Chapter 94: Hidden Ancestor
Jiu Li Insect Valley is extremely deep and secluded, with Magic Energy Clouds enveloping it year-round, making its full appearance unclear. But walking within it, one can feel the vastness of the space, with towering steep cliff faces on both mountains, and buildings floating in the void.
It is said that some ancient Hidden Persons reside inside, but Formation Scripts and Runes are secretly laid out, making it impossible to verify.
The thick Magic Energy and unique underground environment nurture many precious glowing plants in the valley.
“ Splash!”
A startled old ginseng burst out from underground, using its roots as feet, and fled in a hurry, its entire body emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance.
It looked just like the legendary Thousand Year Elixir.
These elixirs and Demonic Herbs are all living fossils of heaven and earth, knowing many ancient secrets. Some of these elixirs and Demonic Herbs have terrifying combat power, capable of contending with those who have achieved Longevity through Dao Seeds.
Not long after, the cliff faces in the valley turned golden, like a massive rich gold mine, shining brilliantly with rosy clouds pervading.
Deep within the golden cliff face was a black ice wall exuding piercing cold air.
The ice wall extended upward without end, and sideways without end,
Hidden Lord stopped his steps, his eyes solemn under the mask as he bowed toward the black ice wall. Then, he uttered a strange language from his mouth. The sound was wrapped in Magic Energy, able to penetrate the ice wall.
Li Weiyi quietly waited behind him, only feeling the bone-chilling cold of the environment here.
A “ding dong” sound of dripping spring water rang in his ears. Looking over, he saw drops of golden spring fluid dripping from the golden cliff face on the right, gathering on the ground into a palm-sized spring pool.
Inhaling a breath of the golden mist emanating from the spring pool, Li Weiyi felt his limbs and entire body incredibly refreshed, as if his physical body had been thoroughly refined.
“Splash——”
Inside the black ice wall, strands of golden flowing light appeared, like countless golden lightning bolts shuttling through.
The darkness was illuminated.
The ice wall transformed into a crystal-clear golden wall, releasing an ancient aura that pressured heaven and earth, as if the space itself was trembling.
Li Weiyi was greatly shocked in his heart, unable to maintain his stance, and like Hidden Lord, knelt on one knee, immediately shouting after: “Greetings to Hidden Ancestor!”
A deafening yet melodious insect chirp resounded from inside the ice wall.
On the ice wall, a pair of enormous golden insect wings vaguely appeared, elegantly flapping up and down, with countless beams of light scattering outward.
Each insect wing was hundreds of meters long, dispersing the clouds and mist, with an oppressive aura.
“The news of Yuan Zhe Kui Shou…”
Li Weiyi couldn’t lift his head at all, couldn’t even breathe, only catching these few words in his ears, shocked in his heart: “So Hidden Ancestor is a Strange Insect, no wonder this place is called Jiu Li Insect Valley. For a creature to live a thousand years without dying, that’s too exaggerated.”
“Splash!”
The letter in Hidden Lord’s hand was swept away by the light rain and flew into the ice wall.
After a long while, the leader’s secret mark and diagram left by Jar Master on the letter appeared on the ice wall.
Then in his ears rang Hidden Lord’s conversation with Hidden Ancestor in a strange language.
Li Weiyi clearly felt a pair of extremely penetrating gazes fall on him, his body as if illuminated by blinding sunlight. Gradually, the sunlight faded, and the entire Jiu Li Insect Valley returned to darkness and cold.
“Rise, Hidden Ancestor has fallen back into deep slumber.”
Hidden Lord had already stood up, staring at Li Weiyi with complex and amazed eyes. His barely calmed heart surged with waves again.
“What terrifying aura, completely unable to breathe, like a majestic great mountain pressing down on the body.” After standing up, Li Weiyi still felt lingering fear.
“This is normal! How many years have you cultivated, and how many years has Hidden Ancestor cultivated? Once you cultivate Battle Intent, it will naturally be much better.”
Hidden Lord continued: “Hidden Ancestor said that the handwriting, aura, secret mark, and even the energy fluctuations belonging to Nine Emperor Banner all match perfectly without error.”
Li Weiyi thought to himself, Jar Master is still very meticulous in his actions, as expected of the former leader of Jiu Li Clan.
The so-called leader is the tribe leader of the entire Jiu Li Clan.
Hidden Lord regarded Li Weiyi as an important member of the Hidden Sect, his tone filled with emotion: “Lingxiao Life Realm has already endured ten years of warfare, with countless Righteous Armies, corpses strewn across various prefectures, commoners suffering, ten households with seven or eight in ruin. Ten Million Gateways and sects raise war banners high, Million-Strong Clans like Sui Sect are brimming with ambition, while Eastern Yi, Western Rong, Southern Barbarians, Northern Di bandits are all eager to seize the throne under heaven.”
“The Demon Kings entrenched in remote wildernesses are also starting to stir, cultivating forces, supporting Human Race armies to conquer cities and territories for them.”
“Furthermore, the Nether Realm of the Dead that has always wanted to swallow the Twenty-Eight Prefectures of Lingxiao, the current world situation is one of internal troubles and external threats, with crises coming from all directions.”
“Weiyi, where exactly is the leader, and why can he only return after ten years? Lingxiao Life Realm, Li Zhou, Jiu Li Clan probably can’t wait ten years.”
Although Jiu Li Hidden Sect is powerful with deep foundation, Hidden Lord knows there are heavens beyond heavens and people beyond people, always walking on thin ice, trembling with fear, no one knows where the world situation will go.
Only the return of a figure like the leader would be the true stabilizing force.
Of course Li Weiyi knew that Jar Master set the ten-year time because he hoped the Hidden Sect and Jiu Li Clan could protect him for ten years, giving him ten years of cultivation resources for practice.
After ten years, Jar Master naturally wouldn’t return.
But the Li Weiyi after ten years might have grown to the height of the leader, isn’t that another form of the leader’s return?
Li Weiyi feigned a bitter smile: “When I met Master, I was just a mortal body, how could I know his secrets? Since Master said he would return after ten years, he definitely will. We fundamentally can’t influence anything. In great chaos under heaven, outstanding persons will emerge, flood dragon pythons fighting to become divine dragons—there’s no such spectacle in peaceful prosperous times. I’m rather looking forward to it.”
“It was my foolish thought!”
Hidden Lord sighed, looking at Li Weiyi with eyes full of wonder, feeling that this youth was indeed incomparable to ordinary people, always seeming to have a spark of fighting spirit. He said: “Weiyi, with your talent, you must temper golden veins. Go collect some of that golden spring water; it should provide considerable help. Nine of them—tempering nine golden veins would surpass the successors of most Ten Million Gateways.”
“That it can help temper golden veins is great!”
Li Weiyi was immediately interested, found a pottery jar on the ground, and went to collect the golden spring in the water puddle.
Spirit Tablet Master said that when his Mind Power Cultivation reaches Square Inch Bright Fire, the blood soil space would undergo further changes, perhaps helping him temper golden veins.
But that was uncertain after all.
How could it compare to the tangible golden spring before his eyes?
Hidden Lord watched Li Weiyi take all the golden spring from the puddle, not leaving a single drop, his brows furrowing tightly—this kid really wasn’t polite at all.
The two walked outward.
Hidden Lord said: “The secret of Yuan Zhe Kui Shou’s return in ten years, at this stage, absolutely cannot be leaked. Your identity must also be kept confidential, so this lord cannot directly make you a Hidden Person for now. You still have to challenge those three people on the Mind Power Stone Wall. With your talent, breaking through to Nine Springs afterward shouldn’t be a problem.”
This was exactly Li Weiyi’s intention; he didn’t want to be pushed to the forefront, lest news leak and draw out one old monster after another.
He asked: “What are the benefits of becoming a Hidden Person?”
Hidden Lord very much wanted to tell him that Hidden Person represents responsibility.
But considering he wasn’t a commoner, it wasn’t good to directly place Jiu Li Clan’s responsibilities on him, so he changed his tone: “Becoming a Hidden Person is remarkable; the resources you can enjoy far surpass those of ordinary Hidden Persons. For example, the golden spring in your hand—only Hidden Persons are qualified to drink it.”
“Also, after a Hidden Person emerges, they can mobilize various resources of the Hidden Sect and Coffin Sea Pavilion, commanding all Hidden Persons in the entire Lingxiao Life Realm. In major events, even Hidden Persons from previous generations must obey orders.”
“Moreover, to cultivate the leadership aura of Hidden Persons, when leaving the Hidden Sect, they are not implanted with Death Spiritual Fire, enjoying great freedom.”
Li Weiyi’s eyes grew brighter and brighter: “So, as long as I become a Hidden Person, I can leave the Hidden Sect whenever I want?”
“That is natural,” Hidden Lord said.
Li Weiyi nodded in satisfaction, suddenly thinking of something: “The Six Desires Talisman problem must be resolved within two months. The pills Shi Liuyu gave me only have two left.”
Hidden Lord had Li Weiyi take out the pills.
He picked up one, sniffed it: “Shi Liuyu cannot be touched for now, but refining this kind of pill isn’t difficult. Later, I’ll refine more for you.”
To thoroughly resolve the Six Desires Talisman, it would definitely require grappling Shi Liuyu and forcing him to remove the Rune. But once done, it would expose many traces of the Hidden Sect, possibly even drawing that Heavenly King of the Earth Wolf King Army to Li Zhou.
This wasn’t the result Hidden Lord wanted to see!
Keeping the Hidden Sect mysterious, even having enemies underestimate the Hidden Sect, was most advantageous.
……
…………
Li Weiyi carried the pottery jar and walked out of the Hidden Sect’s sect gate alone.
Besides the gatekeeper old man sitting in meditation as always, Yin Twenty-Four was also waiting at the sect gate.
She quickly walked up: “How did it go? Did you see Hidden Ancestor?”
Li Weiyi said nothing, his expression cold and stern.
Yin Twenty-Four seemed thoughtful, inexplicably feeling some guilt, still coldly saying: “About the trial, I really didn’t know. But everyone has to pass this hurdle—what’s there to be annoyed about?”
How could Li Weiyi be so petty, but he deliberately used an displeased tone: “At the most dangerous time, I first considered your safety and let you go first. But you? Couldn’t you at least remind me? Do you know how dangerous Chang Lin Gang was after you left?”
“Wang Daozhen wanted to kill me, struck me with a palm making me severely injured. Yang Qingxi targeted my companions, using them to threaten me. The scariest was Yao Qian; he saw through many of my secrets—who knows what torture and torment I’d suffer in their hands?”
“Shi Liuyu wanted to throw me into the Wolf Den, making me neither able to live nor die. Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Shishi wanted to tie me to the Earth Wolf…”
……
Yin Twenty-Four imagined the scene at the time, her mood heavy, in an extremely affirmative tone: “I will kill Wang Daozhen… Next time, I’ll let you go first!”
Li Weiyi said coldly: “Do I need you to kill for me? His life is mine. Where’s the Radiant Flame Pill?”
Yin Twenty-Four hurriedly took out a pill bottle, handing it over with both hands: “Five in total! If more are needed, I’ll find a way.”
Li Weiyi took the pill bottle.
Upon opening, a beam of extremely bright light shot out from the bottle mouth, illuminating the sect gate area like daylight.
He quickly covered it.
In great mood, he couldn’t wait to return to his cave mansion to swallow them. Seeing Yin Twenty-Four nervously watching nearby, he feigned a pose: “Consider this offsetting five hundred thousand silver coins! Without verification of the Three-headed Snake Blood Soul’s strength, I have a rough idea of its combat power—don’t trick me.”
Of course Yin Twenty-Four could feel Li Weiyi’s sincerity toward her, so she didn’t deliberately deceive again: “In strongest combat state, it should reach the Fifth Realm of the Five Seas Realm, but to activate that level of combat power, with my current cultivation, I must be psychologically prepared to sacrifice my life.”
“Then its value?”
Li Weiyi hurriedly asked.
Yin Twenty-Four said: “Conservatively estimated at three million silver coins… I’ll gather the money as soon as possible, but it might take several years…”
She didn’t dare say over ten years, fearing Li Weiyi would snatch the bracelet back.
Li Weiyi secretly held his breath, heart pounding wildly.
This was much higher than Spirit Tablet Master’s estimate!
Thinking that Spirit Tablet Master didn’t belong to this era after all, it was normal for his judgment of blood sacrifice Magic Tool value to be off.
“Conservatively three million silver coins, non-conservatively four million, five million—let’s say four million silver coins!”
Li Weiyi waved his hand and walked down the mountain: “You should focus on cultivation and break through as soon as possible! Once your cultivation improves, activating the strongest combat power of the Three-headed Snake Bracelet shouldn’t require sacrificing your life. When I need money, I’ll come collect the debt.”
Yin Twenty-Four heard no annoyance in Li Weiyi’s tone, but rather faint concern, realizing she had been bluffed earlier. Her little face suddenly chilled, and she quickly chased up, whispering: “When to go to Spider Cave?”
“No rush, I’ll first swallow these Radiant Flame Pills and see if I can quickly break through.”
At the Blood River’s edge, Li Weiyi stopped, looking toward the graceful figure still sitting under the “Jiu Li Insect Valley” cliff carving.
The stone carving was majestic, full of ancient charm.
Yet Yao Yin was so frail, like a tender young grass trying to shake a divine mountain.
Li Weiyi asked: “What’s her situation? What exactly is wrong with her body? From her tone earlier, it seemed like her time was short.”
