Counterattack

Li Weiyi, with his keen senses, slightly raised his head and noticed that the Dao Heart Manifestation of the Longevity Realm Giants enveloped the entire city, with his magical energy and intentions omnipresent.

Immediately slow down, change direction, and stop heading towards the city gate.

At this moment, he naturally did not know who the Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator who released the Dao Heart Manifestation was, and he was not so familiar with Yao Qian's power fluctuations.

On the wide streets, people were filled with anxiety, and carriages and horses sped along.

Shopkeepers and customers emerged from the shops on both sides, gathering at the entrances to watch the direction from which the battle's energy was emanating.

"The city gates are closed! The second layer of the City Protection Array has been activated. Could it be that a powerful demon has entered the city?"

"It seems something major has happened in the fourth-tier city-state; even Longevity Realm Giants have intervened. We must hope the battle doesn't spill over here."

"I heard that all the experts from the Nanyan Pass Attendant Hall were just mobilized. A big shot from Lingxiao City has come in person. These are truly turbulent times. Is even the land beneath Xianyuan no longer safe?"

"Boom!"

Far beyond Nanyan Pass, a muffled rumble echoed.

The ground trembled slightly.

The light from the collision of the ritual implements briefly overshadowed the brilliance of the sun.

Li Weiyi stopped and looked out of the city. His chest felt tight, and he suspected that something had happened to Hidden Lord. His mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts and his brain went blank. He quickly walked into a noodle shop at the crossroads.

He could feel the power of intention occasionally passing through his body.

This perception is subtle, like ripples spreading across a calm lake.

Ordinary martial arts practitioners cannot detect it.

"Shopkeeper... a bowl of noodle soup!"

Li Weiyi stared at the white steam rising from the stove beside her, forcing herself to calm her violently trembling heart.

Breathe using the Jade Void Breathing Technique.

Gradually, I entered an unprecedented state of calm, clearing away all confusion, fear, horror, and resentment, and fell into deep thought.

Even if the sky falls and the earth collapses, don't panic.

Nanyan Pass has a large population; as long as one can control their breathing and avoid panicking, they are safe for the time being.

Wait!

We need to know first what exactly happened.

He channeled his magical power into his ears, allowing his hearing to extend beyond the noodle shop, passing through walls and across streets to gather useful information.

As time went by, more and more news spread through the streets and reached our ears.

"Young Master, hurry home! It was the Vice Minister of the Attendant Hall Shaoqing who personally led the attack on Deputy Commander Zhou's residence and captured a high-ranking figure from the cult. Nanyan Pass now in grave danger."

"Deputy Commander Zhou colluded with a cult and has committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

"It is said that Longevity Realm Giants, met with him and fled the city, but was intercepted."

"With the Sect Master of the Sui Sect personally taking action, even Longevity Realm Giants had to surrender. That's one of the most powerful figures below the Transcendent Realm."

The incident at the Zhou residence caused quite a stir, and with Yao Qian directly using his Dao Heart Manifestation to cover the entire city, it naturally became common knowledge.

"The Vice Shaoqing of the Attendant Hall, that must be Yao Qian. It seems that his mind was searching the entire city just now." Li Weiyi's eyes were deep as he looked at the soup noodles the shopkeeper brought to him. His hands clenched into fists, and a chill ran through him.

Inside the city gate, all sorts of rumors were flying around.

Yao Qian and Yang Shen Realm made their moves one after the other, and the fluctuations in their magical energy were detected by many martial arts practitioners, so there was no way they were fake.

Li Weiyi took a sip of hot soup, picked up her chopsticks, and her mind raced.

"With the Yang Shen Realm, everything makes sense!"

"Only the Sui Sect truly understands the Jiu Li Tribe; Yang Shen Realm has probably never trusted Yao Qingxuan."

"Zhou Bida is a member of the Jiu Li Tribe, a secret that Yang Shen Realm likely already knew. Therefore, he used Zhou Bida to set up today's Killing Trap, intending to wipe out Yao Qingxuan and the Hidden Lord in one fell swoop."

"At the same time, this allows them to superficially distance themselves from the Rice Cult and gain greater trust within the Imperial Court. Even if rumors of a connection between the Sui Sect and the Rice Cult emerge in the future, without irrefutable evidence, they can use this incident to prove their innocence. It's killing two birds with one stone!"

Through Yang Qingchan's death, Li Weiyi could see the style of Yao Qian and Yang Shen Realm: they would use any means to achieve their goals.

Such a person is absolutely terrifying.

After finishing half a bowl of noodles, Li Weiyi couldn't taste a single flavor. He felt terrible; he had just promised Zhou Bida that the Hidden Gate wouldn't abandon any of its members or their families. Half an hour had passed, and now they were separated by life and death.

Facing Yang Shen Realm, Hidden Lord's chances of survival are slim.

Moreover, since Yang Shen Realm has already launched his attack, Yao Qingxuan, who is at the main altar, will most likely also be unable to escape disaster.

Outside on the streets, soldiers galloped, the sounds of hooves and armor echoing incessantly.

We can't get out of the city gate.

What will inevitably follow is a large-scale manhunt.

It's unknown whether Yao Qian obtained any useful information from Zhou Bida. It's only a matter of time before he is surrounded, found, and captured by the Longevity Realm Giants, the Attendant Hall, and the entire army of Nanyan Pass.

Anyone in Li Weiyi's position would inevitably feel fear and helplessness. But after finishing the bowl of noodles, he was filled with intense killing intent and fighting spirit.

So what if it's the Longevity Realm?

What about facing the entire Imperial Court?

He decided to stop holding back and fight Yao Qian at Nanyan Pass, regardless of the consequences.

Zuoqiu Hongting once said that mastering the Disguise Art to the point where it is impossible to distinguish between the real and the fake is more valuable than a Longevity Realm Giants.

Li Weiyi's Disguise Art was passed down from his Spirit Tablet Master, Lingwei. Compared to Zuoqiu Hongting, he was a mortal, so his Disguise Art had fewer flaws.

We'll fight this battle using the Disguise Art!

We'll see whether the Disguise Art is more powerful, or the Longevity Realm is stronger.

At noon, the sun was blazing overhead.

Pay the bill and leave.

With fewer pedestrians on the streets, the danger increased, making it more difficult to blend in. However, Yao Qian had already withdrawn his Dao Heart Manifestation and intentions, clearly indicating that his spiritual energy and mental state were greatly depleted.

Let alone a martial artist who has just entered the Longevity Realm, even for someone of extraordinary ability, finding a hidden person in a city with a population of over a million would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

In a deserted alley, Li Weiyi changed into more luxurious robes, altering his appearance once again, and headed straight for "Guanlan Pavilion," the largest stronghold of the Daojiao Nanyan Pass.

He had to take the risk.

If Zhou Bida were dead, his family would lose their value and become extremely dangerous. This was an outcome Li Weiyi absolutely could not allow, because he had already promised to save them.

To save lives, we must now race against time.

They must be rescued before dark...

The five-tiered city of Nanyan Pass is home to nearly hundreds of thousands of people in each tier. The city is vast and its streets and alleys are dense. It is not only a city pass, but also a transportation hub connecting Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain and the Twenty-Eight Prefectures of Lingxiao. Countless merchants come and go from the north and south.

Soldiers and their families are mainly concentrated in the first-tier and fourth-tier city areas.

The third-tier city area is the most prosperous, with four main streets and a network of markets, making it the most popular gathering place for merchants from all over the world. It lacks the solemn atmosphere of military management.

Guanlan Pavilion is a garden complex covering hundreds of acres. The gatehouse is four stories high, with flying eaves and upturned corners, and is beautifully decorated. The gate is open and it is already open for business.

However, there are very few customers during the day, making it quite deserted, a stark contrast to the bustling and lively atmosphere at night.

After Li Weiyi entered, two beautiful young women came forward to greet him.

He waved his hand and pushed aside, his eyes blazing. With keen senses, he found a steward with high martial arts cultivation and took out the Divine Child's Life Tablet.

The steward, a cultivator at the Fifth Realm of the Five Seas, looked surprised upon seeing the life tablet and immediately bowed. He then led Li Weiyi through the covered garden to the backyard where an array was set up.

After entering the hospital, Li Weiyi used his telekinetic senses to detect several powerful auras.

As expected of a large stronghold, it has attracted many powerful figures.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Divine Child"

The person in charge of the Guanlan Pavilion outpost was named Fairy Xu. She appeared to be in her forties and wore a light blue palace dress, resembling a kind noblewoman.

Li Weiyi remained silent, sat down in the hall, and with a startling gesture, activated his Heavenly Eye, gazing at her intently. "With your cultivation at the Fourth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, your status is not low. You're in charge of affairs at Nanyan Pass, aren't you?"

"I am merely an assistant to the Prefectural Elder! His status is special, and there are many things he cannot do in person."

Fairy Xu realized that this divine child was no ordinary person; the vertical eye between his brows had just sent chills down her spine. She put the white ferret she was holding on the ground and secretly gave a wink to the steward who had brought Li Weiyi over.

The manager lowered his head, understood, took two steps back, and prepared to leave.

How could such a small trick escape Li Weiyi's notice?

"Whoosh!"

Li Weiyi was extremely bloodthirsty at this moment. With a flick of his finger, a burst of energy shot out.

"Pfft!"

The steward's head was pierced, blood splattered, and he fell to the ground dead.

Fairy Xu was stunned.

Li Weiyi casually waved his hand, and a net woven from spiritual light captured the white ferret, pulling it into his hand. "Without my permission, no living creature is allowed to leave this place from now on. Including you!"

Fairy Xu glanced at the steward's corpse, suppressing her shock. "His Highness the Divine Child kills so casually; the Prefectural Elder will surely have something to say about it."

"Don't try to intimidate me with your connections."

Li Weiyi stroked the little ferret, fully releasing his psychic field, his tone calm. "Don't even mention a mere steward. Even if I kill you, what can the Prefectural Elder do to me? Answer my questions, and if you dare to lie, that will be your fate."

Fairy Xu was intimidated by Li Weiyi, this divine son who arrived with overwhelming killing intent and an extremely strong aura.

"Are you aware of the Zhou family's actions?" Li Weiyi stared at her.

Fairy Xu was bewildered. "What does what happened at the Zhou residence have to do with us? Could the rumors be true, and that Deputy Commander Zhou is really going to meet with a high-ranking figure from the Divine Cult today?"

Li Weiyi summoned the Staff Spear of All Things from the Wind Palace and struck the ground.

"Boom!"

A surge of crimson-gold flames and spiritual energy erupted, causing Fairy Xu to lose her footing and stagger back two steps.

"Today, I don't have much patience left. I'm giving you one last chance. Where are Zhou Bida's family members being held?"

Li Weiyi didn't believe she was unaware. With her cultivation level and control of the largest Rice Cult stronghold in Nanyan Pass, how could she not know that the Rice Cult was trying to win over Zhou Bida?

Trying to cover it up only makes it more obvious!

Fairy Xu finally lost her composure. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, and she suddenly unleashed the Dao Heart Manifestation, breaking through Li Weiyi's mental energy field.

Then, long sleeves fluttered like clouds.

A rain of magical needles flew out from his sleeve, like ten thousand cold stars, covering the sky and heading straight for Li Weiyi.

Fairy Xu did not linger in battle. Instead, she used her movement techniques to rush out like a shadow, preparing to gather reinforcements. This divine child should be the one the Prefectural Elder had mentioned.

"Boom!"

The Fusang Divine Tree Projection rose around Li Weiyi, blocking all the incoming rain of magical needles and freezing them in mid-air, melting them into droplets.

Li Weiyi sat calmly in the chair, casually swinging the Staff Spear of All Things. Clusters of crimson droplets, suspended in mid-air, flew out rapidly, all striking Fairy Xu.

A low, mournful scream rang out!

With a thud, Fairy Xu fell to the ground, her body covered in burn marks.

Terrified, she tried to get up and flee again.

"Whoosh!"

The sharp, gleaming spear tip pointed at her brow, radiating a fiery heat.

Li Weiyi stood ramrod straight, spear in hand. "A Fourth Heaven of the Inferior Root Dao Seed Realm dares to be so insolent before this divine son. You think you can escape?"

"I was wrong... I was wrong... I beg Your Highness to forgive me. But, I really don't know where Deputy Commander Zhou's family is being held. This matter is top secret; only the Prefectural Elder know." Fairy Xu was suppressed by the Staff Spear of All Things and dared not move.