Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle

The first time the sect's development triggered a reward?

Li Qingqiu stared at the prompt before him, lost in thought. He felt he could explore this idea further and use it to advance Qingxiao Sect's development.

He turned and headed back into the sect, eager to see what inheritance reward he would receive.

Meanwhile, Qin Jue, who had entered the woods, turned to Yang Jueding and remarked, "Your sect leader may be young, but he's a deep thinker. That boy called Li Sifeng struck with vicious intent. He must have arranged it."

Yang Jueding smiled. "I wouldn't know about that. You weren't hurt, were you? Honestly, this was the quickest way to let you experience Qingxiao Sect's strength firsthand."

Qin Jue nodded. He had grand ambitions and wouldn't hold Li Qingqiu's methods against him. On the contrary, before coming, he had worried Qingxiao Sect wouldn't last and that the Qin family's investment would go to waste.

That was precisely why his father hadn't come in person.

Qingxiao Sect held considerable prestige in the martial world. The previous two sect leaders had both been renowned experts, and after Lin Xunfeng announced his retirement, Qingxiao Sect was bound to attract covetous attention from many sects.

Now, Qin Jue had no worries at all. He was even beginning to look forward to the thrilling stories Qingxiao Sect would leave behind in the martial world.

"Master Qin, let me tell you: the most powerful person in Qingxiao Sect isn't here today. That kid is even more terrifying. To be honest, I'm afraid of offending him. I recommended your Qin family because of my friendship with your father. With these young talents' abilities, once their reputation spreads, plenty of Aristocratic Clans and powerful officials will come courting them. By then, your Qin family won't even be able to get in line."

Yang Jueding spoke earnestly. He truly wasn't taking sides; in his eyes, this was a win-win arrangement.

Qin Jue nodded. He understood the reasoning. After thinking it over, he said, "Besides what we discussed earlier, I'm prepared to privately provide some additional money and supplies. I'd like my son to become that man's personal disciple."

Yang Jueding grinned. "You're making sure you have a fallback, huh?"

"With so many brothers, trouble is inevitable," Qin Jue replied calmly.

Hearing this, Yang Jueding seemed to recall some past events and fell silent.

Soon, the two of them disappeared into the depths of the woods.

After seeing Qin Jue and his companion off, Li Qingqiu hurried back to the courtyard and went straight into his room, closing the door behind him.

The other disciples had already gone off to attend to their own tasks and didn't notice anything unusual.

Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged on his bed and immediately activated the inheritance reward.

[Claim Inheritance Reward]

[Unlock Daoist Lineage Inheritance]

[You have obtained the secret art—Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle]

[Accept inheritance?]

A secret art?

Curiosity flashed in Li Qingqiu's eyes, and he accepted the inheritance at once.

A flood of memories rushed into his mind. The long-missed sensation was almost intoxicating. He closed his eyes and sank into it.

When he awoke and opened his eyes, dusk had already fallen outside the window.

Recalling the intricacies of the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle, he couldn't help smiling with delight.

The Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle could stop bleeding, drive out poison, and stimulate the internal organs. It had a wide range of uses in medicine and could be called an all-around art. What's more, it could also kill enemies. Its needles flew as fast as lightning, their movements as hard to predict as those of a ghost immortal.

The art relied on Origin Energy. The amount consumed in treatment depended on the specific situation, but using it against enemies required very little.

It was far more useful than the Supreme Sword Control Technique.

His current Origin Energy wasn't suited to a broad, forceful spell like the Supreme Sword Control Technique. Flicking needles with his fingers, however, suited him perfectly. It consumed little Origin Energy, yet its lethality was impossible to measure.

The more Li Qingqiu thought about it, the more he liked the art.

Although the Daoist lineage inheritance couldn't let him master a spell outright, he could memorize it and never forget a single word. With such a perfect memory, he would find it easier to cultivate the inherited spell.

He stood, straightened his clothes, and went out to eat.

The second layer of the Yangyuan Realm could reduce the amount of sleep he needed, but he still couldn't abstain from food. He had to eat.

When he reached the courtyard, the disciples were preparing vegetables. He sat down in his chair while Li Sijin, Xu Ning, and the other disciples discussed the Qin family.

The boldest of them, Li Sijin, asked Li Qingqiu directly, "Eldest Senior Brother, are we getting another batch of disciples?"

The other disciples looked curious and excited too. For children, making new friends was thrilling.

"Yes. The visitor today will send six younger members of his family. And over the next six months, Qingxiao Sect will recruit even more disciples. My plan is to raise our numbers to fifty before the end of the year."

Li Qingqiu nodded. His words thrilled the disciples even more, and they all began chattering at once.

Yang Jueding sat at the far end of the long table, smiling without a word, content to let his good deed go unmentioned.

He felt that what he'd done today was a major accomplishment!

Now, he was eager for Li Qingqiu to teach him Qingxiao Sect's unique internal cultivation method. He wanted to see what kind of technique could make these children so formidable.

Night gradually fell. Oil lamps were lit in the courtyard, and even after the meal ended, some disciples lingered to play.

Li Qingqiu and Li Dongyue used a small knife to whittle a large bundle of wooden splinters. Qingxiao Sect had acquired a batch of weapons, but no silver needles, so he had to make do for now.

"Thanks for your help. Get some rest early."

Li Qingqiu picked up the wooden splinters, left her with those words, and headed inside. It was already dark, not a good time to practice the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle. He planned to train after circulating his energy the next morning.

Li Dongyue sat on a stool, watching Eldest Senior Brother's back with confusion written in her eyes.

That night, Zhang Yuchun came to Li Qingqiu's room. He was worried about bringing in disciples from the Qin family. Six arriving all at once could easily form a clique, especially since one of them would become Li Qingqiu's disciple.

Li Qingqiu reassured him for quite a while before finally sending him away.

He already had plans for the Qin family's children. He couldn't let them enjoy the same treatment as the other disciples as soon as they arrived.

At Qingxiao Sect, the distinction between seniors and juniors had to be firmly established.

What's more, the distinction between martial arts and immortal cultivation should be established too.

Unless they had exceptional aptitude, disciples would have to learn martial arts first, then earn a true inheritance in immortal cultivation through merit.

He still needed to think through the details. For now, all he could think about was the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle.

He couldn't practice the art tonight, but he could keep reviewing its key points in his mind to prepare for training.

Over the next two days, Li Qingqiu devoted most of his time to practicing the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle.

His progress wasn't fast, and that made him miss the feeling of practicing swordsmanship. He wondered when he'd be able to copy a second Fate.

On the third day after Qin Jue left, Jiang Zhaoxia and the others finally returned with a tailor. The mountain path was rugged, and the tailor was drenched in sweat by the time he arrived. The moment he entered the courtyard, he collapsed onto the ground.

Zhang Yuchun hurried to pour him some water.

Li Qingqiu didn't rush to have the sect robes made. He took Jiang Zhaoxia inside to talk, and Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue followed.

The disciples were left in the courtyard, crowding around the tailor. As for Yang Jueding, he was so absorbed in the Primordial Scripture that he couldn't pull himself away.

After they entered the room, Jiang Zhaoxia recounted the whole journey in detail. Besides searching for a tailor and buying cloth, he had also made inquiries everywhere and finally found a way to earn money.

"There are plenty of wanted notices posted in the city. Some offer rewards for solving suspicious cases and finding the culprit; others are for suppressing bandits. The rewards are substantial, so we could take those jobs. We could even escort caravans near the Tai Kun Mountain Range."

Jiang Zhaoxia sat on a stool and smiled. He was confident he could help Qingxiao Sect build up its wealth quickly.

Zhang Yuchun asked about the specific rewards. After comparing them, he fell silent for a moment, then said, "They're too small. It's not worth doing. You could work yourself to death and still earn less than the money and goods the Qin family gives us each year."

"The Qin family?" Jiang Zhaoxia frowned and asked in surprise.

Zhang Yuchun immediately told him about Li Qingqiu's negotiations with Qin Jue.

After hearing the story, Jiang Zhaoxia wasn't pleased. He fixed his gaze on Li Qingqiu and said, "Senior Brother, we don't need to debase ourselves like this and go begging. We have the skills to earn money ourselves."

Li Qingqiu replied crossly, "If you spend all your time earning money, how will you train? Remember, you're all senior members of Qingxiao Sect. Your job isn't to handle trivial matters. You especially need to spend most of your time training. Once you become the greatest martial artist in the world, how many people will be begging to give us money?"

Li Dongyue nodded. "Eldest Senior Brother is right. Third Senior Brother, don't forget that the Seven Peaks Alliance and the Azure Cult could attack at any time. We don't know how many experts they'll bring next time."

At her words, Jiang Zhaoxia's brows relaxed.

That was right.

A great battle that was bound to happen was looming. How could he waste his time earning money?

"As long as you're strong enough, no one will be able to threaten our position," Li Qingqiu said earnestly.

Jiang Zhaoxia nodded. "From now on, besides training, I'll devote my time to the Supreme Sword Control Technique."

Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue both looked envious. Li Qingqiu had shown them the Supreme Sword Control Technique too, but they found it daunting just to look at, let alone practice. It seemed incredibly difficult.

Li Qingqiu and Jiang Zhaoxia's comprehension left them far behind.

"From now on, Third Junior Brother will focus on training. Yuchun will take charge of the sect's affairs, and I plan to set aside time to teach Dongyue properly and help her develop."

Li Qingqiu continued. His words made Li Dongyue uneasy. She was afraid of disappointing Eldest Senior Brother, but that was just how she was: when it came to his arrangements, she wouldn't refuse, no matter how many misgivings she had.

Zhang Yuchun didn't feel burdened. He was actually excited. The more disciples there were, the more room he'd have to show what he could do. Besides, Li Qingqiu had also asked him to continue recruiting disciples.

Jiang Zhaoxia added, "The six younger members of the Qin family are coming. I'll have to assess them myself."

Li Qingqiu grinned and nodded.

After chatting for a while, the four of them left the room together. They'd let the tailor rest for the day and have him make the sect robes the following day.

Early the next morning, Li Qingqiu handed the tailor the design paper he'd prepared in advance. It showed a design he'd drawn himself. Since he only had black ink, he had to explain which colors to use for each part.

After giving the instructions, he took Li Dongyue down the mountain, intending to teach her the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle.

He hadn't mastered it himself, so he might as well practice with Li Dongyue and exchange insights as they went.

In his vision, each of the six junior disciples should master a different spell. By honing their individual arts, they could complement one another.