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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 83 (338): [The Thirty-Six Thunder Tombs]
(83rd of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain, legend says, fell from the outer heavens. Its sheer cliffs rise a thousand ren on all sides, connected to the world only by four heavenly veins, which serve as the four paths to Lingxiao City.
The Xushan (Xu Mountain) Heavenly Vein is one of these.
Thousands of years ago, the Thundercloud Sect ruled the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain.
At its peak, every member of the Thundercloud Sect called themselves a Celestial God, looking down upon all living beings.
Their strength was so great that they could suppress the Four Directions of the Nether Realm.
Within the Xushan Heavenly Vein lies the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs, rumored to house the remains of thirty-six Transcendents from the Thundercloud Sect's history.
Each of these Transcendents cultivated the Thunder Method, capable of flying through the sky, traversing the earth, and achieving anything they desired.
Countless Immortal Realm Great Powers and Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators were buried alongside them.
Such a vast tomb complex, filled with untold treasures, has made countless Cultivators' eyes turn red with envy. Yet, in the thousands of years since its construction, no one has ever been known to open a single Transcendent tomb.
Instead, many have vanished within its depths, leaving no trace behind.
Various legends surround the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs.
Some say that during its peak, the Thundercloud Sect's Martial-Mystic Dao Ancient Heavenly Emperor laid down a deadly Great Formation here.
Each Transcendent who built their tomb then added their own layers of killing formations, all linked to the main formation.
One trap nested within another, ensuring that any grave robber would meet a gruesome end.
Others claim that the Thundercloud Sect's guardian beast, the Yan Kli, is not dead. It lies hidden within one of the tombs, plotting to reclaim the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain, avenge its fallen masters, and restore the Thundercloud Sect to its former glory.
In short, the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs were a mountainous region shrouded in thick mist and fraught with danger. Aside from the Thundercloud Sect Martial-Mystic Cultivators who came to pay respects to their ancestors every Sixty-Year Cycle, few Martial-Mystic Cultivators dared to trespass.
The Ashen Region Li Weiyi and his companions had just encountered spanned over ten miles, resembling a black desert saturated with the aura of death. One could only imagine how formidable the Ember Spirits within must be.
Upon learning of Lu Cangsheng's return, Tuoba Butuo was visibly moved.
"Lu Cangsheng is hailed as the Thundercloud Sect's once-in-a-millennium prodigy. He mastered thirty-six Thunder Annihilation Formations in the Five Seas Realm. Now, he likely commands seventy-two. He is destined to become the Thundercloud Sect's future Sect Leader. If he enters the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs to pay respects, he will undoubtedly be accompanied by a powerful Protector."
"Could the earlier clash have been between Lu Cangsheng's and Luan Sheng Lin You's Protectors?" Qi Xiao speculated.
Tuoba Butuo nodded: "Very likely! Elder figures rarely intervene in conflicts between juniors. They don't want them to feel they always have a safety net, encouraging recklessness. Instead, they seek to temper them, to force them to confront life-and-death trials. Otherwise, their ability to withstand pressure will be severely lacking, their actions will lack foresight, and they will be incapable of making critical survival decisions. Such a Sect Leader would ultimately bring ruin to their sect. Protectors exist to prevent elders from resorting to underhanded tactics."
Li Weiyi stopped on a ridge and gazed ahead.
In the night's embrace, ancient and majestic mountains loomed before them, grand and imposing, their peaks layered one upon another.
Snow-capped summits reflected the moonlight, jagged rocks clung to the mid-slopes, and dense, black forests blanketed the valleys below.
On some of the mountains, they could make out structures typically found only outside grand tombs: watchtowers, square cities, tomb walls, and Sacred Paths.
Silence reigned, not a bird or beast stirred, the eerie stillness chilling to the bone.
Li Weiyi's expression turned grave: "We've traveled at least a hundred and fifty miles into the mountains, yet Thunder Mausoleum (Leiling) City remains nowhere in sight. But I remember we only entered the mountains less than a hundred miles ago... Have we taken a wrong turn?"
Qi Xiao's face crumpled: "No doubt about it, we've stumbled into the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs. Legend has it that the Ancient Heavenly Emperor of the Thundercloud Sect once laid down a grand Formation here, expanding the territory and saturating the area with spatial energy. The Heaven, Earth, and Law Spiritual Qi here is completely different from the outside world."
Tuoba Butuo tugged at his hair: "After leaving the city, I made sure to avoid the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs while leading the way. Could it be... I heard on the post ship that a strange power emanating from Fu Prefecture has enveloped all of Liang Province. Thunder Mausoleum (Leiling) City, being so close to Fu Prefecture, couldn't possibly have escaped its influence, could it?"
"Could the Twin Rice Sect's Corpse-Sowing Rice have awakened the corpses in the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs, causing this land to undergo a strange transformation?"
As the words hung in the air, the biting wind on the hillside and the swaying shadows of the trees around them sent a chill that felt like plunging into an ice cellar through the three companions.
Li Weiyi remained calm: "Even if the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs have truly become a source of supernatural events, that's a problem for the Thundercloud Sect and the Imperial Court to worry about. Our top priority is to find a way out of this Ghostly Place. Conceal your Qi! Something's moving!"
Accompanied by muffled thunder, four figures enveloped in Thunder and Lightning fled from a mountain pass in the snow-capped mountains over ten miles away. They moved with incredible speed, each employing a unique Body Technique as they raced toward the plains between the distant peaks.
Upon closer inspection, they could be seen wearing Thunderclap Sect robes.
Then, a piercing scream echoed through the heavens.
The sonic wave was so intense that it caused Li Weiyi and his companions' eardrums to ache, a testament to the creature's profound cultivation.
A giant Silver Feather Eagle, its wings spanning dozens of meters, soared overhead, creating a powerful hurricane as it pursued the fleeing figures into the plains. Its body rapidly contracted and shrank, transforming into a human form as it seized the slowest of the Thunder and Lightning-clad figures.
"Pfft!"
Amidst a sinister chuckle, the Thundercloud Sect True Disciple screamed as the Silver-Winged Great Sage's claw tore him in half at the waist. His internal organs spilled onto the ground, a gruesome and brutal sight.
Tuoba Butuo stood in the shadows beneath a tree, eyes wide, transmitting through spiritual energy: "That fellow is the Silver-Winged Great Sage of Yin Mountain, a descendant of the Silver Feather Eagle King. He's incredibly bloodthirsty and feared throughout the Northern Territory. He's even on equal footing with my father. The one being hunted appears to be a True Inheritance Disciple of the Thundercloud Sect."
The Silver Feather Eagle King was one of the four transcendent demon clans in the Lingxiao Realm, once the master of the eight-thousand-mile Yin Mountain Range.
"A Dao Seed Realm demon dares to call himself a Great Sage? That's far too arrogant. Even the Silver Feather Eagle King perished outside Qiu Prefecture City. Who does he think he is?" Qi Xiao snorted coldly.
When demons kill humans, every human feels a sense of shared fate, their hearts filled with rage.
Li Weiyi turned his gaze to the remaining three Thundercloud Sect disciples, all in the Dao Seed Realm.
One was a middle-aged man with a full beard, flanked by a young male and female Pure Immortal Physique True Inheritance Disciples.
The woman, tall and slender, was someone Li Weiyi recognized.
It was Qin Qian, who owed him five hundred thousand Yongquan Coins.
The Silver-Winged Great Sage gaped, silver light flashing in his throat as he swallowed the Thunderclap Sect disciple he had torn in two whole.
He patted his belly contentedly.
Then, his massive silver wings unfurled, and he pursued the remaining three disciples with a cruel laugh.
"Don't bother running," he sneered, "None of you will escape. A Dao Seed Realm Pure Immortal Physique will be even more delicious."
Li Weiyi averted his gaze and spotted two powerful Demon Race experts on the peaks of snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Their Qi was formidable, and they had taken human form, blocking the Thunderclap Sect disciples' escape routes.
Li Weiyi had no particular connection to the Thunderclap Sect, but he would gladly weaken Luan Sheng Lin You's forces if he could.
Moreover, the Thunderclap Sect disciples were bound to know how to navigate the Thunder Thirty-Six Tombs.
"Want to make some money?" he asked.
Tuoba Butuo chuckled: "Seizing two Dao Lotuses and selling them would fetch a fortune in cultivation resources."
"The flesh of Dao Seed Realm demons is a delicacy highly sought after by the Heavenly Pavilion and the Immortal Forest," Qi Xiao added, his interest piqued.
Li Weiyi countered, "Killing people is never as profitable as saving them."
.....
....
Luan Sheng Lin You gazed into the distance, where Lu Cangsheng and Long Ting were locked in battle beneath a magnificent mausoleum.
Thunder and lightning intertwined, an Azure Dragon soared, and figures flickered like phantoms.
After listening to Long Xiangcen's account, Luan Sheng Lin You smiled faintly: "Fifth Divine Son, Si Kong Jingyuan? You've been deceived!"
Confusion clouded Long Xiangcen's eyes.
"Impossible. The Divine Son Life Token can't be fake."
"It's true he's a Divine Son of the Twin Rice Sect! But why would he wear a special spiritual artifact mask to conceal his aura?"
Luan Sheng Lin You continued, "According to your description, this person has mastered the Transformation Technique to the point where it's impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood. His Psychic Power and Martial-Mystic Dao both rank among the top tier of the younger generation. There's only one person who fits this description. During my recent trip to the Twin Rice Sect's Main Hall, someone leaked his information to me, but unfortunately, I didn't have time to meet him."
"Damn him for deceiving me! I'll go after him right now. Divine Son or not, I'll cut out his lying tongue first!" Long Xiangcen declared.
"If it's truly him, I must go myself. You stay here and deal with Lu Cangsheng."
Luan Sheng Lin You turned his gaze back to the distant battlefield: "Calamity Crossing Temple is no simple matter. Lu Cangsheng is already completely suppressing Long Ting without even using the Thunder Annihilation Formation. Long Ting inherited the Dragon Soul and the Azure Dragon's Willpower from the Long Dian. At the same cultivation level, he shouldn't be losing to him."
On the vast plains stretching for dozens of miles, melting snow from the snow-capped mountains converged into rivers and Hai Zi.
The Silver-Winged Great Sage released his Dao Heart Manifestation. Silver Spiritual Qi, like threads and strands, wrapped around Qin Qian and another True Inheritance Disciple of the Thundercloud Sect, pulling them toward him like marionettes.
The middle-aged man with a thick beard, an Outer Sect Elder of the Thundercloud Sect, unleashed his Thunder-Lightning Dao Technique.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Lightning bolts crisscrossed the sky, striking the Silver-Winged Great Sage repeatedly.
The Silver-Winged Great Sage used the pair of silver wings on his back to shield himself.
With a hearty laugh, he activated his Wind-Riding Body Technique, a streak of silver colliding with the Outer Sect Elder, sending him flying.
Bones cracked and shattered within the elder's body. Blood gushed from all seven orifices as he crashed to the ground.
Qin Qian and the other True Inheritance Disciple of the Thundercloud Sect broke free from the silver Spiritual Qi and lunged forward from left and right to rescue their elder.
But the Silver-Winged Great Sage waved his hand, sending them flying.
One plunged into the icy, bone-chilling Hai Zi, while the other slammed against a cliff face.
The disparity in cultivation was too great.
The three of them combined were no match for the Silver-Winged Great Sage.
Qin Qian surfaced from the frigid depths of the Hai Zi, her long hair dripping wet, her face pale, and her body numb with pain. She found it difficult to even circulate her Spiritual Qi.
Seeing the Silver-Winged Great Sage holding the Outer Sect Elder in his hand, preparing to tear him in two just as he had done before, Qin Qian gritted her teeth in hatred, yet was powerless to stop him.
With a voice choked with grief, she cried out, "Eldest Brother has returned! When he arrives, you will all die!"
The Silver-Winged Great Sage glanced at her and sneered: "Lu Cangsheng? If he could have come, he would have already saved you. Clearly, he's still brooding over Long Ting's words from before, just waiting for me to kill you all. But I'll spare you. The woman he doesn't want, I will take! Hahaha..."
"Who's there?"
"Impossible... He must be held back by Long Ting..."
Qin Qian's eyes reddened.
Not only was her body wracked with pain, but her heart ached unbearably. She couldn't accept the Silver-Winged Great Sage's words.
The silver Spiritual Qi the Silver-Winged Great Sage had injected into her body was impossible to refine, leaving her without the strength even to leap from the water.
Li Weiyi, clad in a broad black robe and wearing a golden mask, strode forward step by step, Myriad Manifestations Staff-Spear in hand, toward the lake at the foot of the snow-capped mountain.
The spearhead pointed downward, with the Earth Spirit Seed perched atop it.
A childlike, eerie laughter echoed through the mountains, emanating from the Earth Spirit Seed's mouth.
Li Weiyi absorbed all the light around him, turning a radius of several dozen feet into a dark void, making him appear utterly sinister.
Not only did the Silver-Winged Great Sage grow wary, secretly circulating his Spiritual Qi, but the Thundercloud Sect's True Disciple and Qin Qian also felt their hearts clench.
The figure before them seemed anything but benevolent.
Li Weiyi glanced at Qin Qian in the water and chuckled hoarsely: "It seems your Thundercloud Sect is doomed today. Three Dao Seed Realm lives should be worth at least 1.5 million Yongquan Coins. Who's willing to pay?"
Li Weiyi's price was fair and consistent; he didn't believe in taking advantage of others' misfortune.
The Thundercloud Sect's True Disciple, blood staining his lips, asked uncertainly, "Senior, are you here to save us?"
"I'm here to do business," Li Weiyi corrected.
The True Disciple's face lit up with wild joy.
He had thought they were doomed, but now there was a glimmer of hope.
As long as they could survive, no amount of money would be too much.
Zhao Qianfeng said urgently, "As long as Senior is willing to intervene, I'll gladly offer not just 1.5 million Yongquan Coins, but 2 million!"
"Very well, 2 million it is."
Li Weiyi agreed: "But can you make that decision? Do you even have that much money?"
"I..."
Two million Yongquan Coins was a sum Zhao Qianfeng couldn't possibly raise even if he sold everything he owned.
He turned to Qin Qian for help.
Qin Qian thought Zhao Qianfeng was an utter fool. He'd just driven the price up from 1.5 million to 2 million Yongquan Coins. But in this situation, survival was paramount.
As for repayment?
Without written proof, who would dare to demand repayment from the Thundercloud Sect?
She said, "As long as Senior can save Elder Lin and escort the three of us back to Thunder Mausoleum (Leiling) City, we'll honor the debt!"
"That's good to hear."
Li Weiyi nodded lightly.
Qin Qian and Zhao Qianfeng were overjoyed.
They couldn't believe this person was so easily deceived.
He hadn't even made them swear an oath in the name of the Thunder Gods.
Li Weiyi looked at the Silver-Winged Great Sage across from Lake: "I'm here to make money, not to fight. Hand over the person and leave!"
"Cackle!"
The Silver-Winged Great Sage's laughter was strange, like the squawk of poultry. His eyes were cold.
"Old man, do you even know who you're provoking? We serve Lord Qilin. If you don't want to die, scram!"
Two figures of Demon Race experts in the distance moved swiftly, converging from behind to encircle Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi stood straight, releasing his Psychic Power into the Myriad Manifestations Staff-Spear.
"Swoosh!"
The Earth Spirit Seed at the spear's tail cried out loudly, its belly glowing brightly.
Immediately, Yin Qi from the earth surged toward the staff-spear, forming a swirling vortex of gray-black storm that enveloped Li Weiyi.
This was the Earth Spirit Seed's innate ability!
Born from absorbing Yin Qi from the earth, it had lived for several thousand years.
Sensing the increasingly potent and bone-chilling aura radiating from Li Weiyi, the Silver-Winged Great Sage's expression shifted dramatically.
He spread his wings, preparing to flee.
"Now, you have nowhere to run! Stay here!"
Li Weiyi locked onto him with Psychic Power and struck out with his staff from across the distance.
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END OF CHAPTER
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