Such a monumental incident in the Great Xia Sword Sect naturally could not be kept hidden.
In an instant, an uproar swept across the entire Northern Region.
After all, when Cang Lu had first joined the sect, his spiritual root affinity test had caused quite a stir.
Even more so, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds after entering the sect, leading many to believe Cang Lu would be a second Li Guanqi.
Yet now, such a cataclysmic disaster had unfolded—betraying the sect! Slaying his master!
Either piece of news on its own was enough to shock the world.
Not to mention that in the end, Cang Lu had turned out to be a late Soul Formation Realm powerhouse who had concealed himself all this time!!
People everywhere speculated about his motives.
Some said Cang Lu coveted a mysterious, precious treasure within the Great Xia Sword Sect.
Others claimed he had come solely to kill Li Nanting, perhaps because of some personal vendetta between the two.
Yet for reasons unknown, what Ling Daoyan had said about Cang Lu being the Six-Fingered Zither Demon also leaked out.
For a time, those who knew something of the past fell silent in absolute dread.
***
In the courtyard residence halfway up Tianlei Peak.
A crowd of people stood in the courtyard, their faces somber to the extreme.
On the bed inside the room, Li Nanting lay with his eyes shut tight, his face pale as paper, his hands and feet cool to the touch.
Primal energy seeped uncontrollably from his body, and his divine soul trembled, on the verge of separating from his flesh.
Faced with this, Li Guanqi could only stand at the bedside, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.
Suddenly, the little girl beside him tugged at his sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears as she choked out, "Little Blind... Grandpa won't die, will he?"
Li Guanqi slowly leaned down, his eyes filled with steely determination. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to him!"
The old man beside the bed lowered his hand with a grave expression and let out a low sigh.
Li Guanqi's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "Elder Sun, how is he?"
Sun Miao stood up and said, "Let's step outside first."
The two walked out of the room, and the plump old man spoke with a heavy look.
"Your master once fell from the Nascent Soul Realm and reformed his golden core."
"His golden core was already in a precarious state, its spirituality severely diminished, which is why he never dared attempt a breakthrough into the Nascent Soul Realm."
"Had he tried, his original golden core would most likely have shattered instantly. That is also why he never dared fight with his full strength on ordinary days."
Li Guanqi took a deep breath, his expression calm as he said, "I know all of this."
"Elder Sun, we're all family now. Just give me the verdict!"
Sun Miao looked deeply at Li Guanqi. He did not know what this youth had endured to possess a heart so unyielding and resilient.
The old man sighed, uttering only a few quiet words. "Beyond all help."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi felt an icy chill wash over his entire body. His heart skipped a beat, sinking lower and lower.
With a trembling voice, he whispered, "Is there really... no other way at all?"
The old man glanced back at the room, where soft sobs drifted out.
"Alas... had your friend not sent that medicine, I'm afraid he would have departed this world already."
"There truly is no way..."
At those words, Li Guanqi seemed as if the spirit had been drained right out of him.
Yet in merely an instant, his gaze turned resolute once more.
"I don't believe there is no way!"
"How vast is the Spirit Realm? The cultivation world has tens of thousands of rare and miraculous treasures—there must be a way!"
As a tier-five alchemist, Sun Miao's knowledge and discernment were beyond reproach.
If even he said there was no way, then there truly was almost certainly none.
Li Guanqi looked back at the room behind him, his eyes narrowing slightly!
Suddenly!
Li Guanqi bellowed in a thunderous voice, "Where are the people of the Tianji Pavilion?! Come to me!"
Lu Kangnian and the others were taken aback. None of them had expected Li Guanqi to shout such words on Tianlei Peak at a time like this.
Yet immediately afterward, a young deacon of Tianlei Peak walked slowly up to the courtyard gate.
When everyone saw this man, their hearts leaped in shock!
For this deacon had entered the sect two years ago at the exact same time as Li Guanqi!
Over these past two years, he had been diligent and conscientious, dedicating himself to the sect.
Who could have imagined he was actually an agent of the Tianji Pavilion!
The man bowed in greeting, then cupped his fists toward Lu Kangnian with an apologetic gesture before speaking softly.
"Whatever matter you have, you may speak to me."
With a wave of his hand, Li Guanqi erected a terrifying double-layered barrier!
The man's heart quivered. He had also heard of Ning Xiu's death, as well as the Soul Formation Realm colleague who had been beaten half to death.
Li Guanqi said in a deep voice, "In my master's current condition, does the Tianji Pavilion have a way, or does it possess any heavenly material or earthly treasure capable of repairing his golden core?!"
"What is the price?"
He did not even bother asking whether the Tianji Pavilion had such a thing.
In his eyes, the Tianji Pavilion's influence spanned the Six Domains, deeply rooted through countless ages.
For a mere Core Formation Realm cultivator who was gravely wounded, they would surely have a method.
The man bowed his head and said respectfully in a low voice, "I will contact the pavilion immediately. Please wait a moment."
Li Guanqi nodded. A short while later, the man handed a jade pendant to Li Guanqi.
Looking at the jade pendant before him, Li Guanqi felt conflicted.
It was as though... there existed some inexplicable connection between him and the Tianji Pavilion that could never be severed!
He had also wondered whether it was simply because the Tianji Pavilion's existence was too... convenient?
So much so that once someone possessed a Tianji jade pendant, it became difficult to adjust to a life without the Tianji Pavilion.
*Phew...*
Accepting the jade pendant, a line of small characters soon appeared before his eyes.
"Yes. A peak tier-five pill: the Ancient Creation Pill."
"It shatters and reforges the golden core. Once consumed, it can aid your master in breaking through the shackles of the Nascent Soul Realm and stepping onto the path of cultivation once more."
Li Guanqi's pupils constricted violently!
*The Ancient Creation Pill!! Can it truly possess such a miraculous effect?*
Yet Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes slightly. He did not eagerly accept the offer.
Nor did he ask what the price was.
Within his mind, divine sense surged as various thoughts intersected and flashed by.
Suddenly, a cold glint flashed in his eyes!!
In a chilling voice, he asked, "This incident... was it your doing?"
Soon, an old man's voice actually resonated from the jade pendant.
The voice was calm and gentle as it replied, "No."
Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed.
"Why should I believe you?"
"It's a coincidence—too much of a coincidence. So convenient that I even suspect Cang Lu is one of yours."
The voice inside the jade pendant fell silent for a moment. Before it could speak,
Li Guanqi continued,
"With that fellow's strength, killing my master would have been as easy as turning his hand!"
"Yet he only shattered his golden core, leaving his life force to bleed away."
"And it just so happens that your Tianji Pavilion has the Creation Pill... Tell me, isn't that far too convenient?"
Soon, the old man's voice sounded from the jade pendant once more.
"Whether you believe it or not, Cang Lu has no connection to the Tianji Pavilion whatsoever."
"Believe it, or don't."
"The Tianji Pavilion has the Creation Pill, but you must do something for the Tianji Pavilion in return."
Li Guanqi gave a cold snort and crushed the jade pendant in his hand with a sharp crack.
The deacon trembled in sheer terror.
"Get me another one."
Chapter 413