A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Sensing the unmistakable killing intent, Li Guanqi tightened his grip on the Red Lotus Sword. He breathed deeply and sighed. Looks like I’ve got to fight for my life.

Several sharp sword lights and knife lights shot toward his back.

Lightning flashed beneath his feet as he pushed his sprint technique to its limits, dodging the attacks by mere millimeters. They detonated around him in a chain of explosions.

Rumble!

He unleashed the Dragon-Elephant Subduing Sutra at full power, weaving through the shockwaves as debris scattered in all directions. He leaped back and fired two shining lightning sword lights through the void, then spun and crouched like a hunting panther, glaring at his attackers.

He held his sword horizontally across his chest, lightning radiating from his body. Seeing his power, the guards unleashed their own auras at full strength.

Both sides glared at each other across the void. The tension was palpable.

Sword Spirit watched in silence from inside the sword coffin. She couldn’t always help Li Guanqi. He needed to forge his own path, gradually gaining strength through each brush with death.

Both parties locked eyes across a thousand zhang. Not a single word was uttered. Swords drawn, they charged at each other.

A terrifying explosion shook the void. The powerful auras shattered the gray qi masses around them.

The two sides clashed intensely.

In the outside world, the sky above a mountain range suddenly warped across a thousand zhang, bulging outward.

The old man’s sword slammed into Li Guanqi and sent him flying hundreds of zhang back. He tumbled mid-air and stabilized himself, ignoring the split skin between his thumb and index finger. He flicked his wrist and slashed behind him without looking.

Clang!

His sword caught the man’s blue blade.

The momentum flung Li Guanqi away, and he shot toward the hook-nosed man.

Just as the man’s sword was about to pierce Li Guanqi’s body, Li Guanqi thrust out his right hand and roared, “Nine Heavens!”

Roar!

In the blink of an eye, a twenty-two-zhang-long lightning dragon materialized before them. The magnificent dragon stunned all three attackers, freezing them in place.

The hook-nosed man recovered from his shock just in time to meet the dragon’s golden pupils, filled with killing intent. Despair flooded through him.

Nine Heavens flung its tail with terrifying force. Even Li Guanqi, at the peak of the Dragon-Elephant Subduing Sutra’s fifth tier, wouldn’t dare meet that tail slap head-on.

Nine Heavens’ tail tore through the void and slammed into the man.

Bam!

Blood sprayed from the man’s mouth. His bones snapped audibly, breaking upon impact. Nine Heavens was already half a step into the sixth tier—an apex predator in any typical mountain range. Feeding on powerful demonic beasts had strengthened it considerably, and Li Guanqi often supplemented its diet with spirit stones and pills.

Peng Luo appeared at Li Guanqi’s side, strength surging through him. He, too, was half a step into the sixth tier. Mysterious purple patterns traced across his body as he placed his palms together, firing a bright light that shattered the blue sword light.

Boom!

The man’s frost qi froze Peng Luo’s arms, turning them into blocks of ice.

Li Guanqi turned to face the old man. He licked his cracked lips, a surge of fighting spirit coursing through him as he sheathed his sword in the lightning sword sheath.

The four-chi-long lightning sword sheath was so dense it almost seemed solid. Peng Luo had bought him an extra half-second, just enough time for it to reach its full power.

The white-haired old man stared at the sheath. Li Guanqi placed his left hand on the hilt, and the old man jumped in fright.

The next attack could kill him.

The old man swallowed several pills without hesitation. A shield of purple jade appeared in his left hand while he drew a knife with his right. Several talismans flew from his robes, plastered themselves across his body, and burst into flames.

His aura climbed to the mid Illusory Refinement Realm.

Devastating knife intent erupted from him. A blood-red glow emanated from his blade, and its sharp knife intent intensified.

Li Guanqi and the old man radiated hostility, each unwilling to let their guard down.

If Li Guanqi didn’t handle this carefully, he could die.

At the very last moment, a voice rang out from the depths of the void with great urgency. “Stop! Everyone, stop!”

The old man froze. “That’s...”

Both sides halted their attacks and retreated more than a hundred zhang, watching each other warily.

Li Guanqi stood on Nine Heavens with Peng Luo behind him. Li Guanqi held his sword in one hand and stuffed one of Peng Luo’s arms into his mouth with the other.

Though the fight had been brief, Li Guanqi had sustained many injuries. He was fighting three Illusory Refinement Realm cultivators, after all. He’d managed to avoid fatal wounds, but he couldn’t dodge everything.

A cold glint shone in Nine Heavens’ eyes. Lightning crackled around it, and its dragon scales gleamed with a metallic sheen.

The guards remained cautious—they had no choice after witnessing Li Guanqi’s strength. A real dragon, something that only existed in ancient legends, had appeared before them. And that strange radish had also proved it was not to be underestimated.

The youth was approaching rapidly from afar.

The trio’s black armor had long become tattered. They exchanged glances, then spoke through voice transmission.

“That voice... Did you guys hear it too?”

“Yes, that’s Young Sect Master He Yuning of the Great Profound Sword Sect!”

“Why’s he here? Maybe he knows this guy?”

“I don’t know. Let’s wait and see.”

He Yuning, dressed in green robes, appeared between both parties. He raised his hand, trying to mediate.

He Yuning glanced at Li Guanqi, then at the dragon. He gulped admiringly.

He turned to the trio and cupped his hands. “My name is He Yuning. Greetings, Elder Guo, Elder Zhao, and Elder Li.”

The old man—Elder Guo—nodded and bowed in return. “Yuning, why are you here?”

He Yuning glanced at Li Guanqi and said hurriedly, “This is my good friend, Ye Feng. I’m sure he had a reason beyond his control for attacking someone in Heavenly Cloud City. There must be some misunderstanding here. Could we all sit down and talk about this?”