and colorful ornaments, brimming with festivity.
"As expected of the number one sect under heaven. It's completely unaffected by the chaotic times," Duan Xiaojuan sighed in admiration.
At the mention of chaos, Hu Yan's eyes grew complicated.
Because of the chaos, he had lost his parents. The first half of his life had been filled with hardship. In order to stand before the disciples of the Qingxiao Sect, he had stumbled forward, battered and bruised. Even now, recalling it felt almost unreal.
He still remembered kneeling before that Qingxiao Sect disciple, begging him to save him.
The sunlight had been blinding that day. At first, he had not clearly seen the disciple's face.
"Don't be afraid. With me here, no one can bully you."
After saying those words, the disciple drove away the villains who had been chasing and beating Hu Yan.
Afterward, he gave Hu Yan plenty of dry rations and said that if he had nowhere to go, he should head south and seek the Qingxiao Sect—they would take him in.
That Qingxiao Sect disciple seemed to have urgent matters to attend to. Before Hu Yan could even ask his name, he had already departed.
However, Hu Yan had memorized that disciple's face. There was plenty of time ahead—one day, he would have the chance to repay him.
Recalling the past, Hu Yan and Duan Xiaojuan arrived at the main courtyard and queued to receive their meals. They found an empty table and sat down.
As they ate, they listened to other disciples discussing the sect's festival. They were filled with curiosity about everything in the Qingxiao Sect.
"There are truly so many people in the Qingxiao Sect," Duan Xiaojuan suddenly said with heartfelt emotion. She had never been anywhere with so many people. All of them were cleanly dressed and spoke warmly. There were no fights or quarrels, and the cultivation life described by the other disciples made her yearn deeply.
Hu Yan nodded, also contemplating his future.
Above Registered Disciple were Outer Disciple, Inner Disciple, and True Disciple. Only by becoming a True Disciple could one truly be considered to have the qualification to seek the Dao and pursue longevity.
The road ahead was long—he had to keep walking.
After finishing their meal, they heard that some disciples were heading to the Martial Platform to watch a sparring match. Intrigued, they immediately followed along.
Walking along the mountain path, they could see numerous disciples flying on sword light toward the adjacent Qingxiao Mountain. Hu Yan turned his head to look. Qingxiao Mountain was far livelier than Ziyang Peak, like a realm of immortals. Even the falling snow throughout the sky could not conceal its majestic grandeur.
He wondered when he would be able to set foot upon that mountain.
With that thought, Hu Yan withdrew his gaze, steeled his spirit, and prepared to embrace his own life of cultivation.
…
Inside the cave abode, Li Qingqiu sat upon the stone bed, sensing the vast and righteous energy within himself.
That's right—he had copied Hu Yan's [Vast and Righteous Energy] onto himself.
He had taken a liking to its ability to prevent curses. His intuition told him that as time passed, he would inevitably encounter someone who tried to curse him. After all, the methods of cultivators were endless and difficult to guard against.
Vast and righteous energy could also autonomously protect the body, guarding against sneak attacks.
After inheriting the memories of the fate, Li Qingqiu discovered a special aura surrounding him. Not only that, but he felt as though the entire world had become clearer. His whole body felt at ease—this state was extremely rare.
So this was [Vast and Righteous Energy]?
This state alone left Li Qingqiu highly satisfied—energetic and clear-minded.
He rose to his feet and instructed Jin Lang, "Jin Lang, attack me."
Jin Lang turned to look at him, tilting his head in confusion.
"Don't worry. I just want to test a spell I recently comprehended," Li Qingqiu said with a gentle smile.
Upon hearing this, Jin Lang nodded and leapt forward at once, like a streak of green light. He charged before Li Qingqiu and swung his arm blade toward Li Qingqiu's chest.
Bang!
Jin Lang felt as though he had slammed into an invisible wall of qi. He was instantly sent flying backward, crashing into the wall and tumbling in a daze, stars flashing before his eyes.
Li Qingqiu raised his brows. The vast and righteous energy was indeed domineering—stronger than he had anticipated.
He could control the vast and righteous energy at will, yet when danger arose, it could automatically defend him. The sensation was extremely wondrous, like an instinct.
"Master, what kind of spell is this?"
Nangong E stood not far away, asking cautiously.
Lin Chuan, too, looked terrified. The vast and righteous energy made them feel endangered; they did not dare approach.
"To call it a spell is not entirely accurate. It is more like a kind of power of heaven and earth that I recently comprehended. It still requires further refinement."
Li Qingqiu answered ambiguously, after all, he could not pass the vast and righteous energy on to others.
Vast and righteous energy would grow stronger with the passage of time. That was also one of the reasons he valued it—he favored fates that could continuously influence him.
"Jin Lang, are you alright?" Li Qingqiu looked at Jin Lang and asked.
Jin Lang had already reached the 6th layer of the Nurturing Essence realm, but the rebound from the vast and righteous energy just now had left him somewhat dizzy.
"Master, I'm fine," Jin Lang replied in a muffled voice, shaking his head before standing up again.
Only after hearing this did Li Qingqiu feel reassured. He then walked toward the stone door of the cave abode.
"I'll go out for a stroll."
Nangong E and Lin Chuan were drawn back into Li Qingqiu's body.
Jin Lang chose to remain behind. He intended to continue cultivating.
Those unaware might think he bore a blood-deep vendetta, but in truth, he simply liked cultivating immortality.
After leaving the cave abode, Li Qingqiu arrived at Lingxiao Pavilion. The courtyard was lively. The upper echelons had rarely set aside their duties and were now sitting together drinking and chatting, laughter ringing out without end.
"Senior Brother, where are you going?"
Seeing Li Qingqiu pass directly by them without stopping, Li Sijin could not help but ask curiously. The others also turned their gazes toward him.
"I'm going to walk around the sect. I'm in a good mood today and plan to take on another disciple. I'll see who catches my eye."
Li Qingqiu spoke casually, yet his words shocked everyone in the courtyard.
Take on a disciple?
How many years had it been since Li Qingqiu had accepted a disciple after Ji Ya?
Even geniuses like the three Xiao brothers had not caught his eye before, and now he was personally going to accept a disciple.
Shen Yue's interest was piqued. He vanished from his spot in an instant.
Yang Jueding looked at Zhang Yuchun and asked curiously, "Has the sect recently produced some extraordinary genius?"
Zhang Yuchun replied in puzzlement, "There are indeed quite a few geniuses, but compared to his disciples, there's still a considerable gap."
Li Dongyue laughed. "Don't overthink it. Didn't Senior Brother say he's just in a good mood? He may not necessarily be seeking a genius."
"Impossible. He must have calculated something," Zhang Yuchun shook his head.
Even Yuan Li, whose Cultivation Aptitude had been the poorest, had opened up a path of body cultivation.
Every time Zhang Yuchun saw Li Shouzheng and Li Shoumin, he felt a deep sense of malice. He thought Senior Brother had been playing tricks on him, yet he had refused more than once and had no face to complain.
The others echoed in agreement, convinced that the Sect Master must have been drawn by some peerless genius.
Elsewhere.
Shen Yue walked beside Li Qingqiu, determined to see how he chose his candidate.
"Did you receive some information in advance?" Shen Yue asked suspiciously.
"How could that be? If there truly were a peerless genius, do you think those fellows wouldn't have asked me about it? They would have taken him in ahead of time."
Li Qingqiu smiled helplessly. He was speaking of the current state of the Qingxiao Sect. If a disciple displayed talent, the various halls would scramble to compete. It would not be Li Qingqiu's turn to take them in.
He was not yet certain whether Hu Yan had already been recruited by some hall. Even if he had, Li Qingqiu was not worried. He was the Sect Master—his word carried the most weight. If anyone had objections, they would have to be dealt with seriously.
"That's true. Then I'll accompany you and see how you choose," Shen Yue nodded, finding the reasoning sound.
Although he had no intention of accepting disciples himself, he was extremely curious about Li Qingqiu's discernment.
He wanted to know how Li Qingqiu discovered those peerless geniuses.
The two chatted idly as they descended the mountain.
Along the way, disciples who recognized Li Qingqiu and Shen Yue excitedly bowed in salute. Li Qingqiu smiled and responded without any airs of a Sect Master.
Shen Yue merely nodded. He could not be as approachable as Li Qingqiu.
He suddenly realized that no matter how high Li Qingqiu's cultivation grew or how powerful the sect became, Li Qingqiu's attitude toward others had never changed.
Prestige would naturally increase with one's power and authority. The upper echelons of the sect, including Li Sijin, had all cultivated their own imposing presence. When disciples faced them, they would inevitably feel nervous.
Yet when Li Qingqiu faced disciples, he exuded no imposing aura at all, giving others the feeling of a gentle spring breeze.
Shen Yue merely sighed inwardly. He had no desire to imitate it—after all, he was not the Sect Master.
The two walked from the mountain peak down to the base. Throughout the journey, Li Qingqiu did not choose any disciple to take in. Along the way, Shen Yue encountered several disciples whose aptitudes were clearly extraordinary, yet Li Qingqiu did not take a fancy to a single one.
Those disciples had no idea they had just missed the opportunity to become the Sect Master's disciple. However, merely exchanging a few words with him was enough to leave them elated.
The two arrived at Ziyang Peak and continued up the mountain. Once there, fewer disciples could recognize them, and their surroundings suddenly became quiet.
"If there were a genius, they would have been exceptionally admitted to Qingxiao Mountain. Most of the disciples remaining at Ziyang Peak have mediocre aptitudes. Are you planning to create a genius yourself?" Shen Yue asked curiously.
Li Qingqiu rolled his eyes and said irritably, "I've said it several times already—I'm in a good mood and choosing based on who catches my eye. Why make it sound so vulgar?"