Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

After putting away the jade slip, Lu Kangnian felt even more uneasy. The enemies Li Guanqi faced were growing stronger and stronger, and lately, whenever Li Guanqi contacted him, it was usually to ask him to clean up the aftermath. As such requests became increasingly frequent, Lu Kangnian began to feel increasingly powerless.

He did not even notice when Ling Daoyan appeared at the entrance of his study.

Taking a sip of wine, Ling Daoyan looked at him and asked, “Have you made up your mind?”

Lu Kangnian smiled bitterly. “The Daxia Sword Sect has grown into a massive organization, and I can’t rest easy leaving it in anyone else’s hands. As for that brat Li Guanqi, the sect could never tie him down. And now that something’s happened to Ye Feng… I can’t put my mind at ease. I simply can’t let go.”

Ling Daoyan sighed and said nothing more. The Daxia Sword Sect appeared prosperous and flourishing on the surface, but in reality, its true pillars were Li Guanqi and the others. Without them, there was virtually no one in the sect capable of carrying its banner. Not even Wu Bing, Lu Kangnian’s own closed-door disciple, came close.

Despite training desperately and constantly tempering himself in the outside world, Wu Bing’s cultivation had only reached the peak of the early Illusory Refinement Realm. He was still far behind Li Guanqi and the others.

Not long after Li Guanqi departed, several powerful figures suddenly soared into the sky from a huge tribal settlement in the western desert of the Ethereal Immortal Territory. An overwhelming pressure mixed with icy killing intent spread across the heavens. The great demons lurking beneath the desert sands scrambled deeper into the yellow earth, terrified of being caught in the disaster.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi sat cross-legged within the void, his eyes closed in meditation. Peng Luo and Nine Heavens stood guard beside him.

Meng Wanshu scanned their surroundings vigilantly. Then she turned to Li Guanqi and frowned slightly. He was using all his strength to suppress the fire seal between his brows.

They had finally obtained news regarding the Qilin Soul, but there was still no trace whatsoever of the Seven-Colored Glass Flower, and they only had three months left. Gu Changsheng and the others were frantically running one alchemy simulation after another, while several great clans had mobilized every resource at their disposal to help Li Guanqi, yet they still had no leads.As for the Eight Generals, not a single one could be reached. Gu Changsheng had tried contacting Xiang Huaizhi more than once, but he’d yet to receive a single reply.

Meng Jiangchu offered comfort, saying, “Don’t worry. If we each do our part, I’m sure Xiang Huaizhi will show up when the time is right.”

Gu Changsheng sighed and shook his head with a bitter smile. “I’m afraid that’s all we can do. Gu Li and the others have mostly recovered. Aren’t you worried about Guanqi and your daughter?”

Meng Jiangchu shrugged. “What can I do? They were already on their way home, but who could’ve guessed they’d run into an immortal before they made it back?”

Gu Changsheng’s expression turned solemn. “Old Meng, did you see the recordings of what happened over there?”

Meng Jiangchu nodded solemnly. “I did. To be honest, I never expected immortal blessings to actually exist.”

Gu Changsheng lowered his voice. “I’ve heard this incident has drawn the attention of quite a few major factions. Apparently, this mysterious blessing wasn’t limited to Qixia City. Similar sacrificial ceremonies have also been held in remote cities and even among certain ancient clans.”

Meng Jiangchu narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold. “Heh. This time, Li Guanqi tore off the mask of that immortal. No one has ascended in ten thousand years, and countless powerful cultivators are desperate for any chance at immortality. There will always be those willing to pay any price to attain it.”

He sighed softly. “It doesn’t matter. The moment they cross a certain line, someone will naturally intervene.”

He gave Gu Changsheng a long look. “Your son and Li Guanqi are brothers now, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. You may seek immortality, but now is absolutely not the time. As for those old fellows around you, try to talk some sense into them. If they know someone like Dugu Lingxiao, they must understand at least a little about what’s really going on.”

Gu Changsheng’s expression turned grave, and he nodded heavily.

***

Somewhere within the endless void, amid a chaotic storm of primordial chaos, a single speck of dust lay hidden. Within it stood an enormous black palace, sinister and silent aside from the occasional shriek of a man’s tortured screaming.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

“AAAH! AAAAHHH! Hahahahahaha!”

A black pool, one hundred zhang wide, lay at the center of the great hall. Within its depths, a ghostly figure struggled and howled in agony.

Outside the pool, two figures knelt on one knee. Song Zhi’ang’s face had gone slightly pale. Gritting her teeth, she couldn’t help but glance sideways at the man beside her. His hair, once blond, had turned gray-white, and his gaze was calm and hollow. His eyes were unnervingly numb.

Song Zhi’ang sneered. “I never imagined even you would fall into the abyss. Are you so desperate for power?”

Slap! Boom!

Ye Feng suddenly rose and struck her across the face. The terrifying force tore her cheek apart. She spun through the air before crashing into a stone pillar.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed from Song Zhi’ang’s mouth. “Ye Feng!”

She lay on the ground, glaring viciously at Ye Feng.

Ye Feng stood tall, tilting his head as he looked at her, his voice ice-cold. “What I choose to do isn’t for you to judge.”

Clang!

The Wrathful Slaughter Sword instantly appeared in his hand, its tip pressed against Song Zhi’ang’s throat. Then it began to sink into her flesh, cun by cun. The blade continued its slow advance as fresh blood trickled down its edge.

Ye Feng slowly crouched before her, driving the sword deeper. Killing intent churned in his eyes. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? You destroyed the trap he spent so much effort preparing.”

Splash!

A dark figure within the black pool slowly rose. He extended one hand and pointed toward Ye Feng.

Demonic qi surged from Ye Feng’s arm. The demonic spirit erupted, forcibly halting his movements.

Sha stared at Ye Feng, his eyes as deep and dark as an abyss. He sneered. “To keep me from learning certain things, you actually severed and sealed away all your memories of Li Guanqi’s secrets. What exactly is so special about Li Guanqi that you’re willing to go this far for him? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”

***

Ye Feng slowly turned to face Sha, whose flesh was still knitting itself back together. Ye Feng’s voice was utterly calm. “Does it matter? No matter what, haven’t I already become one of your people?”

Sha remained shrouded beneath layers of black mist. Broken ancient bells lay scattered all around the black pool.

The water churned violently as it slowly lifted Sha from the pool. A chilling smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he stared at Ye Feng and leaned close from the side. “Tell me… if you became a heretical cultivator, committing every kind of evil and killing without restraint, would Li Guanqi kill you in the name of justice?”

The instant those words fell, Ye Feng’s pupils shook. Yet, his heartbeat never faltered, as though he had long expected Sha to force him down such a path.

Sha had expected Ye Feng to panic upon hearing his plan. After all, Ye Feng had come here precisely because he valued brotherhood above all else. For Li Guanqi’s sake, he had willingly cast himself into the abyss.

Ye Feng suddenly stepped forward until he stood face-to-face with Sha, whose body remained shrouded in countless resentful souls.

Their noses nearly touched. Ye Feng stared directly into Sha’s eyes and said calmly, “You still don’t understand him.”

Sha slowly narrowed his eyes. For a moment, he considered killing Ye Feng right then and there.