Battling the Spirit in the Conscious Space!

At the same time, an incomparably formidable battle intent erupted from the sword spirit, Xue Ming. This will soared straight into the clouds, and the mountain of corpses beneath his feet instantly shattered!! The man stepped barefoot across the sky as the drifting mountains of corpses and sea of blood formed rippling waves that rolled outward. Clutching the white-bone scabbard in hand, an indescribable aura boomed outward. Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed slightly. "It really is the aura of the Purgatory Path and the Asura Path. "Only... why is this aura somewhat different from what I imagined?" In the sword spirit's eyes, Li Guanqi saw endless pain and torment. He did not know what burden weighed upon the spirit's heart to cause him such agonizing pain. Before he could ponder further, the sea of blood detonated beneath the other's feet, and his figure vanished instantly!!! Clang!!!! An arm clad in dragon scales held a sword in defense, blocking the blow. The sea of blood beneath their feet surged and ruptured, a tremendous shockwave rippling outward in an instant!! The sword spirit Xue Ming's eyes shone brightly. Wielding his sword with a withered, slender arm, he slashed a hundred times in a single breath!! In a flash, a dazzling net of sword light enveloped Li Guanqi. Faced with the sky full of sword shadows, Li Guanqi dared not show the slightest carelessness, and the Red Lotus Sword detonated with power instantly!!! At the hilt, a red lotus blossomed, crimson radiance swirling along the four-foot blade. "Apocalypse: Red Lotus Sky Dance!" The sword spirit Xue Ming's gaze flashed, his pupils constricting slightly, his eyes filled with bewilderment. "Killing Power! Illusory Form! Blade Break! Spirit Absolution!" Boom!!!! Li Guanqi's power climbed to its absolute peak in that instant. The reason he had employed the Dragon Transformation of the Demon King Physique was to test which abilities he could manifest here. His left-handed sword speed pushed to the limit. Though he could only vaguely track the trajectory of his opponent's strikes, he was able to parry every single one. Not only that, but Li Guanqi's battle intent soared, and his left hand swung faster and faster!! Amidst the flurry of sword shadows, he could discern faint, tiny black traces. Those traces were flaws! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!!! Two afterimages flickered frantically within this void space. Explosive booms roared incessantly as the sea of blood churned, sending waves of crimson blasting hundreds of feet into the air. Blood sprayed from Li Guanqi's body, and the same was true for the sword spirit Xue Ming. Both had disheveled hair and were covered in sword wounds. Yet the blades in their hands were equally swift and ruthless. Like mad demons, they traded frenzied blows without the slightest hint of exhaustion. Clang, clang, clang!! Boom! A contest of pure swordsmanship where only one of them would remain standing. To the death. There was no special reason—only battle!!! The corners of Xue Ming's lips curved upward, his battle intent towering!!! Yet inside, Li Guanqi felt a profoundly contradictory impression. This spirit... was warlike, thirsting to fight and slaughter. And yet Li Guanqi sensed another will entirely. A longing for death. Utterly contradictory... Even if he sought death, he fought with everything he had, showing not the slightest hint of holding back. Boom! Boom! Boom!!!! Thud!!! Both were blasted back a hundred zhang. Above the river of blood, the two figures carved deep crimson trenches through the waves before coming to a halt. Without a single word, the sword spirit Xue Ming charged forward once more!! Li Guanqi made a grasping motion with his right hand, actually manifesting the Rakshasa Ghost Mask into his grip. Without hesitation, Li Guanqi put the mask on. Boom!!!! His aura surged instantly to the sixth layer. Yet his opponent suddenly came to a halt... Xue Ming furrowed his brow, stared at Li Guanqi for two breaths, and finally sighed. "You do not understand the Buddhist Six Paths, yet you subdued the Rakshasa Ghost Mask." His voice carried a hint of confusion and melancholy. Yet immediately afterward, his own aura soared to the sixth layer of Mystic Immortal as well! The strikes grew so fierce that Li Guanqi felt almost powerless to fend them off. Because of Demonic Sword Xue Ming, the power in his body was steadily draining away. This was the demonic sword's special ability, capable of devouring its opponent's blood and soul during combat. This was precisely why Li Guanqi had brought out the Rakshasa Ghost Mask—only its power could slightly suppress the effect! Thud!!! Clang! Clang, clang, clang!! Thud!! For a time, Li Guanqi actually fell into a disadvantage; a horizontal slash tore open his chest. The searing pain stung his mind, and Li Guanqi lashed out with a sword strike almost purely on instinct! "Red Lotus: World's End!" Boom!!!!! The strike cleaved across the sword spirit Xue Ming's chest, leaving a ghastly wound. A flash of madness crossed Xue Ming's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, pressing forward despite his wounded body!! Outside, Lin Wujiu and Qisha had their brows knitted tightly, their fists clenched as they watched Li Guanqi with extreme vigilance. By now, Li Guanqi had remained motionless with eyes closed in concentration for over ten breaths. Yet his entire left arm had withered, and his shoulder along with half his torso showed signs of being drained dry as well... At this rate, in less time than it took to drink a cup of tea, all the blood essence in his body would be completely sucked dry. "What should we do... Should we sever his connection to the sword?" Qisha's expression shifted repeatedly. He knew full well the danger involved; if this went on any longer, they wouldn't even have the chance to sever it. Lin Wujiu's eyes flickered, a trace of struggle flashing within them. Yet soon, he gritted his teeth and said in a heavy voice, "No! I believe in him! "The fact that he has held on this long proves he has a chance to subdue that sword spirit! "If we intervene now, all his efforts may very well go down the drain!" Qisha sighed. He had not expected Lin Wujiu to choose to trust him so decisively. Helpless, he could only sheath his saber and drop the matter. "Can he... really pull it off...?" Attack after attack, clash after clash. Neither knew how long their bloody struggle had lasted. Both were drenched in blood, and even the mask on Li Guanqi's face had several fissures sliced into it. Drip! Drip! Sword in hand, separated from the sword spirit by several zhang, Li Guanqi muttered hoarsely, "Why are you so insane?" The sword spirit rested the tip of his blade on the ground and looked up at Li Guanqi. "It is not that my heart is lost in madness, but rather the abyss of desire that drives me." Li Guanqi was puzzled. "You are a spirit. Whence comes desire?" "Where there is spirit, there is desire." "And what is your desire?" At this, Xue Ming's calm voice rang out once more. It was the same answer as when they first met. "What I seek is only the clash of the strong, for only then is the Way of Life revealed!" Only this time, compared to when they first met, his tone was noticeably firmer and resonant with strength! A feeling of respect welled in Li Guanqi's heart. A sword spirit whose grand ambition was simply to battle the strong, as if it were his very purpose. And the mountain of corpses and sea of blood beneath his feet were proof of it. He had never once met someone who could defeat him! Li Guanqi exhaled a foul breath and said in a deep voice, "If that is so, then I shall be the one to defeat you!!" Beneath the strands of hair obscuring his face, the corners of Xue Ming's mouth tilted up slightly. "The power of the Ruins. "The power of Spirit Absolution. "You may indeed kill me!" As the words fell, Xue Ming took a fierce step forward!! The sea of blood ruptured into a crater a hundred zhang across. The sword spirit Xue Ming's long hair whipped wildly, standing on end! In this moment, Li Guanqi finally saw the other's true appearance clearly. A lean face with straight features, crisscrossed with scars, his skin dark and unremarkable. Perhaps only those eyes were unforgettable. Gripping the hilt with both hands and trailing the blade at his side, the demonic sword let out a piercing, resonant cry. "Listen well... This is... the voice of Xue Ming!" Boom!!!!! Li Guanqi knew that this would be his final sword strike. Li Guanqi likewise stepped forward, leaning slightly into his stance. Holding his sword in his left hand, his arm taut, the immortal primal energy throughout his body roared as his vital blood surged. His eyes flared like lightning. This strike embodied all of Li Guanqi's will and power. "This sword strike is named Hidden Dragon!" Thud, thud!! Two explosive blasts echoed out as both figures vanished from the spot in an instant!!! Their figures crossed. A thin line of blood abruptly surfaced across Li Guanqi's chest. Behind him, the sword spirit collapsed to his knees into the sea of blood with a splash, and the sword in his hand dissolved into specks of spiritual light, drifting slowly toward Li Guanqi.