Rumble!
Thunderous roars shook the heavens above Anting Ferry, shrouding the entire sky beneath dense, rolling clouds.
A massive palm print of spiritual light descended from the firmament, causing the surrounding buildings to crack and crumble.
Yet the hunched old man simply kept one hand behind his back, slowly pressing his right hand downward!
Zhu Zishan's face drained of all color. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed onto the flagstones.
The fat youth lying on the ground had long since passed out, overwhelmed by the crushing pressure.
Zhu Zishan hurriedly cried out, "This junior would not dare... Liuyang Manor shall bear every bit of the damage caused today! I beg Senior not to take offense!"
He conceded without hesitation; a wise man knew better than to fight a losing battle.
Hearing this, the old man gave a cold snort. Raising his hand, he dispersed the glowing palm print and cast a chilling gaze downward.
"Scram."
Zhu Zishan let out a breath, bowed deeply, and hastily retreated, carrying the unconscious fat youth with him.
Before departing, however, the man shot a deep, searching look at Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi said nothing. Beneath his mask, his scarlet eyes flickered as he met the man's gaze head-on.
He wouldn't mind putting on a repeat performance of what he had done to the Tianhua Sword Sect.
The old man turned toward Ran Shiming and offered a faint smile. "Your little girl has grown quite a bit."
Ran Shiming cupped his fists respectfully and said with a chuckle, "Senior, come visit the Ran Manor another day. I've stored away quite a few fine wines."
The old man waved his hand, turning away. "All right, be on your way."
Ran Shiming nodded, then looked at Li Guanqi and said warmly, "Would young friend care to travel together and pay a visit to our Ran Family?"
Li Guanqi owed them a favor for their intervention, so he nodded and agreed.
The three of them took to the skies, leaving the ferry behind. As Li Guanqi took off his mask, his aura steadily dropped back down.
Seeing this, Ran Shiming's brow furrowed slightly, a sharp glint flickering deep within his eyes.
"That item of yours is no ordinary treasure, young friend. Be careful of those with ill intentions. Chen Tianhua must have moved against you precisely because of such things, wouldn't you say?"
Li Guanqi gave a wry smile and nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Senior. I didn't expect you to already know about my humble affairs."
Ran Shiming broke into hearty laughter. "Young friend, that is hardly a small matter. News of it has spread so far that practically everyone in Quping Prefecture knows!"
Li Guanqi felt rather helpless. Beside them, Ran Qingshuang was staring openly at him.
"What is it?" he asked.
Ran Qingshuang frowned. "Did you hold back earlier?"
Li Guanqi was taken aback. Facing a True Immortal elder, he had naturally unleashed his full might. He hadn't expected Ran Qingshuang to sense it and take it so much to heart.
Shrugging, Li Guanqi answered candidly, "I was already using plenty of strength..."
Ran Qingshuang snorted coldly, looking thoroughly displeased.
Li Guanqi rubbed his nose in resignation. Recalling the woman's spear momentum from before, he remarked softly, "Your spear... isn't ruthless enough. It lacks domineering spirit."
The moment the words left his mouth, not only Ran Qingshuang but even Ran Shiming frowned slightly.
The young woman knitted her brows tightly and said in a grave voice, "Though your sword dao is remarkable, making you one of the finest sword cultivators I have ever met... when it comes to the dao of the spear, you might not know it better than I do!"
Li Guanqi curled his lip, offering no rebuttal.
None of the spear cultivators he had encountered were simple figures. Both Xiao Chen and Long Hou were masters who had attained the pinnacle of the spear dao.
Ran Shiming adopted a contemplative look, murmuring, "Has young friend also studied the spear dao?"
Li Guanqi shook his head and said gently, "I have a sworn brother who practices the spear, and an elder well-versed in its dao."
Ran Qingshuang paid the comment no heed, merely assuming Li Guanqi was boasting.
Ran Shiming's eyes gleamed with interest. Pointing toward the distant peaks, he smiled and said, "We will arrive at the Ran Family shortly. If young friend doesn't mind, could you perhaps demonstrate upon our manor's Dao platform for my daughter?"
After a moment's thought, Li Guanqi agreed.
Ran Shiming turned his head and smiled to himself, musing inward, *This lad is certainly cautious. He hasn't let go of that scroll tucked inside his sleeve for even a second.*
He had no designs whatsoever on Li Guanqi's opportunities. In his eyes, that mask was merely an external artifact—nothing exceedingly precious.
Moreover, to anyone looking at the Rakshasa Ghost Mask, it appeared to be merely an item meant for Mystic Immortals. None of them could perceive that the true grade of both the Rakshasa Ghost Mask and the Demonic Sword Xue Ming was exceedingly high!
Upon their arrival at the Ran Manor, the servants were deeply curious about the guest their family head had personally brought home.
When the elders of the Ran Family caught wind of the news, they gathered one after another. Several of them cast unkind glares toward Li Guanqi, and some even glared fiercely and snorted coldly right to his face.
This unprovoked hostility left Li Guanqi utterly baffled.
Ran Qingshuang sighed and explained in resignation, "The clan elders wanted to arrange a marriage alliance between me and that fat slob. Now that you beat him senseless, any prospect of an alliance between Liuyang Manor and the Ran Family is thoroughly ruined..."
Only then did Li Guanqi understand. Yet he stated with utmost sincerity, "That's for the best. That fat slob really wasn't worthy of you."
To his surprise, this heartfelt remark caused Ran Qingshuang's cheeks to flush red.
Ran Shiming asked in a low voice, "Young friend, how about we head straight to the martial drill grounds?"
Li Guanqi gave a slight nod. He had no desire to linger anyway, intending only to go through the motions and be done with it.
The three of them made their way toward the martial training stage in the rear courtyard of the Ran Manor. Along the way, numerous young disciples of the family hurried over upon hearing the news.
These younger juniors held immense admiration for Ran Qingshuang. A Heavenly Immortal cultivator at merely twenty-eight years of age was undeniably a chosen daughter of heaven. Even if certain young men in the clan refused to acknowledge her superiority, they could only swallow their discontent in silence.
By the time the trio reached the stage, over a hundred disciples of the household had gathered around the perimeter.
The sight made Ran Qingshuang frown slightly.
A second thought made Li Guanqi realize Ran Shiming's intentions. He glanced back at the older man, and their eyes met.
Li Guanqi was rather speechless. Was this old fox trying to use Li Guanqi's reputation to bolster Ran Qingshuang's prestige?
Still... it hardly mattered.
The moment Li Guanqi leaped onto the elevated stage, a clamor of chatter broke out below.
"Who is this guy? He's actually going to spar with Sister Qingshuang?"
"Tch, he certainly has the face of a pretty boy. Pity he's blind."
"Wow... what handsome features!"
"His bearing is magnificent! Sisters, do any of you know who he is?"
"Bah! What good is a pretty face?"
"Watch him turn out to be all show and no substance—a pewter spearhead!"
The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. His gaze drifted toward the youth who had just spoken.
"I'm plenty capable, for your information!"
At those words, the young man flushed with embarrassment, while ripples of delicate laughter spread among the young women nearby.
Even Ran Qingshuang, standing opposite him on the stage, looked somewhat flustered.
Drawing her spear with a reverse grip, her expression grew solemn as she spoke in a deep voice, "Please instruct me!"
"Instruct her? Sister Qingshuang actually asked him for instruction?! Could he be a Heavenly Immortal as well?"
"Something... feels off. Isn't Sister Qingshuang taking this a bit too seriously?"
Li Guanqi took a deep breath. With a flash of light at his wrist, the Rakshasa Ghost Mask snapped onto his face!
Boom!
A terrifying pressure erupted violently. Beneath the ghost mask, scarlet eyes flickered, and wild, raging lightning crackled around his entire body.
Li Guanqi unleashed no other abilities, merely elevating his cultivation realm aura to match hers.
In an instant, every spectator fell dead silent.
Immediately after, sharp gasps of cold air rose one after another from the crowd.
*Hiss!*
"Ahhh! Li Congxin! He's Li Congxin!"
"The ghost-faced sword cultivator, Li Congxin! It's actually him! Is his real face truly that handsome?! He's even slightly more handsome than me..."
Chapter 1669