Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Han Tiange didn’t so much as flinch. It was clear the fat old man possessed terrifying strength. His aura was subtle, yet vast and deep, like a trench beneath the ocean. Nearly imperceptible. Or rather, the old man was letting him perceive it on purpose.

Ling Daoyan was the guardian of the Daxia Sword Sect’s Scripture Pavilion, so he seldom appeared in public. Li Guanqi had only seen him twice before, and only because Ling Daoyan had deliberately revealed himself to see Li Guanqi for himself.

Some of the elders in the crowd recognized the figure and stared in shock, eyes wide with disbelief. “Ling Daoyan?! He’s not dead?! How is that possible?”

A white-haired old man gazed at Ling Daoyan with a mix of emotions, murmuring, “It’s been five hundred years… He’s already stepped into the Divine Transformation Realm, and he’s still advancing. Meanwhile, I am still worrying about surviving my heavenly tribulation, which will happen in thirty years…”

Boom!

Han Tiange raised his knife, releasing a golden arc of light. Ling Daoyan was forced back several hundred feet, but he used the momentum to land beside Lu Kangnian, moving to cover for him.

The Ethereal Darkness Mountain Range had become a battlefield for the two warring sects.

Though the Daxia Sword Sect had only ten elders in the Nascent Soul Realm, they were holding their ground against the Purple Sun Pavilion’s seventeen. The more powerful elders, like Tu Kui, were even holding off two opponents at once.

Qin Xian, already at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, was furious, his eyes blazing with killing intent. He fought three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators simultaneously. Countless streaks of light flew across the sky in every direction, accompanied by innumerable rays of sword light.

Li Guanqi remained where he stood. Warm tears brimmed in his eyes as a constant stream of senior brothers flew past him. His heart churned with emotion.Those senior brothers and sisters of his sect also regarded Yu Sui’an as their own younger sister. And after witnessing what had happened, their fury erupted.

But Li Guanqi only lowered his head. He knew things couldn’t go on like this. While the Daxia Sword Sect and Purple Sun Pavilion were still evenly matched, if the Purple Sun Pavilion kept sending reinforcements, the scales would tip.

Furthermore, he did not want his senior brothers and sisters to die because of his impulsiveness!

“Enough!” His voice, boosted by vital force, pierced through the clouds. It was loud enough to stun everyone into a temporary pause.

Li Nanting appeared at his side and shook his head. His eyes were steady, his expression resolute. He knew what Li Guanqi was about to say.

Even Lu Kangnian, in the midst of preparing for his heavenly tribulation, shouted over, “Li Guanqi! Don’t say a word! I’ve already made my decision, and I won’t allow you to try to resolve this with bullshit about ‘withdrawing from the sect.’

“If I allowed my disciples to quit the sect every time trouble came knocking, how would I still have the face to call myself a sect master? It might be you today—someone else tomorrow. It’s just gonna happen again and again. If we kneel now, we may never stand again.”

Li Guanqi’s eyes widened in disbelief. He thought he had it all figured out: leave the sect, slaughter the enemy, and take the blame alone. Then, if the Purple Sun Pavilion wanted revenge, they’d come for him and no one else.

But now…

His mouth opened, but no words came. He was speechless, his emotions a lump in his throat.

Li Nanting gave him a small smile, then pulled out his sword and flew up.

The battle resumed.

Ling Daoyan was up against Han Tiange. He took a swig of wine from his wine gourd, then countless red flames erupted from his body and sword.

The blazing figure of Ling Daoyan emerged.

In his youth, he had made a name for himself in the Northern Territories, known for wielding a flaming sword against his opponents.

His eyes were brighter than they had ever been. As the flames from his sword shot at Han Tiange’s knife, he shouted, “The Purple Sun Pavilion seems to think that my Daxia Sword Sect is weak just because I haven’t shown myself in a while!”

Boom!

The intensity of their battle cleared everything within a thousand zhang radius. Knife lights and sword lights shot in all directions, distorting even space itself. They cast spells and used every type of technique imaginable.

Their clash cleared a thousand-zhang radius around them. Blades and flames tore through space, warping the air. Spells and techniques flew in every direction.

Li Guanqi took a deep breath, then shot up to the sky with his sword in his hand.

As the war broke out in earnest, the crowd scattered in panic, desperate to avoid the crossfire. No one had expected the situation to escalate so much. They thought the Daxia Sword Sect would hand over Li Guanqi to settle things. Talented as he was, wasn’t that still better than going to war against the Purple Sun Pavilion?

Even Ge Qing, host of the Tournament of a Hundred Sects, hadn’t expected Lu Kangnian to be so fierce. His eyes gleamed as he murmured, “So he intends to reshape the reputation of his sect entirely… He’s strong!”

Then, as if thinking of something, Ge Qing turned and bowed to what seemed to be empty air, transmitting a message. “Your Majesty, shall we stop this battle?”

Both sides had started taking losses. Disciples were falling from the sky almost every second, and those still standing scrambled to drag the wounded to safety. Every fighter was out for blood.

Blood fell from the sky as battle raged across a three-thousand-zhang radius. As the crimson downpour continued, a red tint began to spread across the entire Ethereal Darkness Mountain Range.

In the skies above, thick clouds of heavenly tribulation lightning loomed over a large swath of the region. Lu Kangnian stood tall, his back straight as a blade. He looked up at the gathering clouds without fear.

He’d often been called unambitious—uninterested in expanding the sect’s territory. But at least he’d never brought it to ruin. Ever since Li Guanqi joined, his every action had subconsciously stirred the hearts of his fellow disciples. Lu Kangnian had seen the change. And in that change, he found the resolve to transform the sect.

If even my disciples are brave enough to charge into battle with their swords drawn… how could I, Lu Kangnian, cower before a mere heavenly tribulation?!

Boom!

A bolt of lightning as thick as an arm tore down from the sky, ripping through space. Lu Kangnian raised his sword high and slashed.

Boom!

The bolt of lightning shattered. The explosion sent waves of destructive energy hurtling toward the surrounding mountains, shattering them into rubble.

The crowd paled. No one had expected two cultivators to encounter heavenly tribulations today, especially not a Divine Transformation Tribulation, which involved thirty-six heavenly tribulations!

Ge Qing suddenly heard a chuckle of amusement.

“How interesting… the Daxia Sword Sect…” Long Qu’s voice carried a note of excitement, as though enjoying a fun performance.

“Give the Daxia Sword Sect everything we promised. It’s time for a shake-up among the Three Sects and Six Pavilions. The Daxia Sword Sect has done well, particularly that little blind boy.”