Chapter 341 ·Innate Immortal Bearing
Chapter 341: Innate Immortal Bearing
Vast snow mist shrouded the mountains and rivers. Those ridges loomed within the mist like ancient primordial beasts, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.
It was early morning.
On the great earth, beneath towering peaks, figures emerged one after another from the snow mist. At the forefront was Yuan Li.
Yuan Li gazed at the plain ahead. Though it was covered in ice and snow, a smile still appeared on his face.
After so long, they had finally walked out of the Western Region Perilous Land. Along the way, Yuan Li had personally slain more than a dozen disciples of the Myriad Yin Sect.
Within the Nine Provinces, it was difficult for him to engage in life-and-death battles with cultivators of the Spirit Perception Realm. Thus, the battles along this journey had brought him considerable gains, and he had begun to enjoy true combat.
“Senior Brother Yuan Li, let’s stop here. We can’t advance any further.”
A female disciple from the Heavenly Works Hall stepped forward and spoke. The other disciples nodded in agreement.
Following Yuan Li, they had suffered almost no injuries, which pushed their reverence for him to its peak.
Yuan Li nodded and said, “Set up the Teleportation Formation nearby. Do not go too far.”
“Yes!”
The fourteen disciples responded in unison before moving aside.
Yuan Li remained where he was, gazing into the distance. He was very curious about what lay at the end of the earth.
The Western Region Perilous Land was far more vast than he had imagined. Before, he had only heard that it was immense, but only after personally traversing it did he understand its true scale.
If not for their Clear Sky Tokens, they would have truly felt as if they could never walk out of it.
This also deepened Yuan Li’s curiosity about the vast world—just how large was heaven and earth, and how far did the path of cultivation extend?
Of course, he only thought about it. He would not leave the Clear Sky Sect. He would only help the Clear Sky Sect cover the entire mortal world.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away—
On the icy plains, a stone pillar several zhang tall stood upon a slope, like a stone sword from beyond the heavens plunged into the earth. Atop the pillar stood a figure.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat. He had a full beard, and a scar running across the bridge of his nose gave him a ferocious appearance. A sword case was strapped to his back. The cold wind whipped his robes violently, while his gaze was sharp like an eagle’s.
“The Clear Sky Sect is truly bold. I wonder whether it’s because they come from the Nine Provinces and are too ignorant, or if they have some backing.”
A sharp, thin voice came from within the sword case, indistinguishable as male or female.
The middle-aged man said, “No matter the reason, the Myriad Yin Sect will at least have something to worry about.”
“Then why are you here? To deal with the Myriad Yin Sect, are you really relying on this small sect? Haven’t you already investigated? They’ve only stepped into cultivation for less than forty years, and they don’t even have any renowned powerful cultivators.”
“Deal with the Myriad Yin Sect? Hmph, I don’t have that kind of energy. I’m just using this matter as an excuse to leave the sect.”
The middle-aged man snorted coldly, his tone indifferent.
The voice within the sword case fell silent, seemingly pondering his intentions.
Snow fell heavily, gradually concealing his figure.
…
A new year had arrived. This year, Li Qingqiu would turn forty-eight. Having taken a youth-preserving elixir, he still looked youthful, even somewhat like a young man.
While the sect bustled with festive celebrations, Li Qingqiu was no longer wandering around the sect as he had in previous years. He was either cultivating in his cave dwelling or waiting for news in the Lingxiao Courtyard while issuing decisions.
As for how to wage war, he had already handed it over to Wei Tianxiong and Chu Jing to coordinate. What he needed to do was issue overarching directives.
He had even assigned Jian Yungui—who possessed the traits Talent of a General, The More the Better, and Loyal and Courageous Heart—under Chu Jing, letting Chu Jing guide him.
Jian Yungui was still too young to shoulder heavy responsibilities. Li Qingqiu hoped that through this conflict, he would undergo transformation.
The reason he did not let Wei Tianxiong lead him was because Wei Tianxiong was too arrogant. He would look down on Jian Yungui’s talent. Meanwhile, Chu Jing was utterly loyal to Li Qingqiu— even if he did not understand, he would still strictly carry out Li Qingqiu’s arrangements.
In truth, Li Qingqiu did not feel that much pressure regarding the conflict between the Clear Sky Sect and the Myriad Yin Sect. He was even gambling.
He wanted to use the Myriad Yin Sect as a whetstone, to sharpen blade after blade for the sect.
No matter how talented someone was, without experience, they could not stand on their own.
Of course, this process carried risks. Some people would inevitably be sacrificed. As the Sect Master, Li Qingqiu had to be decisive and far-sighted.
He could be angered by the death of every disciple and seek revenge, but he could not insist on avoiding all sacrifices. Such thinking would only restrain him.
Sitting in the Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu pondered the future.
Zhang Yuchun entered the courtyard with a bright smile. He sat at the long table, looked at Li Qingqiu, and said with a grin, “Senior Brother, another promising seedling appeared today. His talent is overflowing—visible to the naked eye.”
He admitted that he could misjudge people, but some geniuses could not be misjudged. He liked such obvious talents.
Li Qingqiu turned his head slightly and smiled. “What? Want to take him as a disciple?”
Zhang Yuchun shook his head. “The Free Spirit Hall already has enough geniuses. Sometimes having too many geniuses isn’t a good thing. When arrogant people clash, conflicts easily arise. I’m just happy for the sect. Geniuses shining like stars—that’s a good thing. I was worried the next generation wouldn’t measure up, but now it’s great—each generation is stronger than the last.”
“Now we’re just waiting for your little disciple to arrive and take the lead. There must be one disciple with absolutely outstanding talent at the forefront to suppress their arrogance.”
Ever since hearing Li Qingqiu mention taking a young disciple, Zhang Yuchun had been looking forward to it.
Li Qingqiu had even sent Shen Yue and Jiang Zhaoxia to search—what kind of talent must it be to be valued so highly?
Now, Zhang Yuchun no longer doubted Li Qingqiu’s judgment—he only anticipated it.
A genius even more astonishing than Yuan Li and Yun Cai—he could not imagine it.
Li Qingqiu sighed. “I’m waiting as well. I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait for him.”
Zhang Yuchun thought of how Shen Yue had been searching for four years, and his excitement faded. But seeing his senior brother sigh, he immediately comforted him, “Don’t worry. If he could enter your dreams, he must be someone with extraordinary fortune. Shen Yue will definitely find him.”
“Mm. Tell me—what kind of genius made you so excited?” Li Qingqiu nodded and changed the subject.
In truth, he had already seen that disciple on the Dao Lineage Panel. The boy was indeed remarkable—though not as outstanding as Yuan Li and Yun Cai, he could still be compared to Zhao Zhen.
However, Li Qingqiu could not say this outright. Even to his most trusted junior brothers and sisters, he would not reveal the existence of the Dao Lineage Panel.
Zhang Yuchun began introducing the genius, growing more excited as he spoke.
After a long while—
When Zhang Yuchun finished, he asked whether Li Qingqiu wanted to assign a master to that boy.
“Let him take Ning’er as his master. He will become my eldest grand-disciple.” Li Qingqiu pondered before saying.
Zhang Yuchun was overjoyed. He had already met that genius and gotten along well with him, so he wanted to secure better treatment for him.
Joining the Sect Master’s lineage was undoubtedly the best treatment—and being the third-generation eldest disciple under Li Qingqiu’s line was no simple identity.
“Will Xu Ning agree?” Zhang Yuchun asked.
Xu Ning was too domineering. Aside from showing respect to Li Qingqiu, she rarely gave others a pleasant expression.
Well, there was one exception—Li Sijin. The two had grown up together and were as close as sisters.
“We already discussed it. I’ll decide her disciples. She herself also dislikes trouble,” Li Qingqiu replied.
This made Zhang Yuchun feel envious. Xu Ning had a strong temper, yet she truly obeyed Li Qingqiu’s words. His own disciples weren’t so temperamental, but they couldn’t be this obedient either.
The two chatted for a while longer before parting ways.
Zhang Yuchun went to handle festival matters, while Li Qingqiu continued cultivating.
Days passed one after another. The liveliness brought by the New Year Festival quickly faded. While the disciples within the Clear Sky Sect busied themselves with cultivation and striving forward, nearly ten thousand disciples fought within the Western Region Perilous Land.
Since January, more and more Myriad Yin Sect cultivators had appeared. Some infiltrated the Western Region Perilous Land, while others attacked the Clear Sky Sect’s outposts established outside it. Battles became increasingly frequent.
In mid-February, the two sects clashed in a large-scale battle involving over a thousand cultivators for the first time. This battle was immense, erupting on the other side of the Western Region Perilous Land. Wei Tianxiong, Xu Ning, Yuan Li, and others all participated.
The Myriad Yin Sect deployed even more cultivators. Fortunately, Xu Ning and Yuan Li displayed overwhelming strength in the Spirit Perception Realm, and the battle ended in a draw, with both sides retreating.
This battle gave the Clear Sky Sect disciples a clear understanding of the Myriad Yin Sect’s strength. They had to admit—the Myriad Yin Sect was indeed powerful.
Those formations, magic implements, and spells dazzled them, making them difficult to guard against.
Of course, the Clear Sky Sect’s spells were not inferior—it was just that they were weaker in formations and magic implements.
At the beginning of March, another great battle erupted. This time, amidst the chaotic battlefield, Yuan Li slew the Myriad Yin Sect’s leading cultivator, severely damaging their morale. This marked the Clear Sky Sect’s first direct victory over the Myriad Yin Sect.
News of victory spread back to the sect, and notices were posted in the Free Spirit Hall, invigorating the entire sect.
This victory was crucial—it proved that the Clear Sky Sect was not only dominant within the Nine Provinces. Even against external cultivation sects, it remained formidable.
That afternoon—
Li Qingqiu was teaching his eldest grand-disciple Xu Yuqiong in a forest. Xu Yuqiong was only thirteen years old, with delicate features and fair skin. Sitting cross-legged, he looked at first glance like a young girl.
Seeing that Xu Yuqiong had already grasped the foundational mental method of the Primordial Unity Scripture, Li Qingqiu nodded slightly. He then brought up the Dao Lineage Panel again and found Xu Yuqiong’s portrait.
【Name: Xu Yuqiong】
【Gender: Male】
【Age: 13】
【Loyalty (to Sect Master / Sect): 83 / 78 (Maximum 100)】
【Cultivation Aptitude: Outstanding】
【Comprehension: Good】
【Fate Traits: Nine Heavens Wind Sovereign, Unstoppable, Innate Immortal Bearing】
【Nine Heavens Wind Sovereign: Blessed by the fortune of ancient immortal deities, possessing extraordinary comprehension of wind-attribute Dao techniques】
【Unstoppable: Once he gains confidence in anything, that confidence will continuously strengthen him, making him unstoppable】
【Innate Immortal Bearing: Born with the bearing of an immortal, easily making others feel goodwill toward him and wish to approach him】
…
Three special fate traits, combined with outstanding cultivation aptitude—this was the reason Li Qingqiu accepted him as a grand-disciple.
However, Li Qingqiu felt that the boy carried secrets. Xu Yuqiong had arrived at the Clear Sky Sect alone, claiming to be an orphan, but Li Qingqiu felt that wasn’t the truth.
Although Xu Yuqiong had secrets, his loyalty toward Li Qingqiu and the Clear Sky Sect proved that he could be won over. Of course, the most important reason was that his panel was simply too luxurious—Li Qingqiu could not bear to let him go.