Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi laughed at Xiao Chen’s expression and tossed the string of heads toward him.

The bloodied heads sailed through the air, and Xiao Chen flinched. “Damn it! Boss, what are you doing?”

Li Guanqi grinned. ”What am I doing? Taking them back. Once we return, open the Xiao family’s territory and hang these heads at the gate.”

Xiao Chen froze. “Huh? Open the Xiao family’s territory?”

”What are you afraid of?” Li Guanqi said, annoyed. “The Li family still hasn’t shown up. Don’t you get it yet? A family with a Combined Body Realm founder won’t care about the Xiao family’s resources. Your family’s strongest is only at the Illusory Refinement Realm. Once you hang these heads up, they’ll just think about how not to provoke you. It’s about deterrence.”

Xiao Chen took a deep breath, nodded, and turned to leave.

Seeing his sad expression and lonely back, Li Guanqi couldn’t help but call him back. “Wait a moment!”

Xiao Chen turned, puzzled.

Li Guanqi flashed over and placed a hand on his shoulder. His vital force surged, and the blood-stained robes covering Xiao Chen dissolved, revealing the white robes beneath.

Looking at Xiao Chen’s stunned expression, Li Guanqi said gently, “Don’t use your robes to remind yourself of your hatred.”He tapped a finger against Xiao Chen’s chest. “Keep it here.”

Xiao Chen lowered his head, saying nothing.

“If you keep wearing those blood-stained robes, do you think your dad’s spirit could rest? And every time your mom sees you like that, could she bear to look at you?” Li Guanqi’s voice softened further. “Some things are better kept in your heart. Wearing your suffering for all to see only irritates people. No one can truly empathize with you. They’ll just say you’re being pretentious and that it’s all for show.”

After a long while, a faint smile finally appeared on Xiao Chen’s face. He lifted his head and softly said, “Got it, Boss.”

His mood had lightened, the gloom receding. With that, Li Guanqi let him go.

Once Xiao Chen departed, Li Guanqi’s expression darkened. Recalling the strange treasure from before, he produced a mask and turned it over in his hand. He murmured coldly, “The Sha Organization… One day, you’ll pay the price.”

Whoosh!

Li Guanqi shot toward the Li family’s territory.

***

The air in the Li family territory was heavy and tense.

The family leader, along with all the elders and founders, had emerged from seclusion and gathered in the central square. They stood with grave expressions, as if waiting for someone. The massive square was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

At the forefront stood a middle-aged man in a purple-gold python robe, a white jade belt around his waist and a purple-gold crown on his head. He had sharp features, monolid eyes, and a stern face, yet a trace of unease flickered in his tiger-like eyes. He was the current head of the Li family, Li Yu, an early Combined Body Realm cultivator.

Behind him stood two elderly men. One wore a cyan robe and leaned on a bamboo staff, his deep-set eyes solemn. He sent a voice transmission in a low voice. “Yu’er… you were rash.”

Li Yu’s expression darkened. “Father, it’s too late now. Meng Jiangchu is coming, and he won’t go easy on us. Let’s see what he plans to do.”

The other old man wore simple gray hemp robes. His hair was graying, and he had a small goatee. Though his face was lined, he appeared more spirited than Li Yu’s father. He was the founder of the Li family, Li Changshan, Li Yu’s great-grandfather. He was the Li family’s stabilizing pillar, a late Combined Body Realm powerhouse.

Li Changshan’s face was grim. He looked at Li Yu with icy murderous intent. If not for him, he would never have emerged from seclusion. And learning about the situation happened had only deepened that fury.

Despite Li Changshan’s age, traces of a once-handsome face remained. He glared at Li Yu as he spoke in a low, sharp voice. “Remember, the moment Meng Jiangchu arrives, every last one of you will kneel and admit your mistakes. Whether to kill or to maim, that will be at the territorial lord’s discretion.”

Li Yu’s brow furrowed, and he snorted coldly. “Why should we? Our Li family has three Combined Body Realm powerhouses. Even if Meng Jiangchu comes, so what? We’re not afraid of him. Is it just because the Xiao family got involved? They’re insignificant. Does he think he can wipe out the Li family after dealing with the six families?”

Without a word, Li Changshan dashed forward and slapped him across the face.

Smack!

The loud slap startled everyone. Li Yu was flung dozens of zhang, his cheek swelling instantly, a clear handprint blooming on his skin. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, mixed with broken teeth.

“Ancestor! What are you doing?”

The family members gasped and rushed to intervene.

But Li Changshan’s eyes remained icy. He turned to face them and repeated his words in the same cold tone.

A slow, deliberate clapping echoed overhead. Everyone looked up.

Dark green flames surged through the void, and a figure in white robes walked atop the fire. With every step, a hundred-zhang expanse of fire spread across the heavens, raising the temperature until everyone felt as if they were inside a furnace.

Li Changshan slammed to the ground with a thud, bowing with his hands pressed to the earth. “Li Changshan of the Li family greets the territorial lord!”

The sight utterly terrified the Li family members, and they all dropped to their knees.

Li Changshan’s face paled, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and hitting the ground. The seventh-ranked Heavenly Fire… the Five Yang Ghost Flame!

A familiar aura…

In his mind, he recalled a man standing atop a mountain of corpses, dark green flames roiling beneath his feet.

The world knew territorial lord Meng Jiangchu, but few realized that three thousand years ago, during the territorial lord contest, he had single-handedly fought ten Mahayana Stage masters. The world revered him as the Five Yang Ghost Emperor.

Was he a sword cultivator? Meng Jiangchu’s weapon was not a sword. It was a refining hammer that had smashed ten Mahayana Stage cultivators to pieces.

Li Changshan trembled involuntarily.

Heavenly fire roared beneath Meng Jiangchu’s feet, revealing his murderous intent. He stood atop the clouds, the flames coalescing into a throne several zhang tall. He sat at its center, leaning forward slightly and lowering his gaze.

“The Li family dared to ignore my decree and strike the Xiao family.” His voice was unhurried, absolute. “As such… the Li family will cease to exist.”