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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 87 (231): [The Trap]
(87th of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"Whoosh!"
A beam of light shot up from East City, piercing the sky and colliding with the clouds.
Then came a second, a third...
The beams rose from different directions, illuminating East City.
.....
Li Weiyi retreated, his first layer of spiritual artifact battle armor shattered. Sword qi bloodstains marked his cheeks and hands, which were exposed outside the armor.
In contrast, Jiang Ning remained spotless.
Despite being outnumbered eight to one, Li Weiyi still couldn't hold his ground.
He raised his sword, gazing at the sudden beams of light in the distance, his mind momentarily lost. The ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger.
Logically, Qi Xiao and Shi Shishi should have left long ago and already found Zuoqiu Ting - or rather, Zuoqiu Hongting - in East City.
But Zuoqiu Hongting had yet to arrive, which was highly unusual.
Jiang Ning used the "Pavilions and Palaces" and "Twin Wings" Battle Technique Intents to drive back seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, forcing Li Weiyi into the shadows against a wall.
"I admit, your combined strength with the seven little ones is formidable. Killing you would cost me dearly. But while their current attack power can threaten me, it poses no threat to Ge Xiantong."
"What if their battle strength were to increase by another tier? For example, if they all reached the level of Qi Xiao and Chen Wenwu," Li Weiyi countered.
Jiang Ning couldn't imagine the combined power of seven Pure Immortal Physiques from the Seventh Sea working together.
Even she would likely have to retreat before such a force.
After all, the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors were far more resilient and difficult to injure.
If he truly had such seven powerful allies, the situation would be completely different!
She hesitated, "Are you confident you can raise them to that level within three days?"
"I should be able to," Li Weiyi replied.
Jiang Ning sighed suddenly, "It's too late. The pillar of light has already risen. I can no longer hide the truth from you... the southern route is a dead end. If you hope to escape back to South City and rely on the Jiu Li Clan and Zuoqiu Sect to fight Ge Xiantong, you'll face certain death."
"You don't have three days!"
"What do you mean?" Li Weiyi asked.
Jiang Ning said, "Tonight, it's not the Imperial Court, the Far Western Ashlands, and the Snow Sword Tang Court attacking the Thundercloud Sect and Dragon Sect. Instead, the five Major Powers are joining forces to destroy the Zuoqiu Sect."
"Dragon Sect's feigned defeat and the Thundercloud Sect's desperate defense are all part of the plan."
It was like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.
Li Weiyi's expression changed drastically, and his heart ached for Li Ling, Yin Jiu, and Shi Shishi.
"Is it because the Zuoqiu Sect has the support of the Jiu Li Clan and the Zhu Sect, along with the advantage of their home ground, that you've joined forces to strike them first?"
"Boom!"
The two continued to change their moves and positions.
Jiang Ning, determined to persuade him, patiently explained, "Why is the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival being held in Qiu Prefecture City? Why would the Zuoqiu Sect be willing to use Qiu Prefecture City as the arena?"
"Because this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival isn't a competition among heroes vying for supremacy; it's being held specifically for Zuoqiu Hongting. At least, that's how it started!"
"The three Young Celestial Emperors - Ge Xiantong, who belongs to the Imperial Court, and Luan Sheng Lin You, who hails from the Far Western Ashlands - aren't the Hidden Dragons the Calamity Crossing Temple is seeking."
"Zuoqiu Hongting must prove her abilities at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival and complete this trial to earn the Calamity Crossing Temple's support. As for what level she needs to reach to gain recognition, only the Calamity Crossing Temple knows."
"The rest of the participants are either troublemakers, fame-seekers, after rewards, or hoping to defeat Zuoqiu Hongting and win the Calamity Crossing Temple's support for themselves."
"Now do you understand why I opposed your participation from the start? I didn't want you to be used by Zuoqiu Hongting, reduced to a pawn on her path to becoming an Emperor."
Li Weiyi replied, "Zuoqiu Ting is quite charismatic! If she wanted to use me, it would have been far harder to refuse as Zuoqiu Hongting."
"Besides," Li Weiyi continued, "with my strength during the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, how could I have been used by her?"
"Wait!"
"Luan Sheng Lin You, Tang Wanqiu, Ge Xiantong - even you came to East City. And Yuwen Tuozhen and his men were indeed killing Dragon Sect Martial-Mystic Cultivators. To lure Zuoqiu Hongting into your trap, you didn't even fear having your headquarters wiped out?"
Jiang Ning replied, "Fewer than ten people across the five Major Powers knew about this plan. The people on the ground were naturally fighting for real."
"If it wasn't real enough, if they hadn't committed everything, if they hadn't paid some price, how could Zuoqiu Hongting, who knows Qiu Prefecture City like the back of her hand, have fallen for it?"
"On New Year's Eve, we tried to crush her directly, but she held her ground! Each Major Power had its own agenda, its own conflicts and hidden agendas. She exploited this to gradually gain momentum."
Li Weiyi said, "By luring her into taking the initiative, you've tied all five Major Powers to the same chariot. No one can afford to slack off or play tricks, and they'll be forced to check and balance each other. If Dragon Sect and Thundercloud Sect still try to stay out of it, they might truly be wiped out tonight, now that they've lost their defensive strongholds. This isn't a five-against-one battle; it's a six-way power struggle."
"Only when everyone loses their strongholds and has no way out can they achieve a temporary unity."
Jiang Ning stared intently at him: "No matter what, the moment the pillar of light rises and the signal to attack the Zuoqiu Sect is given, South City will become a sea of corpses and blood tonight. If the Zuoqiu Sect can hold out until dawn, it'll be a miracle!"
Li Weiyi sighed softly: "Perhaps you're still underestimating Zuoqiu Hongting."
Since Qi Xiao and Shi Shishi hadn't found Zuoqiu Hongting coming to his rescue, it meant she had sensed something amiss earlier and likely returned to South City long ago.
A tall figure in black robes stood in the shadows beneath the eaves, just ten yards away, his form completely merged with the darkness.
He emitted no aura.
"Two people from the Imperial Court are watching you. One is Feng Yin, the strongest in Feng Prefecture, second only to me in speed. The other is Zhen Yuyan, a master tracker trained by the Imperial Court's elite inner circle."
"They won't attack you, but they'll follow you until dawn tomorrow, when Ge Xiantong arrives."
Jiang Ning knew her plan had failed.
She couldn't cripple him, so she prepared to let him go.
She believed that once Li Weiyi realized the Zuoqiu Sect and the Jiu Li Clan's grand scheme had collapsed, he would have nowhere else to turn but to withdraw from the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival.
"The turbulent currents of the world surge forward relentlessly. Even you can't stop them!"
Jiang Ning sheathed her sword and returned to her Ancestral Field.
In the shadows under the eaves ten yards away, a tall figure smiled faintly before swiftly darting out and fixing his gaze on the two combatants, who had stopped fighting. He drew a circle with his right hand, causing the air to ripple like liquid.
From his sleeve, a torrent of blindingly bright projectiles shot forth, resembling a ball of fire that burst from the circular ripples.
As the fire erupted, it crackled like a roaring blaze.
Upon closer inspection, the projectiles revealed themselves to be countless fiery scales, like a sky full of sparks, filling the street and moving faster than meteors.
"Golden Scale Fire Rain!" Jiang Ning shouted out in shock, her eyes widening.
In her haste, she had no time to summon her Dragon Soul or activate her Battle Technique Intent. She could only form a hand seal, using her Spiritual Qi to make a thick defensive barrier.
Li Weiyi unfurled his Ghost Banner and strode forward, spinning rapidly to form a vortex shield.
The Golden Scale Fire Rain was not only swift but also incredibly penetrating, piercing through Jiang Ning's Spiritual Qi barrier and Li Weiyi's Ghost Banner, striking them both.
"Boom! Boom!"
Jiang Ning was wearing her Governor's Robe, while Li Weiyi had his Corpse Garment Soft Armor and two spiritual artifact battle suits.
Both staggered backward, emerging with only minor injuries.
Both of Li Weiyi's spiritual artifact battle suits were destroyed, riddled with holes. This immediately triggered the Blood Mist and blood-red scripture protection of his Corpse Garment Soft Armor. Hee scanned his surroundings.
Jiang Ning swung her sword toward the shadows beneath the eaves, but the attacker had already vanished.
"Swish! Swish..."
The sound of breaking wind echoed repeatedly.
Seven figures charged from seven different directions, each with a blank expression and eyes burning with flames.
"They're Dead Embers from the Ember Spirits..." Jiang Ning warned.
"Boom!"
One of the figures was still far away when Jiang Ning's sword struck, causing it to explode into sparks that covered a thirty-meter radius.
Everything within that radius was instantly reduced to dust, creating a small Ashen Region.
The protective formation light veils on the buildings lining the street were extinguished as the sparks surged into them. The structures collapsed with a thunderous roar, burning amidst the ashes.
Jiang Ning and Li Weiyi used their movement techniques to swiftly dodge the onslaught.
"Boom!"
The remaining six Dead Ember figures surrounded them, transforming into six balls of fire.
The flames then turned into dust and sparks, obliterating everything nearby.
"Bang! Bang!"
The two figures burst through the dust and sparks that filled the sky, crashing to the ground and each spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Ning was more severely injured than Li Weiyi.
Earlier, in the flames, she had stood in front, using the Governor's Robe to withstand the brunt of the attack.
"Are you alright?"
Li Weiyi climbed to his feet, crouching low and warily scanning their surroundings. He waved his hand, and seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors soared into the air, searching for the attacker.
Jiang Ning suppressed her injuries: "I'm fine!"
"See? This kind of collaboration is riddled with flaws. Given the slightest opportunity, you'd stop at nothing to kill your own ally."
"Big Phoenix has found him! Leave him to me. We can't have any further contact, or you won't be able to explain this when you return!"
With those words, Li Weiyi stepped onto his Dragon Shadow, appearing on the roof of a building dozens of meters away.
He stretched out a hand, gathering the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, and pursued the figure into the night sky.
Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan, each using their own techniques, arrived at Jiang Ning's side in quick succession.
"I'm fine! You have your mission. Go!" Jiang Ning said.
The two First-Class experts of the Imperial Court clasped their hands in a salute and followed Li Weiyi.
The dragon's roar echoed through the night sky, one after another, each piercingly high.
Li Weiyi's heart grew cold.
He unleashed his full speed, catching up to the tall, black-robed figure on the Inner City wall.
The figure, masked, produced a two-foot-long wooden staff.
"Clang! Clang!"
Sword met staff as the two figures clashed fiercely on the wall.
This battle was far more intense than his previous encounter with Jiang Ning. Killing intent and battle spirit filled the air. Each of Li Weiyi's sword strikes was delivered with utmost force, yet he held back from killing his opponent.
Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors accompanied Li Weiyi, refraining from attacking but dedicated to preventing the black-robed figure from escaping.
Seizing an opportunity, Li Weiyi charged up his energy, unleashing five Battle Method Intent Divine Shadows.
Five Li Weiyis materialized, each radiating an aura like a rainbow as they unleashed a sword strike that cleaved through the air like a surging ocean.
The eyes of the black-robed figure across from him widened in shock. Ignoring the risk of revealing his identity, he raised his staff high above his head.
Li Weiyi raised his staff above his head, releasing an unfathomably profound power that tore a strand of dark clouds hundreds of meters above down to the ground, creating a tornado-like vortex connecting heaven and earth.
Scriptures materialized on the staff's surface. As he swung it, a vast cloud of mist surged forth.
"Clang!"
The Yellow Dragon Sword cleaved through the mist, colliding with the staff.
A sword qi shot forward, slicing through the black-robed figure's mask with a crack and leaving a bloody line across his handsome face.
The figure turned and fled, leaping from the city wall and vanishing into the darkness.
"Was that Long Ting?"
Li Weiyi couldn't be certain from his fleeting glance.
But he was sure the figure's face had been marked with a bloody line, not the fiery embers of a Ember Spirit. If Long Ting hadn't become a Ember Spirit...
Then why would he want to kill Zhu Huan?
Li Weiyi exhaled deeply and turned away.
Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan emerged one after the other.
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END OF CHAPTER
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