Chapter 86: Trouble Brewed
After breaking through to Eight Springs, Yao Yin moved to Silver Beach River Valley.
There it was easier to temper Silver Veins, and as a Pure Immortal Body, who wouldn’t pursue Hundred Veins All Silver? Pursue the foundation of successor-level talent?
Li Weiyi himself already had full Silver Veins, so naturally there was no need for him to do so, thus he stayed at Blood Tree Forest Cliff.
Living alone, undisturbed, allowed him to cultivate even more attentively.
Using the spatial power of the Buddha’s Sarira to absorb light and nourish fire, he could do so even more recklessly without fearing exposure of his secret.
At the same time, he practiced the Cang Wang Tempering Method, absorbing light particles from the natural heaven and earth to refine them into his ninety-six Silver Veins, aiming to temper Gold Veins.
No matter how illusory and elusive the Tenth Spring was, he had to give it a try.
Unfortunately, after more than twenty days, the ninety-six Veins showed no change at all.
……
On this day, Li Weiyi sat cross-legged in the forest, pinching a finger seal with his hand, mobilizing magic energy from Feng Fu, surging rapidly toward the Veins in his right arm, causing his entire arm to immediately become scalding hot.
“Hua!”
Around his body, countless blood-colored fallen leaves were stirred by the magic energy dissipating from his arm, spinning and dancing in flight.
He thrust one finger forward!
A majestic, bright beam of magic energy shot out from his fingertip.
With a bang.
The cliff face five zhang away was struck by the magic energy beam, sending gravel tumbling down.
Li Weiyi stood up and walked over, discovering a dent on the cliff face the size of a wine cup and three cun deep, as if it had been viciously stabbed by a spear.
The stone walls of Jiu Li Insect Valley were mostly metallic mineral rock, extremely hard.
To achieve such an effect from five zhang away showed just how condensed the magic energy in that finger technique was.
“Finally, I’ve cultivated the Ci Hang Kai Guang finger technique to Heavenly Law Integration, enough to serve as a surprise killing move. How could an enemy possibly anticipate that a Spring Gushing Realm martial cultivator could have such a technique?”
“Now with seven law-integrated martial arts moves in hand, how much gap is there left with Yang Shenjing?”
Li Weiyi left Blood Tree Forest Cliff, preparing to test the Five Seas Pillar.
Over the past twenty-plus days, not only had he eaten medicinal cuisine until stuffed every day, but he had also polished off a hundred jin of five-hundred-year Rou Cong Rong with the seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors, naturally greatly increasing his physical body power.
Though it was a mortal body, his skin emitted a highly textured luster, and his whole person was vigorous and fierce, exuding a striking charm of spirited vitality.
The temperament of a martial way strong practitioner was initially formed.
Walking to the edge of the eternally flowing Blood River, borrowing the glow of luminous plants along both riverbanks, Li Weiyi unexpectedly spotted a graceful figure like a painting in serene meditation below a cliff carving inscribed with the four ancient characters “Jiu Li Insect Valley.”
The grass beneath her was like a soft glowing carpet; she wore a goose-yellow long robe, her jet-black long hair bound with a jade hairpin, and her face was even more smooth and white than the jade hairpin, giving a sense of ethereal immortal qi.
Unfortunately, she was too young, only fifteen, with a still slender figure, her chest showing only a slight curve.
But Li Weiyi knew that this girl could not be judged by appearances; she seemed harmless like humans and animals, like a crane or antelope. In reality, she was a ruthless character who, after moving to Silver Beach River Valley, had cleared out all Eight Springs martial cultivators within days.
That sudden strike toward Li Qing, Li Weiyi still remembered vividly to this day.
During the first trial, she hadn’t attacked him, probably truly because she feared alarming the spider swarm.
Li Weiyi pondered, then strolled over: “What’s this? No opponents left, so you’re preparing to comprehend the battle intent of the Jiu Li God and directly become a Hidden Person?”
Yao Yin’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she opened a pair of stunningly beautiful eyes that stirred the heart, lifting her swan-like slender jade neck, gazing at the four ancient characters full of Dao charm on the cliff face, her red lips parting lightly: “Among this batch of competitors, aside from you, who else is even an opponent? But to break through to Nine Springs within a year is too difficult. Without breaking Nine Springs, I absolutely can’t match you. So my only chance is left right here.”
Li Weiyi comforted: “Don’t be so pessimistic. What if I die in the trial? Besides, you can still assassinate—use poison, use schemes. Killing someone with upright and honorable methods is the most laborious.”
Yao Yin’s pair of bright gemstone-like green eyes looked over, in a heavenly timbre soft tone: “Are all men this duplicitous? Don’t think I don’t know—Yin Twenty-Four told me everything, I understand it all. I’m just a bit young, not some idiot fool.”
Li Weiyi was slightly stunned: “What nonsense did she spout this time?”
Yao Yin lowered her gaze to clusters of vibrant wildflowers on the grass, her eyes revealing a moved emotion, murmuring: “She said you’d give everything to defeat the three people on the Mind Power Stone Wall, to compete for Hidden Person. Only then would I have a chance to live.”
“No, my competing for Hidden Person…”
Li Weiyi feared the more he explained, the bigger the misunderstanding, so he thought and changed tack: “Anyone who reached my step would want to directly break through the ranks to become a Hidden Person, right? So, me competing for Hidden Person is only for myself, not for anyone else. Don’t let Yin Twenty-Four mislead you; she has always had a grudge against me, maybe jealousy—who knows!”
Yao Yin murmured softly: “Then what is the meaning of their existence? To keep risking their lives for a quota that’s destined to be unattainable? Those were your words, right?”
“Yes…”
Li Weiyi naturally couldn’t deny it.
“You just said it was only for yourself—isn’t that self-contradictory?”
Yao Yin’s logic was very clear as she cast Li Weiyi a firm gaze full of fighting spirit, like an orchid growing on a hurricane gorge: “I know comprehending the Jiu Li God’s battle intent is extremely slim, so slim it’s like my life is destined to have only a few years left. But since you’re striving hard, how can I just sit back and reap the benefits? Let’s join hands together, fight against this cruel fate. As long as one of us succeeds… we’ve won!”
Her gaze at this moment, Li Weiyi truly couldn’t meet.
The slender jade hand she extended, carved like ice crystal immortal jade, Li Weiyi didn’t dare to take.
“You keep comprehending; I’m off to settle accounts with Yin Twenty-Four.”
Li Weiyi turned and left as if fleeing, taking a deep breath—misinformation and misplaced trust, loose lips cause trouble. He couldn’t be too good or too bad; he just wanted to be an ordinary person with some humanity.
How did he end up stirring up trouble?
Arriving at the Hidden Sect sect gate, Li Weiyi cupped hands in salute to the gatekeeper old man: “Trouble Elder to pass word; I wish to see Yin Twenty-Four.”
The gatekeeper old man’s chest lit up with bright magic energy glow, then he spat it out from his mouth, using magic energy to carry his voice, shouting loudly into the sect gate: “Little Twenty-Four, someone wants to see you.”
The voice was resounding, audible dozens of li away, echoing long in Insect Valley.
Li Weiyi hadn’t expected the gatekeeper old man’s method of transmission to be so straightforward and unadorned—didn’t he fear disturbing other Hidden Persons?
He walked to the side of the Five Seas Pillar.
Li Weiyi began warming up his body, practicing fist and palm, trying to get himself excited.
“Hua!”
Yin Twenty-Four arrived extremely fast, stepping on magic energy, soon turning into a gust of clear wind and landing beside the gatekeeper old man, her gaze immediately turning to Li Weiyi not far away.
Truly chasing a Five Seas Realm physical body with a Spring Gushing Realm physical body?
“Up!”
With an explosive shout.
Legs in horse stance, Li Weiyi grabbed the Five Seas Pillar with both hands, one above the other, and suddenly exerted upward force.
His feet sank down, his arms slowly rose, and the muscles and bones throughout his body all made slight sounds.
Gradually, the Five Seas Pillar was lifted.
Fully one chi high.
After steadying for a moment, Li Weiyi released his hands, and with a boom, the five-thousand-five-hundred-jin iron pillar crashed back down, shaking the ground violently.
The gatekeeper old man had long stood up, craning his neck to watch, now exchanging stunned looks with Yin Twenty-Four, both finding it inconceivable. In less than a month, his physical body power had grown this much?
If he trained another year or two, wouldn’t he lift the Five Seas Pillar effortlessly?
Li Weiyi didn’t conceal the joy in his eyes, turning to say: “Now I have the qualification to temper Gold Veins, right?”
“Of course! You’ve already looked through the Cang Wang Tempering Method; if there’s anything you don’t understand, come ask this old man anytime. You must temper Gold Veins, even just one—that would make all the difference.”
The gatekeeper old man was inwardly thrilled; this Jia Zi had finally produced a true Hidden Person seedling. After all, in the eyes of Hidden Sect people, a Hidden Person had to surpass the successor to truly count as Jiu Li’s inside line and final defense.
Though Yin Nine was already stunning, compared to Cang Li, there was still a slight gap.
This kid had a chance to stand one bright and one dark with Cang Li, becoming Jiu Li’s two pillars of strength in a century. The only flaw was that he wasn’t a true commoner…
He needed to think of a way to tie him down.
“Yin Twenty-Four, come with me; I have words to say to you alone.” Li Weiyi’s tone was unkind.
Yin Twenty-Four’s willow brows furrowed slightly, her eyes puzzled; she’d never seen a trial participant so arrogant before a Hidden Person.
The gatekeeper old man thought he’d seen through something and urged: “Go on, the private words between you young people surely aren’t for us old guys to hear.”
After leaving the sect gate and walking far.
Li Weiyi got straight to the point: “You’re a Hidden Person, Five Seas Realm; you have freedom in your speech. I’ll say this once: from now on, in front of Yao Yin, don’t spout nonsense anymore—it’s already causing problems!”
Yao Yin’s name was something she had told Li Weiyi herself.
Yin Twenty-Four felt baffled and dissatisfied: “When did I ever spout nonsense?”
Li Weiyi said: “This time, it’s mostly my own issue, so I won’t pin the blame on you. But after the last Spider Cave trial, what exactly did you tell her?”
“I said nothing.” Yin Twenty-Four replied.
Li Weiyi stared straight into her eyes, confirming she wasn’t lying, and felt puzzled: “That’s strange; her mood was clearly off then, as if I had designs on her.”
Yin Twenty-Four thought of something and said: “After the first trial, when we returned from Spider Cave, I escorted her back to her cave mansion. After she woke, she asked me why you didn’t kill her in Spider Cave but instead fed her precious medicine.”
“I casually replied that maybe it’s because she’s pretty enough.”
“That’s not a problem, right?”
“It’s a bit… but not a big issue.” Li Weiyi thought carefully and felt Yin Twenty-Four had no reason to deliberately sabotage him, so he let it go: “Let’s drop this! Right, have you decided on the business in Spider Cave?”
Yin Twenty-Four quickly glanced left and right, lowering her voice: “You’re already under close watch now; once you leave the river valley, it’s hard to evade the two Elders. Especially the one who prepares the medicinal cuisine—his mind power is extremely strong. I suggest… wait a bit more!”
She finally loosened up!
Li Weiyi had always thought Yin Twenty-Four had extremely strong principles, impossible to sway, and had decided to act alone when the chance came. But her principles weren’t that rigid; on the third temptation, she yielded, though still hesitant and evasive.
Seeing the odd look in Li Weiyi’s eyes, Yin Twenty-Four quickly composed herself, saying coldly: “Just this once, no next time.”
“Then let’s head to the trial first; time is short, and it still takes many days to reach Jiu Li City.” Li Weiyi said.
After spending one hourshen packing luggage.
Yin Twenty-Four led Li Weiyi into the Hidden Sect, ascending step by step along the stone path carved into the cliff face.
Within Hidden Sect, the power of laws was even denser, with mist vast like gauze.
On the stone walls were carved various martial arts moves.
“So the way out is through the interior of Hidden Sect, not via the Underground River. The Underground River path is probably just to cover tracks, preventing followers when picking up trial participants. No wonder even tribe leader-level insiders don’t know the internal specifics—Hidden Sect is so cautious.” Li Weiyi admired inwardly.
After climbing over a thousand steps, they finally reached the top of the cliff face.
Before them was a vast stone platform, surrounded entirely by cliffs, like a stone mountain with its peak shaved off.
Above was completely shrouded in mist, with no visible top.
Yin Twenty-Four lightly swung out one palm, immediately surging thick magic energy from her palm heart, injecting into the ground.
“Hua!”
The ground lit up with one after another green formation script, connecting into a circular formation diagram four zhang in diameter.
Li Weiyi, with a puzzled expression, walked in: “With this formation diagram, we can leave Jiu Li Insect Valley?”
Yin Twenty-Four smiled without speaking.
In the formation diagram, over a hundred formation scripts rapidly operated, the glow growing brighter, condensing into a white magic energy cloud.
A strong sense of weightlessness followed.
Li Weiyi discovered that borne by the formation diagram and wrapped in the magic energy cloud, the two were flying upward, with a feeling of soaring straight into the clouds.
This was a flight formation?
Borrowing the “Magic Energy Cloud Flight Formation,” they flew upward who knows how many zhang before a slight vibration halted the formation diagram in the void.
“Let’s go, we’re here!”
Yin Twenty-Four stepped out first onto a stone bridge.
Li Weiyi had already guessed but still asked: “Where?”
“Jiu Li City.” Yin Twenty-Four said.
