Luo Changqing's Saber

The moment Li Guanqi heard that the Luo Clan was in Nanjiang, an ominous premonition welled up in his chest. "Ye Bingxin was at the peak of Body Integration when she was taken, wasn't she?" Ye Xuan nodded and said in a heavy voice, "I had already intended to return for a time. I exchanged some resources at the Immortal Burial Pavilion, planning to bring them back so Bingxin could prepare for her breakthrough into the Mahayana Realm. No one could have foreseen this happening!" With that, Ye Xuan let out a cold snort, instantly crushing the minced flesh on the floor to fine dust! Li Guanqi, on the other hand, had calmed down. A terrifying thought began weaving itself through his mind. Flipping his hand, Li Guanqi retrieved a blood-red saber. Seeing it, Ye Xuan asked in bewilderment, "Whose... saber is that?" Li Guanqi gave the blade a casual flourish and whispered, "Luo Changqing's. A former candidate for Senior Hong Zhi's Eight Generals." Hearing that, Ye Xuan realized what he was hinting at. "Could this be because of an old grievance between you and the Luo Clan?" It was only natural for Ye Xuan to think that way. Yet Li Guanqi shook his head; he could not bear such a massive blame. "It likely isn't because of me. If Luo Changqing and the Luo Clan wanted to target me, their best choice would be to strike at the Great Xia Sword Sect. The Great Xia Sword Sect's overall strength is far lower than that of the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect. Why would they go to all the trouble of coming to the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect just to take Ye Bingxin?" A flicker of embarrassment crossed Ye Xuan's face. He really had overthought it. The moment he heard Li Guanqi mention having clashed with Luo Siyang and the others, he had automatically assumed the trouble stemmed from Li Guanqi. Now that he heard Li Guanqi's explanation, it made complete sense. "Then what do we do now?" Li Guanqi paced back and forth in thought, then flipped his palm to retrieve an ice-blue jade slip and spoke in a deep voice. "Elder Hu, are you familiar with the Luo Clan?" Hu Shouqing, who had still been in secluded cultivation, snapped awake at once. Rising and taking out his jade slip, he replied gravely to Li Guanqi's question, "The Luo Clan of the Nine Clans?" "Yes!" "Fairly familiar, but not deeply. After all, there is a vast gulf between the Ice Lion Sect and a clan of that caliber. What do you wish to know?" Li Guanqi was slightly relieved to hear that. Had the Ice Lion Sect been close to the Luo Clan, things would have been awkward for him. "Have any major events occurred in the Luo Clan over recent years? What realm has Luo Changqing reached now? And... wasn't his younger brother, Luo Siyang, crippled in the dantian a few years ago? How is he now?" Hu Shouqing's eyes flickered, countless thoughts flashing through his mind at Li Guanqi's inquiries. "Wait a moment. Mingtao has been handling affairs these past few years, so he likely knows more about these matters. I'll go ask him." Lowering the jade slip, Li Guanqi turned to Ye Xuan and explained, "I just returned from the Ice Lion Sect in Nanjiang! Han Yuan and his two companions have an exceptionally close old friend there—the former sect master of the Ice Lion Sect." Ye Xuan searched his memory for a moment before probing, "Hu Mingtao's father? Hu Shouqing isn't dead yet?" Li Guanqi replied with an awkward smile, "Uh... no, he isn't... He has probably just been in seclusion for a very long time." Soon, Hu Mingtao's voice came through the jade slip. "Sword Venerable, several years ago, the second young master of the Luo Clan, Luo Siyang, suddenly returned to Nanjiang heavily wounded. That incident caused quite a stir back then, because the residual power lingering in the wound of his severed arm had persisted for too long, preventing the limb from regenerating. Furthermore, Luo Siyang's dantian was shattered, so the Luo Clan searched throughout Nanjiang and the Misty Immortal Domain for various remedies. In the end, through means unknown, they actually managed to preserve his dantian. Back then, I also hazarded a guess—the Luo Clan most likely used their clan's Life-Soul Golden Cicada Gu on him!" Li Guanqi's brow furrowed slightly as he asked in a low voice, "What is this Life-Soul Golden Cicada Gu?" Hu Mingtao pondered for a moment before speaking in a grave, envious tone. "That cicada gu is pitch-black from head to tail. Legend has it that it was left behind from the Immortal Realm, not something native to the Spirit Realm. Thus, obtaining a single Life-Soul Golden Cicada Gu in the Human Spirit Realm requires astronomical resources. However, it possesses a unique property: it can substitute for a cultivator's dantian and meta-soul!" Hearing that, Li Guanqi's brows drew tight. He did not think a profligate scion like Luo Siyang was worth the Luo Clan expending such a gu insect on. Compared to Luo Siyang, Luo Changqing was the true chosen pride of the Luo Clan. "Aside from that, does this gu insect possess any other traits or peculiarities?" Inside the secret chamber, Hu Mingtao glanced at Hu Shouqing. Hu Shouqing took over the jade slip, pondered at length, and then slowly spoke. "It is said that although the Life-Soul Golden Cicada Gu has miraculous effects, its lifespan is extremely short—only about six or seven years... Calculating the time, it should be about up since Luo Siyang received it." Li Guanqi's grip on the jade slip tightened slightly, a sharp glint abruptly flashing deep in his eyes. It seemed he now understood why. Ye Xuan's expression was grim. The Nanjiang Luo Clan's overall strength surpassed that of the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect by more than a little. Yet when he looked at Li Guanqi, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Li Guanqi's true dragon was a rank-nine true dragon, equivalent to a human Tribulation Transcendence cultivator. There was also that spirit-creature; no matter how inconspicuous it might seem, it was still a rank-nine entity! Three Tribulation Transcendence combatants should give them a fighting chance against a single Luo Clan. "Should we set out for Nanjiang?" Hearing the urgency in Ye Xuan's voice, Li Guanqi could understand his anxiety. Body Integration Realm... the soul separates from the body, and the spiritual soul becomes turbulent. That was precisely when a person was most vulnerable to possession or similar arts. The Luo Clan had most likely set their sights on Ye Bingxin's cultivation talent, intending to alter her constitution, dantian, and meta-soul to replace the host entirely! Yet that was merely his conjecture based on the current circumstances. What they were truly after remained unclear. "No... if it really is the Luo Clan, I may still need to plan ahead. Their clan's overall strength is simply too formidable. Guanqi, can you lend me a hand?" Anxiety burned in Ye Xuan's eyes. Yet... Li Guanqi shook his head at this moment. "Uncle Ye... I'm afraid that won't do. When I received this news, I was already in Nanjiang, having just helped Han Yuan, Hu Shouqing, and the other two achieve their breakthroughs. I have yet to recover, so it will likely take at least half a month." Ye Xuan let out a regretful sigh and said in a heavy voice, "I see. In that case, I'll have to trouble you to put more effort into this matter." As Li Guanqi turned away, an imperceptible chill flashed deep within his eyes! He did not dare let Ye Xuan break through to the Tribulation Transcendence realm at this juncture! For no other reason than that Ye Xuan was exceptionally powerful. If he broke through to the Tribulation Transcendence realm right now, then should any unexpected complication arise, it might easily spiral beyond Li Guanqi's control.