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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 13 (40): [The Will of the Master of the Bronze Ship]
(13th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Li Weiyi glanced back anxiously, confirming that Li Ling hadn't pursued him before slightly relaxing.
The Bronze Warship, the Golden Crow's corpse, and the Black Dragon's corpse were all treasures. If she learned about them, she might mobilize the entire Cangli Tribe and the Jiu Li Tribe's elite warriors.
Yet he also felt a subtle unease and suspicion: Why didn't Li Ling dared to pursue him?
She dared to traverse the terrifying Death Mist Domain; she couldn't be judged by the standards of an ordinary teenage girl.
"Only forward, no retreat. Why overthink it? I haven't encountered any danger in this Sea of Coffins."
Li Weiyi leaped off the plankway and plunged into the endless "land" of floating coffins.
The stench of blood and decay grew thicker.
He landed at a different location than the Coffin Dock Crossing, so he could only roughly determine the Bronze Warship's direction.
Moreover, unlike Li Ling, he wasn't intimidated by the Blood Sea Coffin Dock.
He found it eerily quiet and peaceful, despite its terrifying appearance.
After charging dozens of miles into the fog, Li Weiyi began shouting the names of Zhao Meng and Lao Liu, "Liu Bing."
He constantly changed direction and position, continuing to call out.
Half a day later...
Li Weiyi had no idea how far he had drifted from the shore.
Each shout went unanswered, and his confidence dwindled.
He grew increasingly worried that the Bronze Warship had already set sail again, heading for even more distant lands.
If that were true, what would happen to the research team on board, who were already running low on food and water?
What would happen to Senior Brother?
Another half day passed, and Li Weiyi estimated he had drifted nearly two hundred miles from the shore.
Endless floating coffins drifted through the thick, oppressive fog.
He felt the entire world had become deathly still. He was the only living thing left, and an unprecedented panic seized him. His mind raced with chaotic thoughts, leaving him utterly bewildered.
The Bronze Warship might... really have sailed away.
In the distance, through the swirling fog, a familiar voice called out, "Weiyi, is that you?"
"Brother Weiyi, it's Qin Ke."
.....
Li Weiyi, who had been resting on a four-meter-long jade coffin, was instantly invigorated. He rushed toward the source of the sound at top speed.
Before long, the floating coffin began to shake violently on the water's surface. A massive figure emerged from the mist.
The figure's body was as tall as a two-story building, its head as large as a water vat, its mouth as wide as a plate, and its legs thicker than Li Weiyi's entire body, radiating explosive power.
Covered in a full beard and wearing only a patched-up pair of oversized shorts, the figure strode forward with imposing presence.
In his left hand, he held a white Yin Banner, which he shook, causing scriptures to rise and fall, casting a radiant glow that spread dozens of meters.
In his right palm, he cradled an old, worn Blue-and-White jar, resembling a bone urn.
"Hahaha!"
The reunion of the senior and junior brothers was filled with joy.
They stopped about three meters apart.
Zhao Meng's laughter boomed like thunder, his voice incredibly loud.
Li Weiyi was stunned.
He had to crane his neck to see Zhao Meng's face, his expression a mix of delight and disbelief: "Senior Brother... what's going on? How did you grow so tall?"
"This is just the beginning. Who knows how much taller I might get in the future? I'm following a path of continuously consuming the blood of Ancient Immortal Giant Beasts. My constitution is quite extraordinary, you know."
Zhao Meng stood six meters tall, his skin a golden hue. Black Dragon scales partially covered his arms, and he carried numerous bottles and jars on his back.
The Yin Banner in his hand was over three meters long, topped with nine ruby-eyed skull heads.
Each skull's mouth spewed a white streamer covered in incomprehensible scriptures.
Li Weiyi had seen this Yin Banner before in the Graveyard Sea of Steles on the Bronze Warship, planted atop a tomb mound.
How did Senior Brother activate it?
"Senior Brother, you've cultivated Spiritual Power... does that mean you've opened your springs (acupoint)?"
Li Weiyi had already explained his method of opening the springs (acupoint) to Zhao Meng on the Bronze Warship.
Zhao Meng had also practiced the Jade Void Breathing Technique for years, so it wasn't surprising that he could open his springs (acupoint) in a short time.
"Opening a spring (acupoint) isn't that easy. Do you think everyone has your talent? Master said my talent is only up to your knee."
Zhao Meng glanced at the Yin Banner in his hand, sensing Li Weiyi's confusion.
He explained, "It's glowing, but it has nothing to do with me."
"Did you find land?"
"Where's Gao Huan?"
"Of course we did, but it's a long story..."
Hearing a commotion, Li Weiyi turned his gaze behind Zhao Meng.
Qin Ke, holding a Spirit Tablet a foot tall in both hands, emerged from the mist, followed by Lao Liu and Lao Guan carrying a stone coffin.
Lao Liu and Lao Guan were both members of the engineering team, but Li Weiyi could no longer recognize them. One had drunk Golden Crow Blood and sprouted a massive bird's head.
The other had drunk Black Dragon Blood and grown a dragon's head covered in black scales.
Two Aberrant Humanoids!
Li Weiyi saw no one else approaching.
"Where are the others?" he asked, puzzled.
"They're all on the ship. It's already left."
Zhao Meng looked relaxed, showing no concern for their safety. He sat down and began to recount in detail everything that had happened on the Bronze Ship over the past two days.
Li Weiyi listened intently, his mind filled with curiosity.
Halfway through, he interrupted, "Did the Master of the Bronze Warship appeared?"
"Not really. I didn't see his true form. But after the Golden Crow Blood and Black Dragon Blood were purified by Immortal Radiance energy, anyone could drink them. Just one drop would keep you full for days and greatly enhance your physical strength. The scientific expedition team won't starve. They're following the Master of the Bronze Warship, and they might become extraordinary beings in the future."
The master of the Bronze Ship was a mystery, awe, and the unknown.
Zhao Meng's expression suddenly turned serious: "But it's not all good news! He has issued a decree, ordering the master of the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish - that is, you - to reach the Immortal Realm as soon as possible. There's something you must do, and his time is running out."
Li Weiyi was stunned, then couldn't help but laugh: "What do you mean?"
Zhao Meng explained, "It seems our Sect made a promise to him long ago, planting a cause and effect that the master of the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish must now bear and fulfill. I don't know the specific details, but once you reach the Immortal Realm, he will come for you. Then you'll find out. If things get too difficult, we brothers will face it together."
"I don't even know what the Immortal Realm is," Li Weiyi said with a chuckle.
A hoarse, ancient voice spoke, "The Surging Spring Realm, Five Seas Realm, Dao Seed Realm. The next fourth major realm is the Immortal Realm. Young one, consider yourself fortunate. To have cause and effect ties with the Master of the Bronze Warship, to serve him, and to have us three sent as your guides - the opportunities and treatment you've received would make countless others envious."
Zhao Meng had studied the language and writing of this world with his Eldest Senior Sister, making him slightly more familiar with them than Li Weiyi. Thus, he understood the meaning of the ancient voice. He nodded frantically, even he felt the Master of the Bronze Warship was a being of immense power. Serving Him meant having a powerful backer in this world.
Even though this backer had just awakened, seemed to have urgent matters to attend to, and might not even notice their insignificant presence, Zhao Meng felt as if a great tree was sheltering him.
Li Weiyi searched for a long time before realizing the ancient voice was coming from the Blue-and-White bone Urn Zhao Meng held.
He turned to Zhao Meng and whispered, "Another evil spirit?"
"By order of the Master of the Bronze Warship, I shall be your guide on the path of Martial-Mystic cultivation from now on," the lid of the bone urn jumped, and the voice echoed.
From the Spirit Tablet Qin Ke held, a middle-aged woman's voice spoke, "I am your guide on the path of Spiritual cultivation."
Within the stone coffin carried by Lao Liu and Lao Guan, a deep, restrained voice resonated, "I am more versatile, dabbling in many things. I will be responsible for planning your cultivation path. Two years to the Surging Spring Realm, three years to the Five Seas Realm, five years to the Dao Seed Realm, and within ten years, you must reach the Immortal Realm. Ten years - you have only ten years!"
"You can treat this as a decree from the Master of the Bronze Warship, or as a trade. But whatever you do, don't ignore it. Because in ten years... or perhaps a little longer... what is about to happen will affect you and those around you."
Li Weiyi touched the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish with his finger, and a flood of thoughts surged through his mind. His expression gradually turned serious as he realized that his Senior Brother, the Master of the Bronze Warship, and these three sinister figures were not joking.
Furthermore, it seemed there was no way to refuse or evade this.
He was indeed still ignorant and confused about Cultivation, with far too many unknown mysteries.
If renowned masters were willing to guide him, he would naturally welcome it.
But...
He had so many questions swirling in his mind.
Li Weiyi clasped his hands in a respectful bow and asked, "May I ask how the three Seniors should be addressed?"
The Old Man in the Jar replied, "The three of us were once renowned figures on this land. But now, I'm just a jar of ashes. The couple here - one is merely a remnant soul inhabiting a Spirit Tablet, the other a decaying corpse. If not for the Master of the Bronze Warship, we wouldn't even have retained this last flicker of consciousness. So, in this wretched state, there's no point in dwelling on the past."
The Middle-Aged Woman in the Spirit Tablet agreed, saying, "I concur."
"Agreed," came a voice from within the Stone Coffin.
The Old Man in the Jar added, "Just call me Senior Jar."
"Senior Spiritual Tablet."
"Senior Coffin."
All three introduced themselves.
So casual and down-to-earth?
Completely different from Chan Hai Guanwu and Yu Tuonan.
Perhaps this is the will of the Master of the Bronze Warship.
Li Weiyi's gaze swept across the Blue-and-White bone Urn, the Spirit Tablet, and the Stone Coffin before he asked directly, "Do you three Seniors know the cause and effect (karmic) connection between the Chan Sect and the Master of the Bronze Warship? Why must I reach the Immortal Realm as quickly as possible? And why do I only have ten years? I've heard that even top-tier cultivators need a decade just to open four springs."
"How many springs have you opened so far?" Senior Jar asked.
"Three," Li Weiyi replied.
"How long did it take you?"
"Less than half a month!"
"Then what's the problem? Forget about top-tier or low-tier talent. You're different. You're the one the Master of the Bronze Warship chose," Senior Jar said.
The voice of Senior Coffin from within the Stone Coffin remained calm and steady: "No, I disagree with him. Li Weiyi, you are not the person the Master of the Bronze Warship has chosen. You can only be yourself. Only by understanding what you truly desire and what you truly seek can cultivators gradually forge an unwavering Dao Heart throughout the long journey of cultivation. Therefore, what cause and effect (karma) is, is actually not important to you right now."
Li Weiyi fell into deep thought.
Senior Coffin continued, "Let me ask you two questions."
"What are you pursuing at this stage?"
"What do you want?"
"There's no need to rush your answer. Let's return to the Lingxiao Habitat first."
Li Weiyi's lips moved, but he ultimately remained silent, wanting to think things through first.
The group began walking toward the shore.
Zhao Meng was also pondering the two questions, but he remained relaxed: "For now, all I want is to find Eldest Senior Sister. She must be in this world."
After half an hour later, Li Weiyi emerged from his contemplation, remembering that Li Ling might still be at the Coffin Dock Crossing and that Shi Jiuzhai and his disciples might be blocking the Dragon-Slaying Waterfall Gorge.
"Since the three of you know about the Lingxiao Habitat, you must have been from here in your previous lives, right? Do you know of any other paths back besides the Death Mist Domain at the Coffin Dock Crossing?" Li Weiyi asked.
Senior Jar, ever the lively one, chuckled: "You've asked the right person! No one knows the Blood Sea Coffin Dock and the Death Mist Domain better than Senior Coffin. He was once a member of the Jiu Li..."
"Shut up."
The voice from the Stone Coffin cut him off.
"Are there any dangers at the Coffin Dock?"
"It is hard to say, but we should avoid it if possible," Li Weiyi replied.
The voice from the Stone Coffin continued, "There is another path, but it's a detour. I will use the Nine Emperors Banner to guide us. The one holding the banner, take the lead!"
The Nine Emperors Banner was the white Yin Banner Zhao Meng held. The ruby eyes of its nine skull heads provided it with a secret power akin to spiritual power. The sutras and light emanating from the banner pointed the way forward.
They had been walking quickly, but the shore remained distant. As darkness fell completely, they still hadn't reached land.
Finding a stable area of floating coffins sheltered from the wind by a giant coffin, they decided to rest for the night.
Following Senior Coffin's instructions, Zhao Meng planted the white Yin Banner between two coffins. This banner could suppress spirits, and the Spirits dared not approach the area bathed in its light - it had been Senior Coffin's treasure in his life.
Li Weiyi took food from the Evil Camel Bell and distributed it among the group.
Just as they finished eating-
"Boom! Boom..."
The Blue-and-White bone Urn leaped from the corner: "It's time to cultivate! Everyone, together! Li Weiyi, stop dwelling on Old Coffin's pointless questions about profound and ethereal concepts. Reality is what truly matters. You must open your fourth spring (acupoint) as soon as possible. We're all relying on you to protect us now. Don't let some random person who's opened five or six acupoints come along and wipe us all out, making our pursuit of the Immortal Realm pointless!"
Li Weiyi replied, "Senior, opening springs (acupoints) isn't something you can just do on a whim. It's a gradual process."
"Nonsense!" Senior Jar retorted, "With the vigorous blood energy of Golden Crow Blood, your Chan Sect's supreme Breathing Technique, and my guidance, opening the first four springs (acupoints) poses no danger. With your bloodline and innate talent, you should be able to break through them with ease. However, the fifth spring (acupoint) carries some risk. You'll need to obtain an spring (acupoint)-opening needle from a major city in the province to open it quickly."
Senior Jar was an impatient type. He immediately began guiding Li Weiyi in forcefully opening the fourth spring (acupoint) in the palm of his left hand.
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END OF CHAPTER
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