Li Guanqi did not yet know that his killing of Pan Yi had already been discovered by the family faction behind the man.
Even if they knew, Li Guanqi would not have cared.
He had dared to slay even an immortal's projection; why would he shrink before a mere cultivator of the Pan family?
Still, Li Guanqi likely had not expected that Pan Yi would spend his dying moments glaring fixatedly at him.
Xue Gui looked down at the devastated expanse of Qixia City, hardly daring to breathe.
He had been in the middle of breaking through when he suddenly sensed an immortal pressure, which had knocked him out cold on the spot.
He knew nothing of what had followed, not even when he had been moved into the domain.
Looking at the sword scar that had cleaved the entire city in two, he could still sense traces of Li Guanqi's aura lingering upon it.
His mind was utterly shaken, and when Li Guanqi spoke to him, he could only nod in response.
When the group returned to the City Lord's Estate, the mortals of the outside world were seized with terror at the sight of their homes reduced to broken walls and rubble.
Only after being shifted out of the domain did they realize that the white-robed young man they had cursed earlier seemed to be an "immortal" in their eyes as well!
Had such a figure held a petty grudge, they would have dropped dead right then and there.
Around the same time, many people caught sight of the devastation at Qixia Academy.
The entire academy had been reduced almost entirely to ruins. Over a hundred of its cultivators had left behind nothing but splatters of mashed flesh and bloody foam across the ground.
Many surviving disciples wore blank, hollow stares, clearly traumatized to the core.
They had finally learned some of the truth behind Qixia Academy.
A youth looked down at his academy robe, spattered with blood and bits of flesh.
Panic in his eyes, he hastily peeled off the garment. Wearing only his inner shirt, he shuffled outward numbly, muttering under his breath, "Demons... They're all demons..."
With one leading the way, a second soon followed.
Gradually, all the surviving disciples of Qixia Academy stripped off the academy robes that had once symbolized honor, walking away with deadened expressions.
Before long, word spread of the immortal blessing in Qixia City, Li Guanqi slaying an immortal projection with a single sword strike, and the revelation that the blessing was actually an immortal gu!
The Six Domains were thrown into turmoil, and anyone who heard the news was thoroughly stunned.
Many wondered why such a momentous event as an immortal blessing had appeared without any warning. If it truly occurred once every ten years, why had no one from other regions—or even the lands bordering Qixia City—ever known about it?
At that moment, Xue Gui stood bowed before Li Guanqi as a red thread was extracted from between his eyebrows.
Looking at the gu worm before him, Xue Gui's pupils abruptly contracted into needlepoints, trembling with sheer horror.
He remained bowed without straightening, his brow furrowed and his eyes completely glazed over.
Seeing him like this, Li Guanqi felt somewhat perplexed. Beside him, Pengluo curled its lip.
Taking a bite of a spiritual fruit, it said, "These are all that immortal's tricks. The barrier he set up prevents anyone from seeing what's happening inside. Right before he descends, the memories in everyone's minds are awakened so they can carry out this grand sacrificial ceremony. In truth, they don't remember a thing during normal times. They only vaguely recall fragments and assume it's just the effect of the Immortal-Receiving Ceremony."
Li Guanqi frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Li Er'niu clearly remembered the ceremony from twenty years ago!"
Pengluo chuckled. "All fake. The faith gu inside him merely fabricated false memories for him. Back then, you didn't use soul searching because you didn't want to alert the enemy, right? The memories you saw later from Liu Qin, the dean of Qixia Academy, were fake as well."
Li Guanqi exhaled a long breath and murmured, "Such methods are truly inconceivable."
Pengluo pouted and said nothing more.
In any case, it was in a great mood right now—exceptionally good.
Glancing at Jiuxiao coiled around its neck, Pengluo showed no stinginess with its fingers, snapping them off one after another like crisp radishes to feed the dragon.
Keeping his head lowered, Xue Gui could not help but speak up. "Reporting to Pavilion Master... it seems things are truly as this venerable spirit says. Only now do I realize how utterly jumbled my memories are..."
Gritting his teeth, the man kept his head bowed and asked, "Would you like to search through my memories?"
Li Guanqi waved a hand. He had no interest in doing so; since Pengluo had already explained it, he did not care to look. Now that the Qixian Pagoda had been shattered by his sword strike, it would be no easy feat for Cizhi to descend again in the future.
Li Guanqi glanced at Xue Gui and said softly, "City Lord Xue, you may take your leave for now. The affairs in the city require your personal oversight, and members of Guanyun Pavilion will arrive shortly."
Xue Gui bowed and hurriedly excused himself. He felt an unbearable pressure in that room; even the large white radish was a Body Integration Realm spirit, to say nothing of the true dragon wrapped around its neck. His heart had been pounding like a war drum the entire time, leaving him trembling where he stood.
Once Xue Gui departed, Li Guanqi shifted Xuan Lin out of his domain. Pengluo promptly snapped off a section of its finger and stuffed it into his mouth.
Xuan Lin had only just broken through to the Void Refining Realm, and by the looks of it, these events had likely unfolded right around the time of his breakthrough.
Still... if Li Guanqi remembered correctly, hadn't this fellow already lived for over a thousand years?
Pengluo's current power was far beyond what ordinary heavenly treasures could match.
Once that piece of finger went down, Xuan Lin's internal injuries began to mend at astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, his tongue was restored to normal, and his limbs rapidly regenerated.
Li Guanqi placed a set of clothes over him. Xuan Lin opened his eyes, and when he saw Li Guanqi, tears welled up.
With a heavy thud, he dropped to his knees before Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi stepped aside at once, using spatial force to support him and lift him back up, saying in a solemn voice, "Xuan Lin, what are you doing?"
Once on his feet, Xuan Lin wore a look of deep grief, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Li Guanqi, thank you... If you hadn't stepped in today, I would have died without anyone ever knowing."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi was filled with emotion.
He had never expected that when he met this rival again—someone he had once shared mutual respect with—it would be under such circumstances.
Li Guanqi then channeled wisps of pure primal energy into Xuan Lin to help clear his blocked meridians.
A look of gratitude flashed in Xuan Lin's eyes. He opened his mouth, only to find that his voice had grown terribly hoarse. Words stuck in his throat; he wanted to say something, yet could find nothing to express it.
Seeing his state, Li Guanqi said nothing more and brought out a jar of strong spirit liquor, handing it to him.
This spiritual wine could help speed up the healing of his injuries, but more than that, it was because the brew was fierce enough.
Xuan Lin slapped away the clay seal, tilted his head back, and poured the fiery, throat-scorching liquor down.
Chapter 956