"Uncle, I don't need a manual. If this manual is as powerful as you say, it might actually bring disaster upon me. If you truly feel obliged, why not give me this small dagger instead?"
Li Qingqiu shifted his gaze to the manual in Jiang Kuotian's hand, speaking seriously. As he did so, he pointed to the small dagger imbued with spiritual energy.
Hearing this, Jiang Kuotian frowned. It wasn't that he cared about the dagger; he was pondering Li Qingqiu's words.
He had thought simply warning Li Qingqiu to keep it secret would be enough. But any martial art, once practiced, could be exposed. How could one hide it forever?
A flicker of shame passed through him. This young man's thinking was more thorough than his own.
No wonder that fellow Lin Xunfeng always felt comfortable leaving the mountain alone. With this child guarding the sect, he could indeed rest easy.
Having weighed the matter, Jiang Kuotian picked up the dagger and handed it to Li Qingqiu. "Alright. We're men of the martial world, so I won't be sentimental. If you ever run into trouble, come find me at White Emperor Hall. Even if it means wading through fire or being ground to bones, your uncle will come to help!"
Li Qingqiu accepted the dagger, his face brightening with delight. "Thank you, Uncle!"
His expression of genuine gratitude pleased Jiang Kuotian immensely.
Li Qingqiu tucked the dagger into his robe, then called the other disciples out to meet Jiang Kuotian. With more people, the courtyard grew lively.
The disciples were initially shy around the imposing Jiang Kuotian, but as he began regaling them with tales of the martial world, their attention shifted. Soon, they were all chatting animatedly, peppering him with questions.
Half an hour later.
The rain stopped.
Jiang Zhaoxia finally emerged from the forest. Ever since he'd begun cultivating immortality, he preferred training alone. Li Qingqiu could see his cultivation level and loyalty, so he let him practice in secret.
Geniuses always had their secrets.
The moment Jiang Kuotian saw Jiang Zhaoxia, he was astounded. He circled him, examining him from all angles, declaring him a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy and strongly urging him to join White Emperor Hall.
Unfortunately, Jiang Zhaoxia remained unmoved. His words even carried a hint of skepticism toward White Emperor Hall, which irritated Jiang Kuotian considerably.
Li Qingqiu noticed that Jiang Zhaoxia clearly held Jiang Kuotian in no particular regard, showing no fear of conflict.
The confidence that came with immortality cultivation was just that strong. Although Jiang Zhaoxia was still at the first layer of the Nourishing Origin stage, his spiritual energy was undoubtedly the most powerful in the Azure Firmament Sect. Li Qingqiu could sense it.
He was actually quite curious himself: just how wide was the gap between the first layer of the Nourishing Origin stage and a martial world master?
A night passed.
Jiang Kuotian slept until noon, ate his fill, and then bid farewell to Li Qingqiu and the others.
Before leaving, he still left behind a manual, pressing it into Wu Man'er's hands.
"If you ever want to come down the mountain, remember to visit me at White Emperor Hall—before I'm too old!"
Jiang Kuotian laughed heartily as he departed, waving to Li Qingqiu and the others without looking back, the picture of carefree grace.
Li Qingqiu watched him go, only turning away once he'd disappeared into the forest. His junior brothers and sisters chattered excitedly about Jiang Kuotian and White Emperor Hall.
Li Qingqiu turned back toward the courtyard. Jiang Zhaoxia fell into step beside him. Once they'd put some distance between themselves and the others, Jiang Zhaoxia leaned close and asked, "Senior Brother, did Jiang Kuotian give you a treasure imbued with spiritual energy?"
Jiang Zhaoxia could sense a faint spiritual energy emanating from something in Li Qingqiu's robe. Though weak, such objects were rare.
Li Qingqiu glanced at him. "Mm. Once I've studied it thoroughly, I'll find one for you too. You have to understand, your senior brother's cultivation speed isn't as fast as yours. I need to keep some advantages. If you're not around someday, I'll need a way to protect myself, won't I?"
This explanation made Jiang Zhaoxia's heart soar. The corners of his mouth curled up despite himself. He snorted, "How could I not be around? Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one threatens the Azure Firmament Sect."
By nature arrogant, his pride had only grown since cultivating the Chaos Genesis Scripture and stepping onto the path of immortality. He genuinely believed in his own strength.
The two senior brothers continued chatting as they walked toward the courtyard.
Once inside, Li Qingqiu went to his room alone while Jiang Zhaoxia, as usual, retreated to the back mountain forest to cultivate.
Closing his door, Li Qingqiu sat on his bed and took out the small dagger, beginning to examine it carefully.
A weapon imbued with spiritual energy—could it be a magic treasure?
The Supreme Purity Chaos Genesis Scripture wasn't just a simple qi absorption art; it also covered the fundamentals of alchemy, artifact crafting, formations, talismans, and more. He began trying the methods recorded in the scripture.
The simplest approach was to inject spiritual energy into the treasure and see if it contained an ownership restriction.
The moment he did, his entire body jolted. His right hand went limp, and the dagger clattered to the floor.
A restriction!
Li Qingqiu looked down at his trembling right hand. It felt numb, as if he'd received an electric shock.
This really was a magic treasure!
"My cultivation is still too low. I'll try again once I break through to the second layer of the Nourishing Origin stage."
Li Qingqiu thought ruefully. This single attempt had cost him most of his spiritual energy. He couldn't afford many tries like this.
He stood, carefully picked up the dagger, and pondered where to hide it.
After some rummaging, he buried it in the dirt beneath his bed, barely managing to conceal its spiritual aura.
Satisfied, Li Qingqiu left his room. His next priority would be focusing on Wu Man'er, helping him reach the first layer of the Nourishing Origin stage before activating the Fortune Opportunity.
He also secretly hoped: would getting all disciples into the immortal cultivation realm trigger another Daoist Legacy reward?
...
Jiang Kuotian's visit was just a minor episode for the Azure Firmament Sect. Li Qingqiu arranged for the disciples to take turns teaching their fifth junior brother, Wu Man'er.
Though Wu Man'er was intellectually slow, through repeated guidance, they eventually built up his muscle memory. He grew accustomed to the qi absorption method and finally, just before the harsh winter arrived, stepped into the first layer of the Nourishing Origin stage.
[For having all disciples under your Daoist Legacy enter the first layer of the Nourishing Origin stage for the first time—a milestone for the Azure Firmament Sect—you have received one Inheritance Reward opportunity.]
A line of text flashed before Li Qingqiu's eyes as he sat cross-legged on the mountaintop, breathing in spiritual energy. Even with his eyes closed, he could see it.
Delight surged through him. There really was an inheritance reward!
He scooted back about ten feet, making certain he wouldn't tumble off the cliff, and immediately activated the reward.
[Claim Inheritance Reward.]
[Initiating Daoist Legacy Inheritance.]
[You have obtained a spell: Gale Skill.]
[Accept Inheritance?]
Inherit!
Instantly, a flood of memories poured into Li Qingqiu's mind, and his eyes closed.
The wind was biting cold. Mist shrouded the mountains. Snowflakes began drifting from the sky, settling on Li Qingqiu's form. He remained completely unaffected, utterly still.
An incense stick's time later, Li Qingqiu opened his eyes, joy gleaming within them.
Gale Skill was indeed worthy of being called a spell. It wrapped the user in wind, enabling low-altitude gliding and enhancing the body's reaction speed. Such a spell would be incredibly convenient in the mountain forests.
His first thought was that once he mastered it, going down the mountain would become much easier.
He stood, eager to begin practicing Gale Skill immediately.
But not on the mountaintop. What if he fell to his death?
A future titan of the immortal world couldn't die like that!
The sun set, the moon rose, and the snow fell heavier.
That evening, the Azure Firmament Sect celebrated Wu Man'er's successful cultivation of spiritual energy. Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue killed a chicken for the feast and even brought out a jar of vintage wine their master had hidden for twenty years.
Though Wu Man'er was only thirteen, he was already broad-shouldered and thick-waisted. Sitting between Li Sifeng and Li Sijin, he looked almost like an adult, his shoulders nearly as wide as the two younger ones combined.
Jiang Zhaoxia sat beside Li Qingqiu, gazing smugly at Wu Man'er. "Fifth junior brother might be a bit slow, but his martial arts talent is definitely the strongest among us. Give me ten years—no, five—and I'll make him a first-rate martial artist."
Li Qingqiu poured wine as he chuckled. "That's easy to say. What about you? Do you count yourself as a first-rate expert yet?"
His words only made Jiang Zhaoxia puff up with even more pride.
"Actually, I might genuinely be a first-rate expert now. And I have to say, Senior Brother, this internal energy technique of yours is incredibly powerful. In the martial world, it would definitely be considered a divine art!"
As Jiang Zhaoxia finished speaking, he actually praised Li Qingqiu—a rare occurrence.
Li Qingqiu laughed inwardly.
Brother, this isn't a martial arts divine art. This is a goddamn immortality cultivation technique!
He didn't plan to reveal that yet. So far, all his junior siblings still believed the energy they cultivated was just internal energy.
Everyone was in high spirits, looking forward to the future.
Emboldened by the wine, Zhang Yuchun turned to Li Qingqiu. "Senior Brother, I think we should start recruiting disciples early. Our junior brothers and sisters all need to focus on training. I can't handle all the sect chores by myself anymore—I'm just not able."
He wanted to become an expert too!
He understood clearly that in the future Azure Firmament Sect, seniority alone wouldn't command respect. A strong fist was the real foundation.
Li Qingqiu was quite satisfied with Zhang Yuchun's performance during this period. He also felt his second junior brother was overworked.
"Then let's recruit seven for now. You handle it. Go to the village at the foot of the mountain. No gender restrictions. Room and board included, no tuition. Consider it repayment for their kindness. If after ten years of training a disciple wants to return home, we won't stop them."
Li Qingqiu nodded. Zhang Yuchun was delighted at first, but upon hearing the last part, his brow furrowed.
"Senior Brother, if we let them go down the mountain, won't all the effort we put into training them be wasted?" Zhang Yuchun protested.
Li Qingqiu waved dismissively. "You can't look at it that way. They'll have worked for us for ten years too. And if the Azure Firmament Sect can't retain people, it means we haven't done well enough."
After a moment's thought, Zhang Yuchun found the logic sound. Admiration for Li Qingqiu welled up within him.
His senior brother's vision was broad. No wonder their master had chosen him as Sect Master. In contrast, he himself was too focused on immediate gains.
Zhang Yuchun continued discussing the sect's development with Li Qingqiu while the other disciples chatted about cultivation and martial world tales. Their laughter and conversation filled the courtyard with warmth. Not even the winter snow could quench the vibrant energy there.
When the feast finally ended, Li Qingqiu had his junior siblings clear the table while he returned alone to his room.
Jiang Zhaoxia also never did chores, but aside from Li Qingqiu, no one dared criticize him.
Li Qingqiu placed a brazier full of charcoal beside his bed before climbing onto it. He summoned the Daoist Legacy panel and activated the Fortune Opportunity.
[Claim Fortune Reward.]
[Initiating Fortune Opportunity.]
[Beginning Fortune scan.]
[Fortune located. An underground spirit lake has been discovered. Accept Fortune guidance?]
An underground spirit lake?
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling he'd struck gold.
This could very well be the foundation for the Azure Firmament Sect's rise!