A Matter of Formality? What Formality?

Boom!!! Beneath this terrifying pressure, several people instantly jerked their heads up to stare into the void! "This pressure... It's at least a late Void Refining Realm powerhouse, maybe even... How is this possible?!" "Didn't that old fogey say he was all alone?!" "Who is it?! Who else in the entire Shenbao Domain could come to the Xiao clan's aid at a time like this?!" Xiao Chen, his face deathly pale, snapped his head toward the entrance of the grand hall! Through the domain barrier that had been sealed by the combined might of six great experts, a fair-skinned hand suddenly reached out! Then, with barely any effort, that hand tore straight through the sealing power, ripping open a long, jagged rift. A chilling killing intent swept across the void, casting what seemed like a shroud of blood across the sky! With a ferocious expression and the sword coffin on his back, Li Guanqi strode slowly out of nothingness. In an instant, clouds churned across the heavens and earth, and the wind began to wail. A deluge of lightning formed a prison of thunder, sealing the entire Xiao clan within! Li Guanqi's bone-chilling voice echoed through the firmament! "A matter of formality? What formality?" "Acting like whores while erecting memorial arches to your virtue—you really think you're something, don't you?!" "Today, not a single one of you is walking away." Xiao Chen stared blankly at the emerging figure. His nose twitched, and his eyes reddened slightly. "Eldest Brother..." When the six intruders finally got a clear look at the figure stepping from the rift, utter terror seized their souls! "Yanluo Sword Li Guanqi!!" "Impossible! Why would he come to the Xiao clan?!" "Wait... Could the rumors about several experts heading to the Xuanmen Domain and slaying the Southern Heavenly King really be true?!" "Could it have been them?!" Ding Gengyang, their leader, had flickering eyes that snapped immediately toward Xiao Chen! That vicious glare served as an unspoken signal; the six Void Refining Realm cultivators forcefully circulated their primal energy to shatter Li Guanqi's oppressive aura. In unison, all six lunged toward Xiao Chen and his mother! Li Guanqi's reputation was far too formidable; their best move was to seize Xiao Chen or Xiao Chen's mother as a hostage to hold over him! "Strike!!" "Seize Cheng Yun!!!" Xiao Chen's heart lurched. He thrust one arm out to shield the woman behind him, and with his right hand, his crimson spear swept forward, leaving a flurry of afterimages! "Blood Shadows Across the Heavens!!" Boom!!! Before Xiao Chen's blow could land, the space within the sword domain trembled faintly, and Li Guanqi teleported directly into place. With a sweep of his arm, he slashed his sword across—a strike that shook the eight directions! Clang! Clang! Clang! The clash of blades rang out like the thunderous din of an army. Amid the ringing metallic uproar, all six figures were blasted back, crashing through the walls and hurtling outside! Boom!!!! Inside the hall, the elders of the Xiao clan shuddered violently at the sight! Staring at Li Guanqi with fervent eyes, they murmured in breathless agitation, "We're saved... The Xiao clan... is saved!!" Xiao Chen lowered his head, his eyes red and his voice raspy as he muttered, "Why did you come..." Li Guanqi turned around and punched him in the shoulder, snapping irritably, "Why did I come?" "If I hadn't come today, what did you plan to do? Fight them to the bloody death?" "You couldn't bring yourself to swallow your pride and tell me? Even if you didn't want to tell me, you could have told Old Second!" Beside them, Cheng Yun listened to their exchange and quickly pieced together the situation. The young man before them clearly shared an extraordinary bond with Xiao Chen—they even called each other brothers. Could he be the eldest brother of that blond young man, Ye Feng, who had visited earlier? "Senior, I am Xiao Chen's mother, Cheng Yun. Please, help us." "I beg of you, help us." With that, the woman hitched up her hem, intending to drop to her knees. Startled, Li Guanqi hurriedly caught her by the arms to support her. Looking into her weary, bloodshot eyes, he said in a solemn voice, "Rest assured, Aunt Cheng. Since this involves Xiao Chen, it is our brothers' business as well!" "I would never stand by and do nothing!" Outside, lightning raged through the void as the six Void Refining Realm experts joined forces to shatter the blanket of thunderbolts! Fierce surges of primal energy rolled around their bodies. Having deflected several lightning spears, Ding Gengyang roared furiously, "Be careful!! This lightning is conjured from spirit incantations!!" Indeed, after deploying his sword domain, Li Guanqi could cast lightning-attribute spirit incantations with effortless ease. While they might not suffice to kill these foes, stalling them for a short time was no trouble at all. Still, facing six Void Refining Realm cultivators at once meant that these spirit incantations would not buy much time. After reassuring Cheng Yun, Li Guanqi turned to Xiao Chen and grinned. "What do you say?" Xiao Chen cracked a grin of his own and looked at Li Guanqi. "Whatever you say goes." The corners of Li Guanqi's lips curved upward. Then, terrifying lightning energy burst from him, condensing around his body into a suit of purplish-black lightning armor! Primal energy roared within him, and his vitality surged violently as his oppressive might climbed to its absolute peak!! Though clearly only at the middle Void Refining Realm, his aura now pressed straight toward the late Void Refining Realm, rivaling even a half-step peak. Clang!! Apocalypse unleashed; Red Lotus bloomed! Li Guanqi sneered. "In this world, if anyone dares reach their claws toward us, we chop off their claws and crush their skulls!!" "Even if the Xiao clan leaves in the end, it will only be because you, Xiao Chen, leave willingly!" "It will never be because the Xiao clan has fallen, driven away like stray dogs!" Hearing this, Xiao Chen drew a deep breath. With murderous intent burning in his eyes, he raised his spear and surged forward! "Kill!!" Boom!!! The bluestone beneath Xiao Chen's feet shattered as his body shot forward like a streak of bloody light!! Luminescence glinted along the spear shaft, its scarlet radiance weeping like fresh blood. Li Guanqi's lips curled faintly. With a wave of his hand, he enveloped all the Xiao clan elders within the barrier of his Sword Prison. Then he teleported into the fray!! In that split second, heaven and earth trembled, and the void tore apart! Li Guanqi took on four Void Refining Realm experts all by himself. Among them, two were at the peak of the early Void Refining Realm, while the other two men were at the middle Void Refining Realm. Yet in the span of a single clash, Li Guanqi gave the impression that he alone had surrounded the four of them. The four were dragged helplessly into his battle rhythm, completely pinned down by Li Guanqi alone! Clang, clash, clang! Clang, clang! Clang!! Boom!! In mere breaths, both sides traded well over a hundred blows, blades flashing in a blur of light and shadows. Sword qi crisscrossed midair, continuously shattering the void. Li Guanqi suppressed all four foes simultaneously, driving them back step by step until they had retreated several hundred paces in the blink of an eye. Throughout the fight, the four continuously teleported and shifted positions, desperate to break away from the battlefield. Yet after just a single clash, the skin between the thumbs and index fingers on all their weapon hands had split into bloody gashes. Li Guanqi's beast-like strength filled every one of them with dread. Every time their weapons collided, a terrifying force rippled along the blades and reverberated through their bodies. One man discovered that even when his sword glow managed to pierce the lightning armor, it left only a shallow scratch on Li Guanqi's flesh. Instantly realizing the grim truth, he barked in alarm, "This guy practices dual cultivation of spirit and martial paths!!! Retreat!!"