The Nine Li Insect Valley was extremely deep and remote, shrouded all year by mists of magical energy so dense that its entirety could not be seen. Yet walking within, one could feel the vastness of space, with two towering cliff faces rising steeply and buildings seemingly suspended in the void.
It was said that some ancient hidden people resided here. However, with arrays of formation symbols and talismans secretly laid out, no one had been able to verify the truth. In the valley, the thick magical energy and unique underground environment nurtured many wondrous, glowing plants.
"Whoosh!"
An old ginseng plant, startled into life, burst upward from the earth. Using its roots like legs, it hurriedly fled, its entire body exuding an intoxicating medicinal fragrance. One could tell at once that it looked just like the legendary millennia-old Essence Medicine.
These essence medicines and demonic herbs were living fossils from the world of heaven and earth, imbued with ancient secrets. Some of them possessed such terrifying power that they could rival even Dao Seed immortals in battle. Before long, the valley’s cliffs turned golden, resembling a vast, rich gold mine aglow with brilliance, bathed in a radiant afterglow.
Deep within the golden cliff stood a mass of black, frigid ice wall emitting a bone-chilling cold. The ice wall stretched upward into oblivion and extended endlessly to the sides. The Hidden Lord came to a stop, his eyes solemn behind his mask.
He bowed respectfully toward the black ice wall and then uttered in a strange tongue. His voice, wrapped in magical energy, penetrated the ice wall. Behind him, Li Weiyi silently waited, feeling the icy chill that cut through the bones.
The sound of a tinkling water spring reached his ears. Glancing to the right on the golden cliff, he saw droplets of golden spring liquid falling, pooling on the ground into a palm-sized basin.
Taking a deep breath of the golden mist that wafted up from the spring, Li Weiyi felt every limb and sinew refreshed, as if his flesh had been purified in one sweep.
"Whoosh—" Inside the black ice wall, streams of golden light began to appear, like countless golden bolts of lightning darting back and forth.
The darkness was illuminated. The ice wall transformed into a crystal-clear golden barrier, releasing an ancient aura so oppressive that it seemed to make the very space tremble. Li Weiyi’s heart pounded in alarm, and he could hardly stand as the overwhelming pressure made him sink to one knee like the Hidden Lord.
Following suit, he cried out, "I pay my respects to the Hidden Ancestor!" Amidst the deafening and resonant chirps of insects echoing from within the ice wall, on its surface, a pair of enormous golden insect wings gradually materialized. The wings, delicate yet majestic in their up-and-down movement, scattered countless showers of light.
Each wing spanned hundreds of meters, parting the mists and exuding an aura that dominated all.
"The news from Chief Yuan Zhe…"
Li Weiyi could barely lift his head or breathe. All he heard those few words, and his heart stirred in amazement. So the Hidden Ancestor was a wondrous insect!
No wonder this place was called the Nine Li Insect Valley. That an animal could live for a thousand years without perishing was truly beyond belief.
"Whoosh!"
The letter in the Hidden Lord’s hand was swept away by the light rain and flew into the ice wall. After a while, the hidden emblem of the former chief of the Nine Li, left on the letter by Master Coffin, appeared on the ice wall.
Then the Hidden Lord’s voice could be heard again, speaking in that strange tongue as he conversed with the Hidden Ancestor. Li Weiyi clearly felt that a piercing, penetrating gaze was cast upon him, as if his body was being bathed in dazzling sunlight.
Gradually, the sunlight receded, and the entire Nine Li Insect Valley returned to its darkness and chill.
"Rise. The Hidden Ancestor has fallen back into slumber once more," the Hidden Lord said.
He had long since risen, his eyes complex and filled with wonder as he fixed his gaze upon Li Weiyi. Just as Li Weiyi’s heart had finally calmed, a new surge of emotion swelled within him.
"What a terrifying aura – it’s as if you can’t breathe, like a magnificent mountain pressing down on you," Li Weiyi said after standing up, still trembling with lingering fear.
"That is normal! How many years have you cultivated, and how many years has the Hidden Ancestor been refining himself? Once you cultivate your battle formation intent, everything should be much easier," the Hidden Lord reassured.
He continued, "The Hidden Ancestor said that the script, the aura, the secret emblem marks, even the energy pulsations of the Nine Emperor Banner, all match perfectly." Li Weiyi inwardly thought how meticulous Master Coffin was in his work – no wonder he had once been the chief of the Nine Li tribe.
Being chief meant he was the leader of the entire Nine Li tribe. The Hidden Lord regarded Li Weiyi now as an important member of the Hidden Sect, speaking with an air of lament, "The Lingxiao Realm has suffered ten years of warfare, countless righteous armies have fallen, and battle scars cover every province.
People are barely surviving, and whole communities are almost demolished. Tens of thousands of families and sects raise their battle flags, while the ambitious Sui Sect and others seek power by the millions. The Eastern Barbarians, Western Rong, Southern Man, Northern Di – all sorts of bandits are sharpening their claws, all eager to seize control of the realm."
Even the demon kings entrenched in remote wastelands have begun stirring, cultivating their power and even supporting the human armies to conquer cities. Then there is the realm of the undead, the ghost wasteland of the departed, which has long desired to engulf the twenty-eight provinces of Lingxiao.
The world is beset with internal strife and external threats, crises coming from every direction.
"Weiyi, where is the chief Yuan Zhe now? Why can he only return after ten years? The Lingxiao Realm, Li Prefecture, and the Nine Li tribe may not have the luxury of waiting a decade."
Although the Nine Li Hidden Sect was powerful and profound, the Hidden Lord knew full well that there were always higher heavens and greater people. Walking on thin ice, trembling with anxiety, no one could truly predict the future of the world. Only when such figures as the chief returned would the world truly find its anchor.
Li Weiyi understood that Master Coffin had fixed a decade’s time so that the Hidden Sect and the Nine Li tribe could shelter him for these ten years, giving him the cultivation resources he needed. After ten years, Master Coffin would naturally have no way to return.
But Li Weiyi mused, perhaps in ten years he himself would have grown enough to match the stature of a chief – wouldn’t that be yet another kind of chief returning? Li Weiyi forced a bitter smile.
"When I first met my master, I was nothing but a mortal. How could I have known his secrets? Since my master said he would return in ten years, then he will return. There’s nothing we can do to change that. In times of chaos, great men always emerge. Just as the fighting serpents and giant pythons clash and transform into divine dragons, there will never be an era of true peace. I, for one, am greatly looking forward to it."
"That is just my wishful thinking!"
The Hidden Lord sighed, his eyes gleaming with strange colors as he looked at Li Weiyi. He could clearly see that this young man was far from ordinary – it was as if he would forever harbor a fighting spirit.
"Weiyi, with your natural talent, you must begin to refine your golden bloodline. Collect some of that golden spring water; it should prove quite beneficial. With nine veins refined – that is, nine golden bloodlines – you will surpass most inheritors in the myriad great families."
"That would help with refining the golden bloodline? That would be wonderful!"
Li Weiyi’s interest was immediately piqued. Finding a clay jar on the ground, he knelt to collect the golden spring water from the basin. Master Lingwei had said that when his mental force reached the level of a spark of clarity, his blood earth domain might undergo further transformation, perhaps even aiding the refining of his golden bloodline.
But all of that was uncertain – nothing was as reliable as the golden spring at hand. The Hidden Lord watched as Li Weiyi drained every drop of the golden spring without leaving a trace, his brows furrowing in displeasure. The young man was simply too unceremonious.
The two then walked out together. The Hidden Lord explained, "The secret behind Chief Yuan Zhe’s return in ten years must not be disclosed at this stage, and your own identity must remain secret. For now, I cannot directly allow you to become one of the Divine Hidden people.
Instead, you must face the three challenges on the telekinetic stone wall. With your talent, once you break through to the Nine Springs level, your issues should be minimal." Li Weiyi, already mindful of not wanting to be thrust into the spotlight, worried that if word leaked it would surely rouse countless ancient monsters.
He asked, "What advantage does one have in becoming a Divine Hidden person?" The Hidden Lord almost wished to tell him that the Divine Hidden status meant responsibility. But knowing that Li Weiyi was not of the common people, he refrained from burdening him with the responsibilities of the Nine Li tribe.
Changing his tone, he said, "To become a Divine Hidden person is a huge honor. The resources available to you then will far surpass what any ordinary hidden person could dream of. For example, only Divine Hidden individuals are qualified to drink from that golden spring in your possession."
"Furthermore, after a Divine Hidden person emerges, they can mobilize all the resources of both the Hidden Sect and the Coffin Sea Pavilion, commanding the entire hidden community of the Lingxiao Realm. In times of major events, even the very elders of our hidden people must heed your orders."
"Also, to cultivate the commanding presence of a Divine Hidden person, once you leave the Hidden Sect, you won’t be burdened with the death flame that binds ordinary hidden people, granting you great freedom."
Li Weiyi’s eyes brightened as he said, "So, as long as I become a Divine Hidden person, I can leave the Hidden Sect whenever I wish?"
"Naturally," replied the Hidden Lord.
Pleased, Li Weiyi nodded. Suddenly, he recalled, "There’s also the matter of the Six Desires Talisman. It must be resolved within two months.
Master Shi Liuyue only left me two pills." The Hidden Lord told Li Weiyi to take out the pills. Picking up one, he sniffed it and remarked, "Master Shi Liuyue must not be disturbed for now, but these pills are not hard to refine.
Later, I can help you make a few more." To completely resolve the Six Desires Talisman, it would certainly be necessary to capture Master Shi Liuyue and force him to remove the talisman inscriptions. But doing so would expose too many secrets of the Hidden Sect, possibly even attracting the Earth Wolf King from Li Prefecture.
That was not the outcome the Hidden Lord desired! Keeping the Hidden Sect mysterious – even causing enemies to underestimate it – was to everyone’s advantage. … Li Weiyi carried the clay jar and walked out alone from the mountain gate of the Hidden Sect.
Apart from the old gate guardian who continued his usual meditative practice, Hidden Twenty-Four was waiting by the gate. She hurried over, "So, how was it? Did you see the Hidden Ancestor?"
Li Weiyi said nothing, his expression cold and stern. Hidden Twenty-Four, looking thoughtful and with a hint of guilt in her eyes, said coolly, "I really had no idea about the trial. But everyone must pass through this stage.
Why are you so upset?" Li Weiyi was not one to be petty, yet he deliberately responded in an irritable tone, "At the most dangerous moment, my first thought was for your safety and I let you leave first. But what about you?
You could have at least warned me! Do you know how dangerous the Changlin Gang became after you left?"
"Wang Daozhen would have struck me down with a single palm, injuring me severely. Yang Qingxi would target my companions, using them as leverage against me. And the most terrifying is Yao Qian – he knows far too many secrets about me. Who knows what torture and torment I might endure if I fall into their hands?"
"Master Shi Liuyue would throw me into the wolf den, leaving me trapped between a desperate life and a hopeless death. And then Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Shishi would bind me and send me off to the Earth Wolves..." …
Hidden Twenty-Four vividly recalled the scene and her heart grew heavy. In a tone filled with certainty she declared, "I will kill Wang Daozhen… Next time, I promise you I will be the one to leave first!"
Li Weiyi coldly replied, "You want me to have you kill him? His life is up to me. And what about the Guangyan Pill?"
In a flurry, Hidden Twenty-Four fumbled for a pill bottle, then handed it over with both hands, "There are five in total! If you need more, I’ll find a way." Taking the pill bottle, Li Weiyi opened it and a beam of extraordinarily bright light burst forth, lighting the area around the mountain gate as if it were daytime.
He quickly covered it again. In high spirits and eager to return to his cave to ingest the pill, he noticed Hidden Twenty-Four looking rather nervous nearby. Adopting a casual air, he said, "That’ll set off fifty thousand silver coins’ worth of expense!
Since we haven’t yet verified the strength of the Three-Headed Snake Blood Soul, don’t shortchange me – I have a general idea of my fighting power." Hidden Twenty-Four, sensing the sincerity in Li Weiyi’s tone, no longer tried to deceive him.
"At peak combat power, you should be able to reach the Fifth Stage of the Five Seas Realm. However, to truly unleash that level of power, at your current cultivation, you must be prepared to sacrifice your life."
"And what is its value?"
Li Weiyi quickly inquired. Hidden Twenty-Four replied, "Conservatively, it should be worth around three million silver coins… I’ll do my best to gather the money, but it might take several years…"
She dared not promise more than ten years, for fear Li Weiyi would snatch the bracelet away. Li Weiyi silently held his breath, his heart thundering in his chest. This estimate was much higher than Master Lingwei’s prediction!
It was understandable, though, since Master Lingwei was not of this era and his judgment of the value of the blood sacrifice instrument was bound to be off.
"Let it be three million silver coins at the very least – if not four, five million. Treat it as four million silver coins!"
Li Weiyi waved his hand dismissively and began walking down the mountain, "You should concentrate on your cultivation and break through your limit as soon as possible! Once you have advanced, you can trigger the full potential of the Three-Headed Snake Bracelet without risking your life. And when I need money, I’ll come collect from you."
Hidden Twenty-Four heard not even a trace of anger in Li Weiyi’s tone – instead, there was a faint note of concern. Realizing that he had just startled her, her small face flushed as she quickly hurried to catch up with him, speaking in a low voice, "How soon to the Spider Cave?"
"No rush. I’ll first swallow these Guangyan Pills and see if I can break through quickly," replied Li Weiyi.
When he reached the bank of the Blood River, Li Weiyi paused and looked toward the stone carving still fixed beneath the ancient cliff in the Nine Li Insect Valley. The carving was majestic and imbued with an air of antiquity.
Yet Yao Yin’s figure, so delicate and weak, appeared like a tender blade of grass struggling to move the mighty mountains. Li Weiyi then asked, "What is her condition? What exactly is wrong with her body?
Earlier, her tone made it sound as if she did not have much time left."
(The chapter ends here.)