Chapter 232: Gathering the Final Cards

"Last year, Long Ting killed Zhu Huan at the Seven Stars Pavilion of the Bright Moon. How about I let you have him?" Li Weiyi said.

On the city wall, the two people opposite smiled and shook their heads.

Feng Yin said, "Our mission is to stay with you until dawn."

"Long Ting is bleeding! That means he's not a Cinder Spirit under his human skin, but himself. Don't you realize the implications of this?" Li Weiyi wanted to use this to lure away the two top-ranked imperial experts.

Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan indeed showed thoughtful expressions.

Whoosh!

Seizing this opportunity, Li Weiyi, with a wisp of green smoke under his feet, shot down the city wall, heading towards the dense cluster of buildings in the inner city, and disappeared.

Given the situation tonight and the challenges he would face tomorrow morning, Li Weiyi had no energy to pursue Long Ting. His top priority was to find a way to survive.

It was late at night.

On the streets, pedestrians were almost nonexistent. Only sounds of battle, thunder, and strange beasts roaring came from every direction, as if threateningly telling everyone in the city that danger was everywhere tonight, and they should not go out.

Li Weiyi moved swiftly through the darkness, continuously hearing a faint, indistinct rushing sound in his ears.

Jiang Ning's words were true; Feng Yin's speed was indeed extraordinary and hard to shake off.

Even on the most dangerous nights, there were brightly lit places.

Li Weiyi entered the underground Nether Market of Qiuzhou City.

Brothels, gambling houses, slave trading, assassin guilds, pawn shops for stolen goods... various illicit industries gathered here, making it a truly chaotic place.

Not only cultivators of the Spring Fountain Realm and Five Seas Realm, but even powerful figures of the Dao Seed Realm, demon races, and departed spirits were frequently seen.

Those who dared to come to the Nether Market were all desperate characters. They paid no mind to the fighting among the young generation of Five Seas Realm cultivators tonight. Instead, they opened betting pools, wagering on who would become a "Hidden Dragon" and who would acquire the most Longevity Pills...

Zuoqiu Hongting once said that the Disguise Art was an extraordinary secret technique; if cultivated to perfection, it would be even more valuable than a Longevity Realm cultivator.

Li Weiyi, of course, had not cultivated it to that level.

However, at his current level, the Disguise Art was already quite useful.

Facing a formidable enemy like Ge Xiantong, Li Weiyi's heart at this moment held none of the passion and fearlessness he displayed when speaking with Jiang Ning. Instead, he was racking his brain the entire way, trying to come up with a strategy.

To him, the Disguise Art was an effective tactic.

He wasn't aiming to fight Ge Xiantong; he just needed to survive three more days until the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors grew to seven inches. At that point, he would naturally have the power to protect himself.

If Ge Xiantong couldn't even find him, how could he kill him?

Before that, he first had to find a way to shake off Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan.

Li Weiyi entered a bustling gambling house. While moving between tables to place bets, he changed his appearance and build, even swapping his clothes.

He walked out of the gambling house, looking like a middle-aged man.

Then he went to the brothel next door, bathed, burned incense, and changed his scent.

Emerging from the brothel, he had transformed again, now tall and thin, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe. However, not long after leaving the Nether Market, he spotted Zhen Yuyan trailing him in the shadows, and his heart sank sharply.

Can't shake her off?

Li Weiyi actively approached Zhen Yuyan and asked, "May I ask where my flaw lies?"

As an elite expert from the Lingxiao Palace, Zhen Yuyan had that same haughty, disdainful air as Zhuang Yue back then. "It's not that you have a flaw," she said, "it's that I'm famous throughout the world for my tracking abilities. What makes you think you can shake me off?"

Li Weiyi said, "I just asked a question; there's no need to be so fierce, is there? Before dawn, I might still join the imperial court and become your direct superior."

Zhen Yuyan said lightly, "Many things can be changed, hidden, and concealed. But some things cannot, such as the weight of your body, the unique aura of your Dharma energy..."

"You're misleading me!"

Li Weiyi didn't believe it was as mystical as she claimed, guessing that she either mastered a certain secret art or possessed a unique innate ability.

For example, a Heaven-Reaching Eye.

For example, Er Feng's ability to sense Dharma energy.

Walking and trailing, the two arrived at the bank of a large river.

Li Weiyi intended to escape via the river, washing away all traces, but he saw Feng Yin already waiting by the riverbank.

From a distance, Feng Yin smiled and said, "Lord Li Er, the Palace Master, greatly admires you. If you join the imperial court, you will surely rise quickly and have the chance to obtain Longevity Pills, Dragon Seeds, and Dragon Bones."

"It seems I can't shake you off," Li Weiyi said. "Let me reconsider."

Realizing their prowess, Li Weiyi no longer deliberately evaded their pursuit. While recuperating from his injuries, he headed towards the South City.

"There are still three hours until dawn. Whether I can escape Ge Xiantong's murderous pursuit depends crucially on my preparations before daybreak. This is also my advantage. I'm treating this contest with all my might, while Ge Xiantong merely sees it as a task."

The reason Li Weiyi didn't admit to having the strength of a Legacy Holder was that, without using his important trump cards, he indeed couldn't defeat one.

Even his victory against Long Ting was because Long Ting had to conceal his identity, fighting with his hands tied.

It was different now. Facing the top expert of the younger generation, he naturally couldn't hold back anymore.

Every trump card had to be used.

"Master Spirit Tablet, do you have any powerful talismans you can draw for me?" Li Weiyi communicated with his three masters in the Blood Mud Space.

The Crossing Calamity Temple only stipulated that Spirit Practitioners and Dao Seed Realm cultivators could not make a move.

Thunder Arts and Profound Ice could both be used, so talismans drawn by the older generation could clearly also be carried.

Talismans that could be stored in the Spirit Realm of the Glabella or carried on paper were extremely rare and precious, often secret arts of major powers. But given who Master Spirit Tablet was in life, how could she not have mastered some?

"Haha, you finally thought of us! I thought you'd keep relying on your own strength indefinitely," Master Pot chuckled.

Li Weiyi said, "Other cultivators can use departed spirits. My asking three departed spirit masters for help is perfectly in line with the rules."

Master Spirit Tablet said, "There are Nullification Runes suspended in the sky. Talismans exceeding the level of Grand Spiritualists will be suppressed. And talismans at the Grand Spiritualist level, with a single attack, can at most reach the Fifth Stage of the Five Seas Realm. Used against an expert of Ge Xiantong's caliber, they would be completely useless."

Li Weiyi was already mentally prepared. "So, the talisman path won't work?"

"Not entirely," she replied.

Master Spirit Tablet continued, "Talismans won't pose a threat to him, but some can be used on *you*. For example, a Swiftness Talisman!"

"It can increase my speed?" Li Weiyi asked.

Master Spirit Tablet said, "With the soul power and mental energy I've recovered, I can indeed draw two Swiftness Talismans of the Grand Spiritualist's ultimate level for you. But even at that level, I don't think you'll escape Ge Xiantong; it will only increase your chances of escape."

With two extra trump cards, Li Weiyi was already satisfied. He asked, "Master Pot, you were laughing so happily just now; do you have a trump card you can give me?"

"No trump cards," Master Pot replied, "but I do have some dirty tricks."

Master Pot said, "To overcome the strong with the weak, at your cultivation realm, poison is the most effective. For example, you've seen the Night Emperor Toad Venom from Night City and the Earth Spirit Gray Mist from Coffin Mountain!"

Li Weiyi's heart stirred, then he gave a wry smile. "Ge Xiantong is the top expert of the younger generation, not the biggest idiot. If poison could bring him down, he would have died countless times already!"

"As far as I know," Li Weiyi continued, "the Night Emperor Toad Venom needs to break the skin and enter the bloodstream. The Earth Spirit Gray Mist needs to be inhaled. As long as he's on guard..."

Master Pot said, "Ge Xiantong isn't dead; why wouldn't he breathe? Why couldn't you make him bleed? Anyway, I'm just offering suggestions; how you implement them is up to your own ability."

Li Weiyi then asked Master Coffin for a trump card.

Master Coffin said, "Indeed, you must treat Ge Xiantong with utmost seriousness. But we are all too weak and absolutely cannot expose any traces, so we can't help you much. If you can avoid him, you must. If you can't... well, how about this: before you confront him, put some blood into the bloody handprint on the chest of your Corpse Robe Soft Armor."

"But you must understand, once you use it, there might be some trouble later."

"Also, use your brain more. Many killings can actually be avoided. Everyone has their own interests and things they fear."

Li Weiyi felt a slight increase in confidence. His gaze turned towards the approaching Peach and Plum Mountain. Finally, he could spare some thoughts to consider the current plight of the Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiuli Tribe.

Regardless of whether the Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiuli Tribe could hold out tonight, fleeing Qiuzhou City was never an option for him.

He rushed back to South City.

Li Weiyi moved cautiously and stealthily, trying his best to avoid the imperial cultivators.

The defensive formation of the Zuoqiu Clan's main stronghold, "South Lake Academy," had been largely destroyed amidst collisions with various 'Hundred-Character Sutra' artifacts, and its defensive perimeter was shrinking.

The ruins were strewn with corpses; the fighting had been extremely fierce.

From the first day of the Lunar New Year to the twelfth, the Thunder Arts and Profound Ice of all major factions had been almost entirely depleted.

Now, it was a battle of artifacts.

A main stronghold naturally held irreplaceable importance; one could wait at ease for the fatigued enemy, safely recuperate injuries, and use a small number of spiritualists to hold off a large number of cultivators.

If the main stronghold were to fall, it would be like an army losing its logistics, medical care, sanctuary, and defensive fortress...

How could they not be defeated?

The Zuoqiu Clan was well-prepared, naturally having more than just the South Lake Academy stronghold. One had already been destroyed on Lunar New Year's Eve.

Additionally, there were other smaller strongholds in the city that were exposed during tonight's operation and came under siege.

Li Weiyi moved along the edges of the various battlefields, gathering much information.

"Taking advantage of the three major powers sending out their full forces to attack the Thundercloud Sect and Dragon Gate, the Zuoqiu Clan divided its troops into three groups to assault the main stronghold in the far western Ash Lands, the Governor's Mansion, and the main stronghold of the Snow Sword Tang Court. Although they successively breached these locations and killed countless enemies, as the pillars of light rose, the five major powers joined forces, crushing them from the East City and completely routing the Zuoqiu Clan's three cultivator teams."

"The Zuoqiu Clan's three cultivator teams, without defensive formations from strongholds, could only choose to fight a desperate battle against enemies several times their number."

"After dividing their forces into three, the Zuoqiu Clan's main stronghold was left empty and was on the verge of destruction."

"Zuoqiu Hong and Zuoqiu Ting have already been killed by Luan Shenglinyoo and Ge Xiantong. Cang Li died at the hands of Long Dian and Lu Cangsheng."

Various pieces of information, some true and some false, spread throughout the city, intended to break the fighting spirit of the Zuoqiu Clan's cultivators.

Li Weiyi, of course, knew that Zuoqiu Hongting had indeed fallen for the trap, genuinely dispatching cultivators to attack the main stronghold in the far western Ash Lands and the Governor's Mansion.

Anyone else would likely have fallen for it too.

Even if she had kept her troops still, the enemy would surely have had a second strategy tonight. Eliminating her was a consensus among all major powers.

Li Weiyi stood at a high vantage point, watching cultivators continuously fall at various strongholds. It was just a Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, yet he felt the cruelty and bloodiness of a battlefield.

Who could guarantee that the situation in the world wouldn't evolve like tonight's events?

At that time, what would be annihilated would be the entire Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiuli Tribe.

"Zuoqiu Ting, oh, Zuoqiu Ting, you absolutely must hold on! I still have a score to settle with you!"

Li Weiyi knew that even if he intervened, he couldn't change the overall situation. In such large-scale confrontations, the role an individual cultivator could play was extremely limited.

After searching all over South City, he couldn't find Cang Li, Yin Jiu, or Li Ling. He heard some information about them, suggesting they had gone to West City to attack the main stronghold in the far western Ash Lands.

Li Weiyi pondered whether he should rush to West City to rendezvous with them.

Feng Yin appeared and chuckled, "Have you given up now? The Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiuli Tribe are certainly doomed before dawn. Lord Li, you only have two hours left to decide!"

Li Weiyi cleared his mind of distractions, once again confronting the blade hanging over his head.

Currently, he was like a clay Buddha crossing a river—barely able to protect himself.

Those few extra tricks might be utterly useless against Ge Xiantong.

The Ghost General in the Ghost Flag had combat strength comparable to a Dao Seed Realm cultivator, but its full-force attack was casually blocked by the injured Luan Shenglinyoo. Ge Xiantong's combat strength was definitely at that same level.

Only by shaking off Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan could he truly be free of worries once and for all.

But Li Weiyi had already tried all sorts of methods...

What a headache!

To Feng Yin's and Zhen Yuyan's surprise, Li Weiyi actually revealed his true face and headed towards South Lake Academy, where the battle was fiercest.

Zhen Yuyan said, "Is he finally going to make a move?"

"Perhaps he's trying to find a way to escape. Follow him," Feng Yin said.