Chapter 447: Outside the Prefecture City, Fragrance of Rice Blossoms

The closer they got to Old Yuzhou Prefectural City, the more bustling and noisy the Netherworld Land became. Various groups converged, and large armies of departed spirits could be seen at any moment.

Yang Qingchan went to gather information, disguised as a departed spirit.

She learned that no large-scale battle had yet erupted in Old Yuzhou Prefectural City.

Under the cover of night, Old Yuzhou Prefectural City appeared extraordinarily magnificent and grand, its city walls resembling dark, towering mountain ranges.

Surrounding it was a wide moat, its waters a dark, Five-Decay seawater. Any living creature—human or beast—that fell into it would swiftly succumb to the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, turning into a rotting corpse and withered bones.

Within the city, countless ghosts gathered; the Yin energy was immensely strong, and malevolence was boundless. It was one of the nine ghost cities under Lord Lan.

Over the next two days, Li Weiyi roamed the outer areas, surveying the terrain and the distribution of various forces.

On the desolate plains three hundred li away from Old Yuzhou Prefectural City, traces of a battle involving Longevity Realm martial artists were discovered.

The battle had occurred at most a day ago.

On the ground, there were hundred-meter-long sword marks, half-meter-thick frost, remnants of a formation, and tattered fabric from a Yin banner.

“That’s Yao Qian’s Burial Snow Sword Qi! To force him to go all out and unable to conceal his spiritual energy, his opponent must also be in the Longevity Realm, I fear,” Yang Qingxi said.

Li Weiyi studied the formation on the ground and sensed the residual aura on it. Joy appeared in his eyes.

It was Lord Yin’s power.

It was simply incredible.

Since the calamity at Nanyan Pass, when Lord Yin was rescued by Elder Qin, they had not reappeared. No one knew whether they had truly escaped from Yang Shenjing’s grasp.

Regardless of why Lord Yin had appeared in the Netherworld, as long as they were alive, that was the best news.

“Boom!”

The entire world, the very air, began to boil.

On the desolate plains, a chilling wind howled, as if it could blow people away.

A burning cloud of nether-light, enveloping a figure heavily laden with Yin energy, flew over Li Weiyi and the others and rapidly sped into the distance.

It was a departed spirit comparable to a Longevity Realm giant.

In the past two days, it was not the first time they had spotted passing Longevity Realm giants, indicating a chaotic situation where powers converged.

Li Weiyi felt a degree of concern in his heart. The desire to acquire the Phoenix Blood Tree leaves and bark was truly like pulling teeth from a tiger’s mouth, requiring immense risk.

The Water Tanuki Immortal appeared very calm, lying on the ground, belly up, watching the nether-light cloud disappear into the distance. “Don’t worry,” it said, “since the Jellyfish clan entrusted Old Yuzhou Prefectural City to Princess Dengfeng for her training, they surely have other preparations. The Longevity Realm giants might be fighting battles elsewhere; normally, they won’t pay attention to us.”

“Zheng!”

A whistling sound approached, accompanied by thunder and lightning, exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness.

A sword enveloped in lightning streaked across the wilderness, flying from three li away.

“Huang Xu and Kong Xu have indeed come!”

Li Weiyi, having broken through to the Sixth Heaven and with his martial cultivation greatly advanced, no longer feared the two as much. He had originally intended to use the Spiritual Treasure Snatch technique to directly seize their sword.

His thoughts shifted, and he immediately changed his mind.

He summoned the Myriad Things Staff-Spear and swung it out.

“Bang!”

The lightning flying sword was parried away by the staff-spear, and its energy burst forth.

Li Weiyi was sent flying several zhang sideways, rolling on the ground, and yelled, “Hurry, powerful enemies are here!”

“What’s going on?”

The Water Tanuki Immortal was startled and scrambled to its feet, its head darting in all directions.

It understood Li Weiyi’s strength. To be sent flying by an unknown enemy's sword from a distance showed how terrifying the incoming enemy's combat power was.

“Still trying to run? This time you won’t get away!”

Kong Xu arrived extremely fast, already a li away, controlling two other Grade-Nine Hundred-Character Artifact flying swords to attack Li Weiyi from a distance, not giving him a chance to activate his Prefectural Governor's Robe.

Huang Xu approached from another direction, blocking him, also within a li.

He strode forward, swift as the wind and quick as lightning. Countless ancient symbols appeared on the ground beneath his feet, as his manifestation of the Dao heart had already suppressed Li Weiyi.

Li Weiyi picked up Yu’er, parrying with his halberd as he retreated towards Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan. “I have hostages! The two divine maidens of the Dao Sect are in my hands.”

“Haha, are those really hostages? Aren’t they your lovers? You brat, blessed with good fortune but unwilling to enjoy it, you insisted on betraying the divine sect.”

Great Zen Master Xinku appeared, donned in a purple kasaya robe, two and a half meters tall, with a huge belly, and accompanied by dozens of illusory Buddha light figures.

“Amitabha!”

From the fourth direction, Great Zen Master Yuzhen, one of the three Great Zen Masters of Coffin Mountain, approached. He wore a red kasaya robe, stood two meters tall, had a face full of bushy whiskers, and carried a large saber on his shoulder.

The encirclement tightened, and layers of Dao heart manifestations pressed down.

The Water Tanuki Immortal summoned its golden halberd, its eyes vigilant. “How did you provoke so many masters? I knew that having you plant the beast tattoo on me was a huge pitfall.”

“Smack!”

Li Weiyi, his palm filled with spiritual light flames, slapped it on the head.

“What are you doing?” the Water Tanuki Immortal was stunned.

Li Weiyi said, “Planting the Death Spirit Fire.”

“Can you stop planting it? If you plant it again, I’m going to get angry!”

The Water Tanuki Immortal felt its patience had run out.

“Next, go all out with me and take care of these people. Otherwise, the Death Spirit Fire isn’t something to trifle with,” Li Weiyi said.

The Water Tanuki Immortal said, “No way, bro, calm down, let’s run! You can’t even beat one of them, and now you want to fight four?”

“Stop talking nonsense,” Li Weiyi replied. “We must strike while they are unaware of our strength and hit them hard by surprise first. They’re here!”

Li Weiyi temporarily handed Yu’er and the bug pouch containing the Seven Little Ones to Yang Qingxi, and then charged towards Huang Xu, who was striding forward to attack.

“Brat, this old man remembers the grudge from Fuzhou! Today, I, your Buddhist master, will eat your flesh and sleep with your two women, making you taste a life worse than death,” Great Zen Master Xinku roared as he rushed towards Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan.

“It seems the Prefectural Governor’s Robe isn’t omnipotent after all. As long as one’s manifestation of the Dao heart is strong enough, it can suppress your spatial escape.”

From Huang Xu’s ancestral domain flew out an ancient stone tablet a zhang tall, which he held in his hand and swung towards the oncoming Li Weiyi.

“Whoosh!”

Li Weiyi’s figure flickered, employing the Clear Void Cicada Chasing Steps. He transformed into a series of afterimages, circling around the stone tablet.

He thrust his spear out, quick as lightning, directly aiming for Huang Xu’s ancestral domain.

Huang Xu’s entire power was currently focused on the stone tablet; he had never considered that Li Weiyi could escape.

This sudden spear thrust startled him to his core.

He knew Li Weiyi was fast, but that was with the aid of a Divine Movement Talisman, a burst of speed for escape.

His movement speed in combat was another matter entirely.

What he didn’t know was that Li Weiyi had broken through to the Sixth Heaven, and his martial combat power now surpassed his spiritual combat power, naturally bringing earth-shattering changes to his combat methods.

Previously, he hadn’t used martial arts methods because his martial cultivation wasn’t high enough.

Against top masters, he had to rely on a combination of spiritual and martial arts to contend, with spiritual methods being dominant.

Huang Xu had no time to dodge or block. He desperately mobilized his spiritual energy and activated the artifact battle armor on his body. At the same time, he unleashed the Golden Armor Mountain-Moving Art, his skin turning golden, as if covered in a layer of golden armor.

“Boom!”

The Myriad Things Staff-Spear struck Huang Xu’s abdomen, and countless densely packed scriptures burst forth from his battle armor.

Huang Xu coughed up blood and flew backward.

His cultivation was profound and extraordinary, and he managed to resolve the death crisis to the greatest extent.

But how could Li Weiyi let him go?

He rapidly gave chase. The Myriad Things Staff-Spear swung down, causing Huang Xu’s artifact battle armor to burst open, and his body plummeted heavily to the ground, cracking the earth.

As Li Weiyi was about to thrust a third spear to finish him off, he felt a powerful spiritual sense emerge from the darkness, landing on him, full of hostility.

His nostrils caught the scent of rice flowers.

At the same time, the sound of sword cries echoed one after another.

Kong Xu, sensing something was amiss, controlled three Grade-Nine Hundred-Character Artifact flying swords to envelop Li Weiyi, their sword energy weaving into a net.

Kong Xu, in white robes, floated down onto the top of the stone tablet, his eyes cold. “You actually still hid your true strength. Were you deliberately feigning weakness earlier?”

“Knowing I was feigning weakness, why didn’t you escape immediately?”

The drifting scent of rice flowers ignited an unnamable fury within Li Weiyi. His Seven-Clawed Celestial Dragon Dao Heart Manifestation and Fusang Divine Tree Spirit were simultaneously released, sending Kong Xu’s three flying swords flying.

In the next instant, he was a zhang above the ground, appearing before Kong Xu.

“Fight!”

Fiery golden armor condensed on his body, combining spiritual and martial power.

The Myriad Things Staff-Spear, weighing thirty-three thousand three hundred thirty-three jin, swung down with immense force.

Kong Xu’s pupils contracted. He unleashed the mountain-moving power of the Golden Armor Mountain-Moving Art, his arms appearing as if cast from gold, and collided directly with the incoming staff-spear.

“Bang!”

The tremendous sound of metal and stone clashing resounded across the desolate plains, making everyone’s eardrums ache.

A massive wave of energy erupted in all directions.

Kong Xu flew backward over sixty zhang, leaving a long trench on the ground. His face was deathly pale as he stared incredulously at Li Weiyi, who stood on the stone tablet.

He had initially thought that Huang Xu had been careless and underestimated the enemy, which was why he was caught off guard.

Now, it seemed the opponent’s raw strength was no longer weaker than theirs.

On the other side, Great Zen Master Xinku had just charged forward imposingly, only to be heavily wounded by the Water Tanuki Immortal’s halberd and sent flying a hundred zhang.

“It seems you’re the weakest. Excellent, you’re the one!”

The Water Tanuki Immortal raised its golden halberd and joyfully chased after him.

“A water monster, how can it be so strong?”

After Great Zen Master Xinku climbed up, he saw the water monster charging over excitedly, and his heart immediately pounded with fear. He quickly pulled out talismans and slapped them onto his body, then rapidly fled into the night.

“Boom!”

Great Zen Master Xinku had only just fled half a li away when the ground ahead trembled, and a several-meter-long crack opened up.

A dense demonic aura permeated from underground.

A demonic beast resembling the Water Tanuki Immortal, but with a larger head like a giant rat, emerged.

That demonic beast was very steady. Its fur was golden yellow, and its body was only three chi long. Its eyes were sharp. It spat out a mouthful of flames, enveloping the charging Great Zen Master Xinku.

Within the flames, Great Zen Master Xinku’s screams were incessant, and all his protective artifacts melted.

What was strange was that he seemed to be fixed within the flames, unable to escape.

The Water Tanuki Immortal caught up, looked at the demonic beast that emerged from underground, and its heart grew uneasy. “Cousin,” it said, “you… weren’t you with Princess Dengfeng? How did you end up here?”

It wasn’t that it feared this capybara in front of it.

Rather, it was worried that the secret of a human having planted a beast tattoo on it would be exposed, which would mean a complete loss of face.

The capybara gazed into the distance and said in a deep voice, “Why are you involved with a few humans? Newly recruited subordinates?”