Chapter 245: An Existence to Look Up To

Although he had some doubts about Li Qingqiu, what Shen Yue said made sense; this was the Qingxiao Sect, and no one would target a Disciple in broad daylight.

Thus, Hu Yan and Duan Xiaojuan followed Li Qingqiu and the other up the mountain.

Li Qingqiu asked about their relationship, to which Hu Yan answered truthfully. Duan Xiaojuan appeared innocent and romantic, thinking she hadn’t revealed her feelings as a young girl, but in the eyes of Li Qingqiu and Shen Yue, it was full of flaws.

“It’s good to be young.”

Li Qingqiu sighed inwardly, suddenly realizing he hadn’t experienced a romance in this life yet.

However, having experienced it in his previous life, he wasn’t in a hurry.

The four of them headed up the mountain and, before they knew it, arrived at the Martial Arts Stage halfway up. Zhu Qingling and the others were watching the battles, and Ye Nan hadn’t left either.

Ye Nan was chatting with other Disciples when his gaze suddenly caught Li Qingqiu. His pupils dilated involuntarily. He hesitated for a moment but didn’t run over, lest he seem cliché.

Zhu Qingling also noticed Hu Yan, and her gaze subsequently fell upon Li Qingqiu and Shen Yue.

Li Qingqiu looked so ethereal that she was stunned by his appearance. Although Shen Yue was old, he had an immortal air about him. The two of them walking together easily attracted attention.

Li Qingqiu didn’t stop; he just took a glance and continued on his way.

Since he had come to Ziyang Peak, he had to go see Xu Ning.

Zhu Qingling watched the four of them leave, while the Zhu Clan Disciples around her followed her gaze.

“Eh? Isn’t that person the Sect Leader?”

A female Disciple of the Zhu Clan exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth for fear of being too loud.

The Sect Leader?

Zhu Qingling looked at her in surprise, and the girl whispered in reply, “When I went to the Tiangong Hall to visit an Elder before, I happened to see him. He is the Sect Leader of our Qingxiao Sect, Li Qingqiu.”

Li Qingqiu!

Zhu Qingling was all too familiar with this name. To be precise, the name Li Qingqiu was like a clap of thunder to the members of the Zhu Clan.

Because of Li Qingqiu, the Zhu Clan had become the most powerful Aristocratic Family in the Nine Provinces, transcending the secular world. Zhu Yan had also become the highest-ranking member of the Zhu Clan because of this. Every Zhu Clan Disciple sent to the Qingxiao Sect was warned that once they arrived, they must not violate the sect rules or use their influence to bully others.

All Zhu Clan members understood that Li Qingqiu held their lives in his hands. Although the Zhu Clan seemed powerful, if they displeased Li Qingqiu, they could fall from the heights of the Nine Provinces into the dust within a single day.

Zhu Qingling’s eyes were filled with confusion.

Why was Hu Yan following the Sect Leader up the mountain?

The other Zhu Clan members were all invigorated. They all worshipped Li Qingqiu, so they were naturally excited to see him.

Walking up the mountain path, they would eventually encounter people who recognized Li Qingqiu. If he were alone, Disciples would surely approach him, but since Shen Yue was with him, it was clear they had business. Thus, those Disciples only dared to salute from a distance and did not approach.

Even if those Disciples didn’t approach, Hu Yan and Duan Xiaojuan could see their behavior, which made them secretly surprised. Just what were the identities of these two?

Even a branch hall Master of the Spirit Control Hall didn’t have such prestige.

Hu Yan was pleasantly surprised. Being able to take such a great figure as his Master was a good thing.

Duan Xiaojuan was also happy for him. She didn’t have any improper thoughts, just curiosity.

Half an hour later, Li Qingqiu led the three of them to the front of Xu Ning’s Immortal Cave. Upon reaching this area, things suddenly became quiet. The various branch halls didn’t dare to build buildings or courtyards nearby for fear of disturbing Xu Ning’s Cultivation.

Just as they arrived at the Immortal Cave, the stone door opened, and Xu Ning stepped out. She came before Li Qingqiu, bowed, and said, “Master, why have you come?”

If there were no outsiders, she wouldn’t have come out to greet him, but with others present, she had to observe proper etiquette.

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, “I came to see you. Can we go in?”

“Of course.”

Xu Ning nodded and turned to lead the way.

Li Qingqiu stepped into the Immortal Cave, with Shen Yue following closely behind. Hu Yan and Duan Xiaojuan exchanged a look and followed them inside.

Hu Yan examined the cave passage with bright eyes, thinking to himself, “Could this be the Immortal Cave other Disciples talk about?”

Duan Xiaojuan was even more obvious, her eyes wide open, letting out soft gasps of surprise.

The group arrived in the cave chamber. Xu Ning had Li Qingqiu and Shen Yue sit down while she began brewing tea. She looked at Hu Yan and the other, asking curiously, “These two Disciples are…”

“This boy is the Disciple I just took in, your Sixth Junior Brother, Hu Yan. The girl next to him is his friend, named Duan Xiaojuan.”

Li Qingqiu introduced them with a smile. Upon hearing this, Xu Ning’s eyes lit up. Facing her gaze, Hu Yan and Duan Xiaojuan were clearly very nervous.

Xu Ning’s aura was simply too strong. If Zhu Qingling was a Fairy from the heavens, then Xu Ning was like the leader of female immortals. In terms of beauty, Xu Ning was not inferior to Zhu Qingling, but in terms of aura, the two were completely incomparable.

“Sixth Junior Brother?”

“I have five Senior Sisters and Senior Brothers?”

Hu Yan couldn’t help but get nervous, wondering how those Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters would view him.

Xu Ning looked at Hu Yan and smiled, “You don’t need to be nervous. I am your Eldest Senior Sister. If you have any matters regarding your cultivation in the future, feel free to come find me anytime.”

Hu Yan quickly replied, “Thank you, Eldest Senior Sister…”

Shen Yue sat on a stool and observed Hu Yan. He felt that Hu Yan was somewhat introverted, lacking the high spirits of Zhao Zhen and Sword Solitary, not as composed as Yuan Li, and certainly lacking the visible talent of Ji Ya.

It seems he really was chosen based on a whim.

He had to admit that he found Hu Yan quite pleasing to the eye.

“Senior Sister, just what is the identity of Hu Yan’s Master?” Duan Xiaojuan couldn’t help but ask.

These words made Xu Ning look at Li Qingqiu in surprise, not expecting that he hadn’t revealed his identity yet.

Li Qingqiu laughed, “Since she asked, go ahead and answer.”

Xu Ning understood and looked at Duan Xiaojuan, asking, “Guess who he might be?”

“A Hall Master, or an Elder?” Duan Xiaojuan wasn’t shy and asked curiously.

“Too low.”

“Too low? What identity is more powerful than a Hall Master?”

“Who is the most powerful person in the School?”

“Of course, it’s the Sect Leader, the number one hero under heaven, Li Qingqiu!”

Duan Xiaojuan’s expression brightened as she spoke with a clenched fist. Clearly, she also worshipped Li Qingqiu.

Xu Ning smiled without speaking, which left Duan Xiaojuan stunned.

Hu Yan was equally shocked, as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at Li Qingqiu.

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, “Someone will come to pick you up tomorrow. You will move to Qingxiao Mountain.”

Hearing this, Hu Yan was instantly excited and hurriedly thanked Li Qingqiu.

The Sect Leader was actually going to take him as a Disciple!

Was he dreaming?

Hu Yan looked up at Li Qingqiu and asked cautiously, “Why me?”

He had never experienced unprovoked kindness from others while growing up, so it felt unreal. Fortunately, he didn’t sense any malice from the three people before him, which put his heart at ease.

“I was in a good mood today and wanted to take a Disciple, so I walked around. I felt a connection the moment I saw you. Although it’s illogical, that’s just how it is; I took a liking to you at first sight,” Li Qingqiu said softly with a laugh as he took the teacup Xu Ning handed him.

Cultivators certainly brew tea quickly.

Shen Yue nodded and said, “I can attest to that; that was indeed his intention. I originally thought he had his eye on some peerless Genius.”

Hu Yan certainly knew he wasn’t a peerless Genius; otherwise, he wouldn’t be just a Named Disciple.

Hu Yan’s heart was incredibly excited. He had much to say but didn’t know how to express it.

Suddenly, he noticed that Duan Xiaojuan beside him had lost her smile and was clearly a bit dejected, causing his excitement to quickly fade.

If he went to Qingxiao Mountain, he would inevitably grow distant from Duan Xiaojuan. They had only known each other for two days, so their relationship wasn’t solid, let alone the fact that they were about to be separated.

Hu Yan liked Duan Xiaojuan quite a bit—not in a romantic way, but as a friend. She was the first friend he had made since coming to the Qingxiao Sect.

The changes in their expressions were seen by Li Qingqiu and the other two, who exchanged looks and found it amusing.

The feelings of young boys and girls are truly simple and hard to hide.

“Duan Xiaojuan, I will guide your cultivation in the future. Although I cannot take you as a Disciple, you will have plenty of opportunities to see Hu Yan. You wouldn’t expect to be with him every day, would you? If that were the case, he wouldn’t be qualified to be the Sect Leader’s Disciple. Every Disciple of the Sect Leader must become a Genius recognized by the entire sect.”

Xu Ning said while staring at Duan Xiaojuan. Upon hearing this, Duan Xiaojuan was instantly overjoyed and hurriedly thanked her.

“I won’t cling to him. It’s enough as long as I have the chance to see him in the future,” Duan Xiaojuan replied.

Hearing that Duan Xiaojuan would receive guidance from his Eldest Senior Sister, a smile appeared on Hu Yan’s face.

Li Qingqiu praised, “That’s a Disciple of my Qingxiao Sect. Not just Hu Yan, you must also work hard on your cultivation. Perhaps one day, you can fight side by side with him.”

These words made Duan Xiaojuan’s blood boil with excitement, and she nodded heavily.

Afterward, the three of them began to chat about other topics, while Hu Yan and Duan Xiaojuan listened intently, filled with excitement and anticipation.

Even if they were just chatting, the world of cultivation in their words filled Hu Yan and the other with longing… That evening, Li Qingqiu, Shen Yue, and Xu Ning returned to the Lingxiao Courtyard for the festival, and Hu Yan’s name quickly reached the ears of the high-ranking officials.

They silently noted the name. Hearing from Shen Yue that Hu Yan was only a Named Disciple without outstanding natural talent, the high-ranking officials were puzzled.

They could never believe that Li Qingqiu really chose a Disciple based on a whim.

But regardless, it was a fact that Hu Yan had become Li Qingqiu’s sixth Disciple.

Hu Yan would surely become famous throughout the Qingxiao Sect and would also become a target for them to win over.

They believed in Li Qingqiu’s judgment and his methods; even if someone was mediocre, Li Qingqiu could nurture them into a talent.

The lively Lunar New Year’s night passed.

Early the next morning, Hu Yan was taken to Qingxiao Mountain, which caused a sensation in the courtyard where the Named Disciples lived. The other Disciples had no idea why he was able to go to Qingxiao Mountain.

Inside the Tiangong Hall on Qingxiao Mountain.

Zhu Qingling followed a group of Zhu Clan children to a courtyard. They stood in a line, waiting with tension and anticipation.

Soon, Zhu Yan arrived, and the group of Zhu Clan Disciples hurriedly bowed to her.

Zhu Yan scanned these juniors with relatively outstanding Aptitudes and then personally explained the sect rules to them.

She didn’t want the Zhu Clan children to be arrogant and gave them a stern warning in advance: if anyone violated the sect rules, she would personally expel them from the School.

At the same time, she hoped these Disciples would bring honor to the Zhu Clan.

“Yesterday, the Sect Leader took a Disciple named Hu Yan. He is a Disciple of the same term as you and will become an existence you look up to. In the future, if you encounter Hu Yan, try to befriend him—but of course, don’t be too obvious about it.”

When Zhu Yan spoke Hu Yan’s name, Zhu Qingling’s beautiful eyes widened, her expression full of shock, suspecting she had misheard.