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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 6: [Battle for the True Inheritance]
Chapter 22 (563): [The True Disciple of the Rice Palace]
(22nd of Volume 6)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"The Rice Palace True Disciple was clearly set up," the envoy said, "He failed to obtain the Void Divine Token and now bears the blame. The problem must lie within our own ranks - someone leaked information to the Sentinel Spirit Army."
"This matter is entrusted to you!" Chu Yutian said with a smile, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he had thought of something amusing.
"Find the traitor, and bring him to me alive."
On the sea surface, a three-foot-long Ghost-Faced Owl flew from the dark mountains on the shore and landed on the ship's railing before Chu Yutian, folding its wings.
The owl's face resembled a human's, yet was eerily ghost-like.
It spoke in a secret language:
"Traces have been found in the Netherworld. Everyone, move out! If she escapes back to the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp, the Tai Yin Sect will become the laughingstock of the world."
Chu Yutian called out to Xie Wumian, who was about to depart: "Wumian, there won't be a third chance. If you fail to capture the traitor this time, I'll have no choice but to conclude that you are the mole. Forgiveness is precious, but it has its limits."
Xie Wumian's face turned deathly pale, but he replied solemnly, "True Disciple, rest assured. I won't disappoint you this time."
"Go then!"
"Someone get me a stick!" Chu Yutian shouted.
Immediately, a Martial-Mystic Cultivator from the Tai Yin Sect snapped his Spiritual Artifact spear in half, removed the spearhead, and presented the wooden shaft to Chu Yutian with both hands.
"Thank you!" Chu Yutian said, accepting the stick.
He impaled Qin Zhengyang's severed head on the end and began twirling it playfully, like a child with a new toy, finding the spectacle thoroughly amusing.
From three Yin Mist-shrouded warships on the sea, powerful figures soared into the air, pursuing a specific direction within the Netherworld.
Xie Wumian, transformed into a silver sand river; Luo Pingdan, riding a rooster; the Corpse Marquis, bearing twin banners...
Their grand procession had entered the Nether Realm of the Dead and gathered even more Dead Spirits along the way, forming a formidable army.
"This doesn't look good. Could Tang Wanzhou have fled into the Nether Realm of the Dead and been discovered?"
"That's impossible! The Nether Realm of the Dead is swarming with Dead Spirit spies, both above and below. Why would she flee there?"
Li Weiyi waited a moment before Er Feng, who had been tracking the vital energy traces, returned.
"There's a faint residual trace of the Young Lord's vital energy," Er Feng reported, "But the direction isn't south toward Moon Dragon Island - it's north."
"What? She turned back?"
Continuing south was the only path to Moon Dragon Island.
Li Weiyi quickly analyzed the situation, surmising that the Tai Yin Sect and the Dead Spirit powerhouse's pursuit direction was likely a diversion orchestrated by Tang Wanzhou to buy time.
If she could stall them long enough, her vital energy traces and other clues would dissipate, making it impossible for her enemies to track her.
"She's planning to sneak back to Dragon Island! Then, under the guise of Tang Wanzhou, she'll leave openly and legitimately."
Having reached this conclusion, Li Weiyi secretly admired Tang Wanzhou's strategy.
Yet he hesitated, wondering whether he should continue pursuing her. She seemed utterly confident, as if she knew exactly what she was doing every step of the way.
The Tai Yin Sect's tracking methods were formidable, even extending to the sea, where Dead Spirits lurked.
Li Weiyi dove back into the water and swam south along the coastline.
Pursuing Tang Wanzhou directly would only lead him straight into the Tai Yin Sect's clutches.
Instead of helping, he risked getting caught himself.
By dawn, Li Weiyi surfaced, having traveled three thousand miles.
Gazing at the golden mist over the sea and the rising sun on the horizon, his nerves finally relaxed.
He retrieved his Jade Boat, preparing to head straight for Moon Dragon Island at full speed.
"Whoosh!"
A figure shot from the shore two miles away, closing the distance to the Jade Boat and Li Weiyi in an instant.
Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed.
From the Wind Mansion at the back of his head, the Yellow Dragon Sword flew forth.
Guided by his Spiritual Qi, the gleaming blade slashed out.
"It's me!" Tang Wanzhou's voice rang out.
Li Weiyi immediately redirected the Yellow Dragon Sword with his Intent, the blade skimming past Tang Wanzhou's shoulder.
The sword plunged into the water, creating a splash, before flying back into his hand.
Overwhelmed with relief and joy, Li Weiyi turned to Tang Wanzhou, who had landed on the Jade Boat.
"You didn't return to Dragon Island?"
Tang Wanzhou's Qi concealment techniques were masterful. Draped in the corpse skin of a Dead Spirit, she had nearly fooled Li Weiyi into mistaking her for an enemy.
"If even you were deceived, the enemy will need at least half a day to realize what's happened."
She tore off the corpse skin she had been wearing, donned her mask, and stood proudly at the bow of the boat, handing Li Weiyi a Boundary Pouch.
"Qin Zhengyang's corpse is inside. Quickly store it in the Blood Mud Space. I fear the Tai Yin Sect might still be tracking me - there must be something special on the body. Ordinary Boundary Pouches won't conceal it."
"That's certainly possible."
Li Weiyi noticed the burns covering her body, leaving no patch of skin unscathed.
Tang Wanzhou had likely found him so quickly because she had left a wisp of sword qi in his Wind Mansion back in Lingxiao City, which Li Weiyi had yet to refine.
He hadn't sought help with refining it, partly because he wanted to understand its nature himself, and partly to see when he could reach her level.
"We need to leave immediately. We're still not safe. I have a persistent sense of being tracked, a danger I can't shake off. Chu Yutian himself might be coming!"
Tang Wanzhou retreated into the Jade Boat's interior, leaning against the hull with her eyes closed, trying to rest her exhausted and wounded body. Her Spiritual Qi was nearly depleted, leaving her utterly drained.
Li Weiyi immediately activated the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish, sending the Boundary Pouch into the Blood Mud Space.
Currently, only Fourth Phoenix and Fifth Phoenix were inside, keeping Yu'er company.
Suddenly, a white mist began to rise from the sea.
The dense mist, as usual, enveloped the Jade Boat with astonishing speed, completely obscuring their vision.
"They've caught up after all!" Tang Wanzhou braced her weary body, her gaze hardening with the gravity of facing a formidable enemy.
From her Ancestral Field, Long Ju's Nine Heavens Dragon Pool Sword flew into her hand, its blade shimmering with azure dragon scales.
Li Weiyi gripped the Yellow Dragon Sword, channeling his senses to their absolute limit.
Spiritual Qi surged from his feet, propelling the Jade Boat forward.
"Boom!"
Before the Jade Boat could even take flight, it collided violently with a carriage that had burst from the white mist.
The formation glows of the boat and carriage clashed fiercely, sending bright ripples of energy surging outward.
The Jade Boat spun wildly backward, while Li Weiyi and Tang Wanzhou transformed into two fleeting afterimages, leaping clear of the vessel.
They exchanged a glance and simultaneously activated the Governor's Official Robes, preparing to teleport away.
"Whoosh!"
An overwhelmingly terrifying wave of Spiritual Qi erupted from the carriage, carrying with it a faint, sweet scent of rice.
Just as Tang Wanzhou began channeling Spiritual Qi into his Governor's Official Robe, a graceful, ethereal figure shot from the mist-shrouded carriage with a whoosh.
She was completely enveloped in feather-like wisps of white Spiritual Qi, golden rice powder swirling at their core.
Though her features remained obscured, the mere sight of her silhouette radiated an indescribable, hazy beauty, hinting at a face of peerless, world-shattering allure.
"Bang!"
In an instant, the two swords clashed.
The graceful figure amidst the feathers and golden dust stood where Tang Wanzhou had been moments before, while Tang Wanzhou was sent flying backward, spitting blood, utterly overwhelmed.
Li Weiyi, momentarily stunned, realized that the white feathers flying past him were not feathers at all, but white rice stalks.
'She's not Jiang Ning.'
"Whoosh!"
Li Weiyi stepped forward, slashing his sword in a sweeping arc, leaving a trail of shimmering light.
But...
The sword strike missed its mark.
The graceful figure pursued Tang Wanzhou, unleashing a second, third, and fourth sword strike, sending her hurtling miles away until she crashed onto the shore.
During the exchange, their bodies moved with the speed of light.
"Clang!"
A token fell from Tang Wanzhou's body.
Her flying body carved a deep furrow into the ground, embedding itself at the end, her long hair splayed out.
The sword remained firmly in her grip.
Her eyes still burned with battle intent.
The graceful figure released a wisp of Spiritual Qi from her fingertip, coiling the token into her hand.
She murmured, "Void Divine Token!"
"She's a Rice Palace True Disciple! Run!"
Tang Wanzhou warned Li Weiyi through the swirling white mist, then used her sword to prop up her trembling body.
The mask had been shattered by her sword qi, revealing a face severely burned.
Li Weiyi had no intention of fleeing.
First, he released the five Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors from his Insect Pouch, then reactivated the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish, determined to retrieve Yu'er.
The graceful figure stowed the Void Divine Token, her gaze icy as she fixed it on Tang Wanzhou across the battlefield.
"Who are you, and why are you so hideous?"
"You've angered me!" Tang Wanzhou roared, her arms outstretched.
The Ancestral Field opened, Spiritual Qi erupted, and the space around them trembled violently.
"Aow!"
From the swirling Spiritual Qi clouds, five Snow Dragon Jiao, each comparable to a Immortal Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator, pulled the Jade Carriage of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor.
Their deafening Flood Dragon roars shattered the earth as they charged toward the graceful figure.
Recognizing Tang Wanzhou's carriage, the figure didn't engage directly.
Instead, she executed a series of uncanny evasive maneuvers, dodging the onslaught before vanishing into the depths of the white mist.
"So it's you! Now that you've joined the Sentinel Spirit Army, we'll settle this when your wounds heal at the Time Ruins Ancient Kingdom. Even if I defeat you today, you won't accept it. Of course, that's assuming you escape. I won't kill you myself - someone else will."
"Whoosh!"
Big Phoenix intercepted the graceful figure's path, only to be swatted aside with a flick of her sleeve.
Er Feng descended from above, its membranous wings slicing through the air.
As it slashed through the golden rice powder enveloping her, she seized its neck with her bare hand, a sickening crunch echoing.
Just as she was about to twist off its head, their eyes locked.
She hesitated for a moment, slightly loosening her grip, and flung Er Feng away.
With a whoosh, her figure vanished into the mist.
Li Weiyi, holding Yu'er's hand, leaped ashore.
The Rice Palace True Disciple had already vanished without a trace.
Tang Wanzhou leaned heavily on her sword.
"She's gone... and declared war on me!"
Li Weiyi saw her severe injuries and tried to pull her into the Blood Mud Space for healing.
"Not yet. The Tai Yin Sect's enemy has arrived... We must eliminate him, or our identities will be exposed." Tang Wanzhou coughed up another mouthful of blood, collapsing to the ground, "I can only muster half my strength for one more strike!"
Li Weiyi sensed a presence and turned around.
The white mist over the sea, which had dissipated as the Rice Palace True Disciple retreated, was now very thin.
"Woof! Woof!" A dog barked.
A gust of wind swept through.
The imposing figure of Xie Wumian, with his Silver Pure Immortal Physique, materialized in Li Weiyi's vision. His silver hair billowed in the wind as he stood atop the Five-Dragon Jade Carriage, holding a silver shield.
Beside him stood a silver-eyed corpse dog.
Without Tang Wanzhou's Spiritual Qi to sustain them, the Jiao Souls of the Five Snow Dragon Jiao had retreated into the carriage, their offensive power extinguished.
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END OF CHAPTER
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