Chapter 345 ·Domain Devours Domain

Li Qingqiu’s gains within the ancient ruins were immense—so vast they were difficult to measure. Yet when he heard “five million high-grade spirit stones,” he still found it hard to remain calm.

High-grade spirit stones were extremely rare in the Nine Provinces. One was equivalent to a hundred ordinary spirit stones circulating within the Clear Sky Sect. Thus, five million high-grade spirit stones was an astronomical sum.

Zhou Linghuan’s extravagance truly shocked Li Qingqiu.

He also developed a sense of wariness toward the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect.

This was undoubtedly a colossal power!

Faced with such an enormous reward, Li Qingqiu could not directly refuse. He decided to first hear where Zhou Linghuan wanted to go. If it was too far, he would have no choice but to reluctantly decline. If it was nearby or along the way, he could accept.

Zhou Linghuan looked at Li Qingqiu sweetly, her gaze fixed on him so directly that it made him feel somewhat uneasy.

“Since you have other matters, I don’t need you to escort me all the way back to the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect. You only need to take me to the Great Xia Dynasty,” Zhou Linghuan replied.

“Is the Great Xia Dynasty far?”

At Li Qingqiu’s question, Zhou Linghuan’s expression turned strange.

Li Qingqiu was not embarrassed—he genuinely did not know where the Great Xia Dynasty was.

Heading west from the Western Region Perilous Land, there were many dynasties.

Zhou Linghuan suppressed her confusion and pointed in a direction. “Fly that way. If nothing goes wrong, we can reach it in at most three days.”

Li Qingqiu asked in surprise, “That close? You’re sure it’s five million high-grade spirit stones?”

“Of course. There are people from my Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect in the Great Xia Dynasty. As long as you bring me to them, the five million high-grade spirit stones can be handed to you the same day.”

She spoke casually, as if it were not five million high-grade spirit stones, but merely five ordinary ones.

After a brief hesitation, Li Qingqiu immediately summoned the Clear Sky Sword. With one hand, he grabbed Zhou Linghuan’s wrist and pulled her along as he leapt into the sky.

Caught off guard, Zhou Linghuan felt as if time slowed. As she rose into the air, her eyes widened, Li Qingqiu’s back reflected in them, causing her heart to beat faster.

After pulling her onto the Clear Sky Sword, Li Qingqiu flew in the direction she indicated.

Having been sealed for years, even if she had enemies, it was unlikely they would appear within the next three days.

Li Qingqiu was not afraid of Zhou Linghuan’s troubles. It couldn’t possibly be someone above the Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm hunting her—if that were the case, she would not have survived until now.

The ancient ruins did not have powerful restrictions capable of stopping great cultivators.

“Can you stand steady?”

Li Qingqiu asked without turning back.

“Yes.”

Zhou Linghuan responded. Li Qingqiu immediately released her hand, and she infused Vital Energy into her feet, stabilizing herself against the blade.

Looking at him, her cheeks flushed slightly.

How could he just grab her hand so casually?

If it had been someone else, she would have been furious. But for some reason, she could not get angry at Li Qingqiu—she even felt a hint of shyness.

Zhou Linghuan also realized something was off with her feelings. She had to restrain herself.

Her focus had to remain on cultivation—she could not fall into emotional entanglements.

This was also why she did not want Li Qingqiu to escort her all the way back to the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect. Once this journey ended, she would cut off all ties with him, treating this as a beautiful memory.

The two traveled in silence. Li Qingqiu observed the mountains and rivers along the way, hoping to encounter Shen Yue or Jiang Zhaoxia.

Zhou Linghuan, meanwhile, reflected on their past two days together. Thinking that they might never meet again, she felt a trace of melancholy.

She was the daughter of the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect’s Sect Master, burdened with great responsibilities. She could not be distracted by personal emotions.

Moreover, Li Qingqiu clearly held no feelings for her.

Li Qingqiu flew swiftly. After half an hour, Zhou Linghuan estimated they would reach the Great Xia Dynasty within two days.

As the sun set and the moon rose, Li Qingqiu continued without rest, aiming to arrive as quickly as possible.

Zhou Linghuan could tell he was in a hurry and remained mostly silent.

At noon the next day, the two landed by a vast river to rest—mainly because Zhou Linghuan could not endure any longer after being sealed for years.

Looking at the river stretching like an ocean ahead, Li Qingqiu felt refreshed.

The scenery along the journey made him realize the vastness of heaven and earth. Beyond the Nine Provinces, the world was indeed more magnificent and diverse.

Zhou Linghuan sat nearby in meditation, circulating her technique to absorb energy. From time to time, she took medicinal pills.

Her recovery speed was remarkable, making Li Qingqiu somewhat envious of her pills.

Of course, he did not want them for himself, but to bring back for Chen Huilan of the Cultivation Hall to study.

Suddenly—

Li Qingqiu sensed something and glanced into the distance.

A figure approached from the direction they had come. Upon closer inspection, it was a young, handsome man in white robes, with long white hair flowing freely and an extraordinary aura.

Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm!

Li Qingqiu was surprised. Zhou Linghuan’s trouble had arrived this quickly?

Zhou Linghuan also sensed it. Opening her eyes, she followed his gaze—and upon seeing the man, her face turned pale, her body stiffening.

“How is it him… how is this possible… it’s over…”

She recognized the white-robed man immediately.

“Who is he?” Li Qingqiu asked.

He could already sense that the man’s cultivation was extremely high—likely among the upper levels of the Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm.

Not only that, the Supreme Sword at his waist seemed eager to break free.

From Zhou Linghuan’s tone, it was clear she did not expect to be pursued by this man.

Could he have been drawn here by the Supreme Sword?

“His true name is unknown. He is called the Sword Demon. When I traveled with my father before, I saw him once. My father said his sword intent is extremely domineering. In terms of sword talent, no one in the Azure Dragon Domain can definitively surpass him,” Zhou Linghuan said quickly after taking a deep breath.

Azure Dragon Domain!

This was the first time Zhou Linghuan mentioned it. Li Qingqiu narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the approaching Sword Demon.

Zhou Linghuan turned to him and said, “Li Bai, you should run. We have no chance against the Sword Demon.”

Li Qingqiu glanced at her and asked, “Are you willing to die here?”

Zhou Linghuan’s face turned bitter as she smiled miserably. “What choice do I have? Those people actually hired the Sword Demon to kill me. I’m doomed. You should leave quickly.”

Li Qingqiu stepped forward, placing his right hand on the hilt of the Supreme Sword. His expression remained calm as he asked, “Can the price be increased?”

Zhou Linghuan froze, instinctively asking, “Are you crazy?”

“I’m asking—can the price be increased?”

“Yes…”

“Good.”

Li Qingqiu stopped, watching as the Sword Demon approached.

Zhou Linghuan stared at him, her mind shaken as she saw his hand gripping the sword at his waist.

Could he be a sword cultivator?

She had always thought Li Qingqiu was a body cultivator. While it was normal for body cultivators to carry swords, most dominant great cultivators were sword cultivators—her father included.

Although Li Qingqiu possessed immense strength, she still believed body cultivators could not compare to sword cultivators.

The Sword Demon’s gaze had already locked onto Li Qingqiu—he was not here for Zhou Linghuan.

Though his steps did not change, his figure flickered as he closed the distance rapidly.

The pressure he exuded was immense. Zhou Linghuan instinctively drew her sword, preparing for battle.

When the distance between them shrank to less than a hundred zhang, the world suddenly changed. The sky darkened, and Li Qingqiu and Zhou Linghuan found themselves in a barren land. The vast river vanished, replaced by countless ancient swords embedded in the ground in all directions.

Zhou Linghuan looked around and gritted her teeth. “He’s activated his Dharma Manifestation Domain!”

Li Qingqiu did not respond.

As the Sword Demon’s domain unfolded, his figure disappeared. Though unseen, his sword intent filled the entire domain, leaving no escape.

Clang—

Li Qingqiu drew the Supreme Sword. The sound of the blade leaving its sheath rang clearly across heaven and earth.

The sword’s radiance illuminated Zhou Linghuan’s face. The moment she saw the blade, her eyes locked onto it.

“The third-ranked among the Nine Great Divine Swords—the Supreme Sword!” Zhou Linghuan exclaimed in shock.

Li Qingqiu was surprised she recognized it instantly, but he focused on the Sword Demon.

Suddenly—

The ancient swords around them began to tremble violently. Their combined resonance shook the heavens like a mournful cry.

With sharp, piercing sounds, countless swords rose into the sky, all pointing toward Li Qingqiu and Zhou Linghuan.

Faced with thousands upon thousands of swords, Zhou Linghuan felt her scalp go numb. She realized she could not move—an overwhelming sword intent had locked her in place.

The Sword Demon struck decisively. In less than a breath, the swords descended.

Thousands of swords converged on a single point, unstoppable in their might.

Li Qingqiu suddenly raised his gaze. He did not lift his sword, but with that single glance, the world shattered.

A darker, blood-red sky replaced the previous one. The countless descending swords vanished, and the surrounding environment transformed completely.

They had entered an even more vast domain!

Volcanoes rose in all directions, and beneath their feet flowed molten lava through cracked earth.

Zhou Linghuan’s eyes widened. The oppressive sword intent vanished, and she instinctively turned—only to freeze in place.

At the horizon stood five colossal figures, towering like mountains. Though only their upper bodies were visible, they were taller than the distant volcanoes, their heads nearly piercing the heavens.

“That is…”

For the first time, Zhou Linghuan witnessed such a Dharma Manifestation Domain. She could sense that it was far more expansive than the Sword Demon’s.

She had underestimated Li Bai’s strength!

Her father had once said that for one domain to devour another was extremely difficult. When cultivators of similar realms clashed, whoever first dragged the opponent into their domain held the advantage—often determining the outcome.

To shatter an opponent’s domain with one’s own meant one’s Vital Energy far surpassed the other.

Li Bai’s Vital Energy surpassed the Sword Demon’s?

As Li Qingqiu’s domain expanded, the Sword Demon’s figure reappeared, standing dozens of zhang away.

Looking at the five towering Dharma Manifestations behind Li Qingqiu, the Sword Demon’s handsome face clearly showed shock.