Chapter 86: Coffin Sea Pavilion

After the two walked down the stone bridge, they continued along a stone stairwell for hundreds of steps, eventually arriving in a dark and empty underground storeroom.

Although the light was dim, they could still see mountains of iron chests and coffins from other realms piled up. The sheer quantity was such that it might take ten days and nights to count them all.

An ancient figure appeared silently behind Li Weiyi, holding a lamp, and rasped, "Little Twenty-Four, is this year's newcomer?"

Li Weiyi quickly shifted his body, looked at the person behind him, his heart pounding.

How could there be no sound or aura at all? Was it a person or a ghost?

He was incredibly old, severely hunched, with sparse hair on his head. In this dark underground warehouse, he looked just like a ghoul or ghost from the underworld.

What he held was not a lamp, but a ball of flame clutched in his hand.

"He is not Hidden Twenty-Six," Hidden Twenty-Four replied, "but a person personally arranged by Lord Hidden for a special trial."

Hidden Twenty-Four respectfully bowed to the elder and said to Li Weiyi, "This is the Forty-Fifth Grand Elder of the Hidden Sect, responsible for guarding the entrance from Jiuli City to the Jiuli Hidden Sect."

In the Hidden Sect, Hidden individuals from the previous sexagenary cycle are called Elders.

Grand Elders, however, are Hidden individuals from the cycle before that.

In other words, this Forty-Fifth Grand Elder before them was Hidden Forty-Five from the cycle before the previous one, definitely an old fellow over a hundred years old. To be able to guard such a crucial location, his cultivation level was imaginable.

Li Weiyi quickly bowed with cupped hands.

The Forty-Fifth Grand Elder raised the flame in his hand, leaned closer, squinted, and carefully scrutinized Li Weiyi, then chuckled, "Indeed very interesting. You two should change your clothes first!"

Hunched over, he hobbled away.

The surroundings grew dim.

Hidden Twenty-Four tossed a set of purplish-black robes to Li Weiyi, then unfastened her own belt and began to undress... though she still wore undergarments, only changing her outer robe.

Li Weiyi took the purplish-black robes, examined them closely, and seeing the silver coffin insignia embroidered on the cuffs, exclaimed with surprise, "These are the standard martial robes of the Coffin Sea Pavilion disciples!"

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "That's right, this is the third level of the Coffin Sea Pavilion's underground treasury, a forbidden area that only the Pavilion Master can enter. What we're wearing are the standard martial robes of the Coffin Sea Pavilion's External Affairs Hall disciples."

"We are currently beneath the core Dao Domain of Jiuli City?" Li Weiyi confirmed again, somewhat disbelieving.

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "The Jiuli Worm Valley itself is located beneath Jiuli City, directly under the Dao Domain. Otherwise, why do you think the Hidden Sect has such dense spiritual energy? So suitable for cultivation? So easy for rare herbs to grow? Of course, there are layers of ancient formations blocking it in between, so no one can dig through."

"The truly hidden are hidden in the city, how remarkable," Li Weiyi murmured. "I should have thought of it earlier!"

Li Weiyi gave a wry smile and muttered to himself, "The Jiuli Worm Valley is completely enveloped by spiritual energy, forming a Dao Domain. This means there must be an enormous Heaven-Law Earth Spring nearby. With such a large Heaven-Law Earth Spring, and still wishing not to be discovered, where else could it be but Jiuli City?"

After changing into the martial robes of the Coffin Sea Pavilion's External Affairs Hall disciples, the two then used a disguise technique to alter their appearance and build.

At the same time, there were two other pre-prepared satchels.

Upon opening them, they contained night-suits classified as low-grade magical artifacts, which, when activated, offered a certain degree of defense and stealth capabilities. These were worn during missions.

There was also a bottle of powder, which, according to Hidden Twenty-Four, could make pursuers lose their sense of smell temporarily.

"Your Yellow Dragon Sword will expose your identity as the assailant," Hidden Twenty-Four asked, "do you need another magical artifact?"

Li Weiyi replied, "Of course."

"With our authority, we can only apply for one low-grade magical artifact," Hidden Twenty-Four said, "and it must be returned after the mission. If lost, you'll have to compensate for it."

"It's not given for free?"

"Do you really think the Hidden Sect's resources are limitless?"

Li Weiyi waved his hand. "Never mind then! I think I already have a grievance with the Changlin Gang, so taking revenge as Li Weiyi won't make anyone connect it to the Hidden Sect; it's more logical. The current problem is, how strong are Xu Changlin and Tang Yan? I know nothing about their strength or the strength of those in the Five Seas Realm."

If those in the Five Seas Realm could wield the Five Seas Pillars with their physical bodies, and their spiritual power refinement level was higher than the Spring Realm, with abundant spiritual energy in their qi sea, then Li Weiyi felt that returning home now and smashing through the Hidden Sect with Master Coffin's letter would be the best option.

Hidden Twenty-Four said with disdain, "Both of them are Seven-Springs Breakthrough Five-Seas Realm cultivators and have only opened their first qi sea. With my strength, having only broken through to the Five Seas Realm two months ago, dealing with them would only require one hand!"

"I've only opened eight springs," Li Weiyi said.

Hidden Twenty-Four's proud and self-satisfied demeanor instantly vanished. She said coldly, "Don't worry, they're just two wastes hollowed out by wine and women. With me backing you up, just go ahead and do it."

Li Weiyi certainly wouldn't dare entrust his life to Hidden Twenty-Four. He secretly considered what trump cards he could reveal and then carried them with him.

After all, when he fought Yang Shenjing, he only used the Yellow Dragon Sword.

That wasn't the full extent of his true combat power.

"What's in these iron chests?"

Li Weiyi was curious, eager to open them and see, but they were inscribed with formation patterns.

"This is not only the Coffin Sea Pavilion's most important treasury," Hidden Twenty-Four said, "but also the Coffin Sea Merchant Association's storage for its most precious goods. Almost all the finale items at auctions are stored here. Furthermore, many of the Hidden Sect's resources and treasures are also stored here."

The Coffin Sea Pavilion is the sect established by the Coffin Sea Merchant Association.

Fourteen years ago, the Jiuli tribe suffered a great defeat, four parts of Jiuli City's Dao Domain were carved out, and four major sects were established.

These were: the Sui Sect, the Three Chen Palace, the Tianyi Gate, and the Coffin Sea Pavilion.

In today's Lizhou, the Jiuli Dao Academy and the Sui Sect stand as two powerful forces, with the Three Chen Palace closely behind. The Tianyi Gate and the Coffin Sea Pavilion, however, were only established fourteen years ago, and their foundations of strength are significantly weaker.

Li Weiyi asked, "What exactly is the relationship between this Coffin Sea Pavilion and the Jiuli Hidden Sect?"

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "Actually, these four major powers—the Sui Sect, the Three Chen Palace, the Tianyi Gate, and the Coffin Sea Pavilion—were originally household slaves and servants dispatched by the Jiuli tribe to sell coffins from other realms."

"The ancestors of the Sui Sect and their group were responsible for water transport, shipping coffins from other realms along the Sui River to various states in the Lingxiao Living Realm."

"The ancestors of the Three Chen Palace were responsible for land transport along three routes, from the North Straight Road, Prefectural West Road, and East Forest Road, transporting goods to the Northern, Western, and Eastern Regions."

"The ancestors of the Tianyi Gate and the Coffin Sea Pavilion were responsible for sales, which are now the Tianyi Merchant Association and the Coffin Sea Merchant Association."

"Backed by the ancient Jiuli tribe, which numbers in the tens of millions, all powers, great and small, in the Lingxiao Living Realm naturally had to show them respect. Operating under the Jiuli tribe's name, they gradually grew in power, forming gangs, recruiting martial cultivators, training assassins, and expanding wildly."

"With transport routes established, ambitions grew, and their business naturally expanded beyond just coffins from other realms. Salt, iron, minerals, textiles, brothels, gambling houses, taverns, human trafficking... Over a thousand years of operation, they gradually amassed wealth, parasitically feeding off the Jiuli tribe and borrowing its prestige. These saplings grew into towering trees, with several powerful clans numbering in the millions emerging."

"The Jiuli tribe painfully lost its supreme magical artifact and was slow to choose a leader who could command respect. They all dreamed sweetly atop the natural treasure trove of coffins from other realms. In order to obtain more coffins, seize more wealth and benefits, infighting among the nine tribes was constant. The Dao Academy and the Divine Temple, which should have been presiding over the overall situation, instead became epicenters of internal strife, losing their governing ability."

"Against this backdrop, the nine tribes instead courted and cultivated those household servants and slaves, pouring massive resources into them, believing them to be their own enforcers who could be used against other tribes, completely failing to see their predatory ambitions. These household servants and slaves profited immensely, growing stronger step by step, greatly enjoying their success."

"Fourteen years ago, these household servants and slaves recognized the inherent weakness of the Jiuli tribe and simply stopped pretending. This led to six months of martial combat and the Battle of Mangshan."

"Only then, after suffering such extraordinary humiliation, did the Jiuli tribe's high-ranking members finally wake up, realizing they were no longer the ancient tribe of tens of millions they once were. Subsequently, the nine tribal chiefs sat down calmly to negotiate, and the nine tribes stopped their infighting. All conflicts seemed to find grounds for compromise, but how could centuries of decline be recovered in just fourteen years?"

Li Weiyi gave a sarcastic smile. "It's the same everywhere: without external threats and with abundant internal resources, there will always be incessant infighting. Once an external enemy appears, they can unite. But why didn't the Hidden Sect intervene, allowing their former servants and slaves to bully their masters, and even carve away parts of the Dao Domain?"

"If they don't suffer some humiliation, how can they know shame and then become brave?" Hidden Twenty-Four countered. "If they know someone is backing them up, they will only become more reckless, decadent, and extravagant. Furthermore..."

Hidden Twenty-Four looked at the treasury before them and added, "Who said the Hidden Sect didn't intervene?"

Li Weiyi said, "The Coffin Sea Pavilion's high-ranking members are already controlled by the Hidden Sect? Or, there are Hidden Sect members within the Sui Sect, Three Chen Palace, and Tianyi Gate?"

"I'm just a Hidden individual who arrived two years earlier than you, how would I know so many secrets?" Hidden Twenty-Four didn't want to say more.

The Forty-Fifth Grand Elder, like a ghost, drifted out from behind Li Weiyi and said hoarsely, "Leaving the Hidden Sect for missions requires planting a Death Spirit Fire."

Hidden Twenty-Four clearly knew the rules, closed her eyes, and calmly accepted the flame emanating from the Forty-Fifth Grand Elder's fingertip. The flame entered her glabella.

Li Weiyi thought of Li Qing's death, his heart filled with horror, and naturally resisted.

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "The Death Spirit Fire will only erupt if you are captured and your consciousness is invaded by a Thought Master. If it truly comes to that, do you think your captors would spare your life? Don't worry, the Death Spirit Fire will be removed after the mission."

Li Weiyi said, "Then... if I voluntarily reveal the secrets I know, will the Death Spirit Fire erupt?"

"No."

Hidden Twenty-Four immediately added, "But you will be hunted down by the entire Hidden Sect. And all those aware of the secrets will also be eliminated. Of course, if you are truly captured and don't wish to suffer the pain of mental invasion, you can activate the Death Spirit Fire yourself. There's no other way; the Hidden Sect must ensure its own security."

Li Weiyi found no reason to object, so he nodded.

After the Death Spirit Fire was planted, Li Weiyi and Hidden Twenty-Four ascended the stone steps, moving upwards through three levels of the treasury, before finally reaching the surface.

The two disguised themselves as Coffin Sea Pavilion External Affairs Hall disciples, helped move goods from the first-floor warehouse, and joined the merchant association's convoy, leaving the Dao Domain and entering the bustling city streets of Jiuli City.

The noisy, bustling sounds washed over them.

Along the way, the two quietly got off the cart and merged into the continuous flow of people.

The July sun was scorching.

But finally feeling the sunlight again and seeing the blue sky and white clouds, Li Weiyi felt an indescribable sense of relief and joy. "After two months of medicinal cuisine, I truly miss human food," he exclaimed. "Come on, let's go have a good meal first; it's my treat!"

Hidden Twenty-Four was somewhat surprised, unexpected that this fellow could be so generous and bold. Having not indulged her palate for too long, she naturally felt a certain anticipation.

But when Li Weiyi brought her to the dining place, she instantly froze, carefully scrutinizing the simple noodle stall by the street. She tried to find something extraordinary about it, perhaps her eyes were deceiving her? Maybe there was a hidden secret in the pot, and the owner could instantly conjure up many delicious human delicacies.

Li Weiyi had already taken a seat first and called out, "Owner, two bowls of noodle soup, with extra beef. Hurry and sit down, don't stand there so stiffly."

Hidden Twenty-Four's expression was displeased. "If it's just two bowls of noodle soup," she said, "you really didn't need to get my hopes up so high earlier."

"How could it just be two bowls of noodle soup?" Li Weiyi said.

Hidden Twenty-Four said, "And beef, right? This joke isn't funny."

Li Weiyi took out the three-headed snake bracelet and placed it on the table. "This is the real dish!" he declared.

Hidden Twenty-Four was clearly experienced and immediately recognized the bracelet's extraordinary nature. She quickly picked it up, carefully examining every detail, her eyes growing more and more eager.

She whispered, "This is a blood-refined magical artifact! There should be a powerful blood-spirit sealed inside. Judging by the forging technique, it doesn't seem like a low-grade artifact."

"Good eyes, worthy of a Five Seas Realm cultivator."

Li Weiyi, determined to shock her, said, "This is a high-grade magical artifact!"

Given Hidden Twenty-Four's composure, her hands still trembled, and the bracelet almost fell to the ground.

A high-grade magical artifact was a treasure that only top-tier figures in the Five Seas Realm were qualified to possess.

What's more, this high-grade magical artifact also had a blood-spirit sealed inside...

Li Weiyi, seemingly oblivious to her shock, looked towards the pot where the noodles had started boiling, and whispered, "Help me sell this. Doesn't your Hidden Sect control the Coffin Sea Pavilion? Secretly sell it at the Coffin Sea Merchant Association and help me buy some Light Flame Pills. I need to break through my thought power as soon as possible and advance to the Square Inch Bright Fire stage. Otherwise, I don't know how many years it would take to refine the Golden Trace Meridians, and I can't wait that long."

Hidden Twenty-Four couldn't listen anymore and couldn't help but want to curse. "Are you crazy?" she exclaimed. "The blood-spirit inside a high-grade magical artifact has a combat power of at least the third stage of the Five Seas Realm. You want to sell it just to buy Light Flame Pills? Fine, sell it to me."

Seeing Li Weiyi look at her with wide, astonished eyes, she immediately put away the three-headed snake bracelet.

Then, Li Weiyi asked a question that struck her to the core, "Can you afford it?"