An hour later.
Across the Six Domains, Tianji Pavilion's shops reopened one after another.
Just as Li Guanqi had predicted, every single one of Tianji Pavilion's stores began rolling out all kinds of discounts and promotions.
This drove countless cultivators into a frenzy, triggering a massive buying spree.
Li Guanqi's lips curved upward slightly. Looking at the tally Yu Hua had sent back, Tang Wei stood with his mouth slightly agape.
This sheer volume of sales was already threatening to empty Tianji Pavilion's inventory.
Li Guanqi said softly, "It's time for us to make our move. Increasing our order volume right now won't arouse their suspicion in the slightest.
"Swallow as much as you can."
By this point, Tang Wei had already begun to deduce what Li Guanqi's subsequent plans were.
Seeing the sharp light gleaming in his eyes, Li Guanqi couldn't help but chuckle. "If Uncle Tang still has some personal assets tucked away, feel free to jump in.
"Of course, don't come crying to me if you take a loss."
Tang Wei raised an eyebrow, a keen glint flashing through his eyes as crow's feet crinkled at the corners. He couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"Hahahaha, of course not! Profits or losses, I take full responsibility!"
Li Guanqi smiled, then made his way to a distant room down the hall.
Seeing Yu Hua busy inside, Li Guanqi nodded slightly.
Approaching her, he said softly, "Only two days remain. Have our people start leaking scattered rumors now.
"Did that previous batch of goods make it into Tianji Pavilion?"
Yu Hua didn't look back. Continuing to process the contents of several jade slips before her, she spoke at a brisk clip:
"They've been delivered. We know the exact batch of pills.
"Almost all of them are in our hands now. When do we make our move?"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Li Guanqi said softly, "Start releasing the rumors first thing tomorrow morning. Let them brew through the afternoon, and let everything erupt all at once by nightfall!
"This time, I will drive Tianji Pavilion into a dead end!!
"Hide? Heh... They won't be able to hide..."
Li Guanqi lowered his eyes slightly, his expression radiating absolute, formidable confidence!!
The sheer boldness in his gaze left even Yu Hua momentarily stunned.
She had never seen a young man face a behemoth like Tianji Pavilion with such effortless ease.
Casually handing over an operation worth tens of billions of spirit stones to others without micromanaging, not even worried that anyone might line their own pockets—this degree of confidence was beyond anything anyone else could match.
Yu Hua composed herself, only for Li Guanqi's receding voice to reach her ears:
"When this matter concludes, you and Xi Yunhuai will each receive three hundred million spirit stones to keep for yourselves."
Yu Hua's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. Exhaustion? What was that??
Three hundred million!!
To keep for herself!!!
Yu Hua swallowed hard. All at once, she felt an inexhaustible strength surge through her. Crushing a pile of spirit stones beside her, she drew their essence into her body in a massive gulp.
Who gave a damn about burning through energy now?!
Returning to his study, Li Guanqi raised his hand to erect several layers of barriers and warding formations, expanding the Sword Prison to envelop the entire room.
Taking a deep breath, Li Guanqi called out softly, "Pengluo?"
Silence.
Li Guanqi sighed. He had not anticipated that after seizing the sword coffin, the other party would use some unknown method to sever the contractual link between him and Pengluo.
His eyes flickered, and he muttered with a frown, "Perhaps... the sword spirit did this on purpose."
He was not the least bit worried that anyone could force open the sword coffin.
Unless their strength rivaled Su Xuan's!
Sighing, he pushed the matter to the back of his mind. Suddenly, a wisp of lightning glinted in his palm.
Gazing intently at this faint glow of lightning, Li Guanqi steadied his thoughts and spoke in a low, resonant voice:
"I am Li Guanqi. Can we talk?"
Boom!!!!
In the secret chamber at the highest tier of the Red Tower, Shen Feng, who was still sorting through stacks of intelligence, felt as though his head were about to explode!!
Shen Feng sprang to his feet, glancing wildly in all directions!!
Li Guanqi's voice had actually sounded directly inside his sea of consciousness!!!
Tension racked Shen Feng's body, his breath turning rapid and ragged, his eyes brimming with panic.
Fine droplets of cold sweat beaded across his forehead. This was inside the Tianji Domain! If Gu Yong discovered he had any connection to Li Guanqi, he was as good as dead!!
His primal energy surged alongside his divine sense, sweeping frantically through his own body, yet he detected nothing out of the ordinary.
In his fluster, Shen Feng suddenly remembered the talismanic spiritual light on his back. Shattering the robe he wore, he checked his back, only to find the spiritual light completely dormant.
Gu Yong had planted a contingency within that glow; if Li Guanqi had contacted him through it, Gu Yong would have sensed it without fail.
After staying utterly silent for several breaths, Shen Feng crept carefully toward the door, ensuring it was firmly locked and activating the warding arrays in the room.
Standing in place with his eyes darting, Shen Feng remained quiet for a long while before speaking with his inner voice:
"I don't care what methods you used. We have nothing to discuss! That is all."
Even as he spoke, Shen Feng frantically continued examining his body. He had no idea what trick this was...
Yet he was certain Li Guanqi had planted something within him!!
Suddenly!!
Within the flesh of his shoulder, he discovered a concealed arc of lightning!!
Shen Feng finally exhaled a breath of relief. Now the initiative was back in his hands.
Given Gu Yong's ruthless methods, if the old man discovered that he had been in contact with Li Guanqi at a time like this...
Shen Feng would surely die; Gu Yong would not even bother listening to any explanations or defenses.
Shen Feng sneered, assuming Li Guanqi was intentionally using this method to sow discord between him and Gu Yong.
"Li Guanqi, don't think I don't know you want to get me killed with this little trick!
"Don't bother replying. The power you left in my body... you must have planted it when I went to greet you during our very first meeting, didn't you?"
Shen Feng raised his hand, intending to obliterate the flesh of his shoulder—he did not even dare force the lightning out of his body.
Just as he raised his hand and condensed his power, Li Guanqi's voice abruptly rang by his ear!
"No. I want to save you."
Clawing his fingers hard into his shoulder flesh, Shen Feng sneered, "You? What a joke..."
Li Guanqi's calm voice suddenly cut in:
"All of your natal divine souls are held in Gu Yong's hands... aren't they?"
Hearing that, Shen Feng's pupils instantly shrank to pinpricks!!
How could Li Guanqi know about this?
Then it dawned on him—Li Guanqi had once served as acting master of Tianji Pavilion, and he had even taken Su You and Ji Yuchuan with him when he left.
Shen Feng gritted his teeth. "So what if they are? You could never snatch them from his grasp."
In the study, Li Guanqi's profile flickered in the candlelight. With an enigmatic smile curling his lips, he said softly,
"What if... you simply no longer need that sliver of your soul?"
Shen Feng suddenly felt as though his heart had stopped beating. Holding his breath, countless thoughts flashed through his mind in a single instant.
He hardly dared to dwell on what Li Guanqi's words truly implied!
His heart thudded wildly in his chest. In a flash, he was at the door, cautiously sensing for any presence nearby.
Gritting his teeth, he actually reached back and tore off the entire layer of skin and flesh across his back!!
The bloody skin peeled away like a rectangular sheet of cloth. His face pale, Shen Feng cast a backward glance at the spiritual light glowing upon the torn flesh and said in a chilling voice,
"Why should I believe you?!"
Chapter 1053