When Are You... Heading to the Seventh Domain?

The Great Xia Sword Sect. Wu Bing had already been overjoyed when he heard that Li Guanqi was still alive. Yet when news arrived that Li Guanqi and his companions had all broken through to the Mahayana realm together, his mind went completely blank. He sat frozen in his chair for the longest time, unable to process it. "The... the Mahayana realm???" His stupor lasted only a few breaths before he leaped up in wild jubilation. "Hahahahaha!" "Doesn't that mean... our Great Xia Sword Sect suddenly has several more Mahayana realm patriarchs?!" "Aiyo! Let's see who dares try to push us around now!" "Quick! A grand sect-wide celebration! A massive celebration!" Watching Wu Bing barking out orders like a madman in the main hall, everyone else was still completely in the dark. Qin Xian frowned. "What happened? Why make such a huge fuss?" Wu Bing rose to his feet, took a deep breath, and let his resonant voice, infused with primal energy, echo across the entire Great Xia Sword Sect. "The sect's Grand Elder, Li Guanqi, has broken through to the mid Mahayana realm! Let the world celebrate!" "Elder Cao Yan has broken through to the mid Mahayana realm!" "Elder Ye Feng has broken through to the mid Mahayana realm!" "Elder Gu Li has broken through to the mid Mahayana realm!" As the announcements rang out one after another, every listener was struck dumb, eyes wide and jaws slack, frozen where they stood. This... who could even believe such a thing?! Qin Xian sprang to his feet with a sudden start. "Hang the red silk ribbons! Roll out carpets for a hundred li! Fireworks! Dancers! Hurry!" "Pry up the floor tiles and replace them with spirit stones! Paint the golden roof tiles red!" "Recall every disciple traveling outside—order them all back to the sect!" In an instant, the Great Xia Sword Sect and Guanyun Pavilion mobilized in full force. No one could have imagined that the elders who had vanished for years would now return, every single one of them elevated to the pinnacle of power in the Mahayana realm. With so many Mahayana cultivators in the Great Xia Sword Sect today, who would dare transgress against them? Their status as the foremost sect of Great Xia was utterly unshakeable! The entire Great Xia Sword Sect erupted into boiling fervor, and nearly all the elders who had been in secluded cultivation broke through their seclusion and emerged. Behind a peak wreathed in flames, rhythmic clanging resounded. A burly old man raised his eyebrows. Gu Lie set down the massive hammer in his hands and muttered, "Li Guanqi broke through to the mid Mahayana realm?" "Such progress... is truly monstrous." Yet after a second thought, the old man grinned broadly. "As expected of the sect I chose. They certainly do me proud!" The Great Xia Sword Sect was now blanketed in multicolored dawn light, the worldly spiritual energy so dense that drifting mists veiled the mountain gates. Birds and cranes called out as disciples flew continuously on their swords through the sky above, while more and more disciples returned from the outside world. The glow of the sect's teleportation arrays hardly paused for a breath, and proud smiles beamed on every face. The entire sect presented a thriving spectacle worthy of an unprecedented grand festival. Across the firmament, the power of supreme figures shaped an expanse of radiant clouds, and high platforms floated suspended in midair. The Great Xia Sword Sect had not invited any other sects or factions to offer congratulations, for this ceremony belonged solely to them to welcome back Li Guanqi and the others. Wu Bing and the others, clad in their most splendid ceremonial robes, took their positions in midair. The disciples lined up on both sides, and the peak masters stood in sequence behind Wu Bing, ready to receive them. *Hum!* A violent spatial tremor abruptly swept across heaven and earth. Immediately afterward, wave upon wave of overwhelming pressure, bearing formidable auras, descended upon them! A white-robed Li Guanqi stepped out from the rift first, followed closely by Ye Feng, Cao Yan, Xiao Chen, and the others! *Whoosh!* Every disciple, along with Wu Bing and the elders, bowed deeply in unison, their soaring voices resounding through the heavens! "The Great Xia Sword Sect respectfully welcomes Elder Li and the elders back to the sect!" The disciples' roaring voices nearly overturned the firmament. Excitement flushed the face of every disciple who witnessed the sight. From the seven peaks, dazzling pillars of light erupted straight into the clouds. The Seven Peaks Lightning Swords that Li Guanqi had left behind years ago flared with blinding purple halos. Waves of mysterious, mighty auras spread outward bit by bit. With a single sweep of his gaze, Ye Feng spotted Qing'er weeping uncontrollably in the crowd, alongside his parents. For some reason, though both elderly parents had cultivated for decades, their hair had turned entirely silver. Seeing Ye Feng return, tears flooded their eyes. The moment Qing'er saw Ye Feng, her tears broke like a shattered dam. After a while, her gaze swept across the group, searching for a familiar figure, and soon settled upon a slightly unfamiliar Xiao Chen. Looking at that weathered, wind-scoured face, Qing'er froze where she stood. She did not know what Xiao Chen had been through over these years. The once-frivolous, pretty boy had now taken on the bearing of a commanding overlord. Xiao Chen naturally noticed Qing'er's gaze in the crowd and gave a grin that seemed rather foolish. Qing'er blushed, rolling her pretty eyes at him. Cao Yan looked at the familiar Great Xia Sword Sect, his heart churning with profound emotion as well. Deafening cheers reached straight into the clouds, and the disciples turned burning, reverent gazes toward them. Neither Xu Junlin nor Qin Wushang had ever experienced such an atmosphere before. For a sect to achieve such cohesion was astonishing; the way those disciples looked at Li Guanqi and the others could only be described as fanatical devotion. Moreover, they noticed that the young acting sect master facing this scene did not hold the slightest hint of jealousy in his eyes. On the contrary, Wu Bing's eyes brimmed with unadulterated joy and pride! Truth be told, in Wu Bing's heart, if Li Guanqi were ever willing to take the seat of sect master, he would be his staunchest supporter. Over the years, Wu Bing had realized many things. He was... far inferior to his master, Lu Kangnian. Though people had claimed long ago that Lu Kangnian had only the talent to maintain what already existed, when Li Guanqi had risen, Lu Kangnian had possessed the resolve and ruthless courage to lead the Great Xia Sword Sect forward. As for himself... simply holding the ground they had was already an immense struggle. Wu Bing stepped forward at the head of Qin Xian, Ling Daoyan, and the others. Gong Ze, Nangong Qianyan, and their peers were among them as well. Having served in Guanyun Pavilion over the years, they had reaped considerable benefits and had now reached the mid-stage Body Integration Realm. Toward the young man before them, they held nothing but boundless reverence. Seeing the flourishing prosperity of the Great Xia Sword Sect today, Li Guanqi felt his own blood surging with emotion. Taking a deep breath, he cupped his fists in return and declared in a low, resonant tone, "Li Guanqi has returned to the sect!" What followed was a jubilant banquet that belonged entirely to the Great Xia Sword Sect! After eating and drinking their fill, Li Guanqi led his companions to Yuhu Peak. Looking at the once-familiar small wooden cabin and the tiny spirit pool, Ye Feng reached out to caress them, filled with endless sentiment. Li Guanqi said softly, "Tonight, we don't stop until we're thoroughly drunk." Everyone nodded with a laugh; they had far too much to say. Even Xu Junlin and Qin Wushang felt little sense of being outsiders within this circle. Because of Li Guanqi's presence, everyone had set aside the trivial grudges of the past. After everything Ye Feng had endured, petty differences no longer seemed to matter at all. Instead, they cherished the people before them, cherished the present, and cherished... the time they had together. After several rounds of wine, Qin Wushang had completely hit it off with the group. Xu Junlin, tipsy with drink, was drunkenly shouting curses back and forth with Xiao Chen. Nor had Tang Ru been forgotten simply because his cultivation was lower; on the contrary, everyone held deep respect for his capabilities. Watching the scene, Li Guanqi felt the corners of his mouth lift slightly. Perhaps the meaning of risking one's life over and over was precisely for moments like this... Suddenly, Qin Wushang asked in a quiet voice, "When are you... heading to the Seventh Domain?" The moment the words left his mouth, the entire gathering fell noticeably quiet.