From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 45 Treasures of Heaven and Earth
"It's okay. I think he looks quite intelligent. Maybe he just doesn't want to talk."

Li Qingqiu looked at Yuan Li and chuckled softly. He beckoned to Yuan Li, who immediately walked around the table, came to his side, and lay down on his lap.

He wasn't worried about Yuanli's growth, after all, Yuanli had the destiny of a grandmaster, which meant that Yuanli must be intelligent.

He chatted casually with Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue while waiting for his disciples to serve the dishes, but his mind was already on Fuyuan.

As night fell, Yang Jueding and the others finally returned just as the food was served.

Yang Jueding walked at the front with a strange expression. Xu Ning and Qin Ye followed behind him. As for the other disciples, they gathered in the new courtyard below the mountain gate and were discussing the battle that afternoon in a lively manner.

Zhang Yuchun stood up and asked, "Elder Yang, how is the situation?"

Everyone else looked at Yang Jueding, their expressions somewhat tense. This was the first time Qingxiao Sect had been provoked like this. If they lost, there would surely be endless trouble in the future.

Yang Jueding replied, "They were driven away, thanks to Xu Ning's intervention."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the courtyard breathed a sigh of relief.

"Xu Ning made a move? What about you? You can't beat those people from the Absolute Saint Sect?" Li Sifeng seized on the key point and immediately asked.

Yang Jueding looked somewhat embarrassed. He coughed lightly and said, "This Juesheng Sect is not simple. Not only does it have the support of the Tang family of Linchuan, but its sect leader is also a top expert. Even Zhu Wuliang, the number one martial artist in Cangzhou, was defeated by him. I am indeed no match for him."

"Zhu Wuliang? Zhu Wuliang of the Crimson Flame Divine Palm?" Cheng Canghai stared wide-eyed, pressing for an answer, his voice trembling as he looked at Xu Ning with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

Seeing his expression, Yang Jueding's face softened, and he said, "That's right, it's Zhu Wuliang of the Crimson Flame Divine Palm. The sect leader of the Juesheng Sect is named Yan Wujin. He was not famous before, but I think it won't be long before he becomes famous throughout the martial arts world."

Hearing this, Li Qingqiu no longer cared and said, "Sit down, let's eat and talk."

Yang Jueding and the other two immediately took their seats, while the others began to press Xu Ning about the details of the battle between her and Yan Wujin.

"Yan Wujin's skill is indeed remarkable. I have never seen anyone with such profound inner energy. He can even make a lake boil. However, Xu Ning's sword is even stronger. Her sword energy is actually accompanied by lightning, which can penetrate Yan Wujin's inner energy. You didn't see Yan Wujin's expression. His eyes were wide open..."

Yang Jueding became more and more excited as he spoke, and everyone gained a deeper understanding of Xu Ning's strength.

Why does it sound like Xu Ning is even more capable than Jiang Zhaoxia?
They then looked at Xu Ning and saw her sitting next to Li Dongyue, eating obediently. It was hard to associate her with the powerful woman who had defeated Yan Wujin.

The meal was lively, and Xu Ning's defeat of the Absolute Saint Sect greatly boosted the morale of the Qingxiao Sect.

Inside a guest room, Su Xiling was also recounting the battle to Zhu Yan. Her shock far exceeded that of Yang Jueding because she knew better how strong Yan Wujin was.

"It's unbelievable that a powerful expert was defeated by a young girl. Could it be that the Qingxiao Sect is truly blessed by immortals? I never expected that there would be someone in the sect who is more powerful and younger than Jiang Zhaoxia. How did she cultivate such skill?"

When Su Xiling said these words, her hand holding the teacup was trembling.

Zhu Yan remained calm and said softly, "There are always people more capable than you, and there are always things beyond your reach. There are countless extraordinary encounters in the world, and there are always things that you and I cannot experience. Xu Ning is so powerful, which means that her master, Li Qingqiu, is even more powerful."

Su Xiling came to her senses and said, "Could it be as the Qingxiao Sect disciples said, that Li Qingqiu received a divine message from an immortal in a dream?"

Zhu Yan didn't respond, because she couldn't tell whether what he said was true or false.

Many people are destined to have a sleepless night.

After dinner, Xu Ning followed Li Qingqiu back to the house and explained in detail Yan Wujin's strength.

“Master, although I can defeat him, I cannot kill him. This man’s martial arts are indeed powerful. If Elder Yang were to make a move, he would probably be severely injured within three moves.”

Xu Ning said rather dejectedly, her confidence soared after achieving the fifth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm. After all, this was a realm that even Jiang Zhaoxia had not yet reached, and she had a huge gap with the other disciples. She did not expect to lose her first battle after breaking through.

Li Qingqiu sat on the stool. Looking at Xu Ning's unconvinced expression, he couldn't help but pinch her cheek and laughed, "What else do you want? You said it yourself, Yan Wujin is very powerful. Perhaps without you, Yan Wujin and his Juesheng Sect would become the overlords of the martial arts world in Guzhou. He must be feeling very devastated."

"Master, I feel that my comprehension of swordsmanship is not very good, but my internal energy attribute has given me a lot of ideas. Next, I would like to study my internal energy attribute. Is that alright?" Xu Ning did not dodge her master's hand. She looked at her master and asked seriously.

Li Qingqiu said with satisfaction, "Of course you can. Only when you find your own path can you be considered a true master."

“I will never leave the master’s school. I want to follow you for the rest of my life and stay in Qingxiao Sect for the rest of my life.”

"Haha, if that's the case, your master will naturally be happy. But if you fall in love and have someone you love in the future, and want to go down the mountain, your master will not stop you."

"Pshaw, I'm not that vulgar."

The candlelight cast the shadows of the master and disciple obliquely onto the wall. Looking at Xu Ning, Li Qingqiu thought of her when she first came up the mountain. Back then, she was dirty and thin. Now, she had been transformed and had the aura of a cultivator. This made him sigh in his heart, thinking how fast time had passed.

The master and apprentice chatted for a while longer before Li Qingqiu sent Xu Ning away.

After Xu Ning closed the door, he waited for another ten or so breaths before bringing up the Daoist panel and activating Fortune.

[Claim your Fortune Reward]

[Open the door to good fortune]

[Start testing your fortune]

[Having captured a stroke of good fortune and discovered a treasure of heaven and earth, will you accept the guidance of this blessing?]

A treasure of heaven and earth?

Li Qingqiu became interested and immediately accepted. Then, his thoughts were drawn into a dream.

In his dream, he couldn't control his body and could only watch himself travel through the mountains and forests, heading towards an unknown place. The Taikun Mountains were vast, located in the southeastern border of the Dali Dynasty. To the east lay hundreds of miles of deep mountains, shrouded in miasma and rarely visited by humans. It was said that beyond those mountains lay an endless ocean, but no one had ever crossed this deep mountain area. Lin Xunfeng had previously warned them not to go east, and if they encountered dense fog, they must evacuate.

The mountain where Qingxiao Gate is located is dozens of miles away from that deep mountain area. To ordinary people, Qingxiao Gate is already considered to be in the deep mountains. It is not easy to find Qingxiao Gate. As for the boundless mountains and rivers behind Qingxiao Gate, they are awe-inspiring.

In his dream, Li Qingqiu passed through layers of miasma, traveling an unknown distance, until he saw a great tree, a tree that was at least a hundred feet tall, with numerous branches and countless vines hanging down. The surrounding forest seemed to be its subjects worshipping it, but the scene was somewhat blurry, and he could not see the true appearance of this great tree.

When Li Qingqiu woke up, he recalled the figure of that big tree and was deeply moved.

It was the first time he had ever seen such a tall tree.

However, since it is a blessing, this tree will surely bring him unimaginable benefits.

Li Qingqiu decided to set off before dawn to get there as early as possible.

……

Under the cover of night, Tang Ziqi helped the disheveled Yan Wujin move forward.

"That's enough for now. I need to use my internal energy to heal my injuries."

Yan Wujin gritted his teeth and said. Tang Ziqi quickly put him under a tree next to him. When he started to meditate and circulate his internal energy, Tang Ziqi's expression was still somewhat dazed.

Even now, when Tang Ziqi recalls Xu Ning, he can't help but shiver, unsure whether it's from shock or the cold of the night.

He walked to the side, sat down, took the water bottle from his waist, and quenched his thirst while calmly thinking.

All the disciples recruited from Zhu Wuliang have run away. If they want to rebuild their sect, they need to choose another sect as a stepping stone.

Next time, we must stay away from the Taikun Mountains!
The woods were quiet, with only the occasional cold wind blowing through.

Tang Ziqi had traveled a hundred or two miles and was already exhausted. He actually fell asleep leaning against a tree trunk.

He didn't know how long he had slept when he heard someone calling him. He opened his eyes and saw Yan Wujin sitting opposite him, watching their surroundings warily.

"what happened?"

Tang Ziqi rubbed his eyes and asked weakly. His gaze subconsciously swept around, and he quickly became alert.

Without Yan Wujin needing to answer, he realized something was wrong.

Why is there thick fog everywhere?

There wasn't this much fog before he went to sleep.

"Something's not right here. I suspect we've gone the wrong way," Yan Wujin said in a deep voice. After resting for three hours, he had recovered somewhat and his voice was full of energy.

Tang Ziqi frowned deeply, his expression changed drastically, and he said, "It is said that there is a no-man's land deep in the Taikun Mountains, where miasma rages. Anyone who goes in alive will never return. This no-man's land is said to be haunted by demons, and even wild beasts dare not set foot there."

Yan Wujin slowly stood up and said, "It seems the rumors are true. We must leave. I have a bad feeling."

Tang Ziqi quickly got up, and after looking around, the two decided to flee in the direction they had come from.

Overnight, the Qingxiao Sect members should have given up their pursuit.

However, they fled for miles but still could not escape the thick fog, which made them increasingly uneasy, as they felt that something was watching them from within the fog.

"and many more!"

Yan Wujin suddenly called out to Tang Ziqi, who stopped and looked at him nervously.

"This is where we rested earlier," Yan Wujin said with a grim expression. He pointed to a large tree, and Tang Ziqi looked closely and saw a character carved on the trunk.

Tang Ziqi panicked completely. Although he was well-read, he had never encountered such a dangerous situation.

Click!

The sound of tree branches snapping underfoot startled the two men, who turned to look and saw a figure emerging from the thick fog. This put them on high alert, and they prepared for battle.

Li Qingqiu emerged from the thick fog, his left hand resting on the scabbard of the Tianhong Sword, his posture leisurely. He walked up to Yan Wujin and the other man, looking them up and down.

Yan Wujin and the other man recognized that he was wearing the robes of the Qingxiao Sect. They exchanged a glance and did not make any rash moves.

"Who are you, and how did you get lost here?" Li Qingqiu asked.

Tang Ziqi quickly clasped his hands in greeting and said, "We were being chased by our enemies and have been fleeing here for several days. Young brother, do you know how to escape?"

Before Li Qingqiu could answer, Yan Wujin turned to look in another direction and said, "I didn't expect this place to be so lively. Stop hiding and come out."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingqiu and Tang Ziqi turned to look.

In the thick fog, a patch of grass began to sway, and soon, a disheveled old man staggered out. His hair was white and messy, his clothes were dirty and worn, and he carried a gourd in his hand, as if he were drunk.

Li Qingqiu looked at the disheveled old man thoughtfully.

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(End of this chapter)