Eighteen Misty Peaks!

Pengluo looked at the current sword spirit, scratched his head, and didn't dare say much. He simply curled up in a corner, closed his eyes, and dozed. *Bang!* Pengluo felt himself sent hurtling over a thousand zhang through the air, the immense force flinging him straight into the depths of the void. "What was that for?! I didn't even mess with you!" The sword spirit glanced back into the void. "You were in the way." Li Guanqi gave the woman in the distance a deep look, then slowly placed the skewered fish in his hand over the fire to roast. As he handled affairs concerning Guanyun Pavilion, the events of earlier that day replayed in his mind. *Rational.* Indeed, everything Meng Wanshu displayed today was far too rational. She had not even noticed this subtle change herself. Yet Li Guanqi had caught it keenly. In the past, Meng Wanshu would have shown at least some concern regarding Ye Feng's current situation. Now, however, she had merely deduced from the available information that having no news meant Ye Feng was likely still alive, and that this was a good thing. Falling on Li Guanqi's ears, though it was an undeniable fact, the remark felt somewhat devoid of human warmth—callous, even. Now, he was finally certain... Meng Wanshu's demeanor had shifted, and subtle differences had crept into her speech and conduct. Aloof, haughty. If Meng Wanshu's past pride had stemmed from being the daughter of a Domain Master—a haughtiness born of status and standing— then now, it was an absolute arrogance rooted in her own power and horizon! At first, he thought the change was due to her spiritual root ascending to a Divine-grade spiritual root. After hearing what the sword spirit had to say, however, he realized the spirit was right. It seemed the inheritance of Realm Lord Bingqi had exerted far too great an influence on her. A sharp glint flashed in the depths of Li Guanqi's eyes. His face flickered in the firelight, yet the resolute determination etched upon it did not waver in the least. No matter who it was, he would never allow another's memories to supplant Wanshu's original self! If he had no way of resolving it himself, then he would go to the Seventh Domain! The reason he had not yet set out for the Seventh Domain was partly because of Ye Feng, and partly because he felt he was not yet ready. Regarding the Seventh Domain, while his heart held great curiosity, there was also a lingering reluctance. For he always sensed that he would become entangled in endless ties with that place. Thus, before resolving Ye Feng's plight, he had no intention of going to the Seventh Domain ahead of time. Li Guanqi's hand suddenly froze midair. A scene recorded within a shadow-casting stone caught him completely off guard. It showed the back of a black-robed figure standing amid heaps of corpses, the sword in the man's grip still dripping blood. Li Guanqi's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his lips trembling slightly... "Second Brother..." Even though the image showed only a back, Li Guanqi was undeniably certain that this person was Ye Feng! Judging by the projection, every single soul in the town had been slaughtered. Moreover, shadowy figures flickered in the background; Ye Feng clearly was not acting alone. Which meant... even if there were things he didn't wish to do, he had likely done them... The very outcome Li Guanqi feared most had come to pass... In anguish, Li Guanqi shut his eyes. His jaw clenched tight, and the veins on his forehead pulsed violently. His fists tightened, and with a loud *crack*, the shadow-casting stone in his hand shattered into dust! *Whoosh!* "What's wrong?" "Nothing..." "Phew... prepare another copy of that dossier for me. I want the most detailed records!" Soon, Li Guanqi obtained all the intelligence regarding the slaughtered town. And there was more than one shadow-casting stone—another angle had also been recorded. In this recording, Ye Feng was clad in a black robe, revealing half of a weathered face and eyes devoid of light. His once golden hair had turned a lifeless, ashen gray. Half of his face was overtaken by a grotesque, twisted ghostly visage, his eyes a ghastly crimson. In the recording, Ye Feng seemed to be giving instructions to the individuals around him. From the hazy projection, Li Guanqi counted seven people in total, including Ye Feng. Li Guanqi examined the intelligence on this incident: it had taken place three years ago, in the Daochan Domain. Taking a deep breath, Li Guanqi asked, "Has Guanyun Pavilion analyzed the distribution of the massacres and eradicated villages over these past years?" Yu Hua's expression shifted slightly, and she replied softly, "No." "The volume of information to process is simply too vast. Now that the replica of the Tianji Chart cannot be used, we have no way of knowing either." Li Guanqi sighed softly. There was no helping it... He hadn't been able to prevent the Great Dayan Tianji Chart from shattering back then. If not for the chart's presence, he likely would have been seen by that person. Beside him, Meng Wanshu spoke in a soft voice: "We could compile the suspected locations from the past three months." "Mark them on a map of the Six Domains, and see if any pattern emerges." "The Heavenly Demon Hall... ultimately seeks human souls. That is very likely the secret behind their 'immortality.'" Li Guanqi started slightly. He hadn't expected Meng Wanshu to offer such a brilliant suggestion. Noticing his gaze, Meng Wanshu said calmly, "I've simply grown accustomed to being relaxed when you're by my side. I am not foolish; on the contrary, I am very clever." Li Guanqi cleared his throat in slight embarrassment. Then, an enormous map spanning a hundred zhang manifested above the stream. Soon, Li Guanqi spotted a clue: it seemed the recent mass exterminations had all occurred in the Xuanmen Domain. It appeared that after the death of the Xuanmen Domain Master, unrelenting chaos had engulfed the domain, offering the Heavenly Demon Hall an opportunity to exploit. Li Guanqi stared fixedly at the points of light on the map, but there seemed to be no discernible pattern connecting them. Meng Wanshu remained beside him, silent. After a long while... A brilliant glint flashed in Meng Wanshu's beautiful eyes. She reached out and tapped lightly on several points of spiritual light. In a calm voice, she said, "These places are all remote and sparsely populated." "It appears they do not even care whether their victims are cultivators; they only seem to care about numbers..." "Furthermore..." Ice-blue lines traced outward from Meng Wanshu's fingertips. Amid what seemed like a tangled mess of lines, an intersection repeatedly converged! "Here... this is the true center!" Li Guanqi could not help giving her a thumbs-up, praising her unstintingly, "Wanshu, you're amazing! I didn't think of that at all!" "You truly are brilliant. How did you come up with that?" Hearing his words, the corners of Meng Wanshu's lips curled up slightly into a faint smile. Perhaps catching the playful teasing in his voice, she raised her fist, about to give him a light punch. Yet her hand halted in midair, and she slowly drew it back. Witnessing this, Li Guanqi sighed inwardly. It seemed the influence of that inheritance was truly profound... Li Guanqi glanced at the map and murmured softly, "Eighteen Misty Peaks... will you be there?" With that, Li Guanqi suppressed his turbulent emotions, smiling as he handed the roasted fish to the woman beside him. Meng Wanshu hesitated for a moment before accepting it. Nibbling at the fish meat in tiny bites, her eyes gradually grew bright.