Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

With Fang Yishan’s current cultivation level, if he caught either Cao Yan or Ye Feng alone, neither would survive more than ten moves.

Cao Yan narrowed his eyes with resolve and abruptly retreated several tens of zhang. He bit into his fingertip to draw blood, then quickly painted something on his palm.

Seeing this, Ye Feng and Li Guanqi charged at Fang Yishan in unison.

Fire vital force through Cao Yan’s body as he formed a series of hand seals with both hands.

With a furious glare, Cao Yan roared, “Spirit spell number one hundred and eighty-eight! Flaming Guards!”

Boom!

A blazing figure over twenty zhang tall materialized before them. The Flaming Guard, clad flaming armor, radiated power equal to a mid Golden Core Realm cultivator.

Cao Yan pressed his palms together, then raised his fist and punched in Fang Yishan’s direction. The Flaming Guard mimicked the motion, its blazing punch smashing through the Thunder Wings shielding Fang Yishan.

Thud!

As the fiery fist tore through his defenses, Fang Yishan turned pale and swiftly drew his sword. But the blow had already hurled him back dozens of zhang.Li Guanqi seized the moment and appeared behind him like a phantom.

“Soul Dissolution, Red Lotus!”

Boom!

The Red Lotus Sword erupted with power, its blade shining with a menacing red light.

Li Guanqi’s eyelids drooped as he muttered, “Seven Killings, First Strike! Destruction Slash!

“Second Strike, Shocking Slash!

“Third Strike, Hunting Slash!”

Li Guanqi unleashed three attacks in one breath.

Thunder roared overhead, and an ear-piercing sword cry rang out. A one-zhang-long sword light burst from the Red Lotus Sword, followed by three bolts of purple sword light, each infused with lightning and surging toward Fang Yishan.

Fang Yishan twisted at the waist to evade the Flaming Guard’s next blow, then lashed out a dozen times with his sword. He roared, “Crouching Tiger Slash!”

Roar!

A tiger’s roar echoed as he unleashed a sharp arc of sword light.

Boom boom boom!

Deafening explosions erupted, and Li Guanqi shifted positions a dozen times mid-air, his rapid movements leaving afterimages. Razor-sharp rays of sword light grazed past him as he narrowly avoided each one.

Despite dodging most of them, several slashes cut into his body. Blood stained his robes, and one attack nearly severed his arm.

“Brother Ye!”

Boom!

A blinding golden ray of sword light burst forth from seemingly nowhere and detonated. Ye Feng shot out from the blast zone, panting heavily with his sword in hand and blood dripping from the blade.

The three of them stood together, looking at the dispersing cloud of smoke in the air.

Fang Yishan’s Thunder Wings had disappeared, and he had sustained two bone-deep sword cuts. Li Guanqi’s Hunting Slash inflicted one of them, while the second was from Ye Feng’s surprise attack.

Veins bulged in Fang Yishan’s eyes. He glared at them with seething hatred.

A burst of light erupted beneath him, the air warped, and then he was gone.

Li Guanqi reacted on instinct. He kicked Cao Yan hard, sending him flying a dozen zhang back.

A glint of sword light flashed past, slicing a large chunk of flesh from Cao Yan’s thigh. Had Li Guanqi hesitated for even a moment, the attack would’ve decapitated Cao Yan.

Li Guanqi and Ye Feng charged again, and the battle resumed in full.

“Lightning Spear!”

Vital force surged through Li Guanqi, this time without the help of any hand seals. Dark clouds gathered above, crackling with lightning. Each one spanned nearly a hundred zhang.

Cao Yan was stunned at the sight. Boss is terrifying... He didn’t need any seals for that?

The wind howled and rain began to fall. A dozen lightning spears rained down toward Fang Yishan.

But Fang Yishan used an extremely fast sprint technique to dodge. Despite Li Guanqi guiding the spell with his divine consciousness, none of the spears hit Fang Yishan.

By then, Li Guanqi had learned that Cao Yan’s Flaming Guard could only last half an hour, and it was barely strong enough to protect Cao Yan. If Fang Yishan reached him again, Cao Yan would die.

Meanwhile, Ye Feng could only assist Li Guanqi from the side. Without the element of surprise, Ye Feng couldn’t withstand Fang Yishan’s attacks.

Despite Li Guanqi’s calm facade and relentless attacks, he was aware that their efforts posed little real threat to Fang Yishan.

He licked his lips. He tasted blood.

He steeled himself. As his golden core buzzed to life and vital force coursed through him, he roared, “Lightning Rope!”

Boom!

Clang clang clang! Boom! Boom!

Fang Yishan single-handedly suppressed all three of them.

Time dragged on. Injuries mounted. Vital force dwindled. Yet Fang Yishan, already half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm, remained as strong as ever.

Whoosh!

“Die!”

Fang Yishan thrust his sword at Ye Feng.

Li Guanqi stepped in and blocked it head-on. “Blade Breaker!”

Boom!

Fang Yishan’s sword shattered.

Li Guanqi flicked his wrist, sending the Red Lotus Sword arcing toward Fang Yishan’s head.

Fang Yishan, undeterred, kicked his broken sword’s hilt. It shot like a dart, piercing Ye Feng’s shoulder.

Pfft!

“Ahhh!”

Fang Yishan drew another spirit sword and charged at Cao Yan. His aura pressed down heavily on the air around him, and he moved his sword like lightning.

The Flaming Guard held its ground, doing its best to guard Cao Yan—until it exploded.

Two sword lights pierced through Cao Yan’s arm and thigh. The third was about to pierce his heart, but Li Guanqi’s Thunder Whip wrapped around his waist and yanked him away in the nick of time.

Cao Yan was pale and struggling to even fly, much less engage in such high-level aerial combat.

Both Cao Yan and Ye Feng were heavily injured, with little vital force remaining.

Fang Yishan pointed his sword at Li Guanqi and chuckled coldly. “You three think you can kill me on your own? You’re not even close.”

Buzz!

—Guanqi! I’m almost there! Stall him!

Elder Qin Xian’s voice echoed from Li Guanqi’s jade slip, but Li Guanqi could only smile bitterly. Fang Yishan would not let him drag out the fight.

Whoosh!

Li Guanqi shot forward, positioning himself between his companions and the enemy. He gripped his Red Lotus Sword tightly in his right hand with complete calmness.

Fang Yishan charged.

Li Guanqi inhaled deeply and unleashed everything he had. His blade moved faster than ever, every strike infused with immense power. He even activated the Purple Ripple Demon Sword Technique.

His momentum reached its peak. But then, Fang Yishan shot him a teasing look.

The broken Thunder Wings reappeared. He combined them with a sprint technique to retreat over a hundred zhang in an instant.

Li Guanqi’s strongest strike hit empty air.

Boom!

Space itself warped wherever the sword light passed through. A mountain peak a hundred zhang away crumbled under the blow. Rocks thundered down, and dust clouds billowed.

Li Guanqi’s heart sank gradually. He had wasted his most powerful strike.

Fang Yishan smirked. His voice came low and cold. “You brats have just set foot into the real world. Hehe. Did you all think you could survive with just hot-blooded passion? You’re all far too green!”

Ye Feng and Cao Yan’s eyes burned with frustration and unwillingness.

A hundred zhang away, Li Guanqi stood pale as paper. Blood ran from a dozen wounds, and his robes were in tatters.

Qin Xian was still a hundred li away. He’d never make it in time.

Li Guanqi’s vital force was completely spent. Though he had spirit stones, he no longer had time to absorb more energy.

Frustration churned in Li Guanqi. He hadn’t yet learned the fourth strike of the Seven Killings Sword Sutra. But even if he had, it likely wouldn’t have been enough.

Just then, Sword Spirit’s voice echoed in his head.

“Do you need my help?”