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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 61 (205): [Fourth-Tier Invitation]
(61st of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Zuoqiu Ting's brow furrowed with worry.
"This is my greatest fear. Who can guarantee that Immortal Ge Xiantong and Luansheng Linyou only fought once at the Bing Juze and didn't reach some kind of agreement? For example, first eliminate the rest, destroy the Zuoqiu Clan, annihilate the Zhu Clan, sweep through Thundercloud and Dragon Sect, and then have their final showdown."
"If you think Luansheng Linyou is just a reckless hothead looking for trouble, you're gravely mistaken. Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion Master, Zhu Huan's death might very well have been Luansheng Linyou's welcoming gift to Immortal Ge Xiantong."
"Only those who are truly strong can earn the right to speak with each other."
Li Weiyi exhaled deeply. If that were the case, tonight would be truly terrifying!
Zuoqiu Ting considered this for a moment before adding, "I've actually considered what you said. But to form an alliance, whether openly or secretly, we need a foundation. We must first make Immortal Ge Xiantong suffer, make him pay a price. Only then will he truly see us as equals and be willing to sit down and talk."
Li Weiyi nodded lightly, trusting Zuoqiu Ting's superior understanding of top-tier experts and the world's situation. His judgment was undoubtedly more accurate.
Suddenly, he asked, "Didn't you say that only the number one expert in the world possesses the mindset of the truly strong? How can you stand in the number one expert's perspective to analyze this?"
Zuoqiu Ting chuckled: "Have you forgotten I have a younger sister? She's the true leader of the younger generation in the Zuoqiu Clan. She doesn't respect Immortal Ge Xiantong or Luansheng Linyou at all. She believes the title of 'Number One Under Heaven' isn't bestowed by others; it's earned through combat."
Li Weiyi asked, "Is she that strong?"
"Otherwise, how could she be the Divine Hidden One of the Zuoqiu Hidden Sect?" Zuoqiu Ting replied.
Li Weiyi pressed, "What are your chances of winning tonight's battle?"
Zuoqiu Ting's eyes sharpened like swords.
"To be honest, I have no confidence at all. But only by enduring tonight, only by teaching Immortal Ge Xiantong, the Number One Under Heaven, a lesson, can we diminish the fear the Zhu Clan, the Thundercloud Sect, the Dragon Sect, and other factions hold toward the Imperial Court. If we lose, this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival will become nothing more than a stage for Immortal Ge Xiantong and Luansheng Linyou to perform their act!"
"Cang Li and Li Jiufu are here!"
Li Weiyi looked down from the tower and indeed saw the two figures approaching.
"Is there no other way down?"
"Afraid to face your future brother-in-law?" Zuoqiu Ting teased.
"Don't be ridiculous. Li Ling is only sixteen, still a little girl. Some scoundrel spread rumors, falsely smearing her reputation." Li Weiyi felt deeply wronged by the rumors.
Cang Li reached the top floor of the stone tower and immediately spotted Li Weiyi in a secret discussion with Qi Xiao. His eyes flashed with cold fury as he strode over and demanded, "Li Weiyi, where's Li Ling?"
Li Weiyi remained seated, not rising: "Are you sure you want to discuss this here?"
Cang Li frowned, remembering that the matter involved a Dead Spirit suspected to be from the Zen Hai Guanwu.
He immediately fell silent.
Yin Jiu urged, "Let's go. The important business comes first."
"You stay here and don't go anywhere,"
Cang Li instructed before leaving with Yin Jiu for the West Tower Chamber, where the three Successors of the Zuoqiu Clan were located.
Li Weiyi had no intention of staying to be lectured. He immediately rose to take his leave, quickly descending the tower.
If a battle tonight was unavoidable, he needed to distance himself as much as possible from the top experts of the Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiu Li Tribe.
As a Fourth Stage Martial-Mystic Cultivator in the Five Seas Realm, choosing self-preservation should be beyond reproach, right?
Li Weiyi activated his Disguise Technique, altering his appearance and physique. He moved among the crowd of Martial-Mystic Cultivators, gathering information while pondering how to prepare for the unpredictable changes ahead.
As midnight arrived, a heavy cloud of Spiritual Qi mist swirled above the Profound Heaven Stone Wall, showering the area with countless peach petals like pink rain.
"These are petals from the ancient peach trees on Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain!"
"They're as crystal-clear as crimson jade. Legend has it that wine brewed from these petals is comparable to Precious Medicine."
"Ten years to bloom, ten years to bear fruit, ten years to ripen. Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain has three thousand such ancient peach trees, yet the Zuoqiu Clan monopolizes too many resources!"
Countless Martial-Mystic Cultivators released their Spiritual Qi, Spiritual Power, and Spiritual Light, gathering the petals.
Suddenly, a chorus of gasps erupted: "The Immortal Masters of the Calamity Crossing Temple have descended!"
Li Weiyi, along with everyone else, looked up.
From the thousand-meter-high cloud of Spiritual Qi, thirteen figures in Daoist robes descended from the heavens.
Each radiated ten thousand layers of auspicious light, riding clouds, their skin as clear and lustrous as jade. The men exuded an immortal air, while the women were as beautiful as celestial maidens. Their ability to descend from the clouds indicated unfathomable cultivation.
The Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with his hair in a Daoist bun secured by a wooden hairpin.
Only his youthful complexion could be discerned, and his true features remained obscured by the distorted space around him, suggesting cultivation of unimaginable depth.
The other twelve figures - six men on the left and six women on the right - were all young, yet their cultivation surpassed the Five Seas Realm.
They stood in a line behind the Immortal Master.
The thirteen figures stood on the Profound Heaven Stone Wall, a hundred feet above the ground, embodying the transcendent, ethereal purity of true cultivators, untouched by the dust of the mortal world.
Below, on the plaza, the young Martial-Mystic Cultivators gazed up with admiration and longing.
Someone whispered, "Rumor has it that those who excel at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival might have a chance to join the Calamity Crossing Temple. That would be like ascending to heaven in a single step!"
"Whoosh!"
After a brief exchange, four figures - two men and two women - descended from the cliff face to the plaza.
Each produced a wooden plaque and hung it beneath the names of the top three Martial-Mystic Cultivators from each of the Four Realms.
"Below the top three are the Second-Tier Martial-Mystic Cultivators."
"There are twenty Second-Tier Martial-Mystic Cultivators in each realm."
Li Weiyi was still quite concerned about whether he would receive an invitation, so he kept pacing toward the base of the Profound Heaven Stone Wall.
The announcement for the Southern Territory's Second-Tier rankings was being made by a Daoist robe-clad woman from the Calamity Crossing Temple.
Nine wooden plaques had already been hung.
Among them were Guan Shan's "Dao-Di" and "Mie-Di," as well as Shi Shishi of the Earth Wolf King's Army.
Dao-Di, a Nine Springs Pure Immortal Physique, had been ranked in the Second-Tier, likely due to his missing arm significantly weakening his combat strength.
"That Shi Shishi has managed to rank so high? He must have broken through to the Seventh Sea!" Li Weiyi mused.
With only twenty wooden plaques, the number of remaining spots was dwindling.
Even in the Second-Tier, most of the Martial-Mystic cultivators were already at the Seventh Sea of cultivation or Great Spiritual Masters in the Calamity Fire Realm, all with considerable reputations.
The Southern Territory Hell Arena was no mere rumor.
The Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiu Li Tribe had claimed too many spots.
As the nineteenth wooden plaque was hung, Li Weiyi spotted another familiar face: Yang Yue, the second-ranked young prodigy of the Sui Sect after Yang Qingxi, and a Nine Springs Supreme.
"Does the Calamity Crossing Temple really only select those with high cultivation?"
Li Weiyi naturally felt disappointed. As the thought crossed his mind, his pupils suddenly contracted. In the hands of the Calamity Crossing Temple female disciple in Daoist robes, he saw the name "Li Weiyi."
The twentieth wooden plaque was hung.
With all two hundred spots filled, joy and sorrow mingled on Profound Heaven Plaza.
Those who made the list were naturally elated, their faces beaming with pride.
The Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival wasn't held every year. Making the list was enough to boast about for a lifetime. If someone on the list later became a Immortal Realm Giant or a Transcendent, their descendants could brag for generations.
"It's understandable that Luansheng Linyou didn't make the top two hundred, but why isn't Immortal Ge Xiantong on the list either?"
Li Weiyi searched through the First-Tier forty names but couldn't find Immortal Ge Xiantong's wooden plaque.
Just as he was puzzled, the Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master standing atop the Profound Heaven Stone Wall drew two names in the void with his finger.
"Luansheng Linyou!"
"Immortal Ge Xiantong!"
Two names, radiating with Spiritual Light, descended from above and crashed heavily into the stone wall. One to the left, the other to the right, they were etched directly above the two hundred wooden plaques, as if carved by sword and blade.
This was the Profound Heaven Stone Wall, after all.
Words carved here would endure for millennia, preserved for future generations to admire.
What glory!
The Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master's vast voice echoed: "Luansheng Linyou and Immortal Ge Xiantong already possess the makings of a Young Emperors - a sight unseen in a thousand years. Naturally, they must surpass all Martial-Mystic Cultivators, and their names cannot be confined to the First-Tier."
"Boom!"
These words sparked heated debate among the crowd.
No one dared to object; in fact, most agreed.
"This is just asking for trouble! The Immortal Master is setting them up as targets for every First-Tier expert," a Martial-Mystic Cultivator on the list remarked.
The Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master's voice rang out again, echoing throughout the city: "Invitations to the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival will be issued only to the two hundred and two names on the stone wall. The event will take place on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Shangyuan Festival. Cultivators on the list who wish to attend should release a pillar of Spiritual Qi or a beam of Spiritual Light from their third eye."
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Countless pillars of Spiritual Qi rose throughout the city.
Spirit Light Lamps bloomed on the bodies of several Calamity Fire Realm Great Spiritual Masters.
Li Weiyi circulated his Spiritual Qi, causing a pillar of light to erupt from his head, drawing gasps from nearby Martial-Mystic Cultivators.
The Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master observed for a moment, a smile playing on his lips. Ignoring those deliberately releasing Spiritual Qi to disrupt the proceedings, he took note of every Martial-Mystic Cultivator on the list.
His Daoist robe billowed, his sleeves like clouds.
"Whoosh!"
Glowing jade invitations flew across the city.
Over ninety percent of them landed near the Profound Heaven Plaza. Few who had come to participate in the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival would not be here tonight.
Li Weiyi caught one of the invitations. It was only the size of his palm, crafted from white jade and designed to be opened.
Inside, it was completely blank.
A Second-Tier Martial-Mystic Cultivator from the Eastern Territory, who had also received a Second-Tier invitation, called out, "There's nothing written on this invitation! Where are we supposed to go for this grand event?"
The Immortal Master replied, "The invitations vary depending on the Martial-Mystic Cultivator's level. Only the invitations given to the top ten Martial-Mystic Cultivators, as determined by the Calamity Crossing Temple, will have any writing on them."
The Second-Tier Martial-Mystic Cultivator, known for his fiery temper, retorted, "What does the Calamity Crossing Temple mean by this? Do you want us to participate, or not?"
The Second-Tier Martial-Mystic Cultivators, feeling discriminated against, voiced their discontent: "So, the Calamity Crossing Temple means we must pledge allegiance to one of the top ten experts to participate in the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival? Our invitations are just worthless scraps of paper!"
The Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master chuckled: "Second-Tier invitations are indeed little more than scraps of paper, but at least they grant you the right to compete for these treasures."
"The Top Three invitations each contain a Dragon Bone Ticket. Holders of this ticket can exchange it for a piece of Dragon Bone at the Lantern Festival venue on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to strengthen their physical bodies."
"The Second-Tier invitations each contain a Dragon Seed Ticket, which can be exchanged for a Dragon Seed."
"The First-Tier invitations each contain both a Dragon Bone Ticket and a Dragon Seed Ticket."
"As for the highly coveted Immortality Pills, the Calamity Crossing Temple will be offering twenty this time. However, only the invitations of the top ten experts will include Immortality Pill tickets. The number of tickets varies based on cultivation: some will receive one, others two, and some three."
"Martial-Mystic Cultivators who received blank Second-Tier invitations, do not despair. The exchange for treasures will take place on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which is still half a month away."
"Remember, the more tickets you possess, the more dangerous this half month will be. The greater the rewards, the greater the challenges."
The young Martial-Mystic Cultivators on the plaza were once again caught in heated discussion.
"The Calamity Crossing Temple deliberately set us against each other, pushing us into conflict."
"I calculated it. Excluding Luansheng Linyou and Immortal Ge Xiantong, the Calamity Crossing Temple issued eighty Dragon Bone Tickets and eighty Dragon Seed Tickets."
"A single Dragon Seed can instantly propel a top-tier Martial-Mystic Cultivator in the Five Seas Realm to the Dao Seed Realm, and their cultivation speed in the Dao Seed Realm will be incredibly rapid. Within a few years, they should be able to become a powerhouse just below the Immortality Realm Giants, rivaling the First Commander of each province."
"With a single move, they've thrust a large group of young elites into the even greater vortex of the world's competition."
Li Weiyi could only force a bitter smile. Only the top ten Martial-Mystic Cultivators would receive Immortality Tickets, granting them access to the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival venue.
This was a problem!
Twenty Immortality Pills far exceeded most people's predictions of ten. But which one would be easy to seize?
More importantly, the names of the top ten Martial-Mystic Cultivators hadn't been announced, leaving everyone to speculate.
The Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master's brow radiated dazzling Spiritual Light as he slowly raised his right hand.
Instantly, an overwhelming pressure, unparalleled in its terror, descended from beyond the heavens.
The mist above Qiu Prefecture City churned violently, revealing an ancient talismanic rune stretching for dozens of miles, suspended within the clouds. It emitted no light, appearing as if carved from giant stone, flickering in and out of view amidst the rapidly swirling mist.
Everything within the city that exceeded the Formation of a Great Spiritual Master was suppressed, losing its luster.
The cascading waterfalls from Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain converged into a river, flowing through South City and onward to Bing Juze Lake.
At this moment, on the twenty-meter-wide Cosmos River, a boat drifted slowly forward.
Within, a slender jade hand lifted a beaded curtain. A smile played across the impossibly beautiful face of Zen Hai Guanwu, a face that even the most skilled painter could not capture: "The Dispel Rune!"
Li Ling, seated opposite her, asked, "Master, what is the Dispel Rune? The pressure is so intense, it feels like it could crush the entire Qiu Prefecture City if it were to fall."
"It simply forbids the existence of Formation beyond the level of a Great Spiritual Master. There's no way to hide; you can only confront it with brute strength. We didn't return too late, did we?" Zen Hai Guanwu asked.
Li Ling replied, "At least we made it back before the New Year."
On the Profound Heaven Stone Wall, the Calamity Crossing Temple Immortal Master began to announce the rules of the upcoming battle.
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END OF CHAPTER
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