Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi waved, and Nine Heavens returned to his side begrudgingly. Only after Li Guanqi gave it a pill and patted its head did it seem satisfied.

Seeing Li Guanqi toss a precious pill so nonchalantly, Peng Luo slid to his knees and hugged Li Guanqi’s leg, wailing, “Big Brother, I want some too… I’ve been in this damn place for over five hundred years. I haven’t had a full meal since. I’ve forgotten what pills even taste like! Give me one, please! Or even half! If you don’t want to, just let me lick it twice! That’ll do!”

Sobbing and wailing, Peng Luo poured out his heart, recounting his years of suffering while tears and snot streamed down his face.

Li Guanqi, annoyed by the noise, took out a tier-four pill and stuffed it into Peng Luo’s mouth.

The moment the pill entered his mouth, Peng Luo’s wounds closed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Looking refreshed, he licked his lips as if wanting more. He solemnly said, “From today onward, you shall be my big brother.”

He leaped onto Li Guanqi’s shoulder and waved his arms. “I’ve finally found a solid backer after all these years! To be honest, you’re very strong. Among all the Divine Transformation Realm cultivators I’ve met in the Hell Rivers region, you’re in the top three.”

Li Guanqi frowned. “Are there a lot of Divine Transformation Realm cultivators in the Hell Rivers region?”

Peng Luo lay on his stomach across Li Guanqi’s shoulder and closed his eyes comfortably. “Many. The Hell Rivers region may look small, but it’s got a diverse population. Divine Transformation Realm cultivators are very common here. Many of them are demons and ghost cultivators too.”

Then Peng Luo wrinkled his nose. His eyes shot open, and he stood on Li Guanqi’s shoulder, sniffing hard. “Fuck! An Empty Spirit Physique?! And someone drew the Mount Meru Immortal Runes on your body? That’s awesome!”

Li Guanqi’s heart lurched, but he kept his expression neutral.Mount Meru Immortal Runes!

Up until then, Sword Spirit was the only person who had recognized them. Peng Luo was the second.

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. This radish is not as simple as I’d thought.

A radish from the Upper World…

“How did you come down here?”

After learning about Li Guanqi’s Empty Spirit Physique, Peng Luo grew much friendlier. He settled onto Li Guanqi’s shoulder. “Me? Sigh… In the good old days, I was a big deal in the Immortal World. So powerful I could step on one immortal and punch another. Even the Immortal Emperor had to speak to me politely.

“Unfortunately, it’s easier to dodge a spear than a hidden arrow. While traveling the Immortal World, I was betrayed.”

Peng Luo turned and asked mysteriously, “Want to know what happened next?”

Li Guanqi nodded.

Peng Luo held out his hand. “Three pills and I’ll tell you the details. Ten pills and you get the whole story, plus my revenge plan.”

Li Guanqi immediately pulled Peng Luo off his shoulder and scoffed. Small body, big lies.

Peng Luo scrambled back and cried, “Look at you! Such a good opportunity, and you don’t want to take it.”

Li Guanqi sat in a chair. “You said I was in the top three among the Divine Transformation Realm cultivators you’ve met. Who are the other two?”

Peng Luo leaped onto the table and sat cross-legged. “You’re here for the ancient ruins, right? Based on what I know, those two are the only ones you need to watch out for. One is from the demon race. They say he has ancient qilin[1] blood in his lineage. His name is Xuan Lin—late Divine Transformation Realm, over a thousand years old. Much older than you.”

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and made a mental note. He knew the truly ancient and powerful demons all lived in the Immortal World. Those in the Spirit World were mostly mixed-bloods.

Peng Luo continued, “The other is a vicious ghost cultivator. Rumor has it he found some yin hell treasure years ago and cultivated something called a Ghost King Physique. His name is Ming Xiao, and he’s also at the late Divine Transformation Realm. Years ago, he fought nine powerful Divine Transformation Realm ghost cultivators alone in the depths of the Hell Rivers over some treasure. He won. Basically, these two won’t be easy to deal with.”

Li Guanqi nodded, tapping his fingers on the table.

Peng Luo lay down and snorted. “But… I hope those guys don’t run into you.”

Li Guanqi smiled, puzzled. “Why?”

Peng Luo replied as if it were obvious. “No one wants to fight a sword cultivator who’s awakened his sword spirit void twice, right?”

Li Guanqi’s pupils trembled. He studied Peng Luo for a long moment, then murmured, “You’re very knowledgeable. Could you tell me what awakening my sword spirit void twice means?”

Peng Luo stood up in surprise. “No way! But that woman inside you is so powerful… She’s a sword spirit, right? And she hasn’t told you?”

Li Guanqi smiled bitterly. “You saw her condition yourself.”

Peng Luo straightened. “Could you help me take revenge in the future?”

Li Guanqi shrugged. He grinned and said, “If I achieve a breakthrough, I’ll help you.”

Peng Luo took a long look at him and grinned. “Hahaha! Good. When that day comes, I’ll sit on that damn emperor’s head!

“I don’t need to explain what a sword spirit void is. Having a sword that truly complements its cultivator is rare. Some swords are limited by the quality of their materials. Others aren’t intelligent enough and can only reach Soul Dissolution at best.”

Li Guanqi listened intently and nodded. The Red Lotus Sword had reached Soul Dissolution and was deadly because of it.

“But beyond Soul Dissolution lies a stronger tier. Only cultivators with extreme talent in the sword Dao can reach it. It’s called Heaven-Opening—the second phase of awakening the sword spirit void!”

Li Guanqi’s eyes flashed. He murmured, “Heaven-Opening…”

Peng Luo nodded. “That’s right. The moment you reach this stage, your strength will skyrocket. Your sword will transform too. A sword cultivator who’s reached the Heaven-Opening tier will be peerless among cultivators of the same realm!”

1. A legendary hooved chimerical creature in Chinese mythology with dragon-like features, often depicted with antlers, scales, and cloven hooves. They are said to appear only at pivotal moments, heralding the imminent birth or death of sages or illustrious rulers. ☜