Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Zhou Yunqing revealed formidable strength the moment he appeared. Faced with the pressure radiating from Lu Hengtian, he showed nothing but disdain. He crushed it with a single glance, like a primordial beast sweeping across the world.

Lu Hengtian let out a dull groan, and everyone clearly heard Zhou Yunqing’s voice, deep and steady, charged with vital force, spreading in every direction like a cold shout. “Withdraw your pressure, or else…”

Before he could finish speaking, another massive azure cloud boat, over a hundred zhang in size and brimming with imposing momentum, appeared beside the Lu clan’s ship.

An elderly woman in coarse linen robes stood upon it. Her face was plump yet deeply wrinkled, with a cold, stern expression. She squinted at Zhou Yunqing, her voice frosty. “Go on. Or else what?”

“You’re at the late stage of the Mahayana Realm![1]”

Lu Hengtian glanced at the old woman with a blank expression. He muttered inwardly, Why is the Zhu family here?

The cultivators of the Six Territories felt as though a mountain were pressing down on their chests, making it hard to breathe. Before that decrepit old woman, they couldn’t even lift their heads.

Even Li Guanqi hadn’t expected things to escalate this far. The situation was clearly spiraling out of control.

At some point, unnoticed, an azure-robed swordsman with a sword on his back had silently appeared beside the old woman. The young man held an azure wine gourd, smiling at Li Guanqi before taking a sip.

Boom!The moment the old woman sensed the figure beside her, she thrust her cane toward him.

Clang!

A clear, resonant sword cry rang out. A longsword slashed upward from beneath her arm toward her neck, burying itself two fingers deep in her throat.

Still drinking, the young man glanced at the severed arm by his feet as if it were nothing. He tilted his head and said softly, “Zhu Ying, don’t make me kill you.”

The hunched old woman trembled uncontrollably the moment she heard his voice. Fear welled up from the depths of her soul.

She lowered her head, cold sweat dripping down her face onto the deck. Swallowing hard, she put away her cane and bowed. “I am Zhu Ying of the Zhu clan. Greetings, Azure-Robed Sword Immortal, Mr. Nangong.”

Everyone stared in disbelief, not daring to breathe. Only a moment ago, she had suppressed Zhou Yunqing of the Daxia Territory with her aura alone. Now, her arm lay severed, and a sword was buried in her throat, yet she didn’t dare utter a single complaint.

Li Guanqi looked at the azure-robed swordsman standing on the ship’s railing, his eyes bright. He murmured, “Azure-Robed Sword Immortal, Nangong Xuandu!”

Li Guanqi hadn’t anticipated encountering him so soon. When Hong Zhi first told him about the Eight Generals, she’d only touched on the subject briefly. However, she’d shared more details about Nangong Xuandu.

Nangong Xuandu pulled his sword free and slid it back into the scabbard on his back with a sharp clang. Then he stepped forward and appeared midway between the two camps. His gaze swept calmly over the crowd. “You don’t need to know who I am. You only need to know that I’m here to oversee the duel between the Daxia Sword Sect and the Lu clan of the ancient families.”

He glanced at the thousand-zhang battle platform floating in the distance. “Since everyone is here, let the match begin.”

Li Guanqi frowned and looked at Nangong Xuandu. Li Guanqi tried to send a voice transmission, but it was blocked. The corner of his mouth twitched. No wonder Senior Hong Zhi once described Nangong Xuandu as cold and unapproachable.

Buzz!

Under Nangong Xuandu’s control, the massive battle platform slowly rose, and a thick azure barrier enveloped it. The barrier’s strength far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Even Combined Body Realm cultivators could unleash their full power inside without restraint.

Nangong Xuandu’s voice rang out slowly, “I assume you all know the rules, but I’ll go over them briefly. Bone age must not exceed one hundred years. Anyone who has been taken over through possession will die by my hand. Beyond the age limit, your life and death are your own responsibility. There are no limits on cultivation level. Even Mahayana Realm cultivators under a hundred may participate.”

He continued, “All right. The first representatives of the Daxia Sword Sect and the Lu family may take the stage.”

Nangong Xuandu raised his hand and lit a stick of incense in midair. Clearly, neither side would have much time to prepare, and worse, the incense was burning very quickly.

Li Guanqi cursed inwardly, thinking, Can you not be a little more flexible? Why is this incense burning so damn fast?!

“Third Brother, where are you?” Li Guanqi said.

“Boss, we’re half an hour away! We’ve reached Central Prefecture!!”

“Hurry up, you don’t have much time left!”

Lu Kangnian’s forehead was already glistening with a fine sheen of sweat. Though his fists were clenched tight within his sleeves, his expression remained outwardly calm and collected.

Perched on the railing of the cloud boat, Lu Wuhen stared hard at Nangong Xuandu, who suddenly turned and met his eyes.

Nangong Xuandu tilted his head slightly and said softly, “Control your eyes. Keep looking at me like that, and I won’t mind killing you.”

Lu Wuhen lowered his head. In that instant, he clearly felt Nangong Xuandu’s killing intent. It was a warning, a clear signal not to even think about scheming against him.

Lu Wuhen lowered his head, his lips moving slightly as he spoke.

A moment later, a tall, thin young man teleported from the Lu clan’s cloud boat onto the battle platform. It was Lu Yun, the one Lu Tao had earlier nailed to a stone pillar. Lu Yun was a late-stage Illusory Refinement Realm cultivator.

But the moment he stepped onto the platform, Lu Yun understood perfectly that he was nothing more than a pawn sent to test the Daxia Sword Sect. His brow furrowed, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes as he looked around.

Being the center of attention thrilled him. He stood there and slowly steadied his breathing, bringing himself to peak condition within a few breaths. Every outside sound faded from his awareness, and every stray thought fell away.

Lu Kangnian spoke up. “Guanqi, how much longer until Cao Yan and the others arrive? This one looks dangerous. Even if he’s just bait, his strength isn’t something to underestimate.”

Li Guanqi nodded. Even the weakest of their five opponents wouldn’t be someone chosen at random. Neither the Daxia Sword Sect nor the Lu clan could afford to throw away a single match. Every defeat narrowed their margin for error in the battles ahead.

Everyone held their breath, staring at the burning incense in midair as it neared its end. Li Guanqi took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly.

Lu Wuhen’s grin nearly stretched from ear to ear. If they could use Lu Yun to take down Li Guanqi...

But Li Guanqi was preparing to forfeit the first round. Even if they lost, he wouldn’t risk stepping up just to chase a single victory.

Just as he raised his hand to speak, a white-robed figure teleported onto the platform.

The newcomer never looked back. He fixed his gaze on his opponent, eyes blazing.

“I’m Cao Yan of the Daxia Sword Sect!”

1. Formerly called the “Mahayana Stage.” The author started using “Realm” instead, so we’ll use the new term from this point onward.

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