Buzz!
When the final gap was filled by the power of the medicinal pill, the fiery mark between Li Guanqi's brows finally dispersed completely into flecks of spiritual light.
A boundless, immense power surged through his entire body, and majestic lightning energy erupted in an instant!
Rumble!
Li Guanqi's body became like a bottomless abyss, devouring the rich spiritual energy around him like a whale swallowing the sea.
His aura climbed continuously, though he deliberately kept the surge of power suppressed.
In the end, his aura settled at the peak of the mid-Body Integration Realm, merely a sliver away from breaking through to the late stage.
Yet he did not wish to advance too quickly right now, preferring instead to elevate his Spirit Comprehension level as soon as possible.
Li Guanqi slowly opened his eyes, a purple flash of lightning arcs flickering across his pupils.
His chest rose and fell slightly as he exhaled a mouthful of grayish-white turbid breath.
His body felt clearer and more invigorated than ever before. A subtle smile touched the corner of his lips. "Finally, no more worries holding me back."
In the past, whenever he had fought with all his might, the fear of the volatile power within him running wild had tied his hands, leaving him suffocatingly stifled.
Changing into a fresh white robe, Li Guanqi slowly rose to his feet.
He beckoned to Pengluo, who came scurrying eagerly to his side and asked, "Why didn't you call me earlier when you felt a bit drained?"
Li Guanqi looked at Pengluo and chuckled. "It wasn't as if I absolutely had to use you. Things never reached that point."
Pengluo gave a sheepish giggle and said no more.
Looking at the thick layer of ash left by spent spirit stones at his feet, Li Guanqi couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"The resources required for cultivation now are truly staggering."
"High-grade spirit stones still contain slight impurities; their concentration still cannot compare to purple gold crystals."
With that in mind, he wondered whether he should convert all the spirit stones in his possession into purple gold crystals.
Stepping out of the meditation room, Li Guanqi closed his eyes to sense the surroundings and found that Meng Jiangchu had departed as well.
There were few outsiders in the Gu clan at this moment. Li Guanqi flashed into motion and arrived at Gu Changsheng's study.
"Tsk-tsk, peak mid-Body Integration already?"
Li Guanqi bowed in greeting. "Uncle Gu."
Gu Changsheng nodded, gesturing with a smile. "Sit."
"Heading out?"
Li Guanqi took a seat, sipped some spiritual tea, and nodded in reply.
"Mm, I'm getting ready to leave."
Gu Changsheng nodded slightly. "Have you decided where to go?"
Li Guanqi gave a wry smile. "No. I'll just go wherever the mood takes me."
"I came by mainly to bid Uncle Gu farewell and to put your mind at ease."
"Gu Li's departure this time will bring only benefits."
Gu Changsheng smiled, his voice laden with mixed emotions. "I know."
"Still, it's hard not to miss him. After all, that brat of ours has rarely ever ventured out into the world to train since he was small."
The two chatted for a while, and Gu Changsheng handed Li Guanqi a copy of the jade slips from Guo Feng and the other two elders.
"Before leaving, those three old men insisted again and again that their jade slips be given to you."
Li Guanqi accepted their jade slips with a smile, stowed them away, then rose and bowed politely with a grin. "Thank you for everything this time, Uncle Gu. You've had a hard time."
Gu Changsheng waved a hand dismissively. "Cut the polite crap. Hurry up and get lost."
As he spoke, a storage ring shot through the air toward Li Guanqi.
"I left some medicinal pills inside for you. When roaming the world, you should always keep some on hand."
Li Guanqi did not refuse. Taking a single step, he vanished from the spot along with Jiuxiao and Pengluo.
Having just left the Gu clan domain, Li Guanqi chose not to travel through the void, opting instead to journey across heaven and earth.
Soaring through the sky above the clouds, Li Guanqi clasped his hands behind his back and closed his eyes slightly.
Pengluo sat cross-legged atop Li Guanqi's head, squinting comfortably as the gentle breeze brushed his face.
"Master, where are we going?"
Li Guanqi reflected for a moment. Though he had visited the Sunset Domain many times, he had never truly explored it.
Moreover, with the Ancient Clans of the Six Domains entering the secular world, the balance of power among the clans and sects across the continent had shifted considerably.
Of course, this change was not confined to the Sunset Domain; the other five great domains were experiencing the same upheaval.
Hum!
Suddenly, Li Guanqi's expression shifted!
Taking out a jade slip, he heard Xi Yunhuai's urgent voice ring out:
"Pavilion Master, demonic energy suddenly appeared at a clan in the Sunset Domain!"
"Our intelligence agent has already been killed, but in the projection sent back, Song Zhi'ang's figure seemed to flash by for an instant!"
Li Guanqi's face changed dramatically. In a chilled, rapid voice, he ordered, "Send me the coordinates immediately!"
Whoosh!
Boom!
The void shattered, and Li Guanqi shot forward like a lightning bolt!
Before long, the Guanyun Jade Pendant relayed the clan's location:
"The Duan clan of the Sili Mountain Range in the Western Region of the Sunset Domain."
Li Guanqi checked the distance between himself and the Duan clan—it was immensely far...
His eyes flickered with resolve. The primal energy within him roared as he pushed his movement technique to its limit!
Channeled by his cultivation technique, lightning primal energy surged and thundered through his body, driving his speed to the absolute extreme.
Rumble!
Cultivators traveling through the void occasionally caught deafening claps of thunder ringing in their ears, only to glimpse a streak of lightning vanishing into the far depths of the emptiness.
At this moment, the murderous intent in Li Guanqi's heart had reached a boiling peak.
If not for Song Zhi'ang, Sha would have undoubtedly perished in the trap he had laid!
If Song Zhi'ang was there...
Ye Feng was very likely to be there as well!
Yet...
Li Guanqi pulled out the jade slip. The one belonging to Ye Feng remained dim and lifeless, bearing no messages whatsoever.
"Phew... I have to make it in time!"
***
Within a magnificent, imposing manor.
Drip... drip...
Fresh blood trickled down the blade of a sword. Splatters of gore stained Song Zhi'ang's pale face.
Turning back toward the doorway, she looked at Ye Feng, who was gnawing on a severed arm, and said coldly, "I know what you're thinking."
"But I advise you not to do it."
"Do you truly believe the only measure he left behind was a demonic spirit?"
As she spoke, she pointed to the black flower between her brows, her eyes inscrutable as she murmured in a low voice:
"I can be him as well."
At those words, Ye Feng's pupils constricted violently!
Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Song Zhi'ang to divulge such an immense secret directly to him!
In a chilling tone, Ye Feng spoke: "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you right here and now?"
Song Zhi'ang let out a bitter smile and tilted her head back toward the rain-swept heavens.
Facing upward, she let the icy rain wash over her body and rinse away the bloody filth on the ground, as though the downpour were cleansing this living hell on earth.
Her voice sounded devoid of emotion as she spoke: "It doesn't matter. I'm going to die anyway."
Her words trailed off, and she gripped her sword as she strode slowly into the main hall.
Beneath the corpses of a man and a woman, an infant had been shielded with desperate ferocity.
Light suddenly broke before the plump, pale baby boy as Song Zhi'ang pulled aside the lifeless arms sheltering him.
Looking at the unfamiliar face that had suddenly appeared, the infant began to giggle.
A faint smile curled at the corners of Song Zhi'ang's lips as she lifted the boy from the embrace of the dead.
The child seemed to possess an innate affinity for demonic energy; with a gentle brush of his tiny fingers, the demonic aura clinging to Song Zhi'ang enveloped his hand.
Ye Feng watched the woman from a short distance away, his brow furrowed in turmoil.
Gazing at the mangled corpses strewn across the courtyard, Ye Feng shut his eyes in agony.
Yet Song Zhi'ang spoke up: "All right, the task is complete. We should leave."
As she walked past Ye Feng, Song Zhi'ang whispered, "We should be able to deceive him this time, but next time... he will likely watch you."
Her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Feng's profile, and she murmured softly, "Some things... cannot be escaped."
"We must go. He... should be on his way here."
Chapter 991