Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

It had been a full four days since Ye Feng and the others left.

During those four days, Lu Kangnian visited Li Guanqi’s cave room multiple times a day to check on him.

At the peak of Heavenly Sword Peak, a black spatial rift abruptly appeared. Sensing it, Lu Kangnian teleported to the location.

A spirit light array quickly took shape, and amidst the flashing light, a tall, upright figure slowly emerged. Lu Kangnian’s brows furrowed when he saw that only Ye Feng had returned. The odd look on his face deepened Lu Kangnian’s concern.

“Ye Feng, what happened? Why are you the only one here? Did something happen to Xiao Chen?”

Ye Feng nodded. A spatial force enveloped them both, and they moved to Lu Kangnian’s study. They sat across from each other, and Ye Feng recounted everything that had recently occurred.

Lu Kangnian remained stunned for a long while after hearing it all. He asked Ye Feng more questions about the Abyssal Demons, and after learning what had happened to the Xiao family, he let out a long sigh.

“You did the right thing. At a time like this, it doesn’t matter whether it’s their family matter. If you hadn’t stood by him, he would have felt utterly alone. Sigh… I never would’ve expected such a calamity.”

He recalled how Xiao Chen had diligently taught at the sect over the past two days. “Later, tell Xiao Chen that if he needs help with anything, he can let me know. Rebuilding his family estate is something we can assist with as well.”

Ye Feng felt a little uneasy as he looked up at the sect master. “The thought alone means a lot, but cross-territory teleportation consumes too many resources; it’s simply not feasible,” Ye Fengsaid.Ye Feng sighed. “Sect Master, how is Boss’ recent secluded cultivation going? And… what about Cao Yan?”

Lu Kangnian sighed. “The barrier around Guanqi’s location is still in place, but I can’t sense any trace of him inside. It’s like… how should I put it… as if the cave room within the mountain has been hollowed out. Nothing can be perceived.

“As for Cao Yan, he’s also in seclusion. No one knows when he’ll achieve a breakthrough.”

Ye Feng frowned, thinking for a long moment before speaking. “I don’t think we need to worry about Boss. If he can’t be detected, there’s nothing we can do. I trust he knows what he’s doing. As for Cao Yan, there’s nothing to worry about either. Best case, it’ll take ten days to two weeks. Worst case, three to five years. Either way, he’ll break through and create a clone.”

“Do you think… I could keep Cao Yan in the sect as a Judicial Officer?” Lu Kangnian asked, a scheming glint in his eye.

Ye Feng paused in surprise, then pursed his lips. “Sect Master, your calculations are a little too transparent.”

Lu Kangnian smiled awkwardly and took a sip of tea. He cleared his throat. “We’re all from the same sect, so you can be honest with me. What do you think?”

Ye Feng spoke bluntly, “Cao Yan is upright and dependable. He could do well as a Judicial Officer.”

Lu Kangnian’s face lit up, confident he could convince Cao Yan to stay. But Ye Feng immediately dismissed that idea. “However, I don’t think the Third Brother will stay in the sect forever.”

“Why?” Lu Kangnian asked, puzzled.

“No real reason. However, despite his scholarly look, he’s just as strong-willed and combative as the rest of us. Boss alone already puts immense pressure on our cultivation. So… the most likely scenario is that we’ll eventually leave to journey through the Six Territories,” Ye Feng said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Lu Kangnian sighed but didn’t insist they stay for the sect’s sake. “You’re not wrong. A young man’s ambition should span the world. You should ride the wind, traverse the skies, see every mountain and river, and experience all the joys and sorrows life has to offer.”

Ye Feng smiled, chatted casually for a while, and left the study.

Lu Kangnian sat in his chair, eyes sharp. He tapped the table as he murmured to himself.

“Demons!”

He stood and sought out Ling Daoyan, then summoned Qin Xian as well. He recounted everything they had discussed that day. Ling Daoyan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Lu Kangnian. “Is this all true?”

Lu Kangnian shook his head. “Ye Feng wouldn’t lie. Besides, given the scale of this incident, verifying it would be easy enough.”

Qin Xian furrowed his brows, an unusual trace of fear crossing his normally calm features.

Ling Daoyan pondered for a long while before speaking decisively. “No. We need to go check the Demon-Suppression Stone Pillars ourselves!”

The three of them each took out a black jade pendant fragment. As the pieces combined into one, a spatial ripple spread outward, and they vanished from the study.

***

Back in the mountain cave room, the spirit light in front of Li Guanqi completed its array and dissipated into the air.

He had simulated the entire cloning process over a thousand times. For Li Guanqi, nearly a full month had passed. He was unaware of any developments in the outside world, but he didn’t expect anything major to happen. After all, the Daxia Sword Sect already had three Illusory Refinement Realm cultivators—Meng Wanshu, Ye Feng, and Xiao Chen—along with Cao Yan at the half-step Illusory Refinement Realm. He doubted anyone in the Azure Cloud Territory would be reckless enough to provoke them now.

The spirit stones in Li Guanqi’s cave room, along with the ones he had prepared himself, were more than enough for his breakthrough. Even if the Sword Spirit had fully activated the ‌Time Flow Array, they would still suffice.

Li Guanqi repeated the simulation over a thousand times, and Sword Spirit observed every single repetition. Every time there was the slightest mistake, she would point it out to him at the end. The persistent repetition refined Li Guanqi’s temperament, as enduring such a monotonous process could easily lead to impatience or irritability.

Only after he had completed hundreds of consecutive attempts flawlessly did Sword Spirit nod in satisfaction.

When Li Guanqi slowly opened his eyes, Sword Spirit stood and said, “The rest is up to you.”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly and nodded. He then began to absorb spirit qi, filling both his dantian and the Heavenly Lightning Orb with vital force.

Three more days passed before Li Guanqi reached his absolute peak. He swallowed the Mind-Focusing Pills that Meng Wanshu had prepared for him, along with an incredibly precious tier-seven Illusory-Returning Pill.

As the pill’s energy transformed into pure power and circulated through his body, dark clouds gathered over the Daxia Sword Sect. But the clouds swirled chaotically like headless flies, forming patches that drifted aimlessly across the sky.

Li Guanqi remained calm, guiding the energy through his meridians. He had simulated this process thousands of times; there was no hesitation or awkwardness. But his primordial spirit eventually trembled. Under his control, a tiny black dot appeared on it. A soul-rending pain swept through his mind, and cold sweat soaked his robes.

After all those simulations, he had forgotten how excruciatingly painful it was to tear the primordial spirit. This pain was like forcibly ripping apart his three hun and seven po along with his entire sea of consciousness.

Though his entire body trembled, Li Guanqi did not stop. He had to complete everything before the Illusory-Returning Pill’s power dissipated. His lips quivered, and his shoulders shook involuntarily, but he endured the inhuman agony and continued without the slightest hesitation.