Chapter 77: Hidden Twenty-four
Li Weiyi was so frightened that he instantly became fully awake, reaching to the side and touching some bodies and limbs.
He immediately realized that he was no longer on the vehicle and was likely already on the road to the Hidden Sect. But he couldn’t see or hear anything, completely unaware of his current surroundings.
How long had he slept?
Suddenly, someone patted his head, and the lower edge of the Black Cloth Bag loosened with a swish.
His hearing recovered, and the sound of water splashing from rowing filled his ears.
Li Weiyi immediately removed the Black Cloth Bag. Before him was a vast expanse of golden mist, beneath him a Flatboat over ten meters long, and around him twenty or thirty young men and women crammed closely together.
Most of them had already had their Black Cloth Bags removed, with some still in the process.
The crowd’s mental fortitude was strong; those who could come here were no ordinary people. After a brief commotion, they quickly straightened their bodies and surveyed their surroundings.
Only a pair of Gemstone-like cyan eyes glared at Li Weiyi, her shell teeth clenched, red lips trembling, and hands on her lap clenched into fists.
It was the owner of the leg that had earlier pressed painfully against Li Weiyi’s chest. Her position was right next to Li Weiyi, and the boat was too narrow to move. Just after boarding, she had been grabbed by this scoundrel and pinned firmly beneath him, unable to break free.
The opponent’s cultivation was extremely high; every time she tried to struggle, she faced even fiercer pulling, making her thigh ache and numb, her calf cramp, as if they no longer belonged to her.
It was absolutely deliberate.
Which tribe had selected this person? How could he be so vulgar?
After Li Weiyi looked at her, he was somewhat surprised.
She was actually a Pure Immortal Body. Which tribe had invested such a fortune?
Did they not know that of the people sent to the Hidden Sect each year, only one could survive?
Yao Yin was selected and sent by the Medicine Li Tribe of the Jiu Li, only fifteen years old, with Seven Springs cultivation, and a Pure Immortal Body—no less than boundless prospects.
She possessed the flawless skin common to most Pure Immortal Bodies, every inch of her body as if carved from crystalline immortal jade, her entire form emanating a faint white glow. It must be known that the beauty of a Pure Immortal Body was beyond what mortals could aspire to; Yao Yin also carried that Immortal Charm, even her hair gleaming with luster.
Li Weiyi sensed the chill in her gaze and, thinking back to the random groping right after waking, knew exactly whose it had been.
Embarrassed to the point of wanting to jump overboard—it was too humiliating—he hurriedly apologized: “Sorry, I had just woken up and my senses were blocked… Anyway, I’m very sorry!”
After apologizing, Li Weiyi had no face to continue facing her and quickly turned away, reaching for his Yellow Dragon Sword and Insect Tube.
Both were still on his back.
The Insect Tube had been opened, but the seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors inside evidently hadn’t been recognized, so they were all still safely inside.
Li Weiyi looked toward the bow, where a tall and burly man sat cross-legged, facing forward, his back majestic like a mountain, a dark red Cloak draped over his shoulders swaying in the wind, exuding an air of dignified dominance.
The golden mist emanated from a Bronze Lamp beside the man.
The lamp’s golden light was extremely bright, illuminating the darkness of the Underground River.
Li Weiyi saw Cang Li.
Cang Li’s calm eyes also fell on him, a sharp glint flashing in his pupils before quickly turning away to look elsewhere.
From just that one glance, Li Weiyi discerned much: “He knows I’m the one dispatched by the Earth Wolf King Army!”
“But when I boarded the vehicle, he was already wearing the Black Cloth Bag. This means after I fell asleep, his bag was removed by the mysterious Old Man, deliberately letting him remember me.”
“The reason I slept so deeply might have another cause.”
“Why make him remember me specifically? Is it to have him kill me in the Hidden Sect?”
Li Weiyi didn’t want to meddle in the games between the Earth Wolf King Army, Jiu Li, and Coffin Mountain’s higher-ups—that wasn’t something he could influence. For now, caution was key; he must guard against Cang Li.
The Flatboat traveled along a wide Underground River.
The man seated cross-legged at the bow emitted strands of Magic Energy, remotely controlling the oars to row.
The one removing the Black Cloth Bags from everyone’s heads was a girl in black clothes.
Her figure stood tall like a Spear, not very old, just sixteen or seventeen.
After untying the Black Cloth Bag from the last Young Man’s head, the black-clothed girl stood at the Stern with sword on her back, saying in a crisp voice: “We are now traveling on the underground dark river leading to the Jiu Li Hidden Sect. Everyone’s resolve is quite good—no panic or fear.”
“But I still need to make it clear: underground is the world ruled by the Insect Race. We must stay as quiet as possible.”
“Gugu!”
At that moment, massive insect chirps echoed from the Underground River’s Shore.
In the darkness, countless pairs of red eyes lit up.
The black-clothed girl said: “You needn’t worry too much. The lamp on the ship burns the pupal shell of a Commander Level Strange Insect Tiger-Striped Golden Cicada; ordinary Insect Swarms won’t attack us.”
Soldier Level, General Level, Commander Level…
Soldier Level and General Level are called Fierce Insects.
Only Commander Level can be called Strange Insects.
A single adult Commander Level Strange Insect can threaten a Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivator.
“Let me introduce myself. I arrived two years ahead of you, one of the Hidden Persons from two years ago. I entered the Hidden Sect in the twenty-fourth year of this Jia Zi cycle, so everyone can just call me Yin Twenty-Four.” The black-clothed girl said.
The young men and women on the ship looked at the black-clothed girl with newfound awe in their eyes.
This was someone who had survived to the end among a batch of Alternates!
Moreover, she was even younger than some on the ship.
No ordinary person!
The black-clothed girl continued: “This year’s batch of Alternates is more than twice as strong as last year’s. There are those who have Opened Nine Springs, Pure Immortal Bodies, and even four who have Opened Eight Springs. It seems after the Jiu Li’s inheritor was decided, all tribes know the selection of the God Hidden Person will follow closely, and they all want to compete.”
“You dared come to the Hidden Sect, so you should know the cruelty involved, right? Only one survives each year to become that year’s Hidden Person. Only Hidden Persons qualify to compete for God Hidden Person; all Losers become Hidden Servants to this Jia Zi’s God Hidden Person.”
“Cruel, extremely cruel. But the Hidden Sect’s cultivation resources and environment are unmatched elsewhere.”
“Two years ago, I entered the Hidden Sect at fourteen having Opened Seven Springs. Now, two years later, I’ve Opened Nine Springs and entered Five Seas eight days ago. With my talent, outside I absolutely couldn’t have Opened Nine Springs, let alone broken through to Five Seas so quickly.”
“This is the Hidden Sect’s strength!”
A sixteen-year-old Nine Springs Five Seas Realm?
So perverse?
How many of the Jiu Li’s publicly known Heaven’s Chosen could compare?
Cang Li considered himself peak talent, seeing only Cang Li as his equal in all Jiu Li, but now he suffered a blow. He asked: “May I ask, Yin Twenty-Four, are you the fastest among Hidden Persons to break through Nine Springs and Five Seas Realm?”
Black-clothed girl Yin Twenty-Four’s eyes flashed with mockery: “I can only tell you that all who become Hidden Persons must impact Nine Springs. All resources are provided, all related Classics are freely available, and even the previous Jia Zi’s Hidden Person—who advanced to Elder—assists you.”
The ship erupted in uproar.
Must impact Nine Springs?
Yao Yin asked: “What if you can’t break through?”
“Then stay in Spring Gushing Realm until you open the Ninth Spring to enter Five Seas,” Yin Twenty-Four said.
Yao Yin said: “Impacting the Ninth Spring is very dangerous; forcing it can kill.”
“Do you think no one has died from it? I’m called Yin Twenty-Four, but of those ahead of me this Jia Zi, only seventeen Hidden Persons are still alive.”
Then Yin Twenty-Four added: “Without a strong heart, without the belief of certain death or certain victory, I don’t think you’d be on this ship. The cruelty stems from the Hidden Sect being Jiu Li’s final defensive line. If not cruel now, our Tribe Members will face cruelty from enemies in the future.”
“I’m really looking forward to who among you will become the final surviving Yin Twenty-Six?”
“It will definitely be me,” a Young Man who had Opened Eight Springs said.
Cang Li laughed: “Say that after you break Nine Springs!”
Yin Twenty-Four said: “It’s not that higher cultivation guarantees becoming the final winner. Half here are children who have Opened Four Springs or Five Springs; their malleability is stronger. Under the Hidden Sect’s training, they’ll grow faster and more solidly—perhaps someone will surpass you later.”
Li Weiyi had long realized this issue.
Perhaps sending these half-grown children from the Nine Great Tribes who had Opened Four Springs or Five Springs and already possessed independent awareness was the Hidden Sect’s original purpose. Instead, those like them with higher realms and older ages were deliberately sent by the tribes, thinking higher cultivation meant better chances to become Hidden Person, even God Hidden Person.
“Huala!”
The Underground River’s current suddenly turned turbulent, the boat’s speed surging.
Large splashes of water flew up, landing on Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi wiped it, his hand full of bright red, and sniffed it at his nose: “The river water in this Underground River is actually the same as Blood Sea water.”
Yao Yin, sitting beside him and nearly falling into his arms from the sudden rush, snorted coldly: “Ignorant! Beneath the Lingxiao Life Realm are countless Blood Rivers, interconnected, along with vast River Valleys, mining areas, Insect Realms, demon lairs. The Ground is one world, the Underground World another.”
“One of the Southern Territory’s renowned Three Great Barbarian Thieves, the Earth Wolf King Army, once hid in the Underground World; otherwise, Lingxiao Palace would have exterminated them long ago.”
By the Bronze Lamp’s golden light, along the way Li Weiyi saw many tributaries of Blood Rivers. The underground was truly a labyrinth of intersecting paths; he didn’t know how the man at the bow found the right route.
Over the next few days, the Flatboat sped onward, constantly descending deeper into the ground.
En route, they passed a vast underground Blood Sea over two hundred li wide.
No food was prepared on the ship, but Yin Twenty-Four distributed a century-old Precious Medicine to each, which kept them from hunger for days after consumption.
Li Weiyi secretly calculated: just these dozens of Precious Medicines were worth millions of Copper Coins—the Hidden Sect was outrageously wealthy. He didn’t know if it was annual tribute from the Nine Great Tribes or the Hidden Sect’s own cultivation resources.
On the sixth day, the Flatboat’s speed finally slowed, entering a narrow Underground River tributary.
Just after entering, everyone heard piercing cicada cries slicing into their minds like knives.
“Hua! Hua!”
On the pitch-black cave walls, two golden glows bloomed, condensing into tiger shadows like two golden giant tigers crouching on the Stone Wall. But close inspection revealed palm-sized golden cicadas within the shadows.
The man at the bow finally stood, wearing a Metal Mask: “No need to panic. They are the two Tiger-Striped Golden Cicadas guarding the Jiu Li Insect Valley Passage. I am the God Hidden Person of the previous Jia Zi; you may call me Hidden Lord for now.”
Two Commander Level Strange Insects guarding the Passage entrance?
This Hidden Lord also seemed extremely formidable.
Li Weiyi instantly grasped the Hidden Sect’s strength; the Earth Wolf King Army daring to target the Jiu Li Hidden Sect would surely suffer greatly. A millennia-old Ancient Clan was indeed not as simple as it appeared.
The Flatboat continued sailing, light gradually appearing underground.
Lights of various colors.
After passing an ancient Stone Gate, the view opened up, grassy and woody fragrances wafting, a vast Underground River Valley appearing along the ribbon-like red riverbank.
The River Valley was shrouded in mist.
Not real mist, but fog-like Magic Energy akin to a Dao Domain.
“There must be an enormous Heaven Earth Spring here!”
Li Weiyi inwardly shuddered, gazing into the River Valley where glowing plants grew on the Ground—vibrant colors, purple and red—distant towering luminous trees like a Jungle.
Along the underground Blood River stood many Stone Tablets, some inscribed with words or Scriptures, others with human-form battle technique patterns.
In the distance, on the hazy towering Cliff Face, four ancient colossal characters were carved, radiating unparalleled divinity, drawing all eyes.
The Flatboat stopped.
Hidden Lord disembarked first, Yin Twenty-Four following closely.
After the twenty-six Young Men, women, and children disembarked, they were all led beneath that cliff carving.
Hidden Lord said in a deep voice: “The four characters ‘Jiu Li Insect Valley’ on the Cliff Face were personally carved by the Jiu Li God. All who enter the valley must kowtow. Whoever comprehends the strand of Battle Intent from the Jiu Li God in the inscription may directly become God Hidden Person.”
