Li Yang's injury and temporary stay at Azure Firmament Sect did not affect Li Qingqiu's daily life. Everything continued as usual.
He did not go to visit Li Yang, but he did encounter Zhao Linglong when he went down the mountain. Upon learning that he was the Sect Master, she first apologized to him, then expressed her gratitude. This left Li Qingqiu with a favorable impression of her.
Although Li Dongyue had treated Li Yang with the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle, his injuries were severe. It would be at least ten days to half a month before he could even get out of bed.
The Azure Firmament Sect disciples were all very interested in this Martial Arts Champion. They often went to his window to sneak a peek at him. Only Jiang Zhaoxia remained disdainful.
To be severely injured by Wu Man'er with a single move—in Jiang Zhaoxia's view, this Martial Arts Champion must have gotten his title through connections. He naturally had no interest.
Half a month later, on the very day Li Yang could finally get out of bed, Zhang Yuchun and the other three finally returned. They brought back thirteen people, both male and female. The youngest was twelve, and the oldest had already turned twenty.
These were the new disciples they had recruited. Their return brought a wave of liveliness to Azure Firmament Sect.
In the courtyard, Zhang Yuchun had the thirteen new disciples kneel together before Li Qingqiu.
These disciples were all very excited; there were no troublemakers among them. They had already been won over by Li Sifeng. If someone as young as Li Sifeng was this formidable, then the Sect Master must be even more powerful.
Li Qingqiu said a few words of welcome, then had Yang Jueding arrange lodging for these disciples. He himself went into a room with Zhang Yuchun and Li Sifeng for a talk.
"Wait, I'll go get Third Senior Brother first."
After saying this, Li Sifeng rushed out of the room in a hurry.
Li Qingqiu looked at Zhang Yuchun and said, "It seems this journey did nothing to temper his character."
Zhang Yuchun said helplessly, "He's just a little tyrant. Add to that his high martial arts skills, who could possibly temper his character?"
Li Sifeng feared Li Qingqiu and Jiang Zhaoxia, but he wasn't afraid of his Second Senior Brother. On this journey, he had angered Zhang Yuchun several times. Each time, Li Sifeng would just come and coax him afterward, leaving Zhang Yuchun with anger he couldn't vent.
Li Qingqiu smiled, then inquired about the origins of these disciples. He had already swept his gaze over them earlier. Their natural aptitudes and comprehensions were not outstanding, and they possessed no special Destinies. He wasn't disappointed, though. Azure Firmament Sect needed laborers, and his desire for geniuses wasn't particularly strong.
With Jiang Zhaoxia and Wu Man'er, Azure Firmament Sect's reputation was already established. Xu Ning and Yuan Li represented the sect's future.
Especially Yuan Li—Li Qingqiu was very interested in his Indestructible Body.
These disciples were not orphans. Zhang Yuchun had recruited them from a county town, largely thanks to Li Sifeng's exploits in punishing villains and demonstrating Azure Firmament Sect's martial arts.
They chatted for a while, then Li Sifeng returned, dragging Jiang Zhaoxia into the room. He closed the door, an excited smile on his face.
"What's the matter that you absolutely had to drag your Third Senior Brother in for?" Li Qingqiu looked at Li Sifeng with a smile.
This kid had grown fast; his head was already past Jiang Zhaoxia's shoulder.
Jiang Zhaoxia looked impatient. He sat down beside Li Qingqiu and glared at Li Sifeng. "If you don't have something important to say, I'm definitely going to teach you a lesson."
He was currently cultivating with all his might, determined to step into the fourth layer of the Nourishing Origin stage before Xu Ning did.
Li Sifeng stood before his three senior brothers, hands clenched into fists, barely able to contain his excitement. "The Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin! They're competing for the title of number one in Guzhou's martial world. This is a golden opportunity for Azure Firmament Sect to make a name for itself!"
Li Qingqiu glanced at Zhang Yuchun, who responded with a slight nod.
"Guzhou is vast, with countless experts. This tournament happens only once every ten years. Third Senior Brother, don't you want to know exactly what level you're at among all the martial artists in the world? You have to participate! Let's go together, all us brothers, and show the Guzhou martial world that the times are changing!"
Li Sifeng's words were passionate and stirring, and they indeed moved Jiang Zhaoxia.
Jiang Zhaoxia was naturally competitive by nature. The Martial Arts Tournament held an irresistible allure for him.
He didn't agree immediately but looked towards Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu was also contemplating the matter.
Truth be told, he didn't want Azure Firmament Sect to become too famous. Yet he also felt that being too low-key wasn't good either, because his own growth rate was affected by the sect's development.
The faster Azure Firmament Sect developed, the greater his chances of obtaining opportunities to copy Destinies.
Of course, once they got drawn into the conflicts of the martial world, their peaceful days would become fewer and fewer.
"Senior Brother, it's a once-in-a-decade opportunity. If we want fame later, we'd have to wait another ten years. How many decades does a person have?" Zhang Yuchun said softly.
Ten years—for him, it was far too long.
Li Qingqiu suddenly realized something. He was cultivating immortality, but his junior brothers were thinking about practicing martial arts.
He pursued eternal life, backed by the confidence of his Daoist Legacy. But his junior brothers couldn't do the same.
If the sect couldn't develop enough before their lifespans ran out, achieving immortality would be very difficult for them.
The stronger Azure Firmament Sect became, the more inheritance rewards and Fortune Opportunities he would obtain. Perhaps these could compensate for his junior brothers' and sisters' shortcomings in aptitude.
Having worked through his thoughts, Li Qingqiu said, "You may participate. But try to avoid getting entangled in the conflicts between other sects. Azure Firmament Sect seeks only reputation. When recruiting disciples, be sure to clearly inquire about their backgrounds."
Hearing Li Qingqiu agree, Li Sifeng jumped up excitedly, pounced on Li Qingqiu, and hugged him, immediately starting to boast that he wouldn't even need Third Senior Brother to make a move—he alone could send those martial arts experts running with their tails between their legs.
Although Jiang Zhaoxia didn't say anything, the smile on his face showed that he was already looking forward to the start of the Martial Arts Tournament.
Li Qingqiu looked at him, sighing inwardly.
*Third Junior Brother, when it comes to cultivation, what matters most is one's state of mind. Those who can endure solitude are the ones who can go the farthest.*
*Xu Ning's character, though competitive, doesn't need to prove herself immediately. She will definitely surpass Jiang Zhaoxia in the future.*
That evening, Zhang Yuchun announced the matter during dinner.
With more disciples now, naturally not everyone could gather here. Those eating in this courtyard were the ones with a certain seniority.
Upon hearing that Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng would represent Azure Firmament Sect at the Martial Arts Tournament, the disciples grew very excited and began discussing it animatedly.
Yang Jueding, chewing on a wooden toothpick, remarked emotionally, "The Martial Arts Tournament... it's certainly something to look forward to. Ten years ago, my martial arts weren't this advanced; I was just a minor player. But that scene was truly stirring and unforgettable. Hah, just thinking about it, I'm getting tempted myself."
Li Sijin looked at him curiously and asked, "Did you earn your spot in the top ten of the Heavenly Roll through the Martial Arts Tournament?"
The others also looked at Yang Jueding, all filled with curiosity about the tournament.
Yang Jueding cleared his throat with a fake cough. "Of course not. The Martial Arts Tournament competes for first place, there's no such thing as a top ten. The Heavenly Roll is determined by the prefecture. Besides high martial arts skill, one must also have a reputation for chivalry and righteousness."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt disappointed.
Qin Ye, sitting in the corner, couldn't help but ask, "Did Senior Wu ever participate in the Martial Arts Tournament before?"
Yang Jueding looked at him and nodded. "He did, though not in Guzhou's tournament. He was once the number one martial artist in Beiliang Prefecture. Back then, the four Dharma Protectors of the Demonic Sect were each overwhelmingly powerful, unbelievably arrogant. Even though Guzhou never suffered persecution from the Demonic Sect, we in the martial world constantly heard tales of their exploits. Those four Dharma Protectors seized the number one martial arts position in four different prefectures, and the Demonic Sect's fame spread across the land overnight. No sect had ever reached such a peak of power."
"A hundred years ago, the nine prefectures were nine separate dynasties. It was only the previous dynasty that unified the nine prefectures and fourteen territories. So, it's no exaggeration to say that in the past, being the number one martial artist in a prefecture meant being the number one in the world."
He began to recount the past of the Demonic Sect. The disciples listened intently, even forgetting to eat.
Although Li Qingqiu never put down his chopsticks, his attention was also drawn by Yang Jueding's words.
The martial world—swift vengeance, heroes appearing on stage one after another—it was all so enchanting.
Li Qingqiu, however, felt no longing. Because whether righteous or evil, none could escape the word 'death.'
He wasn't striving to be number one in the world; he was striving for immortality.
Unless a dangerous situation like the Seven Peaks Alliance arose again, Li Qingqiu would not easily go down the mountain.
As Sect Master, he didn't need to handle everything personally. He only needed to sit in command at the mountain gate and control the grand direction of Azure Firmament Sect.
Listening to Yang Jueding's tales of the martial world, Li Qingqiu's thoughts drifted, contemplating the future of Azure Firmament Sect.
...
Five days later, Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng packed their things and headed down the mountain. A crowd of disciples surrounded them, cheering them on.
As they passed the new courtyard, they happened to run into Li Yang and Zhao Linglong. Hearing the Azure Firmament Sect disciples mention the Martial Arts Tournament, the two exchanged a glance.
"Wait, you're going to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament?" Li Yang couldn't help but ask.
Li Sifeng stopped and turned his head to look at this Martial Arts Champion. "Is there a problem?"
"Take me along. I'm quite interested too." Li Yang smiled, flexing his wrist. Although not fully recovered, he felt that traveling wouldn't be too difficult.
Li Sifeng hesitated, but Jiang Zhaoxia didn't slow his steps at all. He didn't even glance at Li Yang.
Seeing Third Senior Brother walking further and further away, Li Sifeng had no choice but to hurry after him.
"Cousin, leave some money and come quickly!" Li Yang turned his head and called to Zhao Linglong. The look in his eyes had returned to what it was when he first arrived at Azure Firmament Sect.
Zhao Linglong had no choice but to comply.
Half an hour later.
Inside a forest, Li Qingqiu was practicing the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle. Holding four silver needles, he flicked his wrist forward. The needles shot out at tremendous speed, constantly changing their trajectories along the way, like four curving streaks of light. They weaved around tree after tree before finally embedding themselves in a large tree a hundred yards away.
Looking closely, all four needles had struck a single moth, which was still twitching.
Li Qingqiu then withdrew his hand. The four needles detached from the moth and flew back in reverse, eventually landing in his palm.
He smiled with satisfaction. His Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle technique was growing increasingly powerful, and he had already memorized the human body's acupoints. In battle, the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle could achieve a lethal, one-hit-kill effect.
Just then, Li Dongyue walked into the forest, making her way to his side. "Senior Brother, Li Yang and the others have left. They also left three gold ingots, saying a bet's a bet, and we should use it to repair the mountain gate."
Li Qingqiu chuckled. "Since they offered willingly, we'll accept. Junior Sister, shall we spar a bit with the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle?"
Hearing this, Li Dongyue quickly waved her hands. "How could I possibly be a match for Senior Brother?"
"It's fine, your senior brother doesn't mind."
"Forget it, I'm afraid of being discouraged."
"No can do. This is your senior brother's order. You must do it!"
Li Dongyue refused to listen and turned to leave. Li Qingqiu had no choice but to switch from a stern attitude to a coaxing one. After much cajoling and pleading, he finally got her to agree.