Volume 1, Chapter 13: Always Prepared

"I would like to see who dares!" Lin Qingni shouted, her voice sharp and commanding.

Beside her, the Frost-Bound Bird spread its wings in a menacing display, causing the ground to freeze instantly; despite the sweltering heat, frost and mist gathered in the air. The members of the Enforcement Hall recoiled three steps in fear.

Lin Qingni scoffed, "Esteemed elders, you can see for yourselves—this is clearly a frame-up, a case of settling personal vendettas under the guise of justice."

"My disciple, Xu Que, was merely saving a clansman. I don't know where this 'Death Soul Dragon' came from, but they are pinning it on him. My disciple possesses no such refining techniques. Aside from the Xu family arts, all his swordsmanship was taught by me. I know him better than anyone."

The surrounding elders nodded in agreement.

One elder remarked, "That black dragon soul appears to be of high quality. To refine a death soul while simultaneously guarding against possession would take at least three to five years of uninterrupted effort."

Another added, "If Xu Que truly possessed such talent, he would have showcased it back when he was competing to be the Holy Land's chief disciple. Why hide it until now? After all, if he were the chief disciple, would the Duanmu family even dare to touch him?"

The logic was sound. As high-ranking elders of the Holy Land, they understood that such mastery could not be achieved overnight—unless one possessed the refining arts of the ancient Infinite Emperors or Sages, which could prevent possession and produce the pure, refined energy seen here.

Seeing his argument dismantled, Duanmu Ao’s expression turned sour, as if he had swallowed a fly. He was an Enforcement Elder, yet they were showing him absolutely no respect.

"It still requires a thorough investigation. At the time, only the two brothers were present."

Xu Que immediately interjected, "Duanmu Ao, have you gone senile? How do you know only Xu Ziling and I were there? There were members of your Duanmu family present as well; they just weren't captured in this projection orb. How can someone with your intellect serve as an Enforcement Elder? Do you even know how to judge a case?"

"Nonsense! How could there be members of the Duanmu family at the scene? You are framing us!" Duanmu Ao interrupted.

Xu Que felt a surge of triumph. Framing others? Who couldn't do that? If you can frame me, why can't I frame you? One must never fall into the trap of trying to prove one's own innocence. If you claim I am guilty, then produce the evidence.

Xu Que countered, "Then why, in the absence of evidence, am I the one being detained? Is it because you are abusing your power to settle personal scores, jealous that a member of the Xu family outshines your own? Duanmu Ya and the Medical Pavilion elder attempted murder in broad daylight, yet you do nothing. In my view, Elder Duanmu, while your cultivation may be high, your judgment is lacking. You don't even understand the need to avoid a conflict of interest. You are unfit to lead."

Xu Que's words carried weight. The onlookers nodded, and even the Holy Land disciples who had gathered felt his reasoning was sound.

"You treacherous, cunning brat," Duanmu Ao hissed through gritted teeth.

"You foolish, incompetent elder, I suggest you step down and make room for someone better," Xu Que retorted.

Duanmu Ao could no longer restrain himself. He lunged forward, leaving a blur in his wake.

*Boom.*

Lin Qingni intercepted him effortlessly.

"Duanmu Ao, do you intend to resort to extrajudicial punishment?"

Duanmu Ao was trembling with rage. The master and disciple were cut from the same cloth, both fond of slapping labels on others. Xu Que had clearly killed that man; why did it need to be debated?

"Fine," Duanmu Ao growled bitterly. "I will report this to the Holy Master and let him decide. Lin Qingni, you can wait to be punished along with him."

The Enforcement Hall members retreated, and Duanmu Ya followed suit. The crowd at the Medical Pavilion dispersed as well. The Medical Pavilion elder, however, wore a grave and awkward expression. He suddenly wondered if he had backed the wrong side. Seeing the ferocious momentum of the young master of the Xu family, he wasn't sure if the Duanmu family would be able to swallow them up. But there was no turning back now; he had to brace himself and continue.

...

Xu Que and his companions followed Lin Qingni to a palace perched on a hill floating above the lake.

As soon as they entered, Lin Qingni asked, "I've only been away for a few months. What happened? How did your Xu family end up in such a conflict with the Duanmu family?"

Xu Que recounted the entire series of events.

Lin Qingni said with pleasant surprise, "To enter the Immortal Extinction Forbidden Land and survive—my disciple, this is a blessing in disguise. I told you long ago that Zhu Yanran was no innocent flower. It is good that you can see her true colors now. As for Duanmu Xiong, he invited his own demise; he deserved it. You did nothing wrong."

Hearing his master’s validation, Xu Que felt a warmth in his heart. Although Lin Qingni was the youngest elder in the Profound Heaven Holy Land, her exceptional talent had made her a powerhouse at the eighth level of the Martial Monarch realm, and she was a staunch supporter of the Holy Master. With her protection, the Xu family had nothing to fear while cultivating in the Holy Land.

Xu Que asked, "Master, what about the Duanmu family?"

Lin Qingni reached out and affectionately tapped Xu Que's forehead. "I will ask the Holy Master about it. Set your mind at ease; I will look after you."

Xu Que felt a glow of contentment. Their lineage at Falling Mist Lake had always preferred tranquility and had few disciples. In this generation, Xu Que was Lin Qingni's only one. Among the elders of the Profound Heaven Holy Land, some relied on connections, while others relied on raw strength. Lin Qingni was of the latter; such powerful individuals never easily compromised with others.

After his master left, Xu Que turned to his three kinsmen. "Why don't you return to the Xu family for the time being? The Seventh Elder is guarding the foot of the mountain."

Xu Wuji replied, "Young Master, how could we abandon you? If I go back, my father will beat me to death."

Xu Ziling added, "Now that we are united, we aren't afraid of the Duanmu family."

Xu Que took out the last bottle of pure energy. "Ziling, this is compensation for the beating you took."

"Thank you, Young Master!" Xu Ziling was overjoyed. This was the same substance that had allowed Xu Wuji and Xu Qiange to break through four levels of cultivation.

Xu Que still had over a dozen storage rings filled with spirit stones and rare artifacts; he was still quite wealthy. He said, "The Holy Land Grand Competition is approaching, where the new top ten will be determined. We haven't heard from the Holy Master yet, so let’s not be hasty. Everyone, go and focus on your cultivation."

They nodded and went to seclude themselves.

Xu Que faced a new problem. The Duanmu family's retaliation would not end here. Those who had defected to the Duanmu family would likely strike from the shadows. His Black Dragon Death Soul was now considered "evidence" of a crime; it was unsuitable for public use, as it would damage his reputation.

Having mastered various weapons, especially the blade and sword, he channeled his spiritual energy, opened a storage ring, and selected a Heaven-grade White Tiger Sword. Weapons were categorized into seven grades: Yellow, Profound, Earth, Heaven, Spirit, King, and Emperor. For a scion of a great family like Xu Que, a Heaven-grade weapon was a standard starting point, allowing a warrior to elevate their strength by a notch. Spirit-grade and King-grade weapons were relatively rare, and Emperor-grade weapons were the stuff of legends.

Xu Que tossed a large pile of Earth, Profound, and Yellow-grade weapons into his Heaven-Refining Gourd.

"Refine!"

The contents of two storage rings—roughly three hundred cubic feet of weapons, armor, and bracers—were poured in. They weren't worthless, but Xu Que had no use for them.

In a short while, he had refined another ten jade bottles' worth of pure energy. He decided to use this energy to forge a Spirit-grade weapon for himself. A Spirit-grade weapon was one that could not only withstand spiritual energy and possess elemental properties but also "awaken" a spirit of its own. Such weapons required refining to be wielded and could inflict lethal damage on his Black Dragon Death Soul.

He took a bottle of pure energy and dripped a small amount onto the blade.

*Hum!*

The White Tiger Sword suddenly shimmered, and a tiger spirit manifested from within the steel.

"A Spirit-grade weapon! It’s done!" Xu Que was ecstatic. The Heaven-Refining Gourd was truly miraculous; the pure energy it produced had endless uses.

With his new weapon in hand, Xu Que decided to head to the back mountain practice grounds to test it out.

As soon as Xu Que left the floating island at the center of the lake, figures began to tail him from the shadows.