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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 6: [Battle for the True Inheritance]
Chapter 5 (546): [Jade Pavilion Grotto-Heaven]
(5th of Volume 6)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp recruited soldiers every thirty to sixty years, with no fixed interval, to prevent the Taiyin Sect from discerning any patterns.
Despite this, the Taiyin Sect's influence in the southern Hundred Realms of the Living had remained weak for the past millennium.
Blazing Absolute (Yanjue) Mountain was dominated by the inverted Fire Abyss suspended in the sky.
From its mid-slopes to its summit, the mountain was barren, covered in crimson earth.
Only Spiritual Artifact Halls, some perched on the slopes and others floating in the air, dotted the landscape above the mid-slopes.
These were the cultivation residences of the Spiritual Master Guard's senior Sentinel Spirits, located closer to the Fire Abyss for easier absorption of Heavenly Fire Light.
The storage place for scrolls and Scriptures, the Jade Pavilion Grotto-Heaven, lay three miles west of the Spiritual Master Guard's New Recruit Barracks.
Forged from the ancient Transcendents' Ancestral Field, the grotto-heaven formed its own small world, spanning several square miles.
In times of crisis, its activation formation could be triggered to collect and transport the entire structure.
Inside the grotto-heaven, Li Weiyi stood beneath a row of bookshelves, flipping through a volume titled Heavenly Fire
Curses.
"Cursed Abominations are formless; only Heavenly Fire can reveal their true forms, incinerate them, and refine them."
"Once a Cursed Abomination attaches to a soul spirit, a Spiritual Master with profound Psychic Power must use Heavenly Fire to refine it. Carelessness can result in minor damage to the soul spirit, or even its complete annihilation."
...
Li Weiyi frowned and closed the book.
"Given the Grand Palace Master's cultivation level, how high must her Psychic Power be to summon Heavenly Fire and refine Cursed Abominations (Cursed Monster or Insects)? An Emperor Spiritual Master?"
According to Li Weiyi's understanding, Zen Hai Guanwu had been an Emperor Spiritual Master a thousand years ago.
Moreover, Tai Shi Yu claimed she had demonstrated extraordinary Psychic Power mastery on the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, reaching depths beyond comprehension.
This was the only person Li Weiyi could think of who might help Yu'er.
If Zen Hai Guanwu's Psychic Power truly reached such heights, she would undoubtedly sense Li Weiyi and Yu'er's presence at the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp.
Her absence spoke volumes.
Li Weiyi had scoured records of various Cursed Abominations and identified one called the "Yin Buddha Lice" , whose behavior closely matched the symptoms Yu'er exhibited during the curse's eruption.
The released Buddhist Sound and the insect's physical form aligned perfectly.
Legend held that Yin Buddha Lice were cultivated from the corpses of Buddhist Monks, capable of devouring even the soul spirits of Transcendents within days.
Having reached this point in his research, Li Weiyi now trembled with dread each time he returned to the Blood Mud Space.
Suddenly..
Li Weiyi's eyes lit up as he thought of something.
"Yu'er's Psychic Power is also exceptionally high, and her consciousness seems to briefly recover in certain environments. If we take her to the Fire Abyss, she might temporarily regain clarity and use the flames to refine the curse."
With this thought, Li Weiyi immediately hurried downstairs, intending to consult Xue Yan, one of the two instructors at the Spiritual Master Guard's New Recruit Barracks.
Xue Yan presided over the Jade Pavilion Grotto-Heaven, overseeing the storage of scriptures, managing resources for talisman crafting, pill refinement, and formation deployment, and answering the recruits' questions.
Tai Shi Yu's Ninth Squad, consisting of eight members, had been summoned to the Jade Pavilion Grotto-Heaven to assist with various tasks.
Xue Yan, a beautiful woman in her thirties, wore a deep purple Robe and maintained a stern demeanor.
She sat beneath the Crystal Rutilant Tree that supported the grotto-heaven, instructing Tai Shi Yu and two other Nine-Star Spiritual Masters on how to break through to the Holy Spiritual Master Realm.
"The Seven Realms of the Holy Spiritual Master represent the process of refining the Spirit-Soul. Each realm corresponds to one of the seven souls (One Soul, One Realm; Seven Souls, Seven Realms)."
"The first soul is the Celestial (Heavenly) Surge, the second is Spiritual Wisdom, the third is the Vitality Soul, the fourth is the Strength Soul, the fifth is the Central Pivot Soul, the sixth is the Essence Soul, and the seventh is the Elite Soul."
"To advance to Holy Spiritual Master Realm, you must not only condense your tenth Spiritual Star but, more importantly, nurture your Heavenly Surge Soul to its full potential and then fuse it with your Spirit-Soul."
"The Spirit Soul Fusion is the most challenging and perilous step. Only by using a Holy Spirit Pill can you reduce the risks by severalfold and increase your chances of success."
"The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp possesses only three Holy Spirit Pills, all of which are awarded to the top three recruits on the New Recruit Merit List. If you three wish to obtain one, you'll have to compete for them in next year's annual assessment."
"Focus on strengthening your Heavenly Surge Souls first. Nurture them well with spirit fire. Just look at Nangong and Qing Zijin - after obtaining their Holy Spirit Pills, they broke through to the Holy Spirit realm overnight, gained three hundred years of lifespan, and widened the gap between their strength and yours to an insurmountable distance."
"Judging by your Heavenly Surge Souls, they're still quite weak. Only Tai Shi Yu has managed to condense his to about fifty or sixty percent."
Tai Shi Yu immediately asked, "Sister Yan, must we condense our Heavenly Surge Souls to one hundred percent before attempting to advance to Holy Spiritual Master Realm? I'm finding it increasingly difficult to refine."
Xue Yan had cultivated for two hundred and eighty years.
The other new recruits addressed her as Instructor Xue, Teacher Xue, or Senior, treating her with great reverence.
Only this audacious young man dared to call her "Sister Yan."
Tai Shi Yu carried himself with neither flippancy nor arrogance, showing respect without timidity, his gaze sincere and dignified.
It was precisely this that prevented Xue Yan from being angered by his audacious form of address.
Xue Yan's eyes turned icy: "If you want to die, go attempt a Breakthrough! I've told you repeatedly that the Spirit Soul Fusion stage is incredibly dangerous. Even with the Heavenly Surge Soul refined to perfection, there have been countless tragedies where souls shattered and scattered during the fusion process."
"For Martial-Mystic Cultivators, the Seventh Realm is a constant race against their lifespan - advance or perish."
"For Spiritual Masters, the Seventh Realm is like dancing on a knife's edge. Each Breakthrough and Soul Fusion carries extreme peril. Each path has its own unique challenges!"
Tai Shi Yu nodded: "I understand now. Thank you, Sister Yan, for your patient and detailed guidance."
Xue Yan wasn't known for her patience, but hearing these words warmed her heart.
She continued, "Every batch of new recruits possesses exceptional Psychic Power talent, yet only about one-third ultimately reach the Holy Spiritual Master Realm and become Sentinel Spirits. Half remain trapped at the Spiritual Master level, while the rest, unwilling to accept their limitations, force Breakthroughs and perish in self-immolation."
"The path of a Spiritual Master is fraught with peril. Securing a lifespan of three hundred years is no easy feat."
"Don't be impatient. Prepare thoroughly and first refine your Heavenly Surge Soul to perfection."
"Li Weiyi, what is it?"
Standing at a distance, Li Weiyi approached the Crystal Rutilant Tree and bowed respectfully.
"Instructor Xue, when will the new recruits be able to cultivate at the mountain peak? Also, I heard the Valiant Guard and Deputy Valiant Guard have entered the Fire Abyss for training. Why can't we?"
Xue Yan replied sternly, "Your psychic power talent is indeed remarkable, but you're aiming too high, too soon. To enter the Fire Abyss, you must first reach the Holy Spiritual Master Realm, then absorb Heavenly Fire to rapidly stabilize your cultivation. This will imbue your Spiritual Light with the properties of Heavenly Fire, making you immune to Cursed Abominations in the Nether Realm of the Dead. You've only refined your Heavenly Surge Soul to twenty percent, haven't you?"
Typically, one only begins refining the Heavenly Surge Soul after reaching the peak of the Nine-Star Spiritual Master Realm.
Li Weiyi was still some distance from that peak, so achieving twenty percent refinement of his Heavenly Surge Soul was already quite remarkable.
After all, he had only learned the refinement technique half a month ago.
"Indeed, I've only refined it to twenty percent."
Understanding the situation, Li Weiyi dropped the matter.
"I'd like to purchase a batch of materials for pill refinement and talisman crafting."
"Didn't you just buy five million Yongquan Coin's worth of materials? Why do you need more?" Xue Yan's expression was frosty.
"That was ten days ago!" Li Weiyi retorted.
Li Weiyi possessed the Time Cocoon.
Ten days outside the cocoon was equal to two months within.
During that time, he had been attempting to refine the True Spiritual Pill, failing three times and wasting vast quantities of medicinal ingredients.
The Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp possessed the Pill Formula for the True Spiritual Pill.
Li Weiyi asked, "Instructor Xue, are there restrictions on Sentinels purchasing materials?"
"No restrictions! But you'd better not follow in the footsteps of that old Jiu Li Clan fool who tried to resell Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp resources. When he was caught, he was assigned to the most dangerous sentinel post for sixty years."
Xue Yan retrieved a Talisman Seal and handed it to Tai Shi Yu.
"Take him to the warehouse and make sure everything is properly registered."
"Don't worry, Sister Yan. There won't be any mistakes."
Tai Shi Yu and Li Weiyi headed to the warehouse.
"Materials worth thirty million Yongquan Coins?"
Inside the warehouse, Tai Shi Yu was stunned by the sheer number of Blood Crystals Li Weiyi produced, and even more astonished by the quantity of materials he was purchasing.
"Even the Great Powers of the Immortal Realm aren't this wealthy! You're not actually planning to resell them, are you?"
These Blood Crystals came from the Cosmic Pouches of Fu Wenyan, Si Wuyan, Yao Qian, and others.
"Instructor Xue could devour people with just a glance. How could I dare?" Li Weiyi said, flipping through the warehouse ledgers.
Tai Shi Yu, holding the list Li Weiyi had given him, walked deeper into the warehouse.
"Sister Yan has a gentle nature. Elder Qin must have tricked you, which is why she's been giving you the cold shoulder."
Soon, Tai Shi Yu packed the Talisman Refinement and Pill Refinement materials Li Weiyi needed into boxes, carried them out, and recorded the transaction with a brush.
"I see some 6,000-year-old Essence Herbs listed here. What's the price?" Li Weiyi asked.
The seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors weren't currently lacking Millennium Essence Herbs for sustenance, but they desperately needed high-grade Essence Herbs to break through to the Immortal Realm.
Big Phoenix and Second Phoenix had already reached the peak of the Ninth Heaven, surpassing the other Five Phoenixes.
Tai Shi Yu replied, "Sixty Top-Grade Blood Crystals. Want to buy?"
"I can't afford it right now."
Without selling special treasures like the Water-Dragon Scale Armor, Wind Thunder Banner, or Blood Pool Silver Sea, Li Weiyi truly couldn't afford it.
The Blood Crystals he had brought, worth thirty million Yongquan Coins, represented his entire monetary wealth.
He had other plans and couldn't afford to simply sit idle in the Cave Void (Dongxu) Camp and deplete his resources.
After gathering all the materials for crafting the True Spiritual Pill and the Heaven Sword Talisman into his Cosmic Pouch, Li Weiyi emerged from the Jade Pavilion Grotto-Heaven.
It was already dusk.
Yun Song, the vice-captain of his squad, was waiting outside.
During the new recruit assessment, Yun Song had ranked twelfth in the Spiritual Master Guard, his strength comparable to Tai Shi Yu's - both were peak Nine-Star Spiritual Masters.
Li Weiyi had met Yun Song several times before.
He approached him and asked, "Vice-Captain, why didn't you come inside the Jade Pavilion Grotto-Heaven?"
"I was waiting specifically for you," Yun Song replied.
Yun Song not only cultivated Psychic Power but also practiced the Martial-Mystic Dao.
Of average build, he lacked the heroic and dashing aura of Tai Shi Yu or Chang Yujian, his demeanor serious and meticulous.
"Since the Deputy Valiant Guard entered the Fire Abyss, I've been teaching you how to craft the Yin-Breaking Thunder Talisman. It's been half a month. How's your progress? In ten more days, it will be a month since you enlisted, and everyone must submit a talisman. You're already five days late. Is there any problem?"
"No problem at all. I'll definitely complete it."
Li Weiyi understood Yun Song's concern.
For the past few weeks, he had been arriving at the camp only to immediately begin meditating and absorbing the Heavenly Fire Light.
As soon as the allotted time was up, he would descend the mountain and return to his barracks, showing almost no signs of practicing talisman crafting.
Yun Song nodded slightly.
"You're first on the New Recruit Merit List and a top-tier Psychic Power prodigy. Just don't forget your mission. Don't take this the wrong way, but if anyone fails their mission, the entire squad will be punished. Why don't you move over to the Blazing Absolute (Yanjue) Mountain side? It's closer to the barracks, though there aren't any private quarters."
"Such a powerful surge," Li Weiyi sensed, turning to look toward the barracks.
Yun Song also noticed, his eyes blazing with intense light.
"Someone has broken through to become a Holy Spiritual Master! A Blood Cloud is rising, its crimson light stretching ten thousand zhang into the sky. It's Xue Yucai, the third-ranked recruit from the assessment!"
"Whoosh!"
Blood-red light enveloped most of Blazing Absolute Mountain, rippling outward in massive waves.
The coalescing Blood Cloud briefly obscured the Fire Abyss Rift overhead.
The young men and women of the Spiritual Master Guard's New Recruit Barracks were all startled.
They buzzed with excitement, casting envious glances toward a house near the barracks.
The door swung open, and a young figure in ornate robes emerged, a jade Spiritual Staff in hand.
In the twilight, deafening voices erupted outside the house: "Congratulations, Captain, on breaking through to become a Holy Spiritual Master!"
"Greetings, Lord Sentinel Spirit!"
....
Yuan Jingsan and Xue Yan were also roused by the commotion and rushed to Xue Yucai's residence.
After offering their congratulations, they led him down the mountain to select a palace pavilion, cave abode, and medicinal fields.
The lantern-lit path down the mountain buzzed with activity, the air thick with jubilant cheer.
Yun Song cast an envious glance.
"You have to admit, the top three recruits on the Merit List all successfully broke through after receiving the Holy Spirit Pill. That's raw power. Do you see the difference now?"
"What difference?" Li Weiyi asked.
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END OF CHAPTER
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