Escape

Everyone watched Li Guanqi in silence. Ye Feng transmitted softly, "Let's go. Let's leave Boss alone for a while." Cao Yan and Xiao Chen nodded silently; they, too, were severely injured and in desperate need of healing. Jiuxiao and Pengluo exchanged a glance as well, ultimately retreating from the domain alongside Ye Feng and the others. The entire Liu clan domain was dead silent, everything within it destroyed. Only the corpses piled into mountains, reeking of foul blood. The moment Ye Feng and the others emerged, they froze where they stood. Floating in the void was an enormous siege ballista bolt! The bolt was fifteen zhang across, its spear-like shaft flickering with cold, eerie runes. And standing in the void were over a dozen figures, their eyes brimming with tears! Li Nanting stepped forward in front of Ye Feng, his trembling hands cradling a shattered soul lamp. Staring straight at Ye Feng, his voice quivered as he spoke. "Sui'an... how... how is she?" Ye Feng parted his lips, but not a single word could come out. He didn't even know how the Sect Master and the sect elders had crossed domains to reach this place. Inside the domain, Li Guanqi also sensed the auras outside. His eyes flickered as a desire to run away arose in his mind. He did not know how to face his master, or anyone else. Buzz! The void trembled. Everyone turned in astonishment to look behind them. Suddenly! Li Guanqi, along with the entire domain, vanished abruptly into the void! Cao Yan sighed softly, his eyes filled with heartache. In his memory, their boss had always been someone who showed no emotion even if a mountain crumbled before him. Because his mind was exceptionally resilient. Yet he also knew... Li Guanqi valued affection deeply... which was both a blessing and a curse. Ye Feng said softly, "Elder Li, Sect Master... let us return first. "As for Boss... let's not look for him for now." Li Guanqi simply left the entire Liu clan domain behind in the void, leaving its realm gate open. As for himself, he walked aimlessly through the void. This was the first time he had ever felt an urge to flee. Because he did not know how to face so many people who cared about her... With an aged countenance, Li Guanqi looked like an old man in the twilight of his years. Hair as withered as weeds fell loosely across his shoulders in disarray. He kept walking and walking. After an unknown amount of time, a thick domain barrier suddenly appeared before him. Li Guanqi gazed in a daze at the thick barrier before him; it belonged to neither the Shenbao Domain nor the Xuanmen Domain. "The Luoxia Domain, is it...? Perhaps going somewhere where no one knows me is best." As he spoke, Li Guanqi reached out a hand withered like tree bark, pressing it slowly against the barrier before brutally tearing open a gap and slipping inside. With that, Li Guanqi severed all contact with the outside world. Watching the distant tear slowly seal shut, Meng Jiangchu let out a soft sigh. "This cage of the heart... only you can decide when you will let it go. "The cultivation world has been cruel since antiquity. It was never worthy of longing." With those words, Meng Jiangchu turned and departed. Over these days, a heavy solemnity hung over the Great Xia Sword Sect. In the Sect Cemetery, a cenotaph had been added. Before the headstone, fresh flowers and steamed buns were laid in abundance. *** Luoxia Domain. In an ordinary mountain range, beside a stream, a gray-haired old man shambled about, building a wooden cabin. Beside the cabin lay a verdant bamboo forest stretching for dozens of li. Ten li away, beside the trail leading to the cabin, stood a pitch-black "stele," sunk halfway into the earth. At sunset, Li Guanqi felt along the wall and slowly walked outside. His toes bumped against a chair. He sat down, picked up the wine jar by his feet, and gulped down two mouthfuls. The fiery liquor burned down his throat into his stomach like a ball of fire; the searing sting was addictive. For the past three days, he had kept himself constantly occupied, terrified that stopping would leave him alone with his runaway thoughts. Now, he resembled nothing more than an ordinary, twilight-aged mortal. The sword spirit's strike had been exceedingly powerful, but not enough to completely drain him. He still had more than a millennium of lifespan remaining, yet he clung to his present state, refusing to restore his youth. He had even closed his mind's eye, just like the blind boy he had once been. Sitting on the chair, Li Guanqi quietly drank his wine. Suddenly! A violent gale swept across the sky, setting the entire bamboo forest rustling loudly. Several figures sped through midair! Among them, a resolute-looking youth was drenched in blood. His left arm hung limply at his side, yet he gripped his sword in his right hand without daring to relax in the slightest. Behind him, two ferocious-looking cultivators pursued with drawn swords. Seeing that the group was about to sweep into the bamboo forest, Li Guanqi frowned slightly. Boom! A terrifying pressure rivaling heavenly might erupted with a roar! The overwhelming force locked all three of them in place instantly. Then, a beam of thunderous sword radiance coalesced in midair, crashing down outside the bamboo forest and hovering in place. "Step into the bamboo forest, and you die." Hearing the aged voice resonate across the lake of their minds, terror struck the hearts of all three. Such an aura was simply beyond anything they could imagine; they could not begin to fathom just how powerful the person within was. The two pursuers behind him turned deathly pale. Their Soul Formation Realm cultivations were like ants before him. Gulp... "This bamboo forest... how could such a mighty expert suddenly appear here?!" "We must not set foot in that bamboo forest! Otherwise, we will definitely die!" Only the first youth wore a grave, contemplative look. The pressure subsided, but the other two remained frozen in place, weapons in hand, not daring to strike. They didn't know if making a move now would displease the figure inside. The two exchanged a glance, put away their weapons, and slowly retreated several hundred zhang. Before leaving, they did not forget to bow respectfully toward the bamboo forest. Yet neither wanted to let the youth get away; even after retreating, they kept their eyes fixed intently upon him. Seeing this, the youth holding his blade finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the bamboo forest, then looked back at the two men glaring hungrily behind him. Looking up at the hundred-zhang sword light hovering in midair, the youth actually gritted his teeth and stepped toward the bamboo forest! Li Guanqi's brow furrowed. The moment he raised the wine jar, the sword radiance plunged down with a roar! Seeing this, the two cultivators whispered with gloating malice: "The kid is courting death! To actually try walking in." "Hmph, he brought this on himself." The sword light annihilated the space around it as it plummeted. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of the youth's mouth. Suddenly! The sword light halted a mere foot above the youth's head. Li Guanqi's brows knit tight. Sensing the aura on the youth, he murmured softly: "Li Shenzhi?" At those words, the handsome youth with sword-like brows and starry eyes suddenly opened his eyes. He frowned in thought for a long time, unable to recall whose voice it was. Yet beside Li Shenzhi, two beams of thunderous sword radiance flashed past! As the sword radiance swept past, the bamboo forest on both sides toppled outward! Boom! Boom! Two clouds of blood mist suddenly burst in midair!