From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 178 The oppressive feeling of Qingxiao Sect

boom--

A gate to an underground palace collapsed, raising a cloud of dust. Immediately afterward, Li Qingqiu led Shen Yue and Mo Jiuhong inside.

Li Qingqiu and his two companions stopped in their tracks. They looked at the rows of cabinets inside, which were filled with all kinds of porcelain, jade and gold artifacts, a dazzling array.

Mo Jiuhong snorted, "The Qi family really knows how to enjoy life, amassing so many treasures."

"What kind of treasure is this? We'll just give it to Tiangongtang to melt down later," Li Qingqiu said casually. He quickly scanned the area with his spiritual sense, afraid of missing out on the real treasure.

Shen Yue said, "These things may be worthless in chaotic times, but they will be priceless when the world is at peace. Qingxiao Sect has not yet escaped the secular world, and we still need money."

"I was just saying it casually. There's too much stuff for us to take all of it. You can look around and take what you want. Once we're gone, we'll leave it to those who are meant to have it."

Li Qingqiu replied, then glanced around and, seeing no treasures, immediately turned and left.

The Qi family built an intricate underground city beneath Yeming City, enough for them to search at their leisure.

Soon, the three of them separated. Li Qingqiu, with the help of Lin Chuan and Nangong E, was able to find valuable underground palaces and houses, and also rescued some trapped people.

Faced with the people's grateful inquiries, he did not hide his merits and fame, nor did he reveal his identity.

Li Qingqiu wasn't completely dismissive of worldly possessions; he would also store some obviously valuable items in his storage bag.

He made sure to empty his storage bag before coming out, so he could pack his spoils.

……

Winter snow covers the mountains and forests, and wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys of Qingxia Gate, nestled deep within the mountains.

Qiu Dahu was cleaning the courtyard with his junior brothers and sisters, while the sect leader Zhou Ya was practicing his skills inside the house.

"May I ask if the sect leader of Qingxia Sect is here?"

A voice came from the courtyard, causing the disciples of Qingxia Sect to turn their heads. They saw a group of people dressed in uniform blue robes walking on the snow. Each of them had an extraordinary temperament; the men were handsome and the women were aloof. Qiu Dahu and the other young men and women were stunned.

Qiu Dahu immediately turned around and shouted, "Master, many people are looking for you!"

In these chaotic times, he had to be careful and directly asked his master for help.

Soon, Zhou Ya's door opened, and he stepped out, his gaze falling on the courtyard. When he saw the person in the lead, his expression changed drastically. He quickly stepped forward and bowed at the courtyard gate.

"Senior Brother Han Lang, what brings you here?"

Zhou Ya asked in a panic, not realizing that his actions had been exposed, assuming that Han Lang and the others had come down the mountain for training.

Qiu Dahu and the other disciples of Qingxia Sect were all shocked to see their master being so respectful.

Although Han Lang, who was in the lead, was tall and straight, he looked very young and was only a few years older than Qiu Dahu. Yet, he was called "senior brother" by his master.

"What's your name?" Han Lang asked expressionlessly.

In front of Li Qingqiu, he was a somewhat shy junior disciple, but in front of most disciples, he was the dignified eldest disciple of the Sword Sect. His performance in the martial arts tournament made him known to all the disciples in the sect.

Zhou Ya quickly replied, "I am Zhou Ya, a true disciple. I have met Senior Brother Han once before."

True disciple?

My master is actually a disciple of another sect?

Qiu Dahu and the others couldn't quite grasp the situation; in their minds, their master was the most powerful person.

"How dare you, Zhou Ya! Who gave you permission to betray your sect and establish your own sect outside of your own authority?"

Han Lang flew into a rage, glaring and shouting, which frightened Zhou Ya so much that he trembled and knelt down with a thud.

The disciples of Qingxia Sect were also startled and all looked nervously at Han Lang and the others.

When Zhou Ya realized that his plan had been exposed, he panicked completely. He suddenly realized that Han Lang was a disciple of the Sword Sect. Sword Sect disciples did not need to take on the tasks of the Training Hall. If they went down the mountain, it must be to settle accounts with the traitor.

Zhou Ya looked up and hurriedly explained, "I did not betray my sect. I only established my own sect to give these children a place to stay. Once they have mastered martial arts, I will return to my sect. I will not stay here forever."

Han Lang's face was cold, and the other ten Sword Sect disciples also looked grim. It had taken them quite a bit of effort to find their way here.

"Isn't your martial arts from your sect? And what about your internal energy cultivation? Who gave you permission to teach it to others privately?" Han Lang said in a deep voice.

Zhou Ya replied with a bitter expression, "The martial arts I teach are all secular martial arts. As for internal energy cultivation, I did not teach the Hunyuan Scripture. What I taught was my own method of absorbing qi. How could I forget the sect rules?"

Did they not teach the Hunyuan Scripture?
Han Lang and the Sword Sect disciples' expressions softened. Han Lang looked at the Qingxia Sect disciples and, seeing that they were all children, he stopped being stern.

He helped Zhou Ya up and said, "Junior Brother Zhou Ya, you could have informed the sect about this, or taken them back to Qingxiao Sect."

Zhou Ya said helplessly, "You know what the sect is like now. The entry threshold is getting higher and higher, and they are all burdened with hatred. I don't want to cause trouble for the sect because of my pity. So I teach them martial arts so that they can become self-reliant. Even if they die on the road of revenge, it has nothing to do with me or the Qingxiao Sect."

"Besides, Qingxiao Mountain is quite a distance away. I'm willing but unable to carry so many children. The world is in chaos and war everywhere." After hearing this, Han Lang sighed and said, "Come with us and go back to see the sect leader."

He gave a look to his junior brothers and sisters behind him, and the Sword Sect disciples immediately understood and stepped forward.

Zhou Ya was nervous, thinking they were going to kill him to silence him, but it turned out they were just checking whether the children were practicing the Hunyuan Scripture.

It's no wonder Zhou Ya is overthinking things; the Qingxiao Sect has done plenty of things like eliminating the root of the problem.

Zhou Ya turned to look at Han Lang and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Han Lang, I haven't encountered any other fellow disciples, nor have I gone back. How did you find out about this?"

Han Lang snorted, "The sect leader sent me. He said that some disciples had established their own sects without permission, which made me furious. Junior brother, don't do such things in the future. The sect leader is a reincarnated immortal. Even if he is not by your side, he will definitely find out if you do something that violates the sect rules."

Upon hearing that the sect leader had sent a disciple of the Sword Sect, Zhou Ya broke out in a cold sweat.

He suddenly realized that Qingxiao Sect's self-proclaimed status as a cultivation sect was not an exaggeration. Just now, the sect leader's abilities chilled him to the bone, beyond his comprehension, and filled him with lingering fear.

After a while, the Sword Sect disciples confirmed that Qiu Dahu and the other children showed no signs of having cultivated the Hunyuan Scripture, and Han Lang then left with Zhou Ya.

"Master!"

The disciples of Qingxia Sect quickly gave chase.

Zhou Ya stopped and looked at them, smiling, "Don't worry, I'm just returning to my sect. Remember, your martial arts originated from Qingxiao Sect. Always maintain respect and gratitude towards Qingxiao Sect, understand?"

The more carefree he was, the more worried his disciples became.

Qiu Dahu hurriedly asked, "How will the Qingxiao Sect Master deal with you? What if he dares to..."

"shut up!"

Zhou Ya glared at Qiu Dahu, interrupting him.

Qiu Dahu noticed that all the Sword Sect disciples were staring at him with hostile eyes, which made him break out in a cold sweat. He felt a real sense of oppression, which made him instinctively fearful.

"The sect leader is the greatest hero and the greatest chivalrous man in the world. He acts with integrity and his magnanimity is unmatched. He will surely deal with me fairly. The fault lies with me. I should not have taken chances. From now on, you will have to rely on yourselves."

After Zhou Ya finished speaking, he resolutely turned and left.

Qiu Dahu and the other children wanted to chase after them, but were stopped by two Sword Sect disciples who drew their swords, which frightened them so much that they dared not move.

Their eyes were red as they watched their master being taken away by Han Lang and the others.

Qiu Dahu finally understood what his master had told him back then.

This was his first encounter with the Qingxiao Sect in his life, and the sect's power almost suffocated him.

……

Qingxiao Mountain, Lingcai Hall.

Li Dongyue sat in a chair, gazing out the window, lost in thought.

A female disciple entered the room. She was Liu Yan, the eldest disciple of Li Dongyue. Many years had passed, and Liu Yan was no longer the thin and frail person she once was. She now displayed the demeanor of a true disciple of Qingxiao Sect.

His father, Liu Fanzhou, funded the Qingxiao Sect in his early years. Even now, in this chaotic world, with the Qingxiao Sect as his backer, his business has grown very large, covering the entire land of China, making him a world-renowned merchant.

“Master, you need to have a serious talk with Uncle Zhang. They come over every few days asking for money. Although they are doing legitimate business, it can’t be this frequent. They’re trying to drain the sect dry!”

Liu Yan came to the table and complained.

Lingcaitang not only has to strictly review funding allocations, but also maintain the sect's balance of income and expenditure, so they are under great pressure.

With the sect planning to build a town and develop Ziyang Peak, money is needed everywhere. In addition, hundreds of true disciples need to break through their cultivation levels and need blessed land quotas. The pressure on the Spirit Wealth Hall has increased dramatically, and even Liu Yan has been summoned back to handle affairs.

Seeing that her master did not answer but was staring blankly out the window, Liu Yan frowned and asked, "Master, what are you thinking about? Is it about the tree demon invasion a few days ago?"

The news of Li Qingqiu and the other two leaving did not spread within the sect, and Liu Yan naturally did not know about it either.

Li Dongyue came to her senses and said, "No, I was just thinking that our Lingcai Hall might still have some good prospects."

Liu Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "Why bother cultivating so many disciples? If you ask me, we should concentrate our resources on Yang Xuan and let him reach the level of Zhao Zhen and Li Yang first, so that he can support our Lingcai Hall. Then, it will be better to cultivate other disciples."

Yang Xuan, who possesses the destiny of "Ancestor of the Human Realm" and "Heart of Heaven and Earth", has already begun to show his talent. Many people in the sect know that a peerless genius has emerged from the Spirit Wealth Hall. His cultivation speed is no less than that of the top ten in the Fighting Tournament, which has greatly excited everyone in the Spirit Wealth Hall.

Just as Li Dongyue was about to answer, a disciple rushed in excitedly and said, "Hall Master, the Sect Master's divine eagle has returned! It actually brought back a giant log! That log is really huge! Hall Master Li Sijin communicated with the divine eagle and said that this giant log is the true form of the Qi Clan demon. Please come with me to see it, it's really huge!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dongyue immediately stood up and hurriedly walked around the table to the outside.

Liu Yan also became interested; she wanted to see just how big that demonic tree really was.

　Third update!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)