Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

The moment the domain fully formed, Mo Congyun’s eyes relaxed slightly. As long as his opponent stayed inside it, he was certain he could kill him.

In a flash, Mo Congyun vanished into the domain.

Li Guanqi’s divine consciousness surged outward like a raging tide, sweeping across every corner of the domain. Behind him, the sword coffin split open, and the Red Lotus Sword shot into his hand.

He swung his right arm three times in quick succession. Thunder rolled through the domain as vast portions of its metal spirit power shattered.

Mo Congyun answered in kind, his blade cutting through the air in a blur. Terrifying arcs of sword light burst forth, shaking the domain violently. Both men were overwhelmingly powerful.

Lightning flickered beneath Li Guanqi’s feet as he charged straight for Mo Congyun.

In the blink of an eye, their swords clashed hundreds of times, sparks scattering in every direction.

Clang! Clang! Clang‌!

Both men had profoundly mastered the way of the sword, with each strike already foreseeing countless counters. Their blades twisted, shifted, and adapted in a ceaseless, deadly rhythm, each exchange evenly matched.

Mo Congyun’s expression grew heavier by the second. For Li Guanqi to rank only thirteenth on the Nascent Soul Leaderboard was absurd. Without question, he was worthy of the top ten.Li Guanqi’s sword was heavy and vicious. Furthermore, Mo Congyun could faintly sense that Li Guanqi’s strength hadn’t yet reached its limit.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

With a roar, Mo Congyun’s strength surged wildly, rising in an instant to the half-step Divine Transformation Realm—just a breath away from that exalted level itself.

Boom!

The domain erupted in dazzling golden radiance, endless sword qi raging across every inch of space. Li Guanqi raised a single hand before himself. Vital force surged around his body, condensing into a thick barrier that shut out every shred of sword qi.

Crack! Crack-crack!

The razor-sharp sword qi tore savagely at the barrier.

Yet Li Guanqi’s face remained calm, untroubled. On the sidelines, Lan Xun could only clench her palms, cold sweat sliding down her fingers.

If it had been her within that domain, she’d have been shredded to pieces already.

Boom!

A murderous aura erupted skyward, fierce enough to shake the heavens. Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning glacial. He hadn’t expected Mo Congyun’s sword intent to be of the lowest kind—killing intent.

Such intent required nothing more than slaughtering enough people while keeping one’s mind clear.

A vision surged before Li Guanqi’s eyes: mountains of corpses, seas of blood. He stood in their midst as countless crimson shadows clawed and bit at him.

Mo Congyun sneered coldly when he saw him sink into confusion. “Heh, so this is all you amount to?”

Li Guanqi could feel the will of the dead, their hatred and resentment crashing against his heart like endless waves. But instead of drowning, he grew calm.

He opened his heart’s eye and looked at the shadows. There were the old, the weak, women, and children, all twisted into mindless monsters of grief and pain, their cries thick with bitterness.

While Li Guanqi stood within that blood-soaked illusion, Mo Congyun’s sword suddenly flared with boundless might. “Severing Slash!”

Boom!

A golden blade of light stretching dozens of zhang slashed across the sky, its sharpness cleaving the void itself.

“Hahahaha! Die!”

From below, Lan Xun leaped into the air, mist swirling around her blade. “Be careful! Wake up!”

Roar!

Nine Heavens coiled with thunderous might, crashing into the golden domain. The oppressive weight filled the void as the dragon’s head smashed into the barrier, shaking the domain violently and nearly collapsing it.

But it held.

Desperate, Nine Heavens recoiled, then whipped its tail with all its strength.

Dong!

Countless cracks appeared across the domain.

Yet the golden sword beam was already descending upon Li Guanqi.

Lan Xun’s strikes rippled against the barrier, but her strength was far too little.

Bloody veins surfaced in Nine Heavens’ golden eyes. With a furious roar, it unleashed its dragon breath.

Boom!

Mo Congyun threw out artifact after artifact to block the blast, madness flashing in his gaze.

Boom!

The explosion shook the heavens. Mo Congyun was flung back dozens of zhang, his black robe torn to shreds. He ripped it off, wiped the blood from his lips, and squinted into the drifting smoke.

Mo Congyun’s palms had split open, blood pouring freely. His eyes were grim—his strike had been blocked.

Buzz!

Through the smoke, a crimson light flared. Li Guanqi stood there, his left hand gripping the sword, eyes cold with killing intent.

He had blocked the blow without even shifting his stance. He looked at Mo Congyun and calmly said, “I’ll finish this battle alone.”

The words were meant for Lan Xun and Nine Heavens.

The dragon withdrew a hundred zhang, coiling in the sky, its golden eyes fixed on Mo Congyun. Though Lan Xun’s worry showed in her face, she retreated to stand beside Nine Heavens.

Li Guanqi glanced at them, then looked back at Mo Congyun. His voice was quiet, almost cold. “Show me everything you’ve got. Otherwise, you won’t have the chance.”

He lowered his gaze and muttered, “What kind of cruelty lets you raise your sword against the innocent? You killed the old, the weak, women, and even children. And you still call yourself human?

“You’re not human at all. I truly want to kill you.”

Mo Congyun burst out laughing, as if he had just heard a wonderful joke. “Hahaha! You pity them? They’re mere mortals, with barely eighty years to live. Death comes for them regardless. To die beneath my sword, helping me grasp sword intent? That’s their honor!

“We even compensated their families. No one else is complaining, so are you trying to act like a saint?”

Li Guanqi’s expression didn’t shift. His tone remained steady. “No. That reasoning is rotten.”

In an instant, he flicked his left hand, unleashing dozens of sword lights faster than lightning.

Thunder roared as the sword lights split the void and vanished.

Mo Congyun’s pupils shrank. He swung furiously, bellowing, “Heaven-Illuminating Sword Record!”

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Li Guanqi stepped forward a hundred zhang in one stride, his voice as soft as a whisper. “Soul Dissolution—Red Lotus!”

Buzz!

The Red Lotus bloomed, and his sword danced across heaven and earth!