Li Qing looked at the casually strolling Li Weiyi, a look of surprise flashed across his face. Just moments ago, the battle strength he had displayed beneath the telekinetic stone wall failed to intimidate his opponent; instead, Li Weiyi had taken the initiative to approach him. What was more critical was the air of calmness and nonchalance that surrounded him.
Where did this confidence come from? Li Qing felt alert and said with a smile, “Alright then, let me finish my task first. The Eight Springs Pure Immortal Body is not to be underestimated.”
Li Weiyi stopped two zhang away and replied, “I suggest we have a chat first.”
“You really came to save the fair maiden, huh? Li Weiyi, the beauty of a Pure Immortal Body woman indeed evokes pity, but this is the Hidden Gate. If she survives, you and I must die.”
A glint of cunning flashed in Li Qing’s eyes as he deliberately smiled, “Since you value her so highly, let’s do this: I’ll let you enter the cave for an hour. After that hour, she must die. Then we can have a proper chat.”
He was skilled in exploiting human weaknesses. As long as Li Weiyi fell for his trick, he would certainly go in, seizing the opportunity to deal with both of them. Li Weiyi shook his head, “You underestimate me greatly.
Also, it’s best for you to keep your cleverness to yourself. It’s been a month already; have you found a way out?” Li Qing replied, “It’s not that easy.
It took us several days from entering the underground river to reaching this point, and the paths we passed are countless. The only way to return to the surface is to become a Hidden Person. To become a Hidden Person, one must…”
“Swish!”
His sword artifact burst forth with brilliant light in an instant, resembling a flash of lightning aimed straight at Li Weiyi's heart. The sword energy was highly condensed, the sword tip spitting forth a bright and sharp glimmer several inches long.
“Kill all competitors.”
Li Qing did not underestimate Li Weiyi; all of his Nine Springs magical power was summoned. They both knew each other’s secrets and had to silence one another before the Hidden Gate’s members arrived. As for the rule against killing those of lower realms, he already had a plan to explain it to the Hidden Gate.
That plan was the Six Desire Talisman. He only needed to tell the Hidden Gate that he had discovered the Six Desire Talisman planted on Li Weiyi, that he was an undercover agent sent by another power. After all, there would be no evidence left behind, so it would all be easily accounted for.
Li Weiyi stood in place with one hand behind his back, showing no inclination to draw his sword. His right arm lifted, the Eight Springs surged within him, magical power coursing through the silver veins, gathering in his palm. The Heaven-Wracking Palm Seal formed, causing the air around his palm to twist and distort.
With a single palm strike, the magical energy coalesced into a three-foot-wide phantom seal that clashed with Li Qing's charging sword, showing no concerns about meeting the same fate as Yao Ying.
“Boom!”
The phantom seal vanished in an instant, unleashing a powerful surge of palm energy. Li Weiyi remained standing where he was, without moving a step. In contrast, Li Qing was forced to retreat repeatedly, leaving deep footprints on the ground until he dissipated the dominating palm strength.
His sword hand trembled from the pain, his eyes filled with astonishment; the palm imprint just now was too supernatural. This was no longer the capability of a Spring Surge Realm martial practitioner!
Upon hearing the commotion and realizing that the two outside had engaged, Yao Ying immediately brandished her dagger, rushing out of the channel’s mouth, stepping lightly on the magical energy as if dancing on water, her figure resembling that of a celestial maiden as she flew to him.
“I’ll lend you a hand; if we join forces, we may still have a chance.”
Li Qing was far too strong; he could have reached the full silver vein. She knew that the one who came to show off his strength certainly wasn’t his match. However, contrary to Yao Ying’s expectations, Li Qing, despite his formidable magic, clearly had the capability to fight two opponents but suddenly dashed away in flight.
“Trying to escape?”
Li Weiyi executed the Clear Void Cicada Steps. Li Qing's body felt as though it had lost all weight; his feet barely touched the ground as he walked on blades of grass, transforming into a series of afterimages that immediately intercepted and blocked Li Qing's path.
The Yellow Dragon Sword had already been drawn, a dominating sword strike that split the sea wide open.
“Swish!”
The bright yellow sword energy sliced through the air, forming a long streak of light. Li Qing recognized the danger of this strike; his face changed dramatically, and he dared not hold back even a bit, channeling the magical energy from his Feng Mansion, executing a supreme sword technique of the Heavenly Dao to counter it.
“Bang!”
With a single blow, he was blasted back, his robe exploding in the process. Li Weiyi surged after him, leaping into the air several zhang high, thrusting his sword, the strikes erupting like flowers scattered by a celestial maiden. One sword turned into a hundred!
Li Qing roared, completely unleashing his desperate might as the magical power from his ancestral field surged violently within him. Gripping the sword with both hands, he slashed out with all his strength.
“Puff!”
“Puff!”
Not fully defensively prepared, Li Weiyi’s Ruyi Qian Kun sword left two bloody holes in Li Qing’s body, the sound of bones fracturing echoed.
“You can’t possibly be of the Spring Surge Realm... You are from the Five Seas…”
Li Qing knew he was no match for Li Weiyi. As he burst forth with all his speed, he shouted this to attract the members of the Hidden Gate. If we must die, then let us all die together.
Li Weiyi was faster than Li Qing, catching up within three breaths, delivering a third sword strike. The fourth sword followed suit. Even while drawing upon the vast amounts of magical energy within his ancestral field, Li Qing found it incredibly tough to resist.
It was even harder than when facing the Ninth Hidden Person. After all, while the ancestral field acted like a sea of energy, it would only undergo a significant transformation when the energy reached the Five Seas Realm. Every sword that Li Weiyi delivered felt like a mountain crashing down upon him, leaving him gasping for breath.
“Puff!”
Finally breaking through his defenses, the fifth sword pierced through Li Qing’s forearm. Li Qing let out a low, pained scream as the sword artifact dropped to the ground. Pressing on his wound, he retreated in disarray, blood dripping onto the grass by the river.
“Bang!”
Li Weiyi pursued, delivering a solid palm strike to his back, causing him to spit out blood, completely losing his fighting capacity and ability to escape, rolling onto the ground. By the time Li Qing tried to stand again, the tip of the Yellow Dragon Sword was already resting against his throat.
“To think it took six moves to completely defeat you. Among the Nine Springs True Persons, you should be considered relatively strong.”
Li Weiyi felt unsatisfied with this result, as he had indeed gone all out. Even though that was one move faster than the Ninth Hidden Person. But the Ninth Hidden Person was merely a painting, lacking the combat skills, instincts, and wisdom of a real person.
Additionally, Li Qing had been solely focused on escaping, his fighting spirit weak, his condition not as good as when he had fought the Ninth Hidden Person. At a distance, Yao Ying was already dumbstruck, unsure of where to place her dagger.
Seven Springs? Eight Springs?
What realm was he truly at? Yao Ying had always known that Li Weiyi was strong, but it was hard to believe that he could be even stronger than Li Qing. The Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body wouldn’t have such battle prowess, would it?
“Speak! Which tribe do you come from?”
Li Weiyi asked in an interrogative tone. The terror in Li Qing's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a smile.
“What side are you truly on? If I don’t tell you this secret, does that mean I might survive?”
“Conceited.”
“Swish!”
Li Weiyi lifted his arm, severing Li Qing's left wrist.
“Two choices: either die slowly or die quickly.”
Li Qing gritted his teeth and glared, finally realizing how terrifying Li Weiyi was; blood gushed from his left wrist, and his entire arm grew colder. Noticing something, Li Weiyi looked up at the approaching Yin Twenty-Four.
Additionally, the usually taciturn, black-clad Elder who prepared meals stepped forward, his feet treading upon wisps of spiritual light, appearing before the two in a few strides.
“Such questions won’t yield answers; you’ll need to use telekinesis to make him speak.”
The Elder’s forehead glimmered as a light spot appeared. A strong telekinetic force exploded forth, releasing nine threads of telekinetic energy that shot toward the major orifices on Li Qing's head. His telekinesis was remarkably strong, radiating a brightness akin to a blinding little sun.
Li Weiyi quickly retreated, mentally shaken as he cautiously regarded the Elder. There was no doubt; the Hidden Gate knew more than they let on. Li Qing realized he had been exposed, knowing he was doomed, he decided to drag Li Weiyi down with him.
“He... He’s from the Earth Wolf Army; he has the Six Desire Talisman placed on him by Shi Liu Yi...”
“Bang!”
With a piercing scream, Li Qing's forehead burst open. A fire of extremely high spiritual light and flame erupted from between his brows, quickly turning his entire head to ash. He died in a way that was utterly tragic.
The Elder narrowed his eyes, retracting the nine telekinetic threads and frowning deeply, muttering, “Indeed, he was seeded with the Death Spiritual Fire. Once we used telekinesis to manipulate his consciousness and make him speak, the spiritual fire would erupt.” The Elder stared at Li Weiyi with discontent, “You just ruined a major plan!
Young Twenty-Four, take the body and follow me to see the Master.” Li Twenty-Four picked up Li Qing’s headless corpse with one hand, looking at Li Weiyi with confusion and curiosity. Clearly, Li Weiyi’s displayed battle prowess had astonished her, leaving her in self-doubt.
After all, during their embarkation, she had personally checked. This guy’s cultivation was indeed in the Seven Springs. Li Weiyi was even more puzzled and curious as he watched the two walk further away.
Unable to hold back, he asked, “What about me? Am I not supposed to go with you?” There was no response; the two completely ignored him.
“The Hidden Gate has likely known about Li Qing’s issues for a long time. The reason they hadn’t moved against him was to catch the big fish behind him. But since the Hidden Gate knows Li Qing thoroughly, could they possibly be unaware that I also have problems?”
“Even if they were unaware before, Li Qing has just revealed it. Aren’t they going to investigate?”
Li Weiyi felt uneasy, contemplating whether to immediately produce the letter from his Master. A faint fragrant breeze wafted by. Yao Ying reappeared beside him, her almond-shaped eyes filled with conflicting emotions, her gentle and melodic tone asking, “Were you truly sent by the Earth Wolf Army?”
“Are you asking if I have the Six Desire Talisman?”
Li Weiyi replied. Yao Ying didn’t know much about the Six Desire Talisman, but just by its name could guess its general concept, and she began to understand Li Weiyi's previous behavior. She deliberated several times, concluding, “You must have been coerced.
I believe the Hidden Gate didn’t act against you because they understand this. Actually, as long as you perform astonishingly, there’s still a chance to become a Hidden Person.” Yao Ying wasn’t foolish; she was acutely aware that Li Weiyi chased over at that moment to save her.
Hence, she spoke these words for comfort. Regardless of Li Weiyi’s true identity, he had treated her well thus far. Li Weiyi regarded her with an unusual expression, feeling that what she said made some sense.
But with the letter from his Master in hand, he didn’t need to prove himself. Time to deliver the letter. ... Entering the mountain gate was the true entrance to the Nine Li Hidden Gate.
Outside the chamber of the Hidden Master’s cultivation abode stood a stone tower seventeen stories high, built against the cliff. Each floor of the tower radiated a dazzling flame of spiritual light, illuminating this dim underground space in splendid colors.
The Hidden Master, wearing a mask, inspected Li Qing’s headless corpse on the ground and shook his head, “That old guy was very cautious, leaving no traces behind; thus, our clues have been thoroughly cut off! Which of the nine patriarchs could it be?” The Elder replied, “Does Yin Five not know?”
“Yin Five said that that patriarch was very close to the Coffin Mountain, always hiding his identity; most likely only Xu Bodhu and An Xianjing know who he is.”
The Hidden Master continued, “Perhaps he was subdued by that ancient taboo being; otherwise, how could someone at the patriarch level turn traitor?” Surprise filled the Elder’s eyes: “Even such an ancient being has gotten involved?” The Hidden Master said, “The situation in Lingxiao Palace is unfavorable; they are gradually being defeated, losing their prestige across the land.
Previously, the various monsters and spirits who didn’t dare to act hastily are now beginning to formulate plans of their own. Fortunately, the sudden changes in the Burial Immortal Town gave us ample preparation time; otherwise, the chaos that would sweep across Li Prefecture would have already erupted.”
The Elder said, “This battle is destined to be unavoidable, but before that, we must cleanse our internal ranks. Send the information to the Academy and the Temple, instructing them to investigate.”
“No, that would too easily alert the snake in the grass, potentially revealing Yin Five. They still have a pawn left to figure out the situation of the Nine Li Hidden Gate, don’t they?”
The Hidden Master suddenly asked, “That kid, could he truly defeat Li Qing in six moves? Could he possibly have reached the Five Seas?”
“That’s the most puzzling part! Clearly not in the Five Seas Realm, yet his battle power seems not to lose to Yin Nine.”
“If he is indeed an extraordinary genius, give him a chance. This game will later depend on him. Yin Five said that he has helped the Nine Li Tribe significantly and has close ties with the Cang Li Tribe, appearing to be an innocent bystander caught up in this.”
After pondering for a moment, the Hidden Master continued, “Since his strength is so formidable, promptly arrange a second trial for him. Also, see what choices he will make. Yin Twenty-Four, this task is now in your hands!” ...
Li Weiyi arrived outside the mountain gate and informed the door guard of his intent to meet the Hidden Master.
“The Hidden Master? It’s not as easy as just saying you want to meet him! Even I, wanting to meet him, find it a challenge.”
The door guard replied.
“I have very important matters; I trouble the Elder to relay my request.”
Li Weiyi did not dare let the secret of the returning leader spread across the Hidden Gate. The more people that knew, the more eyes would be on him, and the more his secrets would be exposed. It was enough for only a few high-ranking members of the Hidden Gate to know.
The Elder and Yin Twenty-Four soon descended from the mountain one after the other. The Elder said, “Little guy, don’t be so flustered; we know your origins in full detail. The Six Desire Talisman, the Earth Wolf Army, are all not that significant.
What matters is your choices and your talents. Little Twelve, let’s go; I’ll play a game with you.” The Elder pulled the door guard away.
Li Weiyi's gaze fell on the poised Yin Twenty-Four, “I want to see the Hidden Master!” Yin Twenty-Four replied, “The Hidden Master has arranged a second trial for you; as long as you complete it, you will naturally have the qualification to meet him.”
“My matter is quite important.”
Li Weiyi insisted. Yin Twenty-Four replied, “The matters of the Hidden Master are never insignificant. Moreover, you know what the Hidden Gate knows.
What you do not know, the Hidden Gate fully understands.
Get it?
In our eyes, you are completely transparent.” Li Weiyi struggled to hold back his frustration, “Why is it so hard to make you understand?
Fine…
Since you’re not in a hurry, I’m not in a hurry either. What’s the second trial? Isn’t it a bit rushed?”
Trials are dangerous; nobody wants to participate more than necessary. The reason Yao Ying rushed to move against Li Qing was that she wanted to become a Hidden Person as quickly as possible, wanting to participate in fewer trials. Yin Twenty-Four replied, “Eradicate all the high-ranking members of the Changlin Gang above the Seven Seas.”
Li Weiyi was stunned. Yin Twenty-Four was very pleased with his expression at this moment: “Now do you believe that we know you thoroughly?”
“I thought all trials would be underground; the Changlin Gang is far away in Nine Li City,” Li Weiyi responded.
“Far?”
Yin Twenty-Four chuckled, “You’ve already caught the Hidden Master’s eye. This is a test he has prepared specifically for you. As long as you pass, you will likely become Yin Twenty-Six!”
(End of Chapter)