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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 1: [Nether Realm of the Dead]
Chapter 22: [Fairy Yu]
(22nd of Volume 1)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The relief carvings on the two magnificent bronze doors presented two completely different artistic moods.
The left door, "Ten Thousand Lights," depicted a realistic ancient city bustling with the sights and sounds of human life.
After only a moment of gazing at it, Li Weiyi felt as if his soul had been drawn into the scene.
He walked through the night-shrouded streets, surrounded by the shouts of vendors and the clamor of carriages and horses.
The right door, "Netherworld Star River," exuded a grand and imposing aura.
Countless dense stars converged into a river, resembling the Milky Way in the night sky, except this celestial river which was not silver but a dim, yellowish hue.
"Is this where the master of the Bronze Ship resided? Has he truly passed away?"
Li Weiyi suspected that the garden, radiating Immortal Radiance and mist, might contain hidden springs or mysterious treasures.
Water was a precious commodity on the ship.
Golden Crow Blood and Black Flood Dragon Blood were clearly not meant for casual consumption. They were extremely dangerous and not a fundamental solution to their water shortage.
"Rustle!"
As he stepped onto the stone steps, a gust of wind, seemingly from nowhere, swept past him.
Li Weiyi, emboldened by his extraordinary power, continued upward.
He reached the top of the stone steps.
First, he peered through the gap between the two doors.
The crack was two fingers wide.
His vision revealed a vast space beyond the doors. Beneath a shadow wall constructed of black stone, lay a Tai Chi lake of black and white hues.
At the lake's center stood a terrifying giant sword, its body forged from two contrasting materials: a deep, forest-black metal and a crimson metal.
Li Weiyi extended his hands, channeling the Scorching Qi Flow surging from the sole of his right foot, and attempted to push the doors open.
"Boom!"
Even before his hands could reach the bronze doors, a mountain-crushing force surged forward, sending him flying backward like a fallen leaf. He landed lightly on the ground below the stone steps.
"New master of the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish, this door is not yet meant for you. You are the one who bears the Karma (Cause and effect), not the creator of it. Leave now..."
A faint voice echoed in his mind, as if spoken directly into his thoughts, or perhaps emanating from the bronze doors themselves.
"Who are you? What karmic consequences are you talking about?" Li Weiyi asked.
There was no response.
"Whoosh!"
The air trembled as a semi-transparent light curtain rose along the courtyard walls, enveloping the entire garden.
It took a long time to dissipate.
'It's ordering me to leave!'
Li Weiyi immediately retreated, his gaze fixed on the massive bronze gate. He couldn't shake the feeling that the voice he'd heard hadn't belonged to this era, but rather to an ancient person from a thousand years ago conversing with someone from the present.
It was a strange sensation.
Without a doubt, the Bronze Ship's departure, including their own demise, was inextricably linked to the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish.
'Master, Master, you must have known something.'
'What terrifying karmic consequences must one endure to become the leader of the Chan Sect?'
"Li Weiyi!"
Cai Yutong's voice called from behind him.
"Senior Sister..."
Li Weiyi exhaled deeply, quickly clearing his mind of all distractions.
He turned around... but the smile that had just begun to form on his face froze instantly.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Cai Yutong from head to toe.
'Is this really Senior Sister Cai?'
Cai Yutong was wearing Qi Shanshan's white doctor's coat, which barely reached halfway down her thighs, leaving her impossibly long, straight jade legs almost entirely exposed.
More importantly, her skin was even whiter than the doctor's coat, delicate and lustrous like carved celestial jade, crystal clear and shimmering with a faint glow.
Her long, raven-black hair cascaded naturally, creating a stark contrast against her alabaster skin.
Her eyes, as if cleansed by a divine spring, were far brighter than before, brimming with spirituality.
Her lips, untouched by lipstick, were moist and crimson, like carved rubies.
Her natural beauty had always been exceptional, but now...
It was no longer a matter of mere beauty; she seemed to have become a celestial being.
There wasn't a single flaw on her, as if she embodied all the world's perfection.
Simply standing there, she transformed her surroundings into a celestial realm, even amidst the eerie and terrifying Soul Sea outside.
Li Weiyi had always considered himself highly resistant to female beauty, focusing instead on martial arts.
But Cai Yutong's current appearance struck him with an overwhelming shock.
This wasn't Senior Sister Cai anymore.
This was Fairy Yu!
If we stripped the red robe from the White Bone Demon in the ice coffin and put it on her, wouldn't she look exactly like a true fairy descending to the mortal realm?
"You've been staring at Yutong the whole time. Are you sure you don't know she's wearing nothing underneath?" With Cai Yutong present, Qi Shanshan's fear of Li Weiyi diminished slightly.
Li Weiyi quickly averted his gaze and silently practiced the Jade Void (Yuxu) Breathing Technique to calm his racing heart.
Then, he took off his outer garment and handed it to her, "Wear mine for now. Do you... do you need pants too?"
Cai Yutong replied, "If I go back wearing your clothes and pants, what will the research team members think?"
Li Weiyi considered this carefully and realized she had a point.
He turned his gaze to Qi Shanshan.
Qi Shanshan said, "I could take off my clothes again, but then I'd be left with..."
Li Weiyi interrupted, "What I meant was, Doctor Qi, could you go back to the cabin at the ship's bow and fetch some clothes?"
"Alright!"
Qi Shanshan dared not complain and headed toward the ship's tower passage.
She had witnessed Cai Yutong drink the Golden Crow Blood, shed her mortal shell, and emerge like a butterfly from its cocoon, revealing a flawless, ethereal body. As someone who had always valued beauty, she naturally felt envious.
But the thought that she too could drink the Golden Crow Blood quickly dispelled her envy and jealousy.
As long as Zhao Meng recovered, the future remained bright.
Li Weiyi, don't let your current arrogance fool you.
Who knows who will be on top in the end?
.....
Cai Yutong seemed indifferent to whether she was wearing anything underneath, lacking the affected shyness of someone feigning modesty.
"She just told me everything! Actually... she sensed a crisis of life and death ahead of time. Feeling insecure, she was trying to find a way out."
"Senior Sister, are you pleading for her?"
"She saved me."
Li Weiyi said, "Does Senior Sister know what really happened on the ship? Hearing it from someone else and witnessing it firsthand might be entirely different. And I don't think Senior Sister knows Doctor Qi as well as you think!"
"She saved you too," Cai Yutong replied.
A gust of wind swept across the sea, billowing the white coat of her medical uniform.
Li Weiyi quickly averted his gaze and sighed: "Precisely because she saved me, this decision is harder than any I've ever made... Senior Sister, why don't you put on my clothes first? I even suggest you wear a hat and face covering. If you return to the Expedition Team like this, I fear chaos will erupt again soon."
He thought Cai Yutong's current beauty was irresistible, a temptation that could drive many to desperate acts.
A beautiful woman is a disaster, and Cai Yutong was no exception.
"Alright, everyone should be responsible for their own mistakes. You make your own decision."
Cai Yutong looked up at the sky, "The sky seems to be getting brighter. The light is coming from... the bow of the ship."
Calculating the time, it should be dawn.
But the Soul Sea had no night or day, only the starry sky.
Why was there light in the sky?
Not only light, but also clouds had appeared.
"Dawn?" Li Weiyi couldn't believe it.
In the direction the Bronze Ship was sailing, a bright glow was indeed visible ahead.
The stars were rapidly fading and dimming, and the darkness was receding.
It was like the arrival of morning.
Looking out at the sea beyond the bulwark, the inky black water was now covered in golden ripples. The sea was no longer filled with wraiths, and golden clouds had formed in the sky.
These clouds were massive and low-hanging.
"Great! Those eerie and terrifying wraiths are finally gone. I have a feeling there must be land somewhere in this world," Li Weiyi said, his spirits soaring. His face was lit up with a radiant smile.
Lately, both the external environment and internal turmoil have been overwhelmingly oppressive.
After waiting for nearly an hour, the darkness and starry sky had completely vanished.
The sea and sky were now bathed in golden dawn light.
The expansive view was refreshing and invigorating.
Yet Qi Shanshan still hadn't returned with their clothes.
"Something's happened. We can't wait any longer."
Cai Yutong tied Li Weiyi's clothes around her waist and headed toward the ship's tower passage.
Li Weiyi agreed with Cai Yutong's assessment. Qi Shanshan must have encountered trouble; otherwise, she wouldn't have been gone so long.
But what dangers could possibly exist on the ship?
Li Weiyi and Cai Yutong walked all the way to the bow of the ship without finding Qi Shanshan.
Outside the medical tent, they encountered Qin Ke.
Qin Ke exclaimed joyfully, "Brother Weiyi! Where have you been? Everyone's been looking for you! Hurry and go to the bow beyond the Nether Mist - a miracle has appeared!"
"Brother Weiyi?"
Cai Yutong looked at Li Weiyi. She clearly remembered that Professor Xu's students were all graduate students, several years older than Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi asked, "Sister Qin, have you seen Doctor Qi?"
Hearing the familiar address "Sister Qin," Qin Ke paused slightly before replying, "No, everyone thought she was with you last night."
Li Weiyi and Cai Yutong exchanged glances.
Qi Shanshan couldn't have fled to escape punishment, could she?
Where could she even run?
Besides, Li Weiyi believed he had made his intentions clear: he wouldn't expose her and would give her a chance to redeem herself.
Qin Ke's gaze shifted from Li Weiyi to Cai Yutong, and she couldn't tear her eyes away.
More importantly, Dr. Cai had Li Weiyi's clothes tied around her waist.
So they had been together last night.
"Dr. Cai... you..."
Even Qin Ke, a woman herself, was stunned by Cai Yutong's beauty, her mouth agape.
She lowered her head, consumed by self-reproach and inferiority, and desperately wanted to flee.
"I'll go check my reflection and change clothes."
Cai Yutong felt her appearance might be a bit too extraordinary.
What use was being beautiful for a scientist?
Would it earn her the Priestley Medal?
Li Weiyi stepped out of the Nether Mist and onto the ship's bow.
Finally witnessing the miracle Qin Ke had described, his scalp prickled with goosebumps, and he was so stunned he held his breath.
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END OF CHAPTER
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