Dongxiao City

With the sword spirit's help, Li Guanqi gradually began to grasp the knack of it. Along the way, he no longer used teleportation, dedicating himself entirely to studying the escape technique instead. Fleeing speed was an essential means of survival. If he truly encountered some insurmountable, formidable enemy, this escape technique could save his life! Had he known this escape technique when Zheng Yuanzhong detonated himself, he definitely could have escaped the blast radius before the man blew himself up. Now and then, the sword spirit would gaze blankly at the youth. She did not know whether telling him these things ahead of time had been a good idea. Having learned everything, Li Guanqi harbored an inexplicable sense of crisis in his heart. Those were immortals of the heavens! In this world, anyone capable of undergoing tribulation and ascending was already an apex powerhouse standing atop this heaven and earth. Not to mention titles he had never even heard of, such as True Immortals and Mystic Immortals... Even if coming down came at a tremendous price, they would still be the absolute peak of the peak. Among the people he had seen so far, the strongest was merely the Northern Heavenly King of the Great Xia Domain, Long Qu. Yet even Long Qu was only a Soul Formation Realm powerhouse. He was a hundred and eight thousand li away from the realms the sword spirit had spoken of. That strange sense of crisis lingered constantly in Li Guanqi's heart. However, having him abandon the sword spirit at this point was utterly impossible. From the moment Su Xuan had bestowed the sword coffin upon him, his fate and that of the sword spirit had become deeply intertwined. *Buzz! Screeech!* Thunder shrieked as a blurred silhouette covered a thousand zhang in an instant, streaking forward! The terrifying speed ripped a long tear straight through the thick clouds. Below, the towering trees across the mountains looked as if they had been plowed through, and a long gouge appeared in the earth! Yet Li Guanqi maintained this speed for only a few breaths before grinding to a halt. Once he stopped, he discovered that all the wounds across his body had split wide open. Fine cuts crisscrossed his skin. The sword spirit appeared beside him, her gaze filled with worry. "I didn't expect you to comprehend it so quickly. "With your current physical body, you likely can hardly withstand the tearing sensation wrought by space." Looking at the bleeding wounds all over himself, Li Guanqi said with a crestfallen face, "Then what do I do? "It can't be that in the future, before I can even run far enough, I'll collapse first, can it? "Who could endure this spatial pressure..." Hearing this, the sword spirit sized him up and muttered, "The foundation your grandfather laid for you back then was quite solid. "Since you began cultivating the Dao over the past two years, you have rarely tempered your body. It seems you'll need to improve your physical body appropriately from now on." Li Guanqi's face lit up with delight. Rubbing his hands together, he casually wrapped his bandages, stepped beside the sword spirit, and said with beaming excitement, "Then does Big Sis mean... you'll give me another body tempering manual? So I can raise my physical body a bit?" To his surprise, the sword spirit did not refute him. Just before fading away, she said, "Let me think about it." Li Guanqi was overjoyed. Since she put it that way, there was definitely hope! His heart bloomed with satisfaction as he envisioned having physical strength comparable to a martial cultivator in the future, coupled with his sword mastery... *Tsk, tsk,* just imagining it felt glorious! At that moment, however, the sword spirit was wrestling with indecision. She was torn over what kind of body tempering manual to give Li Guanqi... She simply knew... far too many... Not knowing what to do next, Li Guanqi sought out an exceptionally prosperous great city before sunset. The city leaned against nine connected towering mountains, atop which stood a sect brimming with immortal grandeur. The peaks soared into the clouds, circled by cranes. Around them were several docks, with many cloud boats coming and going. The city was brightly lit and bustling with life, flanked by several smaller satellite cities. Surrounding villages and towns stretched endlessly, presenting a scene of remarkable vibrancy and prosperity. Even having traveled far and wide, Li Guanqi had rarely seen such a flourishing metropolis, with countless surrounding villages and lesser towns clustered together as if in a tight gathering. Thinking he could visit an apothecary in the city to buy some pills for cultivation—and, *cough, cough*... Li Guanqi decided to descend slowly and enter Dongxiao City. After entering the city, Li Guanqi felt its prosperity and bustle all the more. The streets were a full ten zhang wide, lined with pavilions lavishly adorned on both sides! Although the pedestrians bustling about could not be called richly dressed, their attire was neat and bright. It seemed the people here lived quite well. By comparison, his nondescript cultivator robe looked somewhat shabby. Teahouses, wine shops, gambling dens, and pleasure houses lined the streets, lacking nothing. Happy smiles beamed on everyone's faces; it was evident they carried very little burden in their lives. Surrounded by mountains and situated on a basin plain, the city had rather damp air. After walking only a few steps, he felt uncomfortably clammy all over. He surged the primal energy within him to disperse the dampness, which brought some relief. Reflecting that it was still early before the evening's peak bustle, he chose an ordinary-looking tavern. After all, it was merely a place to stay. Accustomed to sleeping in the wind and dew, he held no grand demands. Stepping into the tavern, he found an entirely different world inside. On a suspended platform, groups of dancers swayed gracefully, while musicians beside them played melodious, lingering tunes. Each of the six stories possessed its own distinct charm. The bottom two floors were for drinking tea and wine, while the upper four had been crafted to reflect the characteristics of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Certain rooms carried a unique flair of their own. A waiter bowed and scurried over to Li Guanqi with hurried, tiny steps. Looking at the youth before him, he hardly dared to breathe aloud. He sensed a faint yet immensely formidable pressure emanating from him. "Honored guest, are you staying the night?" Li Guanqi nodded slightly, took out ten low-grade spirit stones, and said, "Arrange a room for me as you see fit. We can settle any difference in spirit stones later." Taking the spirit stones, the waiter grew even more cautious. While there were patrons who casually produced ten low-grade spirit stones for lodging, there were not that many... Leading Li Guanqi upstairs, the waiter asked softly, "Does the honored guest have any taboos or preferences?" Li Guanqi glanced up at the freezing, snow-drifting sixth floor and said softly, "Anywhere except the sixth floor is fine." The waiter understood at once, guiding Li Guanqi directly to the third floor, which was brimming with the vigor of spring. As they walked, he explained, "Though this is only the third floor, guest, the view is equally splendid, and there isn't the slightest chill. "This floor symbolizes the revival of all living things, and it represents hope." Li Guanqi nodded slightly as he listened, finding the theme quite pleasing. Soon, the waiter led Li Guanqi to the most luxurious room on the third floor, informing him that hot water was already prepared and that spiritual fruit and spiritual wine would be served shortly. Li Guanqi smiled and nodded, then thoroughly enjoyed the comforts. Yet when he emerged, a fierce argument between a man and a woman erupted from the floor above!