Pointing Swords at the First

Profound Heart Hall, this was the first assembly hall built by the Qingxiao Sect. It could accommodate over a hundred people and was located beneath the new courtyard. In the future, the Qingxiao Sect would continue to build structures downwards.

This assembly hall, completed after several months, was not grand; it was even a bit crude. This was because only two craftsmen were hired for its construction, with most of the labor provided by the disciples.

Li Qingqiu's only requirement for it was that it wouldn't collapse and could shield them from wind and rain.

After the new spring, Zhang Yuchun descended the mountain again to recruit a batch of disciples. Now, including Li Qingqiu, there were ninety-three people in the entire sect.

Today, Li Qingqiu summoned all the disciples into the hall for the first time.

There were not many furnishings inside the hall. Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, Wu Man'er, Li Dongyue, Li Sifeng, and Li Sijin stood shoulder to shoulder on the steps, with Li Qingqiu in the center.

Yang Jueding, Cheng Canghai, Xu Ning, and Qin Ye stood at the front of all the disciples. The other disciples were arranged in six rows, looking at the sect's high-ranking members in front of them, their hearts filled with excitement.

This was the disciples' first time experiencing such a solemn meeting. They couldn't help but feel a sense of novelty, and at the same time, they felt that the Qingxiao Sect was moving towards order. Even the youngest disciples could sense the changes within the Qingxiao Sect.

Li Qingqiu stood on the steps, looking down at the disciples in the hall. He could take in each of their faces. It was the first time he had looked at all the disciples like this, and he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.

He thought, this must be a sense of responsibility.

He used to treat the Qingxiao Sect as a channel for his own improvement. Although he was kind to his disciples, upon careful reflection, he had never truly asked them what they wanted.

"Everyone, this is the first full sect assembly of the Qingxiao Sect. This will surely be recorded in the annals of the Qingxiao Sect, because our Qingxiao Sect will be passed down for a thousand years, ten thousand years, or even longer. Perhaps you will also become legendary ancestors that future disciples will look up to."

Li Qingqiu spoke. His voice was not loud, but all the disciples could hear him clearly.

The disciples were all very young. Hearing Li Qingqiu's bold words, they didn't feel awkward; instead, they were filled with excitement.

The Qingxiao Sect was indeed still developing, but Jiang Zhaoxia was already second in the martial arts world. The sect also had famous experts like the Dragon Subduing Great Hero and the Thief King. Xu Ning, Li Sifeng, Wu Man'er, and others were also highly skilled in martial arts, just not yet famous.

No matter how you looked at it, the Qingxiao Sect had a boundless future.

Yang Jueding slightly curled his lips, thinking to himself, a thousand years, ten thousand years, how arrogant.

Li Qingqiu continued, "I have named this hall Profound Heart, hoping that we can maintain our original intention. The Profound Gate is the Daoist Gate, and Profound Heart is the Dao Heart. I will instruct Mr. Zhang Yu to write the Qingxiao Sect's rules and the Daoist Sect's principles. From now on, you must all remember them diligently."

Zhang Yu was the only one not in the hall because he had not yet officially joined the Qingxiao Sect. At this moment, he was pacing outside, feeling quite uneasy.

The disciples, upon hearing this, naturally responded in unison.

Afterward, Li Qingqiu asked Zhang Yuchun to report on the Qingxiao Sect's current industries and finances.

"After more than two years of accumulation, the Qingxiao Sect now has a thousand mu of fertile land, two horse farms with one hundred and two horses being raised, two fish ponds with thousands of fry..."

Zhang Yuchun spoke eloquently. The disciples looked at each other in surprise because they were responsible for different areas and had to focus on practicing martial arts after their labor, so they were not aware of the specific scale of the Qingxiao Sect's industries.

They didn't know until they heard it, and they were shocked.

After the shock, they all felt excited. Except for the disciples from the Qin family, all the other disciples came from poor families. For them, having enough to eat was a luxury. Now they had meat every day; how fortunate they were.

Yang Jueding's feelings were the most complex because when he first arrived on the mountain, the Qingxiao Sect was in such a sorry state. Recalling the past now, he also found it unbelievable.

He couldn't help but look at Li Qingqiu. Although many things were arranged by Zhang Yuchun, the decisions were made by Li Qingqiu.

He would never forget that rainy night when Li Qingqiu pursued the disciples of the Seven Peaks Alliance.

After that night, he knew that the Qingxiao Sect's greatest backing was Li Qingqiu. Jiang Zhaoxia was merely the visible sword.

After Zhang Yuchun finished his report, Li Qingqiu announced the tasks the Qingxiao Sect had to accomplish in the coming year.

First, the development of the sect, with construction goals set in all aspects.

Then, personal martial arts.

"Before the end of the year, I will have Elder Yang personally test your martial arts. On the basis of fulfilling your own duties, those who have made progress in their martial arts can inherit our sect's true teachings, the Primordial Scripture."

Li Qingqiu's final words excited the disciples.

Who didn't know that the Primordial Scripture was the Qingxiao Sect's most powerful ultimate skill, capable of making martial arts advance by leaps and bounds? To become a young prodigy, one first had to inherit the Primordial Scripture.

The disciples raised their hands one after another to salute and thank Li Qingqiu.

Li Qingqiu wasted no more words and waved his sleeve, announcing the dissolution of the assembly.

After the disciples left the Profound Heart Hall, Li Qingqiu turned to look at Yang Jueding and said, "Elder Yang, from now on, the Qingxiao Sect can be considered to be on the right track. In the future, our words and actions must have rules. Your burden will be heavy from now on. Thank you for your hard work."

Yang Jueding understood his implied meaning and immediately raised his hand in a salute, smiling, "Sect Master, please rest assured, I will do my utmost."

Li Qingqiu nodded. Yang Jueding knowingly departed, leaving the Profound Heart Hall to Li Qingqiu and his junior brothers and sisters.

Li Qingqiu began to assign tasks to his junior brothers and sisters one by one, even Wu Man'er had one.

Although Wu Man'er was not mature enough mentally, he could already take care of himself and communicate with others. He was assigned to patrol the mountains, with his training grounds changing daily, and to kill ferocious beasts in the mountains.

After the assembly in the Profound Heart Hall, the entire Qingxiao Sect became busy. Those disciples who were naturally lazy saw that everyone else was so proactive and felt ashamed to slack off themselves.

Besides, who didn't aspire to become a martial arts master?

Spring and summer passed quickly. The mountain paths were paved, stretching for a hundred miles. The remaining work was repairs to prevent the mountain paths from collapsing.

One day, after noon, in the mountain forest.

Qin Ye, dressed in a blue sect robe, wielded an iron rod with agile movements and powerful force.

This iron rod was forged for him by Zhang Yuchun during his last trip down the mountain. It weighed thirty jin and was about nine chi long, longer than himself. When swung, it stirred up gusts of wind.

He had possessed this iron rod for half a month. At first, he found it difficult to carry, but now he handled it with ease, and his physique had also become much stronger as a result.

He had practiced the Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Staff countless times, yet even now, he felt he hadn't fully grasped its essence.

As Qin Ye was lost in the Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Staff, the sound of footsteps approached. He glanced over and saw someone walking towards him, so he stopped his staff and gathered his qi into his dantian.

The arrival was none other than the leader of the Thirteen Swords, Xue Jin.

After joining Jiang Zhaoxia's tutelage, Xue Jin had quickly displayed his talent, becoming the fastest-progressing among the thirteen disciples. This matter had already spread, earning the trust of more disciples in the Sect Master's judgment.

Qin Ye had a deep impression of this disciple his master favored. He had once passed by the training grounds of the Thirteen Sword Sect and witnessed Xue Jin's fierce swordplay; his strength was clearly on a different level from the others.

"Senior Brother Qin, your staff techniques are truly becoming more formidable, inspiring awe."

Xue Jin approached, his voice full of admiration. However, the sword in his hand made Qin Ye suspect he wasn't just passing by.

Qin Ye chuckled, "Just diligent practice. Junior Brother Xue's talent far surpasses mine."

Xue Jin stopped, maintaining a ten-pace distance from Qin Ye. He asked with a smile, "Senior Brother Qin, I've recently had some insights into my swordsmanship and wish to spar with someone. After much thought, I could only think of you. Would you grant me this wish?"

Just as he suspected!

Qin Ye narrowed his eyes and asked, "Of course, I can. To what extent should we spar?"

"As fellow disciples, we naturally can't go too far. Whoever drops their weapon loses, how about that?" Xue Jin asked, his gaze intense.

Among the second-generation disciples, Xu Ning was recognized as the foremost, followed by Qin Ye. There was no third. Xue Jin harbored considerable ambition, aiming for the top spot.

Qin Ye raised his iron staff, pointing it at Xue Jin, displaying the bearing of the Sect Master's disciple. He simply said, "Good!"

Xue Jin's eyes sharpened. He bent down, drew his sword, and lunged towards Qin Ye, closing the distance rapidly. His footwork was incredibly fast as he darted beneath the iron staff.

Qin Ye instinctively swung his staff, which merely grazed past Xue Jin's head.

Sword light flashed, and Xue Jin thrust his sword towards Qin Ye's chest. The attack was swift. In a flash, Qin Ye stepped back, retreating while holding his staff in one hand as if gripping a dragon. He flicked his wrist, and qi force erupted.

Xue Jin's movement technique was exquisite, allowing him to dodge the staff. But just as he was about to press his attack, his cheek felt an immense force, sending him flying sideways.

The sun was bright, and Jiang Zhaoxia, in good spirits, strolled down the mountain. He had new ideas about the Sword Control Technique today and decided to try them out after finishing his disciples' lessons.

He arrived at the cliff where the Thirteen Sword Sect usually practiced their swordplay and saw his disciples gathered together.

"Master is here!"

A female disciple called out softly. The other disciples quickly spread out and lined up, afraid of being slow, demonstrating Jiang Zhaoxia's high prestige.

Jiang Zhaoxia approached them, his gaze sweeping over them. Suddenly, he frowned. He looked at Xue Jin, who had turned his head slightly, and asked, "What happened to the injury on your face? Why is it so swollen?"

Xue Jin's face was red and swollen on one side, a striking sight. Faced with his master's question, he was extremely embarrassed, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

"Got injured during a spar..."

Xue Jin stammered. Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxia's expression turned cold.

"Who did you spar with? Xu Ning?" Jiang Zhaoxia pressed.

"Senior Brother Qin Ye..."

Hearing this name, Jiang Zhaoxia fell silent.

His good mood vanished instantly. He could understand Xue Jin losing to Xu Ning, but how could he lose to Qin Ye?

Although Qin Ye had been taught by a supreme expert, his aptitude was mediocre. Li Qingqiu had previously disdained teaching him. How could such a person defeat his prized disciple?

Jiang Zhaoxia's gaze towards Xue Jin became unfriendly, making Xue Jin dare not meet his eyes.

Meanwhile, Qin Ye arrived at the sect and found Li Qingqiu. He placed his iron staff on the ground and then knelt before Li Qingqiu.

At that moment, Li Qingqiu was reprimanding Li Sifeng. The fifteen-year-old Li Sifeng was standing at attention. Seeing Qin Ye kneel, he couldn't help but cast a curious glance.

"Please punish me, Master!"

Qin Ye said in a deep voice, pressing his forehead to the ground.

Li Qingqiu asked, confused, "Why should I punish you?"

"I accidentally injured Junior Brother Xue Jin."

"What happened? Explain it to me in detail."

Li Qingqiu frowned. Xue Jin was not only Jiang Zhaoxia's favored disciple but also a future immortal cultivation disciple he had high hopes for.

Li Sifeng looked at Qin Ye in surprise. He seemed to realize something and a mischievous smile spread across his face.