Chapter 101: Breaking Through To Nine Springs, Heading To The Immortal Burial
The flatboat turned around a big bend and arrived at Silver Beach River Valley.
Yin Twenty-Five stood straight on a higher slope by the shore, as if he had been waiting for them for a long time.
“It’s over, we delayed too much time in the Ash Region, probably noticed by those above!” Yin Twenty-Four whispered, becoming nervous, well aware of how severe the Hidden Sect’s punishments were.
Li Weiyi said: “No need to be afraid, leave it to me.”
Yin Twenty-Five looked at the three people on the ship, his face somber as he said: “Where have the three of you been?”
The flatboat docked.
Li Weiyi got off the ship first, passing by Yin Twenty-Five, and said indifferently: “Where a Hidden Person goes, does he need to report to a Hidden Person? Is that the Hidden Sect’s rule?”
Yin Twenty-Five was stunned for a moment.
Yin Twenty-Four walked over, revealing a sympathetic look: “Someone who isn’t even a Hidden Person yet dares to act like one—what do you think his ego is like?”
Yin Twenty-Five’s expression changed, his heart uneasy as he quickly caught up to Li Weiyi, his attitude much more respectful: “It was the Hidden Lord who sent me to invite the three of you.”
“What for?” Li Weiyi asked calmly, hands behind his back.
Yin Twenty-Five lowered his head: “It seems related to something happening in Zangxian Town.”
Li Weiyi patted his shoulder and smiled: “Don’t let Yin Twenty-Four scare you, I’m not that petty. Lead the way ahead, I also have something to report to the Hidden Lord.”
……
…………
“Fell from the Spider Cave into the Ash Region and encountered six Ash Spirits.”
The gaze under the Hidden Lord’s mask was deep and grave as he asked: “How did you escape?”
Li Weiyi said: “Our cultivation is too low, we don’t know exactly what we encountered. After barging into a mass of purple mist, we returned to the Spider Cave. I think this matter is no small thing—the Ash Region may have already spread near the Hidden Sect, and even the underground of many places in Li Zhou might have been swallowed by it.”
The Hidden Lord clearly understood better than Li Weiyi what the Ash Region represented. The relaxed air around him vanished completely as he paced back and forth, saying: “You don’t need to worry about this matter, I’ll personally go search and investigate. I called you here for another urgent matter.”
Then the Hidden Lord briefly recounted the situation in Zangxian Town.
Li Weiyi remained calm throughout, but the three behind him grew more excited one after another, wishing they could sprout wings and fly straight to Zangxian Town.
No helping it—for mortals like Yin Twenty-Four and Yin Twenty-Five, what could be more enticing than metamorphosing into a Pure Immortal Body?
Though Yao Yin was a Pure Immortal Body, the “Nine Springs Ancestral Field” hurdle had blocked countless proud Pure Immortal Bodies from becoming peak geniuses.
Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body and Eight Springs Pure Immortal Body were worlds apart.
The former were peak geniuses, lording over their generation.
The latter might not even surpass ordinary Nine Springs cultivators.
What’s more, Yao Yin had cultivated ninety-two Veins at the Eight Springs Realm. Once she broke through Nine Springs, she would almost certainly exceed Hundred Veins, possessing a foundation like that of a Ten Million Gateways Successor Seed.
In the Jiu Li tribe, Cang Li would no longer dominate alone.
The Hidden Lord inwardly praised Li Weiyi’s steady demeanor and said: “Normally, you’re not yet a Hidden Person and far from the time to emerge and measure yourself against the heroes under heaven. But special circumstances call for special measures—this time, you’ll lead the team for two missions.”
“First, gather medicine, as much as possible.”
“Second, secretly assist the geniuses from the Jiu Li tribes participating in the Mang Mountain Grand Sacrifice. The Hidden Sect received news that someone will take the opportunity to hunt them down.”
Li Weiyi said: “Sui Sect?”
“Not just Sui Sect alone—they’re not that bold. You’ll know when you get there.”
The Hidden Lord thought for a moment and added: “Right, it’s best not to expose your identity as Li Weiyi—many forces are looking for you now.”
“My plan is to push Yao Yin into the open. You and Yin Twenty-Five use the Disguise Art to pose as her two close attendants and head to Zangxian Town. She’s only recently joined the Hidden Sect, and only the Medicine Li Tribe Leader knows about it, so it can fool others.”
Yin Twenty-Four said: “Hidden Lord, what about me? I’m not going with them?”
“Five Seas Realm Hidden Persons will be led by Yin Nine—you have another mission.”
The Hidden Lord kept Li Weiyi behind alone and took out a medicine bottle: “Pills to suppress the Six Desires Talisman—five in total have been refined. Additionally, this lord has learned that if you can enlist the Nine Great Priests to act together, they can help you refine the Six Desires Talisman in your body. So, no need to worry too much about this.”
“Before setting off, go to the Coffin Sea Pavilion treasury and get a high-grade Magic Tool level night-walking clothes from Grand Elder Forty-Five. The invisibility is stronger, and the defense and speed bonuses far surpass low-grade Magic Tools. Most crucially, it can block Shi Liuyu’s sensing of the Six Desires Talisman on you.”
The Hidden Lord continued: “Once in Zangxian Town, find the Dyeing Cloud Exotic Medicine and quickly break through Nine Springs Ancestral Field. Then prepare to impact the Five Seas Realm—only reaching the Five Seas Realm counts as preliminarily entering the ranks of the younger generation’s masters. A Hidden Person can’t lag too far behind Successors—you need to catch up to Cang Li quickly. Have you forged Gold Veins yet?”
“Gold Veins—is this it?”
Li Weiyi was very direct, taking off his upper garment and activating nine Gold Veins within.
Those brilliant golden lights were so piercing that the Hidden Lord could barely keep his eyes open, astonished and somewhat losing composure: “Nine already, and so quickly? And at Eight Springs cultivation, no less.”
“Isn’t this just as you required—nine surpasses most Successors.”
Li Weiyi suddenly sensed something, thinking back carefully, an unusual expression appearing in his eyes. The Hidden Lord’s real voice just now sounded somewhat familiar.
The Hidden Lord quickly suppressed his excitement and after a moment’s contemplation said: “Don’t impact the Five Seas Realm for now—precipitate more in the Spring Gushing Realm. In the Jiu Li tribe, do you have anyone in your heart? Li Ling? Yao Yin? Yin Twenty-Four? The Hidden Sect can help make the match.”
……
Li Weiyi walked out of the sect gate and ran into Yin Twenty-Four.
She said: “You sure have face—something as big as violating gathering medicine, and the Hidden Lord doesn’t pursue it at all.”
“Get to the point.” Li Weiyi said.
Yin Twenty-Four didn’t stand on ceremony with him at all: “Help me gather three stalks of Dyeing Cloud Exotic Medicine that can help a Pure Immortal Body metamorphose.”
“Three? You sure dare to ask.” Li Weiyi said.
Yin Twenty-Four said: “The higher the cultivation, the more Dyeing Cloud Exotic Medicine is needed… Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it.”
“Can you afford it? Just say if it’s on credit… Fine, a debt is still money—I’ll do my best!” Li Weiyi relented.
Yin Twenty-Four smiled charmingly.
……
September 3rd, six days until the Mang Mountain Grand Sacrifice.
Li Weiyi wore a bamboo hat, carried an Insect Tube on his back, and sat at a street-side noodle stall in Jiu Li City, devouring a bowl of noodle soup.
His fingertips traced a long ribbon of Magic Energy in the air. The Magic Energy ribbon extended along the ground farther and farther, dissipating only ten zhang away and blending into the air.
“Is this the distance Zu Tian Magic Energy can reach?”
The Hidden Lord had clearly underestimated Li Weiyi—he had broken through Nine Springs Ancestral Field without needing exotic medicine, doing so naturally that morning.
As for the legendary Tenth Spring, Li Weiyi truly had no clue at all.
Even his three masters only half-understood it and couldn’t provide help. Next, he could only fumble his way forward himself.
After receiving the secret letter, Zhao Zhizhuo hurried to the noodle stall and sat across from Li Weiyi, his mood a mix of excitement and worry: “It really is you, Brother Li—how dare you come to Jiu Li City? The Yang Clan, Xue Clan, Earth Wolf King Army, Coffin Mountain, and killers everywhere—martial cultivators under heaven are all looking for you. Too dangerous—come hide in the tribal school with me. The leader is very worried about your safety.”
As he said this, he pulled a pre-prepared money bag from his bosom and placed it in front of Li Weiyi: “Can only repay this much for now.”
Li Weiyi opened the money bag, counted it, then pushed over the bowl of noodle soup on the table: “I secretly asked you here for several important matters.”
“What matters?”
“You’ve been at the tribal school these past months—seen Qi Shanshan?”
Zhao Zhizhuo nodded, then showed an unusual expression on his face and smiled: “This Alchemist Qi is no ordinary person!”
“How so?” Li Weiyi said.
Zhao Zhizhuo lowered his voice: “She’s just a mortal body, her beauty doesn’t match those Pure Immortal Bodies, and her cultivation talent can’t compare to heavenly proud daughters like Yang Qingxi. But a person of excellence like Cang Li is utterly bewitched by her—because of this, he’s already quarreled several times with the family head and matriarch.”
Li Weiyi was dumbfounded.
He knew Qi Shanshan was highly skilled, but to this extent—even Cang Li, whom Yang Qingxi couldn’t win over, had been taken by her!
Zhao Zhizhuo smiled: “Shocked, huh? Actually, I can understand it. Cang Li is indeed extremely talented, but from childhood he’s been under strict tribal demands, with the responsibility of reviving the Jiu Li tribe on his shoulders. Everyone tells him what he should do, but no one cares what he wants to do.”
“Someone lacking love and with zero emotional experience—how could he not fall for an expert in emotions?”
Li Weiyi nodded deeply in agreement.
But he thought deeper, suspecting whether the Zen Sea Observing Mist in Qi Shanshan’s body was orchestrating all this.
“Where is she now?” Li Weiyi asked.
Zhao Zhizhuo said: “Cang Li took her toward Zangxian Town, saying to help her gather Dyeing Cloud Exotic Medicine and metamorphose into a Pure Immortal Body.”
Li Weiyi’s expression turned grave—this made the situation much more complicated. To move against Qi Shanshan, he’d have to get past Cang Li first. He said: “What about my senior disciple brother and Cai Yutong?”
Zhao Zhizhuo said: “They became disciples at Jiu Li Dao Academy and have already headed to Zangxian Town for the Mang Mountain Grand Sacrifice.”
This was within Li Weiyi’s expectations—after all, even Yang Qingxi knew they had metamorphosed into Pure Immortal Bodies, so there was no secret to keep. Naturally, becoming disciples at Jiu Li Dao Academy was the best choice.
But Li Weiyi still felt it was more dangerous this way.
“Old Zhao, want to fully recover your cultivation?”
Zhao Zhizhuo, who was eating noodles, suddenly heard Li Weiyi say this and froze as if struck by lightning. After a long while, his expression returned to normal: “That senior can help me recover to the Five Seas Realm?”
“It’s the Fifth Realm of the Five Seas Realm… Don’t get agitated, eat your noodles first.” Li Weiyi said.
Zhao Zhizhuo had no appetite for noodles and said: “Brother Li, just tell me—what do you want me to do? As long as it helps me recover to my peak cultivation, even if I have to die the next day, I’m willing.”
“It’s not about dying—that exaggerated.”
With the entire Jiu Li Hidden Sect behind him now, Li Weiyi’s courage had naturally grown—he no longer worried about Zhao Zhizhuo recovering too much strength and turning against him.
How could he not have worried before?
A person’s mentality inevitably changes as their strength grows. Who knew if Zhao Zhizhuo after recovering his cultivation would still be reliable?
“Come on, take you to meet a friend. Remember, no matter how unbelievable what happens, don’t ask anything and keep it strictly confidential. Old Zhao, don’t betray my trust!”
After finishing the noodles, Li Weiyi led Zhao Zhizhuo out of Jiu Li City to the dock by the Sui River.
Far off, they saw a large ship flying the “Medicine” flag.
Yao Yin stood on the deck at the bow, her figure graceful and soft, wearing a green veil, with two white-clothed maidservants following behind her.
Servants of the Medicine Li Tribe were transporting boxes of goods onto the ship.
The three had split up to act separately. After leaving the Jiu Li Hidden Sect, Yao Yin and Yin Twenty-Five had gone to the Medicine Li Tribe’s tribal mansion and arranged everything properly.
Yao Yin went to greet Li Weiyi and Zhao Zhizhuo as they boarded, exuding the elegant poise of a great lady, a faint smile always on her face.
“Greetings, Yin Niang.”
Zhao Zhizhuo knew some legends about this Pure Immortal Body of the Medicine Li Tribe and was very surprised in his heart, not knowing how Li Weiyi had gotten involved with her.
Yao Yin pulled Li Weiyi alone into the cabin and asked: “Who is he?”
“A master—the very high kind.”
Li Weiyi’s eyes gleamed as he secretly began plotting some things.
Yao Yin knew Li Weiyi wouldn’t act rashly, so she didn’t ask more and said: “I’m the granddaughter of the Medicine Li Tribe Leader, just returned from studying arts in a mysterious place outside Li Zhou. You and Yin Twenty-Five are my personal guards, come from outside the province. You need a new name!”
“Sima Tan.”
After choosing the name, Li Weiyi asked: “Mysterious place? The Hidden Sect didn’t make detailed arrangements?”
“The more vague, the more deterrent—they’ll imagine it themselves.” Yao Yin said.
Entering the cabin arranged by the Medicine Li Tribe, Li Weiyi was about to continue studying the Magic Energy usage in the Ninth Spring Ancestral Field when Zhao Zhizhuo knocked and came to visit.
After entering, he lowered his voice: “Brother Li, do you know this Yin Niang has an extraordinary background? And she’s not as soft and approachable as she seems—legend has it she killed many in the Medicine Li Tribe, her evil reputation widespread. Don’t be fooled by her appearance!”
……
Seeking monthly tickets!
