Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi flew toward Jade Teapot Peak, where his old friends were waiting. He smiled, a rare ease settling over him. He landed, and they all piled into a group hug.

He looked around—Zhong Lin, Li Sheng’an, Zhou Zhi, and Wu Bing.

Zhong Lin and Li Sheng’an had always been close to him. Zhou Zhi, once the Grand Senior Brother of the outer sect, had looked after him back then. Wu Bing was Lu Kangnian’s chosen successor.

Seeing Wu Bing was a surprise. Wu Bing just shrugged and said, “I came to build a good relationship with you. Who knows, maybe I’ll have to depend on you someday.”

He grinned teasingly, and the rest burst out laughing.

Zhong Lin smirked. “Then you’d better start early. If you become sect master one day, Brother Li here will already be a top-tier powerhouse.”

Li Guanqi chuckled. He liked Wu Bing. He was upright and courageous. Whether or not he’d shown up to curry favor didn’t matter.

He took out a set of tables and chairs made of white jade, and they all took a seat.

“Hmph! You’re all here?! Why didn’t you guys call me?”

Wu Bing smiled bitterly. “Damn it, the little devil is here.”A streak of ice-blue light shot through the air. Yu Sui’an landed with dramatic flair, hands on her hips as she glared at them all. Then she pulled out a leather-bound notebook and a brush, dipped the tip on her tongue, and began to write.

After a while, she looked up at Li Guanqi pitifully. “How do you write the ‘Bing’ in Wu Bing?”

Li Guanqi added another chair with a smile. “Enough writing. Come sit with us.”

Yu Sui’an grinned and plopped down.

Light flashed at Li Guanqi’s fingertip, and a dozen jars of wine appeared. He pulled out a large chunk of demonic beast meat, started a fire, and began to grill. He didn’t use heavenly fire—he preferred to keep that secret.

Nine Heavens woke up the instant it smelled the roast, but Li Guanqi stopped it. It wanted meat, but it finally relented after he promised a private barbecue with even more meat later.

He exhaled in relief. If Nine Heavens were to appear, Yu Sui’an would beg to ride it eighty laps around the Daxia Sword Sect.

The other few had brought a lot more food too.

When it came time to drink, Yu Sui’an insisted on acting grown-up and downed a mouthful of wine. Not long after, her voice faded into murmurs, then snores.

Li Guanqi waved his hand, gently lifting her into the small wooden house nearby. He tucked a blanket over her before stepping out again.

It had been over two years since they had last met. Zhou Zhi was now at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, clearly close to a breakthrough.

“Life outside must’ve been exciting,” someone said.

Questions poured in, and Li Guanqi answered most of them. His voice stayed calm as he spoke, but every story was filled with danger. His composure when answering left them quietly awed.

They drank deep into the night.

Then Wu Bing suddenly said, “By the way, Peak Master Tu asked about Ye Feng, the gambler. He left with you, didn’t he? Why didn’t I see him?”

The conversations stopped. They all figured that something tragic had happened.

But Li Guanqi just tossed a few peanuts into his mouth and smiled. “Brother Ye? He thought he wasn’t strong enough and didn’t want to slow me down, so he left to train on his own.”

Zhong Lin asked curiously, “He left of his own accord?”

Li Guanqi nodded. “Yeah. He’s got pride. I don’t think he’ll reach out for a while, but don’t worry. He’s grown a lot over the past two years, and suffered plenty too. Hahaha. When he reappears, his name will be known across the Daxia Territory. I trust him.”

Li Sheng’an drank quietly with a grin on his face, not talking much.

Li Guanqi gave him a playful punch on the arm. “You’re doing well. Your cultivation’s improving fast! Anyone still bullying you?”

Li Sheng’an scratched his head shyly and said, “I don’t think anyone dares anymore.”

Zhou Zhi chuckled. “After you left, this guy joined the inner sect on his own merit. Trained like a madman, made rapid progress. His people-pleasing days are over—now he beats up anyone who crosses him.”

Li Sheng’an shrugged and pointed at Li Guanqi. “I learned from him. If I want respect, I can’t stay on my knees. Brother Li taught me that.”

Li Guanqi burst into laughter.

They talked until dawn, eventually turning the conversation to cultivation. A Divine Transformation Realm cultivator now sat among them, so it would’ve been a waste not to ask.

Even Wu Bing put aside his pride and asked about his own bottlenecks, not minding that Li Guanqi was his junior.

Li Guanqi answered them all, but only after they had downed a bowl of wine.

They drank without hesitation, as if it were water.

When morning came, Li Guanqi stretched and glanced at ‌them sprawled all over the ground. He clicked his tongue jokingly. “Too weak.”

Then he laughed, feeling his vital force surging through him. Facing the sunrise, he leaped into the air and began his punching routine. After more than a hundred repetitions, he drew the Red Lotus Sword and continued to practice.

Even without channeling vital force, his sword practice soon attracted a large crowd of disciples.

He ignored them and kept moving.

Suddenly, lightning flared at his palm, condensing into a lightning sword sheath. He thrust forward, snapped his wrist, and the sword slid cleanly back into its sheath.

Li Guanqi was crouching down, but he felt like an imposing presence to the bystanders. He gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand, then suddenly drew it again.

Boom!

He slashed, and the sword’s arc split the river below in two. Water exploded skyward, the two halves staying apart for several long moments before finally rushing back together.