The killing intent and battle aura emanating from Shi Jiuzhai at this moment were enough to make any martial artist in the Spring Surge Realm tremble and kneel in fear. Li Weiyi was struggling to resist the overwhelming pressure, almost unable to breathe.
Gritting his teeth, he managed to speak with difficulty, "Even now, how can you be sure that my strength isn't enough to help you achieve your goals? I think even the Ten Food Dharma King has better judgment than you." Li Weiyi's ability to withstand pressure and his mental fortitude surprised Shi Jiuzhai.
His expression shifted between light and shadow as he said, "In the hands of a Nine Springs martial artist, do you think you could last a few moves? Could you even escape with your life?" Li Weiyi gathered more useful information and replied, "So, the Dharma King wants me to deal with a Nine Springs martial artist?
That's quite peculiar. Why can't you handle it yourselves? Is it because that Nine Springs martial artist is in a place you can't reach?"
Shi Jiuzhai felt that this young man's mind was indeed sharp, and perhaps he could really be of use. He said, "Not to deal with him directly. You're not strong enough for that.
You just need to keep an eye on him." Li Weiyi knew when to be tough and when to be soft. He bowed slightly and said, "Why don't the two Dharma Kings explain things more clearly?
My life is in your hands now. Whatever task you assign, I will do my utmost to complete it." No matter what, preserving his life was the top priority.
Seeing Li Weiyi return to his previous "little wolf cub" demeanor, Shi Jiuzhai's anger dissipated, and he laughed, "That's more like it. You were acting so arrogant earlier, I thought the Ten Food Dharma King had made a mistake in choosing you." Shi Shishi said, "Have you heard of the Nine Li Hidden Sect?"
Li Weiyi almost couldn't keep his composure... What was going on? How did they know about the Nine Li Hidden Sect?
"I haven't heard of it," Li Weiyi feigned ignorance, shaking his head slightly after a moment of thought.
Shi Jiuzhai said, "You don't need to have heard of it. Just do something for us in the Nine Li Hidden Sect. Once it's done, we'll consider your past debts settled.
Of course, you can refuse, and I'll just kill you here and now. After all, you've learned things you shouldn't have." The matter of investigating the Nine Li Hidden Sect was of great importance.
How could the Earth Wolf King Army fully trust that mysterious old man from the Nine Li Tribe? So, of course, they wanted to plant one of their own to infiltrate the Nine Li Hidden Sect. The mysterious old man planned to send Li Qing, who was at the Nine Springs level, to the hidden sect.
Therefore, the person the Earth Wolf King Army chose couldn't be too weak, or they might be killed by Li Qing as soon as they entered. Shi Jiuzhai naturally wouldn't tell Li Weiyi too much. He said, "You just need to do one thing!
Survive, find the location of the Nine Li Hidden Sect, and then escape to tell us. Simple enough, right?" Li Weiyi asked, "I don't even know how to get to the Nine Li Hidden Sect."
"You don't need to worry about that. We'll make the arrangements," Shi Jiuzhai said with a smile.
"If you can complete this task, you'll be well rewarded."
"Ha!"
A low, distant laugh echoed through the dark forest, eerie and coming from all directions.
"Thud!"
A heavy human-shaped object fell from the sky, creating a shallow crater in the ground. It was a sack, and muffled groans of pain came from within. Shi Shishi laughed, "Sixth Brother, why are you so late?"
"Whoosh!"
Li Weiyi felt a cold breeze sweep past him, and by the fire, a gaunt figure appeared out of thin air. Shi Liuyu was as thin as a skeleton, with green eyes and short green hair, giving off a sinister and chilling aura.
He glanced at Li Weiyi and chuckled darkly, "Shishi, the person you found doesn't seem all that impressive. Look at who I found. This guy is known as the strongest below the Five Seas Realm in Li Prefecture, and he's a Pure Immortal Body."
Li Weiyi looked at the squirming sack on the ground, feeling a strange emotion. Was he not the only unlucky one tonight? Shi Shishi opened the sack, revealing Xue Zheng, a Pure Immortal Body with a silver glow, now beaten black and blue.
Xue Zheng's knowledge far surpassed Li Weiyi's, and he quickly recognized the identities of the three men before him. His face turned pale, and his gaze finally settled on Li Weiyi. Shi Shishi said, "Sixth Brother, you're late.
We've already discussed with Brother Tianshu, and he's agreed to go to the Nine Li Hidden Sect to handle things for us." Shi Liuyu seemed indifferent, saying lightly, "Just kill him to silence him. It's not a big deal.
Do you really think he's a match for Li Qing, who's at the Nine Springs level? If we're sending someone, we should send someone strong." Li Weiyi knew how ruthless the southern barbarians could be.
Fearing that Shi Liuyu might suddenly kill him, he quickly said, "Dharma King, you're mistaken. Xue Zheng is very famous in Li Prefecture, and everyone knows he's a disciple of the Sui Sect. Sending him to the hidden sect would instantly expose his identity."
Xue Zheng was no fool either. He quickly assessed the situation and realized that to survive in front of these barbarian Dharma Kings, he needed to prove his usefulness. He said, "I'm just at the Spring Surge Realm.
What kind of fame is that? Not to mention the older generation, even those listed in the 'Book of Great Eras' probably have no idea who Xue Zheng is." Shi Liuyu nodded, "You see, this kind of cleverness is exactly what we need in the Earth Wolf King Army."
Xue Zheng added, "As long as you give me a chance to live, I will swear loyalty to the Earth Wolf King Army. I am the most promising young star of the Xue family, and in the future, I can do many things for the three Dharma Kings in Li Prefecture."
Li Weiyi never expected Xue Zheng, who usually seemed so upright, to stoop so low for the sake of survival. Shi Liuyu laughed, "Good, good! That's the right attitude!
Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, what do you think? If Xue Zheng can complete this mission, he might become an important chess piece we plant within the Sui Sect." Seeing Shi Jiuzhai's thoughtful expression, Li Weiyi quickly said, "Xue Zheng is only at the Eight Springs level.
Even with a Pure Immortal Body, he might not be a match for a Nine Springs martial artist. In fact, he might not even be a match for me!" Having transformed into a Pure Immortal Body, Xue Zheng looked down on Li Weiyi and said, "Li Weiyi, are you challenging me to a fight?"
"I just want to tell the three Dharma Kings that I am more qualified than you," Li Weiyi replied.
Shi Liuyu's green eyes sparkled with amusement, "This just got interesting!"
"Brother Tianshu, you're the one I brought here. You can't lose to him," Shi Shishi said, still referring to Li Weiyi by his alias even though he knew his real name.
Xue Zheng knew that Li Weiyi had a black iron seal that could release lightning. He considered whether to reveal this information but worried that if the three Dharma Kings of the Earth Wolf King Army found out Li Weiyi might be a seed of the Thundercloud Sect's legacy, they might kill him to silence him.
Xue Zheng thought Li Weiyi wouldn't dare to expose this either. As long as he could finish Li Weiyi in a few moves, Li Weiyi wouldn't have the chance to use the black iron seal. For the sake of qualification, for the sake of survival.
The two stood by the stream, ready for battle, their eyes locked in a fierce gaze. Without a doubt, tonight would be a fight to the death. Shi Jiuzhai said, "How about we make a bet?
The odds are one to nine. I'll bet on Xue Zheng." Shi Liuyu said, "Ninth Brother, you're the house.
If we're betting, it should be between me and Tenth Brother. Tenth Brother, are you in?" Shi Shishi knew how powerful an Eight Springs Pure Immortal Body could be.
It was definitely capable of competing with a Nine Springs expert. Moreover, Xue Zheng was famous for his extraordinary combat skills, making Li Weiyi's chances of winning slim. Shi Liuyu said, "How about we bet on how many moves your guy can last against Xue Zheng?"
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Before the bet could even begin, the two, one wielding a sword and the other a blade, charged at each other. Xue Zheng wanted to end the fight quickly. His first strike mobilized the energy from his Wind Mansion, unleashing the strongest attack an Eight Springs martial artist could perform.
Li Weiyi didn't dare to reveal his full strength. Facing Xue Zheng's overwhelming strike, he could only try his best to dodge. But dodging an attack that had reached the level of Heavenly Dao Fusion was nearly impossible.
Moreover, this strike was enhanced by the energy from Xue Zheng's Wind Mansion. Even a Five Seas martial artist would have to take it head-on.
"Whoosh!"
Just as Li Weiyi was about to become a victim of Xue Zheng's blade, his body seemed to transform into a wisp of smoke, narrowly escaping the blade's momentum. With a loud crash, Xue Zheng's powerful blade energy shot out like a wave, flying five zhang away and exploding the trunk of a tree as thick as a bowl.
Li Weiyi's strength had indeed improved compared to a month ago, and he felt a chill in his heart. Shi Shishi stood up abruptly and cheered, "Great footwork! So not only is your sword technique at the level of Heavenly Dao Fusion, but your footwork is too!"
By the Sui River, he had seen Li Weiyi perform a sword technique that had reached Heavenly Dao Fusion. The footwork Li Weiyi was using now was the Clear Void Cicada Step, which he had practiced to the level of Heavenly Dao Fusion in the Tomb of the Cang King.
The reason he was so fast was that he had been practicing the Twelve Loose Hands of the Chan Sect for over a decade. Shi Jiuzhai nodded, "At his age and in the Spring Surge Realm, being able to master two techniques at the level of Heavenly Dao Fusion is indeed impressive.
Sixth Brother, how many did you master back then?"
"It's Sixth Desire."
Shi Liuyu corrected him and then snorted, "Back then, I was focused on breaking through to the Wind Mansion and Ancestral Field, aiming to reach the Five Seas Realm. No matter how well you master techniques, if your opponent is a realm above you, they can crush you easily."
Shi Jiuzhai said, "Regardless, now that Xue Zheng has exhausted the energy in his Wind Mansion, that little wolf cub has a slim chance of winning. Tenth Brother, want to bet? The odds are still one to nine."
Shi Shishi hesitated. The odds were too good.
"Boom!"
"Boom!" ...
Li Weiyi and Xue Zheng's figures darted back and forth, moving from the shore into the stream. They had already exchanged over a dozen moves. Li Weiyi controlled his strength, deliberately staying on the defensive, constantly retreating, looking extremely狼狈.
At times, a strand of his hair was cut off, and at other times, a corner of his robe was sliced away. Shi Jiuzhai observed their battle and noticed that once they entered the stream, Xue Zheng's movements became noticeably slower.
Meanwhile, Li Weiyi, with his clever footwork, could tread on the water's surface, using his strengths to exploit Xue Zheng's weaknesses. Realizing this, Xue Zheng immediately tried to move the battle back to the shore.
But the moment he thought of this and took a step toward the shore, Li Weiyi seized the opportunity to unleash a Heavenly Dao Fusion-level Taiyi Ocean-Splitting Strike.
"Whoosh!"
The air seemed to split as the sword's energy appeared capable of cleaving the entire stream. The sharp energy and the piercing sound of the sword were overwhelming. Xue Zheng's leg, which was about to step onto the shore, wasn't directly hit by the sword, but the energy struck it, tearing his pants and producing a metallic clang.
If it weren't for his Silver Pure Immortal Body's formidable defense, his leg would have been severely injured. Even so, he felt intense pain in his leg, and his balance was compromised. Once Li Weiyi gained the upper hand, he pressed his advantage relentlessly.
His sword strikes came down like a torrential rain, each faster than the last. At the same time, he subtly increased his strength, making it seem as though Xue Zheng had made a mistake and, once at a disadvantage, had no chance to recover. Shi Shishi, never expecting such a turn of events, immediately said, "I'll bet!
Sixth Brother, I'll bet with you. I'll wager a thousand Spring Surge coins! Ninth Brother, the odds are one to nine, right?"
Shi Jiuzhai, watching the two duel in the stream, said, "No, the odds are now three to seven... four to six... five to five..." In the next moment, Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Liuyu both stood up abruptly, their eyes filled with disbelief. In the stream, Li Weiyi was forcing Xue Zheng to retreat step by step.
Xue Zheng's legs were unsteady, his steps increasingly chaotic, completely losing their rhythm. At first, Xue Zheng thought he was simply at a disadvantage, which was why Li Weiyi was overwhelming him. But gradually, he realized something was wrong.
He could clearly feel Li Weiyi's strength increasing.
"This is bad. This kid must have broken through to the Ninth Spring..."
Knowing that he might not survive today, Xue Zheng decided to take Li Weiyi down with him. He shouted, "He's actually—" "Wind Mansion's strongest strike!" Li Weiyi deliberately shouted over Xue Zheng, once again unleashing a Heavenly Dao Fusion-level Taiyi Ocean-Splitting Strike.
The sword came down from above, landing on Xue Zheng's head. In the next moment, the Yellow Dragon Sword appeared beneath Xue Zheng's crotch. A drop of blood slid down the sword's tip, falling into the stream and creating a beautiful crimson flower that quickly dispersed.
Li Weiyi sheathed his sword and walked back. Behind him, Xue Zheng's body split in two and fell into the stream, his organs spilling out. It turned out his entire body wasn't made of silver.
"Ten to zero! Tenth Brother, you had your chance, but you didn't take it. You lack the guts for gambling," Shi Jiuzhai sighed.
Shi Shishi was filled with regret. He rushed to the stream, standing beside Xue Zheng's bisected corpse as if he wanted to stitch him back together and have him fight Li Weiyi again. Just as Li Weiyi stepped onto the shore, a figure appeared before him.
Shi Liuyu's gaunt, ghost-like face was inches away. His finger pressed against Li Weiyi's lower abdomen, where the Ancestral Field was located, and he muttered in surprise, "You really haven't opened your Ancestral Field." Next, Shi Liuyu's palm pressed against Li Weiyi's chest, over his lungs.
"You haven't opened your Qi Sea either. How strange. Could it be that by mastering techniques to a certain level, even a mortal can defeat a Pure Immortal Body in the same realm?"
Shi Liuyu seemed to have discovered a new world, ecstatic. After all, he was a special kind of畸形种 (mutant), and he had always been wary of Pure Immortal Bodies in the same realm, feeling deeply resentful. Li Weiyi's heart was pounding, afraid that Shi Liuyu would probe his Wind Mansion.
Fortunately, Shi Liuyu didn't suspect the authenticity of his Eight Springs cultivation. As Shi Liuyu turned away, Li Weiyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly.
Without warning, Shi Liuyu spun around lightning-fast, a complex green rune appearing in his palm. He struck Li Weiyi's chest, sending him flying several zhang away, where he landed heavily on the ground. Li Weiyi momentarily lost his breath, then gasped heavily.
Not only was his chest in pain, but a numbing, unbearable force was seeping into his body. Once he caught his breath, he quickly opened his collar but found nothing. He said coldly, "Dharma King Liuyu, what... is the meaning of this?"
Shi Liuyu, with his hands behind his back, chuckled, "First, congratulations on killing Xue Zheng and earning the right to work for the Earth Wolf King Army. But you should understand that we don't trust you, and you're certainly not doing this willingly. So, we have to use some methods to make you willing."
"I've implanted a Six Desires Rune in you."
"Don't think that anyone can remove this rune for you. Each Six Desires Rune is unique, and only the caster knows the correct way to dispel it. Don't worry, once you complete the mission and return, I'll remove it for you."
Li Weiyi slowly stood up and said, "You might as well not have said that." Shi Shishi walked back, holding Xue Zheng's magical weapon, a battle blade. He said, "I'll vouch for you!
If you can complete the mission and return, not only will I have Sixth Brother remove the rune, but I'll also introduce you to the Earth Wolf King Army. By then, you'll have no place left in the Cang Li Tribe or Li Prefecture. Every cultivator in the Nine Li Tribe will want to tear you to pieces."
Shi Jiuzhai said, "If you break through to the Ancestral Field, I'll introduce you to the Heavenly King and make you the Eleventh Dharma King." Shi Jiuzhai's words were half-truths. The lie was to keep Li Weiyi in line and ensure he completed the task.
The truth was that if Li Weiyi really broke through to the Ancestral Field and returned after completing the mission, he would indeed have a chance to become the Eleventh Dharma King. ... Not long after the four left, two Five