Besieged by Six Sects!

The Great Xia Sword Sect. The entire sect was deathly quiet, every disciple wearing an expression of sorrow. Li Nanting had been the most dedicated peak master when it came to teaching and lecturing, deeply loved and respected by all the disciples. In ordinary times, the old man was like a genial elder in a clan; with his ever-smiling face, no one had ever seen him lose his temper. One could often see him strolling across Tianlei Peak, greeting any disciple he encountered with a warm, beaming smile. It could be said that the Great Xia Sword Sect had rarely seen such a tragedy since the battle of Ziyang Palace. What was more, after suffering a drop in realm, Li Nanting had soared once again and broken through to the Soul Formation Realm. Coupled with having a final disciple like Li Guanqi, anyone could foresee that his breakthrough to the Void Refining Realm was only a matter of time. Even if the old man lacked the innate talent, with Li Guanqi's resources and connections, hoisting him up into the Void Refining Realm would have been well within reach. Yet now... Guo Feng and his companions had already departed. It had taken the three Mahayana realm alchemists four full days to reconnect the shattered meridians within Li Guanqi's body. Li Guanqi would still need at least another day before his primal energy recovered. Right now, he walked Tianlei Peak with halting, unsteady steps, no different from an ordinary mortal. Whenever the disciples saw him, they bowed in silence. They were all engulfed in grief over the loss of a revered elder. To say nothing of Li Guanqi, for whom Li Nanting was the master who had guided him onto the path of cultivation. Li Guanqi walked with numb, hollow eyes, his unkempt hair disheveled. Clad in his bloodstained white robe, everyone parted to make way for him as he passed. Soon, he arrived at the entrance of the small courtyard atop the peak. He raised a hand instinctively to knock, only to let out a bitter, grief-stricken smile and push the door open. Gazing into the empty courtyard, an overwhelming sorrow welled up from the depths of his heart. As the sorrow engulfed him, he looked at the vacant rocking chair, and tears spilled uncontrollably from his eyes. Enduring the aches racking his body, he walked over and sat down upon a stone stool beside the rocking chair. Li Guanqi uncorked his wine gourd, tilting his head back to gulp down mouthful after mouthful of fiery liquor. The burning spiritual wine rushed down his throat like a line of fire, searing straight into his belly! "Why..." "Master... it wasn't worth it..." "It wasn't worth it!" His choked, anguished voice was stifled with agony. But right then, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. A woman's voice rang out softly. "If your master believed it was worth it, then it was!" Shen Lan stepped through the doorway with resolute eyes, coming to stand beside Li Guanqi as she spoke firmly. Yet her red-rimmed, swollen eyes could not conceal the deep exhaustion haunting her face. Shen Lan came to Li Guanqi's side, gently drawing him into her arms. Reaching out to wipe away the bloody tears from the corners of his eyes, she spoke in a slightly trembling voice. "Don't cry." "If your master saw you like this, he'd scold you." At her words, the taut cord in Li Guanqi's heart snapped completely! "Sob... Martial Mother... it's... it's all my fault..." "If not... for me... Master wouldn't have been targeted..." "I... I tried so hard... so hard to guard against it..." Listening to Li Guanqi's hoarse, broken sobs, Shen Lan could no longer hold back her tears, which burst forth like a breached dam. Holding Li Guanqi tight, she wept uncontrollably. "Child, it wasn't your fault." "Even if it hadn't been Nanting, it would have been someone else." Even though Li Guanqi understood this in his mind, Li Nanting had still done it right before his eyes... To prevent him from being constrained and blackmailed by the enemy, his master had decisively self-detonated! That scene lingered in Li Guanqi's mind, impossible to banish. Buried in Shen Lan's embrace, Li Guanqi wept bitterly, his mind filled with memories of the days when he was still weak and frail, and how Li Nanting had treated him like his own kin and junior. After an unknown stretch of time, Li Guanqi gradually gathered his composure, speaking slowly in a voice resonant with unyielding resolve. "I will make Master awaken!!" "If the Human Spirit Realm cannot do it, then I will wield my sword and tread upon the azure heavens!!!" "If not the Human Spirit Realm, then the Immortal Realm!!" Shen Lan pressed her lips together and nodded heavily, her eyes filled with longing as she said in a low voice, "You will. You definitely will!" "I will work hard at cultivating too, so that I can ascend to the Immortal Realm as soon as possible." Shen Lan left, and Li Guanqi walked alone to the weathered summit, drinking in solitude. It felt as though a knot of pent-up gloom had gathered in his chest, refusing to dissipate. The winter night wind blew fierce as knives, biting into his cheeks with stinging pain. With his hair disheveled, Li Guanqi sat motionless. The wine gourd in his hand seemed to sense his pent-up sorrow. The line of small characters inscribed upon it faintly glowed in the dark. "A cicada lives eight days, born facing death!" Li Guanqi also believed that when his master chose to detonate himself, he had already made up his mind. Yet he must have harbored regrets as well... How could he not? He surely did... Li Guanqi lowered his head and murmured softly, "Master, wait for me." "Before long, I will take you to the Immortal Realm and find a way to reshape your physical body!!" Suddenly! Within a hundred li of the Great Xia Sword Sect, wind and clouds abruptly surged into turmoil, and the frigid winter sky seemed shrouded in a blanket of suffocating killing intent! Li Guanqi shot to his feet! Turning his head to look in all directions, he saw demonic energy abruptly surge forth as dozens of colossal cloud boats materialized one after another. Figures in black robes soared out from the vessels one after another, swarming the skies in dense, blotting numbers—a force of ten thousand strong! Whoosh! An earthy-yellow sword ray surged upward in response, and Wu Bing's chilling voice rang out across the entire Great Xia Sword Sect! "Enemy attack!" "All disciples, heed my command—draw your swords and meet the enemy!!" "Ready the God-Shooting Crossbows!" "Activate the formations!!" Order after order rang out in rapid succession. Hearing Wu Bing's voice, Li Guanqi murmured to himself, "Senior Brother Wu really is suited to be sect master." As his voice fell, all seven peaks of the Great Xia Sword Sect erupted with dazzling radiance! Li Guanqi was bathed entirely in lightning, and the primal energy within his body showed faint signs of stirring! Li Guanqi looked around at the blotting demonic energy that had formed a heavy barrier, immediately sensing danger. Tugging with his mind, he channeled the sword ray he had once left atop Tianjian Peak, sending it thrusting straight toward the heavens! Several Tianlei Peak disciples flew up to the summit and asked in low voices, "Elder Li, shall we take you over there?" Li Guanqi nodded. Supported by two disciples, he flew through the air, heading straight for Tianjian Peak! Rumble! A hundred-zhang lightning sword pierced through the formation barrier, tearing straight into the demonic energy in the sky! Wu Bing realized Li Guanqi's intent instantly and called out in a deep voice, "Elder Nangong, Elder Gong Ze, deploy your origin energy domains! You must not let the barrier seal shut!" "Elder Ling! Take Elder Tu and Elder Qin to man the God-Shooting Crossbows!" Swish, swish, swish! The seven elemental spirit treasures of the Great Xia Sword Sect soared into the air! Seven spirit-treasure-grade longswords hovered quietly behind Wu Bing. Reaching out, he took the Thunder Peak longsword and handed it to Li Guanqi. "Junior Brother Li, take this sword and use it for now!" Li Guanqi reached out and took the lightning sword, a complex look surfacing in his eyes. Boom! The demonic energy in the sky shattered as Nangong Qianyan and Gong Ze unleashed the terrifying spatial power of their domains. Yet in merely an instant, blood spouted from both their mouths, and they plummeted from the void! The old man's eyes hardened as he roared in fury, "There are at least three peak Body Integration experts maintaining this seal!" Everyone's expression changed abruptly. Even Tantai Yiting looked grim, though his eyes remained somewhat calmer...