Parting

The engagement Wedding Banquet controversy, like a major earthquake, cast a shadow of fear over the city of Qiuzhou in the following days.

The top geniuses who performed exceptionally well at the Qianlong Lantern Festival all stayed indoors, fearing similar assassination attempts.

All sorts of rumors are flying around, causing widespread panic.

"It is said that it was one of the top members of the Imperial Court Embroidered Uniform Divine Guard who was behind this, trying to incite conflict between the Zuoqiu Courtyard and the Jiu Li Tribe."

"For something like this to happen at Zuoqiu home, and for the murderer to escape unscathed, how is it any different from the death of Zhu Huan? There might be something truly wrong with Zuoqiu Courtyard."

"But I heard that this might be the work of Xue Jian Tang Ting. They have joined forces with the Demon Race, intending to divide the north and south and split Lingxiao equally. They originally planned to kill Zuoqiu Hongting as well, but unfortunately they failed."

"These are all rumors. The most reliable information is that the assassin is a top expert from the Far West Ash Region faction, most likely one of Xu Fudu or Yuwen Yan."

For several days, all the experts from Zuoqiu Courtyard have been out there, wiping out the forces of the Far West Ash Region hidden in the city, leaving countless heads rolling.

Therefore, it is widely speculated that the Demon Race is the most likely suspect.

After the incident, various forces sent teams to Peach Plum Mountain to visit Li Weiyi. Only a few young talents with close ties to him were able to meet her.

After descending the mountain.

These talented young men shook their heads in disappointment.

"His life was saved; the Old Ancestor of the Zuoqiu Courtyard's Confucianism and Daoism faction personally intervened to save him, but the ancestral Tian Che destroyed... At best, he can only become a Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivator in the future."

Some lamented, "He shone brightly at the Qianlong Lantern Festival, transcending a realm and not inferior to the Dragon Hall. Together with the heavily injured Zuoqiu Hongting, he was able to fight Phoenix-born Unicorn-young a draw. One can imagine that at the same realm, he could definitely overpower those Young Son of Heaven. With such talent, how could he bear to fall from the peak of his life?"

"No one can withstand it!"

"A person who can reach that level must be filled with love and passion for martial arts, and must value it more than their own life. Without pursuing martial arts, one is as if one has no soul."

"The opinions of the people are the most terrifying. They can elevate a person to the heavens when they are doing well, and they can also crush a person to death when they are doing poorly."

"Yesterday, I heard some young members of the Zuoqiu Courtyard publicly mocking and ridiculing Li Weiyi. They thought he should just die, and that his current half-dead state puts the Zuoqiu Courtyard in a difficult position. If they break off the engagement, they will face criticism. If they don't, he will become a burden to the Young Son of Heaven."

On the fifth day, a talented young man who had visited Peach Plum Mountain brought back news. "Li Weiyi is no longer as cheerful as she was a few days ago. It seems she overheard some gossip and has become silent. There is a sword wound on her neck, with stitches visible. Although it was well hidden, it was still noticed."

"The Zuoqiu Courtyard has already dealt with those young disciples, crippling their cultivation and sending them to guard the ancestral tomb."

"The more severe the punishment, the more likely it is to be true."

"Li Weiyi is completely finished. He was too young and his heart wasn't strong enough."

"How can someone rise from nothing to such a level in just one year, seemingly becoming rich overnight? It must be due to some extraordinary stroke of luck a year ago!"

The amusing anecdote of this "fall of a genius" gradually cooled down.

The more you talk about it, the less interesting it becomes; there are just too many big things happening in this world.

On the eighth day after the incident, an even more significant piece of news spread throughout the world.

The extraordinary duel is over!

Several human transcendents have perished, and the rest are all severely injured. The Lingxiao Shengjing is now in a precarious state. Therefore, after discussion, the transcendents jointly issued Forbidden Martial Order among the human Longevity Realm Expert!

This decree prohibits the Longevity Realm Expert of all major factions from participating in internal killings and struggles, and encourages them to unite against the forces under the Demon Race.

Until the transcendents recovered from their injuries and emerged from seclusion.

After learning of this decree from the Hidden Lord, Li Weiyi wondered, "Can it be enforced?"

"It can't be stopped! But with this decree, the struggle between the major powers will ease to a level that everyone can accept." The Hidden Lord said, "It's like going back to before the outbreak of war, when there was an underlying rule."

"Human affairs should be decided by humans; those Longevity Realm Expert should not interfere."

"Once they get involved and the conflict escalates, it will eventually drag all the already weakened Chaos faction into the fray."

"Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivator are known as the Overlord of the Mortal World because, for thousands of years, there has been an underlying rule in the Lingxiao Shengjing: Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivator play an extremely important role in the competition for great events in the world."

Li Weiyi nodded. "I suppose that if given a choice, Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator wouldn't want to be entangled in these worldly affairs and would be happy to hand them over to the next generation. The pursuit of longevity is far more captivating than the pursuit of worldly benefits."

The Hidden Lord asked, "Do you know why the transcendents don't simply and completely ban fighting between human martial artists?"

"The war has lasted for eleven years, accumulating too much hatred. The fact that we can unite to fight against the Demon Race is, I think, already the result of compromise among all parties. To completely ban weapons... will only make the laws of the transcendents as laughable as waste paper," Li Weiyi said.

Hidden Lord nodded slightly. "With this order issued, I must also retreat behind the scenes. The number one Dao Seed Realm in the Jiu Li Tribe on the surface is Hidden Twenty-Four's father, Yao Xingyue."

"The number one expert in the Dao Seed Realm of the Nine Li Hidden Sect is Yin Yi. There is a way to find him in the <List of Hidden People>."

"By the way, the Du'e Temple Immortal Master has returned. He originally wanted to check on your injuries, but I used the excuse that you had just attempted suicide and couldn't handle the shock, so I brushed him off."

"That Old Ancestor of the Zuoqiu Courtyard of Confucianism and Daoism will say a few tactful words about you to him, and I imagine the Immortal Master will be extremely disappointed in you."

"The Immortal Master is also seriously injured and won't be able to focus his energy on you. He should be returning to the Du'e Temple soon. Once he leaves, you won't have to make yourself suffer like this anymore!"

The suicide scene was actually meant to ward off the evil spirits of the Du'e Temple Immortal Master.

Otherwise, if the immortal master were to take Li Weiyi to the Du'e Temple for treatment, he would have absolutely no reason to refuse.

The Hidden Lord said, "Because the invitations and tickets for the Qianlong Lantern Festival were either lost or in disarray, making it impossible to keep track of them, the Immortal Master has decided to select some of the most talented and outstanding martial artists from various forces to bring back to the Du'e Temple for cultivation. This will allow them to rebuild their Trace Meridians, Wind Palaces, and Ancestral Fields, creating the strongest foundation for their future."

"Currently, there are ten spots available, nine of which have already been decided: Li Weiyi, Zuoqiu Hongting, Ge Xiantong, Cangli, Tang Wanqiu, Zhu Yibai, Lu Cangsheng, Jiang Ning, and Hidden Nine."

According to the rules of the Qianlong Lantern Festival, only martial artists who collect all the Dragon Bone Ticket or Dragon Seed Ticket from one of the four realms (East, South, West, and North) are eligible for this special reward. In reality, no one has managed to do so.

Now that the Longevity Pill, Dragon Seed, and Dragon Bone have been lost, the Du'e Temple can only compensate for them in this way.

Li Weiyi said, "Give my spot to Yao Yin. With her talent, she will surely catch the eye of the Du'e Temple Immortal Master."

"I'm afraid it won't be easy to negotiate. The Jiu Li Tribe already has Cangli and Hidden Nine involved. The two of them are legitimate, and no one can find fault with them," said Hidden Lord.

Li Weiyi took out a stack of invitations and handed them over. "Use these to talk!"

The Du'e Temple Immortal Master was clearly worried that things might go wrong if he waited too long, so after selecting ten people, he prepared to set off the next day.

Before leaving.

Zuoqiu Hongting came to visit Li Weiyi and say goodbye.

She assumed Li Weiyi was unaware of their upcoming journey to the Du'e Temple for cultivation and, not wanting to upset him, concealed the truth, saying, "I will be traveling far away, for at least three years, or at least one year. Rest well on Peach Plum Mountain and wait for my return."

Li Weiyi struggled to sit up in bed, his face deathly pale, and forced a smile, "To the Du'e Temple?"

Zuoqiu Hongting replied, "Yes!"

"There's no need to be so cautious. I'm not that fragile. Going to the Du'e Temple to rebuild my foundation is a good thing. I can go further and more steadily in the future..." At this point, Li Weiyi's eyes dimmed, and she fell silent.

Zuoqiu Hongting didn't know how to comfort him, so she used her Disguise Art to transform into Li Weiyi's appearance. She sat down beside him like a twin brother, put her arms around his neck, and laughed, "You little rascal, don't look like the sky has fallen. Have you forgotten that you can also cultivate telekinesis? You're an extraordinary Insect Tamer. When telekinesis is cultivated to its peak, it's definitely no less powerful than martial arts."

"Haha, that's right, I can still cultivate my mental power! Don't worry, I'm fine, I'm really fine, I'm not that fragile," Li Weiyi said.

Hearing Li Weiyi emphasize twice that "I'm not that fragile," Zuoqiu Hongting felt sorry for him. Forcing a smile, she said, "I have good news for you. The beautiful Jiang came to see me and said some strange things. She seemed to think I might dislike you and told me to let go sooner rather than later. She'll take you to Fuzhou. How about that? Happy? It seems she really does have feelings for you!"

Li Weiyi was naturally happy to be cared for so much by Jiang Ning, but she sighed, "She's just pitying me! Pity is temporary, but feelings need to withstand the test of time. You're not the only one going to the Du'e Temple, are you? You'll definitely meet many amazing people there, and your hearts will soar higher... I'm a little tired, you can leave now..."

Li Weiyi suddenly changed her mood and directly ordered them to leave.

Zuoqiu Hongting walked out of the room, looked at Li Ling outside, and sighed, "Take good care of him, and don't let him hear any more of that nonsense. If anyone gossips, cut out their tongues."

That evening, the Du'e Temple Immortal Master led the ten chosen prodigies on a Strange Bird and disappeared into the colorful clouds.

Supported by Li Ling, Li Weiyi walked out of the room and looked into the distance. He could only see the last small shadow of birds on the horizon. He thought to himself, "My Zuoqiu, there's really nothing I can do. I'll apologize to you properly when you come back."

Yao Yin took Li Weiyi's place and went to Du'e Temple.

Since receiving the God of Jiu Li's Combat Intent, the Ice Soul Cold Qi within her body has never flared up again. Therefore, Li Weiyi has not yet taken her to see Zen Sea Observing Mist.

Time flies, and half a year has passed.

A thick fog rose from the sea off Tanggu Sea.

The Xihe Flower filled the entire sea area, radiating a bright glow, like a thousand divine lamps.

In the distance, the Fusang Divine Tree stands tall with its gnarled trunk reaching towards the sky, its leaves resembling thousands of moons hanging in the universe.

A jade boat, over thirty meters long, floats on the sea.

Li Weiyi sat at the bow of the boat, Breathing and Exhaling, using the power of the Fusang Divine Tree to refine the magical energy in his Feng Mansion.

Two months ago, after completing the Qi tempering of the Fourth Sea and fifth seas, he began cultivating the Sixth Sea, "Wind Mansion".

Fengfu is a living, endogenous world.

When the Spring Realm opened, many martial arts practitioners' Fengfu (wind palaces) were only the size of a fist.

After two months of cultivation, with the assistance of Dao Lian, Li Weiyi's Wind Palace has expanded to ten thousand square meters.

The way to expand is to continuously accumulate energy and support the Fengfu point.