"What about the rest of them? What purpose does their existence serve? Are they just meant to stake their lives fighting for a spot they are fated never to get?" Li Weiyi asked.
"Entering the Hidden Gate is like descending into hell. Without that mental preparation, they wouldn't have been qualified to appear here in the first place."
A thought suddenly crossed Yin Twenty-Four's mind, and she smiled. "If you feel such compassion for them, why not go comprehend the martial intent of the God of Jiuli and defeat the three figures on the telekinesis murals? If you become a Divine Hidden One outright, the spot for Yin Twenty-Six will naturally be left vacant."
Becoming a Divine Hidden One outright was far easier said than done.
The Jiuli Hidden Gate had not produced such an individual in well over a dozen sexagenary cycles.
She believed that Li Weiyi was only saying these things because of Yao Yin. He had spared Yao Yin in the spider cave, and then stepped in to intercept Li Qing and save her—his motives could not be more blatant.
It was hardly surprising for a Pure Immortal Physique to possess such allure.
What hero didn't have a soft spot for a beauty?
"Fine, then I'll give it a try."
Li Weiyi strode toward the Telekinesis Stone Wall. He had long wanted to test himself against those three.
Yin Twenty-Four followed in brisk steps, filled with curiosity. Between this unfathomable eccentric and Yin Nine, just who was stronger?
Li Weiyi had always possessed an unyielding spirit, full of fighting resolve when faced with any challenge.
Arriving beneath the Telekinesis Stone Wall, he slowly pressed his palm against the rock.
*Whoosh!*
The stone wall trembled slightly. Within it, spiritual light, dharma qi, and scriptures swiftly converged, coalescing into a mural of a human figure.
A thirteen-year-old Yin Nine stepped out from the mural, clutching a massive battle-ax, and asked, "Are you ready?"
Li Weiyi felt an aura radiating from him that was far more powerful than Li Qing's—much like facing the Four-Winged Spider King. "Allow me to make the first move!"
*Boom!*
Stamping a foot against the ground, Li Weiyi released a torrent of dharma qi surging from beneath him.
He soared several zhang into the air, stepping on empty void. His very first strike was delivered with all his might, unleashing the Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence level Qiankun Ruyi Sword to test Yin Nine's measure.
Yin Nine lifted his head slightly. Within his semi-illusory pupils, over a hundred sword silhouettes flickered into being.
"Cleaving Heaven and Earth!"
The first strike of the Heavenly Demon Thirty-Six Axes.
*Clang! Clang!*
Sword and ax collided like gold clashing fiercely against stone again and again, sending out massive sprays of sparks.
Fierce waves of energy rippled across the surrounding dozens of zhang.
Yin Nine was forced back a step before finally dissipating Li Weiyi's aggressive sword momentum.
In the next instant, the two collided violently once more.
"Yin Nine was actually forced back!" Yin Twenty-Four was incredulous.
Among their generation of Hidden Ones, no one in the realm of nine springs and an ancestral field had ever managed to make Yin Nine yield even half a step.
Inside the medicinal cuisine kitchen, the two elders who had been preparing to play a game of chess paused and looked toward the two furiously clashing figures on the distant plaza.
The meal-brewing elder murmured, "Could another mortal limit have emerged?"
"Hard to say, hard to say... At the very least, in terms of physical strength, he is not inferior to Yin Nine," the gatekeeper elder remarked.
Even among Perfected Persons who had opened nine springs, some possessed only eighty-odd trace veins in their bodies, while others could reach over ninety.
Mortals and the mutant race did not differ much in their count of trace veins, typically falling in the range of eighty-one to ninety-nine. A hundred trace veins was practically the recorded limit.
Yet a Pure Immortal Physique held a substantial advantage over mortals and mutants. Upon opening nine springs, they could almost always reach over ninety trace veins, and the exceptionally brilliant could even exceed a hundred.
Every additional vein was an added advantage.
The meal-brewing elder said, "They seem evenly matched. It looks like it will come down to who has mastered more Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence techniques, whose breathing method is stronger, and who has a more refined command of dharma qi... Things aren't looking good for Yin Nine..."
*Boom!*
*Rumble!*
Li Weiyi liked nothing more than using relentless speed once he held the upper hand, steadily expanding his advantage until he crushed his opponent like dry weeds under a gale.
After retreating that single step, Yin Nine never managed to advance another inch.
Suddenly!
The light on Yin Nine's body flared intensely, his form growing much more solid as he swung an ax brimming with thick dharma qi.
Evidently, the Telekinesis Stone Wall was simulating the combat prowess Yin Nine possessed when mobilizing the vast amount of dharma qi from his ancestral field.
Li Weiyi had opened his Fengfu acupoint, but it was merely a small qi sea capable of unleashing only one ultimate strike. Naturally, that strike could not be used lightly; it had to be saved for the most crucial moment.
"Let's see just how powerful you are once your ancestral field is opened."
Li Weiyi grew more thrilled the longer he fought, his heart swelling with boundless bravado. Making no attempt to dodge, he moved directly to meet the incoming battle-ax head-on.
*Boom!*
Sword met ax.
The stone slabs beneath their feet shattered completely, sending a shockwave of dharma qi rippling outward.
The leaves of the distant Purple Tree Grove rustled violently in the wind.
In the end, Li Weiyi could not hold his ground and was thrown backward two zhang through the air. The moment his toes touched down, he shot forward again, swinging his sword with Taiyi Cleaves the Sea to clash directly against the ancestral field dharma power of Yin Nine. His piercing gaze burned with the invincible conviction that he was number one under heaven.
Yin Twenty-Four had long since held her breath without realizing it. "He... he doesn't seem to have drawn on ancestral field dharma qi to boost his strength, yet he can still take Yin Nine head-on? Isn't he underestimating Yin Nine far too much?"
Had this been a duel between living people, it would have been an outright insult.
She could never have imagined that Li Weiyi was currently only at the eighth spring and possessed no ancestral field dharma qi to call upon in the first place.
The meal-brewing elder asked anxiously, "How many exchanges has it been?"
The gatekeeper elder had not kept count, but said, "Yin Nine's ancestral field dharma qi is nearly exhausted. He will fall within five moves."
The meal-brewing elder's throat felt dry. "That boy hasn't even used ancestral field dharma qi yet. Could he really become the first exceptional Divine Hidden One in over a dozen sexagenary cycles?"
"Slash!"
"Again!"
"Third slash!"
Li Weiyi delivered three successive Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence strikes of Taiyi Cleaves the Sea, his momentum surging stronger with every slash. By the third strike, through sheer presence and fighting spirit alone, the power of the technique was elevated by ten to twenty percent.
*Bang!*
Yin Nine's silhouette of light shattered, disintegrating into specks of brilliance that flew back into the Telekinesis Stone Wall.
Yin Twenty-Four, who felt as though she were about to suffocate, finally inhaled a long breath and slowly exhaled.
Alerted by the tremendous commotion, Yin Twenty-Three and Yin Twenty-Five rushed over, their eyes widening as they stared at the figure standing in the plaza.
"What did we miss?" Yin Twenty-Three asked.
After a long silence, Yin Twenty-Four replied, "You missed the slaying of a god."
In the eyes of these Hidden Ones, Yin Nine at the nine-spring realm truly seemed like a god, a figure who instilled an overwhelming sense of defeat they could never overcome.
Yin Twenty-Five remarked, "In the Yongquan Realm, Yin Nine possessed the ultimate mortal physique. Defeating him with a mortal body is indeed equivalent to slaying a god. If he becomes Yin Twenty-Six, he will certainly be a prime candidate for Divine Hidden One."
Yin Twenty-Four smiled. "Haven't you realized it yet? He isn't competing for Yin Twenty-Six. He intends to become a Divine Hidden One directly and become our leader."
Yin Twenty-Three and Yin Twenty-Five were both stunned.
"No, he doesn't stand a chance. Yin Nine was at the mortal limit with all veins silver. In terms of physique alone, he could challenge a Pure Immortal Physique with all veins silver. But at that time, he was only thirteen years old and not yet fully developed. His martial techniques and the number of Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence moves he had mastered were limited; his combat strength still had a noticeable gap compared to an all-silver Pure Immortal Physique," Yin Twenty-Three analyzed.
Li Weiyi's arms throbbed with splitting pain, and his blood churned within him. He sat down cross-legged at once, circulating his breathing method to restore his condition.
He wanted to fight again!
*Although I haven't cultivated an ancestral field and cannot borrow large amounts of dharma qi to enhance my combat strength, my Yuxu Breathing Method mobilizes dharma power faster and without interruption. To an extent, that can make up for some of the gap.*
Half an hour later.
Having returned to his peak state, Li Weiyi pressed his palm against the Telekinesis Stone Wall once more.
*Whoosh!*
Within the stone wall, even more brilliant spiritual light, dharma qi, and scriptures gathered like countless threads.
A brand-new mural formed. The figure was tall and imposing, far larger than thirteen-year-old Yin Nine. Holding a zhang-long spear, he stepped out from the wall.
With a flick of the spear, ripples of dharma qi erupted from its tip.
From the distant medicinal cuisine kitchen, the meal-brewing elder called out, "That is Yang Shenjing, a Pure Immortal Physique with all veins silver."
Li Weiyi was surprised. "The number one expert of Lizhou, Sui Sect Master Yang Shenjing?"
"It's him. This telekinesis mural was purchased many years ago. Yang Shenjing cultivated exactly one hundred trace veins, which marks the threshold of an all-silver Pure Immortal Physique in the Yongquan Realm. Defeat him, and you will have passed the second trial," the meal-brewing elder said.
The gatekeeper elder said, "Don't mislead the boy! While the number of trace veins does affect a martial cultivator's combat strength, a few more or less is never the deciding factor between victory and defeat. When Yang Shenjing was young, he swept across the entire southern territory without finding an equal. Even in the Yongquan Realm, his combat techniques were already seasoned."
Yang Shenjing had defeated six clan leaders of the Jiuli Clan in succession—a glorious record. How could Li Weiyi dare underestimate him?
He seized the initiative and struck with his sword!
Yang Shenjing stood steady as a divine mountain, flicking his spear.
Wherever the spear point aimed, it sealed off all of Li Weiyi's angles of attack, pushing the weapon's reach to its absolute advantage.
In the next instant, the spear swept out like an iron staff, cloaking Li Weiyi in a sky full of staff shadows.
*Boom!*
Li Weiyi clashed head-on to test his strength.
The moment his blade brushed against the staff shadows, Li Weiyi instantly felt the fundamental difference between an all-silver Pure Immortal Physique and an all-silver mortal. Yang Shenjing's strength was overwhelming, surpassing Yin Nine by a noticeable margin.
In the Yongquan Realm, he could undoubtedly have lifted the Five Seas Pillar.
*I can't take him head-on.*
With his arm aching and numb, Li Weiyi hastily employed his footwork to retreat and open up distance.
Yet increasing the distance only favored the long spear's assault. Yang Shenjing pressed his attack, the zhang-long weapon moving like a living dragon, stirring a vortex of dharma qi that tightly ensnared Li Weiyi.
Knowing he could not escape, Li Weiyi immediately mobilized the dharma qi in his Fengfu and spun around to thrust his sword.
At the same time, his feet traced the Qingxu Cicada-Chasing Step.
*Hiss!*
Breaking through the dharma qi vortex, his blade scraped along the spear shaft, throwing off showers of spiritual light and sparks.
Li Weiyi's strike was aimed with absolute clarity: straight for the point between Yang Shenjing's brows.
Yet all his calculations seemed to have been seen through. Yang Shenjing's body suddenly shone with dazzling brilliance. Drawing on ancestral field dharma qi, he thrust a palm forward, manifesting a massive palm print of dharma qi whose force pressed down like heaven and earth collapsing.
*Bang!*
The Yellow Dragon Sword was struck off course, nearly flying from Li Weiyi's grasp.
Gritting his teeth, Li Weiyi had no choice but to channel the dharma qi in his trace veins, hurriedly forming a palm print to meet Yang Shenjing's palm strike head-on.
His body skidded back five zhang. His entire arm went numb, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. As the spear came thrusting forward again, he had no choice but to shout, "I concede!"
Yang Shenjing turned and walked back into the Telekinesis Stone Wall.
The meal-brewing elder was more agitated than anyone, slamming his hand against the railing. "Ai... why didn't he use ancestral field dharma qi to face the enemy? Yang Shenjing is strong, but he isn't invincible. Before Yin Nine ran out of ancestral field dharma qi, he could trade blows back and forth with him!"
The gatekeeper elder remarked faintly, "Perhaps he hasn't cultivated an ancestral field yet."
The meal-brewing elder glanced at him, then vaulted out of the medicinal cuisine kitchen. After several bounds, he appeared beside Li Weiyi and pointed a finger toward the location of his ancestral field.
Stumbling back three steps, he stared at Li Weiyi as though looking at a ghost.
"Little Twenty-Four, protect him well during the trial."
Leaving behind those words, the meal-brewing elder and the gatekeeper elder walked toward the mountain gate, no longer in the mood for chess.
The three Hidden Ones were all digesting the shock in their hearts. Could he truly possess only an eight-spring cultivation?
Meanwhile, Li Weiyi walked away disheartened, his mood exceedingly heavy, as though a mountain were weighing on his chest.
Waiting by the blood-tree forest, Yao Yin let out a sigh of relief when she saw him return safely. Stepping forward, she asked, "How did it go?"
"I lost... A total defeat. There was no chance of victory at all. It felt like he had no weaknesses or flaws..."
Li Weiyi muttered to himself as if he couldn't see Yao Yin at all, walking past her toward his cave abode.
Yao Yin had never seen him look so dejected, and she felt a pang of sympathy. Seeing Yin Twenty-Four follow behind him into the blood-tree forest, she asked, "What happened to him? He seems to have taken a severe blow."
"He took a blow?"
Yin Twenty-Four gritted her teeth in irritation. Who was the one taking a blow here? She said, "You didn't see the awe-inspiring might he displayed when he defeated Yin Nine earlier."
A glimmer of astonished light appeared in Yao Yin's crescent-like eyes. After all, ordinary nine-spring Perfected Persons couldn't even survive a single move against Yin Nine.
"Then why does he say he lost?" Yao Yin couldn't understand.
Yin Twenty-Four said, "He lost to an all-silver Pure Immortal Physique, Yang Shenjing."
Yao Yin found it even harder to comprehend. "For a mortal in the same realm, losing to a Pure Immortal Physique is completely normal. What's more, that was an all-silver Pure Immortal Physique, the pinnacle among them, and the number one figure in Lizhou, Yang Shenjing. What is there to be upset about?"
Yin Twenty-Four gave Yao Yin a deep look. Those with a Pure Immortal Physique were indeed proud to a fault, but... she was thinking far too shallowly this time!
Not bothering to explain further, Yin Twenty-Four walked to the outside of Li Weiyi's cave abode and knocked on the stone door. "May I come in?"
The door was already open.
Yin Twenty-Four had barely taken a step inside when Li Weiyi rushed out, appearing before her with vibrant fighting spirit restored to his eyes. "I've only just broken through. I can still practice more Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence techniques, and I can eat cistanche and medicinal cuisine to temper my physical body. I think that if you give me a month, I can definitely defeat him. Oh, and I can also temper golden trace veins!"
"You can also break through to the ninth spring!" Yin Twenty-Four said with a dark expression.
Li Weiyi said, "And the legendary tenth spring."
Seeing him push his luck, Yin Twenty-Four said, "I was ordered to teach you the Disguise Art! Once you enter the Hidden Gate, you can no longer casually display your past face and identity. You will no longer be who you were, nor will you keep your former name."
Li Weiyi asked, "Not even a Divine Hidden One?"
"A Divine Hidden One naturally enjoys greater freedom," Yin Twenty-Four said.
Li Weiyi said, "Then why are you telling me all this?"
If Yin Twenty-Four hadn't known that he might truly become an exceptional Divine Hidden One, she would have snapped back at him already. But now she could only endure, gritting her teeth as she said in an even tone, "Aren't you... not a Divine Hidden One yet? We have to follow the rules."
Li Weiyi asked, "Is there a time limit for the trial?"
"As long as it's completed within a month," Yin Twenty-Four replied.
"Right now, I'm not yet a match for a nine-spring all-silver Pure Immortal Physique, while the Changlin Gang has two Wuhai Realm experts and a large number of seven-spring experts. This will be a bitter battle," Li Weiyi said.
Yin Twenty-Four said, "I will accompany you to Jiuli City. It's just two seven-spring Wuhai Realm cultivators."
"What I mean is, I need to go into seclusion to cultivate for a while first. At the very least, I must be able to lift the Five Seas Pillar, practice a few more Heavenly Dao Dharma Convergence moves, and cultivate my telekinesis..." Li Weiyi was completely immersed in his planning, entirely focused on raising his strength as much as possible.
Jiuli City was fraught with danger, and behind the Changlin Gang stood the Yang clan and the Sui Sect.
Yin Twenty-Four drifted away, pulling the stone door shut behind her. "I'll come back tomorrow to teach you the Disguise Art!"
Chapter 84