Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

The old man pondered for a long moment, then gave a solemn nod. His voice was low and heavy. “Young friend, I will seriously consider your proposal. But relocating the clan is not a small matter. I can’t give you an answer right now.”

Li Guanqi inclined his head. He understood that such decisions could not be rushed. He answered quietly, “Very well. Still, I advise you to make a decision sooner rather than later. This place will be discovered before long. If you can, leave as quickly as you can.”

The old man nodded gravely. “I understand. Once I return, I will have the clan prepare to leave immediately.”

They clasped hands in farewell. As he walked away, the old man spoke again. “That true dragon at your side, young friend… Keep it hidden. It will only draw the greed of those with ill intent.”

Li Guanqi offered a faint smile and a nod, then stepped onto the dragon’s back and soared into the sky.

Lan Xun stood rooted, watching him go, murmuring to herself, “He’s… so strong.”

The old man beside her nodded lightly. “Indeed. A dragon among men, a phoenix among peers. Come, let us return and prepare to leave.”

Behind Yu Bo, the other elder frowned. “Are we really heading for the Northern Territory?”

Yu Bo’s expression turned pensive. “No decision has been made. Even if this young friend recommends us, we would still be living under another’s roof. Perhaps it’s better to find a secluded place no one can reach and live in seclusion.”

The others nodded. Soon after, they vanished like divine fish melting into the river’s currents.In the boundless void, Sword Spirit’s figure slowly emerged. With a grave expression, she said, “I need the bone sword.”

Li Guanqi did not question her. He simply retrieved the bone sword and handed it over.

The Sword Spirit was a little taken aback by how readily he gave it up. She knew Li Guanqi had to be aware of the sword’s extraordinary power. “You’re just giving it to me like this?”

Li Guanqi shrugged lightly. “I originally planned to feed it to Red Lotus. But if you want it, then it’s yours.”

A faint warmth stirred in her heart. She silently accepted the sword.

Her bright eyes shifted as she raised her gaze to him, her voice soft. “This sword is of great use to me.”

She revealed its true purpose, then said, “I may fall into a deep sleep for an uncertain length of time. I have to refine this sword fully. While I do, you must take care of yourself.”

Li Guanqi understood her fear and smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s only the Mo Family from the Eastern Territory. Focus on refining the sword.”

With his current means, he was confident he could still escape even against a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator.

Sword Spirit smiled faintly and nodded. Her figure slowly faded, and the bond between them dissolved into silence.

Li Guanqi sat cross-legged on Nine Heavens’ head and cultivated in silence. As he did, the whole Daxia Territory erupted in an uproar.

An earth-shattering piece of news spread like wildfire. Mo Congyun, the man who had ranked sixth on the Nascent Soul Leaderboard, had died.

Countless cultivators who possessed heavenly intelligence jade pendants checked them at once.

Sure enough, the rankings had changed. Mo Congyun’s name, once fixed proudly at sixth place, had vanished. In his stead stood Li Guanqi, who had climbed from thirteenth to sixth.

Li Guanqi had risen like a comet, climbing to the sixth seat in mere months. He was undoubtedly a chosen one, a prodigy of his generation.

In a crowded tavern, a brawny man swallowed hard and rasped, “If I remember right, he was only in the mid Nascent Soul Realm when he was ranked thirteenth. And now, barely a month later, he’s in the late Nascent Soul Realm? Since when did advancing in the Nascent Soul Realm get so easy?”

He wasn’t alone. Every cultivator who saw the new ranking and the cultivation level beside Li Guanqi’s name felt their hearts lurch.

After all, this was the Nascent Soul Realm they were talking about—a level where advancement couldn’t be bought with pills alone. It demanded true comprehension.

Despite their disbelief, countless people could not help but admire Li Guanqi. Geniuses always stirred awe and envy, especially when they rose from obscurity.

In the Eastern Territory, deep within Lou Gorge, a vast estate covered nearly ten thousand zhang across.

The compound was magnificent and imposing. Towering halls filled the grounds, packed with disciples in black robes, their collars embroidered with red and white sigils.

However, the entire estate bustled in agitation, with a palpable tension hanging in the air.

In a meeting room, a stern-faced man with cropped hair glared with bloodshot eyes. He smashed the shattered remains of a soul lamp onto the table with a roar.

Killing intent surged from him like a storm, his vital force so violent it seemed ready to split the sky.

He rose abruptly, his voice hoarse and thunderous. “Issue the Grand Pursuit Order! Bring Li Guanqi to me alive! I will flay his skin, rend his flesh, and pull out his soul to fuel the lamps!

“Proclaim this to all: whoever provides a lead will be rewarded with three thousand high-grade spirit stones. Whoever captures him alive will receive ten thousand high-grade spirit stones, a Divine Transformation Pill, and a vial of Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Nectar. Whoever kills him will be rewarded with ten thousand high-grade spirit stones and a Divine Transformation Pill.”

The hall fell into stunned silence. The rewards were beyond comprehension. No elder dared speak against him. In his madness, Mo Zhiyuan, leader of the Mo Family, was not a man to be opposed.

At last, the elders bowed deeply in unison. “Yes, Leader!”

Mo Zhiyuan’s face remained dark as he turned. “These rewards apply to all Mo Family disciples as well. Also, find out where my son went, who he was with, and why. I want answers within thirty minutes.”

Immediately, the Mo Family’s Grand Pursuit Order spread across the Daxia Territory like wildfire.

Within an hour, every corner of the land had heard it. The cultivation world boiled with madness at such unfathomable rewards.

Even lowly cultivators stirred restlessly. Merely providing information could earn them three thousand high-grade spirit stones, equivalent to thirty million low-grade spirit stones.

And killing Li Guanqi outright meant a hundred million low-grade spirit stones, not to mention the priceless Divine Transformation Pill.

The entire cultivation world of Daxia Territory went completely insane.