Seeing this, Lu Kangnian nodded and murmured softly, "The momentum of this boy's Foundation Establishment was so immense that it triggered heavenly phenomena in succession. Who knows, this year's spirit ruins affair might truly hinge on Guanqi."
He then turned to Qin Xian and asked in a low voice, "How many disciples who achieved Foundation Establishment less than a year ago do we have in total this year?"
Qin Xian replied solemnly, "Reporting to the Sect Master, a total of seventy-six disciples broke through this year. However... nearly ninety percent of them have already passed the cliff-edge age."
Standing below, Li Guanqi asked, "Master, what is the cliff-edge age?"
Li Nanting transmitted his voice to explain, "Before the age of sixteen, a person's essence, qi, and spirit retain their full, luminous vitality. Once one passes sixteen, even if they have achieved Foundation Establishment, they can no longer unlock the spirit ruins within their heart."
Lu Kangnian fell silent for a moment before sighing softly. "Our sect's resources are still too meager. Otherwise, every one of these disciples could cultivate much faster."
He then continued, "The opening of the spirit ruins this year will still take place at Ziyang Palace. Nanting, lead the team this time, since Li Guanqi is going as well. Tally the disciples tomorrow, and we set out the day after."
Li Nanting nodded in assent, then led Li Guanqi away.
On the way back, as the two flew side by side on their swords, the elder said softly, "I didn't expect you to reach Foundation Establishment so quickly. Others might linger in the Qi Refinement realm for two or three years, yet you managed it in five months."
Li Guanqi smiled but said nothing. The monotony of cultivation had brought him immense tranquility. Perhaps because he was blind and had spent so much lonely time in darkness, cultivating felt like a better form of rest and relaxation.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Guanqi asked, "Master, why do I get the impression that the Sect Master attaches such great importance to opening the spirit ruins?"
Li Nanting pondered briefly, then said, "Although the matter of spirit ruins is even more ethereal and elusive than spiritual roots, it cannot be denied that anyone who possesses an artifact soul within their spirit ruins will eventually become a mighty cultivator. For example, among the disciples throughout Great Xia Sword Sect's history who have managed to reach the Nascent Soul realm, several possess artifact souls. From this, one can see that an artifact soul grants a cultivator immense killing power!"
Li Guanqi nodded, yet still wondered why the matter was treated with such gravity.
Noticing his confusion, the elder continued, "Ziyang Palace is a top-tier power across the entire Qingyun Continent, and its palace lord is a mighty cultivator of the Soul Formation stage. Ziyang Palace governs many minor secret realms, which are exceptionally precious to sects like ours. Those resources are allocated according to whether each faction's disciples possess artifact souls and the quality of those souls. If a sect gains control of any secret realm, it brings a massive boost to the strength of its disciples! A sect can even sell quotas for entry to other sects to trade and amass resources."
Only after listening to the elder did Li Guanqi understand. No wonder the Sect Master had been wearing a face full of worry lately.
Still, Li Guanqi had no confidence about such things himself; after all, not even the sword spirit could tell whether he possessed spirit ruins.
In the end, Li Nanting smiled and consoled him, "Don't think too much about it. Whether one has spirit ruins is destined by heaven, and no one can alter it. Solidify your cultivation realm well, and prepare to set out the day after tomorrow."
Early the next morning, a figure wobbled unsteadily on a flying sword and arrived at Tianlei Peak.
"Li Guanqi! Hahahaha, I broke through to Foundation Establishment too! How do you like the dharma artifact flying sword my master gave me?"
Li Guanqi had just finished practicing his swordplay and was carefully binding the torn web of his hand with cotton cloth. Looking up at Ye Feng flying over on his sword, he could not help but laugh. "Your realm hasn't even stabilized yet, and you're already here showing off."
It was Ye Feng's first time visiting his detached courtyard. Seeing the mountain of shredded timber piled in the back, Ye Feng could not help exclaiming, "It's bad enough that you're talented, but you work harder than everyone else, too! Sigh... I can't even bring myself to be jealous."
Ye Feng leapt down from midair and sat beside him. "I'm leaving with you tomorrow. Out of this batch of new disciples, only the two of us broke through to Foundation Establishment. Lin Dong and Zhong Lin are only at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, and both plan to break through after reaching the tenth layer. I heard that ten people in total were selected for our trip."
Li Guanqi nodded and said softly, "None of the six sects around our Northern Region controls a blessed secret realm of their own. If someone awakens an artifact soul this time, hopefully we can be allocated one. When that time comes, it will be a good thing for our cultivation as well."
Ye Feng shrugged. "All right, I won't disturb you anymore. See you tomorrow."
After finishing bandaging his wound, Li Guanqi decided not to go to the Spirit Ascension Platform. After all, the rate at which it burned through sect points pained even him. He went to the cultivation chamber in the back courtyard, slotted spirit stones into the array, sat cross-legged on the floor, and retrieved a bottle of pills. Looking at the Peiyuan Pills in his hand, worth fifty spirit stones, he truly envied those alchemists. But there was virtually no hope of him ever becoming one.
Early the next morning, Li Guanqi awoke from his cultivation. Still savoring the lingering momentum from the night before, he murmured, "Ingesting pills truly is the fastest way to raise one's cultivation."
At the square on Tianzi Peak, Li Nanting and a group of disciples had long been waiting.
Li Guanqi flew over on his sword, his heart still surging with excitement. When he arrived at the square, he noticed that including himself, there were only nine people.
Immediately afterward, a stumbling figure flew through the sky, putting on his clothes as he flew.
"Uh... sorry, sorry, Elder Li... I overslept."
Li Nanting scowled and reprimanded him, "Do you have any sense of time? How could you oversleep for something this important? Let's go. We're heading to Ziyang Palace this time, and the flight will take at least ten days."
With a wave of his hand, the elder tossed out a streak of spiritual light, which flashed to reveal an extraordinarily exquisite, ornate cloud boat. The cloud boat was vermilion from stem to stern, roughly ten zhang long, and could easily accommodate thirty or forty people.
Once everyone was aboard, the cloud boat slowly flew away from the Great Xia Sword Sect.
Whoosh!
The cloud boat moved at blistering speed. In the blink of an eye, it cut through the clouds, raising an invisible barrier that kept out the howling winds.
Suddenly, Li Guanqi's divine sense caught sight of an unexpected figure!
Li Guanqi turned, walked behind the cloud sail on the second deck, and saw a little head poking out.
Helpless, Li Guanqi transmitted his voice, "Master... Yu Sui'an snuck onto the boat."
Swish!
Li Nanting looked at the innocent-looking little girl and felt equally helpless. He could only scoop her into his arms and feign anger. "You reckless little brat, what if you got thrown overboard?"
Yet seeing Yu Sui'an's tearful eyes, the elder did not have the heart to scold her any further.
Setting her down, Li Nanting said, "I'll leave the little girl in your care. I need to take the helm so we can reach Ziyang Palace as soon as possible."
Chapter 65