Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Miao Chuanjiang opened his mouth, but no words came out. He glanced down at Zhao Beichen, then at Li Hua, who was screaming in agony. Finally, he looked up and said, “Since it has come to this, there’s no point in saying anything more. All I can say is that the Purple Sun Pavilion won’t ever let this go.”

Buzz!

Without warning, a dozen pitch-black spatial rifts tore open around Miao Chuanjiang.

Some sects that had participated in the tournament lingered after their defeat. When they witnessed what the Purple Sun Pavilion disciples had done, they all agreed the disciples deserved their fate. But when they saw the dozen spatial tears appearing, they couldn’t help but shudder.

“The Purple Sun Pavilion is here!”

A middle-aged man slowly walked out from one of the rifts. Then another followed—an elderly man whom Li Guanqi had never met before.

The first man was the incumbent pavilion master of the Purple Sun Pavilion, the powerful cultivator of the Divine Transformation Realm, Han Tiange. The old man next to him was the vice pavilion master, Gu Xiong. He’d previously sought to take Li Guanqi as a disciple and was half a step into the Divine Transformation Realm.

Li Guanqi’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that things had escalated beyond his control.

Next, a total of seventeen purple-robed cultivators emerged from the spatial tears. All of them were powerful cultivators at the Nascent Soul Realm.

Sect elders and rogue cultivators alike swallowed hard.Han Tiange cast a glance at the glowing projection in the air, then tapped the air with a finger, making the image shrink. His face remained composed, but his brows furrowed tightly.

When Lu Kangnian saw that Han Tiange had come, he subconsciously gripped his sword more tightly. Even so, he stood firm before the disciples of the Daxia Sword Sect, unflinching.

Han Tiange’s gaze fell on the fallen Li Hua. For a split second, fury flared in his eyes.

Beside him, Gu Xiong’s face darkened as he shot a furious glare at Li Hua.

Knowing Han Tiange’s personality as he did, Lu Kangnian knew the situation would not be resolved cleanly.

Han Tiange, who had masculine features and a long scar on his face, looked up. As expected, he gazed at Lu Kangnian calmly and said, “First off, that girl overstepped her bounds. The Purple Sun—”

Before he finished, Lu Kangnian snickered and interrupted him. “Looks like you’ve made up an excuse already! If the sect master is morally corrupt, it’s no wonder that the disciples are rotten too!”

Han Tiange did not get angry. “Say whatever you like. Even if our disciples were in the wrong, that doesn’t give the Daxia Sword Sect the right to kill them. Li Hua’s still alive, so the Heavenly Heights Sect won’t make a fuss. Hand the boy over, and I’ll let the matter drop.”

The various peak masters were furious at his demands. Lu Kangnian’s eyes narrowed. “Hehe. You speak so casually, making it sound like we should be thanking you. Let me tell you this. We’re not handing anyone over! If I can’t even protect my own sect’s disciples today, my disciples will never be able to stand tall and proud ever again!

“You’re not getting anyone! If you want to fight, the Daxia Sword Sect shall gladly oblige!”

A murmur of disbelief spread through the onlookers. Lu Kangnian of the Daxia Sword Sect was famous for his even temper. The other sect masters in the Northern Territory often praised him as “a warrior who guarded his territory well.” However, this praise carried an implication that he had a weak personality, was overly agreeable, and usually prioritized overall peace in his decisions.

But today, Lu Kangnian shattered that image.

He knew it, too. Every change in the sect—the resurgence of morale, the rise in discipline—it had all started with Li Guanqi. They had not been able to make the sect name proud for a long time. Yet one youth had managed to turn that tide.

Lu Kangnian had seen it all. And now, if the sect was to truly awaken from its long slumber, he needed to set an example. He’d also had enough of outsiders belittling them.

Boom!

Lu Kangnian’s aura erupted. The suffocating pressure rolling off him revealed his cultivation. He was half a step into the Divine Transformation Realm!

The sky changed. Winds howled and clouds churned. Beside him, Qian Xian stepped forward. His cultivation surged from the mid to late Nascent Soul Realm. Three more peak elders followed suit, each achieving a minor breakthrough on the spot.

Then came a loud rustling in the air. A thousand figures in white robes flew in, swords beneath their feet. They were the disciples of the Daxia Sword Sect, and they all stood behind Lu Kangnian in unwavering unity, radiating an intimidating aura.

From the skies to the mountain peaks, every spectator felt a jolt of adrenaline. Every Daxia Sword Sect disciple was around, and a battle spirit was rising in every onlooker.

Lu Kangnian’s hand flared with light, and a pill appeared on his palm. He swallowed it without hesitation, and his aura soared higher.

Storm clouds gathered above them, stretching more than eight hundred zhang across, lightning crackling within.

Lu Kangnian had chosen to break through. He’d made his decision. Since war was coming, he would reach the Divine Transformation Realm now.

Pointing his sword at Han Tiange, Lu Kangnian roared, “Han Tiange! If it’s a fight you want, then the Daxia Sword Sect shall gladly oblige! We’ll fight you to the last man!”

A hundred zhang away, Han Tiange’s composure shattered. He seemed on the verge of a furious outburst.

Behind him, several spatial tears about a hundred zhang long slowly opened. Then, one by one, gigantic cloud boats appeared, and then a swarm of disciples poured out of the spatial tears and stood mid-air.

Han Tiange’s voice turned cold. “I’ll ask one last time. Are you handing over the boy or not?”

Lu Kangnian cried, “To hell with your demands! I’m standing up for my sect today!”

Han Tiange flung his right hand down in rage and glared at Lu Kangnian. “I tried being nice, but you wouldn’t listen!”

Vital force surged through Han Tiange, and his aura erupted. He shouted furiously, “Great Nothingness Palm!”

A hundred-zhang-tall purple palm seal appeared in the sky, so intimidating that even the heavenly tribulation lightning clouds paused for a brief moment.

Lu Kangnian’s chest tightened. He stepped forward, boosted upward by the wind, and raised his sword.

“Mountain-Splitting Slash!”

Boom!

A ray of earth-yellow sword light shot upward, packed with enough energy to split a mountain.

Rumble!

The sword light collided with the palm seal. The sword light shattered, but half of the palm seal remained. The remaining half struck Lu Kangnian head-on.

Han Tiange’s purple robes flapped loudly in the wind. He raised his hand and brought it down fiercely, roaring, “Kill!!”

In an instant, thousands of disciples from both sides charged forward, while Han Tiange pulled out a long knife.

But he’d barely moved when an ice-cold sword pressed against his neck.

A fat old man stood beside him, clad in tattered hemp robes, a wine gourd tied to his waist. It was Ling Daoyan.

Expressionless, Ling Daoyan said flatly, “Hey kid, I’m already giving you face by showing up here, don’t you think?”