In Li Qingqiu's view, an unawakened physique always required some kind of stimulus—either a physical shock or an emotional one. But how much of a stimulus was needed, that was impossible to determine.
Yet looking at Yuan Li, who was still so young, Li Qingqiu couldn't bring himself to do it.
'Forget it,' he thought.
Disappointment too was a form of tempering the heart. Li Qingqiu believed that Yuan Li's Heart of a Grandmaster and Tenacity Fate would lead him down the right path, keeping him from losing himself.
Closing his eyes once more, Li Qingqiu returned to his meditation.
The eighth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm—he was getting closer.
…
Night fell. Li Sifeng returned to Lingxiao Courtyard, the Emperor Xuan Sword in hand. His face was pale and his body exhausted. Today's training had drained both his vital energy and spirit completely.
Still, though weary, he felt fulfilled.
The sensation of growing stronger every day was too intoxicating.
'Why didn't I treasure my time before? Did I really need to hit rock bottom before waking up?'
He thought back to earlier that day, when Cheng Xiu had come to watch him practice swordsmanship. The admiration in her eyes filled him with satisfaction.
He couldn't help but think back to that night when the Prison Qilin had intervened.
If not for that creature, he would have died—and Cheng Xiu, along with her brother, would have perished as well. Just the memory made him break out in a cold sweat.
Looking ahead, he saw his senior brother sitting at the long table.
"Senior Brother, it's so late—why aren't you resting?"
Li Sifeng smiled as he walked forward.
Li Qingqiu put down the book in his hand and looked at him. "I was waiting for you. I have a task to assign."
Li Sifeng's curiosity lit up immediately. "What task?"
Li Qingqiu's voice was calm and steady. "Reach the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm as quickly as possible. After that, destroy the Pei Clan."
The moment Li Sifeng heard the words Pei Clan, his expression darkened.
His hatred for the Pei Clan ran deep. Even if Li Qingqiu hadn't said so, he had already sworn to settle that debt one day.
"Understood!" he replied firmly.
Li Qingqiu's gaze sharpened. "We originally had no quarrel with the Pei Clan. But because you pursued the Emperor Xuan Sword, they set their eyes on it too. The conflict that followed turned us into mortal enemies. Many of our disciples have died because of this. I'm not blaming you—the strong are meant to claim treasures—but next time, weigh the gains and losses before acting. You're not a child anymore. You need to start thinking like an adult."
Li Sifeng's face burned with shame. This time, he didn't try to defend himself.
"Go rest."
Li Qingqiu picked his book back up, dismissing him with a calm tone.
Li Sifeng took a deep breath, bowed solemnly, and left the room.
…
Twenty days later, Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning finally returned.
But Yan Lan was not with them.
Li Qingqiu could tell from their grave expressions what had happened.
He sent Zhao Zhen, Yuan Li, and the others away, leaving only the two to speak privately.
When they sat down, Jiang Zhaoxia said the words Li Qingqiu had already dreaded.
"The Crown Prince is dead."
Li Qingqiu's brows furrowed. Though he had expected it, hearing it confirmed still left a hollow weight in his chest.
Seeing that neither of them were injured, he asked quietly, "You didn't make it in time?"
Jiang Zhaoxia shook his head. "We made it. We even rescued him from the palace. But on the way out of the city, the poison in his body flared up. It must have been planted for at least half a month. That means someone poisoned him long before the uprising began. It was an extremely vile toxin. Even with our Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra, we couldn't purge it. He chose to stay behind and die, forcing us to escape."
His tone was low and heavy—the frustration of failure thick in every word. It was the first mission he had ever failed, and it weighed on him deeply.
Xu Ning's face was no different. The entire journey back, the two of them had hardly spoken a word.
Li Qingqiu frowned. "So you just left him?"
"Of course not," Jiang Zhaoxia said, his brow creasing. "We wanted to bring him back so you could save him, but he refused. He said if he ran, both Zhao Zhen and Qingxiao Sect would be implicated. He had to die inside the imperial city. He didn't say much more before the poison took his life. We had no choice but to abandon his body and retreat."
Xu Ning nodded. "What he said was true."
Li Qingqiu fell silent.
He hadn't known Yan Lan long, nor had they grown close—but Yan Lan was Zhao Zhen's father.
He feared this death would leave a scar that might change Zhao Zhen's nature completely.
Jiang Zhaoxia spoke again. "The palace's experts were no joke. There was a man named Xuan Gong—his strength was no less than that of Shen Yue. The two of us could have killed him if we went all out, but he had many powerful subordinates, all highly skilled and working in perfect coordination. Since we had to protect the Crown Prince, we could only retreat."
Xu Ning added, "Xuan Gong's cultivation far surpasses that of the Sword God, though the Sword God's sword intent gives him an edge. Still, this Xuan Gong may only be the tip of the iceberg. The fact that he could pursue us means there are others in the palace just as strong, guarding the Emperor himself."
She paused, her voice quieter. "There's also another possibility—the Emperor might be stronger than Xuan Gong. Otherwise, why keep someone like him in the palace? And if the Emperor truly consumed the inner core of a Martial Legend…"
She didn't finish the sentence. But she didn't need to.
Li Qingqiu understood.
The current Emperor's power was unfathomable—no one could underestimate him anymore.
Looking up, Li Qingqiu saw the sky growing dark. Thick clouds rolled across the heavens.
He murmured softly, "Looks like it's going to rain."
The news that the Crown Prince had rebelled and been executed by the Emperor's Prohibition Guards swept across the Nine Provinces like a storm. The entire realm shook. From the royal court to the martial world, everyone was talking about it.
Dozens of ministers and noble families were arrested under the Emperor's decree for investigation. Each day in Zhenyang Imperial City, more than one hundred heads rolled, the execution grounds running red with rivers of blood.
When this news reached Qingxiao Sect, it was the eve of the New Year.
The disciples were celebrating joyfully when the mountain pilgrims brought word of the event. The rumor spread from mouth to mouth until it became the main topic of discussion throughout the sect.
Ku Yi and Ku Er immediately went to find Zhao Zhen, afraid he might lose control.
But when they arrived, they found Zhao Zhen sitting cross-legged atop the peak, surrounded by a gentle flow of spiritual qi.
The two exchanged glances and didn't disturb him, yet neither dared to leave. They were afraid he might do something reckless.
Inside Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu gathered the Hall Masters to discuss the situation.
"From this moment on," Li Qingqiu said firmly as his gaze swept over everyone, "Zhao Zhen's identity is a sect secret. No one outside is to know."
Zhu Yan looked uneasy, and Li Qingqiu noticed it immediately. "Hall Master Zhu," he asked, "what's wrong?"
Everyone turned toward her. The death of the Crown Prince had placed immense pressure on them all. They could already sense that the Emperor's next storm was brewing.
Zhu Yan took a slow breath. "My family hasn't sent word in a long time. I'm worried they've been implicated."
Li Qingqiu asked, "Do you and Miss Su need to return to check on them?"
Zhu Yan shook her head. "If trouble has already reached them, there's nothing we can do. It's better to stay in Qingxiao Sect and wait. Even if the Zhu family chose the wrong side, someone in the bloodline must survive. My duty is to protect those survivors."
She hesitated, then added, "If Sect Master wants us to avoid suspicion, we can leave immediately."
Li Qingqiu chuckled softly. "We dared to shelter the Crown Prince's son—why would we be afraid to keep you?"
Hearing that, Zhu Yan smiled.
Li Qingqiu silently opened the Dao Lineage panel and checked her loyalty.
'Hmm, increased by 1 point. Not bad.'
Li Dongyue then asked, "Senior Brother, how should we respond to this turmoil across the realm?"
Before Li Qingqiu could answer, Zhang Yuchun spoke first. "This is an imperial power struggle—it has nothing to do with us. As long as our third junior brother and Junior Niece Xu keep their identities hidden, we're fine. I've already arranged surveillance around Guzhou's checkpoints. If anything happens, I'll know immediately."
In truth, he felt relieved the Crown Prince was dead.
Had Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning truly brought the Crown Prince back, he wouldn't have known what to do. The Emperor would never let it go. No matter how well they hid, one day their secret would be exposed.
He admitted his thoughts were selfish, but to him, Qingxiao Sect came before all else.
Zhao Zhen wasn't even a disciple he had recruited—there was no reason for the sect to risk everything over the boy's father.
The others agreed, adopting the same cautious stance: remain neutral, strengthen themselves, and quietly observe the tides of the world.
Li Qingqiu didn't argue. After hearing their opinions, he shifted the topic.
"The new year has begun. This is my eighth year as Sect Master. Our goal for this year: excluding menial disciples, the total number of disciples must surpass 3,000, and True Disciples must exceed 400. I want steady growth, not reckless expansion."
He continued laying out new development goals for the Seven Halls and the Sword Division, and all the Hall Masters nodded and took note.
As evening approached, Li Qingqiu made his way to the cliff where Zhao Zhen was cultivating. He signaled Ku Yi and Ku Er to leave, then walked alone to the boy's side.
"Why are you cultivating here all by yourself?" Li Qingqiu asked.
Zhao Zhen opened his eyes and turned to his master. "Master, you don't need to comfort me. My father told me everything before sending me here. He said his death was inevitable—either from illness or by my grandfather's hand."
Li Qingqiu was surprised. He hadn't expected Yan Lan to prepare his son for this so early. Zhao Zhen had only been a small child back then, yet he hadn't been crushed by that knowledge.
Now, at only eight years old, Zhao Zhen had just lost his father—yet he neither wept nor despaired. It left Li Qingqiu unsure of how to console him.
Zhao Zhen spoke seriously, "My father said that if he must die, he'd rather make it meaningful. Dying by my grandfather's hand would shake the realm. The people of the world will curse my grandfather's tyranny. No matter how strong imperial power is, it will one day fall before the will of the people."
Li Qingqiu reached out and rubbed his head gently. "I sent your Third Uncle and Senior Sister to rescue him, but he was already poisoned. They couldn't bring him back. Before he died, his last wish was to perish inside the imperial city, so he wouldn't bring trouble upon you—or Qingxiao Sect."
Zhao Zhen smiled faintly. "Master, my father was frail, but with what he did—doesn't that make him a true man of honor?"
Li Qingqiu smiled back. "Of course. He was not only a true man but a great one—and a good father."
Zhao Zhen grinned wider. He clasped his fists with both hands, his eyes shining, a trace of Yan Lan's charisma flashing in his expression.
"I'll train hard, Master. I won't let my father down."
Watching that spark of determination in the young boy, Li Qingqiu suddenly thought of his Fragile Destiny Fate.
'Will the Emperor try to eliminate his bloodline completely?'
The thought lingered in his mind as the cold wind swept across the mountain peak.