CHAPTER 147 - AN OLD CHILD

Zhao Beichen watched the scene unfold, a faint, inscrutable smile playing at the corners of his lips. He murmured to himself, “Heh. So you’ve been faking a serious injury all this time? Even I didn’t see through it. Impressive... truly impressive. As expected of you.”

He rose slowly and prepared to leave. Beside him, Old Miao spoke in a low voice, “The final showdown for the championship is in three days. You should probably go into seclusion. Li Guanqi is not to be underestimated.”

Zhao Beichen smiled arrogantly. “Not to be underestimated? Heh, in my eyes, it’s nothing.”

With that, his figure flickered and vanished.

The elder simply sighed. “Inform the vice pavilion master to come over. The championship match is upon us—he ought to witness it in person.”

He cast a long, meaningful glance at the youth on stage, the one with the sword box on his back, then turned to leave.

On the stage, Ge Qing looked at Li Guanqi with undisguised admiration. His voice spread across the crowd, amplified by vital force. “The Daxia Sword Sect now stands first in points! But according to the rules of the Hell Challenge, they must still face the Purple Sun Pavilion in the final round. The championship match will take place in three days!”

The crowd dispersed with excitement on their faces. Everyone eagerly awaited the decisive battle, wishing time would speed up.

This Tournament of a Hundred Sects had already drawn an unprecedented amount of attention. Nearly eighty thousand cultivators had gathered at the Heavenly Tiger Pass. The streets of the tiny Heavenly Tiger City were packed to the brim. There was hardly any place left to stay.

The final showdown was set for three days later, partly to build anticipation and fan the flames of public fervor between the two top sects.

Li Guanqi glanced at the departing Zhao Beichen, then left the Heavenly Tiger Mountain with Qin Xian and the others. The elders remained silent along the way, all looking extremely solemn.

Li Guanqi frowned slightly, puzzled by their behavior. He lifted Yu Sui’an onto his shoulders and muttered, “What’s up with them?”

The little girl covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, then leaned close to his ear and whispered,

“They’re so happy they can’t even speak~”

Li Guanqi suddenly understood. He chuckled as he flew through the air. “So that’s it. Our little Sui’an really is the smartest.”

Yu Sui’an wiggled her body, swung her right leg down from his shoulder, then rested against Li Guanqi’s back. She hugged him and laughed, “Haha, of course! I’m the smartest~!”

By the time they returned to their residence, the elders could no longer contain themselves. They waved their arms and shouted, “First place! First place!”

Qin Xian dashed around the house like an overexcited child, yelling at the top of his lungs, “First place!”

Even the usually composed Li Nanting clenched his fists, face flushed with excitement. “First! How many years has it been? Just one more step to the finish line!”

Even Tu Kui, who was typically reserved, shouted with joy. The three elders threw aside all pretense of dignity and openly rejoiced before the young disciples.

After a while, Qin Xian calmed down a little and quickly said, “Quick! I need to inform the Sect Master. We must have him come at once!”

Without another word, he rushed to his room to send the message to Lu Kangnian.

When the news reached him, Lu Kangnian leaped up from his cultivation on the spot.

Soon after, elders from all the peaks of the Daxia Sword Sect received the news. They quickly settled their affairs and departed for Heavenly Tiger Mountain that night.

Qin Xian had also already prepared a batch of pills and liquids, which he now handed to Li Guanqi. He said earnestly, “I won’t waste words. Just give it your all.”

Li Nanting smiled warmly. “Even if you lose, which is the worst-case scenario, our sect has already achieved unprecedented success. The resources we’ve gained are enough to support the sect for hundreds of years. You’ve done more than enough.”

Li Guanqi scratched his head and smiled gently. “Alright.”

He then added, “I plan to go into seclusion for a few days to get into the right state.”

Qin Xian quickly replied, “Of course. I’ll replace your Spirit Gathering Array with a Meditation Array.”

Ye Feng came up, slinging his arm around Li Guanqi’s neck, his face brimming with excitement. “Brother Li, you’re seriously incredible! So all this time you were just playing around with us?”

Li Guanqi chuckled. “If I’d gone all out, you wouldn’t have learned anything. Don’t blame me.”

The group laughed and joked around for a while. Then, Ye Feng’s face grew solemn. “Brother Li, I’m not gonna lie. Everything you’ve done makes us feel like we share in your honor and shame. You’re like a warrior cutting through the darkness, and it stirs my soul!”

Ye Feng took a deep breath and said earnestly, “But what I really want to say is... no matter what happens, you’ll always be my hero.”

Li Guanqi smiled warmly and lightly punched Ye Feng’s shoulder. “No need for speeches. Just focus on your cultivation. If you slack off, I’ll be the only one fighting.”

Ye Feng and the others looked a little embarrassed and scratched their heads. Ye Feng muttered, “I don’t even sleep in anymore. Just wait—give me six months, and I’ll reach the Golden Core Realm!”

Li Guanqi smiled, then returned to his room. Inside, the various pills and spirit liquids had already been neatly arranged.

He smiled again and sat down inside the formation. The water-blue ripples of the Meditation Array wrapped around him, soothing his weary body and soul and making him feel very comfortable.

Meanwhile, Yu Sui’an trotted over to Li Guanqi’s room and raised her hand to knock, but was stopped by Li Nanting. “Eh~ Little Sui’an, you can’t disturb him right now.”

Yu Sui’an pouted, tilting her head in confusion. She wanted Li Guanqi to take her out to play in Heavenly Tiger City. Li Nanting squatted down and said gently, “These past days of fighting weren’t easy. Let him rest for a few days, alright? If you want to go out, Grandpa will take you!”

Nestled in his arms, the little girl shook her head. Her two braids bounced like little rattles. “No need. I’ll play by myself. He’s too tired, so let him rest.”

For some reason, those simple words made the Grand Elder of Heavenly Lightning Peak’s nose sting with emotion.

He turned back to look at the tightly shut door, his eyes full of deep heartache. He set Yu Sui’an down gently and said softly, “Alright, Sui’an. Go have fun on your own.”