After returning, Li Guanqi did not exchange many words with Lu Kangnian.
Lu Kangnian quietly sipped his tea and made no move to rush him.
Yet his heart was suffering immensely.
He had already sensed the shattering of disciples' jade slips within the sect, which meant the enemy had begun his ruthless killings.
Apart from the two deceased disciples and one elder, the life force of the other captured disciples was also steadily weakening.
Though Lu Kangnian knew everything remained under Li Guanqi's control, the torment gnawing at his heart did not lessen in the slightest.
After all, these were disciples of his own sect; with their lives hanging in the balance, his anxiety was only natural.
Even so, Lu Kangnian maintained an outward air of calm indifference.
As sect master, he knew that the more critical the situation, the less he could afford to lose his composure.
Old sect grudges, lying dormant for years before vengeance returned to the doorstep—such things were all too common in the cultivation world.
It was just that someone like Duan Xian was truly rare.
Back then, he had endured hatred for years, only striking to assassinate the former sect master once he had the strength.
Now, he had chosen this exact moment to strike against the Great Xia Sword Sect, which was clearly not merely for the sake of that past grievance.
A myriad of thoughts churned in Li Guanqi's mind as he continually replayed every detail of his previous clash with Duan Xian.
With a slight furrow of his brow, Li Guanqi raised a hand and drew a wisp of blood-red spiritual light from within his body.
"Sword spirit, do you know what kind of power this is?"
"Why does it feel so bizarre to me, unlike the power of ordinary evil cultivators?"
Soon, the sword spirit awoke from her cultivation. Sensing the energy in Li Guanqi's hand, she knitted her brows slightly and spoke in a soft voice.
"This is... blood fiend power."
"It is fundamentally different from the trashy blood arts used by evil cultivators in the Human Spirit Realm."
Li Guanqi gave a slight nod. In his perception, the fundamental nature of Duan Xian's power was indeed different from any evil cultivator he had encountered before.
Pondering for a moment, the sword spirit continued:
"This power seems much more like the techniques and paths cultivated only by cultivators in the Immortal Realm."
"Destruction before rebirth—thoroughly destroying the cultivator's original spiritual root and converting it into blood fiend power."
"Even in the Immortal Realm, those who can endure such torment are extraordinarily few."
"This person... must have earned the favor of an evil cultivator from the Immortal Realm who possesses an established heritage."
Li Guanqi frowned slightly and asked in a low voice,
"An evil cultivator with an established heritage... What do you mean?"
The sword spirit patiently explained,
"Evil cultivators who possess the means for such 'destruction before rebirth' almost all belong to strict, singular lineages."
"The trials they set to choose a successor are brutally rigorous, even more demanding than how major sects select disciples."
Li Guanqi nodded slightly. It was like a peerless expert holding an extraordinary secret art—an art that would only ever be passed down in person from master to disciple.
Li Guanqi murmured, "It seems this Duan Xian's fortunes are quite formidable..."
"Even with the Human-Immortal Realm Barrier in place, he was somehow able to encounter the heritage of a mighty being from the Immortal Realm."
The sword spirit then reminded him, "Oh, by the way, that power in your hand has something unusual about it."
The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly upward as he replied softly,
"Heavenly flame, ranked eighth: Blood-Burning Profound Flame!"
"That's it! The Blood-Burning Flame!" the sword spirit confirmed. "When combined with blood fiend power, this flame yields unpredictable effects. You must be careful."
Li Guanqi let out a cold laugh. Had he not deliberately tested his opponent's power during their clash, he might still be at a loss.
Why would someone who had clearly lost their fire spiritual root remain obsessed with the Great Xia Sword Sect's Ancient Spirit-Burning Ring?
Even he himself had been scorched when touching the ancient ring. Factor in the properties of the heavenly flame his foe possessed, and Li Guanqi had already deduced what the man's true goal was!
Yet the more he understood, the more astonished Li Guanqi grew at Duan Xian's fortune and destiny.
This man undeniably carried tremendous serendipity!
Duan Xian had managed to easily break through multiple layers of seals he had set up; such power forced Li Guanqi to treat the threat with utmost gravity...
Li Guanqi opened his eyes, just in time to see Lu Kangnian anxiously spinning his teacup.
Though the sect master kept his head lowered, anxiety flashed clearly in his eyes.
Frowning, Li Guanqi asked, "What is it, Sect Master?"
Lu Kangnian hesitated for a moment before speaking the truth.
"Sigh..."
"The life force of the captured disciples is fading rapidly."
"I can't help but worry..."
Li Guanqi nodded slightly, understanding Lu Kangnian's mindset.
However, since Duan Xian had just escaped, he was unlikely to show himself immediately.
He could only offer comfort: "Set your mind at ease. He probably won't kill any more of them for now."
"After all, he needs their lives as bargaining chips."
"If he has fewer chips, you might not take the bait."
Lu Kangnian took a deep breath, knowing Li Guanqi spoke the truth.
Until Duan Xian obtained what he wanted, the disciples' lives would not be in immediate mortal danger.
Li Guanqi thought for a moment before saying in a quiet voice, "Let's wait a bit longer. In the meantime, you and I should operate separately as much as possible."
The man nodded slightly. Li Guanqi then stood, cupped his fists in farewell, and vanished in a flash, returning to Yuhu Peak.
Back at Yuhu Peak, Li Guanqi looked around at the familiar surroundings and felt a wave of sentimentality wash over him.
*Creak—*
The door pushed open to reveal only a single, simple bed, just as before.
Sitting on the bed and gazing toward the doorway, Li Guanqi could not help reminiscing.
Back then, Song Zhi'ang, who had already stepped onto the path of cultivation, had stood right there when he rejected her.
It was Tantai Yiting who had given her that idea, and in the end, feeling humiliated, Song Zhi'ang had left the Great Xia Sword Sect only to be taken away by Sha.
Every time he thought of those events, Li Guanqi felt deeply moved.
Suppressing these tangled thoughts, Li Guanqi rose and vanished from the room in a single stride.
Carrying fresh flowers and offerings, Li Guanqi arrived before two gravestones.
Placing the flowers and offerings down, he lit sandalwood incense and sat cross-legged before the headstones, remaining silent for a long time.
"In the next life, just be an ordinary mortal. That would be nice."
As he turned to leave, a gentle breeze swept past; swathes of green grass bowed slightly, undulating like waves in the wind, almost as if in answer to his words.
Pill Peak.
Waves of heat rushed at him from all directions, accompanied by the endless, rhythmic clanging of metal.
A burly old man, bare-chested, was swinging a heavy hammer with sheer, ferocious vigor.
Though his hair and beard were completely white, the corded muscle roping his frame put even young men to shame.
Placing the red-hot sword blank back into the furnace for another round of tempering, the old man wiped away his sweat, turned toward Li Guanqi, and grinned.
"Did you come all this way specifically to see me, little friend?"
Leaning against the doorframe, Li Guanqi nodded with a smile.
He tossed over a purple-gold jade bottle. A bit bewildered, Gu Lie uncorked it.
A boundless dragon might erupted instantly, washing over the entire Pill Peak!
The terrifying power had been sealed within the jade bottle by lightning, yet the mere wisps leaking out filled Gu Lie with incomparable excitement.
He jerked his head up toward Li Guanqi and stammered,
"Dragon... true dragon blood?"
Li Guanqi nodded with a smile and softly addressed the elder, whose eyes were reddening:
"Senior, thank you for all your hard work guarding the peace of the Sword Sect all these years."
Gu Lie's lips trembled slightly as he fought back his surging emotions, carefully stowing away the jade bottle.
With complex emotions in his eyes, he said in a gruff voice, "Truth be told, the Great Xia Sword Sect feels like home to me."
"Helping my own family goes without saying; it's only right."
"Besides, smithing metal... really does suit me better than concocting pills."
Li Guanqi smiled, then looked at the elder with a serious expression and asked softly,
"Senior, would you like to come with me to the Seventh Domain?"
Chapter 1326