After the two walked off the stone bridge, they continued along a stone staircase for several hundred steps until they emerged into a dark, empty underground storage room. Although the light was dim, one could still see countless iron boxes and otherworldly coffins piled up like mountains.
There were so many that it might take ten days and ten nights just to count them all. An ancient figure suddenly appeared silently behind Li Weiyi. Holding a lamp in one hand, his voice hoarse as he spoke, “Xiao Ershisi, is this year’s newcomer?”
Li Weiyi quickly turned his body to look at the person behind him, his heart pounding furiously. There was not the slightest sound or trace of aura—was this man or a ghost? The old man was extremely aged, hunched over, with sparse hair atop his head.
In the darkness of the underground warehouse, he resembled a ghostly specter from the underworld. And the lamp in his hand was not really a lamp at all—it was a flame held tightly in his hand.
“He is not Yin Ershi-liu, but he is someone specially arranged for trial by Master Yin Jun himself.”
Yin Ershisi respectfully bowed to the elder and then said to Li Weiyi, “This honored one is the 45th Supreme Elder of the Yin Sect. He is responsible for guarding the entrance from Jiuli City to Jiuli Yin Sect.” In the Yin Sect, the elders of the previous Jiazi cycle are called “Elders.”
The Supreme Elders are those from the cycle before that. In other words, this 45th Supreme Elder before them is from over a hundred years ago. To be entrusted with the guarding of such an important place, his cultivation must be extraordinary.
Li Weiyi quickly clasped his hands in a respectful salute. The 45th Supreme Elder raised the flame he held, brought it closer, and squinted as he carefully studied Li Weiyi before chuckling, “Truly interesting. You two go ahead and change your clothes first!”
Hunching his back, the Supreme Elder staggered away. The surroundings grew even darker. Yin Ershisi tossed a set of purple-black robes to Li Weiyi.
Then he unfastened his belt and began to remove it… Of course, he still wore his middle garment and only changed his outer robe. Li Weiyi took the purple-black robes and examined them closely.
He noticed that the cuffs were embroidered with the silver coffin seal, and he was moved, “This is the standard combat robe for disciples of the Coffin Sea Pavilion!” Yin Ershisi replied, “That’s right. This place is the third layer of the underground treasure vault of the Coffin Sea Pavilion.
It is a restricted area that only the Pavilion Master can enter. What we, as the external affairs disciples of the Coffin Sea Pavilion, wear are our standard combat robes.”
“Are we now beneath the core Dao Domain of Jiuli City?”
Li Weiyi asked in disbelief. Yin Ershisi answered, “The Jiuli Insect Valley is located right beneath Jiuli City’s underground, exactly below the Dao Domain. Otherwise, why do you think the Yin Sect’s magical energy is so thick, so suitable for cultivation, and why do treasured medicinal pills grow so easily?
Of course, there are layers of ancient formation arrays in between that block the way, so no one can break through.”
“Great concealment truly hidden within the city, impressive indeed. I should have thought of that sooner!”
Li Weiyi smiled bitterly. Then he muttered to himself, “Jiuli Insect Valley is completely enveloped by magical energy, forming a Dao Domain. So nearby there must surely be an enormous Celestial Dao Earth Spring.
With such a large spring, if one wanted to avoid discovery, apart from Jiuli City, what other place could it be?” After changing into the Coffin Sea Pavilion external affairs disciples’ robe, the two practiced the Transformation Technique to change their appearances and physiques. At the same time, there were two bags they had prepared beforehand.
When opened, inside were low-grade magical items called Nightwalking Clothes. Once activated, they grant a certain degree of defense and invisibility—ideal for missions. There was also a bottle of powder.
According to Yin Ershisi, this powder could cause any tracker to temporarily lose their sense of smell.
“Your Yellow Dragon Sword will reveal your identity as the culprit. Do you need another magical item?”
Yin Ershisi asked. Li Weiyi replied, “Of course I do.”
“With our permissions, we are only allowed to obtain a low-grade magical item, and after the mission is over, it must be returned. If it’s lost, you’ll have to pay compensation.”
“Not given for free?”
“Do you really think the resources of the Yin Sect are endless?”
Li Weiyi waved his hand dismissively, “Then forget it! I think, with my grudge against the Changlin Gang, taking revenge as Li Weiyi won’t lead anyone to suspect the Yin Sect, which is perfectly reasonable. The real issue now is, just how strong are Xu Changlin and Tang Yan?
I know nothing of their strength or that of the Five Seas Realm.”
If the Five Seas Realm practitioners could wield the Five Seas Pillar with merely their body, and if their refined magical energy was higher than that of the Spring Surge Realm with a powerful Qi Sea, then Li Weiyi believed that the best option now was to head back and, with Master Coffin’s letter in hand, break through the Yin Sect and smash it open.
Yin Ershisi scoffed, “Both of you are only at the Qi Sea breakthrough stage of the Seven Springs to Five Seas Realm, and you have only opened your first Qi Sea. With my strength having broken through the Five Seas Realm in just two months, dealing with them would only take one hand.”
“I’m only at the Eight Springs stage,” Li Weiyi replied.
At those words, Yin Ershisi’s air of self-assured pride disappeared. He said coldly, “Don’t worry. They’re nothing but two idiots drained by alcohol and lust.
With me backing you, go ahead and do your task.” Li Weiyi dared not commit his life entirely to Yin Ershisi, and secretly thought about the hidden trump card that might be exposed. In the end, he carried it with him.
Ultimately, when he faced off against Yang Shen Realm, he only used the Yellow Dragon Sword. It wasn’t a true representation of his real combat ability.
“What exactly are inside these iron boxes?”
Li Weiyi asked curiously. He was eager to open one and take a look, but an array formation was set up as a safeguard.
“This place is not only the most important treasure vault of the Coffin Sea Pavilion, it is also the storage warehouse for the Coffin Sea Chamber of Commerce’s most rare goods—the grand finale of their auction items are almost all placed here. In addition, many of the treasures and resources of the Yin Sect are stored here as well,” Yin Ershisi explained.
The Coffin Sea Pavilion was a sect established by the Coffin Sea Chamber of Commerce. Fourteen years ago, after the great defeat of the Jiuli Tribe, Jiuli City’s Dao Domain was partitioned into four pieces, leading to the establishment of four major sects. These were the Sui Sect, the Three Chen Palace, the Tianyi Sect, and the Coffin Sea Pavilion.
Today in Lizhou, the Jiuli Dao Academy and Sui Sect stand as the two major powers, with the Three Chen Palace closely following. The Tianyi Sect and the Coffin Sea Pavilion were only founded fourteen years ago, and their strength and foundation are far inferior.
Li Weiyi then asked, “What exactly is the relationship between the Coffin Sea Pavilion and the Jiuli Yin Sect?”
Yin Ershisi responded, “Actually, at the very beginning, the four forces—the Sui Sect, Three Chen Palace, Tianyi Sect, and the Coffin Sea Pavilion—were originally nothing more than household servants and slaves sent out by the Jiuli Tribe to sell the otherworldly coffins.”
“The ancestors of the Sui Sect were in charge of waterway transportation, moving the otherworldly coffins along the Sui River to the various provinces of the Lingxiao Shengjing.”
“The ancestors of the Three Chen Palace handled transportation along three land routes—through the Beizhi Dao, Fuxi Dao, and Donglin Dao—delivering them to the northern, western, and eastern borders.”
“The ancestors of the Tianyi Sect and the Coffin Sea Pavilion were in charge of sales, which is now reflected in the Tianyi Chamber of Commerce and the Coffin Sea Chamber of Commerce.”
“They had the backing of the ancient Jiuli Tribe, with millions of years of history. Naturally, all the forces in the entire Lingxiao Shengjing had to give them respect. Using the Jiuli Tribe’s name, gradually their power grew as they established gangs, recruited martial cultivators, trained death warriors, and expanded massively.”
“With transportation channels opened and ambitions taking root, business was no longer limited to otherworldly coffins. Salt, iron, minerals, cloth, brothels, gambling dens, restaurants, and even human trafficking… After a thousand years of managing their business, they gradually became wealthy. Parasitically dependent on the Jiuli Tribe, they bullied others, and small seedlings grew into towering trees—several of them even became million-strong factions.”
“The Jiuli Tribe, having lost the most powerful magical artifact, couldn’t find a leader to unite everyone. They were lulled into a dream atop the natural treasure trove of otherworldly coffins, and in pursuit of more coffins, more wealth and benefits, internal strife in the Jiuli Tribe erupted continuously. Instead of maintaining overall control, the Dao Academy and the Divine Temple, originally meant to oversee everything, became the worst victims of the internal conflict, losing their ability to govern.”
“In such a situation, the Jiuli Tribe even recruited and nurtured those household servants and slaves. They poured in tons of resources, thinking of them as their shock troops to use against other tribes, completely failing to see their treacherous ambitions. These servants and slaves, profiting from every move, gradually grew in power—it was all too satisfying.”
“Fourteen years ago, these servants and slaves saw the inherent weakness of the Jiuli Tribe and finally stopped pretending. That led to half a year of martial fighting and the Mengshan Battle. It wasn’t until then, after suffering a tremendous humiliation, that the top leaders of the Jiuli Tribe finally woke up and realized they were no longer the invincible ancient clan. Then, the nine clan chiefs calmly sat down to negotiate. The internal strife ceased, and all the conflicts seemed to find room for compromise, but how could centuries of decline be made up for in just fourteen years?”
Li Weiyi sneered, “It’s the same everywhere. Without external threats but with abundant internal resources, the infighting never ends. When an external enemy appears, people can unite.
But why didn’t the Yin Sect act? Why let the former servants and slaves, even to the point of splitting the Dao Domain, get away with it?”
“By not letting them endure any shame, how could they learn to be ashamed and then strive? When they know someone has their back, they only become more unbridled and decadent. Moreover…”
Yin Ershisi looked toward the treasure vault before continuing, “Who said that the Yin Sect didn’t act?” Li Weiyi asked, “Has the higher management of the Coffin Sea Pavilion long been controlled by the Yin Sect? Or rather, are there Yin Sect members within the Sui Sect, the Three Chen Palace, and the Tianyi Sect?”
“I’m just an obscure Yin practitioner who came two years earlier than you. How would I know all these secrets?”
Yin Ershisi clearly did not want to say any more. The 45th Supreme Elder, ghost-like, suddenly moved to stand beside Li Weiyi and rasped, “Leaving the Yin Sect to carry out your mission means you must have the Death Spirit Flame planted.”
Yin Ershisi, clearly aware of the rules, closed his eyes and calmly accepted the flame that oozed from the fingertips of the 45th Supreme Elder. The flame entered her brow. At the thought of Li Qing’s death, Li Weiyi was horrified.
Naturally, he was resistant. Yin Ershisi explained, “The Death Spirit Flame will only burst out when you are caught and when your mind is invaded by a Spirit Sense Master. When that time comes, do you really think they’ll spare your life?
Don’t worry, once the mission is completed, the Death Spirit Flame will be extracted.” Li Weiyi asked, “Then… if I voluntarily speak out all the secrets I know, will the Death Spirit Flame explode?”
“It won’t.” Yin Ershisi quickly added, “But you will be hunted by the entire Yin Sect. And all those in the know will have to be eliminated. Of course, if you are truly captured and don’t want to endure the suffering of a mental invasion, you can trigger the Death Spirit Flame yourself. There’s no other way. The Yin Sect must ensure its own safety.”
Finding no grounds to refute, Li Weiyi nodded. After planting the Death Spirit Flame, Li Weiyi and Yin Ershisi ascended the stone steps, traversing three layers of the treasure vault until they finally reached the surface.
Disguised as external affairs disciples of the Coffin Sea Pavilion, the two helped unload goods from the first-layer warehouse and joined the convoy of the Chamber of Commerce, leaving the Dao Domain and entering the bustling streets of Jiuli City. The noisy, lively sounds hit them as soon as they stepped out.
On the street, they quietly disembarked and slipped into the throng of people. The July sunshine was scorching. But finally feeling the sunlight again and seeing the blue sky with white clouds, Li Weiyi’s heart filled with indescribable joy.
“After two months of medicinal meals, I really miss the delicious food of the mortal world. Let’s go have a proper meal. It’s on me!”
Yin Ershisi was a bit taken aback. She hadn’t expected this guy to be generous and straightforward. Having not satisfied her hunger for a long time, she too felt a spark of anticipation.
But when Li Weiyi brought her to the dining spot, she was instantly stunned. She carefully inspected the modest noodle stall set up by the roadside, trying to discern any sign of excellence—perhaps her eyes were failing her?
Who could tell, maybe there was more than meets the eye in the pot, and the stall owner might suddenly whip up an array of exquisite dishes full of color, aroma, and flavor. Li Weiyi had already sat down and called out, “Shopkeeper, two bowls of noodle soup, with extra beef.
Hurry up and sit, don’t stand there stiff as a board.” Yin Ershisi’s expression darkened, “If it’s only two bowls of noodle soup, you really shouldn’t have raised my expectations so high.”
“How can it be just two bowls of noodle soup?”
Li Weiyi replied. Yin Ershisi said, “And plus, there’s beef? This is ridiculous.
It’s not even funny.” Li Weiyi then took out the Three-Headed Snake Bracelet and placed it on the table.
“Now, this is the main dish!”
Yin Ershisi, no stranger to fine things, immediately recognized that the bracelet was extraordinary. She quickly picked it up and examined every detail with an increasingly eager gaze. In a low voice she said, “This is a blood-refined magical item!
It should have a formidable blood soul sealed inside. Judging by the forging technique, it doesn’t seem like a mere low-grade item.”
“Sharp eyes indeed, worthy of a Five Seas Realm cultivator,” Li Weiyi said coolly, “But this is actually a high-grade magical item!”
At those words, Yin Ershisi’s hands trembled slightly, and the bracelet nearly slipped from her grasp. A high-grade magical item was a treasure only possessed by the top figures of the Five Seas Realm. Moreover, this high-grade item even had a blood soul sealed inside…
Unfazed by her obvious shock, Li Weiyi glanced toward the cooking pot, which was already heating up, and in a low voice said, “Help me sell it. Since the Yin Sect controls the Coffin Sea Pavilion, sell it secretly through the Coffin Sea Chamber of Commerce. Use the money to buy some Light Flame Pills.
I must break through the mental invasion and initiate the Incandescent Fire Technique as soon as possible, otherwise it might take years before I can forge the Golden Mark Vein. I can’t wait that long.” Unable to stand listening any longer, Yin Ershisi almost cursed, “Are you insane?
A blood soul sealed inside a high-grade magical item would have a battle power of at least the third level of the Five Seas Realm. And you want to sell it just to buy Light Flame Pills? Fine, sell it to me.”
Seeing Li Weiyi’s startled, glaring expression, she quickly put away the Three-Headed Snake Bracelet. Then Li Weiyi shot a question that struck at her very soul, “Are you even able to afford it?”
(End of Chapter)