From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 55 Siege of Qingxiao Sect

Yan Lan looked at Li Qingqiu, his stern expression quickly vanishing, replaced by a gentle, sunny smile. He exclaimed, "Ku Yi and Ku Er are no ordinary men. Before they followed me, they were the top two in the Guardian of Heaven. The so-called number one in each state in the martial arts world were no match for them. Brother, you were able to defeat one of them in one strike. Your martial arts are truly unfathomable. Could you be the legendary Jiang Zhaoxia?"

He had heard of Jiang Zhaoxia, a young genius who, upon his debut, became the second-best martial artist in Guzhou, and whose reputation even surpassed that of Yu Zhiyi, the number one martial artist.

Yu Zhiyi is a well-established master, and his advanced age makes it impossible for people to have any further expectations or curiosity about him. Jiang Zhaoxia is different; he is too young, and his performance makes people feel that as long as he continues to grow smoothly, he will definitely surpass Yu Zhiyi in the future.

However, in Yan Lan's eyes, a genius like Jiang Zhaoxia was nothing special. Standing at the top of the dynasty, too many geniuses flocked to him, wanting to serve him.

But upon seeing Li Qingqiu today, whom he mistook for Jiang Zhaoxia, he was surprised.

This was the first time he had ever seen Ku Yi be defeated in a single exchange.

"My name is Li Qingqiu, and I am the sect leader of Qingxiao Sect," Li Qingqiu replied, making no attempt to conceal his identity.

This is Qingxiao Sect's territory. As the sect leader, how can I hide my identity and hide behind my disciples when facing outsiders?

"Sect Leader? You're so young."

Yan Lan sighed, then laughed and said, "Could it be that the rumors in the martial arts world are true, and the divine skill manual that the Dragon-Subduing Hero obtained has been passed on to you?"

Li Qingqiu asked, "Who sent it?"

"I don't know, but I've heard many chivalrous figures in the martial arts world talking about this along my journey," Yan Lan said, shaking her head.

Li Qingqiu sensed a conspiracy. It must be the Qing Cult spreading rumors because they believed Yang Jueding had obtained the ultimate skill and had been trying to kill him.

Could it be that the Qing Sect wants to lure other sects and experts to deal with the Qingxiao Sect, and then seize the secret techniques after the Qingxiao Sect has suffered heavy losses?

Fortunately, he had already sent Jiang Zhaoxia down the mountain to deal with the Qing Cult; otherwise, if the Qingxiao Sect encountered trouble later, they wouldn't have had time to retaliate against the Qing Cult.

Yan Lan spoke again: "Sect Leader Li, would you be willing to spar with my subordinates Ku Yi and Ku Er? Although I am not in good health, I am very interested in martial arts and would like to witness a duel between experts. Please stop when you have made a move and do not kill them. Afterwards, I am willing to stay at Qingxiao Sect for a while and see if I can help them."

"Of course, if you don't want to, then forget it. We'll just stay up the mountain for one night and then leave."

His tone was sincere and not forceful.

Qin Ye came to his senses and looked at Ku Yi with fear in his eyes. He realized that he was still very weak when facing a true martial arts master.

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, "Since His Highness the Crown Prince has spoken, how can I refuse? Come on, both of you, come at me together."

Upon hearing this, Ku Yi and Ku Er were not provoked. Ku Yi took out his weapon from behind his back. The two silver rods were wrapped in black cloth. He put them together and they were even longer than Qin Ye's iron rod.

Ku Er drew his sword and came to Ku Yi's side. The two stood side by side, their auras completely unreserved.

Li Qingqiu then gestured for Qin Ye to step aside.

Seeing Qin Ye walk away, Ku Yi and Ku Er stepped out at the same time. They didn't say a word, but they showed an extraordinary tacit understanding.

Their footsteps were incredibly fast, swift as a startled swan, and they quickly arrived on either side of Li Qingqiu. Ku Yi swung his silver staff horizontally, while Ku Er thrust his sword at Li Qingqiu.

too fast!
Even though Qin Ye was watching from the sidelines, he still couldn't keep up with Ku Yi and Ku Er's speed and agility, which shocked him.

Is this speed that someone who practices martial arts can achieve?

Li Qingqiu drew the Tianhong Sword from his waist with even greater speed, and with a swift swing, the blade deflected the silver staff and longsword.

Ku Yi somersaulted backward and landed quickly. He raised his silver staff high in one hand and braced himself on the ground with the other, his posture like that of a wild beast. He slapped his right palm and attacked Li Qingqiu again.

Ku Er was thrown into the air, then swung his sword, and streams of sword energy descended from the sky, joining forces with Ku Yi to attack Li Qingqiu once again.

Li Qingqiu raised his sword to defend, but he did not use his full strength, wanting to see just how strong Ku Yi and Ku Er were.

He was quite interested in the expert who had entered the country that Yan Lan had mentioned.

The snow and mist churned, and Ku Yi and Ku Er were constantly repelled and attacked again, while Li Qingqiu remained in place, using the Tianhong Sword to defend against all attacks, in the same posture as when he was teaching Qin Ye.

Qin Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief at Li Qingqiu's strength, and his gaze was fixed on Ku Yi.

The Demon-Subduing Staff of Ten Thousand Armies!
This person also knows it, and the aura he displays far surpasses his!

Ku Yi's aura perfectly matched all his fantasies about the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff. It was powerful and unstoppable, with his energy overflowing within a radius of ten feet. The snow was torn open with countless marks. The distance between him and Li Qingqiu was getting farther and farther, but his internal energy formed staff shadows that struck Li Qingqiu from a distance. As the distance increased, these staff shadows became bigger and stronger.

Ku Er was on Li Qingqiu's other side. He did not unleash his magnificent sword energy, but kept approaching, trying to find Li Qingqiu's weakness with his superb swordsmanship.

The two men, one near and one far, created a spectacular scene. Li Qingqiu, surrounded by them, calmly swung his sword. The faster they moved, the slower Li Qingqiu appeared. Yet, even in his slower state, Li Qingqiu was able to withstand every single move they made.

The wind and waves, mixed with flying snow, rushed towards Yan Lan's face, blowing his hair into disarray. He looked at the great battle ahead, his eyes bright, his breathing even a little rapid.

Even he was seeing Ku Yi fight with all his might for the first time. Such a powerful demon-subduing staff would be a nightmare for the enemy on the battlefield, yet it couldn't shake Li Qingqiu.

After exchanging a hundred blows, Li Qingqiu had a clear assessment of the two men's strength. He suddenly twisted his body, slashing upwards with his Heavenly Rainbow Sword. A sword aura swept across the ground, tearing apart the massive shadows of the staff along its path, and struck Ku Yi with the force of thunder. Ku Yi's silver staff was instantly shattered, and his bamboo hat was cut in two, flying to either side. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell backward.

Almost simultaneously, Li Qingqiu turned around, her figure graceful, and swung her sword at Ku Er. The sword energy swept across, and Ku Er's expression changed drastically. He quickly swung his sword, but his sword energy was no match for Li Qingqiu's.

"puff--"

Ku Er followed in Ku Yi's footsteps, coughing up blood and flying backward, crashing miserably onto the snow ten feet away. He could hardly get up.

So strong!

Yan Lan's eyes widened. Li Qingqiu's last two sword strikes were incredibly fast, going from slow to fast like thunder. Ku Yi and Ku Er couldn't even withstand a single strike, demonstrating the vast difference in strength between the two sides.

Qin Ye was overjoyed and couldn't help but cheer.

Clang——

Li Qingqiu smoothly sheathed his sword, a faint glint of light flashing within. He turned to Yan Lan and smiled, “Since Your Highness wishes to stay at Qingxiao Sect for a while, it’s a good opportunity for them to recuperate.”

Ku Yi lay on the ground, unable to get up, his gaze towards Li Qingqiu filled with fear.

He had never felt such powerful sword energy before, and he had no doubt that Li Qingqiu had the strength to kill him instantly.

How could this person's martial arts skills be so terrifying?
Yan Lan stood up, clapped her hands and praised, "Sect Leader Li is truly skilled in martial arts. He is definitely the strongest I have ever seen in my life. It seems that the rumors in the martial arts world are false. Jiang Zhaoxia is so powerful not because of that secret manual, but because of Sect Leader Li's teachings."

He believed that divine skills and extraordinary techniques could cultivate young geniuses.

But he didn't believe that a supreme expert like Li Qingqiu could be cultivated in just a few years.

Li Qingqiu raised his hand and inserted a needle into each of the two children, Ku Yi and Ku Er, to stabilize their blood and qi. Then he asked Yan Lan, "Your Highness, as the Crown Prince, why is your surname Yan?"

The emperor's surname is Zhao, so how can the crown prince's surname be Yan?
The former crown prince was named Zhao Yan. Even if the current crown prince were to choose a name randomly, he would still have to avoid using the character "Yan" to prevent gossip. But he did not. What does this mean?
This is also why Li Qingqiu did not stop Qin Ye from using the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff.

Although the emperor was incompetent, the crown prince had always had a good reputation.

Yan Lan smiled and said, "When traveling the martial world, one naturally needs an alias. My real name is Zhao Lan, but I prefer the name Yan Lan. From now on, please call me Yan Lan, Sect Leader Li, so as not to reveal my identity as the Crown Prince."

Do you prefer it?
Li Qingqiu didn't press further; having asked this much, he already had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

He began exchanging pleasantries with Yan Lan, and only after Ku Yi and Ku Er had the strength to get up did he lead the four of them up the mountain.

"The rumors about divine skills must be fueled by someone behind the scenes. It won't be long before Qingxiao Sect runs into trouble. I can't control the grudges in the martial arts world, but I can help you offset the pressure from the officialdom."

Yan Lan walked side by side with Li Qingqiu and said softly.

Li Qingqiu glanced at him and asked curiously, "Why is Your Highness helping us? Is it because of the Demon-Subduing Cudgel?"

Yan Lan shook his head and said, "There are more than just Brother Qin Ye and Ku Yi in the world who know the Ten Thousand Army Demon-Subduing Staff. The reason I helped Qingxiao Sect is because I admire their style. Although Qingxiao Sect is not large, it can help the people. It not only treats diseases, but also gives money and food. Even if this money may come from rebels or bandits, your chivalrous behavior is real. Looking at the martial arts world, how many sects can do that?"

"I've always felt that the real martial arts world shouldn't just be about competing for power. Strong people should shoulder more responsibility. At least in Guzhou, I'm not satisfied with any of the other sects. Only Qingxiao Sect makes me admire them and gives me something to look forward to."

Li Qingqiu wondered who had leaked Qingxiao Sect's financial resources, but then he thought that Qingxiao Sect was too small to possibly have that much money, so he could only speculate.

Fortunately, Qingxiao Sect was doing good deeds.

He issued such an order not for empty fame, but because he genuinely wanted to do something for the people.

The future Qingxiao Sect will not be a traditional sect that grows strong by exploiting the local people, but will instead select talented individuals from among them to pursue the Dao of Immortality together.

The two chatted as they climbed the mountain. Yan Lan was indeed weak and had to rest after walking only two miles. He was also stubborn and refused to be carried.

……

Inside the inn, Li Sifeng, Wu Man'er, Cheng Canghai, and eight disciples sat at two adjacent tables, drinking and eating.

After a year of training, sixteen-year-old Li Sifeng has undergone a dramatic change in temperament. He is now handsome, with a dashing and unrestrained demeanor, resembling a young knight-errant.

They didn't speak, as they were all quite tired after traveling for half a day.

Bang!

The inn's door was pushed open, and snowflakes rushed in as a group of martial arts practitioners poured in.

"This siege of Qingxiao Sect is led by the three major sects. Although our Iron Bone Sect is not a first-rate sect, we cannot miss such an important event. As long as we seize the opportunity, we can gain fame and unique skills!"

The middle-aged man at the front spoke excitedly, his voice booming, which drew echoes from the martial arts figures behind him, and everyone seemed excited.

　It wasn't intentional, it just happened to be mentioned in the text QAQ
　　
　
(End of this chapter)