The Northern Region of the Daochan Domain.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Li Guanqi walked through the world with an impassive expression.
He was in no hurry to return to Beiliang City this time.
That was his ultimate destination, and he did not want to be overly hasty in seeking out some so-called truth.
He was in no rush.
Li Guanqi looked directly into his own heart; he knew very well what he wanted.
Whether he had to face Cang Lu, Xun Tian, or even Gu Xici,
he had never once doubted himself.
As long as his life remained his own, he would stay calm and composed even in the face of ten thousand conspiracies.
For now, he possessed the strength to confront any plot!
Still, he had to remain cautious. An enemy lurking in the shadows was no easy opponent.
After a moment's thought, Li Guanqi changed direction and flew off toward the Ethereal Immortal Domain.
Much like the Seventh Domain, the Ethereal Immortal Domain also lay suspended within an ethereal void.
Yet to his perception now, such a place had nowhere to hide.
He produced a jade slip to verify his bearings, then tore open the void and stepped through.
Transforming into a streak of lightning, he rapidly closed the distance.
Before long, Li Guanqi reached the center of a void shrouded in a chaotic storm.
Yet that terrifyingly destructive chaotic storm could not even come within a hundred yards of him.
His immense, unyielding pressure effortlessly repelled the tempest's erosion.
Retrieving his identity jade slip, he let a faint ripple of primal energy diffuse outward. Soon, a silvery-white spatial fissure tore open before him.
Looking upon the Ethereal Immortal Domain that had once seemed utterly unattainable, Li Guanqi smiled faintly and stepped inside.
Buzz!
The spatial fluctuations subsided, and the fissure vanished, as though it had never existed at all.
Buzz!
With a faint spatial tremor, Li Guanqi appeared above the East Sea.
Beneath his feet, the waves were calm, glistening with golden ripples under the sunlight.
The air carried the damp brininess of the ocean. Li Guanqi closed his eyes to take it in, the corners of his lips curving slightly upward.
Checking his orientation, he did not head for Qinhuang City.
With a flick of his wrist, he produced a jade slip and spoke softly into it.
"Elder Han, I'm at the East Sea in the Ethereal Immortal Domain. Where are you all?"
Han Yuan nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing Li Guanqi's voice.
"Huh? You're in the Ethereal Immortal Domain? Hahahahaha!"
"Come quickly, come quickly! We're at the Ice Lion Sect in Nanjiang. Old Jiang and Elder Guo are both here."
"I'll send you a map right now."
As soon as he finished speaking, a map of Nanjiang promptly materialized within the jade slip.
Li Guanqi glanced over it, then unfurled his lightning wings and took to the skies with a mighty flap.
Boom!
A violent gale instantly whipped across the tranquil sea. Wherever Li Guanqi passed, the ocean surface was cleft into a trench a hundred yards deep!
Waves surged on either side, splashing hundreds of feet high.
Amid the roar of thunder, Li Guanqi flew beyond the sea before gradually concealing his presence.
Recklessly releasing his imposing pressure for the span of half an incense stick had served as a release for the emotions he had kept bottled up for so long.
Now, his cultivation was merely half a step away from the peak of the mid Tribulation Transcendence realm.
In truth, when he had fused with and refined the Devouring Void Sacred Flame, his power could easily have ballooned into the late Tribulation Transcendence realm in an instant.
Yet he had chosen not to do so.
Though it would have raised his cultivation realm, his foundation would have become utterly unstable, requiring an enormous amount of time and effort to steady and consolidate afterward.
Weighing the pros and cons, the loss would have outweighed the gain.
Now that the Flame Spirit's primordial essence had fused with his primordial spirit, it was refining the primal energy within his body at every moment.
After all this time, the primal energy in his body was only half of what it had been previously.
Filling his entire dantian once again would likely take some time.
Yet his current strength and realm were far superior to before!
He could even sense that a slight gap had begun to open between himself and Long Hou.
That alone was already astonishingly formidable...
One had to remember that Long Hou had accumulated millennia of foundation, which was why his strength had advanced so rapidly after crossing his tribulation.
Contemplating this, Li Guanqi casually scanned his surroundings.
Taking the route from the East Sea was the shortest path to Nanjiang.
The scenery along the way left Li Guanqi somewhat marveling.
He had to admit that this Ethereal Immortal Domain truly resembled a miniature Seventh Domain.
Whether in the density of spiritual energy, the number of cultivators, or the exotic and wondrous sights,
the Ethereal Immortal Domain was arguably even more magnificent than the Seventh Domain.
When all was said and done, the Seventh Domain remained a battlefield...
Li Guanqi traveled at tremendous speed, taking in the landscape as he gradually entered the lands of Nanjiang.
The moment he crossed the border, Li Guanqi was struck with awe by the towering mountains piercing the clouds.
The unbroken chain of lofty peaks resembled an insurmountable fortress wall, cleaving the lands of Nanjiang from the East Sea.
The entirety of Nanjiang was blanketed in lush mountain ranges and dense forests.
All manner of insect chirps rose and fell in rhythmic waves, echoing like the cicadas of summer nights.
Li Guanqi was taken aback by this singular environment.
Through his divine sense, he could tell that the number of demon beasts throughout Nanjiang was several times higher than anywhere else.
Moreover, there were all sorts of strange beasts and venomous insects the likes of which even he had never heard of!
Sects stood in great numbers across Nanjiang. As Li Guanqi flew past, he spotted many local cultivators.
Most of them were clad in distinctive attire, typically of dark navy fabric embroidered with colorful patterns.
Their faces were painted with intricate, mysterious designs, their skin was somewhat tanned, and their gazes held a sharp, fierce edge.
This filled Li Guanqi with deep curiosity toward Nanjiang; its cultivators and cultural heritage were veiled in an aura of profound mystique.
Li Guanqi flew at blistering speed. The Ice Lion Sect was situated toward the northern part of Nanjiang, so a considerable distance still remained.
Before long, Li Guanqi spotted a city ahead. After a moment's contemplation, he veered off and flew toward it.
Along the way, he sent a transmission to Han Yuan, telling him to wait a bit as he intended to take a brief stroll.
Han Yuan was not surprised in the slightest; anyone visiting Nanjiang for the first time would be captivated by its distinctive culture.
Soon, Li Guanqi arrived before this massive city.
It was called a great city because of its immense population, housing no fewer than a million people.
Nestled within a ring of valleys and veiled in swirling mists, the entire city looked as though it were hovering midair.
"Moon Shadow City."
The city walls stood tall and imposing, and most of the buildings were constructed from blue stone and timber, giving off an immensely heavy, ancient air.
Adorning the lofty ramparts were faded totem murals, as if recounting the stories of the city's past.
The guarding cultivators made no trouble, charging only five spirit stones for entry.
Stepping into Moon Shadow City, Li Guanqi saw rows upon rows of buildings lining the streets, their roofs tiled in azure glaze.
With gracefully upturned eaves and painted rafters, every structure carried an air of refined nobility.
Every now and then, peculiar towers and altars came into view.
Yet these altars contained no special formations.
They seemed to serve primarily as expressions of Nanjiang's unique cultural faith, utilized for everyday sacrifices and prayers for blessings.
Among the bustling cultivators coming and going, outsiders were exceedingly rare; the vast majority were native to Nanjiang.
Chapter 1378