Buzz!
Six figures with condensed, solemn auras appeared in the sword coffin space in an instant!
Except for Ye Feng and Cao Yan, this was the first time any of them had learned that Li Guanqi's sword coffin actually concealed a place capable of holding living beings!
Not only that...
From within the surrounding dark void, an inexplicable pressure suddenly manifested.
Li Guanqi was taken aback.
"Uh... what is she trying to do?"
Just as everyone was about to open their mouths and ask Li Guanqi why they had been brought here, the pressure grew heavier and heavier!
A low, deep dragon's roar suddenly echoed from the deepest depths of the dark void.
Gu Li frowned and said, "Is that... Jiuxiao's voice?"
Jiuxiao's silhouette emerged abruptly from the void, and standing upon his head was none other than the peerlessly breathtaking sword spirit.
Li Guanqi's brow creased slightly, an inexplicable flicker of emotion flashing in his eyes.
Yet he soon noticed... apart from himself, not a single person could see the sword spirit!
The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved upward slightly.
He did not know whether it was that inexplicable possessiveness inherent to a man acting up, but even though nothing had happened between him and the sword spirit, he still preferred that she remain invisible to everyone else.
It was like a child with a beloved toy who did not want anyone else to look upon it.
Moreover, this toy was a secret he had hidden for a long time, belonging solely to him.
The others watched Jiuxiao fly toward them, still entirely unaware of what was happening.
However, the aura surging from Jiuxiao was growing increasingly tempestuous—he had clearly made immense progress recently.
Reaching the group, Jiuxiao's massive form shrank down, and he nuzzled his head against Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi stroked his head as he looked at him, yet he caught an unusual emotion in Jiuxiao's dragon eyes.
It was as though... Jiuxiao wanted to take part in the battlefield as well!
That desire was extraordinarily intense.
Jiuxiao kept his dragon eyes fixed on Li Guanqi, filled with longing anticipation.
The sword spirit stood right beside Li Guanqi, yet not a single soul noticed her presence.
Her voice echoed softly.
"It is time to let him take part in the slaughter and combat."
"Jiuxiao's current strength... is even greater than you imagine."
Li Guanqi was taken aback. He sent a voice transmission through his thoughts.
"Why?"
The sword spirit hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I helped him tear open some of his seals. Jiuxiao has now also cultivated a portion of the Dragon Clan's inherited secret arts."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi immediately realized something!
His voice turned chilly as he asked, "Tore open seals? Someone left seals inside Jiuxiao's body?!"
The sword spirit said no more. Given Li Guanqi's shrewdness, he would surely deduce many things on his own.
However, they did not yet possess the ability to unravel the mysteries of Jiuxiao's origins.
They would likely only find the answers after ascending to the Immortal Realm.
Seeing Li Guanqi lapse into silence, Ye Feng and the others dared not speak. They had watched every shift in Li Guanqi's expression, unsure of what had transpired, but they could distinctly sense that Jiuxiao had undergone an immense transformation.
He could actually exert a suffocating sense of crisis over them!
When Jiuxiao, having shrunk down, casually swept his dragon eyes over them, the hair on Tang Ru's arms stood on end.
This was an oppressive presence that even the Jiuxiao of the past, in his true form, could never have produced!
The sword spirit whispered, "The item has been refined. All that remains... requires time."
With that, she prepared to leave.
Yet Li Guanqi caught a slight fluctuation in her aura, and genuine worry crept into his voice.
"Are you alright?"
The sword spirit paused, whispering softly, "I am fine. Do not worry about me."
Li Guanqi's eyes flickered, and he asked in a deep voice, "Can immortal crystals or immortal artifact swords help you?"
Her long eyelashes fluttered. After a brief hesitation, her pale lips parted slightly.
"Both can help me restore my origin."
Li Guanqi nodded and committed the matter to heart.
He did not know how many immortals he had slain during his first battle on the third-tier battlefield, but having given his all to slay a Mystic Immortal, he would likely be able to exchange that kill for quite a few points.
The sword spirit looked back with a faint smile, signaling that he had no need to fret, and then her figure faded away.
And what she had forged...
Boom!
A seven-story blood pagoda stood abruptly before everyone!
The blood pagoda shimmered with dazzling brilliance, radiating endless power of runes and formations!
Gu Li stared at the gleaming runes upon it, descending into utter frenzy.
"These are... immortal runes!"
"Undoubtedly... and their complexity... is beyond anything I ever dared to imagine in my wildest dreams!"
Tang Ru wore a grave expression, his eyes glued to one of the stories.
Within it, he sensed an aura of the Great Dao. Its power of deduction was vastly greater than even the might Yu Shan had displayed!
Tang Ru even suspected that if he could master that power, he would not only be able to divine omens of the future, but might even have the power to... alter them!
Yet to reach such a level, he would likely need to attain the Ascension Realm!
It was not just the two of them; the others experienced their own distinct insights as well.
Every story of the blood pagoda corresponded to one of their respective abilities, brimming with the power of laws!
Looking at the seven-story blood pagoda before him, Li Guanqi could not imagine what a tremendous price the sword spirit had paid to refine such a treasure.
Moreover... the second story contained frost power, clearly prepared for Meng Wanshu!
"She..."
Far off in the void, Pengluo's cheeks were sunken as he rasped in a hoarse mutter, "Gone... not a single drop left..."
The sword spirit smiled faintly, her form having turned slightly translucent.
"What are you whining about? Do you think he won't keep you in mind?"
Sitting cross-legged in the void, the sword spirit quietly absorbed the purple gold crystals from Li Guanqi's storage ring.
She murmured softly, "Divine Pattern Heavenly Radish... your appearance was likely no coincidence either."
At that, she looked at Pengluo with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"Are you afraid of going up?"
A weakened Pengluo crawled up from the ground, his shriveled face full of wrinkles.
Yet he grinned, his eyes shining brightly as he stared at the sword spirit's exquisite face.
"I never thought about it before, but now... I'm actually looking forward to it!"
"The Immortal Realm, the Seven Treasures Pavilion!"
"I can hardly wait for Master and the others to ascend to the Immortal Realm and trample the Seven Treasures Pavilion into dust..."
"Heh, Venerable Dingjin... a mere Immortal Monarch. Master won't make me wait too long!"
The corners of the sword spirit's mouth tilted upward slightly. Back then, that immortal projection had descended to the lower realm, releasing parasitic gu to bewitch mortal souls, and that very projected immortal had happened to recognize Pengluo.
That was a past Pengluo could not bear to look back upon, one wrapped in absolute terror.
Yet now...
Pengluo was smiling, full of anticipation, without a single shred of fear!
Only, worry surfaced in his eyes as he looked at the sword spirit.
Biting his lip, after hesitating for a long time, Pengluo gritted his teeth and spoke.
"He will stay by your side until the very end, won't he?!"
The sword spirit looked at Pengluo with slight surprise. After a long pause, she leaned forward slightly and tapped a finger against his brow.
Hum!
A powerful, divine energy surged into Pengluo's body!
Instantly, divine patterns covered Pengluo's form, the purple markings faintly shifting toward crimson!
Pengluo gasped in shock and looked up at the sword spirit, only to discover that her form had grown just a little bit weaker once more.
Her resolute voice echoed slowly.
"He certainly will!"
"Because... he is the one I chose myself!"
Chapter 1226