Chapter 377: Hidden Gathering of the Hidden People

Tang Wanzhou carefully felt the spatial fluctuation from earlier. Then, her beautiful eyes observed the interior of the carriage. The bustling and lively street outside was filled with various sounds.

Her gaze fell upon the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish pendant hanging on Li Weiyi's chest.

Li Weiyi quickly tucked it inside his clothes. "Only I can activate this item. If you were to seize it, Young Master, it would lead to significant karma."

"Look at how nervous and afraid you are."

Tang Wanzhou asked coolly, "So, I just need to visit Yao Qian? Not assassinate him?"

"Assassinate someone in Lingxiao City? Are you crazy?"

Li Weiyi whispered a reminder, "This matter is quite delicate. No one should discover it, yet at the same time, someone must."

Tang Wanzhou said, "You want to pin the blame for my escape from the cult's main altar on the Suizong sect, led by Yang Shenjing? A mere visit won't suffice. I need to present him with a generous gift that he cannot refuse as a token of gratitude. The Buried Snow Sword Qi he cultivates is far inferior to my Immortal Slaying Divine Snow Fourteen Swords."

"In the Dao Seed realm, he is known as 'Thirty Miles of Snow.' There's still a slight gap compared to Song Yulou's 'Thirty-three Miles of Azure Cloud.'"

"As for me, my snow covers fourteen southern provinces."

Li Weiyi asked, "You're going to impart the Immortal Slaying Divine Snow Fourteen Swords to him?"

"If I teach him a few strikes, he certainly won't be able to refuse. Even if he masters all of them, killing him within ten strikes would be effortless," Tang Wanzhou said.

Li Weiyi said, "Young Master, you mustn't underestimate Yao Qian. My Hidden Gate's Hidden Lord once tried to kill him from the Longevity Realm, yet he still managed to escape."

"Li Songgu wants to cultivate both martial arts and mental power, manages the Hidden Gate, and serves as the patriarch of the Cangli tribe. He tries to handle everything, but in the end, he masters nothing. His true strengths lie in handling ancient texts and researching coffins from other realms; he's not skilled at fighting or killing," Tang Wanzhou commented with a condescending air.

Li Weiyi chuckled inwardly, thinking of Master Coffin. That old man also seemed to know everything and dabbled in every field. Then, remembering that the Hidden Lord's fate remained unknown, his mood grew much heavier.

"Alright, Young Master. Your intellect is extraordinary; you should know how to visit with a reasonable excuse. I won't say more about the Luan Terrace." Li Weiyi changed his appearance and prepared to alight from the carriage.

"Whoosh!"

Tang Wanzhou acted from behind him, pointing a finger and sending a sword qi into his Fengfu acupoint.

"What's the meaning of this?" Li Weiyi asked.

Tang Wanzhou sat leaning against the carriage wall, eyes closed in meditation. "Your disguise technique is very profound. If I don't leave a trace of sword qi, how will I find you? Once I've been to Luan Terrace, I need to return to the Blood Mud Space immediately to cultivate."

Li Weiyi was speechless. "You can't just keep staying with me, can you? The people of Snow Sword Tang Court are very worried about you. Aren't you going back?"

"No rush. I'll break free from the Soul Return Lock first. Cultivation is always the priority," Tang Wanzhou said. She was a woman with more independent thought than Jiang Ning and Zuoqiu Hongting.

The latter two were still bound by their families.

She, on the other hand, gave the impression that even the transcendent beings from Snow Sword Tang Court had to act according to her will.

Li Weiyi alighted from the carriage and walked towards Dim Moon Quarter.

The wind and snow had not ceased.

The sky was so dark it felt oppressive.

It was still half an hour until nightfall, but lights were already lit along both sides of the street.

Tonight's gathering place for the hidden figures was a transcendent manor and garden near Dim Moon Quarter, purchased at a high price centuries ago by a prominent figure of the Nine Li Hidden Gate.

The manor was a tranquil oasis amidst the bustle, featuring four gates for entry and exit from different directions.

Li Weiyi entered a narrow alley paved with bluestone and arrived at the manor's south gate.

Outside the south gate were two figures.

One old and one young, one squatting and one standing.

The old man, dressed in plain cloth, sat on the doorstep, hunched over with sparse hair, looking incredibly aged.

The younger man stood leaning against the wall, his gaze sharp as he scrutinized Li Weiyi from head to toe. "Where do you come from, sir?"

Li Weiyi, hands clasped behind his back, took out the Divine Hidden One's token and handed it to him. He then looked at the old man sitting on the doorstep and smiled, "Elder Forty-Five, how is it that you've traveled such a great distance to Lingxiao City? The journey is long and arduous; please take care of yourself."

Beside him, the young man returned the token to Li Weiyi, bowed, and said in his true voice, "Greetings, Divine Hidden One! It is I, Yin Jiu."

Yin Jiu had used a disguise technique, so that was not his true appearance.

Upon learning that the Divine Hidden One had arrived, Elder Forty-Five also stood up, bowed slightly, and said in a hoarse voice, "A Divine Hidden One's urgent summons indicates a major event. Our generation must have a representative present."

Li Weiyi nodded and entered, "Old Jiu, come in with me. There are some things I want to ask you."

The formerly transcendent manor was naturally not small, with numerous pavilions, terraces, and towers, enveloped by formations, and layer upon layer of courtyard walls. In Lingxiao City, such a manor would be immeasurably valuable.

Yin Jiu led Li Weiyi towards the main assembly hall.

Along the way, Li Weiyi asked him how his severed arm had been reattached and inquired about the situation at Due'e Monastery, showing considerable interest in that Daoist holy land, which had a Martial Dao Son of Heaven.

Even before Yu Yaozi became a Son of Heaven, he could suppress the entire world alone.

What kind of great divine power then did a Martial Dao Son of Heaven possess?

In the garden, some hidden figures had already arrived.

Each of them had used a disguise technique, dressed simply, and concealed their aura and sharp edges, trying their best to remain inconspicuous.

Yin Jiu said, "Actually, the greatest gain from our trip to Due'e Monastery was a more solidified foundation. Our trace meridians have been greatly goldenized, and our qi seas have expanded significantly, allowing us to go much further in the future."

"It is precisely because Due'e Monastery possesses secret arts and methods for improving martial cultivators' foundations, such as their trace meridians and qi seas, that the individuals on the 'Ninefold Dao Image Scroll' possess extremely formidable combat power at the same cultivation realm."

"In terms of talent and martial arts inheritance alone, this era of Lingxiao Life Realm has produced numerous talents. Cangli, Zhu Yibai, Tang Wanqiu, and others are no less skilled than those on the Dao Image Scroll. The martial arts inheritances of the Nine Li Tribe, the Vermilion Gate, and Snow Sword Tang Court are also top-tier and of extraordinary origin outside."

"Oh, and the secret methods for rapidly enhancing physical strength are also crucial. Unfortunately, many legendary body-refining rare resources of the Lingxiao Life Realm have been swallowed up by the Realm of the Departed in its two hundred and seventy-two prefectures."

"Over the past two years, the ten of us haven't opened up a fundamental gap in cultivation realm with the inheritors of the Dragon Path in Lingxiao Life Realm. However, our physical bodies are definitely not a weakness; they've progressed very rapidly."

"At the same realm, our combat power is far stronger than that of martial cultivators at the same level in the past."

Li Weiyi said, "Realm is easy to cultivate, but foundation is hard to change. In these two years at Due'e Monastery, you must have undergone a complete transformation. In the future, let alone the Longevity Realm, even reaching transcendence might be within reach. Did Due'e Monastery not try to keep you?"

Yin Jiu said, "At Due'e Monastery, we all apprenticed ourselves to transcendent beings. Once a master's sect, always a master's sect. Having received such grace, how could we sever ties? Just like the challenges of the 'Ninefold Dao Image Scroll,' how could we possibly intervene? To do so would be ingratitude."

"There are many Daoist arts and true scriptures at Due'e Monastery. Once you begin cultivating them, you must cultivate them for eternity. How can one simply walk away?"

The two entered the main assembly hall.

The tree-shaped lamps in the hall were already lit, their flames flickering like a sea of stars.

A table, six or seven zhang long, was placed in the center of the hall, accompanied by dozens of chairs.

Li Weiyi donned the Smiling Buddha golden mask and sat at the head of the table. In his heart, he felt both the exhilaration of wielding great power and the heavy pressure of countless lives depending on him.

He sensed something.

He discovered that a tall figure had appeared out of thin air beside the tree-shaped lamp.

It had a tiger's head, ape-like arms, and a long tail.

Li Weiyi immediately rose and quickly stepped forward. "Elder Zhuo, why have you also come?"

Elder Zhuo said, "I represent the Ancient Hidden Ones."

"That's wonderful! Please, Elder, preside over the overall situation in Lingxiao City; you're sure to command respect." Li Weiyi wanted to withdraw, feeling as though he was merely a four-liang weight on a steelyard scale, yet tasked with measuring the weight of the entire world.

Elder Zhuo, unsmiling, said, "You are the leader; you preside."

"My qualifications are insufficient, and my words carry little weight. Furthermore, this matter is of great importance; the slightest misstep..." Li Weiyi said.

Before he could finish, Elder Zhuo waved his hand. "You can do it! Everyone recognizes your ability and strength. A year ago, I couldn't enter the underground immortal mansion; that was a dereliction of my duty as a Dao protector."

Li Weiyi immediately understood that Elder Zhuo must have followed him all the way to the underground immortal mansion, lurking in the shadows with formidable stealth techniques.

Li Weiyi then inquired about the Hidden Lord's situation.

Elder Zhuo said, "Before going to Nanyan Pass, he realized the danger of the trip, so he asked Elder Qin to meet him outside the pass. I investigated that battlefield; Elder Qin should have taken him and escaped through the ground, but Yang Shenjing is not an ordinary person after all, so whether they truly escaped is unknown."

Li Weiyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Elder Qin was someone who had cultivated the Spatial Evasion Daoist Art to the fifth level and was also proficient in Earth Evasion techniques. He could even escape after "crippling" Li Weiyi with a single sword strike in Qiuzhou City.

Tang Wanzhou, having cultivated the first level of Spatial Imperial Art, could escape from Yao Qingxuan with her Dao Seed realm cultivation and infiltrate the Rice Cult's main altar.

Elder Qin's Spatial Evasion Daoist Art might not be an Imperial Art, but its fifth-level mastery was an extraordinary achievement in any grand art, unattainable by anyone below Great Longevity.

Yin Er walked in quickly and reported, "It's already Xushi (7-9 PM). Shall we begin?"

"Has everyone arrived?" Li Weiyi asked.

Yin Er gave a wry smile. "They're all strangers; I wouldn't know. Only the Hidden Lord is aware of the elders' situations."

"Call everyone in. Let's start! Elder Zhuo, you said I could do this. If I mess it up, you'll have to clean up the mess."

Li Weiyi sat at the head of the long table, adjusting his demeanor to appear as calm and serious as possible. Beneath his mask, his eyes were restrained and unfathomably deep.

Dozens of hidden figures and hidden elders filed in. All were powerful cultivators in the Dao Seed realm or above: pure immortal bodies, mutated humanoids, old men, women... they possessed a variety of different forms and identities.

Upon entering the hall, everyone's gaze turned towards the masked figure at the head of the table.

They were all familiar with this Divine Hidden One. Whether it was the display of his talent and prowess at the Crouching Dragon Lantern Festival or his achievements at the West Sea Prince's Estate last night, he could truly be called a figure of astonishing natural ability.

Elder Zhuo, with his tall stature, sat down opposite the long table.

Elder Forty-Five sat in the first position to Li Weiyi's left.

Some had used disguise techniques or worn masks, their identities special, wishing to avoid any risk of exposure. However, they wore numbered badges on their chests, which allowed their identities to be discerned.

The disguise technique was not a spell deeply studied by every faction. It was developed by an ancestor of the Zuoqiu Gate's Daoist lineage, who was also Li Weiyi's spirit tablet master, derived from a fragmented Imperial Art capable of myriad transformations.

That fragmented Imperial Art was unearthed by her and Master Coffin from a coffin of another realm.

Therefore, the cultivation method for the disguise technique was firmly held by the Zuoqiu Gate and the Nine Li Tribe.

The most crucial part of the disguise technique, the "Bone Transformation and Spirit Alteration Chapter," could not be easily transmitted. If too many people learned it, it would cause immense chaos, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Li Weiyi had only taught it to Zuoqiu Hongting.

Li Weiyi scanned everyone present.

Yin Wu, Yin Jiu, and Yin Shi-yi all showed their true appearances. Besides them, there were also the long-unseen Elder Ao Shan and Elder Shou Men.

The atmosphere grew quiet.