Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Upon returning to his courtyard, Li Guanqi found his master standing at the entrance. He hurried over with a grin. “Master, what brings you here?”

Li Nanting laughed and said, “What else? I came to see what technique you obtained.”

Li Guanqi pushed open the door and led him inside the main hall. With a hint of embarrassment, he said, “I got an incomplete scripture...”

Li Nanting frowned and asked in a low voice, “You didn’t get the Hybrid Essence Heavenly Lightning Technique?”

Still, he did not press further and merely smiled reassuringly. “It’s alright. When you reach the Golden Core Realm, I’ll take you to some auctions to try your luck. We’ll see if you find something better there.”

Li Nanting’s comforting words warmed his disciple’s heart.

However, Li Guanqi couldn’t tell him why he chose this technique yet.

Li Nanting didn’t leave. Instead, he went into the large cultivation room in the side courtyard with Li Guanqi. Once they entered, he waved his hand, and ten low-tier spirit stones arranged themselves into a Spirit Gathering Array.

The spirit qi in the cultivation room thickened instantly.

Li Nanting smiled. “I’m here to answer any questions you may have about the technique. This is your first time cultivating—questions are inevitable.”Li Guanqi nodded and didn’t hold anything back. He unrolled the Ninefold Spinning Lightning Sutra and began reading in front of his master.

As expected, the contents were complex and difficult to grasp.

Thankfully, Li Nanting remained by his side and offered patient explanations, teaching him essential concepts about the meridians of the human body.

He was careful not to overwhelm him—knowing too much too soon would only backfire. What mattered now was that Li Guanqi understood how to guide spirit qi through the technique’s prescribed meridians.

An hour passed. After repeated confirmations, Li Nanting was satisfied that Li Guanqi had memorized the route the spirit qi would travel. He also had him recite a mantra several times, which contained the core concepts.

Li Nanting lit a mind-quietening incense stick and placed it before Li Guanqi.

As light smoke rose from the incense, Li Guanqi gained clarity in his Spirit Platform, and his thoughts settled.

Li Nanting fell silent. He sat down and watched Li Guanqi quietly, ready to act if anything went awry.

The spirit qi in the cultivation room had reached a decent level. Li Guanqi sat and crossed his legs, entering a meditation posture. He remained composed, not rushing into the process.

He repeated his master’s reminders in his mind, then began his first attempt at cultivation.

The most important thing was to guide the Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth through the route recorded in the scripture for one entire day. Any lapse in concentration or stray thought could easily disrupt the process and damage his meridians.

In just a dozen breaths, his breathing steadied into a natural rhythm.

Li Nanting beamed with pride as he watched Li Guanqi cultivate with utmost focus.

He had not expected Li Guanqi to have such a strong ability to concentrate. Even after a long time, most disciples struggled to silence their minds.

Li Guanqi’s ability to focus his attention so quickly was thanks to his training since childhood. He often zoned out when alone because he had nothing else to do. As such, his mind slipped into quiet states easily, and he could concentrate very well. He could even study a single ordinary rock, utterly absorbed for a long time.

Weng!

A gentle ripple slowly radiated from his body.

Li Nanting unconsciously straightened his posture, gripping his sleeves. He was ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.

Li Guanqi slowly guided the dense Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth into his body. Now came the crucial step of using the spirit qi to break through all the blockages in his body.

Gradually, the thin mist in his dantian grew denser.

Following the scripture’s method, he attempted to channel the mist into his meridians. The mist had yet to transform into vital qi.

Boom!

A soundless explosion echoed in his mind.

His face flushed red. His brow furrowed slightly, as if in pain.

Li Nanting’s eyes remained locked onto him, scrutinizing every change. He did not intervene, but inwardly, he anxiously urged him to hold on.

Boom!

The dense spirit qi forcefully cleared Li Guanqi’s meridians. The agony he felt was indescribable—it felt like his intestines were being twisted together.

However, thanks to all the suffering he had endured, this was still bearable.

Compared to the excruciating pain of the medicinal baths he had endured before, this was nothing.

Suddenly, a thought struck Li Nanting, and his face fell. Oh no! I forgot to tell him!

He doesn’t need to clear all his meridians in a single session! He could’ve done it gradually, day by day!

But it was too late. Stopping him now could cause even greater harm, disrupting his dantian and damaging his meridians, which hadn’t yet stabilized.

Regret filled Li Nanting’s eyes. If Li Guanqi were injured because of this, he would be wrecked with guilt.

Li Guanqi was utterly focused on breaking through. Every time he cleared a meridian, he felt subtle changes in his entire being.

And just like that, Li Nanting waited for two hours in great anxiety.

Suddenly, the spirit qi in the room became a visible current flowing into Li Guanqi’s nostrils. Li Nanting’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Initially, Li Nanting expected Li Guanqi to emerge from his cultivation state after a partial breakthrough. However, this phenomenon meant he had already cleared all his meridians. Now, he was beginning the process of channeling the technique through his body for a day.

Li Guanqi’s face turned white, and he swayed slightly.

A powerful surge of spirit power rushed through his body.

When Li Guanqi’s face paled, Li Nanting appeared behind him in a flash. Pressing both hands against his back, he channeled an incredibly pure current of vital force into him.

After that, a voice that echoed like a gigantic bell rang in Li Guanqi’s mind: “Guard the Heavenly Spirit. Quieten the mind.”

The pure vital force filled his body, washing away his exhaustion. With its support, he was able to sustain the circulation of the Ninefold Spinning Lightning Sutra for an entire day.

After a day, there was a gentle pop from his dantian. It was almost imperceptible, like the bursting of a bubble.

His dantian expanded several times over. The qi coursing through him accelerated, growing faster and faster until the technique became second nature.

Then, he absorbed all the remaining spirit qi in the cultivation room until there was nothing left. The qi turned into a milky-white mist that flowed into his dantian.

No one noticed the brief, flickering glow of crimson light from the stone sword box at his feet.