Speculation

Li Guanqi paused slightly in his mind, having naturally sensed that gaze as well. Looking back, he found that the person had already withdrawn his eyes. Yet Li Guanqi’s mind's eye had no need for him to turn his head; he had naturally noted the elder who had looked up. However, he had never seen this elder's face before—the man had not even been among the passersby he had crossed paths with earlier. Nor had he ever encountered the aura radiating from him. Moreover, there was no hostility in the other party's eyes. Like the rest of the Taixuan Sword Sect disciples, his gaze held only curiosity. "Phew..." Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Li Guanqi felt that he was likely overthinking things. After steadying his composure... Although he had appeared unscathed by Ji Shaolin's spatial seal earlier, he had still suffered some minor injuries. However, none of this would affect his ability to swing his sword. He had also attempted to use the Yinming Profound Flame to ignite heavenly flame within Ji Shaolin's body, only for the man to block it with effortless ease. That feeling... had even given rise to a sense of powerlessness within him. The absolute disparity in strength weighed heavily upon his heart as an immense pressure. And it was not just Ji Shaolin. If what the sword spirit said was true, his enemies were very likely the immortals of the Divine Realm far above the nine heavens. In that case, even if he broke through to Void Refinement, it would probably be no different from facing Ji Shaolin—no matter what sky-overturning abilities or myriad secret arts he commanded... In the end, only death would await him!! Li Guanqi could not help but lament in his heart, *I have to grow stronger!! I still need to get stronger!!* Behind him stood He Yuanting and He Yuning. Sensing the surging sword intent pouring from Li Guanqi, He Yuning's eyes brimmed with pride. The look he cast toward his father was as if saying, *Look, this is the friend I, He Yuning, made. Impressive, isn't he?* He Yuanting gave him an affectionate look and clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. He transmitted his voice softly, "Yuning, there are far too many geniuses in this world; there is no need to envy others. "As long as you find your own path and press forward unwaveringly, moving a bit slower doesn't matter in the least." As he spoke, the man added in a quiet voice tinged with deep emotion, "Your father has no great abilities, but protecting you... is more than enough." Hearing these words, He Yuning's eyes dimmed slightly. For all these years, his father had always felt deeply indebted to him. This was mainly because when He Yuning was three years old, his mother had been killed by an enemy seeking vengeance, leaving He Yuanting ridden with unending guilt. He had always believed that He Yuning grew up lacking a mother's love solely because he himself, in his youthful arrogance, had provoked too many foes back then. Seeing him fall silent, He Yuanting let out a quiet sigh. By this time, Li Guanqi's aura had reached its peak. He did not employ any sword momentum or sword stances. He simply raised his hand slowly and slashed out a strike with the pinnacle of his sword intent! With that single strike, the entire Sword Abyss trembled faintly. With a thunderous crash, shattered rocks sprayed in all directions. A long sword scar instantly carved itself into the pitch-black cliff face. The scar stretched over ten zhang in length and several zhang deep. While not quite as deep and heavy as the scar left by the Demon Subduer strike he had unleashed earlier, lightning flickered across this sword scar, and surging sword intent roiled from it! That equally unyielding will was exceptionally intense; even cultivators newly entered into the Soul Formation Realm would find the sword intent within the scar fiercely sharp. The sharp sword intent raged through the void before gradually calming down. After executing this strike, Li Guanqi's face paled slightly, his chest heaving violently. Just now, the memory of Ning Xiu's death had resurfaced, and the emotions that engulfed him had been overwhelming. Looking at Li Guanqi's back, He Yuning felt as if he shared in those emotions, and his eyes reddened slightly. For some reason, he could not shake the feeling that everything this young man had endured was far beyond anything he himself had experienced. The emotions Li Guanqi laid bare at this moment were simply too complex; mere "sorrow" fell far short of describing what lay in his heart. He Yuanting gazed at the sword scar, merely ten zhang away from the Severed Cliff sword intent, his eyes brimming with complex feelings. From the looks of it now... after passing through those emotions, Li Guanqi's sword intent was only one step away from the Sword Heart Realm. In He Yuanting's eyes, Li Guanqi had not yet fully solidified his will of the sword path. He could tell that Li Guanqi's sword intent seemed to have undergone a metamorphosis—triggered by the death of the woman Wu Changfeng had spoken of. Thus, his current sword intent was still lacking that final touch of resolve. Just then, a burly man nearby could not help exclaiming, "What an incredible lad! Old He, is this your boy's friend? "Does he belong to any sect? How about we talk it over—what do you say to letting him come to our Qingyang Palace?" He Yuanting laughed and cursed, "Scram, scram, scram! He's from the Great Xia Domain. Even if he were sectless, would Qingyang get a turn? I'd keep him for myself in a heartbeat!" Inwardly, he cursed, *First Ji Shaolin, now Shen Bing—not a single decent one among them.* Shen Bing chuckled and said softly, "Can we observe his sword intent? This little fellow's sword intent is rather intriguing." He Yuanting pondered for a moment, then consulted Li Guanqi. Li Guanqi thought it over and did not refuse. This Qingyang Palace likely commanded power comparable to Taixuan, and his leaving behind sword intent was meant for others to observe anyway. Besides... he had other thoughts running through his mind and wanted to test something out as well. "Please feel free, Senior." Shen Bing then led the people behind him over to the stone wall. Shen Bing closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, they were full of marvel. Yet he said nothing, for this sword intent was too complex and lofty; he could not fathom it. Not only him, but the others also merely sensed it briefly before falling back behind Shen Bing. An imperceptible trace of bewilderment showed in Li Guanqi's eyes. Originally, after sensing that gaze, he had conjectured that someone might harbor alternative intentions toward him. If so, outside of a direct confrontation, his sword intent aura would be the best medium. Yet when the people from Qingyang Palace contemplated the sword intent just now, he had noticed nothing amiss. All of them had merely sensed the sword intent out of curiosity before pulling back their hands. His sword intent had not diminished in the slightest. This left him feeling somewhat perplexed. *Could it be that I was truly being overly sensitive?* Afterward, Shen Bing and his companions exchanged a few words with He Yuanting before leading everyone away. Li Guanqi furrowed his brows slightly as he watched the grey-clad elder leave. He Yuanting naturally noticed his unusual reaction as well. He whispered via voice transmission, "Whatever it is, we will discuss it once we return." With that, He Yuanting raised his hand, laying down a terrifying barrier across the entirety of the Sword Abyss, and announced in a deep voice: "Today, the Taixuan Sword Sect has obtained Li Guanqi's sword intent. Effective immediately, until the sword intent has stabilized, no one is permitted within a thousand zhang of the Sword Abyss!" A powerful spatial fluctuation enveloped Li Guanqi, and in the blink of an eye, the three of them appeared within He Yuanting's study.