Chapter 456: Chapter 174 Primordial Spirit Emergence, Clashing in the Dark Night
According to the letter, at first, when someone was murdered, the Clan Elder didn’t think to disturb Jiang Li. However, as the situation rapidly deteriorated, there was no choice but to alarm Jiang Li now.
And just at this moment, precisely when Jiang Li appeared, the situation became serious.
This incident began after Jiang Li left the Divine Capital, but before today, his whereabouts had been erratic, almost impossible to track, thus no action was taken until now, which suddenly erupted.
The intention was very clear, it was to lure Jiang Li to Yong Province.
"Should I go? Or should I send Elder Tianpeng..." Jiang Li pondered in his heart, mulling over the decision.
If he went, whether it was him or Elder Tianpeng, or even both, it would be like walking into a trap, and they could only react to the situation as it unfolded.
If they didn’t go, on the one hand, the Jiang family would suffer a huge loss, and on the other, he, as the Young Master, would lose the hearts of his people.
With his ancestral land in distress, if he, Jiang Li, were to comfortably sit far away and remain unmoved, how could people not resent him?
Jiang Li wanted to replace the main family that had migrated overseas and become the new leading lineage of the Jiang family; he needed followers. If he had no people and failed to win their hearts, even if he claimed to be the head of the family, who would recognize him?
Moreover, this also concerned Jiang Li’s own external fortunes and the Jiang family’s Qi Shu.
Qi Shu was formed by people. Without people, Jiang Li naturally would also lose his external fortunes. Although Jiang Li had a last resort, it would be better not to expose it if possible.
There were two options, but neither was particularly inviting; the former involved stepping into a pit willingly, whereas the latter, though safer, would come at a not insignificant cost.
"And no matter which option I choose, it won’t harm the enemy and will basically play into their hands..."
After pondering for a while, Jiang Li had made up his mind.
The ancestral land needed saving, but Jiang Li could not go in person. However, if he just sent others to rescue and did not show up himself, the enemy would still have moves to play, and could still stir people’s hearts.
Therefore, there was a need for a reason that would rightfully justify Jiang Li’s absence from the ancestral land.
He resealed the letter, handed it back to Qing Ji, and said, "Take a trip to the Divine Capital for me, and deliver this letter to my master—Elder Tianxuan of the Dinghu Sect. This mark will draw my master to you when you get close."
As he spoke, Jiang Li imprinted an Eight Trigrams mark on the envelope.
Qing Ji had been deliberately cultivated by the Jiang family to follow orders without offering many opinions. Hearing Jiang Li’s instructions, he did not say much but took the letter again, responding with an obedient "Yes."
Jiang Li then added, "If you encounter danger on the road, don’t worry, just keep going forward, there’s no need to look back, remember this well."
"Yes."
Qing Ji responded again, then respectfully bowed to Jiang Li, boarded his small carriage, and flew out from the giant hand formed of Innate Qi, entering the curtain of rain.
The hour of Yin is the darkest before dawn. With the heavy rain pouring down, inside Shu County, visibility was virtually nonexistent. The water was high enough to submerge the small carriage.
However, Qing Ji himself was a swamp spirit, akin to a Water God, and naturally had no fear of rain.
He drove his horse over the water’s surface and soon left the manor, racing along the silent and deserted streets.
At this moment, with this weather, not even the patrolling guards would be out on the streets, and cultivators were well aware of the current situation, daring not to appear at night, fearing discovery by the Shu Royal Mansion and being executed on the spot.
Due to various factors, the wild stormy weather paradoxically offered greater safety.
Qing Ji sped along and soon could see the towering gates of the city through the rain curtain.
Just then, a sinister presence emerged within the small creature’s perception, sending chills through his body and a profound sense of dread.
Out of the darkness, a large hand seemed to slowly yet quickly reach out, catching up with the small carriage, about to grab Qing Ji in one swoop.
This scene was strikingly similar to how Jiang Li had previously captured people, but the sensation it gave Qing Ji was utterly different—most likely due to the killing intent.
With this hand pressing down, Qing Ji had no doubt that he would be squashed into a pulp.
The sound of rain on the carriage disappeared, and even the surrounding ground became momentarily calm, as if a giant umbrella had opened above.
Qing Ji was completely frozen, relying solely on the carriage to continue its escape.
The giant hand overhead was about to touch the carriage when suddenly, from an angle, came another large, only vaguely outlined hand that struck through the air.
At that moment, the previous giant hand turned to meet the new one, and the two palms collided in the darkness, clashing amidst the wind and rain. Countless raindrops shattered in midair and, in an instant, time seemed to stand still, as the drops remained suspended in the air, maintaining the shape of the splashes.
"Ah!"
The small Qing Ji screamed, as his bodily sensations finally returned. He tugged on the reins, driving the carriage into a ditch, submerging into the water, and rushing toward the outskirts.
Meanwhile, far away on the dark streets, within the area where countless water splashes were suspended, two large hands separately retreated to either side, gradually revealing two figures.
Both figures were enveloped in darkness, with only their silhouettes vaguely visible.
One figure wore a crown and had their hands behind their back, with a robe floating about, surrounded by clouds of Qi Mechanism.
The other, however, was blurred in shape, barely distinguishable as a human form, seemingly merged with the darkness.
"Primordial Spirit Emergence, truly remarkable," murmured the figure surrounded by cloud-like Qi Mechanism in a deep laugh.
"An esteemed True Inheritor, yet resorting to night ambushes and stealth, is certainly eye-opening," the figure merged with the darkness sneered.
Both were employing Primordial Spirit Emergence, becoming invisible in flight, which is why they could suddenly catch up to Qing Ji and engage each other.
They were both aware of each other’s identities, but since neither was revealing their True Body at the moment, formalities were temporarily dropped, and they spoke with true attitudes.
"Such a Primordial Spirit, I underestimated you."
In the darkness, the figure with their hands behind their back saw a sudden change in their Qi Mechanism, with mysterious talismans forming around them.
While it was true that one could begin to cultivate a Primordial Spirit from the Sixth Rank, theoretically, it was not an overnight accomplishment; it required a long time to polish and truly succeed. Even if there were Dao Fruits available that aided the Divine Essence, it should not be possible to achieve it in such a short time.
The other had only been practicing for about four years and had already condensed a Primordial Spirit – and its strength seemed no weaker than their own. The straightforward palm strike earlier had directly displayed the difference in Primordial Spirit strength between the two, which otherwise should not have resulted in a draw.
’This probe was the right decision.’
Yun Jiuye thought to himself, as his thoughts triggered the figure to become gradually more imposing.