Chapter 184: Tremors on Qingxiao Mountain

After introducing Angelica to the Disciples at the harbor, Li Qingqiu returned to the Qingxiao Sect with Gold Lad and the other two demons.

He had Gold Lad and the Golden Monkey perch on his left and right shoulders, respectively, while he carried the black panther in one hand as he flew on his sword.

This terrified the three demons; their bodies were tense, fearing they might fall.

Instead of returning directly to the Lingxiao Courtyard, he landed by the Xi River at the foot of Qingxiao Mountain. He set the black panther down and then led the three demons up the mountain with great fanfare.

The black panther’s fur was glossy, mysterious, and handsome, attracting the attention of Disciples along the way, while the Golden Monkey following behind was largely ignored.

“Sect Leader, where did this panther come from? Is it to be sent to the Demon Taming Hall?” a bold Disciple stepped forward to ask.

“I found it outside. It will indeed join the Demon Taming Hall in the future.”

Li Qingqiu replied with a smile. Seeing his smile, the other Disciples grew bolder and gathered around one after another.

When the Disciples noticed a large mantis on Li Qingqiu’s shoulder, they were even more amazed.

Someone tried to pet the black panther, startling it into shouting, “Get lost!”

Whoosh—

Hearing the black panther speak human tongue, the Disciples were so frightened they retreated like a receding tide.

The black panther glared fiercely at that Disciple and then followed Li Qingqiu closely.

Li Qingqiu continued up the mountain. He did not forbid the three demons from speaking the human tongue, intending to let the Disciples broaden their horizons.

The arrival of the three demons caused quite a stir within the School. Li Qingqiu placed the Golden Monkey and the black panther in the Demon Taming Hall, drawing many Disciples to come and watch. As for Gold Lad, he planned to keep it by his side.

Inside the Immortal Cave.

Li Qingqiu sat in meditation on the stone bed. He watched Gold Lad standing at the edge of the spiritual pool, its eyes full of expectation.

Chu Jing emerged from the heavenly rainbow sword and asked in confusion, “Master, why did you choose this insect? That monkey and the black panther seem to have more potential.”

An insect didn’t seem promising no matter how one looked at it; at least, Chu Jing could not imagine it attaining the Dao through cultivation.

Reviewing strange tales from ancient to modern times, he had never heard of an insect spirit.

Of course, that was only because he hadn’t heard of it; Li Qingqiu, however, had.

“Perhaps it’s fate. I feel that bringing it along is more convenient,” Li Qingqiu replied in his heart.

Upon hearing this, Chu Jing followed his train of thought. Such a mantis was indeed easier to carry and could be hidden, delivering a fatal blow to an enemy at a critical moment.

Thinking this way, a sense of admiration arose in his heart.

As expected of Master, his considerations are truly comprehensive.

Li Qingqiu did not reveal Gold Lad’s talent. The more people doubted, the better; only then could he prove his vision and nurturing ability.

However, the immediate priority was to raise Gold Lad’s loyalty.

He needed to win its heart!

…The Golden Monkey was named Yue Shan, and the black panther was named Hei Li. Because Li Qingqiu had given special instructions, Cheng Canghai was very friendly to them and did not dare to order them around casually.

The two demons were very nervous when they first arrived, but as time passed, they found that these people bore them no ill will and were even quite enthusiastic. They gradually lowered their guard and began to like the Demon Taming Hall.

The arrival of two demons capable of human speech at the Demon Taming Hall was a rare occurrence.

Although the Qingxiao Sect was already considered an immortal cultivation sect and there were tree demons in the world, neither the Disciples nor the pilgrims had ever seen a living, speaking demon.

The Demon Taming Hall became even more lively, with a large number of visitors every day.

The news also spread down the mountain.

The appearance of the three demons made Li Qingqiu seem even more mysterious in the eyes of the world.

The Qingxiao Sect Leader could both slay demons and subdue them.

After half a month of interaction, Li Qingqiu finally managed to get Gold Lad’s loyalty to 89, just one step away from 90.

It had to be said that little demons who hadn’t seen much of the world were easy to coax.

One evening, Li Qingqiu walked out of his Immortal Cave with the heavenly rainbow sword hanging at his waist and Gold Lad standing on his shoulder.

Li Sijin and Dong Yue were waiting in the courtyard, the two women holding various bottles and jars, chatting excitedly.

Li Sijin turned her head, immediately waved, and said, “Senior Brother, come over and look, there’s good stuff!”

Li Qingqiu smiled and walked to the long table to sit down.

Noticing Gold Lad on his shoulder, Li Sijin couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you bring it with you every time you come out?”

“What? Do you have an objection?”

“It looks very strange.”

“How is it strange? My Gold Lad is quite handsome.”

Hearing this, Gold Lad lifted its head, looking very haughty.

Li Sijin rolled her eyes at Li Qingqiu, thinking his sense of aesthetics was flawed. She didn’t bother to dwell on the issue and picked up three small bottles from the table, pushing them toward Li Qingqiu.

“These are three new Medicinal Pills refined by Chen Huilan: the youth retention pill, the divine speed pill, and the blood burning pill.”

“The youth retention pill can make youth last forever, keeping one’s appearance unchanged and even maintaining the skin in a youthful state.”

“The divine speed pill can enhance the Physical Body’s reaction speed, making it suitable for combat.”

“The blood burning pill is also a combat pill. It burns blood to enhance strength, suitable for life-and-death struggles or desperate situations.”

Li Sijin said proudly. Over the past year, the results from their Cultivation Hall had seen a massive explosion, causing her prestige within the School to grow higher and higher.

Even the fearless Chai Yunshang would take the initiative to befriend her to secure purchasing rights for Medicinal Pills for the Law Enforcement Hall Disciples.

After listening, Li Qingqiu picked up the small bottle containing the youth retention pill, poured one out, and tossed it directly into his mouth.

Li Sijin’s eyes widened. “That’s a youth retention pill! Why did you just eat it?”

“Why can’t I eat it?”

Li Qingqiu savored the taste of the youth retention pill. It was very crisp; after biting through the surface layer, the pill dissolved instantly and flowed down his throat, leaving a fragrant aroma lingering in his mouth.

Li Sijin curled her lip and said, “Shouldn’t the youth retention pill be a pill pursued by women? Men should pursue maturity; the steadier, the better. Senior Brother, you already look young enough, yet you’re still retaining your youth!”

“What kind of talk is that? Do you want your Senior Brother to turn into a wizened old man like Grandmaster?” Li Qingqiu glared at Li Sijin and said crossly.

“True. You look best as you are now.”

At the thought of True Man Qingxiao’s appearance and temperament, Li Sijin immediately felt that Li Qingqiu’s words made sense.

Seeing Li Qingqiu take a youth retention pill, Dong Yue followed suit and took one as well.

Li Qingqiu felt carefully but did not perceive any abnormalities. He couldn’t help but ask skeptically, “This youth retention pill isn’t a fake, is it?”

Li Sijin rolled her eyes at him. “Whether it’s effective or not, you’ll have to wait a few years.”

“Fine.”

Li Qingqiu could only let it go. Although he couldn’t feel the effects of the youth retention pill, he could sense the Spiritual Qi of the divine speed pill and blood burning pill through the medicine bottles.

Chen Huilan really had talent.

It wasn’t in vain that he had risked saving her back then.

Li Qingqiu looked at Li Sijin and said, “Your Cultivation Hall cannot just focus on research. You must also manage the various academic halls and cultivation classes. This is of long-term significance for the Cultivation Hall.”

Dong Yue added, “That’s right. In the future, the vast majority of Disciples will have benefited from the Cultivation Hall’s kindness. The status of the Cultivation Hall will only grow higher, and you will also benefit.”

Li Sijin said helplessly, “I want to, but we don’t have enough manpower.”

Li Qingqiu pondered and said, “Given the Cultivation Hall’s remarkable results, I will allow you to recruit another hundred people.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother!”

Li Sijin immediately beamed with joy. She had come to find Li Qingqiu precisely for this matter.

Although Li Qingqiu doted on her, he would not indulge her in major matters; she had to produce results first.

Having obtained Li Qingqiu’s consent, Li Sijin immediately got up and left in a hurry.

Li Qingqiu smiled helplessly; this girl had actually learned to be indirect.

He looked at Dong Yue and asked, “Has the Spiritual Wealth Hall encountered any trouble lately?”

Dong Yue did indeed have a pile of complaints to voice. Hearing his inquiry, she no longer held back and recounted them one by one.

Li Qingqiu listened intently. In the process of a School’s rapid development, various problems would always arise. He had anticipated this; even while he was pushing for the Spiritual Consciousness Realm, he had to take time to look into these matters.

Even if he didn’t intervene, as long as he showed an attitude, Dong Yue would be able to solve many problems… The construction of the Qingxiao Sect brought daily changes to the School, with all sorts of news flowing in every day. However, for the vast majority of Disciples, their primary focus was still on the geniuses of their generation.

This year, many more geniuses had emerged in the Qingxiao Sect, present in every hall.

They displayed their natural talents on the Martial Arts Stage, and their reputations rose rapidly.

Halfway up Qingxiao Mountain, dozens of Disciples gathered around this Martial Arts Stage, cheering from time to time.

With a bang!

Ye Nan fell pathetically below the stage, his face pale and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Yang Xuan quickly came to his side, supported him, and used his own Origin Qi to soothe the blood and Qi in Ye Nan’s body.

On the stage, a handsome young man stood with his arms crossed over his chest, smiling triumphantly. “Ye Nan, this is already the ninth time you’ve lost to me. Still won’t admit defeat? I’m about to Breakthrough to the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer. If you want to fight again in the future, there won’t be a chance. After all, the School doesn’t allow duels across Realms.”

His name was Ning Shu. He had joined the School less than two years ago but already had a certain reputation. He had achieved the most outstanding results in the entrance examination and was recruited early by the Experience Hall.

The threshold for the current Eight Halls was very high; some Disciples at the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer couldn’t even join. Being able to join the Experience Hall right after entering the School naturally drew criticism toward Ning Shu.

Hearing Ning Shu’s arrogant words, Ye Nan grew agitated, causing his internal Origin Qi to become chaotic, and he began to cough violently.

Yang Xuan looked up at Ning Shu and frowned. “Junior Brother, we are all fellow Disciples. Why must you humiliate him so?”

Although a group of Disciples below the stage were Ning Shu’s followers, the vast majority were just there for the spectacle. They also felt Ning Shu had gone too far, so upon hearing Yang Xuan’s words, they joined in agreement.

Ning Shu looked at Yang Xuan and asked, “And who are you?”

He had noticed before that Yang Xuan always came to watch Ye Nan’s battles, but the two of them had never spoken.

“Spiritual Wealth Hall, Yang Xuan,” Yang Xuan replied calmly.

He no longer looked like a hunter; his skin had become fair and clean, looking more and more like an immortal cultivator.

Ning Shu frowned, feeling as if he had heard this name somewhere before.

It wasn’t until he heard someone below the stage exclaim that Yang Xuan was the Disciple of the Spiritual Wealth Hall Master.

A Hall Master’s Disciple!

Ning Shu gave Yang Xuan a deep look and stopped throwing harsh words. He turned around, preparing to walk down the Martial Arts Stage.

Just then.

The Martial Arts Stage began to vibrate. To be precise, the entire Qingxiao Mountain began to vibrate, causing the Disciples to look around in alarm.

“What’s going on? An earthquake?”

“How is that possible? I’ve never heard of an earthquake in the Taikun Mountain Range.”

“Why does it feel like the vibration is coming from up the mountain?”

“Don’t panic. This is the Qingxiao Sect, a place of immortal cultivation. We have nothing to fear even if the sky falls.”

Yang Xuan turned his head to look. He could feel Spiritual Qi surging upward, making him curious. What exactly was happening?