Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing had been exceptionally dedicated to his newly accepted disciple, Li Yuhuan.
He provided her with an abundance of qi refining realm cultivation pills, enough to propel her rapid progress and swiftly cultivate to perfection in this realm.
Furthermore, he selected a Thunder Dao cultivation manual from the sect's Hall of Technique Transmission, suitable for her cultivation up to the core formation realm. It was named Thunder Extreme Art.
While not the most top-tier cultivation manual, it was still quite excellent, with comprehensive records covering everything from Thunder Dao spells to divine abilities for the foundation establishment realm.
"I see you don't have a suitable magic artifact yet," Li Qing said. "Tell me what kind you want, and I'll refine one for you."
A small cave abode had been newly carved into Li Qing's spirit peak, serving as Li Yuhuan's daily cultivation space.
Hearing her master's words, Li Yuhuan's eyes lit up. She immediately replied, "Master, I want a bow-type magic artifact. I practiced archery for a while in the mortal world!"
Li Qing nodded without objection. For him, refining any magic artifact was now as effortless as lifting a finger.
However, he didn't want Li Yuhuan to develop a habit of receiving things without effort. Therefore, he said, "I'll refine a Thunderlight Bow for you, but there are two conditions. First, you must gather the materials yourself. The quality of the artifact I refine will depend on the grade of materials you collect."
"Second, within three months of joining the sect, you must distinguish yourself in the competition and become an inner sect disciple!"
"The sect's supply of foundation establishment pills is limited. Even I can't freely allocate such vital resources to you."
Hearing this, Li Yuhuan showed no disappointment. Instead, she asked cheerfully, "I understand, Master!"
"By the way, Master, if I gather sufficiently high-grade materials, could you even refine a top-grade magical artifact?" Li Yuhuan blinked at Li Qing, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Heh, naturally. You need not worry about your master's artifact refinement skills!" Li Qing chuckled in response.
"Thank you, Master!" Li Yuhuan excitedly clasped her hands in a fist salute before retrieving a charred piece of wood from her storage pouch.
This surprised Li Qing. He hadn't expected her to produce artifact refining materials so quickly.
But his eyebrows soon arched in surprise.
"Hmm, this is actually a piece of thunderstruck wood!"
Thunderstruck wood is a material formed only when a tree is struck by lightning.
Ordinary trees struck by lightning are useless for refining magic artifacts.
However, when a spirit tree is struck by lightning, the resulting thunderstruck wood can be used as a refining material.
Moreover, the older the spirit tree, the higher the quality of the material!
Li Qing took the charred piece of wood from Li Yuhuan's hand and nodded in appraisal.
"This thunderstruck wood is of decent quality. Though I can't identify the original spirit tree, it's likely around three hundred years old.
"If combined with the tendon of a Second-Tier Demonic Beast, refining a top-grade magical artifact should be quite feasible."
Hearing this, Li Yuhuan lowered her head, discouraged. "Second-Tier Demonic Beasts... Even if I could defeat one, they're probably hard to find in the Azure Ridge Domain these days."
"That's your own problem to solve. I won't provide any assistance with artifact refining materials.
"But I'll give you a hint: the sect's treasure vault also contains various spirit materials. If you can't find a Second-Tier Demonic Beast in the wild, consider accumulating contribution points to exchange for materials in the vault."
As Li Qing spoke, he suddenly recalled that among the treasures unearthed from the sect's storage vault were several tendons from second-tier demon pythons—perfect for crafting bowstrings.
However, he stopped himself from revealing this further. He had no intention of offering Li Yuhuan any more assistance, wanting to test and hone her abilities through this challenge.
The final quality of the magic artifact would depend entirely on the spiritual materials Li Yuhuan managed to gather herself—a true trial of her resourcefulness.
In Li Qing's eyes, a mere piece of three-hundred-year-old thunderstruck wood held little intrinsic value. Though rare, its actual worth remained modest.
With the founding ceremony concluded, the Lingyun Sect finally settled into its proper rhythm.
Resources flowed in steadily from cultivation clans across the land—spirit stones, spirit gold, and a diverse array of other materials.
The manhunt for remnants of the Shangqing Sect intensified. Over the following days, several disciples who had narrowly escaped capture were apprehended and brought to the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate to await judgment.
Within the sect, all newly admitted disciples redoubled their efforts to prove themselves, driven by the upcoming inner sect competition scheduled for three months later.
Some disciples diligently cultivated to improve their cultivation base, while others delved into various magical techniques to enhance their combat prowess. Still others focused on accumulating Sect Contribution points through various means, hoping to exchange them for magic artifacts or talismans for future needs.
In short, the entire sect was thriving and flourishing.
After all, though the terms "outer sect disciple" and "inner sect disciple" differed by only one character, the disparity in their treatment was substantial.
Firstly, outer sect disciples received meager allocations of spirit stones and medicinal pills. The tasks assigned to them were mostly arduous labor with minimal rewards—time-consuming, physically demanding, and offering little profit.
Becoming an inner sect disciple, however, brought a significant upgrade in these benefits.
Moreover, the sect had established four halls: Pill Hall, Artifact Hall, Formation Hall, and Talisman Hall. To study these cultivation techniques, one had to become an inner sect disciple.
Of course, some disciples joined the sect already possessing rudimentary knowledge of Pill Refinement or artifact refinement. For these individuals, the requirements for becoming an inner sect disciple were relaxed.
Even if they failed to distinguish themselves in the inner sect competition, such disciples could still gain entry by passing the artifact refinement or Pill Refinement assessments at the respective halls.
However, becoming an inner sect disciple through this method came with a drawback: they would not receive the foundation establishment pill awarded by the sect.
After all, the foundation establishment pill was reserved as a reward for core disciples who excelled in the inner sect competition.
Of course, those skilled in cultivation techniques who successfully passed the alternative assessment would find it much easier to accumulate Sect Contribution points afterward, significantly increasing their chances of obtaining a foundation establishment pill in the future.
In short, the Lingyun Sect had established a remarkably comprehensive system for promoting disciples from the lower ranks.
As long as you possessed talent and usefulness, you need not fear being overlooked. Whether your secondary skill was artifact refinement, Pill Refinement, or any other cultivation technique, there would always be opportunities to put your skills to use.
This was especially true now that the Lingyun Sect had two core formation ancestors, each specializing in artifact refinement and Talisman Crafting. They understood the immense value of mastering a cultivation technique and would naturally ensure that such talents were properly recognized and rewarded.
Thus, during these three months, all newly admitted disciples lived busy and fulfilling lives.
Leveraging the sect's abundant spiritual energy and resources, some displayed extraordinary cultivation talent, their cultivation progress advancing by leaps and bounds.
The vast majority of disciples had reached the late qi refining realm, with some even advancing to the ninth or tenth layers. They were brimming with confidence about securing a spot as an inner sect disciple.
During this time, Li Yuhuan finally managed to acquire a python tendon.
It came from a late first-tier Azure Nether Python, whose tendon was remarkably flexible and resilient, making it a decent material for refining magic artifacts.
"Master, despite my best efforts, I could only obtain this one python tendon," Li Yuhuan said dejectedly as she handed the curved, azure tendon to Li Qing.
"Hmm, a late first-tier Azure Nether Python? Not bad," Li Qing nodded. "Come back in two days to retrieve your magic artifact."
"Thank you, Master!" Li Yuhuan bowed respectfully.
Two days later, a sudden flash of lightning illuminated Li Qing's cave abode.
Almost immediately, two swirling vortexes of spiritual energy formed in the surrounding heaven and earth, channeling massive amounts of spiritual energy directly into the cave.
[Successfully refined high-grade magical artifact: Thunderlight Bow! Reward: 18 years of lifespan!]
[Successfully refined high-grade magical artifact: Thunderclap Arrow! Reward: 20 years of lifespan!]
Indeed, in the past two days, Li Qing had not only refined a high-grade magical artifact, the Thunderlight Bow, but had also crafted a matching arrow specifically for his disciple!
With the arrow itself being a high-grade magical artifact, when used in conjunction with the Thunderlight Bow—also a high-grade magical artifact—its combined power would undoubtedly rival that of a top-grade magical artifact.
"Xiao Huan, come to my cave abode!" Li Qing transmitted a divine sense message to a cave abode halfway up the spirit peak.
Li Yuhuan had already sensed the commotion above the spirit peak. Overjoyed, she hurried toward her master's cave abode.
"Master, is my magic artifact finished?"
Seeing the eager expression on his disciple's face, Li Qing chuckled softly.
"Take it. Once you string the Thunderlight Bow, you can channel your thunder attribute mana into it, imbuing the arrows with lightning power. Its destructive force is quite remarkable!"
With that, Li Qing tossed the Thunderlight Bow to his disciple.
Li Yuhuan caught the large, black bow with immense delight. Inscribed along its dark frame were subtle, deep purple patterns that extended onto the azure bowstring, forming a seamless whole.
After receiving the Thunderlight Bow, Li Yuhuan eagerly tried drawing the string a few times.
As she slightly drew the string, she felt her mana subtly flowing from within her body into the massive bow.
The dark purple spirit patterns on the black bow shimmered with spiritual light, as if imbued with a Secret Power.
"Thank you, Master!"
The bow felt remarkably smooth to draw, bringing an uncontrollable smile to Li Yuhuan's face.
But that wasn't all. Next, Li Qing produced a slender arrow.
It was a deep purple arrow, engraved with a seamless spirit pattern from tip to tail.
Li Yuhuan's eyes lit up at the sight of the arrow, nearly overwhelmed by happiness.
"Master, is this spirit arrow for me too?"
"Hahaha! With this, I'll definitely win first place in the inner sect competition!"
Li Qing shook his head.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. The Thunderclap Arrow is a matching magic artifact for the Thunderlight Bow, both high-grade. When combined, their power rivals that of a top-grade magical artifact."
"Letting you use this in the inner sect competition would be too unfair to the others."
"If you want it, then secure a top-three finish in the inner sect competition, and I'll reward you with it!"
Top three in the inner sect competition! I must achieve it!
A resolute glint flashed in Li Yuhuan's eyes as she turned to Li Qing and declared, "Disciple will not fail Master's expectations!"
Hearing this, Li Qing nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand. "Very well, you may return now. The competition begins in two days. Make me proud."
With these words, Li Qing dismissed his disciple, sending her back to prepare for the competition.
Though officially a registered disciple, Li Qing had always treated his niece-cum-disciple with exceptional care. At least, when he was in the qi refining realm, he never had such easy access to such high-quality cultivation resources.
Watching Li Yuhuan's retreating figure, Li Qing murmured softly, "Brother, take good care of our parents in the Nine Springs. Leave our niece to me."
Two days later, the inner sect competition finally commenced.
This time, no core formation ancestor made an appearance. Instead, the foundation establishment elders of Lingyun Sect presided over the event.
However, everyone understood that even without a core formation ancestor's presence, the inner sect competition would undoubtedly be under the watchful eyes of such powerful figures.
The reason for this fervor was that Li Yuhuan, a registered disciple of Ancestor Limitless, would also be participating!
Many disciples were giving it their all, hoping to make a strong impression during the inner sect competition and catch Ancestor Limitless's attention.
If the ancestor took a liking to them, they might even become registered disciples themselves—a single step to heaven!
Alas, while their aspirations were grand, reality was harsh.
Li Qing paid little attention to the inner sect competition. He wouldn't give much thought to whoever emerged victorious, and he certainly wouldn't consider taking on another registered disciple.
Compared to such matters, Li Qing was far more concerned about the Blood Lotus Seed he had planted.
"Tsk, the Blood Lotus Seed has taken root, but it hasn't sprouted yet. That's rather strange."
"Could it need to be planted in water?"
The surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy was exceptionally dense. Logically, since the lotus seed had already rooted, it should have sprouted by now!
Frowning slightly, Li Qing recalled scenes from his time in the Blood Lotus Sect.
"Could it be that this thing requires essence blood as nourishment to grow?"
But where could he possibly obtain such a vast quantity of essence blood now?
Li Qing's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered deeply.
Soon, he raised his head, his gaze sweeping eastward across the vast, turbulent expanse of the Boundless Sea.
If this extraordinary blood lotus truly required essence blood as nourishment, then the Boundless Sea, teeming with sea beasts, would be the perfect source.
Where else could I find such a plentiful supply of essence blood?
"In that case, I should transplant it back to my cave abode. I just wonder what rewards await after all this effort."
Thus, Li Qing transplanted the blood lotus from its spot in front of his cave abode to a hidden medicinal field within a secret chamber inside his dwelling.
Given its potential need for essence blood as nourishment, it was best not to display it openly.
With this task completed, the inner sect competition finally concluded.
Twenty disciples earned spots as inner sect disciples, each receiving a foundation establishment pill as a reward, allowing them to begin their foundation establishment at any time.
As for Li Qing's disciple, Li Yuhuan, her thunder spirit root and high-grade magical artifact, the Thunderlight Bow, secured her second place in the competition.
It's worth noting that she was once again defeated by the white-robed youth who consumed pills, a man named Jiang Han. This time, he completely established his reputation within the sect, becoming the unrivaled figure of the moment.
Although Li Yuhuan successfully secured a top-three position, she remained dissatisfied with the outcome.
"Master, I only managed second place this time. I lost to Jiang Han again," Li Yuhuan said dejectedly.
Inside the cave abode, Li Qing replied nonchalantly, "In the cultivation world, there are always those stronger than you, and beyond the heavens, there are even higher realms. Even I dare not claim invincibility."
"Second place is already quite commendable. You must maintain a balanced mindset—avoid arrogance, but also refrain from self-deprecation."
"This Thunderclap Arrow is yours!"
Upon receiving the Thunderclap Arrow, the lingering gloom in Li Yuhuan's heart instantly vanished.
"Thank you for bestowing this arrow, Master!"
"..."
With the conclusion of the inner sect competition, the Lingyun Sect finally entered a period of respite, at least for the short term, with no immediate matters requiring attention.
Li Qing, too, settled his mind and focused his energy on cultivation.
Unfortunately, now at the mid Core Formation Realm, his progress through simply meditating and absorbing heaven and earth spiritual energy had become painfully slow.
Li Qing wasn't particularly discouraged by this, knowing it was perfectly normal.
Throughout this time, he gazed out at the Boundless Sea, his thoughts surging and receding like the tides. Ideas flickered in his mind, as fleeting as the waves.
Now that the Lingyun Sect had been rebuilt, his cultivation journey had finally turned a new page.
He recalled his first days at the Lingyun Sect, when he had just finished an ascension conference and successfully entered the sect with an ascension token.
Afterward, he experienced a series of events within the sect, culminating in a great calamity that led to its complete destruction at the hands of the Chi Demon Tribe and the Shangqing Sect.
"When I first entered the sect, I was merely in the qi refining realm. Now, I've become an ancestor, a venerable figure. The transformation has been truly remarkable!"
Li Qing sighed, feeling the weight of time's passage with newfound clarity.
"Hah... the dao path stretches endlessly!"
Volume 4, Storms in the Cultivation World, concludes!
From Lingyun Sect disciple to Lingyun Sect ancestor, this grand volume of Storms in the Cultivation World has come to an end!
(End of the Chapter)
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