Tribulation, Fate's Opportunity

Li Sifeng moved extremely fast. Yue Zhenchuan, who had shaken the jianghu of Guzhou through countless battles, was still caught off guard. He instinctively wanted to retreat, but Li Sifeng had already grabbed the robe at his chest.

In a flash of lightning and flint, Yue Zhenchuan raised his knee to block, stopping Li Sifeng's forward momentum.

Li Sifeng, midair, hadn't expected such a quick reaction. He immediately struck Yue Zhenchuan's knee with his left palm.

Bang!

Li Sifeng was sent flying. After landing, he stumbled and fell back onto the grass, his right hand clutching a strip of cloth stained with blood—torn from Yue Zhenchuan's body.

Yue Zhenchuan also staggered back a few steps. Steadying himself, he looked down and saw five bloody claw marks on his chest. A chill ran through him.

He raised his eyes to Li Sifeng, his expression turning vicious. Grinding his teeth, he said, "Little brother, you're ruthless enough. When did the Qingxiao Sect produce a genius like you?"

The martial world was full of prodigies, but never had a boy barely in his teens managed to wound him. He was both furious and astonished.

Li Sifeng shouted loudly, "You two, hurry up the mountain! I'll hold him off and catch up in a bit!"

Li Sijin was about to speak when Xu Ning grabbed her and pulled her away.

Yue Zhenchuan didn't rush to pursue. Two girls just over ten years old posed no real threat, and there was still a long trek to the Qingxiao Sect.

"Do you know who I am? In all of Guzhou, there aren't many who would dare say such words to me." Yue Zhenchuan stared at Li Sifeng with a cold smirk.

Li Sifeng pulled a dagger from his lower back, pointing the blade at Yue Zhenchuan as he taunted, "Someone said something similar to me before. The moment we fought, he was so scared he pissed himself and kept kowtowing, begging for mercy."

His heart was pounding. He could tell this man was different from any opponent he'd faced before—extremely dangerous.

Yue Zhenchuan snorted coldly and lunged at Li Sifeng. A surge of inner qi exploded, forming streams of force that swirled around him. His hands became claws, striking at Li Sifeng repeatedly, who scrambled to dodge.

After stepping into the Nurturing Origin Realm Layer 1, Li Sifeng's reaction speed had greatly improved, and he'd grown more agile. As long as he wasn't sparring with Third Senior Brother, he never felt pressured—only that others were too slow.

But this time, facing Yue Zhenchuan, he was terrified. He felt he wasn't fast enough, barely able to evade, unable to counterattack.

Soon, he backed up to a dirt slope with no room left. Fortunately, he'd been practicing the Gale Technique for a while. He slipped under Yue Zhenchuan's armpit, leaped up, arched his back like a fish jumping, and landed lightly on the slope.

Yue Zhenchuan turned his head but didn't see Li Sifeng. When he looked back, he found Li Sifeng already standing atop the slope. This infuriated him, twisting his face into a snarl.

"Ptooey!"

Li Sifeng spat at Yue Zhenchuan, then turned and fled.

Yue Zhenchuan, caught off guard, couldn't dodge. The spit hit him square in the face. He stood frozen.

At the same time, the martial artists of the Seven Peaks Alliance in the forest rushed over. They had just seen Li Sifeng leap up from behind Yue Zhenchuan, leaving many stunned, thinking their eyes were playing tricks on them—until someone snapped out of it first.

Yue Zhenchuan wiped the spit from his face, turned to look at his disciples behind him, and barked, "Charge up the mountain now! Bloodbath the Qingxiao Sect!"

With that, he leaped first, using lightness skill to fly into the forest.

On the other side.

Li Sifeng moved like a swift leopard, darting through the woods. He used both hands and feet to vault over fallen logs and rocks. Ordinary people couldn't keep up, and even some beasts would struggle.

But now, his pursuer was a martial arts master.

Li Sifeng glanced back and saw Yue Zhenchuan bounding quickly between branches, each toe-tap sending him flying far—almost as if he were gliding through the forest.

The distance between them was shrinking fast!

Li Sifeng gritted his teeth and began channeling his Origin Energy. Without even realizing it, his control over the Gale Technique was improving. Moves he usually wouldn't dare attempt now came off without a stumble.

Whoosh—

A gust of force shot from behind. Li Sifeng instinctively tilted his head, catching a glimpse of Yue Zhenchuan diving like an eagle, iron palm leading.

Li Sifeng couldn't dodge in time. The palm struck his back. He spat out a mouthful of blood and pitched forward, crashing into a thicket.

Sunlight filtered through the trees. Jiang Zhaoxia sat cross-legged in a clearing, nine long swords floating around him, tips pointing down, trembling slightly. His hands rested on his knees, palms up, and his robe fluttered gently.

Since focusing on cultivating the Supreme Sword Control Technique, his progress had been astonishing. He could now control nine swords.

He came here every day to train alone. This spot was the only path to the Qingxiao Sect, undisturbed, and it let him guard against any invasion.

"Third Senior Brother! Something's wrong!"

A tearful shout came from afar. Jiang Zhaoxia's eyes snapped open. He turned to see Junior Sister Li Sijin running toward him with Xu Ning.

Seeing Li Sijin's face streaked with tears, his heart sank.

He raised a hand, and the nine swords returned to the scabbards at his waist. As he stood, the nine sheaths clinked together, heavy and solid.

He hurried toward Li Sijin and the others, meeting them quickly.

"A bunch of enemies are coming up the mountain to find us! My brother is holding them off! Third Senior Brother, go save him!" Li Sijin said urgently.

Jiang Zhaoxia asked immediately, "Which direction?"

Li Sijin turned and pointed. Jiang Zhaoxia dashed off, leaving only a few words: "You two, hurry up the mountain. Don't stop."

Watching Jiang Zhaoxia's figure vanish into the forest, Li Sijin looked at Xu Ning worriedly. "With so many enemies, can Third Senior Brother handle it alone?"

Xu Ning didn't answer. Instead, she urged, "Go up the mountain quickly and inform Master. I'll follow and take a look."

"Can you manage?" Li Sijin hesitated.

Xu Ning shot her a glance. "Don't waste time. People will die."

Li Sijin thought of Li Sifeng possibly being in danger, gritted her teeth, and immediately turned to head up the mountain.

Xu Ning took a deep breath, her gaze turning resolute, then she chased after the direction Jiang Zhaoxia had gone.

Jiang Zhaoxia was burning with anxiety. He began to deplete his Origin Energy, casting the Gale Technique to descend the mountain swiftly.

Along the way, he kept thinking of Li Sifeng as a child. Ever since Master brought Li Sifeng up the mountain, he had detested this kid—dirty, with snot often hanging from his nose, always tormenting Eldest Senior Brother.

That impression had only started to improve in the last two years. Now that they were in charge of Qingxiao Sect, Li Sifeng's decisiveness in handling matters had completely overturned Jiang Zhaoxia's view of him.

He felt Li Sifeng was promising material. With proper training, he could help him support Eldest Senior Brother.

Now, with Li Sifeng possibly in danger, the bright future he had imagined was about to shatter, and his killing intent could no longer be restrained.

He moved faster and faster, so fast that he even neglected his surroundings.

After an unknown stretch of time, a group of people finally appeared in his vision. They were martial artists clad in cyan robes, scattered through the pine forest like vengeful spirits waiting for him to descend into hell.

His gaze was quickly drawn to one figure. His eyes widened, bloodshot.

There was Yue Zhenchuan, stomping on Li Sifeng's face again and again. Li Sifeng lay on the ground, his body twitching with each stomp, impossible to tell if he was alive or dead.

"How dare you!"

Jiang Zhaoxia roared. His right hand reached to his waist, drawing a sword. The sound of the blade leaving its sheath was so sharp that hundreds of Seven Peaks Alliance disciples turned their heads.

Yue Zhenchuan, a cruel grin on his face, looked over. Seeing Jiang Zhaoxia charging at him, he showed no panic; instead, his smile grew even more terrifying.

"Perfect timing. This brat's already finished. I hope you can give me a good fight!"

Yue Zhenchuan laughed loudly, kicked Li Sifeng aside, and charged at Jiang Zhaoxia. The other Seven Peaks Alliance disciples drew their weapons and quickly circled around to prevent Jiang Zhaoxia from escaping.

Suddenly.

Yue Zhenchuan saw the swords on Jiang Zhaoxia's back fly out of their sheaths, orbiting around him. The sight made his pupils dilate, as if he had seen a ghost.

Inside the room, Li Qingqiu was writing down secret manuals. He planned to record all the Spells he had acquired, while Li Dongyue stood beside him, grinding ink.

"Senior Brother, I find my handwriting so ugly. How can I make it look nice?" Li Dongyue asked softly, her tone carrying anticipation.

Li Qingqiu replied, "In a few months, I'll have Yuchun invite some scholars up the mountain to teach you all writing and reading."

Qingxiao Sect's level of literacy was extremely low. Back when he had to teach his junior brothers and sisters to recognize characters, it had nearly driven Li Qingqiu to collapse. The Qingxiao Seven Sons had come from mountain villages and likewise had no education in writing or reading.

Even in this ancient world, Li Qingqiu felt that reading was useful—useful for cultivating thought and broadening one's horizons. Books were a symbol of the evolution of heaven and earth.

"Then can we buy more books back? The ones Master and Grandmaster left are so few; I've long grown tired of them."

"Of course."

Li Qingqiu multitasked, calmly conversing with Li Dongyue.

Suddenly, his brush hand stopped.

A line of text appeared before his eyes:

[As Qingxiao Sect has repelled an invading force for the first time, the Legacy has survived a tribulation. You have earned one Fate Selection opportunity.]

Repelled an invading force?

What happened?

Li Qingqiu felt no joy at the reward before him. He furrowed his brow, his thoughts racing like lightning.

If it could be called a force, the enemies must have been numerous.

He hadn't heard any commotion, meaning the battle site was far from Qingxiao Sect.

Could something have happened at the foot of the mountain?

He immediately set down his brush, left a single sentence, and departed: "I have some matters. Guard this place and don't let the disciples peek."

Li Dongyue was about to respond, but Li Qingqiu had already rushed out the door.

After charging out of the courtyard, Li Qingqiu directly cast the Gale Technique and dashed down the mountain.

Less than a li down the mountain, he encountered a panting Li Sijin. Seeing him, she grew very excited and quickly recounted what had happened to them.

Li Qingqiu had no time to comfort her; he hurried in the direction she pointed.

Along the way, Li Qingqiu experienced the same panic as Jiang Zhaoxia. He called up the Legacy System, confirmed that the number of disciples hadn't decreased, and felt a little more at ease, but he dared not let his guard down, frequently pulling up the system panel to check.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

Li Qingqiu finally spotted Jiang Zhaoxia, Xu Ning, and Li Sifeng in a pine forest. Looking around, the ground was littered with corpses, and many trees were stained with blood.

Jiang Zhaoxia was drenched in blood, sitting on the ground holding Li Sifeng. Xu Ning slumped nearby, also gasping for breath; her condition was slightly better, though her hair was a mess.

Li Qingqiu's heart sank. He quickly approached Jiang Zhaoxia, placed a finger under Li Sifeng's nose, and confirmed he was still breathing. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

But seeing his two junior brothers turned into bloody figures, his anger became hard to contain.

Jiang Zhaoxia looked up at Li Qingqiu and said weakly, "Senior Brother, you were right. The martial world and the battlefield are completely different. Forget thousands of troops—just dealing with a few hundred martial artists, all my swords were hacked to pieces..."