Lin Dong’s fingers, which Li Guanqi had retrieved, were only a matter of time away from recovery after Elder Lan He’s treatment.
However, it seemed he would miss this trial realm.
The four of them drank some wine in Li Guanqi’s courtyard before they all returned to their own places.
Now, everyone in the sect was fervently cultivating, with the second assessment for the new disciples fast approaching.
Especially after seeing Li Guanqi’s cultivation progress, they felt even more motivated.
Even Ye Feng, who usually loved to sleep in, started to cultivate as if his life depended on it.
Li Guanqi’s injuries had also healed quite quickly over the past few days.
Three days later.
Only faint pink marks remained from his sword wounds.
These days, Li Guanqi was practicing his swordsmanship like a madman, as the Sword Spirit was very dissatisfied with his previous performance against the black-clothed person.
At the summit of Jade Bottle Peak.
Li Guanqi stood shirtless, his long sword dancing through the air, having mastered the Green Lotus Heavenly Gang Sword Technique to perfection.
He had also begun to try harnessing the power of the spirit soul of the Sword Ruins within the Spirit Ruin.
But after only a brief attempt, he dared not try too much!
For just the instant he merged the spirit soul with his magical weapon, it emitted a sword cry as if it was too much to bear.
The Sword Spirit spoke softly, “Only a spirit soul weapon can bear a spirit soul; even magical treasures cannot withstand it.”
The Sword Spirit’s ethereal form seemed visible only to Li Guanqi himself.
The Sword Spirit’s brows furrowed slightly as it asked softly, “How many Spirit Stones do you have now?”
Li Guanqi looked up, pondering for a moment before replying softly, “Around ten thousand?”
“But the Spirit Stones for the dragon egg’s altar are almost depleted, it can last at most another month.”
The Sword Spirit pondered for a moment before speaking softly, “Starting today, give me a hundred low-grade Spirit Stones every day.”
“I will create an illusion of a swordsman of the same realm in the altar space within the Sword Box to help you improve your strength!”
Li Guanqi was taken aback, his tone suddenly rising.
“A hundred stones?! Are you planning to rob me?!”
The Sword Spirit’s face showed a hint of helplessness as it rolled its eyes at him and turned to return to the Sword Box.
“Then practice your swordsmanship on your own.”
“Oh, and… you haven’t given me any Primordial Energy for three days.”
Li Guanqi’s chest heaved slightly as he considered for a long time before saying firmly, “Fine, fine, fine.”
“But you have to tell me, what exactly are you creating the illusion of?”
“And how long can a hundred Spirit Stones last?”
A playful smile appeared on the Sword Spirit’s lips.
“The Illusionary Realm of Baihao!”
“As for how long a hundred low-grade Spirit Stones can last…”
The Sword Spirit slowly extended a finger.
Li Guanqi frowned, “A day?”
The Sword Spirit shook its head.
“An hour??”
The Sword Spirit still shook its head.
The Sword Spirit spoke softly, “A stick of incense.”
Li Guanqi’s face turned ashen as he said word by word, “A stick of incense costs a hundred Spirit Stones?”
The female voice, ethereal, spoke softly, “The power consumed by this illusion is terrifying.”
“What’s more important is that I can’t maintain it for long right now.”
“Whether you want to try or not, it’s up to you.”
Li Guanqi’s expression changed several times before he gritted his teeth and asked one last question.
“How much do I differ from the so-called Baihao swordsman?”
The Sword Spirit’s eyes held a trace of seriousness, and as her red lips parted, her teeth glistened.
“Like heaven and earth.”
“Compared to some of the true chosen ones, you’re far behind.”
“The vastness of the world is beyond your imagination. A genius? That’s the least valuable thing.”
“Only those who can survive to the end can be called geniuses.”
“Some are even born with a Sword Body, awakening their own spirit soul at birth, accompanying them for life.”
“Some have sudden epiphanies, breaking through three realms in one go!”
“And some are unmatched from the moment they hold a sword.”
“But these people often die young before they can reach the end.”
Hearing the Sword Spirit’s words, Li Guanqi felt a sense of defiance and threw a hundred Spirit Stones to the Sword Spirit.
He said firmly, “Let’s try!”
Li Guanqi was quite proud at heart, especially after the recent skirmishes.
He felt that cultivators at the later stages of Foundation Establishment were just so-so.
A glint flashed in the Sword Spirit’s eyes; it had noticed the change in Li Guanqi’s mentality.
But this kind of underestimation…
In her view, it was even more fatal than a lack of talent!
The Cultivation World never lacked geniuses, with all sorts of once-in-a-millennium prodigies and once-in-ten-thousand-years Dao bodies.
In the Sword Spirit’s view, all these were illusions. Li Guanqi possessed the Ethereal Dao Body, and she didn’t want him to die young.
If Li Guanqi were to die, she wouldn’t even have the chance to tear through the river of time!
Because the grand formation set by Su Xuan, the Great Sumi Nine Palaces Extermination Pattern, had already bound her and Li Guanqi together!
Therefore, the Sword Spirit would not allow Li Guanqi to have any contempt in his heart; she intended to cultivate him into the strongest swordsman in the world!
Buzz!!
Suddenly, an invisible barrier appeared in the wooden hut, with only the Sword Box suspended in mid-air within the barrier.
Li Guanqi stood atop the altar, and the world around him began to twist!
Gradually, a boundless flagstone platform appeared beneath Li Guanqi’s feet.
Buzz!!
The space twisted slightly, and a figure appeared ten feet in front of Li Guanqi.
The figure was dressed in a green robe, over six feet tall, a good half-head taller than him.
The face was blurred, impossible to make out.
But Li Guanqi could clearly feel that the other’s aura was the same as his, also at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
However, in the next breath…
Li Guanqi felt a blur before his eyes, instinctively raising his sword to block in front of him!
Suddenly!
Li Guanqi’s pupils shrank to pinpoints as he felt a chill at his neck!!
When he reappeared in the wooden hut, Li Guanqi’s eyes were hollow for a long time, unable to recover.
The real sensation of death left him chilled to the bone.
The Sword Spirit’s voice rang in his ear: “See? This is the gap between you and other geniuses.”
“Is the middle stage of Foundation Establishment weak? No, it’s just that you haven’t met a strong opponent yet!”
“You can be confident, but never arrogant!”
Li Guanqi’s expression changed continuously, his chest heaving as he exhaled a breath of turbid air.
When he looked at the Sword Spirit again, he actually bowed and said, “I’ve learned my lesson!”
“Do you want to continue?”
Li Guanqi’s eyes were resolute as he said firmly, “Continue!”
Finally, the Sword Spirit showed a hint of a smile, speaking softly, “Don’t just watch the opponent’s eyes; every muscle in their body can actually predict their next move in advance.”
“Your left-hand sword speed is faster than his, want to try?”
Li Guanqi’s expression became determined as he said, “No, I want to try with my own strength!”
That night, Li Guanqi consumed nearly five hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.
But against that unknown figure, he could now last for half a stick of incense.
Li Guanqi, pale-faced, sat alone at the peak in meditation, constantly reflecting on the gains and losses of the night’s battles, summarizing today’s gains.
The Sword Spirit looked at Li Guanqi’s silhouette and nodded secretly.
Li Guanqi’s physique might not be the strongest she had seen, but it definitely had the greatest potential!
Moreover, due to his childhood experiences, his tenacity far exceeded that of ordinary people.
The Sword Spirit’s lips curled into a smile as she murmured softly, “Thirty-two deaths in the span of five sticks of incense without a mental breakdown.”
“Facing the advice of others, he could still calm down and listen.”
“Such a temperament… is monstrous talent!”