Chapter 276: Qiubei Plain

Li Wei and Long Ting dodged the artifact, but the power emanating from it was still too much for their physical bodies to withstand. They were struck by lightning and fire respectively, both grunted, and were simultaneously thrown backward.

Long Ting's entire body was scorched black. He hung onto the rock wall with one hand, recalled his crimson dragon scales, and looked down at the water below, considering whether to suppress his injuries and use this opportunity to completely eliminate Li Wei.

To his horror, he then realized that seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Sovereigns were approaching from seven directions.

Were these seven strange insects really that formidable in defense?

Terrified, Long Ting immediately changed his mind and fled into a fissure in the ground, leaving behind a fading voice: "Once I break through to the third heaven of the Dao Seed realm, it will be your death day."

His cultivation was already very close to the third heaven of the Dao Seed realm, and he possessed the combat power to overcome stronger opponents.

Ordinary martial cultivators at the third heaven of the Dao Seed realm with weaker roots were no match for him.

Li Wei suppressed his injuries and looked up at the fissure, dozens of feet above. He did not activate his Prefectural Governor's Robe to pursue Long Ting, as Long Ting was not alone; many other powerful demonic cultivators had been with him earlier.

Recalling the seven little ones and the Violet Cloud Thunder Seal, Li Wei stepped on the waves and flew back onto the jade boat.

Qin Qian lay at the bow of the boat, her gaze towards Li Wei completely changed. Her heart was deeply shaken; with his cultivation, he had actually managed to repel Long Ting.

The spiritual energy released by the seven strange insects also didn't seem to be from the Dao Seed realm.

Li Wei walked over, his gaze sharp as a knife as he stared at her, engaged in a fierce internal struggle. Ultimately, kindness triumphed over rationality. He crouched down, extended a finger to her Five Seas, then to her Wind Mansion and Ancestral Field, examining and searching each one.

Qin Qian was startled by his gaze and dared not move, letting him do as he pleased.

With a splash!

Li Wei grabbed her by the collar and threw her into the blood river. He said coldly, "If you don't want to die, quickly wash yourself clean and change all your old clothes. Be fast. I'll give you thirty breaths at most!"

Blood seeped from Li Wei's mouth. He clutched his chest with his hand, then pulled out a set of men's clothes from his spatial pouch, tossing them onto the boat, and began to regulate his breathing and recover.

In the water, Qin Qian was initially furious, feeling that Li Wei had greatly disrespected her.

But Li Wei's unusual actions forced her to think hard.

She soon understood the reason.

Long Ting had been able to track them accurately across hundreds of miles, making it highly probable that he had tampered with something on her.

Li Wei's earlier examination of her internal worlds was precisely to search for this.

Evidently, the reason Li Wei's gaze had been so terrifying earlier was because he was debating whether to cruelly abandon her and let her fend for herself.

For some reason, Qin Qian's mind was incredibly clear at that moment.

Having figured all this out, Qin Qian gritted her teeth and began to undress in the water, feeling naturally wronged. From childhood, no one in the Thunderclap Sect had ever dared to treat her so roughly, and she had never been a burden. But now, it truly seemed as if everything was her fault.

She secretly glanced at Li Wei, who was standing on the boat.

That guy didn't even avert his gaze; his eyes remained open, not looking at her, but rather deep in thought.

But this was truly too embarrassing...

Dozens of breaths later, Qin Qian boarded the boat, having changed her clothes. Her long hair was soaking wet, and her entire body remained tense. Her usually pale face was completely flushed.

Slap!

Without warning, Li Wei's finger, imbued with powerful spiritual energy, tapped her forehead.

Qin Qian lost consciousness and slumped into his hands.

Li Wei shrunk the jade artifact boat to palm size, then activated the spatial power of his Prefectural Governor's Robe, transforming into a ball of purple misty light, and shot towards the ground with the power of spatial traversal.

Qin Qian slowly regained consciousness and found herself still on the jade boat.

The difference was, the jade boat was now flying rapidly through the clouds high in the sky.

She looked at the tall figure standing at the bow, propelling the jade boat, and quietly wondered why he had knocked her out earlier.

Suddenly, her chest, cuffs, and legs felt cool as cold wind blew into the ill-fitting, loose robes. She quickly tucked in her slender hands and legs.

Immediately after, Qin Qian realized that all her broken bones had been reset. Her emotions became complex, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Li Wei did not turn around. "Thirteen broken bones, including arm, collarbone, ribs, coccyx, and finger bones. Long Ting truly struck viciously. That's 130,000 Yongquan coins, plus the previous 100,000... Let's just say 500,000 for you!"

Surprisingly, Qin Qian did not refute him; she remained very quiet.

"Because of you, Long Ting was drawn here, and I had to fight him to the death. I'm severely injured; surely that's worth 270,000 Yongquan coins, right?"

Li Wei explained this, then turned to look at her.

He thought her talent was good and her appearance excellent; she should be able to get 500,000 Yongquan coins from the Qin family and Lu Cangsheng. This way, the debt with Yin Er would be settled!

Qin Qian wiped away her tears and said calmly, "Whatever you say it is. Am I in a position to bargain?"

Li Wei saw that she was in low spirits and couldn't help but wonder if he had exploited her too much. So he comforted her, "People only achieve true enlightenment amidst great ups and downs. While this calamity with Long Ting certainly caused you immense pain, wasn't it also a rare experience? A true catastrophe is irrecoverable; it's death, with no chance to start over. You're at least still alive, aren't you?"

Qin Qian said, "Long Ting wanted to kill you, and Senior Brother. I am a victim. I should reflect, but not because of this incident."

Li Wei was slightly surprised and momentarily speechless.

"The Violet Cloud Thunder Seal was once a supreme treasure of the Thunderclap Sect. It's said to be a war artifact of a certain giant of the Nine Li tribe now. During the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, it was only lent to you for use and has since been recalled," Qin Qian suddenly said.

Li Wei frowned. "You're not bargaining; you're looking for death."

"If I die, the Thunderclap Sect won't let you off. Long Ting escaped, and he will surely spread the word about what happened between us. Hmph, you can't threaten me!" Qin Qian added, "Besides, if you kill me, who will pay you? If you, Li Wei, were truly ruthless, you would have abandoned me in the underground blood river long ago."

Li Wei was so exasperated he laughed; the crucial thing was that she had a point.

Fearing Li Wei might actually silence her, Qin Qian's tone softened again. "Don't worry, I wouldn't betray your kindness. I'll pretend I never saw the Violet Cloud Thunder Seal. And I'll definitely find a way to pay you the 500,000 Yongquan coins. I just feel that you shouldn't treat me like an idiot, and certainly shouldn't look down on me like that."

"Just pay the money! If Long Ting truly spreads rumors, I won't let him off."

Li Wei's expression relaxed, and he smiled, then added, "If Old Lu misunderstands anything, let me know, and I'll definitely help you explain. He's a smart man..."

"As for him, you'd best not say anything reckless."

Qin Qian scoffed, then fell silent and began to heal her own injuries.

The jade boat flew hundreds of miles northward, and Li Wei's spiritual energy was severely depleted.

So he returned to the ground, preparing to rest for two hours and absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

The Northern Hills Plains stretched vast and boundless.

It was the season of clear autumn skies and refreshing air. As far as the eye could see, there were vast expanses of yellow and red leaves and foot-high withered grass, making the landscape desolate yet magnificent.

What was strange, however, was that numerous grave mounds and stone tablets, unusually dense, had appeared on the plains. Under the setting sun, they cast long shadows.

The grave mounds had swelled directly from the ground, most of them only a few feet high.

As for the stone tablets, they were all ancient and dilapidated, bearing inscriptions that dated back thousands of years.

If Li Wei hadn't already heard about this from Zuoqiu Cangwu, he would surely have thought he had stumbled into the underworld of departed souls.

The eerie feeling and shock upon witnessing it firsthand were indescribable. There was truly a chilling atmosphere, as if the apocalypse was gradually descending.

He released his spiritual power to investigate.

Most of the grave mounds contained skeletons with varying degrees of decay.

"What kind of power is this?"

Whoosh—

Li Wei pressed his palm to the ground.

Threads of spiritual light spread out, but he found no unusual energy underground.

Qin Qian said, "Stop investigating! Even an ancient Saint Spirit Nian Master from the Thunderclap Sect couldn't find the cause, let alone you?"

Li Wei retracted the threads of spiritual light. "Where are the people from your Thunderclap Sect? I can take you to a place not far from them."

Qin Qian pondered for a moment, then explained, "After the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival concluded, we young disciples of the Five Seas Realm didn't actually return to the Eastern Territory. Instead, we all gathered in the area where the entrance to the underground immortal mansion is located, exploring and searching for treasures under the guidance of sect elders and true disciples."

"We only retreated after the strange outbreak in the underground immortal mansion."

"Many prominent figures from the Thunderclap Sect rushed over. After investigating the anomalies in various places, some went to Fuzhou City to communicate with the Jiang family. They believed that since the Jiang family had occupied Fuzhou for many years, they must have some understanding of the underground situation."

"Others went to Qiuzhou City, intending to visit the transcendent figure of Confucianism. They believed that a transcendent spiritual master would surely be able to understand this strange power."

"On the way to Qiuzhou City, we were ambushed by demonic cultivators. In the chaos, I fell into Long Ting's hands."

"Now I don't know where to find the Thunderclap Sect members... There should be some true disciples at the entrance to the underground immortal mansion."

Li Wei asked, "Do you know the direction to Qifeng Ancient County City?"

"I've been there; it's only a hundred miles from the entrance to the underground immortal mansion, but the direction..." Qin Qian shook her head.

"Hurry and heal your injuries. The demonic cultivators might catch up at any time."

All along the way, Li Wei had flown directly north. The powerful demonic cultivators would surely guess he intended to go to the underground immortal mansion, making tracking him not difficult.

The reason he dared to do this was, firstly, to expose his location to Shi Jiuzhai and the clumsy elder who might be following behind.

If he continued to sneak underground, these two would not be able to find him, even if they wanted to protect him.

Secondly, Li Wei's jade artifact boat belonged to Zhu Qinfeng, a Prefectural Governor from a thousand years ago. It was of extremely high grade and a supreme treasure for escape. Its speed advantage could only be fully utilized above ground.

Upon entering the Northern Hills Plains, martial cultivators riding flying beasts occasionally passed through the sky or stealthily traveled across the ground, all heading towards the underground immortal mansion.

Li Wei stopped a Five Seas Realm martial cultivator from Shuzhou to ask for directions to Qifeng Ancient County City. He learned it was only eight hundred miles away.

Ignoring his rumbling stomach, Li Wei took out the jade boat and called Qin Qian to board. They planned to fly in relays, reaching Qifeng Ancient County City before nightfall to eat hot noodles and take a hot bath in one go.

Thinking of this, he felt a sudden eagerness.

"Don't worry anymore! I have a friend over there who can help eliminate Long Ting. Your reputation is important, but mine is even more so. What if Zuoqiu Hongting calls off the engagement?"

Li Wei released spiritual energy into the palm-sized jade boat, propelling it to five or six meters in length.

The jade boat's length was controllable; the smaller the boat, the less spiritual energy consumed.

Qin Qian boarded the boat, feeling a little pity for him, and said with concern, "After your Ancestral Field was crippled, life in the Zuoqiu household must have been very difficult, right? I heard you even attempted suicide? If Zuoqiu Hongting breaks off the engagement, she'll definitely regret it; your spiritual talent is far from ordinary."

Boom!

From the horizon, a peal of thunder echoed through the clear sky.

It was very sudden.

Li Wei looked over and saw a large mass of black clouds approaching. "Are those powerful cultivators from your Thunderclap Sect?"

Qin Qian's expression changed dramatically after looking. "Hurry and go! That's Ying Ji, a demonic beast with lightning elemental dao arts; his cultivation is terrifyingly many times stronger than Long Ting's. He is one of Dragon Gate's guardian beasts!"

Black clouds rolled in from the south, accompanied by a bone-chilling wind that swept across the land.

A high-pitched, eerie cry rang out from within the clouds.

Immediately, a bolt of lightning streaked across dozens of miles of sky, striking the ground where the jade boat had been.

Rumble!

Thunder rumbled, and dust flew everywhere.

The jade boat turned into a streak of light and shot into the sky, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Li Wei continuously poured spiritual energy into it, regardless of consumption. Inside the jade boat, countless scriptures emerged, and its speed became increasingly faster, slicing through the sky towards Qifeng Ancient County City.

Ying Ji, who was pursuing from behind, was a monstrous bird with two rock heads. Its wingspan was over sixty meters, and countless lightning patterns adorned its feathers.

In terms of speed alone, it could easily overwhelm any Dao Seed realm martial cultivator of the same level.

However, it was surprisingly unable to catch up with the jade boat ahead.

Too fast!

After flying just two hundred miles, Li Wei's spiritual energy in his Five Seas and Wind Mansion was completely depleted, so he immediately had Qin Qian take over the propulsion.

He quickly sat down to meditate, absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

At this moment, the spiritual energy in the environment showed signs of abnormal flow.

To the left of the sky, a powerful force appeared, sucking and pulling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth towards it, making the spiritual energy in this area increasingly thin.

Li Wei looked to the left.

He saw a skeletal bird rising from the ground on the horizon, amidst the setting red sun.

Its entire skeleton was crimson, with blood vessels distributed within the bone grooves. It had a long bony tail, and its whole body was enveloped in red clouds. It was flying to intercept the jade boat.

"It's the Bone Bird King of Yin Mountain, Shang Lie."

Qin Qian grew tense. Both demonic beasts pursuing them were fiercely renowned powerhouses in the Lingxiao Living Realm. Once caught, they would have no power to fight back.

Only Li Wei, a Divine Hidden person of the Nine Li tribe, was significant enough to provoke them into personally taking action.

Li Wei said in a teaching tone, "The more dangerous the situation, the calmer you must be. You must know how to adapt to circumstances. Our speed is fast; they won't catch up so easily. Keep the jade boat flying low, using the terrain to evade their long-range attacks."

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