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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 65 (209): [The Blood-Drenched River]
(65th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Almost the instant Li Weiyi was struck by the sword qi, Yang Zhiyong launched his attack.
His battle halberd spun like a windmill, aiming to finish him off while he was weakened.
Any thought of capturing him alive had long been abandoned.
This young man was terrifying, his Cultivation speed defying the heavens.
Who could guarantee he wouldn't break through another realm before the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival ended?
If he broke through again, who in the Sui Sect could stop him?
"I told you, your battle halberd is too long for this narrow space. Why won't you listen?"
After a few exchanges, Li Weiyi slammed a palm against Yang Zhiyong's chest.
"Pfft!"
His palm, like an iron mountain with five fingers, shattered Yang Zhiyong's ribs, causing him to spew blood and be sent flying backward.
Though the Supreme Profound Needle's sword qi had struck him, most of its power was blocked and neutralized by his Nightwalker's Garment and Corpse Garment Soft Armor, preventing serious injury.
The water flowed gently.
The stream of Intent surged forward again.
"Yang Qingxi, do you really think I fear you? You have allies, and so do I."
Li Weiyi released the five Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors from his insect pouch, then split them into six groups to meet Yang Qingxi's attack.
The moment they clashed, Yang Qingxi realized something was wrong.
Not only was Li Weiyi's Cultivation speed astonishing, but the Strange Insects he raised grew at an equally alarming rate.
In terms of speed alone, the five Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors were already on par with Yang Qingxi.
Yang Qingxi had initially been on the offensive.
But under the combined attack of Li Weiyi and his five Strange Insects, she was forced to switch to a defensive stance. She shielded herself with Spiritual Qi and battle intent, preventing the Strange Insects from getting close.
The five Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors were no match for Yang Qingxi. The disparity in cultivation was too great. They were constantly knocked back by streams of her Intent. Yet their bodies, as hard as gold and iron, would shake off the impact and instantly take flight again.
"Taixuan Supreme Law, Silken Rain Flying Sword Technique!"
"Zheng!"
A piercing sword clang echoed through the hall.
The Taixuan Needle in Yang Qingxi's hand, a mere three feet long, transformed into a flying sword, moving like a bright silken thread weaving through the hall.
Its speed was so blindingly fast that it was barely visible to the naked eye.
Li Weiyi's heart pounded in his chest. He managed to intercept the sword three times in a row, deflecting it with his own blade. But on the fourth attempt, he failed to block it.
The sword struck his shoulder like a heavy hammer blow, leaving his left arm numb.
"Bang!"
The Corpse Garment Soft Armor he wore beneath his robes activated, releasing a torrent of Blood Qi and crimson scriptures that filled the entire hall.
"She has such a trump card? What is this?"
Li Weiyi dared not remain stationary as before. He immediately activated the Clear Void Cicada Chase Step, his form blurring like smoke, constantly shifting and evading.
He reasoned that even if the needle sword moved at lightning speed, it still had to be controlled by Yang Qingxi's Intent.
As long as Yang Qingxi couldn't lock onto him with her Intent, the needle sword's threat would be greatly diminished.
"Boom!"
A war chariot crashed through the brothel's main gate.
The wall shattered, leaving a gaping hole, and even the Formation was torn apart.
The chariot was a Hundred-Character Scripture Artifact, the Earth Wolf King's Army's ultimate formation-breaking weapon.
Shi Shishi stood atop the chariot, shouting, "Brother Weiyi, are you still alive?"
"If you'd been a moment later, you'd have been here to collect my corpse!" Li Weiyi, still fleeing, leaped onto the chariot.
A Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor perched on Shi Shishi's head, looking at Li Weiyi as if seeking praise, emitting a strange "howl-howl" sound.
It was too small to have ever howled before, so its howl sounded rather childish.
Li Weiyi had instructed it to use a wolf howl as a signal to find Shi Shishi before entering the brothel.
Shi Shishi surveyed the brothel's shattered hall, then turned to Yang Zhiyong, lying on the ground, severely wounded, and Yang Qingxi, her long hair disheveled, framing her cheeks in a rather disheveled state.
Shi Shishi felt utterly superfluous, his mind reeling in shock: "Are you mistaken? I thought I was about to call Miss Yang my sister-in-law! How did you suddenly become so strong?"
"Clang!"
The Taixuan Needle flew toward him.
Spiritual Qi surged into Shi Shishi's chariot, instantly conjuring countless wolf shadows before it. One hundred and twenty-eight bright scriptures erupted from the chariot, intercepting the Taixuan Needle and forming concentric ripples of light.
Li Weiyi stared intently at the trembling Taixuan Needle, pondering how to counter Yang Qingxi's move.
It was truly terrifying. Even Successor-level figures would likely struggle against it.
He considered two options: cultivating the Spirit Treasure Seizing Hand to manifest battle intent and seize the needle, or directly attacking Yang Qingxi's true form, which would require perfect timing and speed.
"Whoosh!"
Li Weiyi dashed forward, preparing to unleash the Spirit Treasure Seizing Hand.
But Yang Qingxi retracted the Taixuan Needle. A wave of Spiritual Qi surged from her body, scattering all the Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors. Then, moving like a phantom, she landed on the ground, scooped up the severely injured Yang Zhiyong in one arm, crashed through the wooden wall, and charged out into the street.
Now that the Earth Wolf King's Army had arrived, their defeat was inevitable.
Outside, Tao Yanyan roared, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Boom!"
She swung her gourd-shaped warhammer, as large as a washbasin, sending Yang Qingxi crashing back to the ground.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Li Weiyi and Shi Shishi burst out of the brothel like lightning. One wielded a sword, the other clenched his claws, their battle intent following them like shadows.
The Four Great Experts clashed in a fierce melee.
After a dozen moves, Yang Qingxi let out a low, pained cry and was thrown back alongside Yang Zhiyong.
They tumbled left and right across the wide street.
Tao Yanyan's gourd-shaped warhammer had struck Yang Qingxi in the back. Even with her defensive battle armor, she coughed up blood from her nose and mouth, severely injured. With great difficulty, she struggled to her feet.
Unlike Yin Jiu, who had obtained the Jiu Li God's Battle Intent, or Jiang Ning, with her Hundred Silver Meridians, she couldn't fight three opponents at once.
The Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Sui Sect on Changning Street rushed toward the scene but were blocked by the Earth Wolf King's Army.
Yang Yun failed to escape. A Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor's wing sliced through his tendons, leaving him sprawled on the roadside.
A voice called out from the brothel: "Tao Yanyan, Shi Shishi, let her go. Yao Qian owes each of you a favor."
Hearing Yao Qian's voice, Tao Yanyan and Shi Shishi were startled, but quickly regained their composure.
Standing on a low courtyard wall to the right of the brothel was a young woman in a Daoist robe.
With a brush in one hand and a notebook in the other, she was rapidly recording: "Li Weiyi of Li Prefecture, Fifth-Stage Five Seas Realm, brought rare insects to a draw with Yang Qingxi."
Tao Yanyan and Shi Shishi's names and achievements weren't recorded, indicating their battle hadn't been particularly impressive.
Li Weiyi showed no fear of Yao Qian's intervention.
He strode to Yang Qingxi, placing his Yellow Dragon Sword at her throat, and demanded, "Where's my stuff?"
"What?"
Yang Qingxi was severely injured, her face as pale as paper, her eyes vacant.
Li Weiyi didn't want too many people to know the Yongquan Coin was in Yang Qingxi's possession.
He transmitted his voice through Spiritual Qi: "Stop pretending. Where's the Yongquan Coins?"
Yang Qingxi looked even more bewildered.
She had no idea what Li Weiyi meant. Had she risked her life tonight just to protect the Yongquan Coin on her person?
Her eyes narrowed, her silver teeth clenched tight. She removed her purse and handed it over.
Li Weiyi took the purse and opened it.
Inside were only a few dozen Yongquan Coins and some silver coins.
Li Weiyi's finger trembled, nearly losing control of his speechless frustration. Even on the brink of death, she still had to toy with him?
"Is this what you want? Hand it over yourself. Don't force me to search you and make things ugly for everyone," Li Weiyi said in a low voice, then reluctantly conceded, "As long as you return the money... I might spare your life tonight."
"Tonight" didn't mean tomorrow.
Li Weiyi was confident that any enemy defeated by him would never catch up. The gap between them would only widen.
But right now, he couldn't care less. He just wanted his money back.
Yang Qingxi realized something must have happened that she didn't know about: "Can you be more direct?"
Li Weiyi took a deep breath, speaking each word slowly: "The... five... chests... of... Yongquan... Coins..."
"The five chests of Yongquan Coins stolen from the Bingzuze Lake Arena?" Yang Qingxi suddenly understood.
Li Weiyi said, "Hand them over, and you can have your life."
After a moment of thought, Yang Qingxi replied, "Why do you assume I have them?"
Li Weiyi lost patience for further conversation: "Search her. Search her from head to toe."
"Alright, I'll do it."
Shi Shishi volunteered.
Li Weiyi glared at him and turned to Bai Shu, "You do it."
Bai Shu carefully examined Yang Qingxi's body, finding a Boundary Pouch.
After inspecting the pouch, Li Weiyi shook his head: "Keep searching!"
After a thorough search, they found nothing.
Bai Shu tapped her chin thoughtfully: "Martial-Mystic Cultivators who have cultivated to the Seventh Sea can store extremely important items in their Ancestral Fields. What you're looking for might be hidden there."
Li Weiyi didn't believe Yang Qingxi would hide five chests of Yongquan Coins in her Ancestral Field. He used his Mental Power to summon "Er Feng," intending to have it identify the Spiritual Qi.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, space rippled in Yang Qingxi's Ancestral Field below her navel, and countless needle-like projectiles shot out.
"Watch out!"
Li Weiyi shoved Bai Shu aside and lunged at Yang Qingxi.
Wearing a Nightwalker's Garment and Corpse Garment Soft Armor, his upper body was protected from the Spiritual Qi needles.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yang Qingxi ignored the wound on her neck and forcibly wrenched the Yellow Dragon Sword from Li Weiyi's grasp. A terrifying, bloody gash appeared on her snow-white neck.
"Bang! Bang!"
After several hard exchanges, both Yang Qingxi and Bai Shu were forced back, separating.
Yang Qingxi seized the opportunity to escape.
Bai Shu waved her arm, sending a talismanic light striking Yang Qingxi's back.
Behind the Immortal Joy Pavilion lay a wide river channel. By the time Li Weiyi caught up, Yang Qingxi had vanished without a trace.
Yang Qingxi's ability to escape Zuoqiu Ting's grasp spoke volumes about her speed and concealment skills.
Shi Shishi approached Li Weiyi and examined the scene: "It appears to be Water Evasion from the Five Elements Evasion Technique. It's similar to the Earth Evasion practiced by our Earth Wolf King's Army Martial-Mystic Cultivators, but far more refined."
Li Weiyi said, "Yang Qingxi choosing this place to hide wasn't a coincidence. Miss Bai Shu, was that a tracking talisman you just used?"
Bai Shu shook her head: "A Six Desires Talisman!"
Li Weiyi and Shi Shishi stared at her in stunned disbelief.
"Don't joke around! This woman must have stolen something important from Brother Wei. We have to catch her!" Shi Shishi said.
Bai Shu replied, "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Li Weiyi sensed something amiss. He crouched down and gazed at the river's surface.
The water was turning increasingly red.
Looking upstream, his expression froze.
The river, which flowed from Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain, coursed through the city, and emptied into the Bing Juze Lake, had transformed into a river of blood.
Mutilated corpses began to surface on the river.
"What brutal battle took place upstream? The river has turned crimson."
Shi Shishi and Bai Shu's faces grew grave and pale at the sight.
More and more corpses drifted downstream.
Some wore official robes, others were Demon Clan Martial-Mystic Cultivators, and still others were Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Jiu Li Tribe and the Zuoqiu Clan.
Li Weiyi's expression suddenly changed. He flicked a strand of Spiritual Qi mist rope from his fingertips, snagging a corpse in fine brocade and dragging it to the bank.
To be precise, it was only half a corpse.
Qi Wangshu had been severed at the waist, leaving only his upper body.
Shi Shishi knew Qi Wangshu was Li Weiyi's friend and tried to comfort him: "Brother Weiyi, this is war. Tonight, it's a battle for survival. The Imperial Court must win, and the Zuoqiu Clan and Jiu Li Tribe must win too. That means rivers of blood will flow. And judging by the looks of it, the Far Western Ashlands have also joined the fray."
Li Weiyi's heart was heavy. He carefully collected Qi Wangshu's remains in a bag, then took Yang Zhiyong and Yang Yun with him as he raced back to Diligent Garden.
Even in the most perilous situations before, when Yang Qingxi had fled, she had always brought Yang Zhiyong with her. This showed that the two were useful to her, and that Yang Qingxi had her own weaknesses.
Bai Shu accompanied Li Weiyi.
"Once Yang Qingxi realizes she's been hit by the Six Desires Talisman, she'll definitely come looking for you. This is the perfect way to manipulate her!"
With three trump cards in hand, Li Weiyi was confident he could recover the five chests of Yongquan Coins.
He decided to return to Diligent Garden to hide for a while and use his Dao Fruit to complete the cultivation of his fourth Qi Sea.
Tonight's battle was destined to be brutal.
No one knew what the power dynamics of Qiu Prefecture City would look like tomorrow.
Only with sufficiently powerful cultivation could one protect themselves and then advance.
Back at Diligent Garden, Li Weiyi and Bai Shu immediately used their Spiritual Power to set up more Formation Arts and defensive measures.
The sounds of fighting in the city continued throughout the night.
It wasn't until dawn that the sky began to lighten.
Yin Jiu and Cang Li stumbled into Diligent Garden, covered in blood.
Li Weiyi immediately opened the Formation Art to let them in and instructed Bai Shu to clean up the bloodstains.
Yin Jiu had lost an arm. His Nightwalker's Garment had long since been shredded, leaving his upper body looking like a bloody mess of torn flesh and exposed bone. His battleaxe was chipped and battered, resembling scrap metal.
Cang Li's armor was in tatters, his back caved in from a claw strike, and his skull severely deformed.
He gently placed Yin Shi, whom he had been carrying, on the ground.
Yin Shi's body was pierced through by a claw, leaving a bowl-sized bloody hole. Her Five Viscera and Six Bowels were shattered.
Only Cang Li's constant infusion of Spiritual Qi kept her clinging to life.
Blood gushed from her mouth as she gasped, "Brother... Brother..."
Yin Jiu immediately knelt beside her, grasping her icy hand with his one remaining arm. Tears streamed down his face.
"A'Li... A'Li... I'm here... We escaped Luansheng Linyou... It was all thanks to you, all thanks to you..."
Yin Shi could no longer speak. Her hand went limp, her eyes remained open, but the light had faded from her pupils.
Even with Yin Jiu, Cang Li, and Li Weiyi pouring in Spiritual Qi together, it was useless.
Yin Jiu, whose heart was usually as tough and resilient as steel, was now choked with sobs, unable to speak.
Cang Li stood nearby, his eyes bloodshot and his vision blurred.
Li Weiyi struggled to accept the reality. His eyes were vacant and hollow as he stared at the Small Pavilion by the distant lake.
In his mind, he saw the exquisite dance Yin Shi had performed in his room that night: the flowing smoke-colored dress, the tinkling jade ornaments, the sheer silk scarf, the leather belt cinching her waist. When the dance ended, she was gone, leaving only the lingering fragrance of her presence.
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END OF CHAPTER
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