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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 95 (239): [The Fifteenth Day of the Lunar New Year, Morning]
(95th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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East City, Nether Market.
The Zui Yin brothel's elegant courtyard served as a secret base for the Earthwolf King's Army in Qiu Prefecture City.
Led by Shi Shishi, the three entered through the backyard.
The door was opened by Bai Shu, her face veiled.
Bai Shu looked at Li Weiyi, who was lying pale as paper on Qi Xiao's back, and asked, "What trouble have you gotten into this time? How did you get so badly injured?"
Shi Shishi hurried forward, saying, "We fought Ge Xiantong. The battle was so perilous, words can't describe it. To put it simply, the number one genius of the younger generation was defeated!"
Bai Shu, of course, didn't believe his nonsense: "Even all three of you together aren't worthy of Ge Xiantong's attention."
Qi Xiao carefully laid Li Weiyi on Bai Shu's bed before declaring proudly, "Miss, you're mistaken this time! Even though Ge Xiantong is the number one genius of the younger generation, and his Master is the number one expert in the world, he could only play second fiddle to Brother Weiyi today. Countless eyes witnessed Ge Xiantong retreating, utterly outmatched."
Bai Shu knew Qi Xiao's reputation. He wasn't the type to boast. Her alluring eyes widened in disbelief. She felt as if the man lying on the bed was radiating light, a true immortal descended from the heavens.
"Cough, cough!"
Li Weiyi's internal organs burned with pain, as if they were on fire.
Fortunately, he had been reforged with Immortal Soil, making him incredibly resilient.
Mobilizing the Immortal Haze within his Divine Gate to nourish his injuries, Li Weiyi suddenly sat up: "Have you wiped away all traces? And the scent? We absolutely cannot give our enemies any chance to track us."
"Rest assured! The Earthwolf King's Army's greatest skill is concealment. Otherwise, we would have been wiped out by the Imperial Court long ago. My counter-tracking abilities are second to none below the Dao Seed Realm!" Shi Shishi thumped his chest confidently.
Qi Xiao nodded slightly: "While there's some exaggeration, you do have genuine talent. The Earthwolf King's Army's members are among the worst in the Southern Territory in terms of character. The fact that they've survived until now proves their exceptional skill in escaping and hiding. I think we should leave the city immediately. You're too severely injured to remain in Qiu Prefecture City any longer."
Bai Shu had been eager to escape: "I'll arrange our departure. I have a secret channel that guarantees our safety."
Li Weiyi pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, "Where are the Dragon Seed Tickets and Dragon Bone Tickets?"
Shi Shishi replied, "Hidden away! While the Invitation Cards can be located, a city shrunk to the size of a palm is just a tiny dot on the map. It won't be easy to find us quickly."
"You two discuss the details. I'll go gather information. If the Zuoqiu Sect and the Jiu Li Clan have already been defeated, we'll have no reason to hesitate. We'll abandon the Dragon Seed and Dragon Bone. Saving our lives is the top priority. Sigh! It's so frustrating..."
Qi Xiao sighed deeply and left.
For him, the Dragon Seed and Dragon Bone were treasures that could change his destiny in a single step.
Li Weiyi said, "Shishi Dharma King, you're not willing to give up either, are you?"
Shi Shishi replied, "What good would it do to be unwilling? Do you really think that if I went to the Imperial Court or the Far Western Ashlands tomorrow night with a Dragon Bone Ticket, I'd actually get the Dragon Bone?"
"I actually saw Cang Li's invitation card and know where the Hidden Dragon Gathering will be held tomorrow night," Li Weiyi said.
Shi Shishi was overjoyed: "Is there a chance to hide until the end and sneak in?"
"If Zuoqiu Hong and Cang Li lose, their enemies will likely be waiting outside the venue to kill you outright," Li Weiyi said.
"I knew it..."
Shi Shishi's eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit and determination: "Give me some advice. Should I lead the Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Earthwolf King's Army who are currently in hiding to help Zuoqiu Hong? It's a gamble for my future."
Everyone was willing to risk their lives to squeeze into the narrow upward path.
Li Weiyi knew how important the Dragon Bone, Dragon Seed, and Immortality Pill were to him and the Seven Little Ones. He didn't want to fall behind and certainly wouldn't give up easily.
Many top Martial-Mystic Cultivators attending the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival were already at the peak of the Seventh Sea. Obtaining a Dragon Seed would allow them to begin their breakthrough into the Dao Seed Realm.
Once they reached the Dao Seed Realm, they could lock in their Blood Qi and vitality, slowing down aging and transitioning from the Martial-Mystic Path to the Dao. They would officially become human powerhouses.
Li Weiyi, however, still needed a long period of accumulation in the Five Seas Realm. The Wind Mansion, Ancestral Field, and even the Divine Gate were all distant paths.
Without the Dragon Bone, Dragon Seed, or Immortality Pill, he risked falling behind in the Dao Seed Realm.
Falling behind meant losing decades of time.
Li Weiyi looked at the fanatical Shi Shishi.
"You'd better not act rashly. Hidden strength is more effective. Zuoqiu Hong, Cang Li, and Zhu Yibai all have the backing of Ancient Myriad Clans and Sects. Their families are vast and can afford to expend resources, and they undoubtedly have backup plans."
"Here's what we'll do: wait two days. If I can heal my injuries, regardless of who wins between Zuoqiu Hong and the others, I'll join you and Qi Xiao in a final gamble."
Shi Shishi laughed heartily: "With Brother Weiyi's word, I know we have at least a fifty percent chance of success! Bai Shu, I'm leaving brother Weiyi in your care. Look after him for me. I need to check my tickets."
Throughout the day, the city was filled with the sounds of battle. The carnage even spilled into the Nether Market, and a fight broke out outside the Zui Yin Sect.
Li Weiyi didn't stabilize his injuries until evening. The pain in his internal organs subsided, but to say he could fight again now would be delusional.
In contrast, Big Phoenix, after consuming the most precious root of the 1,600-year-old Black Dragon Grass, was now as lively as a dragon.
Her previous critical injuries had been nothing more than a pretense.
A Millennium Essence Herb, when aged to 1,600 years, doubled in potency compared to a 1,000-year-old one, and its price had also doubled.
Over the next two days, Li Weiyi would need to rely on the seven of them to make a difference.
Millennium Essence Herbs were naturally provided without limit.
As night fell, the sounds of battle gradually faded.
After a day and night of fighting, the various factions were exhausted and in need of rest.
Qi Xiao returned to Zui Yin, wounded and bearing a medicinal pill for Li Weiyi. His expression was grim: "I saw Zuoqiu Hong, the top young talent of the Zuoqiu Sect. They broke out of the Prefectural Governor's Office but fought fiercely all day without breaching the Attendant Hall. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. She asked me to tell you that she is deeply grateful for your help this morning, but the tide of events is impossible to turn... Leave the city immediately."
"Cang Li says he can't leave. He's sworn to stand with the Jiu Li Clan's Martial-Mystic Cultivators, to live or die together."
"Li Ling says her brother can't leave, and neither can she!"
Li Weiyi sighed, then fell into deep thought.
"Even if they didn't breach the Attendant Hall, the Imperial Court must have suffered heavy losses after a full day of intense fighting. What's the current situation?"
Qi Xiao said, "Earlier this evening, a large force of Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Far Western Ashlands launched an attack, intending to crush the alliance between the Zuoqiu Sect, the Jiu Li Clan, and the Zhu Sect from both sides. But suddenly, a hidden force intervened, resolving the crisis. It seems to be the Zhu Sect's last resort."
Li Weiyi secretly speculated that it was likely the Zhu Clan Hidden Sect that had mobilized!
The Jiu Li Hidden Sect alone had five or six Five Seas Realm experts under the age of thirty. The hidden sects of the Zhu Sect and the Zuoqiu Sect couldn't be far behind.
Hidden sects undoubtedly focused on cultivating only the most elite experts.
Otherwise, they couldn't remain hidden.
Qi Xiao continued, "The situation is now delicate. The battle between the Imperial Court and the Zuoqiu Sect has ceased. The Snow Sword Tang Court is maneuvering on the periphery, engaging in hit-and-run tactics."
"The Dragon Sect and Thundercloud Sect have arrived at the battlefield but remain inactive, fortifying their positions and setting up Formations without joining the fight."
"Only the Far Western Ashlands are stirring restlessly, and they might make a major move tonight."
Li Weiyi said, "The Far Western Ashlands have become the most powerful force now. If they don't act quickly, the other factions might forge alliances overnight and turn against them..."
"Could Ge Xiantong have been right all along?"
"If the world's situation evolves to that point, the Zuoqiu Sect and the Zhu Sect will have no choice but to join forces with the Imperial Court?"
With his injuries still unhealed, Li Weiyi could only watch helplessly as the situation in the city continued to deteriorate.
He stopped paying attention to the outside world and swallowed the Medicinal Pill Qi Xiao had brought back. He focused all his energy on recovery.
Another day and night passed.
On the morning of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, before dawn had broken, Shi Shishi finally returned to Zui Yin and knocked on Li Weiyi's door.
The one who answered was Bai Shu, wearing a white nightgown.
Li Weiyi was meditating on the floor, his Blood Qi thick and potent as he retracted the Battle Technique Intent of the Six Paths Battle Method into his body: "You're finally back. I thought you'd been killed."
"Look who I brought with me!" Shi Shishi said, gesturing proudly to the doorway.
Yin Shiyi slipped inside, his face lighting up with joy when he saw Li Weiyi: "You're incredible! The whole city is buzzing about how you drove off Ge Xiantong. It's just that, I don't know which bastard leaked your identity as a Divine Hidden One. Now everyone knows you're the leader of the Jiu Li Hidden Sect this sixty-year cycle."
Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed: "I suspect Hidden Lord deliberately spread the news, hoping the Jiu Li Hidden Sect would protect me."
Yin Shiyi's smile froze.
He realized that was highly likely; no other Hidden One would dare leak such information.
He forced a laugh: "I didn't say anything just now. Let's talk business first, shall we?"
Li Weiyi said, "Tell me first, what have you been doing for the past half month? I thought you'd died on New Year's Eve."
"I was nearly killed by Luan Sheng Lin You's palm strike, but I inherited the Battle Technique Intent of the Jiu Li Gods, didn't I? After falling into the river, I used my Aberrant Humanoid body's natural talent and the Nine-Headed Demonic Flood Dragon Battle Technique Intent to escape underwater. I fled to the Sea of the Bing Juze and hid in the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion to recover."
Yin Shiyi's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Guess what I found at the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion?"
"What?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yin Shiyi said, "Members of the Zuoqiu Hidden Sect! You wouldn't believe it, but the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion was Zuoqiu Hong and Zuoqiu Ting's final stronghold, and the Zuoqiu Hidden Sect was their last resort, now led by me truly! Hehe!"
Shi Shishi chuckled: "Brother Weiyi, you didn't expect Zuoqiu Hong to have a backup plan, did you? It's clearly for their final battle."
"Indeed, it's for their final battle! But the fact that he has to lead them himself shows the Zuoqiu Hidden Sect's strength is nothing special. They can only serve as a support force and a surprise element."
Li Weiyi suddenly smiled: "Do you know where the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival is being held tonight?"
"Where?" they asked in unison.
Li Weiyi replied, "The invitation card from Cang Li says, 'A bright moon rises over the sea, an immortal turtle carries the Dragon Palace.'"
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END OF CHAPTER
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