A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Li Guanqi mulled over the matter and felt that something was off.

Could the Crimson Blade Sect and Ghostly Spirit Sect truly be that foolish? It made no sense. Neither faction was large, and he had earned a fearsome reputation in the outside world. The Daxia Sword Sect was growing stronger by the day, and the two sects lived practically next door. Where did they find the nerve to pull something like this?

Logically, they should’ve been hiding with their tails between their legs.

Li Guanqi took out his jade slip. “Elder Qin, you know that the Qiongtai Mountain Residence supplies herbs to the sect, right? Have you guys noticed anything strange lately?”

Qin Xian, who was cultivating, slowly opened his eyes. Very few people could contact him through his jade slip. Once he listened to the message, a sense of unease took hold. He immediately sent his subordinates to investigate.

He eventually replied. “I’ve looked into it. Their recent batches have been inconsistent in quality, but still acceptable. The administrator in charge of procurement said their supplies have been arriving late lately. Other than that, nothing stands out.”

Li Guanqi put down his jade slip, still lost in thought.

Ye Tianying shot Su Xi a glare and sent her a voice transmission. “See? I told you we shouldn’t say anything. Now you’ve put him in a tough spot.”

Su Xi huffed. “But we can’t keep enduring this in silence! And we’re supposed to supply the Daxia Sword Sect anyway. If someone’s harassing us, talking to him is the best choice.”

Li Guanqi looked up at them with a smile. “Uncle Ye, Aunt Su, leave this to me. I have a few questions, so I’ll go ask them myself.”

Ye Tianying nodded. “Alright, you can ask them... Huh? Ask them? Nephew, you’re going to those two sects?”

Li Guanqi clasped his hands behind his back and chuckled. “Talking to the people involved is always the cleanest solution.”

He vanished, reappearing a thousand zhang away. His expression darkened. Things didn’t add up.

No matter how ignorant those two faction leaders were, they shouldn’t have been provoking the Daxia Sword Sect, especially not after the battle with the Mo Family. They wouldn’t dare. Both sect masters were only in the Nascent Soul Realm. Why would they risk a fight against a sect with seven Divine Transformation Realm cultivators?

Whoosh!

A white-robed figure streaked through the pitch-black void, leaving behind a small storm with scattered lightning.

An hour later, a white-robed figure gradually appeared above a treacherous group of mountains.

Li Guanqi suppressed his aura. The Crimson Blade Sect’s grounds below had very sparse spirit qi, with only about two hundred disciples.

That’s it? Then where did their nerve come from?

He furrowed his brow.

Why would a tiny faction dare something like this? Maybe their cultivation resources were so scarce that they had no other choice?

He shook his head. Even he couldn’t believe that.

Next, he headed toward the Ghostly Spirit Sect.

There, the land was abundant in resources. They clearly did not need the few herb mountains owned by Ye Feng’s family.

He narrowed his eyes, smelling a conspiracy.

He wondered if he was overthinking it. It felt as if both sects were puppets in someone else’s hand.

With that in mind, he took out his heavenly intelligence jade pendant. “Is there another power behind the Crimson Blade Sect and Ghostly Spirit Sect?”

The jade pendant flashed, and a gigantic word appeared.

Yes.

Li Guanqi continued, “What faction is it? What is their goal?”

The jade pendant did not answer his question. Instead, another line of golden text appeared.

Eight hundred mid-grade spirit stones.

He lifted the pendant, ready to hurl it, but forced himself to stop.

“You thieves. This is daylight robbery.”

Even as he cursed, he tossed the spirit stones inside.

Buzz!

A low hum spread through the air. Then another line of golden text appeared.

“Pure Immortal Mountain Sect. Soaring Heavens Continent.”

The words faded, but his brows remained furrowed.

Soaring Heavens Continent? Isn’t that right next to the Azure Cloud Continent? They’re reaching pretty far...

But something else gnawed at him.

His storage ring flashed, and a special purple jade slip appeared in his hand.

“Sect Master, we should be careful with the cultivation technique I provided. The Pure Immortal Mountain Sect from the Soaring Heavens Continent may have taken notice.”

He relayed everything he had learned to Lu Kangnian.

Lu Kangnian sat in a secret chamber, eyes narrowed. He had considered what might happen if someone coveted the technique Li Guanqi left behind, though he hadn’t expected trouble so soon. He let out a quiet sigh. “It seems the Daxia Sword Sect resurfaced a little too early.”

Li Guanqi’s voice came from the jade slip once more.

“I suggest examining every herb shipment from Qiongtai Mountain Residence. Also... check any disciples who’ve taken pills made from those herbs. Look for abnormalities in their bodies.”

Resolve flashed across Lu Kangnian’s eyes. He began issuing orders.

Li Guanqi lowered the jade slip, and his gaze turned ice cold.

Below him lay the Ghostly Spirit Sect’s archipelago: more than a hundred small islands surrounded by water. With over four hundred disciples, they were far stronger than the Crimson Blade Sect.

The sword coffin rose behind him and opened. The Red Lotus Sword flew out.

Clang!

A clear metallic cry rang across heaven and earth.

Disciples everywhere snapped their heads upward. To their horror, his powerful aura had pinned them down, rendering them immobile.

The archipelago shook, and large rocks tumbled down. Several smaller islands shattered under the strain. Terrifying flames ravaged the land, and tens of thousands of lightning bolts wove themselves into a prison that sealed the entire sect.

One disciple stared up in horror. “It’s the Bloody Butcher! Why is he here?!”

“Li Guanqi! It’s Li Guanqi! Is he here to kill us?”

“No! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

Li Guanqi ignored them.

“Where is the Sect Master? Come out and face me!”

Outside the grand golden doors of the main pavilion, a middle-aged man in green mang robes [1] stood with a dark expression. He had no choice but to bow and rise into the air, head lowered.

1. Mang robes (蟒袍) were traditionally reserved for officials in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The mang (蟒) resembles a dragon but is not considered a true dragon. It is depicted with four claws, unlike the five-clawed dragon reserved for emperors. ☜