"Senior Sister, do you think Junior Brother Qingmeng can handle this shaggy white lion?"
Beside Li Qingzhu on a tall tree, Li Qinglin frowned slightly as he looked at Li Qingmeng and the shaggy white lion below who had remained motionless for a long time.
"Let's watch for now," Li Qingzhu replied, shaking her head helplessly.
At this moment, Li Qingmeng below gripped his spiritual sword tightly, and beads of sweat slowly appeared on his forehead. It was clear that the shaggy white lion in front of him posed a significant threat.
Roar!
After a long standoff, the shaggy white lion seemed to lose its patience. With a roar, it suddenly pushed off with its hind legs and lunged at Li Qingmeng.
Four long fangs were clearly visible in its ferocious mouth. Even before it reached him, a strong, foul stench assailed Li Qingmeng.
Seeing this, Li Qingmeng's hands holding the spiritual sword trembled. He dodged to the side, desperately trying to escape. He looked quite pathetic. After falling, Li Qingmeng immediately looked around, clearly searching for Li Qingzhu's figure.
Roar!
The shaggy white lion missed its attack and let out another roar. It turned its body, and its tail, over a meter long, swept fiercely towards Li Qingmeng on the ground.
Bang!
Although the shaggy white lion was only a first-order beast, its strength was immense. One sweep of its tail struck Li Qingmeng, instantly leaving a blood-red mark. With just one tail strike, Li Qingmeng felt as if he had been hit by a heavy blow, crashing heavily onto the large tree.
Upon landing, he immediately lost consciousness. The shaggy white lion's blood-red eyes glinted with a ferocious light as it charged madly towards Li Qingmeng.
"Senior Sister, if you don't act soon, Junior Brother might be done for," Li Qinglin said urgently.
Li Qingzhu frowned slightly at this. She had not expected Li Qingmeng to be so incompetent. However, she knew it was not the time to hesitate. A ray of spiritual light flashed in her hand, striking the shaggy white lion's body.
Roar!
The shaggy white lion cried out in pain, seemingly sensing Li Qingzhu's threat. After a pained yelp, it quickly turned tail and fled into the distance.
"Sigh, take him back," Li Qingzhu said after checking Li Qingmeng's injuries. Seeing that he was not seriously hurt, she felt a slight relief.
However, a trace of disappointment flickered across Li Qingzhu's face. As she spoke, she vanished from her spot.
Li Qinglin glanced at Li Qingmeng on the ground, a hint of helplessness also flashing across his face. Shaking his head, he picked up Li Qingmeng and flew towards the latter's residence.
"I heard that Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother took Li Qingmeng to the Xuanyuan Mountain Range for training, and that Li Qingmeng was actually scared unconscious by a first-order shaggy white lion. Sigh, someone like that is actually a disciple of our Xuanyuan Sect. If this gets out, our Xuanyuan Sect will lose all face."
"Who says not. Senior Sister even personally taught Li Qingmeng for several months, yet he can't even defeat a first-order shaggy white lion."
"In my opinion, they shouldn't have saved him in the first place. Not only was it a waste of our Xuanyuan Sect's resources, but it also wasted Senior Sister's and the others' time."
"..."
After Li Qinglin brought Li Qingmeng back, the events that transpired in the Xuanyuan Mountain Range naturally became known to everyone. For a time, the disciples of the Xuanyuan Sect looked down on Li Qingmeng even more.
"Senior Sister, this Li Qingmeng, are we still going to bother with him?" In the pavilion of the disciple training ground, Li Qinglin glanced at Li Qingmeng, who was still practicing diligently below, and asked Li Qingzhu with a wry smile.
Li Qingzhu shook her head. "Perhaps he is no longer suited to be a spiritual master. Forget it, let him be from now on."
Li Qinglin nodded and then sighed, "Speaking of which, I actually admire this Junior Brother quite a bit. Everyone is mocking him, yet he acts as if nothing is wrong. He never even retorts. I wonder if he has any sense of shame."
A flicker of thought crossed Li Qingzhu's eyes. After a moment of contemplation, she moved, and instantly appeared before Li Qingmeng.
"Greetings, Senior Sister," Li Qingmeng said with a slight smile when Li Qingzhu appeared. However, after greeting her, he lowered his head, not daring to meet Li Qingzhu's gaze.
Li Qingzhu frowned slightly. "Qingmeng, when your senior brothers say things about you, don't you feel anything is wrong, or even feel angry?"
Li Qingmeng's face showed a hint of confusion. He then shook his head.
Seeing this, Li Qingzhu's eyes were filled with disappointment. "Dare you, even once, to be brave?"
Li Qingmeng remained silent.
Li Qingzhu's disappointment deepened. "Even for the sake of those you care about, those around you, can't you be brave, like a man? Forget it, from now on, everything is up to you."
After speaking, Li Qingzhu did not even glance at Li Qingmeng and shot away into the distance.
What Li Qingzhu did not know was that after her words, a glimmer of light gradually appeared in Li Qingmeng's confused eyes.
Two more months passed. During these two months, Li Qingzhu never visited Li Qingmeng again. And Li Qingmeng appeared less and less frequently on the disciple training grounds. Eventually, everyone seemed to have forgotten about Li Qingmeng.
Dong!
Dong dong!
One day, nine bell tolls suddenly echoed from the peak of the Xuanyuan Sect. Accompanied by the ringing of the bells, countless disciples of the Xuanyuan Sect, dressed in white, flew towards the square outside the main hall on their swords.
"We have received news from the Hanyue Sect and the Meng Sect that the demon race has joined forces with the beast race and is currently launching a large-scale invasion of our human territories. The Hanyue Sect and the Meng Sect have already suffered heavy losses. As one of the five major powers, our Xuanyuan Sect naturally has a responsibility to go and provide support."
"All disciples of the Xuanyuan Sect will be mobilized. For the continuation of our human race, for the legacy of our Xuanyuan Sect, fight!"
Xuan Yuan Lao Ren, standing on the high platform of the main hall, his resonant voice swept across the entire square. As soon as Xuan Yuan Lao Ren finished speaking, everyone on the square turned pale.
"Damn it! The demon race and the beast race occupy three-tenths of the territory on Canyon Continent. Now, they have joined forces to attack us humans! Truly, 'those who are not of our kind have different hearts'!"
"Please rest assured, Master. We will undoubtedly stand together and resist the demonic and beast armies!"
"..."
Discussions erupted, and the entire Xuanyuan Sect was filled with fighting spirit.
"Master, shall we depart now?" Li Qingzhu asked Xuan Yuan Lao Ren with a somber expression.
Xuan Yuan Lao Ren nodded, then looked at the disciples on the square. "The demon and beast armies far outnumber our human forces, and they have already launched a surprise attack on the Hanyue Sect and the Meng Sect. Our human combat power will likely be weakened as a result."
"Therefore, everyone must be aware of the danger level of this battle. Born on Canyon Continent, we must defend our homeland! Xuanyuan Sect disciples, depart!"
As Xuan Yuan Lao Ren finished speaking, three elders beside him moved instantly. Spiritual swords appeared beneath their feet, and in a flash, they shot into the distance. The disciples of the Xuanyuan Sect, led by the three elders, followed closely behind.
As the disciples departed, the only person left on the square was Li Qingmeng. At this moment, Li Qingmeng held his spiritual sword, looking nervously at Xuan Yuan Lao Ren and Li Qingzhu on the high platform. There was clearly a hint of fear in his eyes.
"Master, Junior Brother he..." Li Qingzhu said, a trace of helplessness in her eyes, and then looked at Xuan Yuan Lao Ren.
Xuan Yuan Lao Ren also showed a hint of helplessness on his face. Li Qingmeng had been in the Xuanyuan Sect for nearly a year, yet his Xuanyuan Sword Technique remained at the second level. Furthermore, he had not even learned to fly with a sword. Xuan Yuan Lao Ren was well aware of all this.
"Forget it, bringing him along would only be sending him to his death. Qingzhu, let him go down the mountain. After this battle, whether our Xuanyuan Sect can remain is uncertain." Xuan Yuan Lao Ren pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
As he spoke, Xuan Yuan Lao Ren moved quickly, chasing after the Xuanyuan Sect disciples.
"Senior Sister, I..." Looking at Li Qingzhu approaching, Li Qingmeng raised his head to call out. However, before he could finish, his words trailed off.
Li Qingzhu shook her head helplessly. "Junior Brother, you should stay in the sect. If we lose this battle, then you should go down the mountain. Actually, being an ordinary mortal is also quite good."
After speaking, Li Qingzhu's spiritual sword appeared beneath her feet, and she quickly pursued Xuan Yuan Lao Ren.
Gazing at the empty square and the departing figure of Li Qingzhu, Li Qingmeng suddenly felt a strange sense of desolation.
It was as if something had been lost.
After a long while, Li Qingmeng slowly lowered his head to look at the spiritual sword in his hand.
For some reason, Li Qingmeng suddenly sat down cross-legged. The confused look in his eyes slowly closed.