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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 55 (492): [Reunion with Master Coffin]
(55th of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Moon Dragon Island, crescent-shaped, stretched five hundred miles north to south and a hundred miles at its widest point east to west.
Located just eighteen hundred miles from the Eastern Territory of the Lingxiao Realm, it was the largest island in the coastal region.
"Whoosh! Whoosh..."
Bright pillars of Formation light erupted from the island's mountain peaks, ravines, and surrounding sea, piercing the sky.
Formation Scriptures and shimmering veils materialized, enveloping the island on all sides to repel the increasingly towering waves and the ancient, destructive Spiritual Qi surging from the distant sea.
In the harbor, Martial-Mystic Cultivators living on ships and demonic beasts in the water scrambled to escape to higher ground inland.
The world alternated between eerie silence, pitch-black darkness, and violent storms of lightning and thunder.
The celestial phenomena were terrifying!
Many low-Cultivation Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators and demonic beasts trembled, gripped by the fear that the earth might sink at any moment and the sky might collapse.
Gale-force winds tore through the Formation barrier and swept across the island, their roar echoing like the bellowing of monstrous creatures from the seabed.
Patches of golden flames erupted across the sea surface, causing sections of the ocean to boil and churn, releasing thick plumes of white mist.
"Do not panic!" a Immortal Realm Giant from the Demon Clan said, its vine-like tendrils anchoring it to both the earth and the sky, blooming into countless lantern-like flowers, "Moon Dragon Island is protected by a powerful island-guarding Formations deployed by the Demon Clan. We will be safe."
"The East Sea is the territory of the Water Mother Clan and the Flood Dragon Clan. Their young offspring are all on this island. Even if someone is stirring up the seas, would they dare harm their own kin?"
"Transcendent beings are stationed here, and the East Sea boasts countless powerful cultivators. Even if the Nether Realm of the Dead were to attack, we could withstand them."
...
Finding Yu'er finally brought Li Weiyi peace of mind, like clinging to a life-saving plank amidst towering waves.
Yu'er felt the same way, the little girl thoroughly shaken by the ordeal.
Even without the Other Shore Heavenly Pill, the Grand Palace Master's physical body could rival the top experts in the Transcendent Realm, and her Psychic Power might be equally formidable.
Just as Zhu Qishier Chongtian, in the Dao Seed Realm, could contend with the Young Heavenly Emperor of the Ninth Heaven through sheer physical prowess, or how a Nine-Star Spiritual Master could dominate battles below the Immortal Realm.
Otherwise, why would the Demon Kingdom Crown Prince, Second Palace Master, Lord Lan, and others have spent twenty years meticulously plotting, only daring to act after Qilin Zhuang's return?
Li Weiyi held Yu'er close as he followed the Jiu Li Hidden Sect's elite cultivators up a towering mountain peak, hundreds of meters high, offering a panoramic view of the coastline.
"Something is deeply amiss," the Ancient Hidden Lord, nearly four centuries old, murmured, his eyes clouded with concern, "In all my years of cultivation, I've never witnessed such a bizarre celestial phenomenon. It's as if gods and demons are about to descend. I must investigate. If the situation worsens, we must immediately retreat to the Lingxiao Realm."
The ancient Hidden Lord, his eyes filled with worry, sought to join the Great Immortal experts from various major powers in venturing out to sea to investigate.
"The old man has already gone," the Hidden Lord interjected, blocking his path, "You stay here. We can't afford to lose both the Jiu Li Tribe's and the Jiu Li Hidden Sect's strongest warriors."
The Clan Chief of the Cangli Tribe was publicly acknowledged as the strongest among the Jiu Li Tribe.
The Ancient Hidden Lord before them, while perhaps not the absolute strongest within the Hidden Sect, was nearly so.
The truly ancient Hidden Lords had long since departed for other Living Realms, their fates unknown for many years.
The Hidden Lord exchanged a subtle glance with Li Weiyi, their understanding unspoken.
Zuoqiu Ran had imposed a gag order, forbidding them from speaking openly.
Speaking would change nothing and only invite trouble.
Li Weiyi said, "The Confucian Dao Ancestor of the Zuoqiu Clan has undoubtedly already rushed there. We should simply await news; there's no need to take unnecessary risks."
The Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiu Li Tribe were now allies, bound by shared interests.
"Hahaha! He's itching to go, sensing an unusual celestial phenomenon or the emergence of a rare treasure. He wants to seize this opportunity rather than spend his entire life trapped in the Immortal Realm."
It was Elder Qin's voice.
His scarred, weathered face appeared before them, followed by Liu Ye, who wore a bamboo hat.
Elder Qin and the Ancient Hidden Lord shared a close, irreverent friendship, allowing him to tease the latter without restraint.
Of course, what he said was also true.
Whether they were Martial-Mystic Cultivators in the Dao Seed Realm or the Immortal Realm, all who came to the East Sea sought opportunities to defy fate and change their destinies.
In contrast, the Giants of the Immortal Realm placed even greater importance on this opportunity.
Some were on the verge of exhausting their lifespans if they failed to break their Immortal Shackles. Others valued the Transcendent Realm above their own lives.
Breaking a single Immortal Shackle would significantly elevate their status among Immortals.
The Seven Realms of Immortal each represented an entirely different realm of existence.
Moreover, advancing to the next realm granted a Jiazi of lifespan - equivalent to an entire lifetime for an ordinary person. With such immense rewards at stake, they were willing to fight tooth and nail for it.
Conversely, most Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators sought only to enhance their cultivation, without the immediate life-or-death stakes.
Only those practicing Dragon Seed Cultivation, Aberrant Humanoids, and the most exceptional Heavenly Prides aiming to cultivate the Physical Immortal Body were truly desperate to compete.
Elder Qin turned his gaze toward Li Weiyi and transmitted telepathically, "If things go south, immediately follow me to the outpost."
"What about the others?" Li Weiyi asked.
"I can only take members of the Hidden Sect... well, as many as I can. Bringing even one extra person would violate military orders," Elder Qin replied.
Yaoyin stood gracefully beside Li Weiyi, her face veiled, her gaze fixed on the ground as if counting every ant.
Yao Qingxuan, clad in black robes and wearing a mask, stood with the Immortal Realm Giants of the Hidden Sect, engaged in hushed discussions.
"Whoosh!"
Qi Jianru, a Immortal Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator from the Calamity Crossing Temple, descended like a peerless sword immortal, his figure tall and heroic as he landed like a beam of light on the mountain peak where the Jiu Li Hidden Sect Martial-Mystic Cultivators had gathered.
He turned to Yaoyin: "Junior Sister, the Elder has instructed me to escort you."
Under normal circumstances, Yaoyin would have preferred to stay with the Jiu Li Hidden Sect.
But at this moment, she agreed without hesitation, waving farewell to Li Weiyi, Hidden Twenty-Four, Hidden Nine, Hidden Lord, and the others.
Before leaving, Yaoyin sent a telepathic message to Li Weiyi: "I will gather the True Spiritual Pills as quickly as possible."
Only after Qi Jianru led Yaoyin away did Yao Qingxuan turn to watch her retreating figure.
The Hidden Lord sighed and whispered in Li Weiyi's ear, "She maintains this distance to protect Yaoyin. If the Western Monster Race were to learn she still lives, not only would Yaoyin be in grave danger, but the entire Jiu Li Tribe could be annihilated."
"The Twin Rice Sect might inform the Western Monster Race," Li Weiyi said, his concern evident.
"That won't happen," the Hidden Lord replied, "The Twin Rice Sect believes she perished in the Ancestor of Rice's Death Spirit Fire."
Li Weiyi sensed the precariousness of Yao Qingxuan's situation.
Given her temperament, she would likely embark on a perilous journey sooner or later.
Though the world was vast, danger lurked everywhere.
Where could she possibly go?
His gaze fell on Elder Qin and Liu Ye, and he began to ponder.
The abnormal celestial phenomena surrounding Moon Dragon Island persisted for half a day.
News trickled back to the island intermittently, most of it unsubstantiated rumors.
Some claimed a powerhouse rivaling Lord Lan had arrived from the Nether Realm of the Dead, while others spoke of Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon Qi appearing over the sea. Still others whispered of a Void Abyss opening beneath the waves, devouring seawater.
As dusk fell, the sea gradually calmed, and the astonishing natural anomalies vanished.
A Transcendent from the Rice Palace was the first to return, piloting a palace-sized Silver Carriage that descended from the heavens above Moon Dragon Island like a returning deity, its structure resembling a jade palace from the Immortal Realm.
He gathered all the Rice Palace's most talented young Martial-Mystic Cultivators and departed southward, the carriage rumbling through the clouds and violently shaking the air.
The remaining Twin Rice Sect Martial-Mystic Cultivators boarded spiritual artifact warships and set sail.
Soon after, Transcendent figures from the Demon Clan, Calamity Crossing Temple, and the Lingxiao Realm Human Clan returned to Moon Dragon Island.
As if by prior agreement, they remained tight-lipped about the day's events, merely instructing all young Martial-Mystic Cultivators to immediately board ships for Nine Ring Reef.
Some Transcendent figures, either piloting spiritual artifact flying boats or riding mounts, took groups of young disciples ahead.
In the twilight, colossal warships sailed out of the harbor, heading into the deep sea.
A thousand sails billowed in unison, their masts rising like a forest.
Under the radiant moonlight, every ship glowed with lanterns, creating a scene both serene and bustling.
The Martial-Mystic Cultivators of the Jiu Li Hidden Sect had integrated with the various Jiu Li Tribes, dispersing across five warships.
The Zuoqiu Clan's fleet, numbering seven vessels, sailed nearby in formation.
Hidden Lord and Li Weiyi stood on the deck, enjoying the warm sea breeze as they gazed at the magnificent ocean vista.
"The timing is off," Hidden Lord remarked, "We were told the excavation of the Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains wouldn't begin for another month, citing insufficient preparations. Now it seems something major must have happened underground, forcing them to expedite the operation."
"No information about the underground events has leaked," Li Weiyi observed, "This suggests the Transcendent have reached some consensus to conceal the truth."
Hidden Lord nodded in agreement: "Let's wait for news from Teacher. Oh, and the Leader is also aboard."
The Leader Hidden Lord referred to was Master Coffin - Li Yuanzhe.
Li Weiyi and the Hidden Lord descended the stairs to the dimly lit lower deck of the ship.
Guarding Master Coffin was Elder Zhuo, a hulking figure with a massive tiger's head.
Li Weiyi gazed at the familiar stone coffin in the room, a surge of emotion welling up within him.
He whispered, "How many people know Master Coffin has returned?"
"Only the Jiu Li Hidden Sect knows, and fewer than ten people at that," Elder Zhuo replied, his tone gentle.
He shared a close bond with Li Weiyi and radiated none of the oppressive aura of a powerful cultivator.
Before the chaos in the Lingxiao Realm erupted, Master Coffin had to reveal his return to enter the Hidden Sect and summon the Hidden Ancestor.
It was a necessary risk.
Master Coffin's voice echoed from within the coffin: "You two should leave now. I need to speak with Weiyi alone for a while."
Elder Zhuo and the Hidden Lord bowed respectfully and withdrew.
A narrow slit opened in the stone coffin's lid, releasing a frigid Corpse Qi that enveloped the entire room, sealing it off from the outside world.
Within this Corpse Qi, Li Weiyi sensed violent fluctuations of Spiritual Qi. Each strand of the Qi resembled a divine chain, capable of sealing space itself.
Of the three Masters, Master Guan had been reduced to ashes, and Spirit Tablet Master remained only as a wisp of soul.
Only Master Coffin retained a partial corpse.
And this was no ordinary corpse - it was the remains of a Transcendent being!
Li Weiyi reached out a finger to touch the Corpse Qi.
"Master Coffin's Spiritual Qi... it must be Transcendent Spiritual Qi, right?"
From within the Stone Coffin, Master Coffin's voice echoed, "The Other Shore Heavenly Pill miraculously survived! With the Shaoyang Star's mysterious power, both the Ancestral Field and the pill have been partially revived."
"Partially revived?"
Li Weiyi knew that in the Nether Realm of the Dead, Transcendent corpses could develop spiritual intelligence and become Corpse Spirits, but that didn't mean they could wield Transcendent power.
Firstly, these corpses had lost much of their Physical Body's secret abilities.
Secondly, the Ancestral Field had withered, and the Other Shore Heavenly Pill had either been passed down to descendants, vanished, or cooled completely.
Master Coffin chuckled: "Just as you suspected - we can wield a portion of our Transcendent power."
Li Weiyi's face lit up with joy: "No wonder you dared to venture into the Underground Immortal Mansion and emerge unscathed!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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