Spirit Realm

Dark Asura Hall.

Many martial practitioners were cultivating inside of a group of green limestone towers and accumulating experience in the major cultivation areas.

The five hall masters of Dark Asura Hall and the strongest experts under their command had gathered around Armament City according to the arrangements of Profound Heaven Alliance. They were responsible for patrolling, stopping the Horned Demon clansmen, and notifying Profound Heaven Alliance.

As the second hall master, Tu Shixiong naturally took the soldiers under his command to cooperate with the Song Family and keep watch for the Horned Demons.

Young people like Tu Ze and Zhuo Qian were only in the late stage of the Natal Opening Realm, so they weren’t strong in combat. They were not qualified to participate in battles of this level, so they were left behind.

In a dark private room, Qin Lie was sitting with Tu Ze and Zhuo Qian with the fox skin mask on his face. As they drank, they discussed other matters.

Before the nether demonic energy dissipated, Qin Lie had changed his identity using the fox skin mask and secretly turned toward the poisonous bog.

The defense line in that direction was the weakest, being overseen by the martial practitioners from Dark Shadow Tower. Qin Lie had shown up with the appearance of a human, so he was not conspicuous and had easily made his way through.

After that, he went to Dark Asura Hall and used his new identity to find Tu Ze and Zhuo Qian. He had them pass a message to Xie Jingxuan through Liang Zhong.

“Miss Xie is from the Xie Family of Profound Heaven Alliance. Her father is the patriarch of the Xie Family, Xie Yaoyang. If he knew that you were at Dark Asura Hall, would he...” Zhuo Qian said worriedly.

Tu Ze took a swig of wine, then said helplessly, “Our Dark Asura Hall doesn’t have Spatial Spirit Stones. Otherwise, I would help get some for you.”

“Big Brother Tu, Sister Qian, I’m already very grateful that you dared to meet with me and pass on a message to Uncle Zhong.” Qin Lie put down the winecup and looked at the two to say, “Right now, I am the public enemy of the Scarlet Tide Continent.”

“Qin Lie, what are you doing? Why did you have to get involved with the evil races?” Zhuo Qian glared with her large eyes. “The evil races have killed many of our people and always think about coming into our Scarlet Tide Continent to take over our land. Why do you care about whether they live or die?”

“Qin Lie definitely has his own reasons,” Tu Ze said.

“Second Young Master, Liang Zhong from the Department of Internal Affairs has arrived,” a soft call came from outside the room.

“I know,” Tu Ze shouted back. Then, in a low voice, he said to Qin Lie, “Stay here, I’ll go take a look.”

Qin Lie nodded slightly.

Tu Ze went out to the reception room above the secret room. With a respectful expression, he invited Liang Zhong in and said carefully, “Uncle Zhong, how is the situation?”

Liang Zhong looked at Tu Ze and sighed. He said, “Boy, do you know what you’re doing?”

Tu Ze’s head was bowed, and he did not make a sound.

“You probably don’t. At this very moment, Profound Heaven Alliance, Joyful Union Sect, and Eight Extreme Temple... all of them are looking for him and the evil races. All the martial practitioners of these factions have been active, searching for him everywhere.” Liang Zhong took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “If someone learns that you not only kept this a secret, but even delivered messages for him, all of the Tu Family will be affected. Do you understand?”

Tu Ze’s heart went cold.

“Qin Lie is my brother,” he said.

Liang Zhong shook his head slightly and did not continue trying to convince him. He said, “It is best for you to leave as soon as possible. Qin Lie doesn’t have many friends in the Scarlet Tide Continent, and I’m afraid they will notice you and Zhuo Qian.”

“Uncle Zhong, what of the… issue?” Tu Ze requested confirmation.

“Miss has communicated with the person from the Song Family. That person said that she will do her best to take care of it.” Liang Zhong sighed. “The same is true of my Miss. What is she doing involving herself in this? If people notice this… Ah, even the Patriarch of the Xie Family would have a hard time.”

“Since Qin Lie was in the Nether Realm, Miss Xie was one of the rare few that were willing to speak for the Ling Family,” Tu Ze praised. “Miss Xie has a cold face, but a warm heart… one that really cares.”

Liang Zhong waved his hand and looked down at the ground almost like he knew that Qin Lie was in the secret room below. “Enough of that. You better have some idea of what you’re doing. Don’t bring a calamity down on the Tu Family.”

“Thank you, Uncle Liang.” Tu Ze watched as Liang Zhong left.

Tu Ze returned to the private room. When he entered, Qin Lie stood up and said, “Big Brother Tu, Sister Qian, I’ve really troubled you this time. I’m leaving now. Don’t participate in anything else, pretend you did not see me.”

“Don’t listen to Uncle Zhong. Stay here, there won’t be a problem,” Tu Ze tried to have him stay.

“No, I still have other things to do. I need to go to Ling Town and wait for Miss Song to deliver the things.” Qin Lie thanked Tu Ze and Zhuo Qian and left under the cover of darkness, going in the direction of Ling Town.

Seven days later, Ling Town, inside Herb Mountain.

Qin Lie sat in silence and used spirit power to inscribe the Nine Winding River Diagram into the air.

The glittering spirit power turned into a long, winding a river. This river, possessing nine curves and eighteen bends, slowly appeared in front of him.

“Woosh woosh woosh!”

As the spirit power flowed, the sound of splashing came from within the streams. A soft, erratic vibration came from the Nine Winding River Diagram in front of him.

Yet, just as Qin Lie tried to control the streams of water and form an attack, the diagram in front of him suddenly burst into fragments of light.

“It still doesn’t work.” Qin Lie sighed.

He had arrived three days ago and hid within Herb Mountain. He was not in a hurry to summon Ku Luo and the others, so he cultivated as he waited for Song Tingyu.

He wanted to draw diagrams in the air with spirit power and turn the formations on the spirit pattern pillars into a method of attack.

Yet he found that it wasn’t so easy to accomplish this.

“You are not strong enough,” Xue Li’s voice resounded from inside his mind. “This Nine Winding River Diagram contains the essence of water. If you really want to use all of the Nine Winding River Diagram’s power, you must have a deep understanding of the attributes of water. Boy, you’re really ambitious, but you only have so much time and energy. You have already grasped the spirit arts controlling earth, frost, lightning, and thunder. You want to use the power of the Nine Winding River Diagram and study the wondrous power of water, but do you have the time and energy?”

Qin Lie frowned slightly.

“I will teach you a way.” Xue Li snickered. “Summon the spirit pattern pillar that possesses the Nine Winding River Diagram. Use the pillar as the spirit tablet and use your spirit power to inscribe it. Then you won’t have to understand the essence of water and you will be able to use the Nine Winding River Diagram.”

The twelve spirit pattern pillars had two uses. They sealed the evil nether passageway, and they restrained Xue Li. Xue Li’s understanding of the twelve spirit pattern pillars clearly surpassed Qin Lie’s.

“These twelve spirit pattern pillars come from Celestial Artifact Sect on the Heavenly Fissure Continent in the Land of Chaos. This is one of the eighteen Earth Grade spirit artifacts from Celestial Artifact Sect.

“Celestial Artifact Sect is also a silver force, just like our Blood Fiend Sect. In the past, my junior brother went to Celestial Artifact Sect to request one of his good friends to take action. He first planned to obstruct by blood veins, then used the twelve spirit pattern pillars to restrain me. He wanted to force me to divulge the secrets of Blood Fiend Sect.

“After three years without getting any information from me, he gradually gave up. He originally trapped me in order to interrogate me, but these twelve spirit pattern pillars were stolen. They then managed to end up in the Scarlet Tide Continent, becoming the foundation of this Armament Sect’s establishment.”

Xue Li laughed coldly. “I recently found out that the original sect master of Armament Sect is a traitor that abandoned Celestial Artifact Sect. He stole the twelve spirit pattern pillars and fled all the way to the Scarlet Tide Continent. He changed his identity and managed to become Armament Sect’s founder. This person was extremely shameless.”

As Xue Li spoke, Qin Lie had already summoned the spirit pattern pillar with the Nine Winding River Diagram inscribed in it. This cavern was very large, and the spirit pattern pillar did not even hit the ceiling when it appeared.

“Celestial Artifact Sect... eighteen Earth Grade spirit artifacts... These spirit pattern pillars were one of them?” Qin Lie’s interest was piqued. He did not channel spirit energy. Seeing that Xue Li was interested in talking, he was curious and started to ask questions.

“At the time, Celestial Artifact Sect had eighteen Earth Grade spirit artifacts and four Heaven Grade spirit artifacts. Celestial Artifact Sect has many powerful artificers, but they are not the same as the artificers from Armament Sect. Each of them are not just outstanding artificers, but powerful martial practitioners as well. They entered the martial way through artifact forging, and each of them is powerful in combat. Even now, Celestial Artifact Sect is the strongest power in the Heavenly Fissure Continent. Their reputation is feared throughout the continents in the Land of Chaos.”

Xue Li explained, then changed the topic, saying, “My actual body is currently heading toward the Heavenly Fissure Continent. The artificers that I need to ask all come from Celestial Artifact Sect. It was them who had discussed your grandfather. They revere your grandfather.”

Qin Lie’s expression wavered and he shouted, “You have to ask them for information on my behalf!”

“I will do my best,” Xue Li said faintly.

……