Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

“The Bloody Butcher, Li Guanqi, isn’t here?”

Before anyone could answer, a golden beam of sword light, a hundred zhang long, slammed into the light barrier above them.

The barrier trembled. It had held firm for two years, but now ripples spread across its surface, and sharp cracks ripped through the air.

Crack, crack, crack!

Boom!

To the crowd’s disbelief, Mo Zhiyuan had shattered the barrier with a single strike. The Daxia Sword Sect’s situation was exposed for all to see.

The people watching held their breath.

Below was the scene of a thriving sect. A thick mist of condensed spirit qi filled the air. The two main peaks rose through the clouds, standing tall like twin treasure swords. Pavilions, towers, and buildings of all kinds covered the grounds.

A figure in white robes raised a hand. A palm-shaped seal of spirit force formed in the sky and seized the sword light.

Boom!The enormous palm crushed the ray of sword light until it shattered. The palm opened again, but there wasn’t so much as a ripple on it, and the bystanders stared in stunned silence.

The white-robed man glowered. He stepped forward and appeared high in the sky. Looking down with a sneer, he said, “What stray dogs are barking at the Daxia Sword Sect’s doorstep?”

Lu Kangnian’s insult drew a sharp breath from the crowd. One man raised an eyebrow at the spirited Lu Kangnian and muttered, “Did two years of closed-door cultivation fry his brain? If he keeps taunting them, this won’t end peacefully.”

An elder from another sect chuckled coldly. “Maybe he finally grew a backbone. But does he think this is the Purple Sun Pavilion? The Mo Family isn’t so easy to deal with.”

People turned to look. The men who had spoken were the leaders of the factions near the Daxia Sword Sect, so many people recognized them.

Someone snorted. “When the Daxia Sword Sect fought the Purple Sun Pavilion, I didn’t hear you say that. You only knew how to tuck your tails and run. What’s this now? Planning to serve a new master and keep being dogs?”

Their exchange drew many eyes. When the crowd looked at the last man, they understood. He was the sect master of the Zhengyue Mountain Sect, Shen Ye. Years ago, if Li Guanqi hadn’t rescued his son Shen Qi, the boy would have died inside the Purple Sun Pavilion’s secret realm.

The other two huffed coldly and ignored him.

Shen Ye gazed at the sky uneasily. The Mo Family was clearly out for blood.

But based on Old Lu’s stance… it doesn’t seem like he wants to end things peacefully either.

Mo Zhiyuan squinted at Lu Kangnian and appraised him. Lu Kangnian carried the bearing of a true sect master; from the moment he appeared, he firmly showed his position.

Mo Zhiyuan frowned. In their brief exchange, he felt that Lu Kangnian was not weaker than him. If anything, Lu Kangnian was slightly stronger.

“You should know why the Mo Family is here!”

Lu Kangnian pursed his lips and glanced at the people behind Mo Zhiyuan with an amused expression. “So what if I do? Your juniors were weak, so you brought the adults out. Did one thousand years of cultivation rot your brain? You’re a coward. You spent a fortune on the Dark Raven Orden, didn’t you?”

Li Sheng’an, Zhong Lin, and the other disciples gathered in the plaza burst into laughter.

Zhong Lin shrugged. “Why didn’t I notice the Sect Master’s sharp tongue before?”

“Maybe he never felt this proud before.” Li Sheng’an grinned. He was no longer fat. “Shall we see who takes more lives later?”

Zhong Lin glanced at Li Sheng’an and snorted. “I can’t match Brother Li’s numbers, but do you think I can’t beat you? Bring it on.”

Mo Zhiyan fell silent at Lu Kangnian’s words. His main objective was to intimidate the sect and force Li Guanqi to appear.

When cultivators were out in the world, they were responsible for their own life and death. It was an unwritten rule of the cultivation world. Otherwise, people would not kill each other. All they’d have to do would be to announce their sect.

Anyone who went to their enemy’s sect like that would be taken as a joke.

Many people had gathered near the Daxia Sword Sect, eager to see what would happen, though many were also there to laugh at the Mo Family.

Mo Zhiyuan’s face darkened. He glared at Lu Kangnian. “Tell me where Li Guanqi is, or blood will spill in the Daxia Sword Sect.”

Lu Kangnian burst into laughter, then his face darkened.

The next second, a bright clang rang out.

He gripped his three-chi-long Green Peak Sword, its sword qi shooting up through the clouds. He stood on Heavenly Sword Peak and looked around. “Years ago, the Purple Sun Pavilion tried to strong-arm us with their advantage in numbers, yet we bravely raised our swords to fight them, all to guard the Daxia Sword Sect’s name. Today, do you really think I’ll hand him over just because you’re here? Hahahahaha! That’s hilarious!”

Boom!

Sword qi scattered in every direction as his domain spread. When Lu Kangnian’s domain reached halfway across the sky, Mo Zhiyuan met it with his own.

Lu Kangnian’s eyes flashed. With a cold huff, his powerful aura exerted a crushing pressure on the surrounding space.

Mo Zhiyuan’s face paled as his domain faltered under the force.

One of the people behind Mo Zhiyuan stepped forward and released his domain as well. Only then could they restrain Lu Kangnian.

Mo Zhiyuan and Lu Kangnian stood at the same cultivation level, yet after a brief exchange, Mo Zhiyuan was already losing ground.

Mo Zhiyuan’s cheek twitched, humiliated. His eyes flashed madly. He pointed his sword at Lu Kangnian and shouted, “All Mo Family members, attack! Kill them all if Li Guanqi does not show himself!”

Boom!

The cannon mouths on the cloud boats flared, and hundreds of people poured out.

Lu Kangnian wasn’t afraid. Seeing the flood of reinforcements, he pointed his sword at the sky and called, “Today, the Daxia Sword Sect returns to the world! Attention, all Daxia Sword Sect disciples!”

Boom! Boom boom boom!

Auras flared one after another as a thousand disciples rose into the air, some on top of their swords, others flying under their own power. Every face burned with fighting spirit, and the seven peak masters of the Daxia Sword Sect’s peaks stood in front of the disciples.

Qin Xian stood beside Lu Kangnian, his hands clasped behind his back. On Lu Kangnian’s other side was a rotund old man in hemp clothing with a big nose—Ling Daoyan.

At that moment, the crowd realized that the Daxia Sword Sect had seven Divine Transformation Realm cultivators.

“Attention, all disciples!” Lu Kangnian’s voice rolled over the land like thunder.

Cold sweat appeared on Mo Zhiyuan’s forehead. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

Lu Kangnian smirked, then glanced around.

“Attack!”