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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 1: [Nether Realm of the Dead]
Chapter 10: [Beneath the Nine-Tiered Ship Tower]
(10th of Volume 1)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The deck of the Bronze Ship stretched for an incredibly long distance.
Li Weiyi and his companion walked along the hull, through the Nether Mist, for nearly a kilometer before the Golden Crow's corpse gradually came into view.
One of its wings lay across the deck's forest of stone tablets, while the other rested on the Nine-Tiered Ship Tower.
Even a behemoth like the Nine Infants seemed small in comparison.
Though it had been dead for countless years, the corpse wasn't cold. It glowed with a golden radiance, with flames flickering across its surface.
Even standing a hundred meters away, they could feel waves of heat radiating from the Golden Crow's body.
Each feather on the Golden Crow's corpse was dozens of times larger than a human body, shimmering with iridescent colors.
It was a breathtaking sight, impossible to imagine how dazzling it must have been in life.
Could it truly have transformed into the sun that roamed the heavens, as the myths claimed?
The fatal wound was located in its skull, pierced by an unknown sharp weapon, creating a terrifying three-meter-long blood-soaked hole.
The Golden Crow blood used for cultivation was drawn from a blood pool beneath the wound, over twenty meters in diameter.
When first drawn, the blood in the bucket was nearly boiling, requiring special treatment to cool it down.
Li Weiyi stood by the blood pool, observing.
The Golden Crow's blood was a vibrant crimson tinged with a faint golden glow.
The metallic scent was strong but not overpowering.
Instead, it exuded an appetizing aroma of blood.
If the Golden Crow didn't have the ominous reputation of being the "Bird of Destruction," inspiring awe, the research team members would have already drunk without hesitation.
"No wonder they all want to drink it," Gao Huan said, swallowing hard, "Drinking Golden Crow blood must be as delicious as eating roasted meat. Plus, there's the possibility of immortality. It's enough to drive anyone mad."
He couldn't help but swallow again, then added, "If this were on Earth, a single drop of Golden Crow blood would have every billionaire throwing down millions for it. And here we have an entire pool! You should use your charm and ask Dr. Cai. Don't you know the saying at our university? 'If a Junior Brother wants a Senior Sister's love, he needs either wealth or good looks.'"
"You're spouting nothing but rhymes. Are you even planning to get your doctorate?" Li Weiyi chuckled.
Perhaps because he had just achieved Transcendent cultivation and his body desperately needed high-grade nourishment, his appetite was even stronger than Gao Huan's.
The Scorching Qi Flow in the sole of his right foot surged forth uncontrollably, flowing through the thirteen meridians as if urging him to drink the Golden Crow blood immediately.
"The greater the temptation, the greater the danger."
Li Weiyi suppressed the Scorching Qi Flow and quickly left the blood pool.
....
On the other side, the Black Dragon had been cleaved in two by a sharp weapon. Its massive corpse towered over Li Weiyi, its body far thicker and taller.
Each scale was like a thick iron plate the size of a palm fan, radiating an icy aura.
Where the Black Dragon's body had been severed, blood had crystallized into purple-red ice crystals so dense they could only be chipped away with an axe and then melted with heat.
Scattered around the Black Dragon's remains lay the skeletal remains of armored humans, their bones scattered haphazardly.
The six members of Laboratory 705 were gathered around one particularly unusual skeleton, meticulously sketching its structure and recording the inscriptions and patterns on its armor.
This skeleton was unique because its bones glowed faintly like night pearls and had undergone metallic transformation, feeling smooth to the touch and ringing like iron when struck.
Hearing footsteps, the six members of Laboratory 705 turned their heads to face Li Weiyi and Gao Huan.
Gao Huan, ever the extrovert, asked with a laugh, "Director Yang, have you made any discoveries?"
Among the six, the burly man with a buzz cut and a shotgun, who stood nearly two meters tall, tightened his grip on his weapon, his eyes wary.
Only when he saw that they were merely two injured patients out for a stroll did his guard relax slightly.
Clearly, everyone on the Bronze Ship sensed the growing tension, the atmosphere no longer one of mutual trust.
Director Yang, surprisingly amiable, smiled.
"Those who died on the Bronze Ship were clearly no ordinary beings, beyond scientific explanation. The skeletons on the ground, clad in armor weighing at least a thousand catties, couldn't be moved even by our combined strength."
"The weapons are equally heavy. The lightest spear requires two people to barely lift it. Its density is extraordinary, and we have no idea what material it's made of."
Li Weiyi desperately wanted to try picking up the ten-foot-long ancient spear on the ground.
But after touching it with his fingers, he abandoned the idea and asked, "How did they die? It's so strange. Who killed them?"
"Could there be some unknown danger lurking on this Bronze Ship?" Gao Huan speculated.
Director Yang replied, "We've been studying this Bronze Ship under a microscope for years. Our conclusion is that the Golden Crow, the Black Dragon, and these armored humans were all intruders, likely seeking treasure, exploration, or conquest. There must be some kind of incomprehensible force of danger on this ship!"
Gao Huan asked curiously, "Aren't we intruders too? Why haven't we been killed?"
The six members of Laboratory 705 fell silent, their moods somber.
Just because they hadn't been killed yet didn't mean they wouldn't be later.
Li Weiyi speculated, "Perhaps we're too weak, or perhaps we haven't violated any of its taboos, so the danger hasn't descended upon us."
Director Yang clearly preferred this explanation.
Suddenly, he pointed ahead: "Do you see that nine-tiered ship's tower? Pass through the narrow passage between the tower and the railing of the hull. That's the stern, where you'll find an ancient-style garden with pavilions, palaces, high towers, and connected corridors... It's likely where the ship's owner resided."
Gao Huan asked, "Director, do you think they were killed by the ship's owner?"
"Let's just say it's a highly probable hypothesis," Director Yang replied.
Li Weiyi gazed at the ship's tower. It was magnificent, each tier towering three or four zhang high, its deep crimson hue illuminated by the radiance emanating from the Golden Crow's corpse.
Strangely, along the railings of each tier, numerous stone figures stood guard.
The doors of each cabin were sealed shut, concealing unknown mysteries within.
A forest of steles, a cluster of tombs, Ghost Banners, stone figures...
This didn't resemble any ordinary ship.
Gao Huan said, "They've been dead for at least a thousand years, perhaps even longer. Even if the Bronze Ship's owner truly killed them, that owner must surely have passed away long ago."
Director Yang chuckled: "That's right. If the being who slew the Golden Crow and Black Dragon were still alive, how could they have allowed the Bronze Ship to be stranded on the Buddha's Relic for over a thousand years?"
"But Director," a middle-aged woman with glasses from Laboratory 705 interjected, "the Bronze Ship has set sail again!"
Li Weiyi bid farewell to the Laboratory 705 team and headed toward the Nine-Tiered Ship Tower.
Without approaching, he stood a dozen meters away, gazing down the narrow passage leading to the stern.
The passage was shrouded in Nether Mist, lined with stone figures frozen in various expressions and poses. Any faint-hearted person would have fled in terror at such a sight.
The passage was pitch-dark, obscuring the stern.
"The Immortal Radiance I saw must have emanated from the ancient-style garden Director Yang mentioned. What kind of place could it be?" Li Weiyi's curiosity was piqued, yet he instinctively sensed something amiss.
Gao Huan caught up, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The Bronze Ship's owner must have been extraordinary. Their residence might hold some Immortal pills or divine elixirs. Li Weiyi, shall we sneak in and take a look?"
Li Weiyi noticed something. He took two steps forward and crouched down.
There was a pool of dried, black blood on the ground.
He dipped a finger into the blood, rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger, and brought it to his nose for a faint sniff.
Li Weiyi suddenly looked up, his gaze shifting back to the dark, winding passage ahead.
His eyes grew wary and grave as he asked, "After we crashed onto the Bronze Ship, did we see that bear-like creature?"
"You mean the Ghost Bear Emperor? Why are you asking all of a sudden?" Gao Huan replied.
Li Weiyi said, "The entire Expedition Team, including the Long Ji, crashed onto the Bronze Ship. The bear-like creature - the Ghost Bear Emperor, as you call it - how could it possibly be an exception?"
"That's true, it's strange... But if it fell onto the ship, and it's been five days already, why hasn't it come out to hunt for food?" Gao Huan wondered.
"Perhaps it's still on the ship."
Li Weiyi pointed to the dried black bloodstain on the ground: "This is its blood! It must have been seriously injured, which is why it's hiding."
"How do you know this is its blood?" Gao Huan asked, his curiosity mixed with confusion and a hint of panic.
Li Weiyi didn't know how to explain. He had only been able to identify the Ghost Bear Emperor's blood by its scent after cultivating his Extraordinary abilities, which had greatly enhanced his sense of smell.
From afar, a familiar voice called out, "Are you two courting death? What are you doing here?"
"Doctor Qi, we're just taking a stroll... Hehe."
Gao Huan quickly forced a smile.
"Is this a place for strolling? One with a severed right arm, the other with a wounded left shoulder - you're both crippled! Get back to the medical tent immediately!" Qi Shanshan snapped, her voice cold yet delicate.
Li Weiyi had heard Qi Shanshan's footsteps long ago, so he wasn't surprised. He stood up and joined Gao Huan in feigning smiles.
"Director Yang mentioned there's an ancient-style garden at the stern. We were just discussing whether it might hold miraculous elixirs or divine medicines. Who knows, maybe one pill could heal us completely!"
Qi Shanshan is a woman who valued her beauty immensely. Even in this harsh environment, she maintained a flawless appearance: her skin was snow-white and translucent, her cheeks flushed with rosy blush, her lips painted a vibrant crimson. Her white doctor's coat was spotless, and she even wore high heels and flesh-toned stockings.
Standing over 1.7 meters tall, she had a slender waist, a perfect bust-to-hip ratio, and a pale blue shirt straining at the third and fourth buttons. In short, she was utterly feminine.
Even when scolding them, her voice was softer and more magnetic than Cai Yutong's, lacking the oppressive force of the latter's tone.
Qi Shanshan frowned, her eyebrows furrowing: "Didn't he tell you it was dangerous here? Four research team members have already gone to explore it, but none have ever returned after entering the ship's tower passage."
Li Weiyi and Gao Huan exchanged a stunned glance.
Director Yang, with his kind face and friendly demeanor, had seemed so approachable.
Who would have guessed he was such a cunning old fox?
If Li Weiyi hadn't discovered the Ghost Bear Emperor's bloodstains on the ground, and if Qi Shanshan hadn't happened to come looking for them, the two of them might have met the same fate as the four missing research team members.
Qi Shanshan's full chest heaved violently as she covered her forehead in frustration.
"You two are truly naive, like children who've never left the campus! Li Weiyi, don't you know everyone suspects the Buddha's Relic is on you? Director Yang values that relic more than his own life. He was definitely trying to test you."
Gao Huan recoiled from Li Weiyi as if he were a plague carrier, putting distance between them.
"Li Weiyi, you almost got me killed for no reason!"
Qi Shanshan glared at him: "You deserve to die! Li Weiyi is only a freshman, with no experience in the real world. It's understandable that he was tricked. But you're in your third year of graduate school! Don't you have any sense of caution? If something good really came along, would anyone be kind enough to tell you about it?"
Gao Huan didn't seem at all angry. In fact, being scolded by Qi Shanshan seemed to make him happy. Suddenly, he beamed like he was presenting a treasure.
"Doctor Qi, we've made a major discovery! This dried bloodstain is suspected to be left by the Ghost Bear Emperor."
Qi Shanshan rolled her eyes.
"That bloodstain was found two days ago and has already been analyzed. It belongs to that bear-like creature. The four research team members who entered the Nine-Tiered Ship Tower's passage to investigate were likely eaten by it. Let's get out of here! There's no telling when that bear-like creature will recover from its injuries. If it comes out, with our dwindling ammunition... Well, we'll just have to leave it to fate!"
Li Weiyi was equally worried.
The Ghost Bear Emperor was likely an Extraordinary being, which explained its terrifying speed, strength, and self-healing abilities that were probably no slower than his own.
It had three more days to recover than Li Weiyi. Even if it had been more severely injured, it should be nearly healed by now.
Li Weiyi and Gao Huan quickly followed Qi Shanshan back, eager to put distance between themselves and the Nine-Tiered Ship Tower.
Qi Shanshan's long legs moved with a rhythmic tick-tock as she walked.
Li Weiyi asked, "If we're certain it's the bear-like creature, why didn't we gather all our guns, ammunition, and weapons and eliminate it while its injuries were still healing?"
"That creature is incredibly powerful. Even when we had ample ammunition and were in the open, we couldn't defeat it. Now that it's hiding in the shadows, it's even harder to deal with. That's the first reason."
Qi Shanshan's eyes were cold as she continued, "Second, everyone knows facing it is a near-certain death. How many would dare to go?"
"Third, there are only three guns on board, and ammunition is limited. Everyone treats them as tools to maintain their status and power. Without weapons, who would respect them anymore?"
"If we're going to die, we'll die together."
"But losing status and power is far more painful than death."
"In short, with divided hearts and hidden agendas, nothing can be accomplished."
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END OF CHAPTER
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