Hum!!!
A massive ascension passage descended from the heavens!
Wen Guyan had not even tended to his wounds; his eyes held only icy killing intent. Clutching his shoulder, he raised his head toward the firmament.
Above, heavenly thunder rolled, yet Wen Guyan turned back toward Li Guanqi with a wide grin.
"Li Guanqi, I hope the day comes when we meet again in the Immortal Realm."
Li Guanqi raised his wine cup high and replied with a faint smile, "May Senior's immortal path be smooth and boundless."
Wen Guyan produced a flagon of wine, tipped his head back, and drained it. Amid boisterous laughter, he pierced the nine heavens with his early Ascension realm cultivation and ascended to the Immortal Realm!
After Wen Guyan departed, Xuan Yue and Bie Ruxue likewise drew down their reception heavenly tribulations.
Li Guanqi sat atop the shattered peak while the companions beside him tended to their injuries. His calm gaze swept over the two.
"You should consider yourselves fortunate that you didn't make the same choice as Bai Su."
At his words, a flicker of panic appeared on the faces of both the woman and Xuan Yue.
Bie Ruxue gritted her teeth and said in a heavy voice, "In the end, we did not go that far!"
Li Guanqi sneered. "Only because you were afraid.
"You feared Wen Guyan would kill you, and you feared I would kill you.
"Had you not held back your strength, at least several fewer cultivators of the Seven Domains would have died!"
The moment he said this, both fell completely silent.
The reception passages had already descended, yet neither dared let down their guard in the slightest. With Li Guanqi's current strength, slaughtering them would be no harder than killing dogs!
Li Guanqi cast an indifferent glance at the two, choosing not to strike.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two streaks of light instantly tore through the void and vanished. Until the very last moment, their nerves had been stretched to the absolute limit.
One after another, cultivators chose to ascend.
A magnificent spectacle of ascension unseen for ten thousand years was now playing out repeatedly in a single day.
Li Guanqi looked back at the companions nursing their wounds, a deep wave of emotion rising within him. He could not truly fathom what Gu Li had felt while watching Xiao Chen back then. He did not know what shock Gu Li had suffered that had even cured his fear of blood by the time he reappeared, driving him to use his own essence blood as an offering to create something as terrifying as the Blood Talisman Asura.
By now, Xiao Chen's injuries had mostly stabilized, no longer looking as gruesome as when he had been stripped of his skin. Opening his eyes, he hung his head and reached out to touch his chest over his heart.
A trembling whisper slowly escaped his lips.
"Eldest Brother... at that moment, I truly thought I was dead."
Finishing his words, he turned toward Tang Ru, tears brimming in his eyes. Pouting his lips, he murmured in a choked voice, "Yet Fifth Brother risked his very life to buy me another chance."
Li Guanqi stiffened slightly upon hearing this, then offered gentle comfort. "There is no need to feel so guilty. Tang Ru was inside Gu Li's domain, so he naturally sensed everything you did for them."
With that, Li Guanqi tossed over a jar of strong wine and met Xiao Chen's gaze, speaking softly. "In such a desperate moment, did you ever consider abandoning them?"
Xiao Chen gave a dazed shake of his head, tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes. "How could I?!
"I had only one thought back then: even if I died... I couldn't let them die!
"If someone had to die, it was going to be me before them!"
The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly into a warm smile. "Then isn't that enough?
"All of you... were thinking of each other.
"You've become a reliable brother we can lean on, too."
Xiao Chen bared his teeth in pleasant surprise and scratched his head. "Really?"
Cao Yan opened his eyes and laughed. "Really!!"
Even Ye Feng, always a man of few words, could not resist giving a thumbs-up in praise. "Very dependable."
One by one, the others regained consciousness. Meng Wanshu walked over to Li Guanqi, worry shimmering in her eyes. Li Guanqi gently squeezed her hand, silently reassuring her.
Yet Meng Wanshu's heart gave a violent jolt!
At this moment, the meridians inside Li Guanqi's body were a shattered mess! His life force and lifespan had been depleted by well over ten thousand years! His vital energy and blood were feeble, several dozen times weaker than the surging vigor he once possessed.
"The price was that steep?"
Recalling the power that the sword spirit had unleashed the moment he swung the blade, Li Guanqi could not help feeling a lingering dread. "It is already far better than I imagined...
"I thought that single strike would drain every last drop of my lifespan."
Meng Wanshu lowered her head, remaining silent for a long while.
"Every time... she is the one helping you.
"I truly want to help you too, but the enemies are always so powerful that I can only watch in futile anxiety."
Li Guanqi keenly perceived the shift in her emotions. Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he gazed into her eyes with tenderness.
"Yet... the one who has always stood by my side from the start has always been you.
"The one who trusts me unconditionally is also you.
"You must believe in me, and don't let your thoughts run wild."
Meng Wanshu took a deep breath, her bright eyes locking onto Li Guanqi's, and nodded firmly.
Sitting cross-legged across from Li Guanqi, Ye Feng asked softly, "Eldest Brother, what are our plans next?"
Li Guanqi smiled faintly, his eyes sweeping over the group. "Let each person settle their personal affairs. Tomorrow... we ascend together!!"
The moment the words 'ascend together' left his lips, the brothers unconsciously clenched their fists.
Mottled sunlight spilled through the fractured space, illuminating the faces of everyone on the mountain summit. A gentle breeze drifted past, and relaxed, radiant smiles spread across their features. It was the joy of surviving a catastrophe, the profound sentiment of a group that had walked hand in hand to reach this day.
Watching this scene, Li Guanqi laughed heartily and chanted in a clear, resonant voice:
"Bonded as brothers, together we climb the heights;
Sharing storm and rain, we speak no sorrow;
Laughing in the moonlight, drunk on fragrant wine;
Brothers of one heart, roaming heaven and earth."
The corners of Ye Feng's mouth lifted, but then an awkward look surfaced on his face. "Eldest Brother... Qingchan and I are simple enough.
"What about Fourth Brother and Qing'er?
"If he ascends now, Qing'er's talent is limited—who knows when she will be able to ascend?"
Li Guanqi smiled. "If two hearts are bound forever in love, what matters the distance of day and night?
"As for you two, hold your wedding tomorrow!
"Whether it's you or Xiao Chen, you must give them an answer."
Rare color flushed across Ye Feng's weathered face. Looking toward Li Qingchan, who was chatting quietly with Meng Wanshu not far away, he nodded firmly with resolve in his eyes. Had Li Qingchan not intervened during the earlier battle, he likely would have perished long ago. In that desperate moment, she had seemed to shine with an ethereal glow, more beautiful than anyone in the world.
Ye Feng sent a low sound transmission to Xiao Chen, and Li Guanqi watched as Xiao Chen immediately grew visibly nervous.
Li Guanqi burst into hearty laughter.
At that moment, Lu Kangnian and the others walked over. Gravely wounded, they supported one another as they approached.
Watching the youths talking and laughing, Lu Kangnian felt deeply comforted. Fortunately, everyone from the Great Xia Sword Sect had survived this ordeal, though Ji Yuchuan was heavily injured.
Having regained consciousness, Gu Li applied several inscribed talismans to them. A potent medicinal efficacy dissolved into their bodies, and they all felt their injuries ease considerably. One after another, they cupped their hands in gratitude toward Gu Li, who returned the gesture with a warm smile.
Gu Changsheng came over to look for Gu Li as well.
Seeing Tang Ru with a head full of white hair, the severely wounded Tang Wei wept bitterly. Tang Ru's mouth twitched, and he could not help muttering beneath his breath, "Father... don't be so inauspicious... I'm not dead yet."
Lu Kangnian looked toward Li Guanqi and said softly, "I... won't leave just yet. I'll wait a bit longer."
Li Guanqi frowned slightly, then his brow relaxed. "That works too.
"In that case, Sect Master, you'll need to head back and make preparations."
Lu Kangnian paused in surprise before Li Guanqi's sound transmission reached his ears. Turning toward Ye Feng and Xiao Chen, Lu Kangnian smiled broadly.
Chapter 1550