The sword spirit's chilly voice echoed in Li Guanqi's mind, seemingly suppressing a burning fury.
"I know what his spiritual light is..."
"To think it would be faith gu, something that has all but vanished even in the Immortal Realm!!"
Li Guanqi asked at rapid-fire speed, "Faith gu? What is that?"
The sword spirit sneered, "It was driven to extinction tens of thousands of years ago in the Immortal Realm. Who would have thought this Seven Treasures Pavilion would still have remnants of it?!
"It looks like an immense boon, but that's entirely an illusion.
"Before long, these invisible gu bugs will consume everything you have!
"In the end, they will multiply madly inside you and devour your soul by means impossible to prevent, taking its place.
"When that time comes, anyone who hasn't reached the Immortal realm will inevitably become a puppet to the gu's master."
The sword spirit murmured in a frigid tone, "If I am not mistaken, few people in this Qixia City live to reach a hundred.
"And this domain... its purpose is nothing other than concealing his aura and wiping away their memories.
"The reason those ignorant commoners feel afflicted with new ailments every ten years is that the gu insects have reached their limit.
"And ten years is also when he must descend to harvest that power."
With things having reached this point, Li Guanqi finally understood the full picture.
An immortal's blessing...
Was an outright scam from start to finish!
Head lowered, Li Guanqi let out a chuckle that grew increasingly inexplicable.
Looking down upon all living things, Cizhi saw tiny Li Guanqi sneering, and couldn't help but ask with an intrigued smile, "What are you laughing at?"
Li Guanqi slowly drew the Red Lotus sword. Unheeding of Cizhi's grave look, he sneered as he spoke.
"A hypocrite dons the mantle of divinity, whispering words that seem sacred and pure.
"In the name of benevolence, he engages in cold machinations, using so-called 'blessings' to win over hearts and control mortals, concealing beneath brilliant clouds and dazzling radiance a hunger for power and control."
Indeed, this so-called "immortal's blessing" was nothing more than an elaborately staged performance.
They placed themselves upon a supreme pedestal, not out of any genuine concern for the myriad things of the world; on the contrary, it was merely a more artful way to reap praise and worship for themselves.
Behind the ornate rhetoric and holy halos lay hidden hypocrisy and selfish gain, reducing the "immortal's blessing" to an empty sham.
The greatest favor an "immortal" bestowed upon mortal subjects was often nothing more than a gorgeous phantom.
Weaving, out of sheer illusion, one dream after another of manipulation and deceit!
Li Guanqi whispered through their mental link, "Sword spirit, can I slay an immortal?"
Hearing this, the sword spirit burst into hearty laughter—laughter laden with an unfathomable emotion, or perhaps as if she had just heard something utterly hilarious.
The sword spirit's calm voice echoed in Li Guanqi's mind.
"In the past, you couldn't. But now, Red Lotus bears the divinity I bestowed upon it.
"It's a mere projected avatar—why shouldn't it be slain?
"Remember this:
"With me here, even an immortal... can be slain!"
The sword spirit's voice carried a fury long suppressed and an indescribably mighty confidence.
In an instant, an aura both strange and familiar suddenly surged through Li Guanqi's entire body!
This power was precisely the sword spirit's strength, only this time, she had lent it to Li Guanqi.
Moreover, her power seemed disguised, appearing as though it emanated from the Red Lotus sword itself.
Yet the wellspring of this power was still under Li Guanqi's command.
At once, a celestial phenomenon manifested, and amidst the pitch-black clouds, a crimson hue seemed to spread across the sky!
High above in the heavens, Cizhi looked down at Red Lotus in Li Guanqi's hand. His brows knitted slightly, an indescribable hint of bewilderment flashing in the depths of his eyes.
Then, a glint of amusement surfaced in Cizhi's eyes as he sneered, "You... don't tell me you intend to make a move against me?"
The moment those words were spoken, all the spectating cultivators swallowed hard.
Were it anyone else—even if a Mahayana realm cultivator were here—they would never harbor such a delusion as attacking the projection of an immortal before them.
Yet if the man standing beneath the immortal was Li Guanqi, then it was far from impossible; in fact, he was certain to strike!
Li Guanqi stood proudly on the square, switching the Red Lotus sword from his right hand to his left.
His white robe snapped in the wind as an invisible pressure rippled outward.
Cizhi shook his head with a sneer, murmuring softly, "You... truly overestimate yourself...
"A mere Body Integration cultivator, a realm of ants—and you dare dream of a mayfly shaking a giant tree?"
As he spoke, Cizhi merely raised a hand slightly. The space where Li Guanqi had concealed Xuan Lin within his domain was instantly forced open by an overwhelmingly irresistible power!
Xuan Lin's figure was drawn up into midair, and Li Guanqi's expression drastically shifted!
He hadn't anticipated that the man would possess some unknown power capable of ignoring his control, directly tearing open his domain to seize Xuan Lin.
With a cold snort, thunder flashed beneath Li Guanqi's feet. He shot forward in an instant and grabbed hold of Xuan Lin!
Seeing this, Cizhi was in no hurry. Instead, he looked down at Li Guanqi with keen amusement and said softly, "Do you know how laughable everything you are doing appears to me?
"It's just like... you looking down right now at a puny Core Formation cultivator daring to resist you."
The moment his voice fell, an immense, boundless pressure descended from the heavens!
Treading on empty air, Li Guanqi turned pale as though struck by a massive blow, his body feeling as if bearing the weight of ten thousand mountains.
Uncontrollably, he plummeted from midair straight to the ground!
*Boom!*
A massive crater spanning a hundred zhang violently cratered into the square.
In the crater, blood trickled from the corner of Meng Wanshu's mouth. Placing both hands against Li Guanqi's back, she asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"
Li Guanqi made almost no pause. The primal energy inside him surged and roared like a rampaging storm.
The Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppressing Art was pushed to its absolute limit in an instant, his vital blood roaring. From within the crater came an abrupt sonic blast!
*Boom!*
An explosion rang out, and the pit collapsed several zhang deeper. At the same time, he sent a rapid-fire voice transmission:
"Leave this to me. Find a way out first!"
*Boom!*
Furious sword intent erupted instantly, and a crimson silhouette materialized behind Li Guanqi!
Frigid killing intent nearly condensed into something tangible in midair as Li Guanqi craned his neck and roared:
"Do it!"
*Boom!*
*Roar—!*
A resonant dragon roar tore through the air. The massive form of Jiuxiao smashed through the void, appearing beneath Li Guanqi's feet.
That terrifying dragon roar instantly made the great demon beast beneath the projection's feet cower back.
Cizhi's face darkened. He kicked the great demon beast hard in the head, sending blood spraying.
Rising slowly to his feet, Cizhi looked down and snarled, "Useless beast! We are separated by an entire realm—what are you afraid of?!"
"Humph!"
Chapter 951