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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 90 (234): [The Earth Spirit Gray Mist]
(90th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The headquarters stronghold of the Far Western Ashlands had been reduced to scorched earth. Spanning hundreds of acres, every structure lay in ruins, some still smoldering, billowing thick smoke.
Across the ground lay massive craters, each carved by high-grade Hundred-Character Scripture Artifacts, surrounded by countless, horrifying cracks.
Even a Seventh Sea Martial-Mystic Cultivator would have been obliterated by such an impact.
Amidst the wreckage lay the corpses of both Jiu Li Tribe Martial-Mystic Cultivators and those from the Far Western Ashlands. All were young, each a Heaven's Chosen of their respective factions.
Last night's battle had claimed countless lives.
Over a hundred Surging Spring Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators in yellow monk robes were busy moving the corpses, piling them in the streets.
Li Weiyi stood among the onlookers, the stench of blood heavy in the air, his heart sinking.
Suddenly, in that moment, a profound confusion washed over him.
Why did everyone engage in such brutal slaughter?
Wouldn't it be far more joyful to cultivate in peace, to welcome the New Year together in harmony?
He knew, of course, that this was nothing more than an unrealistic fantasy.
For the Martial-Mystic Cultivators of this world, the pursuit of Eternal Life far outweighed the pursuit of pleasure.
Yet the path to Eternal Life was fraught with scarcity. Every step required a struggle for resources.
Without them, even Li Weiyi's heaven-defying talent would be trapped in the Five Seas Realm for decades, struggling to accumulate enough Spiritual Qi.
By the time he finally succeeded, his body would have aged, his Blood Qi waned, leaving him at best a Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
Eternal Life would remain out of reach!
Who could accept such a fate?
.....
The distant screams pulled Li Weiyi back to the brutal reality.
Last night, the Jiu Li Tribe had attacked this place, breaching the Headquarters Stronghold of the Far Western Ashlands and slaughtering countless enemies.
However, they were then counterattacked by Luansheng Linyou and countless other powerful cultivators who had rushed back from East City.
When Cang Li and the others retreated, they could barely protect themselves, let alone evacuate all the wounded.
Now, dozens of Jiu Li Tribe cultivators, all injured Five Seas Realm cultivators, were being beaten, humiliated, and avenged by the wounded of the Far Western Ashlands, who were venting their hatred and resentment from the previous night's battle.
Responsible for collecting the corpses and protecting the wounded were Coffin Mountain's Two Truths.
Coffin Mountain had suffered heavy losses in the previous night's fighting, so Luansheng Linyou had assigned them an easy task.
Ku-Di, holding her Tin Staff, walked through the blood-soaked ruins, black dust swirling around her. Tears of compassion streamed from her eyes as she chanted scriptures.
Meanwhile, a few Buddha's Salvation Bandits from Coffin Mountain were roasting several Pure Immortal Physique Martial-Mystic Cultivators over a bonfire, the aroma of roasting flesh already filling the air.
Buddha's Salvation Bandit's (Xu Fodu's) taste for human flesh was well-known throughout the Southern Territory.
As the saying went:
"Buddha's Belly, Buddha's Belly, Buddha doesn't eat vegetarian."
"Buddha's Belly, Buddha's Belly, human flesh dipped in vinegar."
Besides Xu Fodu, Zen Master Xinku, one of Coffin Mountain's Three Great Zen Masters, shared the same depraved tastes and notorious reputation.
If the higher-ups were like this, the Buddha's Salvation Bandits below naturally followed suit.
In their eyes, the flesh of a Pure Immortal Physique Martial-Mystic Cultivator was the ultimate delicacy.
Ji-Di appeared behind Ku-Di like a golden-bodied arhat: "Should we roast all the surviving wounded from the Jiu Li Tribe, or keep them as bargaining chips against Cang Li?"
Ku-Di glanced at the dozens of wounded from the Jiu Li Tribe.
Some had been beaten to death outright, others had their limbs broken, some were being stripped, and others were tied to roasting racks.
Mockery, humiliation, laughter, screams, cries... a full spectrum of human emotions played out before her.
Ku-Di said, "You've had your fill of revenge. Let it end here. Since they're all severely injured, they won't participate in the next three days of fighting. Get them out of Qiu Prefecture City and off the battlefield immediately. As for the Jiu Li Tribe wounded..."
Ku-Di channeled the power of her Intent, shouting coldly as her pupils released a spiritual light that swept across the crowd of onlookers in the distance.
"Swish! Swish!"
The Two Truths executed their movement techniques, charging toward the area where the Five Seas Realm wounded were gathered, one in front of the other.
Li Weiyi was the first to strike.
Using a flying needle Spiritual Artifact he had won, he targeted the wounded and roasting Buddha's Salvation Bandits in the Far Western Ashlands. The needles shone like cold light, numbering in the dozens, and flew at his command.
Suddenly, a chorus of screams erupted.
Ku-Di moved with lightning speed, teleporting several times to reach the injured Five Seas Realm cultivators.
The "Amitabha Scripture" inscribed on her white monk's robe detached, transforming into a golden scripture that shattered all the flying needles of the Spiritual Artifact.
"Whoosh!"
Li Weiyi burst from the crowd, wielding Yuwen Tuozhen's ten-foot-long Vengeful Soul Spear. With a powerful leap, he soared into the air and swung the spear in a diagonal slash.
One hundred and twenty-seven white scriptures materialized on the spear's shaft, their radiant white light clashing with the golden scripture, scattering golden fragments everywhere.
Unfortunately, the six Dead Spirits within the spear had been slain by the Yellow Dragon Sword, greatly diminishing its value.
"It's you..."
Ku-Di recognized Li Weiyi, sensing the overwhelming, domineering power radiating from him.
She twirled her Tin Staff, unleashing a ten-thousand-zhang silver radiance as she swung it forward.
With a thunderous boom, the ground beneath her feet collapsed.
The collision of the two Hundred-Character Scripture Artifacts unleashed a shockwave that sent all the nearby injured cultivators flying.
Li Weiyi was knocked back, but upon landing, he instantly transformed into a blur and charged forward again: "If Amitabha knew that you Buddhist cultivators were so cruel and sinful, he would surely intervene personally to deliver you to enlightenment."
"Bang!"
The Vengeful Soul Spear and the Tin Staff collided again, sending silver light and scripture fragments radiating outward in concentric ripples.
The Headquarters Stronghold of the Far Western Ashlands, spanning hundreds of acres, was entirely covered by the Spiritual Qi energy of the two combatants.
After dozens of exchanges, Ku-Di sensed something amiss and glanced at Ji-Di.
There, Ji-Di was besieged by seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors. His protective Spiritual Qi and golden body were proving insufficient, and numerous bloody wounds had appeared on his body. His eyes were the primary target, forcing the Seventh Sea master of the Pure Immortal Physique to fight with closed eyes, relying on battle intent and auditory perception to sense his surroundings.
"His physical defense is incredibly strong. Little Seven will struggle to inflict a fatal wound."
Seizing the moment Ku-Di was distracted, Li Weiyi soared into the sky.
With a single step, his footwork aligned with some Law of Heaven and Earth, creating a dragon's roar and a yellow Dragon Shadow.
He leaped from the dragon's tail to its head, covering a distance of ten meters in a single bound.
After several more steps, he reached Ji-Di's side.
"Pfft!"
The Vengeful Soul Spear thrust out.
Ji-Di, caught off guard, stumbled backward, and the spear pierced his left chest.
Blood splattered as the poison on the spearhead seeped into the wound.
Ji-Di roared, his hands gripping the Vengeful Soul Spear tightly to prevent it from piercing through his body and shattering his Qi Sea.
A torrent of Spiritual Qi erupted from his mouth, like a waterfall of light, containing several golden blades that shot toward Li Weiyi's face.
Li Weiyi, unwilling to underestimate his opponent, abandoned the spear. He crouched low, his legs shifting rapidly, dodging the attack with a mysterious and swift footwork. Simultaneously, he evaded Ku-Di's pursuit from behind.
Ji-Di had just pulled out the Vengeful Soul Spear.
The icy blade of the Yellow Dragon Sword pressed against his neck from his side, freezing him in place.
"Little nun, if you take another step forward, I guarantee that Coffin Mountain's Two Truths will become Coffin Mountain's Sole Truth today," Li Weiyi said, slapping Ji-Di on the shoulder, forcing him to kneel.
"Clang! Clang!"
Ku-Di stopped two dozen feet away, her Tin Staff radiating blinding silver light, clanging incessantly. But her eyes weren't fixed on Li Weiyi; they were locked on the seven moth larvae fluttering around them.
Ji-Di was a Seventh Sea Martial-Mystic Cultivator with a Pure Immortal Physique, his defenses rivaling those of a Inheritor. Even Ku-Di herself would need considerable effort to defeat him.
Yet the seven moth larvae had him completely suppressed.
'Are they really the larvae of seven Lord-Marquis Grade Strange Insects?'
Ku-Di turned her gaze back to Li Weiyi.
"Release Ji-Di, and I'll hand over all the injured members of the Jiu Li Tribe to you. Otherwise, they won't survive!"
The crippled Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Far Western Ashlands had captured the Jiu Li Tribe's injured members, ready to kill them all at Ku-Di's command.
Li Weiyi replied, "If you give me a pile of cripples, how am I supposed to leave here today? Release them all first, and then we can continue talking."
Kudi countered, "If I release them all, how can I negotiate with you?"
Ji-Di let out a muffled groan.
The wound inflicted by the Vengeful Soul Halberd had turned black, and blood gushed uncontrollably.
Fear flickered in his eyes: "It's Yuwen Tuozhen's true Vengeful Soul Spear... and it's laced with... Night Emperor Toad Venom..."
"You didn't really think my primary goal was to save people, did you? Risking my own life to save others? Do I look like the kind of person with a bodhisattva's heart?" Li Weiyi sneered.
Ku-Di said with certainty, "There's no need to hide it! I'm absolutely convinced that you, Li Weiyi, are a soft-hearted person. They're your weakness."
Li Weiyi's gaze darkened.
He waved his hand coldly.
Instantly, seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors shot toward the injured group from seven different directions at lightning speed.
Ku-Di couldn't stop them. The Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors were just as fast as she was.
The Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Far Western Ashlands, having already witnessed the Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors' terrifying power, fled in panic before the creatures could even get close.
Unlike Ku-Di, they weren't so certain.
Their own lives were more important than anything else.
Ku-Di sighed.
"Now you have no leverage!" Li Weiyi said.
Ku-Di shook her head: "The injured members of the Jiu Li Tribe haven't left yet. If I want to kill them, you can't stop me! You and your seven moth insects might be able to defeat me, but you can't trap me."
Li Weiyi, unwilling to waste any more time, asked, "Do you have any Earth Spirit Ash Mist on you?"
Ku-Di's expression revealed surprise.
Seeing her reaction, Li Weiyi knew he had a chance: "Give me the Earth Spirit Ash Mist, and I'll return Ji-Di to you. I'll take the injured members of the Jiu Li Tribe away, and you can take the severely wounded Ji-Di. With both sides wary of each other, neither will dare to attack."
Ku-Di's eyes remained calm: "Earth Spirit Ash Mist is one of my trump cards, extremely precious. Why would I give it to you? Wouldn't it be better to use it on you?"
"Ji-Di, it seems she's been planning to become the Sole Truth of Coffin Mountain all along."
The yellow glow emanating from Li Weiyi's sword had already sunk into the flesh of Ji-Di's neck.
Ji-Di quickly interjected, "It's just a bottle of Earth Spirit Ash Mist. Give it to him. With dozens of injured members of the Jiu Li Tribe still in his hands, he won't dare to act rashly. I can't hold on much longer... The poison is spreading... spreading toward my heart..."
Ku-Di stared intently at Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi transmitted his voice through Spiritual Qi: "Give me your trump card, and I'll help Luansheng Linyou deal with Ge Xiantong."
Ku-Di replied, "Jiang Ning can't kill you, so the Imperial Court is sending Ge Xiantong to do it personally. Your purpose in attacking me was to obtain the Earth Spirit Ash Mist to prepare for the impending disaster. That makes perfect sense!"
Li Weiyi said, "You've guessed about seventy or eighty percent right! Over the next three days, I'll inevitably clash with Ge Xiantong. If I want to survive, I need to gather more trump cards. Give me the Earth Spirit Ash Mist. What if I actually succeed in my assassination attempt?"
"I... I really... can't hold on anymore..."
Ji-Di couldn't summon Spiritual Qi to protect himself. His golden skin had turned a dull bronze.
Ku-Di took out a small porcelain bottle and threw it to Li Weiyi.
"Let him go!"
Li Weiyi caught the bottle, carefully opened it, and used Spiritual Power to examine its contents: "How do I use this?"
Ku-Di said, "Activate it with Spiritual Qi. The liquid Earth Spirit Grey Spring will transform into the Earth Spirit Ash Mist and spread through the air."
"Sounds like it could easily harm the user," Li Weiyi observed.
Ku-Di retorted, "If it weren't so dangerous, I would have used it on you last night!"
"Bang!"
Li Weiyi kicked Ji-Di away.
With his injuries and the poison coursing through his veins, Ji-Di wouldn't be able to participate in the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival's competition for the next three days.
Half an hour later, Li Weiyi escorted dozens of injured and disabled Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Jiu Li Tribe to the Outer City gate.
"Thank you, Young Master Li, for your great kindness."
"Be careful! Younger Sister Ling and the others have fled to the North City! After the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, we will visit and express our gratitude in person."
"You must be especially cautious of Luansheng Linyou. He's terrifying... Why don't you come with us?"
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END OF CHAPTER
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