Lu Qing had no idea what those women were thinking. Even if he knew, he would not care.
He had already abandoned everything from the past. He neither wanted nor intended to waste another thought on it.
As for listening to Ye Youran and helping those women search for suitable cultivation arts?
Did she think such things grew like cabbages?
Lu Qing had already suffered enough for them in his previous life. Why would he deliberately make trouble for himself again in this life?
Was he really that bored?
The thought had never even crossed his mind.
In this life, Lu Qing had already decided that he would never interfere in their affairs again. Whether they lived or died, whatever happened to them had nothing to do with him…
At this moment, Lu Qing had already arrived at the Scripture Pavilion.
The guardian of the Scripture Pavilion was a Supreme Elder.
Although Lu Qing could now move unhindered among the Seven Main Peaks, these Supreme Elders had actually watched him grow up.
A Venerable could live for 1,200 years, while a Supreme Elder could live for 1,500 years. In their eyes, Lu Qing was probably still little more than a child.
“Little Qing is here.”
At the entrance, an elderly man covered in age spots slowly opened his drowsy eyes. A faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face as he looked at Lu Qing.
“Uncle Zhang.” Lu Qing greeted him with a smile. His mood brightened considerably as he said, “Uncle Zhang, you look healthier and stronger every time I see you.”
“Little Qing, stop talking nonsense. Your Uncle Zhang has already lived for 1,300 years. I don’t have much time left. Before long, I’ll probably be going to meet that damned old geezer who raised you. And you’re still saying I look strong?”
“Uncle Zhang, don’t say such nonsense. From what I can see, you’ll break through your limits and live to 5,000 years.”
Seeing an old friend and elder who had already been dead for 2,000 years in his previous life filled Lu Qing’s heart with genuine happiness.
Old Zhang chuckled. “I’d already be thanking the heavens if this old man could live to 2,000. How could I dare dream of advancing any further? Being able to watch you little brats grow up is already good enough. You should hurry up and marry a young woman someday, or at least accept a couple of talented disciples. Don’t imitate that damned old master of yours. He waited until he was almost dead before accepting a disciple. By then, everything was already too late.”
“Hehe, haven’t I already accepted two?” Lu Qing smiled and continued, “I came here precisely to find suitable Qi Condensation arts for those two little ones.”
There were very few elders who had watched Lu Qing grow up still remaining in the sect.
Some had reached the end of their lifespans.
Others had died in battle.
In the later years of his previous life, Lu Qing had only had his disciples and a handful of others left beside him. They had depended on and supported one another.
Unfortunately, in the end, everything had vanished like bubbles.
As Lu Qing thought about it, he realized just how many people around him he had neglected in his previous life because of those disciples.
By the time he finally looked back, they had already been separated by life and death.
The thought caused Lu Qing’s heart to harden a little more.
The lingering influence of those 3,000 years of affection faded another degree.
He had given them so much.
And what had he received in return?
Old Zhang thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “That’s true. The sect’s standard cultivation arts are balanced and stable, but they’re a little too mediocre. Oh, right. There’s something else.”
Lu Qing asked, “What is it?”
“That old bastard from Fifth Peak came to complain to several of us old men. He said you bullied someone from Fifth Peak again. Although Ye Xing is merely a grandson he picked up, there’s still some affection between them. Back then, they were even planning to give Ye Xing the position of Sect Master…”
Lu Qing replied coldly, “So any piece of trash can become Sect Master now?”
Hearing Lu Qing’s attitude, Old Zhang could not help laughing. “This old man has told you all this. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I understand.” Lu Qing nodded.
Old Zhang smiled at him and asked, “And what exactly did you understand?”
Lu Qing’s gaze turned icy, killing intent gathering within his eyes as he said, “I was too gentle. I didn’t hit him nearly hard enough. Next time, I’ll make sure to be ruthless. I’ll beat him until he doesn’t dare complain and can’t even utter another sound. That way, he won’t come bothering Uncle Zhang again.”
Lu Qing genuinely regretted not killing Ye Xing with a single sword strike.
That bastard had even come and disturbed an elderly man afterward.
“Pfft!”
Old Zhang spat out the tea in his mouth.
Although this was precisely the answer he had wanted to hear, he had never expected Lu Qing to say it so decisively.
It was even more extreme than he had imagined.
‘This little fellow isn’t bad.’
Old Zhang studied Lu Qing thoughtfully.
‘This child seems to have changed…’
Previously, Lu Qing had never been this fierce or ruthless. Although he had always been domineering, he had still preferred to leave others a little room to retreat.
Now, however, his actions had become swift and decisive.
A moment later, Old Zhang burst into hearty laughter and repeatedly stroked his beard. “Good! Good! Very good! That’s exactly how you should act. If someone refuses to open their eyes… Hehe, these old bones of mine haven’t become completely useless yet. If you cause trouble, this old man can still shoulder it for you.”
“Uncle Zhang, what nonsense are you saying? I’m still waiting for you to help look after the inheritance of Heavenly Sword Peak in the future,” Lu Qing said.
“This old man certainly hopes he can.”
Old Zhang smiled with satisfaction and waved his hand. Even his spirits seemed to have improved considerably.
Only then did Lu Qing enter the Scripture Pavilion.
The moment he stepped inside, his eyes shifted slightly.
He had spotted a somewhat familiar face.
It belonged to a young man with narrow features and prominent ears. He wore the robes representing a Core Direct Disciple of the Outer Sect, meaning that he was the Direct Disciple of some Outer Sect Deacon Elder.
The status of an Outer Sect Deacon Elder was neither particularly high nor particularly low.
Most Outer Sect Elders were guest elders. They possessed extensive connections and wide social networks, making them rather important to every sect. If they could no longer remain in one sect, they could simply move to another and serve there instead.
In his previous life, Lu Qing had searched the second and third floors for Qi Condensation arts for several of his disciples.
During that time, this very Direct Disciple of an Outer Sect Deacon Elder had offended him.
Logically speaking, how could a mere Direct Disciple possibly dare offend Lu Qing, the mighty Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak?
Yet somehow, he had dared.
And the final outcome had been even more astonishing.
Once a person had something precious they feared losing, they inevitably became hesitant and overly cautious.
At the time, Lu Qing had needed to pave the way for his disciples, so he had been unwilling to create too many enemies.
He was the mighty Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, a domineering expert whose word was normally absolute.
Yet in the end, he had forcibly swallowed his anger and endured the insult.
Before Lu Qing accepted his disciples, the reputation of the Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak had resounded throughout the sect.
Eventually, people forgot something important.
The position of Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak had never been handed to Lu Qing by anyone.
After the old Peak Master died, Lu Qing had carved out that position for himself through sheer bloodshed.
Thinking back on it, Lu Qing could only sigh inwardly.
Back then, he had truly valued those disciples far too much…
Because he cared too deeply, he gradually lost himself.
He had even become willing to suffer grievances for their sake, casting his own feelings aside…
Lu Qing shook his head and swept away the faint emotions stirring within him.
The lingering feelings in his heart faded yet another degree.
That was a good thing.
It meant the influence his past had left deep within his heart was gradually disappearing.
Once he completely released it all…
He would never again show even the slightest softness because of them, nor would memories of the past affect him in any way.
Lu Qing gathered his thoughts.
His eyes became calm and indifferent as his gaze swept across the hall.
In this life, if that man knew his place and did not provoke him, Lu Qing would simply ignore him.
But if he dared offend Lu Qing again as he had in the previous life, then this Direct Disciple would finally understand why Lu Qing possessed such a fearsome reputation.
He would understand why, among the Seven Main Peaks of the sect, the peak renowned above all for slaughter and combat was Heavenly Sword Peak.
And why Lu Qing was its master.
After countless thoughts flashed through his mind, Lu Qing began carrying out his plan.
He needed to find Qi Condensation arts.
The Scripture Pavilion had seven floors.
As the Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, Lu Qing was permitted to enter every floor from the first to the seventh.
However, he had no reason to go above the third floor because the fourth floor and higher did not contain low-level cultivation arts.
The first three floors contained cultivation arts of three different grades.
The first floor contained ordinary low-level cultivation arts. The second floor contained better low-level cultivation arts, while the third floor contained excellent low-level cultivation arts.
In his previous life, Lu Qing had searched primarily through the Qi Condensation arts on the second and third floors.
However, he had already thoroughly searched both floors back then.
It was almost impossible to find any new Qi Condensation arts there.
His wonderful disciples, Ye Feiyan and the others, had already cultivated practically all the useful ones.
Thus, Lu Qing could only search the first floor.
Fortunately, Lu Qing had been a Great Emperor in his previous life.
Even if the Qi Condensation arts on the first floor were mediocre, he could improve them slightly after finding them, making them far from useless.
Lu Qing also had another plan.
Could he modify and combine them to create a genuine Emperor-Grade Qi Condensation Art, then find someone to serve as a tool for triggering the system’s return?
Ye Lian’er would make an excellent tool.
If he could create a genuine Emperor-Grade Qi Condensation Art and give it to her, the Ten-Thousandfold Disciple Reward System might return a Qi Condensation art surpassing even Emperor Grade.
If that happened, perhaps Lu Qing truly would have an opportunity in this life to step into that mysterious realm beyond the Great Emperor Realm.
He might finally obtain true freedom, absolute liberation, and transcend even the Dao itself.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Lu Qing sighed softly.
He really had changed.
In his previous life, he had valued relationships deeply.
Yet in this life, despite having accepted Ye Lian’er as his disciple, he could not seem to develop even the slightest affection for her.
Ye Lian’er herself was innocent. She had done nothing wrong.
Her talent was even more exceptional than that of his former disciples. After all, she herself ranked first on the Prodigy Ranking, while his disciples from his previous life had initially possessed such poor aptitude that no one else had even wanted to accept them.
Yet Lu Qing still felt almost nothing toward Ye Lian’er.
She was merely another innocent and unfortunate person.
Even so, Lu Qing did not dislike this version of himself.
He had not forgotten that he was the Fated Great Villain.
Perhaps Ye Lian’er would eventually become nothing more than someone else’s stepping stone as well.
Perhaps the moment Su Chen appeared, she too would turn against Lu Qing.
So there was even less reason to invest any emotion in her.
‘Being fortunate enough to enter my tutelage and become my tool is already a blessing countless people could beg for and never receive. Isn’t that enough?’
Lu Qing shook his head slightly and restrained his thoughts.
He truly did not have much affection for Ye Lian’er.
In fact, Zhang Shi was even more important to him than Ye Lian’er because Lu Qing was raising Zhang Shi specifically to inherit Heavenly Sword Peak.
Ye Lian’er was different.
Her talent was simply too exceptional, and her natural bearing was extraordinary.
In his previous life, Lu Qing had personally destroyed her future. In this life, even if he nurtured her properly, she did not seem like someone destined to remain at Heavenly Sword Peak forever.
Lu Qing had only taken her back because, in this life, he refused to allow something belonging to him to be stolen away again, only for himself to meet another miserable end.
His current intention was merely to raise Ye Lian’er so she could assist Zhang Shi and help preserve the inheritance of Heavenly Sword Peak.
Perhaps one day she would follow the same path as those disciples from his previous life…
But this time, Lu Qing would never give anyone another opportunity to hurt him.
He would not even teach them everything he knew, much less pour his emotions into them.
He himself was what mattered most.
…
There were many newly admitted ordinary disciples on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, all searching for suitable cultivation arts.
Not everyone was as fortunate as Ye Lian’er and Zhang Shi, who possessed good talent and had immediately caught the attention of someone important.
The disciples of the Thirty-Three Auxiliary Peaks and the Menial Disciples, for example, had no one personally selecting Qi Condensation arts for them.
Forget having someone choose for them. They even had to spend contribution points or spirit stones to obtain a Qi Condensation art.
Those without spirit stones had to work for the sect every day to earn contribution points, such as tending spiritual herbs or copying cultivation manuals.
Once they found one, they would pay a certain amount of spirit stone fragments or spend contribution points to obtain a copied version that they could take away.
The moment Lu Qing entered, a commotion immediately spread through the first floor.
Every newly admitted disciple present, whether a Menial Disciple or a disciple from an Auxiliary Peak, hurriedly lowered their heads.
Without exception, everyone who saw Lu Qing quickly greeted him respectfully, “Greetings, Peak Master.”
Only the narrow-faced disciple with prominent ears reacted differently.
He glanced at Lu Qing’s extraordinarily young and handsome face before lowering his head. Deep within his eyes, a flash of venomous resentment appeared.
Throughout his life, the people he hated most were handsome men.
And the person he hated above all others was Lu Qing.
Lu Qing was not only exceptionally young, but also occupied the exalted position of Peak Master.
However, the disciple was far too weak to reveal his resentment openly.
There was another matter that made him hate Lu Qing even more.
On the day of the disciple recruitment assessment, Lu Qing had behaved with overwhelming arrogance, stealing the spotlight and humiliating Fifth Peak.
That incident itself was relatively minor.
What truly infuriated him was that Lu Qing had enjoyed all that attention and then selected an astonishingly beautiful young woman in white as his disciple.
The thought alone filled him with burning jealousy.
Fortunately, among the several breathtaking beauties ranked within the top 10, Lu Qing had accepted only one.
Otherwise, he probably would have been so consumed by hatred that he could not even sleep at night.
The disparity in their strength was simply too enormous, so he could only hide these emotions deep inside.
After entering, Lu Qing did not spare him another glance.
He was merely an ant.
As long as the man did not offend him, Lu Qing could not care less what thoughts were festering inside his head.
Seeing all the Menial Disciples greeting him, Lu Qing casually waved his hand, indicating that they should continue what they were doing.
He then walked toward a corner and pulled a Qi Condensation manual from a bookshelf.
Powerful formations protected the Scripture Pavilion, isolating and suppressing Spiritual Consciousness.
Otherwise, any sufficiently powerful cultivator could simply arrive and sweep through the entire pavilion with their Spiritual Consciousness, instantly memorizing everything inside.
Lu Qing therefore had no choice but to select the manuals by reading them normally.
Qi Condensation arts themselves were divided into upper, middle, and lower grades.
The ones stored here were all relatively poor, and they were mixed together with other kinds of cultivation arts. Even as a Peak Master, Lu Qing still had to slowly sort through them one by one.
Eventually, Lu Qing simply spent 10 spirit stones and selected two Menial Disciples to help him search for books.
The two Menial Disciples were so excited that they repeatedly insisted they did not need the spirit stones.
Lu Qing simply ordered them to accept the payment.
Only then did the two obediently take the spirit stones before enthusiastically helping him retrieve manuals.
Meanwhile, Lu Qing sat in a corner and opened the Qi Condensation manuals the two Menial Disciples continuously brought over, reading through them one after another.
In his previous life, Lu Qing had searched for Qi Condensation arts on the second and third floors.
The Qi Condensation arts stored there were all considerably higher in grade.
However, only the first critical reward had produced the precious Emperor-Grade Qi Condensation Art.
Afterward, although there had been many Qi Condensation arts on the second and third floors, Lu Qing had questioned the system and discovered that giving those arts separately to his disciples could not trigger a unified return.
In other words, even using Qi Condensation arts from the second and third floors would not allow him to obtain another Emperor-Grade Qi Condensation Art.
Lu Qing had racked his brains over this problem.
Fortunately, the system had provided him with another path.
With the system’s assistance, he could combine those Qi Condensation arts himself, creating an entirely new and higher-grade Qi Condensation art.
He could then give that newly created art to a disciple and trigger the system’s return…
That was exactly what Lu Qing had done in his previous life.
He had spent an unimaginable amount of time combining and refining countless cultivation arts before finally creating seven immensely powerful Qi Condensation arts.
Through the system’s returns, he had then obtained seven Emperor-Grade Qi Condensation Arts perfectly suited to his seven disciples.
In the process, he had exhausted practically every useful Qi Condensation art on the second and third floors.
For his final disciple, he had been forced to expend even more effort.
Altogether, Lu Qing had spent at least half a year obtaining suitable cultivation arts for his seven disciples.
A mighty Venerable and the Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak had spent day after day buried inside the Scripture Pavilion.
He had sacrificed so much time.
Yet now, Lu Qing could not help wondering what exactly he had been seeking.
His own death?
Or perhaps their eventual betrayal?
Of course, that was all in the past.
At present, precisely because he needed to combine numerous cultivation arts, Lu Qing was sitting on the first floor and continuing to gather Qi Condensation arts.
However, things were different from his previous life.
Lu Qing was now a reincarnated Great Emperor.
He did not even need the system’s assistance. Drawing upon his past experience and former cultivation realm, he could easily combine and refine these arts into Qi Condensation methods of a suitable grade.
In this regard, his own knowledge was now even more convenient than the system.
However, creating a genuine Emperor-Grade Qi Condensation Art was still virtually impossible.
Such a cultivation art was uniquely blessed by heaven and earth.
It formed the very foundation of a Great Emperor.
Lu Qing would still need to rely on the system’s rewards for something of that level.
Fortunately, he had reincarnated as a Great Emperor.
This time, he would not need to waste nearly as much time as before.
At most, he should obtain results within three to five days.
Time passed, second by second.
One manual after another entered Lu Qing’s sight.
Then, at that moment, something unexpected suddenly happened.