Chapter 348 ·The Clear Sky Sect’s Second Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm Great Cultivator

Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling into the room.

The Sword Demon, who had been meditating on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. He had been at the Clear Sky Sect for several months now, yet he rarely left his room. The person he was most familiar with was a Sword Sect Hall disciple who helped clean his quarters.

Even after months, whenever he thought about Li Qingqiu’s age and cultivation, it still unsettled him.

But he was not someone who would be easily discouraged. During this time, he had been constantly contemplating his Dharma Manifestation Domain.

Li Qingqiu’s domain had given him considerable inspiration, allowing him to form new ideas about his future path of cultivation.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and prepared to go out for a walk.

He could not remain shut away forever. He had to accept reality and see for himself what this so-called Clear Sky Sect was like.

Pushing open the door, he saw the young disciple cleaning the courtyard.

The Sword Demon remembered his name—He Xiaoyi. He looked rather ordinary in aptitude and was only thirteen years old.

Seeing the Sword Demon come out, He Xiaoyi quickly walked over and asked, “Senior, do you need anything?”

The Sword Demon looked at him and asked, “Don’t you need to cultivate?”

Normally, he could always sense He Xiaoyi’s presence lingering in the courtyard.

“The Sect Master asked me to take care of your daily needs. That’s my task. As for cultivation, I’m not in a hurry. Once I earn enough Dao fate, I’ll focus on cultivating,” He Xiaoyi replied with a grin. His frame was thin, and though his appearance wasn’t particularly handsome, his smile was very infectious.

“Dao fate?”

“Yes. It’s a kind of currency established by the Sect Master. By completing tasks and working, we can accumulate it and exchange it for techniques, spells, magic implements, and so on. As long as you have enough Dao fate, you can get whatever you want.”

He Xiaoyi explained. The Sword Demon did not find this strange—many sects had similar systems, though true circulating cultivation currency was usually spirit stones or spirit energy pills.

“If you’re free, accompany me for a walk,” the Sword Demon said.

He Xiaoyi naturally agreed and happily put down his broom, beginning to lead the way.

They lived on Clear Sky Mountain, the sect’s main peak. It was always bustling. As they walked along the mountain path, they frequently encountered people heading up—sect disciples and even nobles.

The Sword Demon, dressed in white with white hair and a handsome appearance, attracted many gazes along the way.

In response to his questions, He Xiaoyi answered everything without reservation. After all, he had been instructed by the Sect Master to take care of him.

In truth, He Xiaoyi was also very curious about the Sword Demon. Just from his bearing alone, he could tell this man was terrifyingly powerful.

Clear Sky Mountain was very tall. By the time they reached the mountainside, the Sword Demon had gained a certain understanding of the Clear Sky Sect.

This sect was very young—just like Li Qingqiu.

What surprised him most was that the Clear Sky Sect had essentially been built by Li Qingqiu leading others into cultivation. It could even be said that the current sect was entirely created by him.

The Sword Demon himself had no sect and no master—yet Li Qingqiu was the same on his path of cultivation.

Both were geniuses who comprehended the Dao on their own, yet Li Qingqiu’s growth speed far surpassed his.

At the same time, he learned that the Clear Sky Sect was at war with the Myriad Yin Sect. This did not worry him.

For the Myriad Yin Sect to encounter the Clear Sky Sect—it could only be considered their misfortune.

Those three great cultivators of the Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm from the Myriad Yin Sect would absolutely not be Li Qingqiu’s match.

At the mountainside stood the Clear Sky Sect’s first Martial Arena. It was always lively with disciples sparring. At this moment, quite a crowd had gathered.

Two people were currently engaged in a Dao duel on the stage—both at the Spirit Sense Realm. One of them was Yan Qing, a genius from the Spirit Sea.

Since submitting to the Clear Sky Sect, Yan Qing had adjusted his mindset. He was no longer despondent or wasting time. Instead, he embraced his new life with a positive attitude, and now his reputation had begun to rise.

Many disciples knew of this Spirit Sense Realm disciple who frequently fought on the Martial Arena, remaining undefeated within his realm.

Most of the top geniuses were outside battling the Myriad Yin Sect, leaving no one within the sect to suppress him.

Of course, Yun Cai could defeat him—but she had already done so once and no longer bothered to fight him again.

The Sword Demon stopped to watch. He could tell that Yan Qing’s talent was far from ordinary. Such a genius would be rare even in the Azure Dragon Domain.

Aside from Li Qingqiu, did the Clear Sky Sect have other geniuses?

At this moment, the duel ended. Yan Qing once again won cleanly. He raised his head, smiling arrogantly.

“He’s called Yan Qing. They say he’s a Spirit Sense Realm disciple and has gained quite a reputation recently. But the reason he’s so domineering is because the sect’s top geniuses aren’t here. If Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, Ji Ya, Sword Solitary, or Hu Yan were present, how could he act so arrogantly?”

He Xiaoyi explained to the Sword Demon, clearly disliking Yan Qing.

The Sword Demon had no issue with Yan Qing’s arrogance—he had seen too many such geniuses.

On the Martial Arena—

Yan Qing stood proudly, scanning the crowd below. “Is there anyone else who dares to fight me?”

He had regained his confidence. The Spirit Sense Realm disciples of the Clear Sky Sect were no match for him.

At present, any disciple who reached the Spirit Sense Realm was considered a genius within the sect—but even geniuses seemed mediocre in front of him.

Indeed, Yun Cai was just an anomaly. He, Yan Qing, was the true top genius.

Thinking this, a satisfied smile spread across his face. The feeling of regaining confidence was simply too wonderful.

At that moment, a figure suddenly flashed onto the Martial Arena.

It was the Sword Demon.

His movement technique was so fast that everyone present froze in shock—including Yan Qing.

That movement alone was enough to make Yan Qing wary.

Who was this person?

Why had he never seen him before?

Seeing the Sword Demon suddenly appear on the stage, He Xiaoyi’s eyes widened.

“State your name,” Yan Qing said, looking at the Sword Demon. Though wary, he would not fear a challenge.

He was a genius from the Spirit Sea—how could he fear cultivators from a backward land?

The Sword Demon did not answer. He only looked at him coldly.

Yan Qing felt uncomfortable under that gaze. Just as he was about to speak, the world suddenly changed.

The Martial Arena beneath his feet disappeared, replaced by a barren land. The surrounding spectators vanished as well. Dark clouds rolled across the sky. Looking up instinctively, he saw ancient swords embedded across the undulating terrain in all directions.

The scene struck both his vision and his mind.

“Dharma Manifestation Domain… you’ve got to be kidding…”

Cold sweat poured from Yan Qing’s forehead as his limbs turned icy.

Aside from the Sect Master, when did the Clear Sky Sect gain another great cultivator of the Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm?

This Dharma Manifestation Domain was even more terrifying than his master’s!

…

Night fell. Inside Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu listened as He Xiaoyi reported on the Sword Demon’s activities that day.

Aside from teaching Yan Qing a lesson, the Sword Demon had also gone to Ziyang Peak. For Li Qingqiu, this was a good sign—if the Sword Demon was willing to learn about the sect, it meant there was a chance he would integrate into it.

As for the blow dealt to Yan Qing, Li Qingqiu did not care. Yan Qing was not a disciple cultivated by the Clear Sky Sect—so long as he did not leave, it was fine.

The reason Li Qingqiu kept him was simply because he was wary of the Spirit Sea.

“Sect Master, what is that senior’s background? He seems incredibly powerful!” He Xiaoyi asked curiously.

There was a reason Li Qingqiu had arranged for him to serve the Sword Demon.

He Xiaoyi had the potential to become the next pillar of the Sword Sect Hall. If he could receive guidance from the Sword Demon, that would be ideal.

Unfortunately, he had yet to impress him.

Although the Sword Demon possessed the “Fond of Teaching” fate trait, he was not inclined to teach just anyone.

“That’s a sect secret—not something you should pry into. Just take good care of him,” Li Qingqiu replied.

He Xiaoyi pouted but said nothing more.

After chatting a bit longer, Li Qingqiu dismissed him.

He Xiaoyi’s personality was somewhat similar to Bai Ning’er’s, but unlike her calm and non-competitive nature, he was ambitious. He had already set his sights on becoming the senior disciple of the Sword Sect Hall.

After He Xiaoyi left, Li Qingqiu began browsing the Dao Lineage Panel, checking on the situation of the sect’s disciples.

As the moon set and the sun rose, a new day arrived.

According to intelligence from Xiyu Immortal City, the disciples were becoming more accustomed to fighting the Myriad Yin Sect. This meant there was less and less for Li Qingqiu to worry about.

This was exactly the kind of sect he wanted.

Everyone performed their own duties—not everything had to be borne by him alone, including war.

In the future, the Clear Sky Sect might face multiple enemies at once. Disciples would need to stand on their own.

During the war with the Myriad Yin Sect, Yuan Li had shone brilliantly. His battle achievements were continuously reported back to the sect, inspiring admiration among the disciples. Gradually, people began placing the title of strongest disciple of the Clear Sky Sect upon him.

Shen Yue and Jiang Zhaoxia had been gone for years, and disciples rarely thought of them. Meanwhile, talents like Xu Ning, Yun Cai, Ji Ya, and Zhao Zhen did not have achievements as fierce as Yuan Li’s, so their prominence was far less.

By September, news arrived:

“The team led by Yuan Li encountered an attack from hundreds of Spirit Sense Realm cultivators. Zhao Zhen’s team went to support them. In this battle, Yuan Li killed one hundred and ninety-seven Spirit Sense Realm enemies, Zhao Zhen killed twenty-three, and the other disciples were all injured.”

When Xiao Wuqing reported this, he could not hide his shock.

It was too outrageous!

Yuan Li had already reached a level where he could sweep through the Spirit Sense Realm!

After reaching that realm himself, Xiao Wuqing clearly understood how difficult same-level battles were. Defeating another opponent was already hard—let alone killing so many in a single battle.

He knew that once this news spread, Yuan Li’s prestige would reach unprecedented heights—perhaps second only to the Sect Master.

Li Qingqiu was also surprised. Normally, once the Myriad Yin Sect lost dozens of Spirit Sense Realm disciples, they would retreat. But this time, they had lost half their force.

This meant Yuan Li had killed them in a very short time—leaving them no chance to escape.

That kid was truly becoming more and more formidable.

Perhaps his transcendent-level comprehension was helping him grasp the art of combat.

“Sect Master, after this battle, the Myriad Yin Sect probably won’t be able to sit still,” Xiao Wuqing reminded.

They already knew the Myriad Yin Sect possessed existences beyond the Spirit Sense Realm. Such terrifying beings were not something Yuan Li could handle—ultimately, the Sect Master would have to step in.

Li Qingqiu said calmly, “It’s better if they can’t sit still. It’s time to end this.”

This conflict had lasted nearly a year. Li Qingqiu felt the tempering effect on the disciples had been achieved.

Ending the conflict early would allow the disciples to focus on cultivation again—benefiting the long-term development of the Clear Sky Sect.