Chapter 54: Hundred Strong Warriors

The West Market of Jiuli City was exceptionally prosperous. Not only did major powers from Lizhou set up their main businesses there, but the names of million-strong clans and sects from the other six states of the Southern Territory could often be seen on the signs lining the streets.

For instance, the Cangli Clan was considered a million-strong clan.

These were powers capable of directly influencing a million people. Of course, not every one of the Nine Jiuli Tribes held the title of a million-strong clan.

The Nine Jiuli Tribes had actually declined long ago. However, because they had rarely participated in worldly affairs for the past century, no one knew their true strength. This allowed them to barely maintain the prestige of being the only ten-million-strong ancient clan in the Lingxiao Realm, revered by cultivators worldwide, much like the Zuoqiu and Longmen factions.

Lizhou in the Southern Territory, bordering the Blood Sea and facing the Nether Realm, always possessed an air of mystery.

Fourteen years ago, when signs of turmoil first emerged across the land, forces from various external states flocked to Lizhou to seek refuge, leading to numerous martial conflicts.

During that half-year of intense conflict, not a single member of the Jiuli Clan's younger generation proved capable. All the division leaders of the Nine Jiuli Tribes were defeated. Even the clan leaders of the Jiuli Tribes were consecutively defeated—six of them by Yang Shenjing, the foremost expert of the Suizong Sect, in an agreed battle in the Mangshan Mountain Range. The remaining three were defeated by the three Grand Elders of the Chen Clan, a million-strong family.

With three generations—old, middle, and young—each weaker than the last, losing all face was a secondary concern.

More importantly, the battle of Mangshan completely exposed the inherent weakness of the Jiuli Clan. The title of a ten-million-strong ancient clan, which their ancestors had fought for, collapsed resoundingly. Several parts of the Jiuli Clan's core interest, the "Jiuli City Dao Domain," were carved away, leading to the establishment of the Suizong Sect, San Chen Palace, Tianyi Gate, and Guan Hai Pavilion.

Among them, the most powerful, the Suizong Sect, was merely a minor group that helped the Jiuli Clan transport coffins from other realms a thousand years ago.

Zhao Zhizhuo's Spring Eye and Five Seas were crippled by Yao Qian, the current leader of the Suizong Sect, during that fierce martial arts conflict fourteen years ago.

In the carriage, Zhao Zhizhuo recounted the events of those years to Li Weiyi, sighing deeply as if a huge mountain weighed on his heart. He said, "Actually, if the various Jiuli Tribes had been united enough, our overall strength would definitely have surpassed the Suizong Sect. Outsiders wouldn't have found it so easy to defeat us. The Suizong Sect only managed to subdue the older and middle generations of the Jiuli Clan by relying on Yang Shenjing and Yao Qian."

"A thousand years ago, the top-tier magic artifact symbolizing the Jiuli leader disappeared. Afterwards, no matter who became the leader, the various tribes were unconvinced, leading to constant open and secret struggles. Over time, the Jiuli Clan ended up without a leader, with each tribe acting independently. To have maintained their prestige for a thousand years is already a testament to their deep heritage and ability to withstand setbacks."

Li Weiyi, very interested in that magnificent era, asked, "Can someone truly subdue an entire generation in Lizhou single-handedly?"

Zhao Zhizhuo nodded, many unpleasant memories surfacing in his mind, especially the figure that had left a shadow there. He said, "Now you understand why the Young Clan Leader's influence is so great, don't you? It's because the elders of the various Jiuli Tribes saw hope in him. If the younger generation of the Jiuli Clan had been strong enough back then, even if the older and middle generations had been defeated, the outside world would at least have praised them by saying that the future of the ten-million-strong ancient clan was promising, and that it was merely the previous two generations who weren't strong enough."

Neither of them was in the mood to stroll through the West Market. After spending a considerable sum to purchase the spring liquid, they left the bustling market area and proceeded along Divine Dragon Avenue, a wide street spanning tens of meters, which ran north to south through Jiuli City.

Li Weiyi planned to find an inn suitable for an esteemed senior, then he could begin having Senior Coffin, who was kept in the Evil Camel Bell, help Zhao Zhizhuo reshape his Spring Eye.

He was very cautious about this matter, even going masked when purchasing the spring liquid.

"It seems we're being watched!"

Li Weiyi had been on guard against being followed. Upon sensing something, he glanced back.

The carriage following them was pulled by a five-meter-tall exotic beast, a silver-horned deer. Its wheels and body, whether gold-plated or pure gold, were exceedingly luxurious and splendid.

The carriage curtains were white gauze, through which a faint glimpse of an upright, handsome figure seated inside could be seen.

Just as Li Weiyi had Zhao Zhizhuo pull over, the silver-horned deer carriage trotted up behind them. Its immense height and majesty made their own sturdy carriage horse look like a small donkey in comparison.

The aura it emitted made their "small donkey" restless, trembling and almost collapsing to the ground in fear.

The golden carriage, carrying a faint fragrance, stopped beside Li Weiyi.

The figure behind the white gauze looked at him through the fabric and chuckled mockingly, "That day on the boat, I misjudged you entirely. I thought you were just a lowly servant of the Cangli Clan. I didn't expect you to be a master of both martial arts and magic, with two Seven-Spring martial cultivators from the Changlin Gang dying by your hand."

It was Yang Yun.

Yang Qingxi's younger brother, the Suizong Sect prodigy who had opened eight springs at seventeen.

Recognizing his voice, Li Weiyi calmly replied, "I misjudged you too! That day on the boat, I thought Young Master Yang was an innocent boy, but your demeanor today suggests otherwise!"

Yang Yun disliked how the other person, despite their clearly lower status and cultivation, showed no fear. He said, "I heard you possess more than one magic artifact, something I don't even have yet. That day on the boat, I gave you a Spring Coin; how about you give me a magic artifact today?"

Li Weiyi replied, "I'm accustomed to poverty; I can't be as generous as Young Master Yang. Weren't you acting like you owned a nation in front of Fourth Miss Li? Why don't you buy one yourself?"

With a hint of disappointment in his voice, Yang Yun said, "People shouldn't be too greedy; they must understand the principle of losing wealth to avoid disaster. You just gained a windfall of a hundred thousand silver coins from the Changlin Gang, yet you're unwilling to part with a single magic artifact. It seems today you are destined for a bloody disaster... Haha... Let's go..."

"Clip-clop!"

The silver-horned deer carriage trotted straight ahead and departed.

Li Weiyi watched the golden carriage in the sunlight and grew alert. Since Yang Yun had appeared here, it couldn't have been merely to exchange words; he must have had something planned.

Li Weiyi asked, "Old Zhao, does the Yang Clan dare to kill people on the streets within the city?"

Zhao Zhizhuo looked worried. "It's hard to say! In the past two years, ever since the Lingxiao Palace suffered defeats in the war and various rebel armies achieved successive victories, the powerful clans and sects here in Lizhou have increasingly disregarded the Prefectural Manor and the City Defense Camp. Of course, the leader just met with you yesterday, and given the relationship between the Yang Clan and the Cangli Clan, Yang Yun shouldn't go too far. Otherwise, it would be a direct insult to the leader!"

The Lingxiao Palace was the ruler of the twenty-eight states of the Lingxiao Realm, the supreme government, with the prefects of each state personally appointed and dispatched by Yu Yaozi.

At least, that was still the case for now.

"Watch out!"

Li Weiyi's ears twitched slightly, his expression instantly changed, and he grabbed Zhao Zhizhuo's left shoulder.

The two of them tumbled and rolled towards the center of Divine Dragon Avenue.

Almost instantly, from a rooftop on the right, a mutated human expert, nearly four meters tall, resembling a giant ape with silver fur on its back, leapt down. Wielding an iron staff over two meters long and as thick as a bowl, it smashed the spot where Li Weiyi and Zhao Zhizhuo had just been sitting into smithereens.

"Boom!"

The carriage shaft snapped, and the sturdy horse, startled, bolted away.

The back of the carriage was shattered to pieces by the impact.

The iron staff, of unknown weight, was deeply embedded beneath the broken flagstones.

One could imagine that if Li Weiyi had reacted even a breath slower, he and Zhao Zhizhuo would surely have been turned into a pulpy mess by now.

Li Weiyi merely wanted to help everyone from Earth establish a stable foothold in this unfamiliar world, then cultivate martial arts peacefully. He had never actively sought trouble, much less desired fighting and killing.

But that moment had been too perilous; he had almost brushed past death.

He drew the Yellow Dragon Sword from his back and fixed his gaze on the silver-horned deer carriage that had already gone some distance. He saw the carriage a hundred paces away make a turn, now directly facing him, the person inside adopting a posture as if ready to watch a show.

"Roar!"

The ape-like mutated human, having missed its first strike, immediately raised its staff. With a single stride, it was already in front of Li Weiyi, swinging a second strike down like Mount Tai pressing down.

Li Weiyi had never encountered such a terrifying opponent.

That iron staff was clearly extremely heavy, yet in its hands, it was incredibly agile.

This strike, moreover, was supremely skillful. As it swung, it generated violent gusts of wind, as if to blow him directly away.

Against previous opponents, Li Weiyi would have found a way to dodge, even if his strength was inferior. But the staff descending from above gave him the feeling that there was no escaping it.

He didn't know where to attack, nor where to dodge.

"Its combat technique is superior to mine. Its mastery of staff techniques is close to the Dao."

This thought flashed through Li Weiyi's mind. Then, clearing all other thoughts, he swung his sword, colliding head-on with the iron staff.

It felt like a mountain pressing down on him.

Overwhelming power surged from the Yellow Dragon Sword into his body.

"Boom!"

Li Weiyi was forced back several meters, the web between his thumb and forefinger split open, and his fingers struggled to maintain a grip on the sword hilt.

"Old Zhao, you go first!"

Knowing his strength was inferior, Li Weiyi immediately activated the five springs within his body. Torrential magic power poured through all sixty of his mark veins, then surged into his right arm. The pain in his thumb web and fingers dissipated, replaced by a vigorous and endless surge of power.

His battle intent boiled over.

Finally, before the ape-like mutated human could attack again, a layer of radiance appeared on the blade of the Yellow Dragon Sword.

"Taiyi Opens the Sea!"

He dared not hold back in the slightest and swung his sword.

The sword qi broke through the wind currents, and the sword mark, once made, was irreversible, as if it could truly cleave the sea with a single strike. At least, that was what Li Weiyi felt in his heart at that moment.

He had never before reached such a state of mind!

Terrifying power was transmitted again, and Li Weiyi was forced back three steps.

But the power of this sword strike shocked all observers. It actually chopped the nearly bowl-thick iron staff in the ape-like mutated human's hand into two pieces. The lingering sword wind left a foot-long blood mark on its chest, successfully deterring it on the spot, so it dared not advance another step.

In the distance, inside the silver-horned deer carriage.

"So this is his magic artifact? What a beautiful sword strike, and what a sharp artifact. If only it were mine."

Yang Yun, dressed in a cloud-satin robe, sat on a seat covered with white fox fur, sharpening a three-inch-long knife with a foot-long greenish whetstone. The blade had already been polished to a mirror-like sheen, capable of reflecting images.

But this small knife, which he had always cherished the most, now seemed increasingly ordinary the more he looked at it.

He seemed to like it less now!

The tiger-like mutated human driving the carriage said, "Young Master, the City Defense Camp will be here soon."

"Then let's go! He's just a Seven-Spring martial cultivator, but he possesses a magic artifact, which is a considerable boost to combat power. We've already helped to test him out, so the assassins from the Five Burials Temple should know what to do now."

Yang Yun slid the small knife back into the hidden sheath in his boot and asked, "Tell me, haven't we given the Cangli Clan enough face?"

The tiger-like mutated human driving the carriage said, "The silver-backed ape, Yao Zhengsheng, who attacked was hired from Seven Springs Hall. The ones who will actually kill him are from the Five Burials Temple. How is any of that related to us? Young Master, you worry too much!"

"Who is stronger, you or Yao Zhengsheng?" Yang Yun asked.

The tiger-like mutated human replied, "In Seven Springs Hall, I rank seventy-second, and he ranks eighty-second. We're both among Lizhou's top 100 martial artists, so we're about evenly matched!"

"Your second Five Seas Pill is already being applied for. This time, don't disappoint my sister again!" Yang Yun said.

The tiger-like mutated human's eyes lit up with great delight. He had resigned himself to his fate after failing to break through with the Five Seas Pill the first time. Who would have thought he would get a second chance?

"Lu Can will certainly serve Young Miss and Young Master with his life this time."