Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

The Daxia Sword Sect was among the first to receive the shocking news.

Lu Kangnian sat on a high platform, face somber. His brows knit together as he looked down at the elders gathered below. His voice came low and heavy. “Speak. What do you think?”

Li Nanting’s brows were also furrowed. “It won’t be long before the Mo Family comes knocking.”

Lu Kangnian exhaled and nodded. “I share that worry. Remember, the Mo Family of the Eastern Territory has an ancestor in the Illusory Refinement Realm. This could be troublesome.”

At the side, Qin Xian snorted coldly. “Hmph. They are battles among the younger generation. If someone’s weak and gets themselves killed, who is to blame? If every dispute dragged the clans in, the entire Daxia Territory would be in chaos.”

Lu Kangnian’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re not wrong. But the one who died was Mo Zhiyuan’s son.”

Qin Xian sneered. “Even so, an Illusory Refinement expert cannot act without care. Unless Mo Qingyu personally intervenes, what can the Mo Family really do?”

Lu Kangnian made his decision and rose abruptly, his voice booming through the hall. “No one is to reveal Li Guanqi’s whereabouts. Collect every identity jade slip now and erase any record that could reveal his aura. From this moment forward, any disciple who would normally handle supply runs will be replaced by an elder. We cannot give the Mo Family any openings.”

On Heavenly Sword Peak, at the mountain’s cloud-piercing summit, an old white-haired man rocked gently in a wooden chair. His half-closed eyes gazed at the drifting sea of clouds, and he murmured, “That little fellow certainly can stir up a storm. Let him be.”

Back in the sect hall, Lu Kangnian dismissed the elders with a wave and returned to his study. He paced, weighing possibilities, then drew out a jade slip and spoke solemnly. “Old Chu, no one in your Phoenix Lightning Sect has leaked Guanqi’s position, have they?”Far away in the Phoenix Lightning Sect, Chu Xingxian wiped fresh blood from his robes and took out his own jade slip. He hadn’t expected such an upheaval after Li Guanqi left.

“Rest assured,” he answered grimly. “No one from Phoenix Lightning could have revealed his location. I left no trace of his aura with us.”

His tone faltered slightly as his expression shifted. Then, he spoke again in a low, deliberate voice. “Old Lu, should I lend a hand? The bounty on this Grand Pursuit Order is too tempting. Three guest elders from our sect have already gone after the kid.”

Lu Kangnian’s eyes narrowed to slits, his voice cold as steel. “Guest elders of the Phoenix Lightning Sect? Such audacity!”

Chu Xingxian set aside his blood-stained cloth and quietly said, “I handled them myself. But you should warn Li Guanqi to be careful.”

Lu Kangnian’s reply came calm and certain. “No need. That boy is sharper than most.”

Lu Kangnian set the slip down and allowed himself a faint, relieved breath. If those guest elders had acted, they might have tracked Li Guanqi with some hidden method. Knowing Chu Xingxian had dealt with them eased his mind.

After a long pause, Lu Kangnian drew a unique jade slip from the void, one with a strange, profound aura. He inhaled and asked, “Will the Mo Family’s ancestor make a move?”

A tranquil male voice answered from the other end.

—Relax. If he moves, I will kill him.

Lu Kangnian relaxed at last. The Illusory Refinement Realm ancestor would stay put, but cultivators of the Divine Transformation Realm could still strike. Whether Li Guanqi lived or died would ultimately depend on his own strength.

He hesitated, then took out one last jade slip. His voice softened. “If it becomes too much, come home.”

The jade slip pulsed once, and the message faded into the void.

Elsewhere in the sect, Li Nanting sat in his courtyard, restless. Shen Lan took his hand, her voice tender. “Don’t worry. That boy is clever beyond measure, and his strength now is formidable. Ordinary cultivators cannot touch him.”

Her words offered comfort, but Li Nanting’s worry lingered. “For him to rise so fast, how much must he have suffered?”

After a long moment, he drew out a jade slip. His voice was gruff but filled with concern. “Brat, if you can’t hold on, come back. The sect will shield you. If they push too far, we will meet them head-on.”

In the boundless void, seated atop Nine Heavens’ head, Li Guanqi slowly opened his eyes. Two jade slips glowed in his hands.

Li Guanqi grinned and fed a wisp of vital force into his master’s slip. The old man’s voice reached his ears, half-scolding, half-worried, but full of care. Li Guanqi’s heart warmed. He smiled and whispered, “Don’t worry, Master. This brat can handle it. If I truly can’t, I’ll return.”

He turned to Lu Kangnian’s message and pressed his lips together, murmuring, “Last time, because of me, many people died. This time, let me bear it myself.”

Lu Kangnian lifted his jade slip again, his voice steady. “Let them come.”

He continued, “Also, that boy you recommended, Cang Lu, has already broken into the Nascent Soul Realm. His progress is astonishing.”

Li Guanqi only smiled faintly. Cang Lu’s talent was the real deal. At least the sect had found a seedling worth cultivating.

The Daxia Sword Sect was rapidly gaining power, its strength increasing at an astounding rate. Within a year, when they revealed themselves again, they would send ripples through the entire Daxia Territory.

He checked the Nascent Soul Leaderboard. It made no mention of the dragon at his side. The Intelligence Pavilion was doing him a favor.

Li Guanqi’s eyes narrowed. “A Grand Pursuit Order, is it? Fine. Let’s see how many come for me to slaughter.”

He took out more spirit stones and sank back into cultivation.

In Lou Gorge, Mo Zhiyuan had reduced his study to splinters. Wooden furniture and shattered shelves lay scattered across the floor.

Bang! Bang! Crash!

He panted, eyes bloodshot, grief contorting his face. Through clenched teeth, he said, “Contact the Dark Ravens. Whatever the cost.”

A shadow stirred from a dark corner of the chamber. A hoarse and cold voice answered, “As you command.”

There was no hesitation. If the clan ordered him to contact the Dark Raven Order, he would.