Chapter 350: 境外天骄

"How could it be easy?"

Taishi Bai shook his head and said, "That demonic figure has extraordinary psychic power and is definitely someone who could enter the 'Jiazi Register'. Moreover, he is skilled in both disguise and spatial escape techniques. Last night, even with a large number of expert Giant Spirit soldiers deployed, he still managed to escape."

"Even someone like Vice Commander Qiu said that with these two secret arts mastered to perfection, it would be futile for a Longevity Realm grandmaster to personally intervene to capture him in a densely populated city. Such a formidable and peculiar demonic figure has never been heard of in hundreds of years."

Li Weiyi was secretly startled that a Vice Commander-level figure had been ambushed last night, fortunate not to have encountered him.

Long Xiangcen's gaze fell on Li Weiyi: "Zuo Ning, you don't seem curious at all about that cult demon?"

Li Weiyi knew Long Xiangcen was suspicious of him. After all, he had used the Disguise Art to transform into Long Ting's appearance in the Sky Pavilion of Leiling City.

Li Weiyi laughed heartily: "We already discussed it briefly in the carriage. Well... actually, I'm afraid to speak up, for fear of angering young master."

"Just call me Brother Taishi; no need to change the address," Taishi Bai said, feigning anger. "Speak your mind directly; being hesitant isn't the demeanor of a true man. Do you really think I, Taishi Bai, am narrow-minded?"

"Then I'll be blunt!"

Li Weiyi said solemnly, "As far as I know, spatial escape techniques can only be mastered by some Transcendent beings, or through space-type Imperial Arts. But those Imperial Arts are all legendary."

"According to Brother Taishi, the opponent has only just reached the strength to enter the 'Jiazi Register'... How could such a person master spatial escape techniques?"

"Furthermore, Vice Commander Qiu's evaluation practically deified the enemy! How strong can that demonic figure truly be?"

"Therefore, there's only one conclusion: all parties are looking for excuses for last night's failure. Only by hyping up the enemy as divine or demonic can they save face."

Taishi Bai considered seriously: "That is indeed a common trick used by those useless officials in the imperial court. However, the one who confronted him was Fairy Yu, the foremost beauty of my Lingxiao Living Realm and the disciple of the Second Palace Master. She shouldn't exaggerate, and many people did indeed sense the spatial fluctuations at the time."

Li Weiyi said, "The very fact that she dares to call herself the foremost beauty shows she's someone who likes to exaggerate. As for spatial fluctuations, don't they occur every time a martial arts master opens their Ancestral Field? In short, I don't believe spatial escape techniques are that easy to master."

"Perhaps you're right." Taishi Bai then smiled again: "Zuo Ning, you haven't met Fairy Yu. If you had, you would never think the title 'foremost beauty under heaven' is an exaggeration. You'd only think the words 'under heaven' should be removed; she is absolutely a woman who will haunt your dreams once you've seen her. Even the top talents from outside the realm have traveled countless miles to Lingxiao because of her."

"Cousin!" Long Xiangcen looked displeased, her eyes full of annoyance.

Taishi Bai quickly said, "Of course, no matter how captivating and peerless Fairy Yu is, she still falls short compared to Fairy Long. Right, Zuo Ning?"

"Precisely."

Li Weiyi asked curiously, "Who exactly is that foreign prodigy?"

Taishi Bai's expression tightened, and his brows furrowed slightly: "I've only heard some news; I haven't officially met him yet. It's said that three foreign prodigies returned with the ten from Lingxiao, all top-tier figures from the Tribulation Transcendence Sect. In just a few days, they've caused a great stir in Lingxiao City, becoming famous everywhere."

"The person who acted at Nanyan Pass today is named Xie Chucai. He's reportedly only twenty-nine years old, and his cultivation has already reached the sixth heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, which is simply astounding."

"Even more shocking is that in Lingxiao City, this person sparred with a seventh-heaven Dao Seed Realm master from Luantai and severely wounded him, making him vomit blood, in just three moves. It's important to note that the seventh-heaven Dao Seed Realm master was not of an inferior Dao Seed."

This time, even Long Xiangcen was shocked: "There's a world of difference between the sixth and seventh heavens. Once the Dao Fruit forms, a Golden Core is within reach. The gap between them is an insurmountable chasm, almost a two-realm difference. Even a Young Emperor might not be able to cross that threshold and defeat a seventh-heaven martial cultivator. To severely wound one in three moves is almost impossible."

Taishi Bai nodded deeply: "What's even more astonishing to me is that the person is only twenty-nine. Even if he cultivates the Dragon Seed Dao, his cultivation speed is too exaggerated. And to be able to severely wound a seventh-heaven Dao Seed Realm expert in three moves shows his physical body is terrifyingly strong, not a weakness."

"Looking across the entire Lingxiao Living Realm, I dare say that no one below the seventh heaven of the Dao Seed Realm could withstand a single blow from him and remain standing. Only when Ge Xiantong and Zuoqiu Hongting mature will they be able to contend with him."

Long Xiangcen added, "And Luan Shenglinyou."

Taishi Bai nodded gently without much thought.

Li Weiyi pondered, muttering to himself, "There's always someone better, beyond heaven there's another heaven – this saying is true."

Taishi Bai smiled: "Zuo Ning, don't let your confidence be shaken. Those who dare to come to the Lingxiao Living Realm are absolutely top-tier talents from the Tribulation Transcendence Sect. They are not merely one in ten thousand prodigies, but rather individuals who have survived countless life-and-death battles, climbed mountains of corpses, after being selected one in ten thousand, and then one in ten thousand again."

"It's rumored that the Tribulation Transcendence Sect has a Martial Emperor in existence, whose influence reportedly extends to over a dozen Living Realms, holding an extremely high status in the south of Yingzhou."

"An Emperor is invincible in the world, living for tens of thousands of years, and their might covers the four seas. How many heroes would travel far and wide to seek them out and apprentice themselves?"

Long Xiangcen said, "Unfortunately, Living Realms are like small oases, while the Nether Realm is like an endless desert. The distance between Living Realms is unknown, countless miles, making it impossible for mortals to cross in ten lifetimes. Furthermore, there are spirits of the dead everywhere, with seas of corpses and plains of bones blocking the way. Even Longevity Realm grandmasters venturing deep would be like torches of life in the darkness, swallowed by terrifying undead taboos. Only Transcendent beings know some safe routes, using their formidable cultivation to traverse between Living Realms."

Taishi Bai said, "Ultimately, Yingzhou is the land of the departed spirits, the soil of the Nether Realm."

Li Weiyi didn't find the Tribulation Transcendence Sect particularly impressive; instead, he felt the Lingxiao Living Realm was far more mysterious and unpredictable. The Chan Hai Guan Wu sect, for instance, didn't even consider them worth mentioning. As for a peak power like the Bagara Sect, its strength was probably far greater than the Tribulation Transcendence Sect's. In terms of heritage, the demon race faction left by Yujia and the Leixiao Sect were certainly not to be underestimated. The Lingxiao Living Realm was vast and boundless, with infinite unknowns, countless ancient imperial legacies, and an unknown level of power at its peak. As for the outside world... Taishi Bai and Long Xiangcen had only heard rumors; they hadn't ventured out themselves. Who knew what the true situation was like?

Taishi Bai said, "Besides Xie Chucai, the other two foreign prodigies are Fu Wenyan and the Tribulation Transcendence Sect's top Dao Seed Realm expert, whose name is still unknown."

"I heard that Fu Wenyan declared in Xianlin of Lingxiao City that he came to Lingxiao to meet Zuoqiu Hongting's fiancé."

"As for that top Dao Seed Realm expert from the Tribulation Transcendence Sect, it seems he was provoked by Tang Wanqiu and came to challenge Tang Wanzhou."

Li Weiyi was speechless and said, "In other words, all this trouble was brought back by the ten people who went to cultivate at the Tribulation Transcendence Sect?"

Taishi Bai was curious: "Brother Zuo Ning, why do you consider this trouble? It has nothing to do with us. On the contrary, we can take this opportunity to appreciate the peerless demeanor of foreign masters, spar in martial arts, exchange cultural customs, and broaden our horizons. Tonight, the General's Mansion is hosting a banquet, inviting Xie Chucai and Fairy Yu. You can come with me then to witness it."

"Of course you don't think it's trouble!" Li Weiyi muttered to himself. He had no interest in tonight's banquet; instead, an indescribable feeling stirred within him. Logically, Zuoqiu Hongting was still his fiancée. Why then could Jiang Ning affect his mood?

"I won't go! In front of such top talents and peerless fairies, I would surely be reduced to a mere henchman. It's better to focus on cultivation," Li Weiyi said.

The Taishi family had recruited many retainers, including Dao Seed Realm martial cultivators, Spirit Seers, and extraordinary individuals, all residing in mansions near the General's Mansion. Taishi Bai had many social engagements and couldn't always personally attend to Li Weiyi, so he instructed a Five Seas Realm servant to lead him to a three-courtyard residence just two miles from the General's Mansion.

At the entrance of the courtyard, two young maidservants in white were already waiting. The servant said, "Master Zuo, the young master said he would take you to the Taishi family's ancestral estate in Lingxiao City in a few days, so for now, everything is simple, and we ask you to temporarily make do here."

"No need to make do, this is already excellent."

Li Weiyi wasn't afraid to go to the Taishi family's ancestral estate. In the carriage, he had subtly inquired and learned that although the Taishi family had a Transcendent being, even Taishi Bai had only seen him three times in his life. Among the middle generation, only the Taishi family's Head of the Jiazi Register, who cultivated psychic power, had met the Transcendent ancestor slightly more often.

Transcendent beings not only spend years or even decades in a single seclusion but also bear the weight of the world, planning for crucial matters of life and death. How could they have time to interfere in the games of the younger generation? Not to mention Transcendent beings, even Taishi Bai's father, the Grand Longevity expert of the Taishi family, second only to the Transcendent, stayed in the military camp year-round, either in seclusion or venturing out for opportunities, prioritizing cultivation above all else. Having lived for hundreds of years, Taishi Qingcang was already no different from an immortal. He had married multiple wives and seen many generations of his children die of old age. It was hard to say how deep his feelings were for the current Long clan and Taishi Bai.

"Greetings, Master Zuo!"

The two maidservants bowed. Both were Spirit Seers who had cultivated spiritual fire, possessing impressive talent and hailing from major collateral branches of the Taishi family. Retainer maidservants were not chosen casually; many vied for the limited spots. Retainers were highly cultivated, and following them offered many opportunities. At the same time, these maidservants served as resources to win over retainers and as eyes to monitor them.

Li Weiyi returned to his tidied room. After setting up a formation, he dispelled the Disguise Art and activated the Cocoon of Time to seize every moment for cultivating psychic power and comprehending the Dragon Seed. Prioritizing the advancement of his realm was paramount. Maintaining the Disguise Art consumed spiritual energy. Moreover, sustaining it for too long caused harm to the body.

After nightfall, Li Weiyi emerged from the Cocoon of Time, evaded the two maidservants, and went to secretly meet Zhuang Yue. He absolutely had to bring the Seven Phoenixes back first. While the Disguise Art and the spatial power of the Prefectural Official's Robe were indeed formidable techniques, the innate abilities of the Great Phoenix, Second Phoenix, Fifth Phoenix, and Seventh Phoenix would also be crucial aids in defeating his enemies later.