Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi’s voice shook the skies. The disciples present subconsciously clenched their fists, eyes bright, breathing deeply as if making a private vow.

Buzz!

Before he could continue, ripples of vital force pulsed outward. Rays of light shot into the heavens from across the crowd. Li Guanqi carved out the space they were in, separating it from the outside world and shielding it from the wrath of the heavens.

Several disciples opened their eyes, overjoyed. They stood, bowed toward the people onstage, and rushed toward the back mountains. Clouds gathered in the sky above the back mountains, and thunder crashed.

Lu Kangnian sent people to supervise the disciples on the verge of a breakthrough, worried they might run into trouble. He’d gained some insights of his own, but so many disciples were breaking through at once that he had to go oversee them personally.

Ye Feng’s throat was dry from all the talking. He looked at Li Guanqi and said, “Boss, I’ll head to the back mountains and supervise the disciples.”

Li Guanqi nodded and continued the lecture.

An adorable girl stood up. “Elder Li, I have average talent, and my cultivation speed is really slow compared to the other disciples in my cohort. Am… am I not suited for cultivation?”

The girl’s frustration was plain on her face, and it was clear she was under enormous pressure being in the Daxia Sword Sect. With everyone in the sect pushing themselves so hard lately, that pressure only grew worse for disciples with average talent and spirit roots.

The sect had given them the best resources and sutras, yet some of their peers had already broken through to the Golden Core Realm while they lingered on the cusp of the Foundation Building Realm. Many had chosen to reach the eleventh stage of the Qi Refinement Realm before attempting a breakthrough rather than trying at the ninth, and now they were stuck between the tenth and eleventh stages. The self-imposed challenge had created a stressful competition.Li Guanqi smiled. “Many of you have the same frustrations, right?”

Many disciples nodded. It wasn’t confined to a particular group. Most disciples felt the same way at some point.

Li Guanqi looked up, thought for a moment, and gestured for her to sit. He didn’t offer solutions. Instead, he asked, “What consequences did you actually suffer from progressing slowly?”

The girl frowned, thinking it over. “I just feel useless! I work so hard, yet I can’t catch up to everyone else.”

Li Guanqi understood the problem. Smiling, he looked at Qin Xian and the other elders. “Have any of you ever heard of the sect punishing a disciple for progressing too slowly?”

The disciples realized he had a point. During sect exams, disciples were only demoted to the outer sect for not putting in the effort. The sect had never punished anyone for slow progress.

Li Guanqi smiled. “The sect only cares whether you’re slacking off or not. No one is going to blame you for slow progress when your natural talent is the reason.”

He took a deep breath. “The Daxia Sword Sect will never segregate you based on talent and spirit root quality. All you need to do is work hard. So what if you progress more slowly? So what if you don’t have talent? As long as you walk the path with unwavering determination, you will succeed, even if it takes longer.”

He smirked, looking at them with amusement. “But… you guys didn’t actually think you were that weak, did you? Go down the mountain someday and visit the other sects. Disciples your age are probably still fighting amongst themselves in the Qi Refinement Realm.”

The disciples stared at him. The sect had undergone a massive transformation in the past two years, and almost all the disciples only left when they’d reached the Golden Core Realm. Most of them had never left the mountain after joining the sect.

The girl looked at him with wide eyes, though she still didn’t seem fully convinced. She looked down and clutched her sleeves, murmuring, “Am I really that great? Elder Li wouldn’t lie to us, would he? Yes… I’m strong!”

Li Guanqi said, “Remember to never be arrogant, but ‌never look down on your own abilities.”

He looked up. “Arrogance comes with a price. But when you need to prove yourselves, don’t hesitate. Otherwise, people will think you’re a doormat and walk all over you. The Daxia Sword Sect’s pride was built on our senior brothers’ and sisters’ courage, and that’s why the sect is where it is today.”

Sword qi continued to ravage the space beyond the sect. Many of those who hadn’t left were still watching.

Li Guanqi smirked. “People only respect your bottom line and principles when you’re powerful. Just like those people outside.”

The disciples looked around and saw the cultivators outside watching the Daxia Sword Sect like hungry wolves. In the past, such a sight would have made them panic, leaving them unable to concentrate on the lecture. But with Li Guanqi around, they felt safe enough to ignore every last one of them.

The reason was simple: Li Guanqi’s strength.

Many people looked at him excitedly, repeating his words to themselves. When they turned to look at the people outside, they understood on a deeper level. Once they became strong, they could overcome those minor threats.

Li Guanqi said gently, “Even if I removed the lingering sword cut outside and this barrier, these people wouldn’t dare take a single step closer. All because I am here.”

The disciples’ hearts swelled with pride, knowing they, too, belonged to the Daxia Sword Sect.

More and more questions poured in. Li Guanqi wasn’t the only one answering. Meng Wanshu, Xiao Chen, and Cao Yan all stepped in to help answer them too.