Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Even Nangong Xuandu could not help but praise him. “What a stroke of luck… to think you even managed to devour that thing.”

Ye Feng slowly turned away from the Lu clan. Blood surged up his throat, but he forcibly swallowed it back down. Standing tall, he faced the cultivators of the Six Territories. His eyes narrowed slightly, then he raised an arm and shouted, “The Six Territories will prevail!”

At the sight of the blood-soaked Ye Feng, the gathered cultivators erupted into cheers, shouting his name at the top of their lungs.

From that day on, Ye Feng would bear a title that would spread across the land.

“Sword Maniac, Ye Feng!”

“Ye Feng! Ye Feng!”

“Insane! Ye Feng! I’m your biggest fan!”

The Six Territories cultivators went wild. Earlier, when word spread that Lu Xiuzhong was the Lu clan’s Graceful Tiger, hearts had sunk across the field. Having already seen what Lu Xingyuan could do, they could only imagine how formidable Lu Xiuzhong, the other half of the Lu clan’s Twin Monks, would prove.

Zhou Shiyu’s victory had rested entirely on his extraordinary willpower. As for Ye Feng, only a handful knew even fragments of his past. Some had heard that he and a few companions once traveled to the Taiqing Territory and killed Cao Zhennan, the Southern Heavenly King. But even so, they didn’t actually know much about him. Now and then, someone would recognize him, but only for the power of his Ghost Arm.

Today, however, Ye Feng had shown them what a true sword cultivator looked like. From the moment he stepped onto the stage, he dominated the battle. His vital force was boundless, his spirit root talent extraordinary, and his sword spirit void of the highest grade. Above all, his half-human, half-demonic form was something no one who saw it would ever forget. His wild, unrestrained display of power had earned the respect of everyone present. Nangong Xuandu unhurriedly announced, “The fourth match goes to the Daxia Sword Sect. Ye Feng wins. Take a short rest and prepare for the last match.”

Ye Feng darted back toward Li Guanqi, but the moment he landed, he staggered and nearly fell against him. Li Guanqi caught him, and the instant he felt Ye Feng’s chaotic condition, his expression shifted. He tossed Ye Feng into the medicinal pool just as Lu Kangnian arrived.

Lu Kangnian looked at Peng Luo lying by the edge of the pool. Only half his body remained, and his limbs had shrunk to the size of fingernails, unable to grow back. His head had been plucked completely bald, and his eyes had rolled back into his head. A trace of pity stirred in Lu Kangnian’s heart. Then he glanced at the three soaking in the pool, each with a shimmering green leaf stuffed in their mouth.

The purple-skinned ginseng lay collapsed nearby, its cheeks sunken, the spitting image of its father. As Lu Kangnian passed Peng Luo, he caught him muttering, “Not… a drop… left… Stop… squeezing…”

Ye Feng’s lips twitched. Peng Luo looked so pitiful that it was almost hard to watch.

The moment Ye Feng sank into the pool, he gritted his teeth against the pain. But Cao Yan’s and Xiao Chen’s auras were already stabilizing, and that was enough to make him grin.

He turned to Li Guanqi at the poolside and chuckled foolishly. “Big Brother… I didn’t embarrass you, did I?”

Li Guanqi chided him under his breath. “Embarrass me? Hardly. You were incredible! You nearly scared your parents to death, though. They’re both here in the realm right now. Make sure you let them know you’re all right.”

Ye Feng nodded, closed his eyes, and forced a relaxed smile. “Boss… I’ll be waiting to go loot the Lu clan with you. Leave me some of the good stuff.”

His eyelids grew heavier, and as they slid shut, he murmured, “Boss… I… can finally… keep up with you…”

Seeing Ye Feng lose consciousness, Lu Kangnian couldn’t help but comment, “Is this kid’s obsession really that strong?”

Li Guanqi said nothing, only gazing at the four unconscious figures in the pool. Two victories and two defeats. Those four had paid for that record with their lives.

Even Lu Kangnian had not expected the battles to unfold in such a twisted and perilous way. He looked at Li Guanqi with a faint smile. “Give it everything you have. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter; whatever happens, the Daxia Sword Sect can face it calmly. But… you must not die. Do you hear me?”

Li Guanqi turned to look at him and smiled lightly. “Sorry, Sect Master. That last part… I can’t promise.”

Lu Kangnian kicked him in the backside and snapped, “Get lost! If you can’t promise it, then find a way to keep it! You are not allowed to die!”

With that, he pressed several high-grade pills into Li Guanqi’s hand. He gripped Li Guanqi’s hand tightly and said in a deep voice, “You have to live. Only then can you do what you want to do.”

Feeling Lu Kangnian’s firm and warm grip, Li Guanqi glanced back at the four badly wounded figures in the pool. “Don’t worry. I’ll kill him.”

Buzz!

The moment Li Guanqi appeared in his white elder’s robe, all sound seemed to vanish from heaven and earth. Everyone knew that in a match this important, Li Guanqi would be the one to step forward.

He was always meant to fight the final battle, or rather, the one that mattered most. This battle would decide the fate of both the Daxia Sword Sect and the Lu clan. The victor would claim the other’s foundation and ten-thousand-year legacy. It was a price neither side could afford to pay.

Murmurs began to spread through the crowd.

On the Zhu clan’s cloud boat, the old woman Zhu Ying leaned on her cane and threw a strange look at Lu Wuhen. Then she turned to Lu Hengtian, her tone teasing. “Lu Hengtian, even you didn’t expect this martial stage you brushed off to drag on to the fifth round, did you? Heh. Or maybe you just never considered what it would cost to lose everything.”

Lu Hengtian’s expression darkened, and not because of her veiled mockery. It was the grandson standing behind him. Ever since piecing certain things together, Lu Hengtian had been simmering with anger. His own grandson had dared to scheme against even him. His eyes narrowed to slits as he fixed Lu Wuhen with a cold stare.

His voice, thick with suppressed fury, reached Lu Wuhen alone. “Do you know what you’re doing? Are you trying to provoke me?”

Cold and heavy killing intent enveloped Lu Wuhen. But he merely smiled, meeting Lu Hengtian’s gaze. “Grandfather, why so angry? I’m going to lead the Lu clan to greatness. A few deaths… what do they matter?”

Lu Hengtian stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head with a sigh. “Wuhen, you’re too arrogant.”

“That’s because I have the capital to be arrogant.”

“And if you lose?”

“And if I win?”

“Win, and I’ll overlook your scheming against Xingyuan and Xiuzhong. Lose... and your life is forfeit!” Lu Hengtian said.

Lu Wuhen smiled and walked past the old man. Lu Wuhen’s eyes burned as he looked toward the high platform. In a calm voice, he said, “If I win... I will become the king of the Lu clan!”

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