Chapter 242 - Separation

Boom!

Having broken through to the late Golden Core Realm, Li Guanqi took a step forward, shielding Ye Feng. He tied the sword box to his left arm. He had once used it to block an attack, and it hadn’t even left a scratch.

He was still chewing pills, vital force surging through him like raging dragons.

Boom!

A terrifying force struck from behind, sending Ye Feng flying several zhang away. Li Guanqi glared with purple lightning flashing in his eyes.

Then, he activated Soul Dissolution through his Red Lotus Sword.

Facing the incoming sword light, his expression grew grave. New wrinkles deepened at the corners of his eyes. He gripped the sword with his withered hand, swinging it again and again.

Then, he used the Seven Killings Sword Sutra.

To Ye Feng’s shock, Li Guanqi unleashed the fourth move.

“Grasping Slash!”

Boom!

Four rays of purple sword light laced with red shot forth.

The blades collided mid-air, explosions splitting the night in every direction. Li Guanqi was blasted backward by the impact, and Ye Feng caught him to lessen the force. Even so, the impact hurled them back a hundred zhang before landing, and a dense web of wounds covered Li Guanqi’s whole body.

Amidst the rolling dust, the attacker’s right sleeve burst apart. He stood still, staring.

He looked down at the broken skin between his thumb and forefinger, then furrowed his brow slightly. A glint passed through his eyes as his killing intent surged, and he muttered, “He cannot be allowed to live.”

But just as he resolved to unleash his full strength to kill Li Guanqi and Ye Feng, ignoring the consequences, he realized he could no longer sense Cao Yan’s presence.

“Damn it! How does he have so many transporter talismans? He was nothing more than a blood slave not long ago! When did he get the materials to make all these talismans?!”

Cursing to himself, he stepped into a spatial rift without looking back.

Li Guanqi panicked when he saw the man leaving. He stepped forward, sword in hand. Violent lightning power surged through his body, crackling around the blade. Then, he channeled all his strength and hurled it forward like a javelin.

“Stay where you are!”

With his furious cry, the sword became a bolt of lightning that pierced the night sky toward the black-robed man.

Boom!

Clouds churned, winds howled, and the sword split the darkness of the night.

The man was a little startled by the sudden strike. With one foot already inside the spatial crack, he lifted his hand and released a powerful arc of sword light.

Boom! Clang!

The clash rang out like metal shattering, forcing him back a dozen zhang toward the spatial crack.

Li Guanqi’s sword, driven by thunderous force, cut straight through the man’s sword light.

At the last instant, the man blocked with his blade.

Clang! Boom!

The Red Lotus Sword struck, and the man’s sword exploded into fragments.

Instinctively, he raised his left arm to block, but the Red Lotus Sword pierced through it, stopping only three inches short of his brow.

He swallowed hard. Cold sweat beaded across his forehead. If he’d been a heartbeat slower, the blade would have pierced his skull.

He looked at his shattered blade and realized that the Red Lotus Sword was no ordinary sword.

He turned to step into the rift, seizing the Red Lotus by its hilt. But the moment he grasped it, his face twisted. He quickly released it, staring at his scorched palm. He knew he couldn’t take it with him. With a flick of his hand, he hurled it into the void.

He cast one last glance at the blind swordsman, then vanished into the spatial crack. The rift sealed shut, and Li Guanqi, pale and drained, collapsed mid-air.

The exchange had lasted only moments, yet it had nearly exhausted his divine consciousness.

The enemy was a cultivator who had been in the Nascent Soul Realm for a very long time. At minimum, he was at the peak of the early Nascent Soul Realm, and likely half a step into the mid Nascent Soul Realm.

The difference in cultivation left Li Guanqi feeling powerless. To outside eyes, a Golden Core Realm cultivator wounding a Nascent Soul Realm expert was already astounding. But he knew that it still wasn’t enough.

If he remained at his level, how could he ever contend with the true titans of the world?

Still, he had bought Cao Yan enough time to escape. Cao Yan had likely gotten at least a hundred li away, making it much harder for the man to find him.

Nascent Soul Realm cultivators could travel by creating spatial tears, so their speeds far exceeded regular cultivators.

Cao Yan had severed all communication lines, ensuring they could not locate him.

Ye Feng looked at the weakened Li Guanqi and lifted him onto his back. “We’ve done all we could. I’m afraid we’ll have to leave everything else to the heavens.”

Li Guanqi said weakly, “Come back!”

Whoosh!

The Red Lotus Sword tore free of the void and returned to its box. Ye Feng’s eyes widened. He had never imagined the sword could return from nothingness itself.

Li Guanqi also knew that Cao Yan had only shouted to draw the enemy’s focus onto himself.

As Ye Feng said, the rest was in heaven’s hands.

“Let’s head another way and hide,” Li Guanqi said. “If that man couldn’t catch Cao Yan, he may turn his anger on us.”

Li Guanqi took a long look at the horizon and murmured, “I hope you remain safe.”

He had no choice. Despite giving his all, the wounds he inflicted were shallow. He hadn’t been able to replicate what he had done to Fang Yishan.

He looked down at his waist. Unbeknownst to him, a storage pouch had been stuffed into his pocket.

Inside lay the Longevity Grass.

Li Guanqi closed his eyes. Even on the brink of death, Cao Yan hadn’t forgotten him.

Clutching the pouch with both hands, he said, “Whatever danger Cao Yan faces, I’ll face it with him.”

He turned to Ye Feng, then glanced around. He sensed many cultivators drawing near.

“Let’s go. We need to leave and contact Yunding. If Cao Yan’s alive, he’ll find a way to contact us through them.”

Ye Feng frowned. “But I saw how terrified that Yunding guy was. Will they really help us? Won’t they be afraid of being dragged into this?”

Li Guanqi spoke with great conviction, “Then we shall show Qian Qiusui just how valuable we are! We’ll become stronger—so strong that no one can afford to ignore us!”

Ye Feng nodded firmly, a spark lighting in his eyes.