Half a Day Ago – Entering Jiange
“Disciple Li Qingran greets the Sect Master!”
Li Qingran bowed respectfully to Su Qinian, the Pavilion Master of Jiange.
She had officially passed all the assessments and had successfully joined the sect.
Only now did she realize the extent of Jiange’s poverty—
- The buildings were old and shabby.
- The disciples were few and mysterious.
- The elders were battle-hardened but… suspiciously eager to rob people.
Along the way, Li Qingran noticed that the total number of disciples barely exceeded a hundred.
The only thing that reassured her was that the senior sister who flew with her was none other than Yue Qianchi, the direct disciple of Su Qinian, known as the Xuanwu Sword of Jiange.
Jiange’s Robbery Habit
“Hahaha, Qingran, don’t be so reserved!” Su Qinian laughed heartily, stroking his beard.
“Since you’ve joined our Jiange, we’re a family now. I had no choice but to lie to you about being from Qingyun Sect—there were too many people watching us. We had just pulled off a big heist, so we couldn’t risk exposure. It was a necessary deception!”
Li Qingran: “…”
She had mixed feelings.
On one hand, robbery was not an honorable act, even if Jiange hadn’t hurt anyone.
But on the other hand…
What if this sect was actually connected to her master?
That thought changed everything.
Maybe Jiange was forced into a desperate situation. Maybe they had no choice but to rob!
…Until she heard Elder Yuan Sanshi speak.
“Sect Master, this time’s robbery was a great success! We got over 100,000 low-grade spirit stones—enough to sustain us for a while. Who do we rob next?”
Su Qinian answered without hesitation:
“In a month, we’ll hit the Zhongzhou Secret Realm! How about it?”
The elders immediately cheered:
“Sect Master is wise!”
Li Qingran: “…”
“Forget it. I take back everything I just thought.”
The Six Peaks of Jiange
Since Jiange had robbed her, they had to take responsibility for her.
Su Qinian personally introduced the sect’s elders and Six Sword Peaks:
- Xuanwu Peak (Heavy Sword Style) – Su Qinian’s domain, specializing in crushing attacks that split mountains and boulders.
- Lingyun Peak (Majestic First Sword Style) – Elder Yuan Sanshi’s domain, known for its overwhelming sword aura.
- Cangjian Peak (Hidden Sword Style) – Elder Li’s domain, focusing on concealed strikes. Once the sword is unsheathed, it thirsts for blood.
- Luoshuang Cliff (Frost Sword Style) – Elder Wang’s domain, cultivating the world’s most chilling sword intent, with snow flying through the mountains.
- Wuqing Peak (Ruthless Sword Style) – Elder Wu’s domain, training swords that cut through the soul itself.
- Wanjian Peak (Unparalleled Sword Intent) – This peak had no elder, only an ancient stone tablet left behind for disciples to comprehend.
Su Qinian enthusiastically recommended Luoshuang Cliff.
“Qingran, you have a top-tier Dantian and a single water spiritual root—you’re a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius! The Frost Sword technique from Luoshuang Cliff will perfectly complement your talents and skyrocket your cultivation.”
“Also, you must keep your Dantian a secret. Even within Jiange, we can protect you. But outside? People’s hearts are sinister. If your talent is exposed, disaster will follow!”
Li Qingran nodded seriously.
In fact, during her entry exam, she had worried about her top-tier Dantian drawing too much attention.
But surprisingly, the elders barely reacted.
“Oh, another top-tier Dantian? Not bad.”
She later learned that Jiange had more than 30 disciples with graded Dantians—even her senior sister, Yue Qianchi, had a second-grade Dantian!
“How is this sect so poor when it has such talented people?!”
Jiange was truly an enigma.
Despite looking like a declining sect, its foundation was ridiculously deep.
Just like a sword in its sheath, hiding its true power.
Li Qingran’s Choice – The Sixth Peak
Despite Su Qinian’s recommendation, Li Qingran made a surprising choice.
“Sect Master, I wish to join the Sixth Peak—Wanjian Peak.”
Su Qinian sighed helplessly.
“You still want to become an alchemist or medical cultivator, don’t you?”
Li Qingran remained silent.
“It’s not that I don’t want to learn the sword… but my true goal is medicine.”
She couldn’t risk conflicts with the elders over her path.
“Fine, then go to the Sixth Peak.”
Before she left, Su Qinian gave one last piece of advice:
“Judging from your perfectly-adapted internal skills, you must already have a master. I’m not worried about your techniques. But don’t underestimate Jiange’s foundation. Our Sutra Pavilion has knowledge far beyond what any other sect can offer.”
Li Qingran believed him.
Despite Jiange’s questionable morality, its strength was undeniable.
And most importantly—
“Could this sect really be connected to my master?”
She gathered her courage and asked the question.
“Sect Master, do you know a senior named Chen?”
Su Qinian raised an eyebrow.
“Chen? A sword cultivator?”
“Yes.”
After a brief pause, Su Qinian suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Of course, I know him! ‘Elder Chen’ is our Grand Elder! He’s out traveling the world, probably killing monsters for fun right now!”
Li Qingran was stunned.
“Master was really from Jiange?!”
Her eyes lit up with excitement.
“No wonder! No wonder the Jiange disciples step on flying swords the same way Master does!”
Su Qinian nodded sagely.
“When Elder Chen returns, I’ll introduce you. But be warned—he’s extremely strict with disciples. If you’re too weak, he won’t even bother looking at you.”
Li Qingran clenched her fists in determination.
“I must get stronger before Master returns!”
“I must not disappoint him!”
With that, Yue Qianchi led her away to choose her cave residence.
The Truth – Was Su Qinian Lying?
As soon as Li Qingran was gone, an elder whispered cautiously:
“Sect Master… Do we really have a Grand Elder named Chen?”
Su Qinian: “Bullshit!”
“Then why did you say that?!”
Su Qinian stroked his beard and sighed.
“Because I refuse to let a top-tier talent waste her life on medicine and alchemy. This world is cruel. Only the sword can protect oneself.”
“She must be guided to the right path. This is… cherishing talent.”
The elders exchanged looks—then bowed.
“Sect Master is wise!”
