Chapter 96: Two Months Later
Summer passed and autumn came, already two months later.
Yin Shisan sat steadily on a four-meter-long Magic Tool Jade Boat, his body perfectly stable, unaffected by the turbulent water flow, entering the vast River Valley where Jiu Li Insect Valley was located along the intricate underground Blood River.
He was about twenty years old, with a round and soft face, fair and clean skin, and a small tuft of beard on his chin.
When they arrived under the towering cliff face engraved with “Jiu Li Insect Valley,” the Jade Boat docked on the right bank of the Blood River.
As a Five Seas Realm Expert and one of the scouts collecting news outside for Jiu Li Hidden Sect, Yin Shisan was one of the few Hidden Persons who knew the route into Jiu Li Insect Valley via the underground river.
As for Yin Twenty-Three, Yin Twenty-Four, and Yin Twenty-Five, these young ones didn’t even have the qualification to formally graduate yet and needed to continue cultivating and growing in the Hidden Sect.
After disembarking, Yin Shisan extended his palm into the void.
“Splash!”
The four-meter-long Magic Tool Jade Boat flew up, transforming into a four-inch-long exquisite small boat, landing in his palm.
A knowing smile appeared on his face; this mid-grade Magic Tool level Treasure was truly too useful. In water, it could travel 1,800 li per day, and ordinary Fierce Insects couldn’t catch up at all. The underground river, this special transportation network that everyone feared, would from now on be his domain.
“The Imperial Court really has many good things; no wonder everyone wants to rule the world.”
Tucking the Magic Tool Jade Boat into his bosom, Yin Shisan heard bursts of combat clash sounds by his ear.
It was from the direction of the Mind Power Stone Wall.
Someone was challenging the three people on the Mind Power Stone Wall?
Yin Shisan was astonished in his heart and quickly passed through the purple tree Jungle to the edge of the plaza under the Mind Power Stone Wall.
“Thirteenth Senior Brother!”
“Greetings, Thirteenth Senior Brother!”
…
Yin Twenty-Three, Yin Twenty-Four, and Yin Twenty-Five had long been watching the battle here and all bowed to Yin Shisan.
There was no such courtesy among the three of them, because their strength differences weren’t that great, and in the future, it was uncertain who would be stronger. But Yin Shisan had entered the Hidden Sect more than ten years earlier than them, and his cultivation was already profoundly deep.
“Twenty-Five, why are you still so skinny? I thought it was you challenging the Mind Power Stone Wall. How about it, all silver yet?” Yin Shisan pinched toward Yin Twenty-Five’s chest with his finger, laughing as he asked, then his gaze turned to the one person and one shadow battling in the center of the plaza, his eyes instantly focusing.
Yin Twenty-Five’s chest hurt, but he could only endure it and said, “Almost! But even if the Veins are all silver, don’t think you can withstand twenty moves under Yin Nine’s axes… Ninety-one Veins and a Hundred Veins, the gap isn’t ordinary.”
“Yin Nine lost too? Who is this kid? He’s already challenging the Hundred Veins All Silver Yang Shenjing.”
The more Yin Shisan watched, the more shocked he became, his eyes nearly falling out. After all, to fight back and forth evenly with the Hundred Veins All Silver Pure Immortal Body, that absolutely qualified as Successor Seed level.
Yin Twenty-Five sighed deeply: “This year’s newcomers arrived at the Hidden Sect only four months ago, and their combat power grows rapidly every month, without bottlenecks.”
Besides the four Hidden Persons, Yao Yin in a cloud-patterned white robe stood at the edge of the plaza like a fairy in a painting, quietly watching the battlefield, her pretty face more serious than anyone’s.
Several older generation Hidden Elders had also appeared, standing in the Medicinal Cuisine Room gazing from afar.
Yin Shisan stared at Li Weiyi for a good while, then suddenly realized something and said, “So it’s him. He actually joined the Hidden Sect. Interesting, truly interesting!”
“Thirteenth Senior Brother knows him?” Yin Twenty-Four said.
“These past few months, he’s gained quite a reputation in Li Zhou. Especially two months ago, after wiping out Chang Lin Gang, it was like poking a hole in the sky. Yang Clan’s bounty on him keeps multiplying. Xue Clan has an older generation figure saying they’ll personally take action to behead him and avenge Xue Zheng. Luckily he’s hiding in the Hidden Sect; otherwise, even Cang Li Tribe might not protect him.”
Yin Shisan continued like rattling off family treasures: “Some say he’s a Nine Springs Supreme Person.”
“Others say his combat power rivals Hundred Veins All Silver Pure Immortal Body, a Successor Seed of Jiu Li Tribe, whom they want to cultivate into the second Successor after Cang Li. I originally thought the rumors were exaggerated… tsk tsk…”
“Right, there’s also talk that he and Cang Li Tribe’s Fourth Miss are mutually in love, but Yang Yun stuck his foot in, so he made an enemy of Yang Clan. The story of poor boy and rich girl always has its twists; the rivals are one more powerful than the next.”
Hearing this, Yao Yin couldn’t help glancing at Yin Shisan.
Yin Twenty-Four frowned: “What kind of messy rumors are these? I know Li Ling; neither she nor Li Weiyi seem like people who fall in love easily.”
“I’m a Hidden Sect scout; my news absolutely isn’t groundless. The Governor’s Mansion specially investigated him. Back in Yao Guan, he’d already met Li Family’s Family Head and Matriarch, deeply valued by Cang Li Leader. For this brother-in-law, Cang Li even called out all the young generation Martial Cultivators, causing quite a stir.” Yin Shisan laughed.
Yin Twenty-Four fell silent, not knowing what he was thinking.
In Jiu Li Tribe, the “Li” surname was the greatest clan.
But only Cang Li Tribe’s direct main lineage could be called “Li Family,” because they were descendants of Cang Wang. Cang Wang, the eldest son of Jiu Li God, the nominal first main lineage among Jiu Li God’s descendants.
“Truly strong, almost holding his own against Yang Shenjing; no wonder Cang Li Tribe values him and wants to recruit him as son-in-law.” Yin Shisan said.
Yin Twenty-Four sneered: “For someone with such peak talent, how could he possibly become a live-in son-in-law? Cang Li Tribe is too arrogant; Li Ling is just a Half Immortal Body, what virtue or ability does she have?”
“Bang! Bang…”
Li Weiyi’s whole body overflowed with Magic Energy, wrapped in clouds and mist, continuously swinging out the Yellow Dragon Sword, hard-blocking the spear danced by Yang Shenjing.
Over these two months, he had forged fifty-five Gold Veins, and his physical body power had grown greatly.
But forging Gold Veins delayed a lot of time, preventing him from breaking through to Ninth Spring Ancestral Field.
The greatest disadvantage of not breaking the Ancestral Field was that only the Wind Mansion in his body stored Magic Energy to unleash one move of supreme Martial Way technique. Whereas Nine Springs Supreme Persons who had opened Ancestral Field could mobilize Magic Energy to explode with a dozen moves, even dozens of moves surpassing their own cultivation’s combat power.
Just like Yin Nine; with Ancestral Field Magic Energy mobilized, his combat power surged, able to fight back and forth with Yang Shenjing. Only when Ancestral Field Magic Energy was exhausted would he immediately lose.
Under the boost of Gold Veins, Magic Power flowed faster and smoother in Li Weiyi’s body, and with the growth in physical body power, he could finally withstand Yang Shenjing’s attacks in the state of exploding Ancestral Field Magic Energy. Before, he couldn’t even block one move.
“Such a fierce Yang Shenjing, already twenty-seven moves; is his Ancestral Field Magic Energy so abundant?”
When Li Weiyi blocked the thirty-first move, he finally sensed Yang Shenjing’s Ancestral Field Magic Energy depleting, combat power rapidly dropping to normal state. Thus, he decisively counterattacked, unleashing all kinds of Heavenly Dao Law Integration moves in overwhelming waves.
Seven moves later.
“Boom!”
Li Weiyi split Yang Shenjing in half with one sword, turning him into two clumps of Spiritual Light Magic Energy that flew into the Mind Power Stone Wall.
Li Weiyi stood tall in the plaza, exhaling deeply, looking at the blood mark on his tiger mouth, thinking to himself: “With Eight Springs Cultivation, hard-blocking the combat Explosion state of Hundred Veins All Silver Pure Immortal Body mobilizing Ancestral Field Magic Energy is still too difficult! I must break through to Nine Springs to probably strike it down in one or two moves.”
“One realm difference is like heaven and earth.”
Yin Shisan stared at Li Weiyi who was sitting cross-legged to regulate his breathing, gradually digesting the shock and giving rise to many doubts: “If I didn’t see wrong just now… he never mobilized Ancestral Field Magic Energy at all? Defeated Hundred Veins All Silver Pure Immortal Body with normal combat power?”
The other three Hidden Persons all had strange expressions; they knew some inside information and seriously doubted that Li Weiyi hadn’t broken through to Ninth Spring at all.
But how was that possible?
There was no such record in history either!
Those several watching Hidden Elders all relaxed their expressions, showing smiles, looking extremely pleased.
Yin Shisan went to pay respects.
“Little Thirteen, you rushed back from the underground river; is there something important?” the Gatekeeper Old Man asked.
Yin Shisan said: “Major events have been frequent these past few months, especially the great change in Zangxian Town, attracting the gaze of cultivators under heaven. I entered the underground river from there and specially hurried back, planning to see Hidden Lord.”
The Gatekeeper Old Man was the organizer of outside information, responsible for passing important news to Hidden Lord. He asked: “New changes in Zangxian Town?”
Yin Shisan nodded: “Inside Zangxian Town’s Immortal Radiance Space, a few days ago, there was intense expansion; some special Treasures continuously emerged. Even Four Extremes Ape King appeared six days ago, covering the entire sky with Demonic Energy, pitch black for hundreds of li.”
The on-site Hidden Elders were all moved.
Four Extremes Ape King occupied Tian Ya Ridge, the most terrifying Fiend Demon in Southern Territory. Every time it had a major birthday, forces from Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory had to send congratulatory gifts; otherwise, it was disrespect and would bring heavenly disaster. Even the Three Great Barbarian Thieves—coffin mountain’s “Xu Fudu,” Earth Wolf King Army’s “Shi Na’er,” Night City’s “Yuwen Yan”—had to pay respects at the Dock.
For such an existence to come to Li Zhou, all major powers in Li Zhou would surely tremble.
The Gatekeeper Old Man asked: “Does Zuo Qiu Gatehouse have any movements?”
In Southern Territory, Zuo Qiu Gatehouse was the top authority; its gateway was very high, even Demon Kings had to yield somewhat. If Jiu Li Tribe hadn’t declined, they would naturally have this strength too.
Yin Shisan said: “Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s Successor has arrived at Zangxian Town, already clashed with Cang Li and Dragon Gate Successor; win or loss unknown.”
“Additionally, Luan Tai Angel secretly arrived in Li Zhou half a month ago, successively visiting the Tribe Leaders of Nine Great Tribes, carrying a decree from some Palace Master of Lingxiao Palace. Clearly here to urge Jiu Li Tribe to send troops to suppress barbarians, while also raising resources and provisions for Imperial Court armies.”
The Gatekeeper Old Man snorted coldly: “Everyone’s treating Jiu Li Tribe as a granary and treasury, all wanting a bite.”
“Luan Tai Angel after all represents the Imperial Court; Lingxiao Palace for now still hasn’t fallen, Yu Yaozi remains the world’s First Expert, no one can afford to offend.”
Yin Shisan added: “This Luan Tai Angel is said to be extremely young and has already called out Dragon Gate Successor, vowing to behead him in Li Zhou.”
The Gatekeeper Old Man sighed deeply.
Lingxiao Palace and Dragon Gate—Jiu Li Tribe now couldn’t afford to offend either side; whoever died in Li Zhou would be a disaster.
