The harsh winter's cold had frozen the Azure Firmament Sect's courtyard in ice and snow, but today's chill struck straight to the heart.
Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun's expressions shifted as they listened to Qin Jue's news. They had never imagined Wu Baoyu would die like this.
Though Wu Baoyu hadn't stayed at the Azure Firmament Sect long, they had lived alongside him day after day. His death struck a chord.
Zhang Yuchun, especially. He had invited Wu Baoyu up the mountain and had spoken with him more than anyone. Hearing of his gruesome end, he trembled slightly.
Yang Jueding reacted quickest, raising an eyebrow in feigned surprise. "A Demonic Sect Dharma Protector? A supreme expert like that—how could he be so foolish as to storm the imperial palace alone?"
He drew Qin Jue's attention away from Qin Ye. Qin Jue turned to him. "Exactly. I was puzzled too. Some say he might have suffered cultivation deviation. After all, after the current Emperor took the throne, he ordered the Demonic Sect purged. Any remnants would naturally hate him."
"Have to admit, those legendary martial artists from the older generation are truly formidable. The palace is heavily guarded, yet he charged straight through the main gate and fought all the way to the Emperor's bedchamber. Unbelievable. They say even the Imperial Guard was mobilized. Even the Heaven-Guardians had a hard time subduing him. A warrior capable of facing ten thousand alone—if only he'd been used on the battlefield, he'd have been a blessing to our Great Li. Instead, he fell to the demonic path."
"Wu Baoyu committed countless evil deeds—his death was deserved. But I fear the Emperor, shaken by this, may launch another great purge of the martial world."
By the end, Qin Jue's face showed genuine concern.
Noticing Zhang Yuchun's troubled expression, Li Qingqiu asked, "Any other major news in the martial world?"
Qin Jue turned to him with a smile. "Of course. The martial world never lacks for fresh gossip. Word is the Azure Cult and the Seven Peaks Alliance are about to clash. The Azure Cult is ambitious—they might become a second Demonic Sect."
Catching Yang Jueding's subtle signal, Qin Ye quickly picked up his broom, turning his back to the group as he continued sweeping snow. Tears streamed silently down his face.
They fell on the snow, leaving no trace—just like Wu Baoyu's death.
After a while longer, Li Qingqiu took the opportunity to excuse himself, leading Zhang Yuchun away and leaving Yang Jueding to host their guest.
Back in his room, the moment Li Qingqiu closed the door, Zhang Yuchun slapped himself across the face.
Li Qingqiu turned, frowning. "What are you doing?"
Zhang Yuchun's voice was tight. "If I hadn't brought him to the Azure Firmament Sect, the magistrate wouldn't have found him, and he wouldn't have stormed the palace. Senior Brother, he went to his death to clear us of suspicion. With him dead, no one will care who he associated with before."
Li Qingqiu shook his head. "How could you have foreseen all that at the time? And I think even without coming to the Azure Firmament Sect, he would have gone to the palace eventually—sooner or later. Have you forgotten why he accepted challenges from others? He wasn't seeking defeat. He wanted to pass on his techniques. And during his time here, didn't you notice how lifeless he seemed? His spirit was crushed. Nothing surprised or pleased him."
Zhang Yuchun's expression eased, but his heart remained heavy.
This was the first time someone he knew had died—and so horribly. Rage simmered within him, with no outlet.
Li Qingqiu spoke earnestly. "Second Junior Brother, the Azure Firmament Sect is still too weak. There's much we can't do. All we can do is work hard to grow stronger and avoid repeating the tragedies of others."
Zhang Yuchun took a deep breath and nodded slightly.
They talked a little longer, then Zhang Yuchun left.
Alone in his room, Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged on his bed, his expression dark.
Wu Baoyu's death had truly shocked him. Jiang Zhaoxia, at the third layer of the Nourishing Origin stage, had only barely defeated Wu Baoyu in a spar. And that was a spar. Wu Baoyu, with the resolve of a dead man, would surely have been even stronger.
The imperial palace contained people capable of killing an expert comparable to a third-layer Nourishing Origin cultivator!
On second thought, it made sense. As the most powerful man in the world, the Emperor could surely gather the strongest experts in the Great Li Dynasty.
Not all experts chose to live in seclusion.
Didn't people practice martial arts to gain power and status?
Li Qingqiu felt an urgent need to grow stronger. The world was in chaos. Who knew when the imperial court's blade might fall on the Azure Firmament Sect?
After sitting alone for an incense stick's time, he left his room and joined the disciples in preparing for the New Year.
This was the second New Year's celebration since he'd become Sect Master. He couldn't let his mood affect the disciples.
During the festival, Qin Jue took the opportunity to ask if Li Qingqiu wanted more disciples—the Qin family could send another batch. Li Qingqiu declined.
After the holiday, Qin Jue and his servants went down the mountain, and the Azure Firmament Sect returned to its usual rhythm.
That evening, Li Qingqiu took Qin Ye to the forest and taught him the first layer of the Chaos Genesis Scripture. He didn't mention Wu Baoyu.
Since learning of Wu Baoyu's death, Qin Ye had grown withdrawn, losing his former liveliness. Li Qingqiu worried about him, so he taught him the technique to help him cope.
Half a month later.
Li Qingqiu finally broke through to the fourth layer of the Nourishing Origin stage. With the Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root, he was now the fastest cultivator in the sect, as he also spent the most time at the underground spirit lake.
The leap from the third to the fourth layer brought greater gains than the combined progress of the first three layers. This eased his anxiety.
Though Jiang Zhaoxia hadn't reached the fourth layer, he had created a sword-based spell.
Sword Control Art!
That day in the forest, Li Qingqiu watched Jiang Zhaoxia standing on a floating sword, suspended mid-air. He was stunned for a long moment.
The Nine Heavens Divine Palm might be impressive, but it didn't suit his style. He hadn't learned it. Jiang Zhaoxia's Sword Control Art, however, he truly wanted to master.
Faced with his senior brother's request, Jiang Zhaoxia didn't refuse. In fact, he was pleased—he felt recognized, his creation surpassing Yang Jueding's.
As the winter snows completely melted, the Taikun Mountain Range welcomed spring. Vitality spread across the land.
One day, a gentle breeze blew through the mountains.
In a patch of wasteland, Cheng Canghai leaned on his hoe, gazing at a figure on a nearby peak—Li Qingqiu, with an eagle circling overhead.
He'd been at the Azure Firmament Sect for a while now, and his confusion only grew.
How did their lightness skill seem almost like flying?
How did that eagle have internal energy?
How were the children so impossibly strong?
The Sect Master, especially, he couldn't fathom. He never saw him practice any external techniques. Either he was absent, or he sat in meditation like some kind of immortal.
"King of Thieves, stop slacking!"
Yu Lin's voice came from nearby, urging him on. The title "King of Thieves" made a vein bulge on Cheng Canghai's forehead. These brats loved to tease him with that name.
The great King of Thieves, reduced to digging and chopping wood—what a joke.
"I heard you."
Cheng Canghai replied irritably. He glanced back at the peak, but Li Qingqiu and the eagle had vanished.
He was used to it by now. He shook his head slightly and returned to work.
Meanwhile, Li Qingqiu and the eagle he'd nourished with spiritual energy raced through the forest, chasing each other.
He had taken this eagle to the underground spirit lake. Since then, its growth had accelerated dramatically. Compared to its siblings, it was now twice their size—absurdly large.
Even flying through the forest, it moved with agility, dodging crisscrossing branches, swift as a startled bird.
Li Qingqiu, using Gale Skill, could barely keep pace.
After traveling five miles through the mountains, Li Qingqiu stopped and whistled. The eagle wheeled, circled a large tree, and landed on his shoulder.
Its body was now as large as Li Qingqiu's upper torso, forcing him to tilt his head to look at it.
"Xiao Ba, could you eat a little less? You're getting too heavy. I can barely support you."
Li Qingqiu scratched its head, smiling.
Xiao Ba was the eagle's name. He hoped it would become like a younger brother to his junior siblings, protecting them in the future.
Xiao Ba shook its head comically.
They continued on. After about half an hour, they reached a mountain stream where Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sijin were waiting.
Jiang Zhaoxia sat cross-legged on a rock by the stream. Li Sijin sat on an open patch of ground nearby, surrounded by sheets of yellow paper, brush and ink—though the ink was blood-red.
Li Sijin pouted, her face a picture of frustration.
"Having trouble?" Li Qingqiu's voice reached her. Li Sijin turned, saw her senior brother emerge from the forest, and instead of smiling, she glared.
"Senior Brother, this Earth Talisman Codex is way too hard! I can't even make the most basic talisman!"
Li Sijin complained, clutching her head and scratching furiously, messing up her hair.
The Earth Talisman Codex was an inheritance reward Li Qingqiu had received earlier, unlocked by Yang Jueding's spell creation.
A person's energy was limited. They couldn't keep learning different spells and techniques forever.
His other junior siblings had each found their own path. After much thought, Li Qingqiu had assigned the youngest, Li Sijin, to study the Earth Talisman Codex.
No one else in the sect understood it, so she could take her time.
Li Qingqiu smiled. "Think about it—compared to fighting and killing, isn't studying talismans easier?"
Li Sijin pouted. "I'm just complaining. I don't want to give up."
Li Sifeng's injury had shaken her deeply. Over the past year, her attitude had changed significantly. She trained diligently and no longer played so much.
Li Qingqiu crouched beside her and began discussing the Earth Talisman Codex. After a few questions, she found her rhythm.
She realized she wasn't without progress. At least the questions her senior brother asked seemed foolish to her.
Hearing Li Sijin mock Li Qingqiu, Jiang Zhaoxia, with his back to them, couldn't suppress a smile.
Li Qingqiu stayed with them for half an hour before continuing up the mountain.
Today, Li Dongyue and Li Sifeng had gone to the underground spirit lake. He had a rare moment of leisure, no cultivation required.
As he climbed toward the Azure Firmament Sect's peak, halfway up he spotted a group of people—Feng Dai and his nine constables.
They seemed to be arguing amongst themselves, not proceeding up the mountain.
Soon they noticed Li Qingqiu. As he drew near, Feng Dai suddenly walked over and knelt before him. The nine constables followed suit, dropping to one knee.
"I caused Senior Xiao's death. Punish me, Sect Master!" Feng Dai's voice was tight, his face filled with grief.