Chapter 48: The Ninth Li City

Relying on vision and hearing far superior to other Wu Xiu of the same realm, Li Youyi secretly observed every street outside the residence and truly discovered several suspicious figures.

It was clear they were already being watched.

"We haven't provoked anyone; we just moved in and are already in such big trouble. It turns out Ninth Li City isn't a good place to settle down after all. We just want to survive, to live well—why is it so hard?" Qin Ke was filled with worry, unable to sit or stand still.

She did not drink the Jin Wu blood, because the vast majority of the examination team members who did, just like Old Liu, grew massive bird heads. The transformation into a pure immortal body for Dr. Cai and Gao Huan was just a low-probability event.

She still cared very much about her human appearance.

"Survival is the same everywhere; everyone has their own difficulties."

Zhao Zhizhuo said to the newcomers: "Any faction that can gain a foothold in the suburbs of Ninth Li City must have a Five Seas realm expert sitting in charge; we can't afford to provoke them. It wasn't like this before. I don't know who this Long Forest Gang is backing, but they are too bold. Why not take advantage of the early hour and head into the city to hide for the night? Or just abandon this residence; it's rented anyway."

"That's two thousand six hundred silver coins, a deposit plus one month's rent."

Li Youyi sat on the steps under the eaves and added: "Besides, the other side has already targeted us; how would they give us the chance to escape into the city? Escaping now would only reveal our weakness. They would definitely think we are easy to bully and would strike even more unscrupulously."

Zhao Zhizhuo thought of another plan: "I can pretend to go out to buy supplies, but actually enter the city to seek an audience with the Young Master. If he steps in, the Long Forest Gang will surely know when to retreat."

"I'm just afraid this Long Forest Gang does things flawlessly and won't give us that chance."

For the safety of everyone in the house, Li Youyi had to compromise, even though he was unwilling to get entangled with the Cang Li tribe. But he was very worried that Zhao Zhizhuo would meet with misfortune after stepping out of this residence.

Zhao Zhizhuo smiled: "This life of mine should have ended in Burial Immortal Town; it was Brother Li who saved me, allowing me to live until now. Now that everyone is in trouble, I must fight for a way out; naturally, I cannot shirk this. Besides, the Long Forest Gang might not be as cautious as we think."

Human life is at stake, so Li Youyi stopped being overly sentimental, but when sending Zhao Zhizhuo off, he said solemnly: "If everyone survives this, there will surely be a generous reward in the future."

"Master Jar, how exactly do you use this Broken Spring Needle?"

Li Youyi didn't know when the Long Forest Gang would strike, nor did he know how strong the enemies were, but reading Water Margin told him that surrendering was useless; surrendering would only lead to a more miserable end.

Only fight!

Only by fighting can one carve out a place to stand.

Only by fighting can one carve out a piece of peace.

He now urgently needed greater strength. If he could break through the realm and open the fifth spring, he could to some extent control the Evil Camel Bell and be more confident in facing the stormy seas that might arrive tonight.

Inside the room that had just been cleaned.

Li Youyi took off his shirt, sat cross-legged, and opened the jade box containing the Broken Spring Needle.

The Broken Spring Needle was as thin as a hair, but crystal clear and cold, emitting wisps of chill as if condensed from some kind of medicinal spring.

"First, adjust your state to the best. Once this Broken Spring Needle is driven into your central acupoint, it will melt rapidly, using its inherent medicinal power to soften the barrier, making it easier for you to open the spring eye."

"The medicinal power of one Broken Spring Needle can only last for half an hour... Hmm, it's only been ten days since you opened the fourth spring; the difficulty of breaking through to the fifth spring is not small. You must be mentally prepared."

"Whoosh!"

From the blue-and-white ash jar, a wisp of soul mist drifted out, condensing into a semi-virtual, semi-real hand that picked up the Broken Spring Needle.

After practicing the breathing technique, Li Youyi clearly felt different from before. The law between heaven and earth seemed exceptionally dense and active, and the speed of magic power running through the forty-eight trace meridians in his body was slightly faster.

This is the benefit of a great provincial city; the cultivation environment is incomparable to other places.

Living here for a long time, the speed of breaking through realms would definitely be faster.

He quickly entered a tranquil state of harmony between man and nature, all his consciousness and perception gathering toward the central acupoint on his back. He felt himself, felt the magic power energy between heaven and earth, and the barrier in between.

"Sss—"

The Broken Spring Needle flew out, hitting the central acupoint precisely and sinking into the barrier.

A wave of cold air instantly radiated to his whole body with the center as the core.

Li Youyi's whole body trembled, as if falling into an ice cellar; his limbs became numb, as if losing perception. Only in the forty-eight trace meridians did the magic power continue to flow steadily.

No wonder Master Jar said that opening the fifth, sixth, and seventh springs has certain risks; it is indeed different from the first four.

Fortunately, Master Jar's technique was superb, and the Broken Spring Needle was used just right. If it were any other martial artist so eager for success, the risk would definitely not be small.

As time passed, under the erosion of the four forces—the heaven and earth magic power energy mobilized by the breathing technique, the blood energy in his body, the magic power, and the Broken Spring Needle—that barrier was clearly much thinner.

But until the medicinal power of the Broken Spring Needle was exhausted, it still hadn't broken through.

"Use the second one," Li Youyi said.

"Use it now? There is no such thing as using them continuously." Master Jar was worried his body couldn't take it.

Li Youyi said: "I don't feel any discomfort; it should be fine."

"That's truly strange! After using the Broken Spring Needle, the acupoints will ache for a long time and need several days to recover. Even a pure immortal body isn't as durable as yours."

Master Jar muttered this while picking up the second Broken Spring Needle and driving it in.

Half an hour later.

The medicinal power of the second Broken Spring Needle was exhausted. Li Youyi finally felt the pain in the central acupoint, but that barrier still had a thin layer left. With normal cultivation, it would naturally break through in just a few days.

But Li Youyi didn't know what the situation would be tonight; he had to break open the fifth spring, so he said: "Use the third one; I can handle it."

"This isn't a question of whether you can handle it or not..."

Master Jar was very hesitant; he had no confidence at all about using the third Broken Spring Needle.

"Don't worry, I don't like to joke with my life the most. I'm definitely not overreaching; I truly feel that the pain in the central acupoint is still within a bearable range," Li Youyi said.

In another room.

Zhao Meng was also practicing the breathing technique. Perhaps it was because the heaven and earth magic in Ninth Li City was dense, perhaps because the external pressure was too great, or perhaps his accumulation was already enough.

He actually broke through the spring eye at the sole of his foot in one go, opening the first spring.

As the magic power flowed through his body along the trace meridians, his skin, which was already slightly golden, radiated a golden luster. His reddish-gold long hair burned like flames.

Such a physique, such a sight.

A cultivator who didn't know the truth would probably think he had at least the combat power of the Five Seas realm.

The sky gradually darkened, and Qin Ke had finished cooking.

But Old Liu and Old Guan, waiting in the courtyard, were anxious and had no appetite at all, their eyes looking toward the gate from time to time, and then toward the room.

So much time had passed, and Zhao Zhizhuo hadn't returned; it was highly probable that something had happened.

The two who were cultivating also remained behind closed doors.

When the sunset finally fell below the gray-misty Long Mountain range, the large residence was completely swallowed by darkness. No one dared to light a lamp. Qin Ke, who was already very timid, crouched in a corner without saying a word, as if any sound could make her tremble with fear.

"Creak!"

Zhao Meng crawled out from the main hall door, which was three stories high. His body was no longer glowing and had returned to normal. He complained: "This door is too small. When we make money, we must build a big house and make a bed eight meters long. What are you doing there? Light the lamp, otherwise others will think we are afraid!"

At this moment.

Li Youyi also pushed the door open and came out: "That's right! Even if we are to die, we must die in a bright place. You're all hungry, right? Sister Qin, go and heat up the food. Uncle Liu, Uncle Guan, move the table under the poplar tree, and move the lamp there too. We'll eat in the courtyard."

Seeing Li Youyi so calm and composed, Qin Ke and the others seemed to be infected by this boldness, and most of their fear vanished, each busy with their own tasks.

Zhao Meng sat under the tree like a giant Buddha: "Zhao Zhizhuo must have met with misfortune. No one will come to save us tonight; we can only rely on ourselves."

The dishes on the table were steaming, and the fragrance filled the air.

The four of them sat on each side.

Li Youyi had a good appetite. Enduring the severe pain in the central acupoint on his back, he held his bowl and kept picking up food. Hearing Zhao Meng's words, he paused slightly: "Then let the Jade Emperor bless us that the Long Forest Gang doesn't let me survive tonight. Otherwise, I will definitely make them pay the most miserable price!"

"When we start fighting later, everyone hide in the room. Senior Brother, you protect them!"

The night gradually deepened.

The bustling sounds outside faded away, leaving only the sounds of strings and winds, carriage wheels and horse hooves, and coquettish laughter and scolding from the large brothel a hundred paces away, drifting in with the wind.

The layers of protective light gauze rising from the direction of the moat and the city walls were far more brilliant and bright than during the day.

Li Youyi sat alone under the old poplar tree, a bone lamp hanging from the branches above his head, the Huang Long Sword leaning against the tree.

On the third floor of the brothel in the distance, two middle-aged men stood by the window, looking out at the solitary lamp and the lone figure in the dim residence.

One of the tall, thin middle-aged men with a black mole between his eyebrows said: "So calm and composed, what courage. What is that on the table next to him... a spirit tablet?"

"Is this set up for us? How arrogant!"

The other middle-aged man, with thick whiskers and strands of white hair at his temples, said: "Let Master Qi do it; let's test his quality first."

Li Youyi heard the movement outside and stopped learning the Spirit God cultivation method from the senior in the spirit tablet, casting his gaze toward the open gate a few feet away: "I don't like killing the innocent indiscriminately. Tonight, let this threshold be the boundary; those who cross it die."

"Swish! Swish!"

Responding to him were two arrows flying from the darkness.

There was almost no sound of wind breaking, and the speed was extremely fast. Clearly, these were not ordinary bows and arrows. If he hadn't broken through the fifth spring and his perception hadn't greatly increased, he might not have been able to foresee it in advance.

Li Youyi rose from his seat, and while flashing his figure, he reached out and grabbed the two black arrows flying toward him.

The arrows were a foot long and as thin as iron wire.

But they were very hard and strangely weighed more than a jin.

He had learned the flying needle technique, and the two black arrows left his hands in an instant, piercing through the half-foot-thick courtyard wall with two "bangs." In the darkness outside, two low groans immediately sounded, followed by the sound of falling to the ground.

Suddenly.

"Rustle!"

A strange movement sounded from the ground, the ground became uneven, and wisps of black smoke surged from the soil.

Sweat, I set the timer wrong today and set Chapter 46 to another time.

(End of chapter)