Martial World Legend

Under the sunlight, the undulating mountain ridges were covered in a scorched yellow, as if roasted by the sun.

A great river wound its way between two mountain ranges, and beside it ran an official road. At this moment, hundreds of martial arts masters galloped on fierce steeds, kicking up a trail of dust. Some of the warriors had large banners strapped to their backs, bearing the words "Seven Peaks," giving off the momentum of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.

They wore uniform blue martial robes, with the right sleeve hanging loose like a flickering flame, and a bronze shoulder guard shaped like a tiger's head on the left shoulder. Every face was icy cold, their killing intent impossible to suppress. The procession moved like a blue dragon through the mountains, unstoppable.

At the very front, a young man turned his head to look at the middle-aged man beside him and asked, "Master, aren't we making too big a deal out of this? Sending so many people—even if Lin Xunfeng hasn't retired from the martial world, we could still take him down."

The middle-aged man was named Yue Zhenchuan, one of the seven alliance masters of the Seven Peaks Alliance. His martial arts were formidable, and his reputation in the martial world was immense.

Facing his disciple's question, Yue Zhenchuan's expression did not change. He replied, "Mo Jiujiao has been gone for so long without returning—something must have happened. Though Mo Jiujiao isn't all that powerful, the fact that the Qingxiao Sect dared to take him down means they're prepared to stand against the Seven Peaks Alliance. The world is shifting, and undercurrents stir in the martial realm. The Seven Peaks Alliance cannot afford to be careless. Sometimes, utter ruin begins with a single small failure."

Hearing this, the young man nodded. Though he didn't agree in his heart, he didn't dare defy his master.

"By the way, Master, just how strong is Lin Xunfeng that he can monopolize the entire Tai Kun Mountain Range? Their territory is almost as big as ours in the Seven Peaks Alliance," the young man asked instead, and the other Seven Peaks disciples behind him also turned their gazes to Yue Zhenchuan.

"That the Qingxiao Sect can occupy the Tai Kun Mountain Range is the doing of Lin Xunfeng's master, the founder of the Qingxiao Sect. That man was a terror that shook the entire martial world in his day. Unfortunately, he eventually went into qi deviation and vanished without a trace. Lin Xunfeng only inherited a third of his power, yet that was enough to hold the Qingxiao Sect. Back then, three of our Seven Peaks Alliance alliance masters joined forces and still couldn't take him down."

Yue Zhenchuan's tone was calm. Speaking of these matters, his voice carried no fluctuation.

The young man asked curiously, "Did you fight him back then?"

"Not getting to cross swords with Lin Xunfeng is one of the great regrets of my life. I hope I'll get the chance this time."

With that, Yue Zhenchuan cracked his whip, making his steed neigh and begin to accelerate. The other Seven Peaks disciples had no choice but to follow suit, cracking their whips and speeding up.

At noon, the blazing sun hung high. In the courtyard, the disciples gathered together, their gazes fixed on Zhang Yuchun.

At this moment, Zhang Yuchun wore a brand-new sect robe. It was a blue garment with wide sleeves and a tight waist. Though not exquisite or luxurious, wearing it made him stand tall and look spirited.

For the Qingxiao Sect disciples, such a robe was already quite good, considering they usually wore old clothes full of patches.

Zhang Yuchun shook his sleeves and looked at Li Qingqiu, asking, "Eldest Senior Brother, aren't the sleeves too big? If I'm sparring with someone, they might hinder my movements."

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, "I think it looks great. Besides, our Qingxiao Sect isn't a sect that thrives on violence and aggression. This is just a preliminary design. We'll keep upgrading the robes in the future to make them better and better."

Though it was still far from the aura of a cultivator, it clearly set them apart from ordinary martial artists. That was enough for now; they could refine it later.

The tailor standing nearby breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Li Qingqiu was satisfied. This job had been a heavy workload, and he already regretted taking it.

Afterward, Li Qingqiu called Yang Jueding and the seven disciples from the village at the foot of the mountain and led them into the woods behind the mountain.

Huang Shan, Yu Lin, and the other seven stood in a row, looking curiously at Li Qingqiu, unsure of what he had in store.

Li Qingqiu swept his gaze across them and said, "Now that I've taken over as Sect Master, the Qingxiao Sect will walk a brand-new path. Though we still use the old sect name, it's essentially a new sect. Whether it's martial arts or rules, everything is completely different. You are the first batch of disciples recruited by the new Qingxiao Sect. As more disciples join in the future, you will inevitably bear greater responsibilities."

All seven disciples straightened up, their expressions turning serious.

Li Qingqiu smiled in satisfaction and said, "No matter your talent or comprehension, later disciples will always respect you. But I won't let you enjoy empty titles alone. From today onward, I grant you the title of the Qingxiao Seven Sons. Yang Jueding will teach you the Supreme Internal Skill and bestow upon each of you a unique martial art. I aim to give you the ability to roam the martial world freely before you come of age."

Yang Jueding, standing nearby, spoke up, "From now on, I will teach you my true martial arts, not the flashy moves of the past. This is a privilege no other disciples will enjoy."

Since cultivating the Primordial Scripture, he had been awestruck by it. He felt that his entire set of martial arts wasn't worth as much as the Primordial Scripture, so offering it up was no loss.

The Qingxiao Seven Sons had already tried cultivating the Primordial Scripture without success. Switching to his martial path was a good thing, saving them from wasting more time.

Even as he made this promise, Yang Jueding felt a bit nervous inside.

If he himself couldn't cultivate the Primordial Scripture either, that would be truly unbearable.

"Sect Master, we will never let you down!"

Huang Shan spoke first, his voice filled with excitement. The other disciples also looked at Li Qingqiu with gratitude.

After the blow of failing at the Primordial Scripture, they had thought the Sect Master would give up on them, letting them endure ten years before sending them down the mountain. They never expected him to focus on nurturing them instead. How could they not be moved?

Li Qingqiu encouraged them a few more times, then turned and left, leaving the rest to Yang Jueding.

Yang Jueding was no Jiang Zhaoxia. Li Qingqiu wouldn't let him focus solely on training; he'd have to spend half his time teaching the disciples.

Li Qingqiu didn't return to the sect. Instead, he headed down the mountain, preparing to continue practicing the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle.

He had already gained a preliminary understanding of this needle technique, but there was still a long way to go before he could truly use it.

The next morning.

Li Sifeng, Li Sijin, and Xu Ning set off down the mountain together. They were heading to the underground Spirit Lake to cultivate.

Li Sifeng walked in front, holding a wooden branch, using it as a sword. He swung it as he walked, occasionally muttering the names of moves under his breath.

Li Sijin and Xu Ning walked hand in hand behind him, chatting about the Qingxiao Seven Sons' martial training. Starting this morning, the Qingxiao Seven Sons no longer trained with them, as per Li Qingqiu's arrangement.

Apart from Li Sijin, Li Sifeng and Xu Ning already had the ability to protect themselves. Xu Ning occasionally sparred with Li Qingqiu to gain combat experience, which was why Li Qingqiu felt comfortable letting the three of them go down the mountain together.

The Qingxiao Seven Sons' failure with the Primordial Scripture made them realize just how difficult it truly was, and they cherished their training time even more.

"Sword slays the flood dragon—there is no one like me in this world..."

Li Sifeng reached a slope, leaped into the air, and landed on the grass below. He dropped to one knee, swung his sword in a slash, and struck a very cool pose.

He lowered his head, immersed in the feeling, as if he had truly slain a flood dragon.

Suddenly.

He seemed to sense something and jerked his head up. There, in the forest about ten zhang away, was a crowd of people staring at him. They wore identical robes, held their horses' reins, and watched him from a distance like a group of ghosts, sending a chill straight to his heart.

"Why are there people again..."

Li Sifeng groaned inwardly. Last time he ran into Du Xuanfeng and his companion, and now this time even more martial artists—he was just too unlucky.

The aura of that group was clearly not ordinary.

Li Sifeng immediately thought of the Seven Peaks Alliance and the Azure Cult. He turned his head toward Li Sijin and Xu Ning, who were about to descend the slope. He didn't need to signal; Xu Ning had already spotted the hundreds of martial artists from the Seven Peaks Alliance.

Those hundreds of people led their horses and stopped in the forest, giving off a strong visual impact, as if they numbered far more than just a few hundred.

Li Sifeng hesitated whether to run. But if he ran, it would be equivalent to telling them that they were disciples of the Qingxiao Sect.

If they didn't run, they could still use their youth to extract information.

Just then, he saw a middle-aged man jump down from his horse and walk toward him. The man even raised a hand, signaling the others to wait where they were.

Seeing this, Li Sifeng breathed a sigh of relief. Since the other side hadn't pressed forward in full force, there was room for negotiation.

If things went wrong, he could still take the leader hostage and force his subordinates to back off.

Having made up his mind, Li Sifeng grew calmer, though he deliberately kept a nervous expression on his face.

"What should we do?" Li Sijin asked quietly. It was her first time facing so many people, and she instinctively felt afraid.

Xu Ning's face was expressionless as she whispered, "Follow the rules we set before. We're from somewhere else, came up the mountain, and got separated from our parents."

Li Sijin nodded, but she couldn't help pressing closer to Xu Ning and pinching her sleeve.

The middle-aged man walking toward Li Sifeng was none other than Yue Zhenchuan, one of the alliance masters of the Seven Peaks Alliance.

As he drew near, Yue Zhenchuan tried to put on a warm smile. Walking, he said, "Little brother, don't be nervous. We're from the government, passing through here, and we'd like to ask you for directions."

The government?

Li Sifeng looked toward the forest behind him and suddenly spotted a banner embroidered with the words "Seven Peaks." Even after noticing this, Li Sifeng's expression didn't change at all; he still looked tense and uneasy.

Although Li Sifeng didn't answer, he didn't run either, which put Yue Zhenchuan more at ease.

Yue Zhenchuan approached and stopped seven paces away from Li Sifeng. He asked with a smile, "Little brother, where are you from? Why aren't there any adults around?"

Li Sifeng and the other two had already changed into the robes of the Qingxiao Sect, but Yue Zhenchuan had never seen those robes before, and the robes weren't embroidered with "Qingxiao." He instinctively assumed Li Sifeng and the others were from a nearby town or village, and that their family was fairly well-off.

Li Sifeng answered cautiously, "We're from Meishan Township. We came with our uncles to visit distant relatives, but we accidentally got separated and are looking for them."

Yue Zhenchuan smiled. "Then I'll help you find them. But first, can you tell me—have you run into anyone else on the mountain recently?"

"Anyone else? Let me think... actually—"

Li Sifeng pretended to ponder, but before he could finish his sentence, he lunged at Yue Zhenchuan like a small leopard.