Pengluo?

Li Guanqi lifted the mangled, limp arm and crooked his finger slightly. In an instant, the man's agonizing screams abruptly stopped! The onlookers' pupils constricted. Two massive pillars of lightning materialized, sealing Xuan Lan's body between them. A look of astonishment flashed in Dugu Chongming's eyes, and a man behind him furrowed his brows and murmured, "A sealing spirit incantation of such caliber… Sealing a Mahayana realm cultivator with a flick of his hand—this must be among the top hundred in power!" "No chanting… Performed so effortlessly. His divine sense is terrifying!" Xuan Lan's eyes went wide as saucers, filled with sheer dread. Yet he felt as if an invisible force had stripped away all control over his body. Though his mind remained clear, he was utterly helpless, able only to watch Li Guanqi slowly raise a hand. Li Guanqi touched a finger to Xuan Lan's dantian. Instantly, lightning erupted and arcs of electricity lashed out in all directions. The robes on Xuan Lan tore to shreds, leaving him stripped naked and imprisoned within the lightning pillars! Radiating outward from his dantian, his skin turned charred black in an instant, and his hair was incinerated. Plumes of bloody mist burst from within the lightning pillars. Humiliation and fury flared within him, but lasted only a heartbeat before being swallowed by endless terror. The horrific power of lightning surged into his body, wildly ravaging his meridians! Xuan Lan opened his mouth wide, his eyes instantly bloodshot. Yet his throat felt as though it had been stuffed full; not a single sound could escape. Li Guanqi's eyes were indifferent, devoid of emotion, and his voice sounded calm. "I despise people… who threaten me." His fingertip slashed through the air, tearing open a ten-foot rift in the resilient fabric of space. He tossed Xuan Lan inside with casual disdain. A Mahayana realm trash of this level… To him, the man was less of a threat than a powerful peak Body Integration cultivator. Still, Xuan Lan's performance had made Li Guanqi see him in a new light—he truly knew how to swallow his pride when cornered. Unfortunately for him… Li Guanqi was not one to grant second chances. Li Guanqi turned to look at the four people behind him, his gaze shifting to Dugu Chongming as he asked softly, "Just these three?" Hearing this, all three bowed deeply to Li Guanqi. "I am An Xing! Thank you, young friend, for saving my life!" "I am Gao Hua. My thanks for your rescue, young friend. If there is anything you need our help with, do not hesitate to ask!" "Nangong Zhou. I owe you my life." Li Guanqi nodded slightly, taking a closer look at the man named Nangong Zhou. Among the three, he was the only one who had shaved off his beard and tied up his disheveled hair; cleansed with primal energy, his appearance was much fresher. And he was the only one among them whose strength approached Dugu Chongming's—the mid Mahayana realm! Dugu Chongming was mostly recovered now, at the peak mid Mahayana realm, merely a step away from his original late Mahayana realm. But having been deprived of spiritual energy for so long, he was still slightly short of his peak. Li Guanqi gave them a slight nod and said softly, "My purpose here is to rescue my Dao companion. Because of that, we will likely face Xuan Zhen's faction of the Xuan clan, as well as Xuan Zhèn and the Southern faction." "If you are willing to help out of gratitude for me saving you, I will naturally be very thankful. But if… anyone stabs me in the back, do not blame me for being ruthless." "Clear terms make for smooth cooperation. Do not fault me for speaking frankly." Nangong Zhou spoke first, his voice calm yet resolute. "Set your mind at ease. If anyone tries to harm you, they will have to answer to the sword in my hand first!" As the words fell, an imposing pressure rolled out from him. Both An Xing and Gao Hua were middle-aged in appearance, though years of torment had aged them considerably, leaving weary expressions on their faces. Gao Hua sneered. "Hah, both of them are here… That couldn't be better!!" Dugu Chongming also sneered, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. In a chilling voice, he said, "I only hope that wretched woman is there too!!" Li Guanqi turned slowly and murmured with an icy tone, "Then I shall count on you all." As he spoke, Li Guanqi pinched a special inscribed talisman between his fingers. The talisman flared into flame, and a flash of silver light enveloped the five of them, vanishing from the dungeon in an instant. As for the few prisoners remaining in the cells, they were of no consequence to Li Guanqi. *Swish!* The five materialized in a mysterious space that resembled an ice cellar. They immediately fanned out, scanning their surroundings with vigilant eyes. Li Guanqi glanced at them sideways; none of their strengths were negligible, and their coordination was remarkably seamless. Approaching the formation, Li Guanqi let out a cold sneer. His surging divine sense struck out like a primordial beast, crashing straight toward the formation before him! He knew nothing about formations. Leaving an inscribed talisman had merely been a way to bypass the local barriers without alerting anyone. But now that he was already here, why bother holding back? If he couldn't unlock the formation, he would simply shatter it! *Boom!!* The tempestuous divine sense erupted, its terrifying force draining the color from the faces of the four beside him. They exchanged glances, seeing shock mirrored in each other's eyes. The intensity of the divine sense Li Guanqi displayed was simply not something an early Mahayana realm cultivator should be capable of unleashing. This power… Nangong Zhou muttered, "This divine sense… I'm afraid it is considerably stronger than even mine." The terrifying divine sense fractured the space, causing the void to twist violently. On the array pedestal, the ice-blue formation light blazed with dazzling brilliance, letting out strained groans and creaks. Cracks spiderwebbed across it, and it seemed on the verge of shattering. Suddenly, Li Guanqi's expression changed drastically! Cold sweat instantly soaked his back. Terrified, he threw every ounce of his power into stabilizing the crumbling formation light. Seeing this, Nangong Zhou's face tightened. He flashed forward, unleashing his own divine sense to assist Li Guanqi while barking urgently, "Lend a hand, all of you!!" Ponderous divine senses erupted one after another, quickly stabilizing the glow of the formation. Yet waves of frigid chill surged from the cracks in the formation light, frostbiting all five pairs of arms in the span of a single breath! Dugu Chongming's face darkened, and he asked heavily, "What happened? This cold air is far from ordinary. If this continues, none of us will keep our hands!" The frigid aura contained vicious cold poison. As it seeped into their bodies, their complexions turned sickly pale. Li Guanqi swallowed hard, a cold glint flickering in his eyes as he spoke in a low, somber voice. "Xuan Zhen's aura is embedded in this formation! If it breaks, not only will we fail to get in, but Xuan Zhen will also be forcibly teleported here!" Their hearts skipped a beat. Nangong Zhou narrowed his eyes and growled, "Luring him here is fine too. The five of us can join forces and slay him!" Li Guanqi shook his head. Neither Xuan Zhen nor Xuan Zhèn was simple. Even if the five of them pooled their strength, they might not gain the slightest upper hand! The chill intensified, and Li Guanqi's heart sank inch by inch. Little time remained for hesitation. Li Guanqi gritted his teeth. Just as he was about to gamble everything, a sly, cheeky voice sounded beside his ear. "Tsk, tsk. You really can't manage without me, can you?"