A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

The man in the golden armor had a fearsome reputation across the entire Spirit World. The old man on the throne was Su Xuan—Li Guanqi’s grandfather. Ever since handing Li Guanqi that sword box, he hadn’t reached out to him again.

Su Xuan stroked his beard and tapped the armrests of his throne wistfully. It was unclear what he was thinking about.

“My dear grandson... your grandfather is doing this to temper you. You need to walk your own path for you to be truly strong.”

He rose, radiating a natural regalness and intimidating aura. He looked toward the sky, let out a frosty huff, and vanished.

***

In the Constellation Sea of the Azure Cloud Continent, the cloud boats moored at the docks looked different from the usual. The sea stretched endlessly, the air thick with humidity. The water spirit qi in the area was unusually concentrated.

Li Guanqi, cloaked in black, slipped quietly into the air above the Constellation Sea. Below him, islands clustered together, with all sorts of pavilions and towers rising from them. It was a beautiful sight.

At the center of the archipelago lay a great flat island nearly ten thousand zhang across, built up like a small city. A single tower pierced the clouds at its heart.

The middle of the tower was pierced by pitch-black spatial tunnels radiating in all directions, with dozens of hundred-zhang-long platforms extending from it.

Cloud boats and cultivators streaked through the sky in constant motion. Clearly, the place thrived on trade.

Li Guanqi observed for a moment. Hiding his presence, he flew toward the island city.

At the city gates, he looked up and narrowed his eyes. He sensed more than five overwhelming auras inside, each one as deep as an abyss. None came from Divine Transformation Realm cultivators.

The Constellation Sea wasn’t as simple as it appeared.

After completing a quick registration, he entered the city. Such places ran on strict rules, and he wouldn’t stir up trouble needlessly. Besides, without registering, how would anyone know he had arrived?

He hung his jade slip at his waist and walked down the main street. Merchants shouted over one another, their shops filled with demonic cores from aquatic demonic beasts. A quick look told him that most were just pretty husks, essentially worthless.

Li Guanqi took a glance and found that they were often pretty on the outside, but useless on the inside. They were great for decoration, but nothing else.

He gazed at the tall tower at the center of the city and arrived at its base without hesitation.

The tower’s ground floor spanned several thousand zhang. Thirty-eight great doors stood open, allowing anyone to enter. The full structure rose ninety-nine levels, each more difficult to reach than the last. The spatial tunnels didn’t even start until the thirties.

Li Guanqi stood at the entrance and looked up.

Constellation Tower.

The characters glimmered above him.

Suddenly, the packed crowd on the first floor rippled with excitement. Li Guanqi frowned. A subtle yet intimidating aura had appeared out of nowhere.

The surrounding chatter told him who it was.

“Ahhhh! It’s Song Yunshu from the Constellation Tower! She’s gorgeous!”

“Oh my god... why is she down here?!”

“She’s easily one of the top three beauties of the Azure Cloud Continent! Her face... her figure!”

The hall buzzed. Even though it was crowded shoulder to shoulder, people still opened a zhang-wide path down the middle for her.

A woman with an alluring figure appeared in the distance. She wore a black, skin-tight qipao with a very high slit. The fabric around her chest looked somewhat sheer. Her hair cascaded gently down her back, framing a slender neck. She had an oval face, white teeth, a tall nose, and peach blossom eyes.[1] There seemed to be flowing lights in her eyes, making them incredibly mesmerizing.

The woman walked slowly, her curvy hips swaying with every step. It was as if she were stepping on a man’s heart with every step.

She looked like she was in her twenties, yet her aura carried the unmistakable weight of a mid Divine Transformation Realm cultivator.

The entire hall held its breath, eyes glued to her.

To their astonishment, she walked straight to a tall figure in black robes. She stopped before him and offered a slight smile.

Her ethereal voice rang out, saying, “My name is Song Yunshu. Greetings.”

Li Guanqi remained as calm as still water. From beneath his hood, he answered, “Let’s not waste time. Take me up.”

Song Yunshu faltered for half a heartbeat, but her smile never slipped. She stepped aside and gestured forward. “This way, sir.”

Every gaze in the hall locked onto Li Guanqi. No one knew who he was, only that someone like Song Yunshu had personally come to greet him. She had been very polite as well, as though she didn’t dare provoke him.

Curiosity surged through the crowd.

The moment the two of them disappeared in a special transport array, the crowd erupted in discussions.

“Wow! Who was that?! Does anyone know?”

“He must be someone terrifying. Otherwise, why would Song Yunshu come down to welcome him?”

“Probably a monk from some mysterious holy place?”

Buzz!

The transport array dimmed, revealing a quiet study. The room stretched over thirty zhang. Outside the windows, a misty sea rolled beneath drifting fog. Gentle waves broke against the shore. Light smoke rose from a stick of incense on the desk. The fragrance of sandalwood was calming to the mind.

The woman bent down to help Li Guanqi take off his shoes. Li Guanqi quickly backed away.

She looked up with a smile. “If you don’t take your shoes off, how are we going to sit down and talk?”

Li Guanqi replied, “I’ll do it myself.”

After removing them, he sat at the desk.

A pair of snow-white legs flashed past him as she gently lifted her qipao and sat opposite him.

With practiced ease, she brought out an old tea set and began brewing spirit tea. As she lowered her head over the kettle, she spoke in a melodic tone. “Mister Li, are you going to keep your black cloak on? Don’t you want to take it off?”

Li Guanqi shrugged, realizing that she was difficult to deal with. She was trying to claim the initiative in every exchange.

He took off his cloak and smirked. “Miss Song, have you always been this proactive?”

The woman’s hands stopped for a very brief moment. She looked up at him.

His handsome looks and great confidence made him very attractive.

Her lashes quivered. A slow, seductive smile bloomed. “If it’s you... I don’t mind being a little more proactive.”

Li Guanqi snorted and leaned back in his chair.

“Tell me why I’m here.”

1. Peach blossom eyes refer to a specific eye shape in women that is considered highly attractive to men. See the Translator’s Note for a visual reference. ☜