Great Grandmaster Mid-stage

The Grandmaster of Shangqing Palace rose to prominence in a chaotic era, dominating all opposition. He fought fierce battles against powerful cultivators from the Outer Domain and emerged victorious, earning widespread renown. His unique Yuqing Sword Technique was unparalleled, hailed as the foremost sword art of the age.

After the great war in the Outer Domain concluded, the Founding Grandmaster returned to the Old Land, lived in seclusion in the mountains, and established Shangqing Palace. He took in disciples, lectured, and imparted his teachings.

However, due to continuous battles, he frequently entered seclusion, and the Yuqing Sword Technique was never passed down.

As his direct disciple, the Second Grandmaster was the only one in the entire Shangqing Palace at the time who knew the Yuqing Sword Technique.

The Founding Grandmaster eventually succumbed to his old injuries, which flared up, and his soul returned to the heavens. At that time, Shangqing Palace hoped the Second Grandmaster would inherit the position of Sect Master, revitalize the sect, and propagate the Yuqing Sword Technique.

But regretfully, the Second Grandmaster eventually left for distant lands, causing the Yuqing Sword Technique to be lost.

There are reasons why Shangqing Palace has not promoted the Second Grandmaster all these years.

"The past grievances and entanglements are too complicated to unravel. The Second Grandmaster was, after all, one of the founders of Shangqing Palace. Once I break through to the Ancestor Realm, I will inscribe his name on the Ancestor tablets," Li Qingshan said calmly, sighing as he chose to let go.

Li Jiusheng chuckled, "The Second Grandmaster left for distant lands over nine hundred years ago. As an expert in the Ancestor Realm, his lifespan is far from over. He might not even be dead yet, and you're already planning to inscribe his name on the Ancestor tablets?"

The Ancestor Realm allows one to live for a thousand years.

Theoretically, the Second Grandmaster still had some lifespan left.

Li Qingshan shook his head, "Let's not discuss this anymore. After this event, things should be quiet for a while. I will enter seclusion until I break through to the Ancestor Realm, and I will not come out before then."

Li Jiusheng replied, "Then I shall toast you with tea, and congratulate my junior brother in advance on breaking through to the Ancestor Realm."

Li Qingshan picked up his teacup, clinked it with Li Jiusheng's, then drank it down in one gulp and rose to leave.

Li Jiusheng watched Li Qingshan transform into a rainbow and disappear into the horizon. His gaze then drifted back to the tea room, where he saw the Little Fox jump onto the table and say in a childish voice, "It's time to practice boxing."

Li Jiusheng smiled slightly, rose, and took the Little Fox out to practice boxing.

After Li Qingshan killed six Venerable assassins from the Human World with a single sword strike, Shangqing Palace welcomed a long-lost peace.

For the remaining few days, Li Jiusheng expanded his Primordial spirit and Domain daily, monitoring everything within Shangqing Palace. He found no suspicious outsiders.

"It's understandable. Six Venerables from the Human World died here. They probably never expected it themselves. In any faction, Venerables are very important. Losing even one would cause a stir, let alone six at once. They probably don't know what to do right now," Li Jiusheng thought to himself.

With no assassins from the Human World appearing, Shangqing Palace sealed its gates and had no contact with the outside world.

Even its rival factions, who wished to cause trouble, had no reason to do so.

For a time, peace reigned.

Li Qingshan's days continued as usual. Every morning, he would wake up, practice boxing with the Little Fox, absorb some Spiritual Energy, and then begin his cultivation, comprehending the Dao, and practicing his techniques. In the evenings, he would meditate, absorb the vast Spiritual Energy into his physical body, and his Primordial spirit would visualize the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the Samsara Purgatory.

He could feel his own progress every day. Though minuscule, like water dripping through stone, day after day of accumulation would turn a stream into a river, and a lake would eventually flow into the sea.

One day, after finishing his cultivation, Li Jiusheng was idle and decided to inspect the Scripture Repository Pavilion. To his surprise, he discovered a biography left behind by the Second Grandmaster.

This biography was tucked away in a dusty corner on the third floor of the Scripture Repository Pavilion, completely ignored, even used as a shim for a bookshelf.

It was evident that the previous caretaker of the Scripture Repository Pavilion was not very fond of the Second Grandmaster.

Li Jiusheng didn't think much of it; it was nearly a thousand years ago, what did it have to do with him?

However, upon seeing this biography, Li Jiusheng suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. He decided to try and see if he could glean anything from it. He pulled out the book used as a shim, dusted it off, and began to read it carefully.

This was a biography written casually by the Second Grandmaster in his youth.

It recorded his thoughts and feelings during different periods of his life, essentially a diary.

The beginning described the Founding Grandmaster establishing Shangqing Palace, and the Second Grandmaster wrote in the biography that he disagreed.

The Founding Grandmaster had just emerged from a great battle and was severely injured. He should have been in seclusion recuperating, perhaps even searching for rare treasures, rather than recruiting disciples, founding a sect, and expending his mental energy.

The Second Grandmaster wrote in the biography that he had repeatedly advised his master to prioritize his health, but his master would only smile each time.

At the end of the biography, the Second Grandmaster wrote that he disliked the disciples of Shangqing Palace, feeling they disturbed the tranquility between him and his master.

After reading the biography, Li Jiusheng shook his head. When this was written, the Second Grandmaster was only sixteen years old. His temperament was not yet settled, his restless mind had not been subdued, and his thoughts were still simple. He did not understand the Founding Grandmaster's desire to spread his lifetime of knowledge.

Subsequently, the Second Grandmaster wrote various other biographies, recording his moods during different periods: moments of dejection, joy, excitement, and sadness...

From these biographies, Li Jiusheng felt as if he were seeing a living person, not just a symbol.

In the biographies, the Second Grandmaster's personality was revealed in its entirety: he was not good at conversation, often kept his thoughts to himself, possessed extraordinary talent, was meticulous, enjoyed solitude, and pondered various issues. If he didn't understand something, he would ask his master.

If his master was not present, he would not ask anyone else and would ponder it himself with great effort.

As he read, Li Jiusheng suddenly flipped to the day the Founding Grandmaster's soul returned to heaven.

The Second Grandmaster wrote mournfully in his biography: "Alas, my master's old injuries flared up yesterday, his demonic seed manifested, and he ascended to immortality. He was the person who loved me most in this world. My grief is profound. I must avenge him."

The Second Grandmaster wrote in detail in his biography that the Founding Grandmaster had been engaged in a remote battle with a mysterious expert daily for the past few years. This had severely depleted his vital energy and spirit. His body, already riddled with old injuries, could no longer withstand it and erupted all at once, taking away any hope of the Founding Grandmaster's survival.

The Second Grandmaster swore in anger that he would avenge his master. However, he knew that his strength at the peak of the Great Venerable realm was insufficient to contend with that mysterious expert. Therefore, he refused the position of Sect Master of Shangqing Palace and entered a deadly seclusion to break through to the Ancestor Realm.

Ultimately, he succeeded.

After breaking through to the Ancestor Realm, the Second Grandmaster did not hesitate. He immediately traveled to the Outer Domain to seek out that mysterious expert for revenge.

This biography ended here.

After finishing the entire biography, Li Jiusheng fell into deep thought.

"So that's how it was. The Founding Grandmaster's strength was top-tier at the time, both in the Old Land and the Outer Domain. Even with his injuries, he could have lived for another century, yet he ascended in just a few years. There was such a hidden reason behind it," Li Jiusheng murmured.

A mysterious powerful expert fought the Founding Grandmaster every night for those few years, consuming a large amount of his vital energy, spirit, and mind, ultimately dragging him down. Only the Second Grandmaster knew about this. Being a man who was not good at communicating and kept everything to himself, he didn't tell any disciples of Shangqing Palace at the time. After breaking through to the Ancestor Realm, he left directly, not even passing down the Founding Grandmaster's ultimate skill, the Yuqing Sword Technique.

This also led to a series of events in Shangqing Palace later on.

Li Jiusheng couldn't help but think that if Li Tianxian had the Shangqing Sword Technique back then, the outcome might have been different: "Everything has its price; it's all a matter of time and fate."

But how strong was the Yuqing Sword Technique?

Li Jiusheng was particularly curious. It was the Founding Grandmaster's life's work, rumored to be the number one sword technique in the Old Land.

The Ancestor Realm was a realm, and there were strong and weak within it. The Founding Grandmaster of Shangqing Palace was definitely the strongest in this realm. No one would refuse his sword techniques.

Unfortunately, after flipping through the entire biography, Li Jiusheng still couldn't comprehend the Yuqing Sword Technique.

This was because the Second Grandmaster only recorded his mental state changes throughout the entire biography, without writing about the mysteries of the Yuqing Sword Technique. Although Li Jiusheng's comprehension was heaven-defying, any cultivation technique requires an opportunity. Without an opportunity, even with his comprehension, he couldn't fabricate it out of thin air.

"Perhaps when I break through to Venerable in the future, I can go to the Outer Domain to take a look," Li Jiusheng murmured to himself.

No one could clearly explain the vastness of this world. Even the Old Land was rarely fully traversed by many, let alone the Outer Domain.

Li Jiusheng spent his entire life wandering around the vicinity of Shangqing Palace, with very little experience. His understanding of the outside world came entirely from books.

He felt that in the future, he must find an opportunity to travel ten thousand miles, practice a million punches, and comprehend the Dao of the world.

The days passed slowly, and unknowingly, three months quietly slipped by.

The wind turned cold, ushering in winter.

Huge snowflakes fell, and the cold wind howled, dyeing the earth white.

Outside the Scripture Repository Pavilion, Li Jiusheng used his finger as a sword, constantly practicing the sword techniques he had learned.

The heavy snow poured down. Li Jiusheng walked on the snow without leaving a trace. His sword techniques were extremely simple, even described as plain and unadorned, without any flashy moves. All they contained were killing moves designed to take a life.

The Great Dao is simple!

Li Jiusheng had also comprehended his sword techniques, simplifying the complex into the simple. The ultimate goal was only one: to unleash a sword strike and kill the opponent.

He had already passed the initial realms of "Intent" and "Essence," entering the level of "Dao."

In every move and stance, the focus was on the Dao contained within.

He had not slacked off these past few months, diligently cultivating. He had long since stabilized his early Great Grandmaster realm, mastering various techniques with ease, only a sliver away from reaching the perfection level.

As Shangqing Palace encountered trouble, Li Jiusheng's heart grew more urgent.

Although his cultivation progress was rapid, it was far from enough for Li Jiusheng.

While Great Grandmaster was considered strong by outsiders, it was not enough in Li Jiusheng's eyes.

He wanted to be stronger.

He wanted to break through to Venerable, and even Ancestor.

After months of arduous cultivation, Li Jiusheng felt a hint of an opportunity for breakthrough today as he was contemplating.

The accumulation of this period was waiting for this very moment.

Practicing swordplay in the snow, Li Jiusheng, clad in a black Daoist robe, immersed his mind in a wondrous state. It was as if he wasn't in the midst of falling snow, but in a warm spring, with palpable Dao Rhymes flowing around him and entering his body.

At this moment, Li Jiusheng's control over his own body reached an unprecedented level.

Every bone, every meridian, every drop of blood, every cell was under Li Jiusheng's control.

With a single thought, his body moved, and the surrounding Dao Rhymes, within his reach, were stirred by him, flowing continuously.

From under the eaves of the Scripture Repository Pavilion, the grown Little Fox watched in shock.

In her eyes, Li Jiusheng had merged with the heavens and the earth. The mountains were him, the plants were him, and the wind and snow were also him.

"So amazing!" the Little Fox watched with adoration.

"The Dao is profound and ineffable; cultivation is a continuous process of comprehending the Dao," Li Jiusheng's thoughts merged with his Primordial spirit as he murmured.

He performed various techniques, practicing swordplay for a while, then boxing for a while. Suddenly, his body trembled, and golden light filled the air, revealing a hundred-zhang-tall Golden Body amidst the snow. Then, a vast sea appeared, with koi leaping and red spider lilies blooming...

As Li Jiusheng performed various techniques, the heavy snow enveloped him layer by layer. Every snowflake and every gust of cold wind intertwined with his body, transformed by him into part of his moves.

This process seemed long, but in reality, it was only a moment.

Gradually, Li Jiusheng stood still in the heavy snow. The falling snow swirled around him. An invisible force, centered on Li Jiusheng, spread out in all directions, instantly reaching a radius of four hundred li, enveloping the entire Shangqing Palace.

Mid Great Grandmaster!

BOOM!

With a loud noise, the accumulated snow around shattered, blasting open a path that extended to the eaves of the Scripture Repository Pavilion. The wind and snow poured in, hitting the Little Fox and leaving her in a disheveled state.

The Little Fox yelped in fright and angrily shouted, "You're bullying me again!"

"Haha, it would be a waste to not have a snowball fight during the season when the mountains are covered in snow," Li Jiusheng laughed.

"Hmph!" The Little Fox turned her head, ignoring Li Jiusheng. Then, while Li Jiusheng wasn't paying attention, she quickly transformed into her nine-tailed form and swept her tails across the snow, sending a flurry of snow and wind towards Li Jiusheng.

Pfft!

Li Jiusheng didn't block it with Dao Rhyme and was hit squarely.

The Little Fox giggled and said playfully, "So? Are we still having a snowball fight?"

Li Jiusheng shook the snow off his body and said helplessly, "No more. You win. You have nine tails, and I only have two hands. How can I fight that?"

The Little Fox said innocently, "It's a waste not to have a snowball fight when the heavy snow seals the mountain."

She repeated Li Jiusheng's words back to him verbatim.

"Little one, you sure hold a grudge." Li Jiusheng reached out with his large hand, grabbed the Little Fox from a distance, pulled her into his arms, and ruffled her fur a few times.

The Little Fox struggled with all her might, but it was no use. In the end, she could only give up and let Li Jiusheng manhandle her, whining, "Did you break through again?"

Li Jiusheng nodded and said, "I just broke through to the middle stage of the Great Grandmaster realm."

"Are you even human? Why are you breaking through so fast?" The Little Fox looked at Li Jiusheng suspiciously. "My inherited memories tell me that humans progress extremely slowly when they first start cultivating, far slower than the Demon Race. Why aren't you like that?"

"Am I not?" Li Jiusheng carried the Little Fox into the tea room.

"You're not. Your breakthroughs are so fast, faster than mine." The Little Fox nodded. She had been cultivating with Li Jiusheng, and her realm had improved very quickly. She had already entered the Innate Realm, but she could clearly feel that Li Jiusheng's breakthroughs were even faster than hers.

"That's because you're still young. When you grow up, I won't be able to compare to you," Li Jiusheng explained, stroking the Little Fox's head.

"Really?" The Little Fox was skeptical, thinking Li Jiusheng was tricking her.

"Of course, it's true. When have I ever lied to you?" Li Jiusheng blinked his eyes sincerely. He wasn't lying, of course. No human cultivator could compare to a Nine-tailed Demonic Fox.

However, he was an exception.