Chapter 172: Immortal, Spare My Life

Inside Xuanxin Hall, the Hall Masters, Deputy Hall Masters, and Elders of each hall gathered. The hall was silent, and everyone’s expression was very grim.

Xu Ning and Xue Jin did not come; they were currently recovering from their respective injuries.

Li Qingqiu stood on the steps, looking at the sect’s high-level members, and said, “Today, seventeen Disciples died and two were heavily injured. If not for Xu Ning and Xue Jin stalling for time, the casualties would have been immeasurable.”

The dozens of people in the hall began to whisper among themselves upon hearing this.

Such casualties were not considered large, especially in these troubled times, but this time, the casualties occurred within the Taikun Mountain Range, and they couldn’t help but feel worried and angry.

Li Qingqiu gave Zhang Yuchun a look, and Zhang Yuchun immediately took a step forward, recounting the intelligence the sect had gathered on the Qi Clan one by one, including the relationship between the Qi Clan and the Lingtian Sect.

Hearing that the Qi Clan was raising evil demons, the sect’s high-level members were all terrified. With Zhao Zhi as a precedent, they did not immediately question such a thing.

Zhang Yuchun said in a deep voice, “We originally had no grievances with the Qi Clan or the Lingtian Sect. It was the Lingtian Sect that first slaughtered Elder Jiang’s Family, then threatened us with the Family of Disciple Li Yang. They even sent someone to assassinate Elder Li Sifeng, and now they have sent a demonic Clone to invade the Qingxiao Sect. Everyone, this hatred can no longer be resolved; it is a fight to the death!”

The dozens of people in the hall echoed his sentiments one after another, their emotions stirred. They all understood the sect’s decisions; looking at the Jianghu and the world, no sect was more peaceful than the Qingxiao Sect. The Qingxiao Sect had destroyed many Schools, but they were all forces that had taken the initiative to provoke the Qingxiao Sect.

Many Jianghu Schools took the initiative to visit the Qingxiao Sect, and the Qingxiao Sect always treated them with courtesy and never bullied them. Let alone the Martial Forest, even they, as insiders, could feel the sect’s magnanimity and the Sect Leader’s grand vision.

But this was the Jianghu, and this was the world. No matter how kind or powerful one was, there would always be ambitious people watching.

Zhang Yuchun raised his hand, and immediately after, a sound of footsteps came from behind. The leaders turned around to look and saw two Disciples quickly carrying in a stretcher, and the leaders all made way.

The two Disciples placed the stretcher among the leaders. Everyone looked closely and saw the mangled corpse of the White-Haired Youth. There were still many wooden vines connected to his body, and it was clear at a glance that he was not human.

“This demon is the Incarnation of a Tree Demon, and its flesh is hard. You all can come forward and try it to understand what kind of enemy we are facing,” Zhang Yuchun introduced.

The leaders looked at each other, not daring to step forward easily.

Yang Jueding was the first to walk over. He drew his blade and slashed at the White-Haired Youth, but sparks flew, the blade snapped, and no wound was added to the White-Haired Youth’s body.

This scene piqued the interest of the others, and they all gathered around.

Li Qingqiu stood on the steps, quietly watching this scene. He was also thinking about how to deal with the Qi Clan and the Ancient God next.

Seventeen people died this time. Even if he could keep some of the Disciples’ souls, there was a fundamental difference between the living and the souls of the dead. He had no means to resurrect people.

If he didn’t resolve this grudge once the news spread through the sect, it would definitely affect the Disciples’ perception of the sect.

Moreover, he couldn’t wait any longer, to prevent more Disciples from being killed or injured.

When the leaders dispersed and stood back in their original places, Shen Yue also stepped forward, and everyone’s eyes fell on him.

None of them could break through the White-Haired Youth’s skin, which made them feel chilled by this demon’s strength. No wonder even Xu Ning was heavily injured.

If even Shen Yue couldn’t break through the demon’s defense, then what should they do?

Shen Yue’s expression was natural. He stood before the White-Haired Youth’s corpse, extended two fingers of his right hand, and pointed toward the White-Haired Youth’s waist. A burst of Sword Qi shot out, directly piercing through his waist.

Seeing this scene, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. Shen Yue then turned around without changing his expression.

Li Qingqiu thought to himself, he really knows how to put on a show.

He could tell at a glance that Shen Yue had exerted all his strength, concentrating the power of the sword soul into his two fingers, for fear of not being able to penetrate the demon’s flesh.

Of course, the fact that Shen Yue could break through the demon’s defense also surprised Li Qingqiu.

Shen Yue was still at the Nourishing Origin Realm, Fifth Layer cultivation level, but his lethality was even stronger than Xu Ning’s at the Nourishing Origin Realm Eighth Layer. He truly deserved to be the number one under heaven and the sect’s top Sword Cultivator.

Li Qingqiu felt that Shen Yue was becoming more and more useful, and Shen Yue did not covet merit, did not fight for power, and did not seek anything for others.

Thinking back to when the Demon Sect and the Three Founding Sects attacked, Shen Yue had held them off alone. If the enemies had been allowed to break in then, it would likely have caused casualties as well.

The more Li Qingqiu looked at Shen Yue, the more he liked him.

Shen Yue noticed Li Qingqiu’s gaze. Although he didn’t respond, he straightened his back.

Li Qingqiu suddenly had a plan.

“From today on, maintain strict guard. The matter of selling land is temporarily shelved. Try not to let Disciples leave Qingxiao Mountain and Ziyang Peak.”

Li Qingqiu spoke, and everyone looked at him.

Facing the sect’s leaders, Li Qingqiu did not intend to hide anything. He continued, “I will personally lead people to flatten the Qi Clan and exterminate the demons.”

If the Qingxiao Sect concentrated its forces for defense, with so many Nourishing Origin Realm, Fifth Layer and Fourth Layer Disciples joining forces, they could hold out even if the White-Haired Youth attacked again.

This was the foundation built over eleven years of development.

Hearing the Sect Leader’s determination, all the leaders were invigorated. This was the dominance of the number one sect under heaven.

Any force that dared to be their enemy would be wiped out!

Half an hour later, the meeting ended, and everyone left one after another. Li Qingqiu called Shen Yue to stay.

When only the two of them were left in the hall, Shen Yue looked at Li Qingqiu with a puzzled look and asked, “What is it, Sect Leader? Do you want me to lead people to wipe out the Qi Clan?”

“I can accept it, but I only slay demons and do not kill the innocent indiscriminately.”

The reason Shen Yue could become the Sword God and be recognized by the world as the number one under heaven was mainly because he rarely killed people, at least not innocent people, and certainly didn’t do things like exterminating clans.

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, “You are no match for that demon.”

Shen Yue raised an eyebrow, somewhat unconvinced, but then he thought that since it was Li Qingqiu saying this, Li Qingqiu must surely see deeper than him.

In the entire Qingxiao Sect, he only respected Li Qingqiu.

Not only because Li Qingqiu was stronger than him, but also because Li Qingqiu’s philosophy of treating Disciples and developing the sect suited his taste.

In terms of cultivation, as long as he asked Li Qingqiu, Li Qingqiu was never stingy with guidance and was not afraid at all that he would leave after becoming powerful. Being so open and upright, he felt comfortable working with such a person and didn’t have to worry about being schemed against.

“Then speak plainly, what do you want me to do?” Shen Yue asked.

Li Qingqiu said, “The two of us shall save the world together.”

Shen Yue raised an eyebrow and teased, “The two of us joining forces won’t be like Xu Ning and Jiang Zhaoxia, will it? They can always complete missions perfectly when acting alone, but whenever they team up, they just can’t succeed. If the number one under heaven and the Sword God join forces and fail, it would be a huge joke.”

Li Qingqiu smiled without saying a word… The Qi Clan’s demon attacked, brutally killing seventeen Disciples, and the eldest Disciple Xu Ning and the Experience Hall Deputy Hall Master Xue Jin were heavily injured. A series of news bombarded the Qingxiao Sect repeatedly.

The Qingxiao Sect issued an order for the Disciples to return to Qingxiao Mountain and Ziyang Peak and not to go out.

The seventeen tragically killed Disciples were buried by the sect behind Ziyang Peak. Li Qingqiu personally appeared to see off this group of Disciples.

He looked at the families, friends, and children of these Disciples with a heavy heart.

Of the seventeen Disciples, only six were willing to enter the soul refining banner. As the effect of the Heart-Clearing Incantation ended, they drifted above the tombstones, dazed and unable to see the scenes of the living world.

Li Qingqiu noticed Jia Yi’s third child.

Before leaving, he found Madam Zhen and said that to repay Jia Yi’s contribution, she and her three children could all enter the Qingxiao Sect as Outer Sect Disciples. Madam Zhen thanked him through her tears.

After Li Qingqiu returned to his Immortal Cave, he called up the dao lineage panel and found Jia Yi’s three children. All three had poor Aptitude, even worse than Jia Yi’s, but one of them had inherited the ‘ancestor of the immortal emperor’ destiny.

Good!

Li Qingqiu remembered this child’s name, which was Jia Ming, Jia Yi’s eldest son.

Then, Li Qingqiu took out the soul refining banner and sent his Spiritual Sense into it.

Inside the banner was an illusory space that seemed to be above the clouds, with countless ghosts drifting about. That mysterious Ghost King was still curled up in the red light, like a giant sun.

Having had the soul refining banner for so long, Li Qingqiu was still unclear about the origin of the Ghost King raised by Celestial Master Jiang. When Celestial Master Jiang obtained the soul refining banner, this Ghost King was already inside it.

As long as Li Qingqiu didn’t disturb the Ghost King, it would remain in a deep sleep. His intuition told him that this Ghost King had a significant background.

Li Qingqiu directed his Spiritual Sense toward the split soul of the White-Haired Youth.

This split soul was still pinned down by several Soul-Snatching Flying Swords, unable to move. He stared at the distant Ghost King with a dull gaze.

Being sealed by the Soul-Snatching Flying Swords, combined with coming to the soul refining banner, had caused him to cut off his connection with the original body.

Li Qingqiu didn’t bother to interrogate him and directly cast the Soul Capturing Incantation on him to search his memory.

The White-Haired Youth immediately let out a miserable scream, while the ghosts drifting around the Ghost King remained indifferent, as if they hadn’t heard anything, and continued to circle.

On the contrary, the six recently deceased Disciples, including Jia Yi, turned their heads to look at the White-Haired Youth. Seeing him in such pain, all six of them showed expressions of satisfaction.

A long time passed.

Li Qingqiu opened his eyes, his brow furrowed.

The White-Haired Youth’s memory was very short, and he couldn’t probe the original body’s memory, only the memories from his birth to his arrival at the Qingxiao Sect.

But this was enough, at least it allowed Li Qingqiu to find the original body.

That Ancient God was unable to move, so at most, it could only set up defenses in advance.

Li Qingqiu didn’t want to open the fortune triggered by this incident for the time being, planning to do so after destroying the Ancient God.

He prepared to head to the Source Iron Blessed Land tomorrow to find the mysterious existence Shen Yue had mentioned before. After ensuring the safety of the Source Iron Blessed Land, he would transfer Jiang Zhaoxia back to Qingxiao Mountain, and then he would take Shen Yue to Cangzhou… After a whole day of searching, Li Qingqiu finally found the mysterious existence that had spied on Shen Yue in a remote forest.

It wasn’t a human, but a Yao Beast.

It turned out to be a Giant Snake eight zhang long, coiled in the damp and dark forest. Its body was as thick as a water bucket, and its scales were the same color as tree bark, making it difficult to spot. Most crucially, this snake could actually hide its Demonic Qi.

When Li Qingqiu appeared before it and drew the heavenly rainbow sword, it was so frightened that it hurriedly spoke in human tongue:

“Immortal, spare my life! Immortal, spare my life!”

It actually spoke in a female voice, soft and beautiful, like a weak woman, giving rise to all sorts of fantasies.

Thanks to book friend 20220824133724243 for the 500 Qidian coins, Momo Jiangjiang for the 233 Qidian coins, and book friend 20191118025705491 for the 100 Qidian coins~~

Regarding the suggestions everyone has made, they will be implemented gradually. The tone I have set is that the development of the sect is driven by everyone in the sect together, rather than the System opening everything. The dao lineage panel provides cultivation methods and the basic methods for each path; how to realize them must be completed step by step by people, especially the acquisition of resources, which can only be discovered rather than appearing out of thin air~

With more updates and without stalling, it might not be so frustrating. I will try my best to speed up the updates QAQ