Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Buzz!

Cao Yan’s eyes snapped open, exuding a powerful aura.

Boom!

Terrifying flames spread across the land, evaporating every drop of water in the pool. Cao Yan rose to his feet. Vigorous vital force fluctuated within him, which he forcefully suppressed.

Li Guanqi looked up at the dark clouds gathering overhead.

“Disperse!” he called out, his voice low but commanding.

Meng Wanshu tapped the air with her finger. The surging vital force around Cao Yan compressed, forced back into his body.

Only now did Xiao Chen and Ye Feng grasp Meng Wanshu’s true power. They had no chance against her. Even Li Guanqi was awestruck by her strength.

Once Cao Yan’s condition stabilized, they waited for him to suppress his cultivation level on his own.

“Wanshu,” Li Guanqi asked, “how long did it take you to kill those two Illusory Refinement Realm cultivators?””Meng Wanshu shrugged. “Not long. Just a little faster than you guys.”

The three of them smiled bitterly.

Buzz!

Cao Yan slowly opened his eyes. There was a flicker of blue fire in them. His eyes reddened when he saw Li Guanqi and Ye Feng. His voice was hoarse, trembling. “Big Brother... Second Brother...”

Li Guanqi and Ye Feng turned and rushed to him. They crashed into each other in a fierce embrace. Li Guanqi punched Cao Yan’s shoulder. “You fucking bastard! We couldn’t contact you for years! Afraid we couldn’t help you?”

Ye Feng was mad too. He kicked Cao Yan’s backside. “How could you be so stubborn? Just because you were in trouble, you didn’t want to call us?”

Li Guanqi grew even madder. He kicked Ye Feng far away and said, “You’ve got nerve saying that! When you went to the Dungeon Abyss, you did the same thing. You went completely dark!”

Ye Feng scratched his head, chuckling as he trotted back. “Hehe. Nothing happened to me, though. If I’d been in real trouble, I would’ve asked for help, Boss.”

Seeing the three of them arguing, Meng Wanshu smiled warmly.

Xiao Chen stood awkwardly to the side, not knowing what to do with his hands.

Li Guanqi released Cao Yan and turned to Xiao Chen. “This is Xiao Chen from the Divine Treasure Territory. He’s a good friend of ours. If he hadn’t helped during this trip to the Black Sect Territory, we would’ve had a much harder time.”

Cao Yan gave him a fist salute. “Cao Yan thanks Brother Xiao for the help. I won’t forget your kindness.”

A wave of warmth washed over Xiao Chen, and for some reason, tears began to well up. His sudden emotional outburst made the others panic a little.

To them, Xiao Chen had always been carefree. Perhaps only Li Guanqi sensed something deeper. Though he seemed aloof toward everything, he was actually quite sensitive. He hadn’t even gone home when they were at the Divine Treasure Territory, so Li Guanqi suspected Xiao Chen didn’t like being there. Perhaps traveling the world was the only way he could feel a sense of freedom.

“I’ve been alive for many years...” Xiao Chen said softly. “But this is the first time anyone’s affirmed my efforts. The first time I’ve felt needed.”

A smile spread across his face. He beamed at them, straightened his clothes, and gave Cao Yan a fist salute. “I’m Xiao Chen, a spear cultivator from the Divine Treasure Territory!”

Li Guanqi pointed at Meng Wanshu and said, “This is my Dao partner, Meng Wanshu.”

Cao Yan’s eyes widened. He saluted her. “My name is Cao Yan. Greetings, Sister-in-Law. You’re beautiful and elegant. You two are a perfect match.”

Meng Wanshu covered her mouth and smiled, returning his salute with warmth. “You really know how to talk, at least much more so than your Brother Xiao. I’ll introduce you to some noble girls when we get back, alright?”

Cao Yan turned bright red. He was still quite inexperienced, after all. He grinned but didn’t decline, looking around at the others with a mix of emotions.

That night, they sat around the campfire, talking late into the night and drinking a lot of wine.

Through the flickering flames, Cao Yan stared at them with reddened eyes. His tears finally broke free, and he began to sob.

Xiao Chen sat beside him, offering a comforting pat on his back. Only now did he fully grasp the ordeal Cao Yan had endured, from his time in that small town, to meeting Li Guanqi, and then their separation, all while being relentlessly pursued. And ultimately, Cao Zhennan had found and captured Cao Yan.

Xiao Chen clenched his fist tightly.

Li Guanqi tipped his head back and chugged more wine. “That’s all in the past. From today onward, you are you! The whole world is yours to explore! You no longer need to hide. There are six territories here, and you can travel them all with your sword by your side!”

Cao Yan nodded. Even Meng Wanshu looked at Li Guanqi with bright eyes. That night was filled with laughter, wine, and meat.

Who would have guessed that any of these four youths had the qualifications to be a world leader?

***

The next morning, Ye Feng woke up groggily. He tapped his head and looked around through bleary eyes. Then his eyes widened.

“Eh?! Where did Boss go?”

Cao Yan pushed Xiao Chen’s leg off his neck and sat up, squinting. “Second Brother... what’s wrong?”

Xiao Chen’s hair was as messy as a chicken’s nest. He cracked one eye open and looked around. “What? Brother Li’s gone?”

The three of them scrambled to their feet and extended their divine consciousness outward, only to hit a wall of powerful ice energy. The barrier halted their divine consciousness, and before they could break through, it was sealed with ice.

They stood stiffly. Li Guanqi coughed twice from inside the sealed boundary, then walked out.

Cao Yan and Ye Feng quickly grasped the situation.

“Cough, cough... I’m, uh... going to find a place to take a bath,” Ye Feng said.

Cao Yan was quick on the uptake. “I’ll go with you, Second Brother! I stink!”

They dragged Xiao Chen away with them, but tears streamed from his eyes as he wailed. “Sob sob... I feel so wronged... but I can’t beat him...”

Ye Feng patted his back. “I understand. Just focus on your cultivation. Maybe one day you can take him. When that happens, I’ll throw in a few punches too.”

Meng Wanshu punched Li Guanqi playfully, blushing. “I told you we shouldn’t! This is all your fault!”

Li Guanqi put on a serious expression. “I am only following my heart! What’s wrong with that?”

Boom!

Cold light flashed. Startled, he dodged sideways.

“Eh! You really don’t hold back, do you?”

Meng Wanshu returned to her usual elegance and huffed. “It’s to remind you of my capabilities! Next time... next time you’re on top!”

“Cough cough... Alright...” He cleared his throat. “Let’s head for the Daxia Territory. Everyone, let’s go!”