Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi hadn’t realized how severe Zhou Shiyu’s injuries were until he saw them himself. His expression shifted the moment he laid eyes on Zhou Shiyu, who was lying motionless in a medicinal pool.

There was hardly an intact patch of flesh left on him. Broken white bones jutted through his skin, exposed to the air. His body was riddled with multiple puncture wounds, and his blood had turned the pool of dark-green medicinal liquid nearly red.

Li Guanqi could not help but frown slightly.

Gu Huai stood beside him, slightly embarrassed. “I haven’t found a good way to deal with the demonic qi… Even at the Combined Body Realm, I’m helpless against the stuff. It’s almost as if it’s alive.”

Li Guanqi nodded. Once demonic qi built up inside a cultivator, expelling it by oneself was nearly impossible. Demonic qi contaminated cultivators’ souls and even fused with their flesh and blood.

He let out a quiet sigh. He couldn’t just stand by and watch Zhou Shiyu worsen. Left to struggle on his own, Zhou Shiyu might fight the qi for who knew how long, until he was forced to abandon his body or simply wait to die.

“Elder Gu, please step outside for now,” Li Guanqi said softly. “Leave this to me.”

Gu Huai’s expression trembled slightly. He cupped his fists and vanished in a flash.

The moment the old man left, Zhou Shiyu slowly opened his eyes. His lips were pale and bloodless, yet he seemed to have been expecting Li Guanqi all along. He calmly looked at Li Guanqi. “Even if you help me, I still won’t agree to your request.”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly and sat down beside Zhou Shiyu. “Looks like you already know quite a bit.”Zhou Shiyu replied calmly, “My master already tried to persuade me for quite some time.”

He lowered his head. “You’ve shown great kindness to the Six Gates Holy Sect and to me. I acknowledge all of it, but to stand in for the Daxia Sword Sect and gamble our entire sect… I can’t do it.”

His gaze was sincere. He was willing to repay Li Guanqi’s kindness, but even the Daxia Sword Sect, at the height of its power, wasn’t certain it could win this gamble. If the Six Gates Holy Sect lost, he feared the cost would be too great.

Li Guanqi reached out and dipped his hand into the pool. Fine strands of purple lightning surged into Zhou Shiyu. Upon encountering the lightning, the strange demonic qi plaguing him dissipated like snow under a warm sun.

As the demonic qi dissipated, Li Guanqi’s voice slowly rang out. “I’m the one taking the risk by choosing you, and I’m not afraid, so why are you? Even if you lose, it doesn’t matter.”

Zhou Shiyu’s heart trembled. The sincerity in Li Guanqi’s words was unmistakable. This was no mere ploy to talk him into filling the empty seat. Rather, whether it was Li Guanqi or the Daxia Sword Sect, they truly didn’t mind if he lost. Their inexplicable trust left Zhou Shiyu feeling both startled and deeply honored.

He raised his head and stared at Li Guanqi, his voice low. “Li Guanqi, why do you trust me so much? As far as I know, you’re not someone who trusts easily, especially not in something this important.”

A low hum echoed within Li Guanqi’s sea of consciousness as his immense divine consciousness poured into Zhou Shiyu, helping him sort through demonic qi and expel it.

Buzz!

Zhou Shiyu’s expression stiffened. A purple-fire lightning dragon appeared within his meridians, rampaging as it refined the demonic qi. Threads of black smoke drifted from him.

Zhou Shiyu swallowed hard. “This is... the Lightning Dragon Flame, a heavenly flame!”

Li Guanqi only smiled, not bothering to explain where the flame had come from. Coward Li had returned it of his own accord, and he’d had no choice but to accept.

Li Guanqi withdrew his hand and straightened his sleeves. He turned to look at Zhou Shiyu and spoke softly. “You know, the first time I saw you roaring in defiance atop the mountain peak… it moved me deeply. And that chain. I pride myself on my willpower, but I never imagined anyone would drive a magical artifact through their own heart in exchange for power. And yet, the power you gained wasn’t for yourself. It was to protect your sect.”

Light flashed in Li Guanqi’s hand as he produced two jugs of wine and tossed one to Zhou Shiyu. The jugs clinked together.

Li Guanqi tipped his head back and took a deep swig. He smiled at Zhou Shiyu, eyes shining. “This jug is to honor you as a true man. I know how much rests on the fifth person. I came to you because I trust you and know that once you agree, you’ll give it everything you have. Still, whether you join or not is your choice. I won’t force you.”

With that, Li Guanqi casually flicked out a streak of spirit light and a drop of dark golden blood, then turned and left.

After Li Guanqi was gone, Zhou Shiyu stared at the two items before him, his heart pounding. He took a long look in the direction Li Guanqi had gone, yet pushed the items to the edge of the pool.

He began to ponder whether he needed to worry so much. He had pushed the items aside because he didn’t want outside influences swaying his decision. He wanted to follow only his own heart.

Zhou Shiyu let out a long sigh. “A martial stage that stakes the entire Daxia Sword Sect… how could I ever shoulder such a responsibility…”

Gu Huai was already in the twilight of his years. Even if he were granted a heaven-defying opportunity, he would never break through to the Mahayana Stage. And even reaching the mid-stage of the Combined Body Realm was far from certain for Zhou Shiyu himself.

The reason the Six Gates Holy Sect hadn’t been challenged was simple: the moment the Lu clan sent their invitation to the Daxia Sword Sect, the Six Gates Holy Sect was already entangled, whether they liked it or not. The Lu family’s appetite was insatiable.

Back at the sect, Li Guanqi stood in a daze for a long while, gazing at the bustling sect grounds.

The Daxia Sword Sect had driven away all outsiders, save those from the Zhenyue Mountain Sect.

A gentleman is judged by his deeds, not his intentions.

Many within the sect felt they were wasting resources on the Zhenyue Mountain Sect, but Li Guanqi and the disciples of his generation knew the reason. Back then, the Zhenyue Mountain Sect had thrown its full weight behind the Daxia Sword Sect against the Purple Sun Pavilion, never imagining that the Daxia Sword Sect would one day rise to such heights. So all these years, Lu Kangnian had steadily supported his brother sect, never once growing distant.

Lu Kangnian said nothing, but the Zhenyue Mountain Sect recognized every act of kindness and remembered them all. In their daily dealings, the disciples of the Daxia Sword Sect on missions would readily entrust their juniors to those from the Zhenyue Mountain Sect whenever they crossed paths, without a moment’s hesitation.

The life-and-death bond between the two sects was something no outsider could understand.

A faint smile touched Li Guanqi’s lips. As he observed the sect’s prosperity, he silently reached a decision. Whatever the future held, whether or not he kept roaming the Six Territories, he would never let the Daxia Sword Sect fall now.

Ancient clans? The Lu clan?

“Since you dare to reach out,” Li Guanqi murmured, his eyes cold, “be prepared for me to cut off every limb you extend!”

Whoosh!

He vanished, reappearing atop the peak within the Purple Spirit Paradise Realm, where he closed his eyes and sank into cultivation.

Deep within the Time Flow Array, Coward Li frantically refined spirit qi. His aura surged, and he had officially stepped into the peak Illusory Refinement Realm.

He had reached the goal that Li Guanqi had set. Now that he and his illusory spirit both stood at the peak of the realm, they would merge into one.