Zhou Shiyu could not help but let out a cry of amazement.

He had never imagined that a sword cultivator could temper both his body and his fist technique to such a level.

Skin like steel, flesh like bedrock, a body like a mountain. The sheer power of Li Guanqi’s blood and qi gave even him pause. Both were spirit-martial double cultivators, yet in physical refinement, Zhou Shiyu was utterly outclassed.

After careful consideration of the fist technique, Ten Thousand Mountains, Zhou Shiyu concluded that if he were to face that single punch, he would have to go all out. Even then, the outcome would remain uncertain.

The image of that punch kept replaying in his mind. He already possessed an earth-lineage vital force, and his comprehension ran especially deep.

He clenched his fists and bowed respectfully to Li Guanqi, believing that those with greater skill were teachers. He was even willing to call Li Guanqi “Master” if he could learn something from him. “Thank you, Brother Li, for your generous demonstration.”

Li Guanqi waved it off. He considered it a small matter.

Meanwhile, Gu Huai and the others came rushing over in a panic. With such a tremendous commotion, they had thought Li Guanqi and Zhou Shiyu had actually come to blows.

Seeing the elder approach, Li Guanqi seized the moment to take his leave. “I have imposed on you these past few days; thank you for your generosity. As for the alliance between the Daxia Sword Sect and the Six Gates Holy Sect, I will see to it as soon as possible. Now that everything is settled, I will not linger further.”

Gu Huai and the five gate masters bowed deeply toward Li Guanqi. What Li Guanqi had done had essentially propped up the backbone of a sect that was on the verge of collapse.

Gu Huai’s expression was grave and sincere. “Young friend, rest assured. In this partnership, the Six Gates Holy Sect will never use its standing to pressure anyone. You have our word.”

Li Guanqi smiled and nodded. With a flash of lightning beneath his feet, he vanished from the Six Gates Holy Sect.

After he left, Li Guanqi’s thoughts drifted to Meng Wanshu and the sword his father-in-law was forging for him.

He rubbed his chin, glanced back toward the Six Gates Holy Sect, and muttered, “This Zhou Shiyu... is there any way to get him on board?”

Li Guanqi admired Zhou Shiyu greatly. Not only for his talent in the sword Dao, but also for his character and temperament. He didn’t begrudge Zhou Shiyu for declining the invitation. If the situation were reversed, even if a Combined Body Realm cultivator came wanting to take him under their wing, he wouldn’t have agreed either.

The reason was simple: if he didn't see himself as inferior, why would he accept anyone else as his superior?

Li Guanqi drew out his heavenly intelligence jade pendant. “Elder Gu, I want to make a trip back to the Divine Treasure Territory. Where’s the nearest trans-territory transport array?”

The elder’s voice came back through the pendant, sounding thoroughly exhausted.

—It’s all been sent to your jade pendant. The Six Gates Holy Sect... well, you know the situation yourself. For now, there’s no need to worry about a Combined Body Realm old monster appearing. However, the rule no one dares to break is that only those under a hundred years of age may make a move. And among the ancient clans, there may well be monstrous talents who have never shown themselves to the world.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Li Guanqi’s eyes flickered. “No wonder... no wonder I’ve never seen any of the ancient clan elders make a move this whole time. In other words, if there really is someone under a hundred at the Combined Body Realm, they’d probably come out and dominate the entire field the instant they appeared, wouldn’t they?”

Li Guanqi’s expression grew somber, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t know why, but the moment he heard this news, an inexplicable sense of pressure settled over him.

He had always suspected that truly heaven-defying geniuses had to exist among those long-hidden ancient clans. He had rarely met a match among cultivators of his realm, yet he had always been wary of the ancient clans. Their legacies stretched back thousands or even tens of thousands of years. The depth of their foundations likely exceeded what he could even imagine.

The Sun clan alone was enough to make him marvel at the overwhelming talent of their disciples.

Li Guanqi pondered for a moment. “Understood, Elder Gu. Thank you.”

The elder’s teasing voice came through the jade pendant.

—Still, don’t let it weigh on you too much. If some fool truly wants to act against you, I will simply relocate the entire Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion to the Daxia Sword Sect!

Li Guanqi broke into a grin. This old man really knows what he’s doing.

It would be no different from handing the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion over to him, yet Li Guanqi had no intention of allowing it. After all, Elder Gu's offer was solely because of his respect for Su Xuan.

A sharp gleam flashed in Li Guanqi’s eyes. His mind churned as he tore open the void and headed toward the nearest trans-territory transport array. This was no public transport array, but the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s private one.

The moment the array barrier dissipated, the disciple keeping watch drew out a jade slip thick with demonic qi and spoke into it.

“Lord Mei, he has stepped onto the transport array. The spatial coordinates are—”

Before the disciple could finish, a blurred figure rose slowly from the shadow beneath his feet. A short blade slashed his head clean off.

Splurt!

Ge San stared at the jade slip in his hand, thick with demonic qi. A chill ran through him.

He hurriedly drew out his heavenly intelligence jade pendant and relayed everything to Gu Yong. The moment Gu Yong set down his jade pendant, his expression shifted. But Li Guanqi had already entered the transport array, so there was no way to contact him.

Gu Yong tucked his hands into his sleeves, rose to his feet, and paced slowly around his study.

He murmured, “Mei... as in Chimei Wangliang?[1] What cultivation rank would a Mei-ranked assassin be? The Illusory Refinement Realm, or... the Combined Body Realm?

“If it’s the Combined Body Realm, doesn’t that mean the Sha organization’s highest tier has finally... Impossible... This is a mere heretical cultivator organization! How could it possibly have a Tribulation Realm cultivator?”

After a long silence, he slowly stepped forward and vanished from the Heavenly Intelligence Realm.

On the way, Gu Yong sent a message through his jade slip. “Old Brother Meng, the Sha organization is plotting against Guanqi.”

—What?! Where is he?!

Li Guanqi was traveling through the transport passage, completely unaware of any of this. Inside the passage, he gripped an illusory lightning sword in one hand and rehearsed his sword techniques. The two sword techniques he had comprehended through the Dao resonance stone had given him a far deeper understanding of his sword intent.

But as things stood, he hadn’t yet touched even the metaphorical wall of the Combined Body Realm. The road ahead was likely still very long.

As he practiced, his mind was turning over a thought: once the current busy stretch was behind him, he might need to enter closed-door cultivation. He’d realized that the Illusory Refinement Realm demanded an immense degree of comprehension of the boundary between the illusory and the real. Only when he found that path would it be time for him to break through to the Combined Body Realm.

Meanwhile, three figures in blood-red masks streaked through the void at high speed. A hoarse voice spoke slowly. “Can’t you pin down the exact location?”

Another figure, shrouded entirely in black robes, answered in an icy tone. “Use the Blood Oath Compass. And remember... Capture him alive!”

1. Chimei wangliang, or Chimimōryō, is a term that refers to monsters of the mountains and monsters of the rivers. The term originated in China roughly 2,500 years ago in ancient chronicles such as the Zuo Zhuan. ☜