Making Off with Zhou Shiyu

No one knew what Li Guanqi intended to do. Rumble! The towering mountain settled outside the mountain gate, kicking up plumes of dust as the earth trembled violently. Beholding the magnificent sight of a mountain being moved, the sect's disciples were struck dumb with awe. Li Guanqi raised his hand and slashed out several sword strikes, hewing the peak into the shape of a colossal sword stele. Drawing a deep breath, he gripped Red Lotus and unleashed an instantaneous slash imbued with embryonic sword intent! Bang! A deep furrow was carved into the Sword Stele, crackling with lightning and faintly suffused with embryonic sword intent. Then his sword intent surged. Sword Courage realm sword intent manifested with overwhelming momentum as he swung his blade! A brilliant arc of sword light traced a profound trajectory across the Sword Stele. Sword Heart realm sword intent! Sword Soul realm sword intent! Sword Po realm sword intent! A total of five sword marks ran from bottom to top, blending his sword intent with sword techniques. Li Guanqi spoke in a clear, resonant voice: "Today, I leave behind this Sword Stele for all disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect to contemplate. "Those who gain enlightenment may leave their own marks upon the stele for fellow disciples to study and admire. "And if anyone's comprehension matches mine at any tier of sword intent, they may carve their mark upon the front as well!" Beneath his sleeves, Lu Kangnian clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Li Guanqi's deed had effectively elevated the prestige of the Great Xia Sword Sect to an unprecedented peak! A sword stele bearing the preserved intent of the Sword Po realm! What great sect under heaven possessed such a treasure? Lu Kangnian took the lead in stepping forward, clasping his hands in a respectful salute. "Elder Li's righteousness is boundless!" "Elder Li's righteousness is boundless!" Thunderous cheers echoed without end, threatening to overturn the very vault of heaven. Such a massive commotion within the Great Xia Sword Sect naturally drew the attention of neighboring sects and clans, who cast envious glances toward the mountain. Li Guanqi smiled with unburdened ease, bowed in return, and turned to depart. "Jiuxiao, Pengluo, let's go!" At his call, Jiuxiao's colossal form instantly materialized. With a sweep of his dragon tail, he swept up Pengluo and the flame spirit, arriving beneath Li Guanqi's feet in the blink of an eye. At the same time, atop Alchemy Peak, Sun Miao stood on the summit and bowed deeply in Li Guanqi's direction from afar. What Sun Miao took the greatest pride in boasting about throughout his life was having backed the right person back then. Years ago, the Great Xia Sword Sect had hardly been considered a prominent power. Yet he had joined anyway. And now, he was even able to wield the Devouring Void Sacred Flame, ranked number one among heavenly flames! Even if an eighth-grade alchemist came, they would have to defer to Sun Miao's countenance! Among the crowd, Chen Xiaotian—robed in the vestments of a Tianjin Peak disciple—gazed with bright eyes at Li Guanqi's receding back and bowed deeply. *** Having departed the Great Xia Sword Sect, Li Guanqi did not head straight for the Misty Immortal Domain. Since traveling to the Misty Immortal Domain required passing through the Daochan Domain anyway, he gave it some thought and decided to make a detour to the Six Ancients Sacred Sect. Before leaving, he wanted to pay a visit to Zhou Shiyu—that fellow who wielded a heavy sword. Tapping his toe lightly, Li Guanqi said softly, "Jiuxiao, head for the Six Ancients Sacred Sect in the Daochan Domain." Jiuxiao let out a low rumble of agreement, shattered the void, and plunged inside, his massive form darting through like a streak of lightning. Pengluo looked back with a hint of reluctance. Among the crowd, Li Zixuan smiled and waved farewell. *** At the Six Ancients Sacred Sect. A gaunt old man had practically rolled out the red carpet with his own hands. As sect master of the Six Ancients Sacred Sect, Gu Huai had broken out of secluded cultivation the moment he learned Li Guanqi was coming. He had mobilized every disciple in the sect to decorate the grounds on an unprecedented scale. Even the elders, who were normally nowhere to be seen, emerged from seclusion one after another, rolling out red carpets on the ground and employing their mighty divine abilities to rearrange high pavilions. Amidst the bustle, a silent young man watched everything with complex emotions. It was Zhou Shiyu, who had already stepped into the Mahayana realm. Over the past years, Li Guanqi and the others had advanced far too fast—so fast that even though Zhou Shiyu chased after them with all his might, he could never keep up. Watching the bustling crowd, Zhou Shiyu's feelings were tangled. Choosing a random mountain peak to drink wine, he wanted to see how that peerless sword cultivator of days gone by was doing now. Above the lush green mountains, Zhou Shiyu sat perched in the canopy of a tall tree, drinking alone and gazing into the distance, lost in thought. Just then, a man's warm voice sounded by his ear. "Oho, sitting here sneaking drinks all by yourself? Pass some over." Zhou Shiyu turned his head and saw the man standing beside him, carrying a sword coffin on his back. The corners of Zhou Shiyu's mouth curled upward slightly. Watching the man plop down beside him, he passed over a jug of wine. Li Guanqi took a swig and immediately offered praise. "Good wine." Zhou Shiyu smiled. "What did you come to see me for? The sect master is waiting to welcome you." Li Guanqi curled his lip. "Do you think I'm the type of person who enjoys that kind of grandstanding?" Zhou Shiyu considered it seriously for a moment, then shook his head. Li Guanqi continued casually, "The wine is good. The liquor of each domain truly carries its own character." Zhou Shiyu could not resist chuckling as he asked, "Then what kind of character does the wine of the Daochan Domain carry?" Li Guanqi closed his eyes, savoring the taste, before speaking with deliberate gravity. "Seeking the Dao for longevity, exhausting heart and soul..." Perhaps due to the Daochan Domain's unique position, the cultivators here held an inexplicable fixation on longevity. Zhou Shiyu froze for a moment, not expecting Li Guanqi to offer such a genuine sentiment. After a long silence, Li Guanqi spoke again. "Of course, that isn't the whole of it." With that, Li Guanqi tilted his head back to drink, yet his gaze remained fixed on Zhou Shiyu. He could sense the surging origin power within Zhou Shiyu's body. Peak early Mahayana realm—he had likely been stuck at this threshold for quite some time. Relying solely on the ambient spiritual energy of heaven and earth, a cultivator's progress was exceedingly slow. Little did Li Guanqi know that Zhou Shiyu already believed his own cultivation speed had been astonishingly swift. Unable to detect the slightest trace of Li Guanqi's aura, Zhou Shiyu asked on impulse, "What realm are you in now? Why can't I sense your aura at all?" Li Guanqi paused, then looked at Zhou Shiyu and could not resist teasing, "You really keep your ears shut to the outside world, don't you?" "As for me... after I head back, it shouldn't be long before I break through to the late Tribulation Transference realm." Hearing that, Zhou Shiyu's expression instantly changed! Paying no heed to Zhou Shiyu's shock, Li Guanqi's eyes flickered with sharp light. Years ago, the chain plunged into Zhou Shiyu's heart had been no ordinary object, and by now it had completely fused with him. Li Guanqi fell quiet for a moment, then asked point-blank, "Do you want to come with me? "If you come with me, you won't have to endure such sluggish progress, and there will be countless experts for you to discuss the sword Dao with." Li Guanqi sipped his wine, speaking in a nonchalant tone. Zhou Shiyu furrowed his brows. After pondering for a moment, he replied, "I don't want to go." Hearing this, Li Guanqi was so exasperated that he kicked him right out of the treetop. "Get lost, get lost! You unambitious fellow! Seriously, Zhou Shiyu, so many years have passed—how are you still like this? Are you going to nestle in this tiny patch of land for the rest of your life?" Zhou Shiyu dusted off his backside and flew back up into the canopy, gazing at the flourishing Six Ancients Sacred Sect in prolonged silence. In truth, he already had a general idea of why Li Guanqi had come. Lately, he had sensed someone watching him from the shadows, and combined with certain news the sect had received from the Great Xia Sword Sect, the picture was clear. Li Guanqi said in a low voice, "Enough. The Six Ancients Sacred Sect is at the height of prosperity, and its alliance with the Great Xia Sword Sect is known throughout the realm. Staying here won't do you any good—you'd be far better off coming with me." In the distance, Sect Master Gu Huai was still craning his neck toward the sky, eagerly waiting for Li Guanqi's arrival. Zhou Shiyu smiled. He looked down at his calloused hands and slowly clenched his fists. Whether it was because Li Guanqi's words had taken hold or because he had reached his own realization after stepping into the Mahayana realm, the man turned to Li Guanqi with a broad grin. "I'll go with you!" Li Guanqi threw his head back and laughed heartily, his voice carrying far into the distance, laced with origin power. Looking toward Gu Huai, Li Guanqi clasped his hands and revealed himself in midair, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Old Gu, I'm making off with Zhou Shiyu!" Gu Huai's heart jolted. Looking at Zhou Shiyu standing beside Li Guanqi, tears welled in his eyes as he waved his hand. "Haha! Young friend! "This boy... he's a bit too honest, and stubborn to a fault! "Once you reach the other side, please look after him well! "This old man... offers you a bow..." Li Guanqi side-stepped to avoid receiving the bow directly, smiling lightly. "This is a salute I cannot accept. Rest assured—one day, the entire Six Ancients Sacred Sect will take pride in him!" As the words fell, Zhou Shiyu slowly knelt toward Gu Huai and kowtowed in deep reverence. Rising with reddened eyes, Zhou Shiyu turned and followed Li Guanqi into the void! After a transmission was dispatched, a total of six figures gathered within the pitch-black emptiness: Three eighth-grade alchemists, Sect Master Hu Shouqing of the Ice Lion Sect, and Zhou Shiyu of the Six Ancients Sacred Sect!