As Li Changqing looked at the young man before him, a sharp glint flashed across his eyes. The fine hairs on his arm stood on end. He took a long, deep look at Li Guanqi and let out a soft sigh.

Li Guanqi smiled. “Why the sigh, Old Li?”

Li Changqing walked ahead without answering, muttering, “I’m getting old...”

In that brief instant, he had sensed something dangerous about Li Guanqi, an inexplicable danger radiating off the young man.

Li Guanqi had been traveling through the void, practicing his swordsmanship. The lingering aura of his sword Dao had yet to dissipate, and Li Changqing had noticed it, though he didn’t understand why.

Every time some time passed without seeing Li Guanqi, the young man seemed stronger. Not from advancing to a higher realm, but in a way Li Changqing felt in his bones. It was a tangible shift in raw power, plain as day to him.

Li Guanqi simply smiled and said nothing, carefully restraining his aura. He looked around at the clan disciples hurrying about and the patrol teams making their rounds. The entire Meng family felt somewhat tense. The fire-attribute spirit qi in the air had grown unusually dense and volatile.

“Old Li, why haven’t I seen Uncle Meng?”

Li Changqing glanced back at him. He said irritably, “You’re asking that when you already know the answer? He reopened the furnace to forge a weapon for you. The whole Meng family has been busy because of it.”

The fatigue in Li Changqing’s eyes made Li Guanqi a bit embarrassed. He quickly took out two jars of fine wine and offered them. “Ah... calm down, Old Li. Don’t be angry.”

Li Changqing had intended to put on airs and refuse, but the aroma broke his resolve. He took the jars.

“Where did you get such good wine?” he asked in a low voice.

Li Guanqi glanced around, then leaned in and whispered, “I took a trip to the Falling Sunset Territory. They make excellent wine there. This spirit wine wasn’t easy to come by.”

Li Changqing rolled his eyes. Anyone who believed that would be a fool.

Li Guanqi said, “Oh, right, Old Li. How’s Wanshu doing? Still no news after all this time.”

Li Changqing curled his lip. “What’s the rush? With the territorial lord here, what could go wrong? She’s already at the Illusory Refinement Realm, so a hundred years of seclusion isn’t unusual. Wanshu might even be on the verge of breaking through to the Combined Body Realm.”

He looked at Li Guanqi with a strange expression. “Don’t tell me you’ve never gone into long-term seclusion before?”

Li Guanqi’s expression faltered. “I have... for half a month.”

Li Changqing’s face darkened. He put away the wine jars and handed Li Guanqi a special jade slip. “I’m not dealing with you anymore. I‌ still got a pile of things to do. Go wander around on your own.”

For a moment, as he watched the old man’s departing figure, Li Guanqi felt as if the world were impossibly vast and yet held no place for him.

He glanced back toward the Meng family’s rear mountain, then flashed away and left the domain.

Down in the town at the foot of the mountain, Li Guanqi bought livestock and vegetable seeds, then returned to the domain. He visited Aunt Li at the rear mountain, calling her “Mother-in-law” again and again until the woman was absolutely delighted. The herd of livestock and bags of seeds only made her happier. She was smiling ear to ear, praising Li Guanqi for being so thoughtful. He enjoyed a lavish meal before leaving.

Flying through the air, Li Guanqi noticed the Meng family disciples and patrol teams all stopping to salute him as he passed. His strength alone, let alone his title and identity, was enough to command that kind of respect.

He pondered for a moment, took out a jade slip, and said, “Come find me at the Xiao family residence.”

With a wave of his hand, he tore open the domain boundary. The jade slip at his waist flickered with a faint glow, and the next moment, he vanished.

***

Deep in a mountain range brimming with spirit qi lay a strange domain. Countless severed heads floated at its entrance, packed so densely they were almost a wall. Six among them stood out from the rest.

No formations or barriers guarded the spatial rift leading inside. It stood wide open, like a gate flung to the world.

Two Xiao family cultivators stood guard at the entrance. When they spotted a white speck approaching from a distance, they shouted, “This is the Xiao family domain! Outsiders halt!”

But the moment they recognized who it was, their faces lit up with gratitude. They flew out and bowed deeply.

“Greetings, Yanluo Sword Sovereign!”

“Greetings, Yanluo Sword Sovereign!”

Li Guanqi nodded with a smile. He chuckled softly and said, “No one’s come looking for trouble with the Xiao family lately, right?”

The two middle-aged men glanced at each other. One of them, a stern-looking man, pointed back at the floating heads. “With those things up there, most troublemakers don’t bother. No one’s dared cause problems.”

Li Guanqi nodded and sped past them. As he entered the realm, he happened to see Xiao Chen walking towards him. The gloom that once lingered in Xiao Chen’s eyes had faded. He looked at Li Guanqi and smiled. “Boss, when did you get back? You didn’t even tell me you were coming.”

Li Guanqi laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder. “What, I can’t come if I don’t give you a heads-up?”

“Haha, of course you can. Come in, come in.”

Li Guanqi smiled and said, “Let’s find a place to talk. Someone will be arriving soon.”

Xiao Chen nodded as he walked beside him. “Let’s go to my courtyard.”

The moment they sat down, Li Guanqi smiled. “Send word that a guest has arrived.”

Buzz!

Outside the realm, above a mountain peak, a pitch-black spatial rift tore open. An old man and a young woman slowly stepped through.

Song Yunshu stared at the densely packed heads floating at the entrance, startled. Just like before, she wore tight-fitting purple robes embroidered with exquisite golden patterns. White jade earrings hung from her ears, and a hint of seductive charm lingered on her face.

“This... how many people did they kill to end up with so many heads...”

Behind her stood a hunched old man in a loose black robe. His hair was dry and graying, his eyes so dim and clouded he almost looked blind. He had a high nose bridge, thin lips, and slightly prominent cheekbones. He glanced at the floating heads without a flicker of reaction.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Once we deliver the item, we have to head back.”

A crafty glint flashed in Song Yunshu’s eyes. She turned to the old man with a playful smile. “Old Tu, when we return this time, maybe there’ll be three of us.”

A sharp glint suddenly flickered in the old man’s clouded eyes, yet his voice remained calm as he spoke. “Looks like the old pavilion owner gave you some private instructions.”

The two of them made their way toward the Xiao family’s domain, one after the other. The guards at the entrance had already received word about their arrival. They respectfully led the pair toward Xiao Chen’s private courtyard.

Li Guanqi had no idea that his plan to return to the Daxia Sword Sect as soon as possible had just fallen through again.