Xiao Qin's Old Grandpa, Fire Sparrow Feather

The cave entrance.

"Disciple Li went into the third level of Divine Blade Cave?"

"Holy crap, how'd he get in there?"

"He's done for. A few years back, someone who'd just entered Internal Breath accidentally wandered into the third level. By the time they got him out, never mind that his whole body was riddled with holes—his mind had problems too. Even after he was cured, he was still a drooling wreck."

"Hiss... He won't die on our peak, will he?"

"That's Shang Wu's disciple... I just remembered the clothes at home still aren't hung out. I'm heading back first."

The cave entrance was extremely lively. Many disciples had even stopped forging iron and were gathered there, chattering away.

If a true disciple got into trouble in Divine Blade Cave, that would count as a huge piece of gossip for Clear Abyss Sect.

Murong Xiao paced back and forth, anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"Brother Li is such a good person. Nothing must happen to him..."

He was muttering to himself when his spirits suddenly lifted.

"What are you all gathered here for? Get back to your own business!"

Han He walked at the front, scolding the inner disciples who were there for the gossip.

Shang Wu and Li Mo came out from behind him.

Little Li still wore that same smile.

"Brother Li, are you all right? Do you still recognize me? How many is this?"

Murong Xiao covered the distance in a few quick strides, hopped in front of Li Mo, and waved his fingers.

"Five... uh, don't you only have five fingers?"

Li Mo thought this was some kind of brain teaser.

"What's five plus five?"

"...Ten."

After a round of intelligence testing.

"You didn't turn into a fool. That's great."

Murong Xiao let out a breath, his face full of relief.

Li Mo: "...Thank you."

The two had barely exchanged a few words before Li Mo was hauled onto the carriage by Shang Wu.

"Let's go, old man."

In an excellent mood, Shang Wu gave the colt's rump a crack of the whip.

The carriage gradually receded into the distance.

"Take care, Brother Li."

Murong Xiao waved at Li Mo.

Seeing this, Han He could not help finding it strange.

How did this disciple of his know Li Mo, and seem to have quite a deep friendship with him?

Forget it. It did not matter.

The Nine Peaks Martial Tournament had nothing to do with personal feelings. When the time came, they would still have to determine who was superior.

No matter how extraordinarily talented that Li Mo was, he had still only just entered the Blood-Qi Realm, and the gap in cultivation between him and Murong Xiao was plain to see.

As for later on, that would be hard to say...

"Xiao'er."

"In another ten or so days, the newly promoted disciples will all have to take part in the sect trial. During this period, you'll follow your master every afternoon to refine your martial skills."

"Yes."

Night fell.

The vast Serene Mountain Range was utterly silent.

In the large courtyard where the outer disciples lived, a certain room was still lit.

Xiao Qin gripped a Profound Crystal, and his cultivation had astonishingly recovered to the ninth meridian of the Blood-Qi Realm.

More than half of that Profound Crystal had already turned grayish white.

Naturally, this was not solely because of him.

"Whew..."

"Tenth meridian. I've returned to the tenth meridian of the Blood-Qi Realm!"

When Xiao Qin opened his eyes again, even his resolute face could not help revealing a trace of joy.

But immediately after, he looked at the Profound Crystal in his palm, which had completely turned grayish-white and was no different from an ordinary stone, and a strange look crossed his face.

"The whole thing's been washed clean? I shouldn't be able to do that..."

"Naturally, you cannot. This was because of this old man."

All at once, an aged voice rang beside his ear.

"Who are you?!"

"My venerable name... that is a tale from long ago..."

Ten minutes later.

Xiao Qin sat there, both pleasantly surprised and at a loss.

So the reason his cultivation realm had fallen was because of the jade pendant on his chest.

To be precise, it was because of the old grandfather inside the jade pendant, who called himself the Thousand Forms Martial Venerable.

If what the other party said was true, then in his prime, this old grandfather had been far stronger than even the Sect Master of Clear Abyss Sect!

And.

The other party had also said he could become his teacher, while Xiao Qin would need to help him reconstruct his physical body after he grew powerful.

"It seems the Seven Stars Ancient Pendant did not choose the wrong person. You were able to hold on for so long without giving up the martial path, and that is what awakened me."

The aged voice carried praise.

He was very satisfied with Xiao Qin's perseverance and aptitude.

"In that case, it is time to give you an apprenticeship gift, lest a knot remain in your heart, boy."

As his words fell.

The Seven Stars Ancient Pendant suddenly lit up, as if a tiny opening had appeared.

A brocade pouch drifted out from within.

"Inside this brocade pouch is a Flame Sparrow Feather. Though it only contains a trace of true phoenix bloodline, after my repeated tempering, it remains extremely rare."

"Wear it on your person, and all evils will retreat. It can also nourish the fleshly body, with endless wondrous uses."

Holding the brocade pouch, Xiao Qin immediately felt warmth spread through his whole body.

But he still said honestly:

"If I relied on myself, I still don't know how long it would have taken to let Teacher awaken."

"The main reason was Junior Brother Li. He gave me a Profound Crystal."

"A Profound Crystal?"

The aged voice was clearly stunned for a moment, and only then did he notice the crystal stone in Xiao Qin's hand that had already been completely absorbed.

"In a barren land like the Eastern Wasteland Domain, Profound Crystals should be extremely rare and precious..."

"He was actually willing to give one to you?"

"Yes. Junior Brother Li is a man of noble character and stainless integrity. Teacher, I want to repay the peach with a plum and give him this phoenix-feather brocade pouch."

Xiao Qin's gaze burned bright as he spoke.

Now that he had this old senior following him, no matter how he thought about it, he would not encounter any great danger.

But this was, after all, something his teacher had given him.

If he turned around and gave it away, that would not do unless his teacher agreed.

"It is good that you have such intentions."

"When you have achievements in the future, you may also support him in return."

The old man called the Thousand Forms Martial Venerable did not stop him.

He could not have wished more for Xiao Qin to be someone who knew gratitude and repaid kindness. That way, in the future, he would be more likely to help him reconstruct his body.

Moreover, the other party had casually given away a Profound Crystal. At the very least, in the Eastern Wasteland Domain, he had some background.

"Support Junior Brother Li?"

A bitter smile appeared on Xiao Qin's face, and he shook his head. "He is a true disciple, while I am still just an outer disciple."

He had personally experienced just how talented Junior Brother Li was.

Great accomplishment in the Six Harmonies Fist in a single day.

That could no longer be described with the word genius. He was simply a monster.

"For a true disciple, the brightest future ahead of them is no more than becoming an elder."

"Clear Abyss Sect is nothing but a small sect in a single prefecture of the Eastern Wasteland Domain."

When the aged voice spoke to this point, it paused.

Only then did he say earnestly, "In the near future, you will leave this place and shine brilliantly in a wider world."

"As this old man's disciple, you must never belittle yourself."

"Your disciple will remember Teacher's teachings."

Xiao Qin nodded, looking slightly hesitant.

"This is you lacking confidence in yourself, and also lacking confidence in this old man."

"Fine, then. Tomorrow, this old man will also meet that Junior Brother Li of yours and see just what sort of startling talent he truly is."

Having seen through Xiao Qin's thoughts, Thousand Forms Martial Venerable could not help but feel a trace of curiosity rise in his heart.

But very soon, he drew the conversation back to the main topic.

"The heart technique you're practicing isn't all that suited to you."

"Listen carefully. This old man will pass you a Nether Transformation Heart Sutra."

"Many thanks, Teacher!"

Xiao Qin roused his spirits.

A moment later, Thousand Forms Martial Venerable sank into silence, seemingly returning to sleep inside the jade pendant.

He tucked the brocade pouch into his robes and worked hard to practice the heart technique he had just learned.