Chapter 163: Luan Sheng Lin You

The vast Bingzu Ze is steeped in many mysterious legends.

Some say that every morning, mirage palaces rise from the sea, revealing ancient city ruins. It is fabled that some individuals have entered these mirages, reaching a truly existing land of ruins and bringing back countless scriptures and war artifacts.

Others claim that on every full moon night, one can enter an illusory immortal realm through the moon's reflection on the sea. This realm is said to contain countless rare herbs, and one can unearth immortal soil and spirit earth.

Too many legends exist, some true, some false, making it impossible to believe them all.

However, since ancient times, countless grand masters of the Longevity Realm have indeed traveled by boat in the Bingzu Ze, seeking opportunities for further breakthroughs.

On the boundless expanse of the sea, a colossal crimson magic vessel cut through the waves, speeding forward.

The two attendants on either side still wore Taoist robes, but the human skin on their bodies had been replaced.

They were still the twin Daoren figures.

"Plop!""Plop!"

Two bloody corpses were kicked into the water.

They were already dead, having painfully succumbed during the skinning process.

The scent of blood attracted strange beasts from the water; as the waves churned, the two bodies vanished beneath the surface.

The Night Qilin Beast, flapping its pair of over ten-meter-long black wings, swooped down from mid-air. As it neared the crimson magic vessel, Yuwen Tuozhen, who was standing on its back, flashed down, landing lightly on the deck of the colossal vessel.

The Night Qilin Beast soared again, circling above the vessel, its sharp eyes scanning the sea surface.

Yuwen Tuozhen's purple hair flowed, and he stood tall and handsome. A crescent moon mark adorned his brow, giving him a noble yet chilling aura.

"Tuozhen, come, try the tea I'm brewing. It's Blood Dragon Robe, sent by the Dragon Court."

An elegant and unrestrained figure of pure immortal essence sat on the vessel, facing the bright moon over the sea. He was brewing tea in a clay pot, gracefully adding firewood with his fingers.

He was impeccably clean, appearing otherworldly, exuding an air of transcendence.

In the pot, the water gurgled as it boiled, and the aroma of tea filled the entire vessel.

Facing this figure, Yuwen Tuozhen, the young lord of Night City, lost his usual hawkishness and arrogance. As he walked over, he chuckled, "Your Holiness, you certainly have a refined taste. This Blood Dragon Robe is said to be more precious than immortal soil, with only a few dozen jin produced every hundred years. Brewing tea with it can enhance one's vitality and forge a powerful body, as strong as a dragon or a phoenix."

"Sit first; it's not quite ready yet."

The robes of Luansheng Linyou shimmered with stars, as if a sea of stars draped his form. He sighed, "Jingyue Zhai has been destroyed. The first successor of the Zuoqiu Sect has some real capability. You see, he even forced me out to sea!"

Yuwen Tuozhen remarked, "His strength is that formidable?"

"Very strong," Luansheng Linyou affirmed. "He exchanged three blows with Huayuzi, and they were evenly matched."

Yuwen Tuozhen was visibly moved; he knew that Huayuzi was ranked first among the four top masters — Hua, Qi, Ming, and Zang — whom His Holiness brought from the Extreme West Ash Region.

Yuwen Tuozhen said, "I had thought Cangli was the strongest in the Southern Territory, but now it seems Zuoqiu Ting and he are at least evenly matched. However, to say he forced Your Holiness out to sea would be overstating his abilities. Your Holiness, you came for Jiang Ning, didn't you?"

"The Feathered Immortal praised by Xianlin... I still want to have a taste," Luansheng Linyou said. "I'd rather Qi Jin didn't just strip her skin directly, leaving her completely devoid of beauty; that would utterly spoil my appetite! Have you found her yet?"

Yuwen Tuozhen replied, "We've pinpointed a sea area and are narrowing down the search."

"The news has already leaked; you'll need to be prepared for that. The tea is ready; you can try it first."

Luansheng Linyou picked up the clay pot and poured him a full cup.

The tea was a vibrant red, like fresh blood.

The overflowing aroma transformed into thousands of blood-red dragon shadows, circling the entire vessel.

"Thank you, Your Holiness."

Yuwen Tuozhen cradled the cup in both hands and drank, then said, "What if the news has leaked? My father will naturally keep the older generation from the imperial court in Qiu Province in check. As for the younger generation from the imperial court in Qiu Province, are any of them truly competent? While Fuzhou indeed has a plethora of masters, by the time they arrive, they'll only be able to collect Jiang Ning's corpse."

"As for Zuoqiu Ting, after his battle with Huayuzi, he should understand that he is not on the same level as Your Holiness. He'll be too busy being terrified to even think of actively opposing us."

"However, the leaked news has indeed put us at quite a disadvantage. With everything out in the open, it's no longer fun! How could something like this happen?"

Luansheng Linyou gave a faint smile. "If I told you, you probably wouldn't believe it, but the one causing trouble is an unknown person of insignificant strength. Don't worry about it; Chen Wenwu has already gone to investigate! Whoever makes a mistake must fix it, and if they can't rectify it, they'll have to pay with their life."

It was a subtly chilling remark, but to Yuwen Tuozhen's ears, it felt incredibly weighty, causing him to almost drop the teacup he held.

The Blood Mud Space.

Chan Hai Guanwu recounted, "In the region surrounding the Lingxiao Living Realm, the last ancient immortal beast was Yujia."

"Ten thousand years ago, Yujia gave birth to Flying Dragon and Flying Phoenix."

"Let's first talk about Flying Dragon. Flying Dragon was fond of devouring humans, emerging once every six hundred years and consuming at least an entire province's population each time. Approximately 2,800 years ago, I slew it in the East Sea, extracted its dragon soul, divided it into three hundred parts, and forged three hundred provincial governor robes."

"Flying Dragon gave birth to Qilin! Back then, I searched for a long time, intending to eradicate its lineage, but I couldn't find it."

"It likely escaped to another living realm during that period, just like the Dragon Gate."

"As for the Extreme West Ash Region you asked about, it is related to Flying Phoenix."

"Flying Dragon gave birth to Qilin, and Flying Phoenix gave birth to Phoenix Birds. It is said that the five Phoenix Birds in the Extreme West Ash Region were born from Flying Phoenix and the Ancestor of Ash Spirits. That was thousands of years ago!"

Li Weiyi asked, "So, besides Ash Spirits, the Extreme West Ash Region also has Phoenix Birds?"

"A thousand years ago, that was the situation! Who knows what it's like now?" Chan Hai Guanwu then asked, "Have you encountered them?"

Li Weiyi nodded.

Chan Hai Guanwu, well aware of the formidable power of the Extreme West Ash Region, asked, "Can you avoid them?"

"I can't!" Li Weiyi firmly replied.

Chan Hai Guanwu pondered for a moment. "Here, if absolutely necessary, I can help you. But once we enter Qiu Province City, I absolutely cannot act; there are too many old powerful figures there, and any action would expose me."

"Actually..."

Li Weiyi took out Zhu Qinfeng's provincial governor robe and smiled, "How about you consecrate it for me first? Do you have that ability now?"

Chan Hai Guanwu had already guessed that Li Weiyi had removed the robe from Zhu Qinfeng's skeleton. "This item," he warned, "it's best not to use it unless you are absolutely certain it won't reveal your identity."

Half an hour later, Li Weiyi, wearing the provincial governor robe re-activated by Chan Hai Guanwu, prepared to leave. He glanced at the massive silver sarcophagus, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The night's busy work left him sleepless.

Early the next morning, just as dawn broke.

Yin Shi returned with news: "Jiang Ning has fled into the Bingzu Ze. Night City and Coffin Mountain have mobilized a large number of forces to search the sea. This should only be their overt strength."

Soon after, Yin Jiu returned: "I've spoken with Yin Er! His intelligence states that Yuwen Yan of Night City and Xu Fodu of Coffin Mountain have secretly arrived in Qiu Province. Furthermore, a transcendent being from the Extreme West Ash Region personally visited Taoli Mountain, the ancestral realm of the Zuoqiu Sect. The day before yesterday, Taoli Mountain was bathed in radiant light, and countless birds greeted its presence."

Yin Shi Yi exclaimed, "This is good news for the Jiuli Clan! It means that the war in Li Province must have passed its initial fierce stage and entered a stalemate. Otherwise, why would Yuwen Yan and Xu Fodu come here?"

Yin Shi said, "Good news? Since the higher-ups have already engaged in dialogue, it indicates that resolving the Ash Spirits issue will depend on our younger generation of martial cultivators. They are targeting the Zuoqiu Sect, and the Jiuli Clan is now deeply intertwined with the Zuoqiu Sect, so we cannot possibly remain uninvolved."

"It's not about resolving the Ash Spirits; it's about saving Senior Brother Thirteen."

Li Weiyi added, "Last night, I spoke with the Zuoqiu Sect's successor. He has already fought against that group of Ash Spirits. Judging by his expression and state at the time, the situation is not optimistic. The enemy is far stronger than we imagined!"

Yin Shi Yi exclaimed with surprise, "Wow, you can even converse with the Zuoqiu Sect's successor? I don't even have that qualification!"

Having witnessed Zhuang Yue's terrible state, Yin Shi felt a surge of anger. "Are you scared? If that His Holiness dares to back the three great sects, then he is an enemy of our Jiuli Clan. The Hidden Gate fears no enemy."

Yin Jiu said, "To be precise, whether or not we are adversaries doesn't depend on us at all. Even if we wanted to avoid war, others wouldn't permit it."

Li Weiyi, fearing their hesitation, said, "Since your fighting spirit is so strong, let's choose a representative. Zuoqiu Ting wishes to contend with them and wants to meet a Divine Hidden Person from the Jiuli Hidden Gate. Who will go and speak with him?"

"I'll go," Yin Shi Yi said.

Yin Jiu and Yin Shi both stared at him.

"I'll just be serving tea and water, that should be fine, right?" Yin Shi Yi whispered.

Yin Jiu said, "No, I should go! Over in Li Province, the Jiuli Clan needs the Zuoqiu Sect's support, and the Jiuli Hidden Gate's strength cannot appear too weak."

"Alright, Yin Shi and I will go talk to him," Li Weiyi said.

Yin Jiu was speechless.

Li Weiyi said, "Yin Jiu has the strongest cultivation and should immediately head to the Bingzu Ze; he shouldn't waste time here. By the way, will the Hidden People of the Dao Seed Realm intervene to rescue Senior Brother Thirteen?"

Yin Jiu replied, "Don't overthink it. This is a confrontation below the Dao Seed Realm, and all parties have likely reached a tacit understanding. If the conflict escalates step by step, the storm would be far more terrifying than the current situation in Li Province; no single party could withstand it. The only ones who would benefit in the end are the factions that haven't gotten involved."

"Why did Zuoqiu Ting only invite the Jiuli Clan? Because he clearly understands that this battle is closely tied to the Jiuli Clan's interests; we cannot avoid it. As for the Eastern, Western, and Northern Territories, if the Zuoqiu Sect wanted to invite them to confront the Ash Spirits, the price it would have to pay would be immense!"

Li Weiyi said, "The Extreme West Ash Region is located in the west. If they can command such widespread response in the Southern Territory, with multiple factions obeying their orders, their influence in the Western Territory will only be greater."

Yin Jiu and Yin Shi Yi immediately left the city, heading out to sea and into the Bingzu Ze.

Zuoqiu Ting was highly efficient; last night, he collected all the various medicinal herbs Li Weiyi needed, even bringing thousand-year-old refined medicine and a pill furnace.

At this moment, the sun had just risen above the eaves, its rays filtering through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Li Weiyi led Zuoqiu Ting into the Immortal Palace and to Yin Shi's room.

Zuoqiu Ting first looked at Zhuang Yue lying on the bed, then turned his gaze to Yin Shi with scrutiny and surprise: "Who in the world would have thought that Miss Qin Li of Xianlin is actually a Divine Hidden Person of the Jiuli Hidden Gate? Li Weiyi, you're not just fooling me with a random person, are you?"

Before he finished speaking, Zuoqiu Ting vanished from his spot, his folding fan like a sword, thrusting directly at Yin Shi's brow.

His speed was astonishing, and his attack came without any warning.

"Swish!"

Yin Shi remained standing, her feet unmoving, as a formation emerged centered on her brow. It unfurled like a cosmic compass, with countless characters floating upon it.

Zuoqiu Ting's folding fan and arm immediately became ensnared within the formation, and his entire body was pulled by its power.

"Swish!"

The next instant, he was back in his original position, smiling. "Outwardly, you're a master of both zither and sword, but I didn't expect you to also be a Formation Master of the Disaster Fire Realm. Such strength certainly doesn't seem like someone temporarily brought in."

Yin Shi remained dignified and beautiful, secretly astonished by Zuoqiu Ting's terrifying strength. Fortunately, he had only been testing her and hadn't used his full power, or she would likely have been exposed.

"Young Master Zuoqiu, with all this suspicion, do you perhaps believe that a woman cannot become a Divine Hidden Person?" Yin Shi's tone was sharp. She added, "Right now, you are the one coming to us for help, and I am very disappointed with your attitude!"

Given Zuoqiu Ting's character, negotiating with a woman would certainly not give him an advantage. Li Weiyi felt relieved, took out a bottle of Golden Spring, drank a mouthful, and proceeded to refine his golden bones.