Chapter 349: I am Taishi Bai's Friend

Li Weiyi didn't even turn around, looking straight ahead.

He saw four Luan Terrace female officials walking abreast. Their official robes shimmered with numerous array patterns, forming a combined sword array. Hundreds of thousands of sword shadows moved with them.

All four were top experts who had condensed Dao Lotuses.

Once the array was formed, their power and rhythm became formidable, like a wall of sword energy pressing down. The street looked as if it had been carved by knives and axes.

Li Weiyi let out a savage laugh, grabbed a handful of chopsticks from a bamboo tube, and uttered the "Lin" character from the Six Jia Secret Incantation.

"Whoosh!"

The chopsticks, enveloped in spiritual light, flew outwards.

In the next instant, each chopstick sprouted branches and leaves, transforming into several-meter-tall humanoid bamboos that attacked Jiang Ning and the four Luan Terrace female officials.

Li Weiyi slapped a Talisman of Swiftness onto himself and charged into the alleyway ahead and to the left.

"Swish!"

Jiang Ning swept her sword horizontally, unleashing bright sword energy that cleared away the chopstick puppets in front of her, turning them all into flying debris.

Noticing the old fellow, disguised as a young man, was incredibly fast, she immediately activated her Outer Manifestation of Dao Heart. The Dharma energy within her erupted, and white flying feathers enveloped the surrounding streets.

"Swish!"

Thousands of Dharma energy feathers swirled forth like a white dragon, instantly catching up to Li Weiyi from behind.

Each feather was like a sharp blade.

From the Fengfu point behind Li Weiyi's head, a crimson-gold long spear flew out, blasting the pursuing white dragon into smithereens.

"Clang!"

The sword's hum was piercing.

With radiant feathers growing from her back, Jiang Ning thrust her sword out with lightning speed, causing the surrounding air to boil.

Li Weiyi dared not use his Dharma energy; if he did, she would surely discover his identity.

So, holding the Myriad Things Staff-Spear, he uttered the "Dou" character from the Six Jia Secret Incantation.

Spiritual light flames surged continuously from the Spirit Realm, condensing on his body into a crimson-gold armor over two meters tall, as if a peerless war general had possessed him.

Wielding the "Dou" incantation art, he transformed his thought power into the strongest combat attack.

The Myriad Things Staff-Spear thrust forward, colliding with the tip of the Startling Feather Sword.

"Boom!"

Houses on both sides of the alley collapsed over a large area, dust billowed, and the view became clear.

Fortunately, Jiang Ning had already startled away the people inside the nearby houses beforehand, so there were no casualties.

Jiang Ning flew backward, her sword-wielding arm scorched by flames. The flames surging from that spear were extremely terrifying, beyond even what a first-level great fire art could achieve.

Li Weiyi took two steps back and rapidly fled into the distance.

He was also surprised, not expecting Jiang Ning's combat strength to have reached such a level.

It should be noted that two years ago, during the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, her Seventh Sea was not yet perfected; she needed to continue accumulating power there, unlike Yang Qingxi, Tuoba Butuo, Long Ting, and others who could directly plant Dragon Seeds to cultivate the Dao.

But two years later, her cultivation had caught up to these inheritor-level prodigies, reaching the fourth heaven of the Dao Seed Realm.

Subtly, she had surpassed them.

Li Weiyi believed that wielding the Myriad Things Staff-Spear and unleashing the "Dou" incantation art, the power of this strike would be no less than that of a fifth-heaven Dao Seed Realm inheritor. Yet, he could only repel her, a fourth-heaven practitioner, unable to inflict significant injury.

Running for two or three li in a single breath, he was about to escape the alley.

At the alley's mouth stood a dashing figure, young and handsome. Dressed in red, appearing to be in his twenties, with clear eyes and sharp brows, he looked as if he had been waiting for Li Weiyi for a long time.

He said, "Your incantation art is quite interesting, with rare and formidable power. I was initially very interested in you. But since you've harmed Ningning, today, you can only bleed here."

Li Weiyi felt an extremely dangerous aura emanating from this person.

The red-clad man's eyes held a smile; he had no intention of making a move with a technique, simply exhaling a breath of Dharma energy.

"Swish swish!"

Dozens of flying blades of various forms condensed within the Dharma energy storm. Instantly, the buildings on both sides of the alley collapsed and shattered as if made of tofu, with astonishing destructive power.

The protective arrays of these buildings could not withstand it at all. Inside the houses, countless screams erupted.

"Advance!"

Li Weiyi's body was enveloped in Golden Crow flames, flickering violently, as he teleported ten zhang into mid-air, evading all attacks.

Jiang Ning, pursuing from behind, soared into the air, her graceful figure multiplying into countless clones, attacking like a group of celestial maidens.

The red-clad man was even faster, instantly appearing above Li Weiyi's head. With a faint chuckle, looking perfectly at ease, his palm transformed into a cloud of scripture light that pressed down, completely locking onto and enveloping Li Weiyi.

Li Weiyi now had fewer reservations and directly activated the Provincial Governor's official robe he wore underneath: "So, Fairy Yu has a lover helping her. I admit defeat, this is enough for today, let's fight another day."

"Whoosh!"

The moment the cloud of scripture light pressed down, space trembled violently, and Li Weiyi transformed into a mass of purple cloud mist, disappearing.

The red-clad man was surprised: "Interesting! I thought your Lingxiao Life Realm had declined. I didn't expect just any spiritual incantation master to have cultivated spatial escape techniques."

The red-clad man released his divine sense.

He quickly sensed spatial fluctuations in a busy city area and transformed into a red streak of light, pursuing it.

After a while, the red-clad man returned to the ruined area, having found nothing.

Imperial martial cultivators were scattered throughout the ruins, rescuing people, and bodies were being dragged out one by one.

Jiang Ning stood beside the ruins, looking at the devastation, her mind deep in thought.

Other martial cultivators couldn't discern the spatial power from earlier, but she knew it had erupted from a Provincial Governor's official robe.

"Could it be a disguised expert from one of the imperial factions?"

Jiang Ning couldn't help but speculate in this direction, because to use the spatial power within a Provincial Governor's official robe, one had to cultivate the Dragon Awakening Art to an extremely high level.

And the Dragon Awakening Art was only accessible to core personnel of the imperial court.

The red-clad man apologized: "Ningning, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to harm innocents. Casualties are hard to avoid when Dao Seed Realm battles break out in the city. I will compensate the deceased."

"That evil cult demon is not only proficient in spatial escape techniques but also a master of disguise and concealment. After fleeing, he instantly vanished into the bustling city. I was afraid of harming too many innocents, so I didn't dare to use a major art to force him out. I'll just have to deal with him next time."

"Now that I'm prepared, he won't escape, even if he masters spatial escape techniques."

"I didn't ask for your help! If you truly cared about the casualties among the people of Lingxiao Life Realm, you should have engaged him in close combat just now. With your cultivation, would he be a match for even one of your moves?" Jiang Ning turned and walked away, having no favorable impression of this foreign prodigy who had followed her from Du'e Temple.

"Got it, I'll definitely be more careful next time." The red-clad man gave a hearty laugh, then entered the ruins to help rescue people, hoping to salvage his image.

Jiang Qumin brought Zhuang Yue over and told Jiang Ning, "That evil cult demon planted a spiritual imprint on her, similar to a puppet art. This old one has dissolved it; the impact isn't significant."

Zhuang Yue hated Li Weiyi to death, yet she also knew he did it to cover up the truth.

Jiang Ning asked, "Zhuang Yue, do you remember anything else?"

Zhuang Yue struggled internally, unsure whether to tell her young lady the truth. Finally, she feigned intense thought and shook her head, saying, "A part of my memory seems to be missing, and my head hurts so much... Miss, was I really controlled?"

"You should rest well first."

Jiang Ning looked at Jiang Qumin: "After this battle, that demon will surely be like a frightened bird, probably no longer daring to act. Have everyone at the stronghold evacuate!"

"I'll go tell them." Zhuang Yue hurried away.

Jiang Ning stared at Zhuang Yue's retreating figure, a pensive expression on her face, and an indescribable strange feeling arose within her. After two years away, something must have happened to this maid who had once followed her day and night.

Back at the coffin shop, Li Weiyi bid farewell to Old Zhou, asking him to deliver another secret letter from the Hidden Gate to Shuzhou, then promptly left the city.

At noon, Li Weiyi, disguised as Zuo Ning, arrived at the city gate. He smiled at the city guards and said, "I am Zuo Ning from Shuzhou, a friend of Taishi Bai, the First Rank of the Taishi family. Please be so kind as to inform him."

The thirty imperial experts dispatched by the demon race had likely already entered the city today, perhaps even now in the Cloud Sky Immortal Plain.

Li Weiyi didn't place all his hopes on Zhuang Yue; instead, he planned to obtain information from Long Xiangcen.

He intended to enter the tiger's den to catch its cub.

Long Xiangcen didn't even know who Sikong Jingyuan was, which showed that the demon race faction was not familiar with the Daoism sect. Similarly, Li Weiyi, a divine son of the Daoism sect, knew very little about the demon race. Everyone was wary of each other.

"Rumble!"

Before long, a lavish carriage, pulled by three fragrant white deer, galloped towards the city gate. After picking up Li Weiyi, it headed towards the Commander's Residence.

Inside the carriage.

Taishi Bai was in excellent spirits, gripping Li Weiyi's hand firmly: "Brother Zuo Ning, I am truly sorry. I must have neglected you at the banquet in the Thunder Mausoleum City Lord's Mansion, which led you to leave me. Imperial court social events are just like that—a small banquet every three days, a grand one every ten, full of personal connections, politeness, and flattery."

Li Weiyi secretly praised him, thinking that Taishi Bai was indeed an exceptional individual, a dragon among men. Despite his noble birth, he could lower his stance, not only possessing great benevolence and righteousness but also knowing how to treat worthy individuals with respect.

Li Weiyi said sorrowfully, "I didn't leave intentionally. I long ago recognized Brother Taishi as a hero of our time and intended to join you. However, in Thunder Mausoleum City, I once again encountered Day Snow and Night Remains Snow. My two companions... both died at the hands of these evil cult demons... If I don't avenge this, I, Zuo Ning, swear I'm not human... I barely escaped to Nanyan Pass after a brush with death!"

"Too brazen! Your elder brother here will slay them both, sooner or later."

Taishi Bai was filled with righteous indignation, then chuckled heartily, "Let me tell you some good news: the evil cult forces in Nanyan Pass have been completely eradicated! Haha!"

The carriage proceeded directly into the Commander's Residence, stopping in the spacious front courtyard plaza. Taishi Bai and Li Weiyi stepped out hand in hand, their laughter incessant.

Long Xiangcen, wearing a veil, stood at the entrance of the front hall. Dressed in a goose-yellow ruqun with a water-blue hooded velvet robe over it, her tail deeply hidden, she gracefully and gently went to greet them: "Cousin, you really brought Zuo Ning back. I thought you were just teasing me."

Li Weiyi cupped his hands in a salute, feigning an inability to look directly at her: "Greetings... I haven't yet asked how to address this fairy?"

"My surname is Long. Haven't we met before?"

Long Xiangcen smiled sweetly, her eyes clear, her eyelashes fluttering like a naive young girl.

Li Weiyi narrowed his eyes, not believing she would dare reveal the secret between them.

Indeed, Long Xiangcen immediately added, "On the post boat! I was hiding behind the curtains then. You should remember my voice, shouldn't you?"

Li Weiyi deliberately showed a look of sudden realization.

Taishi Bai's expression turned serious: "Brother Zuo Ning is here to join me, so he's one of us! There's nothing to hide. My mother is from Dragon Gate, and my cousin also comes from one of its branches."

"No faction can be entirely good or entirely evil. This time, my mother and I secretly went to the East Sea specifically to save my cousin's family. Unfortunately, only she survived. Alas!"

Li Weiyi offered comfort: "My condolences, Fairy Long!"

"Your words are so sweet! I'm suddenly not sad at all!" Long Xiangcen's eyes curved like two crescent moons as she smiled, "Cousin, was that evil cult demon caught? It seems there was quite a commotion this morning, and even that top prodigy from outside the borders made a move!"