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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 18 (45): [The Siblings of Yang Family]
(18th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Over the next few days, while Li Weiyi and Zhao Meng cultivated, they also diligently studied the language and Scripture of this world, aiming to master them as quickly as possible.
As they drew closer to Jiu Li City, the Shui River widened, resembling a vast lake.
Passenger tower ships, painted pleasure barges, and massive warships sailed past like a thousand sails crossing the sky.
After nightfall, each vessel hung bone lanterns or lanterns adorned with paintings of beautiful women. Their lights reflected in the water, mirroring the starry sky above. The river's surface teemed with song and dance, a scene of prosperity and peace.
The entire Shui River, running north-south through the Lingxiao Realm (Habitat), flowed through the Nine Provinces. Its numerous tributaries and lakes made it rich in aquatic resources and facilitated convenient transportation, extending its influence to over a dozen provinces.
Thus, the colossal Sui Sect emerged. It not only cleared the Shui River of Malevolent Demons, Departed Spirits, and water bandits, ensuring smoother and more prosperous navigation, but also controlled the discourse on water-based transportation and trade, amassing vast wealth.
Centuries had passed since Sui Sect had risen from its humble beginnings as a trade and transport assistant under the Jiu Li Tribe to become a dominant force in the Lingxiao Realm. Its power and influence now even faintly overshadowed the Jiu Li Tribe itself.
At this moment, Li Weiyi and Zhao Meng stood at the railing of the passenger tower ship's bow deck, gazing out at the river.
Many of the ships' wind flags bore the character "Sui." The passenger tower ship they were on was no exception.
"Senior Brother, what are you thinking about?" Li Weiyi asked.
"The great river flows eastward, its waves washing away the heroes of ages past. But the true men of glory still shine today!" Zhao Meng declared, his voice filled with boundless ambition.
Li Weiyi chuckled: "Is that a poem?"
"Something like that! Weiyi, as men, we must rise above the rest. In this world, we must achieve great things. Why don't we make the Chan Sect even greater than the Sui Sect? When Eldest Senior Sister hears the Chan Sect's name, she might even come looking for us herself!" Zhao Meng suggested.
Li Weiyi nodded: "That's a good idea, but first, we need to establish a firm foothold in this world."
"Boom!"
"Splash!"
...
The wide river surface churned violently, sending waves surging.
A Malevolent Demon resembling both a giant python and an Azure Dragon swam rapidly across the water, surfacing and flipping its tail intermittently. Its body was bound by dense iron chains inscribed with floating scriptures, the other ends of which were connected to a brightly lit, lavishly decorated warship.
Before long, the warship caught up, drawing alongside Li Weiyi's passenger tower ship, separated by only a few yards.
Up close, the python-like, Dragon-like Malevolent Demon in the water was over twenty meters long and as thick as a water barrel, with broad, azure fins along its back, exuding a powerful aura.
On the opposing ship, servants and maids swarmed the decks, their bright, intricately embroidered clothing catching the eye.
"Is that a Dragon?" Zhao Meng asked, his eyes devoid of fear, instead filled with keen interest.
Dragon Blood was a rare and valuable commodity for him.
"It's an Azure Dragon," Li Ling replied, walking along the corridor. Her injuries had largely healed, and she had changed into fresh clothes, her hair adorned with a jade hairpin.
To the other passengers on the ship, she appeared like a celestial being descending to the mortal realm, and they watched her from afar.
On the lavish warship three feet away, a man and a woman emerged onto the deck and waved at her.
"Sister Ling... it's me, Yang Yun!"
"Whoosh!"
Spiritual Qi surged from the young man's body. With a leap, he stepped into the void, covering a distance of three meters before landing gracefully on the boat where Li Weiyi and the others were.
Yang Yun was only a year older than Li Ling.
His brocade robes, clearly expensive beyond measure, belied his true nature. The Spiritual Qi he had just released was far more potent than that of Yan Qingqing or Fang Tong.
His eyes shone with undisguised joy: "Sister Qingxi and I heard that you were injured in Yaoguan. We immediately drove the Azure Dragon day and night to catch up. Thank the heavens, you look so well now. I'm relieved to see your injuries have healed."
Li Weiyi ignored the reunion and conversation on the other boat, his gaze fixed on the woman with the Pure Immortal Physique.
She was older than Yang Yun and Li Ling, taller, and lacked the youthful innocence of the younger pair. Her exquisitely embroidered robes were inscribed with scriptures, overlaid by a water-blue ruqun and a pale green inner garment.
What truly captivated Li Weiyi wasn't her beauty or grace, but her unfathomably profound cultivation.
Yang Qingxi gestured with her finger, and wisps of white Spiritual Qi mist formed a cloud bridge between the two boats. Then, gracefully and slowly, she walked across the bridge in the river breeze, her elegant movements captivating countless onlookers. No doubt they would all have sweet dreams tonight.
Yang Qingxi approached Li Ling, and the ice-cold beauty's expression finally softened.
"You're injured, yet you're still out here in the cold wind? Is this how your servants are supposed to look after you?" Her gaze turned sternly toward Zhao Meng and Li Weiyi.
Though Zhao Meng was massive, in a world teeming with Aberrant Humanoids, such creatures were common, and the Yang siblings showed no surprise. Even the twenty-meter-long Azure Dragon was relegated to pulling their boat.
Li Weiyi didn't want to explain further and motioned for Zhao Meng to leave. But Yang Yun was too enthusiastic. Upon hearing they were Li Ling's servants, he immediately pulled out Yongquan Coins and gave one to each of them.
Each coin was worth ten thousand copper coins!
Such generosity was impossible to refuse.
After accepting the coins, they repeatedly thanked him.
"There's nothing to thank me for. It's just two Yongquan Coins," Yang Yun said with a smile, "A while ago, I broke through the Eighth Spring - Quanfeng (Wind Palace), and the rewards from the sect, my family, and the governor's office added up to fifty thousand silver coins. It's not much, but it's free money - why not take it?"
"That's true," Li Weiyi and Zhao Meng agreed in unison, quickly pocketing the Yongquan Coins and hurrying off the deck.
In the corridor, they ran into Zhao Zhizhuo.
"Why are you two so happy?" Zhao Zhizhuo asked curiously.
"Hurry and pay your respects to your Fourth Miss," Li Weiyi said with a chuckle, "I guarantee you'll be just as happy too."
After this remark, the two burst into laughter and strode away.
But once the laughter subsided, a heavy silence fell over them, the earlier bravado completely gone.
Instead, they found themselves feeling like the biggest joke of all.
Just a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy had already opened eight Springs, his cultivation far surpassing theirs. This world was teeming with geniuses and experts. It was no wonder others treated them like servants.
Perhaps even other people's servants were stronger than they were.
Their so-called superior Innate Talent might only be the bare minimum requirement for cultivating Martial-Mystic techniques.
Zhao Meng sighed: "I hope that one day, we can casually toss Yongquan Coins to our servants like this. Only then will we truly have status and dignity."
.....
On the bow deck, Li Ling smiled: "The Sui Clan is truly well-informed. I only made a brief appearance in Yaoguan, yet you already knew my exact whereabouts."
Yang Yun replied, "Younger Sister Ling, your injury is a major event. Of course, our subordinates would report it to us."
Yang Qingxi sensed Li Ling's hidden meaning and didn't want to dwell on the topic. She asked, "I heard you were attacked by the Buddha's Salvation Bandits during your coffin retrieval. Was your brother injured?"
"Sister Qingxi, if you want to be my sister-in-law, you'll need to put in more effort lately. It seems my brother already has someone he likes," Li Ling winked and chuckled.
After a brief gathering, Yang Qingxi and Yang Yun took their leave and returned to the Azure Dragon Boat. Yang Yun had been reluctant to leave, wanting to accompany Li Ling, but Yang Qingxi had forcibly dragged him away.
....
The next morning.
Li Weiyi had just gotten out of bed when Zhao Zhizhuo came to visit, informing him that they would reach Jiu Li City by noon at the latest.
Standing by the railing and gazing out, Li Weiyi saw a mountain range perpetually stretching along the western bank of the Shui River. Peaks rose in clusters, shrouded in clouds and mist, like a thousand-mile wall supporting the heavens and earth.
When the river channel drew close to the mountains, they loomed dark and heavy, as if about to topple over. Only when the channel moved farther away could one discern the layers of peaks within, their treacherous cliffs and profound depths.
Zhao Zhizhuo said, "The Mangshan Mountain Range forms the western border of Li Prefecture. Legend has it that each peak in the range is the tomb of an ancient emperor. This is the origin of the "Mangsham Imperial Tomb Cluster"."
"Beyond the Mangshan Mountain Range lies the boundless Nether Realm of the Dead, a forbidden zone for life... at least for humans."
Li Weiyi knew about the Nether Realm of the Dead. It was said to be limitless, so vast that even Immortal Realm experts couldn't reach its end.
"Does that mean JIu Li City is separated from the Nether Realm of the Dead by only the Mangshan Mountain Range?" Li Weiyi couldn't understand why Jiu Li City had been built in such a dangerous place.
"It wasn't like this before! A thousand years ago, the Jiu Li Tribe ruled the Nine Provinces, and the Lingxiao Realm spanned three hundred prefectures. Zen Hai Guanwu, the greatest power in the Lingxiao Realm, could even deter the Nether Realm. It was that cataclysmic disaster that caused ninety percent of the Lingxiao Realm's land to be swallowed by the Nether Realm of the Dead, leaving only twenty-eight prefectures remaining." Zhao Zhizhuo sighed deeply, unwilling to elaborate further.
Back in his cabin, Li Weiyi questioned the Stone Coffin Remnant Corpse and Senior Spirit Tablet.
After hearing this, the two fell into a long silence.
They didn't know why, but when they left, the Lingxiao Realm was perfectly intact. Clearly, the current situation was completely unexpected.
Even before the passenger ship reached the dock, Martial-Mystic Cultivators riding exotic beasts or flying birds began to arrive, constantly circling the shore and sky to survey the area.
Cang Li was already waiting at the dock.
The young talents accompanying him were mostly scions of influential clans, prodigies from Dao Academies, and peerless female cultivators from major sects. Each rode in a magnificent beast-drawn carriage, all deferring to Cang Li's leadership.
Cang Li, the Cangli Tribe's greatest genius in a thousand years, was not a mere pretender.
With his Pure Immortal Physique, he had broken through the Nine Springs and entered the Five Seas Realm. Such talent and cultivation speed would make him the "First Inheritor" or "Second Inheritor" of any of the myriad clans and sects, representing their interests across the world.
As such a prominent figure among the younger generation in Jiu Li City, Cang Li naturally had countless followers.
The term "myriad clans and sects" referred to those with at least a thousand years of heritage, at least ten thousand Martial-Mystic Cultivators with superior innate talent, and a million common people directly under their influence - all three conditions had to be met.
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END OF CHAPTER
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