Facing Xuanmen Palace!

Ge Qing asked in a grave, heavy voice, "Are you certain?" Ignoring Li Nanting's attempt to hold him back, Li Guanqi replied firmly, "Certain!" The elder gave Li Guanqi a long, searching look. Immediately after, the name of the Great Xia Sword Sect on the record stele erupted in a brilliant, dazzling scarlet glow! Beneath what had previously been only twenty-five sects, the name of the Great Xia Sword Sect prominently appeared in the twenty-sixth spot! The elder high in the sky shouted aloud: "Disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect have initiated the Purgatory Challenge!" *Hum—!* A profound vibration slowly rippled out in every direction, carrying a chilling aura of slaughter. The elder took another deep look at Li Guanqi and spoke softly: "Three hundred years have passed since the Purgatory Challenge was last invoked in the Hundred Sects Tournament." "The last time it was opened..." "It was also someone from your Great Xia Sword Sect." Upon hearing this, Li Guanqi whipped his head around toward the slightly stooped, limping man! In that instant, he seemed to see that once high-spirited youth of the past—bearing the exact same fervor, roaring toward the heavens, and choosing to risk everything in a desperate gamble! Only now did he understand the reproach in his master's eyes earlier. It was love and concern. Li Guanqi grinned and said softly, "Rest assured, Master. Your disciple will not bring you shame!" *Whoosh!* Li Guanqi leaped onto the high stage aboard his flying sword in an instant! Ge Qing declared in a clear voice, "In the Purgatory Challenge, whichever sect is drawn by the record stele must send forth ten late Foundation Establishment disciples!" "A gauntlet of consecutive matches, without a single moment of rest!" "Should the challenger succeed, thirty points will be awarded!" "Should they fail, there will be no second chance." *Hiss—!* Everyone hearing the rules of the Purgatory Challenge for the first time drew a sharp breath of cold air! The elder had barely finished speaking before murmurs broke out among the onlookers. "How are these rules meant for a human being? Under conditions like that, how could anyone possibly succeed?" "All they need to do is send out a few disciples early on to drain his origin power, then send in their real powerhouses later." Indeed, almost anyone learning of these rules for the first time thought the same thing. The rules were brutally harsh, offering virtually no chance of victory. Back then, Gao Qiwen had likewise fallen at the hands of Chen Qing from the Xuantian Sect. And at that time, Chen Qing had only been the sixth disciple the Xuantian Sect had fielded. Gao Qiwen sent a voice transmission: *Kid, you have to win! Don't waste too much origin power on the early fighters—end every match quickly!* Ge Qing said in a deep voice, "Due to the Purgatory Challenge, the sect tournament matchups will be drawn anew!" With that, the elder waved his hand, sending a streak of spiritual light into the record stele. *Hum—!* The characters on the stele began shifting wildly. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the record stele. The text rearranged itself at blinding speed. A few breaths later, every gaze locked onto what appeared behind that crimson name. When the crowd saw the sect Li Guanqi was slated to face, a collective shock ran through them! Even the disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect, who had only just rallied their fighting spirit, went pale as ash. Focusing their eyes, they read the bold inscription on the record stele: *Great Xia Sword Sect versus Xuanmen Palace!* "It's over..." Ye Feng's face went white, groaning inwardly. Even Tu Kui couldn't help speaking up: "Maybe... let's just drop it. There's still time to back out." Li Nanting pressed his lips together in silence, his eyes fixed unwaveringly upon the youth's figure. Tu Kui turned to Li Nanting and urged in a low voice, "Old Li! Are you really going to let him throw his life away like this? Great Xia Sword Sect finally managed to produce a talent unseen in a millennium... Do you really want to watch him ruin his path to immortality?!" Seeing that the old man remained unmoved, Tu Kui turned to Qin Xian in distress. "Elder Qin, are you going to just stand by and watch him fool around too?!" Yet a sharp gleam flashed in Qin Xian's eyes. He turned to Tu Kui and said softly, "Fool around? Since when has a sect disciple putting his life on the line for the sect's honor become 'fooling around'?" "Even if Li Guanqi dies on that arena today, he will die on his feet!" "Our Great Xia Sword Sect will hold a grand ceremony and bury him with the highest honors!" "This was his own choice. I believe in him! We all ought to believe in him!" Among the crowd, a little girl slipped up behind the elder, clutching the hem of his robe tightly with both hands, her eyes brimming with worry. Yu Sui'an murmured softly, "Little Blindie..." Seeing the results of the draw, Zhao Beichen burst into laughter. "Fascinating. To have the sheer guts to invoke the Purgatory Challenge, only to draw Xuanmen Palace right out of the gate." "Heh, knowing Guan Qingyun's character, he'll definitely be the last one to step up." "Li Guanqi, was it... will you even get the chance?" Ji Linglan's beautiful eyes flickered with a complex light. She could not fathom why Li Guanqi would take such an immense risk by choosing the Purgatory Challenge. Sighing softly, she led the disciples of Lingxiao Pavilion into the air to observe the match. Meanwhile, the disciples of Xuanmen Palace—the ones chosen as his opponents—were seething with indignation. To them, it felt as though they were high-ranking nobles dragged out by a roadside beggar demanding a contest over who had more money. The sheer disgust was impossible to put into words. Guan Qingyun sneered coldly, "Since they went out of their way to pick us as their opponents, let's make sure we don't end up as their stepping stone!" "Disciples of Xuanmen Palace, hear my command!" "Whoever knocks him from that high stage will be rewarded with three thousand spirit stones!" Very quickly, Xuanmen Palace gathered ten late Foundation Establishment disciples. This was precisely why every sect was allotted twenty spectator spots—many of those spots were filled by late Foundation Establishment disciples. And because the Purgatory Challenge existed, every sect made sure to bring at least seven late Foundation Establishment disciples among their spectators! In fact, Li Guanqi had only learned about the Purgatory Challenge from an offhand remark during a conversation with Qin Xian. *Whoosh!* A burly Xuanmen Palace disciple bounded onto the arena. Many in the audience watched with eager anticipation. With an arrogant look on his face, the youth raised his chin toward Li Guanqi and announced curtly, "Xuanmen Palace, Cao Yang!" Li Guanqi remained calm as he slowly drew his longsword. Holding his sword in one hand, he said evenly, "Great Xia Sword Sect, Li Guanqi!" Each emanating a faint, subtle pressure, the two stood facing each other ten zhang apart. Suddenly! A voice, young yet resolute, cut through the air! "Little Blindie! You can do it!" Perched on Qin Xian's shoulder, Yu Sui'an pumped her small fist, her face flushed red as she shouted at the top of her lungs. Right after came the roaring shouts of the Great Xia Sword Sect disciples. "Old Li, go for it!" "Junior Brother Li! Give it your all! Flatten Xuanmen Palace!" "Junior Brother, be careful!" Zhong Lin and Lin Dong helped each other to their feet, pumping their arms and bellowing with all their might: "Old Li! You can do it!" High in the sky, the elder declared solemnly, "The Purgatory Challenge... begins!" *Dong—!*