Chapter 153: The Most Powerful Disciple

Night fell, and heavy snow danced in the air.

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Inside a newly built courtyard, the eight young girls whom Bo Zhao and the other two had brought to the Qingxiao Sect were lying on the beds. It was a long kang (heated brick bed), where the eight girls lay side by side, each covered by a warm quilt.

Cloud Color lay in the corner, feeling uneasy, unaware that she possessed two special destinies. She wondered what life would be like in the Qingxiao Sect.

“Are you asleep? Want to chat?”

A girl turned around and asked, wrapping herself up so only her head was visible.

As soon as she spoke, the others also began to shift their bodies.

“The Qingxiao Sect is huge! It feels even more prosperous than Pan City.”

“I know, right? When we came up the mountain today, the Disciples all looked so radiant and splendid, I didn’t dare make eye contact with them.”

“I heard the Qingxiao Sect is the number one under heaven School. We are now Outer Sect Disciples, and our future is boundless. We must seize this opportunity.”

“If Xing’er and the others were still alive, how great would that be.”

“Everyone has their own destiny. Before we set out, we each made our own decision and agreed we would have no regrets. Instead of mourning them, we should focus on how to establish ourselves in the Qingxiao Sect.”

Cloud Color remained silent, listening to the voices of her companions while her mind replayed the scene of her first meeting with Li Qingqiu.

At that time, she was tied up in a room. The room was very dark, with sunlight only filtering through the cracks in the window. She would never forget the fear she felt then.

Until the door was pushed open, and a figure appeared before her.

“Don’t be afraid. I will kill all the villains here. I’ll take you out.”

She was terrified and didn’t dare trust the person, but she was carried out directly, completely unable to struggle free.

After leaving the room, the sunlight dazzled her eyes. When she finally saw the person’s face clearly, she was stunned.

That face, she would never forget it for the rest of her life.

Today, when she saw that face again, her heart filled with joy. She even suspected for a moment that she was dreaming.

“The Qingxiao Sect has so many Disciples, and the mountains are so magnificent. Will it be hard for me to see him again in the future?”

Thinking of this, Cloud Color felt a pang of disappointment.

With the whispers of her companions echoing in her ears, Cloud Color thought about the future and gradually drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t until someone shook her that she finally woke up.

“Hurry up and get dressed! They’ve already beaten the gong at the main courtyard. If we’re late, we might not get any food.” A tall girl urged while putting on her clothes.

Hearing this, Cloud Color quickly scrambled out of bed.

They quickly put on their Qingxiao Sect Outer Sect Disciple robes and rushed out the door without washing their faces. Arriving at the main courtyard, they saw the Outer Sect Disciples of this area lining up to receive breakfast. They noticed three long tables at the front of the line, upon which sat wooden barrels steaming with heat.

They were all dumbfounded because they saw the Qingxiao Sect Disciples carrying wooden trays, passing the three long tables, and loading their trays with various dishes, both meat and vegetables.

Eating meat this early in the morning?

A male Disciple in front noticed them, turned around, and smiled: “Junior Sisters, you must be new Disciples. No need to rush, everyone gets food, just don’t be late.”

They snapped out of their daze, quickly lined up behind the male Disciple, and started asking him about the Qingxiao Sect.

Rarely having so many Junior Sisters focused on him, the male Disciple felt lightheaded with excitement and began introducing the Qingxiao Sect to them.

After introducing the basic situation of the Qingxiao Sect, he naturally mentioned the recent notable figures.

“You didn’t see it, but when Senior Brother Gu Changping carried the head of the Prefect of Yuzhou up the mountain, he was so calm, as if he were carrying a chicken…”

The male Disciple stood to the side, holding his wooden tray full of food, speaking excitedly.

After Cloud Color and the eight girls had all gotten their food, he led them into the main courtyard to find a table. Dozens of tables were set up here, where all the Outer Sect Disciples in this area ate.

Cloud Color looked around, filled with curiosity. In a chaotic world where grain and fodder were scarce, let alone meat, how did the Qingxiao Sect manage to provide such excellent food even for Outer Sect Disciples?

This was just one Outer Sect courtyard on Qingxiao Mountain, and there were many others like it. She couldn’t imagine how much grain and meat the Qingxiao Sect consumed in a single day.

“Is Senior Brother Gu Changping the most powerful Disciple in the School?” a girl asked the male Disciple curiously.

The male Disciple smiled proudly and said, “Not at all. In this year’s Dharma Battle Assembly, he only managed to get sixth place.”

“There are five Disciples who are even better than him?”

“More than five! There’s also an even more formidable Senior Sister, her name is Xu Ning. She is the Sect Leader’s chief Disciple. She’s only nineteen, and her cultivation is unimaginably high. A few years ago, she even fought the Sword God to a draw. The Sword God, have you heard of him? He was once the number one under heaven…”

Listening to the male Disciple endlessly recount the notable Disciples of the School, the seven girls were all amazed.

Hearing about Xu Ning’s prowess, Cloud Color’s eyes dimmed.

Just then, the surrounding Outer Sect Disciples stood up one after another. The male Disciple looked toward the courtyard gate, his expression changing, and he quickly stood up, gesturing to Cloud Color and the eight girls to rise as well.

Cloud Color and the eight girls instinctively stood up and turned to look.

They saw Yuan Qi, who had brought them to meet Li Qingqiu yesterday, approaching. Following Yuan Qi were many Disciples, all of whom looked imposing and dignified.

“That’s Senior Brother Yuan Qi. He works specifically for the Sect Leader. He’s a big shot in the School, his status is no less than a Hall Master. You must salute him whenever you see him,” the male Disciple whispered a reminder. Immediately after, he saw Yuan Qi walking towards them, which scared him into standing ramrod straight.

Yuan Qi came up to Cloud Color and the eight girls and smiled: “Everyone, please follow me after you finish eating. The Sect Leader wants to see you.”

Cloud Color and the eight girls pointed at themselves, and Yuan Qi nodded with a smile.

The male Disciple sitting opposite them was greatly shocked, realizing that Cloud Color and the eight girls must have a significant background.

Being summoned by the Sect Leader must mean good news; if it were bad news, the ones who came would not be Yuan Qi, but Disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall.

“Eat first, no rush,” Yuan Qi said with a smile, his gaze sweeping around before settling on the male Disciple. The male Disciple was so intimidated that he quickly gave up his seat, carrying his wooden tray away.

Just like that, Yuan Qi sat opposite Cloud Color and the eight girls, watching them eat.

Although he was only eighteen, years of working for Li Qingqiu had cultivated his own imposing presence, making Cloud Color and the eight girls extremely nervous as they ate.

After they left the main courtyard, the other Outer Sect Disciples began discussing, curious about the identities of Cloud Color and the eight girls.

The male Disciple who had previously spoken to Cloud Color and the eight girls felt extremely awkward. He wasn’t afraid, as his intentions were good, but he felt a bit embarrassed… Yuan Qi led Cloud Color and the eight girls into a patch of woods. When they noticed there were no Disciples along the way, they instinctively grew nervous.

Traveling all the way from Pan City to Qingxiao Mountain, they had experienced too many dangers and had learned to view people and events with the worst possible outcome in mind.

Although Yuan Qi didn’t look like a bad person, what if he was?

Yuan Qi was unaware that he had already turned into a villain in the hearts of Cloud Color and the eight girls. He was currently thinking about another woman.

“If I have time today, I should go see her.”

Thinking of that woman, Yuan Qi couldn’t help but smile.

At the age of eighteen, it’s easy to fall in love, especially since he held a high position, meaning there were always female Disciples throwing themselves at him.

When the figures of Li Qingqiu and Yuan Li appeared in the sight of Cloud Color and the eight girls, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and smiles appeared on all their faces.

Every single one of them had been rescued by Li Qingqiu from the Cui Residence. Furthermore, their parents had either died or abandoned them, making Li Qingqiu the person they trusted the most—even Bo Zhao couldn’t compare.

Bo Zhao was a good man, but he wasn’t as powerful as Li Qingqiu and couldn’t give them such a strong sense of security.

Li Qingqiu turned to look at Cloud Color and the eight girls, showing a gentle smile.

Judging by the Disciple avatar on the dao lineage panel, Cloud Color was delicate and sweet-looking, but in reality, even after bathing, she didn’t look entirely clean and was unremarkable among the eight girls.

Yuan Qi approached Li Qingqiu, raised his hand in salute, and then turned to leave.

The girls watched him leave, suddenly feeling that this Senior Brother acted decisively and efficiently, no wonder the Sect Leader employed him.

Li Qingqiu looked at Cloud Color and the eight girls, but did not deliberately keep his gaze fixed on Cloud Color.

“According to the School rules, you must perform labor for a period before learning martial arts. However, considering the hardships you faced on your journey and the wariness you must still feel toward the Qingxiao Sect, to help you better integrate into the School, I will preemptively teach you the first layer of the Hunyuan Scripture Mind-Cultivation Technique. This is our School’s ultimate Founding Secret Art.”

Li Qingqiu spoke earnestly. Hearing this, the eight girls became excited and bowed to thank him.

He raised his hand, gesturing for them to sit opposite Yuan Li. The eight girls walked over and sat cross-legged on the snow, imitating Yuan Li’s posture.

Looking at the ten-year-old Yuan Li, they were all very curious about the boy’s identity.

“His name is Yuan Li. He is Yuan Qi’s biological younger brother. Yuan Qi is the Disciple who just brought you here,” Li Qingqiu introduced.

Yuan Li looked at the eight girls and nodded slightly.

Li Qingqiu sat down as well and began teaching the first layer of the Hunyuan Scripture Mind-Cultivation Technique.

The reason he taught the other seven girls along with Cloud Color was not to conceal his intention to cultivate Cloud Color, but because the loyalty of the seven girls was also extremely high, making him feel they could all be cultivated together.

Just like how he treated Yuan Qi and Yuan Li, he didn’t neglect Yuan Qi just because his Aptitude was poor.

Yuan Qi entered the Qingxiao Sect with his younger brother, and Li Qingqiu did not want differential treatment to ruin the relationship between the two brothers.

He held the same belief regarding Cloud Color and the eight girls now.

Even Ji Ya’s five companions were arranged by Li Qingqiu to enter the Sword Sect through Ji Ya’s recommendation, all to maintain their relationships.

Of course, the foundation for all this had to be high loyalty.

Li Qingqiu only showed kindness to others while ensuring his own safety.

The Hunyuan Scripture was extremely complex for those who had never cultivated immortality, let alone Cloud Color and the eight girls, who hadn’t even practiced martial arts.

Fortunately, Li Qingqiu was patient, teaching them again and again.

It wasn’t until noon that Yuan Qi returned with others, carrying lunch boxes in their hands.

“Take a break for half an hour. You should eat first,” Li Qingqiu said with a smile. As he spoke, he stood up and stretched.

Seeing him do this, the seven girls besides Cloud Color quickly stretched their bodies. They had been forcing themselves to endure, and their entire bodies were aching from maintaining the sitting meditation posture.

Cloud Color watched Li Qingqiu turn away, gritted her teeth, stood up, and said: “Sect Leader, I have already cultivated Origin Qi!”

As soon as she said this, the seven girls stared at her in astonishment.

Yuan Qi, who had just walked over, widened his eyes, shocked in his heart. How long had it been?

Could it be that the Sect Leader had unearthed another Peerless Genius?

Yuan Li, who was still sitting in meditation on the ground, was also stunned.