Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi did not realize that his mental state had started to change. The sword, still hidden in its sheath, was finally revealing its edge.

A victor’s resolve was taking root in his heart.

That night, both of their auras gradually steadied. Li Guanqi’s cultivation deepened, pushing him into the late Golden Core Realm. He felt full of energy. Sword techniques that had once seemed too complex now appeared straightforward.

The divine consciousness within his sea of consciousness stirred restlessly, faintly able to glimpse the next movements of the Seven Killings Sword Sutra. He grasped the techniques that had eluded him.

He slowly rose and flew to the mountain peak. There, he grasped the air with one hand, as if holding a real sword. As he swung this imaginary weapon, a strong wind began to blow around him.

His movements grew faster, his sprint and sword techniques merging seamlessly. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and his right hand thrust forward like a striking serpent.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion ripped through the air, and even space itself seemed to twist and warp.

Li Guanqi slowly unclenched his fist and closed his eyes, quietly digesting his insights. Below, Ye Feng, seated cross-legged on a boulder, was also deep in cultivation. As golden light radiated from his body, the rock beneath him split apart, as though cleaved by a blade.

He opened his eyes, which shone with golden light. His aura was sharp, as if he were an unsheathed sword.With a sharp glare, he clenched his fists tight and gazed in the direction where Cao Yan had left. “Don’t worry, Big Head. The next time we meet, Second Brother will protect you.”

Li Guanqi looked at Ye Feng. It looks like this incident left an enormous impact on him.

Ye Feng leaped to the peak, sunlight washing over his face. Without turning around, he gazed toward the sun and spoke softly, “Boss. Do you think we’ll ever reach the peak of the mountain?”

Li Guanqi smiled and gestured toward the sky. “The mountain peak? That’s far too small. The heavens themselves will lie beneath our feet as we climb beyond the nine heavens.”

Ye Feng’s eyes gleamed. “Beyond the nine heavens? Now that’s something.”

He grinned. “Boss, how about a spar? I’ve gained some insights and even created my own sword techniques.”

Li Guanqi froze for a moment. So that was why Ye Feng’s aura kept fluctuating. “Alright. Let’s begin!”

Li Guanqi drew his Red Lotus Sword, adopting a fighting stance as he waited for Ye Feng.

Ye Feng drew his blade in answer.

The breeze whispered past, nudging a small stone across the ground.

Boom!

Two blurred figures clashed, their sword-lights flashing wildly.

Li Guanqi suppressed his cultivation level to the mid Golden Core Realm, but he didn’t restrain his swordplay. Wielding his blade in his left hand, he unleashed dozens of strikes in an instant.

Clang clang!

The pressure radiating from him was overwhelming.

Clang clang clang!

Within only a few breaths, the two had exchanged hundreds of blows.

Compared to Ye Feng’s tense expression, Li Guanqi seemed relaxed, though inwardly he was surprised. Ye Feng had improved at an incredible pace, so much so that his speed nearly matched Li Guanqi’s left-handed swordsmanship.

Though not as innately gifted as Cao Yan, Ye Feng’s resilience and effort carried him far. In the past, he had relied purely on raw talent, the type to sleep till noon.

Li Guanqi smiled faintly and increased both his speed and ferocity.

The two figures darted across the hundred-zhang-wide mountaintop. Though Ye Feng was driven back again and again, he endured. Bitterly smiling to himself, he drew in a deep breath. Vital force roared through his body like a wild beast, and his aura flared with power. With a forceful strike, he knocked Li Guanqi back and cried out, “Careful, Boss! Here it comes!”

Boom!

Golden energy surged, echoing with the roar of a tiger.

Ye Feng clutched his sword with both hands and crouched like a hunting tiger. His blade was his fangs.

Boom!

The mountaintop quaked, a crater opening wide as Ye Feng launched forward.

“Fearsome Tiger’s Roar, Splitting The Mountain!”

Boom!

Just a zhang away from Li Guanqi, he sprang upward like a pouncing tiger, his sword force tearing at the air.

Li Guanqi ceased suppressing his cultivation and struck head-on.

Boom!

The impact created a powerful explosion. The mountain shook violently, boulders tumbling down its sides.

The skin between Li Guanqi’s thumb and forefinger had split open. Still in mid-air, Li Guanqi felt shocked. He hadn’t expected Ye Feng’s attack to be so powerful.

Ye Feng ran up to him and asked with glee, “Boss, what did you think of my attack?”

Li Guanqi sheathed his sword with a measured nod. “Not bad. Fierce and destructive. Even a late Golden Core cultivator wouldn’t take it lightly.”

Hearing the praise, Ye Feng scratched his head with a sheepish smile. There was no need to ask whether Li Guanqi had been hurt. He knew that, no matter how many techniques he devised, he could never wound him too deeply. That strength, combined with his natural charisma, was why he had willingly submitted to Li Guanqi.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi had gained new insights into the Seven Killings Sword Sutra the previous night, but he hadn’t yet had a chance to fully process them.

Their clash went unnoticed, drawing no attention.

Li Guanqi gazed at the rising sun and murmured, “I hope Cao Yan gets a fresh start and rises up, just like the sun.”

Meanwhile, a youth covered in sword wounds crouched in the marshlands, pressing a leech to a bleeding cut.

Through a tangle of reeds and dead leaves, only one of Cao Yan’s eyes was visible, bloodshot and fierce. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He did not dare breathe, afraid of being found.

His pursuer had not given up the hunt.

Right now, he was out of tricks. He had used up everything he had.

As a ray of sunlight broke through and illuminated the marsh, tears welled up in his eyes, stirred by a memory of something Li Guanqi had once told him.

Even if I hit rock bottom, I’ll claw my way out again and again. Don’t worry, I won’t die. I’ll meet you all once more and take back what was mine. Just wait and see.