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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 91 (528): [News from the Outside World]
(91st of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The bone ship, over thirty meters long, sailed swiftly across the ground, its iron silk sails billowing in the wind.
The azure banner of Thousand Mile Mountain, as vast as a white cloud, hung proudly from the mast.
A three-headed Fallen Soul Beast, resembling a lion-wolf and over twenty meters long, pulled the ship forward. Its hooves moved silently, the only sound the ship's whistle as it cut through the air.
This place was the Seven Vengeful (Grievances) Plains, once the most fertile land in the Lingxiao Realm.
For millennia, it had nurtured billions of people across hundreds of provinces, and served as the ancestral home to countless Ancient Myriad Clan and Sect's Ancestral Manors.
Now, however, the plains were shrouded in darkness and deathly Yin Qi.
In certain areas, Spatial Dark Rifts fractured the void, making flight perilous for ships, birds, and Martial-Mystic Cultivators alike.
These were known as the Void Hazard Zones.
...
Li Weiyi had initially intended only to exchange greetings, ask for directions, or simply follow the merchant caravan at a distance, avoiding any deeper involvement.
However, Lu Jingshen, a gracious and hospitable host, invited him aboard the ship and instructed the maids to prepare a banquet.
After all, with the dual identities of Clan Head of the Cangli Tribe and Great Power of the Immortal Realm, no one would dare treat him lightly.
Learning that they were headed to the East Sea and would pass through Thunder Prefecture in the Eastern Territory of the Lingxiao Realm, Li Weiyi accepted the invitation without further hesitation.
From the outside, the bone ship resembled the Dead Spirit Monarch's palace - grotesque, terrifying, and steeped in heavy Yin Qi, inspiring only reverence and distance.
Yet the interior revealed a different world entirely.
Warm candlelight illuminated opulent decorations, with windows inlaid with golden phoenixes, creating a magnificent and luxurious atmosphere.
Lu Jingshen, born into the prestigious Lu Clan within Thousand Mile Mountain, possessed both a formidable family background and a refined, cultured demeanor.
Lacking the arrogance of a pampered noble or the condescension of the highborn, he walked side-by-side with Li Weiyi, who appeared as Li Songgu.
"Patriarch Li," he said, "your trust in me is truly humbling. Aren't you afraid of potential dangers aboard this ship, or that I might harbor ill intentions?"
Li Weiyi smiled, gesturing toward the azure clan banner overhead.
"Thousand Mile Mountain's vast enterprises span the world, governed by strict rules and principles. Any sordid acts of murder and plunder would immediately draw universal condemnation, becoming intolerable to all Life Realms and major powers. This is why I dared seek your assistance - I trust in your merchant guild's reputation."
The Heavenly Pavilion and Immortal Forest were both subsidiaries of Thousand Mile Mountain, and merely the tip of the iceberg.
Lu Jingshen listened to this well-reasoned flattery with great satisfaction, feeling a growing sense of kinship.
He chuckled, "Reputation is more precious than gold. It takes millennia, generations upon generations, to build, but can crumble in an instant. Anyone who dares tarnish Thousand Mile Mountain's reputation will face severe internal punishment."
After boarding the ship, Li Weiyi secretly observed his surroundings.
He noticed over a hundred armored guards and maids on board, leaving him inwardly astonished.
He realized that this young Master Lu must be of extraordinary lineage.
Crossing the Nether Realm of the Dead was extremely dangerous, and each additional person carried a steep cost.
Li Weiyi asked, "Young Master Lu, you're from the Hundred Realms of the Life, aren't you?"
Lu Jingshen understood the reason for the question and smiled.
"Thousand Mile Mountain has acquired and maintains several ancient Space Teleportation Formations."
"Although the Lingxiao Realm is located in the far southern wastelands, tens of millions of miles from the Hundred Realms of the Life, there are direct teleportation routes through certain regions, allowing us to cross the distance in a month."
"That's why I brought extra guards and attendants - they're no ordinary people."
"They'll be responsible for procuring goods, coordinating logistics, and handling other affairs along the way."
"Even the servants of Thousand Mile Mountain are chosen from among thousands," Li Weiyi said, "How could they be ordinary people?"
The dozen or so maids were all Pure Immortal Physiques, possessed exceptional beauty, and had cultivated to the Dao Seed Realm.
Li Weiyi, as a Divine Hidden One of the Jiu Li Clan, could assemble a similar retinue if he tried, including figures like Xingyuenu, Yao Qingxuan, Yaoyin, and Hidden Twenty-Four.
But he could never treat them as mere servants, as Lu Jingshen did, even though these maids held high status within Thousand Mile Mountain.
Entering the four-zhang square cabin, they found a white jade lampshade at the center of a round table, calligraphy and paintings adorning the walls, and fine wines and delicacies being served.
The maids moved with graceful elegance, their white robes immaculate, like celestial consorts. Each possessed a unique aura, instantly making one forget the dangers and horrors of the Nether Realm outside.
They must have been selected from the Immortal Attendants of the Immortal Forests.
Yu'er, who had been starving for two months, grabbed her chopsticks the moment Lu Jingshen said, "Patriarch Li, please."
She acted as if she were Patriarch Li himself, devouring the food with abandon, showing none of the decorum or restraint expected of a Grand Palace Master.
Li Weiyi chuckled awkwardly.
"The little one was starved during our time lost in the Nether Realm of the Dead. It's all my fault, her master. I shouldn't have brought her to such a dangerous place."
Lu Jingshen instructed a maid through telepathy to add two more dishes, then smiled.
"Don't worry, eat as much as you like. It's good to see some warmth and humanity. Many Immortal Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators, after living for centuries, lose all trace of human warmth. It's unsettling to be around them. Patriarch Li, may I ask your age?"
"Sixty-five," Li Weiyi replied.
Lu Jingshen's expression turned serious: "I broke through to the Immortal Realm at fifty and am now seventy-four."
Li Weiyi was astonished.
He glanced at Lu Jingshen, who looked no older than thirty under the lamplight, handsome and youthful.
He quickly clasped his hands in a bow and laughed heartily.
"Brother Lu, your youthful appearance speaks volumes about your extraordinary talent. Time itself can't keep pace with your cultivation. I'm truly impressed. Unlike me, who only reached Immortal Realm at the age of sixty."
Lu Jingshen waved his hand with a wry smile, feigning humility.
"Without the Immortality Pill, Patriarch Li and I would be on equal footing, perhaps even inferior. After twenty-four years, I'm still stuck in the First Realm, unable to break through. I hardly deserve your praise."
Those who reach the Immortal Realm typically open all Nine Springs in the Spring Surge Realm and cultivate the Seventh Sea in the Five Seas Realm, demonstrating top-tier talent that has already surpassed 99% of Martial-Mystic Cultivators.
Yao Qingxuan once said that breaking through from the First Realm to the Second Realm within forty years was considered decent progress.
Breaking through to the Immortal Realm within twenty years is considered above average among Martial-Mystic Cultivators in that realm.
Li Weiyi remarked, "Brother Lu's Spiritual Qi is remarkably robust, and the divine light in his eyes is intensely focused. His cultivation has already reached the peak of the first realm. Breaking free from the Soul Return Shackle is imminent."
Lu Jingshen didn't deny this: "Twenty-four years to progress from the initial realm to its peak is merely decent speed. If Patriarch Li were to leave the Lingxiao Realm and venture outside, encountering the True Disciples of the Ancient Sects, he would truly understand the meaning of despair."
"The Seven Shackles of Immortal Realm - each shackle represents an entire realm."
"I've heard that the Lingxiao Realm has produced a Heaven's Chosen Daughter who rivals the True Disciples of the Ancient Sects. Her name is Tang Wanzhou, and she's already reached the second realm of the Immortal Realm before the age of forty. Does Patriarch Li know her?"
Li Weiyi's expression turned reverent as he stroked his beard and sighed.
"The Young Lord of the Northern Territory, Tang Wanzhou, is indeed a peerless genius, a once-in-a-millennium prodigy from our Lingxiao Realm. She shines like starlight and blooms like a snow lotus. However, her personality is aloof, and her movements are shrouded in mystery. Though we've met, we're not particularly close."
Yu'er shot Li Weiyi a sharp glance.
She clearly remembered how her master had saved the Young Lord of the Northern Territory beneath the East Sea, and they had seemed quite familiar.
Why was he now claiming they weren't close?
"A complete liar..."
She murmured to herself, continuing to pick at her food.
After some polite conversation, Lu Jingshen asked about East Sea Dragon City and the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein.
Hearing his account, Li Weiyi was immediately startled.
He hadn't realized Dragon City had surfaced from the sea.
And the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein had been revived?
His mind flashed back to the golden rosy mist that had risen from the East Sea's surface at the time.
"This old man only knew that Calamity Crossing Temple and Rice Palace were trying to excavate the Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains. I never imagined they'd unearth Dragon City and the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein as well! This is going to cause a major upheaval!" Li Weiyi exclaimed, his tone half genuine, half feigned.
Lu Jingshen, sensing that Li Weiyi had indeed been trapped in the Nether Realm for days and was unaware of the recent cataclysmic events, explained, "The East Sea and the southernmost region of the Lingxiao Realm will undoubtedly face significant turmoil in the coming days."
"Rumor has it that Rice Palace plans to rebuild Dragon City in collaboration with the Eastern Sea Monster Clan. They intend to establish the fifth Palace Altar there, following the Primordial Chaos Palace, Azure Sea Hall, Ji City, and Shen Yi Mountain."
"All one hundred and seventy-two Life Realms, large and small, across southern Yingzhou have been shaken by this news. Many major powers will likely send disciples to the East Sea soon. The Lingxiao Realm, bordering the East Sea, will inevitably be affected."
"From what I understand, the Calamity Crossing Temple is preparing to increase its support for the Zuoqiu Sect, while the Sword Dao Imperial Court has dispatched envoys to the Snow Sword Tang Court. All the major powers are making their moves."
Li Weiyi didn't know the exact state of the Immortal Dao Dragon Meridian's revival, but the major powers outside were vying for control, treating the Zuoqiu Sect, Snow Sword Tang Court, and other factions as mere pawns.
War and turmoil were inevitable.
His gaze fell on Yu'er, who was buried in her food, her chopsticks clattering against the bowl.
'Perhaps only when the Grand Palace Mistress recovers can she stabilize the situation with her sword, engage with the external powers on equal terms, and quell the chaos,' he thought.
After the meal and conversation, Li Weiyi repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Guided by a maid, he and Yu'er retired to their separate cabins to rest.
"Immortal Lord, Ning Xuan will remain stationed outside. Please inform me if you require anything," the maid, Ning Xuan, said with a bow, her eyes filled with reverence.
She was a cultivator at the Second Heaven of the Dao Seed Realm.
In any realm, a Martial-Mystic Cultivator of the Immortal Realm would be considered a Great Power.
Of course, Li Weiyi was a fake.
Lu Jingshen watched Li Weiyi's retreating figure disappear at the end of the corridor.
He released his External Manifestation Field, enveloping the cabin, and asked, "Uncle An, is there anything suspicious about this man?"
"What do you think, Third Young Master?" An Zhiruo replied, his body completely ethereal as he stood in the shadows, like a ghost.
Lu Jingshen said, "I've cultivated the Spiritual Character Eye. He doesn't seem like someone in his sixties; he still possesses the vitality of a young man. But I can't find any flaws."
An Zhiruo countered, "Cultivation level can't be faked! If his cultivation were high enough to deceive us, he wouldn't need to deceive us in the first place. Traveling the world, concealing one's identity, and altering one's appearance are all self-preservation tactics, nothing unusual."
"Since you invited him aboard on my recommendation, Third Young Master, I'll personally keep an eye on him to ensure nothing goes wrong."
.....
Seventh Phoenix flew into the cabin and reported Lu Jingshen and An Zhiruo's conversation to Li Weiyi.
"As expected, one should never underestimate the people of this world!" Li Weiyi mused, "Their banquet was a ploy to observe me closely and use their Spiritual Character Eye to scrutinize every detail."
After a moment's contemplation, he dismissed the matter.
As long as there was no malice, Li Weiyi would remember their kindness.
The two were seasoned merchants who had traveled the world, their cultivation profound and their experience in judging character vast.
If he had revealed a flaw in their presence, it only proved their exceptional discernment and mastery of their craft.
He would simply need to rectify this vulnerability in the future.
"Knock, knock."
A knock echoed at the door.
Li Weiyi opened it.
Yu'er stood outside, her eyes pleading.
"Master, can we stay together? I'm scared alone. This ship is full of skeletons, and I even saw ghosts in armor."
Ning Xuan stood to the right of the doorway, radiating an air of martial prowess.
She couldn't fathom why the Immortal Lord had brought such a timid girl, who feared even ghosts, into the Nether Realm.
"Don't be afraid, little girl," she reassured, "They're Spirit Guards raised by Thousand Mile Mountain."
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END OF CHAPTER
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