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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 76 (220): [On the (Wuxin) Five Heart Bridge]
(76th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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After applying the Six Desires Talisman to each other, the two figures crammed inside the coffin relaxed considerably.
They were no longer as tense and vigilant as before.
As long as the Six Desires Talisman didn't activate, it had no effect on their physical or mental state. As for what would happen in the future or whether they could successfully resolve it, they couldn't even begin to think that far ahead right now.
Yang Qingxi muttered to herself with a self-mocking tone, "Life's twists and turns are truly remarkable. A year ago, I never would have imagined that the Spring Surge Realm brat chased by the Sui Sect's forces outside Jiu Li City would now be lying in a coffin with me, leaving me helpless but to let him plant the Six Desires Talisman on me."
Her voice carried a mix of resentment, humiliation, and awe at Li Weiyi's achievements today.
A year ago, she had believed she could stand on a cloud, looking down on Li Weiyi as an ant, a pawn to be manipulated at will.
"Miss Yang, stop wallowing in self-pity. You make it sound like you've suffered a great loss. Shift your face a bit; your shoulder is making mine numb! How much combat power do you have left? What level of strength are you really at? I think in this situation, it's best if we both come clean and stop hiding anything."
Li Weiyi remembered Zuoqiu Ting saying that one of the Yang sisters, Yang Qingxi or Yang Qingchan, was still holding back.
He had assumed Zuoqiu Ting was referring to Yang Qingchan's Tai Xuan Flying Sword Technique.
Now it seemed the one hiding her true strength was actually Yang Qingxi.
Otherwise, there was no way she could have escaped from the elite group of experts in the Far Western Ashlands.
The coffin was narrow, and no matter how they lay, their bodies were pressed together.
This close, intense physical contact was something neither had ever experienced with the opposite sex before.
It was like dancing with a venomous snake - thrilling and dangerous. Yet no matter how soft and smooth the snake's scales felt, there was no room for impure thoughts.
Because a single bite from the snake could kill you.
Yang Qingxi didn't move her face, remaining sprawled there like a dead snake hanging from a tree, focusing on regulating her breathing and healing her wounds.
"Yu Zi is strong. His Spiritual Qi has invaded my Meridian Veins, making it difficult to refine quickly. Right now, if I were to fight with everything I had, I could unleash Inheritor-level power within five moves. Within twenty moves, I could hold my own against Yang Qingchan. But after that... I might just die from exhaustion."
"Hundred Silver Veins?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yang Qingxi casually hummed in agreement.
Li Weiyi was secretly shocked and relieved that the coffin's cramped space severely limited the effectiveness of her powerful Spiritual Qi. Their battle had relied more on physical strength and reaction speed.
Otherwise, he might not have been able to hold his own against her earlier.
The coffin wasn't completely dark, illuminated by the Spirit Light emanating from his forehead.
Suddenly, Yang Qingxi's Phoenix Eyes widened: "There are three carriages in total! We're in the middle, seventeen feet from the front carriage and twenty feet from the rear. We're definitely within the formation's attack range. It seems we didn't have time to trigger the attack formation at the Sui Sect stronghold, but this has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. They'll never suspect that the coffin they've been violently attacking dozens of times contains a terrifying killing formation."
Li Weiyi nodded lightly: "Thinking from their perspective, if the coffin held dangerous power, given your emotional state at the Sui Sect stronghold, you would have triggered it immediately. Since it didn't erupt then, it clearly wasn't dangerous. You're right - this has indeed become a blessing in disguise, creating a perfect opportunity to kill Yu Zi."
Yang Qingxi said, "Yu Zi definitely isn't in the middle carriage with the coffin. At a distance of twenty feet, the attack formation might not kill him. Should I feign surrender to lure him closer?"
"No, that would backfire."
Li Weiyi said, "After all that time the coffin was attacked, the people outside probably think you're already dead inside. If you speak now, you'll only reveal that the coffin is extraordinary, which will raise their suspicions."
"We need to consider two things right now. First, is Yu Zi in the front carriage or the rear carriage?"
"Because once the Formation is activated, we must immediately emerge from the coffin. Against such a master, even a blink of an eye can be crucial. Only by striking unexpectedly, with speed against strength, do we stand a chance of killing him."
"Absolutely not. If we emerge from the coffin and still need time to determine his location, it will be too late."
Yang Qingxi finally lifted her head from Li Weiyi's shoulder.
She pressed her ear against the coffin wall.
The sound of flowing water echoed within the coffin, but her Long River Intent remained invisible. She was using some form of Extraordinary auditory technique.
Through the coffin and the Formation, she listened intently to the outside world.
"Based on their breathing patterns, the two people in our carriage are not Martial-Mystic Cultivators. They must be the two Calamity Fire Realm Great Spiritual Masters from the San Chen Palace."
"As for the three from the Far Western Ashlands, I've only met them today, so I'm unfamiliar with their breathing patterns. However, the two attendants are Ember Spirits, unlike normal beings. Their breathing is easily distinguishable."
"Chen Wenwu, I know him well. He's in the rear carriage. The long, drawn-out breath accompanying him is undoubtedly Yu Zi."
Li Weiyi asked, "Then we only need to consider the second matter. What if the Formation fails to injure Yu Zi?"
Yang Qingxi fell silent.
After all, the attack Formation on the Blood Mud Coffin was single-use. No one had ever activated it, so they could only make a rough estimate of its power. Whether it could span two meters and injure a master of Yu Zi's caliber was still unknown.
Li Weiyi said, "I'll make the decision. If the Formation fails to harm Yu Zi, we'll immediately use the Water Escape Technique to flee the moment we emerge from the coffin. We can't afford to linger for even a moment."
"If we do injure him, our first move after exiting the coffin will be our best chance to kill him. If he withstands that first strike, he'll have a chance to unleash his Battle Technique Intent and Hundred-Character Scripture Artifact, making the fight much harder."
"We'll have a maximum of five moves. If we can't kill him within five moves, we must retreat immediately. We can't afford to get bogged down in a prolonged battle."
Yang Qingxi sensed a strong killing intent radiating from Li Weiyi, which surprised her.
"I have a reason to fight with my life on the line. But you seem to have a personal obsession with killing Yu Zi..."
In Li Weiyi's mind, the tragic fates of Yin Shi, Yin Shi Wu, and Yin Shi Liu flashed before him: "I just want to give Luan Sheng Lin You a grand gift. That way, after the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, I won't have to travel thousands of miles to the Far Western Ashlands to find him."
This kid...
He's a ruthless one.
As Yang Qingxi had predicted, the three carriages from the Far Western Ashlands were traveling along Yuli Street.
Night fell, and the weather turned harsh.
The ten-zhang-wide street was buried under three feet of snow. A chilling wind howled, and not a single soul was in sight.
The three carriages plowed through the snow at a steady pace.
In the middle carriage, a young female Great Spiritual Master drove the vehicle, while another male Great Spiritual Master stood guard inside.
The Blood Mud Coffin within the carriage was bound with layer upon layer of spiritual artifact chains and suppressed by a Formation, to prevent Yang Qingxi - if she were still alive - from suddenly escaping.
"Don't be so nervous! Miss Yang was repeatedly struck after she entered the coffin. Even an strong man would have been shattered inside," the driving Great Spiritual Master chuckled.
A colorful hummingbird flew into the rear carriage, landing on Yu Zi's shoulder and emitting a strange bird call.
As a descendant of the Ancient Immortal Giant Beast Six-Colored Peacock, Yu Zi could naturally understand bird language.
"Tang Wanqiu has lost her patience. Having the Jiu Li Clan card has made her too arrogant. She's actually attacking Ge Xiantong directly," Yu Zi said with a smile.
Chen Wenwu asked, "Cang Li, Li Jiufu, and Li Ling are all formidable fighters. Combined with the Snow Sword Tang Court's Inheritor-level experts, won't Ge Xiantong be doomed?"
"The battle on New Year's Eve proved that brute force alone can't win the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival," Yu Zi said.
Chen Wenwu asked, "So Snow Sword Tang Court failed?"
The liquid mask on Yu Zi's face flowed and shifted into various shapes as he chuckled: "Tang Wanqiu underestimated Ge Xiantong. Not only did her schemes fail, but she also came up empty-handed. Ge Xiantong even raided her base, inflicting heavy losses and reportedly stealing several Dragon Seed Tickets and Dragon Bone Tickets."
Chen Wenwu naturally joined in the laughter: "Ge Xiantong's ability to move so freely and unpredictably is due to Jiang Ning's presence at the Prefectural Governor's Mansion, guarding the Immortality Pill Tickets and stabilizing the Imperial Court's base. It's like you, Master, and Young Venerable - one attacking, one defending, or splitting forces to fight in two locations. The other top-tier experts lack the same extraordinary, independent capabilities as you."
"In contrast, Tang Wanqiu lacked such a top-tier second-in-command, which led to her defeat today."
Yu Zi pushed open the carriage door, and a gust of icy wind swept in.
Ahead, the lights atop the stone heads lining Wuxin (Five Hearts) Bridge had come into view.
Wuxin (Five Hearts) Bridge was a twenty-zhang-long stone bridge wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. Carved on the bridge's railings were thirty-four stone beasts, each topped with a square jade lantern cover.
From afar, the bridge and its reflection in the water below glowed with a warm, golden light, creating a captivating spectacle.
Yu Zi said, "Once we cross this bridge, we'll enter West City. That's when we'll use the heavy artifact to break the coffin. No matter what, we must seize Yang Qingxi's Dragon Seed Ticket."
"A single Dragon Seed can cultivate a top-tier Dao Seed Realm expert in a short time. Its value is beyond measure, far exceeding mere wealth. Where else could we find such a treasure besides the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival?" Chen Wenwu said.
immortal Realm giants were rare, with only three in the entire San Chen Palace. Many powerful clans had only one such expert, or even none at all.
Obtaining a Dragon Seed offered the chance to become a powerhouse second only to the three Founding Ancestors within a few years. Who wouldn't go mad for such a treasure?
"Clang! Clang!"
All three carriages reached the Wuxin (Five Hearts) Bridge.
Without warning, a blinding white mystical light erupted from the middle carriage.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, the formation's power shattered the spiritual artifact chains binding the coffin, tearing through the formation laid down by the San Chen Palace's two Great Spiritual Masters.
A second wave, a third wave...
The white mystical light spread like water ripples, one layer overlapping another.
"Whoosh! Whoosh..."
Nine layers instantly converged, reaching the peak of the formation's power. Silently, the innermost carriage was reduced to dust.
The two Great Spiritual Masters, closest to the blast, were caught off guard. They were instantly reduced to bloody skeletons, flung into the air, and plunged into the Li River below the bridge.
The two carriages, separated by six meters, were instantly overturned and shattered into pieces.
The two guards in the front carriage didn't even have time to react before being heavily struck by the Xuan Light. Their human skin melted away, revealing their Ember Spirit true forms, sparks flying everywhere as they plummeted toward the other side of the bridge.
Fortunately, they carried protective treasures that saved their lives.
Yu Zi, ever vigilant, had mobilized his Spiritual Qi to activate the spiritual artifact rune-cloth he wore the instant the Xuan Light began to spread.
But before even a few runes could fully emerge on the cloth, the Xuan Light had already struck him.
"Pfft!"
It felt like being hit by a massive fist.
The Spiritual Qi in his body instantly scattered, his internal organs convulsed with pain, and a metallic sweetness filled his throat as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Chen Wenwu reacted slightly slower than Yu Zi, but the Chen Clan excelled at crafting defensive artifacts. As the most outstanding young leader of the clan, he was naturally protected by layers upon layers of defensive power.
One of the four layers of defense on his body activated passively.
He was the least injured!
As Yu Zi and Chen Wenwu were sent flying through the air, before they could even hit the ground, the Blood Mud Coffin burst open with a deafening crash.
"Whoosh!"
A rapid rushing sound filled the air.
A silver river surged forth from the coffin, its brilliance illuminating both banks of the river.
Yang Qingxi stood upon the river, her phoenix eyes sharp, holding Yang Qingchan's Tai Xuan Needle.
With a single sword stroke, she cleaved through the air, aiming straight for Yu Zi.
This was the true form of the "Long River Intent" - not scattered streams, but a unified, flowing river.
Almost simultaneously, with a resounding thump, Li Weiyi sent the coffin lid flying towards Yu Zi with a single palm strike.
Then, leaping out of the coffin and employing the Clear Void Cicada-Chasing Step, he pursued the lid across the ground, deliberately shouting, "Kill Chen Wenwu first!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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