Gong Ze narrowed his eyes. "Duan Xian? Even I find that name utterly unfamiliar."
"Did any of you ever hear of someone by this name during your tenure?"
At those words, Nangong Qianyan and Tu Zhongqiu both furrowed their brows.
After pondering for a long while, they still shook their heads.
Tu Zhongqiu frowned. "Never heard of him... Seven thousand years of bitter cultivation... Could it be that this person forged a feud with the Great Xia Sword Sect not long after its founding?"
Ling Daoyan kept his head lowered in silence.
Lu Kangnian said coldly, "Whoever he is, since he dared lay hands on disciples of our sect, he must pay the price!"
Pengluo had already scurried off to look for the purple-skinned ginseng.
Li Guanqi pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Ling Daoyan and asked softly, "Does Elder Ling know of this person?"
The hemp-robed old man looked up at the crowd, hesitated slightly, and said in a heavy voice, "I seem to recall seeing this name in the unofficial sect chronicles in the Library Pavilion... But it has been too long. I cannot be certain."
At this, Lu Kangnian said decisively, "Investigate immediately!
"Furthermore... the disappearance of our disciples clearly can no longer be concealed.
"Instruct the disciples of each peak that, from now on, all travel outside must be conducted in groups.
"Intensify patrols around the perimeter of the Great Xia Sword Sect.
"Keep a close watch on the movements of every sect in case anyone seizes this moment to cause trouble.
"Reassure the disciples; do not allow panic to spread!"
The others acknowledged the orders and hurried off to attend to their tasks.
Watching the resolute and efficient Lu Kangnian, Li Guanqi curled his lips into a faint smile.
As expected of the Sect Master. Even faced with such an ordeal, he remained steady as Mount Tai.
Once everyone had departed, Lu Kangnian could no longer hold it in and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Yet the blood turned into a wisp of dark smoke in midair, and the scorching heat caused Lu Kangnian's face to flush a dark purplish-red.
Li Guanqi flashed forward, pressing a palm against Lu Kangnian's back.
As overbearing lightning power surged through his meridians, thin wisps of flame were drawn out through Lu Kangnian's skin.
The flames hissed like roasting meat against flesh.
Lu Kangnian clenched his teeth against the searing agony, refusing to let out a single groan!
"Why did you come back?"
While suppressing the volatile power within Lu Kangnian's body, Li Guanqi replied, "Pengluo wanted to visit its son—that purple-skinned ginseng, you know."
Enduring the burning torment wracking his body, Lu Kangnian could not help but chuckle bitterly. "I didn't expect you to run into trouble the moment you returned."
As his breathing gradually stabilized, Li Guanqi withdrew his hand and said softly, "Why blame yourself? It's nothing that can't be handled."
Lu Kangnian turned to look at Li Guanqi, narrowing his eyes as he whispered, "The power of laws?!"
The man's voice carried a trace of uncertain trepidation.
Li Guanqi nodded slightly. "Mm. It's likely someone in the Tribulation Transcendence realm pulling the strings."
Hearing this, Lu Kangnian's expression changed slightly.
"Tribulation Transcendence Realm!! That is trouble..."
Li Guanqi sat back in a chair and waved a hand dismissively. "What trouble? It's not like we don't have our own Tribulation Transcendence expert."
Lu Kangnian assumed he meant asking someone from the Seventh Domain for help.
Yet upon second thought, that didn't seem quite right. He stared intently at Li Guanqi.
"You've crossed your tribulation?"
Li Guanqi smiled without denying it. Seeing this, a flash of delight immediately surfaced in Lu Kangnian's eyes.
Li Guanqi spoke in a low voice. "The Great Xia Sword Sect is at the height of its power today. No one from outside would dare make any reckless moves.
"Let alone abduct so many disciples and elders from our sect.
"Rest assured, Sect Master. Leave this matter to me."
At those words, Lu Kangnian sighed.
"I can only leave it to you. Who told me to be so useless..."
Li Guanqi could not help but smile wryly.
"Sect Master, the growth of your strength has already been terrifying. What more do you want?
"Across the entire history of the Great Xia Sword Sect, Mahayana realm sect masters could be counted on one hand."
Lu Kangnian considered it and realized that was true.
Remembering the events of recent days, he could not resist looking at Li Guanqi and asking, "The Seventh Domain... is it very dangerous?"
Li Guanqi gave Lu Kangnian a deep look, still holding back slightly as he answered, "It's all right."
Lu Kangnian did not press further, sighing with a somber tone.
"Rumors are spreading outside that turbulent times are approaching.
"The slaughter between cultivators grows fiercer, and the competition for resources is exceedingly treacherous.
"Fortunately, our sect is currently in its prime, so we have not struggled too much.
"It's just that now, we worry whenever disciples leave for experiential training.
"Over the past few years, disciple casualties during training have multiplied compared to previous years."
Li Guanqi listened quietly without saying much. Such a situation was undoubtedly tied to the disappearance of top combatants.
Ancestors of numerous sects and clans had desperately attempted ascension, only to be stopped by the Seventh Domain.
Once these ancestors perished, conflicts among their respective factions inevitably escalated.
Shifting balances of power brought friction, turmoil, and instability.
Li Guanqi had no ready solution for this either.
He continued chatting casually with Lu Kangnian.
Drawing upon his current knowledge and broadened horizons, Li Guanqi discussed with Lu Kangnian how to ensure the sect's enduring prosperity.
Just as Lu Kangnian was lost in thoughtful excitement, Ling Daoyan returned.
In Ling Daoyan's hands was an ancient, yellowed tome.
Lu Kangnian raised a hand to draw it over. After leafing through a few pages, his expression shifted slightly.
He then handed the unofficial sect chronicle to Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi opened the ancient volume, and a brief passage caught his eye:
"Tianhuo Peak disciple Duan Xian stumbled upon an evil cultivation method, harming the common folk and causing the brutal deaths of a hundred villagers; his heart and character were wicked and corrupt. By order of the Sect Master, his Golden Core was shattered, his limbs broken, and he was expelled from the sect!
"A pity for such fine talent. The most dazzling prodigy of his time fallen so far."
Li Guanqi closed the book without reading further.
This unofficial history had likely been penned offhandedly by some outer sect consecrated elder back then.
The description of this mysterious Duan Xian consisted of only those brief sentences.
Yet those two lines were enough to explain the cause and effect.
Presumably, after being expelled, Duan Xian encountered a fortuitous opportunity and went into seclusion to cultivate bitterly for seven thousand years. Now emerging from seclusion, he was already a Tribulation Transcendence grandmaster.
In abducting sect disciples, his goal was likely to ascertain what the Great Xia Sword Sect was like today.
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. Whatever the case, since this man dared harm sect disciples, he had better be prepared to pay the price!
Li Guanqi said softly, "Sect Master, leave this matter to me."
With that, Li Guanqi vanished from the main hall in a single step.
The Guanyun Domain Boundary!
Xi Yunhuai and Yu Hua had long been waiting for Li Guanqi in the room atop the pavilion.
Li Guanqi handed the ancient tome to them and said in a grave voice, "Help me find this person named Duan Xian.
"Also... see if you can uncover any trace of him from all these years.
"Particularly back when the Abyss Demons ran rampant across the Six Domains; it's very likely something can be found there."
Yu Hua nodded slightly and immediately went to make the arrangements.
Xi Yunhuai leaned in beside Li Guanqi, stubbornly wheedling a jar of fine wine out of him before departing with utter satisfaction.
Chapter 1320