Chapter 1023: Chapter 1024 The Times Have Changed
Li Quzhuo was unwilling to face reality, pushed through the crowd, and stumbled as he flew towards the First Peak, the residence and practice area of his master, Ying Diao.
Since long ago, Ying Diao had only him as his prized disciple. Today, he returned to the sect with resources, but suffered humiliation on his own territory. He was not willing to let it go; he wanted to take revenge and return the humiliation a hundredfold!
Atop the First Peak of the Sword Sect.
Inside the Sect Master Hall.
Ying Diao, holding the Huo Yun Sword, was concentrated on unraveling its mysteries. He lacked a main combat star in his Star River Sword Evocation and could compensate through the sword intent contained in this Huo Yun Sword.
Once he grasped the Magma Sword Evocation, the power of his Star River Sword would soar.
...
“Reporting to Sect Master, there is a cultivator outside claiming to be Li Quzhuo asking for an audience!”
A disciple outside reported.
“Hmm?”
“Has Zhuo’er returned?”
Ying Diao’s expression shifted, “Quickly, let him in. After three years of training outside, he must have gained quite a bit, right?”
“Yes!”
The disciple responded and soon footsteps rang out, and a figure appeared in the center of the hall.
“Master above, your disciple Li Quzhuo greets you!”
Li Quzhuo entered the hall and immediately kowtowed deeply.
“It looks like Zhuo’er has not had an easy time outside, lift your head and let your master have a good look at you.”
Ying Diao nodded, showing a touch of relief and approval in his eyes as he looked at his disciple’s tattered clothes. There was a time when he remembered this disciple cared too much about his appearance, dressing up daily and being extremely concerned about others’ views.
Through his recent trials outside, he had shed his previously delicate demeanor, his eyes now filled with pride and confidence.
“You’ve indeed grown quite a bit. What made you think of coming back today without any notice?”
Ying Diao asked.
“Master, please stand up for your disciple!”
Hearing this, Li Quzhuo’s face filled with grief and he shouted with fiery eyes.
“Is there a foe from outside? No matter, who hasn’t made a few enemies while training away? What’s the person’s name, and where is their family head from? Tell me, and I will handle it.”
Ying Diao put away the Huo Yun Sword, took a tea cup, sipped some tea, and said with a light smile.
“This man’s name is Li Xiaobai, the current Peak Master of the Second Peak!”
Li Quzhuo was straightforward.
“Pfft!”
Ying Diao hadn’t even swallowed his tea and sprayed it out, staring wide-eyed at his disciple: “You say who?”
“The Peak Master of the Second Peak of the Sword Sect, Li Xiaobai!”
“Master, I know that he is now a part of the Sword Sect, but his behavior and actions are truly outlandish, even his steward is arrogant and overbearing, paying no heed to others. As a new disciple, I was humiliated, and I beg Master to punish them for their insubordination.”
Li Quzhuo detailed the events that took place on the Second Peak, embellishing here and there, hoping to incite Ying Diao’s emotions to harshly punish those who acted above the law.
“You faced him and got instantly defeated?”
Ying Diao felt somewhat speechless, his beloved disciple was still as oblivious as ever. How could you possibly challenge someone as formidable as Li Xiaobai?
“Disciple, do you know that I personally appointed this Second Peak’s Peak Master, Li Xiaobai?” Ying Diao said calmly.
“Your disciple has heard so,” Li Quzhuo nodded.
“And do you know why I appointed him as the Peak Master?”
“Your disciple is ignorant, please enlighten me, Master.”
Ying Diao felt a bit troubled, “Because he has contributed to the sect.”
“Your disciple has returned to serve the sect, to contribute to the prosperity and rise of the Sword Sect!”
“If I could make a significant impact in the Sword Sect, the so-called contributions of Li Xiaobai wouldn’t be worth mentioning!”
Li Quzhuo stated.
“My good disciple, it sounds like you’ve brought back quite a few resources?”
Ying Diao asked, somewhat intrigued.
“Naturally, if I had accomplished nothing, your disciple would have no face to return to the sect,” Li Quzhuo stated confidently and proudly.
“Then your master must see what you have achieved in these three years,”
Ying Diao said cheerfully.
“Master, please look, this disciple has returned after wiping out many small and medium-sized Demon Path sects, gathering an impressive amount of top-grade Immortal Stones, totaling five million; it’s definitely a huge sum for the Sword Sect!”
Li Quzhuo shook his hand, throwing out a Storage Bag. Ying Diao glanced inside; lying quietly were five million top-grade Immortal Stones.
“There are also these Elixirs and Magic Treasures, all suitable for Immortals at the third level, beneficial for both daily cultivation and external training!”
“Hmm, indeed quite commendable. For junior Disciples, these are good cultivation resources.”
Ying Diao nodded.
“However, what can most improve the sect is this training ground. As the saying goes, actual combat accumulates experience. The quickest way to grow stronger is to seek treasures, battle Demonic Beasts, and endure life-and-death trials. Although your disciple is unremarkable, during these days abroad, I’ve discovered many perilous places that can be mapped out for the sect’s Disciples to explore, greatly ensuring the training grounds for the Sword Sect’s cultivators.”
Li Quzhuo slowly stated.
“Zhuo’er, you’ve considered well, thinking of the sect Disciple’s training needs while ensuring your own safety abroad; it’s not easy indeed.”
“You’ve done very well; tomorrow I will have someone lightly tap into the resources and distribute them. The Disciples inside will surely thank you,”
Ying Diao smiled.
“Master, how do I compare to that Li Xiaobai?”
“This complete process—like an all-in-one service you’ve provided, from the sect to heading out directly and all clear arrangements, if we set up some reward systems, surely disciples will flock to it, greatly enhancing their strength!”
Li Quzhuo asked with great anticipation.
“Zhuo’er, indeed you understand. While the resources can be distributed amongst the sect to bulk up the Disciples’ wallets, it’s still better not to make comparisons. Sometimes, metoo many comparisons can lead to doubt in life.”
Ying Diao shook his head.
“How could this be possible? I considered everything thoroughly, each aspect carefully planned. How could I still not surpass Li Xiaobai? Perhaps he renovated the Second Peak, but that’s merely an environmental improvement. When it comes to cultivation, it depends on resources and dangerous places!”
“Disciple has brought these five million first-grade Immortal Stones, enough for the sect disciples’ needs for a year!”
Li Quzhuo couldn’t believe his ears. Had he done so much only to still fall short of that young man?
“A year’s needs?”
This time, it was Ying Diao’s turn to be stunned.
“Quzhuo, have you misunderstood something?”
“What I meant by distributing a wave was to hand out these five million first-grade Immortal Stones at once as pocket money for the disciples, a little cherry on top.”
“Pocket money?”
“A cherry on top?”
“Master, this is five million!”
Li Quzhuo felt his head spin. Pocket money? These five million were what he had painstakingly saved over three years, and now it was just pocket money for sect disciples?
Does the Sword Sect have so many resources?
How did he not know this?
When he had left the Sword Sect, his fellow disciples were still gambling over ten or so first-grade Immortal Stones and haggling over a couple of high-grade Immortal Stones.
Why does it now seem, according to Ying Diao’s words, that high-grade Immortal Stones are nothing, and only first-grade Immortal Stones barely catch their eye?
“Five million isn’t much, Quzhuo. You need to understand, the Sword Sect of today is no longer what it was. A mere five million is nothing. Spend more time at the Sect, and you will become richer.”
Ying Diao smiled.
“Five million is not a lot? Master, these are first-grade Immortal Stones, equivalent to the life savings of a medium-sized sect in the outside world. This isn’t a small amount. Could it be that Li Xiaobai can generate even more for the Sword Sect?”
Li Quzhuo’s head buzzed.
“If you had come back an hour or two earlier, you would have witnessed such a grand scene. Just recently, Xiaobai negotiated a deal with ten Semi-Saints from the Southern Continent, and three days later, a Super Sect will deliver ten billion.”
“Although this ten billion is not meant for the Sect’s use, but his own private property, it will still likely result in a generous distribution of training resources to the sect disciples.”
“Furthermore, now that the Blade Sect has surrendered to us, along with the sect powers affiliated with them, do you think we will still lack resources?”
Watching his Great Disciple look so unworldly, Ying Diao sighed deeply.
Lack of exposure wasn’t this disciple’s fault; who could blame them when the Sword Sect had always been poor? Being poor naturally limited one’s imagination.
“But still, this is five million first-grade Immortal Stones, enough for Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivators in our sect to train for a long time!”
Li Quzhuo was still in disbelief. His master hadn’t been like this before. When had he become so extravagant?
Five million not worth a second glance?
“Ah, Quzhuo, let me put it this way. You are familiar with the Three Great Dynasties, right? Nowadays, each of the Three Great Dynasties contributes one million first-grade Immortal Stones to the Sword Sect every month. Do you think five million is a lot? It’s just a drop in the bucket, really.”
Li Quzhuo: “But… I also have elixirs and other cultivation resources!”
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“Since you’ve been to the Second Peak, you must have become aware of Tangneng First-class and the Quality Shop.”
“The bathhouse and Huazi are unlimited for sect disciples, one might say limitless. Because of this, Sword Sect disciples improve their cultivation speed by leaps and bounds daily, making significant progress in both mental state and cultivation technique.”
“The shop has been of great benefit to your master, let alone ordinary disciples. For Sword Sect now, Elixirs are no longer a necessity.”
As the saying goes, all medicine has side effects. Compared to Huazi and the bathhouse, which have no side effects whatsoever, Elixirs were phased out long ago, and only Healing Pills are still kept. The necessities for cultivation have been sold to other sects in exchange for Immortal Stones.
Ying Diao explained in detail to this precious disciple, hoping the other party would understand.
It seems that Li Quzhuo’s thoughts are still stuck in the Sword Sect era three years ago. Now, with Li Xiaobai’s arrival, many of the traditional practices and rules have been broken, such as disciples needing Elixirs and Immortal Stones for cultivation.
This is best demonstrated by Tangneng First-class bathhouse, a drink from the Huazi, a night’s bath, and the cultivation level ascended steeply without side effects. Who needs Elixirs anymore?
“Then the perilous realms and treasure-hunting trial grounds must still be needed by the Sect Disciples, right? Without real combat, how can one proficiently wield one’s power?”
Li Quzhuo asked, slightly unwilling to let go.
“Your point is valid. Without the tempering of real combat, no matter how high the cultivation level or how profound the Immortal Yuan Power, it would be useless; one would be nothing more than a decorative pillow that looks good but serves no purpose.”
“Our Sword Sect also encourages Disciples to temper themselves between life and death.”
Ying Diao nodded and said.
“Then the traps that the disciple knows of could be put to good use. Master, wait a moment, I will go fetch paper and pen to detail them right away!”
Li Quzhuo’s face lit up, and with a flick of his wrist, he began to sketch out the terrain of the mountains and rivers.
His efforts were not in vain; even with Li Xiaobai’s exceptional performance, he couldn’t possibly resolve the issues of the trial grounds. In these three years, traveling through the north and south, he had come to know many Secret Realms and dangerous lands. These could serve as perfect cultivation grounds for the Sect Disciples.
“Wait!”
“Zhuo’er, stop drawing. What you said is all correct, but Li Xiaobai has already taken care of it,” Ying Diao sighed and said.
“Could it be that he has also found some dangerous places for the sect?”
“No worries, Master, the number of dangerous lands I know of definitely surpasses his! Just wait for my sketch to finish, and the sect cultivators will have many more choices, and their gains will be richer and more diversified!” Li Quzhuo said.
“It’s not a matter of quantity. The dangerous lands you speak of are all in remote areas of the outside world, requiring Sect Disciples to travel there themselves. However, Li Xiaobai has already transported many dangerous areas into the surroundings of the sect using Secret Realms and micro-worlds. He has also categorized these lands by levels of danger. Nowadays, Sword Sect disciples can experience real combat without even stepping out of their doors.”
“Zhuo’er, listen to your master’s advice. The current state of Sword Sect is quite good. Let’s just peacefully cultivate at Second Peak from now on, and stop striving for more.”
Although it was hard to discourage his disciple’s enthusiasm, Ying Diao still spoke the truth.
If Sword Sect didn’t have Li Xiaobai, then Li Quzhuo’s contributions would undoubtedly have been significant. However, since Li Xiaobai joined the sect, he persistently shattered common knowledge with his extraordinary power, aiding the rapid growth of the sect, and even attracting a powerful figure like Xiao Lao Di to oversee it. Everything had been perfected; cultivators could enjoy life-and-death battles without stepping outside—life couldn’t get more comfortable.
His disciple was loyal to the sect, but was laboring in vain.
“This…”
“For the past three years, every day and night, I’ve been worrying about strengthening the sect, putting in tremendous efforts. And to think that Li Xiaobai has outdone and even surpassed me?”
“Since the resources for cultivation inside the Sword Sect are the same as those outside, or even more precious, what was the point of my three years of outside cultivation?”
Li Quzhuo murmured to himself, unable to withstand the blow.
He was utterly outclassed in every aspect.
Ying Diao didn’t know what else to say; if there was anyone to blame, it was Li Xiaobai for being too outstanding, leaving his talented disciple with no role to play in the expansion of Sword Sect.
After hesitating for a long while, he reached out, patted his shoulder, and said softly, “Zhuo’er, look at the bright side. Times have changed!”