Chapter 100: Breaking Through to Nine Springs, Journey to Immortal Burial

A small boat rounded a large bend and entered the Silver Beach River Valley.

Hidden Twenty-Five stood ramrod straight on a gently sloping, elevated bank, seemingly having waited for them for a long time.

"It's over, we delayed too long in the Ash Region, they must have noticed upstairs!" Hidden Twenty-Four whispered, growing tense, fully aware of the Hidden Gate's severe punishments.

Li Weiyi said, "Don't be afraid, leave it to me."

Hidden Twenty-Five looked at the three people on the boat, his face grim, and asked, "Where have you three been?"

The small boat docked.

Li Weiyi was the first to disembark. As he passed Hidden Twenty-Five, he said coolly, "Do Divine Hidden Ones need to report their whereabouts to Hidden Ones? Is that a Hidden Gate rule?"

Hidden Twenty-Five was stunned for a moment.

Hidden Twenty-Four walked over, giving a sympathetic look. "Someone who dares to claim to be a Divine Hidden One when they aren't yet one—how much nerve do you think he has?"

Hidden Twenty-Five's expression changed, and he felt a growing unease. He quickly caught up with Li Weiyi, his attitude now much more respectful. "Hidden Lord asked me to invite the three of you."

"What for?" Li Weiyi asked calmly, his hands clasped behind his back.

Hidden Twenty-Five lowered his head. "It seems to be related to the matter in Burial Immortal Town."

Li Weiyi patted his shoulder and smiled, "Don't let Hidden Twenty-Four scare you; I'm not that petty. Lead the way, I also have something to report to Hidden Lord."

"We fell from Spider Cave into the Ash Region and encountered six Ash Spirits."

The Hidden Lord's eyes beneath his mask were deep and solemn. He asked, "How did you escape?"

Li Weiyi replied, "Our cultivation was too low; we don't know what exactly we encountered. After entering a mass of purple mist, we returned to Spider Cave. I believe this matter is significant. The Ash Region might have spread near the Hidden Gate, and it could even have engulfed the underground of many places in Lizhou."

The Hidden Lord clearly understood better than Li Weiyi what the Ash Region represented. All traces of his relaxed demeanor vanished, and he paced back and forth, saying, "You needn't worry about this matter; I will personally investigate it. I summoned you here for another urgent matter."

The Hidden Lord then briefly explained the situation in Burial Immortal Town.

Li Weiyi remained calm, but the three people behind him became increasingly agitated, wishing they could sprout wings and fly to Burial Immortal Town immediately.

There was no helping it; for ordinary people like Hidden Twenty-Four and Hidden Twenty-Five, what could be more appealing than transforming into a Pure Immortal Body?

Although Yao Yin was a Pure Immortal Body, the "Nine Springs Ancestral Field" stage had kept countless proud Pure Immortal Bodies from becoming top-tier geniuses.

A Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body and an Eight Springs Pure Immortal Body were worlds apart.

The former was a top-tier genius, looking down upon their peers.

The latter might not even be able to compare to an ordinary person with Nine Springs.

Moreover, Yao Yin had cultivated ninety-two Trace Veins at the Eight Springs realm. Once she broke through to Nine Springs, she would almost certainly exceed a hundred veins, possessing a foundation like the seeds of myriad heritage successors.

In the Nine Li Clan, Cang Li would no longer be the sole leader.

The Hidden Lord secretly admired Li Weiyi's composed demeanor and said, "Logically, you are not yet a Divine Hidden One, nor is it your time to emerge and measure yourself against the world's elites. However, due to special circumstances, you will lead this time, with two missions."

"First, collect herbs, the more the better."

"Second, you must secretly assist the geniuses from the various Nine Li tribes participating in the Longshan Grand Ceremony. The Hidden Gate has received intelligence that someone will use this opportunity to hunt them."

Li Weiyi asked, "Sui Sect?"

"Sui Sect alone isn't that brazen. You'll know when you get there."

The Hidden Lord thought for a moment, then added, "Oh, by the way, it's best not to reveal your identity as Li Weiyi; many forces are looking for you right now."

"My plan is to put Yao Yin in the spotlight. You and Hidden Twenty-Five will use the Disguise Art to pose as her two personal attendants and go to Burial Immortal Town. She hasn't been in the Hidden Gate long, and only the chief of the Medicine Li tribe knows about this, so it can serve as a cover."

Hidden Twenty-Four asked, "Hidden Lord, what about me? Am I not going with them?"

"The Five Seas Realm Hidden Ones will be led by Hidden Nine. You have a different mission."

The Hidden Lord kept Li Weiyi alone and took out a medicine bottle. "A total of five pills to suppress the Six Desires Talisman have been refined. Furthermore, I've learned that if the nine great high priests can be persuaded to act together, they can help you refine the Six Desires Talisman within you. So, you don't need to worry too much about this."

"Before you depart, go to the Coffin Sea Pavilion treasury and ask Grand Elder Forty-Five for a high-grade magical artifact-level night suit. It offers stronger stealth capabilities, and its defense and speed bonuses are far beyond what low-grade magical artifacts can offer. Most importantly, it can block Shi Liuyu's perception of the Six Desires Talisman on you."

The Hidden Lord continued, "Once you arrive at Burial Immortal Town, find the Dyed Cloud Elixir and break through to the Nine Springs Ancestral Field as quickly as possible. Then, begin preparations to break into the Five Seas Realm. Only by reaching the Five Seas Realm can you be considered to have initially entered the ranks of the young generation's masters. A Divine Hidden One cannot fall too far behind the inheritors; you must catch up with Cang Li quickly. Have you refined golden Trace Veins?"

"Golden Trace Veins, are these them?"

Li Weiyi was very direct. He took off his upper garment and activated nine golden Trace Veins within him.

The dazzling golden light was so intense it made the Hidden Lord's eyes sting. He exclaimed, somewhat losing his composure, "You've refined nine so quickly? And at the Eight Springs cultivation realm?"

"Isn't this what you asked for? Refining nine surpasses most inheritors."

Li Weiyi suddenly realized something. After careful recollection, a strange look appeared in his eyes. The Hidden Lord's true voice, briefly exposed just now, sounded somewhat familiar.

The Hidden Lord quickly suppressed his excited emotions. After a moment of thought, he said, "You should hold off on breaking into the Five Seas Realm for now. Spend more time consolidating in the Bursting Springs Realm. Do you have a sweetheart in the Nine Li Clan, Li Ling? Yao Yin? Hidden Twenty-Four? The Hidden Gate can help make arrangements."

Li Weiyi walked out of the mountain gate and encountered Hidden Twenty-Four.

She said, "You really have a lot of pull. Such a big deal as illegally collecting herbs, and the Hidden Lord isn't pursuing it at all."

"Get to the point," Li Weiyi said.

Hidden Twenty-Four was not polite with him at all. "Help me collect three Dyed Cloud Elixirs that can help a Pure Immortal Body transform."

"Three? You really have the nerve to ask," Li Weiyi said.

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "The higher the cultivation, the more Dyed Cloud Elixirs are needed... Don't worry, I'll pay for them."

"Can you afford it? Just say if you need credit... Never mind, money owed is still money. I'll do my best!" Li Weiyi conceded.

Hidden Twenty-Four smiled sweetly.

It was the third day of the ninth month; there were six days until the Longshan Grand Ceremony.

Li Weiyi, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a bug container, sat at a street noodle stall in Nine Li City, slurping down noodles.

From his fingertips, a long ribbon of Dharma Qi traced through the air. The ribbon of Dharma Qi continuously extended along the ground, only dissipating and merging with the air about ten zhang away.

"Is this the distance the Ancestral Field Dharma Qi can reach?"

The Hidden Lord had clearly underestimated Li Weiyi. He didn't need any special elixir to break through to the Nine Springs Ancestral Field; it had happened naturally that morning.

As for the legendary Tenth Spring, Li Weiyi truly had no idea how to approach it.

Even his three masters only had a partial understanding and couldn't help him. From now on, he could only rely on himself to explore.

After receiving the secret letter, Zhao Zhizhu immediately rushed to the noodle stall and sat opposite Li Weiyi, feeling both excited and a little worried. "It really is you, Brother Li! How dare you come to Nine Li City? The Yang Clan, Xue Clan, Earth Wolf King Army, Coffin Mountain, and various assassins—martial cultivators across the land are all looking for you. It's too dangerous; come with me to the clan academy to hide for a while. Commander Jia is very concerned about your safety."

As he spoke, he pulled out a pre-prepared money pouch from his robe and placed it in front of Li Weiyi. "For now, I can only return this much."

Li Weiyi opened the money pouch, counted its contents, then pushed a bowl of noodles across the table. "I secretly asked you here because I have a few important matters."

"What is it?"

"You've been at the clan academy these past few months, have you seen Qi Shanshan?"

Zhao Zhizhu nodded, then a strange expression appeared on his face as he smiled. "This Apothecary Qi is no ordinary person!"

"How so?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zhao Zhizhu whispered, "She's just a mortal, not as beautiful as those with Pure Immortal Bodies, and her cultivation talent can't compare to prodigies like Yang Qingxi. But a hero like Cang Li has been completely infatuated by her. Because of this, he's had several arguments with the patriarch and his mother."

Li Weiyi was dumbfounded.

He knew Qi Shanshan was skilled, but he didn't expect her to be so skilled that she could win over Cang Li, whom even Yang Qingxi couldn't capture!

Zhao Zhizhu smiled, "Surprising, isn't it? Actually, I can understand. Cang Li's talent is indeed extraordinary, but he was strictly disciplined by the clan from a young age, burdened with the responsibility of revitalizing the Nine Li Clan. Everyone told him what he should do, but no one cared what he wanted to do."

"Someone so lacking in affection and with no experience in romance—how could he not fall for a master of emotions?"

Li Weiyi nodded in agreement.

But he thought more deeply, suspecting that the Zen Sea Mist within Qi Shanshan might be controlling all of this.

"Where is she now?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zhao Zhizhu said, "Cang Li took her to Burial Immortal Town, saying he would help her collect Dyed Cloud Elixirs to transform into a Pure Immortal Body."

Li Weiyi's expression turned serious. The situation had become much more complicated. To approach Qi Shanshan, he would first have to get past Cang Li. He asked, "What about my senior brother and Cai Yutong?"

Zhao Zhizhu replied, "They became disciples of the Nine Li Dao Academy and have already gone to Burial Immortal Town to attend the Longshan Grand Ceremony."

This was within Li Weiyi's expectations. After all, even Yang Qingxi knew that they had both transformed into Pure Immortal Bodies, so there was no secret to keep. Becoming disciples of the Nine Li Dao Academy was naturally the best choice.

But Li Weiyi always felt that this made things more dangerous.

"Old Zhao, do you want to fully recover your cultivation?"

Zhao Zhizhu, who was eating noodles, suddenly heard Li Weiyi ask this and froze as if struck by lightning. After a long pause, his expression returned to normal. "That senior can help me recover to the Five Seas Realm?"

"It's the fifth stage of the Five Seas Realm... Don't get excited, finish your noodles first," Li Weiyi said.

How could Zhao Zhizhu still be in the mood for noodles? He said, "Brother Li, just tell me what you want me to do. As long as you can help me recover my peak cultivation, I'm willing to die the next day if I have to."

"It's not about dying; it's not that dramatic."

With the entire Nine Li Hidden Gate backing him now, Li Weiyi's courage naturally grew. He no longer needed to worry about Zhao Zhizhu's cultivation being too high and backfiring on him.

How could Li Weiyi not have worried before?

A person's mindset inevitably changes as their strength increases. Who knew if Zhao Zhizhu would still be a reliable person after recovering his cultivation?

"Come, I'll take you to meet a friend. Remember, no matter how incredible things get, don't ask any questions and keep absolutely silent. Old Zhao, don't betray my trust!"

After finishing their noodles, Li Weiyi led Zhao Zhizhu out of Nine Li City to the docks by the Sui River.

From a distance, they saw a large boat flying a flag with the character "Medicine" on it.

Yao Yin stood gracefully and elegantly on the bow deck, wearing a green veil, with two small maids in white robes behind her.

Servants from the Medicine Li tribe were carrying boxes of goods onto the boat.

The three had split up; after leaving the Nine Li Hidden Gate, Yao Yin and Hidden Twenty-Five had gone to the Medicine Li tribe's manor to arrange everything.

Yao Yin greeted Li Weiyi and Zhao Zhizhu as they boarded the boat, displaying the elegant demeanor of a young lady from a prominent family, a faint smile always on her face.

"Greetings, Miss Yin."

Zhao Zhizhu knew some legends about this Pure Immortal Body from the Medicine Li tribe and was very surprised, wondering how Li Weiyi had gotten involved with her.

Yao Yin pulled Li Weiyi aside into the cabin and asked, "Who is that person?"

"A master, a very high-level one."

Li Weiyi's eyes gleamed with an unusual light; he had already begun secretly plotting something.

Yao Yin knew Li Weiyi wouldn't cause unnecessary trouble, so she didn't ask further. She said, "I am the granddaughter of the Medicine Li tribe's chief, recently returned from studying in a mysterious place outside Lizhou. You and Hidden Twenty-Five are my personal guards, also from outside the state. You need a new name!"

"Sima Tan."

Li Weiyi chose the name and asked, "Mysterious place? Didn't the Hidden Gate make detailed arrangements?"

"The vaguer it is, the more deterrent it carries; they will make their own associations," Yao Yin said.

Entering the cabin arranged by the Medicine Li tribe, Li Weiyi was about to continue studying the application of Dharma Qi within the Ninth Spring Ancestral Field when Zhao Zhizhu knocked on the door, coming to visit.

After entering, he lowered his voice. "Brother Li, do you know that this Miss Yin's background is extraordinary? And she's definitely not as gentle and amiable as she appears. Legend has it she's killed many people in the Medicine Li tribe and has a notorious reputation. Don't be fooled by her appearance!"