A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

A young man from the Lu clan stepped forward. Those unfamiliar with the Lu clan let out a slight sigh of relief.

“Hahaha, they sent a youngster? Looks like the Lu clan’s run out of people!”

“Even if you’re putting on a show, at least send a grown-up! Hahaha!”

The ones jeering were generally weak; the truly powerful figures stayed silent. As more cultivators of the Six Territories noticed this, the noise gradually died down.

The Zhu clan’s ancestor frowned slightly as he looked at Lu Wuhen’s back. Lu Wuhen possessed talent, strength, and ambition in equal measure. A disciple like him was the foundation of a clan’s prosperity, yet also a double-edged sword. Used well, he could cut down enemies without restraint. Used poorly, he might cost his wielder a few fingers.

Lu Hengtian’s expression wavered, but he held his tongue. They had been keeping an eye on the Daxia Sword Sect for a long time, ever since Li Guanqi first crossed paths with the Sun clan in the Baizhang Sect. Now, it seemed the sect’s foundation rivaled that of the great ancient sects and perhaps even surpassed them. The outcome of the wager would soon be decided.

Lu Wuhen smiled faintly. He leaped lightly from the edge of the cloud boat and landed gracefully on the arena, hands clasped behind his back.

On the other hand, Li Guanqi took a single step, crossing a thousand zhang and appearing directly on the platform.

Nangong Xuandu’s eyes flashed with interest, much of the drunken haze fading away. The earlier battles had been spectacular enough to make him drink more than usual, but now, with Li Guanqi and Lu Wuhen about to clash, he found himself quietly looking forward to it.

Even he couldn’t say who would win. After losing two rounds in a row, the Daxia Sword Sect had held Li Guanqi back from the third match and sent a disciple from an allied sect instead, the Six Gates Holy Sect.

Li Guanqi looked calm on the surface, but beneath that calm, killing intent churned like a torrent. Some debts were long overdue. Lu Wuhen had schemed against the Daxia Sword Sect, orchestrating ambushes and trying to kill through borrowed hands.

The moment the two stood on the stage, the whole world seemed to fall silent. As their gazes met, even the surrounding noise faded.

Behind Li Guanqi, the sword coffin slowly took shape, and a blood-red longsword shot into his grasp.

Clang!

A deep sword hum rang across the heavens. The cracks at the hilt of the Red Lotus Sword had fully healed, its aura stronger than before. Li Guanqi could clearly feel its will. Red Lotus had already devoured the Lock Moon Sword whole, and together with the many spirit entities it had absorbed, it was now perfectly in tune with him, more compatible than ever.

The moment Li Guanqi gripped his sword, his entire aura changed. The refined scholar vanished, replaced by an unsheathed peerless blade, sharp and unstoppable.

That change alone drew a second look from many powerful figures. Far more people knew of Li Guanqi’s deeds than Ye Feng’s, and among the ancient clans in particular, quite a few looked at him with open hostility. If not for him, many of their plans would never have gone so awry.

Lu Wuhen smiled faintly, his eyes locked on Li Guanqi. He raised a hand and slowly reached into the void, drawing out a blood-red longsword that matched the Red Lotus Sword.

At first glance, the sword looked plain and unremarkable. But the moment Li Guanqi saw it, his heart pounded wildly, hard enough to make him tremble.

Sword Spirit’s excited voice suddenly rang out in his mind. “No mistake! That’s a fragment of my original body’s blade! Though it’s only the size of a soybean, it’s been forcibly fused into the tip of that sword!”

Li Guanqi took a deep breath, his gaze turning solemn as he looked at Lu Wuhen. No wonder he’s so arrogant.

Even now, Li Guanqi had never seen Sword Spirit’s true form. Yet somehow, Lu Wuhen possessed a fragment of her original body.

Even Sword Spirit sounded shaken. “Guanqi, no matter what, you must kill him and take that sword! This matter... is far more complicated than it looks.”

Li Guanqi frowned slightly. “Why?”

Sword Spirit narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the sword in Lu Wuhen’s hand. Her voice was cold. “Because... that fragment of my blade tip should not exist in the Human World! If my senses are right, there is something deeply suspicious about its origin. This Lu Wuhen... is likely a hidden seed left behind by someone from the Upper Realm.”

Li Guanqi’s brow furrowed. “You mean... he’s like Cang Lu?”

Sword Spirit shook her head. “I believe he’s far more of a problem than whatever stands behind Cang Lu. Someone from the Upper World may have brought Lu Wuhen into being by bending causality itself. He is his own person, not a clone like Cang Lu, nor a vessel like Li Shenzhi with a seed planted in his soul. That’s why I suspect Lu Wuhen is the work of yet another figure from the Immortal World!”

Li Guanqi nodded. “I understand. Whatever happens in this fight, don’t interfere. Leave it to me.”

Sword Spirit hesitated, concern flickering in her eyes, but ultimately said nothing. She knew Li Guanqi’s pride. If she stepped in again at a critical moment, she would only anger him.

At times, Sword Spirit protected him. Other times, Li Guanqi wanted to protect her in return, as best he could. The higher his cultivation climbed and the stronger he became, the more clearly he saw just how powerful the enemies before him truly were. Now, more than ever, he had to be careful.

Li Guanqi let out a slow breath, his chest rising and falling slightly. When he lifted his gaze again, his eyes were calm as still water, without a ripple.

Lu Wuhen licked his lips, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He had no idea what had caused that sudden shift in Li Guanqi; it had come and gone in a heartbeat.

Lu Wuhen glanced down at his own sword, eyes narrowing. Wait... his reaction came the moment I took out the Ascension Sword. Could he have sensed something off about my sword spirit void? Impossible. This is my secret. How could he know?

Nangong Xuandu tilted his head back and took a large gulp of wine, his eyes gleaming as he watched the two of them.

With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the barrier and laughed loudly. “The final battle! Daxia Sword Sect’s Li Guanqi faces the Lu clan’s Lu Wuhen!”