Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Prestigious families each have their own way of dealing with the world.

Yuan Shizong, who was flexible in his approach and tactful in his dealings, initially defered to Su Qing but later became obsequious, which Su Qing secretly thought was a case of playing favorites and not being a very good person.

But when he entered the Lingbao Sect's residence and met Li Sanyang, who was as cold and hard as stone and looked down on everyone equally, he felt that Gu Le Zhenjun of the Yuanshi Sect was too kind and gentle.

“Lord Li, although I have never participated in the swordsmanship competition, I am not completely ignorant of swordsmanship. You may not know, but in Tianyuan, I also have an innate sword seed and the nickname of a swordsman gentleman. Although it is a title bestowed upon me by the cultivators of Tianyuan, it is nothing special. But I am by no means the swordsmanship fool you just mentioned, who is beyond redemption!”

Su Qing felt it was necessary to explain to Li Sanyang, otherwise, this Lingbao Zhenjun, who only dealt with true sword cultivators, would soon be turning away his guest!
It's unclear whether this True Lord was traumatized by the death of his disciple in the Land of Despair, causing a drastic change in his temperament, or whether he became jealous and resentful after learning that Su Qing had obtained the great opportunity in the Land of Despair, and thus sought to find a target to provoke him.

In short, despite the invitation sent to the Su residence to invite the true sword cultivators of the Su family to a meeting to discuss metaphysics and the Dao, Su Qing arrived as promised, only to be met with cold indifference. When he tried to discuss business, the man said he was greedy and had lost his original intention of cultivation. When he tried to build a relationship with the man, the man said that the Supreme Sect had no relationship with the Lingbao Sect in ancient times, but they did have a grudge. If they continued to talk, the man would draw his sword. In the end, Su Qing had no choice but to cater to the man's interests and discuss swordsmanship and magic with him. The man then served tea and was about to see him out!

This old bastard isn't trying to take a kickback, is he?

Su Qing's suspicions rose in her heart. She thought, "So what if I take kickbacks? As long as I secure this big deal with Lingbao Sect, the money will still come from the sheep in the end!"
Just as he was about to say something that couldn't be said in public...

Li Sanyang Zhenjun waved his hand, signaling his lackey, Taoyuan Zhenjun, to go out first!

Good heavens, this old rascal is really something else. See, he's going to shut the door and tell me things I can't say!

Su Qing nodded knowingly and waved for Peach Blossom True Monarch, who was full of resentment and had been insulted by him many times that day and was almost being trained into a true follower, to leave quickly. The following occasion was not something a little follower like him could listen to.

Once Peach Blossom Spring True Lord left, Li Sanyang immediately abandoned his previous taciturn manner. He placed the teacup on the table, his narrowed eyes focusing intently as he sharply looked at Su Qing, and slowly said:
"Master Su, let's not beat around the bush. The world is foolish and has mistaken you for some innate sword seed. My Lingbao Sect has been the number one sword sect in all the heavens since ancient times. Regardless of anything else, we can recognize the aura of our kind at a glance. If I am not mistaken, Master Su's sword cultivation all comes from that Lu Wu tiger egg, right? You are not a sword cultivator. Your sword is borrowed from the tiger egg's might!"

Snapped!
Su Qing's face turned ashen. She stood up abruptly, like a student caught cheating on an exam. Her face showed disbelief that "how could you possibly have discovered my superb cheating skills?", embarrassment that "you dared to expose me so directly after discovering me, showing me no respect whatsoever", and a fierce expression that "since you have insulted me like this, then let's go our separate ways. Don't leave after school, just wait and see."

In short, Su Qing found Li Sanyang's words even more unacceptable than when he asked her for a kickback!
So what if he used Tiger Egg's sword cultivation and the sword combat techniques he had cultivated?
The tiger egg was refined by him, and it inherently possessed the ability to synchronize cultivation and comprehension with its master. In truth, this was something that Su Qing had worked hard to obtain, so why couldn't others do it?
As for having you come here to expose and slap me in the face, it makes it seem like I, Su Qing, have done something shameful!
Annoyed, Su Qing was about to turn and leave. He was done playing. It wasn't fun anymore. He couldn't keep up the act of pretending to be a true swordsman. Nobody wanted to play with him. Rather than be humiliated here, he would rather go home and play with the witch!
"Master Su, please don't be anxious. Although you are not of our kind, Tiger Egg is. I invited Tiger Egg before, but Tiger Egg did not come, and Master Su came instead. Thinking about it, it was my oversight. Although Tiger Egg has high talent and strong fortune, it is still a puppet under Master Su's control. In your human language, if you want to talk to it, it is up to you, Master Su, as its guardian, to decide. So, let's talk to you today!"

Li Sanyang said with some regret, which made Su Qing unhappy again.

You want to order tiger eggs? Why didn't you say so earlier!
If I were an unreasonable parent, would I stop Tiger Egg from coming? I not only let it come, but I also let Bear Two come along!

What's going on here? You're talking to me about how you've been wronged? Well, I'm really sorry, I didn't bring Tiger Egg along to keep you company, so I couldn't let you, the true master of swordsmanship, have your fun. You can only put up with me, a commoner in the world of swordsmanship!
Frustration is frustration, but business is business!
Su Qing, who was always able to endure humiliation, sat back down in her seat, still fuming.

Strangely enough, the cultivators from the Yuanshi Sect spoke in a cryptic manner, nine out of ten of their sentences being false and one a trap. They seemed to treat him with courtesy, but in reality, they were quite arrogant. However, Su Qing dealt with them with ease and didn't get angry at all. On the contrary, Li Sanyang from the Lingbao Sect's straightforward fighting style made him extremely frustrated. He understood that Lingbao sword cultivators were direct and honest; if they looked down on you, they really looked down on you. Unlike Gu Le Zhenjun from the Yuanshi Sect, although Su Qing thought his background was inferior, he was certain that Gu Le Zhenjun coveted Su Qing's achievements in the Azure Dragon Dao Pattern, Time Dao Pattern, and Creation Rune. Su Qing was able to establish a certain psychological advantage in front of Gu Le Zhenjun!

But once he sat back down, and Li Sanyang spoke again, he gained a psychological advantage over this True Lord!

"To be honest, I intend to take Tiger Egg as my disciple and guide him to join the Shangqing Sect, making him the 308th generation direct descendant of my Shangqing!"

Li Sanyang was known for his outrageous remarks; one sentence from him startled Su Qing so much that she forgot her anger and asked without hesitation:
"A puppet born from a tiger egg, resembling the divine beast Luwu, with the temperament of a great demon of the demon race, how could someone with such background be accepted into the Shangqing sect?"

According to ancient tradition, the three founders of the Yuanshi, Taishang, and Lingbao sects were originally fellow disciples, namely Yuqing, Taiqing, and Shangqing, collectively known as the Three Pure Ones. Therefore, Lingbao disciples often refer to themselves as disciples of Shangqing to show their respect for the sect's founders.

Even the most powerful and prestigious sects, when recruiting disciples, would still prioritize those with impeccable lineage and human origins. Su Qing hadn't expected the Lingbao Sect to be so magnanimous, even willing to accept a puppet-like demon like Tiger Egg, who was not human.

"Everything has its own destiny, and cause and effect are predetermined. This tiger egg is a naturally gifted sword seed, and I, the True Monarch, have just lost two disciples. This means that it is destined to be with me. As for the prejudices of race and background, when has my Lingbao Sect ever cared about such things? True Monarch Su, please say what conditions you would accept for letting the tiger egg into my Lingbao Sect to cultivate!"

Li Sanyang seemed rather impatient, which made him appear rather unsophisticated, lacking the wisdom of the Ancient Music True Monarch of the Yuanshi Sect. It's important to understand that powerful sects like the Yuanshi Sect and Lingbao Sect would never reveal their desires to cultivators of the Heavenly Origin Realm. Everyone knows that if you have many valuable items, they'll immediately raise the price dozens of times over, specifically to rip you off! In contrast, Su Qing was much more composed. She wasn't in a hurry to agree or disagree, but only wanted to understand why Li Sanyang was so interested in the tiger egg. With the Lingbao Sect's reputation, they could easily recruit any sword genius simply by announcing their intention to recruit true disciples. Why, then, did they specifically choose the tiger egg?

"Does Master Su know about true artifacts and spiritual treasures?" Li Sanyang asked first.

“I know. True artifacts are the most precious treasures held by body cultivators, while spiritual treasures are the divine artifacts used by magic cultivators. Both have special effects and are not ordinary things. Moreover, true artifacts and spiritual treasures all have spirits, and only those who have their approval can wield their power!” Su Qing did not understand what his taking Tiger Egg as a disciple had to do with true artifacts and spiritual treasures, but he still followed up with his words.

"Oh, Master Su is a rogue cultivator, yet his knowledge is quite remarkable," Li Sanyang said with a smile.

"I am unworthy, but I am fortunate enough to wield the Xingtian Blood Axe, and thus I have some understanding of this true artifact and spiritual treasure," Su Qing said, raising his head with a hint of pride.

These words made Li Sanyang's smile freeze. He had actually forgotten that this kid was extremely lucky and had obtained the Xingtian Blood Axe. It was no wonder that he had overlooked this point. So far, this hero's gathering had not used the axe. It was normal for a swordsman to forget about it for a moment.

That kid got away with it!
Li Sanyang's smile vanished, and he thought to himself, "So what if you wield the Xingtian Blood Axe? Your understanding of true artifacts and spiritual treasures may not be as strong as mine!"
“True artifacts and spiritual treasures are either born innately or forged later, and their functions are also different. Some are used for killing and protecting the Dao, while others are used to enhance one’s fortune. But without exception, the reason why they can become true artifacts and spiritual treasures is that they all contain a complete Dao pattern.”

Since ancient times, powerful figures from various sects have classified and ranked true artifacts and spiritual treasures. Those containing the Dao patterns of the Ten Capitals and Nine Luminaries are considered to be of the ninth rank, the Eight Extremes are of the eighth rank, the Seven Elements are of the seventh rank, and so on. The Xingtian Blood Axe, which contains the Dao patterns of the Five Elders, is a fifth-rank true artifact. In ancient times, regardless of its owner, this fifth-rank true artifact could enjoy the same treatment as the Heavenly Court Gods, the Demon Court Demon Saints, the Buddhist Elders, and the powerful figures of the Daoist sects, and receive offerings from all sides.

Why is this? First, fifth-grade true artifacts are extremely rare. From ancient times to the present day, the number of fifth-grade true artifacts and spiritual treasures that have ever existed is no more than a hundred, which is even rarer than a Void Refinement Grandmaster. Second, fifth-grade true artifacts and spiritual treasures have the ability to break through the origin of high-level demons!
Master Su had also subdued high-ranking demons, and it was said that he had even killed several of them. He must know how troublesome demons are. Moreover, the demons that Master Su dealt with were all recently unsealed and their demonic power was at a low point. They were not the same as the high-ranking demons that the ancient sages and great powers encountered.

At that time, a single high-ranking demon could command tens of millions of followers. A dozen or so high-ranking demons united could rival the dragon race, demonstrating their strength. What the ancient powerful beings found most frustrating were these high-ranking demons, who were formless, illusory, and intangible. Their traces were impossible to discern in the past or future, and their whereabouts were unknown throughout the universe. Cultivators of the same level had no chance of annihilating them; only eighth-rank Dao Lords possessed this ability. As for the twelve Heavenly Demon Lords, only a handful of powerful beings, including the founders of my three sects, the Snail Emperor, the Heavenly Emperor, and other Dao Ancestors and Buddha Lords, could handle them.

This further highlights the importance of true artifacts and spiritual treasures of grade five and above. Now that the demonic calamity has risen again, we can deal with the lower and middle-level demons, the countless cultivators from all realms and sects, and the various crafts, artifacts, talismans, and puppets. But how should we deal with those higher-level demons who are about to awaken or have already awakened and are lying dormant to recover their strength?

"The unity of all realms and sects, the cooperation of humans, demons, dragons, and spirits is certainly important, but the role of true artifacts and spiritual treasures cannot be overlooked. In the past, these ancient artifacts and spiritual treasures were mostly used by sages and powerful beings to suppress evil spirits. Now, with the resurgence of evil spirits, these artifacts and spiritual treasures will reappear one by one. Among them, our Spirit Treasure Sect possesses an ancient sword that has now revived in Tianyuan, urgently requiring a successor of our sect to retrieve it!"

"The swords of the Lingbao Sect? Could it be the Four Swords of Zhuxian?" Su Qing's expression changed, and he interjected.

He got excited as soon as the word "treasure" was mentioned. Li Sanyang even doubted whether he had been listening carefully before, and shook his head, saying:

"What kind of treasure are the Four Swords of Zhuxian? They are the most precious treasures of our Lingbao Sect, ranking among the fourth-grade spiritual treasures. In ancient times, our sect's founder used these four swords to kill the Heavenly Demon Lord. They are incomparable to the Xuanhuang Pagoda of the Yuqing Sect or the Taiji Diagram of the Taishang Sect. Even if our sect leader came in person, he would not be qualified to gain the approval of such a treasure. Although Tiger Egg has good talent, it is a fool's dream to think about these four swords!"

"I knew it! If it really were the Four Swords of Zhuxian, your Lingbao Sect wouldn't have let Hu Dan come!" Su Qing breathed a sigh of relief, but also said with some regret. If Hu Dan had really gotten the Four Swords of Zhuxian in time, he would have been on a meteoric rise to power. Even the Luwu Divine Beast under the ancient Heavenly Emperor wouldn't be as impressive as Hu Dan holding the Four Swords of Zhuxian!
“It’s the Qingping Sword! I want Tiger Egg to retrieve this sword as a swordsman from my Lingbao Sect, and I named it the Qingping Sword!” Li Sanyang added.

Su Qing shuddered upon hearing this, as a sign of respect.

It's genuine respect.

Although the Qingping Sword is not as famous as the Four Swords of Zhuxian, which are known throughout the world, any cultivator who has received basic cultivation education knows that this sword was used by the Lingbao Shangqing Ancestor. For the Lingbao Sect, the significance of this sword is far beyond that of ordinary true artifacts and spiritual treasures.

"This sword is so important, why doesn't the True Lord go and get it himself?" Su Qing asked suspiciously. Things that don't make sense usually have a trap, and he didn't want Tiger Egg to fall into one.

"Do you think I didn't go to get it? It's just that the True Lord of the Azure Lotus Swordsmanship is too proficient, already a finished product, and can achieve something in the way of the sword without its help. Therefore, the True Lord of the Azure Lotus Swordsmanship was not chosen, and the opportunity was left to the swordsmanship newcomers, those greenhorns who don't even know the basic sword skills!"

Li Sanyang spoke with extreme shame and indignation, his eyes unfocused as he spoke, making it clear to anyone that what he said was not entirely true.

"If True Lord wants me to agree to Tiger Egg becoming your disciple, please tell the truth..." Su Qing threatened, showing no respect for Li Sanyang. (End of Chapter)