Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi grabbed Zhong Lin’s arm and leaped across the rising buildings’ rooftops with swift, fluid movements.

Thud!

As he landed, he flung Zhong Lin forward before even regaining his balance. No whisper of wind could be heard in the pitch-black space, yet Li Guanqi could feel the subtle currents and shifts in the surrounding air.

In a flash, his sword lashed out four times.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Several crossbow bolts were struck clean from the air, one after another. Shadows flickered—figures retreating swiftly into the dark.

Still suspended in midair, Zhong Lin’s eyes went wide with shock. Four strikes in a single breath!

His throat bobbed with difficulty as he landed lightly.

Everything had happened so quickly that Zhong Lin didn’t even realize why Li Guanqi had drawn his sword. It was only when sparks burst in the dark that he realized there were enemies nearby.

Zhong Lin drew his longsword warily and asked, “Should we pursue them?”Li Guanqi shook his head and tossed him a set of night clothes, saying softly, “Change first. Let’s not desperately chase a cornered rat. We should figure out what’s going on underground first.”

The two quickly changed and went deeper into the passage.

Soft, rhythmic thuds echoed as one torch after another ignited, bathing the space in warm light.

Li Guanqi pulled Zhong Lin back, bringing him to a halt. They looked around and found themselves on a massive platform encircled by a cylindrical structure like a towering ring. Bridges linked the platform beneath their feet to buildings on either side, suspended in an open central chamber that rotated slowly.

The dome ceiling overhead was lined with countless gears, all silently turning. At their centers, faintly glowing demon cores pulsed with light, each in different gear.

Li Guanqi realized the answer to a nagging question. So the power source behind all these incredibly complex mechanisms comes from the demon cores of demonic beasts?

He looked down and saw twelve distinct levels below the platform. The underground city consisted of thirteen layers in total, stretching deep beneath the surface.

Suddenly, the platform beneath them started moving rapidly. Countless iron spheres the size of buckets shot toward them at high speed from all sides..

Zhong Lin’s face paled in horror as he cried out, “Oh no! It’s a dart pouch!”

Ten iron spheres closed in to roughly ten zhang from them, then abruptly halted midair. Faint light bloomed across their surfaces, accompanied by urgent mechanical noises.

Click! Click!

Zhong Lin hurriedly retrieved two mundane shields from his storage pouch and tossed them to Li Guanqi. However, Li Guanqi didn’t take them. He exhaled deeply and stepped forward boldly.

Boom!

The dart pouches suddenly sprouted countless grooves across their surfaces, and a storm of throwing darts blasted toward the two of them.

Li Guanqi sharpened his senses, listening closely and expanding his divine consciousness to a radius of fifteen zhang. His sword flew into motion, a raging storm of steel. He precisely intercepted every dart that neared. The darts packed immense force, making his arms tremble slightly with each impact.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

He not only shielded himself but also deflected the darts heading for Zhong Lin. The assault lasted nearly fifteen minutes.

Behind him, Zhong Lin stood clutching both shields, utterly exhausted. Many darts had punctured through the shields, and one had even pierced his shoulder. Yet, he remained unwavering, guarding Li Guanqi’s back without retreating.

Li Guanqi’s eyes flickered with a sharp light. He rushed over, helped Zhong Lin to a nearby staircase, and handed him some medicinal pills.

Zhong Lin’s face was still pale. Li Guanqi quickly handed him some spirit stones. Zhong Lin accepted them without hesitation and began absorbing their energy. After a brief voice transmission, they suddenly darted off in the opposite direction.

Thud!

A figure in black flashed by behind a towering metal building. Li Guanqi pursued relentlessly, giving him no opportunity to slip away, while Zhong Lin circled around to cut off his retreat.

Cornered, the man decisively threw two black orbs toward them.

Li Guanqi’s nose twitched. He dodged instantly. In a blur, he closed the distance with swift footwork and thrust his sword forward from an impossible angle.

Clang!

A white umbrella nearly four feet long had blocked his blade. Li Guanqi frowned. He’d never seen anyone use an umbrella as a weapon.

His sword strike shifted mid-motion, leveraging the force of the block to transform into a spinning thrust that curled back in for another hit. Simultaneously, he swung a powerful kick toward the man’s knee like a crashing axe.

Thump!

The man met the blow head-on. Their knees collided with a thunderous crash.

Suddenly, his white umbrella snapped open, and dozens of sharp blades burst from it.

Caught off guard, Li Guanqi twisted back, narrowly parrying with his sword as he leaned backwards. He braced one palm against the ground and then spun his right leg upward in a sweeping kick aimed at the man’s chin.

Each tip of the umbrella now gleamed with razor-sharp blades, spinning rapidly. A golden light shimmered across their edges.

Li Guanqi’s heart sank. He withdrew his leg and leaped backward, springing off the floor with one hand. With his other hand, he unstrapped the sword box on his back.

Thud!

The sword box crashed to the ground with a dull thud. The metal floor buckled instantly under its weight.

As the enemy folded the umbrella, a shadow appeared in front of him again.

Cling!

The sound of a sword being drawn rang out.

Li Guanqi was now mid-air, his back arching as he drew his sword in one fluid motion. ”Thunderbolt!”

The strike was as fast as lightning. A streak of cold light flashed through the air.

The black-robed man’s pupils dilated. He slammed a button on the umbrella handle. Instantly, the blades around the umbrella shot toward Li Guanqi in sharp arcs. At the same time, a slender sword slid from within the umbrella’s shaft.

But Li Guanqi didn’t stop. In the blink of an eye, he transitioned seamlessly from his sword draw to channeling the full force of the sword technique.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks exploded mid-air, but they couldn’t stop Li Guanqi’s overwhelming force. As he landed, a cold glint flashed in the enemy’s eyes.

His sword had snapped.

Li Guanqi stood behind the black-robed man, his chest rising and falling. The man stared ahead in disbelief, clutching at his throat—now gushing blood.

Then he collapsed, lifeless.