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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 90 (527): [The Nether Realm Merchant Caravan]
(90th of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"Zhe!"
Li Weiyi formed a hand seal and pointed it at Yu'er, activating the Heart-Cleansing Evil-Shattering secret technique.
Spiritual Light surged from between his eyebrows, rippling outward in concentric circles.
But...
The moment his finger touched Yu'er, he sensed imminent danger, every hair on his body standing on end.
He swiftly withdrew his hand and retreated, his back drenched in cold sweat.
The sensation had been terrifying, as if touching her would trigger a backlash that would tear him apart.
Li Weiyi was both startled and suspicious, secretly speculating that the "Cursed Monster" within Yu'er was acting up, the two entities locked in a fierce battle.
If even the Grand Palace Master couldn't refine this curse, the consequences of their exposure to it were unimaginable.
"We can't let them stay with Yu'er any longer."
Li Weiyi glanced at the unconscious Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four, then used his Spiritual Qi to lift them up and burst through the Formations.
If anything went wrong, they would immediately flee the Blood Mud Space.
The Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors swarmed around, chattering anxiously about Yu'er's condition.?
Big Phoenix and Er Feng fluttered around Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four, checking their injuries with obvious concern.
Li Weiyi ignored them.
Since reaching the Ninth Heaven, their intelligence had surged, turning them into incessant chatterboxes, filling the air with noise.
Big Phoenix and Er Feng often slipped through the Formation's shimmering barrier to comfort Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four.
Moments later, a corner of the Formation's shimmering barrier was lifted by a slender, jade-like hand.
A head peeked out, glancing left and right.
When Yu'er spotted Li Weiyi several dozen meters away, her eyes lit up.
Barefoot, she darted through the barrier, her steps light and quick.
"Master, why are we back in this Secret Realm again?"
The last time Li Weiyi had taken her into the Blood Mud Space, he had claimed they were visiting a Secret Realm, afraid to reveal the truth.
Li Weiyi eyed Yu'er warily, noting how much she had grown.
Hidden Twenty-Four had already changed her clothes into a green Spiritual Artifact Martial Garment that could adjust in size, fitting her perfectly.
Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back, her eyes sparkled with vitality, and her slender arms and delicate fingers gave her the air of a fairy as she played with the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors fluttering around her.
"Yu'er's awake! Yu'er's finally awake!"
"She slept for two months straight, like a pig! We couldn't wake her no matter how hard we tried."
"She can sleep longer than me, but she can't eat as much."
"Yu'er's grown so much, she's taller than me now! Li-Lao Da barely grows at all. He eats so much, but it's like he hasn't eaten a thing. All those Medicinal Herbs, what a waste!"
.....
Yu'er approached Li Weiyi, her gaze falling upon the unconscious Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four.
"Master," she asked anxiously, "what happened to Sister Yaoyin and Sister Twenty-Four?"
Since she had been unharmed by contact with the Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, it seemed she had regained her composure and suppressed the Curse.
"They're fine," Li Weiyi assured her.
He had already checked; neither Yaoyin nor Hidden Twenty-Four had been tainted by the Curse.
His eyes fixed on Yu'er, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
"Yu'er," he asked, "do you remember what happened just now?"
"I remember... it's blurry, like a dream. I think I fought someone in armor underground," Yu'er replied, her brow furrowing in concentration.
"Did you hear any Chanting Voice?" Li Weiyi pressed.
She shook her head gently.
Li Weiyi observed her carefully, pondering for a moment.
"Do you still remember the Chan Sect's Twelve Dispersed Hands I taught you?"
"Mmm!" Yu'er nodded, her eyes wide.
"Show me the technique again. Let me see."
With that, Li Weiyi, accompanied by Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four, immediately retreated to a distance.
Yu'er watched in astonishment as Li Weiyi moved to the edge of the Blood Mud Space, shouting, "Master, where are you going?"
"Don't worry about me. Just focus on your practice," Li Weiyi replied.
A bewildered smile appeared on Yu'er's small face.
She couldn't shake the feeling that her master was acting strangely, his words and actions inconsistent.
Shaking off her confusion, she began practicing.
From afar, Li Weiyi observed Yu'er's movements.
Her techniques were remarkably precise, imbued with both form and intent, as if she had been cultivating for years.
Her talent for the Martial-Mystic Path was undeniable. Yet, her movements lacked resonance with the laws of heaven and earth, failing to trigger any earth-shattering phenomena.
'Could it be that the Grand Palace Master's Awakening, drawing upon her three millennia of Martial-Mystic Path comprehension, was the true source of the Chan Sect's Twelve Dispersed Hands' power?'
Li Weiyi had no intention of staying in the Blood Mud Space indefinitely.
Firstly, Yu'er's condition was highly unstable.
If the Curse were to erupt uncontrollably, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Secondly, Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four had already been confined to the Jade Boat for two months, which was clearly not a sustainable arrangement.
Thirdly, his disappearance alongside the Grand Palace Master would have undoubtedly triggered a frantic search outside.
He recalled the last time he had secluded himself in the White Desert for three months.
The Jiu Li Tribe and Jiu Li Hidden Sect, unaware of his whereabouts, had dispatched countless Martial-Mystic Cultivators into the Netherworld to find him, resulting in numerous casualties.
After "confining" Yaoyin and Hidden Twenty-Four back into the Jade Boat and leaving a note, Li Weiyi departed the Blood Mud Space with Yu'er and the Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, emerging deep beneath the Nether Realm of the Dead.
Yu'er was dressed in a male martial robe, her hair tied in a Daoist bun atop her head.
Though her features were delicate and refined, lacking the sharp, masculine edge of a boy, she still looked remarkably handsome.
As they returned to the surface, Yu'er gazed around curiously.
"Master, why isn't this the White Desert?"
Pitch darkness surrounded them, and the air was bitterly cold.
Li Weiyi replied, "This is another exit from the Secret Realm."
"What about Sister Yaoyin and Sister Twenty-Four? Aren't you taking them with us?" Yu'er asked earnestly, "Master, are you hiding something from me? Are you lying to me? If you lie to me, I'll never trust you again!"
Li Weiyi's head throbbed. Yu'er was becoming increasingly difficult to deceive.
'The Grand Palace Master is already learning to manipulate me!'
He quickly changed the subject: "We need to leave immediately. The Nether Realm of the Dead is extremely dangerous."
In truth, with Yu'er by his side and his own greatly enhanced cultivation, Li Weiyi felt confident that even the Nether Realm of the Dead could be traversed.
"Clang! Clang!"
He shook the Evil Camel Bell, summoning two massive, semi-corporeal camels.
Master and disciple each mounted a camel and set off in a chosen direction.
Yu'er was growing up, and sharing a camel with her now felt inappropriate.
After all, the Grand Palace Master would awaken sooner or later, and Yu'er would surely realize whether Li Weiyi was protecting her or taking advantage of her.
Li Weiyi released the Seven Phoenix, instructing it to turn invisible and scout ahead, to avoid stumbling into the Forbidden Zone of Death or the Ghost City's Skeletal Manor.
He unfolded the Netherworld map he had purchased earlier, glanced at it, and then put it away. Without knowing their current location, the map was as useless as scrap paper.
His gaze drifted to Yu'er, riding ahead on the camel's back.
He recalled his earlier conversation with Elder Qin, who had explained the Sentinel Spirit Army's method for dealing with Curses.
Elder Qin had mentioned the "Soul-Burning Heavenly Fire."
He said that the Cursed Insect within Song Yulou's body had been incinerated by this fire, and that only the Cave Void Camp possessed it.
The Cave Void Camp, located deep within the Netherworld, was staffed by Martial-Mystic Cultivators from multiple Living Realms, serving as sentinels and Sentinel Spirits.
Their mission was to monitor every movement of the Cave Void Ghost City, making it the most crucial military outpost in the southern Hundred Realms of Life Domain.
Just as Li Weiyi was wondering if he had already missed the Sentinel Spirit Army's recruitment window, Yu'er turned around.
"Master, why have you been staring at me like that?"
Her keen senses had detected his gaze.
Li Weiyi sighed inwardly.
She was only eleven or twelve years old - how would she cope with such burdens in the future?
"Where's the blue pearl?" he asked.
"Huh? Didn't you take it?" Yu'er looked bewildered, then frantically searched her person before stopping, "Master, you didn't lose it yourself and blame me, did you? Big Phoenix said I've been asleep for the past two months and wouldn't know anything."
....
A merchant caravan of over two hundred Dead Soul Spiritual Beasts sped across the Seven Grievances Plain.
Each carriage was shaped like a massive coffin, six meters long. The black, shadow-iron wheels were engraved with talismanic runes and inlaid with Blood Crystals, allowing them to hover above the ground at extreme speeds.
The drivers were humanoid Bone Spirits.
Their golden skeletons glowed with varying intensity, Soul Fire burning in their eye sockets, and they wore gray robes embroidered with mountain peaks.
As the saying goes, money can make even ghosts push the millstone.
With enough wealth and resources, one could command the Dead Spirits for their own purposes.
Thousand Mile Mountain had established trade routes between the Living Realms, their business spanning all of Yingzhou.
Beyond their formidable strength, their success stemmed from either subjugating or bribing the Dead Spirit lords along the routes with vast quantities of Blood Crystals, ensuring these lords recognized Thousand Mile Mountain's banners.
Furthermore, they adhered to the Nether Realm of the Dead's customs, maintaining a low profile by using Dead Spirits to drive their carriages.
Lu Jingshen, appearing to be in his late twenties, stood ramrod straight on the lead bone ship, gazing across the boundless Seven Grievances Plain.
His opulent attire and the golden sword at his waist belied his youthful appearance. His deep, weathered eyes revealed a soul far older than his outward age.
"Third Young Master, we're still far from the East Sea. At least six more days until we reach Thunder Prefecture in the Lingxiao Life Realm's Eastern Territory," An Zhiruo, Thousand Mile Mountain's Guest Elder, said.
With over a century of trading experience, he was a seasoned veteran accompanying Lu Jingshen on this journey to Dragon City.
The stowaways in the coffins at the rear of the ship were all Martial-Mystic Cultivators from various realms who had heard rumors of "Dragon City rising from the sea and the Ancient Immortal Dragon Vein awakening," and were heading to the East Sea in search of opportunities.
Lu Jingshen asked, "Uncle An, how much longer until we're out of this dangerous void zone?"
An Zhiruo estimated for a moment before replying, "About eight or nine thousand li... Hmm, there are two people ahead."
Li Weiyi and Yu'er stood several dozen li ahead of the bone ship, their voices carrying across the distance through telepathic communication: "This humble one is Li Songgu, Clan Head of the Cangli Tribe of the Jiu Li Tribe from the Lingxiao Life Realm. We've lost our way in the Netherworld. May I ask which heroes are aboard this vessel?"
Lu Jingshen frowned and whispered, "Uncle An, didn't you say living people are more dangerous than the dead in the Nether Realm of the Dead?"
An Zhiruo nodded: "True, but merchants build goodwill, not grudges. The Jiu Li Tribe is an ancient clan from the Lingxiao Life Realm with a thousand-year history, known for their excellent reputation and formidable strength. They possess a Transcendent-level Strange Insect. During the recent chaos in the Lingxiao Life Realm, that insect single-handedly summoned all the Fierce Insects from beneath the Living Realm, forming an insect army that quelled the Corpse Cultivation Rice disaster."
"Moreover, only those with Jiu Li Tribe blood can pass through the Domain of the Dead Spirits Mist and reach the Blood Sea Coffin Dock. Their ancestors were no ordinary people."
"If they truly are important figures from the Jiu Li Tribe, we could offer them assistance. Judging by the Spiritual Qi fluctuations in their telepathic communication, their cultivation is at the First Realm, which we can handle."
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END OF CHAPTER
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