Mist Son of Heaven

Amidst the wind and snow atop the mountain, came the piercing, unpleasant cries of flocks of owls.

It was the cry of the "Man-eating Dusk Bat" summoned by Long Ting Dragon Gate, with the sound of his flute. This was a fierce and powerful demon with a body that was two or three meters long, with wide fleshy wings, sharp claws, and a hideous humanoid head.

In the confrontation at the mountaintop, he was at a disadvantage and was forced to summon a swarm of Man-eating Dusk Bat in order to restrain Jiang Ning.

The screams of Man-eating Dusk Bat rang out as they died one after another under Jiang Ning's sword, turning into a rain of blood in the wind.

"Boom!"

Long Ting fought and retreated, his figure flying northward.

The fluctuations of magical energy from their clash gradually weakened and disappeared into the darkness.

Li Weiyi slowly stood up, looked at the mountain pass where the avalanche had occurred a hundred feet away, and gazed in the direction the two had left, his eyes filled with longing. Only by reaching such a level of cultivation could one lead the way among the younger generation and stand out from the crowd.

His gaze fell on Li Ling beside him, and he could feel the completely different look in her eyes, like a sixteen-year-old girl who had seen thousands of years of change in a single day.

Li Ling turned her face and met his eyes. "Want to talk?"

"Since we're having a chat, I hope everyone can be more open and honest."

Li Weiyi was not intimidated by the invisible aura emanating from her. He tried to adjust his mindset and told himself that she was no longer the Ancient Son of Heaven who once held immense power.

Li Ling gazed at Yun Province, shrouded in endless darkness and deathly silence, her eyes deep and unfathomable. "Have you ever heard of Yang Jia?"

Li Weiyi looked blank and shook her head.

"Aren't there three old ghosts with you? Don't they know either?" Li Ling asked.

Li Weiyi shook her head again.

"Hmph, these three are truly ignorant."

Li Ling began her story with this as a starting point. "That day, you fell lightly onto the Bronze Ship, landing right on my grave mound, bleeding profusely. It was your blood that awakened me, who had already passed away."

"This is the unique energy of the bloodline of your Gu Clan!"

"If it ends here, I'll just be someone who's awakened, like those three old guys, nothing more than a spirit. My past cultivation experience will be useless now. I'll have to follow the path of a spirit, and the chances of reaching my former level again are incredibly slim."

"Most of the spirits in the Netherworld grow stronger by devouring each other. Their cultivation methods are comprehended through this process. Their wisdom gradually emerges after they have achieved great power."

"Therefore, compared to the completely unfamiliar path of death, fraught with uncertainties, I chose the path of life, which I had already walked."

"Once I truly come back to life, my bones will grow back to their original state, my spring Qi Sea will naturally return, my Dao seed will easily blossom and bear fruit, and the Longevity Lock will have already been broken... I can return to my peak in a very short time, and even rebuild an even stronger and more perfect foundation, so that I can go even further in the future."

"But to reverse life and death is to fight against the laws of life and disrupt the order of the Yang Realm."

"The only way is to use the special bloodline of you Gu Clan members to marry back into the Yang Realm."

Li Weiyi was stunned by her statement and found it hard to understand. "Marry back to the Yang Realm? A ghost marriage?"

Li Ling appeared extremely calm. "According to the records in the ancient books, your Gu Clan does indeed possess extraordinary abilities, capable of seizing the power of heaven and earth. As long as one becomes a member of the Lineage, one can be reborn from the dead."

Seeing her extremely serious and earnest demeanor, Li Weiyi said, "This is absurd and superstitious. You, a senior, were Ancient Son of Heaven, yet you believe in such nonsense recorded in the classics? If marrying a member of this Lineage guarantees reincarnation, wouldn't all the dead in the world be vying to marry you? Besides, you said that this disrupts the order of the Yang Realm and goes against the laws of life. Who can defy the laws of nature?"

"The one who upholds order, laws, and principles," Li Ling replied earnestly.

Li Weiyi said, "..."

"Legend has it that your Gu Clan's Old Ancestor was no ordinary person, which is why his descendants are all blessed with exceptional bloodlines."

Li Ling continued, "I wasn't sure if the Yang Jia really existed until you, the Guardian Wife, appeared, which made me completely believe in the legend."

Li Weiyi fell silent.

The Guardian Wife was indeed strange; it seemed that there was no other reasonable explanation besides her belief in the Zen Sea Observing Mist.

He asked, "How exactly does Yang Jia? Why did you drag me into the grave on the Bronze Ship, trying to kill me?"

Li Ling gazed at him. "I didn't intend to kill you. I dragged you into the tomb to complete the Yang Jia ceremony."

"Yang Jia ceremony?" Li Weiyi asked.

Li Ling said, "It's about exchanging souls! In the tomb, I injected a wisp of my soul into your body. Just as I was about to take your soul, you broke free, so the ritual was only half completed."

Li Weiyi recalled that when he was facing the white bone of the Zen Sea Observing Mist in the tomb, he did indeed feel a chilling power enter his brow.

No wonder Li Ling was always able to find him and pinpoint his location so accurately.

No wonder Governor Zhu Qingfeng of Yan Province mistook him for someone else; he sensed the Spiritual Qi of Zen Sea Observing Mist on him.

"Wrong!"

Li Weiyi shook his head and said, "On the Bronze Ship, you clearly said that you needed to take a large amount of my blood and soul. Since it was a wedding ceremony, everyone should be treated fairly. Why should I have to pay so much more? If you had said then that you only needed a wisp of my soul, perhaps so many misunderstandings wouldn't have occurred later."

Li Ling said, "We need a lot of your blood so that you can grow flesh and blood capable of resisting the order of the mortal realm and transform back into a living being. As for the soul... it's the same principle, after all, you are a normal being in the Yang Realm, while your underworld wife is not."

Li Weiyi always felt that she was not being honest, not being completely truthful, and not telling the whole truth.

It's not important!

Because it's absolutely impossible for Li Weiyi to give her a large amount of blood and soul. Who knows if he might become controlled by her because of it in the future?

Or will her control their life and death?

Putting aside the fact that she didn't Zhen Xin want to get married.

Even if a woman Zhen Xin wants to get married, she is a completely different person before and after marriage. The more she gives away before marriage, the more she will be controlled after marriage.

"What if I choose not to give you blood and soul?"

Thinking of the formidable strength the other party had previously displayed, Li Weiyi swallowed back the words that were about to come out of her throat and smiled, "I feel that the so-called Yang Jia ceremony is just something you've been forcibly demanding without ever asking for my consent."

"I can understand your mindset. You are a dignified Ancient Son of Heaven, a being standing at the pinnacle of the Lingxiao Shengjing, possessing the supreme divine power to plow a thousand miles with a single finger and hold rivers and seas in a cup. How could you possibly look down on a mere weak mortal man?"

"Do you care about his wishes? Do you consider his feelings? You don't treat him as Yang Jia's husband at all, but only as a tool to bring you back to life."

"If you had chosen to communicate from the beginning, the outcome might have been completely different."

Li Ling retorted, "When I first communicated with you, did you really promise to give me your blood and soul? Would you believe me? Without sufficient understanding, neither of us can trust the other."

"You're right. After thousands of years of cultivation, my mindset has changed a lot, and it's now very difficult for me to put myself in the shoes of a mortal."

"But I can assure you that once the Yang Jia ceremony is completed, I will take responsibility for you and protect you for the rest of my life."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask those three old guys. They should know what kind of person Zen Sea Observing Mist is."

Li Ling's gaze fell on Li Weiyi's chest, her eyes fixed on the Buddha's Sarira of the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish, where she sensed the fluctuations of the three deceased spirits.

She was able to sense it because her three masters were constantly sensing the outside world and eavesdropping on their conversation.

Master Urn was very excited and transmitted his voice to Li Weiyi: "Marrying her is like being Zen Sea Observing Mist. Losing a little blood and soul is nothing, since you'll also control a part of her soul. Just imagine, when you travel the world in the future, how prestigious it will be to mention that my wife is Zen Sea Observing Mist!"

The Spirit Tablet Master said, "The only advice I can give you is that the logic behind Yang Jia and Zen Sea Observing Mist's actions from their awakening on the Bronze Ship to their parasitic inhabiting Li Ling's body is plausible; what she said is probably the truth."

Coffin Master said, "The information I can give you is that, at least in his lifetime, Zen Sea Observing Mist's actions were admirable. But don't listen to your Master Urn. If you marry her, the karmic consequences will be significant; it will be a lifelong entanglement."

Li Ling's voice was cold and sharp. "Do you three think I can't hear your telepathic communication? You dare to address me so directly as 'Zen Sea Observing Mist'? A thousand years ago, when you came to the Lingxiao Palace to pay your respects, how did you address me with such respect?"

The three masters immediately fell silent and said nothing more.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The ground shook.

Snowflakes splashed down from the mountaintop, accompanied by a large amount of rubble rolling down.

"Aww!"

A deafening tiger's roar echoed through the night, and ripples of magical energy appeared in the air.

On the snow-covered plains of the mountain ridge, another fierce battle is raging.

The Zouwu, now only the size of a cat, was very excited and pounced towards the mountaintop, but Li Ling grabbed its tail and lifted it upside down.

"It's Cangli's aura. How did he get to the Netherworld of the Departed?"

Li Weiyi concealed himself once more, suppressing his aura, and looked upwards.

Two bright clusters of magical energy were colliding fiercely. Cangli released the White Tiger Battle Intent, while the opposite was a dazzling golden light. The creature in the golden light had four arms, each wielding a powerful high-level magical artifact.

"It should be the Demon Race inheritor of Tianya Ridge, the Heartless Golden Ape," Li Ling said.

Li Weiyi nodded. In the entire Southern Territory, the only young experts who could fight Cangli to this extent were Zuoqiu Ting and Heartless Golden Ape.

This is an extraordinary signal!

If not for dire circumstances, why would these promising young talents all end up in the Netherworld of the Departed? And why make such a commotion? Aren't they afraid of alerting the powerful and malevolent spirits at the Dao Seed level?

As if struck by a sudden thought, the two locked eyes.

Li Weiyi said, "If unrest breaks out in Yaoguan City and Immortal Burial Town, it will inevitably trigger a larger chain reaction, and the entire Lizhou will be engulfed in war. For the younger generation of martial artists from various forces who want to leave Lizhou, it seems safer to go to the edge of the Netherworld of the Departed."

"That makes sense," Li Ling said.

Li Weiyi felt a strong sense of crisis and said, "The Jiu Li Tribe will send its outstanding young martial artists out of the Lizhou battlefield, and the Four Great Sects will definitely do the same. This mountain range is likely to be very lively. Senior Chanhai, what is your strength? Can you handle it?"

Zen Sea Observing Mist's strength is formidable, but it seems unsustainable; he can only bluff. That's why Li Weiyi asked such a question.

Li Ling said, "If you can complete the Yang Jia, I will protect you."

Li Weiyi smiled noncommittally, "Isn't there any other way?"

"Yes, we'll hide on Lesser Yang Star for a few days, and then slowly follow them after they cross the border," Li Ling said.

That's indeed a pretty good idea!

It's wise to avoid direct confrontation; there's no need to walk a tightrope.

However, Li Weiyi was afraid that it would be easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away, so he communicated with the Spirit Tablet Master first.

"Don't worry, Lesser Yang Star is your home turf." The Spirit Tablet Master didn't dare to say too much, keeping it brief and to the point, for fear of offending Zen Sea Observing Mist again.

Li Weiyi and Li Ling quickly made their way down the mountain to the side of the Netherworld of the Departed.

In a secluded area near the foot of the mountain, Li Weiyi quickly carved out a cave and sealed the entrance with Ghost Flag and mud.

Before activating the Buddha's Sarira, he used a black cloth bag that could seal off his senses to put the Zouwu inside.

"Whoosh!"

The spatial fluctuations spread, and he and Li Ling disappeared into the cave.

Inside the cave, only the Buddha's Sarira, held aloft in mid-air by a Tai Chi symbol, remained.

After Li Weiyi's Psychic Power Attainment reached the realm of "Square Inch Bright Fire, "the Blood Mud Space had already grown to a size of several tens of feet in diameter.

On the blood-red mud, the over thirty-meter-long Magic Tool Jade Boat and the large Silver Coffin resembling a covered building are the most eye-catching.

Li Ling's gaze was drawn to the governor's seal, which stood over two meters tall, on the bow of the Magic Tool Jade Boat. She murmured, "I never expected you to possess such a treasure."

"Whoosh!"

A bright auspicious light emanated from Li Ling's body, her delicate form enveloped in a ball of light, and the powerful aura of the Ancient Son of Heaven erupted forth.

Gradually, a stunningly beautiful figure, much taller than Li Ling, emerged from Ruihua. She was nearly 1.8 meters tall with perfectly proportioned body.

She wore an exceptionally elegant red robe, her long hair flowing freely, exuding a serene and serene Daoist Daoist Charm.

Her skin was as white and translucent as jade, and her brows were adorned with a floral design. She looked only eighteen or nineteen years old, yet she exuded a sharp and aloof air that seemed to look down on the mortal world.

Zen Sea Observing Mist did not deliberately release her aura, but she possessed the bones of Ancient Son of Heaven. When she stepped out in her true form, it would be enough to intimidate ordinary martial arts practitioners into kneeling.

Li Weiyi Jade Void Breathing Technique to calm his mind, stood three zhang away, and gazed at her.

I couldn't make out her features.

She is surrounded by mysterious energy that distorts space and light.

"Whoosh!"

Zen Sea Observing Mist, like a fairy in red, soared up and landed on the bow of the Magic Tool Jade Boat, her slender fingers touching the official seal.

Ripples of magical energy emanated from his fingertips.

The official seal, originally the size of a millstone, rapidly shrank to the size of a fist and fell into her palm.

The spirit images of the three masters appeared behind Li Weiyi.

The spectral image of the Master Urn gazed into the distance while whispering encouragement, "Marrying her, even if we suffer a slight loss now, we'll gain a lot in terms of face!"

"Master Urn, do you only care about appearances and not substance?"

Li Weiyi shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then said loudly, "Senior Zenhai, didn't you say that a large amount of my blood was needed for flesh to grow back from bones? I see that you seem to have already grown back into a physical body."

Zen Sea Observing Mist stood atop the jade boat, like an immortal about to ride the wind, looking down and saying, "This is a physical body formed from the Blood Moon Lake in the Thirty-three Li Mountain. It cannot be concealed from the order of the Yang Realm. Only in that Sea of Bones and this Lesser Yang Star can it leave Li Ling's body."

Li Weiyi said, "So, if you want to completely break free from the limitations of Li Ling's physical body, truly return to life, and roam freely throughout the universe, you still need a large amount of my blood and soul? Let me tell you the truth!"

"I will definitely become weak from losing so much blood, but that's bearable. However, I simply cannot entrust you with such a large number of souls."

"No matter how brilliant you were in your lifetime, I really don't know you, and I have no obligation to pay such a price to help someone I don't owe anything to."

Zen Sea Observing Mist met Li Weiyi's gaze, seeing his unwavering resolve. "Is this your final decision? Aren't you afraid I'll become enraged? How much of a chance do you think you have if you both attack together?"

Li Weiyi said, "Senior, there's no need to threaten me. Killing me will do you no good, and you won't do it."

Coffin Master said, "Mist Son of Heaven, he is someone valued by the owner of the Bronze Ship, and moreover, he is the master of Lesser Yang Star. You should know better than us what these two forces mean."

Zen Sea Observing Mist sighed, "Come up here, and I will speak to you frankly this time."

Li Weiyi thought for a moment, then leaped onto the jade boat.

The two stood facing each other, each re-examining the other, but with different mindsets.

A white light emanated from the jade boat, isolating it from the outside world.

Zen Sea Observing Mist finally spoke, "Actually, the Yang Jia ceremony doesn't necessarily require a large number of your souls. For the soul exchange, each party only needs one wisp."

"Then why are you asking for such an exorbitant amount?" Li Weiyi asked, puzzled.

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, "Because I don't want to go through the normal Yang Jia ceremony."

"What constitutes a normal Yang Jia ceremony?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, using the fewest words possible, "The bridal chamber."

Li Weiyi wasn't stupid; he immediately understood, then laughed and cried at the same time, exclaiming, "I understand! This is indeed too difficult for you. Someone like you, with your ambition, and the other person is just an ordinary person like me. It must be very difficult for you to overcome that mental hurdle, right?"

Yes, it's difficult.

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, "But do you know why I chose to talk to you face to face instead of forcibly taking your blood and soul? Because you are actually still capable, and I can convince myself to accept you."

After learning the truth, Li Weiyi felt much more relaxed and smiled, "I felt you were forcing yourself, and I felt you hadn't convinced yourself yet."

Zen Sea Observing Mist couldn't muster a smile, "I know you're also resistant, so I've come up with a pretty good way to get along. We can be husband and wife in name, but allies in reality. You help me marry back to the Yang Realm, and I'll help you cultivate and protect you. It's mutually beneficial, so why not?"

"Then wouldn't you be another Guardian Wife? Actually, if it were just exchanging a wisp of soul, I wouldn't be so resistant," Li Weiyi said with a smile, observing her eyes.

Zen Sea Observing Mist's forehead creased with worry; he knew he shouldn't have told him the truth.

Li Weiyi's smile faded, "I was just joking. I'm not the kind of person who takes advantage of others' misfortunes. But I've already told you my bottom line: I really can't take a large number of my souls to complete my 'Yang Jia.' Besides, are you sure my Guardian Wife would agree to that?"

Zen Sea Observing Mist fell into deep thought.

"What you said earlier was quite right. We can be allies, or at least there's no need for us to be enemies. If you force the issue, you'll suffer a backlash. Do you really think you can suppress me forever? My cultivation speed isn't slow."

Li Weiyi jumped off the jade boat.

With ample food on him and having "earned" a large quantity of precious medicines and Crimson Haze Exotic Medicine in Immortal Burial Town, Li Weiyi began to cultivate in seclusion within the Blood Mud Space.

With the Light Flame Pill and the Fusang Divine Tree continuously providing spiritual light to replenish his mental energy, he can activate the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish for a long time.

Two weeks later.

Li Weiyi, sitting cross-legged on the huge Silver Coffin, raised his right arm, and gathered magical energy in his palm, forming a storm vortex with a diameter of two meters.

Inside the vortex, magical energy condensed into fine needles, each three inches long.

"Bang! Bang!"

Dozens of solidified magical energy needles struck the jade boat in the distance one after another, producing a resounding sound that seemed capable of piercing gold and splitting stone.

Li Weiyi retracted his Qi into his body and cherished it greatly.

After all, one must cultivate the Dharma Qi in the first Qi Sea to its fullest extent before attempting to break through to the Second Realm of the Five Seas Realm. After half a month of accumulation, he has already filled five directions, Qi Sea is half full.

"The Dharma Qi has materialized; with my cultivation at the First Realm of the Five Seas Realm, I have cultivated the second-tier Qi of the Five Seas Realm."

Li Weiyi was in an excellent mood. After consuming the Light Flame Pill for a long time, the Spiritual Light Bright Fire in his Forehead Spirit Realm were blazing, and he was ready to break through to the "square foot realm" of the Great Mind Master at any time.

Zen Sea Observing Mist, who was meditating on the jade boat, was awakened by the flying needles of magical energy he released. A look of curiosity appeared in his eyes, so he struck out with his palm from a distance.

"Whoosh!"

A magical energy handprint, several meters in size, hovered above Li Weiyi's head.

Li Weiyi had already sensed it, feeling Wind Force surging in from all directions, the pressure so great it felt like the sky was collapsing.

"Overturning Sky Palm Seal"

He struck the sky with a palm, unleashing a torrent of magical energy. A wondrous and enormous golden seal appeared, as big as a millstone, and collided with the handprint unleashed by Zen Sea Observing Mist.

With a sudden crash, both shattered.

She exclaimed in admiration, "As expected of the Chan Sect's ultimate technique, its power is extraordinary. Your magical energy is only at the second level of the Fifth Sea Realm. But with this palm technique, the divine seal you condense has a level of magical energy refinement that is four or five times that of the second level of magical energy."

"How about you strike again?" Li Weiyi suggested.

Zen Sea Observing Mist frowned slightly, too lazy to pay him any attention, and continued to absorb the power of Lesser Yang Star to nourish his soul.

Li Weiyi stood up. "I'm serious. In that exchange of blows with you just now, I vaguely sensed the presence of Battle Intent. I think that the Overturning Sky Palm Seal technique should be able to cultivate powerful Battle Intent, but it needs to be explored in actual combat."

Zen Sea Observing Mist looked at Li Ling and said, "Go and give him some pointers; don't hold back."