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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 3: [Qiu Prefecture Lantern Festival]
Chapter 31 (175): [The Plan]
(31st of Volume 3)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"If he asks again, just tell him."
Cultivating a good relationship with the Inheritor of the Zuoqiu Sect in their territory would be immensely beneficial.
Moreover, he is also the top expert from the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival.
Li Weiyi's heart stirred.
He asked, "When you mentioned 'above' to Yin Jiu, did you mean Yin Er or the Hidden Sect Elders?"
"Why do you ask?" Yin Shi replied.
Li Weiyi chuckled: "My cultivation is still too low, so of course I want to improve quickly. You old Hidden Ones keep us young Hidden Ones stuck in the Diligent Garden, diligently cultivating and enduring hardship. We're happy to do so, but shouldn't you provide some resources to help us advance quickly?"
"The Jiu Li Hidden Sect has produced countless Hidden One experts. Each Hidden One left behind some assets and wealth. Over thousands of years, that must amount to an astronomical sum. There should be ample cultivation resources."
He didn't believe that the ancient Hidden Ones had left behind only the Diligent Garden.
A glimpse of a part reveals the whole.
The Coffin Sea Merchant Guild, managed by Yin Er, was likely just the tip of the iceberg among the Hidden Sect's assets.
"For cultivation resources, you can go directly to Yin Shi San. He's in charge of Five Seas Realm affairs!"
Yin Shi, having heard of this man's exploits, knew he had made a fortune in Burial Immortal Town. He wasn't someone lacking cultivation resources. Contacting the higher-ups was clearly a ploy to make an exorbitant demand.
The Hidden Ones departed one after another, leaving only three people in the courtyard.
Yin Shiyi approached with a smile: "Among the Hidden Ones in the Five Seas Realm, only those two can reach the higher-ups. There's no help for it - they're the strongest and have the highest talent."
Li Weiyi asked, "I see your cultivation isn't weak either. Are you already cultivating the Seventh Sea?"
Yin Shi Yi nodded, gazing at the brightly lit Immortal Grove pavilions and towers in the night sky.
He sighed, "Even when cultivating the Seventh Sea, the difference in combat power is vast. Not everyone can do what you did - as a Mortal, you crushed a Pure Immortal Physique of the same realm."
"Can't other Mortals and Aberrant Humanoids defeat Pure Immortal Physiques of the same realm?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yin Shiyi frowned and nodded again.
"In the Spring Surge Realm, Pure Immortal Physiques far surpass Mortals and Aberrant Humanoids in combat power. They can even cross a realm to defeat opponents."
"That's right. Mortals and Aberrant Humanoids can cultivate the Eighth and Ninth Springs to close the gap. But for Pure Immortal Physique, cultivating the Eighth and Ninth Springs is far easier."
"At our level, everyone cultivating the Seventh Sea is a Nine Springs Supreme. We all have the same number of Spring. Crossing realms to defeat an opponent in the Five Seas Realm is incredibly difficult. But even an ordinary Nine Springs Pure Immortal Physique's combat strength surpasses ours by half a realm."
Li Weiyi asked, "So, Yin Shi's combat strength, relying solely on the Martial Dao, is already half a realm higher than yours?"
"That half-realm difference is a massive gap in combat strength. It's incredibly difficult to overcome." Yin Shiyi added, "Against a Hundred Veins Full Silver Pure Immortal Physique, the difference is basically a full realm! How are you supposed to fight that?"
"While we all appear to be cultivating the Seventh Sea and are all Nine Springs Supremes, only the Inheritors of the Hundred Silver Veins stand at the pinnacle. They are the only ones truly on the same level."
Li Weiyi thought for a moment.
"I've met Mie Di and Dao Di from the Coffin Mountain Four Truths. Mie Di is an Aberrant Humanoid, while Dao Di is a Nine Springs Pure Immortal Physique. Their combat strength gap doesn't seem that significant."
Yin Shiyi said, "Mie Di ranks last among the Coffin Mountain Four Truths, so he's definitely no match for Dao Di. However, I've fought him before, and he's got some tricks up his sleeve. He inherited the Golden Tiger Battle Technique Intent from an Otherworldly Coffin, which significantly boosted his combat power."
"If even a powerful Battle Technique Intent can't raise combat power by half a stage, then having you fight Yang Qingxi seems woefully inadequate!" Li Weiyi sighed.
He had originally hoped that by having Yin Shiyi inherit the Jiu Li Gods' Battle Technique Intent and then joining forces, they could capture Yang Qingxi.
Now it seemed he had been completely overthinking things!
"Battle Technique Intents are a temporary enhancement during combat, not absolute power. Their effects are limited by how much they can stack. They are a profound Dao, capable of extraordinary feats in the Dao Seed Realm. Therefore, the most important aspect of an exotic Battle Technique Intent is its potential for growth."
Yin Shiyi continued, "Of course, it also depends on how powerful the Battle Technique Intent is! For example, Cang Li's White Tiger Battle Technique Intent allowed him to stand out among all the Inheritors. He has never lost a one-on-one battle and firmly holds the top spot in the Southern Territory."
"What about the Battle Technique Intent of the Jiu Li Gods?" Li Weiyi suddenly asked.
"Haha! If I could comprehend the Battle Technique Intent of the Jiu Li Gods, I'd be a Divine Hidden One myself. Not only could I leap half a stage, but I wouldn't even fear those Inheritors. How could I possibly miss the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival? But do I look like I could?"
Yin Shiyi waved his hand with a laugh.
"Since ancient times, only Azure King has ever achieved that."
"By the way, Yang Qingxi isn't simple. She possesses the Nine Springs Pure Immortal Physique, and even I can't defeat her."
"Don't provoke her."
"But I suspect that during the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, even if Cang Li doesn't intervene, Yin Jiu and Yin Shi will take action to eliminate her."
"Alright, all of you focus on your cultivation. Mortals and Aberrant Humanoids may be on par with Pure Immortal Physiques at the same stage, but in the Martial Dao, who fights you at the same stage forever? As long as your cultivation speed is fast enough, you can crush them with sheer stage advantage. If one Stage isn't enough, then two stages."
"In Martial Dao cultivation, stage takes precedence over physique."
"Yin Jiu is only the strongest at the same stage! Among the Hidden Ones of this sixty-year cycle, the fastest cultivators and the strongest among their peers are Yin Yi and Yin Wu."
"If the Pure Immortal Physique were truly invincible, the Jiu Li Hidden Sect would just recruit only Pure Immortal Physique disciples!"
Yin Shiyi slithered forward on his snake tail, his body twisting and turning as he prepared to leave.
Li Weiyi called out from behind him, "Make time to see me in a few days. I have important matters to discuss with you."
Yin Shiyi didn't believe Li Weiyi had anything truly important to say, but since Li Weiyi was destined to become the next Divine Hidden One, he decided to give him some face.
"Alright, I'll let you know when I'm free."
Only Li Weiyi and Yin Shi San remained in the courtyard.
The two walked out together.
Yin Shi San's face was round and soft, with a small wisp of a mustache under his chin.
His voice was gentle: "At your current cultivation levels - First or Second Stage of the Five Seas Realm - the only cultivation resource you can use is the Qi-Enhancing Pill."
"How much Qi does one pill enhance?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yin Shi San replied, "About five pills are needed to enhance Qi by one unit."
Li Weiyi was somewhat disappointed.
The Hidden Sect's Qi-Enhancing Pills paled in comparison to the Qi Ascension Pills refined by Zen Hai Guanwu.
Taking one Qi Ascension Pill could increase one's qi by one unit.
But Yin Shi San's next words immediately brightened Li Weiyi's eyes: "All Hidden Ones receive an unlimited supply of Qi-Enhancing Pills before reaching the Fourth Stage of the Five Seas Realm. You should know - the Fourth Sea is the primary sea, and the primary sea of us Nine Springs Supremes exceeds a thousand units."
"If I take five thousand pills, won't that increase my qi by a thousand units?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yin Shi San's expression turned serious.
"Once you receive the Qi-Enhancing Pills, you mustn't take too many at once. You can't exceed two pills per day, or you would be at risk pill poison."
"Two pills? Pill poison?" Li Weiyi was stunned.
The other Hidden Ones waiting outside overheard their conversation.
Yin Ershi Si couldn't help but interject: "In the First Stage of the Five Seas Realm, you can only take one pill every two days. In the Second Stage, it's one pill per day. Only in the Third Stage can you take two pills per day."
Yin Shi San added, "All medicinal pills contain pill poison and can't be consumed in large quantities. Taking five thousand Qi-Enhancing Pills would kill you."
Li Weiyi didn't believe him at all, convinced that the Jiu Li Hidden Sect's Qi-Enhancing Pills were simply of too low quality, their formulas imperfect, hence the pill poison.
When Zen Hai Guanwu gave him the Qi Ascension Pill, she hadn't mentioned any restrictions or pill poison.
Yin Shi San said proudly, "Only ancient clans and sects like ours, numbering in the tens of millions, possess the Qi-Enhancing Pill formula, allowing our disciples to advance faster in the Five Seas Realm. Other forces must purchase them at exorbitant prices, significantly increasing their disciples' cultivation costs."
Li Weiyi asked curiously, "Once we reach the Fourth Stage, how do we rapidly increase our spiritual Qi? Surely we can't slowly accumulate it step by step, even for a Qi Sea of a thousand or ten thousand cubic meters? That would take ages!"
"Of course there's a shortcut. We'll arrange it for you when the time comes," Yin Shi San said with a chuckle, trying to reassure him.
"Don't worry. The Hidden Sect has only a few Hidden Ones like us. Even the most precious cultivation resources are available to us."
Li Weiyi said, "Oh, really? Then give me a Millennium Essence Pill. I'm in a hurry!"
Yin Shi San's smile vanished, and he nearly choked.
"A Millennium Essence Pill is incredibly precious. Even Dao Seed Realm Hidden Ones need to meet strict conditions to obtain one. You've only just reached the Five Seas Realm..."
Li Weiyi's eyes lit up: "So the Hidden Sect really can provide Millennium Essence Pills for Hidden Ones to cultivate?"
"Well, yes..." Yin Shi San conceded.
Li Weiyi said, "Can you contact the higher-ups? Help me apply for an Ice Attribute one?"
"No chance." Yin Shi San said, "The Hidden Sect has many industries and abundant resources, but we're also rapidly depleting them while cultivating Hidden Ones. Cultivation resources can't be given out willy-nilly..."
"I'll trade Spiritual Soil and spiritual artifacts for it."
Li Weiyi had quite a few spiritual artifacts on him.
Though most were low-grade, he had several hundred, enough to equip an army.
"If you're offering a trade, we might be able to make it work," Yin Shi San said.
Yaoyin led the way, and Li Weiyi arrived at his residence - a lakeside cottage in a serene setting, protected by a small, independent Formation.
As she lit the bone lamp, she prepared to leave.
Li Weiyi watched the girl, who looked like she had been carved from white jade in the lamplight, and asked, "Have you had any Ice Soul Cold Qi attacks recently?"
Yaoyin shook her head gently.
In truth, she had suffered one attack, barely managing to endure it. But she didn't want to tell him. Li Weiyi had promised to help her obtain the Supreme Yang, but she knew he had spoken in a moment of impulse.
The Supreme Yang was a legendary divine treasure - it couldn't be obtained so easily.
That he had impulsively made such a promise was already commendable.
Li Weiyi didn't immediately produce Xihe. He had to wait for Zen Hai Guanwu to return and personally examine Yaoyin's condition to determine if she could safely consume it.
Li Weiyi took out a bottle of Golden Spring and placed it on the railing beside him.
"Your talent is exceptional, even surpassing those Inheritors. Your path ahead is long, so don't carry such a heavy heart. You won't die before eighteen. I'll be watching you, watching you grow year by year into a beauty that will captivate the world, even more stunning than Yin Shi. You'll become the most beautiful woman among us Hidden Ones. Once your Meridian Veins turn fully silver, use this Spring to temper your Golden Veins."
Yaoyin smiled faintly, then pursed her lips and asked softly, "How much silver coin?"
Li Weiyi looked at her hands, which were adorned with the Silver Silk Gloves she had requested from him.
"Do you think I care about a few silver coins? Just give what you think is fair!"
Yaoyin nodded seriously: "I'll research the price of the Golden Spring."
"Suit yourself. Oh, and come here tomorrow morning. I have a great opportunity for you to try and seize."
When considering who to entrust with the Battle Technique Intent of the Jiu Li Gods, Li Weiyi's first thought was Yaoyin.
After all, she was the most obedient.
Naturally, she would be the first to try.
Favoritism is inevitable.
Divine Hidden One must cultivate Hidden Ones, and they will naturally prioritize those who are obedient and loyal.
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END OF CHAPTER
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