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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 28 (55): [Harmonization with the Heavenly Laws]
(28th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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By the time the City Defense Camp arrived, the Giant Ape Aberrant, nearly four meters tall, had already jumped into the river and disappeared.
Li Weiyi didn't pursue, fearing for Zhao Zhizhuo's safety at this critical moment.
When he caught up, Zhao Zhizhuo was on his way to the Cangli Tribe for help.
Zhao Zhizhuo raged, "The one who attacked was the Silverback Ape Yao Zheng Sheng, a strong warrior who is among top 100 from the Seven Springs Hall of Lizhou, a contemporary of mine. Yang Yun and Yang Qingxi must have promised him the Five Seas Pill to dare commit such a brazen murder in broad daylight! It's utter lawlessness! We must go to the First Commander immediately. This is an insult to his authority. He won't stand for it!"
Li Weiyi pulled him back: "Do you have any proof? Who can prove Yao Zheng Sheng was hired by Yang Yun? Even if the First Commander believes our assessment and suspects Yang Yun, what can he do without evidence? A senior going after a junior?"
Zhao Zhizhuo quickly calmed down: "Since Yang Yun has gone to such extreme lengths, he must have more plans. How about we seek out the Young Clan Leader? He's the top young talent in Jiu Li City. If he warns Yang Yun, it won't attract unnecessary gossip."
Li Weiyi, too, felt a surge of pride: "It's just Yang Yun, not Yang Qingxi. Besides, the Young Clan Leader can only suppress Yang Yun's overt actions. How can he stop Yang Yun's underhanded schemes?"
Li Weiyi, too, possessed a certain pride: "Yang Yun is just Yang Yun, not Yang Qingxi. Besides, even if the Young Clan Leader can suppress Yang Yun openly, how can he stop Yang Yun's underhanded schemes? We shouldn't always resort to seeking help whenever trouble arises. In this world, we ultimately have to rely on ourselves. Old Zhao, where's the heroic spirit you once had? Has it all been worn away in these past dozen years?"
Zhao Zhizhuo forced a bitter smile: "When one grows old, their youthful vigor fades. I've long been brought to my knees. To speak of heroic spirit now would only invite ridicule. Tell me, what should we do next?"
"First, we must see that senior. Helping you break through the Spring and rebuild your cultivation is the most urgent matter."
Li Weiyi strode forward, then paused as something occurred to him: "Yang Yun owes me a carriage - a considerable sum! I've made a note of it!"
Zhao Zhizhuo hurried after him, watching Li Weiyi's back. He couldn't help but admire the young man's composure and unwavering sharpness. Anyone else in their situation would have either fled to the Cangli Tribe or already slunk out of the city in disgrace.
The two men walked along the riverbank.
As they walked, Li Weiyi asked, "Old Zhao, what did you mean earlier by 'Seven Springs Hall' and 'Hundred Strong Warriors'?"
Zhao Zhizhuo explained, "The Seven Springs Hall is a combat arena established by the Prefectural Governor's Office. Any Seven Springs Martial-Mystic Cultivator can go there to make a name for themselves."
"You should know that once a Martial-Mystic Cultivator opens the Hundred Wisdoms at the top of the Seventh Spring, they can choose to attempt the Five Seas Realm. Once they break through, they become highly sought after by any faction."
"However, eight or nine out of ten fail this hurdle. Countless Seven Springs Martial-Mystic Cultivators in Li Province are trapped below the Five Seas Realm, some even reduced to serving as household servants for Great Clans."
Li Weiyi recalled a passage from the Nine Springs Compendium: "With superior talent, twenty years of diligent cultivation offers hope of reaching the Seventh Spring."
In other words, a Martial-Mystic Cultivator with superior talent might open the Seventh Spring in their twenties.
Yet, in the eyes of the strong myriad factions and sects, superior talent is merely the minimum requirement for cultivation.
And what of the far more numerous Martial-Mystic Cultivators with average talent? Many of them spend decades striving to reach the Seventh Spring.
Zhao Zhizhuo explained, "The Prefectural Governor's Office established the Seven Springs Hall to identify the most powerful Seven Springs Martial-Mystic Cultivators. Lingxiao Palace would then bestow Five Seas Pills upon them. Naturally, this drove Seven Springs Martial-Mystic Cultivators across the land into a frenzy, as it offered them a chance to advance to the Five Seas Realm."
"At its peak, anyone who ranked among the top one hundred in a state's Seven Springs Hall would receive a Five Seas Pill. The term 'Hundred Strong Warriors' emerged during that time, representing both glory and the opportunity to break through to the Five Seas Realm."
"Ten years ago... or rather, three years before that, after the Lingxiao Palace issued the Xiaotian Decree, the Five Seas Pill became much harder to obtain!"
"When war erupted and the world rose up against the Lingxiao Palace, the Five Seas Pill was completely cut off."
"But the Seven Springs Hall still served a purpose. It offered a small measure of satisfaction to Martial-Mystic cultivators who couldn't advance to the Five Seas Realm. Moreover, major powers would select Hundred Strong Warriors and bestow them with Five Seas Pills to recruit them into their service."
"The path to advancement remained open, but it had narrowed considerably. Yet the Five Seas Pills are so precious that even the major powers couldn't get enough for themselves."
"What price would you have to pay to acquire one?"
Zhao Zhizhuo continued, "These old Seven Springs Martial-Mystic cultivators, though unable to break through, spent decades honing their techniques to near perfection. Every one of the Hundred Strong Warriors is extraordinary. At the same level, even those young Pure Immortal Physiques might not be their match."
"I've heard that some of the top-ranked Hundred Strong Warriors have even defeated Five Seas Realm cultivators."
"Of course, that wouldn't have been at the Seven Springs level. Eighth Spring is the most likely explanation. After all, there are always a few in every province who open their Eighth Spring but can't break through to the Five Seas Realm, even with the Five Seas Pill."
"That Silverback Ape Yao Zheng Sheng is naturally gifted with immense strength. His physique is far larger than other Aberrant Humanoids. Ten years ago, he already mastered the Mountain-Splitting Staff Technique to the Law Convergence Realm (Dharma Hegemony Realm), yet he still ranked only near the bottom of the Hundred Strong Warriors."
"He's already in his fifties. If he doesn't push himself now, he'll lose his chance forever."
Li Weiyi asked, "What exactly is the Law Convergence Realm?"
"Heavenly Dao Law Convergence!" Zhao Zhizhuo explained, "It means cultivating a technique to the point where it can resonate with certain subtle laws of the universe. Of course, this resonance is only a slight connection. But it's still an extraordinary feat, requiring years of relentless practice. Only a handful of Martial-Mystic Cultivators in the Five Seas Realm ever achieve it. Fortunately, you have a spiritual artifact to break through his Mountain-Splitting Staff Technique. Otherwise, you'd be in grave danger today!"
Whenever Li Weiyi recalled Yao Zheng Sheng's inescapable staff strike, he was awestruck. It seemed he needed to learn more about Heavenly Dao Law Convergence and strive to master such a technique himself.
He had felt a similar sensation when he unleashed "Taiyi Opens the Sea" in the face of danger earlier.
Unfortunately, that feeling couldn't be sustained.
...
Li Weiyi led Zhao Zhizhuo on a long detour, even changing clothes to ensure they weren't being followed, before finally settling on a modest inn.
Great masters and senior cultivators didn't necessarily reside in luxurious accommodations.
A more ordinary inn might be more suitable.
Most importantly...
The rooms were cheap.
With the inn still a hundred paces away, Li Weiyi stopped and said, "Old Zhao, you've probably already figured out that while we're outsiders, our identities aren't simple."
Zhao Zhizhuo had long suspected as much.
After all, someone of humble origins wouldn't possess spiritual artifacts or be able to transform two companions into Pure Immortal Physique.
He even speculated that Li Weiyi and his group weren't from the Lingxiao Realm but perhaps a rare clan from some mysterious secret realm.
Li Weiyi began the story he'd prepared long ago: "That senior cultivator is also from our world, but he's suffering from a physical ailment and is currently recuperating in Jiu Li City. I only recently reconnected with him. Strictly speaking, I shouldn't have brought you here. If word of this were to leak..."
Zhao Zhizhuo quickly interjected, "I understand the rules! I swear by the Jiu Li Gods that if I reveal a single word of this to anyone, may I lose everything I hold dear in this life, including my life itself."
"Then I'll go report your arrival first. Wait for me here."
For safety's sake, Li Weiyi gritted his teeth and spent 200 Silver to secure a month's long-term room rental.
After removing the Stone Coffin from the Evil Camel Bell and arranging the room, he went to fetch Zhao Zhizhuo.
"Knock, knock!"
Li Weiyi knocked on the door and asked, "Senior, my friend has arrived. May we come in?"
Senior Coffin's voice replied, "Come in!"
The two pushed open the door and entered.
The room was thick with Nether Mist, so dark that nothing could be seen.
It was Senior Coffin who had activated the Ghost Banner, clearly not wanting Zhao Zhizhuo to know he was merely a corpse.
Zhao Zhizhuo was so nervous he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.
This moment had finally arrived, yet he still felt utterly uncertain.
After all, reforming a Spring was as difficult as climbing to the heavens. What if the spiritual artifact Senior Coffin possessed wasn't powerful enough?
What if his Spring had been damaged for too long? What if...
There were too many "what ifs."
"Young man Zhao, come here," Senior Coffin said.
Li Weiyi's keen senses, though unable to see, immediately realized Senior Coffin was sitting on the bed. His scalp tingled, and his mind conjured the image of a corpse sitting there.
Senior Coffin helped Zhao Zhizhuo refine the Spring Liquid and reform his Spring, but he didn't use the Evil Camel Bell. Instead, he used his own Nine Sovereigns Banner.
This further confirmed Li Weiyi's suspicions.
....
Half an hour after the assassination attempt on Shenlong Street, news reached the Cangli Tribe's Tribal Academy in Jiu Li City.
The Headmaster had already returned to Ancestral Mountain due to the incident involving the Snow Wolf King's teeth.
Now, Li Songlin was in charge of the academy.
When Li Songlin, the First Commander of the Cangli Armor Division, learned of the attack, all traces of his usual laziness vanished, replaced by the sharp focus of a drawn sword.
"How dare they! What's the condition of the victim?"
The messenger recounted the details of the assassination attempt.
"Silverback Ape Yao Zheng Sheng has some skill," Li Songlin remarked, "To be able to withstand his attack, even with the aid of a spiritual artifact, is still quite impressive."
The messenger added, "Witnesses claim that his broken-staff sword strike already showed hints of Heavenly Dao Law Convergence."
"That's unexpected. How old is he?"
Li Songlin's interest was piqued, and an idea began to form in his mind. Since he also practiced swordsmanship, he asked, "Did they go to the Cangli Clan Manor or the Jiu Li Dao Academy to find the Fourth Miss?"
The messenger shook his head: "They didn't go to the Young Clan Leader or seek out the Fourth Miss at the Jiu Li Dao Academy. It seems they intend to handle this themselves."
"He's got some backbone, I'll give him that."
Li Songlin chuckled, but his expression quickly turned cold, "I won't interfere in matters concerning the younger generation. Tell Cang Li that he's responsible for this. If he can't even handle a Yang Qingxi, his title as the Jiu Li Clan's first heir will ring hollow, and no one will truly take him seriously."
"Also, deliver a message to the Yang Clan: if anything goes wrong with the people in that mansion within a month, I'll sweep through every Yang Clan gang in Jiu Li City. Don't blame me for not showing mercy then."
The messenger asked, "And what about after a month?"
Li Songlin smiled: "I wanted to send that kid to the Jiu Li Dao Academy. Once he's in the Dao Academy, he'll be much safer. But he's been hesitating, afraid of this and that, unable to make up his mind... I'm just giving him a little push. A month should be enough time for him to think things through!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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