Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Song Yunshu passed Li Guanqi a cup of spirit tea. The flirtation in her eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by a grave stillness. She lifted her hand. A dozen arrays lit up across the study.

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. The arrays pulsed with tremendous power, and even an Illusory Refinement Realm cultivator would be exposed if they tried to eavesdrop. Activating them must have come at a steep cost.

Song Yunshu said quietly, “An ancient ruin is about to open in the Soaring Heavens Continent. The Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion needs a map sealed within it.”

Li Guanqi frowned. “That’s it? The Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion needs a treasure map?”

She nodded. “That’s right. Just a treasure map.”

Li Guanqi said, “From what I know, the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion has countless experts. Even if the ruins impose restrictions, I doubt that would hold the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion back. Take you, for example.”

Li Guanqi tapped the desk, studying her closely.

Song Yunshu let out a bitter chuckle. “You may be only at the early Divine Transformation Realm, and I’m no slouch myself, but the moment we met, I felt you could easily kill me. Maybe that’s why you were chosen.”

Li Guanqi pressed his lips together. He didn’t believe the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion lacked someone stronger than him.

But their reasons didn’t matter. He wasn’t in a position to refuse.“I want to see the ancient creation pill.”

Song Yunshu didn’t look surprised. She took out a shimmering purple jade box.

“The pill is inside. Wrap it with spatial force before opening it, or the medicinal essence will bleed away.”

Li Guanqi nodded and sealed the surrounding space before slowly opening the jade box. A heavy fragrance spilled out, rich with life force and an otherworldly aura. He closed the box carefully. The pill could indeed save his master.

He placed the box on the table, and his gaze turned cold.

“I want to know everything about Chen Zhi.”

Song Yunshu handed him a jade slip, clearly prepared for the meeting.

Then her face drained of color. Her heavenly intelligence jade pendant flickered wildly.

She excused herself apologetically, bowed, and stepped deeper into the study to check the jade pendant. The moment she read it, her eyes widened, and her pupils trembled slightly. She was filled with disbelief.

The four pavilion masters stationed in the Daxia Territory had all been severely wounded at the same moment by a mysterious cultivator clad in golden armor. No explanation. No demands.

What stunned her was the implication: if that golden-armored cultivator appeared in four different places at once, those must have been clones.

Yet even the weakest pavilion master was in the Illusory Refinement Realm.

She set down the pendant with trembling fingers, unable to guess who would dare strike at the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion. She returned and said stiffly, “Mister Li, if you have no further questions, I’ll see you out. The Soaring Heavens Continent is treacherous. Please be cautious. Our Pavilion Master has decreed that even if the assignment isn’t completed, the ancient creation pill is still yours to keep.”

Li Guanqi looked at her, puzzled. The change in attitude was abrupt.

Why give him the pill after reading that message?

He picked up the jade box without hesitation. “Can you send this directly to the Daxia Sword Sect?”

Song Yunshu smiled. “Of course.”

After sending a message to Lu Kangnian, he followed her to a mysterious spatial tunnel.

A low hum rose, and he vanished into the tunnel.

Song Yunshu let out a long breath as she watched him disappear. For reasons she couldn’t name, speaking with him left her deeply intimidated. Very few people of her age, even in the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion, had ever made her feel that way.

“Chen Zhi… why would he kill Ning Xiu?” she murmured. She found it hard to believe.

***

Chen Zhi was the foremost cultivator among everyone below a hundred years of age on the Soaring Heavens Continent. Despite being a rogue cultivator, he was in the late Divine Transformation Realm, half a step from its peak. He resided in Yinxing State. He had no known conflict with Ning Xiu.

This was the information Li Guanqi received.

He traveled alone in the spatial tunnel. Constructing an intercontinental passage required three Illusory Refinement Realm cultivators, which made the tunnel exceptionally stable.

Li Guanqi sat cross-legged in mid-air as streaks of light streamed past. He frowned and murmured, “It doesn’t add up… Why would Chen Zhi kill Ning Xiu?”

He scattered spirit stones around him and sank into cultivation. His strength had already reached the limits of his realm, and a breakthrough was imminent.

He had many reasons for traveling to the Soaring Heavens Territory. Ye Feng being there was one, and the ancient creation pill was another. Despite the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s sudden change of heart, he had no desire to owe them anything.

As for that map… It was called the Heavenly Intelligence Map, and from the name alone, he knew it was nothing simple.

With the ancient creation pill, he no longer had to worry about his master.

But he still had to avenge Ning Xiu, who had died for him.

Buzz!

A surge of violent spirit qi poured into him. He could feel that Sword Spirit was close to awakening.

***

Buzz!

Three days later, a black spatial tunnel on a vast plaza glowed weakly. A cloaked figure stepped out.

More than a thousand figures hurried across the square, so his arrival drew little attention.

What shocked Li Guanqi was the crowd itself: human cultivators, demon races, and even powerful ghost cultivators.

Whoosh!

After just a few steps, the demons and ghost cultivators began eyeing him with open hunger. An old ghost cultivator with blood-red eyes licked his lips. “What a fragrant little broth.”

A female fox cultivator eyed Li Guanqi with a seductive gaze. “Such a strong masculine aura… such potent qi.”

Many people slowed down to look at Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi cast a cold glance their way and let his aura fall.

Boom!

The fox cultivator and the ghost slammed into the ground, shattering the stone tiles beneath.

Li Guanqi curled a finger.

Whoosh!

A streak of lightning sword qi severed the fox woman’s head. Flames erupted around the old ghost. Before he could scream, he dissolved into black smoke.

“Anyone else?” Li Guanqi asked, voice cold. The plaza fell silent out of sheer fright.

Some people murmured with great interest. “Who is that? He’s strong!”

Li Guanqi huffed coldly. He turned and took a step forward, covering a thousand zhang in a single stride.