Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

When Gu Yan heard that the disciples had been poisoned with Pure Immortal Poison, he jumped. That alone showed how vicious and troublesome the toxin was.

His frown deepened. Worry clouded his eyes. He sprang to his feet and looked at Li Guanqi. “How long has it been? No, you can’t drag this out. Build a cold pool right away to stall the poison. Old Sun, get in touch with the herb merchants. Gather every Demon-Slaying Flower you can. Hurry! We don’t have time.”

Sun Miao remained impassive. “You… won’t be able to intervene.”

“How can you still talk about intervening at a time like this?” Gu Yan said. He frowned and turned to Li Guanqi. “How many disciples have been poisoned?”

Li Guanqi sighed. “Over seven hundred.”

“Ssss… That’ll be hard… More than seven hundred… The number of Demon-Slaying Flowers will be enormous. Even if we buy out every merchant in the Northern Territory, it probably won’t be enough.”

Gu Yan’s eyes were filled with worry. He saw Li Guanqi as a true friend, and his grandson Gu Yi practically worshipped him. Li Guanqi had even gifted the boy his precious sword intent.

Sun Miao shot to his feet and barked, “You are forbidden from interfering!”

“Why? Do you expect me to stand here and watch them die?” Gu Yan roared.

Sun Miao slammed his hand on the table and said coldly, “Once you have offended the Pure Immortal Mountain Sect, do you think they’ll let you walk away?”Gu Yan fell silent. He knew Sun Miao meant well and simply didn’t want him dragged into a disaster.

Even Lu Kangnian and the others looked conflicted. No one saw an easy way out.

Li Guanqi stood up and looked at Sun Miao. “What’s your price?”

Sun Miao let out a short laugh. “Let’s not even talk about whether you have anything valuable enough for me. You can’t even gather the required Demon-Slaying Flowers, which number over two thousand. There’s nothing to discuss.”

He clasped his hands behind his back. “Old Gu, we’re leaving.”

The room went silent. They knew Sun Miao wouldn’t care about the Daxia Sword Sect’s few spirit veins.

Clang!

Lu Kangnian rose, and seven ancient swords spun into the air around him.

“Senior Sun, wait! If you are able to help us, these seven ancient swords will be yours!”

Sun Miao glanced at them and snorted. “Useless to me.”

Gu Yan stood in place with a deep frown.

Just as Sun Miao was about to step out of the pavilion doors—

Poof!

A strange flame blossomed in Li Guanqi’s palm. The dark purple flame radiated a violent, eerie heat. The pavilion’s temperature spiked, space itself seemed to ripple, and the fire spirit qi within a hundred zhang trembled.

Sun Miao whipped around, eyes wide. His Adam’s apple bobbed, betraying his shock.

Gu Yan stared at the flame. After a long pause, he murmured, “What a terrifying earthly flame. You’re lucky, kid.”

Gu Yan’s tone held only praise, nothing more.

Sun Miao shook his head. “No. That’s not an earthly flame. It’s a heavenly flame, a companion flame.”

Li Guanqi smiled at Gu Yan, then tilted his head at the frozen Sun Miao. “Is this enough?”

“Is this enough?”

Sun Miao’s mouth twitched. His face twisted through several expressions before settling into a strained grimace. Then, all at once, he forced a fawning smile, hurried back, and grabbed Li Guanqi’s arm.

“I knew from the start you were a dragon among men. I could see it in your bearing. The Pure Immortal Mountain Sect? Please. I never cared about them. Damn it, Gu Yan, you should’ve told me. I didn’t know the kid was this capable.”

He turned and flashed Lu Kangnian a warm smile. “Sigh, I’ve wandered for more than a thousand years. Sect Master Lu, do you have a spot open? I could serve as a ceremonial elder. Then we’ll all be one family. No need to draw lines between us. The disciples are poisoned, and we can’t waste another breath. I’ll contact the merchants and gather the Demon-Slaying Flowers.”

He continued, “Why are you still standing around? Gather the disciples. We’ll build a cold pool and submerge them in it. And why didn’t you mention the heavenly flame earlier…”

His beaming smile scrunched his wrinkles so tightly they looked as though they could crush a fly.

He bowed toward Li Guanqi. “Uh… kid, should I give your sect eight or ten more spirit veins? I’ve also got a few untalented disciples. They can work for you. If you need techniques or spirit weapons, make a list. When people come to buy pills, I’ll price them based on what your sect lacks.

“It’s only the Pure Immortal Mountain Sect. I may not have much, but my name still carries weight. If needed, I can still gather thirty to fifty Divine Transformation Realm cultivators. I’m begging you… Let me have the flame…”

Everyone stared, stunned by the old man’s change of attitude. His icy arrogance had vanished. He was practically licking Lu Kangnian’s boots for a ceremonial elder’s seat.

Li Guanqi rubbed his nose. He hadn’t expected the flame to draw such fervent interest.

Gu Yan chuckled and sent him a voice transmission. “Don’t be so shocked, kid. A flame of that quality is a fatal temptation for alchemists. If I were capable enough, I’d trade everything I own for it.”

Li Guanqi nodded. Lu Kangnian, Qin Xian, and the others were all but winking at him. This was the best alchemist on the Azure Cloud Continent, begging to join their sect. Only a fool would pass that up.

Li Guanqi smiled. “Of course! Congratulations, Elder Sun, this flame is yours.”

Sun Miao’s eyes shone as he stared at the flame, though he didn’t take it immediately. He looked up. “You’re giving it to me just like that?”

Li Guanqi nodded, a terrifying aura suddenly radiating from him. Flames roared in his palm, and his robes whipped in the intense heat.

Sun Miao asked, “What will you do about the Pure Immortal Mountain Sect?”

“I can easily kill anyone below the mid Divine Transformation Realm, but beyond that…” Li Guanqi smiled. “I only need to put in more effort. With a little more effort, it’ll be fine.”

Cold sweat trickled down Sun Miao’s temples. Lu Kangnian and the others pretended not to notice.

Sun Miao finally snatched up the flame with a broad grin. “Don’t worry. You can treat this as me putting down roots in the Daxia Sword Sect. Haha, haha…”

He added, “I can refine the pills anytime. I have all the other ingredients, but Demon-Slaying Flowers… It’s hard to gather that many.”

Li Guanqi took out a jade slip and said, “I want three thousand Demon-Slaying Flowers.”

Everyone froze, unsure of whom he was talking to. Even Sun Miao froze. “Hey, kid, don’t get swindled. No herb merchant on the Azure Cloud Continent could have that many.”

Buzz!

A voice rang from the jade slip, filled with hardly suppressed excitement and joy.

—When do you need them?

“The sooner, the better. It’s urgent.”

The jade slip went silent for ten breaths, then lit up again.

—Six hours. I’ll have them delivered to the Daxia Sword Sect within six hours.

Li Guanqi lowered the jade slip and smiled at Sun Miao. “Oh, no one special. Just the son of the owner of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the Daxia Territory.”

Sun Miao’s throat moved. Maybe… being a ceremonial elder of the Daxia Sword Sect was not ‌a bad choice at all.