Chapter 32: Opening The Third Spring
After Zhao Zhizhuo left, Li Weiyi sat alone under a horn bone lamp, studying the Evil Camel Bell.
The bell was ancient and simple, with extremely rough patches of copper rust, faintly revealing corroded scriptures.
It was too eerie, able to influence the mind, tempt sins, and amplify evil thoughts.
It seemed…
It could also collect evil thoughts.
At that time, Li Weiyi had really wanted to throw it into the Blood Sea, making it sink forever. It was kept only because it could hold physical objects, containing an immeasurable space inside.
When Li Weiyi planned to return to the Bronze Ship, he intended to purchase a batch of food to bring back.
With just him and Gao Huan, how much could they carry?
If it truly was a treasure that could collect heaven and earth, it would be much more convenient!
“It should also be a magic tool. According to Old Zhao, it can be activated with magic power. The extent of activation depends on the realm level, as well as the strength and amount of magic power.”
Worried about accidents, Li Weiyi plugged his ears.
Then he mobilized the magic power from the two spring eyes in his soles, slowly injecting it into the bell.
Not long after.
“Whoosh—”
The surface of the bell shimmered with light, trembled lightly, and actually enlarged several times.
Li Weiyi hesitated for a moment, then put on the silver thread gloves before reaching into the bell. His entire arm went in; inside was very large, unable to touch the walls or edges.
He also didn’t touch those half-virtual, half-real camels.
There was no way to know the exact situation inside; he only felt out a few jars of Golden Crow Blood, which were evidently put in by Yu Tuo Nan on the Bronze Ship.
Activating it again with magic power, the Evil Camel Bell no longer enlarged.
With his current cultivation, this was the limit. Besides, even if the Evil Camel Bell became large enough, he wouldn’t dare to casually walk inside.
As for “shaking the Evil Camel Bell,” Li Weiyi temporarily didn’t dare to try, fearing uncontrollable dangers.
“Old Zhao said that opening four springs allows magic power to initially overflow externally, then control it freely. When magic power reaches a certain level, it can even retrieve objects from afar.”
For Li Weiyi, who had practiced martial arts since childhood, such a realm filled him with endless fascination and intense longing.
“Opening four springs grants a certain status, enough to be called half a person above others. To complete the other half, one must transcend beyond the Spring Gushing Realm.” At that time, Zhao Zhizhuo had sighed like this.
He put away the Evil Camel Bell.
Li Weiyi lay on the bed, hands pillowed behind his head, unable to sleep.
Sometimes he thought of Cai Yutong taken away by the White Bone Demon, sometimes of his senior disciple brother on the Bronze Ship, and sometimes of the bits and pieces of learning martial arts with his master on the mountain.
“Martial Way, Martial Way—only martial remains, the way is lost.”
These were words his master had once said!
But now, a grand Martial Way Path had unfolded before his eyes. Whether it was magic power overflowing, retrieving objects from afar, or Shi Jiuzhai exhaling into clouds, passing through cliffs and walls, it was all too alluring.
The future martial road would surely be spectacular, with countless divine abilities waiting for him to climb and pursue.
As for being a person above others…
Who would be willing to remain at the bottom forever, never seeing the light of day, always looking up at feet stepping on their head?
Li Weiyi flipped up from the bed, picked up a jar of Golden Crow Blood, and took a big gulp. Then he sat cross-legged on the ground, performed the Jade Void Breathing Technique, and mobilized the cold and hot streams of magic power to refine it.
…
One night of cultivation.
The next morning, Li Weiyi wore a dark blue cloth robe printed with beast patterns, a purple sash around his waist, and sat by the railing on the second-floor platform of Yao Hua Pavilion, gazing intently at the colorful crowds on the street and the various fierce beasts following beside them.
Those with strong cultivation walked with giant pythons over ten meters long underfoot, everyone avoiding them in fear.
Wild oxen weighing thousands of jin pulled carriages, with ragged-clothed commoners leading the oxen.
Martial Arts Cultivators from great families drove four-armed apes the size of houses carrying some kind of ore forward; the latter had infinite strength but could only be enslaved.
Li Weiyi knew very well that he and Gao Huan could stay in Yao Hua Pavilion, enjoy delicious food, and receive treatment as people above others simply because they had greatly helped the Cang Li Tribe, allowing them brief respect with someone footing the bill for their enjoyment.
But even the greatest favors have a time when they are repaid.
Only having one’s own strength makes one a true person above others, without worrying about being suddenly evicted one morning. Then, with nowhere to go, becoming displaced like the beggars on the street.
Survival and standing firm were the top priorities.
How to live well and splendidly could only rely on martial cultivation.
Around him was bustling prosperity, carriages like flowing water and horses like dragons, shouts of vendors, and all sorts of human conditions.
In a few moments, Li Weiyi felt that everything on the Bronze Ship, even the nineteen years of life on Earth, were like a dream.
The world before his eyes seemed to be the real one.
He spread open his right palm; the center was scalding hot, as if a miniature volcano was erupting.
Eleven silver veins extended from the palm spring eye, forming eleven new qi movement routes.
If he activated the palm spring eye while executing hand techniques like the “Heaven-Overturning Palm Seal,” the power would surely be far greater than before.
This third spring eye was the one he had opened this morning.
The total number of silver veins in his body had reached thirty-seven.
Li Weiyi was very puzzled. Last night, Zhao Zhizhuo kept saying that opening spring eyes was extremely difficult, and even with superior talent, it required ten years of hard cultivation to open the four limbs’ four springs.
Beyond four springs, it would be even harder.
But Li Weiyi felt that Zhao Zhizhuo had probably suffered too many setbacks and hardships in his life, so he always exaggerated difficulties, having lost confidence in facing life’s challenges.
Encountering a Deformed Humanoid Race who had opened one spring, he thought it was one who had opened three springs, unbeatable by him.
Opening spring eyes definitely had difficulty, but it was far from the heaven-defying hardship he described. Otherwise, how could he have opened one spring in just a few days?
For him, it might be a bit harder than for Li Weiyi, after all, everyone’s cultivation speed and talent differ; one can’t judge others by oneself.
But how big could the gap between people be?
Getting into Capital University wasn’t like needing an extra head compared to vocational school.
Gao Huan came to Li Weiyi’s room, sidled up beside him, and said mysteriously, “Master Li, do you think the Jiu Li of this world is the same tribe as the Jiu Li in Earth’s mythological legends?”
“How would I know?” Li Weiyi laughed.
Gao Huan said, “I think the possibility is very high! Legend has it that after the Battle of Zhuolu, the Jiu Li remnants fled into the North Sea and went to the Underworld. Didn’t we also set off from the Arctic Ocean to come here? On the way, we even discovered the Chi Xian Ancient Path Stone Peak Pillar Stele, proving that ancient Huaxia people had walked this path.”
“If we can enter the core upper echelons of the Jiu Li Tribe and carefully trace their ancestral lineage, we might find answers.”
Li Weiyi knew he was always mystical with jumping thoughts, so he wasn’t surprised: “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Gao Huan said, “They are commoners, and we are also common people, suggesting we likely share common ancestors. Though I don’t know if we can return to Earth, here I’ve unexpectedly found a sense of inexplicable belonging and solidity. You don’t want to go back to the ship and continue drifting on that perilous and unknown Blood Sea, do you?”
“You want to stay?” Li Weiyi said.
Gao Huan said, “According to you, we now have a favor owed by the Cang Li Tribe. As long as we behave ourselves, staying in their tribe to survive shouldn’t be difficult. The only thing to consider is how to bring over the First Mate and the others.”
Li Weiyi had naturally been thinking about this too.
…
Zhao Zhizhuo drove a carriage again, stopping outside the gate of Yao Hua Pavilion.
After picking up Li Weiyi and Gao Huan, he drove while saying, “The Young Tribe Leader understands the little benefactor’s concerns, but since such a great favor is owed, he must thank you in person anyway. Rest assured, not many people will know about this.”
The Cang Li Tribe’s encounter with attack was bound to cause a stir.
If everyone knew that two people had saved Zhao Zhizhuo and brought him to Yaoguan City for help, causing the enemy to fail at the last step, then the Earth Wolf King Army and Shi Jiuzhai would definitely know too.
As long as they investigated, they would certainly ferret out these two troublemakers.
No matter if events developed this way or not, Li Weiyi had to consider this direction first. So last night, he had refused to go with Zhao Zhizhuo to meet the Cang Li Tribe’s Young Tribe Leader, as there were too many eyes.
His current strength was far from enough to strut openly.
At least he needed to become a person above others transcending beyond the Spring Gushing Realm to have some confidence and capital in this cruel world where killing was casual.
“Old Zhao, don’t call me little benefactor anymore. If you don’t mind, call me little brother or Brother Xie!” Li Weiyi said.
“Alright.”
Zhao Zhizhuo was naturally happy to call more intimately.
…
Led by Zhao Zhizhuo, Li Weiyi and Gao Huan met this Young Tribe Leader in the Date Plum Manor where the Cang Li Tribe members were temporarily staying.
“Young Tribe Leader, Miss Ling, it’s this Brother Xie who slayed those two Buddha Bandit Deformed Humanoid Race masters yesterday, saved me, and then brought me to Yaoguan City for help.”
Zhao Zhizhuo added, “Brother Xie is named Xie Jin! This Brother Gao is named Gao Huan, who has a congenital language barrier… he only speaks his hometown dialect…”
Li Weiyi secretly observed Cang Li, sighing inwardly.
This was a true upper-class person of this world; just from his clothing, accessories, and temperament, he exuded an ineffable nobility.
Any woman seeing him would likely fall for him at first sight.
He was about the same age as Li Weiyi, exceptionally handsome, like Gao Huan and Cai Yutong having undergone metamorphosis, his body and skin immortalized without any flaws.
Even more remarkable was the aura imperceptibly emanating from his peak cultivation, directly setting him apart essentially from everyone else present.
Li Weiyi never felt inferior or belittled himself, but everyone had their own measure in heart, gauging self and others.
Cang Li tried to appear approachable, thanking Li Weiyi and Gao Huan warmly, politely, and friendly, but keeping a great distance.
Standing at such heights, doing this much was already very difficult.
He said, “Zhao Zhizhuo has told me about your matters. The world has been in warfare for ten years; outside there are Departed Spirit Fiend Demons, fierce insects, and cursed monsters, inside there are bandit and soldier chaos, with commoners in various prefectures living harder year by year. Now, Li Zhou is about to descend into chaos too!”
These words didn’t seem directed at Li Weiyi, more like his own lament.
Cang Li clearly had no interest in where Li Weiyi and Gao Huan came from, and asked, “You’re on the martial arts path, right? How many spring eyes have you opened?”
“Three.” Li Weiyi said.
“That’s not bad.”
At this age, having only opened three spring eyes was, in the absolutely top-talented Cang Li’s mind, barely worth a “not bad.”
But the old tribe leader had always instructed him that to be tribe leader, first control your mouth, don’t be too straightforward. Treat the wise humbly, recruit talents, make your words pleasant, don’t offend people with speech first.
Li Ling stood behind Cang Li, barefoot, looking fifteen or sixteen, wearing nine silver bracelets, clad in a multicolored robe, long hair woven into many long small braids, blue mist light marks enveloping her body.
Gao Huan, standing beside Li Weiyi, couldn’t tear his gaze away from Li Ling since seeing her.
Though Cai Yutong after metamorphosis was also beautiful as a fairy, for such a cold and strong-tempered female doctor, Gao Huan always kept his distance out of respect.
But this girl before him was different, like an elf in the mist, her features exquisite, sweet, mysterious, and serene, every bit grown right into his heart.
As for Liu Ying…
He simply didn’t dare recall her at all, always feeling she was a hurdle he couldn’t get past in his life.
Cang Li had long noticed Gao Huan, with far more interest in him than Li Weiyi.
This was a Pure Immortal Body!
