Fifth Stage Spirit Comprehension!

Back then, the instant Lu Tian realized Meng Jiangchu was approaching, he had chosen to retreat with Ye Feng and his companion. Li Guanqi clearly sensed that Lu Tian's strength had definitely not yet recovered to its peak! At his peak, Sha had been powerful enough to completely suppress any member of the Eight Generals! If his strength had truly returned, he would certainly have stepped in to abduct Li Guanqi! Yet... when only Meng Jiangchu arrived, Lu Tian had chosen to avoid the clash. It seemed Lu Tian's current cultivation was at most at the peak of the early Mahayana realm. Slightly reassured, Li Guanqi tipped his head back to gulp down a mouthful of strong liquor, suppressing his turbulent emotions before entering cultivation. Recently, he had felt that he was already on the verge of touching the second level of Divine Punishment. If he could master the second level of the art, the speed of his spirit comprehension would increase dramatically! Three days passed. During those three days, Guanyun Pavilion released no word at all, and its shops across the six prefectures stayed shuttered to keep a low profile. Rumors quickly spread, and many cultivators began privately speculating whether something had happened to Guanyun Pavilion. Yet Guanyun Pavilion paid no heed to any of these inquiries. In the void within the Daochan Domain. Gu Yong listened with a dark face to the report from the man standing below him. "All of our covert agents and measures directed at Guanyun Pavilion's mid- and high-level personnel have been dealt with by a mysterious force. "Our blackmail and coercion against them... have completely lost their effect." Shen Feng reported with an ugly expression. Gu Yong's expression gradually smoothed out. He knew full well that petty tricks alone could never shake Guanyun Pavilion's foundation. Had Li Guanqi not chosen this path and instead killed those people outright... Gu Yong's objective would also have been achieved. The old man sat in his chair, hands tucked into his sleeves, murmuring softly, "It seems Li Guanqi can keep his composure even better than I thought. "I assumed he wouldn't be able to hold back from killing under that kind of emotional turmoil. "It appears I still underestimated him..." Those seated understood what the old man meant. None of them had expected Li Guanqi, renowned for his ruthless slaughter, to refrain from killing anyone. Instead, he had chosen a conciliatory approach, resolving the crisis at tremendous personal cost. Gu Yong slowly rose and chuckled. "Get ready. Tomorrow is when Guanyun Pavilion makes its move. "Have all the arrangements I tasked you with been completed?" A sinister-looking man gave a chilling chuckle. "They've been ready for a while now. But... should we strike ahead of time?" Gu Yong turned his head and sneered. "Guanyun Pavilion has pulled in its forces. What good would striking now do? "Do you have pig brains?" The man offered an awkward smile, and in the end, all four took their leave. Left alone in the room, Gu Yong shut the door and took out the Tianji Chart, bound in red threads. A headache flared at once. During this time, he had tried every method imaginable, but had still been unable to break the seal Li Guanqi had placed upon it. Thus, he could only turn his sights toward Guanyun Pavilion! As long as he could seize total control of the Six Domains' intelligence network, that person... would definitely find a way to unravel the seal on the Tianji Chart! Since that person valued Tianji Pavilion's intelligence capabilities so highly, Gu Yong had to seize this chance. Yet... he could not be as reckless as the one who had infiltrated the Great Xia Sword Sect. He didn't know why none of the Eight Generals had intervened this time, but he dared not gamble... He had only one life, and this cautious approach was his only sensible path. A sharp glint flickered in Gu Yong's eyes as the old man's shadow wavered gently in the candlelight. In this world, it seemed everyone carried their own burdens, driving them to do things they had to do. Everyone longed for something, and everyone... was caught in circumstances beyond their control. Over those three days, Yu Hua won over many within the pavilion through her formidable strength and iron-fisted methods. From familiarizing herself with the intelligence division on the first day, to acting with swift ruthlessness on the second, to balancing grace and severity on the third. Yu Hua displayed both the overbearing might of a powerhouse and the meticulous insight of a woman. She had managed to plug numerous gaps and oversights for Li Guanqi—details that even Xi Yunhuai had failed to notice. Throughout those three days, she had not closed her eyes for a single moment, working tirelessly around the clock. Late on the third night, sitting in her study, Yu Hua sent a voice transmission: "Pavilion Master, I have completely integrated the intelligence division. "At the very least, orders from above will now be carried out below without fail!" Initially, the cultivators in the intelligence division had refused to accept Yu Hua, inevitably comparing her to Ji Yuchuan before her. Yet Yu Hua had not disappointed them; she deftly dismantled every dilemma concocted by the department's troublemakers. From the moment she returned carrying the personal sword of Zhao Xianglu, Lord of Qingyun, all voices of doubt vanished. They were men and women who spied and hid in the shadows; seeing Yu Hua display such sheer strength naturally commanded their utmost respect. Yu Hua also bestowed the first layer of the Grand Void Shadow Concealment Divine Art upon the cultivators who had contributed the most, and even revealed the art's grade to everyone, boosting morale even further. Boom! Within the Guanyun Domain Boundary, the grand momentum of heaven and earth shifted abruptly. Dark clouds blanketed the firmament for a hundred li around. In the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour began! The wind howled, rattling against windows and wailing across mountain ravines as towering ancient trees rustled violently. Amid flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, thick bolts of purple lightning continually plunged from the clouds. Wherever a massive thunderbolt struck the ground, a crater tens of zhang across was blasted open, shattering rocks and charring ancient trees. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged rampantly, converging toward the main hall of Guanyun Pavilion! Terrified, many cultivators took to the air to retreat several thousand zhang away, while Yu Hua and the others evacuated everyone else. Yu Hua, Xi Yunhuai, and the others stared at the slowly rotating vortex, their expressions grave. Qianqiusui couldn't help asking, "Is the Pavilion Master about to break through to the peak of the Body Integration Realm?" Yu Hua shook her head at his words and took up Qianqiusui's question, speaking softly: "No. This is the momentum of heaven and earth stirred by a breakthrough in the realm of spirit comprehension!" Her beautiful eyes flashed with brilliant light, and with deep reverent awe, she murmured, "As for what stage it is... that is no longer something we can fathom..." Yu Hua was an intelligent woman. She had been from the very beginning; even after being coerced, she had understood clearly that staying within the Heavenly Demon Divine Hall would only lead to her death! There was no power in this world granted without a price! The greater the power gained, the heavier the price paid. Thus, she had feared the backing behind Li Guanqi from the outset, and in the end, she had risked her very life just to earn a shred of his trust! Rumble! The pitch-black thunderclouds formed a massive funnel, pouring straight down into Li Guanqi's study. With a deafening crash, Li Guanqi's figure appeared in midair. His overwhelming aura compelled everyone to lower their heads and bow! "Greetings, Pavilion Master!" Li Guanqi glanced up at the sky, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present as he said in a deep voice, "Pull yourselves together! "Pass down the order: war with Tianji Pavilion!"