Chapter 141: Zenhai confronts Wutan

Cang Li’s swift arrival greatly surprised Li Weiyi.

Zhao Zhizhu also didn't know what had gone wrong; Cang Li wasn't supposed to be in the camp. He quickly stepped forward, saying, "Young Patriarch, this matter was my doing, Zhao Zhizhu, and has nothing to do with anyone else. I will bear all punishment and blame alone..."

"I know it was you!" Cang Li's voice echoed through the valley. His gaze shifted to Zhao Zhizhu, and he instantly perceived that Zhao's cultivation had recovered. A thoughtful expression appeared in the depths of his eyes. "Old Zhao, you're an elder in the clan. You've fought for the honor of the Cang Li tribe, shed blood, and tasted tears. How can you be so muddled when it comes to fundamental matters of character and integrity?"

Zhao Zhizhu didn't know why Li Weiyi had seized Qi Shanshan, but he was well aware of Li's character and was about to retort.

Li Weiyi spoke first: "Cang Li, do you truly not know who she is? If her cultivation, mind, and methods weren't extremely dangerous, would I resort to such a drastic measure?" Li Weiyi dared not confront Zen Sea Guanwu, hidden within Qi Shanshan, in the military camp. The core reason was that there, Qi Shanshan possessed countless ways to kill him, even without drawing a weapon. Furthermore, if the secret of Zen Sea Guanwu's return exploded within the camp, it would lead to mutual destruction. Even sending Zhao Zhizhu to capture her, in Li Weiyi's view, meant a very high probability that Zhao wouldn't return.

Zhao Zhizhu, of course, understood the danger involved. He didn't know Qi Shanshan's true capabilities, but he knew that Li Weiyi had taken enormous risks and invested vast sums to help him recover his cultivation. How could the task at hand be simple? Simple matters wouldn't require such elaborate preparations, nor would they involve him.

Cang Li said, "I know who she is, and I know where you both came from. She told me everything that happened on the bronze warship. Li Weiyi, only by treating others with sincerity will they treat you sincerely in return. On the ship, she saved you more than once, didn't she? She's your benefactor, and yet your methods are truly dishonorable."

This wasn't something Zen Sea Guanwu would do! Li Weiyi looked at Qi Shanshan, his heart filled with doubt. Since Cang Li already knew the secrets of the bronze warship, it seemed the name "Zen Sea Guanwu" was no longer taboo.

He asked, "Did she also tell you the secret of Zen Sea Guanwu's departed spirit parasitizing her body?"

Cang Li clearly didn't know about this. He frowned slightly and asked, "Which Zen Sea Guanwu?"

"In the Lingxiao Living Realm, is there a second person who dares to use that name?" Li Weiyi replied.

Qi Shanshan stepped between the two, huffing, "It's all just a misunderstanding! Weiyi, Sister Shanshan can tell you clearly, I don't know if that skeletal demon is still hiding somewhere inside me. If she truly were, wouldn't Cang Li know? She might have already left!"

Li Weiyi had to capture Qi Shanshan precisely because he wanted to know if Zen Sea Guanwu possessed the ability to leave her body and expose herself to the world. If she wasn't inside Qi Shanshan, he would have a definitive target, and many of his doubts would be resolved.

Cang Li, naturally, was also extremely wary of the legendary Ancient Heavenly Emperor. He stated, "I can tell you explicitly, any departed spirit that dares to parasitize Shanshan's body will be obliterated by me."

"I don't believe you can discern Zen Sea Guanwu's methods. Nor do I believe someone who has developed feelings could be so ruthless," Li Weiyi said.

Based on Zen Sea Guanwu's words on the bronze warship, Li Weiyi knew deeply that once her cultivation recovered, it would be his death knell. His blood and soul would be devoured by her. His only chance to survive was to eliminate her before she made her move. This was a life-or-death race against time. Even if Zen Sea Guanwu wasn't strong enough yet, the deterrent power and sense of crisis posed by an Ancient Heavenly Emperor were incomparable to any overt enemy. If she didn't act, that was one thing, but once she did, Li Weiyi didn't believe his immature methods would allow him to escape.

Qi Shanshan returned to Cang Li's side. "It's all just a misunderstanding caused by that skeletal demon! Li Weiyi, a kid who should still be in his second year of college, what evil intentions could he possibly have? Let's just drop this!"

"Stay out of this!" Cang Li's gaze was fixed intently on Li Weiyi. His arm trembled, and the silver spear instantly erupted with materialized spiritual energy, transforming into an overwhelming wave that filled the entire valley, surging madly towards Li Weiyi. Sand and stones flew, and plants were uprooted. "Those who make mistakes must pay the price." "Whoosh!"

Li Weiyi felt the scene before him abruptly change. He lost his footing, as if engulfed by a vast ocean, with colossal waves threatening to tear him to shreds.

Zhao Zhizhu charged forward immediately but was struck by Cang Li's distant sleeve flick, his body crashing with a thud into the rock wall.

"Clang!" Li Weiyi retreated three steps, steadying himself. Without hesitation, he drew the Yellow Dragon Sword, gripping it tightly. The spiritual energy of the Five Seas Realm poured into the sword. The Yellow Dragon Sword underwent an unprecedented, dramatic transformation; dense scales grew along its brass blade, and a dragon's roar resonated from within, echoing among the mountains. "Grand Unity Splits the Sea!" His eyes sharp, he stood in a bow stance, his feet sinking into the ground, and unleashed a sword strike. "Roar!" A bright dragon shadow flew out with the sword energy, splitting the overwhelming spiritual energy wave in two. The dragon's head materialized, its roar deafening, flying directly towards Cang Li.

Cang Li let out a soft exclamation. A spherical wall of spiritual energy flew from his body, shattering the dragon's head. Although he had only intended a minor punishment as a warning, using only a small amount of his power, it was broken through and counterattacked, reaching him. This was truly unexpected. According to Qi Shanshan, Li Weiyi had only been cultivating for a little over half a year. How was this possible? Seven miles from this location...

Chen Qianchi, a Dao Seed Realm expert from the Chen family, felt an unusual spiritual energy fluctuation. His ears caught the subsequent dragon's roar, and he immediately halted, forming a hand seal. In the dense forest behind him, the myriad "Iron-Clad Army" soldiers of the Three Chen Palace, clad in iron cloth battle suits, all suppressed their auras, slowly crouched down, and silently awaited further instructions. "It's Cang Li's spiritual energy fluctuation! The entire army is to activate the runes on their iron cloth battle suits, move in mist formation, and stealthily approach to investigate," Chen Qianchi commanded. This army was the Shadow Battalion within the Iron-Clad Army, having detoured through the Nether Realm of the Deceased on the other side of the Dragon Mountain Range. They were preparing to lie in ambush in the dense forest outside Yaoguan City, ready to launch a surprise attack at a critical moment.

Li Weiyi himself hadn't expected such explosive power from the Yellow Dragon Sword after reaching the Five Seas Realm, proving even stronger than the attacks of the Evil Camel Bell and the Black Iron Seal.

"Cang Li, if you're so arrogant and refuse to believe me, you risk leading the Li family into an irreparable disaster. Even if Zen Sea Guanwu isn't currently within her, there will surely be traces of her on her. You'd best inform your father or mother about this." Li Weiyi offered this advice, ready to leave, even if it meant dying at Zen Sea Guanwu's hands in the future; he would simply accept it. It was simply a matter of being outmatched today. "Old Zhao, let's go!"

"Thump-thump!" Heavy hooves and a powerful aura of a strange beast came from the valley in the direction of Yaoguan City. Accompanied by pleasant, melodious wind chimes, the enormous beast's figure crashed through trees blocking its path, appearing before everyone. It was Cang Li's mount, the Houwu beast, resembling a white tiger! Its eyes emitted bright light, and its massive body was like a moving house, causing the ground to tremble with every step.

"You should believe him! He has never been a reckless person. If not for the immense pressure this seat placed upon him, why would he take such a dangerous gamble?" Li Ling stood atop the Houwu beast, her legs long and straight, her feet seeming to press down on the character for "king." She wore a blood-red inner garment beneath her armor, and white bone wind chimes hung at her waist. Her long hair, shimmering with daoist light and immortal glow, floated in the air. Her entire being exuded the domineering aura of an Ancient Heavenly Emperor. The Houwu beast, inherently fierce and noble-blooded, was now so suppressed it dared not even roar. The hūadiàn on her forehead flickered, and her eyes held both an aggressive, disdainful look and a profound, unfathomable mystery. She bore Li Ling's appearance, but everyone knew she was not Li Ling at this moment.

"Could it truly be Zen Sea Guanwu?" Zhao Zhizhu broke free from the cliff face, his eyes filled with shock. Earlier, Li Weiyi had repeatedly mentioned Zen Sea Guanwu, but not only did Cang Li disbelieve it, even Zhao, who trusted Li Weiyi the most, thought Li had certainly misjudged this time. It wasn't until this moment... he was so overwhelmed by the aura emanating from Li Ling that he nearly prostrated himself, finally believing.

"Just as I thought." Li Weiyi stared intently at the approaching "Li Ling." The thought had long lingered in his mind, and now everything clicked into place. All the past oddities finally had a reasonable explanation. However, "Li Ling's" blatant arrival, clearly intended as a showdown, indicated her absolute confidence. This was big trouble!

How could Cang Li have imagined that a departed spirit had truly possessed a member of his family? He didn't care who this departed spirit was—whether Zen Sea Guanwu or an Ancient Heavenly Emperor, it was a capital offense. Cang Li's eyes flared with intense killing intent. He raised his silver spear, and a low, resonant tiger's roar echoed within him... The Ancient Heavenly Emperor's aura within "Li Ling" surged forth, suppressing him, making it impossible for him to unleash his White Tiger Combat Intent. His body recoiled repeatedly. Zen Sea Guanwu seemed intent on crushing his spirit and will with her gaze alone. Cang Li, at the center of the storm, gritted his teeth, supporting himself with his silver spear to keep from kneeling. He knew the opponent was merely a departed spirit, whose true cultivation couldn't be too strong. As long as he broke through the Heavenly Emperor's pressure contained within her remnant soul, he could definitely fight her, and even defeat her.

Li Weiyi saw that Cang Li, under the suppression of Zen Sea Guanwu's Ancient Heavenly Emperor aura, couldn't even make a move, and his heart sank to rock bottom. He secretly regretted acting against Qi Shanshan too late; had he acted sooner, he would have already located Zen Sea Guanwu's true form. Now, he had allowed an utterly unstoppable demoness to emerge. "Thump-thump!"

The Houwu beast stepped before everyone. Li Ling's gaze fell upon Li Weiyi, and continuing her previous thought, she spoke in a faint, ethereal tone: "But there has truly been a considerable misunderstanding between us, fueled by mutual distrust, which has led to this current situation. Li Weiyi, if I wished to kill you, I would have had more than ten opportunities. Do you admit this?"