Chapter 248: Suppressing Evil Tower |
At the foot of Clear Sky Mountain, Li Qingqiu strolled along the Xi River, with Zhang Yuchun, Chai Yunshang, Chu Jing, Xiao Wuqing, and more than a dozen Enforcement Hall disciples following behind him.
Such a lineup caused the disciples along the way to not dare obstruct them, nor dare step forward to greet them.
Today, Li Qingqiu’s trip was to select a site for a prison.
As the number of Clear Sky Sect disciples continued to grow and the sect’s existence grew longer, there were inevitably disciples who went astray. Relying solely on labor was no longer sufficient to punish certain crimes.
The matter of constructing a prison had been proposed by Chai Yunshang many times, and today it was finally going to be implemented.
Chai Yunshang had already become the figure most feared by the disciples. Regardless of background, as long as someone committed a mistake, she would never show leniency. Previously, when Yang Jueding crossed the line, she even dared to confront Yang Jueding head-on. Her fierce reputation had been firmly established.
“This prison would be best built near Clear Sky Mountain. That way, if any changes occur, it will be convenient to suppress them,” Chai Yunshang suggested as she looked at Li Qingqiu walking ahead.
No matter how Clear Sky Sect developed, Clear Sky Mountain would always be the strongest. Unknowingly, Clear Sky Sect had already formed a hierarchy. Moving to Clear Sky Mountain had become something most disciples longed for.
Moreover, on Clear Sky Mountain, the higher one lived, the higher one’s status.
Chai Yunshang tilted her head to look at him, wanting to say that Enforcement Hall disciples could not possibly be bribed, but the words reached her lips and she found herself unable to say them.
Chu Jing continued, “Building it at the edge of the Ancient Great Mountain Range would be better. There must at least be a buffer distance between it and Clear Sky Mountain. Even if someone escapes from the prison, they can simply be captured again. Isn’t the Sword Sect established precisely for this purpose? Perhaps their escape would harm innocents, but compared to the safety of Clear Sky Sect, those things are not worth mentioning.”
His words were cruel, making the others frown, yet they could not refute them.
No one knew what kind of immortal cultivators this prison would imprison in the future.
Li Qingqiu was also considering the matter. With him stationed at Clear Sky Mountain, he was not afraid of any changes, but he could not remain at Clear Sky Mountain forever.
Zhang Yuchun rarely disagreed with Chu Jing. He felt that if this prison were not strictly guarded, it would not only harm the surrounding commoners, but also damage the prestige and image of Clear Sky Sect. The sect had to possess the courage to suppress a prison.
While the others were arguing, Li Qingqiu suddenly said, “What do you think about building this prison into a tower?”
A tower?
Everyone looked at him, confusion in their eyes.
Building a tower was far more difficult than building a prison. If it were a prison, they could rely on the mountain terrain and save materials.
Li Qingqiu continued, “In the future, this tower might also imprison demons and evil entities that bring calamity to the mortal world. It’s settled then. This tower shall be named the Suppressing Evil Tower.”
“If that’s the case, it will definitely require more Spirit Copper or Geng Metal Source Iron…” Zhang Yuchun hesitated.
“It’s fine. Build it slowly. There aren’t any powerful demons, evil entities, or immortal cultivators that need to be suppressed right now.”
Li Qingqiu said casually, and his words made Zhang Yuchun feel that it made sense.
Indeed, it could be continuously repaired, just like Clear Sky Mountain.
Even though the sect was constantly constructing new peaks, the maintenance of Clear Sky Mountain had never fallen behind.
By now, Clear Sky Sect no longer needed to consider secular wealth. As long as they spoke up, various forces would proactively deliver secular resources to their doorstep.
What Clear Sky Sect cared about were immortal cultivation resources that mortals could not use. The Spirit Copper Mountain Range had terrifying reserves, more than enough for them to bury themselves in construction.
The group continued forward and finally drew boundary lines on an open piece of land behind Ziyang Peak, where the Suppressing Evil Tower would be built.
That very day, news about the Suppressing Evil Tower spread, causing many disciples to discuss it. Invisibly, they felt pressure, fearing that they might make a mistake and be thrown into the Suppressing Evil Tower.
……
In the new year, Liu Jing advanced at a gallop. Before April, he annexed two more provinces, dominating five provinces in total. During this period, a great battle erupted. The combined forces of both sides exceeded one million troops, a rare major battle since the onset of chaos. In the end, Liu Jing achieved a great victory.
In this battle, Li Yuzhong shone brilliantly and was enfeoffed by Liu Jing as the Conquering North Great General, attaining the rank of Senior Second Grade.
Liu Jing’s momentum toward unifying the world had become unstoppable.
In May, Hu Yan’s cultivation reached the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm. At this point, his reputation as a genius could no longer be hidden.
More and more disciples learned that the Sect Master’s new disciple was a peerless genius, possibly even more formidable than Sword Solitary.
Hu Yan’s meteoric rise also brought hope to registered disciples and menial disciples, because Hu Yan had only become a registered disciple during the entry assessment. This proved that entry assessments did not explain everything.
The Sect Master’s discernment was once again praised, and the Free Spirit Hall was also contemplating how to establish more comprehensive assessment rules.
However, immortal cultivation was ultimately different from martial practice. Without imparting immortal cultivation techniques, they could not directly judge whether a person’s immortal cultivation aptitude was good.
Nevertheless, Clear Sky Sect left room for new disciples. Even if one performed poorly in the entry assessment, one could still strive for immortal cultivation methods through labor and contributions. When that time came, the talents that should exist would naturally manifest. There was no situation where geniuses would be buried—only a matter of discovering them sooner or later.
In the days that followed, some well-meaning people claimed that Hu Yan’s cultivation speed was the fastest in the sect’s history, and that neither Xu Ning nor Zhao Zhen could compare to him.
Others, more rational, said that the current sect was different from the past. Clear Sky Mountain cultivated many spiritual plants, with spiritual energy far surpassing before. Moreover, there were continuously updated Spirit Energy Pills.
Regardless, Hu Yan had truly become famous, becoming a top-tier genius whom no one could ignore.
Hu Yan himself, however, felt uneasy about this. He cultivated all day, doing his best to avoid contact with others.
On this day, in the forest, Li Qingqiu was guiding Yun Cai, Li Shouzheng, Li Shoumin, Xiao Wuming, Hu Yan, and Ji Ya in cultivation.
Ji Ya was there to accompany Hu Yan. The bond between the two had grown increasingly deep. Outside of cultivation, they were almost inseparable, and Ji Ya had also introduced Hu Yan to Yang Lin and the other four.
Yang Lin and the other four had already become the backbone of the Sword Sect. Although they were not as dazzling as Ji Ya, they were also diligently cultivating.
Hu Yan looked at Li Shoumin, who was sitting cross-legged and cultivating, and his heart was filled with emotion.
Everyone said he was a peerless genius, but why did he feel that he was inferior to this five-year-old child?
Li Shoumin, who likewise possessed outstanding cultivation aptitude, had already begun to show his sharp edge. Every time he saw him, Hu Yan felt inexplicably happy.
He disliked standing at the center of attention. With the aptitude Li Shoumin displayed, it would only take a few years for him to become renowned throughout the sect, just like Zhao Zhen back then. Zhao Zhen had been Clear Sky Sect’s first genius prodigy, monopolizing the title of number one genius until adulthood.
As Sword Solitary, Hu Yan, and other geniuses emerged, Zhao Zhen gradually left the category of “genius” and became a respected sect powerhouse in the hearts of the disciples.
As Hu Yan stared at Li Shoumin, Yun Cai was staring at him from behind.
Yun Cai was using the All-Law Spiritual Eyes to observe his Righteous Qi of Vast Integrity, and she felt puzzled.
She could tell that the Righteous Qi of Vast Integrity was not cultivated through training, but was a unique kind of qi. Yet why did only Hu Yan and the Sect Master possess it?
Could it be that Hu Yan was the Sect Master’s illegitimate son?
Was it because the Sect Master sensed this Righteous Qi of Vast Integrity that he accepted Hu Yan as a disciple?
Li Qingqiu accepting disciples based on eye affinity and successfully taking in Hu Yan had already become a fine tale, but in Yun Cai’s view, it was definitely more than mere eye affinity.
When the thought that Hu Yan might be Li Qingqiu’s illegitimate son arose, Yun Cai felt extremely uncomfortable.
However, she did not resent Hu Yan because of this. On the contrary, she even entertained crooked thoughts—befriending Hu Yan, so that she might gain more favor from Li Qingqiu.
She even began to fantasize about bearing children with the Sect Master. As she thought about it, her cheeks flushed, and her earlobes turned red as if they were about to drip blood.
Li Qingqiu noticed the change in Yun Cai’s expression and could not help but walk over to her, asking with concern, “What’s wrong? Is your blood essence not flowing smoothly?”
Yun Cai snapped back to her senses and hurriedly said, “It’s nothing. I was just trying a new sequence of circulating qi.”
“You don’t need to imitate Zhen’er in creating techniques. Just cultivate according to what I taught you. Sooner or later, you will have insights of your own,” Li Qingqiu said seriously.
Even with the three new geniuses Li Shouzheng, Li Shoumin, and Hu Yan, Li Qingqiu still valued Yun Cai greatly.
With the existence of All-Law Spiritual Eyes and Tempered Through a Thousand Trials, Yun Cai could not possibly fall out of the sect’s first echelon. Li Qingqiu greatly looked forward to her achieving the Spirit Perception Realm and leading the sect into battle.
“I will remember that.”
Yun Cai replied, feeling shy inside, only hoping that Li Qingqiu would quickly walk away.
Li Qingqiu nagged a few more words before getting up and leaving. Yun Cai let out a sigh of relief, closed her eyes, and worked hard to cast aside distracting thoughts.
It was not until dusk that Li Qingqiu let them disperse.
Afterward, Li Qingqiu headed alone toward Lingxiao Courtyard.
That morning, Li Sijin had delivered a new type of Spirit Energy Pill to him, refined by Chen Huilan. He planned to return to his cave dwelling to test its effects.
When he reached the steps below Lingxiao Courtyard, he discovered that Xiao Wuqing was waiting for him.
Ever since Yuan Qi went to Zhongtian Immortal City, Xiao Wuqing had taken over Yuan Qi’s duties and was responsible for relaying messages to Li Qingqiu.
Seeing Li Qingqiu approach, he immediately flashed forward to stand before him, bent his waist in salute, and said in a low voice, “Sect Master, something has happened at the Heavenly Mountain Spirit Pool.”
Li Qingqiu frowned and asked, “What happened?”
Although the Heavenly Mountain Spirit Pool was currently only used as a cultivation blessed land, the pool contained abundant resources. Clear Sky Sect would inevitably go down to mine it in the future, so Li Qingqiu attached great importance to it. He had stationed several hundred disciples there, half of whom were Fourth Layer Nourishing Vital Energy Realm true transmission disciples.
Under such circumstances, what could possibly happen at the Heavenly Mountain Spirit Pool?
“Demons and evil entities attacked the Heavenly Mountain Spirit Pool. Fifteen disciples died, and one hundred twenty-two disciples were injured…” When Xiao Wuqing revealed this, his expression was extremely grim. This was undoubtedly heavy casualties.
“Ring the Lingxiao Bell.”
Li Qingqiu said in a deep voice and then quickly ascended the steps.
Xiao Wuqing immediately went to ring the bell.
After all the sect’s upper echelons gathered, Li Qingqiu had Xiao Wuqing report the situation. Upon hearing it, everyone was shocked.
Before they could discuss it, Li Qingqiu spoke, “I plan to personally make a trip to the Heavenly Mountain Spirit Pool. During this time, Shen Yue and Zhao Zhen are not to enter secluded cultivation. Keep watch over the sect and wait for my return.”
After Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning departed, Shen Yue and Zhao Zhen became the pillars bearing the load. This matter had to be entrusted to them.
Hearing this, Shen Yue nodded calmly. Zhao Zhen also did not refuse. Both were at the Eighth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm and were very confident. Among them, Zhao Zhen was already not far from the Ninth Layer.