Chapter 380: Dao Is Born

Li Weiyi was temporarily residing at the Transcendence Mansion, preparing to go into seclusion for a period, disappear from public view, and cultivate to improve his strength as much as possible. His identity, along with the revelation of the Dao Image, had propelled him into the public eye, and various factions within the imperial court were undoubtedly searching for him. He decided to wait until the current situation calmed down.

Late that night, Tang Wanzhou arrived at the Transcendence Mansion. Yin Er was unable to stop her, and Old Zhuo did not make an appearance.

"Is she looking for you? Could she be an ancient hermit?" Yin Er asked, unable to discern Tang Wanzhou's face but aware of her terrifyingly high cultivation.

Li Weiyi waved his hand, signaling Yin Er to withdraw, and then asked, "Yao Qian isn't suspicious, is he?"

"Since I emerged from the underground immortal mansion alive, he's bound to be suspicious, no matter how I explain it," Tang Wanzhou replied. "Isn't his suspicion even better? He's sure to contact the higher echelons of the evil cult in Lingxiao City soon, which will provide you with a breakthrough opportunity."

Old Zhuo's voice resounded in Li Weiyi's ear: "I will go monitor Yao Qian and locate the evil cult's high-ranking members."

He then entered the Blood Mud Space.

Li Weiyi retrieved the Millennium Elixir, worth three million Yongquan coins, which Yin Er had helped him acquire, and fed it to the seven young creatures. He looked at Tang Wanzhou, who was already meditating, and asked, "You returned so late; Young Master, you must have met with members of the Snow Sword Tang Court, haven't you?"

"What do you wish to discuss?" Tang Wanzhou replied.

Li Weiyi sat beside her and asked, "Is the Snow Sword Tang Court here to save Lingxiao City, or to seize it?"

Tang Wanzhou responded almost without hesitation: "Li Weiyi, you merely wish for humanity to remain undefeated, right? Or perhaps, to also protect the Nine Li Tribe and those you care about in Lizhou."

"But for our Snow Sword Tang Court, from the moment we raised our banners, there has been no option but to advance. A single step back would lead to eternal perdition. Even standing still is a mistake."

"This applies not only to us but also to the Zuoqiu Clan. Having secured the support of the Duer Monastery, they too must press forward."

"The outcome of the battle for Lingxiao City hinges on Jade Yaozi's condition, the identity of the Duer Monastery's representative, and whether the formations left by the Mist Celestial can be effectively utilized. If Kirin Zang can be gravely wounded or outright killed, then the Cloud Sky Immortal Plain will become the burial ground for the demon race."

"Should the demon race prevail, we will still intervene to reclaim the Cloud Sky Immortal Plain for humanity."

"I can assure you of this: until the demon race is utterly crushed, our swords will never be turned against our own. We will certainly not deliberately cause chaos in Lingxiao City. I hope the Zuoqiu Clan also understands what truly matters."

Li Weiyi understood that the Snow Sword Tang Court would by no means consider saving Lingxiao City as their primary objective; rather, they viewed it as an opportunity. The Zuoqiu Clan might also hold the same perspective. In contrast, forces like the Nine Li Tribe, devoid of ambition, held a stronger desire for Lingxiao City to withstand the attack. As for the Leixiao Sect, they were even less reliable; they yearned for Lingxiao City's downfall more than anyone.

Tang Wanzhou continued, "While my mind is clear, let's discuss a bit more. To hex or curse an entity like Jade Yaozi, merely relying on a scarecrow might prove insufficient. You must be exceedingly careful. Lingxiao City may harbor unimaginable hidden dangers, and anyone could be involved, including the Transcendents."

Her words weighed heavily on Li Weiyi. For a moment, he even considered gathering all the Hidden Ones and immediately escaping.

"Are you testing my resolve? Trying to shake my will?" Li Weiyi challenged.

Tang Wanzhou smiled faintly, then closed her eyes and began cultivating. "Exert yourself," she said. "Make Kirin Zang and the evil cult pay the ultimate price in their assault on the Cloud Sky Immortal Plain. Only then can our Snow Sword Tang Court emerge as the ultimate victors. If you truly accomplish this, I will ensure your renown spreads, proclaiming to the world that the demon race was vanquished by your hand."

Li Weiyi's gaze was deep, and he had no inclination to even retort.

He consumed a Starday Pill. A whoosh echoed. Activating the pale green fish eye of the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish, he wove a Cocoon of Time. He then took out his copied volume of "Complete Explanations of Heavenly Dragon Sutras" and continued to observe and study it. The volume contained hundreds of thousands of annotated dragon scriptures. He studied while simultaneously contemplating the scriptures within the Dragon Seed, allowing the two to illuminate each other.

Time flew by as he cultivated. Every six days, Li Weiyi emerged from seclusion to organize the various intelligence gathered by the Hidden Ones and Hidden Elders, and to handle any sudden incidents. Concurrently, he would visit the West Sea Prince's Mansion once to refine the ghostly qi within Song Qingli's body. The reason for his six-day interval between outings was that with his current five-star Spirit Cultivator cultivation, each Cocoon of Time he wove could sustain itself for six days, translating to approximately one month within the cocoon. This created a time ratio of one to five.

During his fourth month of cultivation within the Cocoon of Time, the scriptures within the Dragon Seed of Li Weiyi's Wind Abode "came alive" and swiftly self-awakened. These scriptures merged with his Dharma Qi, which then underwent a profound transformation, becoming exceptionally spiritual and imbued with soul, will, and spirit. This was a clear sign of an imminent breakthrough! Every breakthrough presented a prime opportunity to temper his physical body. Li Weiyi immediately retrieved precious body-refining herbs such as Four-Colored Immortal Moss, Golden Spring, and Divine Hearthwood, quickly consuming them to sustain the fortified state of his breakthrough within his body. Over the next two days, his Wind Abode continuously expanded, and the quality of his Dharma Qi improved with each passing moment. The Wind Abode Dragon Seed attained the third heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, the State of Dao Manifestation.

A whoosh resonated. His Dao Heart's Outer Manifestation expanded, transforming an area of two to three miles into a fiery domain. Around him, increasingly solidified seven-clawed flame sky dragons coiled and soared, their deafening roars echoing with immense power. Li Weiyi gently raised his arm, his fingers moving. Instantly, the Dharma Qi throughout his Dao Heart's Outer Manifestation domain gained sentience, moving according to his will and flying in various directions. The seven-clawed flame sky dragons, too, seemed to come alive, their eyes sharp as they spun and danced.

"With complete focus on comprehending the Dao, the Dragon Seed manifested Dao within less than four months."

"Reaching the third heaven is a significant advancement in martial arts. However, the twelve-character Dao Seed of the Divine Abode is the crucial element. I wonder when it will reach the third heaven? It seems I must acquire some treasures to accelerate my Dao comprehension."

Li Weiyi inwardly examined his flesh and internal organs; they had become more divine and crystalline, with greatly increased strength, equivalent to refining six *jin* of immortal soil. Considering physical strength alone, let alone a martial cultivator at the third heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, even among those at the seventh heaven, only a select few could achieve such a level. Of course, his bones, tendons, skin, and blood qi were still slightly less developed. All thirty Starday Pills had been refined. Within his spiritual realm, the flame of his mental power burned vigorously, indicating he was only a step away from reaching the pinnacle of a five-star Spirit Cultivator.

It was the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month. Only four days remained until New Year's Eve.

Li Weiyi emerged from his seclusion and went to the Coffin Sea Tower in Danyafang, where he found Yin Er and inquired about recent news.

"The Divine Hidden One emerged from seclusion a day early this time; I presume it's due to a cultivation breakthrough?" Yin Er asked, handing a stack of organized news to Li Weiyi.

"More or less... Elder Thirty-Seven is dead?"

Li Weiyi's gaze became somber, and the good mood from his recent breakthrough evaporated. He had long known that casualties were unavoidable. Nevertheless, this sudden heavy blow still caught him off guard.

Yin Er's mood was somber. "Elder Thirty-Seven was responsible for monitoring the Six Nian Zen Monastery. He was extremely cautious, possessed very high mental power, and would never act recklessly. Logically, nothing should have gone wrong. Alas, his body was recovered from the Spiritual Stream this morning. Old Zhuo personally confirmed it but dared not claim it."

"The Six Nian Zen Monastery... Don't monitor that area for now. Tell everyone to proceed with even greater caution."

Li Weiyi asked, "Has there been any unusual activity from the Daoist Sect?"

"For now, there are no indications of any prominent figures from the Daoist Sect arriving," Yin Er replied.

This was yet another piece of bad news. If Yao Qingxuan and An Xianjing had received the blood letter and intended to come, they would have arrived long ago. Could it be that the plan to frame the Suizong had failed from the very outset?

Yin Er continued, "Oh, and Xie Chucai has recovered from his injuries. He's been publicly stating in several prominent places in Lingxiao City that he wants to challenge you. He claims he deeply admires you and will agree to any conditions you set, just for another chance to fight you."

"He, a supreme expert at the sixth heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, wants to challenge me, a five-star Spirit Cultivator? Where is the pride of a Duer Monastery prodigy?" Li Weiyi scoffed.

"He said he'd fight you with one hand tied behind his back," Yin Er replied. "Perhaps he's so infuriated and humiliated by the nickname 'Xie Lincai' that he's desperate to re-prove himself."

"Ignore him; it's nonsensical," Li Weiyi dismissed.

Li Weiyi closed the booklet, stored it in his dimensional bag, then disguised his appearance and headed to the West Sea Prince's Mansion.

Song Qingli's courtyard was situated halfway up the mountain. The environment was tranquil and secluded, with ancient trees flourishing. Over the past month, thanks to multiple refinements, Song Qingli had almost fully recovered and could have left her bed long ago. She was now capable of using the Dharma Qi within her body to purify the corrupting yin forces from her blood and muscles. Having endured a great calamity in her life, Song Qingli appeared much more melancholic. She stood alone by the courtyard, gazing at the distant city's red walls covered in white snow.

Only after Li Weiyi and Song Lin arrived did a faint, sorrowful smile grace her slightly pale and sickly face. "Mr. Zhao," she said, "you've come a day early." Zhao Meng was Li Weiyi's new identity.

Li Weiyi smiled. "This is the final refinement. The sooner Miss Song is completely healed, the sooner I can... the sooner I can once again admire Miss Song's peerless grace." Li Weiyi genuinely wished to avoid returning to the West Sea Prince's Mansion; the risks were too high, and he sought to sever ties as soon as possible.

"Mr. Zhao, you truly have a way with words. Please, come in."

Song Qingli possessed a gentle, quiet, and elegant demeanor, a slender figure, and her speech and manner of conversation made others feel remarkably comfortable. The process of refining the ghostly qi proceeded methodically. Two hours later, the sickly pallor vanished from her face. Her skin, eyes, and hair now shimmered with spiritual light, and Dharma Qi enveloped her body like a shroud of mist. She was a stark contrast to the monstrous figure she had once been in Danyafang.

Li Weiyi asked again, "Miss Song, do you truly not remember anything that occurred before your transformation?"

Song Qingli, showing great respect for "Zhao Meng," gently shook her head.

Li Weiyi asked no further questions and prepared to depart.

"Mr. Zhao, will I never see you again?" Song Qingli inquired.

Li Weiyi froze, unsure how she had perceived the truth. Observing Li Weiyi's expression, she smiled. "Sir, there's no need to be nervous; I don't know your secret. I merely sensed your urgent desire to depart, and coupled with my brother's evasiveness every time I asked him, I made this guess."

Song Qingli gracefully bowed and softly said, "Mr. Zhao, the West Sea Prince's Mansion may have already compensated you, but for Qingli, this remains a kindness difficult to repay. Should you encounter any difficulties, please do not hesitate to seek me out. Thank you for everything these past few days!"

Li Weiyi took his leave. As he exited the formation surrounding Song Qingli's courtyard, he spotted a familiar figure standing on the mountain path. It was Taishi Yu.

Li Weiyi's gaze chilled as he turned to Song Lin.

Song Lin immediately offered an apology. "I'm sorry!" he said regretfully. "Taishi Yu personally visited the family head and learned about Qingli's condition. I couldn't keep it a secret on my end."

Li Weiyi stated, "Song Lin, I promised to treat Song Qingli, and I came here at great risk. I fulfilled my part! But you did not uphold your promise to me."

"I'm sorry," Song Lin repeated.

"Thirty Starday Pills," Li Weiyi stated. The die was cast, and he had no other recourse.

"Very well, I accept," Song Lin conceded.

Taishi Yu stared intently at Li Weiyi, finally speaking. "Taishi Bai considers you a brother. For the past month, he's been searching everywhere for you, visiting every major prison in Lingxiao City, worried that some imperial faction might have incarcerated you. Yet you chose to trust the Song family over him. If you want Starday Pills, come to me; the Taishi family has no shortage."