Li Weiyi placed the stone coffin and the Nine Emperor Banners on the ground. To be cautious, he also carried the Yellow Dragon Sword with him as he stepped forward to the spring below. The spiritual energy ahead was too dense, like a swirling cloud, continuously releasing misty waterfalls.
The naked eye couldn't see the stone platform inside.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
Strange sounds echoed. From within the swirling cloud of spiritual energy, the sound of fluttering wings could be heard, resembling both a cicada and a moth. The noise was loud and piercing.
Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed slightly. With a push of his foot, he floated back more than two zhang (about 6 meters).
"Whoosh!"
The cloud of spiritual energy was dispersed by the flapping wings, and from within, a massive insect resembling a moth slowly crawled out. It was three chi (about 1 meter) long, its body radiating a colorful, glass-like glow. Its six sharp claws looked as if they were forged from metal, with hooks that were extremely sharp.
Its eyes carried a dangerous and ferocious aura as it crawled forward, its wings spreading and vibrating. The outer wings were colorful, while the inner wings were thin and membranous, like those of an insect. The voice from the stone coffin said, "Not good!
They've hatched earlier than expected. It must be because the Heavenly Law Earth Spring has grown larger. Quickly, use the insect script to subdue it."
"Which insect script should I use?"
Li Weiyi, sensing the danger, retreated while asking. The voice from the stone coffin replied, "Back then, I carved seven insect scripts on seven insect eggs. Even if they've hatched, the scripts should still be imprinted on their bodies.
But why can't we see the scripts now?" The spirit tablet, who clearly had a deeper understanding of the world's strange insects, said, "It's because their level has exceeded our expectations. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Emperor Moth with Phoenix Wings, not at the lord level, but at the emperor level.
The insect script you carved has been hidden inside its body."
"What? Emperor level?"
The shocked voice of the jar master echoed. The spirit tablet continued, "Looking at its current size, it's already three chi long. Clearly, it's no longer a larva.
I estimate its combat power is no weaker than a martial artist at the Longevity Realm." Hearing this, Li Weiyi felt his vision darken, and his calves began to cramp. Was he here to collect insects or to feed them?
The stone coffin's voice remained calm and rational, quickly analyzing, "No! There's no food in the Cang King's tomb. It couldn't have grown from a larva to the Longevity Realm.
Moreover, if it truly had the strength of the Longevity Realm, its intelligence would also be extremely high, and it would have long since broken out of the tomb. Weiyi, it's bluffing!" Li Weiyi could clearly feel the terrifying aura emanating from the approaching Emperor Moth with Phoenix Wings.
How could he dare to bet that it was bluffing? Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. He said, "Perhaps there's another good way!"
He immediately activated the Fusang Divine Tree meditation technique, while also mobilizing the spiritual flame in his Yintang spiritual realm to activate the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish. The two bronze fish rotated once, and spatial power erupted.
"Whoosh!"
A faint ripple of spatial energy spread out, instantly pulling the approaching Emperor Moth with Phoenix Wings into the blood-soaked earth on the Buddha's relic. It couldn't break free. A moment later.
The voice of the spirit tablet came from the Buddha's relic, "As expected, it was bluffing. It has returned to its true size, only one cun (about 3 cm) long, still a larva."
"Whoosh!"
From the cloud of spiritual energy below the Heavenly Law Earth Spring, six more Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings flew out, each only one cun long, the size of a moth, their bodies radiating a dazzling array of colors. They flew at incredible speeds, like arrows, all attacking Li Weiyi.
Without hesitation, Li Weiyi entered the microscopic world where the Buddha's relic resided, deciding to subdue the first one first. After experiencing intense weightlessness, Li Weiyi landed on the blood-soaked earth, which was only a few zhang in size. He looked at the Emperor Moth with Phoenix Wings resting on the blue-and-white porcelain urn.
Its body had indeed shrunk to about one cun in length. Li Weiyi relaxed and smiled, "Just a larva, yet it already has such strong intelligence. You almost scared me."
"Whoosh!"
The first insect script materialized and flew out from between his eyebrows. Recently, Li Weiyi hadn't neglected his mental cultivation. The spiritual flame in his Yintang spiritual realm had grown twice as large, now the size of a bean.
The Emperor Moth with Phoenix Wings shot up like an arrow from a bow, directly piercing through the insect script and shooting toward Li Weiyi's forehead. The first insect script had no effect on it! Li Weiyi raised his sword to block.
"Bang!"
A metallic clang, like iron striking iron, rang out. The force of its impact was more terrifying than the arrows shot by Murong Xiao, sending Li Weiyi stumbling backward, nearly losing his grip on the Yellow Dragon Sword. The sound of fluttering wings echoed.
It accelerated, turned sharply, and aimed for Li Weiyi's chest. Li Weiyi didn't dare to confront it head-on and immediately sidestepped. At the same time, the second insect script was completed between his eyebrows and flew out.
The glowing insect script had just flown out when it resonated with the script inside the Emperor Moth with Phoenix Wings. The script inside its body flickered, and its flying speed slowed, as if suppressed by something.
"Whoosh!"
In the next moment, it was struck by the insect script and fell to the ground. Li Weiyi looked at the deep wound under his arm, caused by its wings. The cut was so deep it nearly reached the bone.
He wasn't angry, but instead smiled through the pain, "Such a small body, yet it contains such terrifying power. And this is just a larva." A moment later, he felt a bit of fear.
Fortunately, the second insect script worked. Otherwise, today would have been truly dangerous.
"Quickly use your blood to draw the second insect script. The script is the same. Only then will you truly subdue it, and it will obey only you in the future," the spirit tablet reminded him.
With Li Weiyi's current mental strength, he could only stay on the Buddha's relic for a short time before being pulled back to the original world. Time was precious. He took out one of the six treasures he had bought earlier—the insect script needle—and immediately got to work.
He managed to carve the blood insect script on the abdomen of the Emperor Moth with Phoenix Wings just before the feeling of weightlessness returned. Then, he quickly picked up the spirit tablet and the porcelain urn, and after experiencing the weightlessness, returned to the underground space of the Cang King's tomb.
Li Weiyi knew very well that with his current cultivation, he was no match for six Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings. There was only one way: first, he had to trap them all in the microscopic blood-soaked space. Then, he could subdue them one by one.
He took the spirit tablet and the jar master with him, fearing they might be attacked by the Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings. At that moment, the six Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings were frantically slamming into the stone coffin, making loud banging sounds like punches and kicks.
Fortunately, the stone coffin was made of special material, or the remains of the coffin master would have been torn apart.
"Whoosh!"
Sensing Li Weiyi's presence again, the six Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings surrounded him. Li Weiyi stood firm, unafraid. He stood straight, waiting until the six Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings were within three zhang before forming a hand seal and using the spiritual flame to activate the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish.
"Whoosh!"
A ripple of spatial energy spread out, and the six Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings were all captured and pulled into the Buddha's relic. After activating the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish three times in a row, Li Weiyi's Yintang turned black, and the spiritual flame nearly extinguished due to the excessive consumption.
He steadied himself and walked step by step toward the Heavenly Law Earth Spring, entering the Fangzhang Dao Domain. After confirming there was no danger, he sat down cross-legged, absorbing the light particles flowing from the spring above his head, breathing in and out the spiritual energy. He cultivated both his mental strength and martial arts simultaneously.
Half a day later. The light in his Yintang reignited. Above his head, a faint but straight beam of light shot up from his crown, extending nine zhang high.
Everything fell into place. Li Weiyi opened the seventh spring in his crown, officially stepping into the peak of the Spring Surge Realm. In the distance, the three remnant souls closely observed the changes in his body.
They were shocked by the nine-zhang light from his crown, but they no longer reacted as if they had never seen such a thing before. They were somewhat numb to it now. The jar master said, "Old Coffin, you initially planned for him to reach the Spring Surge Realm in two years?
I think he can reach the Five Seas Realm in just one year."
"Faster is naturally better. But from now on, every step must be taken solidly. The Wind Mansion and Ancestral Field aren't easy to open. Even some with Pure Immortal Bodies stop at the seventh spring. Talent is somewhat elusive. Those who are exceptionally gifted need to work even harder and push themselves. If they slack off even a little, they can fall far behind. Those who start off struggling sometimes grow stronger as they progress."
The remnant soul in the stone coffin had placed great hopes on Li Weiyi, treating him like a blood relative, hoping he would continue to advance rapidly. But at the same time, he was anxious. As the guide for the early stages of the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish master's cultivation, he felt immense pressure. ...
Five days later. The two massive stone doors of the Cang King's tomb, each over ten zhang tall, slowly opened. Li Weiyi stepped out, carefully observing and sensing his surroundings.
He didn't detect any presence of Li Ling or martial artists from the Cang Li Tribe, which put him slightly at ease. Arriving at the plaza in front of the tomb, he turned and bowed deeply three times to the Cang King's tomb. No matter what, he had obtained an incredible opportunity here.
The Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings were nurtured and hatched by the Heavenly Law Earth Spring. One must have a sense of gratitude. The foreign coffins piled in the plaza in front of the tomb were left untouched.
He couldn't move them anyway, as each one was inscribed with array scripts. Exiting the ancestral realm. Outside, it was already May, and the weather was hot, the sun blazing.
In the dense primeval forest, cicadas chirped and birds sang. The forest was alive, unlike the lifeless atmosphere of the ancestral realm. Finally seeing the light of day again, coupled with breaking through to the seventh spring and subduing seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings, with all his injuries healed, Li Weiyi was full of energy and in high spirits.
He ran swiftly along the mountain path. He came across a pool beneath a waterfall.
"Plop!"
He jumped in, washing away the accumulated filth of a month. The water was icy cold, but it felt refreshing. After getting out, he changed into the last clean robe he had stored in the Evil Camel Bell and strode confidently out of the mountains.
Along the way, everything seemed vibrant and full of life. He felt like kissing every blade of grass and every tree, repeatedly marveling at the beauty of the world. Two days later, he emerged from the dense forest of the Mang Mountain Range and saw a humanoid black figure flying in the air.
His good mood instantly vanished. It was Murong Xiao! She carried a massive bow and a quiver of arrows on her back.
"After all this time, she's still haunting me. Did she predict that I would eventually leave the Mang Mountain Range?"
Li Weiyi retreated into the forest, hiding himself. After some thought, he formed a hand seal, and his Yintang lit up. Streams of light particles flew out, entering the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish hanging around his neck.
"Whoosh!"
Seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings were summoned, each radiating a fist-sized colorful glow. They flew around Li Weiyi, dancing as if in a performance. Li Weiyi communicated with them through his mental power, instructing them to deal with Murong Xiao in the air.
The seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings weren't entirely obedient. Their powerful bloodlines allowed them to resist the insect scripts to some extent. Of course, the main reason was that Li Weiyi's mental power was still too weak.
Helpless, Li Weiyi took out a three-hundred-year-old treasure herb, the Nine-Leaf Grass, and plucked seven crystal-clear, fragrant leaves, feeding one to each moth. After each ate a leaf, the seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings became unusually lively, chirping excitedly.
Li Weiyi quickly stored the remaining grass, using his mental power to say, "If you don't work, don't even think about eating more. This Nine-Leaf Grass is worth thirty thousand silver coins. What you're eating isn't food; it's gold, it's silver, it's my blood.
Hurry up!"
"Not good, she's leaving."
Li Weiyi, accompanied by the seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings, dashed out of the forest to chase her. Murong Xiao was flying two hundred meters above the ground, her resentment palpable.
"It's been so long, and I still have to search the area every day. Do they really think I'm part of the Long Forest Gang? That kid probably died after mistakenly entering the ancestral realm of the Nine Li Tribe. I should head back to Demon Pass!"
"Murong Xiao!" ...
A familiar voice faintly called out from the ground. Murong Xiao turned her head to look behind her. The figure waving at her from the banks of the Sui River was none other than Li Weiyi.
Her eyes first showed surprise, then overflowed with joy.
How audacious!
Murong Xiao knew she couldn't kill Li Weiyi, so she immediately flapped her wings, preparing to fly to Demon Pass to report. Demon Pass City was filled with many eager to take Li Weiyi's life, including her ally, the deputy leader of the Long Forest Gang, Tang Yan, and Xue Zheng, fourth in the Seven Springs Hall.
"Whoosh!"
The dense sound of fluttering wings surrounded her. Her vision blurred, and all she could see were colorful spots of light.
"Thud!"
"Thud!" ...
The seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings continuously flew through her body and around her. Soon, this twenty-first-ranked expert of the Seven Springs Hall at the Spring Surge Realm turned into a lifeless corpse, falling from the sky. Li Weiyi arrived at the spot where the corpse had fallen.
Seeing the riddled body of Murong Xiao, he couldn't help but sigh, "How brutal!" The seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings flew back to him, chirping and demanding more Nine-Leaf Grass. Li Weiyi tossed the remaining grass to them and immediately crouched down to search the corpse.
He took the money pouch, which was heavy. Opening it, he found it filled with sparkling Spring Surge coins, at least fifty or sixty. Equivalent to five or six hundred thousand copper coins.
For a top hundred martial artist, it wasn't a huge amount. The real treasure on Murong Xiao's body was the three-meter-long magical bow. Li Weiyi picked it up and tried to draw it, but the bow was too long and unwieldy.
It would be more suitable for a tall, deformed martial artist. After sinking Murong Xiao's body into the river, Li Weiyi stored the magical bow in the Evil Camel Bell, planning to sell it for money. Standing under the scorching sun, he gazed south along the Sui River.
The entire horizon was bathed in immortal radiance, especially a beam of light rising from the ground, incredibly bright, as if it could reach beyond the heavens. Li Weiyi observed his surroundings and realized he had passed through this area before, located between Demon Pass City and Burial Immortal Town.
In other words, the area bathed in immortal radiance was where Burial Immortal Town was located.
"What's happening in Burial Immortal Town? It's been a month, and it still hasn't settled down?"
Li Weiyi was extremely curious but didn't dare to get involved in such a major event. He decided to head to Demon Pass City, controlled by the Beast Li Tribe. After a month of eating dry rations, he longed for a hot bowl of noodle soup and a comfortable bed to sleep in.
Tomorrow, he would set off for the Nine Li Hidden Sect. After the seven Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings finished eating the grass, they flew around him, buzzing in front of his face, nearly blinding him!
"Enough, enough! I've fed you all the herbs I bought earlier!"
Li Weiyi quickly activated the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish, storing them back in the Buddha's relic. Only then did peace return. The spirit tablet had told him that the Emperor Moths with Phoenix Wings were herbivorous, only eating various precious herbs.
To raise them to adulthood would require an immense amount of treasure herbs.
"Ah! What a curse. It feels like I'm raising seven little ancestors. I'll have to buy some herbs in Demon Pass. After all, they're emperor-level insects. I can't let them starve to death in their infancy!"
Li Weiyi disguised himself, smearing dirt on his face and letting his hair hang loose, making himself look extremely disheveled and pitiful. Although a month had passed and the heat had likely died down, it was better to be safe than sorry. Along the way, he saw massive ships sailing up the Sui River toward Burial Immortal Town.
There were also martial artists riding strange beasts, rushing past him. Some even more powerful figures rode hundred-meter-long giant birds, carrying golden palaces through the sky. Demon Pass City was now bustling with activity.
Disciples from various sects were everywhere, and groups of martial artists and mental masters were common. The entire Li Prefecture, and even the other six southern prefectures, had martial artists and mental masters flocking here. Li Weiyi had just entered the city when he caught a familiar scent.
Li Ling jumped out from the crowd, lightly tapping his shoulder before appearing in front of him. With bright eyes and a radiant smile, she