Little Longevity

Chapter 40: Little Longevity

The great river surged, its waves shimmering; this was the largest river in the world.

This was the Qinghe, the Qinghe of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Many years ago, this river was originally called the Bai River. Because the current was so turbulent, it rarely had a moment of calm, and the surface was always covered in white waves, hence the name.

The Bai River twisted through nine bends and thirteen turns, flooding almost every year, leaving the people on both banks in unbearable misery.

It was not until later that an immortal arrived, leveled the riverbed, quelled the floods, and transformed the raging white waves into a clear, tranquil flow, renaming it the Qinghe.

After taming the waters, the immortal did not leave; instead, he molded earth into a city in the middle of the river and founded a sect.

From then on, the Qinghe Sword Sect was established and has been passed down to this day.

The people on both banks were forever grateful for the immortal's kindness, so they often burned incense and prayed on the shores. During the first lunar month, the incense was so thick it could turn the clear Qinghe into a black river.

Most cultivation sects choose deep mountains and old forests, preferably far from the hustle and bustle of the world.

But the Qinghe Sword Sect was different. Only newly initiated disciples were sent to the deep mountain training grounds to toil. Once they gained the recognition of their elders, they would move into this city in the river to become official disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

The reason was simple: once one's cultivation reached a certain level, it was time to protect the mortals.

How could one witness the suffering of the world while hidden deep in the mountains? Disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect were not only required to cultivate diligently every day but also to go out regularly to gain experience, uphold justice, and slay demons.

This was the unique aspect of the Qinghe Sword Sect. While others feared that such distractions would hinder their cultivation, the very purpose of the Qinghe Sword Sect's cultivation was to act with chivalry.

This was also the life creed of the Qinghe Sect Leader, Zhang Qi.

He had been orphaned at a young age and relied on his foster mother to survive. During his youth, a great tragedy occurred, and his foster mother was killed by a demon.

At that time, the demonic path was rampant, and demons who killed to refine their power were everywhere. Zhang Qi narrowly escaped with his life, and from then on, he harbored a deep hatred for all demons.

Later, through a stroke of luck, he began to cultivate. His progress was rapid, his swordsmanship became divine, and he struck fear into the hearts of demons both great and small.

Even when there were eighteen Demon Lords at the time, none dared to face Zhang Qi's sword alone.

And even after becoming the number one in the world, Zhang Qi still held fast to his original intent.

He did not cultivate for longevity; he cultivated only to eradicate demons.

Despite having long since reached the Dao Integration Realm and being able to ascend to the immortal realm at any time, he preferred to waste his lifespan, choosing to remain in the mortal world to ensure that evil was completely wiped out.

One man and one sword, suppressing the world for a thousand years, forcing those demons to hide like turtles.

Most cultivators seek longevity, and being able to do good deeds occasionally is considered decent enough. Who would put the cart before the horse like this? The Qinghe Sword Sect's style led to fewer and fewer disciples.

No one knew how many more years this number one in the world could hold on.

Regardless, the cultivation world was waiting. Whether Zhang Qi was finally going to die of old age here or could no longer resist ascending, it was a monumental event for the entire cultivation world.

Those with ulterior motives had long since begun making preparations, whether they were of the righteous path or the demonic path.

Su Chunyi returned to the city in the river with the amber containing the Cursed Spirit Child. She had intended to leave the secret technique and the Cursed Spirit Child behind and depart, as there were still unfinished matters in Cui County.

Researching the secret technique to save the Cursed Spirit Child could easily be left to the sect elders.

However, what awaited Su Chunyi was a summons from the Sect Leader, Zhang Qi.

Su Chunyi was extremely surprised. Zhang Qi rarely concerned himself with sect affairs anymore; why would he suddenly summon her, a fifth-generation disciple?

But when the Sect Leader summoned, Su Chunyi dared not delay and hurried to the main hall to pay her respects.

The Qinghe Sword Sect did not have many rules, and there were no mundane requirements like burning incense or bathing to meet the Sect Leader. When Su Chunyi arrived at the door, a disciple opened it for her and invited her inside.

The Qinghe Sword Sect did not care for pomp or grandeur. This central hall was built entirely of stone—ordinary stone, at that—but the walls were covered in various techniques and sword moves.

Any disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect could leave their insights on cultivation and swordsmanship on the stone walls, regardless of their seniority.

However, if you dared to leave your own insights, you had to be prepared to have them learned by others or criticized.

Su Chunyi glanced over and saw many fresh carvings. Some had already been scraped away, presumably because they had been refuted, while others were densely packed with several different handwritings, likely studied carefully by disciples, perhaps even leading to new insights.

Outsiders only knew that the Qinghe Sword Art was the best in the world and assumed it was all because Zhang Qi taught well; few knew that the Qinghe Sword Sect had such a rule.

As long as one was officially admitted to the sect, all the techniques and sword arts of the sect could be learned without any restrictions.

What one could achieve depended entirely on individual talent and effort.

There was no hierarchy in the way of the sword. Even Zhang Qi often delved into the sword path and would leave his own insights on the walls, though he never signed his name, so others did not know which move was left by the Sect Leader.

Su Chunyi had once seen a senior leave his own sword insights, only to be criticized to the point of humiliation the next day. The man, unwilling to admit defeat, debated swordsmanship with the anonymous person for ten days before finally conceding in despair.

Later, he found out that the one who had criticized him was none other than the Sect Leader, Zhang Qi.

If there was anything most important in the Qinghe Sword Sect, the Sect Leader was first, and the Wuliang Sword Wall was second.

Su Chunyi's own swordsmanship was also derived from the stone walls. If not for the Sect Leader's summons today, she would have loved to stop and observe for a while.

Thinking of this, Su Chunyi couldn't help but wonder why the Sect Leader would summon her. Could there be something wrong with the secret technique and the Cursed Spirit Child? Or was he blaming her for wasting time and failing to find the mastermind behind the events in Cui County?

At this thought, Su Chunyi felt a bit uneasy.

This was her first time out for experience, and she was truly afraid of doing poorly and bringing shame to the Qinghe Sword Sect.

After passing the Wuliang Sword Wall, Su Chunyi arrived at the main hall.

In the center, an old man with white hair sat cross-legged on a cushion. He held a book in his left hand and a chicken leg in his right, eating as he read, leaving his beard and Daoist robe stained with grease.

This man was extremely crude, possessing not a shred of refinement.

Yet, this disheveled old man was none other than the number one person in the world today, Zhang Qi, the sect leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Su Chunyi was unfazed; the Qinghe Sword Sect had never cared for such things.

"Disciple Su Chunyi pays respects to the sect leader."

Just as Su Chunyi was about to kneel, Zhang Qi waved his hand impatiently. "Spare me that, spare me that."

Su Chunyi had no choice but to stand up and wait for Zhang Qi to speak.

The old man set down his book, but not his chicken leg, devouring it in a few bites before a faint glimmer appeared between his fingers, causing the remaining bones to vanish.

This was sword qi refined to the absolute limit, instantly slicing the bones into particles smaller than dust and reducing them to nothingness.

Only then did Zhang Qi say to Su Chunyi, "Girl Su, if I recall correctly, this is your first time venturing out for training. Among the fifth-generation disciples, you have the best talent; you are the first to wait until the Tongxuan Realm to head out."

Su Chunyi quickly replied, "Thank you for the praise, Sect Leader."

Zhang Qi asked again, "It is not praise, your talent is indeed outstanding, but I did not expect your luck to be quite good as well. I remember before you left, your master cast a divination for you; the hexagram did not seem very favorable, did it?"

Su Chunyi answered truthfully, "Reporting to the sect leader, Master said that this journey would be a mix of fortune and misfortune, and that I must act with caution. I have traveled for several days and indeed encountered many difficulties, but I have gained something, and I should not fail the trust placed in me by the sect."

Zhang Qi replied, "Exactly, exactly, a mix of fortune and misfortune. The problem is just that—your fortune has already arrived, so the misfortune is not far behind."

Su Chunyi was puzzled and quickly asked for guidance.

"Please, Sect Leader, enlighten me."

Zhang Qi tapped his index finger, condensing thousands of sword lights out of thin air to form several lines of text, which were the opening passages of the Ksitigarbha Vow Sutra.

"The secret technique you brought back has quite a significant origin; it has even alarmed my old friend far away at Qingguan Mountain. If you are willing to gift this secret technique to the Fenxiang Sect, they are willing to give you a Soul-Cleansing Flower."

"This..." Su Chunyi hesitated. "Sect Leader, this secret technique does not belong to me. It was given to the Qinghe Sword Sect free of charge solely to save a life. Such a person of high moral character—I have no right to make decisions on his behalf."

Zhang Qi countered, "Have you thought it through? The Soul-Cleansing Flower is no ordinary treasure. You are already at the Tongxuan Realm, and the next step is the Spirit Transmutation Realm. Do you know that there are only two ways to advance to the Spirit Transmutation Realm safely, and this Soul-Cleansing Flower is the best choice?"

Su Chunyi nodded; as a disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect, how could she not know?

The Gangsha Realm is for tempering the physical body to break the limits of mortals, while the Spirit Transmutation Realm is for refining the soul, allowing it to undergo a metamorphosis and condense into a physical entity. Theoretically, one in the Spirit Transmutation Realm can perform possession countless times, and under normal circumstances, the soul will no longer be damaged.

Therefore, the Spirit Transmutation Realm is also known as "Little Longevity."