Subscribe to the MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel.
***********************************
Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 6: [Battle for the True Inheritance]
Chapter 45 (586): [Fallen Spirit Powerhouse]
(45th of Volume 6)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
******************************
Qing Zijin used a Psychic Technique to peer through the distant dark clouds, observing the figures flitting across the ground and constantly writing something.
Nearby, Li Weiyi rummaged through a Cosmic Pouch, examining Luo Pingdan's corpse.
Inside one of the precious Cosmic Pouches, forged from a Transcendents' Qi Sea, Yin Qi surged.
It contained over ten thousand Ghost Spirits and Undead Souls, along with thousands of Ghost-Faced Owls.
Luo Pingdan had attempted to release them earlier, but Li Weiyi had interrupted him.
These undead creatures and owls could be formidable against ordinary Martial-Mystic Cultivators, capable of encirclement and slaughter, reconnaissance and pursuit, and even city-razing and plundering.
However, they stood no chance against a Immortal Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator of Li Weiyi's caliber.
The most valuable items were Luo Pingdan's Red Copper Staff, Immortal Golden Core, and the twenty-five Nianli (Psychic Power) Stars embedded between his eyebrows.
The Red Copper Staff resembled a tree branch at the top and a tree root at the bottom, with two copper bells hanging from it.
It had been crafted from a rare plant.
The branch still bore the array glyphs of seven formations Luo Pingdan had forged, while the bells were used to control the Ghost Spirits, Undead Souls, and Ghost-Faced Owls.
The twenty-five Nianli (Psychic Power) Stars were a treasure.
Li Weiyi channeled his four-colored Spiritual Light Flame to refine away Luo Pingdan's residual soul imprints.
He grasped one of the stars and began meditating to absorb its power.
In an instant, the Spiritual Light Psychic Power depleted during the battle was fully restored.
Li Weiyi offered Qing Zijin one of the Nianli (Psychic Power) Stars.
"I don't need it," Qing Zijin said, gently shaking her head.
She pulled back the sleeve of her left wrist, revealing half of her slender, jade-white forearm.
Concealed beneath her sleeve was a bracelet of over a dozen interconnected Nianli (Psychic Power) Stars, secured with a secret Law that dimmed their radiance.
Though the light was faint, one glance revealed their extraordinary nature, hinting at profound power.
"No wonder you dared enter the Nether Realm of the Dead," Li Weiyi remarked, "With this bracelet, you have no fear of Spiritual Light depletion and can even absorb it for cultivation."
He understood that Qing Zijin's willingness to reveal the Nianli Star bracelet was a sign of growing trust between them.
Qing Zijin pulled her sleeve back down, covering the bracelet. Her gaze wavered, as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
Finally, she asked, "The claims that your Ancestral Field was destroyed, leading to your collapse and suicide... those were all fabrications, weren't they?"
"Including you, fewer than ten people know the truth," Li Weiyi replied, "Even my fiancée, Zuoqiu Hongting, remains in the dark."
"When she learns the truth, she'll be overjoyed for you," Qing Zijin said, "Regardless, congratulations. Your Martial-Mystic Dao has finally opened, and the future stretches before you like a boundless sea. Even your enemies acknowledge you as the foremost hero of this era."
"You're the first to congratulate me," Li Weiyi said with a smile.
Qing Zijin felt Li Weiyi was teasing her again, but this time, she didn't feel annoyed.
Instead, her heart stirred with ripples.
Feigning anger, she retorted, "What kind of time is this to be smiling? Are you the type who could laugh even if the sky were falling?"
Li Weiyi's smile faded, replaced by a bitter expression.
"I'm actually terrified inside. Tang Wanzhou, Liu Ye, and Chang Yujian are all my friends, and the members of the Shaoyang Division are my comrades-in-arms. But our abilities are limited. Rushing into action would be no different from suicide. If I don't smile to relieve the pressure, should I cry instead? Would that make us seem more righteous and compassionate, wallowing in fear and despair?"
"You're right. Rushing into action would indeed be suicide."
Qing Zijin gestured for Li Weiyi to look at the diagrams and notes etched into the ground.
"I have a photographic memory. I've already memorized all the intelligence from the Hundred Records in the camp. Just now, I counted thirty-seven Fallen Spirit Marquises within our line of sight. Four of them are highlighted in the Hundred Records, indicating their exceptional strength and potential to evolve into King-Grade or even higher."
"The Yu Corpse Marquis hails from the Rotten Marsh Corpse Sea. It is a transcendent jade corpse, ten thousand years old, that has awakened sentience. Its physical body is immensely powerful, and it currently possesses cultivation at the Third Realm of the Immortal Realm. Even if the Essence and Qi of its transcendent corpse continue to dissipate, its physical form remains terrifyingly formidable. To regard it merely as a Marquis would be a grave misjudgment."
"Can it rival Great Immortal?" Li Weiyi asked.
"Unknown," Qing Zijin replied, shaking her head slightly, "The Hundred Records contain only brief entries. If we encounter it, our immediate course of action should be to flee. Furthermore, the Four-Eared Ghost Monkey Marquis, Horse Corpse Marquis, and Imperial Pattern Bone Marquis are all formidable foes. What we've seen so far is undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg."
Li Wei nodded, his expression grave.
"Even if a hundred Marquis-level powerhouses were to emerge, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest."
The Seven Vengeful Plains alone occupy the territory of a hundred prefectures from the former Lingxiao Realm. If each prefecture were to deploy a Marquis, we would face a hundred Marquis-level powerhouses.
Moreover, the Seven Vengeance Marquis Record is merely one volume within the Hundred Records of the Cave Void Camp, even if the "Hundred Records" is just a figurative number.
And the Cave Void Camp is just one division within the Sentinel Spirit Army.
Li Weiyi mused, "What kind of ability did Chu Yutian possess to persuade those Fallen Spirit powerhouses in the Nether Realm to submit to his command over all the Marquis? That level of influence is truly terrifying."
The Tai Yin Seal could command the Army of the Dead.
However, it couldn't force noble Fallen Spirit Marquises like the Yu Corpse Marquis and Imperial Pattern Bone Marquis to submit.
Ultimately, the Dead Spirits were the masters, and the Taiyin Sect merely their servants.
Qing Zijin said, "In past weak cycles, the Cave Ruins Ghost City would select promising Fallen Spirit Marquises to enter the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom seeking opportunities. But this time, they're clearly taking it more seriously than ever before. Moreover, the Taiyin Sect has become involved, a rare occurrence in the past."
"And things have never been this tense before, have they?" Li Weiyi asked.
Qing Zijin nodded: "To be precise, in the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom, both sides deliberately avoided conflict, focusing instead on seeking opportunities and cultivating. Even when disputes arose, they were over opportunities, not outright warfare."
Li Weiyi said, "I suspect Bai Chuan and Mo Duanfeng didn't fully grasp the number and strength of the Fallen Spirit powerhouses before entering the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom. Now, the people trapped in the valley are likely facing an impossible choice: flee or defend."
The Seventh Phoenix, which had been sent out for reconnaissance, returned and landed on Li Weiyi's shoulder.
...
The Jade Corpse Marquis, Imperial Pattern Bone Marquis, Four-Eared Ghost Monkey Marquis, and five other powerful Fallen Spirit Marquises stood on a circular black stone formation platform, positioned in eight different directions.
Together, they activated a gong-shaped Myriad-Inscriptions Artifact.
The altar was located approximately three kilometers from Fan Ye Valley, shrouded in layers of dark clouds.
The Shaoyang Division members within the valley couldn't see who was operating the artifact.
"Boom!"
The gong-shaped Myriad-Inscriptions Artifact, resembling a bronze millstone, unleashed a portion of its primordial power, creating a vortex-like pillar of wind that connected heaven and earth.
This pillar slammed heavily against the Formation Light Veil enveloping the three mountain peaks.
The veil buckled inward, its radiance rapidly dimming.
Then, it erupted with renewed brilliance.
The gong's deafening resonance sent shockwaves visible to the naked eye rippling through the void.
Neither Dead Spirits nor living beings dared approach.
Even a fraction of the Myriad-Inscriptions Artifact's primordial power could shatter mountains and divert rivers, making it a major artifact for breaking formations and slaying enemies.
"Hum!"
"Clang!"
Each strike against the Formation Light Veil shook the surrounding earth.
Cracks several feet wide had already appeared in the ground along the Defensive Formation's perimeter.
Inside the valley, Nangong, Yan Zhiruo, and Zhao Tang stood atop the three peaks, manipulating the Formation to resist the attack.
Bai Chuan, wielding eight black Formation Qis, guarded the valley's entrance.
Xu Daoqing, holding his whisk, gazed at the gathering dark clouds, his brow furrowed.
"This is bad, everyone! The number of Fallen Spirit Marquises is increasing rapidly. I even saw the Horse Corpse Marquis among them. If Mo Duanfeng brings another wave of enemies, how can we possibly hold out?"
Bai Chuan now realized he had underestimated the enemy.
"I believe prolonged defense will inevitably lead to our defeat. We should strike out immediately, eliminate the outer forces first, and then confront Chu Yutian."
Chang Yujian countered, "We have no idea what's happening outside. If we recklessly charge out and Fan Ye Valley falls, what then?"
"Bai Chuan, the Holy Commander, Daoist Xu, and Chi Haohan will lead the charge. The rest will remain to defend the valley," Bai Chuan proposed.
"Wouldn't that give spies an opportunity to strike?" Tang Wanzhou objected.
Bai Chuan's mind raced.
He had never faced such a chaotic situation before - where friend and foe were indistinguishable, and there was no time for deliberation or internal investigation.
Every decision had to be made swiftly and correctly.
In the Sword Dao Imperial Court, most conflicts were arena duels; even when schemes were involved, they were merely tactical maneuvers during combat.
"Any strategy can be shattered by overwhelming force," Bai Chuan declared, striving to remain calm as he met Tang Wanzhou's gaze, "Before we set out, the Deputy Sentinel Lord must have given the Holy Commander a powerful trump card. If not now, when?"
Tang Wanzhou remained silent, unwilling to engage in further argument.
A trump card is most effective when it remains unused.
Having just entered the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom, Tang Wanzhou hadn't even seen Chu Yutian's face, let alone learned the enemy's trump cards.
Using their own trump card now would be foolish.
Tang Wanzhou doubted she could lead the Shaoyang Division to escape the kingdom alive.
Chang Yujian said, "Second-Ranked Scholar, with your noble status, why not use the life-saving techniques you carry first?"
Bai Chuan's eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin after Chang Yujian's repeated disrespect.
Tang Wanzhou's voice turned icy: "This time is different. The enemy clearly intends to annihilate us. Rather than passively defend, we should break through actively. After breaking through, we'll scatter and flee, denying the traitor among us any opportunity to act. I'll use the special Sentinel's Whistle to locate each of you, one by one, and eliminate the traitor."
"If necessary, I'll use the life-saving treasure given to me by the Deputy Sentinel Lord to cover your escape."
"I believe that once we break free, each of you has the ability to hide and survive."
"As for the Shaoyang Division, I have the authority to make decisions. Bai Chuan, what do you say?"
Bai Chuan naturally agreed: "With my superior cultivation, I'll lead the charge. Only by breaking through the formation of those experts controlling the Myriad-Inscriptions Artifact can you escape."
"I'll cover the rear," Tang Wanzhou said.
Xu Daoqing added, "This humble Daoist will assist the Holy Commander."
...
After hearing Seventh Phoenix's report, Li Weiyi immediately turned his gaze toward a particular area of the dark clouds.
"Is the Jade Corpse Marquis truly that powerful? Do you think we'd have a chance if we ambushed him?"
"What are you planning?" Qing Zijin's expression shifted slightly.
"I have a Myriad-Inscriptions Artifact too!" Li Weiyi replied, "What if we had those Immortal Haze Sect Seniors with Seventh Realm Immortal Golden Cores channel their Spiritual Qi into it? Could we unleash some extraordinary power? Come on, let's pull off something thrilling."
"Thrilling?"
Qing Zijin vaguely guessed Li Weiyi's intentions. Her dormant blood began to stir, and a strange excitement surged through her, "Should we blow the Sentinel's spirit Whistle first to communicate with the others in the valley?"
"The Taiyin Sect's Tai Yin Envoys might not understand the whistle's coded signals," Li Weiyi cautioned, "But if they recognize it, we'll be in grave danger."
Li Weiyi and Qing Zijin quietly concealed themselves and crept toward the formation platform Seventh Phoenix had reported.
They moved slowly, careful not to disturb the air or alert any Dead Spirits lurking underground.
As they drew closer, they emerged behind the formation platform, about five miles away.
Obscured by the swirling Yin mist, they could only make out eight ghostly figures standing on the platform, their forms radiating eerie, chilling energy.
"This is far enough," Li Weiyi said, "We can't get any closer."
_______________________
END OF CHAPTER
Subscribe to the MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel.
*************************************