Apocalypse · Moon Fiend · Wuji Sword!

"Thinking of leaving?" Li Guanqi's pressure grew more overwhelming with every passing breath. In contrast, Mei had taken a direct hit from Li Guanqi's Firmament Shatterer fist; his entire chest had caved in, and the ribs puncturing through his skin still showed no signs of mending. The layered surges of the fist's momentum, fused with the power of lightning, had wrought devastating destruction upon him. Mei stared fixedly at the longsword in Li Guanqi's grip, sensing an immense threat radiating from it. It was even... laced with dread! The weapon was no ordinary three-foot blade, but a longer, narrower four-foot sword. Its body was black and crimson, while the hilt was as white as jade, etched with golden veins that made it resemble... bone! The guard held nothing out of the ordinary, save for a crescent moon bathed in blood-red. Li Guanqi glanced down and caught sight of the characters inscribed upon the hilt: *Moonlock!* *Clang!* A resonant, melodious hum echoed. The sword felt icy cold in his hand. The white jade of the hilt... was actually the skeletal bone of a great demon! And this great demon had to be at least an eighth-rank beast comparable to a Mahayana realm cultivator! Meng Jiangchu had felt an immense pang of reluctance when using this beast bone, yet after observing Li Guanqi's Sword Ruins, he had made the decision without hesitation. Anything below the eighth rank could never endure Li Guanqi's Sword Ruins ability. Had he settled for less, the moment Li Guanqi used his Sword Ruins to Soul Release the Moonlock Sword, the weapon—forged from countless precious materials—would have shattered under the sheer strain. The instant Li Guanqi gripped the hilt, his thoughts cleared, and his sword intent surged forth of its own accord. The golden markings along the hilt lit up, and the blade's keen edge sliced through the void! Li Guanqi could not help but marvel, "What a magnificent spirit treasure-grade sword!" His Sword Ruins hummed. Gripping the sword in one hand, Li Guanqi barked in a low voice, "Soul Release: Moonlock!" *Boom!* A terrifying pressure erupted with a roar. Light blazed from the Moonlock Sword, and an aura of devastating slaughter swept outward in an instant! Li Guanqi clearly felt the amplification the blade granted to his strength. *Just Soul Release alone... boosted it by a full ten percent...* Ten percent might not seem like much, but it meant every swing of his sword was ten percent stronger! *Then... what about the second stage?* Trembling to his soul, Mei could not afford to delay. He hurled a blood-red jade slip, attempting to pry open the domain and make his escape. Yet boundless lightning instantly blanketed heaven and earth as the Sword Prison domain snapped open! Countless swords forged of lightning lunged toward him. Mei dodged in a panic, but several arcs of sword light sealed off his path from the flank. A cold glint flickered in Li Guanqi's eyes as he murmured under his breath, "Apocalypse: Moon Fiend!" *Boom!* In that breath, a blood moon manifested at the hilt of the Moonlock Sword, and the amplification to Li Guanqi's sword dao power skyrocketed to thirty percent! The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly as he felt the primal energy in his body, now nearly half restored. Channeling his movement technique with everything he had, he flashed across midair like a soaring dragon! Mei was thrown into utter disarray. Sensing Li Guanqi's presence vanish into thin air filled him with panic. Right then, Li Guanqi's whisper sounded beside his ear. The voice was icy and devoid of emotion, like a death knell tolling for him. Enveloped in sheer terror, the man rallied the fiendish energy churning around him and slashed with all his might toward his flank! "Demons Descend to the Nine Abysses Sword!" His right arm struck nine times in rapid succession, swift as lightning! "Moon Fiend: Wuji." *Pfft!* Li Guanqi's figure appeared directly before him, as if phasing straight through the nine beams of sword light. The black-and-crimson blade flashed with frigid radiance, darting past his eyes! The nine sword beams detonated one after another. The world began to spin wildly before the man's eyes, and then all consciousness vanished. Wherever the sword light passed, space was violently torn open into a pitch-black rift. Pengluo's eyes lit up. Flashing to the fissure, it yanked upward and downward with both hands! "Master, hurry! Let's get out of here first!" White dewdrops seeped from Pengluo's skin; even it could hardly endure the suppression of this blood array. Yet after waiting a moment, it received no answer. Looking back, it saw Li Guanqi pitching straight downward! Pengluo immediately darted forward to catch Li Guanqi on its back, its expression turning grave. *To think he was injured this badly!* Seeing the rift about to seal shut, Pengluo teleported to the opening and shoved Li Guanqi through with both hands. Gu Yong and Meng Jiangchu were startled to see Li Guanqi emerge gravely injured and unconscious. Flustered, they hauled him out. Meanwhile, the closing fissure clamped shut right around Pengluo. Watching the two frantically tending to Li Guanqi while only its head poked out, Pengluo yelled at the top of its lungs: "Old man! How about pulling me out?! Grandpa! Grandpa, give me a hand... Please! My crotch is stuck... Grandpa..." Since neither of them paid it any attention, it simply kept wailing. Finally unable to bear it, Gu Yong waved a hand, unleashing a majestic surge of power that tore the entire domain apart by sheer force! *Rumble!* Scared out of its wits, Pengluo scrambled and rolled out. Looking back at the collapsing domain, it swallowed hard, its eyes wide with dread. Turning toward the elder, it hurriedly said, "Thanks, Grandpa..." With a sullen expression, Meng Jiangchu hoisted Li Guanqi onto his back and said, "I'll take him back to the Shenbao Domain first to heal." Gu Yong nodded and said softly, "I'll head back first as well. This boy wrecked all four towers of the Tianji Pavilion, so I need to go oversee things." Meng Jiangchu nodded silently, then glanced back at the elder and said coldly, "Sha has penetrated all the way from the bottom of the Tianji Pavilion straight to its core. Your pavilion... needs a thorough cleansing!" Gu Yong's pupils shrank. He had not anticipated Meng Jiangchu being this furious. He quickly bowed with cupped hands and said apologetically, "This was entirely my fault this time. I... Sigh. At any rate, whatever the boy needs for his recovery, don't hesitate to ask." Meng Jiangchu turned away and snapped irritably, "Hmph! Do you think I'd be lacking in healing supplies?" Pengluo lingered where it stood, glancing at the old man, then at Meng Jiangchu, inwardly musing, *This old man is terrifyingly strong—at least at the Mahayana realm—yet he's such a pushover... Hiss... Could this other one be Master's father-in-law, the Domain Lord of the Shenbao Domain?* Looking up and seeing that Meng Jiangchu had already walked far ahead, Pengluo scurried to catch up. Watching the grim-faced man, it felt at a loss for words. Catching Meng Jiangchu glancing its way, Pengluo put on a flattering grin, snapped off one of its fingers, held it overhead, and asked awkwardly, "Um... Senior Meng... would you like some radish?" Meng Jiangchu's face darkened, wondering if this creature was missing a few marbles. Even so, he brought Pengluo along as he departed the Daochan Domain. Before they had even arrived, Meng Jiangchu had already sent word ahead to prepare a medicinal pool and all manner of healing pills. Looking upon the Meng clan's domain, where the spiritual energy was thick enough to form mist, Pengluo clucked its tongue in marvel. Its eyes were practically glued to the fair-skinned, lovely female disciples.