A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Countless complicated arrays were carved into the opulent cloud boat, glowing and emitting powerful ripples of energy.

A blur of motion swept across Li Guanqi’s vision. A crowd of black-armored guards materialized and formed two lines. Spirit light flared, and a staircase of ice crystals floated into the air. Every cultivator in Heavenly Cloud City held their breath.

The Palace Master of Green Sun Palace, Shen Bing, and the effeminate Ju Shaolin were present too. While the top figures from the two other sects were in attendance, the Great Profound Sword Sect only had Grand Elder Liu Dong and a handful of other elders.

He Yuanting and the other core members had not come.

Li Guanqi had a bad feeling. His massive blood loss had blurred his vision, and his body and mind were utterly spent.

He could barely make out a tall, slender young woman gently floating down from the cloud boat. She walked slowly, like an empress surveying her lands. Her aura was so powerful that every cultivator had to bow their heads low. Li Guanqi was too far away to see her face clearly.

He faintly saw two rows of black-armored guards lead the woman toward the mayor’s mansion. Their path led them directly through Heavenly Cloud Plaza.

Thud! Thud!

The guards’ synchronized marching was intimidating. Even the spectators were banned from flying. Li Guanqi could still hear their discussions, though they blurred together in his ears.

“She’s so beautiful! How could a woman be so beautiful?”

“I’ve encountered girls that people claim could spark wars between kingdoms, but they’re nothing compared to her.”

“That face, that figure... I’d give up a hundred years of my lifespan just to look at her again!”

Li Guanqi found the conversations fading into a meaningless drone. He could barely make out what anyone was saying.

Liu Chuan maintained the barrier, unable to see who had arrived. Not that he cared.

Shen Bing stood three chi away from the young woman, slightly bowed in respect. “Lady Meng, since you’ll be staying a few days in Heavenly Cloud City, the Green Sun Palace and Heavenly Fate Court have prepared a feast in your honor. We hope you’ll grace us with your presence.”

The young woman stopped walking. Her long hair was tied in a casual bun with an ice-blue flower tucked into it. Her luxurious blue dress brushed lightly against the ground, the fabric crisscrossing in a V-neck that revealed her collarbones.

She had beautiful features—red lips, white teeth, and skin as white as snow. Her waist was slender and inviting. Her ice-blue eyes, calm as lake water, met Shen Bing’s ingratiating smile.

That single look was enough to make any heart shudder. Her gaze seemed to pierce through souls. She was cold, as if keeping everyone a thousand li away.

She turned her head slightly, and when she spoke, her lips barely moved. “You want me to visit you?”

Her voice was like snowmelt in early spring: refreshing and melodious.

Then the smiles on Shen Bing and Ju Shaolin’s faces froze. The powerful cultivators behind them bent their heads even lower.

A wrinkled old man with white brows stood three chi behind her, slightly hunched over. He kept his hands crossed in his sleeves, standing in silence. His loose eyelids obscured most of his eyes, but one sweeping glance was enough to make Shen Bing and Ju Shaolin’s hearts shudder.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Ju Shaolin said hurriedly, forcing a smile. “We understand you’re busy, Saintess.”

He nudged Shen Bing.

Shen Bing quickly suppressed his disapproval. He was smart enough to read the room. “Hahaha! Yes, yes. We’ve prepared a feast at the mayor’s mansion too. Perhaps you’d—”

The young woman held her hand up slightly. Staring ahead, she said, “It’s fine. I’m tired.”

She turned to the old man behind her. “Elder Li, prepare the cloud boat as soon as possible. Let’s not waste time.”

The elder bowed, his simple white robes fluttering slightly. “Yes, Saintess. It’ll need at least two days before it can travel again. It’s a good chance to rest.”

She nodded slightly and walked toward the mayor’s mansion without looking back.

Shen Bing and Ju Shaolin didn’t dare interject. They realized they had to tread carefully.

The young woman stopped and turned toward the barrier nearby. “What’s with that barrier? There’s a strong bloody scent coming from it.”

Shen Bing snorted. “Oh, it’s nothing. Sect Master He didn’t come today because his son, He Yuning, was heavily injured by the guy inside. He Yuning is currently in grave danger. They’ve got witnesses and evidence, yet the culprit refuses to confess.”

The young woman nodded slightly, not taking the matter to heart. She wondered if she should visit the Great Profound Sword Sect.

He Yuanting and her father went way back, so it wouldn’t hurt to help if she could. It would also be something to report to her father when she returned home.

As for marriage... she felt frustrated. She didn’t understand why her father was in such a hurry. Half a year ago, it seemed like he’d received some news. Ever since, he’d kept trying to pair her with handsome young prodigies.

None of them caught her eye. They ‌always lacked something.

She glanced at the barrier. An ice-blue glint flickered in her eye.

The thick barrier was nothing to her. She quickly saw everything inside: one gigantic dragon, one person covered in wounds, and a large radish breathing shallowly.

All three had their limbs pierced through with chains. Their dried blood dyed the chains purple-black.

The man’s muscular figure trembled uncontrollably. It was hard to even imagine how much pain he was in. His hair was a disheveled mess, hiding his face. She turned to look at Nine Heavens, and some ideas came to mind.

She retracted her gaze, thinking she would visit the Great Profound Sword Sect after settling in.

Such a pity for a real dragon to follow someone like him.

Suddenly, a black-cloaked figure in the crowd pulled a dead golden bug from his ear. His features changed instantly. A powerful aura erupted in the Great Profound Sword Sect, spreading across a hundred li.

Boom!

The weather changed in an instant. The clear, sunny sky darkened. Clouds gathered, lightning flashed, wind howled, and rain poured.