Lu Kangnian nodded. “That’s true. Still, I doubt they’ll dare make any rash moves anytime soon. After all, you’re still here.”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly but said nothing.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted, his brows knitting. Through his divine consciousness, he had just seen what Song Zhi’ang had done.

Li Guanqi was conflicted, unable to grasp how a person could change so drastically. Whatever goodwill he had once held for Song Zhi’ang drained away.

Just then, he sensed Li Shenzhi’s presence. “Sect Master, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Lu Kangnian waved him off with a grin. “Go on. I still have to head to the Guanyun Pavilion to split the profits, hahaha.”

Li Guanqi paused, slightly stunned. “It’s only been a few days. The sect is already distributing profits?”

“Hahaha! We have that little fatty to thank for that. Without Tang Wei’s funding, the Daxia Sword Sect’s first round of contribution point exchanges wouldn’t have had the resources to back it.”

Li Guanqi smiled wryly. “Well... It seems that favor wasn’t wasted.”

When Tang Wei learned of the sect’s predicament, he stepped in without hesitation. Li Guanqi and Xi Yunhuai had helped him resolve a major issue, and with the Daxia Sword Sect at the height of its prestige, there was no way he would let the chance slip by.

After leaving the study, Li Guanqi made his way to the guest quarters, halfway up the Daxia Sword Sect’s old mountain. He sat down in the courtyard, poured himself a cup of spirit tea, and said with a smile, “Brother Li, you can wake up now.”

Inside the room, Li Shenzhi’s eyes snapped open. He stepped out with a grin. Seeing Li Guanqi restored to his handsome appearance, he sighed in admiration, though tension crept into his expression as well. The gap between them, in both strength and status, was simply too great.

Li Guanqi chuckled. “Why so nervous? Come sit.”

Li Shenzhi bowed respectfully and presented a storage ring with both hands. Lowering his head, he said, “This is a congratulatory gift from the Bright Mirror Sect. It was delayed a few days along the way.”

Li Guanqi did not refuse. With a flick of his hand, the ring flew into his grasp. “Please thank the Bright Mirror Sect for their goodwill. I’ll accept this on behalf of the sect.”

He glanced at Li Shenzhi and added calmly, “Your visit wasn’t just for this, was it?”

Li Shenzhi rubbed his hands awkwardly. “This... I’m not quite sure how to bring it up.”

Li Guanqi took a sip of tea and said lightly, “The Bright Mirror Sect wants to cooperate with the Daxia Sword Sect as well?”

Li Shenzhi looked up in surprise and nodded.

Li Guanqi smiled, producing a blank jade slip and handing it over. “Leave a strand of your aura in this. I’ll discuss it with Sect Master Lu later.”

Li Shenzhi’s face lit up. He took the jade slip eagerly. “Really? Hahaha, thank you, Senior Li!”

He began imprinting his aura into it. Just as he was about to finish, a large hand clamped down on his wrist.

Boom!

A terrifying pressure erupted. Above them, a hundred-zhang lightning sword formed, its tip hanging directly over their heads.

Bang!

Li Shenzhi slammed into the ground, his limbs snapping, white bone jutting through flesh. The force pinned him face-down, his head shattering the stone tiles. He strained to look up at Li Guanqi standing over him and shouted hoarsely, “Brother Li! What is the meaning of this?”

Buzz!

Li Guanqi flicked his left hand through the air several times, sealing off the space within a hundred zhang. His Sword Prison descended, and thunder roared as countless seals formed.

Li Guanqi leveled the Lock Moon Sword at Li Shenzhi. “Who are you?”

Panic surged in Li Shenzhi’s heart. His eyes trembled with fear as he shouted, “It’s me! Brother Li! I’m Li Shenzhi! My father is Li Ren, a general of the Xuantian Dynasty. We met when I was fourteen! Our first meeting was in a brothel!”

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes slightly. “Which brothel? Who else was there besides us?”

Li Shenzhi’s gaze flickered, but he answered without hesitation. “That woman, Song Zhi’ang, was there too.”

The name made Li Guanqi frown. Have I made a mistake?

Boom!

Li Guanqi’s divine consciousness erupted outward. He closed his eyes, fingers clawing at the air.

“Soul extraction.”

Buzz!

Li Shenzhi’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious. A condensed blue soul was forcibly dragged from his body.

Li Guanqi sifted casually through Li Shenzhi’s memories. There was nothing unusual; everything matched their past encounters. His three hun and seven po were intact, with nothing out of place.

Yet Li Guanqi stared at the terrified soul and sneered. “Cang Lu... you’ve buried yourself deep.”

As he spoke, his fingers dug into the soul, and multiple piercing screams rang out.

Outside the courtyard, a crowd had gathered, all staring at the lightning-shrouded residence with complicated expressions. Han Chengxian, Duantai Yiting, and the others had arrived as well. Li Guanqi’s sudden eruption of power had alarmed all of them.

Duantai Yiting’s face turned pale. “Could it be... Li Guanqi was still injured before this?! Impossible... how is he this strong?”

Han Chengxian, however, studied the lightning barrier thoughtfully before turning his gaze toward the outer sect. For some reason, he had a feeling that the woman from before would prove useful.

Lu Kangnian stood nearby, his expression grave as he stared at the sealed Sword Prison. The space had been completely isolated, preventing even him from sensing what was happening inside.

Within the domain, Li Shenzhi was consumed by the terror of death, utterly clueless about what was happening.

Li Guanqi’s power kept climbing, and his killing intent was no act. The reason was simple: he had caught a trace of the same aura he had once sensed within Cang Lu. Back when he used Peng Luo’s power to activate the soul-binding blood threads, he had detected a strange, indescribable presence, and that same presence existed within Li Shenzhi. As such, he had asked Li Shenzhi to leave a strand of his aura in the jade slip, and when Li Shenzhi did, it confirmed everything.

“Ah! Li Guanqi! What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me? We’re not enemies! We’re old acquaintances! Why are you doing this?”

Li Guanqi’s eyes remained icy. His fingers continued pressing into the man’s skull.

Li Shenzhi’s expression twisted with mad terror. He truly did not understand. “If... if you kill me, the Bright Mirror Sect will never let you go!”

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice cold. “You really can hold out. In that case... die.”

Bang!

The blue soul exploded.

Li Shenzhi’s eyes went hollow as his soul dissipated, leaving his body lifeless. A strange fluctuation flickered out of the shattered soul, tore through the layered barriers, and vanished without a trace.

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and muttered, “Just as I suspected... it’s you again. Just who are you? Last time it was Cang Lu. This time, Li Shenzhi... And next time? Will it be my elders? My brothers?”