Li Guanqi rifled through the cabinets and discovered that all the jade bottles were empty, except for two Foundation Establishment Pills with a rich fragrance inside the jade box.
Li Guanqi was thrilled and promptly stored the Foundation Establishment Pills away.
He even collected the empty jade bottles before turning to leave.
"One must not waste resources."
"But… where are those guys? Locking me out to die, I must settle this score…"
He was unfamiliar with the layout of the Sect, wandering aimlessly until he found himself in an unknown location.
The buildings here were tall but severely damaged.
Everywhere were ruins and bottomless ravines.
However, it was at this moment that Li Guanqi suddenly spotted a piece of tattered cloth peeking out from a broken wall.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was a skeleton.
The skeleton's ribcage was completely shattered, indicating it had suffered severe injuries before death.
The fabric was of extraordinary quality, likely a high-grade robe.
But the tattered robe had lost its spirit, disintegrating into ash with a gentle touch.
A purple jade pendant, however, caught Li Guanqi's attention.
The jade pendant was well-preserved, engraved with the character for "Sect"!
Li Guanqi's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but think: "Could this person have been the Sect Master?"
He brushed aside the robe covering the body and found a purple jade ring on the skeleton's finger.
Li Guanqi quickly removed it and wiped it on his clothes.
Then, with hands clasped together, he bowed slightly to the skeleton.
"No offense meant, you're already dead, and it would be a waste otherwise."
"Since I've found it, it means we're fated. Taking it doesn't count as stealing, just so we're clear."
It was fortunate the skeleton had been dead for many years; otherwise, it would surely have cursed him for his shamelessness.
Li Guanqi used his Divine Sense to break the faint seal.
He discovered that the space inside the storage ring was immense!
It was hundreds of meters in size, ten times larger than his Storage Bag!
Moreover, there were quite a few Spirit Stones inside. At a rough count, there were nearly a hundred medium-grade Spirit Stones.
Li Guanqi grinned, pleasantly surprised by this unexpected windfall.
He then found a special jade slip in the Storage Bag.
Taking it out, he saw:
"Profound-level peak movement technique, Lightning Flash!"
Li Guanqi licked his lips and without hesitation, used his Divine Sense to open the jade slip.
In an instant, countless complex incantations and methods for circulating spiritual energy flooded his mind.
Li Guanqi tried to execute the movement technique's incantation. Although the circulation of vital energy was still obscure, it was beginning to take shape.
"This killing and looting came a bit too quickly, no wonder they say there are so many bandits in the world of cultivation!"
After putting the ring on his finger, Li Guanqi was about to get up.
Suddenly!
The jade pendant in his hand emitted a faint Spirit Light in the direction ahead.
Without a second thought, Li Guanqi dashed towards the direction indicated by the jade pendant.
Guided by the pendant, he passed through the Sect's grand hall and arrived at the back mountain.
Along the way, he didn't scavenge much.
However, he did find two white jade meditation cushions.
Soon, he reached the back mountain of the entire Sect, usually a place of great importance.
Yet, the deeper he went, the more eerie Li Guanqi felt.
The entire Sect seemed to have been through a great battle.
Eventually, he arrived at a relatively intact mansion.
Looking up, he saw the plaque that read 'Sect Master's Residence'.
A thin layer of light barrier blocked Li Guanqi. He channeled a bit of vital energy into the jade pendant, and the barrier opened a gap.
After entering, guided by the light of the jade pendant, Li Guanqi found a teleportation array in a sleeping chamber.
Placing the jade pendant in the array's groove, he activated it.
Buzz!!
The array flickered with light but remained unchanged. Seeing the other grooves, Li Guanqi understood.
With a wave of his hand, he inserted sixteen Spirit Stones into the array. The array's light flickered, but still, nothing happened.
"Does breaking the array require medium-grade Spirit Stones??"
Crack!
Sure enough, the light flickered, and Li Guanqi's figure vanished from the room.
Crackle and pop!
As soon as he opened his eyes, Li Guanqi was awakened by the intense pain all over his body.
He found himself standing on an ancient altar!!
Surrounding him were spreading thunders, the fine bolts causing his body to tremble uncontrollably.
Looking up, the altar seemed like a pool of thunder.
In the center of the thunder pool, something seemed to be absorbing the power of the thunder.
The Sword Spirit's figure appeared at this moment!
It was known that the Sword Spirit would consume a lot of power with each appearance, so it seldom manifested.
Looking at the tall woman, Li Guanqi asked, "What is this?"
The Sword Spirit's beautiful eyes were fixed on the thunder at the center of the altar, murmuring softly, "How could this thing appear in the human spirit realm?"
Li Guanqi frowned and asked, "What thing?"
The Sword Spirit suddenly turned to look at Li Guanqi, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
She once again doubted Su Xuan's purpose in giving her to this young man.
"You truly are someone with great fortune and destiny. If you can obtain this thing, it will greatly aid you in the future."
"However, to claim it, you must rely on yourself."
"It would be best to take the entire altar with you."
Li Guanqi listened, utterly baffled, and muttered as the figure disappeared, "At least tell me what it is!!"
"With such powerful thunder, I'll be struck dumb if I step inside!"
Although Li Guanqi said this, his curiosity about what could alarm the Sword Spirit was piqued.
He took a deep breath, his expression growing solemn.
The Nine Revolutions Thunder Scripture in his body circulated wildly, and the vast power of the thunder pool seemed provoked.
Countless bolts of thunder struck at Li Guanqi!
Boom!
A loud explosion sounded!
The ten-meter distance slowed after he took three steps!
The overwhelming thunder covered his entire body.
A pained grunt erupted!
"Ah!! Damn!!"
The thunder ravaged his body, and in moments, his skin turned charred black.
The pain surpassed his first medicinal bath!
"Hmph!"
With a flash of Spirit Light, Li Guanqi braced the Sword box on his left hand and held the shield in his right.
He surged forward with force!
He leaped over the ten-meter distance, feeling the thunder roaring by his side, several bolts piercing the shield.
Li Guanqi reached out and collected the object the size of a human head into his storage ring!
As the thunder faded, Li Guanqi lay on the ground, charred and motionless, his hair singed.
His clothes were ragged, his flesh torn open in several places by the thunder.
Countless tiny arcs of thunder rampaged through his meridians.
Li Guanqi lay stiff on the altar, unable to move, his face twisted in agony.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas