Half an hour after parting ways with Yan Wujin and Tang Ziqi, Li Qingqiu finally reached the place guided by his Fortune Opportunity.
Standing within the forest, he gazed at the colossal tree before him—its trunk like a mountain, its crown piercing the heavens. His eyes gleamed with astonishment.
Sunlight poured down through the canopy, breaking into thousands of rays that filtered between the leaves, scattering into shimmering beams that made the entire glade look dreamlike.
Following his gaze, one could see that the massive tree—over 100 zhang tall—spread its branches across an open space nearly 200 zhang wide. From those thick branches hung countless vines, and on those vines grew round, fiery-red fruits, each the size of a grown man's fist.
The grass beneath the tree was lush and vibrant, swaying gently in the wind like waves of green silk.
Even from where he stood, Li Qingqiu could feel the dense spiritual energy—comparable to what he had once sensed around the Underground Spiritual Lake. The realization filled him with delight.
This place could serve as a cultivation ground!
The spiritual energy was emanating directly from the great tree. That meant this tree itself continuously generated vital energy. No wonder it was called a Treasure of Heaven and Earth.
Li Qingqiu stepped forward carefully. Though this was a place of fortune, he stayed cautious. Getting injured here would be far from ideal.
As he approached the tree, the pressure of its presence grew overwhelming—like standing before a mountain cliff. He reached out and laid his palm against the bark.
Then his eyes widened in surprise.
He could feel life pulsing within the tree—something akin to the flow of vital energy circulating through a living being.
Has this tree attained spirit consciousness?
Instinctively, he stepped back. A thick vine slowly slithered toward him. Strangely enough, he didn't sense any hostility. On the contrary, there was a faint, inexplicable warmth—something that felt almost… welcoming.
He paused, then lifted his right hand and extended two fingers. The vine reached him, and the two made contact. Though called a vine, it was nearly as thick as his waist.
Sunlight spilled across his face and shoulders. Li Qingqiu looked up at the living vine and, for the first time, smiled softly.
…
By noon, Li Qingqiu strolled lazily back into the courtyard.
He spotted Zhang Yuchun sitting with Zhang Yu at a table. Zhang Yuchun was speaking while Zhang Yu busily recorded notes with a brush.
As Li Qingqiu passed by, he tossed a book onto the table.
"I'll skip lunch today. Don't bother calling me."
Without stopping, he turned and walked toward the back mountain forest.
Zhang Yu glanced at the book and read aloud, "Great Sun Pure Yang Art?"
Zhang Yuchun picked up the manual, flipped through a few pages, and looked toward Li Qingqiu's retreating figure. "Where did this come from?"
"Found it on the mountain."
Before either could respond, Li Qingqiu had already disappeared into the forest path.
Zhang Yu frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "That title sounds familiar… where have I heard of it before?"
Zhang Yuchun didn't dwell on it. He placed the book aside and continued reviewing the Qingxiao Sect's grain yield records with Zhang Yu.
…
Meanwhile, Li Qingqiu made his way to Jiang Zhaoxia.
Today, Jiang Zhaoxia hadn't gone to the Underground Spiritual Lake. After finishing his lessons on the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might, he'd hidden himself away to train as usual.
"Third Junior Brother," Li Qingqiu said as he approached, "come with me tomorrow."
He sat down beside an old tree, about three zhang away from Jiang Zhaoxia.
Jiang Zhaoxia opened his eyes and asked calmly, "Are we going to hunt down the Absolute Saint Sect?"
Li Qingqiu's mouth twitched. He rolled his eyes. "Do I look that bloodthirsty to you?"
"Don't you?"
"I think someone's itching for a beating," Li Qingqiu muttered with a grin. "There's something good waiting tomorrow. You're the first person I thought of. Try not to cry when you see it."
"Heh. I never cry."
"Really? When we were kids, I smacked your backside, and you bawled louder than anyone. Yuchun and Dongyue still remember it."
"Senior Brother, that's too far!"
Seeing Jiang Zhaoxia's indignant glare, Li Qingqiu couldn't help but laugh. It had been a long time since they'd bantered like this—and he'd missed it.
When Jiang Zhaoxia pressed him about what the "good thing" was, Li Qingqiu refused to explain, only smiling mysteriously until Jiang Zhaoxia gave up asking.
…
At dawn the next day, Li Qingqiu stepped out of his room to find Jiang Zhaoxia already waiting.
"You're so slow," Jiang Zhaoxia complained. "With all your cultivation, and you still need this much sleep?"
Li Qingqiu walked over, smacked him lightly on the head, and said, "When you're around disciples, remember to call me Sect Master."
Jiang Zhaoxia made a face, and the nearby disciples couldn't help but notice—it seemed only their usually cold and stoic senior brother behaved this way in front of Li Qingqiu.
Together, the two of them left the sect grounds and descended the mountain.
An hour later, they passed through thick mist and arrived beneath the colossal tree. Jiang Zhaoxia stared up, speechless, his usual composure shattered.
"This…"
He was utterly stunned. He had never imagined that such a massive tree existed behind Qingxiao Sect's mountains—and the spiritual energy here was even denser than that of the Underground Spiritual Lake.
Li Qingqiu smiled. "I call this the Thousand Spirits Tree. From today on, this place will be known as the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land. It will be one of Qingxiao Sect's deepest secrets. Any disciple who wishes to cultivate here must first gain my permission. You'll train here until you reach the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm before leaving."
Jiang Zhaoxia took a deep breath and looked at him. "Why not let Xu Ning come first? Her talent surpasses mine."
Li Qingqiu gave Jiang Zhaoxia a sharp look and snorted. "What kind of talk is that? Are you saying that from now on, every time someone with better talent than you appears, they should always get priority over you? I rebuilt Qingxiao Sect for one main reason—so that the seven of us can climb higher together. No matter what happens, the greatest benefits of this sect will always belong first to the seven of us. Only after that come the other disciples."
Jiang Zhaoxia felt deeply moved, though he kept his expression stiff. "You're not acting much like a proper Sect Master."
"Stop talking nonsense and start cultivating," Li Qingqiu said curtly. "My disciple is still young and a girl besides. When it comes to fighting, we'll still be relying on you."
"Understood."
Jiang Zhaoxia took another glance at the Thousand Spirits Tree, then found a quiet spot beneath it to meditate.
Meanwhile, Li Qingqiu climbed up the tree itself, wanting to study it closely. There was still much about this mysterious tree he didn't understand.
It was autumn, yet the Thousand Spirits Tree showed no signs of decay. Even the surrounding forest remained green and full of life.
What intrigued Li Qingqiu most were the fruits.
There had to be at least a thousand of them, glowing red and ripe, with many more that had already fallen and begun to rot beneath the tree. He decided he would soon find an animal to test one of these Thousand Spirit Fruits on.
Jiang Zhaoxia was already close to reaching the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. After training here in the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land for just six days, without rest or sleep, he successfully broke through.
When Li Qingqiu next came to visit, Jiang Zhaoxia greeted him with that news. It made Li Qingqiu genuinely pleased.
But Jiang Zhaoxia wasn't finished. He raised his sword, pointing it at Li Qingqiu, his face lit with spirited confidence. "Senior Brother, it's been a long time since we last sparred. How about a match?"
In the past, Li Qingqiu might have avoided it. But now, his fingers were itching for a fight.
Clang—!
He drew the Tianhong Sword from his waist, the blade flashing in the light. With a grin, he said, "Junior Brother, don't cry when you lose."
"Senior Brother, I've never lost before!"
In an instant, Jiang Zhaoxia lunged forward like an arrow—and Li Qingqiu met him head-on.
Their swords clashed with a crisp metallic ring. Sparks flew, and as their gazes locked, excitement danced in both their eyes.
They struck and leapt apart, the force of their movements shaking the ground. As their duel intensified, autumn's sunlight dimmed, and suddenly, heavy snow began to fall—blanketing the Thousand Spirits Blessed Land in white.
Once again, they charged toward each other, blades flashing and bodies moving like lightning. Their sword techniques were elegant and fierce, each strike perfectly measured. It was nearly impossible to tell who held the advantage.
Since Jiang Zhaoxia's breakthrough to the fifth layer of Nurturing Essence, the two had often sparred here. Two months passed like that.
Under the great tree, Li Dongyue and Li Sijin sat cross-legged in meditation. Opening her eyes, Li Sijin looked toward the duel and shouted, "Third Senior Brother, go for it!"
Her cheer didn't help Jiang Zhaoxia—it only made him scowl.
No matter what sword techniques he used, Li Qingqiu always countered them effortlessly. Sometimes, he even mirrored Jiang Zhaoxia's own moves—executing them more flawlessly than he did himself.
It almost felt like fighting his own reflection.
He knew this wasn't some illusion. It was simply that Li Qingqiu's sword comprehension far surpassed his own.
A month ago, such one-sidedness might have crushed his confidence. But now, it only fired up his determination.
Defeating his Senior Brother had become his goal.
Li Dongyue glanced at Li Sijin and said, "Focus on your cultivation. Don't think that reaching the second layer means you can slack off."
She was right. Both had reached the second layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. They'd spent most of the last two months training here in the Blessed Land. Even Zhang Yuchun had been sent by Li Qingqiu to train near the Underground Spiritual Lake—and just yesterday, he too had broken through to the second layer.
As their cultivation deepened, Li Qingqiu naturally began delegating authority. The Seven Sons of Qingxiao and Qin Ye, under Yang Jueding's instruction, started taking leadership roles, helping Zhang Yuchun and the others manage the sect's affairs.
They didn't understand why Li Qingqiu was pushing them all to reach the second layer so quickly, but if their Sect Master said so, they obeyed without question.
At Li Dongyue's reminder, Li Sijin shut her eyes again and resumed her breathing technique. She and Li Dongyue were closest among the disciples—she always listened to her.
After another incense stick's worth of time, Li Qingqiu flicked his sword once, smoothly sliding the blade back into its sheath.
Jiang Zhaoxia, panting heavily, looked at his Senior Brother, who seemed as calm as ever, and said between breaths, "Senior Brother, after the New Year, I'm taking the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might down the mountain to train. We'll be back within three months."
Li Qingqiu understood the real reason behind the trip. Seeing the firm resolve in Jiang Zhaoxia's eyes, he simply nodded. "I have only one condition—none of those thirteen disciples may be lost."
Jiang Zhaoxia smiled. "Of course. They're my disciples. Even if I die, I won't let them die."
"Then forget it," Li Qingqiu said dryly. "I forbid you to die first. Keep yourself alive—that's an order."
He wasn't worried about Jiang Zhaoxia's safety. After all, this was the same man who had defeated Lu Fuhu when he was only at the third layer. Now that he'd reached the fifth layer, what could possibly threaten him?
It was worth noting that one of the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might had already reached the first layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm—thanks to Li Qingqiu's intervention.
That disciple was the leader of the group, Xue Jin.
Li Qingqiu had personally guided him, using the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra to make up for his earlier shortcomings.
But the truth was, he hadn't done it out of pity. Xue Jin simply had excellent spiritual aptitude. Li Qingqiu couldn't bear to see such talent wasted.
After exchanging a few more words, Jiang Zhaoxia went to meditate and recover his strength.
Li Qingqiu remained where he was, then lifted two fingers and whistled sharply.
A moment later, the trees to the east rustled violently. Two black figures burst out of the forest, circled once in the air, and swooped straight toward him.