Chapter 144 : Dao Fate

Chapter 144: Dao Fate

Danger?

Li Qingqiu felt surprised—weren’t Fortuitous Fates supposed to be without danger?

But on second thought, that made sense.

It was only harmless to him.

Shen Yue’s strength was far below his own.

Thinking this way, he realized it would be improper to rashly let the sect disciples excavate the Fortuitous Fate.

Li Qingqiu looked at Shen Yue and smiled.

“It seems I’ll have to make a personal appearance after all.”

Shen Yue immediately grew displeased.

“Tell me what you want done. I’ll handle it for you. As the Sect Master, you should stay and oversee the sect properly.”

That was precisely what Li Qingqiu had been waiting for.

He replied, “This mining site shall be named the Blessed Land of Source Iron. I’ll select a group of True Transmission Disciples to accompany you. Let them cultivate there, but the Spirit Stones and the ancient Geng Metal Source Iron are strategic resources of the sect—no disciple is allowed to touch them.”

Shen Yue frowned.

“Then doesn’t that mean I’ll have to stay there permanently?”

Although the spiritual energy of the Blessed Land of Source Iron was rich, he preferred to remain in the Clear Sky Sect.

“Of course not. You only need to set the rules. Among the disciples sent there, some will be specifically responsible for supervision.”

“You trust your disciples that much?”

“My eyes can see through human hearts.”

“Oh? Then can you see through me?”

“Certainly. You’ve already submitted to me—you just refuse to admit it aloud.”

“Nonsense!”

Shen Yue shouted angrily, though inwardly he felt a twinge of unease.

Could the rumors be true—that Li Qingqiu not only possessed the ability to judge character but could also discern loyalty and treachery?

Although he was genuinely grateful for Li Qingqiu’s generosity and his tolerance toward past offenses, and even more for the teachings he had shared without reservation, having his feelings exposed like this still made him uncomfortable.

“All right, let’s stop with this talk. Come down the mountain with me and take a look at the Grand Dao Tournament,” Li Qingqiu said with a laugh as he stood.

It was the first time the Clear Sky Sect had held such a tournament.

He knew that many disciples wished to showcase their abilities to the upper ranks of the sect.

As Sect Master, he had to make a few appearances to inspire them.

But Shen Yue refused to let the matter drop, repeatedly insisting that he hadn’t submitted, that he would challenge Li Qingqiu again one day.

Li Qingqiu simply told him that next time, he would still defeat him with a single move.

Thus, the two bickered all the way down the mountain.

The preliminary matches of the Grand Dao Tournament went smoothly on the first day, thrilling the disciples and astonishing the patrons and nobles alike.

They had known the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect were strong, but hadn’t expected them to be this formidable.

Almost every disciple who went on stage displayed a secret technique of their own—skills that would make them first-rate masters in the mortal martial world.

Even after watching just one day, the nobles, patrons, and martial artists could all sense the vast difference between the Clear Sky Sect and other martial sects.

Because aside from the True Transmission Disciples stationed to guard the lower demon realms, every other True Transmission Disciple had signed up for the tournament, so Li Qingqiu was in no rush to send anyone to the Blessed Land of Source Iron.

The tournament would continue throughout June, with matches held every day until dusk.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

That day, Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue came to find Li Qingqiu, and the three gathered in the Lingxiao Courtyard to discuss affairs.

“Senior Brother, this tournament is truly ingenious. It’s brought great wealth to the sect. The commissions for the Tempering Hall have doubled, and families and officials from all provinces are trying to curry favor with us. Every day, countless gifts are being carried up the mountain. If not for my informants outside, I’d almost think we were living in a golden age,” Zhang Yuchun said with emotion.

Li Dongyue added, “And it’s only mid-month, yet our income has already surpassed that of last month. Our grain, fruits, and medicinal herbs—everything we sell—is being bought at high prices.”

Li Qingqiu, however, wasn’t surprised.

The Clear Sky Sect attracted the nobles not only because of its power, but because of its connection to immortal cultivation.

Rumors of the Clear Sky Sect’s cultivation of immortality had already spread among the common world, and to those nobles, the allure of the Immortal Dao was irresistible.

“At this rate, the Sword Sect Hall will soon have matters to attend to,” Li Qingqiu sighed.

The Primordial Unity Scripture would eventually spread, but he wasn’t worried.

In fact, he looked forward to it—so that the Sword Sect Hall could then establish its prestige.

After all, the Primordial Unity Scripture was passed down layer by layer.

No one could obtain the complete version.

Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue understood his meaning.

They had already discussed this before, so they remained calm.

“Senior Brother, should we host the final sixty-four and top-ten rounds of the Grand Dao Tournament on a grander scale—perhaps build better viewing platforms for our guests?” Zhang Yuchun suggested.

He believed it would earn them even more wealth.

Li Qingqiu looked at him and said, “Allowing spectators at the tournament is to display our sect’s generosity. But if we turn it into a means to make money, that would be degrading our disciples. They duel to test their cultivation progress, not to perform for nobles.”

Zhang Yuchun looked ashamed.

Li Dongyue then asked, “Senior Brother, when exactly will the Demon Subjugation Hall be established?”

Li Qingqiu glanced at her and smiled.

“Why? You want to insert your own people too?”

“The mansion of the Demon Subjugation Hall is already built. It’s not just me—others are curious as well. They keep coming to me asking for news,” Li Dongyue said helplessly.

As more and more spell manuals were stored in the Scripture Repository, contribution points had become more valuable than money.

And as hall disciples, they could earn far more contribution points than ordinary ones.

“When the Grand Dao Tournament concludes, I’ll finalize the list. Of course, I’ll allow each of you to recommend two people.”

Li Qingqiu’s response was something he had already planned—using the Hall’s positions to reward outstanding disciples.

“Thank you, Senior Brother!”

“Thank you, Senior Brother!”

Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue said in unison.

They exchanged glances and smiled, both knowing they each had their own considerations.

Li Qingqiu didn’t mind their little schemes.

After all, they weren’t seeking personal gain—merely responding to the requests of others.

“Shouldn’t contribution points have a more elegant name? They’ll be our sect’s future form of paper currency,” Li Qingqiu suddenly mused.

They had discussed this before but never settled on a term, so for now, they’d been using the plain name “contribution points” to let the disciples get used to the concept.

Zhang Yuchun said, “Such a matter must be decided by you, Senior Brother. No one else’s word will suffice.”

Li Dongyue nodded in agreement.

Li Qingqiu pondered for a moment.

“Calling it ‘contribution’ sounds too distant, and calling it ‘money’ is too vulgar. Why not call it Fate—Dao Fate?”

“Dao Fate? That’s a fine name,” Zhang Yuchun exclaimed.

Li Dongyue looked at him in surprise.

He answered too quickly—she suspected he was trying to flatter their Senior Brother.

“You two discuss the monthly Dao Fate stipends for each disciple rank. Present the records to me tomorrow,” Li Qingqiu instructed.

They both agreed at once.

Seeing that the sky had yet to darken, Li Qingqiu rose and decided to visit Mingguang’s cave residence to see how construction was progressing.

——

By late April, in the mountain forest behind Lingxiao Hall, Mingguang stood beside Li Qingqiu, his expression both tense and excited.

Before them, a stone gate stood in the mountainside.

Inside was the cave residence Mingguang had built—the very first within the Clear Sky Sect.

Li Qingqiu had already examined the interior with his Spiritual Sense and praised, “Not bad. You haven’t disappointed me. How many more such caves could you build?”

Hearing the Sect Master’s praise, Mingguang let out a sigh of relief before replying thoughtfully, “The materials needed to build the Spirit Gathering Formation are costly and difficult to acquire. Excluding the spiritual flora, the artificial spiritual lake, and Spirit Stones, from what I’ve gathered, the sect can afford to build at most five more caves.”

“Five, huh? That’s acceptable. Build three first—they’ll be rewards for the top three of the Grand Dao Tournament,” Li Qingqiu said, nodding.

Mingguang was secretly shocked.

Having personally built a cave residence, he knew well how important it was for cultivation.

The Sect Master was truly generous—not letting the higher-ups enjoy it first, but instead thinking of the disciples.

Deep respect filled Mingguang’s heart as he watched Li Qingqiu step toward the stone gate.

He quickly went forward and said, “The door has a restriction and can recognize its owner. Once bonded, no one can force their way in. Any attempt to do so would shake the mountain itself—essentially an alarm.”

Under his guidance, Li Qingqiu soon completed the ownership bond and then pushed the gate open.

As he entered the tunnel, a surge of spiritual energy rushed toward him.

The concentration of energy within this cave was comparable to that of a subterranean spiritual lake—truly impressive.

Along the walls, numerous Spirit Stones were embedded—not haphazardly, but following the rules of a restriction array, channeling their energy into a system that sustained a complete ecosystem within the cave.

Even if the entrance remained sealed for years, the spiritual flora and minor lifeforms within wouldn’t perish—unless the spiritual energy itself ran out.

After walking through a winding tunnel about three meters long, Li Qingqiu arrived in a fairly spacious chamber.

Near one wall was a small lake, more than a meter across, while on the other side stood a set of stone tables, chairs, and a bed.

To build this cave, Mingguang had hired several craftsmen—it wasn’t solely his own effort.

Of course, in Mingguang’s mind, the true credit went to the Sect Master, whose vision had conceived the cave.

He merely handled the construction.

When he’d first heard the idea, he’d thought it divine.

The Sect Master truly was a man of many talents!

“I’m very satisfied. You may go now,” Li Qingqiu said as he turned.

Mingguang immediately bowed and took his leave.

Once he was gone, Chu Jing, Nangong E, and Lin Chuan emerged.

“So this is a cave residence? Cultivating here really is exceptional. That disciple named Mingguang is quite skilled,” Chu Jing said in amazement.

That such a place had been built by a single Clear Sky Sect disciple truly surprised him.

The sect not only had cultivation geniuses but other kinds of prodigies as well—its foundation was indeed profound.

“From now on, you’ll cultivate inside this cave. Do not disturb the other disciples,” Li Qingqiu instructed.

Across Clear Sky Mountain, disciples were secluded in cultivation in nearly every forested area, and Chu Jing’s three souls had developed a habit of wandering.

Rumors of ghostly presences had begun spreading through the sect, leaving some disciples uneasy.

“It’s all Lin Chuan’s fault—he loves stepping on others’ heads,” Nangong E said.

Lin Chuan glared at her but couldn’t refute it.

Li Qingqiu sat down on a chair and smiled.

“When the disciples’ cultivation grows stronger, they’ll eventually be able to perceive spirits. When that time comes, you won’t need to hide any longer—you’ll be able to openly interact with them.”

At these words, all three souls’ eyes lit up.

“Does that mean we’ll be alive again?” Nangong E exclaimed in amazement.