From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 183 The Power of the Direct Sect Master

Yuan Li's creation of the path of physical cultivation aroused the curiosity of many disciples, and even the hall master.

As a result, people kept coming to him, curious about what body cultivation was.

As Yuan Li made his move time and again, the name "Gang Yuan" spread, and more and more disciples began to believe in him and even worship him.

Yuan Li was only twelve years old when he was able to create the Way of Body Cultivation, which is enough to prove his talent. Some disciples even thought that his cultivation progress was slow, which might be due to his age.

Some people grow taller quickly when they are young, but stop growing after the age of sixteen. Others grow taller slowly, but experience rapid growth after the age of sixteen. This shows that everyone's growth is different and there is no fixed pattern.

Yuan Li's success once again proved the sect leader's extraordinary vision. Of course, some people still harbored conspiracy theories, believing that the sect leader was deliberately praising Yuan Li, and that the so-called Gang Yuan was actually taught by the sect leader.

Whether the disciples in the sect believe it or not, Yuan Li's achievements have already been established on the path of forging and will be remembered by future generations of disciples.

After months of spread, the existence of the Qi clan's demons became known throughout the land, and Li Qingqiu's slaying of the demons was also discussed by people all over the world.

Over the years, Li Qingqiu has slain the Demon Emperor and vanquished demons. Now, he has destroyed demons again, and his reputation has reached its zenith. More and more people believe that he is an immortal being on earth, and that Qingxiao Sect is a place for cultivating immortality.

More and more people are coming to Qingxiao Sect to become disciples.

The Qingxiao Sect moved the location for assessing its disciples to Ziyang Peak, and construction of the third mountain peak also began.

The busiest people at Qingxiao Sect right now are the menial disciples and registered disciples. The sect also employs tens of thousands of craftsmen, consuming a huge amount of food every day. Fortunately, many aristocratic families are providing financial support.

In late April, a steady stream of carriages and horses arrived, accompanied by a large number of guards, drawing the attention of many disciples on the mountain.

"Another powerful family has come to deliver money and grain?"

"The world is in such chaos, yet these noble families can still produce so much grain. Tsk tsk, this world is truly unfair."

"Throughout history, has there ever been a martial arts sect as prosperous as our Qingxiao Sect?"

"I heard that the sect leader sent people down the mountain to distribute grain again, and it was done openly and honestly. Those aristocratic families watched, but dared not say anything."

"What can we say? They just need to send their goodwill to our Qingxiao Sect. As for how we use it, they can't control it and don't care."

On a cliff in Qingxiao Mountain, Zhang Yuchun and Zhu Yan stood side by side, looking down at the long line of carriages and horses that resembled a dragon.

Zhu Yan exclaimed, "The Li family of Linchuan is truly wealthy and powerful."

Zhang Yuchun calmly said, "The Qingxiao Sect of today is not the Qingxiao Sect of the past. No matter how many gifts they send, we don't need to give them too much face."

Zhu Yan glanced at him and asked, "Do you know in which direction the sect leader will train Li Yang in the future?"

“I don’t know that, but Li Yang will definitely assume important responsibilities in the future, and the Li family can’t stop him,” Zhang Yuchun replied.

Zhu Yan narrowed her eyes after hearing this.

She felt the pressure.

Although Zhu Xunyang is strong, he is still not as good as Li Yang.

At this moment, it wasn't just them who were observing the generous gifts sent by the Li family; other hall masters, deputy hall masters, elders, and disciples were also watching from afar.

With their wealth and influence, the Li family forcefully entered the view of everyone in the Qingxiao Sect.

Li Qingqiu, however, was not looking.

On the other side, in an underground palace on the north side of Qingxiao Mountain, the palace was not very large and there were not many furnishings. Oil lamps stood on the walls.

Li Qingqiu and Mo Jiuhong stood side by side. Mo Jiuhong looked quite excited as he looked at the twenty disciples standing in front of him with anticipation in his eyes.

"From this day forward, the Dark Hall is established, with Mo Jiuhong serving as its leader. You are the first batch of disciples of the Dark Hall. This identity can only be known to me. You must not reveal your existence to anyone, including the leader, your relatives and friends."

Li Qingqiu scanned the twenty disciples and spoke earnestly.

These disciples are extremely loyal to Li Qingqiu, all with a loyalty rating of 95 or higher, and are worthy of his trust.

Upon hearing Li Qingqiu's words, all the disciples were equally excited.

Dark hall!

Directly under the control of the sect leader, he seems like a trusted confidant!

Li Qingqiu continued, "Master Mo will train you. From now on, your duty is to infiltrate different forces. Your treatment will be twice that of the disciples of the Eighth Hall. You will also receive additional rewards based on the information you provide. However, if anyone reports false information, they will be severely punished. In the future, I may send you to martial arts sects, or I may place you next to the emperor. I may even need you to monitor the hall masters in the sect."

“From today onwards, each of you will choose a code name for yourself, which will be recorded by Master Mo and kept in a book by me personally.”

The twenty disciples listened attentively to Li Qingqiu's speech, and they could feel how great the responsibility of the Dark Hall disciples was.

Mo Jiuhong gradually became serious as well.

He was given an important position, but this job was not easy and was bound to be dangerous.

However, he did not give up. He served tea and water to Master Qingxiao for several months, doing all kinds of dirty work and hard labor. But Master Qingxiao never promoted him, which made him see through the situation.

Within the Qingxiao Sect, the most secure thing is to be loyal to only one person: the sect leader.

Li Qingqiu had high hopes for the Dark Hall. He planned to build two intelligence systems: one was the sect's intelligence system, which was to be developed by Zhang Yuchun, and the other was his personal intelligence system, the Dark Hall, which would serve only him.

He wasn't being wary of the hall masters, but rather taking precautions.

As the sect's power base expands, the establishment of eight branches is inevitable. With the refinement of power structures at all levels, future power struggles will only intensify. As the sect leader, he cannot reconcile all conflicts; his task is to restrain all factions while simultaneously broadening his perspective. He doesn't find it tedious or tiring; in fact, it feels like playing a game in his past life.

Li Qingqiu stayed in the dark hall for an hour before leaving, leaving the rest to Mo Jiuhong.

……

In the training ground of Lingcai Hall, Yang Xuan sat cross-legged under a tree, holding a spirit herb in his hand, lost in thought.

After arriving at Qingxiao Sect, Li Dongyue poured cultivation resources into him, causing his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds. His exceptional talent allowed him to reach the fourth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm.

Although the fourth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm is no longer considered top-tier cultivation within the Qingxiao Sect, Yang Xuan's potential has filled everyone in the Lingcai Hall with high expectations for him.

A young man walked into the courtyard and strode towards Yang Xuan.

It was Ye Nan who possessed the destiny of being a "born hero" and having a "sudden enlightenment".

The Qi family sent Ye Nan's master, Ba Dao Mo Li, to Qingxiao Mountain to capture the Qilin. After being discovered, Mo Li committed suicide in front of Li Qingqiu. Later, Ye Nan was invited up the mountain and finally decided to join the Qingxiao Sect.

At first, Ye Nan had concerns, fearing that Li Qingqiu was just deceiving him. However, after staying in Qingxiao Sect for a while, he found that no one was monitoring him and he was not neglected, which made his sense of belonging to Qingxiao Sect stronger and stronger.

Later, after the sect leader killed the Qi clan demon, and Xiao Ba brought the tree demon's corpse to Qingxiao Sect, Ye Nan completely believed Li Qingqiu's words, and the last trace of resentment he had towards Qingxiao Sect disappeared.

Ye Nan has now put aside his grudges and only wants to focus on cultivation.

"Senior Brother Yang, the sect is preparing to open a physical cultivation academy for Senior Brother Yuanli. Would you like to attend?" Ye Nan asked Yang Xuan curiously.

He and Yang Xuan were the closest, firstly because they were the same age, and secondly because they were compatible in temperament.

Yang Xuan looked up at him and said, "I won't go. I'm not interested in body cultivation. You go."

Ye Nan squatted down and asked curiously, "Senior Brother Yang, what are you thinking about?"

Yang Xuan replied, "As you know, I can sense the emotions of flowers and plants. I've been thinking lately about whether I can create a cultivation path similar to body cultivation and sword cultivation based on this characteristic."

"Really? Senior Brother Yang, if you succeed, our Lingcai Hall will benefit greatly!" Ye Nan said excitedly, even happier than Yang Xuan.

Yang Xuan shook his head and laughed, "It's just a hypothetical situation; it's not that easy."

Ye Nan chuckled and said, "You don't have to listen to the body cultivation method, but you have to come to the martial arts arena to watch my duel tomorrow and boost my morale."

"Who is the opponent?"

"Ning Shu".

"What cultivation level?"

"Second level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm. Don't worry, the opponents I can challenge are definitely at a similar level to me. However, this Ning Shu comes from the Ning family of Southern Chu State. He is a scion of a prominent family and has many lackeys around him."

"Okay, I'll go with you tomorrow."

"It's still my senior brother who takes care of me."

Ye Nan was very happy and sat down next to Yang Xuan, beginning to tell him about some sect news he had heard that day.

The Qingxiao Sect is undergoing massive construction, changing rapidly with each passing day. New things appear and new people join, making it a place where stories never lack.

……

Without the threat from the Qi family, Li Qingqiu's days became more leisurely, and he felt that time was passing quickly as he was busy practicing his martial arts.

Before we knew it, it was already early July.

On this day, after noon, Zhu Yan arrived at Li Qingqiu's cave.

"Sect Master, Hall Master Li Sifeng has broken ties with the Pei family," Zhu Yan said as she approached Li Qingqiu.

Li Qingqiu opened his eyes and asked, "What's the reason?"

"It seems that due to a power struggle, the Pei family appointed one of their eldest sons as the Grand Marshal of the Three Armies, which displeased Hall Master Li Sifeng. In a fit of anger, he took Pei Miao and left the Pei family, heading north."

"Heading north?"

"Yes, it is said that Hall Master Li Sifeng has declared that he will raise an army on his own and compete with the Pei family for the world."

Hearing this, Li Qingqiu understood Zhu Yan's purpose and asked, "Does the Zhu family have some ideas?"

Zhu Yan replied, "Now that the world is divided among warlords, Hall Master Li Sifeng will need help to rise to power. If the Zhu family doesn't help, others will. After all, he has our Qingxiao Sect behind him. Rather than letting other families whose backgrounds are unknown influence Hall Master Li Sifeng, why don't we, the Zhu family, help him?"

Li Qingqiu looked at her but did not answer.

Zhu Yan was startled by his gaze and lowered her head, her heart pounding and her mind filled with unease.

Did she cross the line?

"You can handle this as you see fit. Remember, you must not mobilize any Qingxiao Sect disciples to assist him, including any disciples surnamed Zhu," Li Qingqiu's voice rang out.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan looked up in surprise and quickly assured that she would only use worldly power to help Li Sifeng.

(End of this chapter)