Chapter 340: Hidden Monarch

The target of the Luan Pavilion powerhouses was clearly the young Phoenix-Dragon, and they paid no attention to Li Weiyi and his companions.

Half an hour later, Li Weiyi and his two companions, along with the three from Leixiao Sect, burst out of the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs' formation range. Standing on a low hill, they could already see the city walls and lights of Leiling City.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to flow freely, no longer in a stagnant state.

Li Weiyi let out a long breath and glanced back. The towering mountains behind him were eternally silent, deep, and hazy, appearing almost like a different world compared to the outside.

For now, they were safe.

Zhao Qianfeng, feeling as if he had escaped death, was extremely excited. He cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Thank you, senior, for saving us. May I ask your esteemed name? Leixiao Sect will surely offer a generous reward."

"No need for a generous reward; money will suffice," Li Weiyi replied, his tone flat and unfeeling.

Zhao Qianfeng looked embarrassed and turned to Elder Lin and Qin Qian.

One had profound cultivation, and the other came from a prominent family.

Elder Lin knew the mysterious old man possessed profound spiritual power and could even contend with the young Phoenix-Dragon, so he dared not offend him. After bowing, he said, "A life-saving grace should be repaid even if it means losing everything. However, two million Yongquan coins is truly too much; we genuinely don't have that much at the moment."

Li Weiyi's eyes showed displeasure. "Were you deceiving me earlier? I took a great risk to save you."

"We wouldn't dare. We absolutely had no such intention."

Zhao Qianfeng was terrified and secretly cursed himself for not escaping faster, allowing this old monster to catch up.

At a critical juncture of life and death, they would have given any amount of money.

Now that they were safe...

Every single Yongquan coin was their hard-earned money.

Li Weiyi was a man of his word and naturally expected others to be as well. "Hand over everything valuable you have, including ancestral lands and spiritual artifacts in your spiritual mansions."

Qin Qian had been staring at him intently, unable to confirm whether he was Li Weiyi.

She also knew that if she asked directly, he would certainly not admit it.

So, she said, "I'd like to have a private word with you, senior!"

"What's there to talk about? Stop playing tricks. If you push me, I'll sell all of you. If you didn't have the money, why claim you could pay two million Yongquan coins? You're infuriating me!" Li Weiyi said in a deep voice.

Qin Qian took off the interspatial bag from her waist. "I've gathered five hundred thousand Yongquan coins over the past year and have been carrying them with me. Let's talk privately..."

Before she could finish.

The interspatial bag in her hand had vanished, appearing in Li Weiyi's grasp.

Li Weiyi opened the bag to inspect it and found that there truly were five hundred thousand Yongquan coins, packed in five iron chests. His impression of Qin Qian instantly improved; she was a woman of her word.

His rescue of her a year ago had not been in vain.

Li Weiyi put away the interspatial bag, feeling slightly more satisfied. "What other good things do you have on you? Hand them all over."

"That's all! To collect these five hundred thousand Yongquan coins, I even sold my spiritual artifacts."

Qin Qian clenched her back teeth, seething with hatred but daring not to show it. If this person wasn't Li Weiyi but a true evil old monster, any rash move on her part would surely lead to disaster.

Beside them, Qi Xiao and Tuoba Butuo had thoroughly searched the two members of Leixiao Sect, counting all their spiritual artifacts, treasures, and money. It only amounted to fifty thousand Yongquan coins.

The main value was concentrated in two spiritual artifacts, which constituted all their wealth.

"You're all too poor! Confiscate all their life tokens. We'll collect the debt later."

Li Weiyi was collecting Yongquan coins, naturally, to buy thousand-year-old spirit herbs. He wanted to feed his seven young ones to the Fourth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm as quickly as possible, and the current need was immense.

Although Li Weiyi had saved them earlier, at this moment, the three members of Leixiao Sect felt as if they had been robbed by bandits, and their hearts were filled with extreme hatred.

Zhao Qianfeng suppressed the burning anger in his heart, a desperate thought arising. He calmly said, "Senior, you can accompany us to Leiling City. We can definitely gather the remaining one million Yongquan coins there."

Elder Lin added, "We can also prepare a feast to entertain our three saviors."

Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed. How could he not see their reluctance?

He took the three life tokens from Qi Xiao, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Are you trying to entertain your saviors, or kill them? Get out!"

Elder Lin and Zhao Qianfeng realized this old monster was highly vigilant. They immediately dismissed any further schemes and rapidly flew towards Leiling City.

Qin Qian's steps were slow as she descended the mountain, transmitting a message with spiritual energy: "Life tokens will expose your location! Within a certain range, the Everlasting Realm grandmasters of Leixiao Sect can use them to find you."

She kept her word and didn't repay kindness with enmity; Leixiao Sect still had disciples of good character. Li Weiyi nodded slightly, then his heart stirred as he thought of his own Divine Son Life Token from the Dao Cult.

It would probably also expose his location; he needed to put it into the Blood Mud Space.

"Thank you."

Qin Qian, who had already reached the foot of the mountain, trembled as she heard those two words. It truly was him! Her anger and hatred from earlier instantly vanished.

She abruptly turned around and looked towards the mountaintop, but Li Weiyi and his two companions were nowhere to be seen.

From Leiling City to Nanyan Pass was only four hundred li.

Throughout the night, Qi Xiao enveloped the other two in spiritual energy as they traveled.

By dawn, Li Weiyi's injuries had completely healed. Looking into the distance, they could see Nanyan Pass, built against the mountain twenty li away, with its architecture rising in five tiers from the base to the summit.

On the road, refugees streamed in from all directions, many of them martial arts masters of the Five Seas Realm.

There were also powerful cultivators of the Dao Seed Realm, relocating their entire families.

In times of chaos, all factions were recruiting and building up forces; as long as one possessed strength, they could, to some extent, secure a path to survival.

Those of the Five Seas Realm could protect themselves.

Those of the Dao Seed Realm could protect their small families.

Struggling, striving, migrating, gambling with their lives, making compromises, barely surviving...

The more remote and chaotic the area, the more rampant the Spirit-Demons became.

Places without order were the most dangerous.

Therefore, everyone believed that the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain was currently the safest place in the Lingxiao Living Realm. Consequently, most martial cultivators from war-torn regions gathered here.

Nanyan Pass had already imposed martial law, making entry far more difficult than before.

On the plain outside the pass, a shantytown stretching twenty li had been erected, housing at least a million people, effectively transforming into a refugee city.

A soldier on a strong horse galloped past Li Weiyi and his companions, shouting, "General Taishi is recruiting garrison soldiers! Those with cultivation above the Five Springs Realm and with official civilian registers can go to the recruitment point for assessment."

"Martial cultivators of the Five Seas Realm with official civilian registers who are willing to be soul-bound can participate in the Gigant Army assessment."

Upon hearing the news of military recruitment, countless figures rushed out from the refugee city, all hoping to secure a livelihood and a future.

If they could gain entry to the pass through this, all the better.

Li Weiyi sighed inwardly. The large-scale conscription at Nanyan Pass surely indicated that war was imminent, didn't it? But how could martial cultivators struggling at the brink of death consider such a point?

In any case, the imperial court had at least detected the danger and was actively responding. Not all officials in power were incompetent.

Li Weiyi said, "The Dao Cult is holding Zhou Bida's wife, daughter, and family members hostage, so he must harbor resentment. My trip there might not be safe. The two of you shouldn't enter the city. If I don't send back a message within two days, something has likely happened to me."

"At that time, one of you must immediately return to the Tuoba Clan or the Qi Family and relay the information I've given you to the Snow Sword Tang Court or the Zuoqiu Family."

"Of course, this also means you would have betrayed the Dao Cult, and the Death Spirit Flame within your bodies would activate. That means death!"

"The other person should return to the Dao Cult and inform Venerable Nan of these matters, so she can prepare a response early. As for how to choose then, you decide for yourselves."

Qi Xiao said, "Since there's danger, I'll go to the Zhou residence."

"Let me go," Tuoba Butuo said.

Li Weiyi gently shook his head. "Stop arguing! Both of you possess Pure Immortal Constitutions and profound cultivation. Once you enter the pass, the imperial court will undoubtedly notice you. Besides, this is just a precaution. If there were truly great danger, my master wouldn't have let me come."

Li Weiyi held a certain trust in Venerable Nan.

The reason he hadn't immediately betrayed the Dao Cult and spread the news was Li Weiyi's greatest fear that it would harm her. Therefore, he had been considering countermeasures all along, hoping to achieve both goals.

After agreeing on the communication methods, Li Weiyi entered the pass alone.

The Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain was already overcrowded, and Nanyan Pass maintained strict control. Even Five Seas Realm martial cultivators with civilian registers found it extremely difficult to gain entry.

Li Weiyi hadn't considered forging a civilian register or seizing one from a passerby.

Nanyan Pass was such a vital military stronghold that it was certainly under strict imperial surveillance. As soon as he entered the Zhou residence, certain agencies would undoubtedly become aware. The more he tried to conceal himself, the greater the danger.

In front of the city gate.

Li Weiyi performed the Disguise Art, revealing his identity as a Spiritual Cultivator. He then handed over a visiting card, prepared using a special Dao Cult method, saying, "I have been invited to visit Deputy General Zhou. Please deliver this card for me."

Learning from his last experience, Li Weiyi had disguised himself to appear about forty years old this time.

The soldiers guarding the city gate dared not be negligent; after all, this was a Spiritual Cultivator, likely a distinguished guest of the Deputy General. He might even become their superior in the future.

The visiting card was sealed with runes, designed to be destroyed if opened improperly.

Naturally, no one would dare open it without authorization.

Before long, an exotic beast carriage took Li Weiyi into Nanyan Pass and drove towards the Zhou residence.

The driver was Zhou Bida's personal guard.

Nanyan Pass was built against the mountain, extending from the Fuzhou Plain all the way to the top of the Xushan Celestial Vein. It covered an extremely vast area, yet lacked the bustling prosperity of a grand city. Everything was orderly, solemn, and grave.

Along the streets were various shops, restaurants, carriage services, elixir stores, and spiritual artifact shops. Pedestrians were well-dressed, most traveling by carriage, a stark contrast to the refugee city outside.

At every crossroads and at the boundary of each city tier, there was an array tower.

This pass was one of the four major gateways and transit points to the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain. The imperial court had stationed eight thousand of its most elite Five Seas soldiers here.

Rumor had it that this Gigant Army, led by Taishi Qingcang, could confront transcendent beings in offense and and was impregnable in defense.

Nanyan Pass had three Deputy Generals, and Zhou Bida was one of them, responsible for array formations and city defense.

The exotic beast carriage slowly entered the Zhou residence.

Li Weiyi lifted the curtain to observe. The residence was vast, with tree crowns resembling piled snow, and spiritual plants and precious herbs planted everywhere. However, no maids or servants were visible, making it unusually quiet.

"From entering the pass to arriving at the residence, it's been too smooth!"

Li Weiyi's brows furrowed. He quickly put on the Governor's official robe as an inner layer.

If anything changed, he would immediately use the spatial power within the official robe to escape.

He had investigated upon entering the pass and found that the array formation's light veil above the city gate was not strong. With his current cultivation, he could break through it.

Normally, the array formation would not be fully activated.

The exotic beast carriage suddenly stopped. The personal guard driving it announced, "Guest, we've arrived," and then promptly left, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Li Weiyi cautiously dismounted and looked to his right.

He saw that the exotic beast carriage had stopped in front of a moon gate. Plum blossoms bloomed profusely on the white wall, and the surroundings were tranquil.

Inside the gate.

The familiar voice of Hermit Monarch rang out: "Hurry and come in!"

Li Weiyi paused for a moment, his thoughts racing. Many of his doubts were instantly resolved, and a look of great joy appeared on his face as he quickly stepped through the moon gate.

Hermit Monarch, wearing a mask and with hands clasped behind his back, stood in a pavilion at the edge of a cliff, gazing at the densely packed refugee city on the plain outside the city.

The Zhou residence was located in the fourth tier of the city, positioned high up with a wide view.

The entire Fuzhou Plain stretched before his eyes.

Zhou Bida was a man who appeared to be in his fifties, with thick brows and large eyes, a tall and robust physique over two meters in height. Dressed in heavy black armor, he stood beside Hermit Monarch and was the first to turn around and size up Li Weiyi.