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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 3 (440): [Deep into the Nether Realm]
(3rd of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The Dao Heart Manifestations of Huang Xu and Kong Xu could sense activity up to twenty li away.
After decades of cultivation in the Dao Seed Realm, they had nurtured formidable soul spirits and Willpower.
Across the entire realm, their combat prowess ranked among the top tier for individuals within a sixty-year cycle, second only to the Clan Heads of the Ancient Myriad Sects, figures like Zuoqiu Cangwu.
Yao Qian, known as "Thirty Li Snow," had possessed a similar level of Dao Heart Manifestation when he reached the Eighth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm.
However, he was a solitary figure, while Huang Xu and Kong Xu were the perfectly coordinated Human-Rice Brothers.
Their cultivation technique, the Void Imprint, was rumored to have been comprehended from an ancient realm within the Sacred Heart Layer of the Underground Immortal Mansion.
One imprint floated in the heavens, while the other was etched into the earth, each containing unfathomable mysteries of the Martial-Mystic Dao.
"They likely recently broke through to the Eighth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm," Li Weiyi mused, "Their Spiritual Qi is still unstable, but either of them could already contend with a Martial-Mystic Cultivator at the Ninth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm."
Li Weiyi acknowledged that he was currently no match for them.
However, when it came to escaping, he ranked among the best below the Immortal Realm.
He pinched a Divine Speed Talisman between two fingers and pressed it against his chest.
"Whoosh!"
The talisman released a layer of golden light, enveloping him and Yu'er, instantly accelerating their speed.
This Divine Speed Talisman, imbued with the ancient script for "movement" from the Six Jia Secret Incantation, was far superior to those crafted by ordinary Six-Star Spiritual Masters. Its burst of speed surpassed even that of a Ninth Heaven Martial-Mystic Cultivator in the Dao Seed Realm.
Yet Huang Xu and Kong Xu could match this speed without relying on talismans.
The difference lay in their expenditure of Spiritual Qi.
While the two consumed vast amounts of their own energy, Li Weiyi merely expended the pre-crafted talisman.
In the Nether Realm of the Dead, severely depleting one's Spiritual Qi meant a prolonged and dangerous recovery.
No one dared risk such vulnerability.
Kong Xu's cultivation method followed the ethereal path of sky-borne clouds and mist, his movements swift as flowing light and fleeting shadows.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Three Ninth-Grade Hundred-Character Artifact ancient swords erupted from his Ancestral Field, Wind Mansion, and Qi Sea, each imbued with distinct powers: Thunder and Lightning, karmic fire, and heavenly light.
The heavenly light ancient sword from his Qi Sea was spat forth like a radiant beam of light.
The ancient scriptures etched upon the three swords glowed vividly, unleashing tremendous energy that coalesced into three rivers of sword qi. These rivers surged across several miles, intercepting Li Weiyi's path.
Such a flamboyant display of power, visible even from afar through its surging energy and blinding light, would typically draw the attention of the great fiends of the dead lurking within the Nether Realm of the Dead.
Yet Kong Xu remained fearless, undeterred by the prospect of attracting these formidable entities.
He knew all too well how disastrously the Army of the Dead had been defeated in the Lingxiao Realm.
Li Weiyi, employing the "Forward" secret incantation, Clear Void Cicada-Chasing Step, and Governor's Robe, moved with uncanny agility, his body flickering like a phantom as he evaded the slashing Flying Swords over a dozen times.
When evasion became impossible, he swung his Myriad Manifestations Staff-Spear, clashing head-on with the Thunderbolt Ancient Sword, the fastest of the blades.
"Boom!"
The crimson-gold flame armor Li Weiyi had conjured around himself shattered under the sword's overwhelming force. His arms burned with searing pain, his fingers went numb, and he was sent flying seventy feet sideways, leaving a massive crater in the earth.
He dared not linger for even a moment.
Activating the Governor's Robe's Spatial Escape Technique again, he teleported several miles away, widening the distance between himself and his pursuers.
Huang Xu, who pursued on the ground, cultivated a technique as heavy and steady as the earth itself, his strength monstrous.
He could hurl boulders weighing hundreds of thousands of pounds as casually as pebbles.
Even from miles away, Li Weiyi could hear the thunderous roar of Spiritual Qi surging through Huang Xu's body.
"You two!" Li Weiyi shouted, "If you keep chasing, you'll delay the Divine Sect's vital retreat! Can you bear such responsibility?"
Huang Xu and Kong Xu were already pushing themselves to their limits, exhausting every technique, yet they grew increasingly alarmed with each exchange.
Their opponent far exceeded their expectations, proving frustratingly elusive thanks to the Governor's Robe and Divine Speed Talisman.
The Dao Heart Manifestation proved impossible to suppress, rendering long-range attacks ineffective.
Just days earlier, the two had joined forces to kill one of the Nine Great Priests of the Jiu Li Divine Temple - a Nine-Star Spiritual Master. Yet today, they struggled to kill a mere Six-Star Spiritual Master.
Their confidence waned with each mile of pursuit.
On the outskirts of the Nether Realm of the Dead, their cultivation allowed them to act with impunity.
But as they ventured deeper, the Nether Realm's terrifying nature demanded caution from any human Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
"Once we capture you, why would we return to the Divine Sect?" Huang Xu sneered, "The resources and treasures on you are enough to propel us into the Immortal Realm."
"Once we attain Immortal Realm, the entire world will be ours to roam."
Huang Xu and Kong Xu knew all too well that after the Corpse Seed Dao incident, the Twin Rice Sect had become universally reviled in the Lingxiao Realm, with no sanctuary left.
Even fleeing to the East Sea islands or Rice Prefecture would offer no lasting refuge.
The Human Race's major powers in the Lingxiao Realm would hunt them relentlessly, determined to eradicate them root and branch.
A Dao Heart Manifestation spanning twenty li made escape nearly impossible.
In this desperate chase, Li Weiyi sprinted hundreds of li before temporarily shaking off his pursuers, with his Spiritual Qi severely depleted.
Blood oozed from the mouth calluses on his hands, his arms numb and aching, his entire body felt like it was falling apart.
"Master... did we escape?"
From behind him, Yu'er's timid voice asked, "Are we safe now?"
"I think so!" Li Weiyi replied, activating the Governor's Robe, which rapidly drained his Spiritual Qi.
However, the two pursuers continued to unleash their Dao Heart Manifestations and attack from a distance with spiritual artifacts, likely depleting their Qi even faster.
"Once I cultivate Psychic Power, I'll definitely teach them a lesson for Master," Yu'er declared.
"No need, no need. It won't come to that," Li Weiyi assured her.
Daring not to linger, Li Weiyi retrieved the Evil Camel Bell and shook it.
"Jingle, jangle."
As the bell chimed, wisps of Nether Mist seeped from within.
Within the dense mist, two colossal camels materialized, their forms half-real, half-illusory.
Standing three to four meters tall, their auras were both eerie and imposing.
On this dark, decaying land, Li Weiyi hesitated to use the Jade Boat for flight, as the depths below were unfathomable.
The Evil Camel Bell's aura, however, harmonized with the environment and could deter some Dead Spirit Fiends, preventing them from attacking.
Li Weiyi had Yu'er ride one camel alone, but fearing she might be frightened, he released the Seven Little Ones to keep her company.
He retrieved a handful of Millennium Essence Herbs from his Cosmic Pouch and placed them in the cloth bag Yu'er carried on her shoulder.
"Feed these to them," he instructed, "They'll listen to you if you do."
With everything arranged, the two Ghost Shadow Camels charged eastward, one leading the way and the other following close behind.
Yu Prefecture was his next destination.
If his courage couldn't even match Yang Qingxi's, given his current trump cards, how could he ever hope to reach the pinnacle of the Martial-Mystic Dao?
Li Weiyi sat on the back of the second camel, using his Psychic Power to activate the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish, weaving a mist-like Time Cocoon.
He then employed the Jade Void Breathing Technique, drawing upon the Ten Springs within his body to replenish his severely depleted Spiritual Qi.
The wounds on the web of his hands rapidly healed, forming scabs.
Once he had recovered about seventy to eighty percent, Li Weiyi retrieved a Phoenix Blood Tree Leaf.
Channeling his Spiritual Qi, he crushed it into fine powder and absorbed it into his Ancestral Field, Divine Gate, and Wind Mansion.
Following the flow of Spiritual Qi, the powder circulated through his Veins and String Meridians, spreading throughout his entire body.
He began refining and absorbing the leaf with every second he could spare.
Each Phoenix Blood Tree Leaf required a full day and night to completely absorb.
Within the Time Cocoon, five days passed as he fully refined five leaves.
Li Weiyi's skin now possessed a metallic sheen, resembling both gold and bronze.
The major tendons in his body emitted a low, phoenix-like hum, and his physical strength had increased dramatically.
His tendons and skin had reached thirty percent of the Immortal Body's strength, finally catching up with the progress of his bone refinement.
"Right Now, with just my physical strength, I can challenge some Martial-Mystic Cultivators in the Seventh Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm. After a fierce battle like the one earlier, my hands wouldn't be torn open, allowing me to handle such situations with greater ease."
"The Wind Mansion Dragon Seed is approaching the peak of the Fifth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, with combat power comparable to the strongest Martial-Mystic Cultivators in the Seventh Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm."
"A Six-Star Spiritual Master at their peak possesses Psychic Power that rivals the combat prowess of a Martial-Mystic Cultivator at the peak of the Seventh Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm."
"Only by unleashing the Secret Incantation Character Techniques or the Sixfold Samsara Burning Karma Technique can one combine their full power to challenge a Martial-Mystic Cultivator in the Eighth Heaven."
Li Weiyi knew his weakness lay in his Martial-Mystic Dao Cultivation Realm.
Advancing in Realm required time for comprehension and accumulation, not something that could be achieved overnight.
Whether he obtained the Phoenix Blood Tree Leaf in Yu Prefecture or not, he resolved to enter secluded cultivation afterward.
By studying the Lingxiao Palace's vast collection of scriptures and True Scriptures, he aimed to condense his Dao Fruit as soon as possible.
Once he cultivated a Dao Fruit - even a Wind Mansion Dragon Seed Dao Fruit - he would fear no opponent below the Immortal Realm.
The Nether Realm of the Dead has no daylight.
Yet in certain regions, the darkness receded, revealing a moon and stars.
The moon and starlight cast an eerie, yellowish glow, evoking a sense of decay and oppression.
The entire world felt like a corpse, devoid of vitality.
Powerful surges of Spiritual Qi occasionally rippled across the horizon, accompanied by thunderous sounds as formidable figures pursued their quarry.
Li Weiyi suspected that the major Human Race powers of the Lingxiao Realm had already breached the darkness and were launching a counterattack into the Nether Realm of the Dead.
However, without dispelling the oppressive darkness that permeated the world, sunlight could never penetrate, allowing all manner of grotesque phenomena to thrive and even corrupting human nature itself.
Even if they conquered this Realm, they could never restore life to it.
The only hope lay in someone seizing the nine pages of the Book of Radiant Stars held by the Twin Rice Sect, deciphering its power, and using it to dispel the darkness, transforming the Nether Realm's dead lands back into a Life Realm.
The Nether Realm was like a desert, while the Life Realm was like an oasis.
Turning an oasis into a desert was easy, but transforming a desert into an oasis was nearly impossible.
"Master, look at those seven. They've grown even bigger!" Yu'er called out from the back of the lead camel, noticing Li Weiyi's eyes had opened and he had stopped cultivating.
If an experienced adult like him felt suffocated in the Nether Realm of the Dead, how much more oppressive must it be for a little girl with the mind of a four- or five-year-old?
Li Weiyi suppressed the eerie glow on his skin, dismounted, and lifted her down.
"We've been riding for a day and a night. Are you tired?"
"Mm-hmm."
"What does 'Mm-hmm' mean?"
Yu'er's round eyes darted around before she whispered, "Master, why is this world always so dark? I'm a little scared. I keep feeling like something is following us."
Li Weiyi startled at her words, taking them seriously.
He immediately circulated Spiritual Qi to his eyes and ears, focusing on observation and listening.
In the Nether Realm of the Dead, one couldn't carelessly unleash Psychic Power or Dao Heart Manifestations over a wide area, as it would reveal one's location and strength.
Though he suspected Yu'er might be mistaking her fear of the dark for a real threat, he couldn't rule out the possibility that her heightened senses had detected dangers he had overlooked.
Finding nothing amiss, Li Weiyi spread his cloak on a relatively flat patch of ground and produced various foods and spring water.
Yu'er, clearly hungry, widened her eyes and eagerly grabbed a shimmering green Spiritual fruit.
She took a bite, her voice muffled with delight, "Master, when did you buy so much food? You're so thoughtful! I thought we'd be starving again."
Over the past month, Li Weiyi's cultivation had often made him lose track of time.
Yu'er, accustomed to missing three meals a day for three days straight, had grown used to it.
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END OF CHAPTER
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