Death Storm, Ancient God Illusory Soul!

The storm raged for a full three days. Waking midway through, Li Guanqi felt his heart sink. Recalling the old man's memories, it truly lived up to the name Death Storm. No one could hold out for long in such a tempest. To call it a Death Storm was no exaggeration at all. Over the course of those three days, Li Guanqi refined all of the Bone Spirit Beads he had taken from the man. He discovered that the most potent power within these beads was precisely that dust! That dust was the essence born from God Burial Valley's unique environment, left behind after the deaths of those colossal beasts. Yet it seemed no one else could absorb this power, making the Bone Spirit Beads both a source of primal energy and a deadly poison that hastened their demise. As the storm gradually weakened, Li Guanqi's first experience with a Death Storm instilled in him a deep reverence for God Burial Valley. His mindset had shifted as well; he was now on utmost guard against everything in the valley. Just like that man earlier, Li Guanqi was certain... If he had shown mercy and let him in, he would have invited a wolf into his den, and the man would have slaughtered him without hesitation! Here, everyone was an enemy! Li Guanqi's eyes flickered. Gripping Bixiao tightly, he stepped slowly out of the cave. He had no intention of returning to this place. Stepping deep into the mist, it took only moments before he spotted the ashes of the man from before. A venerable Mahayana realm cultivator whose resilient bones had been ravaged by the storm until nothing remained. Witnessing this, Li Guanqi could not help but sigh with emotion. Feeling the surging, swelling primal energy within him, Li Guanqi knew his current power had reached the pinnacle of the Body Integration Realm. To climb higher... he would likely have to advance his Spirit Comprehension before he could break through. Yet when he left the Great Xia Sword Sect to forge the seven swords, he had already broken through to the sixth rank of Spirit Comprehension. Without some great serendipity or fortune, further insight could only be honed through the slow grind of time and years. With a black mask covering his face and clad in a black robe, Li Guanqi remained poised to erupt into action at any moment. Walking through the dense mist, a strange sense of desolation suddenly welled up within him. It felt as though being trapped in God Burial Valley was like being an exile abandoned by the entire world. The vast valley was far larger than he had imagined. Just as his thoughts wandered, a chill ran down Li Guanqi's spine. Raising his hand, he drew his sword and slashed violently toward his flank! An ash-white figure holding an illusory longsword slashed fiercely toward him. Swish! The blades crossed, yet the enemy's edge passed straight through. A muffled roar ripped from Li Guanqi's throat! Lightning crackled beneath his feet as he shot backward. He was certain his sword had struck the opponent just now. Yet for some reason, his divine soul was wounded! The sword in the opponent's hand seemed intangible, passing straight through his physical body to strike directly at his soul! Li Guanqi clutched his chest with his right hand, the agonizing pain nearly knocking him unconscious. His face drained of all color as his eyes locked onto the ash-white figure ten zhang away. Only now did he clearly make out the opponent's appearance. It was an emaciated old crone with dull, vacant eyes, diminutive in stature and ancient beyond measure. Her ash-white body lingered between phantom and solid, utterly bizarre. A cold sneer surfaced on Li Guanqi's lips as the power of the Sword Ruins erupted in full force! "Illusory Form!" Buzz! A mysterious ripple enveloped his blade, and he was finally able to perceive a few of the enemy's flaws. The adversary was not a physical entity at all, but rather something like a soul or spirit. Li Guanqi muttered under his breath, "So this is an Ancient God Illusory Soul of God Burial Valley..." According to the old man's memories, these entities were formed from the remnant souls of numerous mighty cultivators from the primordial era. And this old crone's aura was even slightly stronger than Li Guanqi's! Li Guanqi licked his pale, cracked lips, his gaze blazing with surging battle intent. He enveloped Bixiao in his divine sense and uttered a low growl. "Fight!" Thud! Li Guanqi economized his strength to the absolute limit, refusing to waste a single shred of primal energy. He still didn't know how long he would be trapped here, so he had to conserve every bit! Swish! His sword traced sharp, vicious arcs as he struck in rapid succession. In this moment, it was as if Li Guanqi could finally see through every move she made. Under the effect of Illusory Form, Li Guanqi could clearly track the trajectory of her sword swings. Clang! As sword lights clashed, a subtle smile touched the corner of Li Guanqi's lips. The sword momentum in his hands abruptly shifted! A tempestuous flurry of strikes rained down upon the Ancient God Illusory Soul! Empowered by his immense physical might, Li Guanqi suppressed her so thoroughly she had no room to counterattack! For a time, Li Guanqi held the absolute upper hand; the momentum of the restrained edge infused every single slash with tremendous force. Yet the opponent's counterstrikes were equally ferocious—in the blink of an eye, Li Guanqi had taken several sword strikes! Her sword momentum was eerie and agile; in life, her strength had undoubtedly been formidable, worthy of an overlord of her time! Their clash was perilously fierce, dull sonic booms echoing continuously through the hollow valley. Shadows flickered at blinding speeds; even Li Guanqi struggled slightly to keep pace with her movements. As they dodged and maneuvered, the ground shattered beneath them, crisscrossed by freezing sword lights. Anxiety gnawed at Li Guanqi's mind. He knew many formidable experts lurked within this valley. The commotion here was too loud and could easily attract unwanted attention. Gradually, Li Guanqi put more weight into his strikes. In just a few breaths, enhanced by Blade Break, the sword in the old crone's hand was covered in cracks. Li Guanqi's eyes flashed. With the aid of Illusory Form, he seized upon an opening in her defense! His left hand thrust his sword to knock her blade flying in an instant, while his right hand struck like lightning, clamping onto her wrist! As if possessing an independent consciousness, a vicious gleam flashed in the Ancient God Illusory Soul's eyes. Her left fist slammed violently toward Li Guanqi's skull! Li Guanqi's expression remained unchanged. Stepping back, he yanked the old crone toward him. At the same time, Li Guanqi leaped to evade her kick, driving his right knee upward in a vicious strike toward her jaw! He growled, "Dragon Transformation!" Buzz! Dragon scales covered his arms as terrifying strength erupted in a flash! Cloaked in divine sense, Li Guanqi violently tore the old crone's arm clean off! His knee slammed savagely into her jaw, smashing half her face to pulp. Twisting his left wrist, he reversed his grip on the sword and plunged it straight into her skull! Boom! Violent thunder and lightning ran rampant through the crone's body in an instant! Boom! Boom! The horrifying power blew the old crone's body to pieces. The lightning, brimming with destructive force, offered her no chance to resist. Clack! A bead haloed in milky-white light dropped to the ground! At the same time, Li Guanqi sensed several unfamiliar auras speeding in his direction! The mist surged and churned, agitated by the disturbance. Without a second thought, Li Guanqi snatched the bead, circulated a breath-concealing movement technique, and turned to flee!