Chapter 171: Returning to Qingxi, Fulfilling the Promise

The Qingxi Sword Sect was named after the Qingxi River; although it was named after a stream, it was actually a large river with wide, surging waves.

Su Chen brought Daoist Qinghe across the Qingxi River and arrived before the mountain gate of the Qingxi Sword Sect.

The disciples guarding the gate saw their sect master return and hurriedly saluted and greeted him.

"Sect Master!"

"Hmm." Daoist Qinghe nodded at them, then turned to Su Chen and said respectfully: "Senior, please."

The disciples guarding the gate saw their sect master being so respectful to a Daoist who looked even younger than them, even using the honorific "you," and all showed expressions of disbelief, all curious about Su Chen's identity.

Su Chen nodded, not standing on ceremony, and walked straight into the Qingxi Sword Sect.

The two walked through, from the mountain gate to the main hall of the Qingxi Sword Sect.

Daoist Qinghe invited Su Chen to take the seat of honor and ordered someone to prepare tea.

Su Chen did not decline and sat down directly.

He looked at Daoist Qinghe and asked: "Daoist, why did you provoke that snake demon? That snake demon's cultivation is not weak; I observed that it should be about to step into the Immortal Dao and achieve the status of a Demon Immortal. Logically speaking, it should be cultivating quietly in the mountains; why did it fight with you?"

Mentioning this, a look of indignation and helplessness appeared on Daoist Qinghe's face.

"Sigh, it's a long story." He sighed, signaled the disciple who came to serve tea to leave on his own, and then said: "Senior, you don't know. Since your guidance last time, I ordered the mountain to be sealed, led the disciples under my sect to cultivate in seclusion, ignoring worldly affairs, and it has been stable for many years."

"But a few years ago, the villages near Qingxi suddenly began to lose children one after another. I sent disciples down the mountain to investigate, but found nothing unusual. Later, I went down the mountain myself to find out what was going on, and only then did I discover that a snake demon had come to Qingxi at some point."

"That snake demon, I don't know what evil method it practiced, but it actually used the hearts and livers of young boys and girls to refine elixirs, wanting to break through. As a cultivator, how could I sit idly by and watch such a tragedy happen? So, I took the elders of the sect to eliminate the demon."

"Who knew that the snake demon was cunning; it set up a poisonous formation in its lair. We were caught off guard and fell into its trap, and several elders died tragically in its poisonous mist to cover my breakout."

Speaking of this, Daoist Qinghe's eyes were filled with tears, and his voice was choked with sobs.

"I fought to escape, intending to return to the mountain to gather the disciples of Qingxi and set up a great formation to eliminate the demon. I didn't expect that the snake demon would pursue and kill me all the way, if it weren't for meeting you, Senior..."

Daoist Qinghe didn't finish his words, but Su Chen already understood.

Su Chen nodded slightly; he looked at Daoist Qinghe, and his respect for this small sect increased a bit more.

In this era when the catastrophe was approaching, the robbery energy was flourishing, and demons were rampant, too many immortal sects chose to protect themselves and seal the mountain to avoid the world.

The Qingxi Sword Sect also sealed the mountain.

But when the mortals under the mountain were in danger, they still stood up without hesitation.

Even if the opponent's cultivation was higher than their sect master, they still went.

This persistence, this state of mind, was particularly precious.

"Daoist, the dead are gone, please mourn." Su Chen comforted.

"Thank you, Senior." Daoist Qinghe wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and his emotions calmed down a lot.

"Senior, may I ask what cultivation level you are now?"

He finally couldn't help but ask the doubt in his heart.

Back then, he felt that Su Chen's cultivation base was unfathomable, but he could still roughly perceive that he was likely an expert who had stepped onto the Immortal Dao.

But seeing him again today, he found that he couldn't see through Su Chen at all.

Looking at Su Chen now, it was like looking at an abyss with no bottom.

That unfathomable feeling made his mind tremble.

Su Chen smiled and didn't answer directly.

"Daoist, the realm of cultivation is just an external appearance. As long as you keep your original heart, I think you will be able to see the Great Dao one day."

His words were equivalent to saying nothing.

But Daoist Qinghe seemed to understand something, nodded thoughtfully, and didn't ask any more.

He knew that Su Chen's realm must have far exceeded his imagination.

"Senior's teaching is right, it was the junior who was attached to appearances." Daoist Qinghe said respectfully.

He stood up, saluted Su Chen again: "Senior, you said you wanted to leave a legacy for my sect, I wonder..."

He was a bit embarrassed to speak, his face full of expectation and nervousness.

"Daoist, don't worry, since I'm here, I will naturally fulfill my promise."

Su Chen stood up, and his spiritual sense instantly enveloped the entire Qingxi Sword Sect.

The Qingxi Sword Sect was not large, and there were not many disciples; all the disciples in the mountain gate added up to no more than a hundred people.

He carefully probed among these disciples.

The "Thirty-Six Axes of Tiangang" was realized from the true meaning of the creation of the world by the ancient Witch Clan's Pangu Great God, and it was a supreme body-refining magical power.

This cultivation method did not have high requirements for comprehension, but it had extremely harsh requirements for the practitioner's willpower and physical bones.

Not just anyone could practice it.

Su Chen's spiritual sense swept over each disciple one by one.

Soon, his brows furrowed slightly.

The Qingxi Sword Sect was a sword cultivation sect.

Most of the disciples under the sect walked the path of refining qi to transform into spirit, using qi to control the sword.

Their constitutions were generally inclined to be light and agile, which was incompatible with the domineering and unparalleled path of the "Thirty-Six Axes of Tiangang."

"There is no suitable one..."

Su Chen probed a circle and felt a bit disappointed in his heart.

Although there were a few whose bones were barely okay, they were still a bit short of the standard in Su Chen's heart; if they were forced to practice, it would be very difficult to even quench the body with the first baleful energy.

Forcing them to learn would only harm them.

Daoist Qinghe saw Su Chen frowning, and his heart also lifted, asking nervously: "Senior, is it because my sect's disciples are dull and cannot enter your eyes?"

Su Chen withdrew his spiritual sense and shook his head: "Daoist, you misunderstood. It is not that your sect's disciples are dull, but that this magical power of mine has a special path, and the requirements for the successor are relatively harsh."

He pondered for a moment and said: "How about this, Daoist, you gather all the disciples under the sect to the square in front of the hall. I will go and take a look myself."

Spiritual sense probing was ultimately separated by a layer.

Some things still needed to be observed personally with the eyes.

"Good! Good!" Daoist Qinghe was overjoyed when he heard this and hurriedly went to pass the order himself.

Soon, the bell rang in the Qingxi Sword Sect.

All the disciples, whether they were meditating or practicing sword, immediately put down what they were doing when they heard the bell and quickly gathered at the square in front of the main hall.

In no time at all, more than a hundred young disciples wearing uniform blue Daoist robes stood neatly in the square in front of the hall.

They all had doubts on their faces, not knowing why the sect master had suddenly gathered everyone.

Just then, they saw their sect master accompanying a young Daoist who looked about the same age as them, walking out from inside the main hall.

Everyone's gaze fell on Su Chen, full of curiosity and speculation.

Who is this person?

Actually able to let the sect master accompany him personally? ===== CHAPTER 172 =====