Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

With everyone in agreement, Gu Changsheng and the others said no more. They had already poured everything they had into the pill formula.

Only Xiang Huaizhi frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought. Still, he offered no further objections, likely assuming Li Guanqi already had a plan.

Li Guanqi led Peng Luo and Nine Heavens forward and bowed. “Thank you, seniors.”

The seniors smiled and waved him off, and soon after, Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu vanished from the domain.

From behind, Gu Li shouted, “Brother Li! Brother Li, you’re not taking me with you?!”

Gu Changsheng smacked him on the back of the head and snapped, “Go into seclusion! You’ve only just attained enlightenment, yet here you are running around instead of consolidating your insights into the talisman Dao.”

Gu Li scratched his head and muttered, “But Brother Nine is about to break through... Without me, how would you get anything from him you could use in alchemy?”

He pulled out a large jade bottle and handed it over.

Gu Changsheng stared blankly at the bottle of dragon blood now in his hand. When he noticed Han Yuan and the others staring at it with bloodshot eyes, he hurriedly put it away. In the end, his conscience got the better of him, so he took out a storage ring and handed it to Gu Li.

“Ahem… Fellow Daoist Li asked me to give you this.”Gu Li scanned the ring’s contents with his divine consciousness. The sight of the dragon scales inside made him roll his eyes. He looked at Gu Changsheng and said, “Oh, so you really are my dear father. If I hadn’t handed over the dragon blood, you would’ve kept these scales for yourself, wouldn’t you?”

Gu Changsheng sneered. “Take it or leave it. Do you really think I don’t know you kept at least two bottles of dragon blood for yourself?”

Gu Li stiffened, surprised that his little scheme had been easily exposed. He turned and walked away, pretending not to have heard.

The moment he left, a pack of old men swarmed Gu Changsheng.

“Dragon blood! Give me some! I’ll pay you. Just a little! My grandson’s body conditioning has hit a bottleneck, and I could use a boost to my yang qi too… Old Gu, think of how long we’ve known each other…”

Unlike the other old men, Xiang Huaizhi maintained some semblance of dignity. He merely held out a hand. “Half.”

Gu Changsheng’s voice immediately rose. “What? Half? Xiang Huaizhi, have you lost your mind? Half, right out of the gate! Why don’t you ask Li Guanqi yourself?”

Xiang Huaizhi shrugged. “I wouldn’t dare. That kid treasures true dragons far too much. He’d never agree if I tried to draw any blood. I went to the Nine Dragon Immortal Sect and asked for a dragon offspring instead. It’ll come in handy later.”

Han Yuan and the others were surprised. “The offspring of a true dragon? Wait, the Nine Dragon Immortal Sect… Their ink jiao dragons actually had offspring with a true dragon?”

Han Yuan did not even say another word and immediately ran off. The other two old men exchanged a glance and shouted angrily, “Wait for us! Let’s go together!”

Xiang Huaizhi held out his hand again with a faint smile. “Old Gu, can I have it now?”

Gu Changsheng rolled his eyes. “Have what? Knowing Ye Xuan, it’s a miracle he agreed to their request at all. I can’t imagine what price you paid.”

Xiang Huaizhi smiled and answered readily, “The right to enter the Seventh Territory.”

Gu Changsheng frowned. “You can get him into the Seventh Territory? Then why have I asked you so many times without ever getting in?”

Xiang Huaizhi withdrew his hand. “The Ye family holds considerable influence in the Ethereal Immortal Territory, and after what happened with the Yu clan, they need allies. As for you, the timing isn’t right.”

He did not reject Gu Changsheng, which meant that as long as nothing major happened, Gu Changsheng would eventually be able to enter the Seventh Territory.

The refined and scholarly Xiang Huaizhi went on softly, “It shouldn’t be long before we hear something. And all of this is thanks to Gu Li. When you finally enter the Seventh Territory, you’ll have your son to thank.”

Gu Changsheng curled his lip. Reluctant as he was to admit it, Xiang Huaizhi was right. He lowered his voice and sent a transmission. “Then… what about Li Guanqi…?”

Xiang Huaizhi’s expression turned solemn. His eyes narrowed, cold as blades, and red flames flooded the hall. The gentle scholar was gone; the man staring at Gu Changsheng now looked like a god of slaughter.

His voice came slowly and coldly. “I advise you not to ask any further. I’ll warn you, but Long Hou and Hong Zhi won’t. Ask another question, and it would take nothing more than one punch from Chan Kongzi to crush the entire Gu clan.”

Gu Changsheng swallowed hard. He had clearly crossed a line. Long Hou had once leveled the Hell Rivers with a single spear, and experts at their level could read far deeper implications into that incident. Many had speculated about Li Guanqi’s identity ever since, but none had ever uncovered the truth. They could only conclude that his background was both mysterious and immensely powerful.

It seems Meng Jiangchu’s early entry into the Seventh Territory must also have something to do with his daughter...

Xiang Huaizhi took a deep breath and slowly withdrew the Crimson Sun flames. “The closer Gu Li becomes to Li Guanqi, the more your clan stands to gain. Don’t ask about anything else you have no business knowing. And that big white radish… do your best to protect him. Give him a few benefits when you can.”

Gu Changsheng handed over the true dragon blood and let out a long breath. “I understand.”

In the Ethereal Immortal Territory, Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu stood in midair, taking in their surroundings. This world looked almost identical to the outside except for its unfathomable vastness. Even the spirit qi was several times denser than in the Six Territories.

While the two marveled at their surroundings, the three old men rushed into the Nine Dragon Immortal Sect and found Ye Xuan. The three talked over one another until he felt a headache coming on.

“Enough! Let go of my collar and go back. The Nine Dragon Immortal Sect is closing its gates. We aren’t giving out any more offspring. Now get lost!” Ye Xuan said.

Boom!

Violent power swept across heaven and earth, hurling the three old men out through the mountain gate.

Only then did the gatekeeper nod in satisfaction and mutter, “That’s more like it… Guard duty’s been downright depressing lately.”

Meng Wanshu asked softly. “Where are we going next?”

Li Guanqi thought for a moment, then said calmly, “Searching like this is just wasting time. I just thought of someone who might be able to help.”