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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 22 (166): [Tianyi Sect, Huo Qiankun]
(22nd of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Yuwen Chao had sensed danger long ago.
The enemy, who had been fleeing in their ship, had suddenly stopped to counterattack.
Seven Strange Insects and the Heavenly Flame Realm Great Spiritual Master he had encountered before had also suddenly appeared.
What puzzled him was why they thought such a force could hold back a Fifth-Stage Five Seas Realm expert like him.
Soon, his confusion gradually turned into shock and unease.
The seven Strange Insects surrounding him didn't cultivate battle intent like human Martial-Mystic Cultivators, nor did they possess Spiritual Artifacts, powerful techniques, or combat intelligence. Yet their speed was terrifying, not much slower than his own.
Though they only knew how to attack with their razor-sharp wings, the sheer force of each collision, amplified by their incredible speed, was comparable to a full-power strike from a Third Realm Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
If he were facing only one, Yuwen Chao could simply release his battle intent to form a protective barrier. Even standing still, the Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.
But now, there were seven of them.
It was like being besieged by seven Third Realm Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators.
After enduring dozens of impacts, the three-zhang-tall battle intent figure he had summoned began to show signs of tearing.
He struck these insects over a dozen times, but it seemed he hadn't even scratched them.
"What terrifying Strange Insects. Even a Martial-Mystic Cultivator at the Fourth Stage of the Five Seas Realm would find them extremely troublesome. No wonder their entry into the Fire Crow Cavalry resulted in a one-sided slaughter."
As Yuwen Chao had just formed this thought, he sensed something and his gaze locked onto a talismanic rune hurtling towards him.
The rune exploded, transforming into a ten-meter-long golden giant sword that slashed down.
"This is..."
Yuwen Chao's lungs roared like thunder as Spiritual Qi surged forth. He swung his High-Grade spiritual Artifact battle spear, and bright crimson scriptures materialized along the shaft, causing the air to tremble. The spear shattered the giant sword, scattering golden light rain across the sea.
He searched for the rune's source, his tiger-like eyes settling on Li Ling, who stood on the ship.
He unleashed a tidal wave of Spiritual Qi from his mouth, sending the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors - those incredibly annoying creatures - flying ten meters away.
Then, stepping on the water's surface, he charged towards the fishing boat.
He had to kill the Talisman Master first.
Li Ling's Spiritual Light rippled outwards in concentric circles as she simultaneously launched five golden talismanic runes.
These transformed into five golden giant swords that slashed towards Yuwen Chao in unison.
Some swung horizontally, others cleaved straight down, while others plunged directly downwards...
Yuwen Chao knew the Golden Talisman Sword's power, but he hadn't expected her to unleash five at once.
His eyes widened in shock. It was too late to dodge or retreat; he had no choice but to unleash his strongest Battle Techniques.
"Eternal Night Without Dawn!"
Yuwen Chao swung his long spear toward the sky.
The thirty-foot-tall battle intent figure raised its head and unleashed a torrent of black light from its mouth.
"Boom!"
As if single-handedly withstanding the combined strikes of five Fourth Stage of the Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators, Yuwen Chao couldn't withstand the force.
His battle intent figure shattered, and his body plunged into the sea.
Just days ago, Jiang Ning had reduced his right arm to bone, leaving it severely injured and nearly crippled. Only through Precious Medicine had flesh and blood regrown.
Now, the skin of his entire right arm split open, blood gushing out, and bone-deep pain wracked him.
Yuwen Chao had long abandoned any concern for his pride. Overwhelmed by a sense of impending doom, he was about to flee underwater when he saw seven Strange Insects approaching from different directions. Their speed remained astonishing even in the water.
Their bodies shimmered with iridescent colors, and their feathered wings were as sharp as blades.
"These seven insects are too extraordinary. My speed is hampered in the water, and I can't fully unleash my Battle Techniques. I'm no match for them."
With a splash, Yuwen Chao broke the surface.
Spiritual Qi surged around him as he leaped several dozen feet into the air.
His gaze darted around, and he saw that Huo Qiankun had already been killed. His heart pounded in terror, and he no longer dared to linger for a moment. He wanted only to escape, to flee as far away as possible.
A bone-chilling war glaive, its blade as cold as ice, sliced through the air like a scythe, striking Yuwen Chao's body.
"Pfft!"
Yuwen Chao's armor shattered, and a battle spear cleaved him in two at the waist. Blood gushed out like a waterfall.
The two halves of his corpse plummeted into the sea.
Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors swarmed forward.
Two of them raised High-Grade spiritual Artifact-level battle spears to prevent the corpse from sinking.
The other five used their claws to strip Yuwen Chao of his valuable possessions, carrying everything back to the fishing boat.
They had tasted the Millennial Essence Herb, and its exquisite flavor far surpassed that of even century-old Precious Herbs.
After only a few hours, their life energy had been steadily increasing.
However, Li Weiyi had warned them that Millennial Essence Herb was incredibly expensive, and buying even one plant would bankrupt them.
That was why the Little Seven were so eager to gather resources and treasures to earn silver coins.
Li Weiyi returned to the fishing boat and gazed at the four-zhang-tall Ghost Shadow that had emerged from the Ghost Banner.
With a single swing of its battle spear, it had slain Yuwen Chao - its combat prowess was terrifying.
"This Ghost Banner is no ordinary item. I wonder what grade of treasure it is."
Both the Ghost Banner and the Evil Camel Bell belonged to Yu Tuonan.
Yu Tuonan's remnant soul had dared to attack Zen Hai Guanwu on the Bronze Warship. This suggested that, even if he hadn't been an Ancient Heavenly Emperor in life, he must have been close.
The treasures wielded by such a figure must be of unimaginable quality.
"It must be related to the purity of the Spiritual Qi!" Li Weiyi thought, "As a Third-Level Spiritual Qi cultivator, the Ghost Shadow I summoned was only three meters tall, with combat power equivalent to an ordinary Fifth-Level Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator."
"Zhuang Yue should be a Fourth-Level Spiritual Qi cultivator," he continued, "The Ghost Shadow she summoned reached four meters tall, naturally placing its combat power on a higher level."
Even among cultivators at the Fifth-Stage Five Seas Realm, some were still cultivating their fifth Qi Sea, while others had already begun cultivating their sixth - the Wind Mansion.
The former's battle intent was only three meters tall.
The latter's battle intent could reach four meters.
Undoubtedly, the four-meter-tall Ghost Shadow that emerged from the Ghost Banner possessed combat power equivalent to a Sixth-Sea Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
Li Weiyi wondered what kind of terrifying combat power the Ghost Shadow summoned by a Fifth-Level or Sixth-Level Spiritual Qi cultivator could unleash when using the Ghost Banner.
The Ghost Shadow returned to the Ghost Banner, and the Nether Mist dissipated.
The sea surface returned to calm, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.
Li Weiyi removed his Official Robe and stored it in the Evil Camel Bell.
This attire was incredibly profound and powerful, but it consumed a vast amount of Spiritual Qi. Just using the Space Evasion Technique had left him somewhat drained.
He couldn't imagine what would happen if he unleashed the Dragon Soul Power within - would it instantly drain all his Spiritual Qi?
"They're catching up!"
Li Ling, ever vigilant, spotted a massive tower ship closing in from eight or nine miles behind.
"You and the seven little ones take care of them. Make it quick. Since Huo Qiankun has shown himself, Chen Xun and Sheng Qingyan must be nearby. They're far more formidable."
Li Weiyi only glanced at the approaching ship before returning to his task. He stripped Huo Qiankun's corpse, meticulously cataloging the clothing and carefully examining the body's build and facial features, leaving no detail unobserved.
The tower ship behind was pulled across the sea by a twenty-meter-long Chi Beast, slicing through the waves at high speed.
Standing at the ship's bow were two Fifth-Stage Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators from Tianyi Sect who had followed Huo Qiankun, along with three Fifth-Stage Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators from Night City who had followed Yuwen Chao.
They had seized this tower ship directly from the docks.
"His height and build are almost identical to mine. He's not a Pure Immortal Physique, so disguising myself as him won't be too difficult."
As Li Weiyi studied the corpse, he activated his Disguise Technique, adjusting his posture, physique, and facial features.
Li Weiyi carefully recalled Huo Qiankun's skin condition, mannerisms, voice, tone, and mental bearing, meticulously analyzing each detail.
The most crucial aspects of the Disguise Technique, beyond altering bones and spirits, were observation and contemplation.
Time ticked by, minute by minute.
"Thud!"
Metal clattered onto the deck with a resounding clang.
A Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor, clutching a low-grade Spiritual Artifact spear, wobbled through the air, crossing several miles of ocean to return to the fishing boat. It dropped the spear onto the deck beside Li Weiyi.
"Are you done killing and collecting?" Li Weiyi glanced back at the tower ship.
Between the two vessels, seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors were bustling about, their tiny bodies shuttling back and forth, carrying heavy cargo.
All five Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators on the giant ship had been slain.
Li Ling, her legs trailing streaks of blue Mist, walked back across the water. She hadn't had a chance to strike a single blow.
Li Weiyi picked up the silver spear from the deck. With a flick of his wrist, the spear tip transformed into a silver point of light, landing against Li Ling's fair, jade-like chin.
He adopted Huo Qiankun's voice and tone: "Tianyi Sect, Huo Qiankun!"
Li Ling froze for a moment, carefully examining Li Weiyi, who had completely transformed into Huo Qiankun. Her heart filled with suspicion. If Huo Qiankun's corpse hadn't been lying nearby, Li Weiyi would have passed for the real thing.
"Even I couldn't detect any flaws. As long as you avoid combat and don't expose your Spiritual Qi's unique properties, you should be able to deceive anyone," she said.
Li Weiyi retracted his silver spear: "It's not that simple. I didn't interact with Huo Qiankun enough to perfectly replicate him. Any expert who knew him well and possessed sharp cultivation perception would quickly see through the disguise."
Zhuang Yue had been listening to their conversation: "Li Weiyi, you said the enemy was terrifying and that going to rescue the hostages would be suicide. But... why do I feel like you have no intention of leaving? What are you really planning?"
Li Weiyi walked over to Zhuang Yue and placed his palm on her face.
Zhuang Yue trembled slightly but didn't resist.
While she was completely defenseless, Li Weiyi used his Spiritual Power to render her unconscious.
"Watch over her. Don't let her wake up and discover the secrets of the Blood Mud Space," Li Weiyi said to Li Ling before activating the Buddha's Relic, drawing both women into a microscopic world.
The secret of Shaoyang Star was best kept from as many people as possible.
This place was only a few dozen miles from the dock, and Li Weiyi knew the enemy could arrive at any moment.
After disposing of Huo Qiankun's corpse, he untied a four-meter-long skiff from the fishing boat's stern.
With a single palm strike, he shattered the entire fishing boat, destroying all traces of their presence.
Then, using his Spiritual Qi to propel the skiff, he vanished into the depths of the Bing Juze.
The winter sun shone warmly, and a gentle breeze rustled through the air.
Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors landed on the skiff's edge, their feathered wings opening and closing, flashing with radiant light.
They looked utterly relaxed and at ease. Since consuming the Millennial Essence Herb that morning, their bodies had grown considerably, now nearly three and a half inches long.
Once they fully digested the Millennial Essence Herb, there was a good chance they would grow to four inches long.
At that point, their individual combat power would increase significantly.
"Such a sharp aura... the wind itself feels like it carries the intent of a sword."
Li Weiyi sensed a familiar and piercing aura approaching from ten miles behind him. He felt as though a sharp blade was hanging over his head, a constant threat.
On land, he would never have felt this so clearly; there were too many distractions.
The sea was utterly empty.
Even through the scent carried by the wind, one could anticipate many unseen circumstances.
"Splash!"
He stowed his small boat and the Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor, then submerged himself completely.
Chen Wenwu stood on a single log as thick as a bowl, shooting across the water like an arrow loosed from a bow.
He carved a straight path through the sea's surface, as if splitting the ocean in two with a single stroke of a brush.
The Sword of Peace rested on his back, his posture ramrod straight. His long hair danced in the wind, making him appear like an immortal descending to the mortal realm.
His eyes shone brightly, piercing through illusion.
His battle intent transformed into countless wisps of mist, like dragons and serpents, probing the water's surface for hidden dangers.
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END OF CHAPTER
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