A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Mo Congyun’s nascent soul slowly drifted out of his body. The moment it appeared, it roared toward the heavens. “The person who killed me is Li Guanqi!”

Boom!

Scorching flames surged across the sky, wrapping his nascent soul within. In less than a single breath, it burned to ash. Even so, Li Guanqi sensed a strange fluctuation of soul power spreading outward.

Roar!

A piercing dragon cry split the heavens.

The sound wave struck like a blade. Lan Xun clutched her ears in pain and toppled helplessly into the river below. Even Li Guanqi frowned, hastily sealing his senses with vital force.

Still, he faintly sensed that while half of that fluctuation had been shattered, the other half slipped into the void and vanished without a trace.

Li Guanqi shrugged and raised his hand. A wisp of purple Lightning Dragon Flame leaped forth, consuming Mo Congyun’s corpse. The remaining ashes dissolved into the river, leaving nothing behind.

Lan Xun’s expression turned somewhat strange.

Blood trickled from her seven orifices, yet she forced herself upright and bowed deeply to Li Guanqi. “The Spiritfish Clan will never forget this great kindness.”

Li Guanqi merely waved his hand, gently stroking Nine Heavens. “You should move your clan soon. This place won’t stay safe for long.”

Buzz!

Even as he spoke, the surging river fell still. The waters parted, and two deep-blue spirit fish rose, transforming into elderly figures in dark blue robes. The instant they appeared, both bowed again and again to Nine Heavens in the sky.

Li Guanqi patted Nine Heavens’s neck, signaling him to restrain his dragon’s might. The dragon sneezed begrudgingly and withdrew its oppressive aura. Only then did the elders’ faces ease—though the pressure emanating from them was anything but weak. Both were genuine Divine Transformation Realm demons.

The leading elder stepped forward, standing before Li Guanqi in midair. He clasped his hands and bowed. “I am the leader of the Spiritfish Clan, known in the human world as Yu Bo.”

Li Guanqi cupped his hands with a smile. “Leader Yu.”

The elder chuckled and quickly waved his hand. “No need for such formality, young friend. I’ve already heard what happened. Xuan Qing and Lan Xun only survived because of your righteous intervention.”

Li Guanqi rubbed his nose awkwardly. If not for those people attacking him and harboring greedy thoughts toward Nine Heavens, he wouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place.

Lan Xun, however, now fully understood just how terrifying Li Guanqi truly was.

Just as he was about to take his leave, the elder’s hand flashed with light. A pure-white jade bone sword, three chi long, appeared in his grasp.

Li Guanqi froze. The sword radiated a gentle aura, yet the power within was vast and overwhelming.

Sword Spirit’s voice suddenly rang in his ears. “Take it! Accept it! I need that!”

“But they haven’t even offered it yet. I can’t just ask, can I?”

Inside the sword coffin, Sword Spirit pouted. If she’d been on her own, she might have wiped out the entire Spiritfish Clan. What they had was simply too tempting.

To her, that bone sword was an incredible tonic. With it, she could restore at least one ten-thousandth of her strength. More importantly, she could regain the ability to absorb spirit qi on her own, without constantly relying on Li Guanqi.

Feigning puzzlement, Li Guanqi asked politely, “Senior, this is...?”

The elder’s weathered face softened. “This sword was left behind by one of our Spiritfish ancestors. Since you are a sword cultivator, it should serve you well. You saved us in our time of need, so please accept this as our clan’s token of gratitude.”

Still hesitant, Li Guanqi glanced toward Lan Xun, who smiled faintly. “Please take it. Otherwise, our clan will remain forever indebted.”

Li Guanqi finally reached out and accepted the bone sword. “Then I’ll make good use of it. It won’t go to waste.”

At his words, the elder’s eyes grew moist. His voice trembled with emotion as he grasped Li Guanqi’s hand. “Good. Those words alone are enough.”

As they turned to leave, Li Guanqi hesitated. “If your clan decides to migrate, I suggest you seek refuge with the Daxia Sword Sect in the Northern Territory. That’s my sect. It may not be the strongest, but its ways are upright and honest.

“The sect holds three thousand wondrous peaks and eight hundred rivers, rich in water spirit qi. I’m sure the Sect Master would treat your clan as equals, supporting one another.”

Inwardly, he smirked. Two Divine Transformation demons... if I can somehow convince them to join the sect, it’ll be quite the prize.

The elder blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting such an offer.

Li Guanqi’s tone grew heavy. “Senior, you’ve already heard what happened. The man I killed, Mo Congyun, was heir to one of the Eastern Territory’s top clans. Their leader is at the Illusory Refinement Realm, and they’d already sent men to hunt down Xuan Qing.

“It won’t take long before suspicion falls on your Spiritfish Clan. My name might already be known to them, though they shouldn’t know the full story. Either way, word of this will spread soon. And when it does, the entire Daxia Territory may no longer be safe for your people.”

The elder’s expression grew solemn. He knew Li Guanqi spoke the truth. If that dead youth truly held such a background, the Spiritfish Clan would have nowhere to hide.

Li Guanqi felt a little uneasy when he saw the elder’s hesitation. “Sister Sword Spirit, if their leader really is at the Illusory Refinement Realm, could our sect withstand it?”

She snorted. “You think the Daxia Sword Sect is as simple as it looks? You underestimate your grandfather’s foresight.”

Li Guanqi blinked, startled that she would mention his grandfather, Su Xuan. He shrugged, then boldly declared, “Senior, if you bring your clan to the Daxia Sword Sect, then even if that Mo Family leader is an expert at the Illusory Refinement Realm, I swear your people will be safe!”

Since Sword Spirit said so, there’s no problem. If things get really bad, I’ll call for backup! The old man wouldn’t just watch me die... right?

Sword Spirit, linked to his heart, said nothing more. She simply lifted her gaze toward three faint, distant sword rays only she could see. Her lips curved into a faint, disdainful smile at the thought of that so-called Illusory Refinement Realm expert.