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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 36 (473): [The Ancient Clan, the Chang Clan]
(36th of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"Is that really true?" Li Weiyi asked with a smile.
Chang Jian glanced at the Fake Li Weiyi standing nearby: "I heard the Young Lord of the Northern Territory can fight to a draw against Immortal Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators in the Ninth Heaven. And in the Immortal Realm, she effortlessly defeated the Demon Child. Such feats are beyond even the True Disciples of the Ancient Myriad Sects."
"I also heard that the Jiu Li Clan's Divine Hidden One shattered the Dao Image of the Young Celestial Emperor from the Second Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm at Calamity Crossing Temple with a single strike in the Dao Image Diagram. Brother, you're a Martial-Mystic Cultivator of the Lingxiao Realm, right? Are these rumors true?"
"They're just exaggerated tales," Li Weiyi replied, "People love to embellish stories."
Chang Xiaoyu, her face veiled, strode quickly toward the Fake Li Weiyi.
Chang Jian tried to stop her, but he was too late.
"May I ask the Jiu Li Divine Hidden One, what realm of Martial-Mystic Cultivation have you reached?"
Chang Xiaoyu's voice silenced everyone within thirty meters.
The Fake Li Weiyi looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Yaoyin stood up: "Senior Sister Chang, please don't be misled by rumors. What happens in the Dao Image Diagram shouldn't be taken seriously."
"So you're Chang Yuqing, the Young Celestial Emperor of Calamity Crossing Temple. I've seen you in the Dao Image Diagram," the Fake Li Weiyi said.
Back in Lingxiao City, when the Demon Child stormed the West Sea Mansion with the Ninefold Dao Image Diagram, Li Weiyi had shattered Chang Yuqing's Dao Image, which was at the Second Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, with a single strike.
When news of this reached Calamity Crossing Temple, it naturally had a significant impact on Chang Yuqing.
A realization flashed in Li Weiyi's eyes as he turned to Chang Jian beside him.
Chang Jian offered a wry smile, showing no condescension despite Li Weiyi being a Lingxiao Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
"My apologies for using a false name. I simply wished to maintain a low profile and avoid unnecessary trouble. Let me reintroduce myself: Chang Yujian, also known as Chang Chang."
"The Chang Clan is one of the Ancient Clans of the Demon Kingdom. Chang Yuqing is the Dao Seed Realm Young Celestial Emperor of Calamity Crossing Temple. It's understandable that he would adopt a pseudonym to remain discreet," Li Weiyi said calmly, "Young Master Chang must be a formidable figure. There's no need to apologize to someone as insignificant as myself."
Behind Chang Yujian, the six Chang Clan prodigies straightened their backs, their eyes gleaming with pride and confident smiles.
As descendants of the Ancient Clans, they naturally felt superior to a Lingxiao Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
Yet Chang Yujian sensed Li Weiyi's extraordinary nature. The terms "Ancient Clans" and "Demon Kingdom" evoked no trace of fear in him, revealing the depth of his inner Qi.
The phrase "I saw you in the Dao Image Diagram" ignited Chang Yuqing's competitive spirit as the Young Celestial Emperor.
She pressed again, "May I ask the Jiu Li Divine Hidden One about your current Martial-Mystic Dao cultivation realm? Or are you afraid to answer?"
Fake Li Weiyi chuckled: "Nothing to be afraid of answering. Sixth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm. What, Miss Chang, are you challenging me? Have you also reached the Sixth Heaven?"
Chang Yuqing had only broken through one realm, reaching the Third Heaven.
After a moment of shock, she was infuriated by his provocative and mocking tone.
"Chang Sheng!" Chang Yuqing called out.
A young man in full armor, standing behind Chang Yujian, flickered like a stream of light and appeared beside Chang Yuqing.
Chang Yuqing glared coldly at Fake Li Weiyi.
"Chang Sheng has cultivated to the peak of the Sixth Heaven. If you can defeat him in three moves, I'll believe the events in the Dao Image Diagram were real. Jiu Li Divine Hidden One, don't disappoint me."
Li Weiyi saw clearly that Fake Li Weiyi was deliberately provoking Chang Yuqing.
"Boom!"
Chang Sheng was sent flying by a single palm strike from Fake Li Weiyi, blood spurting from his mouth and nose. He landed heavily dozens of feet away, staggering back several steps before barely regaining his balance.
The Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Lingxiao Realm erupted in cheers.
Fake Li Weiyi sneered: "Miss Chang, sending such a lackey to test my strength? Is this your way of looking down on me? Or do you simply despise all Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Lingxiao Realm?"
Chang Yuqing's eyes blazed with fury, as if sharp arrows were about to shoot forth.
Li Weiyi, however, was secretly astonished.
He glanced at the five figures standing behind Chang Yujian: "As expected of the Ancient Clan. Even a randomly chosen member is an Inheritor-level Heaven's Chosen. Could these five also be Inheritors?"
Fake Li Weiyi's strength was formidable. If Chang Sheng hadn't been an Inheritor, he would never have been able to remain standing after being sent flying.
Chang Yujian's expression darkened.
Suppressing his anger at the Jiu Li Divine Hidden One's arrogance, he replied calmly, "In the Lingxiao Realm, among the countless Sects, only two or three such talents emerge every Sixty-Year Cycle. These individuals, upon whom great hopes are pinned, are deemed Inheritors."
"But the Ancient Clan governs a population more than ten times that of the countless Sects, allowing for greater concentration of cultivation resources at the higher levels. Every Sixty-Year Cycle, twenty to thirty talents of this caliber are born. During some Golden Eras, one even emerges from the clan's annual grand examinations."
"Calling them Inheritors would be inappropriate!"
"We refer to talents of this level as Chief-level. The first-place winner of the clan's grand examination each year is crowned as the Chief of that year."
To be recognized as a "Ancient Clan," governing a population exceeding one hundred million was merely the minimum requirement.
This was merely one of the criteria.
Requirements also existed for the number of Immortal Realm cultivators, Transcendents, and the cultivation level of the clan's strongest members.
Thus, the true Ancient Clans of southern Yingzhou often boasted populations exceeding several hundred million.
The Chang Clan, whose influence extended to three hundred million people, saw millions of newborns each year. Therefore, claiming first place in the clan's grand examination meant standing out among millions.
Chief-level geniuses, on the other hand, were one in ten million.
"Chief-level talents are further divided into Ordinary Chief Talents, Superior Chief Talents, and Supreme Chief Talents."
"Ordinary Chief Talents are utterly unremarkable. Only Superior Chief Talents have a reasonable chance of contending for the Transcendent Realm and receiving prioritized cultivation."
"Of course, even if you surpass Chief-level and achieve the combat prowess of a Young Celestial Emperor in the Dao Seed Realm, what does it matter? Without becoming a True Disciple of an Ancient Sect, it's all for naught. You'll inevitably fall behind."
Chang Yujian abruptly rose, leading the five behind him toward Fake Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi had no desire to needlessly antagonize a Ancient Clan.
Using Psychic Power, he transmitted a warning to Fake Li Weiyi: "If you make enemies for me, I'll expose your true identity!"
Fake Li Weiyi glanced in Li Weiyi's direction, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
He immediately clasped his hands in a polite bow toward Chang Yuqing, his voice smooth and conciliatory: "I was merely joking with Miss Chang earlier. In truth, I've already broken through to the Seventh Heaven."
"Miss Chang, please don't take the events in the Dao Image Diagram to heart. It was all the Demon Child deliberately stirring up trouble. How could anyone possibly break through from the Second Heaven to the Seventh Heaven in just a few months?"
Fake Li Weiyi then tossed a healing pill to Chang Sheng: "My apologies for the earlier offense. Please forgive me."
With Yaoyin's mediation, the conflict quickly dissolved into amicable laughter. There had never been any real animosity between them.
Fifteen minutes later, numerous Martial-Mystic Cultivators from the Lingxiao Realm gathered around Chang Yujian and Chang Yuqing, their intentions clearly ingratiating.
Such behavior was only natural.
Although the Chang Clan was also a power within the Demon Kingdom, they were political rivals of the Crown Prince and the Sacred Dark Family, the two factions deeply at odds.
Fake Li Weiyi, accompanied by Yaoyin, sat down beside the real Li Weiyi and transmitted a message in Zuoqiu Hongting's voice: "When Uncle Li purchased the True Spiritual Pill and began acquiring Millennium Essence Herbs everywhere, I knew you must have arrived! Without resorting to such measures, meeting you would have been as difficult as ascending to heaven."
Li Weiyi replied telepathically, "Is this your idea of wanting to see me? It seems more like you're deliberately trying to provoke trouble and embarrass Snow Sword Tang Court."
Zuoqiu Hongting quickly denied it: "If I were trying to cause trouble, I wouldn't have used your identity. I would have come in my true form to demonstrate the Zuoqiu Sect's confidence. I genuinely have urgent matters to discuss with you, concerning Jiang Ning. Something has happened to her, and I couldn't bring her to Qiu Prefecture City. I'm sorry..."
Li Weiyi remained silent for a moment: "I should be the one apologizing. I nearly got you killed."
Zuoqiu Hongting turned sharply to him: "You already know?"
Li Weiyi nodded.
Yaoyin, seated to the left of the fake Li Weiyi, watched them with curious eyes, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two.
"Divine Hidden One, won't you introduce us? Who exactly is this gentleman?"
The fake Li Weiyi's unusual behavior toward the Chang Clan Martial-Mystic Cultivators earlier had aroused Yaoyin's suspicions, and her tone now carried a hint of wariness.
Li Weiyi shot her a cold glance: "I bet you'd get sold off and still count the money for your buyer. With your naivety, how did you ever become a True Disciple of the Calamity Crossing Temple?"
Yaoyin's eyes, visible above her veil, widened in stunned silence before she turned to the fake Li Weiyi beside her.
"Don't panic. It's me," the fake Li Weiyi said, his voice now Zuoqiu Hongting's.
Having spent two years together at the Calamity Crossing Temple, Zuoqiu Hongting and Yaoyin had forged a deep bond.
Otherwise, she never could have deceived her.
Yaoyin let out a silent sigh of relief, but beneath her veil, her cheeks flushed crimson as she recalled the morning's embarrassing moment on the Jiu Li Clan ship.
After days of suppressed emotions, she had impulsively thrown herself into Zuoqiu Hongting's arms.
"You two... you've gone too far..." Yaoyin murmured, her voice barely audible.
Too ashamed to remain, she rose to leave.
Their faces had been completely humiliated.
From the sea below, a thunderous voice boomed: "Huoxin and Zhenxin of the Rice Palace have come to pay their respects!"
Huoxin, radiating a scarlet glow, and Zhenxin, emitting an icy blue aura, streaked across the azure sea, leaving two long trails of light in their wake.
In the next instant, they landed on the ship's railing, one on each side.
Huoxin raised his head, gazing up at the ship's tower. "Convey this message to the True Disciple: Request the Young Lord of the Northern Territory to reveal herself."
His tone was arrogant, like an emperor issuing a decree, demanding his subjects appear to receive it.
If Tang Wanzhou showed herself, it would mean the two True Disciples of the Calamity Crossing Temple had gained the upper hand. Simultaneously, the Snow Sword Tang Court and the entire Lingxiao Realm would be reduced to vassals of the Rice Palace.
"The show's about to begin!"
Chang Yujian stood at a seaward-facing spot on the fifth deck, a smile playing on his lips as he scanned the surroundings, searching for the figures of the Rice Palace's True Disciples.
Zuoqiu Hongting pulled Yaoyin back to her seat and glanced at Li Weiyi.
"See? This has nothing to do with me. The Snow Sword Tang Court held such a high-profile Commander's Banquet - how could others resist testing their strength? The top talents of the younger generation are destined to clash in the East Sea, to determine their true rankings."
Li Weiyi asked, "What's your Martial-Mystic Dao realm? And what about your Psychic Power realm?"
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END OF CHAPTER
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