Chapter 132: Qi Sea Ten Directions

"Are you saying..."

Zuoqiu Lanlan understood his implication, her eyes filled with shock and doubt. She immediately shook her head: "No, Sima Tan is a man of great integrity and noble character; he's not that kind of person."

"Perhaps he isn't that kind of person yet, still constrained by his conscience. But once he realizes the situation, he will definitely kill us to silence us. With his extraordinary talent, the seven strange insects, and our weak and diminished strength..." Zuoqiu Baiming said, "If it were you, would you kill someone to silence them? And what about the Heavenly Flame Blade and the Immortal Earth? Would he not be tempted by them at all?"

Zuoqiu Lanlan thought of something and said miserably, "He won a great victory in this battle, and he's sure to seize a large amount of spoils. If he takes us back down the mountain, he'll inevitably have to share some of the credit with us. If he simply kills us, it'll just be a matter of two more swings of his blade." Zuoqiu Baiming nodded: "We can't go back. Thirty-Three-Mile Mountain will be our burial ground."

"If we escape now, we might have a chance," Zuoqiu Lanlan said.

"We can't escape! Moreover, escaping at this moment might even provoke him to want to silence us," Zuoqiu Baiming replied.

Zuoqiu Lanlan said, "Perhaps... we've been too cynical..." Zuoqiu Baiming responded, "To survive, you must prepare for the worst. Lanlan, you have a pure immortal body and exceptional beauty. If you're willing to make a sacrifice, perhaps you can stabilize him. Sima Tan appears to be a naive young man solely focused on martial arts. As long as you can make him lose himself and temporarily forget about silencing us, it will be too late for him to regret it once we are down the mountain."

"Ah... Brother Che's body is barely cold..." Zuoqiu Lanlan gasped, finding it hard to believe he would say such a thing. How could someone once so proud suddenly become so utterly devoid of principles? "Then let's just wait to die together!" Zuoqiu Baiming sighed.

Far from the stone forest of giant human statues, in the mist, camel bells rang loudly, and lightning intertwined. Li Weiyi employed all his means, finally using the lightning unleashed by the Black Iron Seal to blast Chen Song into a piece of charcoal. Immediately, he began to search his body.

"As expected of a team leader, he actually has three mid-tier magical artifacts on him. The Three Chen Palace truly invested heavily." Li Weiyi found a spatial pouch in Chen Song's embrace; it was undamaged. He activated it with his spiritual energy and pulled out seventeen sunset-dyed exotic herbs. "So many! Excellent!" Li Weiyi was overjoyed. After searching Chen Song's body, he threw the corpse off the cliff to destroy all traces, preventing the exposure of the Evil Camel Bell and the Black Iron Seal.

As for the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors, he wasn't concerned, as Zuoqiu Ting already knew about them anyway. Next, he searched corpse after corpse, finding a large number of sunset-dyed exotic herbs, golden springs, and magical artifacts. Unfortunately, he found nothing of the most precious Immortal Earth. Li Weiyi returned the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors to their insect tubes and, beaming with pride, returned to the stone forest of giant human statues. This single venture alone had earned him enough wealth to become one of the richest in the Five Seas Realm. He secretly wondered if he should attempt another operation. Once outside Thirty-Three-Mile Mountain, Lizhou was teeming with experts; he wouldn't be able to act so recklessly there. Upon his return, Li Weiyi naturally returned the Heavenly Flame Blade immediately.

Zuoqiu Baiming, sitting on the ground as if a great disaster was upon him, hastily said, "I'm a cripple now; I can't fight anyone. The Heavenly Flame Blade can only reach its maximum value in Brother Sima's hands. After all, Xue Qi and that Tianya Ridge fox demon are still in the mountains. What if we encounter them?"

"That makes sense! It's all clear now, let's go. We'll head down the mountain immediately." Li Weiyi didn't want to waste more words; he hoisted Shang Zhi's corpse onto his back. Noticing Zuoqiu Lanlan's troubled expression, he reminded her, "Madam Tian, let's go. You carry Senior Brother Baiming!"

"We're going down the mountain now?" Zuoqiu Lanlan whispered, not daring to meet his eyes. "What else?" Li Weiyi felt puzzled. Was she hoping to continue searching for Immortal Earth? Zuoqiu Lanlan looked at his back as he carried the corpse and walked forward, secretly sighing in relief. It seemed her suspicions were indeed cynical. If he truly harbored ill intentions, when else would he act if not now? The two descended the mountain very quickly, and before long, they had reached Three-Mile Mountain.

Li Weiyi secretly calculated that bringing the two of them here should be safe enough. Next, how could he separate from them reasonably? He dared not see Zuoqiu Ting and planned to leave Thirty-Three-Mile Mountain from a different direction.

Following behind, Zuoqiu Lanlan and Zuoqiu Baiming grew increasingly nervous as they descended the mountain, fearing that "Sima Tan" might suddenly realize his intention and violently turn on them.

Just as their nerves were taut and they were extremely tense, Li Weiyi suddenly stopped, slowly turned around, and revealed a smile that seemed utterly eerie to the two of them. They heard him say, "It's safe enough here. You two go ahead; I still have something to attend to." As he spoke, he stepped back, clearing a path. Zuoqiu Lanlan's face instantly went pale, and she vigorously shook her head.

Zuoqiu Baiming gave a dry laugh: "What is it? Lanlan can also help with something." Zuoqiu Lanlan nodded hurriedly.

Li Weiyi had already prepared his words: "If people from the Who Sect and Tianya Ridge come down the mountain, they will definitely pass this way. I plan to 'wait by the stump for the rabbit' and take this opportunity to deal with them. I'm enough on my own; there's no need for you two to stay." Li Weiyi intended to free himself from them and also had the idea of making another fortune.

Zuoqiu Lanlan and Zuoqiu Baiming stared intently at him, not daring to take a single step forward. At this moment, "Sima Tan" was acting extremely unusually. If he was hunting people from the Who Sect and Tianya Ridge, why would he send them away? It was too deliberate!

Li Weiyi realized their apprehension and quickly handed over the Heavenly Flame Blade: "It's time for this to return to its rightful owner!" Zuoqiu Baiming dared not take it, feeling that the other party was testing them, or perhaps still hesitating whether to kill them. Sometimes, the distinction between good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, lies in a single thought. Perhaps it was when he took the blade, or perhaps it was when they descended the mountain.

Zuoqiu Baiming laughed uneasily, "Brother Sima, you saved our lives. We have nothing to repay you with, so please accept this blade as a gift!" Li Weiyi was surprised, and his impression of Zuoqiu Baiming instantly changed. He might be somewhat arrogant, but being clear about gratitude and grievances was truly commendable. Who doesn't have some character flaws? Since he had already saved them, Li Weiyi naturally accepted it with a clear conscience, his smile becoming much more genuine: "I think you two are too nervous. It's very close to the foot of the mountain here; there's nothing to be afraid of. Madam Tian, please!"

Zuoqiu Lanlan put Zuoqiu Baiming down and, with a more sincere gaze, said, "We are sworn enemies with the Who Sect and Tianya Sect. I also want to avenge this hatred. We are teammates, advancing and retreating together, sharing life and death." Zuoqiu Baiming said, "Exactly. With this bond of sharing life and death, even if we go down the mountain, we will certainly keep Brother Sima's secrets and never reveal a single word to outsiders." "Senior Brother Baiming, your injuries..." "It's fine, no rush to treat them."

Li Weiyi frowned deeply. He still couldn't shake them off! Zuoqiu Baiming was so loyal; he had really misunderstood him before. "Alright, there's still one day until the Immortal Cloud Mist dissipates. I expect Xue Qi and the others won't descend until tomorrow. You two rest and recover from your injuries, I'll go rest over there for a bit." Li Weiyi, carrying Shang Zhi's corpse, walked away into the distance.

He planned to use this time to swallow the Five Seas Pill, open his first Qi Sea, and break through to the Five Seas Realm. After descending the mountain, he could encounter all kinds of experts. If he could formally enter the Five Seas Realm, even if he didn't transform into a dragon from a fish, it would at least be like having vast prospects and boundless possibilities before him.

Arriving at a stream, Li Weiyi set down the corpse and carefully watched Zuoqiu Menting in the distance, ensuring that they wouldn't sense the spatial power from the Buddha's Relic if he used it here. He possessed three treasures to aid his breakthrough to the Five Seas Realm: the Five Seas Pill, the sunset-dyed exotic herbs, and the Buddha's Relic. But he wanted to try relying on his own strength first.

The most crucial aspect of breaking through to the Five Seas Realm was opening the first Qi Sea. The Qi Sea was like a furnace, possessing the ability to refine spiritual energy. Spiritual power would surge from the spring eyes, be transported to the Qi Sea for storage, and then refined into a purer, higher-grade spiritual energy. When used to execute martial arts techniques or activate magical artifacts, its power would far surpass that of a martial cultivator in the Spring Surge Realm.

Li Weiyi sat cross-legged, performed his breathing technique, and gradually entered a state of serene naturalness. Only he existed in the world. The outside world vanished. The method for breaking through to the Five Seas Realm had already been taught to him by Master Guan earlier; it wasn't complicated.

Within him, the ten springs surged one by one, spiritual power entering the one hundred and twenty trace meridians and circulating throughout his body. After several cycles, Li Weiyi used the breakthrough method to guide the first trace meridian to branch off, connecting to the first lung lobe. Immediately after, the second trace meridian branched off. Then the third trace meridian branched off...

This was a slow and exhausting process. Each trace meridian had to branch off to connect with the future Qi Sea. These branches were called "string bridges." Like guitar strings, they connected the Qi Sea to the trace meridians. If interrupted, all previous efforts would be in vain.

Therefore, many martial cultivators would swallow Five Seas Pills before attempting a breakthrough, to provide ample energy and spiritual power support. At the same time, the Five Seas Pill also contained the power to temper the lung lobes, making it easier to open the Qi Sea.

In the distance, Zuoqiu Baiming glanced at Li Weiyi and transmitted his voice with spiritual energy: "He appears to be meditating, but in reality, he's undergoing a test of conscience. The next day will be difficult! Life and death depend on his single thought." "This place is already very close to the foot of the mountain. If we were to escape, it would happen in an instant," Zuoqiu Lanlan said.

Zuoqiu Baiming scoffed, "With his cultivation level, just you? Why do you think he's sitting so far away? For normal rest, shouldn't he be resting right next to us? He's testing us. If we try to escape, it proves we have a guilty conscience. At that point, he can kill us without any psychological qualms. For someone of his character, breaking through that moral barrier requires a reason."

"Senior Brother, aren't you thinking too deeply? I don't think Sima Tan is that kind of person," Zuoqiu Lanlan said. Zuoqiu Baiming retorted angrily, "Hasn't the price of thinking too shallowly been great enough? Don't underestimate human nature; you only have one life. You just don't want to make a sacrifice, do you? I see you admire him so much, you're almost treating him like a saint!" "I..." Zuoqiu Lanlan struggled internally, falling into endless agony.

Li Weiyi completed the construction of the one hundred and twenty branch string bridges. His energy was severely depleted, and he secretly grew nervous. If the breakthrough failed, he would have to wait another year. "Let's begin!"

Within his body, the ten springs surged wildly, spiritual power rushing at the fastest speed towards the one hundred and twenty string bridges. The routes of the string bridges varied, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, heading directly towards the central lung lobe. At this moment, Li Weiyi's breathing became incredibly long and deep. Air currents surged around him, and branches and leaves swayed.

An unprecedented sensation of intense pain and swelling erupted in his lungs, as if his chest were about to explode. "Thump! Thump..." His lung lobes pounded rapidly and violently like a heart. "Boom!" His body jolted violently. All his spiritual power found an outlet, pouring into the inner world of his lung lobes, making this inner world grow increasingly vast. "The Qi Sea has opened!"

Li Weiyi quickly swallowed the Five Seas Pill and a sunset-dyed exotic herb, simultaneously activating the spatial power of the Buddha's Relic to expand the inner world within his lung lobes. He knew that the first Qi Sea of every martial cultivator varied in size. Clearly, the larger the opening, the greater the advantage.

Martial cultivators who break through to the Five Seas Realm with seven springs almost always have a first Qi Sea of only one unit. Those who break through with eight springs can reach two units. Martial cultivators who break through with nine springs start at three units. Within the same realm, the difference in the density of spiritual energy among cultivators could be several times. The gap in combat power was evident.

After three breaths, Li Weiyi's first Qi Sea reached one unit. After seven breaths, it reached two units. After fifteen minutes, it expanded to seven units. The expansion speed slowed, becoming increasingly difficult.

This was because the larger the space of the inner world, the thinner the spiritual energy within it became. Li Weiyi was continuously mobilizing his spiritual power and converting it, but it was far from enough. For a martial cultivator at the first stage of the Five Seas Realm, the process from breakthrough to the Qi Sea being filled with spiritual energy, and then to the spiritual energy being fully refined, often took several months.

Just as Li Weiyi was fully committed to reaching the eighth unit, a pair of soft, delicate arms suddenly wrapped around his neck. Someone sat in his lap, a fragrance wafted to his nostrils, and he felt the warm, pliant touch of a delicate body. "What's going on?" Li Weiyi had long since released the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors to guard him, so how could someone have gotten so close? He couldn't afford to be distracted and continued to push towards the eighth Qi Sea unit. "Thump!" Li Weiyi vaguely sensed that someone had struck the woman in his arms, knocking her unconscious. While curious, he also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then redoubled his efforts to break through the Qi Sea.

An hour later, the size of his Qi Sea stabilized at ten units. Gradually, his consciousness fully returned to the outside world, and he opened his eyes. He saw Zuoqiu Lanlan, dishevelled and unconscious, slumped in his arms, giving him the distinct feeling of being set up. If anyone saw this, he wouldn't be able to clear his name even by jumping into a river. The massive figure of Hidden Twenty-Three and a slender figure wearing a perished spirit's human skin sat on a rock several meters away, communicating via spiritual transmission. Seeing him open his eyes, both immediately looked over.