A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones floated in the air. The other disciples were stunned—even with sect points, accumulating such a sum was impossible. Zhao Ling must have had a lucky encounter.

Zhao Ling smiled confidently. “How’s this for a prize?”

He was delighted with himself, certain the sheer number would intimidate Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi looked at them with contempt. He lacked many things, but spirit stones weren’t among them. Forget the payment from the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion for the Heavenly Intelligence Map—he hadn’t even finished spending what Tang Ru gave him, much less Lu Kangnian’s contribution.

Li Guanqi produced the complete, shining demonic cores from the Nine Heavens Deer and the Three-Tailed Kunwu Wolf. They were worth several times more than all of Zhao Ling’s spirit stones combined.

“I don’t really want your spirit stones,” Li Guanqi said. “I don’t even want these demonic cores, to be honest. Do you have anything else?”

Zhao Ling was so humiliated that he stuttered, unable to form words. He had pills in his storage ring, but compared to tier-six demonic cores, his items were scraps that stray dogs wouldn’t touch.

His eyes burned as he stared at the demonic cores. If he could get the Nine Heavens Deer’s core and have a weapons blacksmith reforge his sword with it, the blade would advance by a full tier.

Clenching his teeth, he produced a jade slip radiating an ancient aura. A single 剑 (sword) character was carved on its surface.

“I found this ancient sword technique in a secret realm,” Zhao Ling said. “The Hundred Treasures Pavilion said it was at least a low Earth-tier technique!”

Li Guanqi almost choked. He thought Zhao Ling was going to give him something valuable.

He drew his Red Lotus Sword and slashed.

The surroundings dimmed for an instant. His sword light carved a deep cut into the stone wall, stunning everyone present. The surrounding sword intents had carved through the abyss for thousands of years, hardening the stone walls to the toughness of spirit weapons. Yet Li Guanqi’s slash left a mark.

Li Guanqi shrugged. “Take a look at that. Think it’s a Heaven-tier sword technique? Want to see more? I have plenty.”

Zhao Ling’s mouth twitched, and he awkwardly put the jade slip away. He was searching for an excuse to leave when Li Guanqi said impatiently, “Alright, we can use your spirit stones. Thirty-eight thousand, right?”

Li Guanqi produced more than three hundred high-grade spirit stones and tossed them into the air, forming a lightning boundary.

“Tell me what we’re competing on.”

“Anyone who comprehends the essence of one sword intent first wins,” Zhao Ling said solemnly. “The time limit is six hours!”

Li Guanqi agreed nonchalantly.

Zhao Ling’s eyes lit up. He rushed toward a sword intent covered in frost and surrounded by terrifying ice qi, so cold it was difficult to approach. He sat down thirty zhang away from it.

“I choose this one!”

A tall, thick joss stick appeared in his hand with a flash. He stabbed it into the ground and lit it. The stick would last exactly six hours. As if terrified Li Guanqi would change his mind, Zhao Ling sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

The people who had come with Zhao Ling were left in an awkward position. They couldn’t leave, so they stood behind him and waited, speaking to each other through voice transmission.

A female cultivator said, “Isn’t that a little... unfair?”

“What’s unfair? The blind guy agreed to it,” one of the guys said.

The girl glanced at Li Guanqi, who was strolling around casually. “That blind guy was clearly on the verge of a breakthrough when Senior Brother Zhao interrupted him. Also, this is Senior Brother Zhao’s eighth time coming here for the Frost Sword Intent.”

The guy with the drooping eyes covered her mouth. “Shut your mouth! Either you wait quietly here, or you get out! Fair? What does fair even mean?”

The guy ignored the girls and smirked. “Senior Brother Zhao has already reached a critical point in his comprehension of the Frost Sword Intent. Last time, he was just a sliver away from fully grasping it. I’m sure he can comprehend it today! Hmph... So what if he’s the Young Sect Master’s good friend? He can’t comprehend sword intent with just one visit! Senior Brother Zhao will make him pay for his arrogance!”

Li Guanqi could hear their voice transmissions, but he ignored them.

He gazed at the neatly arranged sword cuts on the stone walls for a long time, then murmured, “If sword intent could be comprehended just by visiting more often, then these elders... wouldn’t need to leave their consciousness behind!”

Boom!

To their shock, his gigantic sword coffin flung open, and a red sword shot out into his hand.

Li Guanqi’s aura surged, and his white robes flapped despite there being no wind. He shouted in a low voice, “Heaven-Opening, Red Lotus Heavenly Dance!”

Boom!

Sword qi flew chaotically as wind whipped through the abyss. The flowers on the hilt of the three-chi-long sword bloomed, and the whole blade lit up with red light, extending until it was four chi long.

Lightning vital force erupted through his body, and powerful sword intent shot toward the heavens, tearing a large hole through the thick mist above the Sword Abyss.

The drunken man on the edge of the trench shot to his feet. His eyes lit up, and he peered intently into the abyss.

Clutching the wine gourd, he muttered in shock, “Sword Courage Realm sword intent? Was it that blind kid from just now?”

Li Guanqi felt the surge of sword intent, his mind utterly tranquil. He, a swordsman through and through, sought only perfection in the sword Dao.

Of the thirty-plus sword intents in the abyss, most were in the Sword Courage Realm. Only a few were below, about to break through, while two had already ascended beyond the Sword Courage Realm.

One was the sword cut next to him.

Looking at the tens of zhang deep gash, he walked toward it with great determination.

The others were stunned, pointing at his back but unable to utter a word. His sword intent was as strong as most of those carved into the walls.

The powerful gusts from his sword intent naturally attracted the attention of the Great Profound Sword Sect’s disciples. Many of them flew toward the Sword Abyss to investigate.