At this moment, the three elders of Ziyang Palace looked exceedingly grim.
Yu Chang, who stood at their head, wore a particularly dark expression.
Perhaps it was the gap in cultivation between himself and Lu Kangnian that made it so difficult to accept this disparity.
Or perhaps it was because Lu Kangnian simply did not care about the might of Ziyang Palace in the slightest.
In the end, Lu Kangnian had forced all three of them back with a single sword strike, giving Yu Chang his first taste of what it felt like to have someone show him no face whatsoever as an elder of Ziyang Palace.
The immense fall from grace weighed terribly on his pride.
His face dark as stagnant water, Yu Chang let out a cold snort. "Hmph! Let Lu Kangnian prance around for two more days."
"If he doesn't hand over the murderer in three days, I'll see to it that he bears the consequences!"
Their figures blurred and vanished, reappearing a thousand zhang away in the blink of an eye.
The instantaneous teleportation of a Nascent Soul cultivator was something that even a Core Formation cultivator, straining with every ounce of effort, could never hope to catch.
Once the three elders were gone, the disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect instantly erupted into tumultuous cheers!
Their earth-shattering roars surged straight into the clouds!
By now, many disciples had come to understand what a terrifyingly colossal power Ziyang Palace was within the Northern Region.
In the past, disciples had only heard talk of the Great Xia Sword Sect's moral character and tradition.
And after experiencing many events firsthand, they had indeed realized how heavily the sect regarded its rules and conduct.
Any disciple who made a mistake—inner or outer sect—would be punished without exception.
Some disciples had even harbored a deep dread of the sect's harsh penalties over trivial matters.
Yet today...
Every single one of them had witnessed what it truly meant for a sect to uphold its principles through and through!
Previously, they might have grumbled in their hearts that the sect was only capable of being strict with its own disciples.
All that talk about defying tyranny and never bowing your head when right is on your side—perhaps some had thought it was nothing more than empty posturing.
Yet today...
Everyone had seen their powerful Sect Master draw his sword and force back three great Nascent Soul cultivators.
And they had heard his resounding, unshakable words!
At this moment, every disciple's face was flushed red, their spirits stirred beyond measure!
All the disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect suddenly cried out in unison:
"In this life, I have no regrets joining the Sword Sect!"
Seizing the moment, Lu Kangnian delivered a few inspiring words before dismissing the disciples to attend to their duties.
Then, alongside the other peak masters, he vanished into the sky.
Standing atop the mountain peak, Li Guanqi was equally thrilled. He threw out the Canglang sword and rode it through the air, heading straight for Tianlei Peak.
When he arrived at Li Nanting's courtyard, he discovered that Second Elder Xu Zhengjie was also there.
Seeing him arrive, Xu Zhengjie smiled. "Sure enough! Just as you mentioned him, here he is."
"Hahaha! Guanqi, come over and sit down."
Li Guanqi bowed respectfully, then darted over to stand beside the two elders.
Xu Zhengjie reached out to probe his aura, his eyes gleaming with envy as he murmured, "This kid has broken through so quickly, yet his foundation is still this rock-solid. What a monster."
"Still... do you really intend to let that girl Gu Ran participate in the Hundred Sects Tournament?"
Hearing this, Li Guanqi's brow furrowed. He had not expected these two old men to sit together and not even mention what had just happened.
Instead, they were discussing the Hundred Sects Tournament.
Li Nanting looked up at the young man and chuckled softly. "Do you think we aren't taking the threat from Ziyang Palace seriously?"
Li Guanqi furrowed his brows and nodded slightly.
He had seen firsthand just how vast Ziyang Palace's power was.
Even setting everything else aside, their Core Formation elders alone outnumbered those of the Great Xia Sword Sect several times over.
As for their Nascent Soul cultivators, he guessed their numbers were undoubtedly higher, never lower!
The old man took a small sip from his wine cup, then turned toward Li Guanqi, his eyes flashing with sharp insight as he spoke softly.
"Rest assured, the Great Xia Sword Sect is not as weak as you imagine."
"It's merely that over these past years, the sect's resources have been too scarce, and there haven't been many disciples capable of helping the sect secure more."
"That is what caused the sect to sink into a vicious cycle."
At this point, a gratified smile appeared on both elders' faces.
"Fortunately, the disciples recruited in recent years have all had remarkable talent—not just you."
"The disciples taken in by the other peaks over these years have all possessed exceptional aptitude, but most of them have already stepped into the Core Formation realm."
"They cultivate with even greater diligence, which is why you rarely see them around the sect on ordinary days."
"Only on rare occasions, when someone runs short of merit points or spirit stones, will they emerge from seclusion."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi felt somewhat relieved. After all, he had feared that Ziyang Palace would refuse to let this matter rest.
Xu Zhengjie set down his wine cup and smiled. "No need to worry. While this matter began because of you, it certainly isn't solely about you."
"To Zheng Hao, killing you was merely an incidental step in his plans."
"Besides... just as your master said, the Great Xia Sword Sect is far more than it appears on the surface."
After chatting a while longer, a sudden whim struck Xu Zhengjie to give Li Guanqi some pointers.
The three of them then went to the martial arts arena on Tianzhu Peak.
Xu Zhengjie swept his wide sleeve and said placidly, "Guanqi, today this old man will give you some proper guidance."
This was the first time Li Guanqi had ever sparred against an elder with their realm suppressed, so his expression was exceedingly grave.
He bowed respectfully. "Thank you for taking the trouble to instruct me, Second Elder!"
Yet once the fight began, Xu Zhengjie—who had suppressed his cultivation to the middle Foundation Establishment realm—gradually went from casual to utterly serious.
In the end, he turned his head and cursed toward Li Nanting, "What are you just staring for?! Hurry up and help me! Damn it, with my realm suppressed, I can't beat this kid!"
Li Nanting, who had been watching the entire time, instantly flashed into the arena, beckoning with one hand as a refined iron sword flew into his grip!
In an instant, three figures darted and shifted across the arena, their sword light flashing dazzlingly.
As the clash grew fiercer, Li Guanqi fought with a single sword against the two of them, yet he was only slightly at a disadvantage!
After half an hour, both old men wore expressions of utmost gravity.
Xu Zhengjie had already felt rather envious that he hadn't managed to take Li Guanqi under his own wing.
This time, he had also wanted to test the boy's strength, since casualties were common in the Hundred Sects Tournament.
Yet this test left both of them deeply shaken.
Xu Zhengjie nudged Li Nanting beside him, furrowing his brows as he sent a voice transmission: "Just how on earth did you teach such a monster?!"
"His combat experience and instinctive reflexes are the sharpest among anyone I have ever seen!"
Yet Li Nanting, wearing an equally serious expression, simply glanced back at Li Guanqi.
He coughed a few times and adopted a look of profound mystery. "Inscrutable, entirely inscrutable~"
Even when Xu Zhengjie finally left, he still could not fathom how Li Nanting had trained him.
Yet once he was gone, a bitter smile spread across Li Nanting's face.
Although he had given Li Guanqi plenty of guidance in daily life, he knew perfectly well in his heart.
Based solely on what he had taught him, there was no way Li Guanqi could have reached his current level.
His present strength gave even Li Nanting the surreal impression that he was outrageously strong!
*If he takes part in the Hundred Sects Tournament, perhaps he really can lead the Great Xia Sword Sect to an unprecedented standing!!*
However, regarding Li Guanqi's current condition, he did not intend to pry too deeply.
After all, once one stepped onto the immortal path, even someone in the Qi Refinement realm could stumble upon heaven-defying fortune.
Furthermore, toward Li Guanqi's grandfather whom he had never met, he had always harbored an inexplicable sense of awe.
He did not believe for a second that such a mysterious old man would have left Li Guanqi without any fortunes whatsoever.
Chapter 111