Chapter 175: Plan

“If he asks again, just tell him.”

Establishing a good relationship with Zuoqiu’s successor on his territory would bring only benefits and no harm. Moreover, he was a top-tier expert at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival.

Li Weiyi’s heart stirred, and he asked again, “When you and Yin Jiu mentioned ‘the higher-ups,’ were you referring to Yin Er, or the Hidden Sect Elders?”

“Why do you ask that?” Yin Shi said.

Li Weiyi smiled. “My cultivation is too low right now, so of course, I want to advance quickly. You senior Hidden Ones ask us young Hidden Ones to stay in Qinyuan for diligent cultivation and arduous practice, which we are naturally very willing to do, but you should at least provide some resources for rapid cultivation improvement, right?”

“The Jiuli Hidden Sect has produced countless Hidden experts. Each one has left behind properties and wealth. Over thousands of years, that must amount to a staggering sum. Cultivation resources should be very abundant.”

He didn’t believe that the only assets left by those ancient Hidden Ones consisted solely of the Qinyuan before them. From a glimpse, one can infer the whole. The Coffin Sea Merchant Association, managed by Yin Er, was probably just the tip of the iceberg among the Hidden Sect’s vast holdings.

“Regarding cultivation resources, you can go directly to Yin Shi San. He is in charge of Five Seas Realm affairs!”

Yin Shi was aware of Li Weiyi’s past deeds and knew he had "earned" a substantial sum in Burial Immortal Town, meaning he wasn’t someone lacking cultivation resources. Contacting the higher-ups clearly meant he was preparing to make an exorbitant demand.

The Hidden Ones departed one after another.

Only three people remained in the courtyard.

Yin Shi Yi approached, smiling, “Among the Hidden Ones in the Five Seas Realm, only those two can access the higher-ups. There’s nothing we can do; they are the strongest and most talented.”

Li Weiyi said, “I see your cultivation isn’t weak either. Are you already cultivating the Seventh Sea?”

Yin Shi Yi nodded, gazing at the brightly lit Immortal Forest Towers in the distant night sky, which appeared like figures of immortals. He sighed, “Even though we are both cultivating the Seventh Sea, our combat power differs vastly. Not everyone is like you, able to crush Pure Immortal Bodies at the same realm with a mortal body.”

“Can other mortals and Distorted Human Species truly not defeat Pure Immortal Bodies at the same realm?” Li Weiyi asked.

Yin Shi Yi furrowed his brow and nodded again. “In the Rushing Spring Realm, a Pure Immortal Body’s combat power far surpasses that of mortals and Distorted Human Species, enabling them to defeat opponents from one realm above.”

“Yes, mortals and Distorted Human Species can cultivate the Eighth Spring and Ninth Spring to bridge this gap. But Pure Immortal Bodies cultivate the Eighth Spring and Ninth Spring more easily than we do.”

“At our realm, those cultivating the Seventh Sea are all Nine Springs Supreme Beings; no one has fewer spring eyes than another. In the Five Seas Realm, transcending a realm to defeat an opponent is difficult, but even an ordinary Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body has half a realm higher combat power than us.”

Li Weiyi said, “So, Yin Shi’s combat power is half a realm higher than yours just by martial arts alone?”

“A difference of half a realm means a huge disparity in combat power, very hard to overcome.”

Yin Shi Yi added, “If you encounter a Hundred Veins All-Silver Pure Immortal Body, their combat power is basically a full realm above! How do you even fight that?”

“Everyone appears to be cultivating the Seventh Sea and are all Nine Springs Supreme Beings, but only the inheritors with Hundred Veins All-Silver stand at the very top; only they are truly on the same level.”

Li Weiyi mused, “I’ve met Annihilation Truth and Dao Truth among the Coffin Mountain Four Truths. Annihilation Truth is a Distorted Human Species, and Dao Truth is a Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body. The gap in their combat power didn’t seem too large.”

Yin Shi Yi said, “Annihilation Truth ranks last among the Coffin Mountain Four Truths, so he’s certainly no match for Dao Truth. However, I’ve fought him before, and that guy has some peculiar abilities. His Golden Tiger Combat Technique intent was inherited from an otherworldly coffin, which significantly boosted his combat power.”

“Even powerful combat technique intents can’t elevate combat power by half a step? Then asking you to fight Yang Qingxi seems far from enough!” Li Weiyi sighed.

He had originally thought that if Yin Shi Yi inherited the Jiuli God’s combat technique intent, and they teamed up, they could capture Yang Qingxi. Now it seemed he had simply been overthinking!

“Combat technique intent is a form of enhancement in a combat state, not absolute power; the combat power it adds is limited. It’s a profound Dao that can exert extraordinary effects in the Dao Seed Realm. Therefore, for unusual combat technique intents, growth potential is even more crucial.”

Yin Shi Yi said, “Of course, it also depends on the level of the combat technique intent’s strength! For example, the White Tiger Combat Technique intent inherited by Cang Li made him stand out among inheritors; he’s never lost a one-on-one fight and firmly holds the top position in the Southern Realm.”

“What about the Jiuli God’s combat technique intent?” Li Weiyi suddenly asked.

“Haha! If I could comprehend the Jiuli God’s combat technique intent, then I’d be a Divine Hidden One. Let alone transcending half a realm, I wouldn’t be afraid of those inheritors, and how could I miss the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival? But do I look like I could?”

Yin Shi Yi waved his hand, smiling. “Since ancient times, only King Cang has been able to achieve that. By the way, Yang Qingxi is not simple; she’s a Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body. I can’t even beat her, so you absolutely shouldn’t provoke her. But I guess that during the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, even if Cang Li doesn’t act, Yin Jiu and Yin Shi will move to eliminate her.”

“Alright, you all should cultivate well. While mortals and Distorted Human Species do have a gap with Pure Immortal Bodies at the same realm, in martial arts, who always fights you at the same realm? As long as your cultivation speed is fast enough, you can crush them purely by realm. If one realm isn’t enough, then two realms.”

“In martial arts cultivation, realm comes first, not physique.”

“Yin Jiu is only the strongest at the same realm! Among our generation of Hidden Ones, the fastest in cultivation and strongest among peers are Yin Yi and Yin Wu.”

“If Pure Immortal Bodies were truly invincible, the Jiuli Hidden Sect would just recruit only Pure Immortal Bodies!”

Yin Shi Yi twisted his body, moving forward with his snake tail, preparing to leave.

Li Weiyi called out from behind him, “Take some time in a few days and come find me. I have something important to discuss with you.”

Yin Shi Yi, of course, didn’t believe he had anything *that* important, but as a future Divine Hidden One, he had to show some respect and replied, “Alright, I’ll wait for your message.”

Only Li Weiyi and Yin Shi San remained in the courtyard. The two walked outside.

Yin Shi San had a round, soft face with a small patch of whiskers on his chin, and his voice was very gentle. “At your current stage, with cultivation at the First or Second Realm, the only cultivation resource you can use is the Qi-Boosting Pill.”

“Qi-Boosting Pill, how much Qi can one pill increase?” Li Weiyi asked.

Yin Shi San said, “About five pills can increase one fang of Qi.”

Li Weiyi was somewhat disappointed. The Hidden Sect’s Qi-Boosting Pills were too far inferior to the Qi-Rising Pills refined by Chan Hai Guan Wu. One Qi-Rising Pill could increase one fang of Qi.

But Yin Shi San’s next sentence immediately made his eyes light up. “All Hidden Ones, before the Fourth Realm of Five Seas, will have enough Qi-Boosting Pills. You understand, the Fourth Sea is the main sea, and our main seas, as Nine Springs Supreme Beings, exceed a thousand fang.”

“So taking five thousand pills would boost Qi by a thousand fang, wouldn’t it?” Li Weiyi said.

Yin Shi San’s expression became serious. “After you get the Qi-Boosting Pills, you must not take too many. No more than two pills a day, otherwise you might suffer from pill poison.”

“Two pills? Pill poison?” Li Weiyi was dumbfounded.

Several Hidden Ones waiting outside heard their conversation. Yin Er Shi Si couldn’t help but interject, “At the First Realm of Five Seas, you can only take one pill every two days. At the Second Realm of Five Seas, it’s one pill a day. Only at the Third Realm can you take two pills a day.”

Yin Shi San said, “As long as it’s a medicinal pill, there’s pill poison; you can’t take large amounts. Taking five thousand Qi-Boosting Pills will kill you.”

Li Weiyi didn’t believe it at all. He merely felt that the Jiuli Hidden Sect’s Qi-Boosting Pills were of too low a grade, their formula imperfect, which was why there was pill poison. When Chan Hai Guan Wu gave him the Qi-Rising Pills, they hadn’t told him about any consumption limits or pill poison.

Yin Shi San said proudly, “Only ancient clans and sects like ours, with countless members, possess the Qi-Boosting Pill formula, allowing disciples to advance faster in the Five Seas Realm. Other forces can only buy them at great expense, greatly increasing the cost of nurturing disciples.”

Li Weiyi asked curiously, “Once you reach the Fourth Realm, how do you quickly increase cultivation Qi? Surely, a Qi Sea of a thousand or even ten thousand fang isn’t accumulated slowly step by step, right? How many years would that take?”

“Of course there are shortcuts. When the time comes, arrangements will be made for you,” Yin Shi San reassured with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, we are the only Hidden Ones in the Hidden Sect, so no matter how precious the cultivation resources are, you’ll be able to enjoy them.”

Li Weiyi said, “I see… Give me a thousand-year spirit herb, I urgently need it!”

Yin Shi San’s smile froze; he almost choked. “A thousand-year spirit herb, how precious! Even Dao Seed Realm Hidden Ones need strict conditions to be able to obtain one. You’ve only just reached the Five Seas Realm…”

Li Weiyi was overjoyed. “So, the Hidden Sect can really provide thousand-year spirit herbs for Hidden Ones’ cultivation?”

“We can, but…” Yin Shi San said.

Li Weiyi said, “You can contact the higher-ups, right? Help me apply for one with ice attributes?”

“There’s no hope,” Yin Shi San said. “The Hidden Sect does have many industries and abundant foundational resources, but they are also rapidly consumed during the process of cultivating Hidden Ones. Cultivation resources cannot be wasted…”

“I’ll exchange them for spirit soil and artifacts.”

Li Weiyi had quite a few artifacts on him. Although most were low-grade, he had several hundred, enough to arm an army.

“If it’s an exchange, then it might be possible to try,” Yin Shi San said.

Yao Yin led the way, and Li Weiyi arrived at his residence, a lakeside cottage with a serene environment and a private small formation array.

Lighting the bone lamp, she prepared to leave. Li Weiyi looked at the girl, who appeared like white jade under the lamplight, and asked, “Has the Ice Soul Cold Qi acted up during this period?”

Yao Yin gently shook her head. In truth, it had acted up once, and she had endured it with extreme difficulty, but she didn’t want to say. Because Li Weiyi had once promised to help her gather the Flower of Extreme Yang, she knew he had simply been impulsive. The Flower of Extreme Yang was a legendary divine flower; how could it be so easy to gather? It was already rare and commendable that he could impulsively say such a thing.

Li Weiyi didn’t immediately take out the Xihe Flower. He had to wait for Chan Hai Guan Wu to return, for her to personally check Yao Yin’s physical condition to determine if it could be taken.

Li Weiyi took out a bottle of Golden Spring and placed it on the railing beside him. “Your talent is very high; even those inheritors can’t compare to you. Your future path is still long, so don’t be so heavy-hearted. It’s impossible you won’t live past eighteen. I’ll watch you grow year by year into a peerless beauty, even more stunning than Yin Shi, becoming the Hidden Ones’ foremost beauty. If the faint veins in your body become all silver, then take this spring water to refine your golden veins.”

After smiling sweetly, Yao Yin pursed her lips and quietly asked, “How much silver?”

Li Weiyi looked at her hands, where she wore the silver thread gloves she had asked for from him. “Do I care about your few silver coins? Just give what you think is right!”

Yao Yin nodded seriously. “I will go and find out the price of Golden Spring.”

“Suit yourself! Oh, by the way, tomorrow morning, come over. I have a huge opportunity here; you can try to see if you can obtain it.”

For the Jiuli God’s combat technique intent, the first person Li Weiyi considered was Yao Yin. Who made Yao Yin the most obedient? Of course, he would let her try first. There are distinctions in closeness and distance. When a Divine Hidden One wants to cultivate Hidden Ones, they must first cultivate the obedient and loyal ones.