Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Liu Man’s forehead was covered in cold sweat. The people around her all took out magical items, holding them up for protection.

The Red Armored Millipede gleamed with a metallic gold sheen, and its shell was extremely hard. With a single sweep of its enormous body, it sent several disciples flying before they could dodge, leaving them gravely injured.

Thanks to Li Guanqi’s training, many still reacted quickly. Almost instantly after the beast appeared, the stronger disciples broke into teams to face it, while others led the juniors in an orderly retreat.

But the Red Armored Millipede was simply too powerful. Their sword lights barely scratched it, unable to pierce its shell.

“Run! Its armor is too tough!”

As they fled, Tang Jing lunged to shield a newly joined disciple. Liu Man’s heart nearly stopped.

The Red Armored Millipede’s eyes immediately turned to Tang Jing.

Liu Man and the others dashed toward her, unleashing ranged attacks in hopes of drawing the creature’s attention. But the millipede ignored them completely. Their attacks merely left faint white scratches across its shell.

Rumble!

Clouds of dust flew everywhere as the millipede shot toward Tang Jing. Its terrifying aura made everyone’s chest tighten. The disciples felt helpless.The millipede moved at a frightening pace. Its sharp legs sliced through the air, leaving behind a dense trail of tiny spatial rifts.

Tang Jing shoved the youth aside but twisted her ankle and crashed to the ground.

The millipede’s jaws opened wide, densely packed teeth glinting inside. A rotting stench rolled over her. Pale and trembling, Tang Jing couldn’t muster even a spark of fighting spirit.

Liu Man screamed, “Move if you want to live! Run!”

Hiss!!!

The Red Armored Millipede hissed with excitement.

Just as it was about to bite Tang Jing’s head off, a white-robed figure appeared before her. She stared up blankly at the floating silhouette.

Liu Man froze. Why isn’t he holding a sword?

Everyone looked on in confusion as Li Guanqi exhaled and raised his fists.

The millipede’s cold gaze fixed on him. Its body flared with earthen-yellow light, then its fangs burst into flame.

It was a dual-element beast—earth and fire—and incredibly tough.

The instant it lunged to bite, Li Guanqi moved. Vital force surged through him along the circulation path of the Dragon-Elephant Subduing Sutra. He drove his fist forward.

That punch carried the weight of a mountain and the force of a raging river.

The whole world seemed to go dark.

Purple-black lightning crackled around his fist, then struck the millipede’s head.

Boom!

“What the fuck was that…?”

Everyone stood stunned. Li Guanqi’s punch landed, and the colossal millipede recoiled as if it had slammed into a mountain. Its joints snapped backward, its body twisting mid-air in agony.

Boom! Crack, crack, crack!

A series of cracks echoed, and then its exoskeleton, as tough as a spirit weapon, exploded like pottery, as if a terrifying force had surged through it.

Then came a thunderous explosion. Countless bolts of lightning burst from its shell, and the millipede blew apart into fragments.

Liu Man swallowed hard. Staring at Li Guanqi’s calm expression, she murmured, “He… he killed the Red Armored Millipede with one punch?!”

That beast was at least as strong as a late Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. On top of that, its shell was incredibly tough, so much so that even a Nascent Soul cultivator would struggle to bring it down. Yet Li Guanqi had killed it with one effortless punch.

Doesn’t that mean that he can kill a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator with one punch?

Liu Man shuddered at the thought.

Li Guanqi was both a spiritual and a martial cultivator.

Li Guanqi crouched beside Tang Jing. “You alright?”

Tang Jing blushed, rubbing her swollen ankle. She was about to speak when Li Guanqi rose and said, “You just twisted your ankle. You’ll be fine. I’ll go check on the others.”

Then, he left to check on the others.

Tang Jing grabbed a handful of soil and tossed it angrily toward Li Guanqi. “You’re so stupid! Don’t you know how to be romantic?”

Liu Man appeared beside her in a blur and laughed. “It’s not that he doesn’t understand romance. He’s keeping things platonic so you won’t get hurt later. He’s... thoughtful, in his own way.”

Tang Jing sighed. She knew Liu Man was right. Geniuses like Li Guanqi never stayed in one place. Their sights were on greater things.

Li Guanqi surveyed the scene. Not many people were hurt, and most of the injuries were minor.

He felt like his training had worked. Without it, panic alone could have caused heavy losses.

He let them dismantle the beast’s remains and keep all the materials, taking only the core for himself.

The disciples cheered.

The millipede’s thirty-zhang body was pure treasure, and even just its shattered shell could be forged into top-grade spirit armor and shields.

When they’d finished, Li Guanqi waved. “Let’s head back.”

Li Guanqi looked at them and thought to himself, I guess it’s time to leave.

Back at the sect, he went straight to Chu Xingxian.

After hearing about the Red Armored Millipede, Chu Xingxian stared at him as if he were a monster.

“So you gained that much strength by absorbing the lightning from the pool?”

Li Guanqi was afraid that the old man would do something silly, so he quickly said, “You shouldn’t attempt it, Old Chu. My case is... unique.”

He paused, then added, “By the way, I plan to leave tomorrow morning. The Phoenix Lightning Sect doesn’t really need me anymore.”

Chu Xingxian sighed. “I knew this day would come. Are you sure you won’t stay? Just name your price. If you want the sect master’s seat, I’ll give it to you.”

Li Guanqi jumped back, waving his hands. “Don’t even think about it, you old fox! Next thing I know, you’ll throw in two granddaughters, and the sect will still end up yours!”

They locked eyes, then burst into laughter.