Zhongnantian

Through the Tianji Pavilion, Li Guanqi also acquired a map of the Taiqing Domain. To say nothing else, he could probably make a fortune just by selling maps at this point. Who would have thought that the Taiqing Domain bordered the Lingxu Continent? After pondering for a while, Li Guanqi decided to set off directly rather than return to his sect. With the Sect Master there, he was not worried. Right then, however, a jade slip vibrated within his storage ring. Whoosh! Looking at the jade slip in his palm, Li Guanqi could not help grinning. "You brat... this time, it's lucky you were there. "Otherwise, this master of yours would have ridden a crane west long ago." Li Guanqi replied with a chuckle, "How could that be? Master, you're destined to live for ten thousand years! Besides, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Now you can set out once more on the path of seeking the Great Dao." Li Nanting's voice sounded deeply emotional over the slip. "Indeed. Now this old man can hold his head high before your master's wife. "Hahahaha! "Oh, right. In a while, I plan to travel abroad for some practical experience and roam in all directions!" Li Guanqi was taken aback. His master was now the Peak Master of Tianlei Peak—how could he just up and leave whenever he pleased? "Uh... Master, did the Sect Master agree to let you go?" Soon, hearty laughter echoed from the jade slip. "The Sect Master has never stopped anyone from leaving. And this time, your master's wife is coming with me." The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved upward. He murmured softly, "This disciple congratulates Master on treading the Great Dao anew. May your path to immortality be smooth!" Stowing the jade slip, Li Guanqi's eyes flickered with a glint of chilled intent to kill. "Certain debts... must be settled!" Whoosh! The moment the words left his mouth, Li Guanqi stepped forward and vanished from where he stood. His destination this time was a place called Zhongnantian. Rumble! Within the pitch-black void, a white-robed figure flickered past in the blink of an eye. Lightning danced at his back, and sword qi crisscrossed around his body! The thunder sword moved in harmony with his form. Li Guanqi kept his eyes slightly closed, constantly contemplating the shifts in sword momentum. Even amid the dull tedium of travel, he cultivated without pause. With his current extraordinary spiritual root quality, his speed in absorbing spiritual energy was terrifying. The Heavenly Thunder Bead within him had fully transformed into an independent dantian inside his Nascent Soul. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Flame Bead had become the dwelling place for the two heavenly flames. Its power was unique, nurturing the source flame seeds of both flames and steadily augmenting their strength. However, his physical body cultivation had hit a bottleneck. Even though the power in Jiuxiao's blood essence was formidable, it was not the best match for the Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppressing Art. Ideally, he needed the blood essence of a great demon belonging to the dragon or elephant line, but such beasts were ancient remnants and virtually impossible to encounter under ordinary circumstances. "Phew..." Li Guanqi exhaled a breath of stale air. An epiphany had suddenly struck him during his cultivation, yet that spark of insight had flashed past too quickly, slipping away despite his efforts to seize it. He had a premonition: if he could seize that fleeting spark, he would create his very first original sword strike. The sword spirit did not give him much advice; such realizations could only be achieved on his own. And so, as Li Guanqi hurtled relentlessly through the void, he spent every single day practicing his sword and cultivating. A month later. The disappearance of Mingchuan was still a subject of widespread relish, serving as lively gossip over tea and meals among cultivators across the Lingxu Continent. Those fortunate enough to have survived the ruins still felt lingering fear whenever they thought back on it. At the same time, the title of the foremost genius among the younger generation of the Lingxu Continent had fallen upon Li Guanqi's head—though he himself remained completely oblivious to it. Riiip! High above the towering Zhongnan Mountain Range, a tear roughly ten feet wide suddenly split open in the sky. A handsome youth clad in white emerged leisurely from the void. Bearing an enormous sword casket on his back, he possessed peach blossom eyes that were completely snow-white. Li Guanqi gazed at the unbroken mountain range before him, stretching endlessly beyond the horizon. Clouds and mist coiled about the peaks, and the occasional roar of a demon beast echoed through the air. "Quite an abundant place for spiritual energy." With that, Li Guanqi consulted his map. According to the markings, this was Zhongnantian, which directly bordered the Taiqing Domain. In his perception, the continuous range beneath his feet harbored the auras of many exceedingly powerful great demons. Jiuxiao, coiled around his wrist, grew restless, but Li Guanqi had no intention of letting it stir up trouble out in the open here. After soothing Jiuxiao, he looked toward the depths of the Zhongnan Mountain Range. True Zhongnantian lay only there. Suddenly, a cheeky voice sounded beside his ear. "Tsk, Master, are we really leaving the Lingxu Continent? "How did you escape from that Nether King anyway? I thought we were totally done for! "You have no idea—I was sealed inside by some inexplicable force back then. I was beside myself with worry! "If that force hadn't held me back, I definitely would have jumped out to help you fight the enemy together!" Pengluo sat on Li Guanqi's shoulder, chattering away without end. With just a little thought, one could easily guess that the sword spirit must have sealed off the sword casket space at the time. After all, the fewer people who knew about his grandfather, the better. "Oh," Li Guanqi replied perfunctorily. Pengluo was immediately indignant. Standing up with hands on hips, it protested, "Master, how can you not believe me? I was truly prepared to fight to the death!" The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. He could already picture how Pengluo had actually cowered in the sword casket, too terrified to show its face. Paying it no further mind, he took a step forward and vanished into midair. In his peripheral vision, the mountains retreated in a blur. Even from afar, he could sense wave upon wave of formidable auras. Squinting slightly, Li Guanqi looked ahead. Ten thousand zhang away, embraced right in the heart of countless mountain ridges, lay a vast plain. And at the center of that plain stood a colossal city unlike anything he had ever seen before! The city covered at least five hundred square li, housing a population of tens of millions. Crash! Boom! The thunderous sound of waves crashing against the shore suddenly reached his ears. The air grew briny and damp. Due north of the plain lay an endless ocean. Wild winds surged as tempestuous waves battered the coast. Nothing could be seen across the open waters; it seemed the Taiqing Domain was still far away. Looking at the city in the distance, Li Guanqi considered his options before bringing out the face-changing bug. Reaching back, he grabbed Pengluo by the green leaves on its head and tossed it into the sword casket space. After putting the sword casket away, Li Guanqi hung a jade pendant from his waistband and casually strapped a radiant, shimmering sword to his hip. The sword was purely for show, and paired with the playful smirk on his face, he looked precisely like an aimless, spoiled playboy. Humming a little tune, he sauntered casually toward the city gates. Above the gate, three large characters caught the eye: Zhongnantian. Li Guanqi allowed his primal energy to surge faintly around him. The unmistakable aura of a Soul Formation Realm expert fully conveyed an air of noble status. The guards at the gate quickly plastered ingratiating smiles on their faces and respectfully ushered him inside.