Swinging the withered branch in his hand, Li Guanqi walked through the void with eyes half-closed. He raised his hand slowly, thrusting the branch forward like a longsword.
Within a mysterious, majestic hall.
A mysterious statue standing a full eight chi tall suddenly gleamed with a glint of light in its eyes, and a voice of indistinguishable gender slowly echoed.
"He has arrived."
*Shhk!*
A man seated on a magnificent golden throne slowly opened his eyes and whispered, "Has he arrived..."
Zhang Qixuan's eyes flickered, his voice dropping low. "What if I make a move this time and am still discovered by that old bastard?"
"If he wants to kill me, I won't have the power to resist him in the slightest!"
The stone statue remained silent.
Zhang Qixuan turned around and said in a chilling voice, "Don't think I don't know: after that great war ended three years ago, the Immortal Realm rallied a wave of charges trying to descend."
"Yet in the end, weren't they slaughtered to the last by the Four Kings and that old bastard?"
"Heh, if I'm not mistaken, the person from above was ultimately gravely injured by Su Xuan, wasn't he?"
"Without benefits, I won't lift a finger this time!"
The stone statue went quiet for a good while, as if consulting with someone else.
Immediately afterward, an unimaginably powerful spatial fluctuation enveloped the entire hall.
A wisp of spiritual light drifted out from the stone statue and hovered before Zhang Qixuan, and the voice sounded again.
Only...
This voice was no longer that genderless tone from before, replaced instead by a mellow, resonant baritone.
"In the future, when the plan succeeds, you may follow me using this token."
With a thud, Zhang Qixuan dropped to his knees, lifting both hands above his head and reverently catching that wisp of spiritual light in his palms as though it were the most precious treasure.
"This lowly one is willing to lay down life and limb for My Lord!"
The man's voice rang out once more: "Even if he discovers you, it does not matter. You may go seek that person; at the very least, you will not 'die.'"
Zhang Qixuan kept his head lowered, a sharp light glinting in his eyes. He had clearly guessed who "that person" referred to.
Gritting his teeth, he said in a deep voice, "I will do everything in my power!"
*Hum!*
The inexplicable presence dispersed, leaving Zhang Qixuan slumping to the ground as if drained of all strength.
Though the other party had revealed no aura or pressure whatsoever, the terrifying weight of someone so far above him still left him feeling thorns against his back.
Climbing up from the floor, Zhang Qixuan smoothed his robes, restoring his usual aloof, lofty demeanor as Domain Lord of the Xuanmen Domain.
He rested his forehead against one hand, kneading his furrowed brow with a throbbing headache.
The oppressive dread Su Xuan brought upon him was simply too overwhelming.
So immense that... the mere thought of that old man made his heart shudder.
He had never believed that old man to be a fool.
If he were a fool, the people of the Immortal Realm wouldn't have been unable to descend for ten thousand years, nor would those in the lower realms have been barred from ascending...
Did those unable to ascend bear no resentment?
Of course they did...
Yet even if hatred burned in their hearts, they had to swallow it down!
Even if their lifespans were nearing their end and they dragged out an ignoble existence in this world, they still had to hold it in!
Between dying of old age and actively seeking death, they knew the difference all too well.
The ancestor of the Yu clan was a late Tribulation Transcendence Realm powerhouse, counted among the very pinnacle of existence in this world.
And what came of the nine Tribulation Transcendence experts laying siege to force his hand?
Su Xuan crossed the domains, and in the span of half an incense stick, he returned holding a severed head.
Tribulation Transcendence?
"Why else do those old monsters of the Ascension Realm remain in seclusion and never show themselves? The nine clans forcing his hand was an outright joke."
"Still... could I join forces with the Yu clan this time?"
"Li Guanqi, oh Li Guanqi, just what secrets are hidden within that sword coffin on your back?"
"And why does Su Xuan treat you like his own grandson?"
"No, I still cannot show myself in person for this matter..."
The muttering gradually faded within the grand hall.
Yet right after the man vanished, another man who looked identical to Zhang Qixuan—possessing an aura completely indistinguishable from his—appeared and took a seat upon the throne.
This Zhang Qixuan went about handling affairs just as usual, and even his innate origin aura was identical to the true self.
Changing into a black robe, Zhang Qixuan vanished amidst the array's radiant glow, murmuring under his breath, "My last divine dao puppet clone... What a pity."
A cold sneer curved his lips as he whispered, "Doesn't Li Guanqi value sentiment above all else? Then I'll strike from that angle..."
"That master of his, existing in name only, should be easy enough to touch."
*Buzz!*
A mysterious spatial fluctuation rippled and died away, and Zhang Qixuan vanished soundlessly from the Domain Lord Realm.
Little did Zhang Qixuan know that Li Guanqi was already en route to the Xuanmen Domain.
Gazing at the firmament barrier standing between the domains, Li Guanqi closed his eyes to sense its flow, located a weak point, and slashed out with the withered branch in his hand!
*Rip!*
The barrier tore open like thin gauze, revealing a gap a zhang wide. Stepping through into the Xuanmen Domain, Li Guanqi promptly smoothed the tear shut.
Having altered his appearance, Li Guanqi's aura had shifted slightly as well. Moving through the void interlayer, he drew no one's attention.
His objective on this trip was merely to inspect the ruins of two sect forces within the Xuanmen Domain; he had no desire to attract notice.
Stepping forward, he vanished from where he stood, whispering under his breath, "The Sanqing Sword Sect, Guiyuan Hall..."
Taking out a jade pendant, he said softly, "Look into whether any extraordinary young cultivators have emerged from the Sanqing Sword Sect and Guiyuan Hall over the past two years."
Li Guanqi had already realized that Ye Feng and the others' actions ultimately revolved around taking away someone from each targeted faction.
Those taken away either possessed unique constitutions or were individuals of supreme talent!
Before long, Xi Yunhuai's voice came through the jade pendant.
"Pavilion Master, intelligence just forwarded word from their division—it is indeed so!"
"Roughly three years ago, an exceptional monster emerged within both Guiyuan Hall and the Sanqing Sword Sect!"
"Both possessed exceedingly rare saint-grade spiritual roots, along with rather unique constitutions."
Li Guanqi nodded solemnly; his deduction had been thoroughly confirmed.
"Find me a map covering the vicinity of these two forces in the Xuanmen Domain."
*Hum!*
The jade pendant flickered with faint light, and an expansive map suddenly unfurled before Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi glanced at the two points marked out in spiritual light on the map. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and he vanished from the spot.
"By the way, Kong Yan should have returned recently, right?"
Xi Yunhuai paused slightly before replying softly, "Yes, he's back."
Li Guanqi stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brows as he asked, "What is it?"
"It's nothing major. Perhaps because his injuries were severe, Kong Yan has taken quite a few spirit pills from the sect lately."
"I heard from Qianqiusui that Kong Yan has even used your name to draw on some spirit stones from the chamber of commerce."
Li Guanqi frowned. "What did Wu Bing say?"
"Wu Bing placed some verbal restraints on this returning Discipline Master, but he didn't speak too harshly."
"However... I noticed that Wu Bing posted an assassination mission against Kong Yan through Guanyun Pavilion, though it hasn't been set into motion yet..."
The corners of Li Guanqi's lips curled slightly. It seemed Senior Brother Wu was quite capable after all.
Li Guanqi said softly, "Then look into Kong Yan for me—find out why he was captured by the Luo clan of the Ethereal Immortal Domain back then."
"Additionally, please keep an eye on matters within the sect for me, Elder Xi."
"I still have many matters to resolve and won't be returning anytime soon, so please watch over things at home."
At this point, Xi Yunhuai suddenly chuckled. "Oh, right, Li Nanting recently broke through to the Soul Formation Realm."
Li Guanqi was taken aback for a moment, then his lips curved upward. He murmured softly, "That's good. The knot in Master's heart must have unraveled as well..."
With those words, he put away the jade pendant and headed straight for the Sanqing Sword Sect!
Chapter 1006