Li Yang was injured and staying temporarily at Qingxiao Sect, but it didn't affect Li Qingqiu's life. Things went on as usual.
He hadn't gone to visit Li Yang. Instead, he ran into Zhao Linglong on his way down the mountain. After learning that he was the sect leader, she first apologized to him, then expressed her gratitude. That left Li Qingqiu with a good impression of her.
Although Li Dongyue had treated Li Yang with the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle, his injuries were so severe that he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least ten days to half a month.
The Qingxiao Sect disciples were all curious about the Martial Champion and often went to peek through his window. Only Jiang Zhaoxia couldn't have cared less.
In Jiang Zhaoxia's eyes, the Martial Champion had only made it that far through connections after being badly injured by a single move from Wu Man'er. Naturally, he had no interest in him.
Half a month later, on the day Li Yang had finally recovered enough to get out of bed, Zhang Yuchun and the others returned at last, bringing thirteen people with them. There were both men and women; the youngest was twelve, while the oldest had just turned twenty.
They were all newly recruited disciples, and their return brought a lively bustle to Qingxiao Sect.
In the courtyard, Zhang Yuchun had the thirteen new disciples kneel together and pay their respects to Li Qingqiu.
The disciples were all excited, and none of them were troublemakers. They had already been impressed by Li Sifeng. If someone as young as Li Sifeng was that formidable, then the sect leader had to be even more so.
Li Qingqiu exchanged a few pleasantries, then had Yang Jueding arrange lodging for the new disciples. He went back inside with Zhang Yuchun and Li Sifeng to talk.
"Wait, I'll go get Third Senior Brother first."
After saying that, Li Sifeng rushed out of the room in a hurry.
Li Qingqiu looked at Zhang Yuchun and said, "It seems this journey didn't do much to temper his temperament."
Zhang Yuchun replied helplessly, "He's a little tyrant, and he's strong to boot. Who could possibly temper him?"
Li Sifeng was afraid of Li Qingqiu and Jiang Zhaoxia, but not of him, his Second Senior Brother. On the road, Li Sifeng had angered him several times, only to come back and sweet-talk him each time, leaving him unable to vent even when he was mad.
Li Qingqiu smiled, then asked about the new disciples' backgrounds. He had already taken a quick look at them. Their talent and comprehension weren't particularly outstanding, and none had a special Fate. He wasn't disappointed; Qingxiao Sect needed manpower, and he wasn't all that eager for prodigies.
With Jiang Zhaoxia and Wu Man'er, Qingxiao Sect could make a name for itself, while Xu Ning and Yuan Li were the sect's future.
Yuan Li in particular intrigued Li Qingqiu because of his Indestructible Hegemon Body.
The new disciples weren't orphans. Zhang Yuchun had recruited them from a county town, thanks to Li Sifeng's punishing evil and upholding justice, which had shown off Qingxiao Sect's martial arts.
After they chatted for a while, Li Sifeng came back, pulling Jiang Zhaoxia into the room behind him. He shut the door, his face lit up with excitement.
"What could be so important that you had to drag Third Senior Brother into this?" Li Qingqiu asked with a smile, looking at Li Sifeng.
The boy was growing so fast. His head was already higher than Jiang Zhaoxia's shoulder.
Jiang Zhaoxia looked impatient. He sat down beside Li Qingqiu, glared at Li Sifeng, and said, "If this isn't something important, I'll teach you a lesson."
He was currently putting everything into his training, vowing to reach the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Yuan Realm before Xu Ning did.
Standing in front of his three senior brothers, Li Sifeng clenched his fists, barely able to contain his excitement. "The Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin! They'll be fighting for the title of Number One in Guzhou's Martial Arts World. It's a great chance for Qingxiao Sect to make its name!"
Li Qingqiu glanced at Zhang Yuchun, who gave a slight nod.
"Guzhou is vast and full of experts. This tournament only happens once every ten years. Third Senior Brother, don't you want to find out where you stand among the martial artists of the world? You have to take part! We should all go together and tell Guzhou's martial arts world that the times have changed!"
Li Sifeng's passionate speech truly stirred Jiang Zhaoxia.
Jiang Zhaoxia had always been competitive, and the Martial Arts Tournament had an irresistible pull on him.
He didn't agree right away. Instead, he looked at Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu was considering it too.
In truth, he didn't want Qingxiao Sect to become too famous, but he also felt that staying too low-key wasn't good. His growth depended on the sect's development.
The faster Qingxiao Sect grew, the more chances he would have to obtain copied Fates.
Of course, once they got caught up in the martial world's feuds, their peaceful days would grow fewer and fewer.
"Senior Brother, this is a once-in-ten-years opportunity. If we want to make a name for ourselves later, we'll have to wait another ten years. How many ten-year stretches does a person get in life?" Zhang Yuchun said quietly.
Ten years felt like an eternity to him.
Li Qingqiu suddenly realized something. He was cultivating immortality, but his junior brothers and sisters were thinking about practicing martial arts.
He pursued immortality with the backing of the Daoist tradition, but his junior brothers and sisters didn't have that.
If the sect didn't grow before their lifespans ran out, it would be difficult for them to achieve immortality.
The stronger Qingxiao Sect became, the more inheritance rewards and Fortune Inheritance he would gain. Perhaps that could make up for the gap in his junior brothers' and sisters' aptitudes.
After thinking it through, Li Qingqiu said, "You can go, but do your best to avoid getting involved in the grudges between other sects. Qingxiao Sect is only after a reputation. When recruiting disciples, make sure to ask about their backgrounds."
At Li Qingqiu's agreement, Li Sifeng excitedly jumped up and threw himself at him, wrapping his arms around him. He started bragging that he could beat those martial arts experts to a pulp without Third Senior Brother needing to lift a finger.
Jiang Zhaoxia said nothing, but the smile on his face showed that he was already looking forward to the tournament.
Li Qingqiu watched him, silently sighing.
Third Junior Brother, cultivating immortality was all about temperament. Whoever could endure the loneliness would go the farthest.
Xu Ning was competitive, but she wasn't in a hurry to show off. She would surely get ahead of Jiang Zhaoxia someday.
That evening, Zhang Yuchun announced the news over dinner.
Now that the sect had more disciples, they couldn't all gather here to eat. Only those with some seniority dined in this courtyard.
Hearing that Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng would represent Qingxiao Sect at the Martial Arts Tournament, the disciples were all excited and began chattering among themselves.
Yang Jueding, chewing on a wooden toothpick, sighed. "The Martial Arts Tournament! It's certainly something to look forward to. Ten years ago, my martial arts weren't nearly as good as they are now. I was just a minor nobody. The whole thing was truly stirring. Tsk, just thinking about it makes me want to go."
Li Sijin looked at him curiously and asked, "Did you break into the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking at the Martial Arts Tournament?"
The others looked toward Yang Jueding too, all keenly interested in the tournament.
Yang Jueding gave a dry cough and said, "Of course not. The tournament is about fighting for first place. There's no such thing as a top ten. The prefecture sets the Heavenly Ranking, and you need more than just powerful martial arts—you need a reputation for chivalry too."
Everyone felt disappointed when they heard that.
Qin Ye, sitting in a corner, couldn't help asking, "Senior Wu, have you ever taken part in the Martial Arts Tournament?"
Yang Jueding looked at him and nodded. "I have, but not the one in Guzhou. He used to be the Number One Under Heaven in Beiliang Province. Back then, the Demonic Sect's Four Great Protectors each wielded such overwhelming demonic power that no one could stand against them. Even though Guzhou wasn't persecuted by the Demonic Sect, people like us in the martial world often heard of their exploits. The Four Great Protectors occupied the top spot in the martial arts world in four provinces, making the Demonic Sect famous throughout the land overnight. No sect had ever reached such a peak."
"A hundred years ago, the Nine Provinces were nine separate dynasties. It was the previous dynasty that unified the Nine Provinces and the Fourteen Provinces. So it's no exaggeration to say that, in the past, the number one martial artist in a province was the number one under heaven."
He began telling them about the Demonic Sect's past. The disciples listened intently, forgetting even to eat.
Li Qingqiu kept eating, but Yang Jueding's words had captured his attention too.
The martial world, with its free-spirited vendettas and heroes taking the stage one after another, stirred the heart.
But Li Qingqiu didn't yearn for it, because whether righteous or evil, everyone was bound to die.
He wasn't fighting to become Number One Under Heaven. He was fighting for immortality.
Unless something as dangerous as the Seven Peaks Alliance came along, Li Qingqiu wouldn't lightly venture down the mountain.
As sect leader, he didn't have to do everything himself. He only needed to stay at the mountain gate and steer Qingxiao Sect in the right direction.
As he listened to Yang Jueding's tales of the martial world, Li Qingqiu's thoughts drifted to the future of Qingxiao Sect.
Five days later, Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng packed their things and headed down the mountain, surrounded by a crowd of disciples cheering them on.
When they reached the new courtyard, they happened upon Li Yang and Zhao Linglong. Hearing the Qingxiao Sect disciples mention the Martial Arts Tournament, the two exchanged a glance.
"Wait, you're going to take part in the Martial Arts Tournament?" Li Yang couldn't help asking.
Li Sifeng stopped and looked back at the Martial Champion. "Is there a problem?"
"Take me with you. I'm interested too," Li Yang said with a smile. He rolled his wrist. Although he hadn't recovered fully, he felt that traveling shouldn't be too difficult.
Li Sifeng hesitated, but Jiang Zhaoxia didn't stop walking. He didn't even look at Li Yang.
Seeing Third Senior Brother get farther and farther away, Li Sifeng had no choice but to catch up.
"Cousin, leave the money and hurry up!" Li Yang turned to Zhao Linglong and said, his eyes once again resembling the way they had when he first arrived at Qingxiao Sect.
Zhao Linglong sighed helplessly and did as he asked.
Half an hour later.
In the woods, Li Qingqiu was practicing the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle. He held four silver needles in his hand and flicked them forward. The needles shot through the air, constantly changing course along the way. Like streaks of twisting light, they curved around tree after tree and struck a tree a hundred zhang away.
Looking closely, all four needles had pierced a single moth, which was still trembling.
Li Qingqiu lowered his hand, and the four needles detached themselves from the moth and flew backward, finally landing in his palm.
He smiled with satisfaction. His Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle was growing more powerful, and he had memorized the body's acupuncture points. In a fight, the technique could kill with a single strike.
Just then, Li Dongyue entered the woods and came to his side. "Senior Brother, Li Yang and the others have already left. They left behind three gold bars and said that a bet was a bet, so we should use them to repair the mountain gate."
Li Qingqiu smiled. "Since they gave them willingly, we'll take them. Junior Sister, how about we spar with the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle?"
At that, Li Dongyue hurriedly waved her hands. "How could I possibly be a match for you, Senior Brother?"
"No matter. Senior Brother doesn't mind."
"Forget it. I'm afraid I'll get discouraged."
"No. This is your senior brother's order. You have to!"
Li Dongyue ignored him and turned to leave. Li Qingqiu had no choice but to drop his stern attitude and start coaxing and cajoling her. In the end, he managed to get her to agree.
Before you continue