The Devious Shiwu

Leaving this nameless valley, Li Guanqi was in somewhat low spirits. Meanwhile, the flame spirit manifested a body and entered the sword coffin space. Seeing no sign of the Sword Spirit here, he immediately let out a breath of relief. Catching him like this, Pengluo promptly put on airs. Clasping his hands behind his back, he spoke with worldly condescension, "Aiya, what are you afraid of her for?" The flame spirit looked down at Pengluo by his feet, rather astonished. The fellow was clearly a mere spirit herb creature; shouldn't what he saw and sensed be roughly the same as his own? "You're not afraid?" Pengluo put on a look that mocked the other's ignorance, his beady eyes darting toward the depths of the void. Without even drawing back his gaze, he cocked his neck and said, "Afraid? Isn't she just a broad!" *Bang!* A streak of sword qi burst forth from the void! With a sharp whistle, it pinned Pengluo hard against the stone wall, and a chilling voice drifted from the void's depths: "Have I been going too easy on you lately?" Pengluo swallowed hard and hurriedly pleaded, "S-Sorry! I'm sorry! My mouth ran off... Never again, I'll never dare again!" The Sword Spirit gave a cold snort, and the sword qi shattered. Pengluo hopped down from the stone wall and patted his shoulder, his wound instantly healing. Catching sight of the flame spirit's gaping mouth, he couldn't help saying, "Look at that coward look on you. Afraid of a damn th—ah, being afraid is exactly right!!" "Yeah, being afraid is spot on." "Remember: that one is Boss, Ninth Brother is Second, I'm Third, and you're Fourth. Got it?" Shiwu suddenly seemed to realize something. He crouched down and poked Pengluo with a fiery finger. The searing heat of the flame made Pengluo leap straight into the air. "What are you doing?!" Shiwu licked his lips, his eyes gleaming as he stared at him. "You bastard, you're pretty wicked, aren't you..." Pengluo froze, thinking he had misheard. But after taking a moment to process it, he realized Shiwu's gaze was dripping with amusement. Only then did he realize his senses hadn't failed him—this guy was cut from the exact same cloth as him! Just as Pengluo was about to assert his authority, Shiwu suddenly stood up and chuckled. "Then in the future, this little brother will be counting on big brothers to look out for me." Shiwu did not dwell on whether he was the youngest; on the contrary, this playful banter made him thoroughly happy. "Ahem, don't you worry. Big bro's got your back from now on. Still... keep that flame of yours under control from now on. If you disturb that one... even I won't be able to help you." Shiwu chuckled, cupped his hands with a playful glint in his eye, and smiled. "Brother Luo's admonishment is well received. I'll watch it in the future." Clutching the scorched patch on his rear, Pengluo scurried off like a wisp of smoke. Once he reached his own little corner, he pouted miserably and muttered, "Son of a bitch, that was completely on purpose! Rotten to the core, deviously wicked!! Ugh, it burned like hell." *** Before long, Li Guanqi returned to the Ice Lion Sect, where Hu Shouqing, Hu Mingtao, and the others all came out to greet him. At that moment, Hu Mingyue was still glaring huffily at Chen Xiaotian. Li Guanqi merely shot her a look. He felt that for such minor matters, enough was enough; it wasn't like his own... ahem... Hu Mingtao clearly noticed Li Guanqi's displeasure as well. Han Yuan and the others all looked tense, asking in a low voice, "Guanqi, why didn't Ye Xuan come with you?" Li Guanqi raised a hand to signal that they shouldn't ask too much here, casting a glance toward the nearby hall. Understanding his meaning, the group shifted their bodies and moved into the sect's main hall. Once inside, Li Guanqi gave a brief overview of what had transpired, leaving out the matter regarding Gu Xici. Yet even so, what they heard left everyone deeply shaken. Luo Gu, the old ancestor of the Luo Clan, had been slain! "Just hearing about it sounds perilous beyond belief..." "Indeed. To think Guanqi saw through such a meticulous plot—truly incredible!" "The Luo Clan is finished... The Nine Dragons Immortal Sect can be considered to have turned disaster into a blessing this time." As everyone buzzed with discussion, Li Guanqi spoke up in a serious tone, "Everyone, I must make a trip back to the Great Xia Domain soon. Once I've settled matters there, I will return for you!" Li Guanqi spoke softly. He was determined to bring these three eighth-grade alchemists to the Seventh Domain. However, he still needed to bring Chen Xiaotian back to the Great Xia Sword Sect. Hearing this, the group stood up one after another. Hu Shouqing asked gently, "Are you in such a rush, young friend? I had planned to host a banquet in the sect today to entertain you." Li Guanqi smiled and waved his hand. "I appreciate the kind thought, but I truly have matters back home that need dealing with. I really cannot stay long. Next time." Hearing this, the others could not press further. Li Guanqi took Chen Xiaotian and departed from the Ice Lion Sect. *** In the pitch-black void, a massive dragon tore through the emptiness. Li Guanqi looked at Chen Xiaotian beside him and smiled. "What, did staying a few days in someone else's sect make you not want to leave?" Chen Xiaotian rubbed his nose in slight embarrassment. "No, no, it's just... this was my first time experiencing that kind of sect atmosphere, so it felt a bit novel, that's all." Li Guanqi chuckled and ruffled his hair. "This time, after I bring you back, you won't need to return to the Guanyun Pavilion." Chen Xiaotian's face instantly shifted, and he hastily rose to bow with cupped fists. "Brother Li, I still want to return to the pavilion! I have no other thoughts! Please don't expel me from Guanyun Pavilion, Brother Li..." Li Guanqi looked at the flustered youth, patted his shoulder, and gently consoled him, "What's the panic? I'm not kicking you out. If that were the case, why would I bother bringing you back to the Great Xia Domain? After we get back this time... you will join the Great Xia Sword Sect." Chen Xiaotian's heart jolted. Present-day Great Xia Sword Sect commanded the finest resources and was the undisputed top sect in the Great Xia Domain! Yet he was like an ant skulking in the shadows, constantly terrified that the sunlight outside would burn him. He had envied the disciples doing morning drills inside the Great Xia Sword Sect. Yet in the Guanyun Pavilion, all he had was mission after mission. "Can I... really?" Li Guanqi looked at Chen Xiaotian with complete seriousness. "You can. Once you enter the sect, cultivate diligently. One day, the Great Xia Sword Sect will have need of you." Chen Xiaotian was remarkably talented; there was no telling when he might grow into someone like himself—someone to protect the Great Xia Sword Sect. He himself had spent his life wandering and did not stay in the sect day in and day out. Wu Bing's temperament was overly steady, lacking Lu Kangnian's drive and sink-or-swim ruthlessness. Chen Xiaotian, however, was steady yet sharp-edged. He hoped that decades from now, the Great Xia Sword Sect would be steered jointly by Wu Bing and Chen Xiaotian. Though Li Guanqi was not often present at the sect, he spared no effort in doing everything within his power for its long-term future. As the two left the Misty Immortal Domain, they flew from the Dao Zen Domain toward the Great Xia Domain. Along the way, as the distance closed, Li Guanqi's thoughts grew increasingly conflicted. Regardless of how this return turned out, he would apologize to Su Xuan. Even if Su Xuan was keeping things from him, he would never harm him. Grandpa always said things like it wasn't the right time yet, and that he would understand when the time came. Li Guanqi reckoned that Su Xuan was probably waiting for him to fight his way from the Fourth Domain up to the Seventh Domain before telling him! Eight Generals, Four Kings, One Emperor! Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Great Xia Domain's boundary wall within the void. "Wait a little longer. It won't be long now..."