Chapter 74: Sword Cuts Through Xue Zheng

The killing intent and "combat intent" emanating from Shi Jiuzhai at this moment were enough to terrify any Spring Realm martial artist into submission.

Li Weiwei struggled to breathe as he fought against the pressure, gritting his teeth, and said with difficulty, "Just like now, how do you know my strength isn't enough to help you succeed? I think Dharma King Shi Shishi has better judgment than you."

Li Weiwei's resilience and mental fortitude secretly impressed Shi Jiuzhai. His eyes flickered uncertainly as he asked, "Against a martial artist who has opened the Nine Springs, how many moves do you think you could last? Could you escape with your life?"

Li Weiwei gathered more useful information. "It seems the Dharma Kings want me to deal with a Nine Springs martial artist? That's rather strange. Why can't you handle it yourselves? Is that Nine Springs martial artist in a place you can't reach?"

Shi Jiuzhai thought the young man in front of him truly had potential and might actually succeed. So he said, "Not 'deal with him'; you're not that strong yet. You just need to monitor him."

Li Weiwei, knowing when to be firm and when to be flexible, bowed respectfully and said, "Perhaps the two Dharma Kings could explain more clearly. My life is in your hands now. I will certainly do my utmost to accomplish whatever you assign."

In any case, preserving his life was the immediate priority.

Seeing Li Weiwei return to his initial "little wolf cub" demeanor, Shi Jiuzhai's anger dissipated instantly, and he chuckled, "I knew it; this is the real you. With that arrogant look you had earlier, I thought Shi Shishi had picked the wrong person."

Shi Shishi asked, "Have you heard of the Jiuli Hidden Gate?"

Li Weiwei almost lost his composure...

What was happening? They actually knew about the Jiuli Hidden Gate?

"Never heard of it," Li Weiwei feigned ignorance, shaking his head slightly after a moment's thought.

Shi Jiuzhai said, "You don't need to have heard of it. Just go to the Jiuli Hidden Gate for us and do something. Once it's done, all old scores will be wiped clean. Of course, you can refuse, and then I'll strike you dead right here, since you've learned things you shouldn't have."

The matter of investigating the Jiuli Hidden Gate was of great importance; how could the Earth Wolf Royal Army fully trust that mysterious old man from the Jiuli tribe?

Therefore, they naturally wanted to embed one of their own to enter the Jiuli Hidden Gate with him.

Li Qing, whom the mysterious old man intended to send to the Hidden Gate, had a cultivation level of an Opened Nine Springs practitioner. Therefore, the person the Earth Wolf Royal Army found could not be too weak, or they might be eliminated by Li Qing as soon as they entered the Hidden Gate.

Shi Jiuzhai naturally wouldn't tell Li Weiwei too much. He said, "You just need to do one thing! Survive, find the location of the Jiuli Hidden Gate, and then escape to tell us. Simple enough, right?"

Li Weiwei asked, "I don't even know how to get to the Jiuli Hidden Gate."

"You don't need to worry about that; we have our arrangements," Shi Jiuzhai said with a smile. "If you can complete this task, you'll be well-rewarded."

"Haha!"

In the dark forest, a low, distant laugh echoed, eerie and seeming to come from all directions.

"Thud!"

A heavy, human-shaped object fell from mid-air, creating a shallow indentation on the ground.

It was a burlap sack, and a muffled groan of pain came from within.

Shi Shishi laughed, "Sixth Brother, what took you so long to return?"

"Whoosh!"

Li Weiwei felt a cold gust of wind, and next to the bonfire, a gaunt, skeletal figure materialized out of thin air.

Shi Liuyu was as thin as a skeleton, with green eyes and green close-cropped hair, giving him an eerie and chilling appearance.

He glanced at Li Weiwei, then chuckled in a low voice, "Shishi, the person you found doesn't seem all that impressive. Look at who I found; this person is renowned as the strongest fighter below the Five Seas Realm in Lizhou, a true Immortal Body."

Li Weiwei looked at the burlap sack, still squirming on the ground, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

Was he not the only unlucky one tonight?

Shi Shishi untied the sack, and indeed, inside was Xue Zheng, the Silver Immortal Body, beaten black and blue.

Xue Zheng's experience was naturally incomparable to Li Weiwei's; he quickly recognized the identities of the three men before him, his face turning ashen. Finally, his gaze fell upon Li Weiwei.

Shi Shishi said, "Sixth Brother, you're late. We just finished negotiating with Brother Tianshu; he's going to the Jiuli Hidden Gate to do something for us."

Shi Liuyu seemed indifferent, saying airily, "Just kill him to silence him; it's no trouble. Do you think he's a match for Li Qing, who has opened the Nine Springs? If we're going to send someone, we should send someone strong."

Li Weiwei knew the ruthlessness of the Southern Barbarian Bandits and, fearing Shi Liuyu might suddenly strike him dead, hastily said, "Dharma King, you are mistaken. Xue Zheng is highly renowned in Lizhou; everyone knows he is a Suizong disciple. Sending him to the Hidden Gate would expose his identity instantly."

Xue Zheng was no fool either; he quickly assessed the situation, understanding that to survive against these bandit Dharma Kings, he needed to prove his usefulness.

He said, "Just a Spring Realm practitioner, what great fame is that? Let alone the older generation, even those figures listed in the 'Jiazi Register' probably wouldn't know who Xue Zheng is."

Shi Liuyu nodded. "See, this cleverness is exactly what we need in the Earth Wolf Royal Army."

Xue Zheng continued, "Just give me a chance to live, and I will pledge my loyalty to the Earth Wolf Royal Army unto death. I am the most promising rising star of the Xue family's younger generation, and in the future, I can do many things for the three Dharma Kings in Lizhou."

Li Weiwei never imagined that Xue Zheng, who usually appeared so upright, could fight so desperately, and without any bottom line, just to survive.

Shi Liuyu chuckled, "Excellent, excellent, that's the right attitude! Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, what do you think? If Xue Zheng can complete this task, he might become an important pawn for us, buried within the Suizong sect."

Seeing a flicker of interest in Shi Jiuzhai's eyes, Li Weiwei quickly interjected, "Xue Zheng has only opened eight springs; even as an Immortal Body, he might not be a match for a martial artist who has opened the Nine Springs. In fact, he might not even be my match!"

After transforming into an Immortal Body, Xue Zheng naturally didn't put Li Weiwei in his eyes. He said, "Li Weiwei, are you seeking a fight with me?"

"I just want to tell the three Dharma Kings that I am more qualified than you," Li Weiwei stated.

Shi Liuyu's green eyes brimmed with amusement. "Suddenly, this has become rather interesting!"

"Brother Tianshu, you're the one I brought here; you can't lose to him," Shi Shishi said, still addressing Li Weiwei by that name even though he knew his real one.

Xue Zheng knew Li Weiwei possessed a black iron seal that could release lightning. He secretly wondered whether to reveal this information but worried that the three Dharma Kings of the Earth Wolf Royal Army might kill him to silence him after learning Li Weiwei could be a potential successor of the Thunder Cloud Sect.

Xue Zheng figured Li Weiwei also wouldn't dare easily expose this point. As long as he dealt with him within a few moves, Li Weiwei wouldn't even have a chance to use the black iron seal.

To contend for qualification, to contend for his life.

The two men positioned themselves by the stream, their gazes clashing sharply.

There was no doubt; tonight, it was either his life or his opponent's.

Shi Jiuzhai suggested, "How about the three of us start a wager? The odds are one to nine; I'll bet on Xue Zheng."

Shi Liuyu said, "Ninth Brother, you're the bookie. Any bets should be between me and Tenth Brother. Tenth Brother, care to join?"

How could Shi Shishi not know the formidable power of an Immortal Body who had opened eight springs? They were definitely capable of competing with a Sage who had opened nine springs. Moreover, Xue Zheng was renowned for his extraordinary combat arts, making Li Weiwei's chances of winning exceedingly slim.

Shi Liuyu said, "How about we bet on how many moves that kid you found can last against Xue Zheng?"

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Before the wager even began, the two, one with a saber and one with a sword, charged at each other at high speed.

Xue Zheng sought a quick victory, so his first saber strike mobilized the Qi from his Wind Mansion, unleashing the most powerful attack only an Eight Springs martial artist could perform.

Li Weiwei dared not display too much strength, so facing Xue Zheng's overwhelming saber strike, he could only use every possible method to dodge.

But dodging a Heavenly Dao Law Fusion attack was already incredibly difficult. Moreover, this strike was amplified by the Wind Mansion's minor Qi Sea; even a Five Seas Realm martial artist would have to meet it head-on.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Li Weiwei was about to become another victim of Xue Zheng's saber, his body, only a hair's breadth from the blade, darted sideways like a wisp of smoke, escaping the saber's momentum and aura.

With a booming sound, the incredibly powerful saber gleam Xue Zheng unleashed, like a wave of light, flew five zhang away, and the trunk of a large tree, as thick as a bowl, exploded.

His combat power was indeed stronger than a month ago, Li Weiwei thought with a shiver.

Shi Shishi suddenly stood up and applauded, "Excellent movement! So not only is your sword technique Heavenly Dao Law Fusion, but your movement technique is too!"

By the Sui River, he had seen Li Weiwei perform a sword technique with Heavenly Dao Law Fusion.

The movement technique Li Weiwei was currently using was naturally the Clear Void Cicada Chasing Steps, which he had cultivated to Heavenly Dao Law Fusion in the Cang King's Tomb. The reason it was so quick was that he had already practiced the Twelve Scattered Hands of Chanmen for over a decade.

Shi Jiuzhai nodded, "At his age and in the Spring Realm, being able to cultivate two Heavenly Dao Law Fusion techniques is indeed extraordinary. Six-Color, how many did you cultivate back then?"

"It's Liuyu."

After correcting him, Shi Liuyu snorted coldly, "Back then, I only focused on breaking through to the Wind Mansion and Ancestral Field, reaching the Five Seas Realm. No matter how well you practice your techniques, being a realm higher allows one to crush an opponent effortlessly."

Shi Jiuzhai said, "In any case, once Xue Zheng exhausts his Wind Mansion's Qi, that little wolf cub will finally have a chance to win. Shishi, want to bet? The odds are still one to nine?"

Shi Shishi hesitated slightly; the odds were too good.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Xue Zheng and Li Weiwei's figures intertwined, moving from the bank into the stream, having exchanged over a dozen blows.

Li Weiwei controlled his strength, constantly retreating and appearing completely on the defensive, in a very disheveled state. A strand of his hair would be cut, or a corner of his clothing slashed off.

Shi Jiuzhai observed their fight and noticed that after entering the stream, Xue Zheng's movements noticeably slowed. Meanwhile, Li Weiwei, with his ingenious movement technique, could glide over the water, using his strengths to exploit his opponent's weaknesses.

After realizing this, Xue Zheng immediately wanted to pull the fight back to the bank.

It would have been fine if he hadn't thought that way, as a mere stream wouldn't significantly diminish his combat power. But as he did, and took one step towards the bank, Li Weiwei immediately seized the opportunity, unleashing the Heavenly Dao Law Fusion-level Grand Unity Opening Sea.

"Swish!"

The air was cleaved, and the sword gleam seemed capable of splitting the entire stream.

The energy was sharp, and the sound of the sword was piercing.

Xue Zheng's leg, poised to step onto the bank, was not directly hit by the sword's edge, but was struck by the energy current. His trouser leg instantly tore, followed by a metallic clanging sound.

If he hadn't possessed a Silver Immortal Body with its formidable defense, his leg would have been injured.

Even so, he still felt pain in his leg, and his balance became somewhat unstable.

Once Li Weiwei gained the upper hand, he naturally pressed his advantage with overwhelming force, his sword strikes covering Xue Zheng like a rainstorm, each faster than the last. At the same time, he secretly added a surge of power, creating the impression that Xue Zheng's defeat was due to a misjudgment, leaving him no chance to retaliate after falling into a disadvantage.

Shi Shishi, who had never expected such a turn of events, immediately exclaimed, "I'll bet! Sixth Brother, I'll bet with you! I'll wager a thousand Spring Coins! Ninth Brother, the odds are one to nine, right?"

Shi Jiuzhai stared at the two duelists in the stream. "No, the odds are now three to seven... four to six, five to five..."

The next instant, Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Liuyu both abruptly stood up almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with disbelief.

In the stream, Li Weiwei was steadily forcing Xue Zheng back, his legs unstable, his footwork becoming increasingly chaotic and disorganized.

At first, Xue Zheng also thought he was simply at a disadvantage, which made it difficult to retaliate against Li Weiwei. But gradually, he sensed something was wrong, truly feeling Li Weiwei's strength increasing.

"No good, this kid must have broken through to the Ninth Spring..."

Knowing he likely wouldn't survive today, Xue Zheng decided to take Li Weiwei down with him and shouted, "He is actually..."

"Wind Mansion Sword, strongest strike."

Li Weiwei deliberately shouted loudly, drowning out Xue Zheng's voice, and once again unleashed the Heavenly Dao Law Fusion-level Grand Unity Opening Sea, bringing his sword down from above onto Xue Zheng's head.

The next instant, the Yellow Dragon Sword appeared beneath Xue Zheng's crotch.

A drop of blood slid down the sword tip, falling into the stream, creating a vibrant red blossom that was quickly washed away.

Li Weiwei walked back, his sword raised, as Xue Zheng's body behind him split in half and fell into the stream, his organs spilling out. His entire body was not, in fact, composed of a silver-like substance.

"Ten to zero! Tenth Brother, I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it; you have no gambling spirit at all," Shi Jiuzhai sighed.

Shi Shishi was so regretful his guts turned green. He rushed to Xue Zheng's two halves in the stream, as if he wanted to stitch him back together, repair him, and make him fight Li Weiwei again.

As Li Weiwei just stepped ashore, a figure flickered before him.

Shi Liuyu's gaunt, ghost-like face pressed close to his, and then a finger pressed against the Ancestral Field location below Li Weiwei's navel. He let out a soft exclamation of surprise, "He really hasn't opened his Ancestral Field."

The next moment, Shi Liuyu's palm pressed against Li Weiwei's chest, near his lungs. "He hasn't opened his Qi Sea either. This is truly strange. Can a mortal, by cultivating combat techniques to a certain level, truly slay an Immortal Body at the same realm?"

Shi Liuyu seemed to have opened a new world, overjoyed.

After all, he was a rather special type of deformed human, always wary of Immortal Bodies at the same cultivation level, and naturally, he had felt a great deal of resentment.

Li Weiwei's heart pounded so hard he could barely contain it, terrified that Shi Liuyu would probe his Wind Mansion. Fortunately, Shi Liuyu didn't doubt the authenticity of his Eight Springs cultivation at all.

Seeing Shi Liuyu turn away, Li Weiwei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly.

Without warning, Shi Liuyu spun around like lightning, a complex green rune appearing in his palm, and struck Li Weiwei's chest. Li Weiwei flew several zhang back, landing heavily on the ground.

Li Weiwei was briefly breathless, then gasped for air violently.

Not only did his chest ache, but an unbearable tingling power seeped into his body, thread by thread.

After regaining his breath, he hastily tore open his collar but found nothing. He said coldly, "Dharma King Liuyu, what... what is the meaning of this?"

Shi Liuyu chuckled, hands clasped behind his back, "First, congratulations on defeating Xue Zheng and earning the qualification to work for the Earth Wolf Royal Army. But you should understand that we don't trust you, and you're certainly not doing this willingly. So, we need to use some methods to make you willing."

"What I placed inside you is a Six Desires Talisman."

"Don't for a moment think that someone can help you remove the curse. Each Six Desires Talisman is drawn differently, and only the caster knows the correct method to remove it. Rest assured, once you return after completing the mission, I will remove it for you."

Li Weiwei slowly stood up and said, "You might as well not have said anything."

Shi Shishi returned, carrying Xue Zheng's magic weapon saber, and said, "I'll vouch for you! If you truly manage to return after completing the mission, not only will I have Sixth Brother remove the talisman for you, but I'll also introduce you to join the Earth Wolf Royal Army. Because by then, in the Cangli tribe and in Lizhou, you will certainly have no place to hide; every practitioner of the Jiuli tribe will wish to tear you limb from limb."

Shi Jiuzhai said, "If you break through to the Ancestral Field, I'll introduce you to the Heavenly King and make you the eleventh senior."

Shi Jiuzhai's words were half-truth, half-lie.

The lie was to stabilize Li Weiwei and make him comply obediently.

The truth was that if Li Weiwei truly could break through to the Ancestral Field and return after completing the mission, he would indeed have a chance to become the eleventh Dharma King.

Not long after the four left, two Five Seas Realm elders from the Cangli tribe tracked Li Weiwei's footprints to the stream.

Before long, they found Xue Zheng's mutilated corpse, split in half, in a pool further downstream.

One of the elders exclaimed in shock, "This... could this be his doing?"

"We tracked his footprints and aura here. Xue Zheng might indeed have been killed by his sword," said the other elder.

"Then there's only one possibility: everyone was mistaken. Li Weiwei must have broken through to the Ancestral Field, becoming a Sage who has opened the Nine Springs."

"It's hard to say. Let's take Xue Zheng's body back first. There's still residual aura in the wound; the Clan Head and Young Clan Master should be able to determine if it was severed by Li Weiwei's magical battle sword."

"If he truly is a Sage of the Nine Springs... apart from the Young Clan Master, the Cangli tribe hasn't produced a Sage of the Nine Springs in thirty years..."