Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi stepped onto the sealing altar, where a thick golden barrier radiated a soft glow. Beneath his feet lay an abyss of immense depth, tens of thousands of zhang deep.

The formation’s strength remained intact. It could last another hundred years without any problems. But just as Li Guanqi was about to speak, a chill surged upward from below.

Hiss! Bang!

A bizarre aura rushed up from the depths, slamming into the sealing barrier. Li Guanqi saw a jet-black demonic creature screech and ram itself into the formation. Its body exploded on contact.

The formation’s rebound obliterated the creature completely, without producing the slightest ripple. Yet every heart leapt into every throat. They stared in shock at the shattered remains of the Abyssal Demon.

Li Guanqi’s gaze remained fixed on the pitch-black abyss below, his eyes dark with thought.

Lu Kangnian appeared at his side and snapped him out of it. He said sternly, “You are not allowed to go down there. At least, not now!”

Li Guanqi gathered his thoughts, exhaled slowly, and nodded. “Alright.”

He glanced at Ye Feng and said solemnly, “Brother Ye, get ready. We’ll reinforce the seal on this Demon Abyss.”

Ye Feng nodded gravely, his expression heavy. He had not expected to witness an Abyssal Demon assault the formation either.Ye Feng and Li Guanqi worked together to lay five additional sealing barriers. The outermost layer was Ye Feng’s Yin Hellfire, a terrifying heavenly flame that nearly drained all of his strength. Next came Ye Feng’s vital force barrier, followed by Li Guanqi’s lightning formation. The last two layers were spatial sealing arrays placed outside the original Four Symbols Demon-Suppression Formation. If either of the spatial layers were disturbed, they would both sense it immediately.

After a moment of thought, Li Guanqi said, “Later, I’ll ask Uncle Meng to help me refine two special teleportation scrolls. If anything goes wrong, no matter where Ye Feng and I are, we’ll be able to return right away.”

Lu Kangnian nodded. “That’s a good plan. But as things stand, neither of you is permitted to venture inside.

“Unless both of you reach the Combined Body Realm, I absolutely forbid you from descending!”

Ye Feng and Li Guanqi exchanged glances, both feeling the weight of the situation. The abyss demon’s appearance was far too strange. For thousands of years, no Abyssal Demon had ever emerged from the sealed abyss. Yet the moment they arrived, one appeared. Coupled with what had happened to the Xiao family, Li Guanqi could not help but sense ominous implications.

After reinforcing the seal, the group departed. Once they separated, Li Guanqi summoned Ye Feng to Jade Teapot Peak. At the summit, under Li Guanqi’s persistent questioning, Ye Feng recounted everything he had experienced in the Dungeon Abyss.

Li Guanqi’s eyes grew grave. He drew out the Red Lotus sword. Ever since unlocking its Heaven-Opening Tier, the sword had gained an extremely special spirit void. Li Guanqi could use his own strength as the foundation for channeling Spirit Pardon, allowing him to subdue spirit-type targets. The Abyssal Demon spirit inside Ye Feng stood no chance.

A chill ran through Ye Feng, but he trusted Li Guanqi without reservation. He sat cross-legged and removed his upper garments, revealing a torso riddled with scars.

“Come on, Boss. I’m ready,” he said.

Li Guanqi was nervous too. This was his first time performing Spirit Pardon on an Abyssal Demon. He couldn’t be certain of anything. But he had to eliminate this hidden danger within Ye Feng.

Boom!

“Heaven Opening, Red Lotus Heavenly Dance! Spirit Pardon!”

Boom!

Terrifying pressure erupted. The Red Lotus Sword unraveled into countless crimson threads that shot toward Ye Feng’s arm.

The power of the Ghost Arm surged out of control, as if sensing danger. Ye Feng’s arm contorted unnaturally, his skin rippling as if teeming with maggots. Jet-black demonic energy surged over it, and his right eye turned blood-red. The crimson threads burst from the air, piercing his arm like countless needles.

Ye Feng trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat drenching his forehead. Still, he endured, knowing Li Guanqi’s actions were for his own good.

Li Guanqi soon detected the Abyssal Demon’s aura. Its purity and density made him tremble, and its bloodline was unmistakably noble. He had sensed the aura of the Abyssal Demon that assaulted the formation earlier, and now he understood just how pure the demon inside Ye Feng truly was.

When Ye Feng entered the Dungeon Abyss, his cultivation had only been at the Divine Transformation Realm. Li Guanqi couldn’t imagine how Ye Feng had managed to control it back then. But as the sword spirit void unfolded, he gradually came to understand. This Abyssal Demon had never been subdued. Their relationship was that of a parasite and a host.

A surge of anger erupted within Li Guanqi.

“How could I let some lesser Abyssal Demon parasitize my brother?! Hmph!”

With a cold snort, the crimson threads shot toward the Abyssal Demon, piercing its residual soul and pinning it in place. Without giving it a chance to speak, Li Guanqi formed seals and shouted, “Spirit Pardon!”

Boom!

The void was overwhelmed by the terrifying might of Sword Spirit.

The Abyssal Demon spirit looked up in terror at Sword Spirit’s phantom form. Spirit Pardon engulfed it, and Li Guanqi refined it into a stream of pure energy. His face turned pale. The mental strain was enormous.

When Ye Feng opened his eyes, Li Guanqi was rising slowly, hands braced against his knees, his complexion deathly pale. Then Ye Feng noticed that the power of the Ghost Arm had become far gentler. He could feel it.

He was about to urge Li Guanqi to rest when Li Guanqi straightened up. “I’m going to the Divine Treasure Territory.”

“Fourth Brother must be suffering terribly right now. Even if we can’t help much, just being there matters…” Li Guanqi said. His voice grew slightly hoarse. “If it were me, all alone, how terrible would that be?