Chapter 222 – Hefty Price To Pay!

Qin Xian examined Li Guanqi’s condition and found that his injuries weren’t too serious. The real issue was the strange loss of life force. Based on his assessment, if Li Guanqi couldn’t break through within the next three years, he would likely “die of old age.”

After taking the trio away, Qin Xian noticed that the slightly big-headed youth was very talented. Still, he would have to wait for them to wake up before asking what had happened. He was especially curious as to how the battle had escalated to such a dangerous point.

Before long, Ye Feng, whose injuries were the lightest, regained consciousness. The moment he saw Qin Xian, tears welled up and began to fall. Between sobs, he asked why Qin Xian had arrived so late.

Qin Xian’s expression darkened. “I rushed over as fast as I could. The moment I received the Sect Master’s order, I rushed over, avoiding everyone along the way.”

Ye Feng wiped his face, only half-convinced. “Really?”

Qin Xian slapped his head and huffed, “Why would I want you all to die? You’re asking a stupid question.”

Ye Feng clutched his head and nodded awkwardly. “I guess that’s true... Did my master say anything?”

“He just told me to hurry.”

“

Tsk.

That’s my master for you. Always the same.”

Qin Xian gave him a sidelong glance and smirked. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to pass along your heartfelt message to Tu Kui.”

Ye Feng chuckled awkwardly. “Elder Qin, please don’t... I love my master very much.”

“

Hmmph!

Anyway, what happened? Also, who’s the big-headed kid?”

Ye Feng turned, but the movement tugged at his wounds, and he winced. “Oh, Big Head?

Hahaha

, Boss and I picked him up. He’s seriously talented. His spirit root...”

Lowering his voice, Ye Feng stuck out a thumb.

Qin Xian’s gaze sharpened. He glanced from Ye Feng to Li Guanqi, putting the pieces together. It was almost unbelievable. How could they just stumble upon a top-tier prodigy?

Ye Feng went on, “Big Head’s also an alchemist. I think he’s quite good at it.”

Qin Xian froze. “You think? Either he is or he isn’t.”

“I’ve never seen him refine pills,” Ye Feng said, glancing at the unconscious Cao Yan. “But he’s great with talismans and arrays.”

Qin Xian’s eyes widened. His voice rose in pitch as he asked in disbelief, “Wait, he’s not just an alchemist? He can make talismans and draw arrays too?”

Ye Feng scratched his head, recalling how Cao Yan had bled from his orifices while drawing blood arrays. “I guess so. He’s a good guy. Anyway, if Boss hadn’t been here, we’d both be dead. Fang Yishan was already half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm.”

Qin Xian’s expression darkened. He huffed coldly. “The Great Wind Mountain Clan is finished. We’ll destroy them and make an example of them. No one’s going to stop the rise of the Daxia Sword Sect. We’ll knock some sense into them.”

Ye Feng pursed his lips. “You might not need to lift a finger. They don’t have a single Golden Core Realm cultivator left.”

Qin Xian’s jaw dropped. “What? Not a single one? Didn’t you guys say they had five?”

Ye Feng nodded, then looked at Li Guanqi with admiration. “That’s right, but they’re all dead now. Boss manipulated the situation so that Fang Yishan and his cousin turned against each other. Given Fang Yishan’s violent and paranoid nature, he ended up killing both his younger cousin and his second uncle. Long story short, all the Golden Core Realm cultivators are gone.”

Qin Xian was floored.

He was already impressed that the three of them had survived their fight with Fang Yishan. However, he hadn’t expected Li Guanqi to be so good at scheming. With clever manipulation, he made his enemies destroy each other so he could reap the rewards in the end.

Qin Xian looked down at Li Guanqi lying on the ground and smiled.

This brat really has been enjoying himself at the sect. With scheming skills like that, he could have thrown the entire place into chaos ages ago if he’d wanted to.

Cao Yan began to stir. The first thing he felt was a splitting headache, and the moment he woke up, he started banging his head violently.

Qin Xian stood up slowly and handed him a small bottle of spirit liquid. “Drink this. Your sea of consciousness has taken some damage. If you don’t treat it quickly, it could cause chronic issues.”

Cao Yan looked up and found himself facing an old man in black robes. The aura he felt was powerful, even oppressive, but not hostile. There was genuine concern in the man’s eyes.

Without hesitation, he took the bottle, stood up, and bowed. “Thank you, Elder. My name is Cao Yan.”

He drank the spirit liquid, then sat cross-legged and began cultivating.

Qin Xian nodded repeatedly, clearly satisfied. Meanwhile, Ye Feng shot him a resentful look.

Catching Ye Feng’s glare, Qin Xian gave an awkward smile and cleared his throat with two quick coughs.

Li Guanqi eventually came to as well, his head throbbing as if it would burst. His sea of consciousness and golden core were both completely depleted.

He turned his head to see Qin Xian approaching. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed the changes in his body.

He looked at his wrinkly hands and shook his head with a bitter smile.

That really was a hefty price to pay... Five hundred years of life gone, and I only have three years left... I can’t treat Sword Spirit as a last resort anymore.

He occasionally shared his vital force with Sword Spirit, but he had never seen Sword Spirit as a trump card or someone to rely on. From the start, he’d always prioritized cultivating his own power, remembering Su Xuan's lesson that true strength comes from within. Relying on external forces was unsustainable—the moment they disappeared, so would his power.

Looking around, he realized they were inside a cave. He leaned against the stone wall, glanced over at Ye Feng and Cao Yan, and grinned. He gave Ye Feng a thumbs-up.

The old man opened his mouth to speak, but Li Guanqi beat him to it. “Elder Qin, you need to think this through. Cao Yan’s background seems a little complicated. Bringing him into the sect might not be the wisest move.”

Qin Xian fell silent. He looked at Li Guanqi for a long time before finally sighing. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. When you return, bring him around the sect grounds for a visit.”

Li Guanqi nodded with a smile. Qin Xian had been worried about his condition, but he had managed to ease his concerns.

Since everyone seemed to be in stable condition, Qin Xian prepared to return to report to Lu Kangnian. Before leaving, he handed Li Guanqi a pair of shining wings. “You’re lucky, kid. This flying spirit artifact is a rare find. I fixed it up for you.”

Li Guanqi accepted the Thunder Wings, then clutched his chest with a pitiful expression. “

Sigh.

Elder Qin, my chest hurts. I’ve got no money for pills, Big Head’s sea of consciousness is still a mess, and we can’t even afford a pill cauldron. Ever since we left the sect, we’ve been like orphans—hungry, broke, and scorned by the people... Cao Yan doesn’t even dare to buy brushes for his talismans.”

Cao Yan froze. He was about to say he’d bought everything he needed, but Ye Feng quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.

Qin Xian’s face darkened as he looked down at his empty hands. Li Guanqi had taken two storage rings from his fingers.

“No, no. I need to go back and ask Sect Master Lu Kangnian to pay me back.”

As he stepped into a spatial crack, he smirked playfully. “Those were originally intended for them anyway. I’ll let them enjoy the fruits of their labor.”