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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 80 (224): [Muscles, Viscera, and Immortal Haze]
(80th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Under a moonlit, star-scattered sky, a gentle breeze swept across the land.
Li Weiyi felt that everything in this world, every person, was driven forward by various interests, and no one could truly control their own destiny.
"Jiang Ning probably wouldn't be interested in Yao Qian," he murmured.
Yang Qingxi laughed: "You're completely mistaken. There aren't many women in this world who could refuse Yao Qian. In terms of character, talent, appearance, innate talent, temperament, and eloquence, he's truly peerless. He's a Heaven's Chosen who is destined to breakthrough to the Immortal Realm in the sixty year cycle, second only to Zuoqiu Ling. He might even have already broken through to the Immortal Realm."
"An Immortal Realm giant, a divine being who has transcended life and death. You're not Jiang Ning - what makes you think she wouldn't be interested?"
"Hundred Silver Meridians is indeed extraordinary. But it's still just innate talent. Whether he can reach the Immortal Realm in the future is far from certain."
"It's only because the Immortality Pill and Dragon Seed appeared at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival that young Martial-Mystic Cultivators like us were given a chance to leap to the heavens in a single bound... a chance that everyone is willing to risk their lives for!"
"The path of Cultivation is fraught with life-or-death trials at every major realm, a climb as arduous as ascending to the heavens."
"Look at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival. It's teeming with young masters, each extraordinary, all at the peak of the Five Seas Realm. Yet, some among them will likely spend their entire lives never reaching the Dao Seed Realm."
Li Weiyi asked, "So you admit Yao Qian's character is irreproachable?"
"It's not just me who admits it. The entire world does."
Yang Qingxi continued, "Do you know why I'm telling you, an enemy, the Sui Sect's dirty secret? Because even if you were to reveal it, no one would believe you. They'd only assume you were jealous, engaging in petty revenge, spreading rumors, and slandering."
"Decades of cultivating a reputation can't be destroyed with a single sentence. Not even if the Sect Leader himself revealed the truth would the world believe it. They'd likely suspect the Sect Leader was simply envious of Yao Qian's talent."
"Besides, if you involve the Second Palace Master, you're doomed."
"So, if you're eager to die, go ahead and spread the word. I won't admit a single word of it."
"Guess again. When the Jiang Clan finds out, will they kill you or believe you?"
Li Weiyi realized that the Calamity Crossing Temple might not even know about Yang Qingchan's death, since she wasn't the one who had the invitation. Yao Qian must have been confident that no one in the city would find out.
The so-called Immortal Masters and Immortal Patrol Envoys were just powerful Cultivators, not true immortals. They couldn't possibly know everything.
Li Weiyi said, "You didn't have to tell me any of this! I might have fallen for the trap, using Yang Qingchan's death to attack Yao Qian. Then I'd kill one enemy at the cost of a thousand of my own."
Yang Qingxi hugged her knees, her beautiful eyes gazing down at the city and streets below: "Li Weiyi... can we make peace? I don't want to be your enemy anymore!"
"Afraid?" Li Weiyi asked.
"A little," Yang Qingxi admitted, "But more importantly, why fight when we can sit down and talk?"
Li Weiyi said, "If I were still a Surging Spring Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator, would you even give me a chance to talk?"
"When you're high above, killing someone is as easy as stepping on an ant."
"If you think you're about to lose, just call for a truce? Where in the world does such a thing happen?"
Yang Qingxi said, "That's why I can't wait any longer! I'm afraid that if I wait, there won't even be a chance to negotiate a truce. Right now, I and the Sui Sect still have the opportunity and strength to kill you, which gives us the right to negotiate. Don't you think?"
Seeing her serious expression, Li Weiyi also spoke seriously: "Let's set aside the grievances between the Sui Sect and the Jiu Li Tribe for now. You sent people to hunt me down, hired assassins to deal with me, and even tried to take my life personally. I've barely survived several near-death experiences. Do you think you can just brush all that aside?"
"Well, you also slapped me. No one has ever dared to do that before. If it were anyone else, I would have made them pay with their life. So that slap is worth a life," Yang Qingxi said.
Li Weiyi was speechless, too lazy to argue about right and wrong, "Then let's start by settling the score for the time you sent people to hunt me down outside Jiu Li City."
"So it really can be settled... How about you slap me a few more times? I'll pay off the debt as quickly as possible," Yang Qingxi said with a smile in her eyes, looking at him.
"..."
Li Weiyi leaped off the eaves and pushed open the door to the guest hall.
There was no way to continue the conversation. Yang Qingxi was too cunning.
While her desire to dispel their grievances might be genuine, her youth and rapid rise to leadership of the Sui Sect's generation suggested that everything she showed on the surface was merely a means to an end.
Li Weiyi decided to get a good night's rest.
He had been cultivating non-stop lately, and his mental state was showing signs of fatigue.
After all, he was still a mortal, unable to go without sleep indefinitely.
Seeing her strategy had brought Li Weiyi to the brink of defeat, Yang Qingxi pressed her advantage. Like a gentle breeze, she followed him into the guest hall, closed the door behind her, and lay down on the bed, pushing Li Weiyi toward the wall.
"Make some room!"
"Are you crazy?" Li Weiyi frowned deeply, sitting up to glare at her.
Yang Qingxi lay flat on her back, her beautiful eyes fixed on the ceiling, her hands resting on her abdomen.
She returned his earlier words: "You don't think just because we're sharing a bed, we're suddenly on the same side, do you? I'm severely injured. You want me to sleep on the floor? Besides, we need to stay in the same room so we can watch out for each other in case anything happens. In Qiu Prefecture City right now, there's no place that's truly safe."
Li Weiyi didn't want to say more. He turned to his side and continued sleeping.
Yang Qingxi's voice sounded behind him: "I can let you hit me, but you'll have to wait. My injuries are too severe right now; I'm afraid I won't be able to withstand it."
Li Weiyi was completely roused from his sleep by her teasing. He wanted to go outside for some fresh air. Turning around, he said, "If you want to settle this, we can. Money, resources - anything can be negotiated as long as the price is right. I don't want to be constantly watched by Sui Sect experts."
"Name your price," Yang Qingxi said.
Li Weiyi named an exorbitant sum: "Five million Yongquan Coins."
"You dare to dream! Even if I sold myself, I wouldn't fetch that price. If I had five million Yongquan Coins, I'd hire an Immortal Realm Giant to turn you into dust - make sure you're dead and gone."
After a long silence, Yang Qingxi countered with a different offer: "Five times. I'll let you hit me five times."
Li Weiyi knew she was deliberately provoking him. He replied sternly, "Yang Qingxi, do you really think you can decide whether we settle this? After the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, everyone will return to their rightful places."
"If you had a Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator backing you, would you still be so wary of me? Would you still be so humble?"
Yang Qingxi replied, "You're absolutely right! But since the Sui Sect pledged allegiance to the Imperial Court, our conflicts have actually softened. Li Weiyi, I understand your talent and abilities better than anyone else in the world. I'm the only one who has watched you grow step by step as your enemy. The overwhelming pressure you exude, combined with your tenacious vitality and fighting spirit, has already revealed the outline of a Young Emperor."
"I spent all day today pondering this: if we can't reconcile now, what heights will you reach in ten years? In a hundred years? Can the Sui Sect bear the consequences?"
"Continuing to kill you carries the risk of failure. But reconciliation carries no risk at all."
"I can't change the will of the Sui Sect's upper echelons, but if I obtain a Dragon Seed and make rapid progress in the Dao Seed Realm, I'll definitely be in charge of all matters, large and small, within the Sui Sect."
"Yao Qian wants to kill you, and you're in danger. But I can help you to some extent. Don't you think my bargaining chips are quite substantial?"
Li Weiyi didn't fully trust her words, but he gave her a chance. He tossed out, "You owe me five million Yongquan Coins," and immediately fell asleep.
In his hazy state, he heard Yang Qingxi say, "That's one million Yongquan Coins per session. If i can't pay, we'll settle it this way!"
....
Four days later.
The twelfth day of the lunar new year.
Li Weiyi had finished refining and absorbing a pound of Immortal Soil the previous night.
Finally, around noon today, his muscles and internal organs underwent a dramatic transformation, their resilience and strength surging forward by leaps and bounds.
Strands of Immortal Haze Mist drifted through his muscles and internal organs, swirling and twisting endlessly.
The second step of physical cultivation was complete!
He had taken a giant leap toward achieving a Dao Body.
All that remained was to refine his tendons and reshape his skin with Divine Stove Wood.
Li Weiyi sat cross-legged on the ground and threw a punch, relying solely on his physical strength.
"Boom!"
As his fist struck out, the air exploded with a deafening roar.
The resulting airflow coalesced into a visible shockwave that slammed against the Formation barrier in the room, causing the barrier to tremble violently.
"My physical strength has increased dramatically, and my internal organs have grown stronger. Now, I should be able to withstand a blow from Yu Zi with relative ease. But I wonder how far I still lag behind Inheritor-level experts?"
Just five days ago, a single exchange with Yu Zi had left Li Weiyi severely injured.
Inheritor-level masters also cultivated their physical bodies, so Li Weiyi didn't believe catching up would be easy.
However, his muscles and internal organs were forged with Immortal Soil, giving him a significant advantage.
Yang Qingxi's injuries had healed by fifty to sixty percent, and even her external wounds had vanished without a trace. No longer content to remain hidden within the Changqing (Evergreen) Temple, she pulled Li Weiyi down the mountain to investigate the current situation in the city.
"Only three days remain until the Shangyuan Festival. How can you remain so calm? Don't you want to compete for a Dragon Seed Ticket and a Dragon Bone Ticket?"
The two of them entered the Inner City and settled into a courtyard-style teahouse frequented by young Martial-Mystic Cultivators. The latest news about the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival spread like wildfire here every day.
Li Weiyi had used the Disguise Technique, while Yang Qingxi wore a veil and a hooded cloak.
Seated on the second floor, Yang Qingxi continued, "Even just a single Dragon Bone, once refined into the body, can instantly elevate one's physical strength and resilience to the level of a Battle Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator. It also offers immeasurable benefits for cultivating an Immortal Body in the future."
"The Dragon Bone is said to be the remains of a Flying Dragon slain by the Mist Heavenly Emperor. It's rumored to have been a Emperor-level creature, brimming with vitality and possessing immense energy."
Li Weiyi's interest piqued: "What if one were to refine two?"
Yang Qingxi shook her head gently: "I don't know! All I know is that I must secure both a Dragon Seed and a Dragon Bone at this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival. Success will guarantee me a place among the elite for the next decade. Failure means I'll forever lag behind my peers!"
"What about the Immortality Pill?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yang Qingxi rolled her eyes at him: "Do you think opportunities like killing Yu Zi will come again? Even if you had killed him, did you see a Immortality Pill? Just watch. Over the next three days, every Martial-Mystic Cultivator holding a Immortality Pill - Luansheng Linyou, Ge Xiantong, and Zuoqiu Hong included - will face a grueling ordeal."
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END OF CHAPTER
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