A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

The lecture ran until midnight. After the disciples filed out, the elders who remained pulled Li Guanqi aside and insisted that he keep talking until late into the night.

Qin Xian was still unconvinced and insisted on a sparring session, so the elders dragged Li Guanqi to the sect’s martial stage and erected the largest protective barrier available.

Qin Xian stood on the stage with his sword in hand, unleashing every shred of aura he could muster. His eyes were fixed dead on Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi, already on the stage, didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.

Below, the seven peak masters watched with great interest. Ling Daoyan acted as judge, while Lu Kangnian crouched on the roof, munching on sunflower seeds.

Li Guanqi shrugged. “Elder Qin, if you insist, I won’t hold back. Alright?”

Qin Xian waved him off. “I’ve lived long enough to see all sorts of things! No need to hold back. Go all out! I want to see if the gap between us is as wide as you claim.”

He had just broken through to the Divine Transformation Realm and felt confident. Li Guanqi had recently advanced as well, so Qin Xian believed they were well-matched enough for a friendly contest.

Li Guanqi opened his right hand, and the sword coffin on his back opened.

Clang!

The Red Lotus Sword leapt into his palm. Lightning flickered in his left hand, condensing into a sheath of crackling light.

The moment the blade slid into that sheath...

Boom!

A crushing aura burst from him. The stone tiles beneath his feet shattered, cracks racing outward in every direction.

A pillar of terrifying sword intent shot toward the sky. The hundred-zhang barrier around the stage shook violently, its surface rippling like disturbed water.

The peak masters and Ling Daoyan stared wide-eyed. The pressure pressed down on them like a thousand-zhang mountain.

Even Lu Kangnian jolted upright on the roof, eyes locked on Li Guanqi.

“Uh... He’ll be alright, right?”

“I can’t believe Old Qin... why’d he have to be so stubborn?”

Across from Li Guanqi, Qin Xian felt a cold shiver run down his spine. His breath hitched as he glared at Li Guanqi, his Adam’s apple bobbing. A sheen of cold sweat gathered on his forehead.

Li Guanqi crouched slightly. The lightning sheath flared with soaring power.

Lu Kangnian flashed to the side of the stage and stared directly at Qin Xian. This won’t do... He’s serious.

As Li Guanqi’s right hand slowly gripped the sword hilt...

Qin Xian shot up a hand. “Wait! Cough, cough... uh... I twisted my hip this morning. Today’s not a good day for a fight. You wouldn’t bully the injured, right?”

Li Guanqi broke into a grin. The pressure dispersed, and the lightning sheath faded from sight.

“Of course not. I’m famous for respecting my elders. How about we call it off for today?”

Qin Xian laughed and sheathed his sword, wiping his forehead without thinking. “Next time, next time. We’ll spar when my hip recovers.”

Tu Kui had to hold back his laughter. He pressed his lips together. “What a rare sight. Our great disciplinarian actually yielded.”

Shen Lan hid her smile behind her hand. “And you wouldn’t have yielded if you were up there?”

Li Nanting stood with his hands clasped behind him and let out a hearty laugh. “All of you would’ve done the same, hahahaha!”

The other elders felt annoyed. All Li Nanting did was find a good disciple.

But he caught their thoughts immediately. He raised his chin, then looked at them from the corner of his eye. “If you’re so capable, go find a disciple like him yourselves. Come on, Guanqi. Let’s head home.”

Li Guanqi appeared next to Li Nanting and bowed. “Alright, Master.”

But before they moved, Li Guanqi teasingly asked, “Master, are we going back to Heavenly Lightning Peak or Heavenly Water Peak?”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Lu Kangnian glanced at the flustered Shen Lan, amusement all over his face. “With you here, they’re heading back to Heavenly Lightning Peak. But if you weren’t... they’d probably be walking straight to Heavenly Water Peak, hahaha.”

Shen Lan was so furious that her face turned red. She glared at Li Guanqi, then disappeared in a flash.

Li Guanqi pressed his lips together. Li Nanting rapped his knuckles on Li Guanqi’s head. “You brat. Did you have to embarrass her like that?”

Li Guanqi did not dodge him. He grinned. “Master, some matters should not be delayed... Don’t you think it’s time to make things official?”

Li Nanting paused, then sighed. “Mm. Soon.”

As they walked, Li Nanting said suddenly, “Quit trying to figure out my current cultivation level. It doesn’t matter. I’m lucky I recovered this far. My golden core is like cracked porcelain. Forming a nascent soul out of it... will be incredibly hard.”

Li Guanqi fell quiet. He could hear the bitterness in his master’s voice. It was true—he had sensed the web of fractures in Li Nanting’s golden core. If he forced a breakthrough, the core would shatter and take his life with it.

The thought weighed heavily on Li Guanqi. He’d gone through everything in his storage ring, but there was nothing that could truly fix the problem.

They traveled in silence until Li Nanting lightly patted his arm and smiled. “Don’t think too much. I gave up on this long ago. As for why I haven’t held a proper ceremony with Shen Lan... I’ve been ashamed. But with you around, hahahaha, I don’t care about my cultivation anymore.”

Li Guanqi gazed up at Li Nanting. Moonlight illuminated his wrinkled face, which was creased in a warm smile.

A quiet vow settled in Li Guanqi’s heart: he would find a medicine that could mend that broken core.

While he mulled it over, Li Nanting said, “You’re too talented. I haven’t taught you much. Even so, I wish you... peace.”

Li Guanqi didn’t answer. He understood the sincerity behind those words. His time in the Daxia Sword Sect hadn’t been long, but Li Nanting had been a true master to him.

Although Sword Spirit was his primary guide, Li Nanting was still worthy of being his master. He would never forget how steady and dependable Li Nanting had been through every hardship.

After seeing him home, Li Guanqi stood outside the door for a long time. He heard Li Nanting sigh inside, followed by the soft puff of his pipe. A pang of guilt hit Li Guanqi.

He waved his hand. A storage ring appeared beside Li Nanting’s pillow.

Then he vanished. Outside Shen Lan’s cultivation room, another storage ring flashed into being.

He had set some items aside for both of them long ago.

When he returned to Jade Teapot Peak, Li Sheng’an appeared out of nowhere.

“You haven’t slept?”

“No. I wanted to talk to you about something. I’m not sure if I’m overthinking it.”

“Oh? Go on.”