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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 38 (182): [A Terrifying Change]
(38th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Yang Qingxi smiled. "The Master of the Phoenix Terrace is the Second Palace Master. Can Jiang Ning truly defy her will?"
"So, the Sui Sect has truly turned completely? I thought you might leave yourselves an escape route, or at least not rush to switch sides so quickly," Zuoqiu Ting said, her tone probing.
Yang Qingxi saw through her intentions and didn't answer.
"Miss Yang's failure to go to the Seventh Pavilion actually proves that the Sui Sect is still hesitant, still waiting to see how things unfold," Li Weiyi sighed inwardly.
He couldn't believe how much the situation in Li Province had changed in just a few months. No wonder the war had reached a stalemate.
He asked, "What exactly does the Far Western Ashlands want?"
"They want to plunge the entire Lingxiao Realm into chaos. Then, march east and devour us all. To cooperate with them is to seek skin from a tiger - it will end badly."
These words weren't spoken by Zuoqiu Ting or Shi Shishi, but by Yang Qingxi herself.
Zuoqiu Ting laughed: "Is that all you've figured out, Miss Yang?"
Yang Qingxi had always preferred to keep her abilities hidden. But now, provoked by Zuoqiu Ting's challenge, a competitive fire ignited within her. Her red lips curled into a slight smile, and with a wave of her sleeve, strands of Spiritual Qi flew out.
"Crash!"
Plates, dishes, cups, and bowls on the table shifted rapidly.
Shi Shishi's chopsticks moved swiftly, yet he couldn't even pick up a single morsel.
He could only stare at Yang Qingxi in speechless frustration.
In an instant, the dishes and wine on the table had been arranged to mirror the layout of the Twenty-Eight Provinces of Lingxiao.
She stood up and said, "The Far Western Ashlands are close to the Western Territory, where their influence and infiltration run deepest. Ten years ago, during the Cangyuan battle, the Imperial Court's thousand-year-old elite army, the Western Sea Slaves, suffered a crushing defeat. Ember Spirits were involved in that conflict, which was followed by chaos in the seven provinces of the Western Territory."
"After a decade of turmoil, the Western Territory's population has plummeted by forty percent, making it the most devastated region among the four territories. Of the seven provinces, two are controlled by the Imperial Court, three by the Zhu Sect, and the remaining two are divided between the Quanrong and Que Rong tribes. The Western Rong rebels are backed by the Far Western Ashlands."
"There's no doubt that the Far Western Ashlands' involvement in the Southern Territory aims to replicate the chaos of the Western Territory. They'll first support Night City and the San Chen Palace, using the Sui Sect to crush the Jiu Li Clan and seize the entire Li Province. Then, they'll rally forces like Coffin Mountain, Li City, and Heavenly Cliff Ridge to jointly attack the Zuoqiu Sect."
"When the Snow Sword Tang Court from the Northern Territory, the Dragon Sect from the Eastern Territory, and the Thundercloud Sect converge beneath Lingxiao City, and the Imperial Court's army is locked in a mutually destructive battle with them, that will be the moment the Ember Spirit descends from the east to burn the Twenty-Eight Provinces of Lingxiao to ashes."
Qian Yanzhenning stared intently at the chessboard, his gaze deep and strange: "If the Far Western Ashlands are a common enemy to all under heaven, why do people willingly allow themselves to be used? Why can't everyone join forces to deal with them first?"
Zuoqiu Ting sneered: "Even during the Grand Palace Mistress's most brilliant and decisive reign, she couldn't unite the world's forces to destroy the Far Western Ashlands. That should tell you how formidable they truly are."
Yang Qingxi nodded: "No one believes they're being used. They all think they're the ones using the Ashlands, borrowing their power to achieve their own goals."
Commotion erupted outside the pavilion.
From the shouts, it was clear that the Imperial Court's top experts had arrived.
Zhennan Pavilion could only offer a view of the sea, so they couldn't see the spectacle unfolding outside.
But inside the pavilion, silence fell.
Everyone knew the Imperial Court's experts would inevitably pass by. For this group of Martial-Mystic Cultivators pretending to be loyal to the Imperial Court, the pressure was palpable.
Zuoqiu Baiyuan remained calm.
He poured Li Weiyi a full cup of wine, held it up with both hands, and said with a flattering tone, "Brother Li, Bai Yuan offers you this toast as atonement for my previous disrespect."
Li Weiyi declined, saying, "I never drink alcohol..."
"How can you refuse? The fish head is facing you!" Shi Shishi had been eyeing the fish head for a long time but couldn't reach it from his seat.
Li Weiyi passed the fish to him, intending to substitute tea for wine, when the sound of hurried footsteps and boisterous chatter began to spread from the first floor of the pavilion to the fourth, finally reaching the entrance of the Zhennan Pavilion.
As if time had frozen, everyone at the table turned to watch, their eyes fixed and unmoving.
The leaders of the Phoenix Pavilion, Ge Xiantong; the Phoenix Terrace, Jiang Ning; and the Qilin Terrace, Chen Ziliang, along with a large group of Imperial Court experts, passed by outside.
Each wore official robes and ornate attire, radiating an aura of nobility.
Their shadows flickered, their footsteps echoed in unison, and their hushed conversations filled the air.
Following them were dozens of young Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the military, all clad in armor. Even through the door and windows, one could sense the chilling killing intent emanating from them. The mental waves of their Battle Technique Intent, evoking images of golden spears and iron horses, filled their ears.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, the door to the Imperial Pavilion was pushed open with a single palm strike.
The person outside remained unseen, but a surge of overwhelming Spiritual Qi rushed in.
More than a dozen young Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Imperial Court, clad in black official robes and tall winged official hats, filed in.
Half were female, half were eunuchs. They exuded an imposing aura, but also an unsettlingly heavy Yin energy.
They parted to make way, retreating to either side.
"You all go ahead. I need to settle a personal matter," a familiar, melodious voice, like celestial music, drifted in from outside.
Jiang Ning strode in, her back straight and hands clasped behind her. White Feather Spiritual Qi swirled around her, her skin glowing with a rosy hue. Her exquisite eyebrows and eyes were concealed by a three-finger-wide strip of White Dragon-patterned Jiaosha. Her official robe differed from the others - spotlessly white, embroidered with five Luan Birds, it blended an air of heroic spirit with an aura of mysterious mistiness.
Everyone in the pavilion felt her unparalleled Intentional Pressure, particularly the members of the Sui Sect.
"Yang Qingxi, why are you seated on the fourth floor? With your cultivation..."
Jiang Ning paused when she saw Li Weiyi sitting beside Yang Qingxi.
Her voice turned colder: "You shouldn't be here."
Yang Qingxi sat in her seat, avoiding eye contact with Jiang Ning. She used spiritual energy transmission to speak: "Jiang Ning, before you settle your personal grievances, you'd better think carefully. Right now, the Imperial Court needs the Sui Sect. Don't let momentary satisfaction drive you to push them into opposition."
Jiang Ning raised her right hand.
Immediately, a female official behind her presented a sword.
"Swish!"
With a mere flick of her finger, Jiang Ning guided the sword. A torrent of silver light cascaded down like a celestial waterfall, and Sheng Qingyan, who had previously escorted Zhuang Yue, was instantly decapitated. Her severed head slammed into a plate on the table with a sickening thud.
The scene was utterly terrifying. Blood splattered outward for over ten yards.
Shi Shishi, seated next to Sheng Qingyan, froze in terror, holding his breath and shrinking into himself like a statue, too afraid to turn and look at Jiang Ning.
"Do you think you're that important? Killing you won't change the Sui Sect's leadership's decisions."
Jiang Ning turned and left, tossing over her shoulder, "Give our startled guests a new Imperial Pavilion room and serve them the finest wine."
The young Martial-Mystic Cultivators in their official robes from the Imperial Court chuckled and then flowed out like a tide.
Only Yang Qingxi remained, her gaze as cold as frost. Her silver teeth were clenched so tightly she nearly bit through them.
Clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white, she trembled from head to toe, forcing herself to swallow this unprecedented humiliation.
Yang Yue and Yang Zhiyong recovered from their shock and stared at Sheng Qingyan's headless corpse, blood still gushing from the severed neck.
"Young Mistress... let's go. We've already come here to apologize, but who would have thought... she..."
Yang Qingxi, possessing remarkable composure, regained her composure in an instant.
"Then let's go!" she said calmly, "Li Weiyi, be careful after you leave the Heavenly Pavilion. The night road is treacherous, and everyone is prey. Either you eat me, or I eat you."
With that, Yang Qingxi picked up Sheng Qingyan's severed head and ordered the two Yangs to carry the body.
They descended the stairs under the astonished gazes of the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion's Martial-Mystic Cultivators, drawing a crowd of onlookers all the way down.
Shi Shishi recovered and said, "Brother Yi, she's furious... I'm afraid she'll only take it out on you!"
Li Weiyi said, "Do you think you can escape?"
Shi Shishi's face immediately fell, and his appetite vanished.
At the carved railing of the Seventh Pavilion, Jiang Ning stood with one hand behind her back, as if floating among the clouds, gazing down at the three members of the Sui Sect descending the Jade Steps.
Beside her, Chen Ziliang, the Leader of Qilin Terrace, spoke: "She's deliberately playing the victim while also leaving a way out for the Sui Sect, a silent counterattack against you. You haven't struck hard enough!"
Jiang Ning's thoughts weren't on Yang Qingxi. She muttered to herself, "Arrogant, refuses advice, and has a rebellious spirit. What a headache."
"I could cure your headache by ensuring she doesn't live through the night..." Chen Ziliang chuckled.
Jiang Ning glanced at him: "What's the point of killing Yang Qingxi? Long Dian and Lu Cangsheng are on their way. Can you defeat either of the Eastern Territory's top two?"
Chen Ziliang's eyes turned cold, his voice sharp and feminine: "Then I'll weigh them up later and send them back East."
.....
In the adjacent Imperial Pavilion, the table was noticeably less crowded.
Qi Wangshu sighed, "To have witnessed the Feather Immortal's grace so closely, yet to have had my view obscured by the Dragon Veil, preventing me from fully appreciating her stunning beauty... it's a great regret of my life. There won't be another chance like this!"
Zuoqiu Baiyuan remarked, "The Feather Immortal is quite magnanimous. Despite knowing we were imposters, she didn't drive us out. Instead, she moved us to this Imperial Pavilion and sent us the finest wine."
Li Weiyi pondered this, then asked Zuoqiu Ting, "The veil Jiang Ning wears is quite unique. Is there a special significance to it?"
Zuoqiu Ting replied, "That's the Dragon Soul Veil. She's likely trying to master the Dragon Awakening Technique before the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival. She intends to harness the Dragon Soul power sealed by the Imperial Court for a thousand years to strengthen her trump card."
As time passed, everyone in the pavilion waited for the arrival of the Dragon Sect and Thundercloud Sect's Inheritors, eager to witness their clash.
At noon, a dragon's roar and thunderous rumble echoed simultaneously, reverberating through the heavens.
A large contingent of Dragon Sect and Thundercloud Sect experts, riding Dragon Scale Strange Beasts and Thunder and Lightning birds, approached from the ground and sky.
Long Dian, Long Ting, Lu Cangsheng, and over a hundred top Heavenly Prides from the Eastern Territory affiliated with the two Major Powers formed a ceremonial guard, waiting outside the first floor pavilion's entrance.
Inside the southwest Imperial Pavilion on the fourth floor, the crowd couldn't see what was happening outside, but they could sense the lively atmosphere in the square below.
"Dragon Sect and Thundercloud Sect have given Zhu Huan ample respect," Li Weiyi sighed, "All three Inheritors and every top-tier expert are waiting to greet him."
Zuoqiu Ting said, "They're not just giving face to Zhu Huan, but to the Zhu Sect itself. With the East-West Alliance joining forces, the Imperial Court will be under immense pressure. I'm eager to see how the three at the top will respond."
Fifteen minutes later, the Zhu Sect's top Martial-Mystic Cultivators arrived. The atmosphere beneath the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion reached its peak, drawing the attention of heroes from across the land as if they were witnessing a historic moment.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from below.
A panicked voice roared out, "Disaster! Long Ting has killed the Zhu Sect's Inheritor!"
At these words, Zuoqiu Ting, usually composed, turned pale. He sensed a conspiracy brewing. His figure vanished from his seat, leaving only a parting warning: "Leave the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion immediately! Something terrible is about to happen today!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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