Chapter 139: Turning To Our Side
Li Weiyi recalled in his mind the words Hidden Lord had said earlier. To minimize casualties as much as possible, Hidden Sect had actually incited the Earth Wolf King Army to defect?
Make distant alliances to attack those nearby.
Shu Zhou, where the Earth Wolf King Army was located, was thousands of miles away from Li Zhou, with Han Zhou still in between.
The two words “distant alliances” seemed simple, but inciting defection was far from easy. To make the Earth Wolf King Army fight for Jiu Li was even more impossible. The key to everything must lie in that metal box.
……
Hidden Lord sat across from Great Lord.
The arm holding the chess piece had long since disappeared.
Great Lord opened the metal box, and dazzling silver light immediately burst forth. Dao sounds echoed in the spacious room, scriptures turning into a sea of text, as if a whole world had been unveiled.
“Shatter!”
He immediately closed the metal box.
Great Lord suppressed the shock in his heart, then the wrinkles on his face smoothed out as he smiled. “Even treasures like Immortal Law Star can be handed over so freely. It seems the so-called ten-million-year ancient clan’s foundation is nothing special. You’ve been cornered by Yang Shenjing?”
Hidden Lord observed the chessboard, then scanned the room with his gaze. “No need to probe Hidden Sect’s strength. Jiu Li’s openly displayed power alone is far stronger than Sui Sect, isn’t it? If the nine great priests join forces to strike, would Yang Shenjing live or die? Hey… you don’t really think giving Immortal Law Star to you is a good thing, do you? That really disappoints me.”
Great Lord set the metal box aside unhurriedly. “Aside from Son of Heaven, whoever gets Immortal Law Star commits a capital crime. In the entire Lingxiao Life Realm, probably only Yu Yaozi could barely withstand it, but in the current situation, even if she got it, she wouldn’t survive the year.”
“But as long as the news doesn’t leak, Immortal Law Star is the greatest treasure under heaven. Right now, only our two sides know this news.”
“In other words, Jiu Li is retreating to advance, giving grain and also giving rope, thereby seizing the Earth Wolf King Army’s greatest weakness.”
Hidden Lord said, “Does that Heavenly King want it?”
“Who under heaven could refuse Immortal Law Star?”
Great Lord smiled bitterly and asked, “Tell me, what are the conditions?”
“In this battle, the Earth Wolf King Army must fully support Jiu Li, including Heavenly King coming in person.” Hidden Lord got straight to the point.
Great Lord said, “Agreed!”
“Kill Yao Qian.” Hidden Lord said.
Great Lord naturally wouldn’t agree to everything. “Yao Qian has caught the eye of that Second Palace Master in Lingxiao Palace. The price of moving against him is something even Jiu Li couldn’t bear, let alone us?”
“Does Great Lord think Jiu Li doesn’t dare to kill him personally, so they pushed it to you?” Hidden Lord said.
Great Lord smiled without speaking.
“This Lord will personally kill him.”
Hidden Lord’s tone was very firm, then he continued, “How much the Earth Wolf King Army actually contributes, this Lord has his own measure in mind. If at that time you stand by and watch, only killing a few scattered soldiers, the news of Heavenly King refining Immortal Law Star will surely spread rapidly through Lingxiao Life Realm. Anyway, Jiu Li loses nothing.”
Great Lord’s face turned ugly. “Once this leash is on, it seems it can’t be removed! Why not have Jiu Li fully support the Earth Wolf King Army? You have money, grain, resources; we dare to fight, dare to charge, dare to risk our lives. A match made in heaven. First sweep the Southern Territory, then vie for under heaven?”
“Haha!”
Hidden Lord laughed loudly. “Your calculations are clever, but this Lord isn’t a fool. Once Heavenly King breaks through to that realm relying on Immortal Law Star, how could the leash still hold him? I reckon, ten years at most, and Heavenly King will break through. At that time, would Jiu Li still dare to command him?”
Great Lord had been staring into Hidden Lord’s eyes, trying to discern the truth from his gaze.
Handing over Immortal Law Star was a brilliant move, enough to turn the Earth Wolf King Army into Jiu Li’s thugs. But who in the entire cultivation world would be willing? Why be willing?
Great Lord asked himself, if he were in Hidden Lord’s position, he absolutely wouldn’t be willing to hand over Immortal Law Star.
Hidden Lord continued, “Jiu Li can support the Earth Wolf King Army to a certain extent, but you’re absolutely not material for vying under heaven. Heard the news? Du’e Temple is intervening in the mortal world!”
Radiance burst from Great Lord’s pupils. “Daoist Sect, which hasn’t cared about the mortal world for a millennium, is also unwilling to stay silent and preparing to vie under heaven?”
Du’e Temple was enigmatic and unfathomable, with all sorts of legends in Lingxiao Life Realm, only emerging in years of great calamity.
Even for someone like Great Lord, his knowledge of it was limited to the ten Longevity Pills it produced every Jia Zi. Legend had it that Longevity Pills were refined by Du’e Temple, and only Du’e Temple could refine them.
Just mastering Longevity Pills made it unimaginable how terrifying their strength would be after a millennium of seclusion.
Hidden Lord said, “No, they’re just intervening in the mortal world without truly entering it. For now, they seem to have chosen Zuo Qiu Gatehouse, wanting to prop it up to take power in place of Lingxiao Palace and reorganize the world situation. So between the Earth Wolf King Army and Zuo Qiu Gatehouse, who do you think Great Lord believes Jiu Li will choose?”
Great Lord gave a forced smile. “Of course go with the flow. A true dragon emerging from the Southern Territory is pretty good too.”
……
After removing the Six Desires Talisman from Li Weiyi, Shi Liuyu rode the Eight Dragon Chariot and vanished underground.
“Li kid, since you’re one of us now, next time I’ll definitely arrange a flowing stream for you. Haha!” Shi Liuyu’s laughter came from underground, growing fainter and fainter.
Li Weiyi’s expression remained unchanged, ignoring the gazes cast by the others.
Hidden Lord’s black robe billowed in the wind, flapping loudly, as he looked at the crowd. “You all must have many doubts in your hearts, right?”
“Allying with a tiger, taking risky actions. If the Earth Wolf King Army defects at a critical moment, Sui Sect and San Chen Palace will surely suffer a great defeat.” Yin Er said.
“Weiyi, come with me.”
Hidden Lord took Li Weiyi aside alone, constructing a domain with magic energy. Clearly, his earlier casual words and actions had been deliberately performed for Great Lord. A great secret concerning the survival of a clan, he absolutely wouldn’t let too many people know.
Hidden Lord said, “Heard of Immortal Law Star?”
Li Weiyi naturally knew; Jar Master had already explained it in detail. He was shocked. “Hidden Lord handed Immortal Law Star to the Earth Wolf King Army? This…”
Hidden Lord smiled bitterly. “Do you know what is the hardest, most unpredictable thing in this decisive battle?”
Li Weiyi understood Hidden Lord was testing him, so he thought carefully. “Sui Sect and San Chen Palace’s hidden moves? Jiu Li has Hidden Sect, so they must have hidden means too, not all laid out in the open.”
“Half right!”
Hidden Lord said, “The enemy’s openly displayed strength and movements have always been under our control. So, wherever they attack, Jiu Li’s masters can rush to support immediately. In such a confrontation, Jiu Li isn’t afraid.”
“But Jiu Li is the defender! Jiu Li Dao Academy and Jiu Li City must be guarded, Jiu Li Divine Palace and Ancestral Realm too, the ancestral mountains of the nine great tribes still need guarding. And the various villages, towns, and passes…”
“Once the enemy has one unit, two units, three units… of hidden forces that suddenly break through what we’re guarding, while they’re slaughtering our tribesmen, do we save or not?”
Li Weiyi said, “If we save, we’re completely passive, even neglecting one to face the other. Why not launch a proactive offensive?”
“Sui Sect’s foundation is in Sui River, San Chen Palace’s in the three land routes. Destroying Sui Sect and San Chen Palace in Jiu Li City is meaningless. The others like Coffin Mountain, Tian Ya Ridge, Dragon Gate are even farther away.”
“True initiative in the decisive battle is the real initiative.”
Hidden Lord said, “To seize initiative, we must choose the battlefield ourselves, not be led by the nose by the enemy. Originally, the plan was to use Immortal Law Star to lure all enemies to Cang Li Tribe’s ancestral mountain and wipe them out in one fell swoop, sacrificing the entire Cang Li Tribe to exchange for Jiu Li’s peace.”
“So, the news of Immortal Law Star being in Cang Li Tribe was told to Earth Wolf King Army’s Shi Na’er in a special way.”
“At the same time, preparing to leak the news to Yang Shenjing and them before the decisive battle.”
Li Weiyi said, “Why change your mind again?”
Hidden Lord looked at him with fervent eyes. “One internal, one external, two reasons.”
“Externally, Zuo Qiu Gatehouse is determined to vie under heaven and needs Jiu Li’s full support in all aspects, so they’ll fully assist in this battle. Jiu Li no longer needs such a great sacrifice. After all… Cang Li Tribe is Jiu Li’s number one great tribe, with millions of tribesmen. Who could bear to personally bury so many tribesmen?”
“Internally, it’s because of you.”
“Me?” Li Weiyi said.
Hidden Lord said, “The news you brought back is too important! As long as Leader returns in ten years, even if Shi Na’er breaks through to that realm with Immortal Law Star, he’ll have to spit it back out. And before that, the Earth Wolf King Army will become Jiu Li’s puppet thugs.”
“Weiyi, will Leader really return in ten years?”
Before handing over Immortal Law Star, Hidden Lord had been very decisive, but afterward, his mood couldn’t settle no matter what, so he came to confirm with Li Weiyi again.
Li Weiyi hadn’t expected that Hidden Lord’s daring decision, which risked raising a tiger to devour them, was due to trust in him.
At this moment, if he dared reveal the truth, he’d probably be slapped to death by Hidden Lord.
“Leader will definitely return, within ten years for sure!”
Li Weiyi’s gaze was firm as he clenched his fist in secret and said this.
Since it was because of him that Hidden Lord made the wrong judgment and decision, he absolutely wouldn’t betray Hidden Lord’s trust. Within ten years, he would personally retrieve Immortal Law Star.
A smile appeared in Hidden Lord’s eyes.
……
After parting from Hidden Lord and Yin Er, Li Weiyi, Yin Shisan, Yin Twenty-Three, and Yin Twenty-Four left this Immortal Realm Space and entered the exit path for Five Seas Realm martial cultivators.
This path was at the mountain peak, extending along the mountain ridge.
The ground was covered in frost, snow nearly a foot thick.
In stark contrast to the heat of that Spring Gushing Realm path.
After exiting the air barrier, Li Weiyi looked toward Zangxian Town below the mountain, which seemed close at hand. He noticed that the thick, bright light pillar erupting from the town was actually fading.
He could see clearly that the light pillar was gushing out from the ancient well in the northeast corner of Zangxian Town.
“Is the anomaly in Zangxian Town really activated by my blood? What secrets does my blood hold? Who am I exactly?”
Li Weiyi secretly resolved that before leaving, he must find Zen Sea Observing Mist to figure all this out. He couldn’t keep living in such a muddled state.
He descended the mountain ridge and proceeded along Sui River from the Five Seas Realm Boundary.
As expected, the way was clear all along, with no enemy traces, but he didn’t encounter Yin Nine or Cang Li.
After walking a hundred li, he reached the place where he had parted from the nine leaders when entering the town.
This area was full of shocking battle scars everywhere: the river channel had been slashed into wide gaps tens of meters long, parts of the mountain body had collapsed, swathes of trees turned to charcoal…
Medicine Li Tribe’s army was stationed on the riverside plain four li away.
“Weiyi, Hidden Sect’s secret outpost is at Mountain Lord Taiqing Tomb, thirty li west of Yaoguan City. Once you’ve decided, go there to rendezvous with us.”
Yin Shisan took Yin Twenty-Three toward the Mang Mountain Range, soon vanishing into the immortal mist.
Li Weiyi looked at Yin Twenty-Four beside him. “Aren’t you going with Thirteenth Senior Brother?”
“You can go to Medicine Li Tribe’s camp, why can’t I go back to visit my dad? My dad’s injured!”
Yin Twenty-Four proudly raised her chin and walked toward the barracks first.
“What did you tell me back then? Once you become a hidden person, you must sever the past.”
Li Weiyi hurried to catch up, staying half a step ahead of her. “I can use Sima Tan’s identity. What about you? What’s your real name?”
“I’ll use the identity of Sima Tan’s female companion. Reasonable enough, right?”
Yin Twenty-Four pretended to glare fiercely as she said this, then stepped forward half a pace, gently leaning against him, her heart pounding nonstop.
……
Seeking monthly tickets!
