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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 89 (233): [Using Strength Against Strength]
(89th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The Thundercloud Sect's camp was supported by dozens of Qi flags and guarded by thousands of Dead Spirits that had absorbed Thunder and Lightning. Battle beasts stood guard at the main gate, while Spiritual Masters gathered in the camp's interior.
Li Weiyi had just arrived at the entrance of the Thundercloud Sect's camp.
Lu Wensheng's furious voice rang out: "It's that dog thief Li Weiyi! Activate the Formation and tear him to ten thousand pieces!"
Li Weiyi looked bewildered: "Brother Wensheng, what grievance do we have that you would speak to me with such venom?"
Lu Wensheng pointed at him, grinding his teeth: "I want to flay you alive and devour your flesh! Give back my Yongquan Coins, my Heavenly Thunder Blade, my Spiritual Artifact Battle Armor, my Millennium Essence Herb... You and Zuoqiu Ting are both beasts! You colluded to deceive the world with your arena gambling scheme! You claimed to defeat opponents in ten moves, then five moves... In reality, you could defeat anyone at your level in three moves!"
Li Weiyi replied, "So that's what this is about. But how can you call it a scam? We were simply exchanging Martial-Mystic skills... If Brother Wensheng truly feels wronged, then let's have another match. We won't use three moves this time. Just one move. If Brother Wensheng can withstand a single move from me, I'll return everything I won. Is that fair enough?"
"You're so confident?"
Lu Wensheng suppressed his anger: "Do you want challenge fee?"
"Of course! I'll even give you a handicap... let's say, 100,000 Yongquan Coins." Li Weiyi said.
As Lu Cangsheng emerged from his tent and saw his brother's eyes light up, he frowned and cleared his throat: "He's already at the Fifth Stage of the Five Seas Realm!"
Lu Wensheng's anger flared.
He cursed himself for still being haunted by his gambling addiction and past failures.
"Since he's practically walked into our trap, there's no way we'll let him escape."
At the edge of the camp, a gap opened in the formation's light curtain, and several Seventh Sea experts emerged, surrounding Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi glanced at them and then turned to Lu Cangsheng in the distance: "Is this how the Thundercloud Sect treats its guests?"
Lu Cangsheng disliked Li Weiyi, and he made no effort to hide it.
But he knew that someone like Li Weiyi, a true prodigy, wouldn't put himself in such a dangerous situation without a good reason.
"Do you really think you're a guest?"
"Someone who can save the Thundercloud Sect? Wouldn't that qualify as a guest?" Li Weiyi countered.
Lu Cangsheng's gaze narrowed, and he said in a low voice, "Li Weiyi, is all you know how to do is spread alarmist rumors? Do you think I'm Luan Sheng Lin You?"
"If it were Luan Sheng Lin You, he would have patiently listened to me finish speaking," Li Weiyi said.
After a moment of silence, Lu Cangsheng replied, "If you dare to enter the Thundercloud Sect's camp Formation, I might give you a chance to finish your words. But I wonder... do you have the courage?"
The young Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Thundercloud Sect present all sneered.
Qin Qian secretly admired Lu Cangsheng's cunning. With a single sentence, he had regained the upper hand in the atmosphere.
If Li Weiyi dared not to enter the camp, he would naturally be ridiculed and forced to retreat in disgrace.
If he were provoked into entering, it would be the perfect opportunity to capture or kill him.
"The Thundercloud Sect camp isn't a dragon's den or tiger's lair. Why wouldn't I dare enter?"
Li Weiyi smiled easily and walked through the camp gate.
"Whoosh!"
Behind him, the light gauze closed.
Qin Qian was overjoyed.
She immediately ordered, "Activate the Formation! Suppress him first!"
Li Weiyi ignored her completely, his arrogant gaze fixed on Lu Cangsheng: "In the Thundercloud Sect, are your words just empty farts?"
Lu Cangsheng met Li Weiyi's gaze, raised a hand, and stopped the Formation Master from acting.
The man was already inside, like a fish on a chopping block. There was no need to rush.
Li Weiyi finally smiled: "Lu Cangsheng, I'm here to cure your headaches and anxiety."
Lu Cangsheng studied Li Weiyi, trying to determine if he was feigning composure or truly confident.
"You are indeed as audacious as the legends say. But you wouldn't be foolish enough to believe that mere words can save the Zuoqiu Sect and the Jiu Li Clan tonight, would you?"
Li Weiyi said, "I'm in a hurry, so I won't waste time with you! I just fought Jiang Ning, and I'm sure you've heard the news. We were ambushed using Golden Scale Fire Rain and seven Dead Embers."
"So what? Are you trying to tell us our allies are unreliable?" Qin Qian sneered, "We've never considered the Far Western Ashlands our allies."
Li Weiyi kept his gaze fixed on Lu Cangsheng: "The ones who ambushed us were from the Dragon Sect. I injured him, and he is bleeding! If you treat the Dragon Sect as a sworn ally, you risk eternal damnation."
Lu Cangsheng's calm eyes stirred with emotion: "Why should I believe you?"
Li Weiyi said, "The last Ancient Immortal Giant Beast in the Lingxiao Realm is Yu Jia."
"Yu Jia gave birth to the Feilong (Flying Dragon) and the Feifeng (Flying Phoenix)."
"Dragon Sect serves the Flying Dragon, while the Far Western Ashlands are the descendants of the Flying Phoenix."
"The feud between Dragon Sect and the Far Western Ashlands stems from when the Mist Heavenly Emperor's slew the Flying Dragon and the Ashlands failed to come to the Flying Dragon's aid that day."
"However, as far as I know, the Flying Dragon had a son, a Qilin."
"After the Flying Dragon's death, the Qilin and Dragon Sect vanished together into the Lingxiao Realm. Only a thousand years ago, when the Mist Heavenly Emperor disappeared, did Dragon Sect dared to return."
"Now, with the world undergoing massive changes, if the Qilin were to return and forge ties with the Far Western Ashlands - both descendants of Yu Jia - it's entirely possible they could turn their swords into plowshares."
"Lu Cangsheng, if your vision remains limited to the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, you'll deeply disappoint me."
Lu Cangsheng's heart surged with turbulent emotions, but his face remained impassive.
"The Qilin has always been just a legend."
"I've said all I need to."
Li Weiyi prepared to leave, not expecting to persuade Lu Cangsheng. He only needed to plant a seed of doubt in his mind.
Once Lu Cangsheng began to deeply suspect Dragon Sect, he would be completely isolated, with few options left.
"Do you really think you can leave this camp alive?" Lu Cangsheng asked.
Li Weiyi glanced at the Thundercloud Sect experts surrounding him, then looked up at the Formation above.
He replied with a mocking tone, "Old Lu, you only spread rumors of Zuoqiu Hong, Zuoqiu Ting, and Cang Li's deaths to break the will of the Zuoqiu Sect's Martial-Mystic Cultivators. You wouldn't have actually believed them yourself, would you?"
"If you were to detain me or kill me here, the Thundercloud Sect would immediately become the Zuoqiu Sect and the Jiu Li Clan's greatest enemy."
"The weakest of the Five Great Factions dares to seek the most glory. If you don't fail, who will?"
"Besides, the reason I came to talk to you is to leave you a way out. I don't expect you to switch sides right now. But you wouldn't want to completely cut off the Thundercloud Sect's escape route, would you?"
Qin Qian glared at him coldly, her eyes filled with anger: "This man is full of deceit. Don't trust him."
Li Weiyi pointed outside the camp, where two shadows - Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan - were disappearing into the distance: "I came prepared! If I'm trapped here, they'll immediately inform Cang Li, Li Jiufu, and Li Ling. But if I walk out alive, I can continue to oppose the Imperial Court and the Far Western Ashlands."
"You should know what's best for the Thundercloud Sect."
Lu Cangsheng gazed into the darkness, where Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan had vanished with incredible speed, clearly top-tier experts.
Lu Cangsheng was secretly shocked.
He hadn't realized the Jiu Li Clan and the Zuoqiu Sect still had such formidable masters.
"The Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival's competition isn't over yet. It's still anyone's game."
Li Weiyi, hands clasped behind his back, walked toward the camp gate.
Suddenly, he stopped, turned, and glanced at Qin Qian: "If your woman isn't smart enough, tell her to speak less. Otherwise, she'll easily bring you unnecessary trouble."
"What... what nonsense are you talking about? It's not what you think..." Qin Qian retorted angrily, but her heart was racing for some reason, and she had forgotten her mission to kill Li Weiyi.
After leaving the camp, Li Weiyi hurried away, fearing Lu Cangsheng might change his mind and chase after him.
Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan appeared in a flash.
Zhen Yuyan asked, "What were you doing at the Thundercloud Sect?"
"Of course, I was discussing cooperation with Lu Cangsheng."
Li Weiyi sighed: "Lu Cangsheng is indeed a shrewd man. His vision extends far beyond this small city of the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, encompassing the entire world. The Imperial Court and the Far Western Ashlands are unreliable. He has promised me that as long as the Zuoqiu Sect holds out until dawn, the Thundercloud Sect will take action to establish a new balance of power within the city."
"Do you think we'll believe that?" Zhen Yuyan retorted coldly.
Li Weiyi replied, "Lu Cangsheng has no choice. After all, the Thundercloud Sect is the weakest of the Five Great Factions. If the Zuoqiu Sect falls, they'll perish with it."
Feng Yin said, "The Thundercloud Sect and Dragon Sect combined are a match for any Major Power."
"But I told him about Long Ting's affairs. Hahaha... Otherwise, why do you think I was able to walk out of the Thundercloud Sect's camp alive?"
Li Weiyi laughed heartily and strode forward.
Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan's expressions darkened.
Feng Yin said, "He deliberately told us this to ignite conflict between the Imperial Court, the Thundercloud Sect, and Dragon Sect, buying the Zuoqiu Sect precious time to breathe."
"But... if the Thundercloud Sect truly defects at a critical moment, and if Long Ting really has problems, the Imperial Court might be caught completely off guard," Zhen Yuyan said, "Someone must return to report this to Immortal Ge Xiantong."
Feng Yin said, "You go and report it. Make it quick. I'll stay with him. I'm faster than he is, so I'm not afraid of him making a move."
Li Weiyi noticed Zhen Yuyan leaving and breathed a silent sigh of relief.
At last, he had managed to distract one of them using the Thundercloud Sect.
Since the Five Great Factions clearly lacked trust in each other, Li Weiyi decided to use the same tactic.
He went to the Snow Sword Tang Court's camp and met Wanyan Xiaose.
He didn't see many high-level Snow Sword Tang Court experts in the camp.
Smiling, he asked, "Miss Wanyan, are you in charge of the overall situation in South City?"
"Brother Weiyi, you're not here to plead for mercy, are you? That would put me in a very difficult position," Wanyan Xiaose said, her small hands clasped behind her back, looking utterly pitiful.
Li Weiyi shook his head: "I'm here to ask for your help, but not on behalf of the Zuoqiu Sect. The person you, the Snow Sword Tang Court, want to eliminate has been following me, trying to get me to join the Imperial Court."
Feng Prefecture was one of the seven prefectures in the Northern Territory.
Feng Yin, the top Martial-Mystic Cultivator in Feng Prefecture, possessed Dragon Seed Tickets and Dragon Bone Tickets - items the Snow Sword Tang Court coveted most.
Li Weiyi briefly explained, "Miss Wanyan, if you could intervene to scare off this fellow or hold him back for a moment, Li Weiyi would be eternally grateful. I would owe you at least one favor in the future. And even if we were to become enemies someday, I would spare you once."
Wanyan Xiaose pondered for a moment before smiling: "I thought it was something serious! Feng Yin, ranked fifth in the Northern Territory's First-Class, I've been wanting to meet him for a long time!"
At this point, the Jiu Li Clan still held value for the Snow Sword Tang Court.
Therefore, throughout the night, the Snow Sword Tang Court had focused on dealing with the Zuoqiu Sect, avoiding any open conflict with the Jiu Li Clan.
After Wanyan Xiaose engaged Feng Yin, Li Weiyi seized the opportunity to escape. He plunged into a large river and submerged himself for several miles along the riverbed, completely erasing his trail before surfacing.
He then changed his appearance and headed toward West City.
Regardless, he needed to check on Li Ling and Cang Li's situation first.
Dawn had broken.
On the morning of the thirteenth day of the Lunar New Year, the sounds of battle in Qiu Prefecture City continued unabated, with all sides locked in a bloody struggle.
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END OF CHAPTER
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