Chapter 265: Parting
The commotion from the engagement banquet, like a major earthquake, made Qiu Zhou Prefecture City tense and fearful in the following days.
The top geniuses who performed brilliantly at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival all stayed indoors, fearing similar assassinations.
All sorts of news flew around, causing widespread panic.
“It’s said that one of the top figures from the Imperial Court’s Embroidered Guard made the move, wanting to provoke a contradiction between Zuo Qiu Gatehouse and Jiu Li through this.”
“Such a thing happening in the Zuo Qiu ancestral residence, with the culprit escaping scot-free—what’s the difference from Zhu Huan’s death? Zuo Qiu Gatehouse might really have a problem.”
“But I heard that this incident might have been done by Snow Sword Tang Court. They have already allied with the Demon Race, aiming to divide Lingxiao north and south, splitting it evenly. They originally planned to kill Zuo Qiu Hong Ting as well, but unfortunately failed.”
“You’re all spreading rumors. The most reliable news is that the killer was a top expert from the Western Ash Region Faction, very possibly Xu Fudu or Yuwen Yan, one of the two.”
……
Over the past few days, experts from Zuo Qiu Gatehouse came out in full force, purging the Western Ash Region Faction’s forces hidden in the city, killing until heads rolled.
Thus, all sides speculated that the Demon Race had the greatest suspicion.
After the incident, multiple powers sent teams to Taoli Mountain to visit. Only a few young talents with closer relationships saw Li Weiyi.
After descending the mountain.
These young talents shook their heads dejectedly.
“His life was saved—the Confucian Dao old ancestor from Zuo Qiu Gatehouse personally intervened to save him—but Zu Tian is completely ruined… In the future, he can at most become an Inferior Root Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivator.”
Someone lamented: “Glowing brilliantly at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, crossing a whole realm, not inferior to Long Dian, and able to fight Luan Sheng Lin You to a draw alongside the heavily injured Zuo Qiu Hong Ting—it can be imagined that in the same realm, he could definitely suppress those young Sons of Heaven. With such aptitude falling from his life’s peak, can his state of mind endure it?”
“No one can endure it!”
“A person who can reach such heights must be filled with love and passion for the Martial Way, valuing it more than their own life. Unable to pursue the Martial Way is like losing one’s soul.”
“The gossip of the people under heaven is the most terrifying. They can lift someone to the heavens in good times. And trample them to death in bad times.”
“Yesterday, I heard young disciples from Zuo Qiu Gatehouse mocking and ridiculing him openly. They think Li Weiyi should have just died outright—now he’s half-dead and half-alive, making it hard for Zuo Qiu Gatehouse to handle. Canceling the engagement would draw criticism. Not canceling it, he becomes a burden as the young Son of Heaven.”
On the fifth day, a talent who went to Taoli Mountain to visit brought back news: “Li Weiyi is no longer as cheerful as the previous days. He seems to have overheard some idle gossip by chance, and the whole person has become silent. On his neck, a sword mark appeared, with traces of stitching, hidden very well but still detected.”
“Zuo Qiu Gatehouse has dealt with those young disciples, directly crippling their cultivation and sending them to guard the ancestral tombs.”
“The harsher the punishment, the more it suggests the matter might be true.”
“Li Weiyi is completely finished—still too young, heart not resilient enough.”
“A person rising rapidly from nothing in just a year, like getting rich overnight—how could they have such a resilient state of mind? It must have been some extraordinary opportunity just a year ago!”
……
This “genius fallen” anecdote gradually cooled down.
Talking about it too much lost its novelty—this world had too many major events happening.
On the eighth day after the incident erupted, an even more significant piece of news spread throughout the under heaven.
The Transcendent magic battle ended!
Several human Transcendents fell, the rest all heavily injured—Lingxiao Life Realm had reached a precarious state of danger amid wind and rain. Thus, after deliberation, the Transcendents jointly issued—the Human Race Longevity Seekers’ internal martial ban order!
This order prohibited Longevity Seekers from major powers from participating in internal slaughter and strife, encouraging unity against the Demon Race’s forces.
Until the Transcendents recovered and emerged from seclusion.
After learning of this order from Hidden Lord, Li Weiyi wondered in his heart: “Can it be enforced?”
“It can’t! But with this order, the struggles among major powers will ease to a level everyone can accept.” Hidden Lord said: “It’s equivalent to returning to before the warfare erupted—back then, there was an unspoken rule.”
“Mortal world matters, decided by the mortal world—Longevity Seekers must not interfere.”
“Once they interfere, contradictions escalate endlessly, eventually dragging all the severely depleted Transcendents into it.”
“Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivators are called Mortal World Overlords because for a thousand years, Lingxiao Life Realm has had this unspoken rule. Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivators play an extremely important role in the contention of major under heaven events.”
Li Weiyi nodded: “I suppose that if given a choice, Longevity Realm Martial Cultivators also don’t want to be entangled in these mundane affairs—they’re happy to leave it to the next generation. Pursuing longevity is far more fascinating than pursuing mortal world benefits.”
Hidden Lord said: “Do you know why the Transcendents didn’t directly fully prohibit strife among human martial cultivators?”
“The war has lasted eleven years, accumulating too much hatred. Guiding everyone to unite against the Demon Race—I think that’s already the result of compromises on all sides. Trying to fully ban martial activity… would only make the Transcendents’ decree as laughable as waste paper.” Li Weiyi said.
Hidden Lord nodded lightly: “With this order issued, I must also retreat behind the scenes. Jiu Li’s publicly acknowledged Number One Person in Dao Seed Realm is Yin Twenty-Four’s father, Yao Xingyue.”
“Jiu Li Hidden Sect’s First Expert in Dao Seed Realm is Yin One.《Hidden Person Roster》 has a way to find him.”
“Right, the Du’e Temple immortal master has returned. He originally wanted to come check your injuries, but I used the excuse that you just attempted suicide and can’t handle stimulation to fend him off.”
“The Confucian Dao old ancestor from Zuo Qiu Gatehouse will speak a few veiled harsh words about you there—I expect the immortal master will be extremely disappointed in you.”
“The immortal master is also badly injured and won’t focus energy on you—he should return to Du’e Temple soon. Once he leaves, you don’t need to make yourself so miserable anymore!”
The suicide act was originally meant to block the Du’e Temple immortal master.
Otherwise, if the immortal master took Li Weiyi to Du’e Temple for treatment, he would have no reason to refuse.
Hidden Lord said: “Due to the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival invitations and tickets being either lost or in chaos, they can’t be tallied anymore. The immortal master decided to select some martial cultivators with the highest aptitude and most outstanding performances from various powers, bring them back to Du’e Temple for cultivation, reshape their veins, Feng Fu, and Zu Tian, forging the strongest foundation.”
“Currently, there are ten spots, nine already decided: Li Weiyi, Zuo Qiu Hong Ting, Ge Xian Tong, Cang Li, Tang Wan Qiu, Zhu Yi Bai, Lu Cangsheng, Jiang Ning, Yin Nine.”
Per the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival rules, only martial cultivators who collected all dragon bone tickets or dragon seed vouchers from one of the east, south, west, or north Four Territories qualify for this special reward. In reality, no one did.
Now with longevity pills, dragon seeds, and dragon bones lost, Du’e Temple can only compensate this way.
Li Weiyi said: “Give my spot to Yao Yin—with her aptitude, she will surely catch the Du’e Temple immortal master’s eye.”
“I’m afraid it’s hard to negotiate—Jiu Li already has Cang Li and Yin Nine in there. The two of them are legitimate; no one can find fault.” Hidden Lord said.
Li Weiyi took out a stack of invitations and handed them over: “Negotiate with this!”
The Du’e Temple immortal master, evidently worried about prolonged delays, prepared to depart the next day after selecting the ten spots.
Before leaving.
Zuo Qiu Hong Ting came to visit Li Weiyi and bid him farewell.
She thought Li Weiyi didn’t know about everyone going to Du’e Temple for cultivation and didn’t want to stimulate him, so she concealed it: “I will be traveling far—three years at most, one year at least. Heal well at Taoli Mountain; wait for me to return.”
Li Weiyi struggled to prop up his body, sitting up from the bed, face pale, forcing a smile: “To Du’e Temple?”
Zuo Qiu Hong Ting said: “Yes!”
“No need to be so cautious—I’m not that fragile. Going to Du’e Temple to reshape the foundation is great; in the future, you can walk steadier and farther…” At this point, Li Weiyi’s eyes dimmed, and he fell silent.
Zuo Qiu Hong Ting didn’t know how to comfort him, so she cast the Disguise Art, transforming into Li Weiyi’s appearance, sitting beside him like twin brothers, arm around his neck, laughing: “You brat, don’t act like the sky is falling—have you forgotten, you can still cultivate mind power? You’re an extraordinary Insect Tamer. Mind power cultivation to the extreme is absolutely no worse than the Martial Way.”
“Haha, right, I can still cultivate mind power! Don’t worry, I’m fine, really fine—I’m not that fragile.” Li Weiyi said.
Hearing Li Weiyi emphasize “I’m not that fragile” twice, Zuo Qiu Hong Ting felt heartbroken for him, forcing a smile: “I’ll tell you good news—Beauty Jiang came to see me and said some inexplicable things. She thinks I might disdain you and told me to let go early; she would take you to Fu Zhou. How about it, happy? She seems to really have some feelings for you!”
Of course Li Weiyi was happy to be so cared for by Jiang Ning, but he sighed: “She’s just pitying me! Pity is temporary, but feelings need the test of time. You’re not the only one going to Du’e Temple—after you all go, you’ll surely meet many stunning people, your hearts will soar higher… I’m a bit tired; you can leave now…”
Li Weiyi suddenly changed emotionally, directly issuing an eviction order.
Zuo Qiu Hong Ting left the room, looked at Li Ling outside, and sighed: “Take good care of him—don’t let him hear those messy vicious words anymore. Whoever gossips again, directly cut out their tongue.”
That evening, the Du’e Temple immortal master led the selected ten Heaven’s Chosen, riding an exotic bird, disappearing into the full sky of colorful clouds.
With Li Ling’s support, Li Weiyi walked out of the room to gaze into the distance, seeing only the last small cluster of bird shadow light spot on the horizon, thinking to himself: “My Zuo Qiu brother, there’s really no other way—when you return, I’ll properly apologize to you.”
Yao Yin took Li Weiyi’s spot and went to Du’e Temple.
Since obtaining the Jiu Li God’s battle intent, the Ice Soul Cold Qi in her body had not flared up again, so Li Weiyi temporarily did not take her to see Zen Sea Observing Mist.
……
Time flew by—half a year passed.
On Tanggu Sea, thick fog rose up.
Xihe Flowers drifted across the entire sea area, emitting bright radiance, like thousands of divine lamps.
In the distance, the Fusang Divine Tree’s trunk was gnarled, growing straight toward the firmament, its leaves like ten thousand moons hanging in the universe.
A jade boat over thirty meters long floated on the sea surface.
Li Weiyi sat at the bow, breathing and exhaling, using the Fusang Divine Tree’s power to quench the magic energy in his Feng Fu.
Since completing the quenching of the Fourth Sea and Fifth Sea two months ago, he had begun cultivating the Sixth Sea “Feng Fu.”
Feng Fu is a living inner world.
When opened in Spring Gushing Realm, many martial cultivators’ Feng Fu are only fist-sized.
After two months of cultivation, with Dao Lotus assistance, Li Weiyi’s Feng Fu had expanded to ten thousand cubic units.
The expansion method was continuously accumulating qi to inflate the Feng Fu.
