A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

A cluster of flame inscriptions took shape.

“Six Yang Absolute Seal!”

Dozens of fiery points of light shot into Li Guanqi like awls, completely suppressing the rampant vital force. Sensing Li Guanqi’s aura stabilize, Gu Changsheng let out a long breath.

Meng Jiangchu arrived at the Daxia Sword Sect moments later. Meng Wanshu’s domain hung in tatters, and all four combatants were wounded. He frowned. “This is ridiculous! What do you all think you’re doing?”

Gu Changsheng sighed and looked at Meng Jiangchu. “All right, Old Meng, say no more. I’ve sealed the power inside this young man. Everyone, calm down.”

Meng Jiangchu inspected the four of them and found nothing more than superficial wounds. With that, he finally relaxed.

The clash had shaken everyone, especially Meng Wanshu and Ye Feng’s group. None of them had struck to kill, but Gu Li’s immeasurable mind power had shown them just how fearsome a talisman master could be.

That battle burned through resources faster than throwing spirit stones away, but there was no denying how unpredictable talisman masters could be in combat. Hide a few special-purpose talismans among thousands of others, and an attack could come from nowhere. The power unleashed by those priceless talismans was terrifying, and now that Gu Li had comprehended the talisman Dao, his methods had become even less predictable.

The group lowered their hands in silence. Gu Li clutched his shoulder and cast an apologetic look at the others. “I’m sorry...”

No one said much more. Gu Li looked long at Meng Wanshu, a chill sweeping down his back as his cold sweat dried in the wind. The woman before him was more dangerous than even Li Guanqi. If Li Guanqi was a prodigy, then Meng Wanshu was a monster.

Gu Li took a deep breath to steady himself. From start to finish, she never took a single step, yet the only wound he suffered was the cut left by her sword. Moreover, she had restrained Li Guanqi’s power throughout the entire fight.

Lu Kangnian said gravely, “Everyone, let’s discuss this in the great hall.”

With that, he went over to Li Guanqi, examined him carefully, and relaxed after confirming he was okay.

Ye Feng walked over to Gu Li. “Come on. Why are you just standing there?”

Gu Li was momentarily taken aback. He had assumed that after what had just occurred, he and the others were now on opposite sides.

Ye Feng caught his confusion and said quietly, “It was just a disagreement. We’re not enemies.”

Gu Li’s heart settled. He nodded silently and flew after the others toward the great hall.

The grand hall of the Daxia Sword Sect, situated atop Heavenly Sword Peak, was a magnificent sight. Its gilded, glazed tiles shimmered in the sun.

The great doors were shut. With two Mahayana Realm cultivators present, any attempt to peek inside was futile; there was no need even for a barrier.

Lu Kangnian did not take the head seat. He sat at the side with Meng Jiangchu and the others, while Meng Wanshu and Ye Feng’s group took the seats opposite.

Gu Changsheng glanced at Gu Li, sighed, and said, “Let’s talk. What happened?”

Gu Li held nothing back. He recounted everything from beginning to end. When he finished, both Gu Changsheng and Meng Jiangchu fell silent.

Everyone understood what it meant for an illusory spirit to become an independent entity. It meant Li Guanqi’s breakthrough to the Combined Body Realm had been dangerous in itself, and no matter how much he patched and repaired, his divine soul would remain incomplete. Even if he suppressed the problem indefinitely, he would face a choice once he reached the peak of the Combined Body Realm: never break through, or watch his illusory spirit die all the same.

Gu Changsheng had known that Gu Li and Coward Li were sworn brothers, but he’d taken it for just young men fooling around. He had never imagined it would come to this.

Both sides had valid points and understood each other, but it wasn’t a simple issue.

Meng Jiangchu sighed and looked at Meng Wanshu. “Guanqi himself probably wants to keep him alive, doesn’t he?”

Meng Wanshu looked at her father, hesitated briefly, then nodded. “I understand what he’s thinking. But... this path puts him in danger. I would rather he merged again with the illusory spirit.”

Ye Feng and Cao Yan remained silent. They shared Meng Wanshu’s thoughts. If the illusory spirit’s existence threatened Li Guanqi, they were even less willing to let him bear that burden. Today had made that much clear—even Meng Wanshu had barely managed to suppress Li Guanqi’s power on her own. Ye Feng would never allow it to happen again.

Gu Li frowned. He scowled at the gathered people and said sharply, “Brother Li himself wants Coward Li alive! Have any of you considered that?”

Even Gu Changsheng snapped back, saying, “Enough! This is for his own good!”

Gu Li, who had remained relatively composed until then, sprang to his feet and glared at his father. “For his own good? Hahaha! How noble. For his own good! We don’t have the right to decide Li Guanqi’s fate! Is what you call ‘for his own good’ really what he wants? If he wanted Coward Li dead, Coward Li would already be dead! That’s why I’ve come to respect Li Guanqi so deeply!”

Overcome with emotion, Gu Li shook, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably. He turned his glare on Meng Wanshu and Ye Feng’s group, silently questioning whether they truly understood Li Guanqi.

Meng Wanshu stiffened. She understood all the arguments, but when it came to Li Guanqi, she refused to allow anything that might endanger him.

Gu Changsheng’s face went cold. “Hand over the illusory spirit.”

The stone tiles beneath Gu Li’s feet cracked. He burst through the hall doors and stood in the void. “If you want me to hand him over, fine! Have Li Guanqi tell me himself!”

The words struck like iron on stone. Gu Li glared at the people in the hall, and a sudden helplessness took him, as though the entire world stood against him. He arched a brow and reached out to tear open the void.

But then, a white-haired young man in red robes stepped slowly out of Gu Li’s domain. One by one, he peeled the precious talismans off himself and handed them to Gu Li before gently patting him on the shoulder.

A look of serenity settled on Coward Li’s handsome face. He turned toward the great hall and lifted his head high. “None of you need to worry. I, Coward Li, am willing to die.”

Boom!

In an instant, Coward Li’s life force began draining away at a frightening pace.

Gu Li shouted furiously, “Coward Li! Have you lost your mind? If you die, what was everything I did for?! If you die, how is Li Guanqi supposed to face them all again?! He was ready to throw everything aside for you. Why can’t you just wait for him to come back?”

The drain on Coward Li’s life force ceased, and his vitality began to climb back at an unimaginable speed.

Everyone turned toward the white-robed figure standing atop the icy peak. Pale-faced, Li Guanqi teleported over and smacked Coward Li on the back of the head. “If you died, I’d be very sad.”

He turned and pulled Gu Li into a brief embrace. “Thank you.”

Then he faced the people gathered at the doorway, his voice grave. “This is the last time I’ll say this. From this point forward, no one is to scheme to kill Coward Li. From the moment I broke through, Coward Li has been Coward Li. He is not my illusory spirit, and I have no control over him whatsoever. He is himself, and I am myself. Even if you killed him now, it would not fill the gap in my divine soul. From the moment I overcame my Heavenly Tribulation, he became his own person. Today’s loss of control had nothing to do with him either. It was caused by a qi resonance, not his awakening.”

Li Guanqi’s words carried real weight, making his position clear.

Meng Jiangchu sighed in resignation. “All right. Since you know what you’re doing, we’ll do as you say. But... an incomplete divine soul isn’t something we can simply leave be. We still have to find a solution.”