Li Guanqi returned the gesture with a cupped fist salute and said calmly, “Fellow cultivators, there’s no need for such courtesy.”

Several Divine Transformation Realm cultivators rose to their feet, while some Nascent Soul Realm cultivators didn’t even dare approach.

Li Guanqi looked at them while casually drawing the mask and blood banner into his hands. “I haven’t been in the Daxia Territory recently. Has the Sha organization really become this brazen?”

Cao Yi’s expression turned grave. “Yes, Swords Sovereign. Abyssal Demons have been massacring villages all over these past few months.”

“We rushed back to our sects as soon as we heard the news.”

“Damn those evil cultivators!”

Li Guanqi examined the mask. Mid-Yellow was inscribed on the back, marking it as one of the lowest ranks in the Sha organization.

Glancing at the dead woman, Li Guanqi slowly raised his left hand and clenched his fingers slightly. “Gather souls!”

Buzz!

A mysterious spatial fluctuation spread out, and fragments of blue light no bigger than a thumb were forcibly drawn from the void. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Cao Yi and the others exchanged shocked glances. Such a method was simply unheard of.

Li Guanqi closed his eyes briefly but found no useful information. Her memories had been sealed by some special technique. He couldn’t probe them at all. The only ones he could access were from after she had appeared in the town.

Yet looking at the corpse, doubt crept in. Judging by her bone age, she was definitely under thirty. A Divine Transformation Realm cultivator under thirty would be considered a genius anywhere. Why would someone like her join the Sha organization?

After a moment’s thought, he raised his hand and stored the corpse.

He turned to the Abyssal Demon still struggling in the distant crater, a cold smile forming. “These things really are tenacious... but I have no interest in studying them.”

As he turned, a three-zhang-long sword of crackling lightning condensed in midair. The moment it formed, dark clouds churned above. With a flick of his finger, the lightning sword came crashing down.

Boom!

The Abyssal Demon’s body dissolved into thick demonic qi, vanishing from the world.

Looking at the cultivators still arriving from all directions, Li Guanqi cupped his fists and said sincerely, “It is a great fortune for the Daxia Territory to have righteous cultivators like all of you.”

He meant it. He hadn’t expected that the slaughter of a mere mortal village would draw so many cultivators rushing to help. This matter had nothing to do with any of them, and they could have easily stayed out of it. The Sha organization’s assassins were extremely powerful, yet these people came anyway, risking their lives.

Lou Yu returned the salute with a solemn expression. “As cultivators, we cannot turn a blind eye. The Six Territories are in turmoil. If each of us only sweeps the snow from our own doorstep, when disaster strikes our sects, who will come to help us? Only by treating this as a shared responsibility, standing together, can we survive this crisis.”

Li Guanqi nodded, visibly moved. “Well said. Everyone, I still have matters to attend to. I’ll take this corpse with me. If you ever have the chance, come visit the Daxia Sword Sect. I’ll be sure to treat you all to good wine!”

The crowd was both honored and slightly overwhelmed. This was an Illusory Refinement expert, the famed Yanluo Sword Sovereign. With a flash, Li Guanqi teleported away, taking the mask and blood banner with him.

As he moved through the void, his expression darkened. There were at least several thousand souls stored within the blood banner, yet its structure was extremely intricate. It resembled a soul banner but wasn’t meant for direct combat. It was more like a vessel built to store souls.

He took out a jade slip. “I’m back. Are you at the auction house?”

Soon, a cheerful voice came from the jade slip.

—I am! Are you coming over?

Li Guanqi calculated briefly. “One hour.”

Whoosh!

Flying Cloud City was alive under the night sky, packed so tightly that if you jumped, the press of bodies would hold you mid-air.

The reason was simple. Yunding Auction House had recently put up a series of auction items, all top-grade tier-five pills. Every single one had been crafted by Grand Alchemist Sun Miao of the Daxia Sword Sect.

Yunding Auction House had also become the only auction house officially recognized as a partner by the Daxia Sword Sect, leaving countless others envious. Even the Hundred Treasures Pavilion had attempted to negotiate cooperation multiple times, only to be rejected.

When Li Guanqi arrived at Flying Cloud City, even he was startled by the sheer scale of the crowd. After a moment’s thought, he decided not to draw attention to himself and gradually faded into the void.

Qian Qiusui stood before a mirror, examining her outfit. After a moment, she tugged slightly at her shoulder, letting a bit of her fair skin show.

A teasing male voice came from behind her. “If you pull it any further, it’s going to fall off.”

She spun around, shooting Li Guanqi an annoyed glance. Then her brows furrowed. “You’re injured?”

She quickly stepped forward, concern clear in her voice. “What happened? Who could’ve hurt you? Do you need healing pills?”

Li Guanqi waved his hand dismissively. “I’m fine. Where are Ji Yuchuan and the others?”

Qian Qiusui took out a special jade token and bowed slightly, presenting it with both hands as she smiled. “Please accept your identity token, Pavilion Master. Of course, our Guanyun Pavilion recognizes the person, not the token.”

Li Guanqi chuckled softly and examined the token. Carved from lightning-struck stone, its front bore the inscription “Guanyun,” while the back depicted a misty mountain peak crowned with a towering structure, etched with the title “Pavilion Master.”

He infused a strand of vital force into it, allowing him to sense the location of Guanyun Pavilion. It lay a hundred li outside Flying Cloud City, hidden in the mountains, an independent domain Ji Yuchuan had carved out with his great power.

Li Guanqi stood up slowly. “I’ll head over.”

She still looked like she wanted to say something, so Li Guanqi shrugged and added casually, “Fix your clothes. If Wanshu sees you like this... you’ll have a hard time.”

Qian Qiusui’s smile stiffened slightly.

Of course, she knew who Wanshu was. A true daughter of the heavens, someone who stood above the masses. Li Guanqi’s simple remark was also a reminder to hold on to her dignity and not let others look down on her.

Qian Qiusui smiled easily, pulling her clothes back into place. She bowed gracefully. “Qiusui understands.”

Looking at her now proud and composed expression, Li Guanqi smiled. “This is the Qian Qiusui I know. The one with that proud look in her eyes.”