Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

At some point, Zhou Shiyu had arrived at the Daxia Sword Sect, silently watching the battles on the platform. He was deeply shaken. His gaze trembled as he stared at the gravely injured Xiao Chen. In the man, he saw his former self.

The morale of the Six Territories cultivators had sunk to its lowest point. Before the wagered duels began, everyone had pinned their hopes on the Daxia Sword Sect. Some had expected them to lose, but no one had expected two straight defeats.

Li Guanqi glanced at Zhou Shiyu, gave a slight nod, and carried Xiao Chen away during the brief rest period. Uneasy, Lu Kangnian followed after him. As he left, he drew a strand of spirit light from an array source near the Spiritfish Clan’s river. They lowered Xiao Chen into a medicinal pool. Cao Yan was still battling the Lightning Dragon Flame, though he had gained the upper hand.

The medicinal pool was scalding, bubbling violently as steam rose. The moment Xiao Chen sank in, he screamed in agony. Lu Kangnian rushed over and waved his hand, making countless strands of golden sand swirl and wrap around Xiao Chen’s body.

Peng Luo sprang to his feet, dagger in hand. “Immortal-Seeking Sand?! The Daxia Sword Sect has this too? Who from your sect ascended to the Immortal World?!”

Lu Kangnian glanced at him but said nothing. After confirming that the golden sand had stabilized Xiao Chen’s condition, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

He turned to Li Guanqi, who had been silent the whole time. “Don’t worry. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

Li Guanqi took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “The third match… I might have to go in myself.”

“Why?”

“Brother Ye still hasn’t returned, and if we send Zhou Shiyu out for this match, he’ll die the moment Lu Wuhen steps onto the stage. And if he dies, the Daxia Sword Sect will have no chance of turning this around. So for this match... if Lu Wuhen or anyone far stronger than Zhou Shiyu comes out, I’ll have to go myself.”Lu Kangnian sighed and nodded solemnly. “Alright. Whatever the outcome, you’re all heroes of the sect!”

Swoosh!

The two of them returned to the edge of the platform.

Li Guanqi looked at Zhou Shiyu, whose aura was calm and steady. “Thank you.”

Zhou Shiyu’s sword-like brows and handsome eyes were shadowed by a grave expression. Even his breathing had quickened slightly. This match could decide everything, and he wasn’t confident either.

Still, he spoke firmly. “If I lose this match… it means I will have already died.”

Zhou Shiyu resolutely looked toward the arena. He had made his peace with death long ago.

The higher-ups of the Six Gates Holy Sect had all arrived. Gu Huai, the sect master, stood on the viewing platform behind them without a word. Tears welled in his eyes as he watched Zhou Shiyu’s back.

He knew the Daxia Sword Sect was the reason the Six Gates Holy Sect could enjoy its current peace. Now that the Daxia Sword Sect was in such dire straits, he had to step forward.

Li Guanqi and Zhou Shiyu stood side by side.

“I’ll make this clear,” Li Guanqi said softly. “If Lu Wuhen comes out for this match, I’ll go. If it’s anyone else, I’ll leave it to you. We can afford to lose, but... if possible, stay alive.”

Zhou Shiyu’s eyes flashed, and he nodded silently.

Time flew. When the incense burned out, Nangong Xuandu glanced at Zhou Shiyu. Then, unexpectedly, a tall young man from the Lu clan stepped forward.

Li Guanqi frowned slightly, then caught sight of Lu Wuhen’s faint, almost mocking smile.

Before Li Guanqi could speak, Zhou Shiyu took a deep breath and stepped forward. The next instant, he stood on the platform.

But just then, Lu Hengtian, the ancestor of the Lu family, spoke calmly from his seat. “Heh. As far as I know… the one on the stage isn’t a disciple of the Daxia Sword Sect, is he? In that case, can I send a junior from the Zhu clan?”

His words stirred up a storm. The Daxia Sword Sect disciples knew full well that Zhou Shiyu wasn’t one of theirs, but given the situation, they couldn’t say anything.

Even Zhou Shiyu frowned and turned to look back.

“Hahaha! A grand sect can’t even gather five Illusory Refinement Realm cultivators under a hundred years old?”

“How embarrassing. Your sect’s foundation is on the line, and you need outsiders to step in? Haha!”

“Exactly. How much did they pay that guy to go up there?”

“Maybe he’ll just put on a show and throw the match. Take the money, why risk your life? Our Lu clan will even throw in an extra reward! Hahahaha!”

“Hahaha! As expected of outside sects, so poor they resort to this!”

Mocking laughter erupted from the ancient clan cultivators occupying the western half of the sky. Even the Daxia Sword Sect disciples lowered their heads. To them, it was the truth.

But just as silence fell, a white-haired old man stepped forward. Frail as he was, Gu Huai unleashed his aura, and his Combined Body Realm pressure crushed the mocking voices into silence.

With a cold expression, Gu Huai sneered and took out a sect contract from his robes. It was the alliance agreement between the Daxia Sword Sect and the Six Gates Holy Sect.

The scroll rose into the air, its glowing characters laying out the terms of the alliance between the two sects.

Nangong Xuandu glanced at it, then turned to Lu Hengtian. “Any more problems?”

The Lu family ancestor glanced at it, his expression darkening. A sneer tugged at his lips. “It’s just a piece of paper. So what if you’re their ally? Do you really think an alliance contract allows your sect’s disciples to fight in the arena? If I ally with the Zhu clan right now, does that mean I can do the same?”

The moment he finished speaking, the ancient clan cultivators broke into chatter once more, and Nangong Xuandu frowned at the clamor.

Just as he was about to angrily quell the uproar, Gu Huai raised his hand. Dozens of storage rings floated into the air, and heavenly treasures of every kind, along with more than ten massive spirit veins, appeared in midair. Among them were the six great sect artifacts of the Six Gates Holy Sect.

Gu Huai slowly stepped forward. Unafraid of Lu Hengtian’s sharp gaze, he fixed his clouded eyes on the two cloud ships.

A mocking voice, infused with vital force, carried for hundreds of li. “Since we’re allies, I’ll stake the millennia-old foundation of my Six Gates Holy Sect as well! If the Daxia Sword Sect loses, we’ll hand over every last resource and our entire foundation. Lu family… do you dare accept the challenge?”

On the platform, Zhou Shiyu’s expression changed drastically, and he stared at his master in disbelief.

“Master…”

Gu Huai said sternly, “Aren’t you afraid? Your thoughts are tangled, and your mind is full of hesitation. So stake everything the Six Gates Holy Sect has! Hold nothing back! Even if you lose, the Six Gates Holy Sect will pay the price with you. What is there to fear?”