Lu Changsheng returned to Qingyun Peak, face full of gloom.
His once leisurely life was now in tatters.
He was busy teaching Ning Yuxin how to cultivate just to earn spirit stones, and now his second senior brother had assigned him a job—defending against the upcoming beast tide.
If that were all, fine—he could just tag along behind the senior brothers and elders and muddle through.
But the real problem was… Luo Qianling.
She actually planned to steal the Sect Master's spirit stones for him!
If the Sect Master found out, wouldn't he put a target on Lu Changsheng's back?
What if he got reassigned to Herb Garden duty to guard spiritual herbs again?
Should he bring a basket this time, or a sack?
"Sigh…"
Lu Changsheng sighed deeply, lamenting how hard life was.
Just as he looked up, he spotted a familiar figure—Shi Feng, standing nearby.
The old man from before was also there, quietly watching Qingyun Peak.
When the elder saw him approach, he simply nodded with a smile.
Shi Feng, on the other hand, was still radiating hostility—but said nothing. He kept his eyes fixed on the rear of the mountain.
Lu Changsheng was unfazed. He was just curious what they were doing here.
But in the next instant, he sensed two powerful auras erupting—accompanied by violent fluctuations of magical power.
Two figures shot into the air—it was Zhou Qingyu and the young man from Xuanyuan Sect.
Zhou Qingyu walked through the sky, forming hand seals.
Azure spiritual power surged forth like a tidal wave, becoming a blade of energy that sliced downward like a waterfall.
As the wind roared, the surrounding forest trembled.
By now, Zhou Qingyu had reached Qi Formation Level 9, just a step away from the Core Formation realm.
Yet Lu Changsheng noticed that he had deliberately suppressed his cultivation to Level 7.
The youth from Xuanyuan Sect acted as well—red spiritual power roared like a ferocious tiger, fierce and overwhelming.
As the two clashed, the roar of power echoed in the air.
Spiritual energy was thrown into chaos. Lights flickered across the sky as threads of mana snapped and vanished.
Qingyun Peak erupted with noise. Dust and pebbles danced underfoot.
Lu Changsheng's hair fluttered in the wind. He frowned.
"They're… sparring?"
Muttering to himself, he sensed that the Xuanyuan youth also had cultivation at Qi Formation Level 7.
According to what he knew of the Xuanyuan Sect, at that age and level, this youth could only be their second disciple—Li Changfeng.
As the battle dragged on, both sides exchanged blow for blow, locked in a stalemate. Their strength seemed evenly matched.
The elder watched intently, completely ignoring Lu Changsheng.
As he observed, Lu Changsheng fell into thought.
Soon, a silver spear materialized in Li Changfeng's hand.
When it struck, it gleamed with silvery light, its thrusts like a dragon breaking free—every blow sharp and deadly.
Zhou Qingyu floated mid-air, unmoving.
One hand behind his back, the other formed a sword gesture, a sharp glint in his eyes.
Sword qi suddenly manifested around him.
At his command, dozens of sword lights swept through the sky, their piercing sound making hearts tremble.
Even the old man's expression stiffened—he was clearly shaken by the powerful sword intent Zhou Qingyu exuded.
As the sword light fell, the spear was blocked, halted in mid-air.
The sword aura was too sharp, too deadly.
Li Changfeng was forced back, his sleeve sliced off, and a trail of sword qi skimmed his neck.
Still, he held on.
But as the spear clashed against the sword lights, he could no longer hide the shock in his eyes.
This sword intent was terrifying.
In the end, Li Changfeng lost.
The battle ended abruptly.
Li Changfeng cupped his fists and bowed.
"Brother Zhou, you truly are exceptional. I concede defeat."
Zhou Qingyu remained calm, hands still behind his back.
"You flatter me. You're already one of the brightest of our generation. I merely have the advantage in sword arts."
"Not at all. Among our peers in Cangzhou, no one compares to Brother Zhou."
Li Changfeng chuckled and descended.
The elder finally spoke:
"So this is the famed Little Sword Immortal of Cangyun Sect. Truly an eye-opener."
"You're too kind, Senior."
With that, the three bid farewell and left.
Lu Changsheng didn't follow.
Instead, he gazed at Zhou Qingyu, lost in thought—his expression filled with helplessness.
If any naïve little girls saw that just now, we're doomed…
How many would fall head over heels for him?
"Will you die if you don't act cool for once?"
He grumbled to himself.
For every inch more cool Zhou Qingyu acted, Lu Changsheng got one more headache.
That entire flashy duel was clearly a test from the Xuanyuan Sect.
But Zhou Qingyu didn't hold back at all. He just showed everything. So upright it hurt.
Didn't anyone tell him?
The last time the Xuanyuan Sect tried to assassinate Ning Yuxin and her brother, Lu Changsheng had left one survivor alive.
Was that not enough? Did they not get the message?
Apparently not.
But there was nothing Lu Changsheng could do.
It wasn't that Zhou Qingyu enjoyed showing off—he simply had that righteous, sword-obsessed nature.
He didn't care about schemes or face-saving.
The more dazzling he is now, the more prepared the enemy will be later…
"Sigh…"
Lu Changsheng sighed again.
Honestly, he wanted to walk over and slap some sense into his senior brother.
Zhou Qingyu had already noticed him.
He descended gently and spoke.
"Junior Brother, I heard from Second Brother that you're joining the beast tide defense?"
"Yeah…"
The thought of it made Lu Changsheng's head throb.
Zhou Qingyu, however, said calmly:
"It's not good to stay in the sect all the time. It's good to get some real-world experience. You'll stay with me."
"Alright!"
Lu Changsheng agreed without hesitation.
After all, that was exactly what he wanted.
Anywhere Zhou Qingyu went, no one would care about Lu Changsheng.
His spotlight was so bright, it overshadowed everyone else.
Lu Changsheng could just hang around, maybe scavenge a few monster corpses to sell for spirit stones. Not a bad deal.
Zhou Qingyu left to continue his cultivation.
Lu Changsheng watched his silhouette disappear and sighed again.
"He's really becoming more and more like a Sword Immortal…"
In their ten years together, Zhou Qingyu had always been quiet, but deeply cared for Lu Changsheng.
Whenever he had insights, resources, or treasures from secret realms or cultivation tournaments, he always shared them.
"He's too pure. Not suited for this messy world. I need to help him get into a major sect where he'll be safer."
He thought of the upcoming Dynasty War.
Every few years, Yue Country held a grand war between dynasties.
All the top sects would send their elite disciples to fight in a massive battleground, where the most talented would be recruited by even stronger sects.
If a disciple got selected, their home sect would also gain powerful protection.
This was one of the reasons Cangyun Sect had remained standing for so long.
Lu Changsheng knew—this small sect could only hold people back.
What they needed was a wider stage.
If Zhou Qingyu could win a place in a major immortal sect, Cangyun Sect would be sheltered, and Lu Changsheng would be safer.
Because in the cultivation world, the dangers were many.
The strong preyed on the weak. The smart hid in the shadows.
"The tallest tree catches the wind. Better to be cautious."
In Yue Country, the highest cultivation level was Nascent Soul, and there weren't even many of those.
As long as he didn't do anything stupid—he'd be fine.
Just as he turned to head back, a stream of light shot across the sky above Cangyun Peak, erupting into a glowing azure radiance that refused to fade.
Lu Changsheng knew—the beast tide warning had been triggered.