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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 178 (433): [One Month Later]
(178th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"After today, the Transcendent Dead Spirits around the Lingxiao Life Realm will likely retreat deep into the Netherworld. Especially the Dead Spirit powerhouses who once occupied the 272 states of the Lingxiao Life Realm."
Xia Jin noticed something and reached out to touch a drop of golden blood on the ground.
"The Mist Heavenly Sovereign has bled! Yu Daozhen and Qilin Zhuang are truly formidable. In their respective eras, they were both invincible in their youth."
The young Heavenly Emperor in the Dao Seed Realm only possessed combat strength comparable to the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperors in their youth.
To become a true Martial-Mystic Dao Ancient Heavenly Emperor, one must overcome countless trials.
In the future, they must constantly surpass their peers, achieving the pinnacle of each cultivation realm without the slightest complacency.
The Demon Kingdom Crown Prince and Qilin Zhuang were also Young Celestial Emperors thousands of years ago.
Through millennia of cultivation, they have defeated and slain countless Young Celestial Emperors to reach their current cultivation level.
They are now just one step away from becoming true Martial-Mystic Dao Ancient Heavenly Emperors.
Master Guan retrieved the Yellow Mud Lamp and tucked it into his robes.
He dared to claim treasures that even the Demon King feared to touch.
Suddenly...
Xia Jinyu's face tightened as she sensed the Demon Emperor's aura.
She immediately flew out of the Earth-Rending Gorge, landed on the Fire Plains, and gazed westward.
A resonant phoenix cry echoed from the distant horizon, its melody hauntingly beautiful.
Even as a Demon King, she knelt on one knee.
"What are you afraid of?" Master Guan scoffed, utterly fearless, "I doubt it would dare invade the Lingxiao Realm and trigger the Demon Calamity. The Human Clan's Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperors aren't all dead yet. There are rules at the Ancient Heavenly Emperor level."
Of course he wasn't afraid.
With the Flying Phoenix's level of cultivation, it wouldn't care whether he showed reverence or not.
But for a Transcendent of the Demon Clan to lack reverence was another matter entirely.
Zen Hai Guanwu stood proudly above the Western Border Azure Plains, four Immortal Gates floating around her - relics seized from the Demon Kingdom Crown Prince.
Suspended in mid-air, her golden hair danced like silken threads, her gaze piercing through the vast emptiness to meet the Flying Phoenix's eyes in the far western lands.
The Void Sword in her hand erupted with a piercing clang, answering the phoenix's cry.
The sword's clang and the phoenix's cry intertwined, reverberating across the Western Territory.
"Little Zhang, the Lingxiao Realm is in your hands now!"
Zen Hai Guanwu's gaze remained unwavering, undeterred by the Flying Phoenix's aura.
Instead, she drew her sword and continued westward, pursuing the gravely wounded Qilin Zhuang as he fled.
She understood perfectly that once she had revealed herself, she could no longer remain within the Lingxiao Realm.
Doing so would give the Flying Phoenix a reason to strike, and her old enemies would soon come knocking.
Rather than draw disaster upon the Lingxiao Realm, she chose to face the challenge head-on, stepping out to reclaim her path to the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Realm step by step.
The Far Western Ashlands before her now represented the first life-or-death trial on this path.
She would either overcome it or perish - there was no third option.
Meanwhile, the Third Palace Master and Tang Shituo were pursuing the Demon Kingdom Crown Prince, whose Ancestral Field had been shattered by Zen Hai Guanwu.
Severely wounded, the prince fled northward, straight into the Nether Realm of the Dead.
"Master..." the Third Palace Master murmured, her heart heavy with bitterness.
How could she fail to understand her master's profound intentions?
If she did not confront the Flying Phoenix's wrath in the Far Western Ashlands, that fury would descend upon every human in the Lingxiao Realm.
....
Li Weiyi fought his way through countless miles, finally shaking off the Rice Corpses and reaching a prefecture untouched by the Corpse Cultivation Rice.
He dared not linger, sensing danger lurking at every turn.
His Spiritual Qi was severely depleted, and his physical stamina was pushed to its limits.
The Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain had been a hopeless battle from the start.
Perhaps the entire Lingxiao Realm would soon become a Demon Kingdom, a Rice Realm, or part of the Nether Realm of the Dead.
In any case, there would be no place left for humanity to survive.
What should he do next?
As Li Weiyi hurried onward, he debated whether to return to Li Prefecture. If the entire Lingxiao Realm fell, how could Li Prefecture possibly escape?
Given the Yang Shenjing and Sui Sect's hatred for the Jiu Li Tribe, they would surely slaughter every last member.
"Master... Master..."
A small girl's voice, like a dreamlike murmur, echoed from the back of his neck, followed by soft sobs.
Li Weiyi's heart leaped with joy.
'Yu Yaozi has awakened!'
Though Zen Hai Guanwu had obtained her two Other Shore Heavenly Pills, they were not self-cultivated and could never fully grasp their essence, nor unleash Yu Yaozi's full combat potential.
The Eastern Territory enjoyed a relatively mild climate, warmed by currents from the East Sea.
Towering mountains and dense vegetation painted the landscape a vibrant green, even in winter, untouched by ice or snow.
In a mountain valley, beside a clear stream, Li Weiyi dispelled his cloak and gently set Yu Yaozi down on a massive boulder by the water's edge.
After careful consideration, he bowed respectfully: "Grand Palace Master, Lingxiao City is in grave danger. Your Master, Zen Hai Guanwu, instructed me to bring you away. Now that you've awakened, we must return immediately to assist her."
He couldn't afford to be careless.
How much had Yu Yaozi recovered?
What if she was still under the influence of the Six Thoughts Heart Spirit Curse and unleashed a Xiaotian Edict on him?
He'd have no one to blame but himself.
Yu Yaozi blinked sleepily, rubbing her eyes with her small, snow-white hands. She sobbed bitterly, like a little girl still shaken by a nightmare.
Her lips quivered as she looked at Li Weiyi, then burst into tears.
"Master, they're all bullying me! They hit me, and it hurt so much... waah..."
Li Weiyi frowned, his heart filled with suspicion.
He carefully recalled every moment since taking Yu Yaozi from Zen Hai Guanwu's arms.
The girl hadn't left his side once.
The problem definitely wasn't on his end.
Had Zen Hai Guanwu switched the children?
Li Weiyi cautiously approached, whispering, "Grand Palace Master, let's not joke around. The Lingxiao Realm is truly on the brink of collapse."
"Waaah, Master, what are you saying? I'm Yu'er! Don't you recognize me anymore?"
The little girl cried even harder: "I'm so scared! They keep hitting me, Master... I must be having a nightmare..."
She clung to Li Weiyi as he approached, pressing herself against him, her entire body trembling.
Li Weiyi spread his arms, not daring to touch her, his expression tense.
"Grand Palace Master, let's be clear: you're the one holding her. I have nothing to do with this."
Li Weiyi felt that Yu Yaozi's current state closely resembled Tang Wanzhou's condition back then, only far more severe.
He speculated that Yu Yaozi was mistaking him for her master for two reasons.
First, Zen Hai Guanwu had been repeatedly telling her that her master had returned.
In her mind, her master was the person she trusted and cherished most.
Second, due to the Yang Marriage, Li Weiyi carried a fragment of Zen Hai Guanwu's Soul Spirit within him, which her subconscious would undoubtedly sense.
An hour later, darkness had completely enveloped the world.
Li Weiyi finished his meditative breathing and glanced at Yu'er, who was curled up quietly against him.
She hugged her small, jade-like feet, mimicking Li Weiyi's cross-legged posture.
Her large, round eyes darted around, filled with fear of the darkness, yet she tried to appear brave.
Sensing her master's awakening, she whispered, "Master, I'm a little cold..."
'Cold?'
'With your physical resilience, how could you be cold?'
Li Weiyi inwardly groaned.
Finally, he sighed helplessly.
'What's meant to be will be.'
But he needed to prepare.
With a snap of his fingers, a ball of Spiritual Light Flame materialized, hovering in mid-air and illuminating the surrounding area.
Warmth radiated from it.
From his Boundary Pouch, he retrieved a brush and scroll and began writing rapidly: "On the first day I met the Grand Palace Master, the events unfolded as follows..."
He meticulously recorded everything that had happened between them that day, including every conversation, the weather, time, and location.
This way, when she regained her memories and cultivation, there would be a clear record of events.
"Wow, Master, you're amazing!" Yu'er exclaimed, her bare feet planted on the ground as she stood up.
She stretched out her small hands toward the Spiritual Light Flame, seeking warmth, her eyes shining with delight and admiration.
Li Weiyi gasped inwardly, adding "Wow, Master, you're amazing" to his notes.
Closing the booklet, he said, "Grand Palace Master, we need to leave. Danger could strike at any moment."
"Mm!" Yu'er nodded, her gaze fixed on him.
Li Weiyi led the way, with Yu'er following closely behind.
Her bare feet occasionally stung against the sharp stones and dry twigs scattered across the ground.
She winced in pain but bit her lip, refusing to make a sound.
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was following them, and she kept glancing back.
Suddenly, a nightingale's cry startled her into sprinting forward.
She threw her arms around Li Weiyi, clutching his robes tightly.
"Master, I'm scared..."
Li Weiyi stood frozen for a long moment, torn between his duty and his compassion.
Finally, he crouched down: "Carry on my back, or in my arms?"
"Carry me!" Yu'er immediately said.
Li Weiyi scooped her up and leaped forward, soaring between the cliffs in strides of dozens of meters, continuing their rapid journey.
"Master," Yu'er murmured, her small head resting against his shoulder as she listened to the whistling wind, "can you stop calling me 'Great Princess'? I'm not a princess - just a wild girl."
"Alright," Li Weiyi replied.
After a moment's thought, she whispered again, "Master... I'm a little hungry..."
"We'll eat when we find a village ahead."
"Okay, Master! You're the best! You're the best Master in the world..."
Li Weiyi's heart was a tangle of emotions - joy and worry intertwined.
His thoughts drifted back to the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, then to Qiu Prefecture and Li Prefecture, burdened by countless concerns yet powerless to act.
...
A month later.
Huangjiang Border City, located at the intersection of the Eastern Territory's Azure Province, the Southern Territory's Coffin Prefecture, and the Nether Realm of the Dead, was a city of several hundred thousand people.
Situated on the edge of darkness, it straddled the boundary between the Living Realm and the Nether Realm.
The city had no walls, and humans and Dead Spirits coexisted within its borders.
It served as a crucial gateway to the Nether Realm of the Dead for the Lingxiao Realm. Netherworld merchants, Ghost Hunters, desperate fugitives, Martial-Mystic Path powerhouses exploring Secret Realms... all manner of individuals who interacted with the Nether Realm of the Dead, as well as Dead Spirits who dealt with the Living Realm, converged here.
Over the past month, Li Weiyi and Yu'er had been staying in the city, awaiting definitive news of the war in the Lingxiao Realm. This would determine their next course of action.
The distance was vast, the Lingxiao Realm immense, and the war raged on relentlessly, bringing endless calamities.
Rumors flew thick and fast, making it nearly impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood.
The Five Seas Realm and Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators who had fled to Huangjiang Border City knew nothing of the actual situation, merely parroting hearsay.
Li Weiyi, however, had not been idle. Using the Cocoon of Time, he had devoted himself to studying the True Scripture and comprehending the Dao.
After five months of relentless effort, the Dao Seed within his Divine Pivot finally bloomed into twelve Dao Lotus petals, allowing him to ascend to the Fourth Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm.
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END OF CHAPTER
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