Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu stepped onto the transport array leading to the Falling Sunset Territory. Li Guanqi beckoned to Peng Luo, and the little fellow blinked in confusion before hopping onto Li Guanqi’s shoulder. “What is it, Master?”

Li Guanqi pinched Peng Luo’s tiny head between his fingers. “Didn’t I tell you to stop breaking off your fingers?”

Meng Wanshu smiled as well, looking at Peng Luo.

Peng Luo’s eyes darted around as he said, “Oh, so that’s what you meant, Master. I don’t know what came over me this morning. I saw that steaming pot of noodles with gravy and thought it could use some shredded radish! The vegetable slicer was right there, and I just couldn’t help myself.”

Peng Luo sheepishly looked at Li Guanqi. “If I put it that way… would you believe me?”

Li Guanqi laughed bitterly. “Do you believe it yourself?”

Pouting, Peng Luo muttered, “I… probably… maybe… perhaps I believe it?”

Li Guanqi chuckled and patted Peng Luo’s little head. “All right. Just don’t do it again. I know you meant well, but thanks to you, Wanshu and I spent the last two days doing nothing but helping Auntie Li regulate the power in her body.”

Peng Luo scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. Li Guilan would probably break through soon, which would ease Meng Wanshu’s worries a little.

Peng Luo’s power was rather unique: it resembled a spirit liquid that could wash the tendons and cleanse the marrow. While it couldn’t alter Li Guilan’s spirit root, it could clear impurities from her body and improve her cultivation aptitude.Meng Wanshu gently cupped Peng Luo in both hands and said earnestly, “Thank you.”

Peng Luo scratched his head and giggled foolishly, waving both hands again and again.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Nine Heavens still hadn’t awakened, though the lightning fluctuating around his body grew stronger by the day. Li Guanqi had no choice but to wrap him in a layer of powerful spatial force. Now, purple light flickered ceaselessly beneath the sleeve covering his left arm.

Time always seemed to pass too quickly whenever he was with Meng Wanshu. A purple barrier quietly enveloped them, and Meng Wanshu’s cheeks gradually flushed crimson.

Peng Luo had just pulled Nine Heavens out of the void when he discovered a solid, sturdy pocket world standing directly in front of him. His eyes went wide with disbelief, and he mumbled, “They’re not letting me watch?”

He smacked his lips, tore the void open, and poked his head inside.

Smack!

A huge palm shot out of the spatial rift and sent Peng Luo flying dozens of zhang away. Clutching his swollen cheek, Peng Luo planted his hands on his hips and shouted, “If you’re not letting me watch, just say so! Why hit me? And why hit so hard? What was that for?”

Still, he no longer dared to act up.

Some time later, Meng Wanshu slowly emerged from the pocket world, her face flushed red.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi shot Peng Luo a warning glare before he could get a word in, grabbed him, and tossed him straight into the sword coffin.

With that, Li Guanqi coughed dryly. “We should be arriving soon.”

“Mhm...” Meng Wanshu replied.

Buzz!

A transport array appeared above a lake somewhere in the Falling Sunset Territory. Moments later, two figures stepped out. Trailing behind them was an enormous radish with a bruised, swollen face.

Buzz!

The instant they appeared, Meng Jiangchu contacted them through voice transmission. “You’ve reached the Falling Sunset Territory?”

Li Guanqi blinked, unable to imagine how many safeguards Meng Jiangchu had secretly placed on Meng Wanshu. “Mhm. We’ve arrived, though I’m not sure where we are.”

Meng Jiangchu immediately replied, “Good. Since you’re already here, don’t waste any time. Come straight to the Gu clan’s domain. Everyone is waiting for you.”

“Understood. We’re heading over now.”

The entire Gu clan domain had been sealed with several immensely powerful spatial barriers. Anyone inside could leave, but no one could enter.

The temperature throughout the domain had risen dramatically. Fire-element spirit qi churned like boiling water, showing faint signs of running wild. Flames of every color blazed into the sky, and an enormous pill-refining cauldron floated above the largest volcano.

The mountain ranges and pavilions that the Lu and Zhu clans had destroyed in their joint attack had mostly been rebuilt. However, the Gu clan had still suffered catastrophic losses. None of the alchemists taken away back then had ever returned.

Gu Changsheng and the others sat quietly with their eyes closed, settling into peak condition.

Han Yuan, Jiang Qizhi, and Guo Feng each sat atop a separate volcano, surrounded by surging waves of fire. A closer look, however, would reveal that all three were wielding Meng Jiangchu’s Five Yang Ghost Flame. He had stayed away from home this long so they could borrow its power.

Gu Changsheng stood with a frown, unable to shake his worry. Xiang Huaizhi hadn’t shown himself in a long time, and refining this pill required them all to work in perfect harmony.

During this time, Gu Changsheng, Guo Feng, and the others had rehearsed the refinement process more than a thousand times. And since they hadn’t been able to reach Xiang Huaizhi at all, Gu Changsheng had also taken over his part in preparation for the worst. If Xiang Huaizhi failed to arrive, Gu Changsheng would have to shoulder both their roles alone.

Still, Xiang Huaizhi possessed the Crimson Sun Flame, a fierce flame of overwhelmingly yang nature that ranked ninth among the heavenly flames. Without it, even the combined power of the Five Yang Ghost Flame and Gu Changsheng’s own Profound Heavenly Divine Flame might not be enough to sustain the refinement process.

Buzz!

The Gu clan’s domain trembled faintly. Standing beside the massive pill-refining cauldron, Meng Jiangchu raised an eyebrow, and his eyes lit up. “Brother Gu, Guanqi has arrived. Let them in.”

Gu Changsheng’s eyes brightened. “Already? Weren’t they still a long way off the last time you spoke to them?”

Though still somewhat doubtful, he dispersed the domain seals.

Moments later, Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu emerged from the void, their figures gradually solidifying.

Seeing the solemn look on Gu Changsheng’s face, Li Guanqi frowned.

Did something happen? Li Guanqi thought.

Meng Jiangchu’s eyes brightened at the sight of the pair. Though their cultivation auras hadn’t changed much, he could easily tell that they had become far stronger in combat. “Have you both grasped spirit comprehension?”

Meng Wanshu smiled and nodded. “Yes, though Guanqi improved much more than I did.”

Meng Jiangchu laughed. “So, you got both the Qilin soul and the Seven-Colored Glass Flower? Quick, let us have a look.”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly and waved his hand. Two violet crystal jade chests appeared before everyone, each nearly the size of a water barrel.

Even Gu Changsheng was momentarily stunned. His face lit up with excitement, and he licked his lips. “I’ll open them.”

Buzz!

The restriction dissolved. As soon as the jade chest opened, the Seven-Colored Glass Flower gave off a dazzling seven-colored glow. Powerful waves of vital force spread from the flower, and Li Guanqi felt a refreshing sensation in his damaged divine soul.

Buzz!

“This is...”