The Nine Revolutions Punishment Thunder Scripture he was currently cultivating was already comparable to a middle-grade Earth rank cultivation method.
Even once he cultivated to the Nascent Soul realm, he would have no need to replace it.
In the end, following Ling Daoyan's advice, he selected two sword techniques and one movement technique.
One sword technique was an unpredictable sword-controlling art, while the other was a sword manual titled "Seven Fiends."
This sword art contained a mere seven stances, but each stance held countless variations and possessed terrifying lethality!
It had been personally bestowed by Northern Heavenly King Long Qu, and its grade likewise reached middle-grade Earth rank.
The final movement technique was rather intriguing as well—a rare manual comparable to top-grade Earth rank!
Named "Traceless Nether Step," it was exceptionally difficult to cultivate, yet yielded blinding speed.
It was said that if one could cultivate this movement technique to great accomplishment, it was not the least bit inferior to an early Nascent Soul cultivator teleporting a hundred zhang in the blink of an eye.
This technique leaned closer to an escape art. Its burst of instantaneous speed was astonishing, but its drain on origin power was equally staggering.
Even a late Core Formation cultivator relying on it to travel would not last an hour.
Time slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
During this time, Yu Sui'an's injuries had improved considerably. At the very least, she could walk on her own, though her right arm still rested in a sling around her neck.
Perhaps understanding in her heart that she could not stop Li Guanqi from leaving, she clung to him every single day.
Dressed in a brocade robe of white, Ye Feng flew through the air and arrived at Yuhu Peak.
Seeing the little girl perched atop Li Guanqi's shoulders, Ye Feng could not help but chuckle.
"Little Steamed Bun, you're this big already and you still want piggyback rides?"
Yet no sooner had the words left his mouth than Yu Sui'an and Li Guanqi looked up at the exact same time and barked:
"None of your business!"
"Yeah, mind your own business!"
The smile froze on Ye Feng's face, and he threw up his hands helplessly. "Fine, fine, two spoiled brats."
"Boss, we assemble in an hour. Don't lose track of time."
Li Guanqi held Yu Sui'an's legs with both hands and replied calmly, "Mm, I know."
After setting the little girl down, Li Guanqi squatted down, tapped the tip of her nose, and said, "I'm going to see Master. Come with me, and behave."
Tears welled up in Yu Sui'an's eyes at once. She nodded and whispered, "Mm, I'll behave."
Taking her along, Li Guanqi flew through the air around the Three Thousand Peaks, soaring toward Tianlei Peak.
When he arrived once more outside the old man's courtyard, he stood before the gate, momentarily at a loss for how to knock.
Having resolved to leave, he still could not completely set aside his worries for his master.
Yet Yu Sui'an at his side paid no heed to such hesitation. Pushing the door open, she dashed inside.
"Grandpa Li, I'm here!"
In the courtyard, the old man sat upon a chair puffing on his pipe. A pot of wine and two cups rested on the table.
Li Guanqi walked inside openly, stepped before the old man, and bowed deeply.
"Disciple Li Guanqi pays his respects to Master."
Hearing this, the wrinkles deepened across Li Nanting's stern face.
Reaching out, he rapped Li Guanqi over the head and said, "In this past year and a half, you never once came to pay your respects to this old man. Look at you suddenly getting so diligent today."
"Get up and sit down."
Li Guanqi scratched his head, straightening up with an honest grin. "Disciple keeps the bond between master and disciple in his heart. Empty flattery serves no purpose."
The old man said nothing, merely filling the two cups before him.
*Splash.*
A silver stream poured down, and the old man's eyes gradually grew red.
Once the cups were filled to the brim, the old man spoke with a slight quiver, his voice choking up.
"Come. Let the two of us share a drink—consider it your farewell."
"Once you depart, who knows how many winters and summers will pass before your return."
"Everything that needed saying, I have already said. For this long journey..."
"Your master wishes that you, like the great roc, shall rise with the wind one day, soaring ninety thousand li into the azure sky!"
"And may you have no worry of finding no kindred souls ahead, for who under heaven will not know your name!"
Holding his wine cup, the youth's eyes were also slightly red. He said in a deep voice, "Disciple will certainly engrave Master's teachings and the sect's precepts upon my heart!"
"Master's benevolence, the sect's grace—I shall never forget them to my dying day!"
*Clink.*
The cups touched. As the wine went down, Li Guanqi felt only a deep, spreading warmth in his chest.
The old man rose, lowering his head to brush a sleeve across his eyes. He then clasped the youth's shoulder and murmured gently, "Go on. It's time."
Li Guanqi stood up, but did not move away immediately. Instead, he waved toward the girl peeking half her head out from behind the door.
Seeing him wave, Yu Sui'an emerged at once.
Running toward him, she burst into tears. "Waaah... Little Blindie, you don't want me anymore..."
Seeing this, Li Guanqi hurried to comfort her.
"Don't worry, it's not like I'm never coming back."
"Perhaps... by the time I return, you'll be all grown up. Once I'm gone, you must cultivate diligently, do you hear me?"
"If anyone bullies you in the future, head over to my wooden cabin on Yuhu Peak and write down every single one of their names."
"When I get back, I'll settle scores with every last one of them for you."
Yu Sui'an tilted her head, giving the matter very serious thought.
Li Guanqi smiled, then brought her along as he accompanied the old man to Tianjian Peak.
On the way, Li Guanqi chuckled and said, "Once I'm out in the world, everywhere I go, I'll buy you the local meat buns!"
"When I come back, you can eat your fill."
The little girl's eyes lit up, and she tugged on his ear. "Really?"
Li Guanqi smiled and nodded. "Really."
"Good! You said it yourself, so you have to keep your word!"
"Pinky promise!"
"Pinky promise, hang it high, no changing for a hundred years!"
By the time Li Guanqi arrived, the disciples venturing out for experiential training this time had already gathered upon the square of Tianjian Peak.
Handing the little girl over to the old man, Li Guanqi drew a jade slip from his storage ring and offered it to his master.
Via voice transmission, he urged, "Master, consider this my gift to the sect. You must wait until after I have left before opening it!"
Seeing his secretive air, the old man was slightly taken aback, but agreed nonetheless.
Li Guanqi leaped forward, taking his place among the crowd.
Nearly thirty disciples had chosen to venture out for experiential training this time.
Yet from Li Guanqi's cohort, there were only him and Ye Feng.
Lu Kangnian walked slowly out of the void, his bright gaze sweeping across the crowd.
Then, he raised a hand. In an instant, countless sword-riding figures soared out from across the peaks!
It was a breathtaking sight—those sword-riding figures blanketing the sky all wore the sect's robes.
The multitude of disciples cupped their hands in salute toward the departing group and cried aloud:
"May our senior brothers travel without care, and may the immortal path lie smooth before you!"
"May our senior brothers travel without care, and may the immortal path lie smooth before you!"
All at once, their voices merged into a roaring torrent as though ready to overturn the heavens.
Lu Kangnian waved his broad hand and declared loudly, "A gentleman sits and discourses on the Dao; disciples rise and stride into the world!"
"Everyone, the mountains are high and the road is long. Your lives come first."
"No matter the time, no matter the place, no matter the peril you find yourselves in—"
"Never forget that behind you stands the Great Xia Sword Sect!"
*Swish!*
A beam of flowing light shot silently into Li Guanqi's glabella!
Li Guanqi looked up into the distance. That chubby old man raised the wine gourd in his hand toward him.
Meanwhile, within his sea of consciousness, an additional secret manual method named the "Violent Spirit Art" had appeared.
The disciples bowed deeply in salute, and then their figures transformed into streaks of flowing light, shooting off in every direction!
Watching the sect recede farther and farther into the distance behind him, Li Guanqi changed into a clean white robe.
At his waist, he fastened the wine gourd his master had gifted him.
This jianghu—perhaps only strong liquor was worthy of it.
What lay ahead on the road, the youth in white did not know.
Yet he knew that so long as he kept walking forward, an even more splendid world was surely waiting for him.
Chapter 188