Chapter 141: The Number One School Under Heaven

After reaching the Nourishing Origin Realm, Ninth Layer, Li Qingqiu’s spiritual consciousness had fully formed. Even with his eyes closed, he could perceive his surroundings with a complete, omnidirectional view, without any blind spots. This vision was incredibly miraculous, even clearer and more insightful than his physical eyes.

Spiritual consciousness could also see through rocks, cave walls, and so on, distinguishing different entities, surpassing so-called X-ray vision.

Possessing such spiritual consciousness, Li Qingqiu felt an even stronger sense of being a Cultivator.

No matter how strong a Martial Artist was, their strength only increased; their Physical Body’s essence would not surpass that of a mortal.

However, even with spiritual consciousness, Li Qingqiu was still some distance from the Spiritual Consciousness Realm. According to the records of the Taiqing Hunyuan Scripture, the Spiritual Consciousness Realm is a Realm where spiritual consciousness can be developed to possess combat power. Cultivators’ spellcasting would transform from simply using Origin Qi to combining Origin Qi with spiritual consciousness, resulting in greater power.

As Li Qingqiu began to consolidate his cultivation, the memories of the Cultivation Technique for the Spiritual Consciousness Realm in his mind became richer and more detailed.

The Taiqing Hunyuan Scripture was too vast; it wasn’t inherited into his mind all at once, but rather, as his Realm improved, more detailed memories were continuously released.

This also made the Qingxiao Sect Disciples feel that each layer of the Hunyuan Scripture’s Mind-Cultivation Technique could be treated as a separate Cultivation Technique. Just this point alone was something that secular Martial Arts Internal Skill could not compare to.

Li Qingqiu, who possessed the Hundred Refinements Demonic Body, needed time to accumulate Origin Qi to reach a state of abundance within his body. This was more troublesome than for Cultivators of the same Realm, but of course, it was a happy trouble.

In the following period, Chu Jing, Nangong E, and Lin Chuan found it difficult to settle down and Cultivate, because the Spiritual Qi in the underground Spirit Lake had been in a violent state.

Lin Chuan and Nangong E snuck out to play, while Chu Jing stayed by the underground Spirit Lake, observing Li Qingqiu’s state.

His intuition told him that Li Qingqiu’s Breakthrough was not that simple.

This momentum was too terrifying!

In a blink of an eye, five days passed.

Li Qingqiu opened his eyes, and Spiritual Qi seemed to surge from them, making his appearance incredibly oppressive.

The Hundred Refinements Demonic Body granted Li Qingqiu a hundred times the Origin Qi of others in the same Realm. He was now essentially a walking underground Spirit Lake.

He could clearly feel that the Spiritual Qi in the underground Spirit Lake had become sparse, as if more than half of it had been drained.

Li Qingqiu suddenly thought of a problem: as Disciples’ cultivation grew higher, there would inevitably be a shortage of Spiritual Qi. If more blessed lands could not be discovered, relying solely on the Taikun Mountain Range would likely be insufficient to support his reckless recruitment of Disciples.

It seemed that blindly recruiting Disciples was not a viable path.

Martial Forest Schools needed to consider finances, so they couldn’t support too many Disciples, at least far fewer than an army.

Cultivation Schools, on the other hand, had to consider Spiritual Qi. Origin Qi did not grow out of thin air; it was transformed from Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, making Spiritual Qi an important strategic resource.

The Heaven Mending Grand Array became a plan he had to implement, because the Heaven Mending Grand Array extracted Spiritual Qi from underground, which would significantly boost the Spiritual Qi within the Qingxiao Sect.

Li Qingqiu stood up and stretched his limbs.

Chu Jing floated over and asked curiously, “Master, what layer of the Hunyuan Scripture Realm have you reached now?”

“The Ninth Layer,” Li Qingqiu answered without concealment.

Chu Jing gasped.

After reaching the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer, Chu Jing began to feel the difficulty of the Hunyuan Scripture. His cultivation progress slowed, and it was foreseeable that it would become harder to Cultivate the further he went. He couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be at the Ninth Layer.

After exercising for a while, Li Qingqiu left the underground Spirit Lake.

It was already night.

Chu Jing manipulated the heavenly rainbow sword to follow behind Li Qingqiu, while Nangong E and Lin Chuan also quickly returned, lingering behind them.

Stone pillars stood along the mountain path, with oil lamps hanging from their tops, making Qingxiao Mountain at night less eerie than it had been years ago.

Li Qingqiu walked along the mountain path and noticed many Disciples practicing in the mountain forest, and also Disciples meeting secretly in the woods.

Whether Disciples falling in love was a good thing or a bad thing was something Li Qingqiu often discussed with the various Hall Masters. The conclusion was that there were both pros and cons. For this, the Qingxiao Sect had implemented many relevant sect rules, and for now, no problems had arisen.

Li Qingqiu used his spiritual consciousness to observe everything along the way, as if walking in broad daylight, and his vision was vast, allowing him to see people and objects a hundred zhang away.

Reaching the upper section of the Qingxiao Mountain path, Li Qingqiu suddenly stopped.

He saw that Zhang Ping was practicing a sword technique, created by Jiang Zhaoxia, about fifty zhang from the mountain path. It wasn’t particularly profound.

It seemed Zhang Ping was also preparing for the Dharma Battle Assembly.

Chu Jing floated out and asked, “Master, do you know this kid?”

He used to work in the Spirit Control Hall and had a good relationship with Zhang Ping, so he had a strong impression of Zhang Ping.

In his impression, Zhang Ping was very ordinary and innocent. He befriended Zhang Ping simply because he was accustomed to making friends.

However, this kid Zhang Ping was extremely enthusiastic towards him. After leaving Qingxiao Mountain, Chu Jing occasionally thought of Zhang Ping.

He didn’t know that Zhang Ping now regarded him as a devil, terrified of seeing him again.

“Yes, I have a good impression of him. I feel he has potential,” Li Qingqiu answered softly.

“Potential? Him?”

Chu Jing was stunned, his tone full of confusion. He dared not question Li Qingqiu’s judgment, but was merely curious about Zhang Ping’s hidden merits.

“His future achievements might even surpass that descendant of Nangong.”

Li Qingqiu withdrew his gaze, spoke nonchalantly, and then continued on his way.

Chu Jing quickly caught up and asked, “Master, when will you be willing to nurture Nangong Yu?”

Nangong E also looked at Li Qingqiu, her eyes full of anticipation.

“When he can appear before my eyes,” Li Qingqiu replied casually.

Upon hearing this, Chu Jing couldn’t help but sigh.

Ultimately, Nangong Yu’s talent wasn’t strong enough. If he could compare to The Three Xiao Brothers, Li Qingqiu would definitely summon him personally.

Thinking of The Three Xiao Brothers, Chu Jing’s mood became complicated.

After losing to Venerable Xiao Profound, he had always hoped to defeat him, but he dared not seek him out. Only after Venerable Xiao Profound’s death did he dare to roam the Jianghu. Unexpectedly, three extraordinary Geniuses emerged among Venerable Xiao Profound’s descendants…

He even suspected that The Three Xiao Brothers could all become terrifying powerhouses like Venerable Xiao Profound, because these three had already displayed extraordinary talent… Li Qingqiu did not share the news of his Breakthrough with others, including his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.

By March, Guangyuan Hall had set up registration points for the Dharma Battle Assembly, attracting Disciples in droves. Registering for the Dharma Battle Assembly required deducting one month’s contribution points. Contribution points were calculated separately from monthly stipends, and all Disciples understood that the School’s contribution points were more valuable than stipends; they could be exchanged for Cultivation Techniques, martial arts, weapons, and even privately traded for money.

With the registration cost, many Disciples who were just looking for fun were naturally deterred. Even so, Guangyuan Hall became lively, with Disciples coming to register every day.

News of the Qingxiao Sect’s Dharma Battle Assembly also spread to the Guzhou Prefecture Martial Forest and aristocratic circles.

As Li Qingqiu’s prestige shook the world, the aristocrats recognized the Qingxiao Sect’s martial arts. When hiring guards or Martial Master teachers, they would first consider Qingxiao Sect Disciples. They even wanted to establish closer relationships with Qingxiao Sect Geniuses.

Currently, a group of Disciples were teaching martial arts to Aristocratic Family scions at the foot of the mountain; this was a commission requested by the Aristocratic Families at the Experience Hall.

Mid-March.

A group of richly dressed people ascended the mountain, led by none other than Prince Wei Zhao Qi. Last year, he led the Seven Provinces Army in rebellion against the imperial court. Although he ultimately failed, his reputation soared, earning him the admiration of people across the land.

Beside Prince Wei was Pei Zhangzhi, the Pei Clan Chief.

Behind the two were the younger generations and retainers of Prince Wei and Pei Zhangzhi’s Families.

They admired the scenery along the way, observing Utility Disciples and Named Disciples at work, Outer Sect Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples practicing, and even Disciples sparring in the forest.

As Prince Wei walked, he could feel the Qingxiao Sect’s vigorous Life Qi, a Life Qi unmatched by other Martial Forest Schools. Anyone could perceive the Qingxiao Sect’s profound Legacy and power from the various scenes on the mountain.

“Truly the number one School under heaven,” Prince Wei exclaimed sincerely.

The crowd behind him echoed his sentiment, and even the highly skilled retainers felt admiration, as the martial arts of many Disciples astonished them.

The skills of these Disciples, if displayed in the Jianghu, would certainly earn them great renown, yet in the Qingxiao Sect, they were merely ordinary Disciples.

The most crucial point was that these Disciples were all very young, indicating they were cultivated by the Qingxiao Sect, rather than joining after achieving fame.

Pei Zhangzhi smiled, “The Qingxiao Sect does not participate in Martial Forest disputes, focusing solely on its own development. This magnanimity alone is unmatched by other Martial Forest Schools.”

Prince Wei nodded, then asked, “Will we be able to meet Sect Master Li today?”

Although he was of imperial Bloodline and held high status, he dared not put on airs when facing Li Qingqiu, adopting a very humble posture.

There was no other way; if Li Qingqiu could kill Zhao Zhi, he could naturally kill him too. No powerful figure in the world wished to provoke such an existence.

“Hard to say, but Hall Master Zhang Yuchun of the Spirit Control Hall will meet us. Hall Master Zhang is Sect Master Li’s Second Junior Brother. Don’t let his title of Hall Master fool you, his authority is immense, equivalent to the Vice Sect Leader of the Qingxiao Sect,” Pei Zhangzhi replied.

A hint of regret flashed in Prince Wei’s eyes, but he did not voice it.

The Zhao Clan descendants behind him likewise dared not show dissatisfaction; even if they were displeased, they could only hide it in their hearts, for this was the Qingxiao Sect.

Unknowingly, they arrived near the Martial Arts Stage. At this moment, two Disciples were sparring on the stage.

One of them was none other than Invincible Xiao.

After several months of Cultivation, Invincible Xiao had already reached the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer, and his opponent was a True Disciple, also possessing the Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer cultivation.

The two did not use weapons, exchanging blows with fists and kicks on the stage, each strike landing with force, prompting cheers from the Disciples and pilgrims below.

Prince Wei stopped, his gaze drawn by the martial arts on stage. Pei Zhangzhi also stopped, watching the match together.

The punches and kicks of Invincible Xiao and the True Disciple made the retainers behind Prince Wei and Pei Zhangzhi’s hearts pound.

Such swift movement!

Such powerful punches and kicks!

The more Prince Wei watched, the more he liked it. He pointed at Invincible Xiao and asked, “What is that person’s name? Does he have a background?”

Pei Zhangzhi shook his head, about to speak, when a passing Disciple behind them chuckled and said, “His name is Invincible Xiao, a Genius personally nurtured by the Sect Leader. He only joined the School at the beginning of the year, and now he has such skill. His talent is truly terrifying. Oh, he also has two younger brothers, whose martial arts are no weaker than his, and they also joined the School at the beginning of the year.”