Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Liu Yunxuan was overcome with agony and terror.

His world was pitch-black. All he could hear was Li Guanqi’s calm voice, describing the life he would endure from now on.

With his tongue torn out, Liu Yunxuan managed only muffled whimpers. The cold blade returned, peeling upward until it reached his scalp. The torment lasted half an hour.

By the end, he was drenched in blood, not an inch of skin left intact. His dantian had been shattered. Only his divine soul remained, sealed by Li Guanqi’s immense power. Yet even that was fractured, reducing him to little more than a mortal.

He trembled uncontrollably. If… I could just bleed to death… that would be fine too…

But Li Guanqi would never let him die.

Li Guanqi’s palm gripped Liu Yunxuan’s sticky flesh, tearing away a strip of bloody muscle.

“Monster! He’s the real monster!!”

Ye Feng and the others watched in horror. They recalled Li Guanqi declaring war against the Purple Sun Pavilion. Deep in the forest, he had buried two corpses underground, smearing their faces with honey. In the end, a bloodthirsty bear had licked their faces until their flesh was scraped clean.

And yet, Liu Yunxuan’s torment was far worse.After flaying Liu Yunxuan’s muscles, Li Guanqi even took slices of Peng Luo’s flesh and forced them down Liu Yunxuan’s throat. With Peng Luo there, Liu Yunxuan couldn’t die, no matter how much he wanted to.

Li Guanqi leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Don’t worry. Our time together will be very, very long.”

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking chilled the air. Li Guanqi broke them one by one until not a single one remained whole, then set about healing Liu Yunxuan’s flesh and bones.

Looking up at Liu Yunxuan, Li Guanqi sent twin bolts of lightning into his ears. Liu Yunxuan could no longer hear. He was now blind, deaf, mute, and even unable to smell. Only pain remained, sharpened to unbearable clarity.

In the pitch-black silence, Liu Yunxuan could sense nothing but endless torment. The darkness pressed in like a swamp, driving him to the edge of madness. His flesh was healing, but his terror only climbed higher.

He tried to scream, but no sound came.

A fresh wave of pain struck. The cold sword sliced into his body, not cutting flesh away but carving him as one might carve a fish.

Before he could comprehend what awaited him, a scorching heat engulfed him.

Li Guanqi summoned the Yin Hellfire, wrapping Liu Yunxuan in flames. His sliced flesh curled and burned in an instant.

Ye Feng muttered, “If you sprinkled pepper on that…”

Peng Luo stared at him in horror, muttering, “And you call me a pervert.”

Beyond the domain, Meng Jiangchu watched everything unfold. He sighed quietly, hands clasped behind his back, his aura intimidating everyone around him. Yet hidden eyes lingered all the same—spies from the other ancient clans. No amount of secrecy could hide the Liu family’s upheaval.

Meng Jiangchu’s eyes narrowed, his cold voice carrying for hundreds of li. “Anyone above the Combined Body Realm who dares to strike him, no matter which clan, should be prepared for slaughter.”

A wavering, elderly voice echoed from the void. “Meng Jiangchu, when did you become so arrogant? This boy slaughtered the Liu family. Will he not one day turn on us?”

Meng Jiangchu’s eyes widened. “That voice…”

He sneered coldly. “Old fool, do you want to try me?”

There was a cold huff, and a crimson-gold light shot forth.

Meng Jiangchu’s expression didn’t change; his hands remained behind his back as a massive dark-green flaming door appeared before him.

The golden ancient treasure spear slammed into the fiery barrier, its sharp tip stretching the door like taut leather. All its power concentrated at the tip as it inched toward Meng Jiangchu’s brow.

Yet Meng Jiangchu stood unmoved. Flames swirled, and several ghostly apparitions emerged, devouring the spear.

The elder cried out, “A heavenly flame… It’s the Five Yang Ghost Flame! When did you get that?!”

Meng Jiangchu sneered. “Old man, times have changed.”

The five fiery ghosts plunged into the void. A scream tore through the air.

Meng Jiangchu turned, his voice cold. “Think carefully before you make a move. Measure your strength. Can you withstand my retaliation? Trust me, my methods are far crueler than his.”

Silence fell. At least a dozen Mahayana Stage cultivators lingered in the void, all leaders of top-tier ancient clans. But none of them had expected someone as unassuming as Meng Jiangchu to wield such terrifying strength.

With a single heavenly flame, he had gravely wounded a mid Mahayana Stage cultivator.

Moments later, a middle-aged voice spoke. “Abyssal Demons are showing up and heretical cultivators are running rampant, but that is not our concern. This boy is cruel and merciless. His slaughter of the Liu family is an affront to every ancient family.”

Meng Jiangchu frowned. “Stop spouting nonsense. Just say what you want.”

The shadowed figures exchanged glances. One spoke. “The ancient clans… shall re-emerge.”

His voice was firm, echoing the will of the clans.

Meng Jiangchu retorted without hesitation, saying, “Impossible! If you re-emerge now, the Six Territories will plunge into chaos!”

The man fell silent. One by one, the auras faded into the void.

Meng Jiangchu muttered, “Bunch of sly foxes. Do they think I’m helpless? I’ll find someone to reason with them.”

He drew out a jade slip. “Elder Su, some ancient clans want to enter the world. They’re displeased with Guanqi.”

The reply came quickly.

—Yes, I know. As for Guanqi… don’t intervene. Let him manage his own emotions. Life is never smooth sailing. The cruelty of the cultivation world goes far beyond this.

Meng Jiangchu lowered the jade slip, gazing toward the Liu family domain with a heavy heart. He sighed and faded into the void.

For three days and nights, Liu Yunxuan endured relentless torment. At last, Li Guanqi hurled his broken body into the thunder tower, where unending lightning tribulations and soul-searing heavenly flames awaited him.

Finally, Li Guanqi sat slumped atop a mountain peak, dazed, surrounded by corpses and bloodstains.