Crushing Luo Changqing!

Boom! "Apocalypse: Blood Drinks the Sky!" Buzz! In an instant, a layer of blood-red light enveloped the blade of Luo Changqing's saber, and his power swelled dramatically. Yet right at that moment, Li Guanqi let out a cold sneer and whispered, "Apocalypse!" Luo Changqing's forward charge seized abruptly, and he was forced to wrench his body sideways, shifting dozens of zhang across the air. Li Guanqi pursued in immediate succession, unleashing dozens of strikes with the longsword of primal energy in his hand without hesitation. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Blade collided with sword, sending sparks flying as though forged iron were clashing against solid steel. Yet the sword in Li Guanqi's hand did not change at all. He sneered, "It's merely a withered branch; how could it possibly bear the power of the Sword Ruins?" As the words left his mouth, his sword momentum turned agile and blindingly swift. Clang, clang! Clang, clang, clang! Luo Changqing was forced back dozens of zhang, his face flushed the color of pig liver. The slightest lapse in attention had already cost him several sword wounds deep enough to bare bone. Boom! Clang! A flash of blood-red light glinted across Luo Changqing's saber as a fierce counterblow shoved Li Guanqi back. His voice was freezing cold. "Blood Moon Flower Burial!" Boom! A terrifying saber light burst forth like winter plum blossoms in full bloom, crimson rays of blade energy coalescing into a single force. Phantoms of hundreds upon thousands of withered plum branches enveloped Li Guanqi, and countless crimson petals drifted downward in an instant! Li Guanqi's expression shifted slightly, his gaze narrowing. Darting and shifting through the storm of petals, fine cuts multiplied across his body, and he furrowed his brows. Stamping violently down on the empty air, he thrust his sword forward with wild abandon, erecting an airtight screen of sword light in front of him! Clang! Clang! Clang! Yet how could the falling petals all strike from the front? When the shower of blossoms finally ceased, Li Guanqi remained standing where he was, covered in bloody lacerations. Hovering a hundred zhang away, Luo Changqing's chest heaved slightly, but compared to the capacity of his dantian, this level of primal energy consumption was negligible. Qin Wushang sat up straight, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What a splendid Winter Plum Falling Blossoms!" "What exquisite saber art! But... a bit too flashy, and its raw power is far too weak." Li Guanqi exhaled a breath of stale air, his tone carrying faint appreciation as he remarked, "A decent saber technique, but lacking in lethality." Buzz! Thunder rumbled through the world as dark-purple arcs of lightning crackled ceaselessly. In a breath, the two rival domains that had stood locked in stalemate underwent a dramatic transformation! The power of the Sword Prison, previously on equal footing, claimed seventy percent of the firmament in the span of a single breath! Cold sweat instantly drenched Luo Changqing as he frantically manipulated his domain to wrest back dominance. Yet from the moment Li Guanqi went all out, the outcome had already been decided. Boom! The aura of the late Body Integration Realm erupted with a deafening roar! Feeling the unbridled power surging through his veins, the corners of Li Guanqi's lips curled upward. It had been a very long time since he had fought with all his might. "A pity I cannot use Red Lotus right now." Buzz! Myriads of lightning bolts wove together behind Li Guanqi, condensing into the phantom of an ancient thunder god. Holding the withered branch high, Li Guanqi looked at Luo Changqing and murmured coldly, "Dayan: Thunder Wrath!" Boom! A colossal lightning sword dozens of zhang long, carrying a bone-chilling, terrifying killing intent, plummeted downward! This strike was so blindingly fast that Luo Changqing had no time to evade. Gritting his teeth, he clamped both hands around his hilt, took a resolute step forward, and roared coldly, "Gleaming Gold: Parting Strike!" Boom! Luo Changqing's saber transformed into a dazzling golden brilliance, appearing to cleave the very fabric of the void in two! Pacing the celestial steps, he crossed dozens of zhang in just three strides. Wrenching his torso, he gripped his saber in both hands and slashed upward with ferocious momentum! Boom! A terrifying explosion echoed across the sky as the violent forces collided, sending both silhouettes shooting backward out of the turbulent storm. Qin Wushang sprang to his feet, staring fixedly at the two of them. Frowning, Qin Wushang murmured, "Should I step in and stop them?" "Hiss... seems like they've both gotten genuinely fired up now. I might not even be able to stop them." Boom! Li Guanqi struck first, a glint of chilling resolve flashing in his eyes. "Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppressing Art! Dragon Transformation!" Roar! Li Guanqi transformed into a bolt of purple lightning and burst forward. His speed was so extreme that even Qin Wushang could not track him clearly, catching only a vague afterimage. A gaping void collapsed across a radius of several hundred zhang where Li Guanqi had stood just an instant before! With both arms transformed into dragon claws, Li Guanqi's physical body rivaled a living humanoid weapon. Even wielding only a withered branch, a single strike sent Luo Changqing hurtling backward! The Blood Drinker Saber in Luo Changqing's hands bent into an exaggerated arc. The blade shuddered with a sound resembling a plaintive wail, the overwhelming force numbing half of Luo Changqing's body. Whoosh! Crash! Luo Changqing was sent flying, smashing straight through a mountain peak and embedding himself deep within a massive crag! Before he could climb back to his feet, Li Guanqi's figure had already materialized above him. Separated by barely a zhang, the two clashed furiously! Blade and sword struck in a frenzied flurry; the mountain shattered, boulders plunged downward, dust billowed into the air, and bursts of sword radiance and lightning scattered in every direction. Trapped inside the deep pit on the mountain, Luo Changqing was suppressed under Li Guanqi's relentless assault. Rumble! Boom! Li Guanqi unleashed a thunderous Sword Draw Stance! Immediately after, heaven and earth plunged into darkness as though all color had been drained away, and a purple arc of sword light slashed horizontally through the world! The towering mountain, hundreds of zhang high, was sliced clean through in a single instant! Another horizontal sweep of sword light followed, quartering the massive peak with two intersecting strikes. The mountain collapsed, burying Luo Changqing beneath tons of crushed stone in an instant. Li Guanqi's offensive tempo was suffocating even to Qin Wushang, who was merely watching from afar. Unable to fathom just how strong Li Guanqi had become, Qin Wushang narrowed his eyes, his pupils quivering. "Such a suffocating barrage..." "His... Spirit Comprehension definitely surpasses mine! Could it be the fourth tier?" "Impossible... He only went into seclusion atop the mountain to comprehend the Dao for two years. How could he have crossed the natural chasm of the first major tier?" Li Guanqi hovered midair, his chest heaving violently as he stared coldly down at the collapsed rubble below. A silhouette shoved aside a boulder and collapsed atop the debris. Luo Changqing's face was caked with blood and grime. His right arm, the one holding his saber, had been severed at the shoulder, and a gruesome laceration spanned his abdomen. Had he not resisted with every shred of his strength, he would have been cleaved in two at the waist. Li Guanqi, by contrast, was hardly injured; his wounds could only be described as light. A fully committed Li Guanqi was like a man-eating beast, his onslaught unending and his power utterly insurmountable. Qin Wushang prided himself on his strength and was a candidate for Sword Head under Nangong Xuandu. Yet reflecting on the battle just now, if Li Guanqi had been wielding the Red Lotus Sword... He would not have been able to withstand it. Unless his Spirit Comprehension could reach parity with Li Guanqi's, he would have at best a forty percent chance of victory. At that thought, Qin Wushang could not help but let out a bitter laugh. A mere two years had passed, and the fellow he had told back then to hurry up and catch up to him was already a step ahead. Li Guanqi flashed down before Luo Changqing, reached out, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and hauled him up. Looking at the defiance still lingering in the man's eyes, Li Guanqi let out a scoff. He waved the withered branch before Luo Changqing's face. "Still not convinced?"