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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 23 (460): [Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains]
(23rd of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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More than four months had passed since the battle at Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain.
In the East Sea, the climate was sweltering and humid.
It was May, and even the sea breeze blowing through the window felt like a scorching wave.
Under the night sky, the Sea Market on Moon Dragon Island thrived, bustling with noise and activity, its myriad lanterns illuminating dense crowds.
From the second-floor window of a tavern, supported by wooden branches, Yao Qingxuan gazed down at the street below.
Martial-Mystic cultivators from various sects and clans, clad in uniform spiritual artifact robes, moved in groups of three to five or in columns of dozens, their presence ubiquitous.
Yao Qingxuan sat facing the window, her features altered by the Transformation Technique. She had removed her conical hat, letting her dark hair cascade down.
Though she hadn't cultivated the Bone-Shifting Spirit-Altering Chapter, her profound cultivation and mastery of the Transformation Technique made it impossible for anyone below a vastly superior realm to see through her disguise.
"Three months ago, you appeared at the Dead Spirit Market on the Huang River, where you were hunted by two Divine Sons of the Twin Rice Sect. News of this spread quickly, mobilizing all the experts of the Jiu Li Hidden Sect to search for you in the Nether Realm. Later, you lured them to Old Yuzhou."
"Since then, you've vanished as if you'd evaporated. Everyone has been deeply worried."
For Yao Qingxuan, a Great Power of the Immortal Realm with a notoriously aloof demeanor, to speak these words meant more than simply acknowledging Li Weiyi as the Divine Hidden One of the Hidden Sect. It revealed a genuine bond of master and disciple between them.
Their relationship had deepened significantly after Li Weiyi risked everything to rescue her from the Twin Rice Sect's Main Hall in Lingxiao City.
Li Weiyi noticed eyes watching them from the tavern, the street, and nearby buildings.
Clearly, his fierce battle by the sea had drawn the attention of various factions to him, the Sword Gentleman.
He released a Psychic Field, enveloping a ten-foot radius around them.
While peeling shrimp for Yu'er, Li Weiyi asked with a smile, "I found traces of the Hidden Lord outside Old Yu Prefecture City. Did I inadvertently lure him there too?"
Yao Qingxuan, veiled as always, sat with her Pure Immortal Physique skin glowing like jade wax under the tavern's lamplight.
Her gaze remained icy, her aura otherworldly, carrying a depth and sharpness that Yaoyin lacked.
"He and Elder Qin were being hunted by Yang Shenjing and fled into the Nether Realm of the Dead to recover from their injuries. They learned of your entry into the Nether Realm and pursued you there. He's currently at the Sea Market on Moon Dragon Island!"
Li Weiyi's eyes lit up with disbelief: "How many members of the Jiu Li Clan have come?"
"Whether young or old, anyone with a chance to reach the Immortal Realm would never willingly miss such a great opportunity," Yao Qingxuan countered.
"What exactly is this great opportunity?" Li Weiyi asked.
He only knew it seemed to be related to the Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains.
Yao Qingxuan gazed at him, her long eyelashes framing her eyes as her red lips parted slightly.
"You sent the message back to the Lingxiao Realm, stirring up all the Martial-Mystic Cultivators and causing a worldwide sensation. And now you're asking me?"
Li Weiyi quickly recounted all the information he had gathered, then smiled wryly.
"That's all I know."
Yao Qingxuan pondered briefly, then her expression shifted to astonishment.
"You absorbed only a trace of Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon Qi and immediately achieved a breakthrough? It seems the Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Lingxiao Realm, including myself, have underestimated this opportunity."
She explained, "Three months ago, your message to the Lingxiao Realm ignited the passion of the younger generation while offering a glimmer of hope for Immortal to the aging Martial-Mystic Cultivators nearing the end of their lifespans."
"However, the true catalyst that drew everyone here was the definitive news released by the Calamity Crossing Temple."
"The Transcendents - the Calamity Crossing Temple, the Rice Palace, and the Eastern Sea Monster Clan - have been exploring the sea area where the Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon Qi manifested."
"They discovered that energy continues to leak from the seabed, tectonic activity is high, and earthquakes are frequent. The Qi of the Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains, buried deep within the earth's core, is seeping out, causing numerous mystical phenomena."
"For example, the thousand-mile-long stream of firefly-like Immortal Flames you mentioned in your letter."
"Another example is the magnificent mist-like Phoenix Tree and the illusory Dragon City, which resemble mirages and align with ancient legends of the Eastern Sea Monster Clan."
"Recently, a new theory has emerged. It suggests that Yu Jia, who lived ten thousand years ago and could simultaneously give birth to Flying Dragons and Flying Phoenixes, and who defied fate to ascend to Immortality, was connected to these Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains beneath the earth."
Li Weiyi's expression darkened, "Which faction is trying to excavate the Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains? If they're connected to Yu Jia, their audacity is staggering."
Excavating the remains of Ancient Immortal Giant Beasts is extremely dangerous, a task only the most powerful Ancient Sects, Imperial Courts, and Kingdoms dare undertake.
Moreover, they don't attempt such excavations lightly.
They only resort to this when they're desperate, facing imminent collapse.
The risks are immense; even a slight misstep could unleash catastrophic consequences.
Of course, the rewards are equally immense - a risk-free, infinitely profitable venture.
You should know that the blood of Ancient Immortal Giant Beasts is sold by the drop.
It can transform mortals into Aberrant Humanoids with immense strength, and it's a resource that Aberrant Race Martial-Mystic Cultivators must continuously purchase throughout their cultivation journey.
Yet the blood of Ancient Immortal Giant Beasts is merely a byproduct of excavating their remains.
After all, these colossal creatures perished tens of thousands of years ago.
The blood within their remains has long since lost most of its Blood Qi, its Immortal power dissipated, and its Life energy extinguished. It's a far cry from true Ancient Immortal blood, a difference as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.
For Transcendents, it's practically useless.
But if Yu Jia is involved, everything changes.
Yu Jia is arguably the most recent Ancient Immortal Giant Beast, having lived less than ten thousand years ago.
The methods it left behind must still possess terrifying energy, undiminished by time.
Yao Qingxuan explained, "This is just speculation, of course! The reason for this theory is... the Western Monster Race has joined the fray."
"Initially, the Calamity Crossing Temple and the Rice Palace decided to excavate the remains together. Then the Eastern Sea Monster Clan joined, since the remains lie within their territory."
"The Lingxiao Realm only gained the right to a share of the spoils thanks to the Calamity Crossing Temple."
"As news leaked, Martial-Mystic Cultivators from all the surrounding Life Realms rushed to the scene. Even the Cave Ruins Ghost City was alerted, and their figures have been sighted along the East Sea coast for the past half-month."
The Cave Ruins Ghost City, located deep within the Nether Realm, lies beyond the Three Hundred Prefectures of Lingxiao.
Yet its influence extends over a million miles, encompassing the entire Three Hundred Prefectures of Lingxiao and five other nearby Life Realms.
These six Life Realms are merely specks within the vast territory dominated by the Cave Ruins Ghost City.
To Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Lingxiao Realm, the Cave Ruins Ghost City is a legendary realm, impossibly distant and with even less presence than the Calamity Crossing Temple. It pales in comparison to Lord Lan, who resides so close by.
Only a handful of powerful figures know that Lord Lan, who controls thirty-one prefectures, must periodically journey to the Cave Ruins Ghost City to pay homage and tribute.
Yao Qingxuan added, "Some say the Eastern Sea Monster Clan feared the Calamity Crossing Temple and Rice Palace would claim the lion's share of the benefits, so they brought in the Western Monster Race."
"Each excavation of Ancient Immortal Giant Beast remains grants a significant boost in power to both living and departed spirits in the surrounding region."
"This grand opportunity offers Transcendence and Great Immortal, allowing one to feast on the dragon's flesh. Younger Martial-Mystic Cultivators in the Dao Seed and Five Seas Realms can at least sip the soup."
"Even absorbing the Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon Qi that erupts when the Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains are unearthed is an immense blessing."
"If one manages to unearth Immortal Soil, Ancient Immortal Blood Earth, or Essence Herbs, or even scavenge fallen Dragon Scales or absorb Immortal Dao Scriptures drifting in the void, the gains would be tremendous. As for other opportunities - those requiring heaven-defying luck to seize - we dare not even dream of them."
Li Weiyi suddenly understood why Martial-Mystic Cultivators from across the realm had been drawn here.
Who wouldn't want a taste of that soup?
Especially Martial-Mystic Cultivators practicing the Dragon Seed Dao, Aberrant Humanoid Martial-Mystic Cultivators, and old-timers nearing the end of their lifespans - they had no choice but to come.
For young Great Powers like Yao Qingxuan, who had just entered the Immortal Realm, absorbing the Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon Qi would be immensely beneficial.
However, its allure diminished greatly for those who had already achieved Great Immortal Realm.
"Master, would you like some?" Li Weiyi offered a peeled shrimp.
Yao Qingxuan ignored him, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside the window.
Li Weiyi turned and placed the shrimp in Yu'er's bowl.
The little girl, ravenously hungry, had been burying her face in her food the entire time.
Li Weiyi understood why Yao Qingxuan had lost his appetite.
"Does Yaoyin know you're still alive?"
"She visited me from Calamity Crossing Temple just four days ago," Yao Qingxuan replied, no longer treating Li Weiyi as a junior.
They could now discuss many topics as equals.
A man who could effortlessly defeat the First Commander of an entire province deserved to be treated as an equal.
Li Weiyi said, "This is something you'll have to face sooner or later. Have you thought about how to tell her? Would you like me to intervene? I still have some influence with her."
Yao Qingxuan's gaze fell on Li Weiyi's face.
"Mind your own business! Where did this child come from?"
"Yu'er, my disciple," Li Weiyi replied.
Yu'er looked up at Yao Qingxuan: "You're Master's master, so you must be Yu'er's Grandmaster?"
"Ah, no need for such formalities," Yao Qingxuan said.
Li Weiyi didn't want to put Yao Qingxuan in a difficult position.
Who knew if the Grand Palace Mistress would seek revenge after recovering, unable to accept the truth?
Yao Qingxuan didn't dwell on it.
Their relationship had never been a true master-disciple bond anyway.
Why bother with the pretense of seniority?
A lingering melancholy clouded her brow as she asked, "What about Ku-Di?"
"Her Senior Brother has already taken her back to the ship."
Li Weiyi knew that Yao Qingxuan and An Xianjing shared a genuine bond.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine," he reassured, "Qiongji Daozi's character and temperament may leave much to be desired, but with Hall Master An watching over him, he'll undoubtedly take good care of his junior sister."
Yao Qingxuan frowned deeply: "Have you forgotten? At the Twin Rice Sect's Main Hall, when I entrusted you to his care, how well did he protect you?"
"That was just jealousy of talent!" Li Weiyi retorted, "Ku-Di's aptitude might even surpass his. Master, aren't you overthinking this? Hall Master An has indeed shown us much kindness and tolerance, but she's no pushover. Her methods are formidable - otherwise, how could she have survived in Coffin Mountain and the Twin Rice Sect?"
Yao Qingxuan asked sternly, "Have you seen her?"
"Yes, Hall Master An herself gave me a ride here. Otherwise, why would I be traveling with Ku-Di? If not for her intervention, given my grievances with that little nun, I'd have demanded compensation for the humiliation at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival." Li Weiyi chuckled.
Yao Qingxuan sighed inwardly, asking with a hint of guilt, "Has her injury fully healed?"
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END OF CHAPTER
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