The “Nine Springs Diagram” was much clearer than the “Scar Vein Guidance Chart.” Every spring’s location and the order in which they would open were all carefully marked. The four limbs’ springs were naturally the first to open, and relatively simple.
On the diagram were writings: “For those with top-grade resources, ten years of grueling cultivation is enough to succeed. For those with middle-grade resources, it can take between ten and thirty years.” …
The fifth spring was located in the “Central” of the back, the sixth at the “Tan Zhong” in the chest, and the seventh at the “Hundred Wisdom” on the head. Opening all seven springs would make the entire body thoroughly connected and allow one to attempt a breakthrough into a higher realm.
It read, “For those with top-grade resources, twenty years of grueling cultivation offers the hope of opening all seven springs.” Reading this, Li Weiyi felt even more astonished at how rare and extraordinary the Golden Crow Blood was. With top-grade resources, one must cultivate for twenty years of hardship to have a chance at opening all seven springs.
How many years of cultivation time had he saved?
No!
In this world of martial cultivators, one might start cultivating and opening springs as early as age three. By his age, he had already trained for fifteen or sixteen years. Moreover, he could drink Golden Crow Blood.
In this world, even the most noble disciples have precious blood medicines. Golden Crow Blood was only meant to make up for the fifteen or sixteen years he had lost – and it hardly made up the difference. Furthermore, the inscription only mentioned top-grade resources.
Later, it was explained that those with exceptionally outstanding talent could even attempt to breakthrough into the eighth spring, located at the back of the head called “Wind Mansion,” and the ninth spring, beneath the navel called “Ancestral Field.”
When an ordinary person successfully breaks through the “Wind Mansion,” they can be called a hero; at the same realm, one may even overpower the deformed races, catching up with those of pure immortal physique.
And if an ordinary person succeeds in breaking through the “Ancestral Field,” one can be called a supreme person—a manifestation of an ultimate physique whose brilliance could even outshine the pure immortal physique. Li Weiyi was filled with excitement.
So there was a path on the martial road that allowed one to catch up—despite his mediocrity, he was not without a chance to challenge and possibly overcome the pure immortal physique at his level. At this moment, his fighting spirit burned fiercely.
But then Li Weiyi wondered, ordinary people could attempt to break through to the Wind Mansion and Ancestral Field, so wouldn’t the deformed races and those with the pure immortal physique be able to break through as well? Wouldn’t they still be suppressed by one side or the other?
Just when he felt restless over this, Li Weiyi’s ears twitched and he heard some strange noises. Hastily, he unfolded the Ghost Flag that had been wrapped around the Evil Camel Bell package and covered the firepit with it. The flames died down, leaving only thick smoke.
The entire room—and the whole Burial Immortal Town—was completely shrouded in darkness.
“Clatter, clatter!”
Dense footsteps echoed as people entered the town. Some figures even flew across the roofs with light, nimble strides. Li Weiyi tossed the “Nine Springs Outline” into the Evil Camel Bell, draped the Ghost Flag over himself to mask his aura, and transformed into a lump of dark shadow.
He leaped over earthen walls, moving through several rooms one after another until he finally hid atop a beam.
“Just a moment ago we clearly saw light from a fire far away—how did it vanish so suddenly?”
“Search—search room by room.” …
Around him came the sounds of doors being kicked in and objects being hacked apart. More than ten torches were lit. Dozens of soldiers from the Earth Wolf King Army who had entered Burial Immortal Town were all carefully selected skilled fighters—at least they had opened two springs.
Half of them, under the lead of the tenth disciple of the Nine Stone Chamber, Xing Wanxing, quickly headed for the northeast corner of the town. There, a thousand-year-old apricot tree stood, large enough for seven or eight people to encircle it. Its branches and leaves were lush, and its roots twisted and spread thickly.
Beneath the apricot tree was an ancient well over three zhang in diameter, with a stone railing and dozens of huge stone statues of giants set around it. In the eerie mist of water vapor, it exuded an ancient, almost illusory vibe. Torches were arranged around the ancient well.
“Clang!”
With the heaving pull of iron chains, accompanied by the sound of rushing water, a silver coffin of a size as large as a room was hauled out. It was so heavy that over twenty immensely strong deformed martial cultivators struggled just to pull it.
Just yesterday, a large number of experts from the Beast Li Tribe had come to save the day, forcing the Earth Wolf King Army to retreat. But this silver coffin was too heavy and gigantic to be taken away; it had to be hidden in the well for the time being. Xing Wanxing’s eyes shone with excitement.
He had sensed that this coffin was unlike any other. Even without knowing what lay inside, the silver coffin itself was priceless. Selling it for ten million silver coins would be nothing.
A deformed martial cultivator who had opened two springs and followed Xing Wanxing whispered, “Master Xing, why don’t we quietly open the coffin and take what’s inside? Then, we can send it back…”
“Shut your mouth! Once an otherworldly coffin is opened, it loses its worth,” Xing Wanxing snapped.
He, too, felt the pull of greed, but he was well aware that any expert could immediately tell if an otherworldly coffin had been tampered with. The Nine Stone Chamber was not so easily deceived, and Xing Wanxing simply did not have the nerve. Besides, opening an unknown coffin carried enormous risk.
It might turn out that what lay inside was worthless or even empty, or perhaps it could contain a terrifying curse. Opening it might cost many lives.
Xing Wanxing had heard that a great family in some giant city once spent thirty million silver coins to purchase an exquisitely made otherworldly coffin, only to open it and unleash something unspeakable, resulting in the death of over a million people and turning the entire city into a forbidden, deathly zone.
There were even legends that if one carelessly opened a coffin, the corpse within would suddenly revive and slaughter every person present before finally leaving. Some coffins even had hidden mechanisms with traps or contained poisonous objects or corpses of insects…
If the risk of profit in opening a coffin were truly nil and with only gains to be had, then otherworldly coffins would not circulate in the market at all. The risk and reward were always in proportion.
“Bang!”
Just as the silver giant coffin was pulled out of the ancient well, its immense weight caused the hemp ropes that had bound it to suddenly snap. The coffin fell to the ground with a heavy thud. With a loud crash, its lid actually burst open and slid downward over a foot.
Everyone recoiled in shock. Xing Wanxing was nearly furious, “You all, how could you be so careless... that is—” From the gap where the coffin lid had slipped away, a brilliant silver auspice erupted forth, releasing a powerful exotic fragrance.
The fog that had enveloped the surrounding houses instantly transformed into a silver hue, resembling a wondrous and mysterious cloud from the immortal realm. Within it, silver flowers began to form one after another. Xing Wanxing froze, his eyes wide open.
This was no ominous coffin at all—it was clearly a treasure chest containing countless otherworldly rarities.
“Master Xing, this has nothing to do with us. The sealing nails had long been pried off, so after it fell, the coffin lid slid open. It is very possible that when the Cang Li Tribe salvaged it from the Blood Sea, they already opened it!”
Someone checked and reported in a low tone. The deformed cultivator who had opened two springs standing behind Xing Wanxing also murmured softly, “Since a part has been opened already, why not take a closer look at what’s inside?”
Xing Wanxing silently calculated that if there were truly some matchless treasures inside, why not take them and then make a swift escape? After all, with the current situation, even if the coffin were taken back, the Nine Stone Chamber would be full of suspicions.
After issuing his order, several deformed martial cultivators worked together to heft open the heavy silver coffin lid. The silver radiance emanating from within grew even brighter, illuminating half of Burial Immortal Town. The silver flowers congealed from the fog grew more plentiful by the second.
Inside the coffin lay a massive white-silver giant bone, measuring eleven or twelve meters in length, its inner structure gently shimmering like a flowing starry river—a brilliant, dazzling sight. But aside from that, there was nothing else. Xing Wanxing sighed deeply, utterly disappointed.
This white-silver bone might have miraculous uses for some high-level cultivators, but to him it was utterly worthless.
“Perhaps the real treasure inside had already been taken by the Cang Li Tribe,” he thought.
“Splash!”
Li Ling, like a breath of fresh wind in the night, stepped lightly along the traces of blue mist light and gracefully landed onto a three-story high roof not far from the ancient well. She had been tailing Li Weiyi into Burial Immortal Town, and unexpectedly, she reaped an unforeseen benefit. Weren’t these the same demonic Buddha-thieves from yesterday?
Her eyes filled with a chilling aura as she withdrew a golden silkworm bag from her waist and emptied its contents.
“Whee—whee!”
Tiny, rice-grain-sized strange insects flew out in clusters, resembling countless flickering fireflies, and swarmed around the more than twenty thieves near the ancient well. Hearing the dense sound of flapping wings, Xing Wanxing turned his head and his face changed instantly, “They’re Chihuo Beetles. Don’t let them land on you—scatter quickly!”
But it was too late! The first deformed cultivator to be touched by the Chihuo Beetles let out a shrill cry as his core was instantly burned through by the insects, and the burning then spread into a massive fireball. After just three breaths, his more than two-meter-tall massive body was reduced to ashes.
The second, the third… one after another, members of the Earth Wolf King Army began to burn. Cries of agony and wails of despair filled the scene, plunging the area into chaos. Some tried to flee to the distance while others jumped into the ancient well.
From a narrow gap in the window, Li Weiyi peered out and saw that slender, graceful female figure on a distant rooftop. He recognized her immediately. He could hardly believe that she would appear in a place like this.
Sensing someone watching her, Li Ling turned her head lightly and glanced toward the dilapidated house where Li Weiyi was hiding.
“Such strong perception?”
Li Weiyi hurriedly looked away, suddenly realizing that Li Ling’s appearance here might mean she was coming for him.
But why?
In that instant, many thoughts raced through his mind. Had a great favor turned into enmity? Or had the secret of his magical artifact been exposed?
Otherwise, what was her true purpose in stealthily following him? Something must have gone wrong.
(End of Chapter)