The Fate Selection was just a copy, not a transfer, so it wouldn't affect Jiang Zhaoxia. Because of that, Li Qingqiu felt no burden at all.
As soon as he made his choice, his consciousness was pulled into a dreamlike state.
He dreamed a long, hazy dream. In it, he kept practicing swordsmanship again and again. The sword in his hand changed countless times, yet he never stopped swinging.
He had no goal. He felt no exhaustion. He trained until he went numb.
When he finally woke up, the dream felt strangely short. Opening his eyes, he noticed the sky outside had darkened. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a faint glow across the room.
"Senior Brother, it's time to eat."
Zhang Yuchun's voice came from outside the door, hesitant and cautious. He had already called out three times and was debating whether to come in.
Li Qingqiu quickly replied, "I'll be right there."
"Alright."
Zhang Yuchun let out a breath of relief, and his footsteps gradually faded away.
Li Qingqiu sat in silence, trying to recall the details of his dream. But he couldn't remember a single clear moment. There were no new memories or techniques in his mind either.
Standing up, he checked his body carefully. No changes.
His eyes fell on the sword resting on the small table beside the bed. It was the Tianhong Sword, the treasured blade Lin Xunfeng had given him. Sheathed, it weighed about 6 jin (around 3 kilograms), heavy enough that he usually couldn't be bothered to carry it.
He walked over, grabbed the scabbard with his right hand, and held the hilt with his left.
Li Qingqiu's brows lifted, surprise flashing in his eyes.
The moment he touched the Tianhong Sword, he felt a faint, living pulse of energy inside it. It wasn't just a weapon—it felt alive, familiar, connected.
The sensation was strange yet intoxicating. He had never experienced anything like it. If he had to describe it, it was spirituality—the sword possessed a spirit, and he could feel it.
"So this is the power of a Born Sword Maniac?"
He resisted the urge to unsheath it and instead set the Tianhong Sword back down, turning toward the door.
He could study the Dao Lineage panel later. For now, he couldn't let his junior brothers and sisters worry.
If the Master had just left, and the new Sect Master shut himself away right after, those kids would surely panic.
Pushing open the door, Li Qingqiu stepped into the courtyard. His disciples were already gathered around a dining table beneath an old tree. An oil lamp hung from one of the branches, its flickering light illuminating their faces.
Normally, dinner was a noisy affair, everyone snatching food like starving wolves. But tonight, they all sat quietly, waiting for him.
"Senior Brother!"
"Big Brother!"
"Come on, Senior Brother, eat with us!"
The children stood up and waved him over. Even the proud Jiang Zhaoxia secretly looked relieved.
Seeing their faces, Li Qingqiu's heart softened. A warmth spread through him, along with renewed determination. He would make Qingxiao Sect flourish again.
As for his old dream of roaming the jianghu freely—that was now behind him. With the Dao Lineage system, he could build a future through the sect instead.
He stepped forward, sat down beside his youngest sister Li Sijin, and gently ruffled her hair before taking his seat.
"Sit down, everyone. Let's eat and talk," Li Qingqiu said with a smile. Seeing his calm expression, the others finally relaxed. They began serving food with cheerful chatter.
Zhang Yuchun, ever steady and responsible, served rice for everyone, acting more mature than his 15 years.
The long wooden table could seat all 7 of them comfortably. The meal was simple—three dishes and one soup, with only a few bits of minced meat floating in the broth. Such was life on the mountain. With Lin Xunfeng gone most of the time, they survived on vegetables they grew themselves and occasionally some eggs.
Picking up his chopsticks, Li Qingqiu said casually, "Since Master left and passed the position of Sect Master to me, I've been thinking a lot. I've decided to make Qingxiao Sect bigger and stronger. After all, this is our home."
As soon as he finished, his sixth junior brother, Li Sifeng, jumped up excitedly and shouted, "Make it bigger and stronger! Bigger and stronger!"
Once he started, Wu Man'er, the fifth disciple, quickly joined in with loud enthusiasm.
Li Qingqiu looked at the 12-year-old Li Sifeng and couldn't help recalling his Fate—Wolfish Ambition and Ruthless Means.
'This kid looks so cheerful and innocent… how could he have such a fate?'
"Make it bigger and stronger, huh? Sounds nice, but with just us?" Jiang Zhaoxia said mockingly.
Li Qingqiu didn't get angry. In fact, his impression of Jiang Zhaoxia had improved a lot. The boy's loyalty was the highest in the sect, and with his talent, he was destined to be Qingxiao Sect's strongest fighter in the future.
Smiling, Li Qingqiu replied, "We're still young. That means we have unlimited potential. So, from now on, we train hard together. Once we're stronger and grown up, we'll go down the mountain and recruit new disciples."
His words made everyone's eyes light up. The group started talking all at once, their excitement overflowing.
Jiang Zhaoxia, seeing Li Qingqiu's calm and confident attitude, finally relaxed too. He mumbled under his breath, "What's the point of training? With Master's half-baked martial arts, we'll never improve. He didn't even leave us a proper cultivation technique."
His voice was so low that only he could hear it.
As everyone settled down, Zhang Yuchun asked while serving the last bowl, "Senior Brother, Master left behind three manuals—one for fists, one for sword techniques, and one for movement skills. Which one should we start with?"
Holding his bowl, Li Qingqiu took a bite of rice and said between chews, "I'll study them carefully first. Once I've looked them over, I'll assign each of you what to practice. Just make sure to train a bit every day. For now, what's most important is ensuring we have enough food. Once we start cultivating, our appetite will increase—especially for meat. So, we'll need to start raising chickens and pigs, and plant more vegetables…"
Li Qingqiu explained his general plan. Hearing it, Zhang Yuchun's eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly, his excitement barely contained.
Except for him and the fourth junior sister Li Dongyue, the others didn't seem too interested. Most of them clearly didn't want to do extra work, but with their master gone, no one dared to argue. They knew they now had to rely on themselves.
Li Qingqiu outlined the basic arrangements and assigned Zhang Yuchun to handle the organization, giving him permission to manage the disciples freely.
Looking at him, Li Qingqiu said, "Second Junior Brother, you're calm and level-headed, and you enjoy reading. Qingxiao Sect's future depends a lot on you. Just do things your way. If anyone disobeys, tell me. I won't say break their legs—but at least make sure they can't walk properly for three to five days."
As soon as those words fell, all the disciples shivered. Even Jiang Zhaoxia's face twitched a little.
As the eldest, Li Qingqiu wasn't bluffing—he really would hit them if they stepped out of line. He'd been the strongest since they were kids, and every one of them had been on the receiving end of his fists at least once.
"Senior Brother, don't worry! I won't let you down!" Zhang Yuchun said, his tone full of energy.
He had long wanted to take responsibility for something, but his gentle nature meant the others often pushed him around—except for Li Dongyue, who always stood by him.
Li Qingqiu smiled and nodded before chatting with everyone about stories from the martial world to lift their spirits.
Though Qingxiao Sect was small, their master Lin Xunfeng had a bit of reputation. Every year, travelers and swordsmen would visit, bringing countless tales from the jianghu.
Their sect was under the rule of the Great Li Dynasty, a vast empire consisting of nine provinces and fourteen regions. Qingxiao Sect was located in the Taikun Mountain Range within Guzhou. For a hundred li (about 50 kilometers) in every direction, there were nothing but mountains, scattered with a few small villages. The nearest city lay 200 li away.
This world was like an ancient Chinese-style feudal realm where cold weapons dominated and martial arts flourished. In Guzhou alone, there were countless martial sects and gangs, while the truly famous sects known across the world numbered seven.
Li Qingqiu remembered that when he was little, he once saw a wandering swordsman blow out a breath of qi, sending it flying more than two zhang (about 6.6 meters) and leaving a mark on a tree. It had stunned him completely, igniting his lifelong dream to practice martial arts.
This was the kind of martial world he had once dreamed of. How could he not pursue the path of cultivation?
Then he suddenly remembered—he still had a Dao Lineage Inheritance Reward waiting to be used. His heart began to race.
'Could I get a supreme divine technique out of this?'
If Qingxiao Sect was to grow strong, they needed a signature technique—a sect-defining martial art that could shake the world. Without powerful techniques, how could they ever make a name for themselves?
The shallow, half-trained skills Lin Xunfeng left behind were nowhere near enough.
That night's dinner turned unexpectedly lively. Instead of feeling abandoned by their master, the disciples of Qingxiao Sect spoke eagerly of the future. As long as Li Qingqiu was there, they had nothing to fear.
An entire hour passed before they dispersed. Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue stayed behind to clean up the table.
Li Qingqiu returned to his room, sat cross-legged on his bed, and took a deep breath to calm his excitement. He summoned the Dao Lineage interface and chose to activate the inheritance.
[ Claim Inheritance Reward ]
[ Initiating Dao Lineage Inheritance... ]
[ You have obtained a Qi-Nurturing Technique — Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra ]
[ Accept Inheritance? ]
"Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra?"
The name sounded like something from a cultivation novel. Was it really that powerful?
Without hesitation, Li Qingqiu chose Accept Inheritance.
In the next instant, a flood of information poured into his mind like a tidal wave, endless and overwhelming.
That night, Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, Wu Man'er, and Li Sifeng all lay awake in their rooms. Li Sifeng was especially restless, chattering endlessly about their future and pulling his brothers into conversation.
Meanwhile, Li Dongyue and Li Sijin whispered to each other in their shared room, vowing to help their senior brother and lighten his burden.
Night passed, and the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountains.
At dawn, Jiang Zhaoxia stepped out early and began practicing his punches in the courtyard. His sharp eyes occasionally drifted toward Li Qingqiu's room, a trace of worry flickering within them.
He remembered how Li Qingqiu had once said he wanted to roam the world with his sword, living freely and seeking justice. Now, with so many disciples to care for, would Li Qingqiu feel trapped or frustrated?
Soon after, the sound of roosters echoed across the mountain. Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue came out as well, greeting each other before starting their chores.
Jiang Zhaoxia, being who he was, didn't care much for chores. But Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue took on their duties without complaint, quietly supporting the sect's daily life. Because of them, everyone else could live comfortably.
Inside the main house, Li Qingqiu finally opened his eyes after meditating through the night. His gaze was sharp and clear.
He stretched, feeling his body stiff from sitting still for so long.
Then he recalled the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra. As he reviewed its contents, his face suddenly froze.
"Wait a second... this is actually a cultivation technique?"
He was completely stunned. The Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra spoke of absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth, drawing in the essence of the sun and moon, and refining it into spiritual qi within the body.
It described stages like Nurturing Essence, Awakening Spirit, and Radiant Sunlight Phase—each one extending lifespan.
Reaching the Awakening Spirit Realm granted a lifespan of 300 years, and the Radiant Sunlight Realm could extend life up to 600 years.
Li Qingqiu's mind reeled. He had always thought this was a martial world—at best, people could cultivate internal qi or inner strength.
Was his master insane for wanting to seek immortality?
Turns out, immortality cultivation really exists!
So this Dao Lineage wasn't a martial sect system at all—it was a true immortal cultivation system!
Realizing this, Li Qingqiu's eyes lit up with uncontrollable excitement.
"If immortality is real, who the hell wants to practice mere martial arts?!"