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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 99 (127): [The Death of Shang Zhi]
(99th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"It is said that once the Earth Spirit Grey Mist enters your body, it immediately merges with your blood, causing your body to rapidly stiffen until you can't move," Zuoqiu Lanlan said, holding her breath and asking in terror, "Brother Che, you're so knowledgeable - is this true?"
The five of them quickly retreated to an area of the valley free of the Earth Spirit Grey Mist.
Tian Che's expression was grim: "Not only that, but if you inhale too much, your flesh will rot rapidly."
"Don't scare yourself. We only inhaled a tiny amount. Quickly circulate your spiritual power to refine it."
Reaching a flat area within the valley, Zuoqiu Baiming planted the Azure Yin Banner in the ground and exhaled spiritual Qi to activate it.
"Whoosh!"
The Yin Banner fluttered, rapidly rising and expanding, emitting a layer of azure light that enveloped the surrounding dozen meters.
Dozens of armored Dead Spirits materialized within the light, each one imposing and majestic, wielding swords to guard the four directions.
With Zuoqiu Baiming's cultivation, this was the limit to which he could activate this High-Grade Spiritual Artifact.
He turned to Shang Zhi and commanded, "You activate the Yin Banner."
"Me?"
Shang Zhi knew the situation was dire.
Refining the Earth Spirit Grey Mist within his body was his top priority.
"Your strength is the weakest, so of course, it's your job. Don't worry, I won't abandon you. Once I refine the Earth Spirit Grey Mist and drive off these arrogant fools, I'll personally come and save you."
The sound of rushing wind grew louder in Zuoqiu Baiming's ears. His impatience boiled over, and he barked, "Hurry up! Don't force me to split you in two right now!"
Zuoqiu Baiming had decided from the moment he entered the mountains that he would kill Li Weiyi and Shang Zhi after using them, seizing their merits and gains. In his current desperation, he had inadvertently voiced his true intentions.
Facing the Heavenflame Blade hovering above his head, Shang Zhi had no choice but to walk beneath the Azure Yin Banner and channel his spiritual Qi into it with both hands.
Even as the Shou Li Tribe's favored son, accustomed to the praise and admiration of countless tribesmen, he was forced to swallow his pride. If he possessed the cultivation of the second stage of the Five Seas Realm, why would he endure such humiliation?
Zuoqiu Baiming sat cross-legged, already feeling a slight numbness in his skin. The Earth Spirit Grey Mist was far more terrifying than he had anticipated, and his mood instantly turned grave.
Li Weiyi glanced at Zuoqiu Baiming, who was enveloped in spiritual Qi, and felt a surge of danger.
He secretly rejoiced that he had revealed some of his strength earlier; otherwise, he would surely have been dragged into activating the Yin Banner as well.
"Whoosh!"
The Fox Demon, encased in Fallen Spirit Skin, charged into the valley.
It glared at the five figures within the Yin Banner, its pupils turning crimson. With a cold snort, it struck decisively, giving its opponents no time to refine the Earth Spirit Grey Mist.
The white pendant around its neck, activated by spiritual Qi, emitted a blinding radiance.
With a punch, thunderous roars echoed through the valley as the blow slammed into the azure light curtain emanating from the Yin Banner.
"Boom!"
Within the curtain, fifteen Dead Spirits clad in armor instantly converged, combining their strength to unleash a single, devastating sword strike that blocked the Fox Demon's earth-shattering punch.
On the steep cliffs surrounding the valley, numerous rocks tumbled down from the impact.
The azure light curtain rippled with shockwaves, yet remained calm within.
Zuoqiu Baiming, simultaneously refining the Earth Spirit Grey Mist, sneered, "This Azure Yin Banner of mine is a High-Grade Spiritual Artifact. How could a mere Demon like you break through it?"
Li Weiyi's Nightwalker's Garment, though also a High-Grade Spiritual Artifact, offered far less defensive power than the Azure Yin Banner.
It prioritized stealth and speed, making it ideal for assassination, where its true strength lay.
"Swish! Swish..."
More figures entered the valley.
Besides three Five Seas Realm Demon Cultivators, there was also a tall figure in Fallen Spirit Skin, wielding a white Yin Banner and wearing a war blade at his waist.
His aura was formidable, his gaze piercing like a torch. The spiritual Qi radiating from his body filled the valley, marking him as a top-tier figure in the second stage of the Five Seas Realm.
Li Weiyi summoned the Immortal Haze within his Divine Gate, rapidly refining the Earth Spirit Grey Mist within his body.
The numbness in his skin and flesh vanished.
He looked beyond the light curtain and recognized the figure holding a white Yin Banner, shrouded in Fallen Spirit Skin: "Xue Qi, you have dared to make the Sui Sect and the Zuoqiu Sect enemies. Have you considered the consequences?"
Beneath the Fallen Spirit Skin, Xue Qi's tone remained calm. He addressed the Fox Demon powerhouse of Heavenly Cliff Ridge: "Kill them all. Leave no survivors."
"The Zuoqiu Sect sent these three Pure Immortal Physiques into Thirty-Three Li Mountain with the intention of testing them. If they all die, it would be perfectly reasonable."
The Fox Demon powerhouse poured all his strength into the High-Grade Spiritual Artifact pendant around his neck, causing his power fluctuations to intensify.
The third figure, also wrapped in Fallen Spirit Skin, unfurled feathered wings and soared above the valley.
Four meters long, his voice echoed through the valley as he laughed: "The flesh of Pure Immortal Physiques is incredibly delicious. This time, it seems I can feast to my heart's content."
He was the leader of Coffin Mountain, known by the Dharma name - "Di Ran". An Aberrant Humanoid who had consumed the blood of two Ancient Immortal Giant Beasts, he possessed traits of both beasts: feathered wings on his back and arms covered in fiery scales.
"Boom!"
"Rumble!"
....
Attacks rained down from all directions, shattering the armored Dead Spirits on the azure light curtain.
"Senior Brother Bai Ming, this isn't good. Heavenly Cliff Ridge has allied with multiple forces. If they dare to attack you on Thirty-Three Li Mountain today, who knows what they might do tomorrow? They might even attack Qiu Prefecture."
After saying this, Li Weiyi stood up, leaving Zuoqiu Sect's three members a resolute back: "No matter what, someone must survive. You continue refining the Earth Spirit Grey Mist. I'll go help Shang Zhi activate the Yin Banner."
He dared not use Immortal Haze in front of Zuoqiu Baiming, fearing jealousy and a fatal calamity. Therefore, he didn't dare refine the Earth Spirit Grey Mist for them.
Zuoqiu Lanlan and Tian Che opened their eyes in turn, gazing at Li Weiyi as he activated the Yin Banner. Tears welled up in their eyes, and any lingering doubts about his previous actions vanished.
This Sima Qin...
He's truly a man of unparalleled loyalty!
As Li Weiyi released his spiritual Qi into the Yin Banner, more armored Dead Spirits flew out.
"We can't wait any longer! Zuoqiu Baiming may be a fool, but his Martial Dao talent and combat prowess are exceptional. We can't let him fully refine the Earth Spirit Grey Mist."
Xue Qi retreated several paces and pulled out a three-inch square Jade Box from his sleeve.
Unsealing the surface, the Jade Box opened, releasing a surge of purple mist and crackling Thunder and Lightning.
He hesitated to use this immensely powerful treasure unless absolutely necessary.
Li Weiyi wanted to drag the Zuoqiu Sect into the fray, forcing them to provide greater support to help the Jiu Li Clan weather the impending crisis of annihilation.
Xue Qi, too, sought to bind Heavenly Cliff Ridge, Coffin Mountain, and other factions firmly to the Sui Sect's war chariot.
From Zuoqiu Ting's actions, the Sui Sect saw the Zuoqiu Sect's true intentions.
Clearly, the Zuoqiu Sect still aimed to support the Jiu Li Clan as the rulers of Li Province.
Therefore, the Sui Sect had no choice but to deepen its ties with Heavenly Cliff Ridge, Coffin Mountain, and other factions. Only then could they hope to crush the Jiu Li Clan and force the Zuoqiu Sect to reconsider its allegiances.
Faced with the overwhelming tide of events and the stakes of power and profit, even the Ancient Myriad Sects would eventually have to yield.
Thus, when Heavenly Cliff Ridge moved against Zuoqiu Baiming, Xue Qi acted with utmost zeal. He not only pledged to help them reclaim the Immortal Soil but also vowed to kill every member of the Zuoqiu Sect!
As a junior disciple, this was the extent of his influence. Perhaps his impact on the grand scheme of things was as insignificant as a straw, yet it might still prove to be the final straw that swayed the decision of the higher echelons.
'The wind rises from the tip of a green duckweed leaf, and waves form from the slightest rift.'
The Sui Sect's current power was forged by generations of such Green Duckweed Ripples who had worked tirelessly together.
Xue Qi's ultimate goal was to surpass First Commander Yao Qian and even Sect Master Yang Shenjing.
"Damn, it's Thunder Law Profound Ice!"
Li Weiyi recognized the object in Xue Qi's hand. His expression changed drastically as he immediately activated all ten Springs within him, triggering the defensive spiritual artifacts on his body.
"Boom!"
Xue Qi unleashed the Thunder Law Profound Ice from the jade box.
The ice crystals shattered, releasing streaks of bright purple lightning.
Some bolts of lightning shot dozens of meters, striking the mountainside, splitting rocks and setting trees ablaze.
The armored Dead Spirits exploded one after another, and the azure light veil emitted by the Yin Banner was torn open, creating a massive hole several meters wide.
"Crack! Thump!"
Li Weiyi and Shang Zhi were both struck by the lightning and sent flying away.
The Fox Demon expert and Xue Qi, with their profound Law techniques and uncanny speed, were the first to charge into the area shrouded by the light veil, attacking Zuoqiu Baiming, who sat cross-legged in meditation.
Li Weiyi quickly stood up, rubbing his chest and checking his body.
He was unharmed.
Shang Zhi slowly sat up, the blood-red runes on his talisman robe flashing, having blocked the fatal blow.
However, his flesh had stiffened, and his limbs were difficult to move. The strange power of the Earth Spirit Grey Mist had already entered his heart.
Li Weiyi wasn't one to stand idly by. He was about to pull Shang Zhi to his feet and escape together.
"Swish! Swish..."
Countless metal feathers rained down from above, piercing Shang Zhi's body into a bloody sieve.
Shattering the metal feathers, Li Weiyi rushed to Shang Zhi's side and lifted him up.
He had only one breath left, his eyes bulging as he clutched Li Weiyi's sleeve tightly.
"Hurry... escape... down the mountain... Zuoqiu... Baiming... untrustworthy..."
Li Weiyi's heart was heavy.
Though their friendship wasn't deep, he had grown fond of Shang Zhi.
As a Nine Springs Supreme, he should have had a bright future, yet he had perished in an instant - truly, life was unpredictable.
Li Weiyi reached for Shang Zhi's money pouch.
'He might as well take it now that Shang Zhi wouldn't need it anymore!'
"Let's get out of here. The valley entrance is surely blocked by a large group of Martial-Mystic Cultivators. We can't go that way. We'll escape by climbing the cliff face on the valley's left side."
Zuoqiu Baiming's combat prowess was extraordinary.
He had single-handedly driven back the combined forces of the Fox Demon and Xue Qi.
Now, he raised his saber and leaped toward the cliff face on the valley's left side, clearing six or seven meters with a single bound.
The cliff wasn't particularly steep, and juniper trees grew along its face.
A Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator could easily climb it like an ape.
Zuoqiu Lanlan and Tian Che released their spiritual Qi, activating their movement techniques to quickly follow.
The Fox Demon and Xue Qi completely ignored Li Weiyi, focusing solely on pursuing Zuoqiu Baiming, who was fleeing at the front.
They flanked him, closing in from both sides.
Li Weiyi looked up at the massive Aberrant Humanoid figure with metal wings circling overhead.
This was the one who killed Shang Zhi - a formidable opponent.
"The valley entrance is undoubtedly dangerous, but wouldn't the people from Heavenly Cliff Ridge, the Sui Sect, and Coffin Mountain know they could escape by climbing the cliff? If they attack from above, with the advantage of terrain, we'll only die faster."
"Then we'll break through head-on."
Li Weiyi made a swift decision.
His gaze swept over the three Five Seas Realm Demon Race beings closing in on him.
Calmly, he lifted Shang Zhi's corpse, securing it to his back, intending to bring it back to the Jiu Li Clan for burial.
Having accepted payment, he would fulfill his duty and ensure the deceased received proper respect.
With one hand holding Shang Zhi's spiritual artifact battle saber and the other grasping the Azure Yin Banner abandoned by the fleeing Zuoqiu Baiming, his eyes sharpened.
"Those who don't want to die, step aside."
With that, Li Weiyi charged toward the valley entrance.
"Just a first-stage Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator. How strong can he be?"
"Three against one, the advantage is ours."
The three Demon Race Five Seas Realm beings exchanged glances, then charged forward from three directions, converging to attack Li Weiyi.
They knew his prowess and unleashed their full power from the start.
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END OF CHAPTER
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