Chapter 61 Formation, Mountain Lord’s Divine Incantation

As night fell, Su Xiling returned to Zhu Yan’s courtyard. She saw Zhu Yan sitting at a stone table, a lamp illuminating her veil and eyebrows.

Zhu Yan looked up and saw Su Xiling approaching. She asked, “Is the Qingxiao Sect’s trouble resolved?”

Su Xiling sat opposite her, looking somewhat dazed. She picked up the teapot and poured herself a bowl of tea.

Seeing her so dejected, Zhu Yan frowned and asked, “Did something happen?”

Su Xiling took a deep breath. She looked at Zhu Yan and asked, “Young Miss, are there really Immortals in this world? Court officials pursue sorcerers, and there are many strange tales of Immortal Spells…”

The candlelight illuminated the bewildered expression on her face. She couldn’t forget the scene of Li Qingqiu slaying the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect and then riding an eagle into the sky.

She couldn’t comprehend Li Qingqiu’s martial arts; it completely transcended the scope of the Martial Dao. She could only think of the Immortals from mythical stories.

Zhu Yan softly replied, “The world is vast, and there are many wonders. Whether there are Immortals, I am not sure. But the sorcerers in the imperial court are all charlatans and tricksters. It is these parasites who caused the Great Li Dynasty to endure years of turmoil, nearly shattering its mountains and rivers.”

Su Xiling hesitated for a moment, then recounted everything she had seen and heard that day.

After listening, Zhu Yan fell silent. The mistress and servant sat in wordless contemplation.

Outside the courtyard, it became noisy. The Qingxiao Sect Disciples returned from the mountain, all very excited, discussing the thrilling battle of the day. The name they mentioned most was Xu Ning, not Li Qingqiu.

Zhang Yuchun had already instructed the Disciples that they could discuss the Sect Leader, but they must do so behind closed doors, as there were guests on the mountain.

In another guest courtyard.

Bitter One stood beside Yan Lan, anxious. He had been persuading him for a long time, but Yan Lan still refused to descend the mountain.

Yan Lan heard the commotion outside the courtyard and said, “Let’s descend tomorrow. Even if we leave, we must bid farewell to Sect Master Li. It’s proper etiquette.”

He did not tell Bitter One or Bitter Two about the astonishing scene he had witnessed. Firstly, he wasn’t sure if he had experienced an illusion, and secondly, he felt this matter should not be publicized.

If Li Qingqiu truly was a reclusive Immortal, and the news reached the imperial court, many people would surely come looking for him.

Especially his imperial father.

Bitter One heard the discussions from the courtyard. He frowned, feeling surprised and suspicious.

The Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect appeared, and the Qingxiao Sect still achieved a great victory?

He dared not let down his guard. If the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect infiltrated the Qingxiao Sect, he would have to be extra vigilant tonight.

Inside Lingxiao Courtyard.

Li Qingqiu pushed open the door and stepped out. He hummed a tune, in a very good mood. He couldn’t help but bring up the prompt again to savor it.

“【In view of the Qingxiao Sect overcoming a calamity, with no casualties, you have gained one opportunity for good fortune.】”

He still had two Legacy opportunities, triggered by his Disciple finding an auspicious sign and Jiang Zhaoxia destroying the Qing Cult.

He planned to open them all tomorrow to see how big the surprise would be.

He came to the long table in the courtyard and sat down, waiting for Zhang Yuchun and the others to return.

After slaying the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect, he observed for a while, and only left after confirming that no one could threaten Xu Ning.

With Xu Ning’s capabilities, if the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect were taken on individually, none would be her match. However, with all seven of them working together, Li Qingqiu feared she might get injured. It was better to leave one expert for her to practice with.

Li Qingqiu was not worried that the matter of him riding Xiao Ba to slay enemies today would spread. Even if it did, he wasn’t afraid. There was no video evidence, and moreover, there were many people in this world who fabricated legends for themselves. On the edge of the Taikun Mountain Range, there was a Gang whose leader claimed to be favored by the River God and could discern ghost entities.

How many Gangs and aristocratic families boasted of mastering Spells, deceiving the common people, establishing their authority, and increasing their prestige?

If the fakes weren’t afraid, why should his true Immortal School be afraid of it spreading?

Li Qingqiu merely wanted to develop steadily. The matter of recruiting Disciples also couldn’t be done blindly, as the Disciples needed to eat.

After sitting in the courtyard for a while, Li Dongyue and Li Sijin quickly entered. They walked towards Li Qingqiu.

“Senior Brother, the trouble down the mountain has been resolved. Second Senior Brother is leading people to bury the bodies. Xu Ning and Elder Yang are accompanying them.”

Li Dongyue came to Li Qingqiu’s side and said softly.

Li Sijin, however, was not so gentle. She came behind Li Qingqiu, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, shook him vigorously, and chattered, “Big Senior Brother, was that move you used today Third Senior Brother’s Sword Control Art, or the Supreme Sword Control Art? Also, how could you stand on Xiao Ba’s back? Quickly teach me, I want Xiao Jiu to become my mount too!”

Li Qingqiu let her shake him, and said irritably, “Xiao Jiu isn’t as big as Xiao Ba. Aren’t you afraid of falling off?”

Li Dongyue smiled and no longer disturbed their playful banter. She walked towards the kitchen, preparing to make some food for Zhang Yuchun and the others, to be sent down at night.

From the Qingxiao Sect to the foot of the mountain, the path was rugged. But ever since the mountain road was built, the Disciples could ascend and descend the mountain faster. Even delivering meals late at night wasn’t as troublesome, as long as they brought torches and oil lamps.

Li Qingqiu pulled Li Sijin down to sit, asking her to recount how the Disciples performed against the various Schools.

After he left, the Qingxiao Sect Disciples engaged in another major battle, cutting through the disorganized rabble formed by many Gangs, slaying hundreds of enemies.

Without the three major Schools as the main force, those Gangs were not worth mentioning at all; they were all just ruffians who oppressed the common people.

Li Qingqiu listened intently, very satisfied with the performance in this battle.

At least the Disciples all got an opportunity to gain experience.

After this battle, they should be stable for a period of time.

When Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Sifeng, and the others returned, Li Qingqiu planned to keep them within the School, thus increasing their combat strength.

With Jiang Zhaoxia present, Li Qingqiu wouldn’t even need to descend the mountain. He and Xu Ning, working together, could definitely ensure the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect met their end at the foot of the mountain.

And there was Wu Maner. Although his cultivation growth wasn’t particularly high, his martial arts Aptitude was extremely high. Coupled with his Nourishing Origin Realm, Third Layer cultivation, any single expert from the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect would definitely not be his match.

As Li Qingqiu thought this, he felt that the Qingxiao Sect was truly established. Next, he needed to consider cultivating the second generation of Disciples.

Besides Xu Ning, he had to Cultivate several Disciples among the second generation who could stand on their own. Qin Ye and Xue Jin’s abilities were not yet sufficient.

It was a pity that Yuan Li was still young, and how to Awaken the Indestructible Hegemon Body remained a challenge.

After Li Sijin went to help Li Dongyue, Li Qingqiu drank alone, sighing in his heart, “Heaven, please arrange another Genius comparable to Ning’er for me.”

That night, the various courtyards of the Qingxiao Sect were brightly lit, and the heavy snow gradually lessened, as if this winter was coming to an end… The moon set and the sun rose. At noon the next day, Yan Lan arrived at the mountain gate, wanting to visit Li Qingqiu. He waited for a while before being informed that he could enter Lingxiao Courtyard.

Li Qingqiu had gone to receive his Legacy rewards early in the morning, obtaining the “Formation Foundation Records” and the “Mountain Lord Divine Incantation.”

The “Formation Foundation Records” recorded the methods for cultivating and creating various basic Formations. It was already firmly imprinted in Li Qingqiu’s mind and suited him perfectly. He planned to write it down to see if any Disciples were suitable for studying it.

The “Mountain Lord Divine Incantation” was a Spell that could condense a Mountain Lord Divine Body for combat. A ‘Mountain Lord’ referred to a tiger that had lived for a hundred years in the deep mountains. The power of this Spell was still difficult to judge, but from the Legacy memory, the Mountain Lord Divine Body was very intimidating. Ordinary people would probably be scared stiff at first sight.

These two Legacies made Li Qingqiu very satisfied, especially the “Formation Foundation Records.” What Immortal School doesn’t have Formations?

In a joyful mood, he had Yuan Qi summon Yan Lan and his two guards who were waiting at the mountain gate.

Xu Ning sat to Li Qingqiu’s right, and Yuan Li sat to his left. The three of them waited for food together.

Li Qingqiu turned his head to look at Yuan Li. This boy’s cultivation Aptitude was indeed of a very low level. Even after going to the underground spiritual lake, he still hadn’t reached the Nourishing Origin Realm, First Layer.

It seemed that without Awakening the Indestructible Hegemon Body, he would find it difficult to become an Immortal Genius.

Soon, Yuan Qi led Yan Lan, Bitter One, and Bitter Two over.

Yan Lan came to the table, bowed with clasped fists to Li Qingqiu, and said with a smile, “Sect Leader Li, I’ve come to bid you farewell.”

Seeing Yan Lan bow, Bitter One and Bitter Two frowned, filled with confusion.

Although His Highness was approachable, not everyone could make him take the initiative to bow, let alone bend at the waist.

Li Qingqiu looked at Yan Lan and asked with a smile, “Why not stay a few more days? The New Year is almost here.”

“No, I won’t bother you anymore. When I leave this time, I will first go to the Governor’s Mansion. The newly appointed Governor is from the same clan as my imperial mother. I will ask him to look after the Qingxiao Sect, as a repayment for Sect Leader Li’s life-saving grace.” Yan Lan shook his head and said.

Life-saving grace?

A look of confusion flashed in Xu Ning’s eyes. Could it be that the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect came for him?

The strength of the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect and Die Ming of the Blood Severing Saber Scripture was clearly higher than the experts of those Schools, and they were not on the same path. Those Martial Forest experts were all intimidated by Die Ming’s strength.

Li Qingqiu understood what he was referring to, so he said, “It’s not life-saving. It’s just that they stepped into the Qingxiao Sect’s territory and tried to attack my Disciples.”

Li Qingqiu did not try to curry favor with Yan Lan, and rarely even met him on weekdays. Even if he had inadvertently saved Yan Lan’s life, he didn’t make any special demands.

Of course, if Yan Lan insisted on repaying him, he wouldn’t refuse.

In Guzhou Prefecture, the Governor was essentially a local emperor. If the Qingxiao Sect could receive the Governor’s care, their future actions would be much more convenient.

Many things would have to be done by Disciples in the future, and the Disciples didn’t have his level of cultivation, so they would inevitably encounter obstacles.

“Regardless, if you hadn’t acted, I would indeed have been in grave danger. Also, I have one more request for you.”

“What is it?”

“I wish to send my son to the Qingxiao Sect to Cultivate martial arts. He has been intelligent since childhood, learned to read at two, and began martial arts at three. The experts of the Heaven Protection Guard all say he is a peerless Genius. Having him come to the Qingxiao Sect will not diminish the Qingxiao Sect’s reputation. Sect Leader, just treat him as an ordinary Disciple and command him as you please.”

Yan Lan said seriously. He paused, then continued, “At that time, I will have Bitter One and Bitter Two personally bring him here. Bitter One and Bitter Two will remain in the Qingxiao Sect from now on. You can command them for anything.”

Bitter One and Bitter Two were greatly alarmed and quickly tried to dissuade Yan Lan, but unfortunately, they couldn’t persuade him.

Li Qingqiu initially wanted to refuse, but Yan Lan’s attitude was resolute, even offering to kneel for his son. This matter had to be settled.

After they descended the mountain, Li Qingqiu wondered, if what Yan Lan said was true, could this child truly be a peerless Genius?

Yan Lan didn’t seem like someone who liked to boast.

After Yan Lan and his two guards descended the mountain, within two days, Jiang Zhaoxia and the others, along with Li Sifeng and the others, returned together. Li Qingqiu personally welcomed them. Besides caring for his Junior Brothers, he also wanted to see what the auspicious sign looked like.