Wuhai Realm?

"Come at me!" Surging with heroic vigor, Li Weiyi roared as he executed the Qingxu Cicada-Chasing Step, moving first to intercept the thick-bearded seventh-spring powerhouse who had already grown fearful of him. A single sword strike parted the sea, its yellow radiance extending over a zhang to force the man back. Without pursuing him, Li Weiyi spun around and charged at the middle-aged man with the black mole between his brows. Before the man could smash his fist through the building's front doors, Li Weiyi's sword tip reached the center of his back. Left with no choice, the mole-faced man ducked low and rolled out to the right. This was the exact opening Li Weiyi had been waiting for. The moment his opponent dodged in panic, a blind spot appeared in his vision. All his tactics, composure, and courage would instantly collapse in disarray. *Swish! Swish! Swish...* Li Weiyi launched a tempestuous barrage of attacks, each thrust faster than the last, his sword shadows cascading like a waterfall. By the time the thick-bearded seventh-spring powerhouse rushed over to assist, both of the mole-faced man's arms had been severed. Blood poured from his bare shoulders, turning him into a living human log. He shrieked hoarsely, unable to accept his wretched state. Terror struck the thick-bearded seventh-spring powerhouse to his core. All will to fight vanished, and he turned to flee. Meanwhile, the armless mole-faced man was driven by an even stronger urge to survive, already dashing toward the courtyard gate on foot. "You think you can leave after crossing that threshold?" Li Weiyi gave chase. If a dharma-martial cultivator who had opened seven springs possessed unyielding combat will, the courage to fight to the death, a calm and rational mind, and an indomitable spirit, taking down even one of them would be no easy feat for Li Weiyi in a head-on clash. Working together, the two could have posed a mortal threat to him. Yet once their spirit collapsed and they took to their heels, dealing with them became far easier. ... "What in the world is happening in that courtyard? The fighting is so fierce—it sounds like people are dying. How terrifying!" In the distance, on the balcony of the brothel diagonally across the street, many young women in glamorous attire leaned against the railings. In a mix of curiosity, fright, and excitement, they chattered with the wealthy patrons beside them. "Such thick black fog... could it be departed spirits or fiendish demons?" "Don't worry, it won't spread to us. The Changlin Gang wanted to rob the newcomers, but it seems they've kicked an iron board!" chuckled a dharma-martial expert who had an inkling of the inside story. "Just who are these newcomers? How dare they square off against the Changlin Gang? Don't they know the Changlin Gang calls the shots in this district?" "Look, the City Defense Battalion has arrived." "Showing up this late—they must be in cahoots with the Changlin Gang." ... *Boom!* A man-sized hole was blasted through the courtyard wall as the thick-bearded seventh-spring powerhouse crashed through it. He flew over a zhang through the air and slammed onto his back in the street, looking as though he had been blown out by a single punch. Rubble from the wall scattered across the long street. Screams rose from the direction of the brothel. *Whoosh!* Almost in the same breath, Li Weiyi leaped out over the wall. His flying knee struck the man's chest, followed by a punch that mangled his face and cracked the stone flagstones beneath him. "Halt!" "Insolence! How dare you commit murder in the streets of Jiuli City!" A squad of more than twenty mounted city defense guards, each clad in armor and clutching a halberd, shouted to stop him from a distance. *Rumble!* The thunder of iron hooves drew near, quickly encircling Li Weiyi. They wore white armor, and their sturdy mounts had consumed exotic beast blood. Mutated by the draught, they were nearly twice as robust as ordinary horses. Li Weiyi slowly rose to his feet, his fists soaked in blood. Sweeping his gaze across the wall of city defense guards, he showed no fear of their murderous aura. He cupped his hands in a salute. "Xie Jin, a commoner of the Cangling Tribe, greets the officers. These scoundrels broke into our residence with wicked intent, and I have subdued them." The captain of the squad was named Chen Chuan, a seventh-spring mutant who was around sixty years old. He possessed a tiger's head and stood three meters tall, cutting an extraordinarily formidable figure. "Neither breath nor heartbeat remains, and you call that subdued?" Chen Chuan snorted coldly. With his cultivation, he could clearly perceive the subtle internal condition of the man lying on the ground from several zhang away. Li Weiyi replied, "I may have struck a bit too hard! But I had no other choice. The villain's cultivation was too formidable and his brutality too great. I couldn't survive without fighting with all I had." Chen Chuan recognized the middle-aged man on the ground and knew his strength well. Thus, he realized that this youth's cultivation was unfathomable. Chen Chuan hesitated, uncertain whether it was worth offending such a powerhouse for the sake of the Changlin Gang. After all, the Changlin Gang paid him merely a thousand silver coins each month. "You claim to be a commoner of the Cangling Tribe. Do you have a commoner registry?" Chen Chuan asked. "I do!" From his robes, Li Weiyi retrieved the commoner registry that Zhao Zhizhuo had helped him obtain in Yaoguan City. Over eighty percent of Lizhou's population belonged to the nine major tribes, collectively known as commoners. A commoner registry could be issued in any city within Lizhou. With the young clan leader Cang Li's endorsement, many assessments had been waived, making it a mere formality. Naturally, anything easy to obtain was just as easy to forge. In recent years, as the major tribes of Jiuli waned and continuous warfare plagued the external provinces, many outside forces had poured into Lizhou, either fleeing the flames of war or vying for profit and territory. Quite a few wicked elements carried forged commoner registries to move freely within Lizhou. Coming from the Chili Tribe, Chen Chuan could immediately tell that Li Weiyi's registry was no ordinary document. It actually listed an assigned village fief with a precise geographical location. While it proved little else, it at least demonstrated that the youth's registry was genuine. Forging a registry of this caliber was easily exposed, and the price of being caught was severe. With a metallic clatter, Chen Chuan dismounted his horse, which was similarly draped in white metal plating. Tossing the registry back to Li Weiyi, he stepped over the rubble and strode through the massive breach in the wall into the courtyard. Taking in the sight within, Chen Chuan sucked in a sharp breath. When he looked back at Li Weiyi, a trace of wariness crept into his gaze. At the far end of the street, two Changlin Gang lookouts fled in panic, vanishing into the darkness. ... The manor of the Changlin Gang chief covered nearly a hundred mu, surrounded by high walls and grand courtyards, its main gate spanning three zhang wide. Bone lanterns hung high before the gate, flanked on either side by four armed mutant dharma-martial experts. Yang Qingxi sat veiled in the main hall upon the seat that belonged to Gang Chief Xu Changlin, flipping through the account books of the past three months. As a Pure Immortal Physique, her hair and skin possessed a luster unlike ordinary mortals; even her five scallion-white fingers carried a breathtaking beauty. Her luminous eyes, unobscured by the veil, were perceptive and focused. Standing nearby were Xu Changlin, Vice Chief Tang Yan, and Banner Leader Shi Chuanyu. Though they were ruthless figures feared by all in this district, each took great care to keep his eyes lowered, not daring the slightest impropriety. They knew that this young lady possessed not only the beauty of a Pure Immortal Physique, but also the cultivation of the Wuhai Realm and an iron fist capable of killing with a smile. Yang Qingxi finished reading and snapped the ledger shut. Pinching a bamboo brush from the pen holder with her slender fingers, she twirled it casually. Her refined eyes swept impassively over the three men. "Your Changlin Gang grows ever more adept at making money. This quarter's earnings match half of last year's. Should I praise you, or should I reward you?" Vice Chief Tang Yan offered a fawning smile. "Earning money for the young lady is our bounden duty... Argh!" *Swish—* The bamboo brush flew from Yang Qingxi's fingers like a streak of light, grazing Tang Yan's cheek before slamming into an artificial mountain six or seven zhang away. Unable to withstand the surging dharma power imbued within the brush, the artificial rockery collapsed with a deafening roar. The falling rubble sent waves of water splashing across the pond. One could only imagine the fate of any person struck by such a blow. A bloody gash appeared on Tang Yan's cheek. His legs shook like chaff. In that fleeting instant, he had felt certain his head was about to explode, completely helpless to dodge. Though both were in the Wuhai Realm, a Pure Immortal Physique was far stronger than him. Killing him would take nothing more than an ordinary bamboo brush. Yang Qingxi turned a chilling gaze upon Tang Yan, who had already dropped to his knees in terror. "Did you think the Changlin Gang's actions and the exact sums you earned over these past months could be hidden from the Yang clan?" Xu Changlin hastily explained, "Young Lady, Vice Chief Tang recruited a formidable insect tamer for our gang. That tamer raises a nest of ao spiders that must feed on human dharma-martial cultivators. Every time, he takes action to kill, and we merely clean up after him. Over time, the windfall from these ventures has grown rather substantial." Yang Qingxi did not believe the Changlin Gang was capable of recruiting any truly remarkable insect tamer, showing little interest. Her gaze turned stern. "For a gang to gain a foothold, ruthless methods are acceptable. But in three months to half a year at most, Lizhou will plunge into great turmoil. My only fear is that you will ruin our grand designs for petty gains. "In the coming days, several distinguished friends of the Yang clan will arrive in Jiuli City from outside. Due to their sensitive identities, it is improper for them to enter the city proper, so you will host them for the time being. During this period, all of you had better keep your heads down. Do not compromise their whereabouts through your carelessness." An elderly man rushed outside the main hall, his expression fraught with urgency. Xu Changlin shot a glance at Shi Chuanyu. Shi Chuanyu bowed to Yang Qingxi before striding out to inquire what had happened. After a brief whisper, Shi Chuanyu's expression shifted drastically. "Are you certain he is in the Wuhai Realm?" The old man nodded. "Frighteningly strong! The lookouts said a single person took down more than a dozen of our experts, including two seventh-spring guest elders. Even Master Qi the insect tamer was captured. Moreover, the opponent wields a dharma artifact and placed a spirit tablet in the courtyard with supreme confidence. If that isn't the Wuhai Realm, what is? "Worse still, the master of that residence—the six-meter-tall giant mutant—never once showed himself from start to finish. He is evidently even more unfathomable." Shi Chuanyu's heart pounded wildly. He realized that the reason he hadn't sensed any dharma power when touching the man's palm earlier that day was likely that the other party's cultivation was far too profound. The old man added, "There is one more thing." Shi Chuanyu struggled to steady his shaking nerves, his mind calming slightly only when he looked back toward Yang Qingxi in the hall. "Speak!" "Chen Chuan from the City Defense Guard has already arrived, and the youth claimed to be a commoner of the Cangling Tribe." With that, the old man waved toward the distance. Two burly gang members carried over Zhao Zhizhuo, who had been beaten within an inch of his life. Zhao Zhizhuo lay on the ground covered in bloody welts, his face unrecognizable and both arms dislocated. He forced open a slit in his swollen, bruised eyes and gasped weakly, "They truly are... guests of the Cangling Tribe's young clan leader. Your Changlin Gang... had better not harbor wicked thoughts. The young clan leader won't let you off..." After being captured, Zhao Zhizhuo had found no other recourse than to invoke the young clan leader's name, hoping to frighten the Changlin Gang away. Instead, he had been met with mocking laughter and an even more brutal beating. Some asked why he didn't invoke the Cangling tribal chief, while others told him that invoking Xu Fodu would work better. Shi Chuanyu turned a questioning gaze upon the old man. The old man wore a troubled look. "Who could have imagined that Cang Li's guests would rent a residence in the outskirts? Besides, what credibility could a second-spring servant possess? If we investigated every name someone dropped, anyone could bluff us. But if the person living inside truly is in the Wuhai Realm... then that changes everything!" Seated inside the hall, Yang Qingxi naturally overheard every word from the courtyard. She glanced at Xu Changlin and sneered. "Is this the 'formidable insect tamer' you spoke of? Whoever caused this mess will clean it up." "This subordinate will see to it immediately." Tang Yan scrambled to his feet and headed outside, eager to escape the stifling room that made it hard for him to breathe. Recalling something, Yang Qingxi called him back. After careful deliberation, she said, "Cang Li has always been generous and open-handed. If he truly befriended formidable figures, it makes little sense to house them in the outskirts—unless there is another purpose... Investigate. You must find out exactly where they come from."