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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 6: [Battle for the True Inheritance]
Chapter 35 (576): [Blade Slave]
(35th of Volume 6)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The Shaoyang Guard members in the camp exchanged whispered discussions, their brows furrowed.
They, too, felt Mo Duanfeng's proposal was ill-advised.
Chu Yutian was notoriously cunning and resourceful.
Whether he would fall for such a trap was secondary.
The Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom lay within the Nether Realm of the Dead, a domain naturally advantageous to the Taiyin Sect.
If they failed to eliminate Chu Yutian in a single strike and instead exposed themselves, it wouldn't be bait - it would be feeding him.
In short, the risks were too great, and the consequences of failure were unbearable.
Mo Duanfeng, well aware of the human tendency toward self-preservation and fear of loss, understood that decisive action sometimes required autocratic authority.
He declared, "I've heard your Shaoyang Division plans to spend twenty years defeating Chu Yutian and eliminating half the Tai Yin Envoys. This news has become a laughingstock in the Holy Capital!"
"The Young Sentinel Guards of the Shaoyang Division did manage to regain some face in the East Sea by using talismans crafted by others and the flames of Great Immortal to kill Qin Zhengyang, who was far stronger than her."
"But only by killing Chu Yutian can the Sentinel Spirit Army redeem its honor."
"This isn't just about your Cave Void Camp; it's about the dignity of the entire Sentinel Spirit Army."
"Your Cave Void Camp can endure twenty years of humiliation under the Taiyin Sect's boot, swallowing insults and enduring mockery with complacent resignation. But the Great Void Camp refuses to tolerate it, and the Ancestor Dragon Camp refuses to tolerate it. Twenty years? You're only fooling yourselves."
"If you're afraid, if you're terrified, then stay away from the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom. And get out of the Sentinel Spirit Army. We have no place for cowards here. We face the most dangerous enemies, standing on the front lines between life and death. If we all cower and cling to life, the Human Race has no hope."
His words ignited universal fury.
The eyes of every Shaoyang Guard turned icy.
"Withdraw those words, Your Excellency," Xu Daoqing demanded, his voice sharp as a blade, each syllable like a drawn sword.
Seeing his provocation had achieved its purpose, Mo Duanfeng continued with a contemptuous smirk.
"What did I say that was wrong? With our assistance, the chance to kill Chu Yutian is right before us, yet you insist on waiting twenty years. From top to bottom, you're all timid and indecisive, lacking any fighting spirit or resolve."
"Ultimately, it's because you lack the strength and fear the enemy's power. I've insulted you so thoroughly, yet not a single one of you has the guts to teach me a lesson. If you're this terrified of me, what will you do when you face Chu Yutian? Kneel and beg for mercy? Become his slaves?"
"Chi Haohan of the Shaoyang Division seeks your guidance, Wind-Severing Blade."
"Qiu Cheng of the Shaoyang Division will shatter your Wind-Severing Blade."
Chi Haohan and Qiu Cheng charged onto the high platform almost simultaneously, one from the left and the other from the right.
Their bodies erupted with Spiritual Qi as they launched their attacks: Chi Haohan with a clenched fist, Qiu Cheng with a pointed finger.
The two warriors, though vastly different in stature, moved with equal ferocity.
Chi Haohan, a towering giant standing six or seven meters tall, radiated immense power, his armor shimmering with inscribed scriptures.
His strength seemed capable of swallowing the heavens and draining the seas.
Qiu Cheng, in contrast, moved with lightning-fast agility.
A piercing light blazed from the center of his brow as his pointed finger transformed into jade-like brilliance.
Neither had anticipated striking at the same moment.
"Whoosh!"
The formation glyphs on the platform instantly activated, fueled by the Spiritual Qi erupting from the two warriors. The platform transformed into a radiant Formation Battle Platform.
Tang Wanzhou, without attempting to intervene, retreated gracefully with Bai Chuan, soaring beyond the boundaries of the Formation Battle Platform.
"Boom!"
Mo Duanfeng neither activated the defensive layers of his three-layered armor nor unleashed any Dao Technique.
Instead, he raised his forearm to block the ferocious punch from Chi Haohan, whose fist was several times larger than his own body.
"Bang!"
Simultaneously, Qiu Cheng's fingertip struck Mo Duanfeng's Ancestral Field, located on his abdomen.
Concentric ripples of Martial-Mystic Qi pulsed across the armor, accompanied by a resonant hum.
Qiu Cheng's face lit up with triumph.
Even if his opponent wore triple-layered armor, this strike would undoubtedly pierce through it, inflicting grievous injury.
Mo Duanfeng stood his ground, his stance unwavering, and kicked Qiu Cheng flying.
Despite Qiu Cheng's exceptional Body Technique speed, he couldn't react in time.
Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body slammed against the Formation's barrier, then crumpled to the ground, landing on one knee.
"Boom!"
Meanwhile, Chi Haohan, seemingly consumed by rage and appearing clumsy, possessed remarkable combat intelligence.
Realizing he couldn't evade Mo Duanfeng's sweeping palm strike, he chose to counterattack instead.
Using his massive frame, he dove forward, aiming to collide flesh against flesh and armor against armor before the palm's force could land.
His armor had already activated, simultaneously unleashing defensive Scriptures and offensive power.
In contrast, Mo Duanfeng, overconfident in his superior cultivation, hadn't activated his armor, clearly underestimating his opponent.
This disparity in preparation gave Chi Haohan a glimmer of hope for victory, despite knowing Mo Duanfeng's combat prowess surpassed his own.
With a thunderous crash, like two Immortal Gold mountains colliding, the metallic clang reverberated through the ears of everyone present.
The Formation Battle Platform erupted in flames and tempestuous winds.
After the clash, Mo Duanfeng retreated a single step, while Chi Haohan was hurled backward, slamming heavily against the Formation's barrier before staggering to the ground.
Chi Haohan's head throbbed violently, as if about to explode.
The direct clash had strained his body to its limits, and his brain felt like it had been violently shaken.
His vision blurred into darkness for several breaths before gradually returning to normal.
During this time, Mo Duanfeng made no move, merely observing him with cold eyes.
This disdainful gaze was more crushing than any physical blow, a far more complete victory.
Seeing Chi Haohan recover, Mo Duanfeng finally spoke: "To have forced me back a step, you've earned the right to be on the Immortal Ranking. In just one year, you've refined two Dragon Soul Origin Lights, advancing from the early to mid-Third Realm. Your cultivation has indeed progressed remarkably - a feat you might have achieved in a decade under normal circumstances. However, your Spiritual Qi and Scripture are now beyond your control. If you could calm your mind and refine them for a few months, your combat strength would increase by at least twenty percent. Only then would you truly reach the mid-Third Realm."
Chi Haohan made no further move.
In that brief exchange, Mo Duanfeng had completely seen through him.
Despite his aggressive actions, Mo Duanfeng was clearly no reckless fool.
Perhaps he truly possessed the means to kill Chu Yutian.
Mo Duanfeng's gaze shifted to Xu Daoqing, the Scholar, and the Pipa Maiden.
"Which of you is the strongest? If any of you can force me to draw the treasure blade from its sheath, I'll withdraw. But if you lack even that ability, I believe I have the right to command you."
The three of them were the strongest in the Shaoyang Division, all between eighty and ninety years old.
Martial-Mystic cultivators in the Third Realm of the Immortal Realm had a lifespan of three hundred years, making eighty to ninety years old exceptionally young.
Holy Commander Tang Wanzhou, though possessing even greater natural talent, had only reached the Second Realm in her cultivation.
Xu Daoqing stepped onto the Formation Battle Platform, produced a whisk, and a Purple Haze rose above his head.
"Before we begin, this humble Daoist has three questions to ask Mr. Mo on behalf of the Shaoyang Division."
"Ask away," Mo Duanfeng replied.
Xu Daoqing began, "First, does Mr. Mo understand Chu Yutian's cultivation level and combat capabilities?"
Mo Duanfeng answered, "The Great Void Camp is responsible for monitoring the Great Void Realm and has the most dealings with the Taiyin Sect. We have the most operatives planted within the sect and possess the most detailed intelligence on them. The information about Qin Zhengyang's meeting with the Rice Palace's True Disciple during the Lantern Festival was provided by us."
"I have analyzed all of Chu Yutian's combat records from the past decade, meticulously studying the details of each battle to uncover all his hidden cards. My understanding of him surpasses even his own self-awareness."
Xu Daoqing pondered, his initial antipathy toward Mo Duanfeng softening.
At least he knew Mo Duanfeng took his opponents seriously.
"Second question," he continued, "do you know how many experts from the Taiyin Sect have entered the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom?"
"The same answer," Mo Duanfeng replied.
"Our informants within the Taiyin Sect will deliver the intelligence to me."
"Third question," Xu Daoqing pressed, "if we fail, how do we escape?"
"In the unlikely event of unforeseen circumstances," Mo Duanfeng said, "I carry a Transcendents-level escape Dao Technique, forged over decades of cultivation, condensed within my armor. It's sufficient to ensure our escape."
"I have no further questions!" Xu Daoqing declared.
On the Formation Battle Platform, Xu Daoqing's Spiritual Qi and Willpower erupted, Purple Haze swirling like a thousand interwoven chains.
For the first time, Mo Duanfeng's expression turned grave.
Luminous Scripture flickered across his armor.
Below, Chang Yujian observed, "Daoist Xu's cultivation seems to have reached the peak of the Third Realm. Even a True Disciple of the Ancient Sect at the early Third Realm would struggle to defeat him."
"Can this Wind-Severing Blade compare to a True Disciple of the Ancient Sect in the Third Realm?"
Li Weiyi knew little about Mo Duanfeng, only that he was incredibly strong - so strong that no one could fathom the depths of his power.
He already carried the aura of Great Immortal.
Chang Yujian shook his head slightly.
"With someone at this level, you can't truly gauge their strength without facing them directly. Even with ample Dragon Soul Origin Light, we'd need at least ten years to stand a chance against him in his current state. Anyone who's achieved such renown must possess genuine skill and ability."
"Legend has it that the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor in the Holy Capital once remarked about him: 'Blade Slave, Blade Slave, truly a fine blade worth honing.'"
"Remember, even those who've attained Great Immortal or Transcendence struggle to catch the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor's eye. To be praised as a 'fine blade' requires extraordinary talent."
Lu Qing said, "The Holy Capital's inner palace is governed by strict rules. No wonder he's so exacting."
"Having witnessed the Heavenly Emperor's authority firsthand, he likely learned his decisive and ruthless methods from the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor himself," Liu Ye added.
The Scholar interjected, "Don't you find it terrifying that he's reached this level of cultivation at just seventy-two years old?"
The four nodded in deep agreement.
Breaking through to Immortal Realm within a Sixty-Year Cycle in the Lingxiao Realm was exceedingly rare.
Achieving a breakthrough from the First Realm to the Second Realm within a decade was typically only possible for True Disciples of the Ancient Sects.
As one progressed, breakthroughs became increasingly difficult.
On the Formation Battle Platform, the outcome was about to be decided.
Mo Duanfeng's metallic sword case flew from his back, and he raised it overhead with one hand.
The sword case descended, cleaving through Xu Daoqing's Purple Haze Cloud Sea.
"Boom!"
A blinding blade of light erupted, unleashing a gale-force wind.
Instantly, all of Xu Daoqing's defenses shattered, forcing him to retreat in a desperate, wrist-twisting maneuver.
His whisk fell from his hand and clattered to the ground.
The sword case crashed violently into the Formation Battle Platform, completely shattering it and obliterating even the Defensive Formation.
"I've lost!"
Xu Daoqing, now retreated to a distance, stared in disbelief at the figure clad in triple-layered armor across the battlefield.
Blood streamed from his fingers.
He had known there was a gap between them.
But in the Dao Seed Realm, he had been able to trade blows evenly with the Young Celestial Emperors of the same realm.
Now, at the same cultivation level, he had been defeated without even forcing his opponent to draw his blade!
Mo Duanfeng said, "Though I didn't use my blade, I employed its techniques. If you had honed your skills at the peak of the Third Realm for another decade, I wouldn't have been able to defeat you without drawing my blade. Currently, among the Twelve Tai Yin Envoys, only Zishi Luoyinji and Chen Shi Qingzao could reliably defeat you."
"Holy Commander, do you want to fight?"
Tang Wanzhou shook her head: "The Deputy Sentinel Lord just sent me a telepathic message: all matters must be decided through joint consultation among the three of us, with harmony as our top priority. You two have already made your decision. Do you really think a fight now will change anything?"
Seeing that he had already subdued the Shaoyang Division, Mo Duanfeng's tone softened.
"The Hai Envoy's existence is too dangerous. The sooner we eliminate him, the better, before things backfire."
"Moreover, sooner or later we'll encounter Chu Yutian in the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom. From what I've gathered, Chu Yutian is on the verge of a breakthrough. We can't afford to give him more time. That's why Bai Chuan and I agreed that this battle should be sooner rather than later. I hope you can understand."
Tang Wanzhou remained silent, descending the mountain and heading straight for the Camp Hall.
Mo Duanfeng watched her retreating figure, unconcerned.
"To enter the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom, everyone should prepare at least ten years' worth of essential supplies. We'll depart in three days."
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END OF CHAPTER
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