Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A muscular figure darted through the forest, a golden ape bounding after him. The giant beast stood eight zhang tall, its frame like a moving hill, its body sheathed in rippling muscle and bristling with golden, needle-like fur.

Despite its tough hide, deep sword gashes marred its flesh, some cutting down to the bone. Its bloodshot eyes blazed with killing intent.

Thud‌! Thud! Thud!

The ape swung from tree to tree, covering hundreds of zhang with a single motion. With a free arm, it beat its chest.

Roar!

Its roar echoed through the forest. At once, countless demonic beasts scattered in terror. The Golden Giant Ape was a tier-four demonic beast, the equivalent of a human cultivator at the early Nascent Soul Realm.

The man ahead was thin, draped in a very tattered black cloak. His back was covered in wounds.

Li Guanqi glanced back grimly. He had fought the ape for seven days straight. For all those days, the beast had never let up, chasing him without rest.

Even when they crossed into other beasts’ territories, none dared challenge the rampaging Golden Giant Ape. They all slunk away to hide.Its defenses were monstrous, and all of it had started from one simple cause.

After Ye Feng’s departure, Li Guanqi had forced himself to calm down. He needed to accept that Ye Feng had to face certain burdens alone. If Ye Feng had stayed, he would have only stifled his own desires. Letting him leave to walk the world alone was better. That was why Li Guanqi hadn’t asked him to stay.

Not long after venturing deeper into the mountains, Li Guanqi sensed an unusually dense concentration of spirit qi in a valley. Once he investigated, he found a rare herb essential for refining Longevity Pills—the White Dragon Ginseng.

Its name came from its dragon-like length and snow-white color. It contained a powerful life force, so many cultivators regarded this plant as a rare and valuable herb for extending lifespans. It was also an important ingredient in Longevity Pills.

Li Guanqi scanned the area with his divine consciousness and found no beasts nearby. Thinking fortune had smiled on him, he immediately cut the ginseng free with his jade knife.

But the moment he unearthed it, a furious roar thundered behind him. With no time to think, he unleashed the Seven Killings Sword Technique at full force, piercing even the Golden Giant Ape’s hide.

Blood, pain, and the theft of its herb had driven the beast into a frenzy. And that was how Li Guanqi ended up in such a tough spot.

He cursed under his breath. “Fuck! Why’s this bastard so damn stubborn?! You’re a tier-four demonic beast! What are you doing guarding a tier-three herb?!”

Li Guanqi knew he couldn’t let the situation drag on. They were already in tier-four demonic beast territory, and deeper still lurked tier-five beasts, the absolute limit they could withstand. Both Li Guanqi and the ape understood this.

Ape-type beasts were known for their intelligence, far keener than most demonic beasts. Some ape demonic beasts who reached tier five were as intelligent as regular cultivators.

Li Guanqi glanced back, only to meet the ape’s gaze. Its eyes gleamed with mocking amusement, as if to say, “Let’s see where you think you can run.”

Li Guanqi’s expression hardened. He stopped, turned, and faced it.

Clang!

His Red Lotus Sword flew out, and destructive lightning filled the air. His powerful battle spirit flared.

Sword intent surged from him in a torrent. Without giving the beast a chance to react, he launched forward with the Traceless Darkness Step, leaving afterimages as he hurtled straight at the ape.

The ape halted atop a towering tree, hammering its chest manically.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Golden light coursed through its body as it pounded its chest. The muscular ape swelled until it reached ten zhang in height, its arms now thicker than Li Guanqi’s waist.

The ape leaped down, and the ancient tree, tough as steel, snapped from the earth. With one hand, it grabbed the four-zhang-tall trunk and hurled it toward Li Guanqi.

Whoosh!

A deafening whistle split the air as the trunk hurtled past, nearly grazing his ear before smashing into the ground. The sheer force of it was staggering.

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. Light flickered beneath his feet as he surged forward.

Another tree whistled past, the wind of its passage burning his back. Yet instead of fleeing, he pressed on, rushing straight for the ape.

He swiftly slashed with his sword, aiming for the ape’s eyes.

The Golden Giant Ape instinctively lifted its hands to protect its eyes, leaning back slightly.

Pfft!

Had it not tilted back three inches, Li Guanqi would have lopped off its left palm.

Missing his mark, Li Guanqi immediately switched tactics, using the Seven Killings Sword Sutra to thrust forward.

But as he tried to lunge, the ape parted its fingers. Through the narrow gaps, its cold gaze locked onto him. Then, with terrifying speed, it raised its right knee.

The strike was sudden, powerful, and nearly undetectable.

Li Guanqi had spread his divine consciousness wide, tracking every move. Yet he hadn’t noticed the twist of its pelvis. By the time the ape’s knee shot upward, it was too late.

Other than the skull, the knee was one of the hardest parts of the skeleton. The beast had driven its full power into the motion, qi surging through its body. The speed warped the very air, explosions cracking around it.

Li Guanqi’s chest clenched. He released his sword, clasped his hands together, and pressed down with all his strength. At the same time, he lashed out with his right leg, kicking the ape’s knee.

Boom! Boom!

Two resounding crashes. The impact flung Li Guanqi skyward, making him soar a hundred zhang like a kite with its string cut. His counter had only deflected the strike slightly.

Agony ripped through his arms. The sound of snapping bone rang in his ears. His hands had slammed back against his chest with the force of a charging bull.

Pfft!

The powerful momentum sent him up into the sky. He felt like his entire skeleton was going to fall apart.

Through his heart’s eye, he saw trees collapsing across a ten-zhang-wide space in the initially dense forest below.

Then a golden blur shot up from the ground. The ape had leaped into the air, fists raised, bearing down on him.

A chill pierced his spine at the sight.