Chapter 61: 慈航 Opening Ceremony

Before his palm even landed, Li Weiyi’s condensed Yin Jin, formed in front of his palm, had already caused the air to concave, descending upon his target.

“Thump!”

Lu Can’s perception and combat experience were exceptionally keen; despite the darkness, his rapidly deployed ‘Tiger Claws’ still accurately clashed with Li Weiyi’s palm. The opponent’s terrifying power pressed down once more. Lu Can felt as though his tiger claws and arms no longer belonged to him, losing all sensation. The next instant, a heavy palm strike landed squarely on his chest.

“Puff!”

Lu Can’s three-meter-tall tiger-like body flew backward. Before he could land and regain his balance, Li Weiyi, feet shrouded in silver spiritual energy mist, pursued him. With a finger like a sword, he pierced Lu Can’s forehead, shattering his skull.

This was the ‘Cihang Kaiguang’ finger technique, one of the Twelve Loose Hands of the Chanmen Sect. When he performed this move, Li Weiyi vaguely sensed spiritual energy intertwining and condensing into a stream of force, attempting to surge out from his right index and middle fingers. However, due to insufficient power, the finger force failed to fully materialize. He secretly speculated that once he reached the ‘Seven Springs’ or ‘Eight Springs’ cultivation levels, and his internal spiritual energy became more abundant, this technique would likely undergo some miraculous changes.

The trace meridians extending from the ‘Sixth Shanzhong Spring’ now numbered six.

Li Weiyi heard the wind, spun around, and unleashed both palms simultaneously, striking at two ‘Seven Springs’ martial artists who were swinging their swords mid-air. Behind him, with a loud “boom,” Lu Can crashed about ten meters away. Blood and brain matter gushed from his forehead; he would never stand again.

“Thump! Thump!”

The combat swords in the hands of the two ‘Seven Springs’ martial artists were shattered by the blows. As Li Weiyi’s figure flickered, his hands already grasped the head of one of them. Immediately, the brittle sound of a snapping neck bone echoed. The corpse was thrown, hurtling towards the other ‘Seven Springs’ martial artist, who was left with only a broken sword.

The ‘Seven Springs’ martial artist caught the body of their companion, whose mouth was still gushing blood. Perhaps participating in such brutal slaughter for the first time, they let out a shriek. Then, clutching the corpse, they fled towards the shore, a faint sound of sobbing and a crying tone in their voice. From the scream and figure, it seemed to be a young woman. These two were most likely sect disciples!

Li Weiyi couldn’t be bothered to pursue. He knew full well that something was very wrong tonight; the City Defense Camp was hiding, which was beyond the capabilities of the Changlin Gang and Yang Yun. Therefore, after breaking through the encirclement, he showed no desire to prolong the fight, heading directly towards Yang Yun. He intended to reclaim the Yellow Dragon Sword and leave immediately. Other artifacts could be foregone, but not the Yellow Dragon Sword.

Yang Yun, seeing Li Weiyi’s objective, smiled. Agile as a swallow, he swiftly dashed towards the silver-horned elk carriage on the shore, saying, “If you want the sword, catch me and I’ll give it to you. Block him for ten breaths, and tomorrow you can collect one hundred thousand silver coins from the Yang Clan.” His second sentence was directed at Murong Xiao, who was at the top of the mast.

“What a lucrative deal.”

Murong Xiao spread her black feathered wings, clutching a three-meter-long bow, and dived towards Li Weiyi, who was pursuing Yang Yun across the fishing boats.

“Block me for ten breaths? Do you have that capability?”

Li Weiyi cast a cold glance at the approaching black figure, executing the ‘Qingxu Cicada Chasing Steps.’ His feet enveloped in silver spiritual energy mist, he drifted one meter to the right before soaring skyward, appearing above Murong Xiao. Murong Xiao had been too high in the sky before, too far to clearly see how Li Weiyi repeatedly dodged her arrows. This time, the distance was close enough, and she finally saw clearly. The opponent’s movement technique was too elusive; she could see it, but couldn’t evade it.

Li Weiyi brought a palm down directly. Murong Xiao, exerting all her might, barely managed to twist her body in time, countering with a palm strike of her own.

“Thump!”

The powerful palm force sent Murong Xiao plummeting downward, her body crashing through the wooden boat. Inside the cabin, the clatter of pots, bowls, and other items falling to the ground immediately echoed. Ultimately, Murong Xiao’s high ranking in the ‘Seven Springs Hall’ was due to her unique flying advantage and her artifact great bow. Without these two major advantages, her combat strength was slightly inferior to that of Yao Zhengsheng and Lu Can.

Yang Yun landed on shore and leaped onto the silver-horned elk carriage. Waving to Li Weiyi, who was still thirty meters away, he smiled, “Want to reclaim this artifact combat sword? Come back to Jiuli City with me?”

“Crack!”

He cracked his whip. The silver-horned elk, stung by the pain, galloped wildly forward. These exotic beasts could directly breathe in and absorb the energy of the world’s laws, integrating this energy into their blood, constantly evolving and refining their physical bodies.

“Think you can just leave so easily?”

Li Weiyi channeled his spiritual energy, causing it to leave his body and transform into an ethereal force. The three-inch dagger Yang Yun had thrown earlier had cut Li Weiyi’s neck, pierced through seven or eight meters of the wooden boat, and was now embedded in a thick mast. Now, it was pulled by a spiritual force back into Li Weiyi’s hand. In an instant, he employed the ‘Flying Needle Technique,’ which he had practiced since childhood. With a whoosh, the three-inch dagger, like a bright speck of light, streaked across the water and into the night.

Sixty meters away, the silver-horned elk let out a high-pitched cry of agony. Its head pierced, it, along with the gilded carriage behind it, plunged down the embankment, tumbling repeatedly.

“How is this possible?”

Yang Qingxi’s beautiful eyes stared at the shore. She never imagined that the unknown young man, who looked like a servant at first glance, could send three of the top hundred martial artists flying. Even with the aid of artifacts, such combat prowess was still remarkable. Crucially, how could he, a martial artist in the ‘Surging Spring Realm,’ possess several artifacts without being a pure Immortal Body or having a distinguished background? Even individuals of such noble status as Li Ling and Yang Yun didn’t have them. Too many absurdities, it was no wonder Yang Qingxi lost her composure.

Although Li Weiyi’s performance was stunning, which of those present hadn’t been stunning in their youth? After a moment of brilliance, they returned to the main topic. Grand Master Yuzhen chuckled, “Miss Yang, is such a minor matter enough to make you lose your composure? What we are undertaking is a monumental task, one that will shake the heavens and earth and bring about drastic change. This humble monk now seriously doubts your ability to represent the Suizong Sect.”

“Losing composure isn’t scary, what’s scary is losing control of your bladder… ah…” A brazen, childish voice inappropriately chimed in.

Shi Jiuzhai immediately slapped the talkative, ravenously eating chubby boy, pushing his entire face into the food platter. He then offered an awkward smile to the glaring Yang Qingxi. Were such words appropriate to say directly?

Yang Qingxi quickly regained her composure. Unwilling to lose her dignity and be underestimated in front of these various demonic and unorthodox factions, she said, “Tell me, what is the true identity of the person you brought, and how credible are his words?”

Grand Master Yuzhen, known for his shocking pronouncements, chuckled, “Elder Li is one of the top ten most formidable figures in the Jiuli Tribe. How dare a junior like you question him?” Yang Qingxi, Shi Jiuzhai, and even the man surnamed Long, all showed surprise in their eyes, collectively turning to gaze at the mysterious elder wrapped entirely in a wide black robe.

Grand Master Yuzhen said, “Since Coffin Mountain can bring Elder Li into this, I ask you all: do we not have the qualifications to conspire on this great undertaking?” One of the top ten in the Jiuli Tribe must be among the Nine Great Chieftains or Nine Great Priests. This was truly extraordinary! Shi Jiuzhai exclaimed in admiration, slapping the table and laughing heartily, “Coffin Mountain truly has a grand scheme! I never expected even the high-ranking members of the Jiuli Tribe to be infiltrated.”

The mysterious elder in the black robe spoke calmly, stating indifferently, “I am aware that the Jiuli Tribe’s interior has long been thoroughly corrupted and will certainly not survive this calamity. Rather than having our tribe annihilated by you all, leading to a fate of male slaves and female prostitutes, it is better to adopt a strategy of indirect salvation. After this calamity, at least the Jiuli Tribe will not be completely erased. In this way, we can face our ancestors above and our descendants below with dignity.”

Shi Jiuzhai didn’t know whether this Jiuli elder truly thought this way or if he had been forcibly subdued by Coffin Mountain; it no longer mattered. He silently admired the elder twice. Yang Qingxi and the man surnamed Long held similar thoughts. They didn’t find the Elder Li laughable, only Coffin Mountain terrifying.

The mysterious elder in the black robe said, “Regarding how much strength the Jiuli Hidden Sect truly possesses, I am also not entirely clear. However, I believe that if we rashly engage in war without fully understanding this matter, the price you all will have to pay might be unbearable.”

“Elder Li has a way to find the Jiuli Hidden Sect and ascertain their strength?” Yang Qingxi asked.

The mysterious elder in the black robe replied, “Every year, the Nine Great Tribes select one or several youths to send to the Jiuli Hidden Sect. The time for this year’s selection is already very near. If you trust me, gentlemen, then postpone your offensive plan. Wouldn’t it be more certain of success to act after thoroughly investigating the Hidden Sect?”

Yang Qingxi and Shi Jiuzhai felt that this elder might not be trustworthy, or perhaps it was a delaying tactic by the Jiuli Tribe. Their gazes turned to Grand Master Yuzhen. Grand Master Yuzhen, also unsure if the Jiuli elder was trustworthy, looked at the White-Clothed Recluse.

The White-Clothed Recluse’s appearance had changed slightly compared to when she was eating noodles yesterday, with only the string of blood-red prayer beads in her hand remaining unchanged. Her gaze remained fixed on the battle on the shore as she spoke calmly and leisurely, “Elder Li, bring out the person you intend to send to the Jiuli Hidden Sect, and let everyone see.”

“Li Qing!” The mysterious elder in the black robe called out softly.

Behind him, a tall, slender youth, appearing seventeen or eighteen years old, stepped forward. Dressed in black tight-fitting attire, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, he showed no signs of discomfort facing the powerful figures present. The mysterious elder in the black robe stated, “Li Qing has already opened his ‘Nine Springs.’ Sending him to the Jiuli Hidden Sect gives him a great chance to become the ‘Divine Hidden One’ of this generation, and investigating the secrets of the Hidden Sect will naturally be a simple matter.”

“Opened Nine Springs, really?” Shi Jiuzhai was both curious and surprised. ‘Nine Springs’ martial artists could be called ‘Perfected Beings,’ extremely rare, and anyone, no matter how powerful their cultivation, would regard them with high respect.

At this moment, the battle on the shore saw a new development: the mysterious young man, who was being hunted, actually broke through the encirclement and even shot down Yang Yun’s mount, displaying overwhelming ferocity. All the powerful figures on the boat were drawn to the battlefield, temporarily forgetting to continue their discussion.

Xu Changlin, the leader of the Changlin Gang, and Tang Yan, the vice-leader, arrived at the main hall entrance and requested to join the fight, saying, “Miss, the situation has changed, Young Master Yun is in danger. Xu Changlin requests to fight!”

“Tang Yan will surely slay that junior.”

Yang Qingxi couldn’t maintain her composure. What she had considered an interesting spectacle, also an opportunity to display Suizong Sect’s unyielding influence in Jiuli City, had now backfired, causing her to lose face before all the factions. She was about to dispatch these two ‘Five Seas Realm’ experts to clean up the mess.

The White-Clothed Recluse’s calm voice rang out from outside the door, “Such a fine spectacle would be utterly meaningless if ‘Five Seas Realm’ cultivators got involved!” She saw more clearly than anyone that the young man who had invited her for noodles hadn’t broken through the ‘Eighth Spring’ or ‘Ninth Spring,’ but rather the ‘Sixth Shanzhong Spring.’ This was somewhat beyond her comprehension!