It turned out that not long after Song Changsheng set out for Luoxia City, Song Qingxing took Song Qingxi down the mountain to begin their training journey.
They traveled across the entire Wangyue Mountain Range and eventually entered the Liuyun Market. Along the way, they encountered numerous spirit beasts and were ambushed by several rogue cultivators trying to rob them. But without exception, all fell to Song Qingxing's sword.
During this journey, a small incident occurred. Song Qingxi witnessed the bloodthirsty and brutal side of Song Qingxing. His killing methods were shockingly violent.
Song Qingxi had always kept in mind what Song Changsheng had told her, so she clashed with her brother over his behavior. After her persistent efforts, Song Qingxing's methods eventually became much more restrained.
They only stayed in Liuyun Market for a few days before heading into the Liuyun Mountain Range. The two of them were truly bold after all, that territory was controlled by the Qiu Clan and the Earthfire Sect.
Fortunately, both of their identities were top secret within the Song Clan and had not been leaked. Over the years, they rarely appeared at Cangmang Peak, so they didn't attract any attention. Otherwise, these two young seedlings might have been snuffed out early.
Their luck was also quite good; they stumbled upon an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling by sheer accident. This was their first trip down the mountain, and like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, they charged in without hesitation.
Luckily, the cave had been abandoned for many years, and its previous owner was merely a poor Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator. There weren't any dangerous traps left behind. Otherwise, given the siblings' current cultivation levels, they likely wouldn't have made it out alive.
Even so, the process of exploring the cave was still filled with danger. They only managed to escape unharmed thanks to the protective talismans Song Changsheng had given them before he left.
The risk came with a reward. The mid-grade Tier-2 longsword that Song Qingxing now wielded was found in that very cave, as was the paper kite artifact Song Qingxi used.
Speaking of that paper kite, Song Changsheng couldn't help but feel a bit envious of their luck.
The Song Clan only had two of these artifacts. Song Changsheng had ridden one himself during his first trip down the mountain. For a Qi Refining cultivator, it was an incredibly rare flying tool. He had always wanted one during his own Qi Refining days, but it never came to be.
Yet Song Qingxi got one on her first trip down the mountain. It just goes to show that when luck comes knocking, there's no stopping it.
After exploring the cave, Song Qingxing wanted to venture deeper into the Liuyun Mountains. Thankfully, Song Qingxi managed to talk him out of it.
After returning to Little Azure Mountain, the two of them went down the mountain twice more for training. They weathered wind and rain, gained real combat experience, and became a lot more cautious as a result.
After listening to Song Qingxi's account, Song Changsheng was quite satisfied. Although they had been a bit reckless, the outcome was good.
Didn't he always say, "Fortune lies in danger"?
"Not bad," he said, nodding. "You two exceeded my expectations. I was still wondering whether to follow the clan tradition and have you undergo the coming-of-age trial, but it seems that won't be necessary. You've already proven your independence."
He reached out to ruffle the little girl's soft hair, a smile spreading across his face. Their performance had outshone others of their age.
"So, do we get a reward?" Song Qingxi grinned, holding out her pale little hand toward him. A playful gleam flashed in her bright eyes.
"What do you want?"
Now that he had a decent amount of wealth and resources, he could ask that question with some confidence.
Song Qingxi cupped her chin in her hands, thinking for a moment. "I want a defensive artifact."
"Alright. When I have time, I'll craft one for you myself. It'll suit you perfectly." Song Changsheng smiled. Crafting a magic tool was no big deal for him.
"By the way, when I came up the mountain, I heard people talking about the clan tournament. Isn't that held once every three years?"
"That's right," he replied. "This time, it was a last-minute decision by the clan. Technically, all eligible clan members are required to participate, but since you and Qingxing are special cases, we didn't notify you. It's best if you two stay out of the spotlight."
"Oh, I see." Song Qingxi nodded, though her interest seemed to wane a little.
Song Changsheng glanced at her and chuckled. "What? You want to participate too?"
"Can I?" Her dim eyes lit up instantly, and her voice became noticeably more cheerful.
"If you want to, there's no reason you can't. But you'll only be allowed in the underage division. With your cultivation, that might be a little unfair to the others."
At only sixteen years old, Song Qingxi still qualified as a minor cultivator and could only compete against other underage clan members. But with her seventh-layer Qi Refining level, she was in a league of her own. She had also gone through multiple training trips and had seen real bloodshed. Going up against peers who had never even left the mountain would be like a dimensional mismatch.
Not only did she have far more battle experience, but her cultivation level was also above everyone else's. How could they possibly compete?
To his surprise, Song Qingxi almost jumped for joy. Beaming with excitement, she exclaimed, "Doesn't that mean I'll get first place? I want to join!"
Song Changsheng gave a helpless laugh but didn't object. Song Qingxing still needed to remain hidden, but Song Qingxi was fine. While a sixteen-year-old at Qi Refining stage seven was a bit eye-catching, it wasn't enough to arouse real fear. On the contrary, it might inspire the younger generation of the clan to work harder.
"The tournament is in a month. If you want to participate, then prepare well and bring home the top prize."
"Don't worry, I won't lose!" Song Qingxi said confidently, raising her small fist with determination.
Qingzhou – Golden Crow Mountain Range
The Golden Crow Mountain Range, the largest in the Great Qi cultivation world, stretched tens of thousands of miles from north to south. Mountain peaks rolled endlessly, layers upon layers forming a majestic natural barrier so vast it vanished into the horizon.
At the heart of this mighty range stood Jinyang Peak, the main base of the Golden Crow Sect. Towering ten thousand zhang into the skies, the peak pierced the clouds like a celestial sword.
Grand palatial complexes sat halfway up the mountain, seemingly floating among the clouds, magnificent and awe-inspiring.
At this moment, the Golden Crow Sect's Sect Master, Cheng Muqiu, sat in silence, brows tightly furrowed as he stared at the intelligence reports in his hand.
After a long pause, he handed the documents to a graceful woman standing beside him and said,
"Junior Sister, what's your take on this?"
The woman, Liu Qingping, didn't even look at the report. Instead, she sighed and said,
"Senior Brother, what I think doesn't matter. What matters is how the Grand Elder sees it.
You know how highly he regards Xia Qingxue, how much effort he's invested in her. Now her protector, Dai Zichen, has been killed, and Xia Qingxue is missing. All the evidence currently points to the Heavenly Vein Sect. What do you think he's going to believe?"
Cheng Muqiu frowned deeper.
"Don't you think the source of this information is a little too convenient? If Heavenly Vein Sect did this, would it have been so easy for us to find out?"
"Where's the proof?" Liu Qingping replied helplessly. "You can't expect to convince the Grand Elder based on suspicion alone, can you?"
In truth, her thoughts aligned with Cheng Muqiu's. She didn't believe the matter was as simple as it seemed. But that was the issue; they had nothing but speculation, no solid evidence.
And that was exactly what troubled Cheng Muqiu the most. It had been over half a month since Dai Zichen was ambushed and killed. He had mobilized all available forces to track down the culprit.
Their investigators had examined the crime scene and determined that at least three attackers were involved, one of whom was at the late Purple Mansion stage. That explained why Dai Zichen hadn't even had the chance to escape.
The perpetrators had cleaned up well, leaving no clues as to where they came from.
But logically speaking, within the entire Great Qi cultivation world, Purple Mansion cultivators were exceedingly rare. And there were only five powers capable of dispatching three or more Purple Mansion cultivators at once:
Golden Crow Sect, Heavenly Vein Sect, Luoxia City, Heavenly Sword Sect, and Demon Subjugation Hall.
The Golden Crow Sect was not the culprit.
Luoxia City had maintained strict neutrality for thousands of years. They had no reason to get involved, let alone frame Heavenly Vein Sect. Facing the Ten-Thousand Mountains directly, they served as a bulwark for the kingdom. Chaos in Great Qi would only bring them harm, not benefit.
The Heavenly Sword Sect, the second-most powerful sect after Luoxia City, possibly stronger in some respects, had the capability but no motive.
If war broke out between the Golden Crow Sect and Heavenly Vein Sect, the Heavenly Sword Sect, being affiliated with Heavenly Vein Sect, would be dragged in first. A costly conflict with no reward.
The Demon Subjugation Hall was even more unlikely. As a massive organization spanning the entire human cultivation world, their sole mission was to vanquish demons and uphold justice. They never meddled in sect rivalries. That neutrality was precisely what allowed them to coexist peacefully with every power.
If they had done this and it was discovered, the main hall of the Demon Subjugation Hall would step in and clean house, even without the Golden Crow Sect taking action.
So, after eliminating all other options, the only one left was the Heavenly Vein Sect.
The two sects had been locked in open and covert conflict for over a thousand years. Countless promising disciples had been wiped out before they could even rise. Xia Qingxue, a direct disciple of the Grand Elder, was a prodigious and enigmatic cultivator. If Heavenly Vein Sect feared her future potential, it was entirely plausible that they would take her out preemptively.
Moreover, spies planted within the Heavenly Vein Sect had reported some highly unusual troop movements during that period.
Looking at it that way, everything pointed to the Heavenly Vein Sect. But Cheng Muqiu couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, something didn't add up.
It was as if an invisible hand was orchestrating this entire affair from behind the scenes, fanning the flames of conflict between the Golden Crow Sect and Heavenly Vein Sect.
"Whoever you are... don't let me catch you," Cheng Muqiu muttered, clenching his fists. A flash of murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
Just then, Bang!
The main doors to the hall swung open with a heavy thud.
Cheng Muqiu, already frustrated, was about to scold the intruder. But the moment he saw who it was, his expression changed. He instantly stood up, cupping his hands respectfully:
"Greetings, Grand Elder!"
Liu Qingping also rose, head lowered, not daring to meet the person's eyes.
A frail figure slowly entered. Dressed in a crimson-gold robe embroidered with the Golden Crow pattern, the man looked emaciated and withered, his face aged and gaunt, white hair cascading down like silver threads. He seemed like a gust of wind could blow him over.
Yet despite his appearance, both the Sect Master and Grand Elder treated him with utter reverence, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
This old man was none other than the strongest cultivator in both the Golden Crow Sect and the entire Great Qi cultivation world.
Master Jinyang – Su Ding!
He was the only Peak Golden Core cultivator in Great Qi and the only fourth-rank supreme-grade alchemist. His power was unfathomable. He had slain more than one demon king in his lifetime.
He was also a living fossil in the cultivation world, over 1,200 years old.
Golden Core cultivators theoretically had a lifespan of a thousand years, meaning they had already surpassed that by more than two centuries.
The reason the Golden Crow Sect was able to firmly suppress the Heavenly Vein Sect was largely due to the presence of Realman Jinyang.
Xia Qingxue was his disciple. In terms of seniority, she ranked far above Cheng Muqiu.
Elder Su Ding's sharp gaze, like that of a hawk, landed on Cheng Muqiu. His hoarse voice asked, "Any word on my disciple?"
"Reporting to the Grand Elder, not yet. But her soul lamp is still lit, so she should be alive," Cheng Muqiu replied, glancing at Liu Qingping as he forced himself to stay calm.
"Then have you found the culprit?"
Su Ding stepped closer with each word. The pressure bearing down on Cheng Muqiu intensified. Even with his cultivation at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, he found it hard to breathe.
"We suspect the Heavenly Vein Sect, but I believe… something's fishy about it."
"Evidence?"
Su Ding was now less than three meters away from him.
Cheng Muqiu swallowed hard and braced himself. "We haven't found any yet. Please grant us a little more time."
"Hmph!"
A cold snort exploded in his ears like thunder. Cheng Muqiu nearly lost his footing. His heart filled with dread, is the gap between us really this vast?
At this point, Liu Qingping stepped forward. "Grand Elder, I also believe this matter is too suspicious to be so simple. Please allow us more time to uncover the truth."
Su Ding's icy stare bore into the two of them, making their hearts tremble.
After a long pause, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave, leaving behind a chilling statement:
"I'll give you one more month. If no new evidence is found by then, we will go to war with the Heavenly Vein Sect. The dignity of the Golden Crow Sect must not be challenged."
Once Su Ding left, the suffocating pressure in the great hall dissipated. Cheng Muqiu almost collapsed from relief. The aura of a peak Core Formation cultivator was simply terrifying.
"A month… That's far too short," Cheng Muqiu said grimly. The Grand Elder was determined to wage war.
Liu Qingping sighed helplessly. "Almost everyone believes the Heavenly Vein Sect is behind this. The whole world is watching how we respond. But it's been over half a month, and we've yet to act. Rumors are already starting to spread.
If we delay any longer, the elders and disciples below may become restless."
"I understand, but starting a war with the Heavenly Vein Sect at a time like this… it would be a grave mistake." Cheng Muqiu shook his head and walked out of the hall.
"Senior Brother, where are you going?"
"I'm going to meet the other two Realmen. Even if I can't change the Grand Elder's mind, maybe I can buy us some more time."
...
At that moment, Song Changsheng had no idea that the shadow of war was looming ever closer. He was still troubled by one thing: how to awaken Xia Qingxue.
These past days, he had been visiting her often, using Light of Rejuvenation to help her heal. Song Luzhou had also personally refined a special healing elixir for her.
Xia Qingxue's physical injuries were recovering at a surprising speed. However, strangely enough, her soul remained in a deep coma, showing no signs of waking.
Song Changsheng even began to wonder if she had become a vegetable. If that were the case… that would be beyond tragic.
To get to the bottom of it, Song Changsheng spent his days buried in the sect's Scripture Pavilion, combing through the sea of ancient texts, hoping to find a clue.
More than ten days passed, and eventually… he did find something.
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