Chapter 162: Cataclysm From The Void
“Scolding Chen Xun, Sheng Qingyan, and Huo Qiankun like scolding house slaves. This is too outrageous. Even Coffin Mountain Four Truths and Heartless Golden Ape aren’t this arrogant.” Yin Eleven said.
Li Weiyi thought of the sparks that emerged after the skins of the left and right attendants were cracked by Zuo Qiu Ting, and said, “They are very likely Ash Spirits, just hiding under human skin.”
Yin Nine’s gaze was solemn: “This makes sense. Only the Ash Spirits from the Far West Ash Region have such terrifying energy. It is said that when the young Heavenly Prodigies from the major powers withdrew from the edge of the Nether Realm of the Dead to Li Zhou, they encountered Ash Spirits and suffered many casualties.”
Yin Ten keenly grasped something: “If Ash Spirits have the ability to hide in human bodies, then after ambushing the young Martial Cultivators from the major powers, how many have already hidden inside these young Martial Cultivators? What exactly are they trying to do?”
Li Weiyi thought of what Zen Sea Observing Mist had said, and said, “The Far West Ash Region is not simple. Their strength is such that only Longevity Realm Giants can glimpse the truth. What they are plotting is absolutely not just some dispute among the younger generation. Sui Sect, San Chen Palace, Tian Yi Sect, and them are all mixed together—we must be careful!”
Yin Nine and Yin Ten nodded lightly, sensing the danger and pressure.
“This is the box I snatched from their hands. Chen Xun and the others seem to value it extremely highly.”
Li Weiyi took out that black metal box from the Evil Camel Bell and placed it in the center of the room.
The crate was tall, bound with chains.
“Crash!”
Yin Eleven dropped from the beam, propping up his body with his snake tail, hands stroking it, eyes gleaming: “Why does it feel like it’s holding something alive?”
Just upon touching it, runes emerged on the crate.
“I’ll dispel the runes.”
Yin Ten swung his sleeve to send Yin Eleven flying out, his jade-like white brow releasing powerful Mind Power Spiritual Fire. His whole body was enveloped in blinding flames, and as his finger touched it, the runes burned into green smoke one after another.
“This is the final realm of Great Mind Master, Calamity Fire!”
Li Weiyi was very surprised. This Yin Ten not only had unfathomable Martial Way Cultivation, but his Mind Power Attainment was also astonishing.
Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body, plus Calamity Fire Realm Great Mind Master—his strength was somewhat extraordinary.
“Bang!”
After breaking all the runes, Yin Eleven pointed, and sword qi overflowed from his finger, severing the chains on the iron box.
“I’ll open it!”
Li Weiyi walked over.
Yin Ten stepped back, giving him the chance to open the box, after all, it was he who snatched it back.
Li Weiyi opened a gap in the lid of the iron box and glanced inside. His already very solemn expression instantly sank to freezing point, and his mind went blank for a brief moment.
“Bang!”
Li Weiyi slammed the iron box shut heavily, causing Yin Eleven, who had slithered over to peek, to yelp strangely as his head nearly got caught.
Li Weiyi tried to calm his emotions and looked at Yin Nine and Yin Ten: “You three, why don’t you step out for a bit?”
Yin Ten had powerful mind power and had sensed the situation inside earlier: “I’ll stay!”
“I can handle it alone!” Li Weiyi said.
Yin Nine silently stood up, axe in hand, and walked out first, pulling Yin Eleven along with him.
Yin Ten fetched a set of robes and handed them to Li Weiyi.
She walked out and closed the door.
Li Weiyi took a deep breath and reopened the metal iron box.
Inside the box was a bloody body stripped of its human skin, curled up like a lump of rotten flesh. Its head was bald without hair, the entire scalp peeled off.
The box was seeped with a lot of blood.
Its ears were caked in blood, eyeballs gouged out, losing sight and hearing.
But she was still alive.
Sensing the iron box being opened, she panicked in terror, curling up desperately, but the skinless flesh rubbed painfully in the contraction.
Li Weiyi gripped the edges of the metal crate so hard they nearly deformed, using mind power to gently inform her: “Zhuang Yue, it’s me… Sima Tan… no, Li Weiyi, I’m Li Weiyi, don’t be afraid… don’t be afraid…”
Zhuang Yue, curled in the box, fell briefly silent, slowly lifted her head, then sobbed in tears.
No matter how high her cultivation, she was just a young woman with a vulnerable heart.
Even seeing her in such a horrific state as a stranger, Li Weiyi couldn’t remain unmoved. Though not deeply acquainted with Zhuang Yue, how could he not pity and sympathize with a girl who had smiled at him?
Li Weiyi released strands of spiritual light, weaving over her body like a layer of skin, emanating a cool temperature to ease her pain.
“Tell me, what happened?” Li Weiyi spoke gently without stint, draping Yin Ten’s clothes over her, separated by the spiritual light.
After Zhuang Yue recounted everything, Li Weiyi used mind power to hypnotize her into a peaceful sleep.
Opening the door, Li Weiyi walked out to meet the gazes of the three Hidden Persons waiting outside: “She is Luan Tai Angel Jiang Ning’s person, captured by a master among the Ash Spirits, skinned alive—likely to impersonate her and deal with Jiang Ning.”
Yin Ten, being a woman, empathized deeply, saying coldly: “Too cruel! Ten times crueler than stripping a woman bare. The loss of mental dignity combined with physical torment.”
Yin Nine said: “To Ash Spirits, this isn’t cruelty at all, just like humans skinning animals and eating their flesh and blood.”
“Perhaps many of the young experts who came to Qiu Prefecture this time have already been skinned, their inner essence replaced.” Yin Eleven said with a shudder.
Li Weiyi said: “That hunting battle erupted at dawn yesterday. Jiang Ning, Yin Shisan, and Zhuang Yue were ambushed by Ash Spirits, Night City, Coffin Mountain, and Chen Wenwu’s group.”
“Zhuang Yue got separated and was captured.”
“She said that before being skinned, she overheard a conversation. Jiang Ning likely activated the Hundred Character Scripture Magic Tool Jade Boat, taking Yin Shisan and fleeing, but with her cultivation, piloting the jade boat at most five hundred li before magic energy depletes.”
“My view is, matters between the Imperial Court and various Righteous Armies—I can’t manage, nor will I. But Thirteenth Senior Brother is from our Jiu Li Hidden Sect; his life and death, I must concern myself with.”
“What do you three say?”
Yin Nine pondered, then after a while: “You shouldn’t get involved. Hurry to Prefectural City with Li Ling—much safer there. As for Old Thirteen, we’ll figure out a rescue!”
Yin Ten said: “I’ll first send people to inquire about the situation and see what’s happening now. Li Weiyi, rest assured. Though we Hidden Persons are the sole survivors of our batch, ruthless as we are, we’re never cold-blooded to our Hidden Person brothers.”
After Yin Ten left, Yin Nine quickly departed too.
Yin Eleven said: “That’s how those two are—strong, so very opinionated. If you want to command them, I’d say wait at least three more years. Your cultivation speed is too fast!”
“By the way, what about that woman? Plan to help her reclaim her human skin, or rush her to a healer? Or feed her Ancient Immortal Giant Beast blood—metamorphosing into Deformed Humanoid Race isn’t bad, though the gouged eyeballs are tricky… regrowing skin would be much easier…”
“Help me watch her.”
Li Weiyi deeply realized the enemy’s brutality and returned to Cloud Palace, intending to keep Li Ling by his side.
In true danger, he could promptly take her into the Blood Mud Space.
Just arriving outside Cloud Palace, not yet entering, he saw a fan-holding figure in the lantern shadows, as if waiting a while.
Li Weiyi’s expression shifted as he approached.
Zuo Qiu Ting still wore Long Ting’s face, but even more lifelike now, his face grave, burdened with worries: “You’ve stirred up a colossal disaster. Do you know what formidable figure you’ve provoked?”
Li Weiyi’s mood was poor: “The esteemed successor of Zuo Qiu Gatehouse, coming specially to find me just to intimidate me?”
“Intimidate you?”
Zuo Qiu Ting’s brow furrowed with thick, unmelting worry, saying: “You deliberately used the Green Yin Banner in Heaven Pavilion to lure me out. Speak—what good things did you get from Thirty-three Mile Mountain?”
Li Weiyi considered: “A Departed Spirit senior once told me that Zuo Qiu Gatehouse has excellent family teachings; its successor must be upright in character.”
Zuo Qiu Ting temporarily set aside his thoughts, eyes full of hope: “The senior who taught you Heavenly Eye? Where is she?”
“In the Nether Realm of the Dead, I cultivated with her for a time.” This was the pretext pre-arranged with Spirit Tablet Master.
Zuo Qiu Ting’s eyes dimmed, but he didn’t seem surprised.
Li Weiyi continued: “In Thirty-three Mile Mountain, I truly feared you’d use ungrateful means against me for the Heavenly Eye secret, so I slipped away.”
Zuo Qiu Ting said: “Why lure me out now?”
“Because I’ll join the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival in over two months; my identity will expose sooner or later.”
Li Weiyi added: “Moreover, I trust that Departed Spirit senior, and believe in the uprightness of Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s successor.”
“You should have trusted earlier!”
Zuo Qiu Ting fumed: “How much Immortal Soil did you dig?”
Zuo Qiu Gatehouse valued Immortal Soil greatly.
This was why the successor condescended to meet Li Weiyi personally.
Li Weiyi wouldn’t reveal his cards so quickly, saying: “I want a Thousand Year Elixir, preferably Ice Attribute.”
“Just for one elixir?” Zuo Qiu Ting said.
Elixirs drew too much attention; even with Yao Qian’s means, buying one would spread far and wide.
Li Weiyi knew his limits well, not daring the risk—trading with Zuo Qiu Gatehouse was much safer.
In any case, first cultivating the seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors to Fifth Realm of the Five Seas Realm was urgent. Li Weiyi craved strength immensely.
He added: “I also want a pill furnace, and all the medicinal herbs on this list.”
Zuo Qiu Ting took the medicinal herb list he handed over: “You’re refining pills to rapidly boost magic energy?”
Li Weiyi was startled: “How did you know?”
Zen Sea Observing Mist had long given him the Qi Ascending Pill formula.
The herb list he gave Zuo Qiu Ting was doctored, adding several other precious herbs, with quantities like ten jin, twenty jin—not matching the formula.
Zuo Qiu Ting said coldly: “Main herbs for boosting magic energy pills are just those few. You think only your Jiu Li Hidden Sect has such formulas?”
“Major Ten Million Gateways all have similar formulas, but pill effects and grades differ. Rather than buying so many herbs to refine and risk failure, better buy directly from Zuo Qiu Gatehouse.”
Li Weiyi trusted Zen Sea Observing Mist’s formula far more; its grade and effects incomparable to Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s.
He said: “How did you know I’m from Jiu Li Hidden Sect?”
“Your Hidden Lord, I’ve seen once by Old Ancestor’s side. Even if you hide, I can find you—can’t run from the temple if the monk flees.” Zuo Qiu Ting rolled his eyes: “Any other conditions? Spit them all out now.”
