Chapter 140: The Ninth Layer Realm

The influence of Li Qingqiu’s slaying of Demon Emperor Zhao Zhi continued to spread. Even though it was the midst of winter with snow falling, people still came to the mountain daily to pledge their allegiance.

After the lively festival, the high-level council meeting was held as scheduled.

Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Dongyue, Wu Maner, Li Sijin, Xu Ning, Yang Jueding, Zhang Yu, Zhu Yan, Chai Yunshang, Xue Jin, True Man Qingxiao, and Shen Yue sat around the long table, making it feel crowded.

Chai Yunshang and Xue Jin were a bit nervous, as it was their first time attending such a meeting, while True Man Qingxiao was completely relaxed, instead caring for the various Hall Masters in an elder’s tone.

Li Qingqiu asked the Hall Masters to report on their respective situations, starting with Zhang Yuchun.

“Currently, the School has four thousand six hundred and seventy registered Disciples, among whom Inner Sect Disciples number eight hundred and ninety-two, and True Disciples number three hundred and seventy-seven. In addition, Utility Disciples exceed one thousand five hundred…”

Hearing these numbers, the high-level executives were all invigorated.

Currently, the threshold for True Disciples has been raised to the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer. Reaching the Third Layer allows one to dominate a state, and Celestial Master Jiang, who manipulated the imperial court, was only at the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer.

Of course, these three hundred and seventy-seven people are not all at the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer; some are Disciples with poor Aptitude but long seniority.

“There are a total of eight hundred and ninety-two Disciples at the Nourishing Origin Realm, First Layer; four hundred and fifty-seven Disciples at the Nourishing Origin Realm, Second Layer; two hundred and eighty-nine Disciples at the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer; twenty-five Disciples at the Nourishing Origin Realm Fourth Layer; and three Disciples at the Nourishing Origin Realm, Fifth Layer. This year, the Disciples’ Cultivation has soared, especially at the Third Layer Realm.”

After speaking, a smile appeared on Zhang Yuchun’s face.

True Man Qingxiao was secretly startled. He had already begun to Cultivate the Hunyuan Scripture and knew what the minor Realms of the Nourishing Origin Realm represented.

If he hadn’t Cultivated the Hunyuan Scripture, he could at most contend with the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer, which meant that two hundred and eighty-nine Disciples in the School could rival him in strength.

Too exaggerated!

Li Qingqiu had only taken over the Qingxiao Sect for nine years!

Shen Yue frowned slightly upon hearing that three people had reached the Nourishing Origin Realm, Fifth Layer. Recently, he had been engrossed in comprehending the Dao, which had delayed his Cultivation. However, when his gaze fell upon the heavenly rainbow sword behind Li Qingqiu, his brows relaxed again.

He must comprehend the sword first!

At this moment, Chu Jing was also marveling within the heavenly rainbow sword. The more he understood the Qingxiao Sect, the more terrifying he found it.

Zhang Yuchun then reported on other affairs of the Spirit Control Hall, followed by reports from the other Hall Masters.

Each Hall Master summarized the affairs under their charge. Everyone had a smile on their face, as each hall performed its duties, and all had achieved considerable results this year.

After Xue Jin took charge of the Experience Hall, its efficiency also significantly improved.

Although the Hall Masters didn’t show it, the competition among them was an unspoken understanding; no one wanted their department to drag the School down.

Subsequently, Li Qingqiu explained the low-level Demon Realm of Tianji Mountain and informed them about the role of the Demon Taming Hall.

Upon hearing that Qingxiao Sect Disciples could eventually have mounts and demon pets like Little Eight, every Hall Master was very interested.

“I never thought there were really demons in the world. But then again, there are legends of powerful Vicious Beasts everywhere, and even auspicious creatures appear in the Nine Provinces. It’s normal to have demons,” True Man Qingxiao mused.

Li Qingqiu smiled, “Auspicious creatures? Our Qingxiao Sect also has one.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s a Qilin.”

As the number of Disciples grew, the Prison Qilin’s range of activity shrank, and it was inevitably discovered by Disciples. Although the news was suppressed, a few Disciples in the School already knew of the Prison Qilin’s existence.

True Man Qingxiao opened his mouth upon hearing that there was a Qilin in the School, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say.

Never mind.

He couldn’t be shocked any longer; it would damage the Ancestral Master’s dignity.

True Man Qingxiao’s face tightened, feigning seriousness.

“Since the Qingxiao Sect is already strong enough, let the Prison Qilin roam openly on the mountain,” Li Dongyue suggested.

Li Qingqiu nodded. The Prison Qilin had the best relationship with Li Dongyue now, all because Li Sifeng often went down the mountain.

Zhu Yan, Shen Yue, and True Man Qingxiao all agreed there was no problem. No one in this world could snatch the Qilin from Qingxiao Mountain.

Li Qingqiu scanned the crowd and asked, “Every year there are new goals. Next year will be my tenth year as Sect Leader; shouldn’t it have some significance?”

Yang Jueding chuckled, “Indeed, it should. Time flies so fast; you’ve all grown up. Luckily, I don’t look old yet.”

The others echoed him, and True Man Qingxiao also learned that Li Qingqiu had taken over as Sect Leader when he was sixteen, which filled him with emotion.

This great grand-Disciple is truly extraordinary!

“I propose holding a School Martial Arts Tournament to celebrate the Sect Leader’s ten years in power, and incidentally, let the Disciples understand the School’s heritage and give more Genius Disciples a chance to become famous,” Yang Jueding continued. This was something he had wanted to do for a long time.

Xu Ning, Wu Maner, Li Sijin, Xue Jin, and Chai Yunshang all expressed their agreement.

Li Qingqiu thought it was feasible. This was also an opportunity for Disciples to showcase themselves. The liveliness of the Martial Arts Stage showed how much interest Disciples had in sparring.

He then said, “It won’t be called a School Martial Arts Tournament, but a Dharma Battle Assembly. Registration starts in March, preliminary rounds in April, one-on-one. The top sixty-four will be decided before June, the top ten in July, and the top three in August.”

Zhang Yuchun’s eyes lit up. He said, “This is good. It won’t cause a weak period for the School, it gives Disciples more opportunities to showcase themselves, and it allows more Aristocratic Families and powerful figures to witness the Qingxiao Sect’s strength. We can gain huge benefits from this.”

Many plans immediately came to his mind, and the other Hall Masters also thought it was good, deciding to go back and urge their Disciples to Cultivate harder to bring honor to their respective halls.

Everyone began discussing the details of the Dharma Battle Assembly.

Li Qingqiu no longer took the lead, only deciding the general framework.

Ming Guang’s design for the Immortal Cave was almost complete, but the Materials for the Spirit Gathering Array were scarce, so it couldn’t be mass-produced yet. He wondered if he should grant Immortal Caves to the top three of the Dharma Battle Assembly?

These three Immortal Caves could be built on other mountains, expanding the Qingxiao Sect’s territory. Those who could reach the top three in the Dharma Battle Assembly would have at least Nourishing Origin Realm Fourth Layer Cultivation, which would be sufficient to handle various troubles.

Li Qingqiu’s Ideas became clearer and clearer, even thinking about how to legitimately disperse the Disciples.

Although Qingxiao Mountain was large, many areas had to be reserved for various industries. With so many people living there now, it was already a bit crowded.

After everyone finished discussing the Dharma Battle Assembly, Li Qingqiu spoke, “The Cultivation Hall will select ten Disciples to be responsible for teaching Cultivation Techniques to the Disciples. This is for the general Disciples, not one-on-one instruction. In the future, different basic Cultivation courses will be added. These ten Disciples will first learn Sword Control Art from Third Junior Brother.”

Jiang Zhaoxia’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he asked, “Are we finally going to implement the Sword Control Art?”

True Man Qingxiao couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What is Sword Control Art?”

Li Sijin excitedly said, “It’s a sword art created by Third Senior Brother that allows people to fly through the air with a sword. For example, when we go to a nearby mountain, we have to go up and down the mountain, which is very troublesome and takes at least half a day. If we learn Sword Control Art, we can fly directly over in just twenty breaths of time.”

True Man Qingxiao’s eyes widened, and Chu Jing, inside the heavenly rainbow sword, was equally shocked.

“Such a miraculous art exists?” True Man Qingxiao couldn’t maintain his composure.

Jiang Zhaoxia said, “The threshold for Sword Control Art isn’t high, but to fly between two mountains, one needs at least the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer attainment. Disciples at lower Realms can also Cultivate it to descend the mountain faster, and Sword Control Art can also be used in combat.”

Yang Jueding, Zhang Yu, Chai Yunshang, Zhu Yan, and Xue Jin had long heard of this art. They could also achieve controlling objects with Qi, so they were not surprised.

Shen Yue even snorted, quite disdainfully, which annoyed Jiang Zhaoxia, who glared at him.

This was Li Qingqiu’s vision: as the number of Disciples increased, opportunities for one-on-one instruction from a Master would become scarcer. Many Disciples might not even have a Master, entering the Qingxiao Sect to work first and earning Cultivation Techniques through contributions. If they didn’t understand, they could only consult the Cultivation Hall, but the Cultivation Hall Disciples also had other duties and couldn’t dedicate themselves to teaching.

Li Qingqiu didn’t want the Qingxiao Sect to just be a place for Disciples to earn money; he hoped it could become a home for Disciples, where everyone felt a sense of belonging. As long as they passed the entrance examination, they would be qualified to practice martial arts and Cultivate immortality.

To this end, Li Qingqiu planned to establish Cultivation squares on different mountains, which was part of the new year’s plan.

He outlined this series of plans, earning everyone’s admiration.

Jiang Zhaoxia had not expected Li Qingqiu to consider so much; he simply thought the Sword Control Art was very useful.

“Sect Leader, you truly consider every Disciple,” Zhu Yan exclaimed.

Such a plan was not too difficult to implement, yet no other School in the world was so generous. Even Aristocratic Families strictly controlled their scriptures and would not teach them to every descendant.

True Man Qingxiao looked at Li Qingqiu with new respect. He suddenly understood why Li Qingqiu had developed the Qingxiao Sect so well.

Perhaps the Qingxiao Sect surpassed worldly Schools not just in martial arts.

Shen Yue gave Li Qingqiu a deep look. Although he said nothing, he was also impressed by Li Qingqiu’s vision.

The meeting lasted a long time. When everyone dispersed, each person was full of fighting spirit, feeling that more challenges awaited them.

Even Jiang Zhaoxia was inspired by Li Qingqiu, and he decided to create more sword arts with lower thresholds to benefit the Disciples… The winter snow melted, and spring arrived.

News of the Dharma Battle Assembly spread like wildfire, exhilarating all Disciples in the School. Those Aristocratic Family Disciples were even ordered by their families and elders to seize this opportunity.

With more and more Qingxiao Sect Disciples, merely relying on one’s own efforts was not enough to get noticed by the high-level executives. The Dharma Battle Assembly was an excellent opportunity to showcase oneself.

Additionally, the Qingxiao Sect began sending Utility Disciples and craftsmen to nearby mountains for construction, which sparked curious discussions among the Disciples.

Inside the Qingxiao Sect, activity was bustling, and every Disciple was filled with fighting spirit and hope. Outside the Qingxiao Sect, war began to spread across the Nine Provinces.

The true era of chaos had arrived.

Early February.

Li Qingqiu finally achieved a Breakthrough to the Nourishing Origin Realm, Ninth Layer in the underground Spirit Lake.

Upon reaching the Ninth Layer, he could increasingly perceive the existence of his spiritual consciousness. Because the speed and efficiency of Qi absorption greatly improved, during the consolidation of his Cultivation, the Spiritual Qi of the entire underground Spirit Lake gathered towards him, making it impossible for Chu Jing, Nangong E, and Lin Chuan to Cultivate.

“This is…” Chu Jing looked at Li Qingqiu, who was surrounded by Spiritual Qi, with a look of fear.

Could he have reached a higher Realm?