Lu Kangnian’s words stirred something in Li Guanqi he couldn’t quite name.

Lu Kangnian smiled at him and said gently, “The spirit qi within the Purple Spirit Paradise Realm is rich and dense, which is perfect for your recovery right now.”

“You noticed?” Li Guanqi said sheepishly.

Lu Kangnian nodded and said softly, “Mm. I can’t sense much; your cultivation is far superior to mine, after all. However, I can feel it. When the time comes for you to break through to the Combined Body Realm, I’ll help you activate the Zen Clarity Glass Array.”

Li Guanqi smiled and nodded, then voiced the worry that had been on his mind. “Sect Master, with foundations this deep, the Daxia Sword Sect is bound to attract those with ill intent. All of this... how many other people know?”

Lu Kangnian’s expression turned grave. He understood what Li Guanqi was getting at. Once the former disciples and elders returned, word would spread too widely, and some among them might harbor sinister intentions.

“Only the sect masters and pavilion keepers know,” Lu Kangnian said.

Li Guanqi nodded. Only a small circle of people knew about it. He smiled. “It’s fine. It’s not a big problem. Once the construction inside the domain is finished, we can start preparing.”

He raised his head, smiling at Lu Kangnian. “With me here, you can go ahead and do whatever needs to be done, Sect Master.”

Lu Kangnian’s mouth curved upward at those words. He had originally planned to muddle through the rest of his days. But Li Guanqi’s arrival had given him hope, hope that the sect could rise once more.

For years, the Daxia Sword Sect had kept a low profile and quietly bided its time. It wasn’t that the previous sect masters lacked ambition. They simply had never produced a disciple capable of carrying those ambitions forward.

Lu Kangnian felt as though he could see a broad, thorny road stretching out right before his eyes. Once he set foot on this road... there would be no turning back.

Lu Kangnian took a deep breath. His eyes burned as he looked at Li Guanqi and said in a solemn voice, “It is time for the Daxia Sword Sect to rise! Today, we’ll unseal one hundred peaks and thirty waters! This will inevitably stir upheaval in the Northern Territory, and the sect’s spirit stone expenditure is bound to rise. That Guanyun Pavilion of yours has an auction house, doesn’t it? Put some things up for auction when the time comes.”

Li Guanqi grinned. “Don’t worry. For the foreseeable future, I’ll be staying in the sect to hold the fort. And I’ll have someone from the Guanyun Pavilion come over right away to coordinate things with you. And don’t worry too much about the Six Gates Holy Sect. It’s a mutual arrangement. Just keep up appearances when the time comes.”

Lu Kangnian and Li Guanqi looked at each other like an old fox and a young one. The glint of an abacus was practically visible in both their eyes.

The two chatted further about the Guanyun Pavilion and the Six Gates Holy Sect. Li Guanqi also asked briefly about the Spiritfish Clan.

“That clan is doing quite well. Their numbers have grown over the past two years, and several of their core members are now instructing disciples at the Heavenly Water Peak. Their affinity for water-type vital force is extraordinary. They’ve been honoring our agreement throughout. Overall, quite satisfactory.”

As he spoke, Lu Kangnian nodded repeatedly, clearly very pleased with the Spiritfish Clan’s conduct since pledging allegiance to the Daxia Sword Sect. They had come to regard themselves as part of it.

Before long, Ji Yuchuan arrived at the Daxia Sword Sect with Qian Qiusui. Su You hadn’t come. He worked in the shadows, so public appearances didn’t suit him.

Li Guanqi made the introductions, and Lu Kangnian’s eyes gleamed. He hadn’t expected someone as powerful as Ji Yuchuan, a genuine Combined Body Realm cultivator, to be one of Li Guanqi’s people. Li Guanqi truly hadn’t been bluffing about his backing.

Ji Yuchuan and Qian Qiusui both treated Lu Kangnian with respect.

Li Guanqi smiled. “I’ll leave the rest of the discussion to you all. I’ll go take a walk.”

Ji Yuchuan smiled and bowed. “Safe travels, Pavilion Master.”

Whoosh!

With a single teleport, Li Guanqi arrived at Heavenly Lightning Peak. No flying or fanfare.

Once alone, the smile faded from Li Guanqi’s face. He stood there in his white robes, his mood inexplicably heavy. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The afternoon sunlight fell warmly on his shoulders. Countless ancient trees towered along both sides of the path to the summit of ‌Heavenly Lightning Peak. A light breeze passed through, and the leaves rustled softly.

The afternoon breeze was cool, and the sunlight filtering through the leaves dappled the ground in shifting patches of light and shadow.

Li Guanqi, however, kept feeling as if a familiar sound was missing.

He passed several new Heavenly Lightning Peak disciples along the way, each stopping to bow excitedly in greeting.

“Greetings, Elder Li!”

Li Guanqi nodded back. He also ran into a few of his old fellow disciples along the path. They were far less formal, grinning and raising their hands in greeting.

“Hahaha, Junior Brother’s back?”

“That’s right, Senior Brother Zhao! Heading to the Heavenly Pillar Peak?”

“Nope. With all this going on, I’m going into the realm to be a laborer. Catch you later.”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly. He still loved Heavenly Lightning Peak. Familiar faces, familiar people... except for a few that he would never see again. That's why he wanted to walk slowly.

But no matter how slowly he walked, every mountain path eventually reached its summit.

Before the gate of that familiar little courtyard, Li Guanqi stood rooted to the spot for a long time. He raised his hand toward the door but refrained from knocking.

Suddenly, Li Nanting’s voice came from inside the courtyard. “You little brat. What’s there to be afraid of? Come in.”

Creak!

The courtyard door creaked open. The old man sat there in his peak master robes, quietly watching Li Guanqi. A few dishes, a jug of wine, and two cups rested on the table.

Li Guanqi managed a small smile and called out softly, “Master.”

Li Nanting’s expression was utterly calm. Only the occasional flicker of sorrow in his clouded eyes betrayed his emotions.

Li Guanqi lowered his head, took the small tower from his waist, and set it on the table. Within the tower, vengeful ghosts seemed to wail, their cries faint yet unceasing.

Li Nanting’s heart clenched. He raised a hand and pushed the small tower back. His voice came out hoarse. “The dead cannot return. This tower... is of no use to me.”

He raised his cup, tipped his head back, and drained the fiery liquor. After a long while, he asked quietly, “What happened after that?”

Li Guanqi raised his hand. A light screen materialized, showing the scene of Yu Sui’an’s birth after reincarnation.

The moment Li Nanting saw that little baby girl, his eyes filled with tears. He reached out and gently touched her image on the screen, his voice trembling as he murmured, “What is her name?”

Li Guanqi looked at the screen and said softly, “Yun Chuxue. She has no talent for cultivation. Her parents are good people, and the elders don’t favor sons over daughters. They all adore her.”

Li Nanting closed his eyes. Tears slipped down without him noticing. He looked at the goose-feather snow falling on the screen and smiled. “Yun Chuxue... a beautiful name. That’s good... truly good. Staying out of the cultivation world is no loss at all. Being an ordinary, happy little girl is better than anything we have.”