Opening the Third Spring

After Zhao Zhizhuo departed, Li Weiyi sat alone beneath the light of an ox-horn bone lamp, studying the evil camel bell. The bell was ancient and simple, its verdigris-crusted patches exceedingly rough, where traces of corroded scriptures were faintly visible. It was far too bizarre—capable of swaying the mind, bewitching souls into sin, and amplifying evil thoughts. It even seemed... able to gather malice. Back then, Li Weiyi had wanted nothing more than to cast it into the Blood Sea so that it would sink forever. He had only kept it because it could store physical objects, harboring an unfathomable space within. Li Weiyi intended to purchase a batch of provisions to take back when he returned to the Bronze Ship. With only him and Gao Huan, how much could they carry on their own? If this truly was a treasure capable of swallowing heaven and earth, things would be vastly more convenient! *This should be a dharma artifact as well. According to Elder Zhao, channelling dharmic power will activate it. The extent of its activation depends on one's cultivation realm, as well as the strength and quantity of one's dharmic power.* Fearing an unforeseen accident, Li Weiyi plugged his ears. He then mobilized the dharmic power from the two spring orifices in the soles of his feet and slowly channeled it into the bell. Before long... *Whoosh—* Radiance flickered across the bell's surface, and with a slight shudder, it swelled several times in size. Li Weiyi hesitated for a moment. Only after donning his silver-thread gloves did he reach inside. Thrusting his entire arm within, he found the interior vast, unable to touch any wall or edge. Nor did he brush against those half-ethereal, half-corporeal camels. There was simply no telling what the situation inside was like. He managed only to pull out a few jars of Golden Crow blood, evidently stashed there by Yu Tuonan while aboard the Bronze Ship. Channelling his dharmic power to activate it again, the evil camel bell grew no larger. With his current cultivation, this was as far as he could push it. Besides, even if the bell grew large enough, he would not dare step inside lightly. As for "ringing the evil camel bell," Li Weiyi dared not attempt it for now, wary of courting perils beyond his ability to handle. *Elder Zhao said that once you open four springs, dharmic power can begin to overflow outward, allowing you to manipulate it at will. When dharmic power reaches a certain level, you can even fetch objects from afar.* For Li Weiyi, who had trained in the martial path since childhood, such a realm held an irresistible fascination and ignited a desperate yearning. *"Only by opening four springs can one attain a measure of status and be considered half a man above men. To complete the other half, one must transcend beyond the Yongquan Realm."* That had been Zhao Zhizhuo's lament. Putting away the evil camel bell, Li Weiyi lay on the bed with his hands clasped behind his head, unable to fall asleep. His thoughts drifted now to Cai Yutong, who had been taken by the white-boned demon; now to his senior brother aboard the Bronze Ship; now to the countless moments spent on the mountain learning martial arts from his master. *"The martial way, the martial way—only martial force remains; no dao endures."* Those were words his master had once spoken! Yet now, a magnificent path of martial cultivation stretched before his eyes. Whether it was the outward overflow of dharmic power, fetching objects from afar, or Shi Jiuzhai's feats of exhaling clouds and passing through solid cliffs, all of it stirred a profound longing. The future road of martial arts was bound to be breathtakingly splendid, with countless divine powers waiting for him to scale and pursue. As for becoming a man above men... Who would willingly languish at the very bottom forever, never seeing the light of day, looking up only to see feet constantly trampling on their heads? Li Weiyi rolled out of bed, picked up a jar of Golden Crow blood, and took a deep draught. Then he sat cross-legged on the floor, circulating the Yuxu Breathing Method to channel and refine the twin currents of icy and scorching dharmic power. ... A night of cultivation passed. The next morning, Li Weiyi wore a dark blue cloth robe printed with beast patterns, cinched at the waist with a purple belt. He sat by the railing of the second-floor terrace of Yaohua Pavilion, gazing down at the diverse crowd bustling through the streets and the various ferocious beasts accompanying them. Cultivators of formidable strength strode along atop pythons over ten meters long, sending the crowds scattering in terror. Ordinary folk in tattered clothes and disheveled hair pulled carts alongside wild boars weighing thousands of jin. Dharma-Martial cultivators of prestigious clans drove four-armed apes the size of houses, loaded with ores; despite their boundless strength, the beasts were reduced to mere beasts of burden. Li Weiyi knew very well that he and Gao Huan were able to stay at Yaohua Pavilion, savor exquisite food, and enjoy treatment befitting men of high standing solely because they had done the Cangling Tribe an immense favor. They were afforded brief respect, with someone else footing the bill for their luxuries. Yet no matter how great the favor, the day would come when the debt was repaid. Only when one possessed strength in one's own right could one truly be a man above men, free from the fear of waking up one morning to sudden eviction—left with nowhere to turn, displaced and wandering like the beggars on the street. Survival and securing a firm foothold were of paramount urgency. To live well, to live brilliantly, one could rely only on martial cultivation. His ears were filled with the lively clamor, the surging flow of carriages and pedestrians, the hawking of wares, and the kaleidoscope of mortal life. For a few fleeting moments, Li Weiyi felt that everything that had transpired aboard the Bronze Ship, and even the nineteen years he had lived on Earth, was nothing more than a dream. The world before him seemed to be the only true reality. He opened his right palm. The center was scalding hot, as though a miniature volcano were erupting beneath the skin. Eleven silver trace veins rooted in the palm's spring orifice branched out into eleven new pathways for circulating qi. If he activated the palm spring orifice while executing hand techniques like the Heaven-Overturning Palm Print, the power would undoubtedly be far greater than before. This third spring orifice was one he had opened just this morning. The total number of silver trace veins within his body had now reached thirty-seven. Li Weiyi was deeply puzzled. Last night, Zhao Zhizhuo had repeatedly insisted that opening spring orifices was exceedingly difficult; even for someone of superior talent, it required a decade of bitter cultivation to open the four springs of the limbs. Beyond four springs, it was said to become even harder. Yet Li Weiyi felt that Zhao Zhizhuo had likely suffered far too many setbacks and hardships throughout his life, leading him to habitually exaggerate adversity and lose confidence when facing life's challenges. Upon encountering a mutant who had opened a single spring, the old man had assumed the creature had opened three and deemed it invincible. Opening spring orifices was certainly challenging, but it was nowhere near as difficult as reaching the heavens, as Zhao Zhizhuo had described. Otherwise, how could Li Weiyi have opened a spring in just a few days? Perhaps for the old man, it was indeed harder than for Li Weiyi. After all, everyone's cultivation speed differed, and talents varied; one could not measure others by one's own yardstick. Yet how vast could the gap between people truly be? Those admitted to Capital University did not have an extra head compared to those attending a vocational college. Gao Huan walked into Li Weiyi's room, leaning in close with a conspiratorial air. "Master Li, do you think the Jiuli Clan of this world is the same group as the Jiuli Clan from Earth's ancient myths and legends?" "How would I know?" Li Weiyi chuckled. Gao Huan said, "I think it's very likely! Legend says that after the Battle of Zhuolu, the Jiuli remnants fled into the North Sea and went to the Netherworld. Didn't we also set out from the Arctic Ocean to reach this place? Along the way, we even found the stone peak pillar stele of the Ancient Road of the Red County, proving that people from ancient Huaxia once walked this path. "If we could infiltrate the core leadership of the Jiuli Clan and look into their ancestral lineage, we might just find the answer." Knowing how Gao Huan was prone to rambling and making erratic leaps in logic, Li Weiyi took no surprise at his words. "What are you actually trying to say?" Gao Huan replied, "They are called the Li people, and back home we're called the common Li folk—it means we most likely share a common ancestor. Even though I don't know if we can ever return to Earth, I actually feel a strange sense of belonging and peace here. You wouldn't want to go back aboard that ship and keep drifting across that perilous, unknown Blood Sea, would you?" "You want to stay?" Li Weiyi asked. Gao Huan said, "Just as you said, the Cangling Tribe owes us a favor. As long as we keep our heads down and behave ourselves, carving out a living within their tribe shouldn't be difficult. The only thing we need to figure out is how to bring the first mate and the others over." Li Weiyi was naturally pondering the very same matter. ... Zhao Zhizhuo arrived once again in a carriage, pulling up outside the main entrance of Yaohua Pavilion. After helping Li Weiyi and Gao Huan aboard, he drove the horses while saying, "The young clan leader understands your concerns, young benefactor. But having incurred such a great debt of gratitude, he insists on thanking you in person. Rest assured, not many people will know of this." The attack on the Cangling Tribe was bound to cause a sensation. If word got out that two people had rescued Zhao Zhizhuo and brought him to Yaoguan City to seek reinforcements, causing the enemy's plot to fall through, the Earth Wolf King's Army and Shi Jiuzhai would surely find out. A simple investigation would inevitably expose the two who had ruined their plans. Regardless of whether events would unfold in that direction, Li Weiyi had to prepare for the worst. That was why he had refused to accompany Zhao Zhizhuo to meet the Cangling Tribe's young clan leader the previous night; too many eyes and ears invited trouble. His current strength was still far from sufficient to strut openly on the grand stage. Only by transcending the Yongquan Realm and becoming a true man above men would he possess the confidence and capital to stand firm in this cruel world where lives were taken at whim. "Elder Zhao, please stop calling me 'young benefactor.' If you don't mind, calling me 'little brother' or 'Brother Xie' will do!" Li Weiyi said. "Very well, then." Zhao Zhizhuo was naturally pleased to address him with greater familiarity. ... Guided by Zhao Zhizhuo, Li Weiyi and Gao Huan met the young clan leader within Zaomei Manor, where the members of the Cangling Tribe were temporarily residing. "Young Clan Leader, Miss Ling, this is the Brother Xie who slew those two mutated experts among the Fodu Bandits yesterday. After rescuing me, he brought me to Yaoguan City to fetch aid." Zhao Zhizhuo added, "Brother Xie's name is Xie Jin! And this Brother Gao is named Gao Huan. He suffers from a congenital speech impairment... and can only speak in his hometown dialect..." Li Weiyi quietly observed Cang Li, sighing inwardly. This was a true member of the upper class in this world. From his attire and accessories to his demeanor, an aura of supreme nobility radiated from him. Any woman who laid eyes on him would likely be enchanted at first sight. He appeared to be around the same age as Li Weiyi, exceptionally handsome. Much like Gao Huan and Cai Yutong, he looked as though he had shed an outer shell and undergone a metamorphosis, his body and skin transformed with an immortal, ethereal quality, completely devoid of blemish. Even more remarkable was the aura that rolled invisibly from his formidable cultivation, immediately setting an essential divide between him and everyone else present. Li Weiyi never felt inferior, nor did he belittle himself; yet everyone held a ruler in their heart to measure both themselves and others. Cang Li made an effort to appear approachable as he expressed his gratitude to Li Weiyi and Gao Huan. He was gentle, polite, and friendly, yet maintained a palpable distance. For someone standing at such heights, managing even this much was no easy feat. He remarked, "Zhao Zhizhuo has already recounted your deeds to me. War has plagued the world for a decade. Outside, there are departed spirits, fiendish demons, vicious insects, and cursed beasts; within, bandit plagues and military strife run rampant. With each passing year, life grows harsher for the common folk of every province. And now, it seems Lizhou is on the brink of turmoil as well!" These words seemed spoken less to Li Weiyi and more as a personal lament. Evidently having no interest in where Li Weiyi and Gao Huan had come from, Cang Li asked, "You walk the Dharma-Martial path, don't you? How many spring orifices have you opened?" "Three," Li Weiyi replied. "Not bad at all." To have opened only three spring orifices at his age warranted, in the eyes of the supremely gifted Cang Li, nothing more than a lukewarm assessment of "passable." Yet the old clan leader had always drilled into him that to be a leader, one must first hold one's tongue and refrain from being overly blunt. To treat the worthy with courtesy and recruit talent, one had to speak pleasantly and avoid giving offense right from the start. Standing behind Cang Li was Li Ling, who appeared around fifteen or sixteen years old. Her feet were bare, nine silver bracelets encircled her wrists, and she wore a robe of brilliant, kaleidoscopic colors. Her long hair was braided into numerous slender plaits, and a faint mist of blue light swirled about her figure. Standing beside Li Weiyi, Gao Huan had been unable to tear his eyes away from Li Ling ever since he first caught sight of her. Although Cai Yutong had also become stunningly celestial after her metamorphosis, Gao Huan had always kept a respectful distance from that aloof, short-tempered doctoral scholar. Yet the girl before him was entirely different—like an ethereal spirit veiled in mist, her features exquisite, sweet, mysterious, and serene. Every aspect of her seemed crafted to strike straight at his heart. As for Liu Ying... He dared not dwell on her for even an instant, feeling that she was an insurmountable hurdle in his life that he would never cross. Cang Li had noticed Gao Huan long ago, and his interest in him far surpassed his curiosity toward Li Weiyi. This was, after all, a Pure Immortal Physique!