Return to Jiu Li City

The jade boat glided across the sky, leaving a long trail behind it.

The Taiyin Sect possesses unparalleled strength and can even summon the spirits of the deceased from the nearby Netherworld of the Departed for assistance; who wouldn't fear them?

The appearance of the Nether Disciple in Lingxiao Shengjing at this time is clearly aimed at Xue Jian Tang Ting and the Jiu Li Tribe, and is an act of revenge for the disastrous defeat of the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin.

Although Li Weiyi wasn't surprised, how could he not be worried?

Li Yuanzhe, however, showed no sign of urgency. He and Zuoqiu Lanshan nestled together on the side of the boat, looking down at the mountains and rivers of Lingxiao Shengjing below, chatting and reminiscing about the past, telling interesting stories.

Laughter could be heard from time to time.

Returning after a thousand years, today we can finally appreciate the beauty of our former landscape under the blue sky and white clouds.

At the bow, Li Weiyi, who was unleashing his full magical energy to propel the jade boat, finally couldn't help but say, "Coffin Master, as far as I know, the Nether Disciple of the Taiyin Sect are all incredibly powerful, possess profound cultivation, and are infamous for their ferocity. Once they go to Lizhou, they will surely cause devastating destruction. Capturing and assassinating several tribal chiefs will be a piece of cake for them. Why aren't you in a hurry at all? If you personally propelled the jade boat, we would definitely be faster."

Li Yuanzhe and Zuoqiu Lanshan felt that he was extremely disappointing, so they put away their smiles and sat down again at the table on the jade boat.

On the table lay the fine wine that the Lei Xiao Sect Master had given him before he left.

"Why would Nether Disciple assassinate the clan leader? What benefit would it bring him?" Li Yuanzhe poured himself a full cup of wine, sniffed it, and then took a sip.

"I'm just giving an example."

After a moment's consideration, Li Weiyi said, "The Nether Disciple' ultimate target in going to Lizhou will inevitably be me. To deal with me, they will certainly capture those I care about as bargaining chips."

Li Yuanzhe smiled and said, "Let's analyze this. Who do you think he will capture?"

"It's nothing more than the Family Head Li, my fourth uncle, Li Ling, and a few of my companions, and perhaps some hidden members of the Hidden Gate," Li Weiyi said.

"Yes and no."

Li Yuanzhe seemed to be a slow and deliberate man, speaking slowly and deliberately. He continued, "This is just someone you consider important, and it's just wishful thinking on your part."

"From the perspective of the Taiyin Sect, these people are probably worthless. They don't believe that they can lure out a peerless genius like you with such a mediocre group."

"Furthermore, from the perspective of the Taiyin Sect, your relationship is actually quite superficial, and you would never put yourself in danger for their sake."

"The only one who might be somewhat important is Li Songgu."

"After all, on the surface, Li Songgu has helped you a lot, and he's your master. At the same time, in their eyes, Li Songgu is very likely to know your background and your opportunities."

As Li Yuanzhe spoke slowly, Li Weiyi quickly calmed down. "I understand! If they go to Lizhou, their first target will definitely be Old Li. Secondly, they will investigate my background."

"Why not investigate my background?" Li Yuanzhe asked with a smile.

Li Weiyi was not misled by him. "If they wanted to investigate you, they would have already dispatched their Transcendent beings to Lingxiao Shengjing long ago, they wouldn't have waited until now. Given the ferocity of the Chan Wu and the strength of the Great Palace Master, I don't think the Transcendent beings of the Taiyin Sect would dare to easily set foot in Lingxiao Shengjing. Moreover, Zuoqiu Xuanming of the Zuoqiu Courtyard is definitely not someone to be trifled with."

Li Yuanzhe satisfaction and continued to test him, "Guess now why I'm not in such a hurry to get back?"

Li Weiyi pondered carefully and said, "Is Coffin Master testing the abilities of the Jiu Li Tribe? The Lei Xiao Sect was able to quickly detect the Nether Disciple entering the Lingxiao Shengjing. If the Jiu Li Tribe couldn't detect the Nether Disciple's arrival in Lizhou, then the gap between the Jiu Li Tribe and the Lei Xiao Sect would be too great!"

"Anything else?" Li Yuanzhe asked.

Li Weiyi said, "I'm afraid the Nether Disciple wouldn't dare to act recklessly in Lizhou. Once his whereabouts are exposed, and all the experts of the Jiu Li Tribe are mobilized, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven for him to leave alive. Moreover, the Jiu Li Tribe has a transcendent figure in charge."

"Anything else?"

After pondering for a while, Li Weiyi asked doubtfully, "Is there anything else?"

Li Yuanzhe glanced at Zuoqiu Lanshan beside him before saying, "The Zuoqiu Courtyard has already unified the southern border, including parts of the Western Territory and eastern borders, occupying half of the country, more than ten prefectures. It is said that even the powerful families have submitted to them."

"Internally, we will excavate Underground Immortal Mansion, using the Longevity Pill and the resources left behind by the Lingxiao Dao Cult to attract heroes from all sides to join us. Externally, we will develop several states in the Southeast Nether Realm, mining to amass wealth, managing the East Sea, and plotting to seize the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein of the immortal path."

"Today, the Zuoqiu Courtyard's ranks are filled with experts, numerous members hold the Transcendental Seat, and a multitude of Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator. They command a million-strong army and have even forged the Five Seas Soldiers, whose intelligence system far surpasses that of the Lei Xiao Sect."

"Didn't they receive the message?"

Li Weiyi suddenly understood. "Coffin Master wants to see what Zuoqiu Courtyard will do after learning the information?"

Li Yuanzhe's eyes flickered with uncertainty. "You have to be clear about the relationships between forces. Partners, allies, pawns, tools, servants—they're all about cooperation, but the differences are huge!"

Li Yuanzhe appeared in the East Sea with Yu Yaozi, clearly having returned together with Zen Sea Observing Mist. How could Zuoqiu Courtyard not have some thoughts on this?

Now that Zuoqiu Courtyard holds a dominant position, the relationship between the two sides naturally needs to be redefined.

Now that Coffin Master had given it detailed consideration, Li Weiyi's worries lessened considerably. He asked, "Has anything happened at Xue Jian Tang Ting's side? Does the Lei Xiao Sect Master know anything about the situation?"

"There are indeed some issues," Li Yuanzhe.

Li Weiyi turned around and looked over.

"It is said that the transcendent experts from the Ancient Ye City and the Seven Grievances Plain returned defeated from the border of the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, and may turn their anger towards the Xue Jian Tang Ting and the four states of Youjing in the war. If the Xue Jian Tang Ting wants to withstand this wave of pressure, it must compromise with the Sword Dao Imperial Court in order to seek more assistance from the experts," said Li Yuanzhe.

Li Weiyi frowned, having anticipated this. "From the moment they agreed to the Sword Dao Imperial Court's attack on the four states of Youjing, the Camel King and the Xue Jian Tang Ting were destined to be powerless, forced to move with the tide of events. This is the fate of pawns! In comparison, the way the Du'e Temple is behaving is somewhat more respectable."

Seeing Li Weiyi turn around and continue steering the jade boat, Zuoqiu Lanshan transmitted her voice. "Why not tell him the truth?"

"The time is not right. Telling him now will only cause more trouble," Li Yuanzhe replied telepathically.

Zuoqiu Lanshan said, "What riddle are you playing now? When is the right time?"

"Timing is about the situation and opportunities. Let's wait and see," Li Yuanzhe with a slight smile, continuing to sip his drink, but he couldn't discern any particular flavor.

The deceased and the living are ultimately different.

The jade boat entered the territory of Lizhou and flew straight towards Jiu Li City.

In the afternoon, a hundred miles from Jiu Li City, Yu Zhou encountered soldiers patrolling on eagle-lion flying birds.

Not wanting the Nether Disciple to know that he had returned to Lizhou, Li Weiyi had no choice but to meet with the patrol leader alone, reveal his identity, and avoid any unnecessary conflict.

The patrolling soldiers stood there dumbfounded, immediately sheathing their spears and bowing with immense excitement. "The Hidden Person... Shang Yu of the Beast Li Tribe, has long heard of your renown and held you in the highest esteem. The young martial artists of Lizhou all regard you as an object of worship... and today we have actually met you in True Person! I... I..."

He became incoherent.

"My return must not be revealed. Has anything happened in Lizhou recently?" Li Weiyi asked.

Shang Yu, still flushed with excitement, exclaimed, "It seems something has happened in the city. All the City Defense Army have been dispatched to patrol and check all suspicious individuals today."

Led by Shang Yu, Li Weiyi and his two companions transferred to Eagle Lion motorcycles and traveled smoothly without any obstacles.

Jiu Li City, on the vast plains, there are endless houses and dozens of observation towers taller than the city walls, and all the City Protection Array have been activated.

Li Weiyi could understand the feelings of the Coffin Master and the Spirit Tablet Master as they looked at the mountains and rivers. Now, he himself was revisiting the place, and even though only a few years had passed, he already had very deep feelings.

I originally thought that after attending the Qianlong Lantern Festival, I could return once the situation in Lizhou stabilized.

As a result, they drifted further and further apart.

From Qiuzhou City to the Underground Immortal Mansion, then to Lingxiao City, then to the Netherworld of the Departed and the East Sea, and then to the even more distant Dongxu Camp.

Back then, I traveled by boat with Li Ling to the Jiu Li Tribe. I saw her being the center of attention and Cangli being the leader among the young martial artists, while I stood aside like a lackey.

At that time, let alone cultivation, we couldn't even survive or establish ourselves. The gang targeted us as easy prey that very day.

It was Li Ling and her fourth uncle who extended a helping hand.

At that time, Li Weiyi dream was to have a house so that he could live in this world with his senior brothers and sisters.

Unbeknownst to them, they had already entered Jiu Li City.

A lively and bustling noise rushed towards us.

"Go take care of your business. Your Spirit Tablet Master and I are old and don't have the energy for all this. Let's find a place to have some tea. It's been a long time since we've seen such a lively scene."

After uttering these words, Li Yuanzhe waved his hand and, along with Zuoqiu Lanshan, was swallowed up by the bustling traffic on the street.

"They just want to put me to the test."

Li Weiyi smelled the delicious aromas wafting from the restaurants and stalls, and longed to sit down and enjoy a meal of fine wine and food. However, remembering that Old Li was in danger because of him, he had to attend to his business first.

Following his memory, he quickly headed toward the location of the Cangli Tribal Mansion.

Upon arriving in the urban area near the Tribal Mansion, one could see soldiers clad in armor, in groups of three or five, guarding the entrances and exits of various streets, conducting rigorous checks.

Tribal Mansion, all Defensive Formation were activated, and Light Veil intertwined like clouds.

Li Weiyi stood hidden atop a five-story building, gazing into the distance, his heart sinking.

The gate of the Tribal Mansion was broken and collapsed, with bricks and stones scattered all over the ground and bloodstains visible. A large section of the mansion's buildings had collapsed, and the surrounding ground was full of cracks.

Clearly, it was attacked by a powerful force not long ago.

The main gate must be the place with the most Defensive Formation, yet the opponent chose to break through it, which shows their confidence in their own strength.

"Whoosh!"

Li Weiyi disappeared from the rooftop, heading towards the Coffin Sea Pavilion where the Jiu Li Hidden Gate was located.

The Daoist domain within Jiu Li City was once home to five major sects: Jiu Li Dao Academy, Sui Sect, Tianyi Gate, Coffin Sea Pavilion, and Three Chen Palace.

Currently, the Jiu Li Dao Academy is the main entity, with the Coffin Sea Pavilion as a secondary entity.

The other three major sects either migrated or were destroyed.

Li Weiyi sneaked into the Coffin Sea Pavilion and headed straight for the entrance to the underground treasure vault, from where he could enter the Jiu Li Hidden Gate hidden underground.

The young disciples who passed by could not see him.

Arriving at the entrance of the treasure vault, just as they were about to barge in, a familiar and melodious voice rang out from the nearby library. "A person can become invisible and Conceal Qi, but air currents still move."