Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Flames danced inside the cave room as Li Guanqi gradually released the power of the Lightning Dragon Flame from his body.

The materials and blood essence of the great demon coalesced into a human form, its flesh and muscle growing rapidly under vast surges of vital force. Even the blood of a tier-seven great demon seemed fragile beneath the searing heat of the Lightning Dragon Flame.

The process of forging the body went smoothly, but it still took him nearly a month to complete.

Li Guanqi sighed at the humanoid figure floating in midair. Perhaps others, when forging clones, only used random materials and a few fragments of their primordial spirit. But this time…

As Li Guanqi watched the primordial spirit divide into two independent entities, a wave of disorientation washed over him. He took a deep breath and started refining the Annihilation Lightning Spirit, aiming to merge his innate lightning spirit with the clone’s spirit root. The spirit root formed from this process would almost certainly be at least a Saint Spirit Root.

The refining process was tedious, but Li Guanqi’s mind remained calm. Each movement flowed naturally, almost instinctively.

At times, he found himself reluctant to consume the flames in his hands. The Lightning Dragon Flame had accompanied him for many years, but he had devoted all his energy to Sword Dao and had never explored the full potential of the heavenly fire.

A wry smile crossed his face. If Sun Miao knew, he would probably stomp his feet in anger and scold him for wasting such a treasure.

As time passed, the lightning spirit’s consciousness was erased, transforming it into pure energy that merged into the clone.

The clone’s features gradually took shape. It had fair skin, its face bearing a rough resemblance to Li Guanqi’s own, a high nose bridge, a pair of peach-blossom eyes, and slightly sunken eye sockets that gave it a deep, contemplative look. Overall, the figure resembled a carefree, roguish jianghu wanderer.He decided to make the clone’s hair white, partly to distinguish it from himself. He didn’t want a clone that looked exactly like him, or even close to it. Even knowing it was a clone, that kind of resemblance would unsettle him. He was himself, and there could only be one. Not even a clone could replace that.

Still, the clone’s eyes turned out nicely. A small, selfish satisfaction, perhaps.

This newly forged clone was like a blank sheet of paper, a newborn stepping into the world for the first time. Its cultivation level would be close to his own, at least at the early Illusory Refinement Realm. He wanted this “self” to see the world in color from the moment it opened its eyes, not through the darkness he had always known.

By the time he finished shaping the spirit root, another month had passed. As the purple light on the clone’s brow faded completely, Li Guanqi finally exhaled in relief. The two most critical steps were done.

Pale and weary, he swayed slightly. His exhausted sea of consciousness throbbed painfully. He was absorbing and refining spirit qi slower than he consumed it, and even pills didn’t help, leaving him mentally and physically drained.

Yet he showed no hesitation, staring at the clone as he continued the refining process. He had to complete it in one push. Only two steps remained: first, refining the demon pill nurtured in his dantian into the clone’s dantian; second, merging the split primordial spirit into the clone.

Outside the cave room, Lu Kangnian came by to check on him again, concern etched into his expression. He looked up at the lightning clouds still forming overhead and relaxed slightly. If it weren’t for the ongoing gathering of tribulation lightning, he might have tried to break into the cave room to see what was happening. Still, more than half a month had passed with no sign of activity. He couldn’t help but worry.

Meanwhile, since his return, Ye Feng had been in close contact with Xiao Chen. With the opposition gone, Xiao Chen now had complete control of the Xiao family. Several elders supported him, and the entire household was undergoing a full-scale renovation.

Xiao Chen had also arranged his father’s burial. His mother showed remarkable strength, helping him manage the family’s many affairs.

Cao Yan remained in seclusion, though the vital force fluctuations atop his mountain peak, far from Li Guanqi, were growing increasingly intense.

Ye Feng hadn’t created a clone yet because he was waiting for one of them to break through. He set down his jade slip and said in a low voice, “In any case, be wary of other forces with ulterior motives. If it comes to it, have your family move from your current estate.”

“Second Brother, don’t worry,” Xiao Chen said, his voice calm. “I’ve already made plans for these matters. The Xiao family cannot hold this region of abundant spirit qi, so we’ll leave within the next couple of days.”

“What about Eldest Brother and Third Brother?”

Ye Feng shook his head wryly. Even now, Xiao Chen was still worrying about the others.

“Don’t worry about them. Just focus on yourself. And remember, if anything comes up, reach out to me.”

“Understood.”

Buzz!

Ye Feng set the jade slip down and rose to his feet, turning toward the back mountain. He appeared outside the cave room in an instant. His expression darkened, and a terrifying wall of flames erupted, shrouding the sky and earth.

Boom!

The violent crash of thunder left everyone’s ears ringing, and they stared up at the sky in confusion.

Inside the cave room, Sword Spirit materialized and laughed softly. “A fine yin body.”

Boom!

The peak of the mountain shattered. Two figures in white robes broke through their barriers in quick succession.

Ye Feng sensed the two auras and froze for a moment. One felt similar to Li Guanqi, yet fundamentally different.

Li Guanqi himself now looked pale as paper, his bloodshot eyes betraying deep exhaustion. The aura that had once approached the peak of the mid Illusory Refinement Realm had diminished slightly; while his cultivation hadn’t dropped, his presence was noticeably weaker.

The white-haired youth in a black robe felt simultaneously familiar and alien to Ye Feng. The youth’s eyes were as deep as an abyss, and he gave Ye Feng a slight, knowing smile before teleporting to a remote area within the Daxia Sword Sect.

Clang!

Li Guanqi stood a thousand zhang away, and the sword box behind him flew open.

The Yanluo Sword shot into the clone’s palm, and the white-haired youth unlocked the sword’s Heaven-Opening Tier.

“Heaven-Opening Tier, Yanluo Ten Pavilions!”

Boom!

Lightning raged through the void as terrifying flames swept across the heavens and earth. The black lightning scattered in all directions, and Ye Feng’s pupils dilated sharply.

“Annihilation Lightning Spirit!”

Flash!

He teleported beside Li Guanqi, looking up at the storm forming above and swallowing nervously.

“Boss… what realm is this clone of yours in…”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly. “Early Illusory Refinement Realm.”

Ye Feng froze in place, finally realizing just how absurd the situation was.

“What?! Illusory Refinement Realm? So your clone is about to face five levels of tribulation? Isn’t it going to be smashed to pieces?”