From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 54 Subduing the Demon, Capturing the Demon

Jiang Zhaoxia and Thirteen Swordsman Li had just returned and went down the mountain the next day, which made the disciples very curious and envious. They could feel the sect's high regard for Thirteen Swordsman Li.

Li Qingqiu trusted Jiang Zhaoxia, who was at the fifth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm, so he was not worried about their operation.

After Jiang Zhaoxia and the others descended the mountain, Li Qingqiu focused his attention on his own cultivation, as he was about to attempt to break through to the sixth level of the Nourishing Essence Realm.

Autumn has passed and winter has arrived; this year's snow came later than usual.

In the open woods, Qin Ye attacked Li Qingqiu with an iron rod in hand. His rod technique was fierce and powerful, and as he swung it, the flying snow melted and formed white mist that surrounded him like smoke.

Li Qingqiu used two fingers to block Qin Ye's iron rod, concentrating his vital energy in his fingers, making them harder than the iron rod in Qin Ye's hand.

Ding! Ding! Ding…

The crisp, bell-like sounds rang out continuously. Qin Ye's every move was blocked, but he was not discouraged. Instead, he became even more excited.

As his understanding of the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff deepened, he became increasingly hesitant to spar with other disciples, which led to a lack of self-awareness regarding his own strength.

Today, he was a little worried when he sparred with his master. However, he did not expect his master to receive each of his blows so easily. Even if he tried his best, he could not shake his master's posture.

Looking at the excited Qin Ye, Li Qingqiu was secretly pleased. Although Qin Ye was still only at the first level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm, his martial arts skills were indeed growing rapidly.

The Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff is not just a set of moves; it also has a miraculous effect of tempering the body, allowing Qin Ye to be tempered by the spiritual energy of heaven during the process of wielding it.

In a sense, the Demon-Subduing Staff is close to the method of cultivating immortality.

He even suspected that this staff technique was an incomplete version, and that it was actually a cultivation technique similar to the Taijue Sword Control Technique.

Although Li Qingqiu did not move his feet, the snow under his feet had melted, revealing the grass.

Just then, Qin Ye suddenly put away his staff. He looked behind Li Qingqiu and said, "Master, someone is coming."

Li Qingqiu turned around and saw three men walking towards him from a distance. The man in front was wearing a black fur robe and a cloth hat, while the two men behind him were wearing raincoats and straw hats.

These three people were clearly not ordinary people.

Li Qingqiu's hearing was far superior to that of ordinary people. He heard the footsteps of the three people long before Qin Ye noticed them. He did not avoid them. After all, this was Qingxiao Sect's territory. As the sect leader, how could he retreat when he saw strangers?

Moreover, as Qingxiao Sect's reputation grew, more and more people came to visit, and they would meet them every few days.

The man at the front saw Li Qingqiu and his companion, his eyes lit up, and he called out, "Gentlemen, are you disciples of the Qingxiao Sect?"

Li Qingqiu gave Qin Ye a look, and Qin Ye immediately understood, replying loudly, "That's right, who are you?"

"My name is Yan Lan. I have heard of the chivalrous deeds of the Qingxiao Sect and admire them greatly. I would like to visit them. Would you two be willing to show me the way?"

"You can go up the mountain yourselves. Just follow this path uphill and you'll get there."

Qin Ye thought to himself, "This guy is really arrogant, he even needs someone to lead the way."

Upon hearing this, Yan Lan strode over, followed closely by two men in straw raincoats.

He walked up to Li Qingqiu and the other person. He was handsome and had a sunny smile that made it easy for people to feel close to him.

"Are you practicing martial arts? Young man, that iron rod looks very heavy," Yan Lan asked curiously.

Qin Ye nodded and said, "It weighs thirty jin."

"Really? Let me try?"

"Row."

With Li Qingqiu by his side, Qin Ye wasn't worried about her playing tricks and handed over his iron rod.

Yan Lan reached out and caught it, immediately bending down to plant the iron rod on the ground. He exclaimed in surprise, "It really weighs thirty pounds?"

He tried to lift it up, and he could, but swinging it was very difficult. Just holding it horizontally to his chest made his face turn red.

"You're exaggerating. Is it really that difficult?" Qin Ye asked with a suspicious look. It's only thirty pounds, not three hundred pounds.

Yan Lan planted the iron rod back on the ground and said with a helpless smile, "I've been weak since I was a child, and I've tried many methods but nothing has worked. I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

Li Qingqiu asked, "Since you're not feeling well, why are you still climbing the mountain? It will take you another hour and a half just to get from here to Qingxiao Sect."

He could tell that Yan Lan's blood and energy were indeed weak, but the two men in straw raincoats behind Yan Lan were not simple.

Both of them are masters comparable to Su Xiling, and even more powerful than ordinary top masters.

How could such a master be a servant?
This person's surname is Yan. Could he be a member of the royal family?

Li Qingqiu kept these thoughts to herself, without showing any emotion on her face.

Yan Lan looked at Li Qingqiu and smiled, "It is precisely because of my weak body that I feel I don't have many years left to live. So I want to see more of the world before I die. That way, even if I die, it won't be a pity. I have been here and seen this world, and that is enough."

This carefree attitude actually shook Qin Ye to his core. As a martial artist, he couldn't understand Yan Lan's feelings, but anyone who heard these words would feel a deep sadness.

Li Qingqiu exclaimed in admiration, "That's right, you have a good outlook on life. Perhaps you will live longer than most people in the world."

"I wouldn't dare to dream of it. Are you going to continue practicing martial arts? Can I watch from the sidelines and take a break?" Yan Lan asked curiously.

Qin Ye frowned and said, "According to what you've said, you've traveled all over the country, don't you know the rules of the martial arts world?"

Yan Lan took out a manual from his bosom and said with a smile, "I won't just read it for nothing. How about I give you this Demon-Capturing Technique?"

"The Demon-Capturing Technique? Is it very powerful?" Qin Ye felt that the other party was toying with him.

Seeing the words "Demon-Capturing Skill" on the cover of the manual, Li Qingqiu became even more certain that Yan Lan was from the royal family. This was Jia Yi's prized skill, yet it had been casually given away. It was truly lamentable.

A book with demon-capturing abilities allowed Jia Yi to rise rapidly in rank and revitalize the entire Jia family, which was no longer composed of commoners.

Such extraordinary skills seem insignificant in the hands of royal children. Indeed, classes exist in every world, and the differences between classes are like chasms.

"Of course it's amazing. This is definitely a martial arts masterpiece. I was fortunate enough to obtain it. I tried to practice it, but unfortunately, I'm not a natural talent for martial arts. I felt a strong connection with you the moment I saw you, so I'm giving it to you."

Yan Lan said with a smile, and as he spoke, he directly tossed the Demon-Capturing Skill in his hand to Qin Ye.

Qin Ye caught the manual and immediately felt troubled. He turned to look at Li Qingqiu.

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, "Since they are willing to befriend you, why not accept?"

Qin Ye nodded, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yan Lan and expressed his gratitude.

Yan Lan waved his hand, then walked to the side and sat down. The two men in straw raincoats followed closely behind, remaining silent throughout.

"You practice on your own, I need to rest for a bit."

After saying this, Li Qingqiu walked in another direction. He sat cross-legged under a big tree, took out the wine gourd from his waist, and began to drink.

Qin Ye looked around, hesitated for a moment, and then began to unleash the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff.

Wu Baoyu once asked him to serve the dynasty with the Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Cudgel, which means that this cudgel technique was not learned by Wu Baoyu alone. Or perhaps Wu Baoyu used a different cudgel technique when he assassinated the emperor. If Qin Ye were to use the Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Cudgel, he would be considered to be related to Wu Baoyu and punished. How could he then serve the dynasty?

Wu Baoyu could not have failed to consider this point.

Li Qingqiu had also instructed him that if anyone asked, he should say that it was taught to him by a mysterious old man, and that he didn't know him.

There are countless stories like this in the martial arts world.

Qin Ye had a good impression of Yan Lan, and since the other party treated him sincerely, he naturally couldn't hide it.

As soon as he unleashed his staff technique, his aura changed abruptly, and he exuded a strong killing intent.

"Demon-Subduing Staff!"

Qin Ye had only used seven moves when a man in a straw raincoat behind Yan Lan whispered something.

Yan Lan's expression remained unchanged as she looked at Qin Ye with admiration.

The other man in the straw raincoat had an indifferent look in his eyes and was not surprised by Qin Ye's stick skills.

Li Qingqiu did not stop Qin Ye from using the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff. He wanted to gamble on Qin Ye's future. These three people were clearly not there to cause trouble, and Yan Lan's physical condition was not faked.

If anything unexpected happens, Li Qingqiu wouldn't mind casting the Soul-Binding Spell a second time, just to practice his skills.

After Qin Ye finished practicing the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff technique once, he turned to Yan Lan and asked, "Is it comparable to your Demon-Capturing Skill?"

Yan Lan laughed and said, "The Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Staff is naturally comparable to the Demon Capturing Skill. In fact, the combination of these two unique skills is even more effective. It's really a coincidence that I met the successor of the Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Staff here. I gave away seven copies of the Demon Capturing Skill, and today we have achieved the wonderful thing of meeting a demon subduer and a demon capturer."

"How do you recognize my staff technique?" Qin Ye asked in surprise.

Yan Lan continued, "The Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Staff is the ultimate skill of Lu Chenhai, the General of the Cavalry of our dynasty, who swept across the world. However, the world does not know its name. This staff technique has made unparalleled contributions to the establishment of our Great Li Dynasty. General Lu did not pass on this ultimate skill to his descendants, but wanted to find a suitable successor. The Emperor once promised him that in the future, whoever learns the Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Staff, regardless of their birth, can be appointed as a general. Later, he resigned from his post and went into seclusion in the Jianghu. It has been thirty years since then. I don't know if he is still alive."

"Young man, if you want to join the army, I can introduce you to someone."

Qin Ye was stunned. At this moment, he finally understood why Wu Baoyu had passed on the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff to him and what kind of path he had paved for him.

Qin Ye snapped out of his daze, looked at Yan Lan, and asked in confusion, "Who exactly are you?"

A man in a straw raincoat behind Yan Lan spoke up: "My lord is the Crown Prince of the current dynasty, why don't you kneel down and thank him?"

Prince!

Qin Ye was startled; instead of being pleasantly surprised, he felt anger.

The son of the dog emperor!

Qin Ye's face contorted in a ferocious expression for a moment, but he quickly realized that he could not provoke the Crown Prince, so he composed himself.

"How dare you! You dare to show murderous intent towards His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Another man in a straw raincoat shouted and bypassed Yan Lan, rushing towards Qin Ye. His movements were extremely fast, leaving behind a series of afterimages along the way.

Qin Ye instinctively raised his stick, but his eyes couldn't keep up with the other person's movements.

boom!
With a dull thud, the man in the straw raincoat slid backward, leaving two tracks several meters long on the snow.

The other man in the straw raincoat immediately drew his sword and frowned as he looked ahead.

A figure appeared beside Qin Ye; it was Li Qingqiu, his robes fluttering, standing motionless in the cold wind.

"Suffering is one thing, suffering is two things, but one must not be rude."

Yan Lan said in a deep voice, his face no longer showing the gentle expression he had before, and his eyes became full of pressure, the majesty of a crown prince.

The man in the straw raincoat who had attacked earlier was named Ku Yi. He stood up straight, looked down at his trembling right hand, and was filled with fear.

His gaze fell on Li Qingqiu, his eyes revealing a hint of apprehension.

　Thank you Sangeng and Shu10096 for the 1000 Qidian coins!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)