I Gave You a Chance...

The man said softly, "I am Shen Feng, Lord of the Purple Tower of Tianji Pavilion. "If I am not mistaken... your position is about to be taken from you, isn't it?" At those words, Tu Kui's eyes abruptly narrowed! Shen Feng continued with a chuckle, "The disciple you took the most pride in betrayed the sect and became the Left Protector to Lu Tian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Hall. Hahahaha, what an absolute joke..." Tu Kui's face gradually darkened, and he snarled, "That has nothing to do with you!" Shen Feng turned, looking down at Tu Kui with a smile. "Let's make a deal. "I will find a way to help you break through to the Void Refining Realm. As for you... you only need to do me a few small favors. "Rest assured, no one will know about our meeting today. Even if something happens down the line, no one will know it was your doing." As his words fell, a hint of wavering surfaced in Tu Kui's eyes. And hidden in the shadows, Li Guanqi saw everything! Not a single word of the conspiracy escaped Li Guanqi's ears! Tu Kui's reaction left Li Guanqi deeply disappointed... He had never expected that the elder he once respected would now have his head turned by power. Hidden within the void, Li Guanqi's eyes dimmed somewhat. Yet gradually, his gaze turned cold. Everything that happened was a person's own choice. Li Guanqi took a deep look at Shen Feng. Right now, he was doing everything he could to restrain his aura. He did not dare extend even a sliver of divine sense; merely three inches away lay the barrier of the sealing formation the other man had laid down. If the slightest unusual movement was sensed, everything would be for naught! The conversation between the two did not last long. Shen Feng transformed into a wisp of silver radiance and slowly faded away within the secret chamber. Injured though he was, Tu Kui appeared as ordinary as ever, and the injuries Shen Feng had inflicted upon him earlier were now fully healed. Moreover, Shen Feng had left him several precious pills capable of boosting his cultivation. Looking at the pills in his hand, Tu Kui's expression grew exceedingly conflicted! The man stood up, gritted his teeth, and strode toward the door. A glint flashed across the depths of Li Guanqi's eyes, and he murmured inwardly, *Is he going to look for me...?* Li Guanqi thought that if Tu Kui went to seek him out, it would mean his heart had not truly changed. Then anything could be worked out! Yet the moment his hand pressed against the door, the man hesitated slightly. With just that hesitation, Tu Kui's eyes filled with struggle, so intense that his face flushed crimson. Veins bulged along his neck, his eyes quivering wildly, shimmering with an inexplicable light. It was as though he had plunged into an agonizing inner conflict. After who knew how long, Tu Kui slowly lowered his hand... Turning around, he sat within the spirit-gathering array and held one of the pills in his hand. Li Guanqi was standing a mere three feet behind him, yet Tu Kui could not detect him. Li Guanqi stared at Tu Kui's hand, his eyes dimming... The pills Shen Feng had left him were indeed extraordinary treasures; swallowing just this one would be equivalent to two hundred years of arduous cultivation for Tu Kui! Yet... the pill was poisoned! The poison within was designed to grasp Tu Kui's lifeblood! Did Tu Kui not know? He knew... Yet under the temptation of power and strength, he still failed to hold true to his heart. Li Guanqi closed his eyes, a flicker of pain crossing his face. He did not understand. He could not comprehend why these people placed so much weight on status and authority. He had heard rumors that some of the seven peak masters might be replaced, but he had never taken it to heart. Unable to bear it completely, Li Guanqi quietly released a sliver of power to trigger the toxin within the pill! A flash of greenish light suddenly flickered across the radiant surface of the pill before vanishing! Tu Kui's expression changed drastically, but what Li Guanqi did changed nothing. Staring at the pill in his palm, Tu Kui gritted his teeth and tossed it into his mouth, swallowing it down! A look of agony and resolve flashed in the depths of Tu Kui's eyes, as if what he had swallowed was not merely a pill, but his conscience and moral integrity... From the moment he chose to swallow the pill, he had already lost so much. Li Guanqi let out a helpless sigh. Raising his hand, he burned several inscribed talismans, sending faint specks of spiritual light silently clinging to Tu Kui's body before fading from sight. Turning to leave, Li Guanqi murmured softly, "I gave you a chance..." *Boom!!* Tu Kui's aura surged dramatically in an instant, powerful strength flooding throughout his body. A manic smile surfaced on the man's face. Clenching his fists, he felt his newfound power and laughed heartily! "Late Soul Formation Realm!! Hahahaha!!" "Just a single pill was enough to push me into late Soul Formation!" "The pills he gave me... are enough to let me step into half-step Void Refinement!" Tu Kui dropped to one knee, hands braced against the ground, his eyes burning with frenzy! "It's only passing along some information; I just won't tell them everything!" "Once I break through to the Void Refining Realm, I'll search for a way to neutralize the poison..." "It shouldn't affect him. I am still me! I, Tu Kui, am still the Master of Tianjin Peak!!" As soon as he finished speaking, Tu Kui began to gasp heavily. A strange, green vein on his neck was spreading toward his heart! Agonizing pain caused Tu Kui to curl up on the floor, howling frantically. His bloodcurdling shrieks did not carry outside. Tu Kui lost all control of his limbs; his joints twisted, and his body convulsed! Saliva and mucus smeared across his face, his bloodshot eyes bulging wide. Only after a full incense stick's time did Tu Kui collapse limp on the floor, thoroughly exhausted. He looked as if he had lost a whole layer of weight. A large puddle of sweat soaked the ground beneath him, his disheveled hair clinging to his face. He looked like someone who had just been dragged out of a deep pond! Li Guanqi did not watch any of this, for he knew such an outcome was inevitable. Shen Feng could never allow Tu Kui to do as he pleased. From the moment Tu Kui swallowed the pill, he had become a pawn of Tianji Pavilion! If Tianji Pavilion wanted Tu Kui dead, he would have no choice but to die! Was Li Guanqi cold-hearted? Perhaps... Upon returning to Guanyun Pavilion, Li Guanqi murmured softly, "Where has the upcoming auction been arranged?" Soon, Qianqiusui's voice sounded in Li Guanqi's ear. "Feiyun City, Yunding Auction House!" "Oh, right—in fact, the entirety of Feiyun City is under our control!" Li Guanqi nodded and said softly, "Good, I understand." With that, Li Guanqi raised his hand. Spiritual radiance gathered beside him, manifesting a clone identical to himself. Leaving the clone in the Guanyun Domain Boundary to direct various affairs, he stepped forward and vanished from the borders of the Great Xia Sword Sect! Regarding Tu Kui, Li Guanqi did not intend to make a scene, nor did he intend to tell anyone—including Wu Bing! He did not know whether Wu Bing would still harbor the resolve to kill Tu Kui after learning of this... Li Guanqi simply chose not to tell him, soaring off toward the Yunding Auction House.