"Ahhh!"
"Ah... ungh!!"
Agonized roars echoed from within the abyss.
Dozens of eerie stone pillars stood erected around it, carved from the bones of sinister beasts steeped in yin energy.
Eerie blood-red patterns flickered on the pillars, surging and flowing like fresh blood.
In the depths of the abyss, Song Zhi'ang was being gnawed at all over by bizarre dark shadows. Under the surging black demonic qi, her constitution was continuously being altered.
"Aaaagh!! Slut!! I'll kill you!! Die! Die! Hahahahaha!"
"Hahaha!! Come on!! Devour me!!"
"Bring it on!! Come on!! Hahahaha!"
Maddened roars rose from the abyss as phantom silhouettes of several powerful Abyss Demons gradually manifested.
Along the edge of the abyss, a masked man walked the rim, his arms spread wide and fingers lightly tapping against empty air.
His eyes were closed, as though relishing the sensation.
"Resentment, jealousy... To think a mortal's willpower could become so immense because of them.
"Truly wonderful... Hahahaha.
"Who could have guessed that a mere female cultivator would prove so compatible?"
His footsteps paused slightly. Sha turned back to look down into the abyss beneath his feet, the corners of his mouth curving up wildly beneath the mask.
His gaze seemed capable of piercing through the dark mist to see the woman's face below.
Her hair disheveled, Song Zhi'ang had bloodshot eyes, her wide, unblinking glare filled with hatred and venom.
Yet it was precisely this look that provoked the man into wild, unbridled laughter!
Leaning back slightly, the man let his laughter echo throughout the empty altar chamber.
"Hahahaha! Song Zhi'ang!! I'm giving you a chance to ascend to the heavens in a single bound!
"Whether you can hold out depends entirely on how badly you crave revenge—on whether you want to stomp all over Meng Wanshu's face!
"On whether you want... to be with him forever and ever."
Boom!
From beneath his blood-red robes, pale hands suddenly shot out countless crimson rays of light. Tearing through the void, dozens of formidable Abyss Demons stepped forth from within!
These Abyss Demons possessed colossal bodies, but their minds had been wiped clean, leaving them demonic monsters that knew only slaughter.
Under the man's control, one Abyss Demon after another plunged straight into the abyss.
At the bottom of the abyss, Song Zhi'ang watched the plummeting Abyss Demons in a state of frenzied madness. She knew that each of these was capital for her comeback!
Dense rumblings rang out as the altar shook relentlessly.
Turning around, the man embedded spirit stones into the altar and prepared to leave. Casting a deep backward glance, he muttered in his heart,
"You must succeed.
"Otherwise... all my pains will have gone to waste."
Space twisted. In the silent domain, there were only the violent rumbles and the roaring of a woman engaged in brutal slaughter.
Just as Meng Wanshu had anticipated, Sha had deliberately waited for her.
***
By the time Li Guanqi returned to the Great Xia Sword Sect, Gu Li had already become Meng Wanshu's starry-eyed admirer.
Looking at Meng Wanshu with worshipful eyes, he nodded like a chick pecking at grain no matter what she said.
Seeing this, Li Guanqi couldn't help but chuckle. Meng Wanshu seemed naturally imbued with a gracious aura that embraced all around her.
When Gu Li saw Li Guanqi return, he grabbed Li Guanqi's hand and looked him up and down with snot and tears streaming down his face.
"What did you do to deserve this?! What right do you have?!
"No one is worthy of Sister Meng! No one... urgh..."
Li Guanqi shook off his hand and shoved Gu Li aside with one push, wrapping an arm around Meng Wanshu's slender waist as he smiled.
"Well, I am worthy. What are you going to do about it?"
Gu Li bent double, dry-heaving for a long while before shouting indignantly, "What is wrong with you people?! Who pokes someone in the back of their throat just to keep them from talking?!"
Seeing this, Meng Wanshu's lips curved upward slightly, while Cao Yan and the others doubled over with laughter.
Zhou Shiyu stood up and smiled. "Fellow Daoist Li, since everything has settled down, I intend to return to the Six Ancient Sacred Sect."
Li Guanqi curled his lip. "Why bother going back? Your master is drinking with Elder Ling and the others in the back mountains right now. Are you going back just to babysit the sect alone?"
Zhou Shiyu froze, then realized that was true...
Ever since the arena battles, Gu Huai had completely let himself loose, choosing simply to take up residence at the Great Xia Sword Sect.
Every day, if he wasn't visiting Ling Daoyan, he was hanging out with Gong Ze and the rest.
Along with Tu Zhongqiu and Nangong Qianyan, the group spent their days discussing the Dao and drinking, or heading off to find a good fishing spot.
They were living the most carefree life imaginable.
The old man seemed to have found a second youth, even visiting Sun Miao a few days ago to ask for facial rejuvenation pills.
Though according to what Li Guanqi heard from Lu Kangnian, Nangong Qianyan didn't look upon this little old man with the slightest interest.
Zhou Shiyu shrugged and conceded, "In that case, I might as well find a place to stay here too."
Li Guanqi smiled faintly. "Simple. I still have quarters on Tianlei Peak. Stay there for now, and later I'll have someone arrange a separate courtyard for you guys."
At that moment, Gu Li sidled over with a shameless grin, rubbing his hands together. "Um... Brother Li.
"How is Jiuxiao doing? Has he recovered from his injuries? I'd like to go see him."
The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. The only reason this kid had lingered was almost certainly for this.
Since he intended to check on Jiuxiao anyway, he simply brought Gu Li along.
Buzz!
Inside the domain, Lu Kangnian was still organizing the resources recovered from the Lu clan. Seeing Li Guanqi arrive, he laughed boisterously.
"All taken care of?"
Li Guanqi pulled out the storage rings and smiled. "Yes. Didn't use a single bit. Returning them to you."
Lu Kangnian waved his broad hand, sending the storage rings shooting back as streaks of flowing light.
"Return them? What's there to return?
"Once I gave them to you, I never planned on taking them back. Besides, you brats contributed plenty during the arena battles.
"Take these trifles as your reward."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi no longer refused and cleanly pocketed the items.
"Right, Sect Master, where are Jiuxiao and the others?"
Lu Kangnian reached out and handed over a blue jade slip, saying softly, "Didn't I set aside one of the Xiu Rivers for the Spirit Fish Clan?
"Jiuxiao and the others are recuperating there right now. The Spirit Fish Clan knows how to use the Dragon Scale Divine Wood far better than I do.
"Qin Xian is watching over them over there, so nothing will go wrong."
Hearing that, Li Guanqi breathed a sigh of relief. If Jiuxiao and Pengluo had truly been left alone with the Spirit Fish Clan, he would have been worried.
If someone among the Spirit Fish Clan harbored ill intentions, the unconscious and gravely injured pair would have had no way to resist.
Fortunately, Lu Kangnian was meticulous, handling matters without a single flaw.
Taking the jade slip, Li Guanqi was about to lead Gu Li toward the back mountain when Meng Wanshu flashed over and appeared before him.
Just as Li Guanqi was about to speak, a finger gently pressed against his lips.
A soft voice said, "I don't want to be apart from you."
Li Guanqi's heart softened, whatever words he had prepared instantly melting away. Grasping her soft, jade-like hand, he smiled gently.
Beside them, Gu Li witnessed this scene and felt as though he were being violently whipped, clutching his chest and grumbling,
"Ah, it hurts... It hurts so much right here..."
Soon, the trio arrived at the Xiu River domain where the Spirit Fish Clan resided!
Chapter 848