Draw the Sword!

He did not know what He Yuning would think when he woke up and learned everything that had happened. He might resent He Yuanting's actions. Yet given what he knew of He Yuning, the young man would likely understand everything he had done. Even so, as Li Guanqi patted He Yuning's shoulder, a tiny strand of sword intent settled quietly within his Heart of the Ancient Kiln. If anyone in this world truly upheld righteousness and justice in their heart, He Yuning was perhaps the closest to him among everyone he had ever met. However... He Yuning had never experienced much of the world's malice or suffering. Right now, he was more like a blank sheet of paper: high-minded, unable to bear the sight of worldly pain, yet agonizing over his convictions whenever reality challenged them. Perhaps one day, when He Yuning journeyed across the mountains and rivers of the Six Domains, this strand of sword intent would aid him. Seeing this, Meng Wanshu's lovely eyes curved slightly, like crescents hanging in the night sky. Li Guanqi slowly stood up. In an instant, boundless power of thunder enveloped the entire hall! Boom! "Sword Prison—Open!" A terrifying origin energy domain unfolded instantly. He Yuanting frowned, his voice dropping low. "Li Guanqi! What else do you think you are doing?!" Li Guanqi's lips curled into a smirk, icy killing intent diffusing through the domain. "What am I doing?" "Heh, settling scores, of course." Then, with a ferocious snarl, Li Guanqi wheeled around to glare at the man below, roaring, "Liu Chuan! Come out and face death!" Boom! The massive sword coffin slammed into the floor. In a flash, every flagstone for dozens of zhang exploded outward with the coffin at the epicenter. Bang! The sword coffin burst open, and Red Lotus and Yanluo flew straight into his hands. Red Lotus in his left hand, Yanluo in his right. Lightning surged around him as sword intent erupted, heavenly flames swirling around both blades. In just a single breath, Li Guanqi's aura spiked to its absolute peak. Below, standing behind Liu Dongshi, Liu Chuan's face drained of all color. He had already witnessed Li Guanqi's strength. He was... no match for him! Even Liu Dongshi, who sat steadily in his chair before him, had a subtle shift in expression upon sensing Li Guanqi's aura. He Yuanting still had no idea what was happening. He had merely sent someone to keep watch over Li Guanqi; why had such terrifying killing intent suddenly erupted? He Yuanting's face darkened as he demanded, "Just what happened here?" Li Guanqi spoke not a word. Gripping his twin swords, the stones under his feet shattered as he lunged! At that moment, many elders across the hall rose to their feet. A cold gleam flashed in Meng Wanshu's eyes. With a wave of her hand, thousands of frost sword qi instantly froze everyone in their tracks. Pressing her hand downward, she said in an icy tone, "This is his business." In her ice-blue eyes lingered an aura that looked down upon all living beings. It was as though... aside from Li Guanqi, she did not care about a single soul present. Only then did the crowd realize that this noble young woman possessed the terrifying strength of the peak middle Void Refining Realm! Meng Wanshu—an ice saint-grade spiritual root, at the peak of middle Void Refinement! This stunned everyone present. And the elder behind her had not even intervened yet. That was a mighty expert of the Body Integration Realm! He Yuanting narrowed his eyes at the scene, but Chu Jingze, standing beside him, kept his eyes locked tightly onto him. Evidently, the moment He Yuanting dared make a move, the old man beside him would strike without hesitation. Clang! A terrifying blast of sword qi swept across the entire hall! In an instant, the entire hall was sliced horizontally in two by the sheer force, and a terrifying shockwave expanded across hundreds of zhang! Liu Dongshi raised his sword horizontally in front of him to block. With just a single clash, two deep notches appeared in his blade! Barely three inches from his face was a pair of white eyes ablaze with murderous intent. Sparks flew between them. The gaunt elder stared fixedly into Li Guanqi's eyes. He knew that if Liu Chuan faced Li Guanqi... his son would surely die! The elder's eyes dimmed, and his voice turned raspy. "Young Master Li, my son..." "I already know what he did." At that, the old man paused, a trace of bitterness surfacing on his face. Pleading entered his voice. "Could I beg one favor of you, Young Master Li?" Li Guanqi read the resolve for death in the elder's eyes and sneered. "You want to die in his place?" "Out of the question." Li Guanqi rejected the elder's plea without hesitation. His murderous gaze swept past the old man to Liu Chuan, whose eyes were trembling behind him. "I said I would kill him." "Even if you commit suicide, I will still kill him!" Li Guanqi's calm words sent a shudder through Liu Dongshi's heart! He gritted his teeth and growled, "I'm begging you—can you not spare him?" "I have cultivated for over a thousand years, and he is my only son!" "I have accumulated vast wealth in my lifetime. I will give it all to you!" "I will die, and his cultivation will be crippled so he can live out his remaining days peacefully in Taixuan. Can you spare his life?" Boom! Li Guanqi swept his twin swords outward, forcing the elder back, and murmured impassively, "I cannot." At those words, madness flared in Liu Dongshi's eyes, and a surging aura of pressure erupted in an instant. His robes whipped loudly in the air, his hair crown shattered, and gray-streaked hair wildly danced in the wind. Gripping his sword, he roared, "If so, then fight!" Cold light gleamed in Meng Wanshu's eyes. Stepping forward, she appeared beside Li Guanqi, casting a contemptuous gaze at the elder. With a flick of her hand, a deep blue sword radiating terrifying sword might materialized in her grasp. Immediately, a dreadful sword intent capable of freezing heaven and earth surged from the ground! Meng Wanshu pointed her blade at the elder and said icily, "You want to fight? Come, I'll take you on." Li Guanqi stepped forward to intercept her and shoved Meng Wanshu outside the Sword Prison without leaving room for argument. His gentle voice sounded softly: "This is a man's affair. How could I let you handle it?" In an instant, the Sword Prison contracted, pulling both the elder and Liu Chuan entirely within its bounds! Boom! Throughout all this, He Yuanting stood by without a word, his expression ashen. Inside his own sect, an outsider was brazenly executing his people right before his eyes. Even when Liu Dongshi gave ground—recognizing the situation and offering to end his own life just to leave a path of survival for Liu Chuan—Li Guanqi's response had caught everyone off guard. He had refused without a second thought... vengeful to the extreme! No one knew how much time had passed, but none inside the hall dared breathe too loudly. Buzz! Space warped slightly, and Li Guanqi slowly walked out, battered with wounds and drenched in blood. Blood still dripped from his twin swords, and in his hands hung two severed heads. Whoosh! Flames ignited, instantly incinerating both heads to ash. The sight sent a shudder running through everyone. Expressionless, Li Guanqi slowly raised his hand, projecting an illusion of images. It revealed precisely what Liu Chuan had done that night within the barrier... Li Guanqi changed into clean white robes, turned to Meng Wanshu, and said, "Let's go." With that, Li Guanqi strode out of the hall without looking back.