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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 78 (105): [One Strike]
(78th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The Dharma Dao Fire Ape was small and slender, resembling a ape with its pointed snout and protruding fangs.
It moved with incredible speed, soaring through the air like a fiery cloud as it closed in on Yin Ershi Wu.
Its razor-sharp claws slashed out, creating a crimson arc that crackled like burning air.
Yin Ershi Wu felt the entire world behind him erupt into flames. The oppressive pressure bore down, leaving him no room to dodge or escape. He had no choice but to draw upon the last dregs of Spiritual Qi from his Ancestral Field, grit his teeth, and turn to meet the attack with his blade.
"Boom!"
The collision of their Spiritual Qi energies unleashed a violent explosion.
Sand and stones flew across the beach as a gale-force wind raged.
Having withstood the strike, Yin Ershi Wu spat out a mouthful of blood and was hurled backward.
He collapsed to one knee, barely managing to support himself. His grip remained firm on the Blade, but his entire arm throbbed with pain, nearly numb and trembling uncontrollably.
The commotion roused the Martial-Mystic Cultivators aboard the various ships lining the shore. They gathered on decks, leaned over railings, and peered through windows, many with a voyeuristic curiosity.
"This black-clad man is no weakling. He exchanged over a dozen blows with the Dharma Dao Fire Ape before falling."
"Could he be a Nine Springs Supreme from the Jiu Li Tribe? He looks unfamiliar; I've never seen him before."
"Perhaps he's a Nine Springs Supreme secretly nurtured by the Jiu Li Tribe. He's already formidable, but his opponent possesses a Pure Immortal Physique. Below the Five Seas Realm, the Dharma Dao Fire Ape's combat prowess is among the most formidable in the entire Lingxiao Realm."
...
On the large ships lining the water's edge, the Jiu Li Tribe's Martial-Mystic Cultivators wore grim expressions, their hearts heavy.
Unlike the other cultivators, they couldn't laugh or joke.
They didn't know who Yin Ershi Wu was, but anyone who dared challenge the Dharma Dao Fire Ape on the arena was undoubtedly a hero of the Jiu Li Tribe, worthy of admiration.
At least he was showing the world that the Jiu Li Tribe still had people left - people with courage and spirit.
"Boom!"
The Spiritual Dao Fire Ape cackled maniacally as it landed heavily on the ground, its feet sinking into the earth.
Its body seemed forged from precious jade, and the flames burning across its fur radiated intense heat. The ground hissed and crackled, the mud and stone melting under the inferno.
The Dharma Dao Fire Ape glanced at Yin Ershi Wu, who knelt on one knee, drained of strength.
Instead of attacking immediately, it deliberately roared with laughter, wanting every cultivator in the area to hear its words: "Is that all you've got? I told you, the Jiu Li Tribe has no Supreme Being. Why did you have to be so stubborn?"
These words naturally enraged the countless Jiu Li Martial-Mystic Cultivators on the ships.
But they dared not voice their anger.
The Heavenly Cliff Ridge's dominance over the Southern Territory was absolute. Even the Four Extremes Ape King had come to Li Prefecture, leaving the Jiu Li Tribe, from top to bottom, gasping for breath under the oppressive weight.
Only those who experienced this humiliation, this precariousness, this suffocating pressure like a sword hanging over their heads, could truly understand its weight.
Yin Ershi Wu's eyes flashed with cold resolve. He gripped his Blade firmly, rose slowly to his feet without a word, and stood ready to face his enemy to the death.
The Dharma Dao Fire Ape's eyes flashed with cold fury: "Our sixth-generation descendant has already declared that all Surging Spring Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Jiu Li Tribe must get lost! Don't even think about laying a finger on the opportunities in Burial Immortal Town. Defy this, and we'll slaughter every last one of you. Yet you dare to ignore his words, showing not a shred of respect. Instead, you're planning some ridiculous Mangshan Grand Festival. Very well, starting with that farce tomorrow, we'll hunt you all down. Burial Immortal Town will first bury the Jiu Li!"
Yin Ershi Wu raised his voice: "The Jiu Li Tribe may have declined over the past few centuries, falling behind in combat prowess. But if we lose our final shred of courage, if we lack the will to fight to the death, then we truly have no hope left!"
"Well said!" A voice whispered from within the grand hall of a massive black iron warship anchored nearby, its owner possessing ears that could hear ten miles away.
Moments later, a Clan Leader emerged from the ship's cabin and addressed an Elder of the Five Seas Realm standing guard outside.
"Go rescue him! The Dharma Dao Fire Ape has broken the rules, pursuing his prey even after leaving the arena. This is utter lawlessness!"
The Clan Leader seethed with anger and helplessness. He desperately wanted to seize this opportunity to eliminate the Dharma Dao Fire Ape, but the Demon Clan Leader from Heavenly Cliff Ridge was in Yaoguan City, as was Yao Qian, the First Commander of the Sui Sect.
If he struck down the Fire Ape, he would inevitably provoke both of them.
...
....
The Dharma Dao Fire Ape sensed a Jiu Li Tribe Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator rapidly approaching across the river's surface. A mocking smile spread across its face as flames surged up its arm, and it lunged forward with a claw aimed straight for the cultivator's heart.
"You dare!"
The Jiu Li Tribe Elder, still a hundred zhang away on the water, could only roar in fury, hoping to intimidate the ape.
But the Dharma Dao Fire Ape completely disregarded him.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, everyone assumed Yin Ershi Wu was doomed, lamenting the Jiu Li Tribe's precarious situation.
But then...
A golden blade light erupted from the nearest large ship bearing the Yao Qi Flag, its brilliance eclipsing even the sun on the horizon.
The figure wielding the blade moved as one with it, instantly closing the ten-zhang gap and unleashing a devastating downward slash.
The Blade, long and heavy, struck with overwhelming force.
"Boom!"
Sparks exploded from the Dharma Dao Fire Ape's body. Its Pure Immortal Demon Physique, as clear as glazed glass, shot backward like a projectile, crashing through the pier dozens of meters away and scattering splintered wood.
The ape's body carved a deep trench in the ground before coming to rest at the end of the furrow, utterly unable to rise again.
One strike, decisive and brutal, had already determined the battle.
The Jiu Li Tribe's Five Seas Realm Elder arrived, emerging from the water to witness the scene.
He froze in place, his gaze drawn to the imposing black figure standing before Yin Ershi Wu, the Blade in hand, radiating an aura of heroic arrogance.
Instead of relief, a dark premonition surged through him.
'This is bad, very bad.'
In his eyes, Li Weiyi was undoubtedly a Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
Even if the Dharma Dao Fire Ape had broken the rules first, how could the demons of Heavenly Cliff Ridge possibly let a Five Seas Realm expert attack a Surging Spring Realm cultivator go unpunished?
"Swish! Swish! Swish..."
A swarm of Surging Spring Realm demons surged forward, stunned by the sight before them. They quickly surrounded the Dharma Dao Fire Ape.
One demon tried to help it up.
"Don't... don't move me," the Fire Ape rasped, "My ribs are shattered, my chest is crushed. Quick, summon the tribe's strongest warriors..."
An Ape Demon immediately activated a Spiritual Light Talisman.
"Boom!"
The talisman shot skyward, exploding in mid-air into a brilliant Demon Cloud that lingered for a long time.
Li Weiyi paid no heed to any of this. As a cultivator in the Surging Spring Realm, he knew that when Surging Spring Realm cultivators clashed, unless someone wanted to provoke a full-scale, genocidal war, everyone would have to swallow their pride and accept the outcome. Or, they could seek revenge in secret later.
If the Jiu Li Tribe couldn't even retaliate against this, their annihilation was inevitable, and they had no one to blame but themselves.
"Satisfied now?" Li Weiyi turned to face the critically wounded Yin Ershi Wu.
Yin Ershi Wu shook his head: "Not satisfied! I still need to harvest the rare medicine for the Pure Immortal Physique Transformation. Once I do, the outcome of our battle will be far from certain."
"You've reminded me!" Li Weiyi grinned.
"That Dharma Dao Fire Ape still has a bounty on that rare medicine."
Wielding his blood-soaked Blade, Li Weiyi strode toward the Dharma Dao Fire Ape, who lay paralyzed and near death on the ground.
He sighed inwardly, realizing that the twelve Spring-Breaking Needles had weakened him so severely that he hadn't been able to kill it with a single strike.
On the warships, countless Martial-Mystic Cultivators stared in stunned silence.
"What's he doing? I can feel an overwhelming killing intent radiating from him!"
"Heavens! Is he going to finish it off?"
"Taking on Heavenly Cliff Ridge head-on? Such fearless, iron-blooded resolve!"
.....
The Jiu Li Tribe Martial-Mystic Cultivators were ecstatic, their blood surging with excitement.
"Kill him!" one shouted, "The Jiu Li Tribe should have unleashed a Five Seas Realm powerhouse long ago to crush that arrogant demon ape!"
"All you know is killing," another retorted, "Do you even realize the consequences of killing the Dharma Dao Fire Ape? Who can withstand the wrath of the Four Extremes Ape King?"
"You'll live in fear for the rest of your life!"
The Surging Spring Realm demons surrounding the Dharma Dao Fire Ape showed no fear as Li Weiyi approached with his blade. A dozen of them charged forward, baring their fangs.
"Human, your death is imminent!" an Ape Demon roared, "You've gravely wounded Lord Fire Ape - you won't live to see nightfall!"
A Demon Bird, sensing Li Weiyi's overwhelming aura and sensing danger, threatened, "The Spiritual Light Talisman has already been activated. The Demon Clan's elites will arrive soon. If you flee now, you might still have a chance to survive."
"What level of demon dares threaten me?" Li Weiyi scoffed, puzzled.
'Is my aura not strong enough to intimidate them?'
He swung his five-foot-long Blade in a sweeping arc, the blade's light extending dozens of feet, sending the demons scattering in terror.
Two dog demons were too slow to retreat and were cut by the blade's light, their blood splattering across the ground.
Ignoring the distant demons' cries, Li Weiyi approached the Dharma Dao Fire Ape, lowered his head, and asked, "Where is the rare medicine?"
The Dharma Dao Fire Ape looked bewildered, unable to understand what he was asking. It lay motionless on the ground, blood continuing to seep from its chest wound.
Li Weiyi crouched down and began searching the ape's body. His eyes lit up as he pulled out a rectangular wooden box.
The wooden box radiated an intense yin energy.
It was crafted from the coffin of an Otherworldly Coffin.
When Li Weiyi opened it, wisps of Immortal Haze and Medicinal Fragrance spilled out. A white medicinal herb lay quietly inside, its three jade-like leaves surrounding a cluster of over a dozen crimson fruits.
The leaves resembled jade, while the fruits burned like fire. Nourished by the Immortal Haze, they had undergone a miraculous transformation, making them absolutely priceless.
Li Weiyi quickly closed the box, tucked it into his robe, and revised his impression of the Dharma Dao Fire Ape. He chuckled, "I thought someone as arrogant as you would just be making empty boasts about offering a rare medicine as a reward. But you're actually serious - you really do have a rare medicine on you."
The Dharma Dao Fire Ape's chest heaved violently with rage, blood gushing rapidly from the wound where its ribs had been severed.
Li Weiyi shouted to the Martial-Mystic Cultivators on the boats lining the shore, "Everyone, bear witness! I'm only taking what I earned - it was the ape who offered the rare medicine as a reward for winning the arena!"
An Ape Demon trembled with fury: "You've chosen your path to death!"
Li Weiyi retorted, "Do you want to fight me?"
The Ape Demon immediately clamped its mouth shut, choosing restraint and self-control.
The Five Seas Realm Elder of the Jiu Li Tribe was truly astonished.
Having never encountered such an anomaly within his clan, he transmitted a message to Li Weiyi through Spiritual Qi: "Escape now! If you don't leave immediately, you'll never get another chance!"
"Roar!"
"Awoo!"
Two earth-shattering roars from enraged demon cultivators reverberated across dozens of miles, churning the river into violent waves and rocking boats violently.
Two Five Seas Realm demon cultivators arrived at the docks: a Tiger Demon and a Wolf Demon. Their cultivation was profound, and they had already developed rudimentary human forms, able to stand upright and walk on two legs. Yet they retained their tiger and wolf bodies, their fur showing no signs of regression.
The Tiger Demon approached to examine the Dharma Dao Fire Ape's injuries, only to discover...
It had already breathed its last, its body lying in a pool of blood.
"What happened here?" the Tiger Demon roared in fury.
The Surging Spring Realm demons trembled before the Tiger Demon's overwhelming aura, falling to their knees in submission.
The Ape Demon stammered, "he was still breathing earlier... Lord Fire Ape was literally enraged to death by that human Martial-Mystic Cultivator."
Li Weiyi, who had just returned and reunited with Yaoyin and Yin Ershi Wu, was stunned by this news.
"It's dead?"
After learning the full story, the Tiger Demon and Wolf Demon radiated murderous intent.
In the decade of chaos since the world descended into turmoil, Heavenly Cliff Ridge had always been the one doing the killing.
This was the first time anyone had dared to turn their blades against them.
The two demons charged toward Li Weiyi and his companions, unleashing violent clouds of demonic qi from their bodies.
After a moment's hesitation, the Five Seas Realm Elder of the Jiu Li Tribe finally stepped forward to restrain the two demons: "The Dharma Dao Fire Ape broke the rules first. Our Nine Springs martial artist had already conceded defeat and left the arena, yet it continued to pursue him."
The Wolf Demon, towering four meters tall, snarled, "Are you saying the Dharma Dao Fire Ape deserved to die? It was a Nine Springs Pure Immortal Physique! How many of your Jiu Li Tribe's worthless lives would it take to compensate for that?"
The Tiger Demon added, "This matter won't be resolved so easily. We'll take these three lives and report back to our sixth-generation descendant."
From within a massive three-tiered warship anchored near the Yao Flag's flagship, a melodious female voice rang out, "For Five Seas Realm cultivators to interfere in a Surging Spring Realm conflict is unbecoming. This isn't restoring Heavenly Cliff Ridge's honor; it's further disgracing it."
All eyes turned toward the warship.
Some were astonished, others bewildered, and still others shocked.
'What did she mean?'
'The human man who killed the Dharma Dao Fire Ape with a single strike was actually a Surging Spring Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator?'
'How could that be possible?'
Li Weiyi also glanced over. He had only struck once, yet his true strength had been exposed. There were many experts present, so why was her perception so sharp?
Unfortunately, the warship's hull loomed like a city wall, obscuring the identity of the speaker.
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END OF CHAPTER
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