Chapter 150: Encounter In Zhizhou
Li Weiyi stepped forward and tapped its body with the back of his blade.
The Ash Spirit on the ground had a body like Ash molded together, and when struck, sparks continuously burst from inside.
Zen Sea Observing Mist examined Chi Yongsheng’s corpse and said, “An Ash Spirit is essentially not a Departed Spirit, but a kind of Fiend Demon, of course with intelligence. This method of handling… resembles the Night Clan’s techniques.”
“What do you mean?”
Li Weiyi quickly came to her side and discovered that Chi Yongsheng had long been dead, with no life fluctuations on his body.
“Ask your Jar Master. He knows the Night Clan better than I do.”
Zen Sea Observing Mist walked toward the Ash Spirit on the ground, suspending her five fingers above its head, with strands of Spiritual Light Silk Threads shooting from her fingertips, penetrating into its body to seize its Soul Thought and seek some unknown answers.
Jar Master’s voice transmitted: “The Night Clan’s Yuwen Clan is the descendants of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Night Emperor, and a thousand years ago, they were a Ten-Million-Year Ancient Clan fully comparable to the Jiu Li Clan.”
“What Mist Heavenly Child meant just now is that after Chi Yongsheng died, an Ash Spirit occupied his corpse, and the method of handling the corpse comes from the Night Clan, called the Human Skin Demon-Containing Technique.”
“From the exterior, no wounds or traces on the corpse are visible, nor will there be Demonic Energy leaking out.”
Li Weiyi said, “I’ve heard that one of the Southern Territory’s Three Great Barbarian Thieves, the Night City cavalry, is hidden in the Nether Realm of the Dead, and its leader is named Yuwen Yan. Could it be that this band of Barbarian Thieves are descendants of the Night Clan from a thousand years ago?”
“Probably so,” Jar Master said.
The more Li Weiyi thought, the more something felt off: “Strange, this clearly isn’t the Ash Region, so how did an Ash Spirit appear? How did Night City people get involved with Ash Spirits? Could they be ambushing the young Martial Cultivators of the Major Powers?”
“Crackle!”
The Ash Spirit, whose Soul Thought was being traced by the Spiritual Light Silk Threads, burst into flames, emitting a piercing scream from its mouth.
Soon it burned completely, turning into a pile of ashes.
Zen Sea Observing Mist’s brows furrowed slightly, saying nothing as she walked toward the other four Ash Spirits.
“Crackle! Crackle!”
…
After she tormented the other four Ash Spirits into bursting into flames and ashes, she finally stopped and concluded: “All their Soul Spirits have been Deployed. Once someone forcibly intervenes, they self-ignite.”
“So nothing gained?” Li Weiyi said.
Zen Sea Observing Mist said, “How could I gain nothing after personally making a move? These Ash Spirits come from the Far West Ash Region, invited by Night City and San Chen Palace. They seem to have a secret cooperation. These nearby young Martial Cultivators were not in their original Plan.”
Li Weiyi asked doubtfully, “You’re sure it’s San Chen Palace? These three Old Men are all Five Seas Realm Martial Cultivators from San Chen Palace.”
“So what? For dead Martial Cultivators, only if they can become carriers for Ash Spirits is the true maximum Value,” Zen Sea Observing Mist said.
Li Weiyi said seriously, “San Chen Palace daring to conspire with Sui Sect for a Prefecture makes sense with the support of Night City and Ash Spirits behind them.”
Zen Sea Observing Mist shook her head lightly: “You’re underestimating the Far West Ash Region too much. What they have their eyes on is absolutely not just Li Zhou this one Prefecture; it should be the entire Lingxiao Life Realm.”
Li Weiyi said, “This is big trouble! Inside the Lingxiao Life Realm, the Human Race’s Major Powers are fighting like a pot of porridge, with the Demon Race fanning the flames, ready to join in at any time. And outside the Life Realm, in places everyone can’t see, it seems an even more dangerous storm is brewing. This news must be immediately sent back to the Jiu Li Clan!”
Zen Sea Observing Mist was far more relaxed and leisurely than Li Weiyi: “What does it have to do with you? Even if the Nether Realm’s storm blows over, it won’t be up to a kid like you to worry. For us two, quickly Increasing Cultivation and Strength is more important than anything; don’t get distracted by side matters.”
She leaped back onto Zou Wu’s back.
Li Weiyi searched the corpses, collecting various Magic Tools and Treasures, then leaped up too, disagreeing: “How is it unrelated? The rise and fall of the world concerns every man. Stepping back ten thousand steps, if we don’t pay attention to the World Situation, how do we avoid Warfare and Danger?”
“Fine, you’re right! Your breadth of mind is even greater than this Ancient Heavenly Emperor’s; impressive.”
Zen Sea Observing Mist turned her head to look at him: “Why are you sitting so far from me? We agreed to try the possibility of falling in love, but you don’t even have the courage to sit close?”
Li Weiyi remained unmoved, calmly saying: “What would I sit next to Li Ling for? Take advantage of a little girl in her teens? Wait until you can separate your true body, then we’ll slowly try. No rush! No rush! No rush…”
After advancing another hundred li, an Ash Region appeared below the Mountain Range.
In view, it was all black powdery fine sand, with sand dunes piled up one after another, Flame bands winding and extending deep into the Nether Realm, with no end in sight for over ten li.
“The Ash Region has already spread to the Mang Mountain Range?”
Li Weiyi’s mood was heavy.
The Ash Spirits of the Ash Region seemed even more dangerous than those of the Nether Realm of the Dead, with grand ambitions.
Zen Sea Observing Mist observed for a moment, then gazed toward the depths of the Ash Region, her expression serious: “No, this isn’t an Ash Region!”
“But it clearly looks exactly like the Ash Region I’ve seen,” Li Weiyi said, very puzzled.
Zen Sea Observing Mist ordered Zou Wu to shrink to the size of a cat, extremely cautious as she personally wielded that Green Yin Banner: “Hurry and leave this place, the faster the better.”
Li Weiyi had never seen her so tense before, and he was inwardly shocked, immediately going fully Invisible.
After walking dozens of li, away from that Ash Region.
Only then did Zen Sea Observing Mist say: “That’s a Dao Heart External Manifestation! Just now, there must have been a powerful Ash Spirit from the Far West Ash Region nearby. The manifestation in its heart projected into the real world, turning into that Ash Region and covering the original real terrain.”
Li Weiyi couldn’t imagine what level of existence that was; what Zen Sea Observing Mist described was already beyond his comprehension.
The two continued on their way.
Li Weiyi asked: “What level is your current Strength exactly? Do you have Nine Springs and Five Seas in your body?”
If anyone else asked this, she absolutely wouldn’t respond, let alone reveal any related Information.
Zen Sea Observing Mist pondered for a long time: “My situation is very special. My Strength depends more on how great a Price I’m willing to pay. Just like this Physical Body I just condensed, including Li Ling’s body, they are actually constraining me, along with the profound Life Laws and Yang Realm Order. You must know, an Ancient Heavenly Emperor at full power could strike out a bone from their body and sink half of Li Zhou.”
Li Weiyi stopped in his tracks, shocked by her words to the point his scalp went numb.
“Of course, after a thousand years, my bone body no longer has such powerful energy. How can the departed compare to the full power of the past? The former full power is just a memory!” Her tone was ethereal, like a wisp of wind on a snowy mountain, a ray of light in an immortal palace.
After encountering that unknown powerful Ash Spirit, the two hurried at full speed, only wanting to quickly leave the Nether Realm of the Dead.
In just six days, they crossed a thousand li and finally reached the northernmost end of the Mang Mountain Range, seeing the light at the edge of the sky.
After entering Zhizhou, one of the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory, Li Weiyi’s excitement of seeing the light of day again was extinguished after not long, finally witnessing the true scene of ten years of Warfare.
They walked continuously for two days, passing dozens of Market Towns and villages, all ten homes out of ten empty, with the survivors all being aged, valueless decrepit Old Men, each gaunt and skinny.
No young people in sight; the men all slaughtered completely, the women all captured.
Children were even more unthinkable—not on the Dining Table or starved dead by the roadside.
Fields without crops, overgrown with shoulder-high mugwort grass and trees, utterly desolate.
After walking over two hundred li, Li Weiyi’s mood was extremely depressed and stifled, finally somewhat understanding why the Jiu Li Clan would rather pay tribute to Coffin Mountain every year than desperately avoid falling into war.
The cruelty of war is absolutely unimaginable for those who haven’t experienced it.
After another day and night, nearing noon, the two arrived at a large town called Tianchi Town, seeing long-missed crowds and clamor.
Tianchi Town was only forty li from Li Zhou, with large mines nearby and adjacent to the Sui River, making transport and commerce prosperous.
The town had only one main Street, built along the Sui River, with eateries, Restaurants, cloth shops, Brothels, rice shops… quite complete.
Li Weiyi, having walked three days in a heavy, gloomy mood, was already impatient, just waiting for a bowl of Noodle Soup to revive his spirits.
In such a large populated town, Noodle Shops were absolutely plentiful.
All matters could wait until after eating the noodles.
Li Ling was fully wrapped in a black robe, hooded, not wanting to cause unnecessary trouble from exposing her Pure Immortal Body. She sat across from Li Weiyi, quietly waiting for him without ordering noodles.
She said: “Half of Zhizhou Prefecture has already fallen, taken into the fold by the strongest local power, the Li Tribe. Imperial Court troops and Li Tribe rebels are in constant battle, coming and going, mutually plundering, with the war still ongoing. Neither Li City nor Zhizhou’s Prefectural City are good places to go.”
Li Weiyi said while eating noodles: “The young Martial Cultivators of the Major Powers left Tianchi Town four days ago, fighting Magic Battles as they went, much slower than us. Now they’ve all taken boats toward Qiu Prefecture!”
“Not all of them left!”
Li Ling said this faintly, looking toward the bustling Street.
After Li Weiyi looked over, he was first startled, then overjoyed.
Yin Shisan was walking briskly on the Street, dressed in simple Cloth Clothes, and with his round, soft, ordinary face, he could completely blend in with the local commoners.
“Swish!”
With a flash of form, Li Weiyi appeared before him.
Yin Shisan circulated Magic Energy in his body, nearly slapping out a palm, but upon recognizing Li Weiyi’s face, joy flooded him naturally. He quickly followed him into the Noodle Shop and also ordered a bowl.
He transmitted with Magic Energy: “I heard from Yin Nine that you were captured by a terrifying wicked woman, disappeared deep into the Mang Mountain Range, and might be taken to the Nether Realm to be the stronghold husband.”
Li Weiyi didn’t know that the person above the Gorge that night was Yin Nine, and was speechless: “He’s spreading such rumors; does he want to be a Hidden Person?”
Yin Shisan was stunned, then nodded: “This time Yin Nine is speaking a bit incoherently, unlike his usual steadiness; probably due to injury. Even if there really is such a wicked woman, she’d capture a Pure Immortal Body man; who would snatch us ordinary-looking Mortals?”
Li Weiyi said seriously: “I have an important matter here that must be immediately reported to Hidden Lord. Do you have a way to send the news back?”
Yin Shisan’s gaze fell on the woman sitting to the side, fully wrapped in a black robe.
Li Weiyi habitually didn’t avoid Zen Sea Observing Mist when speaking, knowing he’d made a serious mistake, and quickly remedied: “No problem, no need to avoid her; her ears… you understand.”
Yin Shisan’s expression immediately relaxed, so he no longer transmitted with Magic Energy, chuckling lowly: “My mission this time is to cover the evacuation of a batch of important Imperial Court members from Li Zhou to Qiu Prefecture. Landing at Tianchi Town is to procure a batch of Supplies. I can’t break away to go back now, but I can Arrange manpower to send a letter back; it depends on how important your news is.”
Li Weiyi shared the key Information with him.
“What? Behind San Chen Palace are actually Night City and Ash Spirits?”
Yin Shisan instantly understood the severity, anxious like ants on a hot pan. If the Jiu Li Clan underestimated San Chen Palace’s Strength, they would surely suffer a big loss.
“Why must the news be sent back to the Jiu Li Hidden Sect? Just spread this news out, and it can naturally spread across Li Zhou at the fastest speed, and also incite mutual suspicion between San Chen Palace and Sui Sect,” Li Ling said faintly.
“Makes sense.”
Yin Shisan slapped the table in admiration, then suddenly realized something, pointing at Li Ling: “She… isn’t she deaf?”
“When did I say she was deaf?”
Li Weiyi glared helplessly at Zen Sea Observing Mist, then said: “Alright! Actually, she’s Cang Li’s sister, one of us; trustworthy.”
Hearing she was Cang Li’s sister, Yin Shisan’s dissatisfaction vanished instantly.
He wielded the Hidden Sect’s Five Seas Realm affairs and was a Scout collecting all kinds of news outside, so he had naturally seen Hidden Lord’s true body. Hidden Lord’s daughter could more or less be trusted.
He naturally wouldn’t tell this secret to the two before him!
