Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Ye Xuan had changed into a fresh set of azure robes and fastened his hair with a jade hairpin. His attire was dignified but not ostentatious.

With one hand clasped behind his back, he took a step forward and appeared outside the Nine Dragon Immortal Sect. Numerous sect elders stood beside him solemnly.

Within half an hour, the entire Nine Dragon Immortal Sect had taken on a festive air. After learning that a Mahayana Realm cultivator would be visiting, many disciples flocked out to catch a glimpse.

In the main hall atop the mountain, a grand banquet had been laid out.

Soon, Ye Xuan looked into the distance with a smile. A sound like the wailing of vengeful ghosts reached him, and his expression changed slightly.

He murmured, “The Five Yang Ghost Emperor. Meng Jiangchu!”

Immediately afterward, a wave of raging, wolf-shaped flames swept outward. Gu Changsheng had changed into his tier-eight alchemist robes, with eight spirit pill phantoms orbiting him like the sun, moon, and stars.

The robes were dazzling enough to nearly blind the onlookers. Gu Li hung back, mortified. “Sigh, my dad is far too flashy. Why does he always have to be like this? We’re only paying a visit. Did he really need to put on his alchemist robes?”

Li Guanqi gave Gu Li a look of pure disdain. “You make me sick... Absolutely shameless.”

Gu Li looked down at his own tier-seven talisman master robes and sighed. “Come on, Brother Li, I don’t own a tier-eight set. If I did, I’d be wearing it too.”Meng Wanshu covered her mouth and let out a soft giggle. She suddenly felt her father was a little more mature.

Gu Changsheng and Gu Li were quite the pair, impossibly arrogant before outsiders yet behaving like playful children around friends.

Still, the display clearly worked. The Nine Dragon elders took in Gu Changsheng’s tier-eight alchemist robes and turned even more respectful. The young man beside Gu Changsheng bore a striking resemblance to him, and the man’s flowing robes unmistakably marked him as a tier-seven talisman master.

By comparison, Meng Jiangchu, a tier-eight artifact blacksmith, was far more understated. With a gentle smile, he offered Ye Xuan a fist salute from afar.

The group of five arrived at the Nine Dragon Immortal Sect. Meng Jiangchu gazed admiringly at the nine stone carvings of ink jiao dragons beside the gate. “Fellow Daoist Ye, this mountain gate of yours is truly magnificent.”

The compliment only left Ye Xuan feeling bitter, and he laughed at himself. “Not so magnificent, really. Everyone who comes has to step on them. Haha, let’s not dwell on that. Brother Meng, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. We’ve already met young Wanshu.”

Meng Jiangchu merely smiled. They had all lived for thousands of years; he was not petty enough to hold a grudge over something so small.

“Fellow Daoist Ye is truly blessed,” Gu Changsheng said. “Allow me to offer my congratulations. Your sect’s ink jiao dragons will transform into true dragons before long. Haha!”

Ye Xuan bowed and returned the salute. “Many thanks for your auspicious words, Fellow Daoist Gu. The Nine Dragon Immortal Sect has no shortage of spirit herbs. Please help yourself to anything that catches your eye, haha.”

Gu Changsheng laughed heartily and loudly protested that this would be far too presumptuous. Inwardly, he cursed. This cunning old fox. If I take his wretched herbs, he’ll expect me to refine pills for him in return. Nothing is ever free!

After they exchanged pleasantries, Gu Changsheng began to introduce his son. Before he could, Gu Li stepped forward and took Ye Xuan by the arm as though they were old friends. “Aiya, why all the formality? Uncle Ye, we’re all family here. There’s no need to stand on ceremony. Come, come, let’s head inside and chat. Why are we all standing around at the gate? Anyone who didn’t know better might think Uncle Ye had forgotten to invite us in.”

Gu Li pulled Ye Xuan toward the main hall, chattering all the way. “Uncle Ye, it feels as though three years have passed since I last saw you. How have the ink jiao dragons been? Don’t worry. If necessary, my dad can double as a veterinarian. He can treat anything, so don’t be shy about asking.”

He continued, “Oh, and since so many people are gathered here today, wouldn’t it be easiest to bring out the gifts now? It’ll save you the trouble of sending someone to deliver them later, and you’ll gain some face too. Right?”

Li Guanqi watched Gu Li work the room and gave him a thumbs-up, then turned to Gu Changsheng in confusion. “Uncle Gu, has Gu Li always been like this?”

He should have kept the question to himself. Gu Changsheng gave him a meaningful look and grinned. “Not at all. He was not like this before.”

Li Guanqi frowned in confusion. “He wasn’t?”

Gu Changsheng’s grin deepened. “He secretly went traveling across the continent once and met someone called Coward Li. The two became sworn brothers. He’s been like this ever since.”

Li Guanqi was speechless and could only feign ignorance.

Two rows of Nine Dragon disciples welcomed the group in, every face showing the sincere reverence the weak give the strong. More than a few glanced at Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu with open envy. Even in the exceptional environment of the Ethereal Immortal Territory, reaching the mid Divine Transformation Realm before the age of thirty was enough to stand among the finest of one’s generation, and most cultivators were still stuck in the Nascent Soul Realm. Yet all three of these young people had reached the Combined Body Realm before forty, a realm many cultivators could not attain in their entire lives.

Once the hall doors closed, Meng Wanshu quickly grew bored with the proceedings. She simply shut her eyes and focused on refining her power to suppress her cultivation.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ye Xuan asked about the Yu clan. Li Guanqi thought it over and gave everyone a general explanation, then offered a brief account of what had happened without revealing the fox race’s special nature.

When he finished, Ye Xuan remarked, “It seems the secret arts the Yu clan obtained so mysteriously all those years ago were tied to this. Still... what a vicious method. Using the eyes of demon foxes as a catalyst is utterly vile.”

But Ye Xuan seemed to be holding something back, and Li Guanqi asked gravely, “Senior Ye, I imagine you wish to ask about the Yu clan ancestor?”

Ye Xuan nodded, his voice heavy. “Even within the Ethereal Immortal Territory, Yu Chang’an is a formidable figure. Over two thousand years ago, he built the Yu clan from nothing and established it as a dominant force along the Eastern Sea.”

He swept his gaze across everyone present. “Now that the Yu clan has been destroyed and the survivors exiled to the outer six territories, Yu Chang’an will undoubtedly hear of it. Of course, given how self-serving Yu Chang’an is, I doubt he would seek revenge for their sake. But…”

His voice trailed off. Ye Xuan raised his teacup and looked steadily at Li Guanqi. “Don’t forget that you’ve essentially severed Yu Chang’an’s path to advancing his pupil technique.”

Meng Jiangchu and the others nodded gravely. No one could afford to be careless when dealing with someone so ruthless.

In particular, after this experience of truly facing a Mahayana Realm cultivator, Li Guanqi knew that if he were ever to face a late Mahayana Realm cultivator, he would have no means of resistance whatsoever, even with every technique at his disposal. Perhaps his only hope would be to rely on the Sword Spirit’s power.

Li Guanqi understood this better than anyone. Now that he had truly fought a Mahayana Realm cultivator, he knew he would be powerless against a late Mahayana Realm cultivator, even with every technique at his disposal. His only hope might lie in Sword Spirit’s power.

Li Guanqi sighed. “After all this, I really may need to enter seclusion and focus on spirit comprehension.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Meng Wanshu, who was meditating quietly. During the earlier battle, for a brief instant, she had seemed like a completely different person.

Is this connected to spirit comprehension? Or rather, does a cultivator have to cross that threshold before they can contend with a Mahayana Realm cultivator?

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