Chapter 60

It was actually someone from Coffin Mountain.

A flash of astonishment crossed Yang Qingxi's soul-stirring bright eyes, and then her gaze fixed completely on the monk with bushy whiskers wearing a red cassock who was standing outside the main entrance.

This monk was nearly two meters tall, sturdy and dark-skinned, with a face as round as a plate and eyes as sharp as lightning, possessing no trace of compassion.

Being able to represent the Yang clan and interact with major forces, Yang Qingxi's cultivation, wisdom, and methods had clearly been affirmed by the older generation. How could she not recognize the monk before her?

The abbot of the Five Funerals Temple, Great Chan Master Yu Zhen.

A figure with a very famous name in the "Sexagenary Cycle Register."

This identity was indeed qualified to represent Coffin Mountain.

What Yang Qingxi found incredible was that just a month ago, they were still plotting against Coffin Mountain and framing the Buddha-Crossing Thieves. But tonight, the other party had not come to hold them accountable, but rather to discuss cooperation.

Shi Jiuzhai said: "The Heavenly King's meaning is that with Coffin Mountain joining in, relying on the strength of our four families, even if we fight head-on, we can take down Lizhou."

Four families.

The first is the "Sui Sect" behind Yang Qingxi.

The second is the ten-million-strong gate "Longmen."

Then there are two of the three great barbarian thieves of the Southern Region, the "Earth Wolf King Army" and the "Coffin Mountain Buddha-Crossing Thieves."

Yang Qingxi understood everything in an instant; clearly, after the framing incident was exposed, the high-level officials of Coffin Mountain had gone to the Earth Wolf King Army to hold them accountable, and in the end, the two great barbarian thieves had turned hostility into friendship, preparing to join forces to divide Lizhou.

Standing from the perspective of the Sui Sect and the Yang clan, they were naturally unwilling for Coffin Mountain to participate.

Because the reason the Sui Sect wanted to take Lizhou was to have a territory of their own.

Currently, the Sui Sect's forces were distributed along the Suihe, scattered on both banks of the river.

Although the Suihe runs through the north and south of the Lingxiao Life Realm and flows through seven states, its tributaries reach more than a dozen states. But they knew their own affairs; the river was not theirs, the millions of powerful clans and millions of sects in each state often exploited them, and they had to bow their heads before the behemoth-like ten-million-strong gates, always walking on thin ice.

The Suihe is a vine.

What the Sui Sect needs is for this vine to have a piece of land where it can take root, otherwise, they will forever be rootless duckweed.

Only by taking Lizhou and becoming the master of Lizhou could the Sui Sect truly have its own territory.

And only by first occupying one state could the Sui Sect have the opportunity in the future to develop into a ten-million-strong sect, or even head north to vie for the world.

The Earth Wolf King Army and the Longmen are both at a distance from Lizhou; what they want is nothing more than resources and provisions for conquering the world.

But Coffin Mountain is close at hand; if they participate, how could they not want territory? How could they not want the Blood Sea Realm Coffin, this giant resource mine gifted by the heavens?

Yang Qingxi swept her gaze over Shi Jiuzhai, Great Chan Master Yu Zhen, and others, and said: "Young Master Long, what does your Longmen say?"

The young, noble-looking man with the surname Long standing at the bow of the ship said: "There is no other way now, we can only attack hard and destroy the Nine Li. With one more force participating, the price we pay will naturally be smaller. After all, the Longmen and the Earth Wolf King Army are fighting on multiple fronts against the Lingxiao Palace army, and the strength that can be drawn to Lizhou is truly limited."

"My suggestion is to act as soon as possible, to seize the cultivation resources, money, grain, weapons, exotic beasts, elixirs... and other foundations that the Nine Li tribes have stored for thousands of years, and send them to the front line. If we don't take them, are we going to leave them for Lingxiao Palace?"

Even the Longmen supported Coffin Mountain joining, and Yang Qingxi knew that there was no room for maneuver in this matter, and just as she was considering how to strive for more benefits.

Outside the door, among the group from Coffin Mountain, an old, cold laugh sounded: "Are you all treating the nine tribes of the Nine Li as nine granaries and money vaults for you to plunder at will? You underestimate the thousands of years of foundation of the Nine Li clan!"

All eyes looked over, including the man with the surname Long and Shi Jiuzhai.

This person did not seem to be from Coffin Mountain!

Coffin Mountain had brought an outsider.

The old voice came from an old man wrapped in a wide black robe. He stood behind the abbot of the Five Funerals Temple, Great Chan Master Yu Zhen, standing side by side with the white-clothed lay Buddhist, wearing a hooded cloak, his whole body covered in black mist, and no one could see the face under his hood.

The hooded old man in black mist continued: "Yang Shenjing was indeed awe-inspiring in the Mang Mountain battle fourteen years ago, defeating six chieftains of the Nine Li clan in a row. But if the six chieftains joined forces, would he still be their opponent?"

"Besides, the strongest part of the Nine Li clan has never been the power you can see on the surface. Have you ever heard of the Nine Li Hidden Sect?"

The Sui Sect had followed the Nine Li clan for many years and naturally had a deep understanding of the Nine Li clan.

Yang Qingxi said: "The Nine Li Hidden Sect has always been just a legend and has never truly appeared in the world. Even in such fierce fighting fourteen years ago, they did not appear, and I don't believe this legend is true."

"Even if it were true, I think it is just a name without substance, greatly exaggerated. Otherwise, how could they watch the Nine Li clan decline? Watch the core interests of the Nine Li clan being carved away?"

The hooded old man in black mist chuckled: "If your Sui Sect holds such a view, you will surely pay a heavy price for your arrogance. Just look... the game of cats catching mice on the shore that you think is happening is just like a microcosm of the world's situation, reversing in an instant, and then rising with strange new changes."

Yang Yun simply could not believe his eyes; three top-hundred martial artists, including Shi Chuanyu who had opened eight springs, were all knocked flying in an instant by a severely injured person.

From beginning to end, he had a playful attitude and had never taken this unknown seven-spring martial cultivator seriously.

But at this moment, meeting the other party's gaze again, Yang Yun lost the sense of stability that everything was under control, as if he were being stared at by a fierce beast in the jungle.

Li Youyi's sixth spring had opened, but only two silver veins had been born, rooted in the spring eye.

It would take time to fully open them all.

Shi Chuanyu, who fell onto a fishing boat to Li Youyi's right, was the first to stand up, his chest in unbearable pain.

In the collision just now, he clearly felt that the other party's palm power was incomparably thick, and even without the blessing of that pair of silver silk glove artifacts, he might not necessarily have been able to gain any advantage in strength.

Yao Zhengsheng, who fell into the water, climbed up; the water was two meters deep, but it only reached his waist and abdomen.

In the Gushing Spring Realm, when had he ever lost in terms of strength?

After Lu Can flew out and broke the mast, when he climbed up again, there were bloodstains on the corners of his mouth, and coupled with the fact that one of his tiger claws had been pierced by the Huang Long sword earlier, it could be said that his combat power was greatly damaged.

Yang Yun steadied his mind, toyed with the Huang Long sword in his hand, and smiled: "He broke through the realm! But it is impossible for him to have broken into the Five Seas Realm; at most, he just opened the eighth spring, and he is only showing off his power relying on the artifacts on his body. People like us, when have we ever feared anyone below the Five Seas Realm? Kill him, and whoever grabs the artifacts on his body can keep them. Of course, everyone can also exchange the artifacts for Five Seas Pills at the Yang clan."

Li Youyi's explosive power in that instant was indeed very frightening, but at the same time, everyone also saw the injuries on his body.

No matter how strong a person is, there must be a time when they fall.

There must be a time when they run out of strength.

Earlier, Li Youyi used the Spring-Breaking Needle to pierce his Dantian acupoint with extreme speed, and with the cover of night, the Gushing Spring martial cultivators present did not see it clearly and had no idea that he had broken through the sixth spring.

"Boom!"

Li Youyi stepped on the fishing boat, his body leaped into the air, and the fishing boat instantly shattered into pieces.

Stepping on the void as if walking on the ground, he went straight toward Yang Yun.

Yang Yun showed no fear, mobilized the eight-spring magic power in his body to surge toward the Huang Long sword, and then his brows furrowed deeply; the sword in his hand... actually had no reaction, unable to catalyze sword light.

A palm wind blew toward his face, and Li Youyi had already reached him.

Yang Yun temporarily put the Huang Long sword in his left hand and clenched his right hand into a fist.

On his fist, the magic power radiance soared, piercing through the palm wind like a brilliant star, and collided with Li Youyi's silver palm.

"Boom!"

At this moment, Yang Yun deeply understood why the three top-hundred martial artists were knocked flying earlier; the other party's palm power was too vigorous, and the strength was so great that it seemed capable of moving mountains and seas.

This was just a palm strike delivered without any accumulation of power while the other party was leaping over.

Cracks appeared on the hull of the boat under Yang Yun's feet, and his body retreated "step by step"; with every step back, the wooden boat under his feet creaked. Finally, his body hit the thick cabin wall, and he stopped his retreat.

The fist that had taken Li Youyi's palm print head-on felt as if its five fingers were about to split from pain.

The third vein of the Dantian spring eye, following the hearty palm strike just now, instantly extended within his body.

In the distance, at the top of a five-zhang-high mast, a "bang" sound of a bowstring rang out.

Murong Xiao shot the last arrow.

The arrow flying at high speed disappeared into the night as soon as it left the bow.

The next instant, a scene that shocked Murong Xiao occurred; Li Youyi did not dodge or evade, his legs spread, his arms stirred up ripples of magic power, carrying bright silver light, and he struck the incoming long arrow with a heavy fist.

He had had enough of these hidden arrows one after another, and he didn't want to dodge anymore; he just wanted to punch through them all.

"Boom!"

Two forces collided.

The thumb-thick, two-meter-long arrow was knocked down by a punch.

The wooden arrow body could not withstand this force and broke directly.

The fourth vein in his body was born!

"Swish! Swish! Swish..."

Led by Shi Chuanyu, Yao Zhengsheng, and Lu Can, more than a dozen figures killed their way from all directions, all with magic power overflowing from their bodies, smoke and clouds surrounding them, none of them weak.

Li Youyi knew that no matter how strong he was, he had only opened six springs, and one person could not fight a group... unless it was a fair contest at the same realm.

Once this group of strong enemies, all at least one realm higher than him, surrounded him, if each of them made one move, they could tear him to pieces.

"Whoosh!"

While looking for the weak area of the enemy's encirclement, he mobilized magic power to inject into the ghost flag. Suddenly, cold air and nether mist surged out from the flag, covering the dozen or so fishing boats around.

The cold air erupted from the ghost flag was colder and more bone-chilling than when he catalyzed it while opening five springs, and white frost quickly condensed on the surface of the fishing boats.

For these powerful Gushing Spring martial cultivators, the power of the ghost flag did not cause much damage, but it could breed a fear of the unknown in their hearts.

"This artifact is definitely not simple, we must be careful." They looked down at the ice crystals on the ground, and this thought arose in their hearts in unison.

The nether mist was so thick that all the lights around disappeared.

With their vision blocked, everyone could only listen to the sound to identify the position, and they were even more wary in their hearts.

Li Youyi set his sights on the injured Lu Can, moved his footsteps, flashed in front of him, and struck out with the Heaven-Turning Handprint he had already prepared.

(End of chapter)