Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu crisscrossed through the air, launching attack after attack, yet Ji Yuchuan effortlessly handled every strike.

A few breaths later, Li Guanqi had fully decided to kill Ji Yuchuan. Although he still had not figured out Ji Yuchuan’s true identity, the strength the man had revealed far exceeded anything he had imagined.

“We can’t let him live. Wanshu, stop holding back!”

Meng Wanshu’s expression hardened. She let out a sharp cry, “Heaven-Opening Technique, Snow Phantom. World Freeze!”

Violent sword qi surged skyward and formed countless barriers of ice and snow that spread across the heavens. In an instant, the Guanyun Pavilion’s entire domain froze over.

Li Guanqi roared, “Heaven-Opening Technique, Red Lotus!”

Boom!

The three marks of heavenly fire on his forehead flickered wildly. Meng Wanshu’s eyes betrayed a flicker of anxiety. Li Guanqi forcefully suppressed the turbulent power within his body, maintaining peak vital force output through absolute control.

The Red Lotus Sword blossomed. Li Guanqi drew his sword and slashed downward furiously.

Rumble!“Red Lotus. World Annihilation!”

A colossal crimson sword light erupted forth.

For the first time, a trace of seriousness appeared in Ji Yuchuan’s eyes. He slowly exhaled and held his left palm out toward Meng Wanshu. Countless talismans shot through the air as layer after layer of flame-wreathed array runes materialized. His mind power was actually even stronger than Gu Li’s.

A plain, ancient longsword appeared in Ji Yuchuan’s hand, and he smiled helplessly. His sickly air finally gave way to a trace of vitality, and his eyes sharpened as they fell on the sword in Li Guanqi’s hand.

Facing the oncoming hundred-zhang sword beam, he murmured, “No Self.”

Boom!

An indescribable aura erupted from him. A sword light as brilliant as the blazing sun burst upward from the earth and collided with the lightning-infused sword beam.

Rumble rumble rumble!

The deafening explosion shook heaven and earth. Several pavilions instantly crumbled into icy dust and vanished.

“Enough,” Ji Yuchuan said.

He made a loose fist with his left hand. Dozens of talismans floated before him, blocking Meng Wanshu’s sword light. His sword hand trembled slightly. He winced at the chip in his sword, and a trace of lingering fear flickered through his eyes.

Li Guanqi did not care what Ji Yuchuan had to say. The more secrets Ji Yuchuan concealed, the faster their friendship faded away.

Li Guanqi shot forward again without the slightest pause and caught Meng Wanshu by the wrist. The two exchanged a glance.

Meng Wanshu nodded. With an explosion of strength, she flung Li Guanqi forward like a spear. His blood surged through his veins, and he stamped hard against the void.

Boom!

The sound of space collapsing echoed. Li Guanqi became a streak of white light and shot straight toward Ji Yuchuan.

Ji Yuchuan’s eyes glinted, and the corner of his mouth curled upward. “Since you want to play, I’ll play with you. Maybe it’ll knock some of that arrogance out of you, brat!”

Boom!

Ji Yuchuan’s gaunt frame abruptly filled out, becoming lean and upright. Physical strength no weaker than Li Guanqi’s own erupted from him. He exerted the barest pressure beneath his feet, and his white boots exploded. The tendons across the tops of his feet stood out clearly, though the space beneath his feet only rippled faintly.

Li Guanqi’s heart lurched. Ji Yuchuan had disappeared.

“Looking for me?” Ji Yuchuan asked.

Every hair on Li Guanqi’s body stood on end. Without hesitation, he slashed backward.

Ji Yuchuan seemed to have anticipated his response. He thrust out his palm and struck Li Guanqi’s elbow, then used the momentum to chop sideways at his neck.

Li Guanqi reacted in time. He raised his shoulder and slammed it into Ji Yuchuan’s palm.

Bang!

Li Guanqi was blasted hundreds of zhang downward. He crashed directly into a mountain peak.

Rumble!

The mountain shook violently, sending rocks tumbling down its slopes. Lying within a massive crater, Li Guanqi felt his blood surge backward. A metallic taste rose in his throat.

Before he could swallow it down, a foot came crashing down on his chest.

Bang!

The tremendous force drove Li Guanqi deep into the mountain itself.

Cold light flashed through the dust. Li Guanqi’s divine consciousness took the shape of a sword and stabbed toward Ji Yuchuan’s sea of consciousness. At the same time, he twisted his wrist and slashed at Ji Yuchuan’s ankle.

Ji Yuchuan smiled and pointed his toes straight, driving a kick at Li Guanqi’s wrist. If it landed, it would severely damage his wrist.

The blade aimed at Ji Yuchuan’s ankle changed course toward the top of his foot. At the same time, a spirit sword condensed in Li Guanqi’s right hand and shot toward Ji Yuchuan’s face.

Ji Yuchuan pulled back his left leg and leaned away, evading both attacks. More than ten enormous lightning serpents formed and coiled around him, but he merely snorted. The lightning serpents shattered into countless tiny arcs of electricity.

Ji Yuchuan’s ears twitched. A shrill tearing sound came from behind him. Meng Wanshu’s eyes flashed coldly as she raised her hand and clenched her fingers.

Boom!

Layer after layer of thick ice materialized out of thin air, forming a massive ice prison in the blink of an eye. Seizing the opportunity, Li Guanqi flashed out of the crater. He raised his sword and slashed at the ice prison.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

A storm of sword light filled the sky and leveled the mountain behind him.

Meng Wanshu flew to his side. The two stood back-to-back and scanned their surroundings warily.

Ji Yuchuan stood atop a pavilion with his hands behind his back, idly swinging his sword. He smiled down at them. “Looking for me? Have you never faced someone who uses substitute talismans?”

As he spoke, he tossed out six talismans. He bit his finger to draw blood, then tapped each talisman once. The black talismans burst with dazzling light. Six figures identical to Ji Yuchuan appeared.

That wasn’t all. Ji Yuchuan slapped more talismans onto the puppet clones, causing their auras to surge.

Li Guanqi took a deep breath and raised both hands. “I’m done. My grandfather really went to great lengths for me.”

Meng Wanshu’s heart skipped a beat, and she frowned slightly, struggling to understand why Li Guanqi would suddenly say such a thing.

Ji Yuchuan froze. His sickly appearance completely vanished, and his eyes curved into crescents as he smiled.

Putting away his sword, he asked softly, “Hmm... I suppose so. Otherwise, you would’ve crushed the jade slip hidden in your sleeve to summon Ye Xuan long ago.”

Li Guanqi sheathed his sword. “You never tried to kill me, and there isn’t a trace of killing intent on you. If you’d shown even the slightest hint of killing intent, I might never have suspected you.”

Ji Yuchuan touched his neck and curled his lips. “Never thought you’d really attack me, brat.”

Meng Wanshu was utterly confused. She quietly sent Li Guanqi a voice transmission. “You figured out who he is?”

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes at the man before him. “It’s you, isn’t it? One of the Eight Generals... Yu Shan.”

Ji Yuchuan smiled. “These days, I prefer Ji Yuchuan. It sounds better than Yu Shan.”

He flashed forward and appeared before Li Guanqi. Studying him with great interest, he asked, “When did you start suspecting me? After Hong Zhi? Or because of this incident?”

Li Guanqi slowly shook his head. “Neither.”