Departed Spirit Powerhouses

Qing Ziqin used a kind of eye-tracking technique to observe the figures passing through the dark clouds in the distance, constantly writing something on the ground.

Beside him, Li Weiyi rummaged through the boundary bag, examining Luo Pingdan's corpse.

One of the precious boundary bags, crafted using a transcendent Qi Sea, was teeming with yin energy, containing tens of thousands of ghostly spirits and thousands of Ghost-faced Owl. Luo Pingdan had previously attempted to release them, but was interrupted by Li Weiyi.

These undead spirits and Ghost-faced Owl can be surprisingly useful for dealing with ordinary martial artists, surrounding and hunting them, scouting and searching, and slaughtering cities for wealth. However, trying to stop Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator of Li Weiyi's level in the Longevity Realm is a pipe dream.

The most valuable items are Luo Pingdan's Bronze Staff, the Longevity Golden Pill, and the twenty-five Psychic Power Stars between his eyebrows.

The Bronze Staff, with a branch-like top and a root-like bottom, is adorned with two bronze bells.

It is made from a special plant.

On the tree branch, there are still the Formation Script of the seven formations that Luo Pingdan refined, and the bells are used to control the ghost spirits and the Ghost-faced Owl.

The twenty-five Psychic Power Stars were valuable. Li Weiyi used the Four-Colored Spiritual Light Flames to refine the residual soul essence of Luo Pingdan.

Hold one in your hand and meditate to absorb it.

In a short while, the spiritual energy and mental power that had been depleted in the battle were restored.

Li Weiyi handed one to Qing Ziqin.

"I don't need it."

Qing Ziqin gently shook her head, pulled open the sleeve at her left wrist, revealing half of her smooth, jade-white, slender forearm.

Hidden on his forearm was a bracelet made of more than ten Psychic Power Stars strung together. It used a secret method to lock in light, so the light was faint, but one could tell at a glance that it contained divine power and was not simple.

"No wonder you dared to enter the Netherworld of the Departed. With this string of beads, you're not afraid of consuming your spiritual energy and can even absorb it for cultivation." Li Weiyi knew that her willingness to reveal this string of Psychic Power Stars was a sign that she had gained more trust in him.

Qing Ziqin pulled her sleeve back to cover herself, her eyes hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself. Finally, she said, "The stories about your ancestral land being destroyed, your collapse and suicide, etc., are all fabrications, aren't they?"

"Currently, including you, no more than ten people know about this. My Fiancée Zuoqiu Hongting, has been kept in the dark," Li Weiyi said.

Qing Ziqin said, "She will definitely be happy for you when she hears this news. In any case, congratulations! You have made it through the path of martial arts. The future is bright and boundless. Even your enemies will acknowledge that you are the greatest Outstanding Person in the world."

"You're the first person to congratulate me," Li Weiyi said with a smile.

Qing Ziqin felt that Li Weiyi was teasing her again, but this time, instead of feeling disgusted, her heart stirred. She feigned anger and said, "What kind of time is this? How can you still laugh? Even if the sky were to fall, would you still be able to wear a smile on your face?"

Li Weiyi's smile faded, and he said bitterly, "Actually, I'm terribly worried inside. Tang Wanzhou, Liu Ye, and Chang Yujian are all my good friends, and the people of Lesser Yang Division are my comrades. But, our abilities are really limited. Acting rashly is no different from sending ourselves to our deaths. Instead of smiling to relieve the pressure in my heart, should I cry and make both of us feel anxious and uneasy in order to appear loyal and righteous?"

"You're right, acting rashly is no different from suicide."

Qing Ziqin gestured for Li Weiyi to look at the written text and illustrations on the ground.

"I have a photographic memory and have long memorized the information in the camp's hundred records. I just noted it down, and there are thirty-seven Departed Spirit Marquis who have appeared in my field of vision. Among them, four are highlighted in the hundred records of the Dongxu Camp, which means that they are powerful and have the potential to grow into monarch-level and king-level."

"The Jade Corpse Marquis comes from the Corpse Sea of Rotting Marsh. He is a transcendent jade corpse from ten thousand years ago that has developed intelligence and possesses an extremely powerful physical body. He is currently at the third stage of the Longevity Realm. Even if the essence of the transcendent corpse has been lost, his physical body is still terrifyingly powerful. To regard him as a marquis would be a grave mistake."

"Can it rival the Great Longevity?" Li Weiyi asked.

"Have no idea."

Qing Ziqin gently shook her head. "The information in the Hundred Records is only a brief account. If we encounter it, we should flee immediately. Besides, the Four-eared Ghost Monkey Marquis, the Horse Corpse Marquis, and the Imperial Pattern Bone Marquis are all extraordinary. What we have seen so far is undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg."

Li Weiyi nodded, his eyes serious. "Even if a Hundred Marquis level expert appears, it wouldn't be surprising at all."

The Seven Grievances Plain alone occupies a hundred states that were once part of the Lingxiao Shengjing. Each state sends a marquis, making them a powerful force among the hundred marquises.

The "Seven Grievances Lord Marquis Records" is just one of the hundreds of records in the Dongxu Camp's intelligence database, even though the hundreds of records are just a figurative number.

Dongxu Camp was just one of the camps of the Sentinel Spirit Army.

Li Weiyi said, "Just what kind of ability did Chu Yutian possess to persuade those powerful spirits in the Netherworld to let him lead all the marquises? That ability is truly terrifying."

The Taiyin Seal can mobilize the Departed Spirit Army.

However, making noble Departed Spirit Marquis like the Jade Corpse Marquis and the Imperial Pattern Bone Marquis submit to his command is something the Taiyin Seal cannot do. In the end, the deceased are the masters, and the Taiyin Sect is merely a servant.

Qing Ziqin said, "In previous weak cycles, the Dongxu Ghost City would select promising Departed Spirit Marquis to enter the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin in search of opportunities, but this time, it's clearly being given much more attention than before. Moreover, the Taiyin Sect has also gotten involved; they were rarely seen in the past."

"It wasn't this tense before, was it?" Li Weiyi asked.

Qing Ziqin nodded. "To be precise, back in the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, both sides deliberately avoided war, focusing on seeking opportunities and cultivating. Even when there was a struggle, it was a struggle for opportunities."

Li Weiyi said, "I suspect that Bai Chuan and Mo Duanfeng weren't fully aware of the number and strength of the deceased experts before entering the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin. Right now, the people in the valley are probably facing a dilemma: to flee or to defend."

The seven phoenixes that had been sent out to scout returned and landed on Li Weiyi's shoulder.

The Jade Corpse Marquis, the Imperial Pattern Bone Marquis, the Four-eared Ghost Monkey Marquis, and five other powerful Departed Spirit Marquis stood on a circular black stone platform, each in a different position, working together to activate a gong-shaped Myriad-character Artifact.

The altar was located about six or seven miles from the Fanye Valley, and was shrouded in layers of dark clouds.

The members of the Lesser Yang Division in the valley could not see who was urging it.

"Boom!"

The gong-shaped Myriad-character Artifact, resembling a bronze millstone, unleashed a portion of its primordial power, forming a vortex of wind that connected heaven and earth, striking heavily against the array's Light Veil that enveloped the three peaks.

The Light Veil became concave and quickly dimmed.

Then a burst of intense light erupted.

The deafening sound of the gong echoed through the air, creating Sound Wave that could be seen churning in the void.

Neither the departed nor the living dared to approach the past.

Even a small amount of the original power of the Myriad-character Artifact can move mountains and cleave rivers, making it a powerful weapon for breaking formations and killing enemies.

"Buzz!"

"Clang!"

Each time the array's Light Veil was struck, the surrounding earth trembled.

Several feet wide cracks have appeared in the ground at the edge of the Defensive Formation.

In the valley.

Nangong, Yan Zhiruo, and Zhao Tang stood atop the three mountains, manipulating formations to defend themselves.

Bai Chuan rode eight black flags arranged in a formation, guarding the valley entrance.

Xu Daoqing, whisk in hand, peered into the dark clouds, his brow furrowed. "Gentlemen, something's not right! There are more and more Departed Spirit Marquis; I even saw the figure of Horse Corpse Marquis. Mo Duanfeng brings another enemy, how can we stop them?"

Bai Chuan realized he had underestimated his enemy. "I think that prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat. We should break out immediately, eliminate the enemies outside first, and then confront Chu Yutian."

Chang Yujian said, "We have no idea what the situation is outside. If we rush out rashly, what will we do if the Fanye Valley falls?"

"Bai, Shengsi, Daoist Xu, and Chi Haohan can charge out together; the rest of you stay and guard the valley," Bai Chuan said.

Tang Wanzhou said, "Wouldn't that give spies an opportunity to take advantage?"

Bai Chuan's feelings were complicated. He had never encountered such a chaotic situation before. Not only was it difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, but there was also no time for thought or introspection. Everything seemed to require making the right decision in the shortest possible time. In the Sword Dao Imperial Court, most of the time it was a duel in the arena. Even if there were scheming and calculations, they were simply clever ideas during the battle.

"Any scheme can be thwarted in the face of absolute power."

Bai Chuan tried his best to remain calm, staring intently into Tang Wanzhou's eyes. "Before setting off, the Deputy Sentinel Lord must have given Saint Si some powerful trump cards. If we don't use them now, when will we?"

Tang Wanzhou remained silent, not wanting to get into an argument.

Having a trump card but not using it is where its greatest potential lies.

Having just entered the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, without even seeing Chu Yutian's face or knowing what the enemy's trump cards were, Tang Wanzhou didn't believe he could lead the Lesser Yang Division out of the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin.

Chang Yujian said, "Second-ranked scholar, with such a noble status, why not use the life-saving technique you possess first?"

Bai Chuan narrowed his eyes, having reached his limit of tolerance for Chang Yujian's repeated offenses.

Tang Wanzhou's tone was icy. "This time is different from the past. The enemy is clearly trying to annihilate us. Rather than passively defending, we should take the initiative to break through. After breaking through, we should scatter and escape, not giving the traitor a chance to infiltrate among us. I will use the sound of a special whistle to find you one by one, investigate each one, find the traitor, and kill him."

"If necessary, I will use the life-saving technique given to me by the Deputy Sentinel Lord to cover your escape."

"I believe that once you escape, you all have the ability to hide and survive."

"Lesser Yang Division, I have the final say. Bai Chuan, what do you say?"

Bai Chuan was naturally more than happy to oblige. "My cultivation is the highest, I'll charge into the enemy lines. Only by breaking through those experts who are wielding the Myriad-character Artifact can you break through and escape."

"I'll cover the rear," Tang Wanzhou said.

Xu Daoqing said, "This humble Daoist will lend a helping hand to the Holy Division."

After hearing Qi Feng's report, Li Weiyi immediately looked towards a certain direction in the dark clouds. "Is the Jade Corpse Marquis really that strong? Do you think there's a chance if we launch a sneak attack?"

"What are you going to do?" Qing Ziqin's expression changed slightly.

Li Weiyi said, "I also have Myriad-character Artifact '! Tell me, if we let those senior members of the Immortal Mist Sect who have the Seventh Realm Longevity Golden Pill within them use their magical energy to activate it, could it unleash extraordinary power? Come with me, let's go do something exciting."

"Exciting?"

Qing Ziqin vaguely guessed Li Weiyi's thoughts. Her dormant blood was stirred, and a strange sense of excitement welled up inside her. "Should we blow the whistle and communicate with the people in the valley first?"

"Those Taiyin Envoy of the Taiyin Sect may not understand the Whistle Secret Message. But if they do recognize the whistle, we will be in great danger."

Li Weiyi and Qing Ziqin stealthily made their way towards the array platform that Qi Feng had reported. They moved very slowly, afraid of disturbing the air and also worried that there might be spirits hidden underground.

As the distance closed, Li Weiyi and Qing Ziqin appeared about five miles away from the array platform. Obscured by the dark mist, they could only vaguely see eight Ghost Qi figures standing on the platform.

"This is it, we can't get any closer," Li Weiyi said.