Chapter 101: Zutian Both Sides

"Old Zhao, it's not right to speak ill of people behind their backs. Also, my name is Sima Tan now," Li Weiyi said with a smile.

Zhao Zhizhu's expression was serious and extremely earnest: "This Miss Yao is truly a dangerous person. Why else would I rush here to find you? You're too young and inexperienced. I'm worried that facing the extraordinary beauty of a Pure Immortal Body woman, you might make a fatal misjudgment!"

He knew, of course, that Li Weiyi was mature and steady-minded. However, countless heroes throughout history had been undone by beauty.

Li Weiyi sat at the table and poured two cups of tea. "Isn't she just the granddaughter of the Yao Li tribe's chieftain? Does she have some other background?"

In his mind, he recalled the strange changes that occurred in Yao Yin in the Ash Region. The loud cry that resonated within her, startling and repelling six extremely powerful Ash Spirits, was indeed incredible.

Zhao Zhizhu sat down, holding his teacup, and said, "More precisely, she is the granddaughter of Yao Jingfeng, the chieftain of the Yao Li tribe. Yao Jingfeng had five sons and one daughter. This daughter was Miss Yao's mother, a Pure Immortal Body. In our era, her beauty was unmatched; she was known as the 'Foremost Beauty of Lizhou.' Wherever she went, streets would empty, and countless admirers followed, just to catch a glimpse of her."

As he spoke, a reminiscent gleam appeared in Zhao Zhizhu's eyes, and he chuckled. "To be honest, Old Zhao here was once utterly captivated by her. But... you see, my talent isn't bad, right? I broke through to the Five Seas Realm at twenty-three, then progressed rapidly, opening all five Qi Seas by forty-one. Yet, back then, I couldn't even stand within a zhang of Yao Qingxuan."

"I'm a self-aware person. I knew I had absolutely no chance with a woman like Yao Qingxuan. So, I chose to leave, focused on cultivation, and stopped inquiring about her."

"When my cultivation bore fruit and I was ready to leave the Cang Li tribe to make a name for myself, I received the dreadful news of her passing. Naturally, I was extremely distraught. How could such an unparalleled beauty, blessed by the heavens, whose cultivation talent surpassed mine by more than tenfold, suddenly perish in her prime?"

"I sought out many old acquaintances to inquire, and finally learned the whole story."

"At the time, this matter caused a huge stir throughout Lizhou. Everyone was making fun of the Yao Li tribe. Some said that Yao Qingxuan, shamelessly, had an illicit affair with a great demon, became pregnant, and was then cruelly abandoned."

"Others claimed she was actually captured by that great demon, which led to her dishonor."

"Sometimes, words are more terrifying than physical violence. All sorts of rumors were utterly disgraceful, aiming to trample that former favored daughter of heaven into the mud, leaving her no way out. It's said she committed suicide on a night when the snow was three chi deep, driven to her death by the pervasive gossip."

"Even then, those who had once envied her talent or coveted her yet failed to win her over, would still mock, saying that only the truth could drive someone to their death, and if the rumors were false, she wouldn't have taken them to heart."

Zhao Zhizhu let out a long, heavy sigh, enraged. The memories clearly pained him. "In my eyes, young Yao Qingxuan was the absolute embodiment of perfection: high-minded, resolute, a smile that could topple kingdoms, and swordsmanship that conveyed spirit. I never imagined she would meet such a tragic end. I always thought she would achieve immortality and ascend to become an immortal."

Li Weiyi asked, "Yao Yin's father never appeared, from beginning to end?"

Zhao Zhizhu grunted, "If he had appeared, how could Yao Qingxuan have died? Though I'm extremely reluctant to believe it, there might be some truth to the rumors."

"It's all hearsay. The truth is probably known by only a very few people, perhaps even only by Yao Yin's mother herself," Li Weiyi said.

Zhao Zhizhu nodded. "At that time, Miss Yao, still an infant, was entrusted by the Yao Li tribe's chieftain to his fourth son to raise, claiming she was his daughter. But as Miss Yao grew older and resembled her mother more and more, how could the truth be hidden?"

Li Weiyi instantly understood. "I suppose she must also endure various slights and ridicule."

"I don't know about that. I was already a cripple by then. A few months ago, I did hear the Third and Fourth Young Ladies chatting and laughing together, saying that Miss Yao inherited her father's demonic aura and ferocity, and that she killed her own cousin. They also said that sometimes she transforms into a demon, mercilessly slaughtering the innocent in a fit of madness. Within the Yao Li tribe, everyone detests her; only the chieftain still protects her," Zhao Zhizhu said.

Li Weiyi found it hard to reconcile the Yao Yin described by Zhao Zhizhu with the Yao Yin he knew. He grunted, "Li Ling's habit of spreading hearsay really needs to change."

He then added, "Old Zhao, you're not afraid of Yao Yin's father, are you?"

Zhao Zhizhu's expression shifted, and he murmured, "Legend has it, her father is a top-tier great demon from the Ash Region in the west. Even the chieftain of the Yao Li tribe dared not seek revenge and could only swallow this insult. Your getting too close to her is absolutely not a good thing; it will bring a lot of unnecessary trouble. After all, she barely has a place to stand even within the Yao Li tribe."

"Alright, I understand. I'll keep that in mind."

Li Weiyi suddenly asked, "Do you have any Blood Crystals? Never mind, I suppose you couldn't afford them anyway. I happen to have one here; you can use it first."

A Blood Crystal, the size of a pigeon's egg, was pulled from his sleeve and placed on the table.

This Blood Crystal, valued at eighty thousand silver coins, had been purchased by Li Weiyi before entering the Cang King's Tomb, originally intended to subdue strange insects within the tomb, but it had never been used.

The purpose of the Blood Crystal was to heal damaged lungs.

Only by first restoring the lungs could they bear the Qi Seas.

Zhao Zhizhu felt that Li Weiyi genuinely wanted to help him restore his cultivation. He realized that such a great kindness transcended mere friendship or assistance.

The other party was, in essence, buying his life.

Zhao Zhizhu said nothing. He cupped his hands, bowed deeply to Li Weiyi, and then took the Blood Crystal.

Li Weiyi asked, "How long will it take to heal the first lung lobe?"

"Three days should be enough," Zhao Zhizhu replied.

"Once it's healed, come find me again."

After Zhao Zhizhu left, Li Weiyi fell into deep thought. To confront Qi Shanshan, or rather Chan Hai Guan Wu, he had to be fully prepared. She was the foremost figure in the Lingxiao Living Realm from a millennium ago!

Releasing the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors, Li Weiyi cut off a pound of purple Cistanche and placed it on the table, instructing them to guard the cabin and not allow anyone to enter.

The seven little ones had extremely powerful bodies. After eating their fill of earth and stones in the Ash Region, they had actually managed to forcibly digest them without any ill effects.

Over the past two days, having consumed two pounds of purple Cistanche, their bodies finally began to change.

The outer layer of their backs, the iridescent wings, was the first to grow longer, emitting an even brighter and more divine radiance.

However, the inner membranous wings clearly required more precious medicine to grow.

They were currently in a stage of metamorphosis.

"Whoosh—"

Releasing spiritual light and thought power from his brow, he activated the Dao Ancestor's Taiji Fish.

Li Weiyi entered the Blood Mud Space.

"Master Pot, why is the Ancestral Field Qi Sea only about two units in size? How much spiritual energy can that possibly store?" Li Weiyi asked, very puzzled.

A moment later, Master Pot's voice echoed from underground: "The Wind Mansion and the Ancestral Field are two living internal worlds, true treasure troves. Their value will only become apparent when your cultivation reaches the fifth stage of the Five Seas Realm."

"When first opened, every cultivator's Wind Mansion is very small, capable of storing spiritual energy for only a single martial art technique."

"The size of the Ancestral Field, however, isn't fixed! Most people's Ancestral Fields are only about a square chi in size, able to store enough spiritual energy for over a dozen martial art techniques."

"Of course, someone like Yang Shenjing, the Hundred Vein Full Silver Pure Immortal Body you fought, can unleash dozens of techniques even in the Nine Springs Realm. I surmise his Ancestral Field is several times larger than that of an ordinary master."

Li Weiyi had been silently calculating: "Most Nine Springs masters' Ancestral Fields are only a square chi in size. So wouldn't mine be dozens of times larger than theirs? I could unleash hundreds, even thousands of techniques? When you put it that way, it doesn't seem small at all."

Master Pot remained silent for a long time before saying, "Large? Yes, of course it's large. After all, the first Qi Sea of those Seven Springs cultivators in the Five Seas Realm is almost always only one unit in size, smaller than your Ancestral Field."

Li Weiyi asked, "Then does that mean I'm directly equivalent to a martial cultivator in the first stage of the Five Seas Realm?"

"That's not how it's calculated, of course," Master Pot replied. "The quality of spiritual energy in a Five Seas Realm cultivator is far beyond what the Spring Realm can compare to; the energy intensity is vastly different. Also, there's combat intent, which provides a significant boost to combat power."

Li Weiyi suddenly understood. "So, you mean I'm still nowhere near being a match for a martial cultivator in the first stage of the Five Seas Realm?"

Master Pot was stumped by the question; his martial arts system seemed to be collapsing. He stammered, "Well... not exactly. Your current combat power, even without using those powerful artifacts, is not something a Seven Springs Five Seas Realm first stage can rival."

Then, exasperated, he burst out, "When you were in the Eight Springs Realm, you already fought against several gang leaders in the first stage of the Five Seas Realm from the Changlin Gang. Don't you have your own judgment?"

It was the first time Li Weiyi had seen Master Pot lose his temper. He said, "I just don't have a clear judgment in my mind. They're all in the first stage of the Five Seas Realm, but the difference in combat power is too vast!"

"Vast? Of course it's vast. Go summarize it yourself through practical combat," Master Pot said, speechless, no longer wanting to speak.

Li Weiyi secretly concluded that Master Pot's martial arts cultivation must be very high, but his mental state and temper were somewhat lacking.

The thirty-meter-long artifact jade boat remained docked in the Blood Mud Space, constantly emitting a precious jade-white glow.

Li Weiyi mobilized his spiritual energy to activate it, but no matter how much spiritual energy poured in, it was like a stone sinking into the sea; the artifact jade boat showed no change at all.

Master Coffin said, "This is a mode of transport for a State Governor-level powerhouse. It can traverse the Lingxiao Living Realm, covering ten thousand li in a day with ease. Your current cultivation isn't enough to activate it."

"What level of cultivation is needed then?"

Li Weiyi coveted the jade boat. Just imagining flying through the sky and burrowing into the earth with it was exhilarating, enough to make any martial cultivator in the world envious.

Master Coffin replied, "You'd need to reach at least the peak of the Five Seas Realm."

"The fifth stage of the Five Seas Realm?" Li Weiyi asked.

Master Coffin said, "Precisely! Once you open the fifth Qi Sea, you can begin cultivating the Wind Mansion and the Ancestral Field, expanding these two living internal worlds to their full potential. It's possible they could transform into two Qi Seas even larger than the fifth Qi Sea. Only then will the advantages of Eight Springs and Nine Springs cultivators truly manifest."

Li Weiyi chuckled, "So, they're essentially a sixth and seventh Qi Sea?"

"Correct," Master Coffin replied.

Li Weiyi said, "Since there's talk of living internal worlds, I suppose there must also be a concept of dead internal worlds?"

Master Coffin said, "The five Qi Seas in the lungs are the dead internal worlds. Whatever size they are when opened, that's the size they will remain forever."

"Then I should definitely cultivate the tenth spring, the Divine Gateway," Li Weiyi declared. "That way, when I reach the Five Seas Realm, I'll have eight Qi Seas."

The more Li Weiyi thought about it, the more excited and determined he became. He immediately sat cross-legged, performed the Jade Void Breathing Technique, and focused all his senses on the Divine Gateway acupoint in his navel.

When attempting to break through other springs, Li Weiyi could feel the barrier between his body and the heavens at the acupoint. He would then continuously channel the breathing technique to thin it, eventually breaking it open and establishing a heaven-human channel.

However, when he focused his senses on the Divine Gateway acupoint, it was utterly still.

If the barriers of other springs were likened to thin walls that produced a hollow sound when tapped,

then the Divine Gateway acupoint, when 'tapped,' felt solid, with no possibility of breaking through.

"I have fifty-five Golden Mark Veins protecting my body," he thought. "Since tapping won't work, I'll just smash it directly. Smash it again and again; it has to break open eventually."

What he meant by "smashing," of course, wasn't literal smashing, but using the Spring-Breaking Needle.

Upon hearing this, all three masters were startled.