Listen Up, You Old Bastards!

As he spoke, the old man's gaze casually swept past Li Guanqi's right hand. Resting against the hilt at his hip, that hand appeared relaxed, yet his left hand was primed to draw at any instant. Li Guanqi merely looked at the elder and smiled. The other man was only in the middle Void Refining Realm and could not sense his aura at all. Gong Ze, however, had long heard plenty about Li Guanqi. After all... A party of four had stormed into the Taiqing Domain and butchered the Southern Heavenly King, Cao Zhennan, right before the eyes of countless powerhouses. It was a feat known to virtually everyone under heaven. Toward this junior of the sect, Gong Ze remained exceedingly polite. It was true that Li Guanqi was his junior in standing, but if he were to put on airs and lean on his seniority... This kid likely wouldn't give a damn about him. Gong Ze cupped his hands in salute, then tucked them into his sleeves and took up a position behind Lu Kangnian with a genial smile. His eyes carried a hint of appraisal as he looked upon the present Sect Master of the Great Xia Sword Sect. Yet when his gaze drifted toward Qin Xian, it turned into an expression of utter disdain. He muttered under his breath, "How the fuck is your cultivation progress this slow? How can someone like you serve as Discipline Master?" Already in the middle Soul Formation Realm, Qin Xian had originally believed his own cultivation speed was remarkably fast. Yet hearing the old man's reproach, he dared not offer the slightest retort... "If you, a Discipline Master, can't even keep pace with the Sect Master, how do you expect to keep anyone in line?" "This won't do... Tonight you're coming to my quarters. I'm going to put you through some proper extra training." Watching Qin Xian nod in sheepish embarrassment, Li Guanqi chuckled inwardly, his gaze toward the old man softening by a degree. From the very start, Gong Ze had kept his own standing humble, showing no desire to overstep or eclipse the master. Even his sharp words toward Qin Xian were aimed at balancing the relationship between the Discipline Master and the Sect Master. This earned the old man a measure of respect from Li Guanqi. Indifference to power... was a good thing. Lu Kangnian's brows knitted slightly, and he sent a low voice transmission to Li Guanqi: "How many are approaching?" With an impassive face, Li Guanqi looked toward the distant void and murmured softly, "Five. All mighty figures of the Void Refining Realm." *Weng—!* The void shuddered, and a faint, indefinable pressure rolled out! A pitch-black rift a hundred yards wide tore open abruptly in midair! The instant the rift appeared, Li Guanqi gave a subtle flick of his finger. The hundred-yard lightning sword suspended over the summit of Tianjian Peak shimmered, exuding a gentle wave of pressure that barred the newcomers outside the pocket realm! The old man in grey hemp clothes looked up at the lightning sword, then took a long, searching look at Li Guanqi's back, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward. Just then, five figures clad in magnificent robes materialized one after another! Gong Ze narrowed his eyes and murmured softly, "Han Chengxian, Tantai Yiting, Nangong Qianyan, Ji Hong, Tu Zhongqiu!" "Good heavens... they're... actually still alive!" Qin Xian felt as though he were standing before five towering mountains; their silhouettes were impossible to look upon directly. The pressure was simply overwhelming! Yet the elder in dark gold robes at their lead caught sight of Li Guanqi and the sword at his hip right away. He wore a grizzled goatee, his features genial and his eyes distinct and clear without the slightest haze. Li Guanqi's gaze also settled upon this elder and the man beside him. The man in purple robes appeared to be only in his forties or fifties. Yet Li Guanqi could sense that the aura of decay clinging to him was heavier even than that of the old man! When Lu Kangnian saw these individuals, his heart leaped in sheer shock! Because the two men Li Guanqi was staring at... The elder in the dark gold robe was named Han Chengxian, the thirty-sixth Sect Master of the Great Xia Sword Sect! And the seemingly middle-aged man was the thirty-first Sect Master, Tantai Yiting! Which meant... Tantai Yiting's Dao age exceeded Han Chengxian's by at least a thousand years! Lu Kangnian led Li Guanqi and those behind them into the air, flying across to face the group. The boundary array slowly parted to form a massive opening. Lu Kangnian came to a halt barely three feet from them, cupping his hands with a smile. "I, Lu Kangnian, thank you seniors for returning!" None of the others spoke. Tantai Yiting's expression was stern and unyielding; in his youth, he had undoubtedly been a peerless, dashing figure. His features were sharp, with sword-like brows and starry eyes—likely preserved through the consumption of a Foundation Establishment Pill. Accompanying his deep purple robe and jade crown, his entire presence carried the oppressive weight of a supreme authority. "Lead us to the main hall. Make preparations to convene a sect-wide assembly." The moment those words left his mouth, the still-comely woman behind him and the other two elders remained silent. Han Chengxian looked entirely indifferent, his gaze as placid as still water, as if all of this was only right and proper. He saw nothing amiss in Tantai Yiting's tone. Yet Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze toward the man turning colder by the moment. The man naturally sensed Li Guanqi's stare. Glancing down at him with condescension, he let out a sneer. Qin Xian's brow twitched, and he immediately turned to look at Li Guanqi. He knew Li Guanqi's temper all too well. For this man to speak in such a manner... Ling Daoyan took a swig of wine, his eyes half-closed as cold glints flickered within them. Li Guanqi's left hand blurred into an afterimage, but a powerful hand abruptly clamped down upon it. Lu Kangnian gripped Li Guanqi's arm and asked coldly, "What? Does the former Sect Master intend to seize power?" Tantai Yiting's face remained impassive, and he said nothing. Beside him, the green-robed elder with hands tucked into his sleeves spoke calmly. "And what if he does? The worthy shall—" *Shua!* Before Ji Hong could finish his sentence, a pitch-black, four-foot blade had already impaled his jaw! Three inches further, and it would have churned his head to mush! Holding the sword with one hand, Li Guanqi pressed his body flush against the old man, his voice chilling to the bone right beside the elder's ear. "Go on. Keep talking." Li Guanqi ignored the longsword Tantai Yiting thrust toward him, which pierced the skin of his neck. Tilting his head back slightly, Li Guanqi fixed his pure-white eyes upon the man. "Want to see whose sword is faster?" By now, Ji Hong's face was as pale as paper. Terrifying lightning power surged through his body, leaving him so paralyzed that he could not muster even a shred of primal energy. Tantai Yiting's expression shifted slightly. He had never expected Li Guanqi's speed to be so terrifyingly fast! By the time he had noticed the strike just now, the blade had already run straight through Ji Hong's jaw! Lu Kangnian stood where he was with his hands tucked into his sleeves, showing no intention whatsoever of interfering. Han Chengxian sneered. "To think that after so many years, the Great Xia Sword Sect has only grown more undisciplined." Tilting his head, Li Guanqi said bluntly, "Listen up, you old bastards. Every single one of you, hear me well." As he spoke, the sword in his hand shifted slowly. The sound of the elder's jawbone being sheared apart raw was bloodcurdling! The blade dragged sideways, splitting the old man's jaw open inch by inch, while Li Guanqi paid no heed to the freezing edge pressed against his own neck.