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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 85 (522): [Chief]
(85th of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Yang Shenjing appeared to be in his fifties, with a gaunt face that radiated a gentle and dignified aura. Yet his broad shoulders and chest, coupled with his long arms, hinted at the formidable strength and martial prowess of a seasoned cultivator.
The few strands of white hair at his temples and the beard on his chin betrayed the passage of time, a stark contrast to the youthful visage etched on the Psychic Stone Wall of the Jiu Li Hidden Sect.
This was Li Weiyi's first true encounter with Yang Shenjing.
His Qi surged with vitality, Spiritual Qi constantly overflowing from his body like an inexhaustible ocean. Even standing a hundred zhang away, he exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure that weighed heavily on everyone present.
As the Sect Leader of the Sui Sect, Yang Shenjing's reputation reverberated throughout the Southern Territory, eclipsing even the Three Great Barbarian Bandits.
Across the entire Lingxiao Realm, he was hailed as the foremost figure of the past millennium.
His reputation was a double-edged sword.
Detractors vilified him as a treacherous servant who devoured his master, a cunning opportunist, and a ruthless schemer.
Admirers praised his unwavering resilience, strategic patience, and ruthless pragmatism, arguing that without such ruthlessness, he could never have risen from the fringes of the Sect.
The Ancient Hidden Lord drew his battle axe, his voice deep and resonant, "Yang Shenjing, with your cultivation and status, are you not ashamed to target a mere junior? Perhaps this old man should test your mettle instead."
Yang Shenjing's gaze shifted from the Stone Coffin to the Ancient Hidden Lord. Their wills clashed, unleashing a violent burst of Windthunder energy that shook the space within a hundred zhang.
Though no physical blows were exchanged, they had already gauged the depth of each other's cultivation.
Yang Shenjing remarked, "The Jiu Li Hidden Sect truly harbors hidden dragons and crouching tigers. I had thought defeating Li Minong and Mo Hai would make me the foremost power in Li Province. It seems I underestimated the legacy left by King Cang and the First Leader, Yuan Zhe."
As a retainer of the Yang Family, who served the Jiu Li Clan, Yang Shenjing had grown up hearing tales of King Cang and Li Yuanzhe's legendary exploits.
The Immortal Realm Great Powers of the Demon Race, Rice Palace, Calamity Crossing Temple, and Lingxiao Human Clan were all gathered within a few dozen li of the Phoenix Tree Mirage, their Spiritual Qi vast as lakes and deep as oceans.
The earlier clash between Yang Shenjing and Master Coffin's Spiritual Qi had sent shockwaves that alerted them all.
Li Minong, the Cangli Tribe's Clan Chief and the Jiu Li Clan's publicly acknowledged strongest warrior, and Mo Hai, the High Priest of the Jiu Li Divine Temple and the clan's second-strongest, had both turned back from the Phoenix Tree Mirage's trunk.
To the entire Jiu Li Clan, Yang Shenjing was their greatest enemy.
"I heard the Second Palace Master bestowed upon you the Thousand-Lifes Immeasurable Pill to help you break through to the Other Shore Realm. Yang Shenjing, why haven't you become a Transcendent yet?"
The Great Priest of the Ink Sea radiated Spiritual Light, his white beard and hair flowing as he wielded a ceremonial staff. Coins adorned his robes, and a dense swarm of Departed Spirits stood behind him.
Li Minong was the Hidden Lord's father and the grandfather of Cang Li and Li Ling.
From his Ancestral Field, a bronze battle-axe flew forth.
His voice rang with unwavering resolve: "Today, the Jiu Li Clan and the Hidden Sect join forces to eliminate this formidable foe!"
"Take the younger generation away first," the Ancient Hidden Lord instructed Elder Qin.
Facing an existence like Yang Shenjing required their full focus. He couldn't possibly protect Li Weiyi and the others while fighting.
Although Master Coffin had repelled Yang Shenjing earlier, he hadn't used his Transcendent-level power.
The Ancient Hidden Lord didn't know Master Coffin's true strength, only that the old man had passed away, leaving behind only a remnant corpse.
Moreover, news of the Jiu Li First Chief's return would inevitably stir up trouble if leaked.
"You think you can stop me with just a few of you?" Yang Shenjing sneered, his gaze sweeping over the three figures before him without a trace of fear.
His interest lay solely in the Stone Coffin and Li Weiyi.
He wanted to capture Li Weiyi to uncover the secret behind his terrifyingly rapid cultivation progress.
He also recognized the extraordinary nature of the seven rare insects, suspecting they might not be merely Monarch-Marquis Grade.
If they weren't Monarch-Marquis Grade, their value would be beyond imagination.
"Amitabha!"
The resonant Buddhist chant echoed from the dilapidated ruins: "Three against one is hardly fair. This humble monk is also curious about the strength of the Jiu Li Hidden Sect. What methods did they use to subdue the Earthwolf King's Army?"
Xu Fodu, standing thirty-six feet tall, his massive belly protruding beneath his gray monk's robe, wore a string of Blood Soul prayer beads around his neck, each bead the size of a water vat.
His bald head, enormous and gleaming, moved with surprising agility as he strode past a dragon skull the size of a small mountain, following a Blood River. Beneath his feet, dense patterns of golden Buddhist script shimmered.
Li Minong and Mo Hai exchanged wary glances, fully aware of Xu Fodu's formidable power.
This Barbarian Bandit possessed the bloodline of an Ancient Immortal Giant, his combat prowess terrifying and his reputation legendary. It was precisely this that had deterred the Jiu Li Clan from ever provoking him, forcing them to offer annual tributes to Coffin Mountain in exchange for peace.
Xu Fodu could be considered the Jiu Li Clan's second greatest enemy.
While Yang Shenjing was cunning and treacherous, Xu Fodu was brutal and merciless.
Both served as Vice Hall Masters of the Rice Sect's Heavenly Valley (Tianxia) Hall.
"Three against three would be more equitable."
"Whoosh!"
The Hall Master of the Rice Sect's Wither-Flourish (Kurong) Hall soared through the air and landed atop the mountain-sized dragon skull.
His body seemed forged from pure gold, a Golden Mirror hovering above his head, making him appear to stand within a golden full moon.
He was the father of Si Kong Jingyuan and Si Kong Yanlun.
The Vice Hall Master of the Wither-Flourish Hall - the mother of Si Kong Jingyuan and Si Kong Yanlun - had fallen several months prior during the siege of the Underground Immortal Mansion, killed by Li Minong.
Sensing the Jiu Li Clan's precarious situation, a powerful cultivator from the Lingxiao Realm of the Human Race, positioned about forty miles from the Phoenix Tree Mirage, let out a cold snort.
"The Rice Sect's three would do well to refrain from rash actions. Otherwise, we'll abandon the opportunity before us and eliminate you first."
The speaker was Tais5hi Qingshi of the Tai Shi Clan, the foremost expert beneath the Imperial Court Transcendent.
Accompanying him was Princess Yun Chang, daughter of the West Sea King, whose aged voice echoed, "Yang Shenjing, Xu Fodu, do you truly not realize you've long been public enemies of the Lingxiao Human Clan? How dare you show your faces here and act so brazenly?"
The opportunity within the Dragon City Ruins remained the primary objective for all present.
They had already detected the fragrant aroma of Life-Preserving Herbs, convinced that the legendary Life Spring must lie beneath the Phoenix Tree.
Drinking from the Life Spring would undoubtedly grant a significant extension of lifespan.
A Rice Palace expert's voice boomed from fifty miles away, laced with threat: "This is a matter of personal grievances. The Lingxiao Human Clan has no need to interfere."
Hearing these words, Yang Shenjing cast aside all hesitation.
He raised his right hand above his head, and a long spear materialized in his grasp.
"Whoosh!"
With a flick of his wrist, countless scriptures erupted from the spear.
Spiritual Qi and scriptures coalesced into a radiant river of light, its surging energy instantly enveloping the entire Jiu Li Clan.
The terrifying aura emanating from them rose like a divine mountain.
Yang Shenjing was adept at assessing situations.
His original plan had been to capture Li Weiyi and immediately flee, never intending to engage the Jiu Li Clan in battle within the Dragon City Ruins.
But now, having inadvertently discovered the secret of the Stone Coffin and sensing imminent danger, his curiosity was fully aroused.
Instinct told him that if he failed to unravel this mystery today, it would inevitably lead to his death.
He thrust the spear forward!
"Boom!"
The radiant river of light surged from the spear, carrying the momentum of a raging torrent. It instantly forced Li Minong and Mo Hai aside, sending them flying several miles away.
The spear's energy clashed with the battleaxe swung by the Ancient Hidden Lord, their collision echoing across Dragon City like the clash of two primordial mountains.
The ground beneath the Ancient Hidden Lord's feet crumbled as turbulent Qi surged around him. Shockwaves rippled through the air, violently shaking the branches and leaves of the Phoenix Tree overhead.
No one could have imagined that Yang Shenjing, a man known for his rationality, would engage in such a fierce battle in a place like the Dragon City Ruins.
Elder Qin had already forcibly dragged Li Weiyi and the others more than ten miles away, leaving no room for argument.
When he sensed the battle erupting behind them, a deep worry etched itself onto his scarred face.
Having clashed with Yang Shenjing beneath the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, Elder Qin knew firsthand the old bastard's terrifying power, having nearly been sent to his death by him.
"Damn it! The Hall Master of the Withered Flourish Hall is coming for us!"
Elder Qin's pupils constricted as he watched the golden figure atop the white-boned dragon's skull transform into a streak of golden light, hurtling toward them.
The Hall Master of the Withered Flourish Hall, whose cultivation rivaled Yang Shenjing and Xu Fodu, closed the distance rapidly, shouting, "Yao Qingxuan! I never thought you'd still be alive! Even the Sect Master's Death Spirit Fire couldn't kill you?"
The shout echoed across the ruins, freezing many listeners in shock.
Zuoqiu Linghe, Yao Xingyue, and the others felt their heads about to explode, convinced they must have misheard or that the name was merely similar.
How could it possibly be her?
"There's no other way!"
Master Coffin knew the consequences of revealing his identity and the secret of his return, but he sensed a grave danger emanating from Yang Shenjing.
He realized that this greatest enemy of the Jiu Li Clan would soon ascend to the ranks of the Transcendents.
"Whoosh!"
The Stone Coffin shot forth, vanishing from sight with a speed beyond even the Hidden Lord and Yao Qingxuan's eyes could track.
"Boom!"
The Stone Coffin slammed into the Myriad-Inscriptions Golden Mirror before the Hall Master of the Withered Flourish Hall.
A shattering crack echoed through the air as the mirror shattered into golden shards amidst swirling rings of golden light.
"How is this possible?"
The Hall Master's face twisted in shock.
Instinctively, he raised his hands to block the Stone Coffin.
His hands shattered, and the Stone Coffin sent him flying tens of miles away.
Reaching the clash between Yang Shenjing and the Ancient Hidden Lord, the Stone Coffin flipped sideways, striking Yang Shenjing like a blunt sword.
The Hall Master of the Withered Flourish Hall collapsed into a pool of blood mud, his golden light fading rapidly as his Qi dissipated.
Yang Shenjing's eyes widened like a tiger's, his muscles straining to their limits, but he couldn't escape.
His legs felt petrified, his entire being crushed by an overwhelming force of Willpower.
"Rumble!"
The Stone Coffin crashed down, driving the once-invincible Yang Shenjing deep into the earth.
Centered on the point where the Stone Coffin crashed down, the earth collapsed in concentric circles, the fissures spreading outward.
This was the Dragon City Ruins, after all, where the ground was known for its stability.
Such a terrifying strike stunned all the Immortal Realm Great Powers beneath the Phoenix Tree Mirage, plunging them into a brief silence.
Xu Fodu turned and fled immediately.
"Transcendent Spiritual Qi... Chief... has his cultivation recovered?" Beneath the Hidden Lord's mask, his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, his heart pounding like a drum, barely suppressing his wild elation.
Elder Qin couldn't help but gasp, inhaling the deathly Yin Qi that permeated the Dragon City Ruins.
Li Weiyi's expression remained grave, devoid of joy.
He understood Master Coffin's predicament all too well.
The Other Shore Heavenly Pill had only been partially revived, capable of unleashing Transcendent-level power, but still a far cry from full restoration.
Exposing their strength to kill the Hall Master of the Withered Flourish Hall and Yang Shenjing might prove to be a blessing or a curse.
"It's a Transcendent! A Transcendent is hiding among the Immortal Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators!"
"Quickly, send word to the Demon King!"
The Immortal Realm Great Powers were all shaken to their core.
They knew all too well the catastrophic consequences of a Transcendent unleashing their full killing intent.
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END OF CHAPTER
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