Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

While munching on sunflower seeds, Ye Feng shouted, “Boss, let me in! I want to watch!”

Li Guanqi smirked and released his sword prison, expanding it to include Ye Feng.

Ye Feng looked at the two of them and licked his lips. Eyes bright, he murmured, “Ten breaths? Fifteen breaths?”

He shook his head and muttered with determination, “Twenty breaths at most! No more than that.”

Li Guanqi pulled out the Red Lotus Sword. “It seems you’ve been chasing after Wanshu all these years?”

Xiao Chen scoffed. “Hmph. I’ve met too many people like you. Men who think they can punch above their weight. You’re all just trying to take advantage of her status. I’ve beaten up so many of them over the years. I’d advise you to give up on her.”

His monologue sounded very inspiring, but Ye Feng just kept munching on sunflower seeds, his right eye glowing an eerie red. Xiao Chen looked at him, taken aback.

Ye Feng was exasperated. He muttered, “Is he actually serious?”

Xiao Chen turned back to Li Guanqi. “I am the only one in this world qualified to be with her! As for you? While I can tell you have genuine feelings for her, I cannot approve of them.”

Li Guanqi was so irritated that he laughed. “You don’t approve? Alright, alright! Let’s see how you plan to stop me!”Boom!

Li Guanqi’s aura erupted. Terrifying lightning crackled across space as spatial forces assaulted Xiao Chen’s sea of fire.

Xiao Chen remained calm, smirking a little.

“Brilliant Sunset Flame!”

A scorching fire erupted. Ye Feng’s eyes widened. “Is that… heavenly fire?!”

Li Guanqi did not react—he had long sensed Xiao Chen’s heavenly fire. He looked at the flickering flames and murmured, “Brilliant Sunset Flame, ranked twenty-seventh among the heavenly flames. A Wind-Fire dual-element flame.”

Boom!

The scorching flames retracted into the flaming red tassel on the spear, their energies stored for later release.

Xiao Chen stood tall and confident. He gripped his spear with one hand and pointed it at Li Guanqi. “This is a heavenly flame. You still have time to admit defeat!”

Li Guanqi and Ye Feng locked eyes, both amused.

Xiao Chen frowned. Why does he look so unconcerned?

While he was still confused, Li Guanqi held his left hand up, and a black ball of flames ignited. The surrounding space twisted and melted. Li Guanqi’s Yin Hellfire flickered, fighting against the Brilliant Sunset Flame. It spread into a sea of fire, carving out a domain separate from Xiao Chen’s flame.

Xiao Chen pointed at it in disbelief and stuttered, “T-t-the Yin Hellfire!!! Did your grandfather give you that? Your family elders have treated you so well… I heard it was in the Hell Rivers region, but the whole place disappeared recently. I thought no one had found it.”

“I took the flame myself,” Li Guanqi said. He rubbed his nose awkwardly, feigning confusion. “Wait, are heavenly flames supposed to be rare?”

Xiao Chen shouted furiously, “They’re heavenlyflames! Earthly flames are precious, beast flames are rare, but neither compares to heavenly flames. No more than ten people in the six territories have one. What do you think?”

But before he could finish speaking, another ball of flames appeared on Li Guanqi’s right hand.

The flame transformed into a lightning dragon a dozen zhang long. The fiery dragon curled up next to Li Guanqi, lifted its head, and let out a heaven-shaking roar at Xiao Chen’s flames.

Nine Heavens’ blood not only nourished Li Guanqi but also his Lightning Dragon Flame.

Xiao Chen’s eyes were wide. He swallowed hard. Eyes still fixed on the fiery dragon, he murmured, “Ranked sixteenth among the heavenly flames… the Lightning Dragon Flame. Aren’t you afraid of getting burned to death?”

He paused. “Wait… don’t you have a Lightning Spirit Root? Are you crazy?!”

Ye Feng rubbed his nose. He had always taken these things for granted, but after hearing Xiao Chen, he realized just how absurd Li Guanqi’s circumstances were.

Li Guanqi smirked. “I think we should spar as a learning experience. I’d like to see how great a prodigy from another territory is.”

Xiao Chen’s contemptuous expression turned serious, and his demeanor transformed.

Ye Feng slowly stood up, subconsciously gripping the hilt of his sword. Something’s changed.

Xiao Chen looked at Li Guanqi solemnly. Xiao Chen’s words may have been dismissive, but there was no denying it. Of all the cultivators in their generation, Li Guanqi was the strongest he had ever met.

Battle spirit surged through him. He gripped his spear—the Divine Blood Spear—and his vital force surged.

Boom!

Space shattered. Li Guanqi’s vital force domain could no longer touch Xiao Chen’s territory. He stopped looking down on Xiao Chen and gripped his Red Lotus Sword tightly.

His sword spirit void buzzed as his Red Lotus Sword completed its second Soul Dissolution.

“Heaven-Opening, Red Lotus Heavenly Dance!”

Boom!

Terrifying sword intent shot up into the clouds.

Xiao Chen’s eyes widened, and the hologram of a blood-red spear appeared in the spirit platform inside his third eye.[1]

“Heaven-Opening, Divine Blood Spear!”

Fire seemed to fill the entire sky. His red spear grew to a dramatic one zhang and three chi, its handle thickening and spearhead enlarging, making it look fearsome.

Wisps of blood-red mist rose from his body, resembling curling flames.

Sharp spear intent ripped the surrounding space apart. A battle spirit long dormant surged through his mind.

He hunched slightly, then shot out like an arrow leaving a bow.

1. The third eye (天目) refers to a spiritual aperture located at the center of the forehead, associated with inner vision and spiritual perception in Taoism. ☜