Leaving Nanze City, Li Guanqi felt little nostalgia.
He rather liked this current feeling.
Unfettered and free, like a true wandering vagabond of the pugilistic world, doing whatever he pleased.
Yet after the affair with the Zheng Clan, he had also come to realize many things.
Cultivators acted on grudges and gratitude as their hearts led them.
Even so, there were also those driven by petty, vile gains; perhaps fleeing in the face of a formidable enemy was not shameful either.
In particular, Zheng Yuanzhong's self-detonation of his Nascent Soul at the end without a moment's hesitation had truly given him a taste of the cultivation world's ruthlessness.
Sensing the changes in his body, the corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly. Taking a single step forward, he materialized a hundred zhang away in an instant!
Teleportation!
Such speed was vastly superior to mere flight.
Leaving an afterimage merely meant someone's speed had reached a certain threshold, causing an image to linger in place.
Yet a Nascent Soul cultivator's teleportation technique was an entirely different matter from flying.
In less than the time of a single breath, one could cross a hundred zhang of space in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, there were numerous ways to apply spatial power.
Li Guanqi examined it carefully. If he were made to battle a Core Formation cultivator now, he would not even need to draw his sword.
Relying solely on spatial power, he could completely crush his opponent. Due to the suppression of realms, the other party would not be able to breach his spatial barrier at all.
Unless their strength was extraordinary—high enough to forcibly shatter the spatial barrier through sheer personal might.
Just as he had done before; only with terrifying killing power would that be possible.
Walking between heaven and earth, each breath drew in the spiritual energy of the world.
The sensation left his whole body invigorated. Bathed in the warm sunlight, he felt exceptionally buoyant.
Just then, the sword spirit's voice rang out naturally by his ear.
She said softly, "You have no time for such leisure. Have you learned the new cultivation art I taught you?
"Have you comprehended the life-saving escape technique I passed on to you?"
Li Guanqi scratched his head in mild embarrassment. What the sword spirit had taught this time was far too obscure.
Even after two days of contemplation, he had yet to grasp the threshold.
The sword spirit was like a walking Scripture Pavilion, and what was more... she looked down on ordinary Earth-rank arts.
Whether sword arts or movement techniques, nearly everything she had taught Li Guanqi so far was strictly Heaven rank!
If any single one of them were brought to light, experts from across the Great Xia Domain would likely flock in pursuit.
This put immense psychological pressure on him; he dared not reveal anything out of the ordinary to the outside world.
Catching the edge of urgency in the sword spirit's tone, Li Guanqi could not help asking softly, "Why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?"
The reason he asked was entirely because ever since their heart-to-heart talk two days prior, the sword spirit had seemed somewhat anxious. Though she might not have noticed it herself, Li Guanqi, under her tutelage, clearly felt her pushing him to grow stronger.
Hearing this, the sword spirit paused slightly, falling silent for a long moment before murmuring, "There are things you aren't yet ready to know.
"Once your strength grows, I will naturally tell you.
"The reason I am in such a rush is that I fear... fear that one day, enemies will come knocking on our door in person!"
Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed instantly upon hearing this. He asked softly, "Enemies... Just who are your enemies?"
The sword spirit smiled without speaking, raising her head to point toward the sky.
Li Guanqi already knew her enemies might be people who had ascended to the Immortal Realm, but he felt that if they could make the sword spirit so tense, their strength could by no means be weak.
He just did not know how formidable they truly were.
Looking straight into Li Guanqi's eyes, the sword spirit said in a deep voice, "I have long merged into one with you. Once you break through to the Void Refining Realm...
"My aura is very likely to be detected by people of the upper realm.
"When that time comes... they will spare no expense to send people down!"
Hearing this, the hairs on Li Guanqi's entire body stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine.
Swallowing hard, he stammered, "The upper realm... coming down?!"
By the end of his sentence, his voice turned shrill.
One had to know that the ultimate goal of cultivation for everyone in this world was to ascend to the Immortal Realm.
Yet across all these years, no one had ever heard of an immortal descending from the upper realm.
Even if traces of immortals were occasionally witnessed, it was only through rituals of summoning immortal names to borrow the power of upper-realm almighty beings.
Li Guanqi furrowed his brow. "People who have already ascended to the Immortal Realm can still come down?"
A bitter smile touched the corner of the sword spirit's lips. "They can, but the price is exceedingly immense!
"Even if someone of the Profound Immortal Realm descends, their realm will plummet to the Body Integration Realm.
"Even a Heavenly Immortal can maintain Mahayana Realm strength at most.
"Those above True Immortal cannot descend; should they come down, the entire Spirit Realm would collapse!"
Li Guanqi had never heard the names of these realms—what True Immortal, Profound Immortal...
Yet he knew their power was enough to destroy heaven and earth!
"Just sensing a wisp of your aura would make them come down?"
The sword spirit nodded with utter certainty. "Even for the faintest possibility, they will descend regardless of the cost!"
Hearing this, Li Guanqi was truly curious about what the sword spirit had done.
Moreover, when describing the enemies, she hadn't said 'him,' but 'them'!
"What on earth did you do? Why do so many people want to see you dead?
"Besides, you're merely a sword spirit, aren't you?"
A trace of disdain showed in the sword spirit's gaze as she looked at Li Guanqi and said, "I hope that after you ascend to the Immortal Realm and hear my name, you can still say so lightly that I'm merely a sword spirit."
Hearing that, Li Guanqi mumbled under his breath, "I asked your name, but you wouldn't tell me anyway..."
Though he grumbled inwardly, an inexplicable weight settled in the depths of his heart.
If he could not elevate his cultivation as quickly as possible, then should immortals truly descend one day, he would surely die!
Swallowing hard, he could not help cursing under his breath: "Why does this kind of pressure feel even more terrifying than having my damned lifespan drained straight out of me?!"
Concealed within the sword casket, the sword spirit fixed her beautiful eyes on Li Guanqi.
Watching him contemplate the art while journeying, she felt a slight stirring in her heart.
Yet this could not be helped. If she did not tell him about this, he would be the one to suffer in the end. It was better to reveal it to him now.
A sense of crisis was good; pressure bred drive.
Otherwise, strolling and wandering about like this simply would not do.
Along the way, Li Guanqi consolidated his realm while beginning to comprehend the escape technique the sword spirit had given him for saving his life.
"Lightning Flash Escape Technique."
This escape technique pushed the application of spatial power to its absolute limit.
Spatial teleportation still carried limitations—such as needing space to settle, or one's physical strength being unable to fold space continuously.
Yet this escape technique could maintain his speed at an effective teleportation pace for a full fifteen minutes!
Chapter 283