Everyone found it hard to believe that the young woman before them was actually the current Sect Master of Changsheng Sect.
Ji Wushi spoke first.
"Miss, as the Sect Master, why would you come here personally?"
Li Qiuyun replied,
"I came here mainly for two reasons. The first is to speed up the alliance. As for the second… it is a private matter, so I won't go into details."
Seeing that she was unwilling to elaborate, Ji Wushi did not press further. However, something came to his mind, and he said,
"Speaking of alliances, there's something I just thought of."
"What is it?"
"You didn't come here only to ally with us, did you? You're also planning to form alliances with the rebel forces of other provinces, am I right?"
"That's correct," Li Qiuyun nodded.
"I came to speak with you first because I was nearby and heard that Zhongzhou City had changed hands. After this, I still plan to visit the leaders of other rebel forces."
Ji Wushi smiled.
"What a coincidence. The rebel forces have also been planning to ally with one another to resist our enemies together.
We recently received letters agreeing to meet in Youzhou in half a month to form an alliance and elect a Supreme Alliance Leader. At that time, all the rebel leaders will gather in Youzhou.
Would you be willing to travel with us and explain the stakes to the leaders of the various forces, so we can establish an alliance with all sides in one move?"
Li Qiuyun smiled brightly.
"That would be wonderful."
"In that case," Ji Wushi said, "why not stay here for a few days before we depart?"
"Alright."
Thus, they decided to stay temporarily. However, Xu You voiced a different opinion.
"Sect Master," he said, "since you already have a complete plan, perhaps it would be better for me to return to the sect alone."
Li Qiuyun considered for a moment before replying,
"Very well. With Elder Xu escorting the spiritual herbs back to the sect, I can rest assured."
"Then I shall take my leave."
Lie Feng and the others did not detain him, knowing he had matters to attend to, and after bidding farewell, they watched as he departed alone.
A few days later, Lie Feng's group prepared to depart. Before leaving, however, they needed to make arrangements for Zhongzhou City.
Zheng Jian looked unwilling as he complained to Ji Wushi,
"So let me get this straight—why am I the one staying behind to guard the city while you get to go to Youzhou?"
Ji Wushi laughed.
"I'm going with Lie Feng. Once he leaves, you'll be our strongest fighter. If you don't stay behind, who will?"
"Sure, sure," Zheng Jian muttered. "Everything you say makes sense."
"Do you remember what I told you?" Ji Wushi asked.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Repeat it. I'm afraid you might've forgotten."
"If powerful enemies attack, don't fight them head-on. The spirit stones in the City Lord's estate can keep the city-protecting formation running for at least half a year.
If even the formation fails, abandon the city and retreat until you return."
"Good," Ji Wushi nodded. "Remember—losing a city is manageable. Losing people is not."
"Alright, alright. Now get lost."
Once everything was arranged, they mounted their horses and set off toward Youzhou.
On the road, Ji Wushi said apologetically,
"Sorry about this. I can't fly, so I ended up dragging everyone into riding horses with me."
Li Qiuyun replied gently,
"Don't worry about it. We still have plenty of time before the agreed date. It's nice to enjoy the scenery along the way."
Xiao Cui laughed.
"Yeah, riding horses is pretty fun!"
As soon as she said that, she spurred her horse forward, circling around them before returning.
"Don't be reckless," Li Qiuyun warned. "Be careful not to fall."
"Oh," Xiao Cui replied obediently, settling down.
At this moment, Lie Feng spoke,
"Miss Li, I'd like to ask a few questions about Changsheng Sect, if it's convenient."
"Please go ahead."
"Is Changsheng Sect truly the first sect where cultivators appeared? If this question is too abrupt, I apologize."
Li Qiuyun smiled.
"It's fine. To explain that, we must start with our founding ancestor—the Elder of Changsheng.
"Thousands of years ago, martial arts dominated the world. Some claimed that methods of longevity existed, but without exception, those people all died before reaching a hundred years of age.
"Then the Elder of Changsheng appeared. In a sense, he proved the existence of longevity. He cultivated a technique called the Longevity Art. At over one hundred and forty years old, though his appearance was aged, his body remained strong and vigorous, moving as freely as a young man.
"Many people flocked to him, willing to follow, and thus Changsheng Sect was founded."
"So the Elder of Changsheng was the first cultivator in history?" Lie Feng asked. "And Changsheng Sect rose to fame because of him?"
"That statement is only half correct," Li Qiuyun replied.
"The one who truly made Changsheng Sect famous was the Elder's grand-disciple, Gu Chang'an—though strictly speaking, he was not a formal disciple of Changsheng Sect."
"How so?"
"As I mentioned earlier, the Elder of Changsheng, the first Sect Master, was killed by the imperial court. Changsheng Sect itself was slandered as an evil cult and persecuted.
"Gu Chang'an emerged during that period. It is said that he cultivated the Longevity Art and could simultaneously wield ice and fire techniques.
In the end, he fought against over a thousand martial artists and died only after exhausting his strength—taking more than three hundred lives with him."
Lie Feng listened intently.
"That event drew the attention of the martial world to the Longevity Art. The sects began attacking Changsheng Sect to seize it.
After obtaining fragments of the text, they each harbored their own schemes. Several major sects even tore the manuscript apart, each keeping a portion.
"Though incomplete, through constant refinement, those fragments eventually ushered in the age of cultivation."
Lie Feng sighed.
"I never imagined Changsheng Sect endured such injustice. It's truly lamentable. Did they continue trying to seize the Longevity Art?"
Li Qiuyun shook her head.
"No. The Longevity Art we cultivate is also incomplete and has been modified extensively to be usable. By that time, Changsheng Sect had gained enough strength to protect itself, and other sects no longer dared provoke us."
"I'm curious," Lie Feng said thoughtfully.
"From your description, Gu Chang'an could wield both ice and fire. That means he possessed dual elemental roots.
By conventional cultivation logic, opposing elements should hinder each other—yet he killed hundreds. Why wasn't he hindered?"
Li Qiuyun smiled meaningfully.
"Many within the sect don't understand that either. But I believe you might know the answer.
"After all, you are a Five-Lifetime Prodigy—someone capable of perfectly fusing mutually reinforcing and opposing elemental roots, unleashing power far beyond your realm, aren't you?"
Lie Feng felt slightly embarrassed.
"To be honest, I don't know either. I only accepted that title because others said so. The techniques I cultivate seem to appear naturally in my mind, as if I was born with them. I remember nothing of past lives."
Li Qiuyun joked,
"Perhaps Gu Chang'an was also a Five-Lifetime Prodigy."
Lie Feng chuckled.
"Then maybe I'm Gu Chang'an's reincarnation."
They exchanged smiles.
Spotting a roadside shop ahead, Lie Feng said,
"We've been traveling all morning. How about stopping for some tea?"
"Alright," Li Qiuyun agreed.
Lie Feng felt a slight sense of regret. He had long been curious about the origins of the Hunyuan Art. When Li Qiuyun mentioned Gu Chang'an, he briefly hoped to find an answer—but upon reflection, Gu Chang'an cultivated the Longevity Art. At best, the two were merely divergent branches of the same origin.
With that thought, Lie Feng let the matter go.
Even if he uncovered the truth behind the Hunyuan Art, it wouldn't change anything.
Thus, he followed the others toward the roadside shop.