Chapter 16: Rejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needles
The first reward triggered by the development of the Dao Lineage?
Li Qingqiu stared at the prompt before him, falling into thought. He felt that from now on, he could plan around this aspect to promote the growth of the Clear Sky Sect.
He turned around and walked deeper into the sect, eager to see what kind of inheritance reward he could obtain.
At the same time, Qin Jue, who had entered the forest, turned his head toward Yang Jueding and said with a sigh, âYour Sect Master may be young, but heâs very calculating. That lad named Li Sifeng was so vicious with his movesâhe was clearly acting under Li Qingqiuâs orders.â
Yang Jueding chuckled. âThat I wouldnât know. Anyway, you werenât injured, were you? In fact, this saved time. It let you personally experience the Clear Sky Sectâs strength.â
Qin Jue nodded.
He had grand ambitions and wasnât petty about Li Qingqiuâs methods.
On the contrary, before coming here, he had worried that the Clear Sky Sect might not last long, and that the Qin Familyâs investment might go to waste.
It was precisely for this reason that his father hadnât come in person.
The Clear Sky Sect held considerable prestige in the martial world.
The two previous Sect Masters had both been renowned experts of their time.
After Lin Xunfeng announced his retirement, it was inevitable that the Clear Sky Sect would face covetous eyes from many other sects.
Now, Qin Jue no longer worried.
He even began to look forward to seeing what brilliant stories the Clear Sky Sect would leave behind in the martial world.
âMaster Qin,â Yang Jueding said earnestly, âlet me tell you, the most formidable person in the Clear Sky Sect isnât even here today. That fellow is even more terrifying. To be honest, Iâm afraid to offend him. The reason I recommended your Qin Family was because of my friendship with your father. With the talent these geniuses of the Clear Sky Sect possess, once their reputation spreads, countless noble families and officials will come courting them. By then, your Qin Family might not even get a chance.â
Qin Jue nodded, understanding the logic. After thinking for a moment, he said, âIn addition to what we discussed earlier, I intend to personally contribute more silver and supplies. I want my son to become that manâs direct disciple.â
Yang Jueding grinned. âSo youâre leaving yourself a backup route, huh?â
âWhen you have many brothers, youâre bound to face many troubles,â Qin Jue said calmly.
Hearing that, Yang Jueding fell silent, seemingly reminded of some past memories.
The two figures soon disappeared into the depths of the forest.
ââ
After sending Qin Jue and his companion off, Li Qingqiu hurried back to his courtyard, entered his room, and closed the door behind him.
The other disciples were busy with their own affairs and didnât notice his unusual behavior.
Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged on his bed and directly activated the inheritance reward.
ăReceive Inheritance Rewardă
ăActivating Dao Lineage Inheritanceă
ăYou have obtained the secret artâRejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needlesă
ăAccept inheritance?ă
A secret art?
Curiosity flashed in Li Qingqiuâs eyes as he immediately chose to accept it.
A flood of memories rushed into his mind.
The long-lost sensation made him feel almost intoxicated. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in it.
When he opened them again, the sky outside the window had already dimmed to dusk.
Recalling the mysteries of the Rejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needles, Li Qingqiu couldnât help but reveal a look of joy.
The Rejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needles could stop bleeding, expel toxins, and stimulate the five viscera and six bowelsâits applications in medicine were vast and versatile.
Not only that, but it could also be used to kill.
The needles were as swift as lightning, elusive like a ghostly immortal.
This technique relied on Vital Energy.
The amount consumed for healing varied with the patientâs condition, but when used offensively, it required very little.
It was far more practical than the Supreme Sword Controlling Technique.
His current Vital Energy was not yet suitable for performing large-scale techniques like the Supreme Sword Controlling Technique.
The finger-flicking needle technique, however, suited him perfectlyâminimal energy consumption, yet astonishing lethality.
The more Li Qingqiu thought about it, the more he liked it.
Although the Dao Lineage inheritance didnât allow him to immediately master the technique, he could engrave it firmly in his mind without forgetting a single word.
Such memory would make future cultivation much easier.
He stood up, straightened his clothes, and went out to eat.
Though a second-level Nourishing Vital Energy Realm cultivator could reduce the need for sleep, he still couldnât abstain from foodâhe had to eat.
When he arrived in the courtyard, the disciples were preparing the dishes. He sat down at his usual seat while Li Sijin, Xu Ning, and others were discussing the Qin Family matter.
The boldest among them, Li Sijin, asked directly, âSenior Brother, are we going to have another batch of disciples?â
The others also looked curious and expectant.
For children, meeting new friends was always exciting.
âMm. The visitor today will send six younger members to join us. Moreover, over the next half-year, the Clear Sky Sect will continue to recruit more disciples. My goal is to have fifty disciples before the end of the year.â
Li Qingqiuâs words made the disciples even more excited, chattering all at once.
Yang Jueding sat silently at the end of the long table, smiling quietly, content to hide his merits and fame.
He felt that what had happened today was indeed a great achievement!
Now he only looked forward to Li Qingqiu teaching him the Clear Sky Sectâs unique internal art.
He wanted to see what kind of cultivation method could make these children so formidable.
Night gradually fell.
Oil lamps were lit in the courtyard.
Even after the meal ended, some disciples stayed behind to play and laugh.
Li Qingqiu and Li Dongyue together whittled a large handful of wooden sticks with small knives.
Although the Clear Sky Sect already had a stock of weapons, there were no silver needles, so he would have to make do for now.
âYouâve worked hard. Rest early.â
After saying that, Li Qingqiu took the wooden sticks and went inside.
The sky was dark, not suitable for practicing the Rejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needles.
He planned to train after completing his morning Vital Energy absorption the next day.
Li Dongyue sat on the stool, watching his departing back with a puzzled expression in her eyes.
That night, Zhang Yuchun came to Li Qingqiuâs room.
He was worried about Li Qingqiu accepting disciples from the Qin Familyâbringing in six at once could easily cause cliques to form, especially since one of them was to be his personal disciple.
It took quite some persuasion from Li Qingqiu before Zhang Yuchun finally left.
As for the Qin Family disciples, Li Qingqiu already had plans.
He wouldnât allow them to enjoy the same treatment as others right from the start.
Within the Clear Sky Sect, the distinction between seniority must be established.
Moreover, there should also be a separation between martial and immortal paths.
Unless their talent was exceptional, disciples would first practice martial arts, then earn the right to receive immortal cultivation teachings through merit.
The details still needed considerationâbut for now, Li Qingqiuâs mind was filled only with the Rejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needles.
Though he couldnât practice the technique tonight, he could still review and reinforce its key points in his mind, preparing for cultivation.
For the next two days, Li Qingqiu spent most of his time training in the Rejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needles.
Progress was slow, making him nostalgic for sword cultivation.
He wondered when he could replicate a second Fate Trait.
On the third day after Qin Jueâs departure, Jiang Zhaoxia and the other two finally returned with a tailor.
The mountain roads had been rough, and the tailor was drenched in sweat, collapsing to the ground the moment he entered the courtyard.
Zhang Yuchun quickly poured him water to drink.
Li Qingqiu didnât rush to have the sect robes made.
Instead, he pulled Jiang Zhaoxia aside for a private talk, with Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue following.
Only the younger disciples stayed behind to crowd around the tailor, while Yang Jueding was still immersed in studying the Primordial Unity Scripture, unable to pull himself away.
Once inside, Jiang Zhaoxia recounted everything from their tripâseeking a tailor, buying cloth, and gathering information. He had even found a way for the sect to earn money.
âThe city has many bounty noticesâsome for solving mysterious cases, others for suppressing bandits. The rewards arenât low. We could take on those tasks, or even escort caravans near the Ancient Great Mountain Range.â
Sitting on a stool, Jiang Zhaoxia spoke with confidence, believing this would help the Clear Sky Sect quickly amass wealth.
Zhang Yuchun asked about the specific rewards. After comparing, he fell silent for a while before saying, âToo little. Itâs not worth doing. Even if you exhaust yourself, it wonât compare to what the Qin Family gives us yearly.â
âThe Qin Family?â Jiang Zhaoxia frowned, puzzled.
Zhang Yuchun explained Li Qingqiuâs agreement with Qin Jue.
After hearing it, Jiang Zhaoxia didnât look pleased. He stared at Li Qingqiu and said, âSenior Brother, we donât need to humble ourselves like that. Weâre capable enough to earn money on our own.â
Li Qingqiu scolded lightly, âIf you spend all your time making money, when will you train? Remember, all of you are the Clear Sky Sectâs core. Your value doesnât lie in these trivial mattersâespecially you. You should dedicate most of your time to cultivation. Once you become the number one in the martial world, people will beg to give us money.â
Li Dongyue nodded. âSenior Brother is right. Third Brother, donât forgetâthe Seven Peaks Alliance and Azure Sect could attack again anytime. We donât know how many experts theyâll bring next time.â
Hearing that, Jiang Zhaoxiaâs frown eased.
Indeed.
A destined fierce battle still awaited them. How could he waste time chasing money?
âAs long as youâre strong enough, no one can threaten our position,â Li Qingqiu said solemnly.
Jiang Zhaoxia nodded. âFrom now on, apart from my usual training, Iâll focus on the Supreme Sword Controlling Technique.â
Both Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue showed envy. Li Qingqiu had shown them the Supreme Sword Controlling Technique beforeâjust watching it gave them headaches. It was far too difficult to master.
Li Qingqiuâs and Jiang Zhaoxiaâs comprehension far surpassed theirs.
âFrom here on, Third Brother will focus on cultivation. Internal affairs will fall on Yuchun. I also plan to spend time personally teaching Dongyue, to help her grow.â
Li Qingqiuâs words made Li Dongyue nervous.
She feared disappointing her Senior Brother, but she was the kind of person who wouldnât refuse, no matter how uneasy she felt.
Zhang Yuchun wasnât troubled by the extra workâhe was actually excited.
The more disciples there were, the more room he had to display his skills.
Moreover, Li Qingqiu had asked him to prepare for further recruitment.
Jiang Zhaoxia added, âWhen the Qin Familyâs six juniors arrive, Iâll personally assess them.â
Li Qingqiu smiled and nodded.
The four talked for a while longer before leaving the room.
They decided to let the tailor rest for the night and start making the sect robes the next day.
The next morning, Li Qingqiu handed the tailor a drawing he had prepared beforehandâit was a design he had drawn himself.
Since he only had black ink, he had to explain which parts would use which colors.
After giving his instructions, he took Li Dongyue down the mountain, planning to teach her the Rejuvenating Ghost Immortal Needles.
He hadnât mastered it himself yet, so they could practice together and share insights.
In his plan, each of his six junior brothers and sisters would master a different technique, each complementing the others through specialization.