Qiongtai Mountain Villa

Li Guanqi's brow furrowed, his heart sinking slightly. He had not expected that after parting ways, Ye Feng would have wound up traveling through so many places and ending up in another domain... "An ancient ruin... I wonder how Ye Feng is doing right now." "And what on earth is Cao Yan's true identity?" "To think that even the Tianji Pavilion has no trace of his whereabouts." Yet he soon settled his mind. Though there was no detailed news regarding either of them, having no news was the best news for him. Pondering for a moment, Li Guanqi flickered and arrived at his master's courtyard. Seeing Yu Sui'an snoring away in a deep slumber, he could not help but smile faintly. Seeing him return, the old man chuckled softly. "You brat, the zither music from Yuhu Peak certainly reached every corner of the sect today." Li Guanqi's face flushed with awkwardness, and he scratched his head, at a loss for words. Instead, the old man lit his tobacco pipe and puffed on it rhythmically. Amid the swirling smoke, he said softly with a complex gaze, "Sometimes playing dumb when you understand full well is fine too. She is a good girl; don't leave her hanging." The old man's voice carried a faint trace of reminiscence. Li Guanqi sat on the stone steps, leaning back slightly. He unhooked the wine gourd from his waist, tilted his head back, and took a deep swig. As the fiery liquor burned down his throat, he squinted and said softly, "My heart has no room for her. I dared not encourage her." The old man cast a sidelong glance at him and clicked his tongue. "Your standards are quite high, brat. I truly wonder what kind of heaven's proud daughter could catch your eye." Li Guanqi smiled without a word. The girl in his heart was no heaven's proud daughter. She was merely a village belle, nothing more. Li Guanqi handed the old man a special jade slip that thrummed with powerful energy fluctuations. "This is for Little Steamed Bun's self-defense." "Also, don't be stingy with the one you have. I made a few more for you." With that, he pulled out five jade slips and passed them over. It was not that he did not want to craft more, but blank jade slips capable of withstanding his current level of power were exceedingly rare. Even after slaying so many people and looting their belongings, he had only managed to scrounge up these few. Seeing them, the old man frowned slightly. Looking around, he sent a low voice transmission: "Didn't you test him and find no issues?" "That kid possesses tremendous talent, and his cultivation is advancing very rapidly. Even the Sect Master thinks highly of him and is giving him focused nurturing." Li Guanqi considered it for a moment before replying, "I tested him, and there were indeed no issues. But all the same, it is better to stay on guard." The old man said nothing further and tucked the jade slips away with a flick of his sleeve. From the look in his eyes, he had clearly guessed something. "When are you leaving?" Li Guanqi paused slightly, lowering his head. "I plan to stay a few more days, teach some classes, and then head out. In three to five days." Li Nanting said nothing. Smacking his lips, he suddenly realized his tobacco had gone out at some point. Just as he was about to relight it, he decided against it. Tapping the pipe against the stone steps, he said softly, "Fair enough. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Take care out there." Li Guanqi took his leave. Over the following days, he began giving frequent lectures throughout the sect. With practically no rest, he taught continuously for five full days. Whether inner disciples or outer disciples, sect consecrators or elders—without exception, everyone attended to listen. After all, with someone of Li Guanqi's status and cultivation realm giving teachings and expounding the Dao without holding anything back, the opportunity was exceedingly rare. Yu Sui'an was present every single day, propping her chin on her hands and staring intently at him. The little girl was not so easily fooled anymore; from the very first day, she had guessed that Li Guanqi would likely be leaving. Even so, she did not plead for him to stay, only watching him quietly. When the lectures finally concluded, everyone present rose to their feet! A dense sea of white-robed disciples stood, bowed deeply toward Li Guanqi, and shouted in unison: "We thank Elder Li for his teachings!" "We thank Elder Li for his teachings!" ... The resounding shouts soared straight into the clouds. Li Guanqi straightened his robes, solemn-faced as he stood and returned their bow. "The heavy burden of revitalizing the Great Xia Sword Sect will ultimately fall upon your shoulders!" "The Dao is long and fraught with obstacles, yet perseverance will see you through!" "May you all walk a smooth and boundless path toward the immortal Dao!" Night fell, and Li Guanqi's courtyard was bustling, filled with those who had come to see him off. Lu Kangnian was there, as was Qin Xian. Even Ling Daoyan from the summit of Tianzhu Peak had come. Everyone raised their cups and conversed merrily, drinking with utter abandon. Early the next morning, Li Guanqi quietly departed the Great Xia Sword Sect. Soaring through the sky, Li Guanqi felt his emotions surging. Looking back at the Great Xia Sword Sect, he raised a hand and sent forth a wisp of sword qi to hang suspended above the summit of Yuhu Peak! The thunder sword qi hovered in midair, its immense power sufficient to slay even a peak early-stage Soul Formation cultivator! This was another gift Li Guanqi left for the sect. Hands clasped behind his back, Li Guanqi stepped through the air. Compared to his previous departure, his state of mind was vastly different. The corners of his mouth curved up slightly as he looked into the distance. Summoning the map of the Northern Region in his mind, he checked the direction and sped away. His destination was clear: Ye Feng's home. Ye Feng had not returned home in all this time, and now that he was inside an ancient ruin, he could not be reached. Since Li Guanqi was back anyway, he decided he might as well pay a visit. He still vaguely remembered the location of Qiongtai Mountain Villa; it was not far. Whoosh! The thick clouds across the heavens suddenly parted as if sliced open by a sharp blade! Fierce winds swept across the land, but when people looked up, they found nothing—only a streak of purple lightning dissipating into the sky and earth. Li Guanqi did not dare let Jiuxiao out. Since the dragon liked to sleep anyway, he simply let him continue snoozing. As for the sword spirit... he could not sense her existence at all right now. It seemed anchoring herself to the bone sword this time was of critical importance. An hour later. From afar, Li Guanqi spotted a mountain range of connected peaks, shrouded in swirling mist and brimming with spiritual energy. An unbroken expanse of buildings gradually came into view. The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth lifted. A sweep of his divine sense revealed that Qiongtai Mountain Villa was bustling with people coming and going. Suddenly, a young man in a brocade robe flew into the air, stopped before Li Guanqi, sized him up, and asked politely, "This is Qiongtai Mountain Villa. May I ask what brings you here, Fellow Daoist?" Li Guanqi smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "I am Li Guanqi, a friend of Ye Feng. I have come to visit his father." The jade-faced young man's eyes widened in utter astonishment. Only then did he notice Li Guanqi's pure-white eyes and his extraordinary bearing. Delight showed on his face, and he promptly bowed in greeting. "Ye Kang of Qiongtai Mountain Villa greets Elder Li!" "Forgive my questioning just now; it was merely my duty. Please, after you." Ye Kang escorted Li Guanqi toward the mountain villa, urgently sending a voice transmission to the family head along the way. Before the two of them even reached the villa gates, more than ten figures had already taken to the air in rapid succession to welcome him. Leading them was none other than Ye Feng's father, Ye Tianying. The man beamed with joy and laughed boisterously. "Hahahaha! Worthy nephew, what brings you here?" "I heard earlier that you had returned and wanted to pay a visit, but I worried it might be presumptuous!"