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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 6: [Battle for the True Inheritance]
Chapter 9 (550): [The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp's Predicament]
(9th of Volume 6)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Leaving the mountain peak camp, Li Weiyi and Tang Wanzhou walked side by side down the winding Spirit Mountain stone path.
Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, especially such a captivating and extraordinary woman, Tang Wanzhou seemed to radiate an eternal spirit that drew admiration.
One couldn't help but admire her flawless grace and appearance, as well as her untamed inner soul.
The company one keeps shapes one's mood.
Li Weiyi felt his spirits soar, the clouds high and the mist distant, yet with such a beautiful figure close at hand.
He smiled and said, "I've heard that becoming an Imperial Disciple grants unimaginable resources and benefits. Not only do you receive personal guidance from the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor, but you also gain the protection of his prestige and the entire Sword Dao Imperial Court."
"As the Newly appointed top scholar, the leader of the three Imperial Disciples, your name would instantly shake the world upon being bestowed the title. Why did the Young Lord forsake the Imperial Court's highest honor and choose to remain hidden?"
"There's no such thing as free lunch in this world," Tang Wanzhou replied.
Given their close friendship, Tang Wanzhou and Li Weiyi naturally spoke freely.
She explained, "The Immortal Dao Dragon Vein first awakened in the East Sea, causing a massive upheaval. The Sword Dao Imperial Court, separated by thousands of mountains and rivers and blocked by the territories of the Demon Kingdom, Calamity Crossing Temple, and Rice Palace, finds it nearly impossible to project significant forces into the East Sea region. This would be a blatant violation of boundaries!"
"My father once cultivated at the Sword Dao Imperial Court and was an Imperial Disciple of the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor. If you count all the Imperial Disciples of the Sword Dao Imperial Court throughout history who are still alive, my father ranks third in age and likely holds a similar position in terms of strength."
"After the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein revived, the Sword Dao Imperial Court dispatched an envoy to the Lingxiao Realm, carrying a personal letter from the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor addressed my father as his third disciple, bestowing upon him an unparalleled official status, and then declared his intention to assist the Snow Sword Tang Court in seizing the Lingxiao Realm. He offered money, manpower, and resources without limit."
Li Weiyi asked, "What were the conditions?"
"No conditions were mentioned," Tang Wanzhou replied.
Li Weiyi pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"No conditions need be stated. If the Lion-Camel Taming King truly claims the Lingxiao Realm as the Heavenly Emperor's third disciple, with the Sword Dao Imperial Court's backing, you'll have no choice but to submit to their will."
"What the Sword Dao Imperial Court seeks is merely the right to intervene without interference from the Demon Kingdom, Calamity Crossing Temple, or Rice Palace."
"My third disciple is involved there, so I must help him."
Tang Wanzhou walked with a light, wind-like grace.
"Though the Sword Dao of the Snow Sword Tang Court originates from our ancestors, my father did indeed receive guidance and protection from this lineage during a crucial stage of his cultivation. Whether the Heavenly Emperor seeks to use us or sees us as mere pawns, we have no choice but to agree."
Li Weiyi asked, "Did the Lion-Camel King agree?"
"My father initially declined, citing the uncertain situation with the Mist Celestial and Grand Palace Master's return. But later, a compromise was reached: using the Seven Northern Provinces as a base, we would reclaim the Hundred Lingxiao Provinces - the ancestral lands of the Seven Vengeful Plains, now shrouded by the Nether Realm of the Dead - and advance eastward toward the East Sea. The Sword Dao Imperial Court would handle restoring the Nether Realm to light, while we would provide the military forces," Tang Wanzhou explained.
Li Weiyi nodded: "This could be a good thing. By uniting against the Nether Realm of the Dead, we can avoid infighting. The Snow Sword Tang Court and the Sword Dao Imperial Court each get what they need. Securing even twenty provinces would be a remarkable achievement. But if we could reclaim the entire Seven Vengeful Plains... that would be truly extraordinary."
Tang Wanzhou stopped walking, gazing at the cloud-shrouded mountains.
"With the Sword Dao Imperial Court now involved, the Lingxiao Realm and the East Sea will undoubtedly become battlegrounds of slaughter and chaos for the next century, perhaps even centuries."
"Given the Young Lord's temperament, she should thrive in such a world - a crucible of conflict where dragons and fish clash, forging an immortal golden body amidst the flames of war, carving out her own era with the sword. Yet your tone is filled with worry and confusion," Li Weiyi observed.
"Is that truly how you see me?" Tang Wanzhou's clear, water-like eyes met his gaze calmly before she turned and strode down the mountain.
Li Weiyi immediately followed.
"If the Grand Palace Master hadn't plunged the world into chaos with her Xiaotian Edict, causing widespread suffering, the Snow Sword Tang Court would never have raised the banner of rebellion. Who doesn't yearn for peace? Who relishes the prospect of war and slaughter, where survival hangs by a thread?"
Tang Wanzhou continued, "The Mist Celestial has returned! I witnessed her majesty on the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain. I believe the Lingxiao Realm will soon find peace, ushering in a new Martial-Mystic Dao Golden Age. All three hundred provinces will reunite, forging a glorious kingdom. But the revival of the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein shattered that hope in my heart."
Li Weiyi sensed another side of Tang Wanzhou - a yearning for beauty and peace.
"You still haven't told me why you came to the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp instead of the Sword Dao Imperial Court."
"Because of you!"
She continued, "I know you and Tang Zhan went to the Moon Dragon Island outpost. After the Grand Palace Master was exposed, you had to leave the Lingxiao Realm. Where else could you go but the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp? It's the safest place for you - the only safe place."
Li Weiyi stared at the ponytail bouncing atop her head, inhaling the fragrant scent of her hair in the wind.
"You're still after the Fusang Divine Tree?"
Tang Wanzhou had once said the Fusang Divine Tree could help her break free from the Immortal Realm Shackles faster.
"Not just that," Tang Wanzhou replied with a smile, "The Time Cocoon too."
Li Weiyi said, "Young Lord, you truly don't see yourself as an outsider. Even my fiancée, Zuoqiu Hongting, doesn't know about these two great secrets. Letting another woman, who possesses both beauty and talent, casually enter... I feel deeply guilty."
"You were the one who brought me here. You were the one who didn't treat me like an outsider. I thought we were already close friends, sharing life-and-death bonds, fellow Dao seekers advancing together on the Martial-Mystic Dao path. I rarely consider people friends; they're either enemies or subordinates."
Tang Wanzhou added, "Sometimes you lack decisiveness. If you feel guilty, follow your heart and break off the engagement! After all, your engagement was for ulterior motives."
"You're truly a great friend," Li Weiyi said.
"We're here!"
As they reached the foot of the mountain, Tang Wanzhou's expression turned solemn as he led the way into the cave.
"Greetings, Sentinel Spirit."
Four Sentinels stood guard on either side of the cave entrance.
Li Weiyi followed closely behind, entering the cave to find dozens of coffins lining the walls.
Paper money and incense sticks lay scattered on the ground, all the coffins newly made.
Tang Wanzhou explained, "After your encounter with Xie Wumian and Luo Pingdan, the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp sent three waves of forces to intercept them, but none returned. Of course, they weren't just targeting those two; they were also after Chu Yutian, the True Disciple of the Taiyin Sect."
Li Weiyi gazed at the rows of coffins.
"Did we underestimate the enemy's strength?"
Tang Wanzhou shook her head.
"Each time we obtained intelligence on their movements, the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp deployed forces several times their size. We intended to teach the Taiyin Sect a lesson - to warn them against stirring up trouble in our territory - but every attempt ended in failure. Instead, they taught us a harsh lesson."
"Twenty-four Sentinels were lost, along with eight Sentinel Spirits from the lower Immortal Realm and two from the Great Immortal Realm."
"Was the intelligence flawed? Did we fall into a trap?" Li Weiyi asked.
Tang Wanzhou replied, "Logically, the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp has operated in the southern Hundred Realms of the Living for many years. Our intelligence network far surpasses that of the newly arrived Taiyin Sect. Moreover, our intelligence isn't based on a single source but gathered from multiple channels. No matter how formidable the Taiyin Sect is, they couldn't possibly distort all our information."
"Could there be a problem within the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp itself? Perhaps with the Spirit Pivot Group, which is responsible for intelligence aggregation?" Li Weiyi suggested.
Tang Wanzhou countered, "Whenever an operation fails due to internal issues, it's always uncovered. The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp has multiple counter-investigation measures in place."
"We've already purged four individuals from the intelligence system, including the Fourth Stage Great Immortal Realm cultivator disguised as a human, hidden behind the Whistle you brought back."
"But you still believe it's just a matter of flawed intelligence? Do you think the Martial-Mystic Cultivators who become Sentinels and Sentinel Spirits are fools? Would they blindly trust intelligence reports? Besides, the Sentinel Spirit Army has infiltrated the Taiyin Sect as well."
"The enemy is exceptionally cunning, possessing unparalleled wisdom, courage, and strength."
"He personally delivered these coffins to Crimson Bright Holy City," Tang Wanzhou said, "It was a message: he already knew the location of the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp's new base in the Crimson Bright Realm. He left a taunt: 'Who can't bully the weak?' The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp has abandoned all decorum, losing both face and substance. He warned us to be more vigilant in the future and stop sending our men to their deaths."
"Who was it?" Li Weiyi asked.
"Chu Yutian, True Disciple of the Taiyin Sect," Tang Wanzhou replied.
"So this is why the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp established the Shaoyang Division?" Li Weiyi said.
Tang Wanzhou nodded: "News of the incident in Crimson Bright Holy City spread not only to other camps of the Sentinel Spirit Army but also to the Life Realm Lords. Some extremist rulers condemned the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp as useless, calling them a bunch of pigs and threatening to reduce their annual cultivation resources."
"This is the consequence of sending out the old generation of Great Immortal experts. If they succeed, they're justified no matter what. But if they fail and are even killed, the backlash will be catastrophic!"
"The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp can't afford another failure with their old generation. The next time they send out a Great Immortal Realm expert and fail, the price will be too high."
"They must rely on the younger generation to defeat or even kill Chu Yutian to regain their honor."
Li Weiyi said, "By leveraging the power of the world against the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp, Chu Yutian has effectively restrained the camp's elder generation of experts. This single move alone demonstrates his formidable capabilities. To dare deliver a coffin to Crimson Bright Holy City in person shows astonishing courage. And to escape afterward proves his terrifying strength."
Tang Wanzhou replied, "Everyone has a weakness. The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp's weakness lies in its dependence on funding from the various Life Realms, making it beholden to their influence."
"What cultivation realm has Chu Yutian reached?" Li Weiyi asked.
Tang Wanzhou shook her head slightly.
"Current intelligence suggests the Third Realm of the Immortal Realm. However, if he truly killed the two Great Immortal experts from the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp, this information may be inaccurate. There's also a report that a month ago, Chu Yutian traveled to Dragon City with the Rice Palace True Disciple, from whom he purchased Dragon Soul Source Light. His cultivation is likely to advance rapidly again."
"Rice Palace True Disciple?" Li Weiyi asked.
Tang Wanzhou clarified, "Not Sheng Wulian, but a new True Disciple."
"Who is it?" Li Weiyi pressed.
Tang Wanzhou replied, "I only know it's neither Wu Hongling nor the Purple-Clad Woman. Their efforts have come to naught. Besides Chu Yutian, Meng Quyi from Zongsheng Academy and Wenren Tinghai, the New Scholar from the Demon Kingdom, reportedly appeared in Dragon City to purchase Dragon Soul Source Light, Phoenix Tree leaves, and Immortal Dragon bones."
Emerging from the cave, Li Weiyi said, "If the Taiyin Sect already knows about the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp's new location, won't we be vulnerable to an attack from the Army of the Dead at any moment?"
Tang Wanzhou smiled: "Nothing is ever easy. First, the Sentinel Spirit Army has countless outposts throughout the Nether Realm of the Dead. Any large-scale mobilization of the Dead Spirits wouldn't escape our notice."
"Second, the Army of the Dead suffered heavy losses in a trap at the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp's old location, due to intelligence provided by the Taiyin Sect. The two factions might already be at odds over this. Who can guarantee this isn't another trap?"
"Third, the Crimson Bright Realm has a population of billions and is a mid-to-large-sized Life Realm. It also borders the Calamity Crossing Realm. A large-scale invasion by the Army of the Dead would alert all the human forces in southern Yingzhou."
"The Sentinel Spirit Army, the Taiyin Sect, the Nether Realm of the Dead, and the Human Race's Life Realms are engaged in a complex game of checks and balances, with layers upon layers of internal surveillance."
"In this era of the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein's resurgence, the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp, with its many experts, can't remain hidden anywhere. It's only a matter of time before the situation spirals out of control."
"Hasn't the conflict between the Life Realms and the Nether Realm always been like this? It never ceases."
Li Weiyi asked, "Young Lord, aren't you returning to the Sentinel Spirit Camp?"
"As the Young Chief Envoy, I have considerable freedom," Tang Wanzhou replied.
Li Weiyi said, "Then you can't keep following me around forever, can you?"
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END OF CHAPTER
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