Chapter 110: Thirty-Three Flying Swords of Death

For Bai Wei, she had some history with Li Guanxuan.

While it was not a blood feud, the fact that two powerful factions with strong backgrounds—the Thunder Fire Sect and the Bright Moon Sword Sect—were now both intent on killing Li Guanxuan meant that if her Water Ink Pavilion were to get involved, they would certainly face certain death. Furthermore, in Bai Wei's view, maintaining good relations with Yan Mingyao and Ling Jiansheng offered far more benefits than befriending Li Guanxuan.

A three-hundred-year-old spirit wood was exactly what Bai Wei needed most urgently. Since Li Guanxuan had refused to trade with her back then, she now had to rely on her own abilities to obtain it.

Seeing the mid-stage Foundation Establishment experts from the three major factions moving toward Li Guanxuan, the demonic cultivator Yu Jie from Starfall Valley narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Fellow Daoist, you are a genuine sword cultivator. I cannot call others to help you, but since I despise the hypocritical ways of the righteous sects, I personally will hold back Yan Mingyao for you. This has nothing to do with favors; it is purely a matter of personal preference and grievances!"

Li Guanxuan turned to glance at Yu Jie, nodded, and smiled. "Many thanks."

Yu Jie also signaled to the demonic cultivators beside him. With the righteous sect cultivators busy dealing with Li Guanxuan, it provided them with a perfect opportunity to catch their breath and make a fortune. Since he was staying behind to stall Yan Mingyao, the remaining demonic cultivators could go and compete with the Pill Cauldron Sect for treasures. Coming to the Scarlet Refining Mountain Range, getting rich was the most important thing!

"Be careful, he possesses a peak Foundation Establishment magic puppet. We must disable his puppet if we have any chance of winning!" Bai Wei warned.

"Just attack with confidence. It’s as if you’re the only one with a peak Foundation Establishment puppet!"

Cold murderous intent flickered in Yan Mingyao’s eyes. He unleashed an eighth-level Foundation Establishment warrior puppet, simultaneously deploying a peak Foundation Establishment warrior puppet. The two pitch-black, sturdy puppets charged instantly toward Li Guanxuan!

Bai Wei did not hesitate either. She drew a white bow and notched three spirit arrows infused with mana. Each arrowhead carried a second-tier superior-grade fire-attribute treasure talisman, her divine sense locked firmly onto Li Guanxuan. At the same time, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Water Ink Pavilion followed suit, drawing their bows without hesitation.

Seeing this formation, the Black Rain Sect demonic cultivators who had previously clashed with the Water Ink Pavilion narrowed their eyes. They knew the lethality of the Water Ink Pavilion’s archery technique all too well, having suffered significant losses and seen many of their own sect members perish because of it. Every bow and every spirit arrow from the Water Ink Pavilion was nurtured with mana for years, and just like the treasure talismans they crafted, they possessed immense destructive and penetrating power. Ordinary cultivators at the same level could only use magic tools to block these arrows and talismans; attempting to block them with their physical bodies would result in death and the dissipation of their cultivation.

"Let’s go. This man is as good as dead. Let’s go collect the treasures and stop wasting time here," one of the Black Rain Sect cultivators remarked. He didn't even need to see the outcome to know how miserable Li Guanxuan’s end would be.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

A volley of spirit arrows streaked through the air, each hung with a fire-attribute attack talisman, descending with overwhelming momentum like a rain of fire.

Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi’s expressions changed drastically! However, just as they were about to step up to help block the barrage, Li Guanxuan waved his hand and said, "Go and stop the Thunder Fire Sect’s puppets. Leave the rest to us!"

"Old Li..." Chen Yinshan wanted to say more, but Fang Xingzhi had already charged toward the Thunder Fire Sect’s puppets, shouting, "Stop acting like a woman! Just trust him!"

At that moment, dozens of second-tier mid-grade flying swords emerged behind Li Guanxuan, and thirty-three strands of Qingxuan sword intent quietly unfolded. Sensing this terrifying, murderous sword intent, Chen Yinshan was momentarily stunned, then followed Fang Xingzhi toward the Thunder Fire Sect without further hesitation. It was true: ever since Old Li had moved to the shanty district of Qing'an City, he had focused on steady cultivation and living a quiet life, showing no desire for adventure. Since marrying Rong Xin, he had become even more cautious. Therefore, if Li Guanxuan dared to make a move, he must have two hundred percent certainty, and there was no need for him to worry. He just had to listen!

The Great Elder of the Water Ink Pavilion felt this familiar murderous sword intent and immediately pulled back to warn, "Watch out for his sword technique! This man is no ordinary sword cultivator; carelessness will cost you your life!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the thirty-three flying swords transformed into rays of sword light, exploding outward and colliding with the rain of fire.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The talismans and spirit arrows erupted instantly, but the flying swords remained unstoppable, piercing straight toward all the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Water Ink Pavilion. Li Guanxuan’s divine sense spread out, locking his gaze onto Bai Wei.

"Oh no!" Bai Wei’s face turned pale, a chill rising in her heart. With a grave expression, she threw out three defensive treasure talismans in an attempt to block the incoming blades.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Mana surged and sword intent crackled. Although the three defensive talismans stopped nine of the flying swords, nine more pierced through Bai Wei’s body in quick succession. In an instant, flowers of blood bloomed across her, staining her flawless white silk dress.

Bai Wei was stunned. She never imagined that she would die without even leaving behind final words. She stared at that cold, emotionless face, but even with endless regret, it was of no use now; her vision was slowly swallowed by darkness. The renowned Fairy Bai Wei had perished.

The Black Rain Sect cultivator who had been planning to leave noticed the heaven-shaking sword intent and turned back just in time to see Bai Wei fall from the sky, her white dress stained red with blood.

Yet, it was not over. After Li Guanxuan mercilessly destroyed the "flower," he showed no mercy, his expression not even flickering. The battle was not over; how could he be happy so soon? The thirty-three flying swords continued to slice through the air, harvesting the lives of the Water Ink Pavilion’s mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators one by one. Bodies fell from the sky, just like Bai Wei’s. The ruthless, killing sword intent spread rapidly across the land.

"This... what kind of background does this sword cultivator have?"
"Thirty-three lethal flying swords... surely no one below late-stage Foundation Establishment could block that?"
"I think even late-stage Foundation Establishment would be in trouble..."

Many departing demonic cultivators were shocked by the sight, especially those from the Black Rain Sect. The Water Ink Pavilion, which had caused them so many losses, was being slaughtered at will by an unknown sword cultivator!

...

Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi successfully stalled the Thunder Fire Sect’s puppets, while Yan Mingyao and his puppets were kept busy by Yu Jie.

Ling Jiansheng, sensing the power of those thirty-three flying swords, kept his eyes fixed on Li Guanxuan. When he realized Bai Wei was in danger, he transformed into a streak of sword light and surged forward. However, a graceful figure blocked his path. Demonic energy, sword intent, and a divine sense comparable to the peak of Foundation Establishment locked onto him instantly.

At the same time, Qin Jiyue wielded her thin purple sword and flicked it, creating a flurry of sword blossoms. Thousands of sword qi transformed into a storm, intent on sweeping away all the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Bright Moon Sword Sect!

Just then, Bai Wei fell, and the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Water Ink Pavilion were all harvested by the thirty-three flying swords. Ling Jiansheng had no time to worry about the Water Ink Pavilion; he stared at the woman before him as if facing a formidable enemy and shouted, "Form the formation!"

He never expected that the terrifying one was not only the sword cultivator named Li, but also his dao companion! The mid-stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivators of the Bright Moon Sword Sect did not dare to be careless, as the fate of the Water Ink Pavilion was a bloody lesson.

"A petty formation like that doesn't even compare to one of my husband's talisman arrays," Qin Jiyue said with disdain.

Facing the incoming sword formation, she first threw out a crystal-clear treasure talisman that merged into the void, causing ripples to spread outward. Then, her sword light, like a thousand rays of divine glow, sharp and extreme, forcibly tore through the Bright Moon Sword Sect’s formation! This was a talisman array Li Guanxuan had specifically crafted for her. She had even nurtured it with immortal energy and sword intent; breaking a mid-stage Foundation Establishment sword formation was effortless.

"Fellow Daoist, wait! We will give you the three-hundred-year-old Dragon Scale Fruit, and we are willing to compensate for all your losses!" At this moment, Yun Li, who was as famous as Bai Wei, appeared and blocked Ling Jiansheng, speaking to Qin Jiyue.

Qin Jiyue’s eyes flashed with anger, her sword raised to strike. They only wanted to play the peacemaker now? Where were they before!

However, Li Guanxuan sent a voice transmission: "Take the three-hundred-year-old Dragon Scale Fruit and demand ten thousand low-grade spirit stones as compensation. We have already offended the Water Ink Pavilion to death; if we provoke the Bright Moon Sword Sect as well, the trouble will be even greater."

Hearing this, Qin Jiyue’s heart sank. It was true. The Thunder Fire Sect already harbored hostility toward them, and now that the Water Ink Pavilion’s experts had died at Li Guanxuan’s hands, this account would definitely be settled. If they offended the Bright Moon Sword Sect too, Liu Xiaoxian might not be able to protect them.

"The Dragon Scale Fruit, plus ten thousand low-grade spirit stones," Qin Jiyue said coldly, staring at Yun Li.

"No problem!" Yun Li agreed immediately, throwing a storage bag of spirit stones before looking at Ling Jiansheng, signaling him to be sensible.

"Junior Sister, we..." Before Ling Jiansheng could finish, Yun Li interrupted, "Our goal in coming here was not to kill this unknown sword cultivator, and our grievances do not need to escalate into a blood feud. It can be resolved. I hope Senior Brother will not throw away the lives of so many junior brothers and sisters!"

Yun Li knew Ling Jiansheng was unwilling to admit defeat, but this demonic woman was too terrifying. A single flick of her sword could create such a horrifying storm of sword qi. Now that their formation was broken, if they didn't offer compensation, Li Guanxuan would surely come to kill Ling Jiansheng the moment he was free! After all, Li Guanxuan’s goal had always been that three-hundred-year-old Dragon Scale Fruit.

"Senior Brother Ling..." The other sword cultivators of the Bright Moon Sword Sect also looked fearful and urged him in low voices. They had truly felt a thick murderous intent; if they kept fighting, people would definitely die. Everyone had struggled to reach the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment; no one wanted to lose their life here.

Hearing everyone urging him, Ling Jiansheng gritted his teeth and tossed out the three-hundred-year-old Dragon Scale Fruit. Qin Jiyue probed it with her divine sense, and upon confirming it was fine, she retrieved the fruit and the spirit stone bag before returning to Li Guanxuan’s side.

The Water Ink Pavilion had been completely wiped out by Li Guanxuan; only the Thunder Fire Sect remained.

"Retreat!" Yan Mingyao saw this and led the Thunder Fire Sect members away without hesitation. The battle at the peak Foundation Establishment level was at a fever pitch; his father, the Sect Master, had no way to spare his energy to help him. As for the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators... they were also embroiled in other conflicts and could not look after him. If he didn't run now, he wouldn't be able to run at all.

"Husband," Qin Jiyue said in a deep voice. As Yun Li said, they had no blood feud with the Bright Moon Sword Sect, only some disputes over spirit herbs that could be resolved. But Yan Mingyao had tried to kill Li Guanxuan multiple times! Letting him go was like releasing a tiger back into the mountains. In Qin Jiyue’s view, Yan Mingyao had to die here today!

"Old Chen, Fang Xingzhi, hold back all the mid-stage Foundation Establishment members of the Thunder Fire Sect!" Li Guanxuan was not a hesitant person; he roared and transformed into a streak of sword light, chasing after them. The debt of the You family, the debt between the two of them, and the debt owed to Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi... these were all reasons why Li Guanxuan had to kill Yan Mingyao.

He was already in an irreconcilable blood feud with the Thunder Fire Sect; he might as well finish the job and kill Yan Mingyao. If he let Yan Mingyao go today, the man wouldn't be grateful; instead, he would laugh at Li Guanxuan’s stupidity and cause him even more trouble in the future.

"Hahaha... count me in!" Yu Jie had taken quite a few hits while stalling Yan Mingyao earlier. Seeing Li Guanxuan chase after him, he laughed loudly and followed at full speed.

As Li Guanxuan and the others chased the Thunder Fire Sect cultivators, the Flame Demon Bear, hiding in a distant corner, widened its eyes, retreated stealthily, and slipped away. It had wanted to help... but that big shot didn't seem to need its help. However, it could help collect the spoils of war for the big shot; that should count as helping, right?

A dozen Scarlet Gold Rats hid underground, stealthily dragging the corpses of the Water Ink Pavilion’s mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators into the earth before scurrying away at top speed, not lingering for a second. They didn't even dare to squeak, fearing they would be discovered.

...

"Damn it!" Yan Mingyao had long since lost his earlier arrogance. The strength Li Guanxuan had displayed, combined with the cultivation and combat power of his dao companion, left Yan Mingyao with no desire to face them head-on. The peak and eighth-level Foundation Establishment warrior puppets charged backward, attempting to block Li Guanxuan and the others to buy Yan Mingyao time to escape.

However, Qin Jiyue flicked a sword blossom, instantly tearing the eighth-level warrior puppet into pieces. As the sword qi storm swept through, chunks of shattered Deep Iron Profound Essence fell into her hands. She hadn't forgotten that this was a treasure her husband had bought. If the Thunder Fire Sect hadn't plotted to seize Huajing Immortal City back then, her husband would never have agreed to trade with Yan Mingyao.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Not far away, the second-tier late-stage Flame Demon Bear rushed over, roaring at the top of its lungs to indicate that it would handle the peak Foundation Establishment warrior puppet. Qin Jiyue chuckled; this Flame Demon Bear was interesting.

Then, Qin Jiyue swung her sword, severing an arm of the peak Foundation Establishment warrior puppet, and soared away.

Only to hear...

"Fellow Daoist Li, have mercy!"