Friends' Small Gathering
The Jiu Li Divine Hall is located deep within the Mang Mountain Range, hidden and protected by an ancient array.
During the most dangerous times for the Jiu Li Tribe, young talents were always moved to the temple. In the last thousand years, without a leader, the temple has been the highest center of power for the Jiu Li Tribe.
This was Li Weiyi's first time visiting.
Upon entering the outer area of the temple, his senses became confused, making it difficult to determine his location and affecting him with the power of the formation.
"Greetings, Family Head Li"
The temple guards who were watching over the outer area bowed to Li Songgu.
In the darkness, strange insects, spirits, and guardian beasts appear from time to time. There are also ancient temples embedded in the mountains, with ghost lamps burning inside, enshrining unknown evil spirits, all with strange appearances.
Li Songgu told Li Weiyi that the deities enshrined in the temple were all spirits from the Departed Spirit Mist Domain.
Li Weiyi ventured into the Departed Spirit Mist Domain, which appeared to be only two hundred miles wide, but in reality it was boundless. If Li Ling hadn't led the way, he would have been unable to traverse it at all.
Looking back now, it must have been a spatially anomalous area, with no known destination.
We arrived at Shizulin.
The nine sons of Chi God of Jiu Li Chi You, who were also the Nine Kings of the Nine Great Tribes, have stone statues that appear in the mountain.
The nine stone statues are majestic, some are wielding axes to split the mountain, some are sitting cross-legged in meditation, and some are deep in thought...
All Nine Kings were detached from worldly affairs.
The most powerful among them was the eldest son of the god, the King Cang.
Coffin Master once said that four thousand years ago, the King Cang's cultivation was infinitely close to that of Martial Path Son of Heaven, so he must have been a Stored Son of Heaven.
Li Weiyi once entered the Cang King's Tomb and took Seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors. Inside, he did not see a coffin, but only a large circular stone array.
He was actually very curious. It seemed that there was a mysterious past in the era of King Cang and Zen Sea Observing Mist, where powerful unknown figures such as the God of Jiu Li and Zen Sea Observing Mist's master appeared.
Something significant must have happened on this land back then.
The brightly lit Jiu Li Divine Hall appeared before Li Weiyi.
It's not a temple, but a complex of buildings.
The Mo Hai Great Priest summoned all the priests to the main hall to work together to refine the Death Spirit Fire within Li Songlin's body.
On the way to the main hall, Li Weiyi asked, "Has the matter of Chief Yaoli been investigated?"
Li Songgu glanced at Yao Qingxuan beside him and nodded slightly. "Imprisoned in the temple dungeon, now Yao Xingyue, the father of Hidden Twenty-Four, serves as the chieftain of the Yao Li Tribe."
"What's the situation with the Earth Wolf King Army now?" Li Weiyi asked again.
Li Songgu knew that Li Weiyi concern was the Immortal Law Star, and his expression was solemn and worried. "Shi Na'er is a top expert in the Seventh Realm, and he is extremely skilled in life-preserving techniques and has excellent concealment abilities. He has a glorious record of escaping from the hands of the Imperial Court's transcendent beings. The Jiu Li Tribe has been searching for him without finding a trace. He must be hiding somewhere, using the Immortal Law Star to break through to the transcendent realm. It is even possible that he has already left the Lingxiao Shengjing."
"As for the Earth Wolf King Army, it has already been incorporated into Zuoqiu Courtyard."
Li Weiyi said, "Breaking through to the Transcendent Realm makes quite a commotion; it will definitely alert the Lingxiao Shengjing; I bet he hasn't fled far."
"Your line of thinking is correct."
Li Songgu looked thoughtful, pondering the secret place where Shi Na'er might be hiding.
After the nine priests Death Spirit Fire within Li Songlin's body, they filed out of the hall, their gazes all falling on Li Weiyi. Several of them were seeing this renowned young man for the first time, their eyes filled with curiosity.
The Mo Hai Great Priest laughed and said, "You may not know, but our Hidden Person has already attained the cultivation to kill Great Longevity."
The priests present were all deeply moved, and some exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible?"
"This little guy has only been cultivating for a few years, right? How could he have covered in a few years what others take hundreds of years to achieve?"
"Such a prodigy overshadows Cangli and Li Ling. How can we allow him to marry into the Zuoqiu Courtyard? Does our Jiu Li Tribe lack any Proud Daughter of Heaven? He and Yao Yin are said to have a very good relationship."
Yao Qingxuan glanced at the priests above the stone steps, their decorum completely gone, and smiled coldly. He thought to himself, "A bunch of old fogies who crave comfort, afraid to face challenges and dangers, afraid to venture out and contend with the world. The Jiu Li Tribe became wealthy because they could retrieve Otherworldly Coffin, but their wealth came too easily, leading to their downfall."
Li Weiyi said, "Priests, the leader has returned and is currently in Jiu Li City. He will likely arrive at the Jiu Li Divine Hall soon."
"Boom!"
The nine priests, along with the Netherlight Guide Envoy in the temple square, were all agitated, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.
A white-haired priestess said in a panic, "The chief's ceremonial procession has been abandoned for a thousand years. It cannot be prepared in a short time. What should we do? Who can bear the blame if the Old Ancestor are angered?"
"The return of our Old Ancestor is the most important event for the Jiu Li Tribe right now. We must immediately summon the chieftains of all the major tribes and rush to Jiu Li City to welcome him," another old man, nearing the end of his life, said urgently.
The third priest, his face flushed with excitement, exclaimed, "The chieftain has undergone a tribulation and returned only after a thousand years. I just performed a divination, and it's an auspicious sign. The sacrifice must be grand to wash away the bad luck and welcome the arrival of the prosperous era for the Jiu Li Tribe."
"For the grand ceremony, we must invite all the major powers of the Lingxiao Shengjing to come and witness it, thereby showcasing the strength of our Myriad Ancient Clan. Invitations must be sent out immediately, and the timing of the ceremony needs to be carefully calculated," the fourth priest said eagerly.
Li Weiyi was completely stunned, looking at Yao Qingxuan and Li Songgu with surprise, her eyes seeming to say, "Are the elders of your Jiu Li Tribe so particular about pomp and circumstance, so fond of showing off?"
"Ignore them, they're just a bunch of mediocre old fogies. We need to get to the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin immediately," Yao Qingxuan said.
The next morning.
The rising sun illuminated the roof tiles of the many buildings of the Jiu Li Divine Hall, making them shimmer and creating a magnificent scene.
The mountain peaks in the distance are covered with snow, while below them, everything is lush and green, with wisps of clouds like cotton or bridges.
Most of the priests had already set off, leading their teams in a grand procession towards Jiu Li City.
Beneath the Crimson King Tower to the west of the Jiu Li Divine Hall, in the bluestone courtyard where Gao Huan resided, the aroma of meat wafted out, and flames crackled.
Li Weiyi sat on a stone bench, propped up an iron rack, and roasted the meat of the Six-Colored Peacock while telling Qin Ke, Old Guan, Old Liu, and Zhao Zhizhuo, who were gathered in a circle, about his experiences over the past few years. Both sides were filled with emotion.
Qin Ke sighed, "Our experiences are not as exciting as yours. Besides cultivation, we occasionally go out to hunt strange beasts, subdue the dead, or retrieve Coffin Retrieval from the Blood Sea Coffin Dock."
Gao Huan's cultivation speed was extremely fast, and his talent was very high. He had already reached the third sea level of the Five Seas Realm. He chuckled and said, "We have been hearing about your deeds. They are simply legendary. It is said that even the true disciple of the Dao Palace was defeated. The news caused a great sensation when it reached the temple."
Old Liu, having drunk the Golden Crow Blood and grown a bird's head, said, "For the first year or two, we have to thank Mr. Zhao; he protected us the whole time. Later, as your news spread and your reputation grew, no one dared to bully us anymore."
"The Hidden Person has done me a great service, and it is all I should do," Zhao Zhizhuo said with a smile, then tactfully withdrew.
Gao Huan suddenly asked, "Have you found Brother Meng?"
Upon hearing this, Li Weiyi's joyful expression instantly turned sour, and she gently shook her head.
The world is vast, and demonic beasts roam freely. In those years, the Lingxiao Shengjing was in turmoil, with bandits and war raging in all four directions. If my senior brother were still alive, he would definitely go to Qiuzhou City to find him when he heard the news of his participation in the Qianlong Lantern Festival.
Not going speaks volumes, and Li Weiyi really didn't want to think about it any further.
Accompanied by light footsteps, a melodious yet cool voice came from outside the door. "You're back?"
Cai Yutong spoke calmly and casually as she walked into the courtyard and looked at Li Weiyi, who was grilling meat. "Why does Li Shenyin look so downcast? Are you so unhappy to see an old friend?"
"Senior, it's been a long time!"
Li Weiyi forced a smile, temporarily suppressing her gloomy emotions, not wanting to affect those around her.
Cai Yutong was dressed in the standard blue robe of the Jiu Li Divine Hall, with wide sleeves embroidered with nine different patterns. Her hair was not tied up, and her long hair still hung down on both sides of her face. Her eyes were a little tired as she complained, "I was refining pills, and you really have a lot of influence. The Water Priest personally called me over and said she would keep an eye on things for me."
"Senior Sister is already able to refine pills?"
Only Mind Master can refine elixirs and create talismans.
Li Weiyi looked Cai Yutong up and down, sensing the spiritual light and mist emanating from her. He discovered that she had indeed reached the Mind Master realm, and her martial arts were even ahead of Gao Huan's, having reached the Fourth Sea of the Five Seas Realm.
Cai Yutong and Qin Ke's foundation in mental cultivation was laid by their Spirit Tablet Master, and their Meditation Method were highly advanced.
Having only cultivated for a few years, Cai Yutong's talent is truly astonishing; even Li Ling might not be able to compare to her. Even a psychic prodigy like Taishi Yu would have to admit defeat.
"What's so great about alchemy? It's just a magic pill, not a spiritual pill."
Cai Yutong was a focused person; her thoughts were still on the Alchemy Furnace, not completely shifted, and she was muttering something to herself.
Gao Huan and said, "The High Priest said that Dr. Cai's talent in martial arts far surpasses her talent in telekinesis. But she has absolutely no interest in martial arts; she only likes medicine and elixirs."
"That's what you call a perfect match between your major and your job," Li Weiyi joked.
Cai Yutong finally gathered her thoughts, her eyes brightening as she frowned and asked, "Any news about the Bronze Ship? I heard from the water priest that you've reached the Longevity Realm."
"Yes, yes, how long until we can go back? I'm incredibly strong now, and when I get back, I'll definitely dazzle everyone." Gao Huan also looked at Li Weiyi, full of anticipation.
"This isn't something I can decide. Let's wait and see, for ten years."
Li Weiyi then asked, "Will you continue to stay in the Jiu Li Divine Hall to wait for the Bronze Ship, or will you come with me to a more suitable place for cultivation? The difference is that the Jiu Li Divine Hall is safe, while there are countless dangers and challenges outside. Don't rush to answer me; I'll be staying for a few more days."
"The meat is cooked! It's from the Longevity Realm demon beast. Let's all have a taste. Senior, you go first!"