Two Months Later

Summer has passed and autumn has arrived; two months have already gone by.

Yin Thirteen sat upright on a four-meter-long Magic Tool Jade Boat, his body steady and unaffected by the turbulent waters, as he followed the intricate underground Blood River into the vast valley where the Jiu Li Insect Valley was located.

He was about twenty years old, with a round, soft face, fair skin, and a small tuft of beard on his chin.

Upon reaching the towering cliff inscribed with "Jiu Li Insect Valley," the jade boat anchored on the right bank of the Blood River.

As a master of the Five Seas Realm and one of the agents of the Jiu Li Hidden Gate who gathers information outside, Yin Thirteen is one of the few hidden people who knows the route to enter the Jiu Li Insect Valley from the underground river.

As for Hidden Twenty-Three, Hidden Twenty-Four, and Hidden Twenty-Five, these youngsters are not even qualified to formally graduate and need to cultivate and grow within the Hidden Gate.

After Yin Thirteen landed, he stretched his palm out into the void.

"Whoosh!"

The four-meter-long Magic Tool Jade Boat flew up, transforming into a delicate four-inch-long boat that landed in the palm of my hand.

A knowing smile appeared on his face. This mid-level magical artifact was incredibly useful. In water, it could travel 1,800 li a day, far beyond the reach of ordinary ferocious insects. From now on, the underground river, this special transportation network feared by everyone, would be his domain.

"The Imperial Court has so many good things; no wonder everyone wants to rule the world."

As Yin Thirteen tucked the Magic Tool Jade Boat into his robes, he heard the sounds of battle clashes around his ears.

It's in the direction of the Mind Power Stone Wall.

Is someone challenging the three people on the Mind Power Stone Wall?

Yin Thirteen was surprised and quickly walked through the purple forest to the edge of the plaza below the Mind Power Stone Wall.

"Thirteenth Senior Brother!"

"Greetings, Thirteenth Senior Brother!"

Hidden Twenty-Three, Hidden Twenty-Four, and Hidden Twenty-Five had already been watching the battle and all bowed to Yin Thirteen.

There was no formality among the three of them, because their strengths were not too different, and it was uncertain who would become stronger in the future. However, Yin Thirteen had entered the Hidden Gate more than ten years earlier than them, and his cultivation was already extremely profound.

"Twenty-five, why are you still so skinny? I thought you were challenging the Mind Power Stone Wall. How's it going, have you reached full silver yet?" Yin Thirteen pinched Hidden Twenty-Five's chest with his fingers and asked with a smile. Then his gaze turned to the two people fighting in the center of the square, and his eyes instantly focused.

Hidden Twenty-Five felt a sharp pain in his chest but could only endure it, saying, "It'll be over soon! But even with all your Trace Meridians at silver level, don't even think about surviving twenty moves from Hidden Nine's axe... The difference between ninety-one Trace Meridians and one hundred Trace Meridians is enormous."

"Even Hidden Nine has been defeated? Who is this kid? He's already challenging the Hundred Meridian Lines All Silver Yang Shen Realm."

Yin Thirteen was increasingly astonished, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. After all, someone who could fight on equal terms with Hundred Meridian Lines All Silver Pure Immortal Body was definitely a seed-level figure among inheritors.

Hidden Twenty-Five was filled with emotion. "This year's newcomers have only been in the Hidden Gate for four months, yet their combat power is increasing rapidly every month, seemingly without any bottlenecks."

Besides the four hidden figures, Yao Yin, dressed in a white cloud-patterned robe, stood like a fairy in a painting at the edge of the square, quietly watching the battlefield, her pretty face showing a more serious expression than anyone else.

Several of the older, reclusive elders also appeared, standing in the medicinal cuisine room gazing into the distance.

Yin Thirteen stared at Li Weiyi for a long time, then, as if realizing something, exclaimed, "So it was him! He actually joined the Hidden Gate. Interesting, very interesting!"

"Does Senior Brother Thirteen know him?" asked Hidden Twenty-Four.

"In the past few months, he has become quite famous in Lizhou. Especially two months ago, after he wiped out the Changlin Gang, it was as if he had caused a huge uproar. The Yang Clan's bounty on him has increased again and again. An elder of the Xue Clan has said that he will personally kill him to pay for Xue Zheng's life. Fortunately, he is hiding in the Hidden Gate, otherwise even the Cangli Tribe might not be able to protect him."

Yin Thirteen continued, as if reciting a familiar story. "Some say he is the Perfected Person of the Nine Springs."

"Some say his combat power is comparable to Hundred Meridian Lines All Silver Pure Immortal Body, and that he is a seed for the Jiu Li Tribe's successor, intended to be cultivated into the second successor after Cangli. I initially thought the rumors were exaggerated... tsk tsk..."

"Oh, and it's also said that he and the Fourth Miss of the Cangli Tribe were deeply in love, but Yang Yun interfered, which is why he became enemies with the Yang Clan. The story of a poor boy and a rich girl is always full of hardships, with each rival stronger than the last."

Upon hearing this, Yao Yin couldn't help but glance at Yin Thirteen.

Hidden Twenty-Four frowned. "What kind of nonsense rumors are these? I know Li Ling, and neither she nor Li Weiyi seem like the type to fall in love easily."

"I am Hidden Gate Sect, and my information is definitely not unfounded. The Governor's Office has investigated him. He had already met the head and mistress of the Li family in Yao Pass and was highly regarded by Cangli First Seat. For this brother-in-law, Cangli once called on all the young generation of martial artists, causing quite a stir." Yin Thirteen said with a smile.

Hidden Twenty-Four fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Among the Jiu Li Tribe, "Li" is the most common surname.

However, only the direct line of the Cangli Tribe can be called "Li Family" because they are descendants of the King Cang. The King Cang was the eldest son of the God of Jiu Li and the nominal first line of the descendants of the God of Jiu Li.

"Truly powerful! He's almost on par with the Yang Shen Realm. No wonder the Cangli Tribe values him and wants to take him as their son-in-law," Yin Thirteen said.

Hidden Twenty-Four sneered, "How could someone with such Exceptional Talent as him possibly marry into the family? The Cangli Tribe is too arrogant. Li Ling is just a Half-Immortal Body; what merit does she have?"

"Bang! Bang..."

Li Weiyi's entire body radiated with magical energy, as if shrouded in clouds and mist, as he continuously wielded the Yellow Dragon Sword to directly resist the spear wielded by the Yang Shen Realm.

Over the past two months, he has cultivated fifty-five Golden Meridian Lines, significantly increasing his physical strength.

However, the refinement of the Golden Meridian Lines took up a lot of time, preventing him from breaking through to the Nine Springs Ancestral Field.

The biggest disadvantage of not breaking the ancestral field is that only the Wind Mansion in the body stores the magical energy to unleash a single martial arts technique. On the other hand, the Nine Springs Perfected Person has opened up the ancestral field can mobilize magical energy and unleash a dozen or even dozens of moves that surpass his own cultivation level.

Just like Hidden Nine, when he mobilized the ancestral field's magical energy, his combat power increased dramatically, allowing him to fight on par with the Yang Shen Realm. He would only be defeated immediately when his ancestral field's magical energy was exhausted.

With the blessing of the Golden Meridian Lines, Li Weiyi's internal mana flowed faster and smoother. Coupled with the increase in his physical strength, he was finally able to withstand Yang Shen Realm's attack when he was in a state of unleashing ancestral field mana energy. Before, he couldn't even withstand a single move.

"Yang Shen Realm incredibly powerful. He's already made twenty-seven moves. Is his ancestral energy really that abundant?"

Li Weiyi withstood the thirty-first move until he finally sensed that Yang Shen Realm's ancestral energy was depleted, and his combat power rapidly declined to normal. Thus, he launched a decisive counterattack, unleashing a barrage of various Heavenly Dao Mana Fusion.

After seven moves.

"Boom!"

Li Weiyi cleaved Yang Shen Realm in two with a single sword strike, the two halves transforming into two bursts of spiritual light and energy that flew into the Mind Power Stone Wall.

Li Weiyi stood in the square, letting out a long breath. Looking at the bloodstain on his tiger's mouth, he thought to himself, "With my Eight Springs cultivation, it's still too difficult to withstand the battle burst of the Hundred Meridian Lines All Silver Pure Immortal Body mobilizing the ancestral field's energy! I must break through to the Nine Springs realm before I can defeat it in one or two moves."

"A difference of just one realm can make all the difference."

Yin Thirteen stared at Li Weiyi, who was sitting cross-legged and meditating. Gradually, he digested his shock and began to have many questions. "If I didn't see wrong just now... he didn't mobilize the ancestral field's magical energy at all? He defeated the Hundred Meridian Lines All Silver Pure Immortal Body with his normal combat strength?"

The other three hermits all had strange expressions. They knew some inside information and seriously suspected that Li Weiyi had not yet broken through to the Ninth Spring.

But how is that possible?

There is no such record in history!

The reclusive elders who were watching the battle all relaxed, their faces showing smiles, looking extremely pleased.

Yin Thirteen went to pay his respects.

"Little Thirteen, what important matter brought you back from the underground river?" the old gatekeeper asked.

Yin Thirteen said, "In recent months, many major events have occurred, especially the great changes in Immortal Burial Town, which have attracted the attention of cultivators all over the world. I entered the underground river from there and came back specifically to see Hidden Lord."

The old gatekeeper, responsible for organizing information from the outside world and delivering important messages to the Hidden Lord, asked, "Any new changes in Immortal Burial Town?"

Yin Thirteen nodded. "The Immortal Mist Space inside Immortal Burial Town expanded dramatically a few days ago, with some special treasures constantly appearing. Even the Four Extremes Ape King appeared six days ago, and the entire sky was covered by Yao Qi, a dark mass stretching for hundreds of miles."

The reclusive elders present were all deeply moved.

The Four Extremes Ape King resides in Tianya Ridge and is the most terrifying demon in the Southern Territory. Every time it celebrates its birthday, all the forces from the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory must send congratulatory gifts, otherwise it will be considered disrespectful and will bring about a great disaster. Even the three most feared barbarian bandits, the "Xu Fudu" of Coffin Mountain, the "Shi Na'er" of the Earth Wolf King Army, and the "Yuwen Yan" of Night City, must pay their respects.

With such a being arriving in Lizhou, all the major powers in Lizhou will surely tremble.

The old gatekeeper asked, "Is there any movement at Zuoqiu Courtyard?"

In the Southern Territory, the Zuoqiu Courtyard is the most powerful, and the Myriad Gate Families has a very high status, even the Demon King has to give way to them. If the Jiu Li Tribe had not declined, it would naturally have had this strength as well.

Yin Thirteen said, "The inheritor of the Zuoqiu Courtyard has arrived at Immortal Burial Town and has already fought against the inheritors of Cangli and the Dragon Gate, but the outcome is unknown."

"Furthermore, the Luantai Angel secretly arrived in Lizhou half a month ago and visited the chieftains of the Nine Great Tribes. He carried an imperial edict from a certain palace master of the Lingxiao Palace. Clearly, he came to urge the Jiu Li Tribe to send troops to suppress the barbarians, and at the same time, to raise resources and provisions for the Imperial Court army."

The old gatekeeper sneered, "They all see the Jiu Li Tribe as their granary and treasure trove, and everyone wants a piece of the pie."

"The Luantai Angel represent the Imperial Court after all. As far as Lingxiao Palace is concerned, it has not yet fallen. Yu Yaozi is still the number one expert in the world, and no one can afford to offend her."

Yin Thirteen added, "This Luantai Angel is said to be extremely young, and has already called upon the Dragon Gate successor to execute him in Lizhou."

The old gatekeeper sighed deeply.

Lingxiao Palace and Dragon Gate are two sides that the Jiu Li Tribe cannot afford to offend. Whoever dies in Lizhou will be a disaster.