Chapter 128: The Harvest

"A total of seven people, four men and three women. One of them should be the Master of the Ink Pavilion..."

Under Li Guanxuan's divine sense, the seven figures had nowhere to hide.

Five of them had cultivation bases that had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, while the other two were at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, specifically at the ninth layer, though not yet at perfection.

Among them, three were using disguise artifacts.

Li Guanxuan did not use his divine sense to probe their true appearances, as doing so would immediately alert them.

Since the Master of Ink Pavilion had appeared here, it meant that many people had already learned about the matter of the "Thunder Fire Sect's storage ring."

Otherwise, it would be impossible for so many late Foundation Establishment cultivators to rush to the Crimson Refining Mountain Range to hunt the Flame Demon Bear...

Li Guanxuan fell into deep thought.

With so many people paying attention to the relics of the Thunder Fire Sect, it would be nearly impossible for him to quietly hide them away.

The only way now was to retrieve the items left behind by Li Guanyuan right in front of these people, proving that the contents were left to him by Li Guanyuan rather than being entirely the relics of the Thunder Fire Sect.

Otherwise, if these people leaked the news and claimed that he had taken items belonging to a Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivator, the trouble would be enormous.

With his current strength, he could not protect items belonging to Core Formation or Nascent Soul experts.

An old saying goes: An innocent man treasuring a jade ring becomes a criminal.

With Li Guanxuan's current cultivation at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, obtaining these items would only invite endless trouble.

Unless Li Guanyuan could protect him every moment of the day.

"Let's get the items first, and then assess the situation..."

Li Guanxuan thought for a moment, then looked at the scarred and devastated earth all around, letting out a soft sigh in his heart.

In the pursuit of the Dao and immortality, how many people perished along the way.

"Roar!"

The Flame Demon Bear—no, the Flame Demon Bear King—landed heavily with a loud crash, looking at Li Guanxuan with an excited expression as it gestured and danced, as if saying: Look, I've reached the third rank!

Feigning urgency, Li Guanxuan asked, "Where are the things?"

Knowing that this was no time for pleasantries, the Flame Demon Bear King instantly shot its massive body toward the direction of the volcanic crater.

Seeing this, Li Guanxuan and Qin Qiyue followed closely on their flying swords.

To fly through the air without the aid of magic artifacts required reaching the Core Formation stage.

Upon arriving at the crater and seeing the items nurtured within it, Li Guanxuan's pupils suddenly constricted.

"This..."

Qin Qiyue's heart skipped a beat as well.

She suddenly felt that her husband's eldest brother was truly a ruthless man among ruthless men!

Suspended inside the volcanic crater was a blood-red treasured sword, constantly absorbing the earth's energy, the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth... and the blood Qi of all the living beings that had perished just moments before.

As all this energy converged into the blood-red sword, it transformed into an ultimate, piercing killing intent.

"The prototype of a magic treasure."

Li Guanxuan said with a complex look in his eyes.

Li Guanyuan had orchestrated a scheme to kill, ultimately to prepare a third-rank magic treasure comparable to a Core Formation expert for him.

However, the blood-red sword before them was not yet fully formed, much like an unsharpened blade. Only by absorbing more earth energy and heaven and earth spiritual Qi could its sharpness be fully revealed.

Of course...

Blood Qi worked just as well.

Li Guanxuan thought of the seven people belonging to the Master of Ink Pavilion.

And the many others who had escaped.

Given the meticulous scheme arranged by Li Guanyuan, it was impossible for so many fish to slip through the net; he must have other backup plans... Li Guanxuan thought to himself.

This blood-red treasured sword clearly still lacked some fresh blood for nourishment.

The blood of a False Core cultivator was the best!

...

"What on earth is down in there?"

Hiding in the distance, the seven intruders felt a surge of confusion as they noticed the drastic change in Li Guanxuan's expression.

What kind of item could cause both Li Guanxuan and Qin Qiyue's expressions to shift so drastically?

Despite their overwhelming curiosity, none of the seven dared to approach the area.

After all, the Flame Demon Bear King was still stationed there.

Furthermore, they could sense that aside from the Flame Demon Bear King, the third-rank Black Wind Wolf King was also nearby, along with its subordinates.

"The relics of the Thunder Fire Sect are right inside the crater? Everyone, shall we make our move now?"

A middle-aged man with bronze skin and bulging muscles transmitted his voice via divine sense.

Beside him, a woman dressed in luxurious brocade robes agreed, "Aside from the third-rank Black Wind Wolf King, there is also a Thunder-Patterned Tiger King. If we can slightly stall those three beasts, we can completely slaughter Li Guanxuan and Qin Qiyue in an instant, seize the treasures, and leave."

Everyone understood the principle that delays bring changes.

Moreover, the Crimson Refining Mountain Range was notoriously perilous; if other beast kings detected these items, they wouldn't even be able to run if they wanted to.

False Core-level combat power was far from enough to walk sideways here unchecked.

"The storage ring has appeared!"

At that moment, a middle-aged male cultivator said in a deep voice.

...

Hearing that they were about to make their move, Li Guanxuan immediately reached out and grabbed an exquisitely crafted storage ring that materialized in his palm.

Sweeping it with his divine sense, he found the bloodline imprint left behind by Li Guanyuan. It only required a single drop of blood to be completely erased.

Li Guanxuan lightly grazed his fingertips, letting a drop of fresh blood fall onto the storage ring, and the bloodline imprint instantly vanished.

At that very moment, before Li Guanxuan even had time to examine the contents of the storage ring, he sensed seven powerful auras soaring into the sky, and seven streams of divine sense instantly locked onto him.

"They couldn't hold back after all..."

Li Guanxuan let out a soft sigh, his face devoid of any panic, remaining so calm and collected that it bordered on terrifying.

"Roar!"

Sensing the emergence of intruders, the Flame Demon Bear King showed no sign of panic; instead, it raised its head and let out an excited, furious roar.

Clutching the formation flags tightly in its bear paws, it waved them fiercely!

Complex and arcane formation runes flickered in and out of existence in the void, blazing with golden light and erupting with an unparalleled sword-based killing intent!

Seeing this, the third-rank Black Wind Wolf King quietly withdrew its raised front paw, staring intently at the scene unfolding before it without the slightest intention of stepping forward to help.

Besides, the Flame Demon Bear King needed no backup.

"Oh no, it's a trap!"

The expression of the woman in luxurious brocade robes shifted drastically. Daring not to hide her strength any longer, she immediately slapped out a third-rank restriction-breaking talisman.

The talisman vanished into the void, yet unexpectedly produced no effect whatsoever.

"How can this be?"

The brocade-robed woman's face instantly paled.

This was a third-rank restriction-breaking talisman!

It was capable of shattering ordinary third-rank formations!

The next second, the woman abruptly looked up toward the sky, where a formation diagram had quietly materialized, spitting forth blinding sword Qi.

Immediately following this, streams of swords forged from magic power surged outward, crisscrossing as they slaughtered toward their targets.

"It's a killing trap laid by Li Guanyuan!"

"Damn bastard, to be so ruthless!"

"Stop wasting breath, join forces to break the formation!"

"..."

The whistling sound of sharp swords tearing through the air echoed in their ears, accompanied by monstrous sword Qi. Two late Foundation Establishment cultivators were instantly sliced in half, blood spraying everywhere.

"Save me, save me, quickly save me!"

The two cultivators shrieked in terror, frantically grabbing their severed lower halves in a futile attempt to sew themselves back together.

The disguise artifact on the brocade-robed woman was slashed to pieces, revealing her true appearance.

"The Master of Ink Pavilion."

Watching the slaughter within the sword formation from the outside and confirming that the Master of Ink Pavilion was trapped inside, Li Guanxuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As the sword Qi erupted once more, the formation diagram in the sky manifested countless sharp swords. The two late Foundation Establishment cultivators stood no chance of survival, being instantly executed on the spot.

At this moment, another False Core cultivator finally revealed their true form.

It was the bronze-skinned, middle-aged man.

Dense cyan runes suddenly appeared across his body, transforming into scales that covered his entire right arm and half of his face, making his physical body appear vastly more formidable than before.

"A demon cultivator."

Li Guanxuan felt a hint of surprise; the Master of Ink Pavilion was actually acquainted with a False Core demon cultivator!

"Break for me!"

The middle-aged man roared furiously, gathering all his strength into his fist and smashing it upward toward the formation diagram in the sky with all his might.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Continuous, muffled impacts caused the formation diagram to tremble violently and lose its stability.

Seeing this, Li Guanxuan flashed directly above the formation diagram, squeezed out a drop of fresh blood from his previously wounded finger, and wrote a single character—"Kill"—directly onto the diagram!

This sword formation diagram had been nurtured by a Core Formation expert of the Li family for roughly fifty years, judging by the monstrous, killing intent-laden sword Qi it radiated.

Originally intended as a trump card left for Li Guanyuan, who would have thought that Li Guanyuan wouldn't even need it, instead using it to set a trap and secure a third-rank natal magic treasure for his younger brother.

"Boom!"

The sword formation diagram erupted with terrifying might, sending thousands of sharp swords piercing through the void.

Li Guanxuan was brushed by wisps of sword Qi, making him look like a descending sword immortal overlooking all living beings.

The middle-aged False Core cultivator was instantly pierced through his entire body by the sharp swords, severely damaging even his soul.

Realizing his peril, the middle-aged man yelled frantically, "Li Guanxuan, I am from the Demon Immortal Sect—"

Before he could finish, a murderous glint flashed in Li Guanxuan's eyes as he pointed a finger directly at him.

Streams of life-and-death sword intent surged through the sword formation diagram, shooting forth blade light like a torrential rain of swords merging into a single straight line, piercing straight through the middle-aged man's skull.

At this point, revealing one's background was utterly useless.

Li Guanxuan had no intention of letting any of them leave alive.

With three dead, only the Master of Ink Pavilion and three other peak Foundation Establishment grand cultivators remained.

The Master of Ink Pavilion was already covered in multiple sword wounds, her flesh torn and dripping with blood, her once-luxurious brocade robes tattered and stained, making her look quite wretched.

"Li Guanxuan, you promised the Song family that our grievances would be wiped clean! Are you going to go back on your word now?" The Master of Ink Pavilion shrieked in terror.

"Our past grievances are indeed wiped clean, but this is a fresh blood debt. Even if the Song family holds me accountable, I cannot be blamed for showing no mercy!"

With an expressionless face, Li Guanxuan stared coldly at the Master of Ink Pavilion, slamming a palm down onto the sword formation diagram. With earth-shattering might, another rain of swords descended upon them.

"Ah!"

The Master of Ink Pavilion let out a miserable shriek.

How could a mere False Core cultivator possibly resist a sword formation diagram nurtured for fifty years by a Core Formation expert, originating from a sword immortal family renowned for the most terrifying lethality?

The three peak Foundation Establishment grand cultivators were all swallowed by the torrent of swords, utterly devoid of the power to fight back.

A century of bitter cultivation ultimately turned into a handful of dust.

"True Monarch Changdong, it was Li Guanxuan who killed me!"

Driven to despair, the Master of Ink Pavilion burned all the vital blood in her body, fusing it into a void-escaping talisman.

The talisman burrowed into the void, ignoring the restrictions of the formation, and quietly vanished without a trace.

Immediately afterward, the Master of Ink Pavilion perished, her lifeless corpse slowly plunging toward the ground.

Li Guanxuan frowned slightly; he had wanted to intercept the third-rank void talisman, but it was clear that the sword formation diagram simply lacked the capability.

"What a pity..."

Li Guanxuan sighed softly, then said, "However, since the Master of Ink Pavilion plotted to seize what Li Guanyuan left behind and attempted to harm me, she brought this entirely upon herself. She deserved to die."

If a True Monarch of the Song family truly decided to cause trouble for him, he would simply have to let the Li family step in and block it.

The Song family had True Monarchs, and the Li family had True Monarchs just the same.

Besides, justice was entirely on his side.

"Roar!"

The Flame Demon Bear King let out a cry toward Li Guanxuan, signaling that the treasured sword had fully formed.

"Rumble..."

The earth trembled as a streak of sword light shot straight from the volcanic crater into the firmament, accompanied by a terrifying, heart-shivering sword intent that filled the upper atmosphere.

The third-rank Black Wind Wolf King abruptly raised its head.

When it saw a blood-red treasured sword slowly rising from the crater, a look of human-like astonishment appeared in its eyes, clearly deeply shocked.

It turned out to be a sword-type magic treasure?

Li Guanyuan had gone to such painstaking lengths to set a trap and kill people, solely to harvest their vital blood to nurture this prototype of a sword-type magic treasure?

Wasn't this making a mountain out of a molehill...

The Black Wind Wolf King quietly retracted its gaze, careful not to reveal any flaws.

The moment the blood-red treasured sword formed, it seemed to instinctively recognize its master, immediately slicing through the sky and halting right in front of Li Guanxuan.

Staring at the sword, which radiated a chilling aura of slaughter and blood Qi, Li Guanxuan experienced a swirling vortex of mixed emotions.

He knew very well that this was the natal Core Formation treasure prepared for him by Li Guanyuan, which, when paired with the Li family's Myriad Swords Technique, would be capable of unleashing terrifying might.

At the same time, this was also Li Guanyuan's way of hoping that he would develop more backbone, stop being so timid, and carve out a resounding reputation and achievements in the world of immortal cultivation.

"My eldest brother practically prepared everything I will need for the Core Formation stage..."

Li Guanxuan stored the blood-red treasured sword into his storage ring, then picked up the other storage ring. Sweeping it with his divine sense, all the items inside were instantly revealed.

It contained the Li family's Core Formation mental cultivation methods and techniques.

This way, even after breaking through to the Core Formation stage, he wouldn't need to wait for the clan to send the corresponding cultivation methods over.

His eldest brother telling him to return to the clan only after reaching the Core Formation stage had apparently just been a casual remark.

In addition to that, there was the Thunder Fire Sect's third-rank puppet art, *Thunder Fire Puppetry*.

Four sets of medicinal materials for crafting the Golden Origin Pill.

Two sets of materials for refining third-rank puppets.

Two pieces of top-quality third-rank spiritual wood.

Seeing these items, Qin Qiyue couldn't help muttering, "I hope that when I reach the peak of Foundation Establishment, Qin Wuji can be this sensible as well."

She was genuinely filled with envy.

Before Li Guanxuan had even reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, Li Guanyuan had already prepared everything he could possibly need for the Core Formation stage.

Moreover, most of these items were things Li Guanxuan could put to use immediately—aside from the Li family's Core Formation mental methods and techniques.

Glancing at Qin Qiyue, Li Guanxuan couldn't help but feel a subtle surge of pride in his heart.

"It seems the relics of the Thunder Fire Sect have basically all been taken away by Li Guanyuan."

Li Guanxuan let out a soft sigh.

He certainly had the desire to claim the relics of the Thunder Fire Sect, but lacked the courage to do so.

After all, those things were nothing more than a hot potato in his hands.

Besides, since the items were in Li Guanyuan's hands, he would likely get them eventually anyway, so it amounted to the same thing.

"Brother Bear, I must take my leave. Until we meet again." Li Guanxuan looked at the Flame Demon Bear King with a smile.

This time, the Flame Demon Bear King had contributed quite a bit of effort and had even cooperated remarkably well in acting out the performance.

"Roar!"

The Flame Demon Bear King let out a cry, signaling him to come back and play whenever he had free time so they could make a fortune together again.

Li Guanxuan laughed heartily. Before leaving, he glanced indifferently at the Black Wind Wolf King, and then departed from the Crimson Refining Mountain Range with Qin Qiyue.