The killing intent and martial intent radiating from Shi Jiuzhai were enough to terrify any Yongquan Realm martial cultivator into kneeling in dread.
Li Weiyi resisted the crushing pressure with all his might, barely able to breathe. Gritting his teeth, he forced out, "Just as you see now, how can you be so certain my strength isn't enough to help you succeed? If you ask me, Dharma King Shi Shi has far better judgment than you."
Li Weiyi's mental fortitude and ability to withstand pressure secretly astonished Shi Jiuzhai. His gaze shifted unpredictably. "Against a nine-spring cultivator, how many moves do you think you could endure? Could you escape with your life?"
Gathering even more useful information, Li Weiyi said, "It seems the Dharma King wants me to deal with a nine-spring cultivator? That is rather strange. Why can't you strike in person? Could it be that this nine-spring cultivator is somewhere you cannot go?"
Shi Jiuzhai felt this kid truly had something between his ears and might actually pull it off. He replied, "Not deal with him—you aren't strong enough for that. You only need to keep watch on him."
Li Weiyi knew when to yield and when to stand firm. He bowed respectfully. "The two Dharma Kings might as well speak plainly. My life is in your hands right now. Whatever you order me to do, I will certainly go all out to accomplish."
No matter what, preserving his life was the most pressing matter.
Seeing him return to that initial demeanor of a "little wolf cub," the anger in Shi Jiuzhai's heart vanished completely. He chuckled. "I knew it. That's more like you. You were acting so arrogant just now, I thought Shi Shi had picked the wrong person."
Shi Shi said, "Have you heard of the Jiuli Hidden Gate?"
Li Weiyi nearly lost his composure.
*What is going on? How do they know about the Jiuli Hidden Gate?*
"Never heard of it." Li Weiyi feigned confusion, pondering for a moment before gently shaking his head.
Shi Jiuzhai said, "You don't need to have heard of it. Go to the Jiuli Hidden Gate and do something for us. Once it is done, our past score will be wiped clean. Of course, you can also refuse, and I will slap you dead right here. After all, you know things you shouldn't."
Investigating the Jiuli Hidden Gate was a matter of grave importance; how could the Earth Wolf King's Army place complete trust in that mysterious Jiuli elder?
Naturally, they wanted to plant an operative of their own to follow them into the Hidden Gate.
Li Qing, whom the mysterious elder intended to dispatch to the Hidden Gate, possessed a nine-spring cultivation. The person the Earth Wolf King's Army chose could not be too weak, or Li Qing might eliminate them the moment they entered.
Naturally, Shi Jiuzhai would not tell Li Weiyi too much. He simply said, "You only have to do one thing! Survive, discover the location of the Jiuli Hidden Gate, and then escape and report back to us. Simple enough, isn't it?"
Li Weiyi asked, "I don't even know how to reach the Jiuli Hidden Gate."
"You don't need to worry about that. We have our own arrangements," Shi Jiuzhai said with a laugh. "If you can accomplish this task, there will be no shortage of benefits for you."
"Haha!"
A low, distant laugh echoed through the dark woods, sinister and chilling, sounding as if it came from every direction at once.
*Thud!*
A heavy, human-shaped object dropped from midair, smashing a shallow crater into the ground.
It was a burlap sack, and muffled groans of pain came from within.
Shi Shi chuckled. "Sixth Brother, what took you so long?"
*Whoosh!*
Li Weiyi felt a blast of icy wind. Beside the campfire, an emaciated figure had appeared out of thin air.
Shi Liuyu was as skinny as a bundle of bones, with green eyes and a green buzz cut, exuding an eerie, chilling presence.
He glanced at Li Weiyi and gave a low chuckle. "Shi Shi, this fellow you found doesn't seem like much. Look at the one I found. He is renowned as the foremost fighter beneath the Wuhai Realm in Lizhou, a genuine Pure Immortal Physique."
Li Weiyi looked at the squirming burlap sack on the ground, a bizarre feeling welling up inside him.
*Could it be that I'm not the only unlucky bastard tonight?*
Shi Shi untied the sack, and the person inside was indeed the Silver Pure Immortal Physique, Xue Zheng, bruised and battered beyond recognition.
Xue Zheng's breadth of experience far surpassed Li Weiyi's; he quickly recognized the identities of the three before him. His face turned deathly pale, and finally his gaze shifted toward Li Weiyi.
Shi Shi said, "Sixth Brother, you're back too late. We already reached an agreement with Brother Tianshu. He will head to the Jiuli Hidden Gate to handle our business."
Shi Liuyu appeared indifferent, speaking casually. "Just kill him to silence him. It's no great trouble. Do you honestly think he is a match for Li Qing, who has opened nine springs? If we are to send someone, we should send someone stronger."
Li Weiyi knew full well how ruthless the southern barbarians could be. Terrified that Shi Liuyu might abruptly strike him dead, he hastily said, "The Dharma King is mistaken. Xue Zheng is widely renowned in Lizhou, and everyone knows he is a disciple of the Sui Sect. If you dispatch him to the Hidden Gate, his identity will be exposed instantly."
Xue Zheng was no fool either; he grasped the situation at once, knowing that against these barbarian Dharma Kings, he had to prove his utility to survive.
He said, "Just a Yongquan Realm cultivator—what wide renown could I have? Setting aside figures of the older generation, even those on the Jiazi Register likely have no idea who Xue Zheng is."
Shi Liuyu nodded. "See that? This sharp wit is exactly what our Earth Wolf King's Army needs."
Xue Zheng added, "As long as you grant me a chance to live, I will pledge my life in loyalty to the Earth Wolf King's Army. I am the rising star with the greatest potential among the Xue family's younger generation. In the future, I can accomplish many things in Lizhou for the three Dharma Kings."
How could Li Weiyi have anticipated that Xue Zheng, who usually carried himself with upright integrity, would strive so desperately to save his own skin, utterly devoid of a bottom line?
Shi Liuyu laughed. "Good, very good! That's the right attitude! Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, what do you think? If Xue Zheng can pull off this mission, he might become a vital piece planted within the Sui Sect for us in the future."
Seeing Shi Jiuzhai appear swayed, Li Weiyi hurriedly said, "Xue Zheng has only opened eight springs. Even with a Pure Immortal Physique, he may not be a match for a nine-spring cultivator. In fact, he might not even be a match for me!"
Having transformed into a Pure Immortal Physique, how could Xue Zheng hold Li Weiyi in any regard? He challenged, "Li Weiyi, do you mean to fight me?"
"I only wish to show the three Dharma Kings that I am more qualified than you," Li Weiyi replied.
Amusement spilled from Shi Liuyu's green eyes. "Things have suddenly become rather entertaining!"
"Brother Tianshu, you're the one I brought in. You can't go losing to him," Shi Shi said, still addressing Li Weiyi that way even though he knew his true name.
Xue Zheng knew Li Weiyi possessed a black iron seal capable of unleashing lightning. He privately weighed whether to reveal it, but feared that once the three Dharma Kings of the Earth Wolf King's Army learned Li Weiyi might be an Inheritor seed of the Leixiao Sect, they would silence Xue Zheng instead.
Xue Zheng reasoned that Li Weiyi would not dare expose it casually either. As long as he took him down within a few moves, Li Weiyi would have no chance to deploy the black iron seal.
To fight for the qualification, to fight for their lives.
By the stream, the two assumed their stances, their sharp gazes clashing.
Without question, tonight was a fight to the death.
Shi Jiuzhai said, "How about the three of us place a wager? Nine-to-one odds. I'm putting mine on Xue Zheng."
Shi Liuyu said, "Ninth Brother, you're the banker. If anyone's betting, it should be between Old Ten and me. Old Ten, are you in?"
How could Shi Shi not know the formidable power of an eight-spring Pure Immortal Physique? Such a cultivator could definitely contend with a nine-spring Perfected Person. Furthermore, Xue Zheng possessed great renown and extraordinary martial methods; Li Weiyi's chances of victory were truly slim.
Shi Liuyu said, "How about wagering on how many moves that kid you brought can last against Xue Zheng?"
*Swish! Swish!*
Before the wager could even begin, the two charging figures—one wielding a saber, the other a sword—clashed at blistering speed.
Xue Zheng sought a swift resolution. His very first strike mobilized the dharma qi from his Fengfu, unleashing the strongest strike only an eight-spring cultivator could execute.
Li Weiyi dared not reveal too much combat prowess. Facing Xue Zheng's torrential saber strike, he had no choice but to do everything in his power to evade.
Yet dodging a strike that achieved Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence was already as difficult as ascending the heavens. Moreover, this strike was augmented by the miniature qi sea within Fengfu; even a cultivator of the Wuhai Realm would have no choice but to take it head-on.
*Whoosh!*
Just as it seemed Li Weiyi would perish beneath Xue Zheng's blade, he shifted like a wisp of azure smoke a mere fraction of an inch from the edge, escaping laterally from the saber's momentum and intent.
With a booming crash, the immensely powerful saber ray Xue Zheng unleashed flew five zhang like a wave of light, blasting apart the trunk of a tree as thick as a rice bowl in the forest.
*His combat strength is indeed greater than it was a month ago,* Li Weiyi thought grimly.
Shi Shi sprang to his feet, shouting in praise, "What exquisite movement! It turns out not only your swordsmanship has achieved Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence, but your footwork has reached Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence as well!"
By the Sui River, he had witnessed Li Weiyi unleash a sword strike with Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence.
The footwork Li Weiyi executed now was naturally the Qingxu Cicada-Chasing Step, which he had cultivated to Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence inside the Tomb of the Cang King. The reason he mastered it so rapidly was that he had practiced the Chan Sect's Twelve Loose Hands for more than a decade.
Shi Jiuzhai nodded. "At his age and in the Yongquan Realm, to cultivate two techniques to Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence is truly quite remarkable. Six Colors, how many techniques did you master back then?"
"It's Liuyu."
After correcting him, Shi Liuyu gave a cold scoff. "Back then, all I cared about was breaking through Fengfu and Zutian to step into the Wuhai Realm. No matter how finely honed your techniques are, someone a full realm above you can crush them to dust with ease."
Shi Jiuzhai said, "Regardless, now that Xue Zheng has exhausted the dharma qi in his Fengfu, that little wolf cub finally has a sliver of hope for victory. Shi Shi, are you betting or not? The odds are still nine to one."
Shi Shi hesitated; the odds were too tempting.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
...
Xue Zheng and Li Weiyi's figures darted and intertwined, fighting their way from the riverbank into the stream and trading more than a dozen blows.
Li Weiyi held his strength in check, falling entirely into a disadvantage. He retreated continuously in a state of utter disarray—at times a lock of his hair was sheared off, at other times a corner of his robes was sliced away.
Watching the duel, Shi Jiuzhai noticed that once they entered the water, Xue Zheng's movements slowed noticeably. Li Weiyi, however, relied on his ingenious footwork to skim across the ripples, using his strengths to target the other's weakness.
The moment Xue Zheng realized this, he immediately sought to drag the battle back onto dry land.
Had he not entertained this thought, it would have been fine, as a mere stream was not enough to diminish his combat prowess drastically. But the instant the thought arose and he took a single step toward the bank, Li Weiyi seized the opening, unleashing Taiyi Cleaves the Sea at the level of Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence.
*Shing!*
The air was sliced open; the sword glow seemed capable of cleaving the entire stream in two.
The qi force was razor-sharp, the sword's whistle piercing to the ear.
Xue Zheng's leg, raised to step ashore, was not struck by the blade itself, but it was hit by the blade qi. His trouser leg instantly shredded, producing a metallic clang.
Had he not possessed the Silver Pure Immortal Physique with its formidable defense, that leg would have been grievously wounded.
Even so, he felt a sharp pain in his leg, and his center of gravity faltered.
Once Li Weiyi gained the upper hand, his assault became an overwhelming torrent, sword strikes descending like a torrential downpour, each faster than the last. At the same time, he subtly added more strength, making it appear as though Xue Zheng had faltered due to a misjudgment, falling into a disadvantage from which he had no opportunity to retaliate.
Shi Shi had never expected such a turnaround and shouted immediately, "I'll bet! Sixth Brother, I'll bet against you—one thousand Yongquan coins! Ninth Brother, it's nine-to-one odds, right?"
Shi Jiuzhai stared intently at the two dueling in the stream. "No, the odds are now seven to three... six to four... five to five..."
The next instant, Shi Jiuzhai and Shi Liuyu sprang to their feet almost simultaneously, disbelief written across their faces.
In the stream, Li Weiyi was beating Xue Zheng back step by step. Xue Zheng could barely keep his footing, his footwork growing increasingly disordered and completely devoid of structure.
At first, Xue Zheng also believed he was merely pinned down because he had ceded the upper hand. But gradually, he sensed something amiss, genuinely feeling Li Weiyi's strength swelling.
*Not good, this brat must have broken through to the ninth spring...*
Knowing he had little hope of surviving today, Xue Zheng resolved to drag Li Weiyi down with him and roared, "He is actually—"
"Fengfu's single sword, supreme strike!"
Li Weiyi deliberately shouted at the top of his lungs to drown out Xue Zheng's voice. Once again, he executed Taiyi Cleaves the Sea at the level of Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence, driving his sword down from above onto the crown of Xue Zheng's head.
The next instant, the Yellow Dragon Sword emerged beneath Xue Zheng's crotch.
A single drop of blood slid down the sword tip and fell into the stream, blooming into a vivid blossom of red that was swiftly washed away.
Li Weiyi turned and walked back with his sword. Behind him, Xue Zheng's corpse split down the center and collapsed into the stream, organs spilling out—he was not composed of silver through and through after all.
"Ten to zero! Old Ten, given the chance, you proved useless. You haven't an ounce of a gambler's courage," Shi Jiuzhai sighed.
Shi Shi was green with regret. He rushed into the stream beside the two halves of Xue Zheng's corpse, looking as if he wanted to stitch them together and patch him up just so he could fight Li Weiyi again.
Li Weiyi had just stepped ashore when a figure flickered before him.
Shi Liuyu's gaunt, ghostlike face pressed right up to his own. Then, a finger pressed against Li Weiyi's Zutian below his navel, letting out a soft gasp of surprise. "He truly hasn't opened his Zutian."
A moment later, Shi Liuyu's palm pressed against Li Weiyi's chest and lungs. "Nor has he opened his qi sea. Truly bizarre. Could it be that if a mortal refines their techniques to a certain pinnacle, they can slay a Pure Immortal Physique at the same cultivation realm?"
Shi Liuyu looked as though a new world had opened before him, ecstatic with joy.
After all, he belonged to a rather unique branch of the mutant race and had always harbored deep wariness toward Pure Immortal Physiques of the same realm, his heart full of resentment.
Li Weiyi's heart pounded so hard he could barely contain it, terrified that Shi Liuyu would probe his Fengfu. Fortunately, Shi Liuyu had never doubted the authenticity of his eight-spring cultivation.
Seeing Shi Liuyu turn around, Li Weiyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly.
Without any warning, Shi Liuyu whipped around like lightning. An intricate green rune manifested on his palm, and he struck Li Weiyi square in the chest. Li Weiyi flew backward several meters, crashing heavily to the ground.
Li Weiyi choked for a brief instant before gasping violently for air.
His chest throbbed with agony, accompanied by a numbing, unbearable force that wormed its way thread by thread into his body.
Once he caught his breath, he quickly yanked open his collar, but there was nothing visible. He asked coldly, "Dharma King Liuyu, what... what is the meaning of this?"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Shi Liuyu gave a raspy chuckle. "First, congratulations on slaying Xue Zheng and earning the qualification to serve the Earth Wolf King's Army. But you must understand that we will not trust you, nor are you doing this willingly. So we must employ some methods to make you willing.
"What was struck into your body is a Six Desires Rune.
"Don't you dare think anyone can dispel this curse for you. Every single Six Desires Rune has distinct strokes; only the one who cast it knows the correct way to unravel it. Rest assured, once you complete the mission and return, I will remove it for you."
Li Weiyi slowly rose to his feet. "You might as well have kept quiet."
Shi Shi walked back carrying Xue Zheng's dharma artifact saber. "I'll vouch for you! If you truly complete the mission and return, not only will I have Sixth Brother dispel the curse, but I'll also introduce you into the Earth Wolf King's Army. By then, you will have no place left in the Cangling Tribe or in Lizhou anyway; every cultivator of the Jiuli Clan will want to tear you to pieces."
Shi Jiuzhai said, "If you break through to Zutian, I'll introduce you to the Heavenly King and let you become Old Eleven."
Shi Jiuzhai's words were half true and half false.
The false part was intended to placate Li Weiyi so he would carry out the task obediently.
The true part was that if Li Weiyi could truly break through to Zutian and return after completing the mission, he really would have a chance to become the eleventh Dharma King.
...
Not long after the four departed, two Wuhai Realm elders from the Cangling Tribe tracked the footprints Li Weiyi had left behind and arrived at the stream.
Before long, they discovered Xue Zheng's bisected remains in a pool further downstream.
One of the elders paled in shock. "Could... could this have been his doing?"
"We tracked his footprints and aura here. Xue Zheng might truly have been slain by a single stroke of his sword," the other elder said.
"Then there is only one possibility. Everyone was mistaken—Li Weiyi must have broken through to Zutian and become a nine-spring Perfected Person."
"Hard to say. Let's bring Xue Zheng's corpse back first. Residual aura lingers on the wound; the first chief and the young clan head should be able to determine whether it was cut by Li Weiyi's dharma artifact sword."
"If he truly is a nine-spring Perfected Person... aside from the young clan head, the Cangling Tribe hasn't produced a nine-spring Perfected Person in thirty years..."
Chapter 74