Chapter 62 Famous Throughout the World

In front of the mountain gate, Li Qingqiu stood on the steps, watching Jiang Zhaoxia and others ascend the mountain, surrounded by Disciples, a vast crowd that made the mountain path seem narrow.

Jiang Zhaoxia remained cold and unsmiling, while Li Sifeng was in high spirits, enjoying the adulation of the Disciples. Seeing that his two Junior Brothers were unharmed, Li Qingqiu finally relaxed.

“Senior Brother!”

Li Sifeng spotted Li Qingqiu from afar and immediately waved his arm, shouting. He hurried towards the mountain gate; the other Disciples stopped after escorting Jiang Zhaoxia, Wu Maner, and Cheng Canghai to the steps.

Ever since the three courtyards behind the mountain gate were renamed Lingxiao Courtyard, ordinary Disciples were not allowed to enter without permission, and the rules had already begun to be enforced.

“Senior Brother, I heard you defeated the invading Martial Forest army! I’m telling you, we also contributed! On the way back, we dealt with quite a few Gangs that were heading to Qingxiao Sect…”

Li Sifeng came before Li Qingqiu, speaking non-stop, his hands on his hips, fully displaying his youthful spirit.

Li Qingqiu smiled, listening to him boast about his achievements.

Jiang Zhaoxia walked up, pressing Li Sifeng’s face from behind with his right hand, pushing him aside. Then he said to Li Qingqiu: “The Qing Cult has been annihilated by us. Its Cult Leader was personally slain by me, and even their main headquarters was burned down by us. Although some remnants escaped, they are no longer a threat, and we also uprooted five sub-headquarters of the Qing Cult.”

No wonder it was a destruction; the main headquarters and sub-headquarters were all taken care of by Jiang Zhaoxia and Thirteen Sword厉.

Li Qingqiu smiled contentedly, saying, “You are all heroes. Today, the entire School will host a banquet to celebrate your return.”

Li Sifeng and Wu Maner immediately cheered, Jiang Zhaoxia’s lips curved upward, and then he led the way into Lingxiao Courtyard. Cheng Canghai followed closely behind; he only wanted to eat roast chicken now.

“Senior Brother, I have something to tell you. Can you come with me for a moment?” Li Sifeng said mysteriously.

Li Qingqiu felt anticipation in his heart, but his face remained impassive. He nodded, then said to Wu Maner: “Maner, go rest first. You’ve worked hard during this time.”

“Hehe, it’s not hard work.”

Wu Maner scratched his head with a simple smile, then walked towards Lingxiao Courtyard.

Li Sifeng pulled Li Qingqiu down the mountain, and Disciples they encountered along the way all bowed to Li Qingqiu.

The great battle between Li Qingqiu and the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect had spread throughout the Qingxiao Sect, earning him the admiration of all Disciples.

They had always thought Jiang Zhaoxia was the strongest person in the Qingxiao Sect, but they never expected the Sect Leader to also possess such high martial arts.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Sifeng led Li Qingqiu to an unmanned forest. The winter snow was melting, and the accumulated snow on the ground and in the grass gleamed with water.

“Whoosh—”

Li Sifeng whistled, then turned to look at Li Qingqiu, asking in confusion: “Senior Brother, why aren’t you curious at all?”

All this way, Li Qingqiu hadn’t asked him anything, which made him quite frustrated. He had wanted to give Li Qingqiu a big scare.

“When it stepped onto Qingxiao Mountain, I, your Senior Brother, already sensed it. How did you encounter it?” Li Qingqiu said, feigning profound wisdom.

Li Sifeng didn’t doubt him. Ever since Li Qingqiu taught them the Hunyuan Scripture, in his heart, Li Qingqiu was the most powerful; Third Senior Brother couldn’t compare.

“On the way back, we passed through a mountain forest. I was peeing when I heard Bai Ninger scream. I rushed over without even tightening my pants, and that’s when I saw it. It was severely injured. After I helped it stop the bleeding, it just clung to me.”

Li Sifeng replied, gesticulating vividly to describe the scene at the time.

Indeed.

The lucky one was at it again.

Li Qingqiu grew increasingly fond of Bai Ninger. Previously, Bai Ninger followed Li Sifeng down the mountain and brought him a Magical Artifact; now, she had found an auspicious Divine Beast. She truly was a bringer of good fortune.

He didn’t plan to separate Li Sifeng and Bai Ninger. He always felt that Li Sifeng’s personality and destiny would lead him into a lot of trouble, and with Bai Ninger around, she would surely help him turn danger into safety.

The dao lineage panel gave Li Qingqiu a feeling of playing a game, but real life was not like that. He couldn’t keep his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters on the mountain forever, and the same applied to his Disciples. Every Disciple had their own personality and their own pursuits. Just like Qin Ye, who carried the great hopes of the Qin Family, he was destined not to stay in the Qingxiao Sect his entire life. Sooner or later, he would have to join the army, achieve great deeds, and bring glory to his family.

As the two Senior Brothers chatted, the distant bushes swayed, and the accumulated snow on the trees on both sides shook down. A huge creature slowly emerged.

Li Qingqiu turned his head to look, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

What a magnificent Qilin!

A Qilin, covered in dark red scales, stepped through the grass. It stood two meters high at the shoulder, its head a ten feet (zhang, about 3.3 meters) tall, with a slender body. Its scales were like blades, and its two horns on its head were like two red swords, extremely sharp. Its four hooves burned with flames, and the tip of its tail was also wrapped in flames, like a lion’s tail, gently swaying.

It had a pair of dark golden eyes, sharp and indifferent, full of oppressive power. Just standing there, it exuded the demeanor of a Divine Beast.

This Qilin walked towards Li Qingqiu and the other man, its steps not fast, clearly wary of Li Qingqiu.

Li Qingqiu felt a strong power within its body, similar to Origin Qi, much stronger than a Martial Artist’s internal Qi, but fundamentally different from Origin Qi.

How could such a powerful Qilin get injured? What did it encounter before?

Li Qingqiu thought to himself. He wasn’t afraid because, although this Qilin was strong, it didn’t make him feel any danger.

“How about it, isn’t it majestic? I named it Hell Qilin. Does it feel like it came from the underworld Hell?” Li Sifeng asked excitedly.

Li Qingqiu praised, “Indeed, but I don’t feel it’s that evil. It’s more like an auspicious omen. Its arrival will bring good fortune to the Qingxiao Sect.”

The Hell Qilin seemed to understand human speech. Hearing Li Qingqiu’s words, its eyes softened, and then it quickened its pace, coming before the two. It began to rub against Li Sifeng, emitting a muffled breathing sound.

Looking at it like this, Li Qingqiu actually felt it was still young.

Is it not yet an adult?

“You’ll take care of it from now on. Don’t let it show its face,” Li Qingqiu instructed.

For the next year, he didn’t plan to let Li Sifeng go down the mountain, which was perfect for Li Sifeng to feed the Hell Qilin.

“No problem, Senior Brother. Isn’t my Hell Qilin more imposing than your Little Eight?” Li Sifeng raised his chin, looking at Li Qingqiu with a challenging expression.

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, “Little Eight is just an ordinary eagle; how can it compare to a Qilin?”

Having the Hell Qilin live on Qingxiao Mountain might prevent some enemies from sneaking in.

Hearing Li Qingqiu’s praise, Li Sifeng became even happier, and the Hell Qilin also grew more excited… This year’s Spring Festival was exceptionally lively. Since the return of Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Sifeng, and the others, the Qingxiao Sect had been celebrating.

Slaying the invading Martial Forest individuals allowed the Qingxiao Sect to seize a lot of money, weapons, and Secret Manuals. The most crucial thing was that this battle greatly boosted the confidence of everyone in the Qingxiao Sect. The Disciples realized that the Qingxiao Sect they belonged to was very powerful, capable of easily resisting even an attack by the three major Schools combined.

In the days that followed, more and more common folk, pilgrims, and Martial Artists ascended the mountain. The common folk came to apprentice their children, the pilgrims heard the legend of the five primal essences and wanted to try their luck, and the Martial Artists heard of the Qingxiao Sect’s achievements and wanted to form connections.

When the winter snow in the Taikun Mountain Range completely melted, people ascended the mountain daily, making the Qingxiao Sect increasingly lively.

At noon on this day, three hundred li away from Qingxiao Mountain, in a mountain stream, Li Qingqiu stood on a cliff, looking down.

Following his gaze, beneath the cliff was a huge cave entrance, leading underground. Four of the Seven Sons of Qingxiao stood at the edge of the cave entrance, their bodies seemingly ready to be swallowed by the darkness at any moment.

Li Sifeng ran out of the darkness. He looked up at Li Qingqiu, shouting excitedly: “Senior Brother, there really are Spirit Stones! More than in the underground Spirit Lake, countless!”

Hearing this, Li Qingqiu’s lips curved upward. He wasn’t surprised.

The reason he discovered this Spirit Stone mine was naturally guided by his fortune memory.

Because this place was far from the Qingxiao Sect, he had to prepare for some time and then select a group of trustworthy Disciples to come.

He decided to establish a stronghold here, allowing some True Disciples to reside and guard the Spirit Stone mine. For this, he also brought Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Sifeng, and Bai Ninger.

The Spirit Stone mine concerned the future of the Qingxiao Sect, and Li Qingqiu valued it immensely. It had to be guarded by Jiang Zhaoxia. From now on, Jiang Zhaoxia would Cultivate within the Spirit Stone mine, which would not only benefit his cultivation in rapidly increasing but also allow him to resist external enemies. Relying solely on Li Sifeng, Li Qingqiu ultimately couldn’t rest assured.

Coupled with Bai Ninger’s lucky fate, Li Qingqiu could then return to the Qingxiao Sect with peace of mind.

“I know. Call them all up; I have something to instruct,” Li Qingqiu responded. In his fortune memory, he had already been into the cave, so he wasn’t curious.

Upon hearing this, Li Sifeng immediately walked into the darkness to summon Jiang Zhaoxia and the others.

While Li Qingqiu pondered how to guard the Spirit Stone mine, the Qingxiao Sect was creating a huge sensation in the Martial Forest. A Martial Forest storm, unprecedented in Guzhou Prefecture since the founding of the dynasty, was about to erupt.

And the Qingxiao Sect would instantly become famous throughout the world!

…Amidst the mountains and wilderness, an inn sat beside the official road. Five tables were placed outside the inn’s door, each surrounded by people.

The Black-clothed Woman who had once led Li Qingqiu to the Seven Peaks Alliance sat at a table on the edge. Opposite her sat an Old Man in Gray Robes. At this moment, both were listening to other Martial Artists recount the major events that had recently occurred in the Guzhou Prefecture Martial Forest.

“The Seven Peaks Alliance, the Qing Cult, and Iron Peak are among the Seven Great Schools. They led experts from numerous second-rate Gangs to besiege the Qingxiao Sect, a grand display of power, reportedly tens of thousands strong. Yet, they were easily defeated by the experts of the Qingxiao Sect. It’s truly unbelievable.”

“Indeed, I heard that the Dragon-Subduing Hero Yang Jueding joined the Qingxiao Sect with his divine martial arts.”

“But the most powerful person in the Qingxiao Sect isn’t Yang Jueding. A woman named Xu Ning killed Jue Xue Dao Dian Ming. This Jue Xue Dao had been reclusive in the Jianghu for over a decade and was once the number one Martial Artist in Weizhou. For such an expert to die at the foot of Qingxiao Mountain, the name Xu Ning is bound to resound throughout the Martial Forest.”

“What’s that? Jiang Zhaoxia is even more exaggerated. He led his thirteen Disciples to forcefully invade the Qing Cult, slaughtering their way through the main headquarters. Their Cult Leader, Protectors, and Elders were all slain by him. It’s said that Jiang Zhaoxia also wiped out the Qing Cult’s sub-headquarters. This Jiang Zhaoxia is too terrifying! No one in the Guzhou Prefecture Martial Forest has ever achieved such a feat, practically annihilating one of the Seven Great Schools, the Qing Cult, by himself. I suspect that the current Jiang Zhaoxia is even more powerful than Yu Zhiyi. He is the number one in the Guzhou Prefecture Martial Forest!”

The Martial Artists at the other tables were very excited, all discussing the Qingxiao Sect. When they mentioned Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning, their tones were filled with awe and admiration.

The Old Man in Gray Robes withdrew his gaze and looked at the Black-clothed Woman, sighing, “The Martial Forest is undergoing a drastic change. I never expected that after Lin Xunfeng, the Qingxiao Sect could produce even more formidable Disciples. From now on, the Qingxiao Sect will rank among the Seven Great Schools. Young Miss, I advise you to abandon your idea of seeking the divine martial arts of that martial arts myth. This old man does not wish to die within the Qingxiao Sect.”

The Black-clothed Woman’s expression was complex, having never imagined the Qingxiao Sect to be so powerful.