Chapter 179: Bright Moon Seven Star Pavilion

At Li Weiyi's strong insistence, Zuoqiu Ting did not change out of her female attire, but she did alter her appearance.

This was because the place they were heading to was Tian Pavilion, currently the most bustling and prosperous hub of fame and fortune in the entire Qizhou prefecture city. Going there in the guise of Yin Shi's maid would obviously bring her a lot of unnecessary trouble.

However, after Zuoqiu Ting altered her appearance, Li Weiyi's symptoms not only did not ease, but his head hurt even more.

She had become strikingly similar in appearance to Li Weiyi. Turning to him, she said earnestly, "From now on, we are siblings. You are Li Weiyi, and I am Li Weier, Dao-ren siblings born from the same stalk."

"On your territory, of course you call the shots," Li Weiyi said, utterly resigned. He had never felt such repulsion and aversion to the word "siblings" before.

Zuoqiu Ting smiled, mimicking a woman's demeanor to perfection. "Qin Li is truly your Divine Hermit. Her cultivation is decent, but she doesn't have a hundred meridians. If the Divine Hermit of the Jiuli Hermit Sect is only at this level, it's truly disappointing."

Li Weiyi was greatly startled. Yin Shi clearly couldn't have informed Zuoqiu Ting about the number of meridians within Qin Li. That left only two possibilities.

Either Qin Li had once fallen into Zuoqiu Ting's hands and had her physical aptitudes forcefully investigated, or Zuoqiu Ting was deliberately saying this to try and trick him.

Li Weiyi's expression remained unchanged. He said indifferently, "Others are Divine Hermits, lofty and transcendent, like gods from the Ninth Heaven. How would a mere Hermit like me know how many meridians she possesses?"

Zuoqiu Ting laughed. "With your talent and cultivation speed, how could you be a mere hermit? If the Jiuli Hermit Sect doesn't give you good treatment, you are welcome to join the Hermit Sect of our Zuoqiu Faction."

Li Weiyi shook his head with a smile. "Traitors never come to a good end."

Zuoqiu Ting looked into his eyes. "Seeing you this time, I can clearly sense that your cultivation has advanced significantly. At such a cultivation speed, I can't even hope to catch up. And considering your identity as an Insect Master... the true Divine Hermit of the Jiuli Hermit Sect for this Jiazi cycle... surely hasn't grown up yet? Is it you?"

A person of Zuoqiu Ting's caliber would not truly be so easygoing that any low-level martial cultivator could call him brother. His discernment was exceptional, and he knew how to judge people; he could naturally see Li Weiyi's intellect and potential.

He didn't believe that the elders of the Jiuli Hermit Sect couldn't see it.

At Thirty-Three Mile Mountain, Zuoqiu Baiming, a Nine Springs Pure Immortal Body at the Second Stage of the Five Seas Realm, lost a leg. Yet Li Weiyi, at the First Stage of the Five Seas Realm, was not only unharmed but had also killed all the enemies. How could this not impress Zuoqiu Ting?

A storm raged in Li Weiyi's heart. No wonder he could be the Zuoqiu Faction's First Successor. Seemingly approachable, broad-minded, and cheerful, he was in fact not only supremely cultivated but also possessed extraordinary intelligence and meticulous thought.

How long had they been cooperating? Yet he had already gradually uncovered the true capabilities of the Jiuli Hermit Sect's younger generation.

If allies could be so quickly investigated and understood, the effort spent on enemies would only be greater.

And how much did the Jiuli Hermit Sect know about the Zuoqiu Hermit Sect?

Among allies, if there isn't a reciprocal exchange, and one is always suppressed by the other and cannot gain a voice, then equality would be difficult to maintain, and the relationship would gradually transform into one of master and subordinate.

Yin Jiu and Yin Shi were naturally not lacking in intellect and martial arts. But Zuoqiu Ting had the home-field advantage, and in this invisible contest, they were already at a disadvantage.

Li Weiyi's thoughts raced. He laughed, "Yes, it's me! If I become a Divine Hermit in the future, I will definitely have Immortal Officer Qin Li perform a dance just for me. Her immortal grace, peerless in both dance and sword, would surely be the finest in the mortal realm."

Zuoqiu Ting slapped his hand and burst out laughing. "You're too audacious! A Divine Hermit dancing for you? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to her?"

"But we are blood siblings born from the same stalk..."

As soon as he said this, Li Weiyi glanced at her face, so close, and immediately felt a throbbing headache. He inwardly exclaimed, "Oh heavens!" He couldn't think too deeply. Today was destined to be a torment of this face and this captivating figure.

"It's not even noon yet. Is it too early to go to the banquet now?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zuoqiu Ting replied, "My dear brother, this is a free banquet. If we don't go early, we won't get a good spot."

Not long after the carriage left the inner city gate, the sound of ocean waves could be heard.

Qizhou Prefecture City bordered Bingzuze to the south. Therefore, the outer district of the South City was very narrow, and it had no outer city walls or gates. Along a straight avenue, dozens of zhang wide, one could ride a horse directly to the seaside.

Tian Pavilion was not built within the inner city, but on the sea.

This made the several-li wide outer city area of the South City exceptionally prosperous. Vermilion buildings and ornate pavilions connected in continuous stretches, market walls stood tall, and roads were flat and wide.

The closer they got to the sea, the livelier it became.

Various splendid exotic beast carriages clogged the road, blocking it completely. The talents inside the carriages were all masters at the Five Seas Realm level, either accompanied by beautiful maids and concubines or bringing a large number of armored guards. All presented themselves with great flair.

Li Weiyi woke up Yin Shi's maid, had her drive back, and instructed, "Please deliver a message to Immortal Officer Qin Li for me. Tell her I urgently need a Dao Lotus, and hope she can apply for one from the higher-ups. Also, Qin Yuan has been exposed!"

The awakened maid was wearing Zuoqiu Ting's outer robe. She looked at "Li Weier" beside Li Weiyi. How could she not understand what had happened?

After she drove away.

Zuoqiu Ting asked, "What realm are you actually in, that you need a Dao Lotus now?"

Li Weiyi replied triumphantly, "Of course, I'm at the Fourth Stage of the Five Seas Realm."

Zuoqiu Ting was slightly taken aback, then shook his head. "That's impossible. A few months ago in Buried Immortal Town, you were only at the Gushing Spring Realm... It can't be true, can it? This cultivation speed is beyond comprehension!"

Li Weiyi smiled, not answering her. He walked straight towards Tian Pavilion. "Just now, I overheard some martial cultivators in another carriage talking. Is it the Dragon Gate of the Eastern Territory hosting today's Five Seas Banquet? They say they've booked the entire Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion. All the young generation Five Seas Realm martial cultivators and Grand Master Mages in the city are on the invitation list. The Dragon Court is truly audacious, aren't they? How much money must that cost?"

Zuoqiu Ting raised his hand, then seeing he hadn't brought a folding fan, lowered it again. He said indifferently, "The Dragon Gate is a truly immense faction; this amount of money is negligible to them. They can both build momentum for their own righteous army, demonstrate their strength, and attract talented individuals from all over the world. Furthermore, they can gather bargaining chips for the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival."

"You should know, the Temple of Deliverance has sent out two hundred invitations, but there are definitely not two hundred portions of Longevity Pills, Dragon Seeds, and Dragon Bones combined. Moreover, good things in this world are never distributed equally."

"To get the rewards, it depends on how many masters you've gathered under your command. Everyone is at the Five Seas Realm, so human wave tactics are useful."

Li Weiyi's heart stirred. He asked, "Do you know the rules for the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival's duels?"

Zuoqiu Ting shook his head. "I don't know; everyone is guessing right now. But since it's about finding hidden dragons, how could the ability to recruit and gather forces be excluded? You're so concerned about the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival and eager to break through your realm... You don't want to participate, do you?"

"Anyone who doesn't want a Longevity Pill must be a big fool," Li Weiyi said frankly and seriously.

Zuoqiu Ting's expression became serious. "You absolutely must abandon this idea. I've already sensed a bloody storm brewing around this lantern festival; it will be extremely dangerous. As long as you don't participate, even if you stay in the city, no one will move to kill you. Otherwise... why am I telling you all this? No matter how fast you cultivate, don't even dream of getting an invitation before New Year's Eve. Haha!"

Renowned martial cultivators from various prefectures gathered in small groups, secretly communicating with spirit energy.

The two passed through the crowd and stood below the main entrance of Tian Pavilion.

Tian Pavilion in Qizhou Prefecture City, built on the sea, was a colossal seven-story tower-like pavilion, seemingly carved from white jade. Its soaring eaves resembled dragons, and its aura was magnificent.

Although it only had seven stories, it was as vast as a mountain... truly as immense as a mountain. The height of each story was quite astonishing. It was unimaginable how expansive each internal floor was. It was truly an architectural marvel.

It is said that the tower contained as many as seven thousand formation scripts; once fully activated, they would form a spherical light barrier. At night, it resembled a brilliant full moon over the sea, or an immortal palace in the moonlight.

Thus, this tower was also known as the "Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion," and was one of the most famous sights in Qizhou Prefecture City.

From the beach, layers of jade steps and three progressively ascending plazas were built, leading directly to the base of the tower.

Although it was still morning, martial cultivators arriving and ascending the steps were already an endless stream.

"How about a bet?" Li Weiyi said, gazing at the distant Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion, suddenly filled with heroic spirit. "If I get an invitation from the Temple of Deliverance before New Year's Eve, you owe me a Dao Lotus."

Zuoqiu Ting replied, "Alright. If you don't get one, you owe me ten jin of Immortal Soil."

"Where would I get ten jin of Immortal Soil?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zuoqiu Ting replied, "You don't have it? Then no bet!"

"Bet!" Li Weiyi said.

Zuoqiu Ting was surprised. "You actually have ten jin of Immortal Soil? I estimated you'd only have five jin of Immortal Soil, based on fifty thousand jin of spirit earth. How about you give me five jin first? I'll exchange them for Qi-gathering Pills and thousand-year elixirs at market price, no need for a thirty percent discount."

"You need Immortal Soil so urgently... Could it be that you want to reshape your flesh, blood, and internal organs to enhance your own strength? Has your physical body reached the Dao Body level?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zuoqiu Ting laughed. "One's own strength cannot be revealed. It's very dangerous if enemies know all your secrets. Isn't that why Hermit Sects exist?"

"Brother Chi? Ha, it really is you! It's almost been a month since we parted ways in Juze City, hasn't it?"

Qi Wangshu's voice rang out as he walked over with two young martial cultivators dressed in luxurious attire.

The two stopped conversing.

Li Weiyi quickly cupped his fists and laughed, "What a coincidence! Brother Qi, are you also here for this free grand banquet?"

After some pleasantries, Qi Wangshu introduced his two companions to Li Weiyi. "This is Qian Yanzhen, the most handsome young man of our Zhizhou Prefecture's younger generation, a Pure Immortal Body at the Third Stage of the Five Seas Realm."

Qian Yanzhen was indeed outstanding in appearance, refined and cultivated. Dressed in a sky-blue long robe with his hair tied with a jade hairpin, he exuded an aura of a reclusive master, but his presence seemed slightly gentle.

"And this one is extraordinary! He is Zuoqiu Baiyuan, a direct descendant and talent of the Zuoqiu Faction, with a cultivation at the Fourth Stage of the Five Seas Realm."

Zuoqiu Baiyuan was not a Pure Immortal Body, but merely a mortal. His face was long and lean, with thick eyebrows. His physique was tall and imposing. He was followed by two sword attendants, both at the Five Seas Realm. He exuded the pride and confidence of a scion from a prominent and powerful clan.

Both of them merely nodded slightly, their demeanor arrogant, even a little impatient. Their gazes occasionally drifted towards the distant Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion.

Qi Wangshu introduced Li Weiyi to the two. "This is Chi Yongsheng, the second most skilled master of the Chili Tribe of the Jiuli Clan, and he has a very deep and unusual relationship with Cang Li's sister."

As his latter remark was uttered, Qian Yanzhen and Zuoqiu Baiyuan finally looked at Li Weiyi directly.

Qi Wangshu looked at Zuoqiu Ting and asked, "And this person..."

"My sister. You can just call her Second Miss," Li Weiyi replied.

"Let's go, we can talk more inside the pavilion."

Zuoqiu Baiyuan ascended the jade steps first, walking upwards, with Qian Yanzhen following closely.

The two sword attendants remained outside.