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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 116 (144): [Encountering Jiang Ning in the Nether Realm of the Dead]
(116th of Volume 2)
[END OF VOLUME 2]
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Li Weiyi thought, wondering if Zen Hai Guanwu's current power was enough to reactivate the governor's official robe and Official Seal.
If she could...
The abilities of those two items were truly extraordinary.
Especially the official robe, which sealed a Dragon Soul within and seemed capable of opening Spatial Passages.
"The Nether Realm of the Dead must be incredibly dangerous. We shouldn't go any further!"
The pitch-black sky ahead was too eerie.
The Nether Realm of the Dead had once swallowed over two hundred prefectures from the Lingxiao Realm. The terrifying entities and Fallen Spirit Overlords within were far beyond their current comprehension.
Li Weiyi asked, "Can your mother find us? Or will she really risk coming here to search for us?"
"What do you mean?" Li Ling retorted, her voice laced with displeasure, "My mother and I share a blood bond. With her peerless cultivation, she can naturally sense my presence."
Li Weiyi said, "I'm not questioning her cultivation. I'm just thinking... the depths of the Mangshan Mountain Range are dangerous, and your family has many children. You're the fourth, right? Your mother oversees the Cangli Tribe's affairs in Yaoguan City. Would she really abandon the greater good for the sake of one child?"
Li Ling wasn't very confident: "Even if my mother doesn't come, my brother definitely will."
"Alright, this spot has a good view. Let's rest and adjust here while we wait for reinforcements to pick us up."
Li Weiyi sat cross-legged, but he wasn't truly resting.
A constant sense of urgency and danger gnawed at him. He channeled the Qi Tempering Technique to refine the Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea.
Ten Springs surged simultaneously, continuously generating Spiritual Qi.
At the same time, he swallowed Golden Spring water to temper his bones.
His recent clash with the Elder of the Aberrant Humanoid race, a Third Realm cultivator in the Five Seas Realm, had revealed his greatest weakness: the purity of his Spiritual Qi.
First-Level Qi from the Five Seas Realm would be instantly overwhelmed by Third-Level Qi.
Fortunately, he could compensate for the gap with his battle weapons.
However, wielding weapons like the Yellow Dragon Sword, the Evil Camel Bell, or the Black Iron Seal so casually was like a child flaunting gold in a crowded marketplace - it was bound to lead to trouble sooner or later.
True confidence came from cultivating his own strength.
For him now, the fastest way to improve was through Qi Tempering. When he was at the Ten Springs stage, the combination of his Spiritual Qi and Immortal Haze had already rivaled First-Level Qi from the Five Seas Realm.
After breaking through to the Five Seas Realm, the quality of his Spiritual Qi had actually approached Second-Level Qi.
Li Ling glanced at him with a complex expression. It wasn't what she had imagined. There was no raging storm after the truth was revealed, no life-or-death parting after being deceived. He seemed to care, yet also not care that much.
What should she do about this accidental relationship now?
Should they part ways after escaping the Mangshan Mountain Range, or should they continue maintaining a warm friendship?
She didn't know where the future would lead.
Perhaps only after Zen Hai Guanwu truly spoke with him would there be an answer.
'If Zen Hai Guanwu really marries him...' Li Ling's thoughts drifted in strange directions, fWill I have to call him Master from now on?'
Slapping her forehead, she snapped herself back to reality.
"This place is dangerous. I can't be as careless as he is."
Li Ling's brow released points of Spiritual Power, which spread into the forest. Each point of light was like an eye, allowing the Great Spiritual Master to see what the naked eye could not.
Half a day later.
A blur of motion.
Chen Lian leaped up the cliff, landing on a wide, open area halfway up the mountain.
He carefully surveyed his surroundings, then his sharp eyes focused on the ground.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, lean and handsome. Wearing Wind-Riding Boots, he had reached the fourth stage of the Five Seas Realm.
"Swish! Swish!"
Two Elders in black iron cloth battle armor, both at the Third Realm of the Five Seas Realm, soared up one after the other, landing on either side of Chen Lian. Each wielded a two-meter-long broadsword, warily scanning the surrounding forest.
After a quick survey, Chen Lian said, "They've been here for quite some time, but just left recently. Their vigilance is high. It's Li Ling. Her aura is unmistakable. No wonder she could control the Zouwu."
One of the Elders was a Bear-like Aberrant, possessing an unparalleled sense of smell.
He quickly picked up the faint scent lingering in the air. His gaze swept down the mountain, following the vast, dense, dark forest all the way to the towering peaks a hundred miles away: "What audacity! They've gone to the Nether Realm of the Dead!"
Chen Lian gripped his Seven-Toothed Halberd: "Our path back to Yaoguan City is blocked. War has erupted there, with powerful cultivators clashing and armies clashing. We have no choice but to pursue them. If we can capture Li Ling, even if the Jiu Li Tribe's top experts come after us, I'll have enough leverage."
The other Elder, a Monkey-like Aberrant, hesitated: "Is that woman truly Cang Li's sister? Some soldiers say she's exceptionally powerful. They claim she shattered our Rune Mist Domain with a single seal."
"My judgment is correct. Let's go!"
Chen Lian activated his Wind-Riding Boots and leaped off the cliff. Spiritual Qi clouds and a river of wind materialized beneath his feet, and a shifting mist bridge formed in the air.
In moments, he had already covered several miles.
Li Ling, using her Spiritual Power, had detected Chen Lian and his pursuers in advance, so she and Li Weiyi had fled ahead.
Standing in the forest twenty miles away, they turned back to look at the three figures on the open hillside.
Li Ling's pupils were lit by Spirit Fire, forming foot-long beams of light: "That's Chen Lian, the third-ranked young master of the San Chen Palace, a top-tier expert second only to Chen Wenwu and Chen Dao. He used to follow my brother around, diligently seeking cultivation advice. His elders even wanted to arrange a marriage between us, but my father declined."
Li Weiyi asked, "How does he compare to the Five Seas Realm Third Realm elder we killed earlier?"
Li Ling replied, "At his age, only reaching the Third Realm of the Five Seas Realm suggests that elder likely broke through the Five Seas Realm using the Seven Springs method. But Chen Lian broke through using the Eight Springs method, and I heard he's already reached the Fourth Realm of the Five Seas Realm in Burial Immortal Town. Their combat power is worlds apart. Strange, he should be in Burial Immortal Town right now... Wait a moment..."
Li Ling and Zouwu chased after Li Weiyi, who was rapidly fleeing.
Li Weiyi said, "It's been so long. With your mother's cultivation, she should have arrived long ago!"
Li Ling knew what he was about to say and quickly interjected, "She must have been delayed. My mother loves me dearly."
"What I mean is that the battle that erupted in the valley may have triggered a chain reaction. Yaoguan City is already a powder keg, and the situation is tense. Our actions have lit the fuse, causing it to explode completely," Li Weiyi said.
Li Ling didn't know what a powder keg was, but she understood his meaning: "That must be it. My mother and brother must have just been delayed, not abandoned me to die."
"So fast!"
Li Weiyi glanced back and saw Chen Lian stepping onto the mist bridge. The pressure intensified, and he pushed his speed to the limit. The towering mountains on the horizon grew closer.
Most of the Mangshan Mountain Range was barren, devoid of vegetation. Along the cliffs, rows of hanging coffins and countless tombstones stood like a silent forest.
This was where countless heroes of the great war from a thousand years ago were buried!
The closer they got, the more awe-inspiring the mountain range became.
Li Weiyi had originally planned to meet Yin Shi San, Yaoyin, and the others at Mountain Lord Taiqing's Tomb, but now he couldn't stop. He leaped onto the steep cliff face, climbing with all his might.
No matter what awaited him on the other side of the mountain range, there was no way he could stop now.
Li Ling continuously released trails of Spiritual Light Flame, moving like a leaping, swaying spider, her speed only slightly slower than Li Weiyi's.
An hour later, they reached the snow-covered summit of the Mangshan Mountain Range.
The howling wind roared like a vengeful ghost, threatening to blow them away if they didn't use Spiritual Qi to steady their bodies.
The icy wind felt like it could freeze their blood, seeping into their bones and flesh, making even Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators extremely uncomfortable.
Both their Spiritual Power and Spiritual Power were severely depleted. The snow beneath their feet was knee-deep, slowing them down further.
They had no choice but to have Zouwu transform into a Giant Beast to carry them forward.
The sky hung low, a deathly black dome that seemed within arm's reach, pressing down on them with an oppressive weight.
On Zouwu's back, Li Ling huddled in Li Weiyi's arms, the two of them holding up the Ghost Banner to shield themselves from the biting wind.
Her small frame trembled violently from the cold. She clutched the Nether Lamp for warmth.
"Chen Lian seems to have fallen behind. Do you think he's too afraid to enter the Nether Realm of the Dead?"
"I think his Wind-Riding Boots are draining too much Spiritual Qi. Even with four Qi Seas, he can't sustain it. He wouldn't dare pursue us in such a weakened state, fearing an ambush. We can instantly kill a Third Realm Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator. How could he possibly underestimate us?" Li Weiyi analyzed.
After Li Weiyi killed Chen Song, he obtained a pair of Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact Wind-Riding Boots and learned about their properties.
Li Ling suggested, "Why don't we ambush him right here?"
Li Weiyi was surprised by her boldness: "Has the Zen Hai Guanwu already recovered?"
"We... we're actually quite strong too. With Zouwu and the Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, we have a chance of winning," Li Ling replied.
Li Weiyi wasn't surprised she could recognize the Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, as the Zen Hai Guanwu within her possessed that ability.
"The risk is too great. It's unnecessary. We haven't reached the point where we have to fight to the death yet."
Li Weiyi lifted a corner of the Ghost Banner, revealing a snow-covered plain behind them.
Only a long trail of enormous footprints remained, which would soon be erased by the wind and snow.
They had reached the mountain ridge, where strange rock formations formed peaks draped with ancient prayer flags. Dozens of meters-tall stone steles bore inscriptions from a thousand years ago, while skeletal remains and rusted armor were embedded in the mountain rocks, creating an epic atmosphere that seemed to narrate the history of this place to future generations.
"Wool!"
A perfectly synchronized army materialized out of thin air in the snow. Clad in heavy armor and wielding long spears, their faces were deathly pale and devoid of life. They approached the Zouwu Beast, radiating no sign of life.
"It seems to be the Deaf Spirit army..."
Li Ling was terrified and prepared to unleash her Spiritual Light Flame attack to drive them away.
Li Weiyi stopped her.
The ancient Dead Spirit army, sensing a certain aura on the Zouwu Beast's back, quickly retreated and vanished into the wind.
"They must be the heroic spirits from the great battle a thousand years ago," Li Ling explained, "They've become ghosts and still patrol the mountain ridge. I suspect it was Master's aura that scared them off."
They crossed the mountain ridge.
They had completely entered the eternally dark Nether Realm.
Standing on high ground, they gazed at the former Yun Prefecture.
The mountains were shrouded in gloom, the vast land stretching out in a desolate expanse. On the horizon, a cluster of blue flames gathered, resembling a Ghost Domain city-state. A river flowed below, reflecting a faint white shimmer.
Leaving the snowy region atop the mountain ridge, the biting cold dissipated, and Li Weiyi put away his Ghost Banner.
The air remained frigid, completely different from the Lingxiao Realm, but still bearable.
Li Ling held up her Nether Lamp and said, "We won't descend to the mountain's base. We absolutely must not enter the Nether Realm of the Dead. Instead, we'll follow the mountain range north, which will lead us to Zhi Prefecture, one of the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Border. Beyond Zhi Prefecture lies Qiu Prefecture, one of the Ten Central Provinces."
Li Weiyi's ears twitched. He looked back at the mountain ridge they had just crossed, now shrouded in a blizzard.
In the howling wind, the low, mournful wail of a flute grew clearer.
"It's him! Hide quickly!"
Li Weiyi was no stranger to this flute's haunting melody, and he held it in deep dread. He immediately activated the Nightwalker's Garment's invisibility power and swiftly dropped to the ground.
Li Ling's Nether Lamp dimmed, and she crouched beside him.
"Boom!"
On the snow-covered ridge of the mountain peak, two figures clashed fiercely. The clash of swords rang out, punctuated by the roar of a dragon.
The mountain's summit exploded repeatedly, triggering avalanches and shattering the Nether Realm of the Dead's eerie silence with deafening roars.
Li Weiyi stared intently, his gaze fixed on the dazzling, radiant wings on Jiang Ning's back.
He was astonished: "She's still hunting the Dragon Sect inheritor? They've chased him all the way from Burial Immortal Town to the Nether Realm of the Dead?"
Beside him, Li Ling's icy voice cut through the air: "A Phoenix Terrace Envoy can't even defeat a Dragon Sect brat? It seems Lingxiao Palace has truly fallen into decline."
Her tone was completely different!
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END OF CHAPTER
[END OF VOLUME 2]
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