Encounter in Zhizhou

Li Weiyi stepped forward and tapped the animal's body with the back of his knife.

The Ember Spirit on the ground, its body seemingly made of wood ash, constantly emitted Mars when struck.

Zen Sea Observing Mist studied Chi Yongsheng's corpse and said, "The Ember Spirit is not essentially a departed spirit, but a kind of demonic fiend, so of course it has intelligence. This method of handling it... is similar to the methods of the Night Clan."

"What's the meaning?"

Li Weiyi quickly walked to her side and found that Chi Yongsheng was already dead, with no signs of life.

"Ask your Master Urn; he knows the Night Clan better than I do."

Zen Sea Observing Mist walked towards the Ember Spirit on the ground, raised his five fingers above its head, and sent out Spiritual Light Threads from his fingertips, piercing into its body, attempting to seize its soul and seek some unknown answers.

The Master Urn's voice rang out. "The Yuwen Clan Night Clan are descendants of the Ancient Son of Heaven Night. A thousand years ago, they were a Myriad Ancient Clan, comparable to the Jiu Li Tribe."

"What the Mist Son of Heaven meant just now was that after Chi Yongsheng died, the Ember Spirit possessed his body, and the method used to dispose of the body came from the Night Clan, called the Skin-Peeling Demon Art."

"From the outside, there are no visible wounds on the corpse, nor is there Yao Qi leaking out."

Li Weiyi said, "I've heard that the Night City Cavalry, one of the three great barbarian bandits of the Southern Border, are hiding in the Netherworld of the Departed, and their leader is named Yuwen Yan. Could this group of barbarians be descendants of the Night Clan from a thousand years ago?"

"I'm afraid so," said the Master Urn.

Li Weiyi felt increasingly uneasy. "Strange, this is clearly not the Ash Region, so how come there are Ember Spirit here? And how did the people of Night City get involved with the Ember Spirit? Could they be ambushing the young martial artists from various forces?"

"Crack!"

The Ember Spirit, its soul bound by the Spiritual Light Threads, burst into flames, letting out a piercing scream.

It quickly burned out and turned into ashes.

Zen Sea Observing Mist frowned slightly, remained silent, and walked towards the other four Ember Spirit.

"Crackling! Crackling!"

After she had also tormented the other four Ember Spirit until they burst into ashes, she finally gave up and concluded. "Their souls have all been manipulated; once someone forcibly intervenes, they will spontaneously combust."

"So you gained nothing?" Li Weiyi asked.

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, "How could I have gained nothing by personally taking action? These Ember Spirit come from the Ash Region of the Far West. They were invited by Night City and the Three Chen Palace. They seem to have a secret cooperation. These young martial artists nearby were not part of their original plan."

Li Weiyi asked doubtfully, "Are you sure it's the Three Chen Palace? These three Old Man are all martial artists at the Five Seas Realm of the Three Chen Palace."

"So what? The true value of a dead martial artist is maximized if they can become a vessel for the Ember Spirit," said Zen Sea Observing Mist.

Li Weiyi said seriously, "The fact that the Three Chen Palace dared to conspire with the Sui Sect to seize a province, with the support of Night City and Ember Spirit behind them, makes sense."

Zen Sea Observing Mist gently shook his head. "You underestimate the Ash Region of the Far West. What they've set their sights on is definitely not just Lizhou, but the entire Lingxiao Shengjing."

Li Weiyi said, "This is a huge problem! Inside the Lingxiao Shengjing, the major human forces are locked in a chaotic battle, with the Demon Race adding fuel to the fire and poised to intervene at any moment. And outside the Realm, in places unseen by everyone, an even more dangerous storm seems to be brewing. We must immediately relay this news back to the Jiu Li Tribe!"

Zen Sea Observing Mist was far more relaxed than Li Weiyi, saying, "What's it to you? Even if the storm in the Netherworld comes, it's none of your business. For the two of us, improving our cultivation and strength as quickly as possible is more important than anything else. Don't let other matters hold us back."

She leaped back onto the Zouwu's back.

After thoroughly examining the corpse and collecting all the magical artifacts and treasures, Li Weiyi also leaped up, disagreeing, "How can it be irrelevant? Every citizen has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation. Even if we don't pay attention to the situation in the world, how can we avoid war and danger?"

"You're right! Your magnanimity surpasses even that of Ancient Son of Heaven like myself. Truly remarkable."

Zen Sea Observing Mist turned to look at him. "Why are you so far away from me? We agreed to try the possibility of falling in love, but you don't even have the courage to stand next to me?"

Li Weiyi remained unmoved and calmly said, "Why would I stand next to Li Ling? To take advantage of a little girl who's only a teenager? We can try again slowly once you can separate your true form. No rush! No rush! No rush..."

After traveling another hundred miles, an Ash Region appeared at the foot of the mountains.

As far as the eye could see, there was only black dust and fine sand, with dunes piled up one after another, and the band of flames meandered into the depths of the dark realm, stretching for more than ten miles without end.

"Has the Ash Region spread to the Mang Mountain Range?"

Li Weiyi felt heavy-hearted.

The Ember Spirit of the Ash Region seem even more dangerous than those of the Netherworld of the Departed, and their ambitions are far greater.

Zen Sea Observing Mist observed for a moment, then gazed into the depths of the Ash Region, his expression grave. "No, this is not the Ash Region!"

"But it's exactly the same as the Ash Region I've seen before." Li Weiyi was very puzzled.

Zen Sea Observing Mist commanded the Zouwu to shrink to the size of a cat, and with utmost caution, personally took charge of the Green Yin Banner: "Leave this place immediately, the sooner the better."

Li Weiyi had never seen her so nervous before, and he was horrified. He immediately became completely invisible.

They walked dozens of miles, far away from that Ash Region.

Only then did Zen Sea Observing Mist say, "That was Dao Heart Manifestation! Just now, there must have been a powerful Ember Spirit from the Far West Ash Region nearby. The image in its mind was projected into the real world, transforming into that Ash Region and covering the original real landscape."

Li Weiyi couldn't imagine what level of existence that was; what Zen Sea Observing Mist was talking about was beyond his comprehension.

The two continued on their journey.

Li Weiyi asked, "What level is your current strength? Do you possess the Nine Springs and Five Seas within you?"

If anyone else had asked her that question, she would have ignored them and refused to provide any relevant information.

Zen Sea Observing Mist pondered for a long time, "My situation is very special. My strength depends more on how much I'm willing to pay. For example, this physical body I just condensed, including Li Ling's body, are actually restraining me, as are the mysterious laws of life and the order of the Yang Realm. You should know that when the Ancient Son of Heaven was at his peak, if he could take a piece of bone from his body and throw it out, it would be enough to sink half of Lizhou."

Li Weiyi stopped in her tracks, her scalp tingling with shock at her words.

"Of course, a thousand years have passed, and my body no longer possesses such powerful energy. How can the Departed compare to their prime? The former glory is merely a memory!" Her tone was serene, like a breeze on a snow-capped mountain, a ray of light in a celestial palace.

After encountering the unknown Ember Spirit expert, the two traveled at full speed, eager to leave the Netherworld of the Departed as soon as possible.

In just six days, they traveled thousands of miles and finally arrived at the northernmost point of the Mang Mountain Range, where they saw the light on the horizon.

Upon entering Zhizhou, one of the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory, Li Weiyi's initial excitement at seeing the light of day was quickly extinguished as he finally witnessed the true face of ten years of war.

After walking for two days, passing through dozens of towns and villages, they found that almost all of them were deserted. The survivors were all elderly and decrepit Old Man had lost their value, and each one was as thin as a rake.

There were no young people to be seen; all the men had been slaughtered, and the women had all been captured.

Children were even worse off; they were either served at dinner tables or starved to death on the roadside.

The fields were barren, overgrown with tall weeds and trees, utterly desolate.

After traveling more than two hundred miles, Li Weiyi felt extremely depressed and gloomy. He finally understood why the Jiu Li Tribe was willing to pay tribute to the Coffin Mountain every year in order to avoid getting involved in war.

The cruelty of war is unimaginable to those who have not experienced it.

After traveling for another day and night, around noon, the two arrived at a large town called "Tianchi" and were greeted by the long-lost crowds and bustling activity.

Tianchi Town is only 40 li away from Lizhou. There are large mines nearby, and it is close to the Sui River, making it a town with well-developed transportation and commerce.

The town has only one main street, built along the Sui River, and it has everything you need: restaurants, hotels, cloth shops, brothels, rice shops...

Li Weiyi walked for three days in a heavy and gloomy mood, waiting impatiently for a bowl of soup noodles to bring her back to life.

In a large town like this, there is absolutely no shortage of noodle shops.

We'll talk about everything else after we finish eating the noodles.

Li Ling was completely wrapped in Black Robe and wore a hood, not wanting to attract unnecessary trouble by revealing her Pure Immortal Body. She sat opposite Li Weiyi, quietly waiting for him, without offering any greetings.

She said, "Half of Zhizhou has fallen, taken over by the strongest local force Li Tribe. The Imperial Court army and the Li Tribe rebels have been fighting each other for years, plundering and attacking one another. The war is still ongoing. Neither Licheng nor Zhizhou city is a good place to go."

While eating noodles, Li Weiyi said, "The young martial artists from the major forces only left Tianchi Town four days ago. They were fighting as they went, so their speed was much slower than ours. Now, they've all taken boats to Qiuzhou!"

"Not all of them left!"

Li Ling said this quietly, looking at the bustling street.

When Li Weiyi looked over, he was first startled, then overjoyed.

Yin Thirteen walked briskly down the street, dressed in simple cloth clothes. With his round, soft, and common face, he could easily blend in with the local people.

"Whoosh!"

With a flash, Li Weiyi appeared in front of him.

Yin Thirteen circulated his internal energy, nearly striking out with a palm. Upon seeing Li Weiyi's face, he was overjoyed and hurriedly followed him into the noodle shop, ordering a bowl of noodles as well.

He transmitted his voice using his magical energy. "I heard from Hidden Nine that you were captured by a ferocious old woman and disappeared deep in the Mang Mountain Range. You might be abducted to the Netherworld to be her husband."

Li Weiyi had no idea that the person above the canyon that night was Hidden Nine, and was speechless. "Is he trying to become Hidden Person by spreading such rumors?"

Yin Thirteen was taken aback, then nodded. "Hidden Nine's speech was a bit incoherent this time, unlike his usual composure. It's probably because he's injured. Even if there really is such a wicked woman, she'd kidnap Pure Immortal Body men, not ordinary mortals like us."

Li Weiyi said earnestly, "I have something important to report to the Hidden Lord immediately. Do you have a way to get the message back?"

Yin Thirteen's gaze fell on the woman sitting to the side, who was completely wrapped in Black Robe.

Li Weiyi, habitually speaking without avoiding the Zen Sea Observing Mist, realized she had made a serious mistake and quickly tried to salvage the situation. "It's alright, no need to avoid her, her ears... you know."

Yin Thirteen's expression immediately relaxed, and he stopped using his magical energy to transmit his voice, chuckling softly, "My mission this time is to cover a group of important members of the Imperial Court as they leave Lizhou and head to Qiuzhou, landing at Tianchi Town to purchase some supplies. I can't get away to go back right now, but I can arrange for someone to go back and deliver a message, depending on how important your message is."

Li Weiyi told him the most important information.

"What? Behind the Three Chen Palace lies Night City, and even Ember Spirit?"

Yin Thirteen immediately understood the seriousness of the matter and was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. If the Jiu Li Tribe misjudged the strength of the Three Chen Palace, they would definitely suffer a great loss.

"Why must the message be sent back to the Jiu Li Hidden Gate? As long as this message is spread, it can naturally spread throughout Lizhou in the fastest speed, and it can also arouse mutual suspicion between the Three Chen Palace and the Sui Sect," Li Ling said calmly.

That makes sense.

Yin Thirteen slapped the table in admiration, then suddenly realized something and pointed at Li Ling: "She... isn't she deaf?"

When did I say she was deaf?

Li Weiyi glared at Zen Sea Observing Mist with a hint of helplessness, then said, "Alright! Actually, she's Cangli's sister, one of our own, so we can trust her."

Upon hearing that she was Cangli's sister, Yin Thirteen's dissatisfaction vanished instantly.

He was in charge of the affairs of the Hidden Gate's Five Seas Realm and was also a messenger who collected all kinds of information outside, so he had naturally seen the Hidden Lord's true form. The Hidden Lord's daughter could be trusted to some extent.

He certainly wouldn't tell these two people the secret in front of him!