Just How Strong Was the Sword Spirit?

Su Xuan’s words undoubtedly gave Li Guanqi peace of mind. As long as the man dared to show his face in the Immortal Burial Realm, Li Guanqi could rely on his grandfather’s hands to completely obliterate him! Yet deep down, he still harbored a lingering worry. Even a patient schemer like Duan Xian had been so difficult to deal with, and this adversary likely knew just as much about him, if not more. He might have even begun laying his trap ten thousand years ago. Even after Li Guanqi wiped out Xun Tian, the man had remained utterly unmoved, continuing to conceal himself flawlessly in the shadows. To be honest, Li Guanqi had little confidence in successfully baiting him this time. He even suspected that the coming tests regarding Li Qingchan would be exceedingly cruel. It was entirely possible that even after those tests, the bait he cast would fail to lure him into the trap. The crux of the matter was whether the plan could proceed as expected. First, they had to help Li Qingchan pass her ordeal. Just then, an inscribed talisman in Li Guanqi’s hand began to glow. “Did you need me?” Li Guanqi asked softly, “Can your soul contract detect changes in your cultivation strength?” Without the slightest hesitation, Li Qingchan blurted out, “No. He can only sense slight fluctuations in my aura, and only on the soul level. He can’t detect changes in my actual cultivation strength.” Afraid Li Guanqi might misunderstand, she quickly added, “I carefully tested this several times in the past and found he couldn’t detect it. That’s why… after learning of Gu Li and Tang Ru’s abilities, I chose to take the risk.” Li Guanqi’s voice grew calm, even tinged with a cold edge, as he slowly asked, “And what about Ye Feng? Did you approach him just to use him, too?” This time, silence fell on Li Qingchan’s end. Just as Li Guanqi began to feel disappointed, Li Qingchan’s voice came faintly through the talisman. “I admit, at the beginning, I was…” “But when he looked at me with that face full of disappointment, I… stopped thinking that way.” “I realized that at some point, without me knowing, that man had stepped into my cold, sealed-off heart.” “Maybe it was the very first time we met. Maybe it was when he brazenly fought for me in the wine shop. Or maybe it was every time he dropped by my place ‘by chance’ for a drink afterward.” “In any case… I don’t want to get him killed!” Li Guanqi let out a helpless sigh. “Ye the Second, oh Ye the Second… why does your love life always have to be such a mess?” Still, as the eldest brother, Li Guanqi unconditionally supported his sworn brother. Had Li Qingchan truly harbored ill intent, Li Guanqi would have stepped in to keep them apart, even if it earned him Ye Feng’s hatred. Holding the talisman, Li Guanqi spoke with grave seriousness, “My second brother values loyalty and affection above all. If your feelings aren’t genuine, do not toy with him.” “Enough of that. Let us leave what lies between you two at that.” “Since I’ve saved you, I naturally expect you to join me against Gu Xici!” Li Qingchan nodded as if it went without saying. “Of course. I’ve lived as a puppet for thousands of years, and I’ve long had enough of being manipulated!” “Now that I’ve chosen to expose myself, I stand on the same battlefield as you.” Li Guanqi gave a slight nod, adding bluntly to dispel any further misgivings, “As long as he dares show his face in the Immortal Burial Realm, my grandfather has promised to intervene.” Li Qingchan’s heart gave a violent jolt, and she blurted out in shock, “The Realm Lord will take action?” Li Guanqi did not explain further, continuing in a deep voice, “Based on what I know about the man behind you, he is extremely cautious and deeply suspicious.” “He is very likely to test you repeatedly in the days to come. You must be prepared!” “Your clone must not know about this inscribed talisman. That way, he won’t be able to pry into certain matters.” Stowing the talisman away, Li Qingchan felt her heart pounding wildly. Although Li Guanqi had not revealed many details to her, she could still glean something from his words. From the very beginning, he had known whether he would help her, and had even begun setting a trap! Calming herself, Li Qingchan began to ponder what was to come, racking her memory for every encounter she had ever had with that man. She tried to piece together any clue she could from past traces. Yet over all these years, she had met him only twice! Once when he gave her the cultivation technique, and once when he sent her into the Seventh Domain. *** Elsewhere, Li Guanqi called Gu Li over. “Old Sixth, can you craft a clone that creates a complete replica of Ye Feng?” Gu Li thought it over, his expression soon turning colorful. “I can. But Boss, what are you planning to do?” “Does it need to last long? I might not be able to sustain it for an extended period…” “After all, it only splits off a sliver of the original body’s divine soul, and the three ethereal and seven corporeal souls are illusory.” “Like Li Qingchan’s clone, it can only last a little over a year at most.” A subtle smirk touched the corners of Li Guanqi’s lips as a plan instantly coalesced in his mind. “Lasting a year is more than enough.” “Go craft a complete clone of Ye Feng right away. Remember, it must be an exact duplicate! Even the aura must be disguised to be completely identical!” Gu Li nodded, his mind already churning on how to set to work. Then Li Guanqi leaned in close to Gu Li and murmured a whispered transmission. Gu Li’s pupils constricted at his words, his brow furrowing deeply in grave concern. “I’ve never tried that… but I can look into ways.” Li Guanqi patted his shoulder and said quietly, “Give it some serious thought. This is very important to me!” Realizing the gravity of Li Guanqi’s words, Gu Li gave a serious nod, rubbed his chin in deep contemplation, and took his leave. That brilliant idea just now was thanks to Tang Ru! A flash of inspiration, building on Tang Ru’s suggestions… Once Gu Li was gone, Li Guanqi paced slowly on the top floor by himself, speaking softly, “Sword spirit, how big of a bait do you think it will take to get him to bite?” The sword spirit’s figure materialized behind Li Guanqi. She replied gently, “The tiny fragment inside the Red Lotus won’t be enough.” “Although I can’t be certain of his identity, this style of conduct resembles the handiwork of a certain power.” “If it is him—or them…” “I’m afraid only by exposing a portion of my origin power can we lure him to the bait.” Curious, Li Guanqi asked, “Compared to your peak, how much have you recovered now?” The sword spirit tilted her head in thought. With her hands clasped behind her back, the woman in the red dress smiled and said, “One-hundred-thousandth?” Li Guanqi froze, dumbstruck! If the sword spirit possessed his body right now and struck with all her might, even an Ascension realm expert would likely meet their doom. Yet according to her, she had only recovered one-hundred-thousandth of her peak power? Just how terrifyingly strong was the sword spirit at her peak?