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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 162 (417): [Veteran Against Cavalry]
(162nd of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Luan Sheng Lin You continued, "Second, the Western Sea Slave veterans residing in Azure Cloud Market are planning a large-scale gathering outside Pale Moon Square tomorrow morning to prepare for deployment to the Western Territory battlefield. These veterans, who have been able to live near the West Sea Royal Manor, are all Martial-Mystic Path masters. If they form a battle formation, their combat effectiveness will be formidable and should not be underestimated."
"The crisis in the Western Territory will leave Lingxiao City in an unprecedentedly vulnerable state," Yang Shenjing said.
The Transcendent of the Sacred Dark Family declared, "They say the Western Sea Slaves are the Lingxiao Realm's number one iron army. Let the Dark Knights test their mettle tomorrow."
An Xianjing added, "Third, something has happened to the Liang Clan, one of the Rice Sect's most crucial assets in the city! Liang Chu has expelled over half of his clan members from Lingxiao City. Without control over the Liang Clan, it will be difficult to completely dismantle the City-Protecting Formation."
Zen Master Six Thoughts said, "Fourth, Song Yulou has broken free from mental control and gone missing!"
Li Longshu replied, "That's only natural! At this stage, the Imperial Court wouldn't have taken any precautions. If everything were truly calm and flawless, that would be truly alarming. Of course, even with their precautions, they can only struggle slightly against the tide of events."
From the carriage behind Fu Wenyan, a woman's voice echoed, "We have only three days left. We must accept that anything can happen. After all, we took a huge risk entering the city precisely to deal with such unforeseen circumstances."
"Whoosh!"
A vast expanse of ground began to writhe.
A colossal, mud-yellow warship, over a hundred feet long, erupted from the earth.
Its mast was fashioned from the bones of an Ancient Immortal giant, its Ghost Banner fluttering ominously.
A chilling aura filled the entire Transcendent Manor.
A young man with an Orchid mark on his brow stood at the ship's prow, his aura surpassing everyone present.
"Zen Hai Guanwu truly is extraordinary. The thirty-six Earth Veins she laid beneath the ground in those days are not a small feat. Even with this seat's seven thousand years of cultivation, it took six days and five nights to tunnel through the earth and cross. If those Earth Veins were fully activated, even the Ancient Celestial Emperor himself would have to admit defeat."
The assembled Martial-Mystic Cultivators were overwhelmed by his imposing presence, struggling to breathe.
They all bowed slightly in respect.
This was a hegemon of the Nether Realm of the Dead, ruling over dozens of the two hundred and seventy-two states, commanding nine cities, ten prefectures, and twelve caves.
To directly pilot a warship through the earth beneath the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain and into the city - such a feat could have scared half the Martial-Mystic Cultivators in Lingxiao City to death.
Zen Master Six Thoughts had already risen to his feet, maintaining a respectful bow.
"Lord Lan, please instruct us on our next attack strategy."
The young man with the Orchid mark replied, "What? Do you want this seat to lead the charge, leaving Qilin Zhuang and the Azure Phoenix Fisherman to reap the rewards?"
"We dare not!"
Zen Master Six Thoughts turned to the others, "Then let's proceed as planned. In three days, when Lord Zhuang arrives, we'll coordinate our attack from within and without to break through Lingxiao City together."
....
The Qilin Terrace stood eight hundred zhang tall, constructed primarily of black stone.
Under the starlight, the Demon Kingdom Crown Prince ascended the black stone steps one by one.
With each step, the Formation Scriptures on the steps beneath his feet and in the surrounding air rapidly faded.
He had already appeared two hundred zhang above the ground.
At this rate, it wouldn't take three days.
He could break through the Formation meticulously crafted by the Third Palace Master over a thousand years and reach the summit in a single day, all on his own.
The Spiritual Masters, female officials, and eunuch officials within the Qilin Terrace trembled under the aura of this peerless powerhouse.
Many officials had knelt beside the stone steps the moment the Demon Kingdom Crown Prince arrived, too terrified to rise or move. It was a pressure that could crush even the soul.
The Third Palace Master stood at the top of the steps, her brow radiating Spiritual Light like a full moon.
Even with all her strength, she couldn't stop it.
.....
At one quarter past chenshi (7:15 AM), the sky was a deep blue.
A faint glow had already appeared on the horizon.
Half an hour remained before the gates of Lingxiao City and all the Prefectural Offices would open.
At that time, all Imperial Court officials and soldiers would report to their respective offices, setting the entire city into precise motion.
Xingyuenu had witnessed the Demon Kingdom Crown Prince ascend halfway up the mountain before leaving Qilin Terrace.
She walked alone down the hundred-foot-wide boulevard, her expression dazed, her brow furrowed, her heart shattered.
'This is terrifying!'
Qilin Terrace, a formation meticulously crafted by the Third Palace Master over a thousand years, had been shattered by the enemy in a single night.
In the past, the Third Palace Master had been like a god in her eyes, omnipotent and all-powerful.
But last night, she had seen with her own eyes that even at her absolute limit, the Third Palace Master couldn't stop the enemy in the slightest.
The outcome of the gamble was already sealed; all that remained was a desperate struggle.
'Gods, it turns out, aren't truly omnipotent.'
The old street sweepers from the Street Administration were already cleaning the boulevard.
Xingyuenu hadn't received yesterday's summons from the Hidden Ones, yet she found herself drawn to Pale Moon Square.
She desperately wanted to weep, to tell the other Hidden Ones to flee Lingxiao City immediately - this city had no hope.
Suddenly, Xingyuenu witnessed a scene that left her utterly stunned.
On the vast, empty boulevard, a perfectly aligned square formation materialized.
They wore the standard armor of the Western Sea Slaves and wielded Horse-Slaying Blades.
Nearly all of them had white hair and wore animal helmets.
Some were missing arms, others limped, and some were blind - more than half were physically impaired.
Yet their spirits were high, their eyes sharp as swords, and their formation was as precise as a painting.
The aura emanating from the square formation froze the air for miles around. Their battle intent and killing intent drove away any pedestrians or carriages that dared to pass through.
The black flag of the Western Sea Slaves fluttered fiercely in the wind.
Xingyuenu approached one of the old Western Sea Slave commanders and learned that they had gathered spontaneously.
Today, they would march to the Western Territory and return to the West Sea Camp to fight the Demon Clan's army.
They arrived at the Transcendent Manor, the hidden residence of the Hidden Ones, and knocked for a long time before the door finally opened.
The door closed, and the Formation activated.
Li Weiyi dispelled his Disguise Technique and said, "All the Hidden Ones and Hidden Elders evacuated yesterday. I wanted to inform you, but no messages could reach Qilin Terrace."
For some reason, Xingyuenu secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. It's good they left."
Zen Hai Guanwu had gone to the Phoenix Pavilion an hour ago with Duke Tai Shi.
She had another urgent matter to attend to and asked Li Weiyi to wait for her.
She would personally escort him out of the city.
Li Weiyi saw the sorrow and pain in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
Xingyuenu immediately told Li Weiyi about the events at Qilin Terrace.
"Crown Prince Yu Daozhen of the Demon Kingdom is one of the top figures in Xiaoyao Capital. It's only natural that the Third Palace Master couldn't defeat him. Just because the formation at Qilin Terrace couldn't stop him doesn't mean the Nine Heavens Beyond the Clouds Grand Formation, the Immortal Origin Formation, the City-Protecting Formation, or the thirty-six Earth Veins will fail," Li Weiyi reassured her.
Xingyuenu looked puzzled: "Everyone else has left. Why haven't you?"
"I have to stay and finish one last thing," Li Weiyi replied.
Xingyuenu said, "Let me handle it! I'm the Third Palace Master's disciple and have already sworn to live and die with Lingxiao City. Give me all the intelligence and documents, and I'll send someone to take care of it. When the city gates open later, you must leave immediately. The situation is extremely dangerous, and the enemy could strike at any moment."
"There's no time!" Li Weiyi said.
Xingyuenu's eyes narrowed, realizing something, "What do you mean?"
"The operation is scheduled to begin in two quarters of an hour," Li Weiyi replied.
Xingyuenu quickly suppressed her shock and asked, "Why the rush? All the Hidden Ones have already evacuated, and you have no manpower left. Besides, we can't possibly move today. The Demon Kingdom Crown Prince is blocking Qilin Terrace, and without the Third Palace Master's orders, the Imperial Court's prefectural offices won't function properly. Chaos will erupt. We'll have to wait until at least tomorrow!"
"The arrow is already nocked; it must be fired."
Li Weiyi looked at her and produced a Governor's Official Robe and the Governor's Official Seal, handing them over.
"You've already broken through to the Seventh Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, haven't you? Put this on quickly. Though I'm a Divine Hidden One, you're a Martial-Mystic expert. Whether you choose to fight or flee is your decision. If you choose to leave, stick close to me later."
Xingyuenu quickly donned the Governor's Official Robe and tested it with her spiritual qi.
Her eyes widened in shock, her mind filled with questions.
"Who said I have no manpower? Haven't you seen those battle-hardened veterans who've fought on the battlefield for at least a Jiazi?"
"Huh!"
Li Weiyi let out a soft exclamation, sensing movement on the ground. He leaped onto the city wall.
A thick, ominous demon cloud was surging in from the west.
The ground, which had been trembling slightly, began to shake violently.
Two hundred Dark Knights, riding crawling bone giants, advanced from the west and stopped a mile away from the Western Sea Slave veterans.
Four Blood Handprint Knights - three men and one woman - stood at the front. They surveyed the distant veterans with scrutinizing gazes.
"If they make any sudden moves, intercept them under the pretext of Xie Chucai's murder," one of the Blood Handprint Knights said, "Don't worry about Lingxiao Palace. The Crown Prince is on their side, so we can act without restraint."
"Let's go. Time to act."
Li Weiyi, dressed in his Governor's Official Robe, calculated the time.
He and Xingyuenu moved in tandem toward the veteran formation of the Western Sea Slaves, then leaped onto the city wall.
Old Zhuang, who had already arranged for Song Yulou to be placed with the noodle shop owner in Minglun Lane, stepped out from the formation and transmitted his voice secretly to all the veterans present: "Today, we're not going to West Sea Camp... we're defending Lingxiao City!"
"The enemy has already arrived. There are traitors within our ranks and external foes. They're lurking within the city - enemies from the Demon Kingdom, members of the Demon Clan, heretics from the Heretical Sect, and Dead Spirits. If we don't kill them all today, perhaps tomorrow everyone in the city will be slaughtered, becoming food for the Demon Clan, playthings to be sold to the Demon Kingdom, their resources and treasures plundered, leaving only scorched earth."
"Then, the flames of war will spread across the entire Twenty-Eight Prefectures! Today, we have no choice but to fight."
The veterans were stunned for only a moment.
Their battle formation remained steady.
Then, they roared in unison: "Western Sea Slaves! Western Sea Slaves! Western Sea Slaves!"
They responded with this.
Li Weiyi glanced at the distant Dark Knights and secretly transmitted his voice, asking, "How many men can hold them?"
"Two hundred!" an old commander replied.
Another old commander, his killing intent ignited by Old Zhuang's shocking news, roared, "All able-bodied men, step forward!"
Two hundred against two hundred.
Foot soldiers against cavalry.
Seasoned veterans against elite troops.
Horse-Slaying Blades against spears.
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END OF CHAPTER
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