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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 57 (84): [Defeating Yin Jiu, Confronting Yang Shenjing]
(57th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"What about the others? What's the point of their existence? To continue risking their lives for a spot they're destined not to get?" Li Weiyi asked.
"Entering the Hidden Sect is like entering hell. Without that mental preparation, they have no right to be here."
A thought suddenly flashed through Yin Ershi Si's mind, and she smiled, "If you're so compassionate, why don't you try comprehending the battle intent of the Jiu Li God and defeat the three figures on the Psychic (Telekinetic) Mural? You could become a Divine Hidden One directly, and Yin Ershi Liu's spot would naturally become vacant."
Becoming a Divine Hidden One directly?
That was easier said than done.
The Jiu Li Hidden Sect hadn't produced such a figure in over a dozen cycles of sixty years.
She suspected Li Weiyi had spoken those words because of Yaoyin. His refusal to kill her in the Spider Cave and his subsequent intervention to save Li Qing - his intentions were crystal clear.
It wasn't surprising that a Pure Immortal Physique would have such allure.
Which hero doesn't love a beauty?
"Very well, I'll give it a try."
Li Weiyi strode toward the Psychic (Telekinetic) Stone Wall, eager to test his skills against the three figures.
Yin Ershi Si hurried after him, her curiosity piqued. Who was stronger - this unfathomable eccentric or Yin Jiu?
Li Weiyi had always possessed an indomitable spirit, facing every challenge with unwavering determination.
He approached the Psychic (Telekinetic) Stone Wall and slowly pressed his palm against it.
"Whoosh!"
The wall trembled slightly, and within it, Spiritual Light, Spiritual Qi, and scriptures rapidly converged, coalescing into a humanoid mural.
Yin Jiu, a thirteen-year-old boy, stepped out of the mural, wielding a massive axe.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Li Weiyi sensed an aura far more powerful than Li Qing's, similar to the one he had faced against the Four-Winged Spider King.
"I'll go first!"
"Boom!"
With a stomp, Spiritual Qi surged from his feet.
Li Weiyi soared dozens of feet into the air, his foot hovering in the void. His first strike was a full-power Heavenly Dao and Law Harmony-level Ruyi Qiankun Sword Strike, intended to gauge Yin Jiu's strength.
Yin Jiu tilted his head slightly, and hundreds of sword shadows materialized in his half-real, half-illusory pupils.
"Open Heaven, Split Earth!"
The first axe of the Thirty-Six Axes of the Heavenly Demon.
"Clang! Clang!"
Axe and sword clashed, like metal and stone repeatedly striking with brutal force, sending sparks flying.
Within a radius of dozens of feet, the air crackled with intense energy.
Yin Jiu was forced to retreat a step to defuse Li Weiyi's relentless sword pressure.
In the next instant, the two collided again with explosive force.
"Yin Jiu actually retreated!" Hidden Yin Ershi Si exclaimed in disbelief.
Among the Hidden Ones, no one had ever forced Yin Jiu to retreat even half a step in the Nine Springs Ancestral Field Realm.
Inside the Medicinal Cuisine Hall, two elderly men who had been preparing to play chess paused their game and turned to watch the fierce battle unfolding on the distant plaza.
Elder Ao Shan remarked, "Could it be that another supreme mortal has emerged?"
"It's hard to say... hard to say..." the Gatekeeper Elder replied, "At least in terms of physical strength, he's not weaker than Yin Jiu."
Even among those Beings who had undergone the Nine Springs Opening, the number of Meridian Veins within their bodies varied greatly, ranging from eighty to over ninety.
Mortals and Deformed Humanoids showed little difference in Meridian Veins count, both falling within the range of eighty-one to ninety-nine.
One hundred Meridian Veins was nearly the recorded limit.
Pure Immortal Physiques, however, held a significant advantage over Mortals and Deformed Humanoids.
After the Nine Springs Opening, they almost always possessed ninety or more Meridian Veins, with exceptional individuals exceeding one hundred.
Each additional Meridian Vein granted a further advantage.
Elder Ao Shan observed, "It seems evenly matched. The outcome will likely depend on who has mastered more Heavenly Dao and Law Harmony techniques, whose Breathing Technique is stronger, and who can wield Spiritual Qi more skillfully... Yin Jiu's situation doesn't look good..."
"Boom!"
"Rumble!"
....
Li Weiyi's favorite tactic after gaining the upper hand was to press his advantage with relentless speed, relentlessly expanding his lead until he crushed his opponent with overwhelming force.
After Yin Jiu retreated that one step, he never advanced again.
Suddenly!
Yin Jiu's body erupted with brilliant light, becoming noticeably more solid. He swung a battle axe imbued with powerful Spiritual Qi.
Clearly, the Psychic (Telekinetic) Stone Wall was simulating the combat prowess Yin Jiu would possess when mobilizing the vast reserves of Spiritual Qi within his Ancestral Field.
Li Weiyi had already opened his Fengfu Acupoint, but it was merely a Lesser Qi Sea, capable of unleashing only one ultimate strike.
Naturally, he couldn't afford to use this trump card lightly; it had to be reserved for the most crucial moment.
"Let's see just how powerful your Ancestral Field combat prowess truly is," Li Weiyi said, his excitement growing with each clash. His fighting spirit surged, and without flinching or dodging, he met Yin Jiu's descending battle axe head-on.
"Boom!"
The sword and axe collided again.
The stone slabs beneath their feet shattered completely, and a shockwave of Spiritual Qi erupted outward in a violent ripple.
In the distance, the branches and leaves of the Purple Forest rustled violently in the wind.
Li Weiyi finally couldn't withstand the pressure and was sent flying backward twenty feet.
The moment his toes touched the ground, he shot forward again, wielding his sword to unleash Taiyi Opens the Sea.
He clashed head-on with Yin Jiu's Ancestral Field spiritual power, his fierce gaze radiating an indomitable aura of "I am the number one under heaven."
Yin Ershi Si had already unconsciously held her breath, "He... he doesn't seem to be using Ancestral Field spiritual energy to enhance his combat power. How can he still clash head-on with Yin Jiu like this? He's utterly disrespecting Yin Jiu!"
In a true duel, this would be nothing short of contempt.
She couldn't even begin to imagine that Li Weiyi was actually only at the Eighth Spring cultivation Realm and had no Ancestral Field spiritual energy to draw upon.
Elder Ao Shan anxiously asked, "How many rounds have they fought?"
The Gatekeeper Elder hadn't been counting.
"Yin Jiu's Ancestral Field spiritual energy is almost depleted. He'll be defeated within five moves."
Elder Ao Shan's throat grew dry: "This kid hasn't even used his Ancestral Field spiritual energy yet. Could he truly become the first Divine Hidden One in over a dozen cycles of sixty years to break the rules?"
"Shatter!"
"Shatter again!"
"Third Shatter!"
Li Weiyi unleashed three consecutive strikes of the Heavenly Dao and Law Harmony-level Tai Yi Sea-Opening technique. Each strike was more powerful than the last. By the third strike, he amplified the technique's power by ten to twenty percent through sheer momentum and fighting spirit alone.
"Boom!"
Yin Jiu's illusory form shattered, dissolving into countless motes of light that flew back to the Psychic (Telekinetic) Stone Wall.
Yin Ershi Si, who had been holding her breath until she was nearly suffocating, finally took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Yin Ershi San and Yin Ershi Wu, startled by the earth-shattering commotion, rushed over, their eyes wide as they stared at the figure in the plaza.
"What did we miss?" Yin Ershi San asked.
After a long silence, Yin Ershi Si replied, "You missed a god-slaying event."
In the eyes of the Hidden Ones, Yin Jiu, at the Nine Springs Realm, truly seemed like a god, instilling in them a sense of eternal defeat.
Yin Ershi Wu said, "Yin Jiu's physique in the Surging Spring Realm was the peak of mortality. Defeating him with a mortal body is indeed like slaying a god. If he becomes Yin Ershi Liu (Twenty-Sixth Hidden One), he'll be the top contender for Divine Hidden One."
Yin Ershi Si chuckled: "Haven't you realized yet? He's not aiming for Yin Ershi Liu (Twenty-Sixth Hidden One). He's aiming to become a Divine Hidden One directly, to become our leader."
Yin Ershi San and Yin Ershi Wu were both taken aback.
"No, he doesn't stand a chance," Twenty-Third Hidden One (Yin Ershi San) analyzed, "Yin Jiu was at the peak of Mortal cultivation, possessing the Hundred Silver Meridians. In terms of physique alone, he could have challenged a Hundred Meridians Pure Silver Immortal Physique. But at thirteen, his body wasn't fully developed. His combat techniques and the number of Heavenly Dao and Law Harmony techniques he had mastered were limited, leaving a clear gap in combat strength compared to a Hundred Meridians Pure Silver Immortal Physique."
Li Weiyi's arms ached intensely, and his blood and qi churned within him. He quickly sat cross-legged and began to practice Breathing Technique to recover.
He would fight again!
"Though I haven't cultivated an Ancestral Field and can't draw on vast amounts of spiritual energy to boost my power, my Jade Void Breathing Technique allows me to mobilize spiritual power faster and more continuously, partially compensating for the difference."
Half an hour later.
Li Weiyi fully recovered. He once again pressed his palm against the Psychic (Telekinetic) Stone Wall.
"Whoosh!"
Within the wall, even brighter spiritual Light, spiritual qi, and scriptures converged like countless threads.
A new mural emerged, depicting a handsome figure, taller and more imposing than the thirteen-year-old Yin Jiu. He held a ten-foot-long spear and stepped out of the stone wall in a single stride.
With a flick of his long spear, Yang Shenjing unleashed concentric ripples of Spiritual Qi from its tip.
In the distant Medicinal Cuisine Hall, Elder Ao Shan reminded, "It's the Hundred Silver Meridians Pure Silver Immortal Physique, Yang Shenjing."
Li Weiyi was taken aback: "The strongest cultivator in Li Prefecture, Sect Leader Yang Shenjing of the Sui Sect?"
"That's him. This Psychic (Telekinetic) Mural was purchased many years ago. Yang Shenjing just happened to cultivate a hundred Meridian Veins, which is the threshold for the Hundred Meridians Pure Silver Veins Immortal Physique in the Surging Spring Realm. Defeat him, and you'll pass the second trial," Elder Ao Shan said.
The Gatekeeper Elder scoffed: "Don't mislead the boy! While the number of Meridian Veins does influence a Martial-Mystic Cultivator's combat strength, a few more or less will never be the decisive factor in victory or defeat. Yang Shenjing was once invincible in the Southern Territory during his youth, and his battle tactics were already highly refined in the Surging Spring Realm."
Yang Shenjing's record of defeating six Clan Chiefs of the Jiu Li Tribe in succession was legendary.
Li Weiyi dared not underestimate him.
With a flash of his sword, Li Weiyi struck first!
Yang Shenjing stood firm as a mountain, his long spear quivering.
The spear's tip sealed off every angle of attack, maximizing the weapon's advantage of being an inch longer and an inch stronger.
In the next instant, the spear swung like an iron rod, its shadows filling the sky and enveloping Li Weiyi.
"Boom!"
Li Weiyi met the blow head-on, testing Yang Shenjing's strength.
The moment his sword touched the spear's shadow, Li Weiyi immediately felt the fundamental difference between his Hundred Meridian Pure Silver Immortal Physique and Yang Shenjing's Hundred Veins Mortal Body. Yang Shenjing's power was far greater, surpassing Yin Jiu by a significant margin.
Even at the Surging Spring Realm, Li Weiyi was confident he could lift the Five Seas Pillars.
"I can't afford to clash head-on," he thought, his arm throbbing with pain and numbness.
He immediately activated his movement technique to retreat and create distance.
But the increased distance only favored the spear's reach. Yang Shenjing seized the opportunity, his ten-foot-long weapon moving like a living dragon, swirling a vortex of spiritual qi that relentlessly pursued Li Weiyi.
Knowing escape was impossible, Li Weiyi channeled the spiritual qi from his Fengfu Acupoint, turned, and thrust his sword forward.
Simultaneously, he executed the Clear Void Cicada Chase Step beneath his feet.
"Sizzle!"
After piercing the vortex, his sword's surface scraped along the spear shaft, sending sparks of spiritual light flying.
Li Weiyi's aim was clear: to pierce Yang Shenjing's forehead.
But it seemed his every calculation had been anticipated. Yang Shenjing's body suddenly glowed brightly as he channeled Ancestral Field spiritual energy, unleashing a massive spiritual qi handprint that descended with the force of heaven and earth.
"Bang!"
The Yellow Dragon Sword was knocked off course, nearly flying out of Li Weiyi's grasp.
Gritting his teeth, Li Weiyi channeled the spiritual qi from his Meridian Veins, hastily forming a palm strike to meet Yang Shenjing's blow head-on.
His body slid backward five meters, his entire arm numb. A trace of blood clung to his lips. As the spear thrust forward again, he could only shout, "I concede!"
Yang Shenjing turned and walked into the Psychic Stone Wall.
Elder Ao Shan was more agitated than anyone else, slamming his hand on the railing: "Ah... why didn't he use his Ancestral Field spiritual energy to fight? Yang Shenjing is strong, but not invincible. Yin Jiu could have held his own against him until his Ancestral Field spiritual energy ran out."
The Gatekeeper Elder said softly, "Perhaps he hasn't cultivated his Ancestral Field yet."
Elder Ao Shan turned to glare at him, then leaped out of the Medicinal Cuisine Hall.
With a few quick steps, he appeared beside Li Weiyi and pointed a finger at his Ancestral Field.
Li Weiyi stumbled back three steps, staring at Elder Ao Shan as if he had seen a ghost.
"Little Ershi Si, protect him during the trial."
With that, Elder Ao Shan and the Gatekeeper Elder walked toward the mountain gate, no longer in the mood to play chess.
The three Hidden Ones were still reeling from the shock. Could it be that he was only at the Eighth Spring cultivation level?
Meanwhile, Li Weiyi walked away in a daze, his mood utterly crushed. It felt as if a mountain were pressing down on his chest.
Yaoyin, who had been waiting for him at the edge of the Blood Forest, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him return safely.
She stepped forward and asked, "How did it go?"
"I lost... utterly defeated. I had no chance at all. He seemed to have no weaknesses or openings..."
"He's acting like he doesn't even see me," Li Weiyi muttered to himself, passing Yaoyin as if she were invisible and heading alone toward his Cave Dwelling.
Yaoyin had never seen him so dejected before.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, she watched Yin Ershi Si follow him into the Blood Forest and asked, "What's wrong with him? He seems deeply shaken."
"Shaken?" Yin Ershi Si ground her teeth in frustration.
'Who's really shaken here?'
She retorted, "You didn't see how he utterly dominated Yin Jiu earlier."
Yaoyin's crescent-shaped eyes widened in surprise. Even ordinary Nine Springs Supreme couldn't withstand a single move from Yin Jiu.
"Then why is he saying he lost?" Yaoyin couldn't understand.
Yin Ershi Si explained, "He lost to Yang Shenjing, the Hundred Meridians Pure Silver Immortal Physique."
Yaoyin was even more puzzled: "It's perfectly normal for a Mortal to lose to a Pure Immortal Physique at the same cultivation level, especially a Hundred Silver Meridians Pure Immortal Physique - one of the best among Pure Immortal Physiques and the number one cultivator in Li Prefecture, Yang Shenjing. What's there to be upset about?"
Yin Ershi Si stared at Yaoyin intently.
'Pure Immortal Physiques are indeed formidable,' she thought, 'but... you've underestimated the situation this time!'
Too lazy to explain further, Yin Ershi Si approached Li Weiyi's Cave Dwelling and knocked on the stone door.
"May I come in?"
The door was already open.
Yin Ershi Si had barely stepped inside when-
Yin Ershi Si had just stepped inside when Li Weiyi burst out, appearing before her with renewed fighting spirit in his eyes.
"I've just broken through! I can still learn more Heavenly Dao and Law Harmony techniques and use Cistanche and medicinal cuisine to temper my body. I think if you give me a month, I can definitely defeat him. Oh, and I can also refine my Golden Vein Mark!"
"You want to break through to the Ninth Spring!" Yin Ershi Si said, her face darkening.
"And there's also the legendary Tenth Spring," Li Weiyi added.
'He's really pushing his luck now,' Yin Ershi Si thought, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"I'm here under orders to teach you the Disguise Techniques! Once you enter the Hidden Sect, you can no longer easily reveal your former face and identity. You're no longer the person you once were, no longer the same name."
Li Weiyi asked, "Not even for a Divine Hidden One?"
"Divine Hidden Ones naturally have greater freedom," Yin Ershi Si replied.
"Then why are you telling me all this?" Li Weiyi asked.
If Yin Ershi Si hadn't known the other person might truly become a Divine Hidden One, she would have already snapped back. But as it was, she could only endure, gritting her teeth as she replied in a calm voice,
"You're... not a Divine Hidden One yet. We have to follow the rules."
Li Weiyi asked, "Is there a time limit for the trial?"
"You have a month to complete it," Yin Ershi Si replied.
"I'm still no match for someone with a Hundred Meridians Pure Silver Immortal Physique, and the Changlin Gang has two Five Seas Realm experts and many Seven Springs experts. This will be a tough battle," Li Weiyi said.
Yin Ershi Si said, "I'll accompany you to Jiu Li City. Two Seven Springs and Five Seas Realm experts are nothing."
"What I mean is, I need to go into closed-door cultivation for a while. I need to at least master the Five Seas Pillars, practice a few Heavenly Dao and Law Harmony techniques, and cultivate my Mental Spiritual Power..." Li Weiyi was lost in planning and contemplation, completely focused on improving his strength as much as possible.
Jiu Li City was fraught with danger, and the Changlin Gang was backed by the Yang Clan and the Sui Sect.
Yin Ershi Si drifted away, sealing the stone door behind her: "I'll come back tomorrow to teach you the Disguise Technique!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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