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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 109 (253): [The Gathering of the Transcendent]
(109th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The scarred Elder chuckled: "It seems I've been gone too long. The sect disciples treat us like outsiders. 'Yin Shi Yi' was my name once, but that was ages ago. Just call me Elder Qin now."
The Tiger-Headed Elder sighed deeply: "Call me Elder Zhuo. The current Hidden Lord has been singing your praises, boasting about your stunning performance at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival and claiming that without our protection, rival forces would eliminate you. Well, it certainly piqued our curiosity and lured us into the eye of this storm of trouble. What a scam!"
The Jiu Li Hidden Sect selects sixty Hidden Ones and one Hidden Lord every sixty years.
Each cycle of sixty years marks a new generation.
The current Divine Hidden One is naturally Li Weiyi. The newest Hidden One is Yin Twenty-Six, Yaoyin.
Thirty-four years from now, when Hidden Sixty is chosen, the next cycle will begin.
At that time, Li Weiyi will transition from Divine Hidden One to the current Hidden Lord.
The current Hidden Lord is responsible for all internal and external affairs of the Hidden Sect. They can mobilize all Hidden Ones and resources, and they are also responsible for selecting and training the next generation of Divine Hidden Ones.
In theory, even the Ancient Hidden Ones were subject to the Hidden Lord's command during this special period.
Elder Qin and Elder Zhuo were summoned by the current Hidden Lord using the Hidden Ancestor Token to protect Li Weiyi.
Upon learning they were Seniors from the Hidden Sect, Yin Shi Yi immediately puffed up with pride: "So, how did we perform?"
"Just passable," Elder Qin replied, exchanging a glance with Elder Zhuo before they both clasped their fists in respect.
Although the Hidden Ones hadn't yet matured, they were considered equals to the Ancient Hidden Ones. This was because the Jiu Li Hidden Sect's requirement for Hidden Ones was to cultivate leadership qualities.
Only by granting them sufficient status could they foster such qualities.
Li Weiyi returned their salute and asked, "Where's the Hidden Lord?"
Elder Zhuo replied, "He went into the city to snatch Immortality Pills, Dragon Seeds, and Dragon Bones - all for you young ones to claim. Originally, your invitations and receipts would have earned you a good haul, but now the old geezers have to do the work themselves!"
"Don't talk nonsense! The Hidden Lord went to help the Zuoqiu Clan maintain order in the city. Since their injuries have stabilized, we should go assist them. The Zuoqiu Clan will be short-handed tonight, with so many people fighting over resources and chaos running rampant."
Elder Qin pulled Elder Zhuo along, and they hurried down the mountain.
Li Weiyi asked, "Li Ling, is your brother your parents' biological child?"
Li Ling froze, unsure why he'd suddenly ask such a question.
But it was... a truly unkind thing to say.
She snorted coldly at Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi secretly admired the Hidden Lord, who always knew the right thing to do at any given moment.
Although Cang Li was critically wounded and on the verge of death, the Hidden Lord's presence seemed unlikely to help.
In fact, it might have delayed the optimal time to seize the Immortality Pills, Dragon Seed, and Dragon Bone.
Memories flooded his mind.
The Dragon Palace had overturned, and treasures of all kinds rained down like shooting stars across the city.
Li Weiyi slapped his thigh hard, filled with hatred for the two Demon Clan experts who had suddenly appeared. He could have exchanged for many treasures, laying a solid foundation for the Dao Seed Realm.
Now, after half a month of risking his life, he had gained nothing.
He could only hope the Hidden Lord's efforts would yield results.
After all, Immortality Pills were difficult to refine, and the Calamity Crossing Temple might not be able to produce another twenty immediately. The Dragon Seed and Dragon Bone were even more precious; once lost, they could never be recovered.
Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain, the safest place in Qiu Prefecture City, was shrouded in numerous formations and talismanic runes.
In the Third Heaven, there was a concentrated area of buildings and cultivation Cave Dwellings where almost all the talented disciples of the Zuoqiu Clan's Direct Lineage resided.
After a moment of rest, Li Weiyi managed to temporarily suppress his injuries.
Ignoring the protests of Yin Ershi Si and Yaoyin, he stepped out of the hall and followed a ten-foot-wide stone staircase path southward.
He was intensely curious about the upcoming duel between the Transcendent and Immortal, his blood seemingly ignited with a feverish excitement.
This duel represented the future direction of his Martial-Mystic Path, the pinnacle he must strive to reach.
Just how powerful could the world's strongest truly become?
Could they truly split the heavens and earth and become all-powerful, as the myths claimed?
In the Third Heaven, houses and halls were built along the cliffs, with ancient, towering peach trees growing everywhere. The trees were laden with ripe peaches, which drifted down like snowflakes.
Yin Ershi Si and Yaoyin flanked him, supporting him on either side.
Reaching the cliff edge near the South City, Li Weiyi channeled his Spiritual Power into his eyes and gazed into the distance.
Beyond the protective formation's shimmering light, massive demon shadows occasionally flew past, radiating a formidable aura.
Below, the Outer City of South City lay in ruins.
Every building had collapsed, the earth was torn asunder, and seawater surged inward.
Countless residents lay dead amidst the wreckage.
Yet the Inner City remained unscathed, its Eight Trigrams formation as solid as a fortress.
"Whoosh! Whoosh..."
From the eight small Dao Domains within the Inner City's eight districts, eight pillars of light rose, merging with the pillar of light emanating from Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain. Instantly, formation Scriptures began to emerge from beneath the entire city, enveloping Qiu Prefecture City in a sea of formation Scripture light.
Li Weiyi asked, "They didn't break into the city? I remember the City-Protecting Formation's light veil seemed to have been torn open, and a terrifying figure entered."
A deep, resonant voice replied from behind him, "If Qiu Prefecture City were so easily breached, they could sweep through the entire Lingxiao Realm!"
Li Weiyi turned around, surprise flashing in his eyes. He quickly bowed: "Greetings, Clan Head."
Zuoqiu Ling, the Lingxiao First Commander, was also the Clan Head of the Zuoqiu Clan.
Of course, Clan Heads like him, much like the Hidden Lord of the Jiu Li Hidden Sect, were only responsible for mortal affairs.
Matters beyond the Immortal realm were beyond their capabilities.
The consensus in the Martial-Mystic Dao World was that the Dao Seed Realm represented the pinnacle of mortal strength, while the Immortal Realm transcended the realm of mortals, becoming beings who contended with heaven and earth for Immortality. Before the decade-long war erupted, Immortal Realm cultivators rarely intervened in mortal affairs, focusing solely on cultivation and extending their lifespans.
Zuoqiu Ling, over two meters tall, was a towering and handsome figure clad in armor, perpetually prepared for battle.
Despite his reputation as an unparalleled powerhouse - "sitting like a divine mountain, sleeping like a dark dragon, moving like the sun and moon" - he lacked the aloofness of legend, his gaze surprisingly gentle.
He continued, "It's not that simple! The main cities and strategic strongholds of the Ancient Myriad Sects have been fortified for thousands of years. Even the Martial-Mystic Path Emperor would struggle to breach them quickly. If they were so easily penetrated, the Second Palace Master would have long ago led the Imperial Court's Transcendent cultivators to systematically destroy the righteous army's mountain gates."
Li Weiyi's tense, worried heart eased slightly.
"How is Zuoqiu Hong?"
"She's out of danger, but hasn't yet regained consciousness," Zuoqiu Ling replied.
"Boom!"
Within the Inner City's domain below, a Dead Ember with formidable hidden cultivation surged toward a Dao Domain in South City, intent on destroying the formation pillar rising from it.
His body burned, then exploded into pieces.
Sparks flew outward, transforming into a rain of fire that enveloped the city for several miles.
But it didn't create an Ashen Region. The City-Protecting Formation dispelled the destructive energy.
From within the Dao Domain, countless talismanic runes surged out, completely blocking the destructive energy.
Zuoqiu Ling snorted coldly: "I knew they'd planted people in the city in advance, trying to break the formation from within. It's not that easy!"
In the Inner City, Demon Clan and Ember Spirit experts emerged one after another, all targeting the Dao Domain formation cores in the eight major districts.
The city was filled with masters from various Major Powers, who quickly killed them all.
"Woof! Woof..."
From the depths of the void came a series of dog barks, like thunder echoing across a thousand miles.
A colossal old dog, as tall as a mountain, strode across the plains. Its body was emaciated, its teeth sharp, and it exhaled a gray mist. Its patchy fur was severely matted and shedding, the remaining long hairs a dull crimson.
Wherever its paws trod, vegetation withered, and a miasma of death transformed into blood-filled craters.
It deliberately advanced through areas densely populated by humans. Wherever it passed, it either used a demonic wind to swallow the entire population of a large town or simply released a deadly aura that killed countless civilians.
Upon reaching the Bing Juze Lake battlefield, the old dog attacked a Transcendent advancing from the Northern Territory.
Zuoqiu Ling recognized the old dog's origins, his face turning grim: "It's the Quanrong Ancestor, the Rong Raider from the Western Territory! That old scoundrel is still alive?"
The Four Extremes Ape King appeared on the horizon. Like the Heartless Golden Ape, it had four arms and sharp, sword-like teeth.
A Demon Cloud hundreds of miles wide swirled above its head.
Its massive head was topped by a five-colored mountain where the five elements converged.
In its hand, it wielded a flaming war spear hundreds of meters long and as thick as a millstone, weighing tens of thousands of kilograms.
Entering the Bing Juze Lake, it ran along the seabed, charging towards the Second Palace Master's Imperial Carriage.
One after another, Transcendent beings from the Far Western Ashlands arrived, their combined might unprecedented. It was clear they intended to utterly destroy the Zuoqiu Clan.
The Imperial Court and the righteous army's senior elders couldn't remain uninvolved, as Qilin Zhuang planned to use this opportunity to eliminate them as well.
Two silver beams of light illuminated the night sky.
A member of the Demon Clan soared arrogantly over Qiu Prefecture City.
Li Weiyi looked up, his breath catching in his throat, his heart momentarily ceasing to beat.
It was an eagle, its wings spanning the northern and southern cities, radiating an aura of primordial chaos. Its silver feathers sliced through the Formation light veil above Qiu Prefecture City, targeting the weakest point in its defenses.
A silver feather pierced through, showering the city in silver light that trailed southward like a celestial blade cleaving the heavens and earth - a display of absolute dominance.
The Formation remained unbroken.
The city's protective light veil consisted of multiple layers, and it could repair itself as the Heavenly Law Earth Spring continuously released Spiritual Qi.
"It's the Silver Feather Eagle King from the Eight Thousand Li Yin Mountain in the Northern Territory. Two of the Four Great Demon Kings from the Lingxiao Realm have already appeared!" Zuoqiu Ling's mood darkened.
His earlier confidence evaporated, replaced by fear that the remaining two Demon Kings might also show up.
Qilin Zhuang's aggressive advance, backed by the combined might of the Transcendent powers, posed a grave threat. If they failed to crush the Zuoqiu Clan, this first battle upon their return would be a disastrous blow to morale.
The Quanrong Ancestor wasn't among the Four Great Demon Kings.
The Four Great Demon Kings, claiming to be the true heirs of the Demon Clan, studied human laws, culture, and techniques. They maintained relatively amicable relations with human Martial-Mystic Cultivators, allowing them to occupy vast territories across the Eight Prefectures.
The Quanrong Ancestor, on the other hand, was a Malevolent Demon who roamed between the Nether Realm and the Living Realm.
He could only support human Rong Raiders as his subordinate forces, lacking his own Demon Clan territory.
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END OF CHAPTER
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