Huo Dingnan's cultivation was too high, making it extremely difficult for Li Weiyi, with his current cultivation level, to seal his Nine Springs and Dao Fruit.
With a *thwack*! A spear pierced down, killing him on the spot. His Dao Fruit was naturally taken.
The manor was very large, covering a hundred acres, but it housed very few living people; most were deceased spirit servants. Just now, the flames unleashed by the third layer of Li Weiyi's Six Burnings of Karma had ignited all the buildings in the courtyard. The defensive formations were overwhelmed, and everything was ablaze.
"Bang!" He swung his palm, shattering the stone door of a cellar fortified with formations, and Li Weiyi jumped inside. He had expected to find resources and treasures, but instead, it held a large quantity of dried meat, water, wine jars, dried fruits, and grains.
Even cultivators, no matter how high their cultivation, still needed to eat and drink. Of course, those in the Dao Seed Realm consumed spirit grains, exotic beast meat, and spirit spring water. In the Underworld of the Deceased, however, there was little edible, and directly drinkable water was even scarcer. Even the spiritual energy was extremely thin, imbued with dark and decaying power, making it unsuitable for direct, prolonged absorption. One had to rely on the magical power flowing from the Nine Springs or prepare more blood crystals to absorb their inherent spiritual energy.
Li Weiyi took out a dimensional bag and collected a portion of the highest-quality food, spirit springs, and fine wine.
"It's truly strange," he mused. "If the Dao Sect were to embark from Huangjiang, their supplies should be stored in Huangjiang Border City. Why would such a large quantity of food be prepared here?" Li Weiyi also recalled the numerous carriages and soul steeds he had seen earlier outside the manor, deepening his doubts.
Li Weiyi searched through a study room in the cellar and found a bone-bird message on the table. It read: "Thirty thousand *li* deep in the East Sea, a mirage tower has appeared. Phoenix Tree Dragon City, fireflies for a thousand *li*. — Qingzhou Elder, Xiao Zhou." This letter was clearly sent back recently from the East Sea by Qingzhou Elder, one of the seven great elders of the Dao Sect's Eastern Region.
However, Qingzhou Elder evidently didn't know that the Dao Sect had already fallen. What made Li Weiyi curious was how Qingzhou Elder had managed to travel thirty thousand *li* deep into the East Sea. The East Sea was teeming with demonic beasts, and traveling even a few thousand *li* by sea was extremely perilous.
Inside the room, Li Weiyi didn't find many valuable items, so he quickly returned to the surface.
The flames in the manor had already been extinguished. Yang Qingchan sat on a stone stool, toying with the bronze Underworld Lamp she had taken from Yao Qingfeng. Beside her, the deceased spirit servants of the manor lay prostrate on the ground. Yang Qingxi's interrogation methods were impressive; she had already extracted the information Li Weiyi wanted from Li Songjian.
"According to him, it was the clan leader of the Yaoli tribe," Yang Qingxi said. "The Forbidden Powerhouse of Coffin Mountain personally subdued him and planted the Death Spirit Fire."
Li Weiyi remained silent, staring at Li Songjian. Li Songjian, whose tendons had been severed, lay on the ground, unable to stand. Seeing Li Weiyi's serious gaze, he quickly said, "Divine Hermit, I would never dare deceive you. We had no choice. The Jiuli tribe has no Transcendents, yet it controls too many resources. How could we not be targeted? How could we fight Coffin Mountain? Not to mention that Forbidden One, but even Xu Fodu and An Xianjing — who among them is easy to provoke? If we didn't compromise or submit, not only would we die, but our families and clan members would too."
Li Weiyi was pondering another question: Did Yao Qingxuan know about this matter?
"Forget it," he thought. The internal problems of the Jiuli tribe had to be resolved by them. Li Weiyi felt a sense of belonging to the Jiuli Hidden Sect because of Master Coffin's meticulous guidance. Master Coffin had even given him treasures like the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors instead of leaving them to Cang Li and Li Ling. Many times in danger, he had overcome them with the help of the seven little ones. After joining the Jiuli Hidden Sect under Master Coffin's arrangement, he gained cultivation resources and also received guidance and protection from Hidden Lord, Yao Qingxuan, Elder Zhuo, and Elder Qin. Furthermore, he had developed friendships with Hidden Five, Hidden Nine, Hidden Eleven, Hidden Twenty-Four, and other Hidden Ones; they were like friends, and also like brothers and sisters. But the Jiuli tribe... Li Weiyi didn't really want to get deeply involved in their internal affairs; he only cared about the safety of Senior Sister Cai, Gao Huan, and others.
Li Weiyi, without much emotion, said calmly, "Li Songjian, don't give me so many high-sounding excuses. I know what kind of person you are. Those who are truly forced, even if they outwardly submit, will always be thinking about how to protect their clan members' safety and interests, and how to stand up and turn the tide in times of danger. Which of these applies to you?"
Yang Qingxi, her veil fluttering, stood gracefully and spoke softly, "How do you plan to deal with them?"
"Send them back to the Jiuli tribe for judgment by the Jiuli Divine Temple," Li Weiyi said. "We should be able to unearth more internal traitors and clarify numerous long-standing cases from the past few decades."
A frosty glint appeared in Yang Qingxi's eyes. "My suggestion is to kill them all and eliminate future troubles forever."
Li Weiyi was slightly surprised. She continued, "After this battle in the Lingxiao Living Realm, there will certainly be a major purge within the Jiuli tribe. The number of clan members involved with the Sui Sect, the Three Chen Palaces, the Tianyi Gate, Coffin Mountain, and the Dao Sect will surely be enormous; it's impossible to kill them all. Are you certain that after he gets through this, he won't seek revenge?"
Li Songjian's scalp tingled, and a chill went down his spine. He roared, "Yang Qingxi, how have I offended you that you want to harm me like this...? Divine Hermit, I, Songjian, already know my mistake. I would never dare seek revenge; I only wish to spend the rest of my life making amends for my past errors... Don't listen to Yang Qingxi! I have leverage over her; she's been secretly involved with Yao Qian for a long time. Don't be deceived by her pure appearance. She's trying to silence me!"
"Qingxi, I am your aunt; we are family," said Yang Lin.
Li Weiyi, of course, knew that the true reason for Yang Qingxi's suggestion was to silence them. Otherwise, if her actions today were to be spread by these four individuals, neither the Sui Sect nor the Dao Sect would have a place for her.
Although her methods were ruthless, they weren't unreasonable. Even without witnesses, Li Weiyi believed the Jiuli Hidden Sect would heed his words as the Divine Hermit and would certainly investigate the Yaoli tribe's clan leader.
"Then you handle it!" Li Weiyi led Yu'er away. He sat on a stone stool, sorting through the various resources and wealth in the five dimensional bags.
"I'll do it." Yang Qingchan put away her Underworld Lamp, her graceful figure leaping up and floating towards the four people on the ground. The four were either Dao Seed Realm cultivators or Spirit Mind Masters, possessing powerful souls. To her, they were rare tonics. In the Underworld of the Deceased, the consumption of malevolent souls was the primary way to advance to a ghost general. Only upon reaching the ghost general level would one come into contact with deceased spirit cultivation methods, but these too were primarily based on consumption. The deceased spirit within Yang Qingchan had been subdued by a powerful figure from the Dao Sect's Hall of Heavenly Principles in the Underworld and refined into a soul seed. If her physical strength could be enhanced, the combat power she unleashed would not be inferior to that of an eighth-heaven Dao Seed Realm cultivator; she was a formidable Yin Ghost Commander.
Li Songjian and Huo Dingnan possessed a considerable amount of resources. Inside their dimensional bags were substantial amounts of thousand-year spirit herbs and blood crystals. There were also some strange Underworld items Li Weiyi had never seen before.
Li Weiyi took out a palm-sized bronze compass. When he released spiritual energy to activate it, the pointer spun incessantly.
"This is an Yin Qi Compass!" Yang Qingxi said as she walked over, her figure graceful, a golden hairpin in her bun. She had already removed her veil, revealing a captivating jade-like countenance, and a wisp of fragrant air surrounded her. "Places with sufficiently heavy Yin Qi will automatically emit light, and you can use it to avoid dangerous areas." She thought for a moment and then added, "Li Songjian was talking about Qingchan! You know, I don't think much of Yao Qian."
As a celestial maiden of the Inheritor level, she indeed possessed a certain aloof pride.
"Miss Yang is being a bit deliberate," Li Weiyi said with a faint smile.
Yang Qingxi glanced at Yu'er, who was standing beside Li Weiyi and staring at her. "Do you truly not think we are a good match? Don't you feel we have great chemistry? I won't say these words a third time."
Li Weiyi watched her, knowing that Miss Yang was making her final plea.
Otherwise, after parting ways today, they might never have the chance to meet again.
In the distance, Yang Lin shrieked hoarsely, "Yang Qingxi, your grandfather will never let you go... You and your wild man will surely die a terrible death..." "Adulterers, adulterers... Ah..." Yao Qingfeng cursed in a hoarse voice.
Li Weiyi quickly covered Yu'er's ears and released a psionic field to block out the sounds.
He looked towards Yang Qingchan in the distance, who was currently absorbing living souls, and felt a wave of speechlessness.
From the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival to the Dao Sect's main altar, and now to the Underworld of the Deceased, whenever he worked with Yang Qingxi, he would inevitably be cursed by enemies. The curses were as foul as they could get. He felt the problem certainly wasn't with him; it was Yang Qingxi's ruthless methods. Furthermore, Shi Liuyu was also to blame.
Yang Qingxi understood Li Weiyi's thoughts and no longer pressed the issue. "The one responsible for the evacuation is Kong Xu, the Second Divine Son of the Divine Cult; Li Songjian and Huo Dingnan were merely his assistants," she said. "He could arrive here from Huangjiang Border City at any moment, so we must leave immediately." The Second Divine Son referred to two individuals, Kong Xu and Huang Xu, both formidable figures who had condensed Dao Fruits. The strength of either one surpassed that of Huo Dingnan.
Li Weiyi asked, "What are your plans next?"
Yang Qingxi looked at him for a moment, swallowed the words she was about to say, and rephrased: "Qingchan told me you're buying Phoenix Blood Tree leaves to cultivate an Immortal Body? Do you have the courage to venture into Old Yuzhou's provincial city?"
Li Weiyi could tell that Yang Qingxi's cultivation had reached the Fifth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm. Her talent was not top-tier among Inheritors. However, her cultivation had caught up to other top Inheritors who cultivated the Dragon Seed Dao, and in terms of realm, she was no less than Lu Cangsheng and others. What she relied on was a tenacity and daring that many Inheritors lacked. Seemingly quiet and beautiful, she actually possessed a heart that danced on a blade's edge. Risks others dared not take, she would. People others dared not kill, she would.
Yang Qingxi continued, "This Underworld area to the southeast of the Lingxiao Living Realm was ruled by a overlord named Lord Lan, who had lived for several millennia. Lord Lan was said to be the corpse of a Martial Dao Heavenly Emperor that had given birth to spiritual intelligence, possessing unimaginably profound cultivation and combat power. However, there's always a higher power; Lord Lan fell in the Western Realm, slain by Emperor Wu. Furthermore, over the past month, it's rumored that at least eight Transcendent deceased spirits and a large number of Lord-tier deceased spirits met tragic deaths. The deceased spirit army has suffered its most devastating blow in a thousand years."
"Your Highness, the Divine Son, is an intelligent person; you should understand what this means."
Li Weiyi narrowed his eyes. "The Southeast Underworld is about to descend into chaos! If the human army is strong enough and gathers on a large scale in Guanzhou and Qingzhou, it will likely scare those formidable deceased spirits into fleeing deep into the Underworld."
Yang Qingxi said, "That is inevitable! Currently, the Dao Sect, deceased spirits, and foreign cultivators are all fleeing towards Guanzhou, Qingzhou, and the East Sea. This side is the only escape route."
"What's the situation in the west now?" Li Weiyi asked with concern. "I heard that Emperor Wu went to the far western Ash Realm and hasn't been heard from since."
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