Chapter 85: Trouble Arises

After breaking through the Eighth Spring, Yaoyin moved to Silver Beach Valley. It was easier there to refine silver meridian traces. As a pure immortal body, who wouldn't aspire to have all hundred meridians turn silver and achieve the innate potential of a successor-level talent?

Li Weiyi himself already possessed fully silver meridians, so there was no need for him to move. Thus, he remained at Blood Tree Forest Cliff.

Living alone and undisturbed allowed him to cultivate with greater peace of mind. By using the spatial power of the Buddha's sarira to absorb light and cultivate fire, he could be more uninhibited, without fear of his secret being exposed.

At the same time, he practiced the Cang King Refinement Method, absorbing specks of light from nature and refining them into his ninety-six silver meridian traces, hoping to forge golden ones. No matter how ethereal the Tenth Spring seemed, he still had to try. Unfortunately, after more than twenty days, his ninety-six meridian traces showed no change.

On this day, Li Weiyi sat cross-legged in the forest, his fingers forming a mystic art hand seal. He mobilized the spiritual energy from his Wind Mansion, swiftly channeling it into the meridian traces of his right arm, which immediately became scalding hot.

Whoosh!

Around his body, countless blood-red fallen leaves were stirred by the spiritual energy emanating from his arm, swirling and dancing.

He thrust a finger forward! A powerful, bright beam of spiritual energy shot from his fingertip.

With a thud, the cliff wall five *zhang* away was struck by the spiritual energy beam, sending rubble tumbling down.

Li Weiyi stood up and walked over. He found a goblet-sized, three-inch-deep indentation on the cliff wall, as if it had been fiercely pierced by a spear. Most of the rock walls in Jiuli Insect Valley were metallic mineral rock, extremely hard. To achieve such an effect from five *zhang* away showed how condensed the spiritual energy in that single strike truly was.

"I've finally cultivated this finger technique, 'Enlightening the Compassionate Journey', to the state of Heavenly Dao Alignment. It's certainly enough to be an unexpected killing move. How could an enemy possibly predict that a martial cultivator in the Spring Realm could possess such a technique?"

"Now that I have seven Dao-aligned martial arts techniques, how much distance is left between me and the Yang God Realm?"

Li Weiyi left Blood Tree Forest Cliff, preparing to test the Five Seas Pillar. For over twenty days, he not only ate medicinal meals until he was full but also, along with seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors, consumed a hundred *jin* of five-hundred-year-old Cistanche. His physical strength naturally increased significantly. Though still a mortal, his skin radiated a textured sheen, and he exuded robust vitality, possessing an exceptional charm of spirited prowess. The aura of a martial arts master was beginning to form.

As he walked to the perpetually flowing Blood River, illuminated by the glow of the luminous plants on both riverbanks, Li Weiyi unexpectedly saw a beautiful, picturesque, and graceful figure meditating beneath the cliff carving of the four ancient characters: "Jiuli Insect Valley." The grass beneath her resembled a soft, glowing carpet. She wore a goose-yellow long gown, her black hair bound with a jade hairpin, and her face was even more lustrous and fair than the jade, giving her an ethereal, fairy-like aura.

Unfortunately, she was too young, only fifteen. Her figure was still slender, with only a slight curve at her chest. Li Weiyi knew well that this girl's appearance was deceptive. She looked harmless, like a celestial crane or an antelope, but in reality, she was a ruthless individual. After moving to Silver Beach Valley, she cleared out all the Eighth Spring martial cultivators within days. Li Weiyi could never forget the strike she suddenly launched at Li Qing. During the first trial, she didn't attack him, which might genuinely have been due to her concern about disturbing the spider swarm.

Li Weiyi pondered for a moment, then leisurely walked over. "What's this? No more opponents?" he asked. "Are you preparing to comprehend the battle intent of the Jiuli God and become a Spirit Enigma directly?"

Yaoyin's eyelashes trembled. She opened her breathtaking, heart-stirring eyes, raised her swan-like slender neck, and gazed at the four ancient characters on the cliff wall, brimming with Daoist essence. Her red lips parted slightly. "Among this group of competitors, besides you, who else could be an opponent?" she said. "But it's too difficult to break through to the Ninth Spring within a year, and without breaking through, I'm certainly no match for you. So, my only chance lies here."

Li Weiyi comforted her, "Don't be so pessimistic. What if I die during the trial? Besides, you could assassinate me, use poison, or schemes. Killing someone using straightforward methods is the most exhausting."

Yaoyin's bright, jewel-like azure eyes looked over, and in a soft, melodious voice, she said, "Are all men so two-faced? Don't think I don't know; Enigma Twenty-Four told me everything. I understand everything. I'm just a bit young, not an idiot."

Li Weiyi was slightly stunned. "What nonsense did she spout again?" he wondered.

Yaoyin lowered her gaze to the clusters of colorful wild flowers on the grass. Her eyes showed a hint of emotion as she whispered, "She said you would do everything to defeat the three people on the Mental Power Stone Wall and contend for the Spirit Enigma position. Only then will I have a chance to live."

"No, me contending for the Spirit Enigma..."

Fearing that explaining further would only deepen the misunderstanding, Li Weiyi thought for a moment and changed his approach. "Anyone who reaches my stage would want to become a Spirit Enigma directly, right?" he said. "So, I'm contending for the Spirit Enigma only for myself, not for anyone else. Don't let Enigma Twenty-Four mislead you. She's always been prejudiced against me, perhaps out of jealousy, who knows!"

Yaoyin murmured, "What is the meaning of their existence? To continue fighting for a spot that is destined to be unattainable? You said those words, didn't you?"

"Yes..."

Li Weiyi naturally couldn't deny it.

"Didn't you just say it was only for yourself? Isn't that a contradiction?"

Yaoyin's logic was very clear. She cast a firm and resolute gaze at Li Weiyi, like a secluded orchid growing in a hurricane canyon. "I know that comprehending the battle intent of the Jiuli God is extremely slim," she said. "So slim that it's as if my life is destined to last only a few more years. But you are striving so hard; how can I simply sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor? Let's join hands and contend with this cruel fate. As long as one of us succeeds... we win!"

Li Weiyi truly couldn't meet her gaze at that moment. He dared even less to take the slender, jade-like hand she extended, which seemed carved from ice crystal and immortal jade.

"You continue comprehending. I'm going to settle a score with Enigma Twenty-Four."

Li Weiyi turned and left as if fleeing. He took a deep breath, muttering, "Misinformation and loose tongues cause harm." He couldn't be too good or too bad a person; he just wanted to be a reasonably humane ordinary person. How did he stir up trouble now?

Arriving at the Hidden Gate's entrance, Li Weiyi cupped his hands and bowed to the gatekeeper elder. "Excuse me, Elder," he said, "could you please pass a message? I wish to see Enigma Twenty-Four."

The gatekeeper elder's chest glowed with bright spiritual energy, which then emanated from his mouth. Using spiritual energy to carry his voice, he shouted loudly into the gate, "Little Twenty-Four, someone wants to see you!" The voice was loud and resonant, likely audible tens of *li* away, echoing for a long time within the Insect Valley.

Li Weiyi hadn't expected the gatekeeper elder's method of communication to be so unadorned. "Wasn't he afraid of disturbing other Enigmas?" he wondered.

He walked over to the Five Seas Pillar. Li Weiyi began to warm up his body, practicing his fist and palm techniques, trying to invigorate himself.

Whoosh!

Enigma Twenty-Four, stepping on spiritual energy, arrived extremely quickly. Soon, she transformed into a wisp of clear wind, landing beside the gatekeeper elder. Her gaze immediately fell upon Li Weiyi, who was not far away. "Is he really going to use a Spring Realm body to contend with a Five Seas Realm body?"

"Lift!" he let out a roaring shout.

With his legs set in a horse stance, Li Weiyi gripped the Five Seas Pillar with one hand high and one low, and forcefully pulled upwards. His feet sank slightly while his arms slowly rose, and the muscles and bones within his body subtly creaked. Gradually, the Five Seas Pillar was lifted, a full foot high.

After holding it steady for a moment, Li Weiyi released his grip. The five thousand five hundred *jin* iron pillar crashed back down with a thunderous sound, making the ground tremble violently.

The gatekeeper elder had already stood up, craning his neck to peer. At this moment, both he and Enigma Twenty-Four looked at each other in surprise, finding it incredible. "In less than a month, his physical strength has grown this much?" they seemed to wonder. "If he trains for another one or two years, wouldn't he be able to lift the Five Seas Pillar with ease?"

Li Weiyi didn't hide the joy in his eyes. He turned and asked, "Am I now qualified to refine golden meridian traces?"

"Of course!" replied the elder. "You've already looked through the Cang King Refinement Method. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me. You must refine golden meridian traces; even if it's just one, it will make all the difference."

The gatekeeper elder was undeniably excited. A true Spirit Enigma candidate had finally emerged in this sixty-year cycle. After all, from the perspective of those within the Hidden Gate, a Spirit Enigma must be stronger than a successor to truly be the Jiuli clan's inner foundation and last line of defense. Although Enigma Nine was already quite astonishing, there was still a slight gap compared to Cang Li. This young man, however, had the chance to become, along with Cang Li, one bright and one hidden figure, forming the two pillars of the Jiuli clan a century later. The only drawback was that he was not a true Limin... A way must be found to keep him bound.

"Enigma Twenty-Four, come with me," Li Weiyi said with an unfriendly tone. "I have something to tell you privately."

Enigma Twenty-Four's delicate brows slightly furrowed, and her eyes filled with confusion. She had never seen a trial participant act so presumptuously in front of an Enigma. The gatekeeper elder believed he understood the situation and urged, "Go quickly. I'm sure you young people don't want us old folks to know your secret talks."

After leaving the gate and walking some distance away, Li Weiyi spoke bluntly. "You are an Enigma, in the Five Seas Realm, and you have freedom of speech. I'll just say one thing: in front of Yaoyin, don't speak carelessly anymore. It's already causing problems!"

Yaoyin had voluntarily told Li Weiyi her name.

Enigma Twenty-Four felt baffled and said discontentedly, "When did I speak carelessly?"

Li Weiyi said, "This time, it's mostly my own problem, so I won't blame you. But after the last spider cave trial, what exactly did you tell her?"

"I didn't say anything," Enigma Twenty-Four replied.

Li Weiyi stared into her eyes, confirming she wasn't lying. His heart was puzzled. "That's strange," he thought. "Her emotions were clearly off then, as if I had some ulterior motive towards her."

Enigma Twenty-Four remembered something and said, "After the first trial, when she returned from the spider cave, I was the one who took her back to her dwelling. When she woke up, she asked me why you hadn't killed her in the spider cave, but instead fed her precious medicine."

"At that time, I casually replied, 'Perhaps it's because you're pretty enough.'"

"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"A little... but it's not a major issue," Li Weiyi said. He thought carefully, finding no reason for Enigma Twenty-Four to intentionally trick him, so he stopped pondering further. "Let's drop this matter then! By the way, have you decided on the spider cave business?"

Enigma Twenty-Four quickly glanced left and right and whispered, "You are now being closely watched. Once you leave the valley, it will be hard to hide from the two elders. Especially the one who prepares medicinal meals; his mental power is extremely strong. I suggest... waiting a bit longer!"

She finally relented! Li Weiyi had always thought Enigma Twenty-Four had extremely strong principles, believing it impossible to persuade her, and had even decided to find an opportunity to act alone. It turned out her principles weren't so rigid after all; after only the third temptation, she gave in, although she was still evasive, hesitant, and indecisive.

Enigma Twenty-Four, seeing the strange look in Li Weiyi's eyes, quickly straightened her expression and said coldly, "This is only this once. There won't be a next time."

"Then let's go to the trial first," Li Weiyi said. "Time is running out, and it still takes several days to travel to Jiuli City."

After spending an hour packing their belongings, Enigma Twenty-Four led Li Weiyi into the Hidden Gate, climbing step by step along the stone path carved into the cliff face. Inside the Hidden Gate, the power of law was even denser, and the mist was vast and ethereal like gauze. Various martial arts techniques were carved into the stone walls.

"So the way out is within the Hidden Gate, not through the underground river," Li Weiyi thought, secretly admiring their methods. "The underground river path must just be a diversion to prevent being tracked whenever trial participants are collected. The Hidden Gate is so cautious; no wonder even clan leaders don't know the specific internal situation."

After climbing thousands of steps, they finally reached the top of the cliff. Before them was a spacious stone platform, surrounded by cliffs on all sides, like a stone mountain with its peak sliced off. The area above was completely shrouded in mist, the top nowhere in sight.

Enigma Twenty-Four gently waved a hand, and immediately, abundant spiritual energy surged from her palm, flowing into the ground.

Whoosh!

The ground lit up with individual azure array symbols, connecting to form a circular array diagram four *zhang* in diameter.

Li Weiyi, looking puzzled, walked into it. "Can we leave Jiuli Insect Valley using this array diagram?" he asked.

Enigma Twenty-Four smiled without speaking.

Within the array diagram, hundreds of array symbols rotated rapidly, their radiance growing brighter and brighter, coalescing into a cloud of white spiritual energy. A strong sensation of weightlessness followed. Li Weiyi found that supported by the array diagram and enveloped by the spiritual energy cloud, they flew upwards, with a sensation of soaring directly into the sky. "Is this a flying array formation?"

Using the "Spiritual Energy Cloud Flying Array Formation," they flew unknown thousands of *zhang* upwards. With a slight tremor, the array diagram stopped in the void.

"Let's go, we've arrived!"

Enigma Twenty-Four was the first to step out of the array diagram onto a stone bridge.

Li Weiyi already had a guess in his mind, but still asked, "Where are we?"

"Jiuli City," Enigma Twenty-Four replied.