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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 97 (534): [Blood Feud]
(97th of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The distance from Thunder Prefecture Ferry to Moon Dragon Island was eighteen hundred miles, a relatively short journey compared to the vastness of the East Sea.
With Li Weiyi's current cultivation level, he could easily navigate the coastal waters, weathering the storms and warding off the dangers of Demon Calamities and Barbarian Invasions.
Afternoon.
The sky was clear and boundless, the sea a deep azure.
The Jade Boat, over thirty meters long, activated its Defensive Formation, enveloping itself in a shimmering barrier of light.
Scripture symbols flickered across the surface as Yaoyin channeled her Spiritual Qi, propelling the vessel through the waves with swift momentum.
Both Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four had cast Transformation Techniques, altering their appearances to avoid recognition by Martial-Mystic Cultivators on passing ships.
Finally returning to the East Sea, their spirits soared, as if freed from a long confinement.
The sea teemed with ships plying the route between Moon Dragon Island and Thunder Prefecture Ferry.
Most goods purchased by the Demon Race and the Bright Rice Realm from the Lingxiao Realm were transshipped through Moon Dragon Island.
As Shi Jiuzhai had mentioned, the conflict between Yang Qingxi and the Thundercloud Sect Elder stemmed from disputes over trade routes.
The Sui Sect handled the Bright Rice Realm's procurement and transport of goods - their specialty, and they were intimately familiar with the Lingxiao Realm.
Yu'er sat beside Yaoyin, diligently recording recent events.
Li Weiyi sat cross-legged at the stern of the ship, cradling the Evil Camel Bell in both hands.
He absorbed all the karmic fire he had extracted from the battle corpse, integrating it with the Sixfold Samsara Burning Karma Technique.
As his mastery of this Great Technique deepened, a hazy humanoid flame materialized around him, towering nearly ten meters tall and completely enveloping his body.
It resembled a colossal fire giant.
Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four watched intently, both sensing an unprecedented aura of power radiating from him - a presence that instilled primal fear.
This was the power of Vajra's Wrathful Gaze!
The flame giant was the nascent form of the Wrathful Vajra.
"Sizzle!"
The flame giant collapsed, dissolving back into swirling clouds of chaotic Spiritual Qi and fire.
"Still not enough!" Li Weiyi muttered, "I need to maintain the flame giant to reach the entry level of Vajra's Wrathful Gaze's fourth layer."
He remained undeterred.
He had only acquired the karmic fire a few days prior; mastering the fourth layer of this Great Technique wouldn't be easy.
Moreover, when combined with Psychic Power, the Sixfold Samsara Burning Karma Technique became an Imperial Technique.
Retracting all the Spiritual Qi into his body, Li Weiyi's imposing aura vanished.
He asked, "How far have we sailed? Why can't I see any other ships around? Yaoyin, are we still on course for the Jade Boat's destination?"
Eighteen hundred li - neither far nor near.
Across the vast sea, searching for an island.
Yaoyin, piloting a ship for the first time, felt a knot of uncertainty in her heart.
Without turning around, she forced a calm demeanor and stood proudly at the ship's bow.
"You should focus on your cultivation. I'll let you know when we arrive. How could we possibly get lost sailing near the coast?"
With that, she immediately released her Dao Heart Manifestation and strained her eyes to scan the horizon.
As expected, no other ships were in sight.
Yaoyin frowned slightly but stubbornly continued piloting the Jade Boat, sailing another few hundred li.
Having departed from Thunder Prefecture Ferry, they had already traveled over two thousand li.
"Such a strong stench of blood... There are floating corpses in the sea," Yaoyin finally observed, her eyes, which had been diligently scanning the surroundings, catching sight of something.
She immediately alerted Li Weiyi.
As the Jade Boat approached, the sea surface was stained crimson by dozens of corpses.
Hidden Twenty-Four stared intently at the embroidered emblems on the corpses' robes before leaping onto the water's surface.
With a palm strike, she scattered the swarming fish and examined the fatal wounds.
"These are Sui Sect disciples! The residual Spiritual Qi in their wounds is exceptionally pure and concentrated. They couldn't have died more than half an hour ago. How strange... What could have killed them here?"
Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed sharply as his gaze fell upon one of the corpses.
With a flick of his fingers, he conjured a Spiritual Light Chain and dragged the body onto the Jade Boat.
The corpse lay flat, its posture stiff and upright.
Staring at the deathly pale face on the deck, Li Weiyi felt a pang of sorrow and sighed.
It was Hidden One, Yang Qianfeng.
He was also the Yang Clan's First Commander, who had infiltrated the Sui Sect for years and provided invaluable assistance to Li Weiyi in Lingxiao City.
Yang Qianfeng had lived a tragic life, raised by his grandmother and a victim of the conflict between the Sui Sect and the Jiu Li Clan.
Li Weiyi wasn't surprised by this end.
A person who spent years in the most dangerous places, dealing with the most cunning enemies, would inevitably run out of luck sooner or later.
Composing himself, Li Weiyi slit his wrist and dripped blood onto Yang Qianfeng's forehead.
Moments later, Yang Qianfeng's corpse stirred awake.
"Yang Shenjing knew there were Jiu Li Hidden Sect operatives within the Sui Sect. He deliberately used a ruse to create the illusion that he had discovered traces of the Divine Hidden One. I fell for it, believing the matter urgent, and immediately rushed to Moon Dragon Island to report to the Hidden Lord, inadvertently leading the enemy there... Hurry, go get the Chief... The Hidden Lord is in danger..."
Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed: "Yang Shenjing went to Moon Dragon Island?"
Yang Qianfeng replied, "He was critically wounded by the Chief and has become a skittish bird, too afraid to risk it. He fears the Chief like a god. He sent Yao Qian, Yang Yin, and... used a borrowed blade to kill... Dao... Dao... An..."
Yang Qianfeng's corpse collapsed with a thud, his consciousness extinguished.
Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what secret technique Li Weiyi had used to make the corpse speak.
"Yang Qianfeng was a member of the Hidden Sect?" Hidden Twenty-Four recognized the Sui Sect's First Commander and was astonished.
After all, the Jiu Li Clan had repeatedly sent assassins after him, viewing him as a major enemy.
Li Weiyi examined the wound over Yang Qianfeng's heart - a bowl-sized, charred hole crackling with residual thunder and lightning.
When he touched it, he sensed a familiar surge of Sword Intent.
It was one of the three Flying Swords belonging to Kong Xu, the Second Divine Son of the Twin Rice Sect - the one imbued with thunder and lightning. Huang Xu had died at Li Weiyi's hands, leaving Kong Xu with a burning hatred for the Jiu Li Hidden Sect.
"It's Hidden One! Hidden Twenty-Four carefully retrieved his body and will bring it back to the Hidden Sect for burial."
Li Weiyi's eyes darkened as he released the Second Phoenix onto the sea surface to search for Kong Xu's lingering Spiritual Qi.
It was already too late to rush to Moon Dragon Island.
Moreover, since Yang Qianfeng had died here, the Hidden Lord was likely nearby.
Tracing Kong Xu's residual Qi offered a better chance of finding him.
"Snap! Snap!"
Li Weiyi cast Spiritual Light, sealing Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four's senses.
He then stored the Jade Boat, including Yu'er, within the Blood Mud Space.
The waters near Moon Dragon Island teemed with Martial-Mystic Cultivators, and the seabed was crawling with Demon Beast spies.
Li Weiyi judged that the risk of Yu'er's exposure far outweighed her potential contributions.
Following the Second Phoenix, Li Weiyi strode across the waves in a determined direction, his heart churning with worry and murderous intent.
Failing to eliminate Kong Xu, Yao Qian, and their ilk had indeed proven to be a grave mistake, one that would haunt them for years to come.
...
Elder Qin didn't tell the Hidden Lord about the Sentinel Spirit Army, but he did inform him that Li Weiyi was likely to return to Moon Dragon Island, advising him to wait there for a few months.
The Hidden Lord agreed to wait because of a previous agreement made when he obtained Li Weiyi's Bronze Brush: in exchange, he would receive a Millennium Essence Herbs gathered by the Jiu Li Clan to help him nurture his seven rare insects to the Immortal Realm.
At that moment, Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan stood on the turbulent sea, both clad in green robes, resembling two delicate blue lotuses.
Beneath their feet, Spiritual Qi coalesced into a flowing river, their sleeves fluttering as they watched the distant battle.
"Boom!"
"Roar!"
The two Jiu Li Hidden Sect Elders were being driven back relentlessly by Huang Xu, who has now transformed into the soul servant of Kong Xu, blood seeping from their skin with each strike.
Kong Xu stood with his hands clasped behind his back atop a thirty-meter-tall pillar of water, his forehead marked with glowing runes, and Spiritual Qi swirling around him like a sea of clouds.
He wielded three Flying Swords - Thunder and Lightning, Karmic Fire, and Heavenly Light - sealing off the Elders' escape routes, leaving them no chance to flee.
This stretch of sea had drawn twenty to thirty experts from the Bright Rice Realm, most of whom had once belonged to the Lingxiao Twin Rice Sect, each possessing profound cultivation.
Having each secured their own victories, they converged on the battlefield, their faces twisted into cold smiles as they watched the unfolding conflict.
"This battle should completely purge the Jiu Li Hidden Sect's influence from within the Rice Realm!"
"Capturing Li Songgu alive would be a monumental achievement. The Rice Palace places great importance on this matter."
"These two Hidden Sect Elders must possess a substantial amount of Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon Qi!"
Yang Qingxi stood with her sword sheathed behind her back, silently observing the battle without intervening.
She knew all too well the terrifying potential of Li Weiyi's future retaliation - a storm of blood and carnage was inevitable.
Moreover, with the Jiu Li Chief and the Grand Palace Master now backing him, Li Weiyi's status and influence had soared to unprecedented heights.
"After Kong Xu's Breakthrough to the Ninth Heaven, his strength seems to have surpassed even Qiongji Daozi's by a significant margin. With Huang Xu's assistance, his combat prowess has reached new heights. He's even overwhelming that Half-Step Immortal Realm expert from the Jiu Li Hidden Sect who condensed a Golden Core!" Yang Qingchan exclaimed in awe.
Such power commanded universal respect and fear.
"Having absorbed Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon Qi and Immortal Dao Scriptures, such combat prowess is to be expected..."
"The Seventy-Two Thunder Annihilation Formation!" Yang Qingxi's refined features betrayed a flicker of astonishment as she tilted her head upward, gazing at the coalescing black thunderclouds in the sky.
Thunder rumbled through the clouds.
"Boom!"
The sea darkened as seventy-two pillars of lightning coalesced and crashed down, engulfing Huang Xu in a blinding surge.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed from within the electric maelstrom.
"Is the Thundercloud Sect meddling in our affairs?" Yang Qingchan asked, puzzled.
"No, he's here!"
Yang Qingxi sensed a familiar presence, but this Spiritual Qi was far too powerful, instantly shattering Kong Xu's Dao Heart Manifestation.
The air in the entire sea froze, save for the crackling lightning that tore through it.
She couldn't help but wonder if her senses were mistaken.
Huang Xu's body was reduced to charred remains, his Dead Spirit scattered into nothingness.
The sudden turn of events left the two Hidden Sect Elders stunned and wary.
They stared at the distant black speck rapidly approaching across the sea.
"Swish! Swish..."
Over twenty Dao Seed Realm experts from the Bright Rice Sect unleashed their spiritual artifacts and activated their Scriptures, transforming the surrounding waters into a sea of glowing characters. Each cultivator stood poised for battle, their expressions grave.
One of them roared, "Rice Palace Martial-Mystic Cultivators are present! The Thundercloud Sect would do well to refrain from interfering!"
They refused to believe the Thundercloud Sect would dare provoke the Rice Palace.
"Splash!"
Before the words had even finished echoing, the Sixth Heaven Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator who had shouted the challenge screamed as a bolt of lightning from the Heavenly Vault pierced his chest, sending him plummeting into the depths.
Having clashed with Li Weiyi multiple times, Kong Xu was intimately familiar with his power.
His expression twisted in alarm as he sensed the terrifying aura drawing closer.
He immediately recalled his three Flying Swords, activated his Escape Technique Dao Technique, and soared into the void, the swords forming a protective barrier around him.
If Sheng Wulian couldn't defeat Li Weiyi, how could King Xu possibly hope to challenge him?
"Whoosh!"
Li Weiyi's imposing figure erupted from the swirling Purple Mist, traversing miles in an instant to intercept Kong Xu's escape.
Kong Xu froze at the sight of Li Weiyi's piercing gaze.
A chill ran down his spine, as if death itself had marked him.
He immediately dove toward the sea surface, attempting to submerge and flee underwater.
Li Weiyi unleashed a palm strike across the distance.
A massive handprint of Spiritual Qi materialized, slicing across the water's surface.
No matter how desperately Kong Xu employed his Body Technique and Escape Technique, he couldn't evade it. He and his three Flying Swords were hurled through the air by the force of the strike.
Kong Xu had believed that with his cultivation at the Ninth Heaven, even if he couldn't defeat Li Weiyi, he could certainly escape.
But a single palm strike shattered that illusion.
He now understood why Sheng Wulian had been so thoroughly defeated.
This power was beyond comprehension, far exceeding what should be possible in the Dao Seed Realm.
Blood streamed from Kong Xu's seven orifices as his Spiritual Qi was completely dispersed.
His body felt like it was being torn apart by pain.
Before he could even fall into the sea, Li Weiyi seized him by the neck, hoisting him into the air.
"I was right... From our first encounter, I should have done everything to kill you... Alas, I lost, allowing you to grow to such terrifying heights... Pfft..."
Li Weiyi stared coldly at him, reaching out to retrieve the Thunderbolt Sword.
With a swift motion, he plunged the blade through Kong Xu's heart.
Thunder and lightning crackled incessantly within the wound, causing Kong Xu to convulse violently and scream in agony.
Then, silence fell as King Xu head drooped lifelessly.
Li Weiyi reached out and extracted the karmic fire from King Xu Wind Mansion, absorbing it to cultivate the fourth layer of the Sixfold Samsara Burning Karma technique.
All three of his Flying Swords were Ninth-Grade Hundred-Inscriptions Artifacts.
The Karmic Fire Sword resided in his Wind Mansion, the Thunderbolt Sword in his Ancestral Field, and the Heavenly Light Sword in the Spirit Realm.
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END OF CHAPTER
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