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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 16 (271): [Alone]
(16th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Over the next two days, Li Weiyi and Zuoqiu Qingying became close friends, sharing everything.
Through this connection, Li Weiyi successfully borrowed the Zuoqiu Clan's alchemy room.
Refining a high-grade spiritual pill like the Star Spiritual Pill required extremely precise control over the alchemy furnace and flames.
Yin Er was a practical man, known for his efficiency. The very next day, he dispatched someone to deliver thirty drops of Extreme Spirit Light Dew to Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain.
With the materials now complete, Zen Hai Guanwu couldn't wait to begin.
If she hadn't promised to help Li Weiyi refine the pill, she would have already left for Fu Prefecture.
Zuoqiu Qingying watched Li Ling enter the alchemy room and casually close the door behind her, looking utterly astonished.
"Li Ling can already refine pills?"
"Her? She's a complete wimp. She's a Calamity Fire Realm Great Spiritual Master. She couldn't possibly refine a spiritual pill."
Li Weiyi changed the subject, asking, "Sister Qingying, are you already a Spiritual Master?"
Zuoqiu Qingying's eyes flashed with pride, but she modestly replied, "I've only just entered the Spiritual Master Realm."
"A one-star Spiritual (Psychic) Master?" Li Weiyi asked.
[T/N: As mentioned in the previous note, I will be using different names for certain terms. In this case, both One Star Spiritual Master and One Star Psychic Master will be used interchangeably, as they convey the same meaning.]
A Calamity Fire Realm Great Spiritual Master, after undergoing the Nine Refinements of Calamity Fire, must condense a Spiritual Power Star to truly become a Spiritual Master.
Spiritual Masters are ranked from one to nine stars.
In terms of combat strength, they are roughly comparable to Dao Seed Realm experts on the Martial-Mystic Path.
Zuoqiu Qingying nodded and sighed: "Weiyi, the path of Spiritual (Psychic) Power cultivation is not easy. It's far more challenging than the Martial-Mystic Path, and the cost is immense. The Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone fragment is a shortcut, but it's too expensive. My father tried to negotiate with Elder Qi, but that old man is stubborn and won't budge for anyone."
"However, there is another path we can try."
Li Weiyi's eyes lit up with hope.
"What is it?" he asked eagerly.
Zuoqiu Qingying replied, "You could join the Secret Realm Division! Members of the Secret Realm Division, due to their constant exposure to extremely dangerous environments, can purchase clan resources at sixty percent of the regular price. Additionally, they can use Merit Points instead of Yongquan Coins for payment."
Li Weiyi frowned: "Even at sixty percent, that's still 1.2 million Yongquan Coins. I still can't afford it."
Zuoqiu Qingying chuckled: "Are you foolish? You may not have Merit Points, but my father has been in the Secret Realm Division for thirty years. He's accumulated quite a few."
"But... There is no reward without effort!" Li Weiyi fell silent.
Zuoqiu Qingying continued, "If it weren't for your desperate efforts at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, the Zuoqiu Clan wouldn't have won! I heard the first batch of resources from Calamity Crossing Temple, which supports the Zuoqiu Clan, has already arrived at Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain. This includes three Immortality Pills per year... You should know that in the past thousand years, Lingxiao Palace only received ten Immortality Pills every sixty years."
In Zen Hai Guanwu's era, the Calamity Crossing Temple provided her with ten Immortality Pills each year to aid her in her quest for supremacy.
However, the Lingxiao Realm then encompassed three hundred provinces, and the number of Martial-Mystic Cultivators far exceeded that of the present era, making the situation far more complex.
Li Weiyi was stunned: "Does this mean Thirteenth Uncle will soon break through to the Immortal Realm?"
Zuoqiu Qingying shook her head gently, but the joy in her eyes was unmistakable: "Not quite that soon. My father only recently reached the Ninth Level of the Dao Seed Realm and still needs time to accumulate strength. But becoming an Immortal Realm Giant is just a matter of time. So, those Merit Points he's been saving are better used to help you. Don't feel burdened - the Zuoqiu Clan owes you this."
Li Weiyi smiled: "To refuse again would be disingenuous... Thank you, Sister Qingying. Thank you, Thirteenth Uncle."
"However, before joining the Secret Realm Division, you'll still need to go through the motions. At least one mission in a Secret Realm is required," Zuoqiu Qingying said.
Li Weiyi replied, "Of course. But I'd like to wait a little longer. I want to try seeding the Dao in the Wind Mansion. Once I become a Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator, it won't be too late to undertake a Secret Realm mission."
Zuoqiu Qingying smiled radiantly, her charm captivating: "No need to rush. Focus on your cultivation. Come to me if you need anything. Treat the Zuoqiu Clan as your own home."
....
It took Zen Hai Guanwu five days to refine the Star Spiritual Pill, yielding a total of twenty-nine pills.
The success rate was astonishingly high.
Li Weiyi asked, "When are you leaving?"
"Tonight," Zen Hai Guanwu replied.
Li Weiyi said, "So soon? Since this matter is so crucial, why not just tell the Zuoqiu Clan and let them figure it out?"
"If we can learn something, those old geezers must know something too. Don't underestimate the Transcendent of This Era; they've lived for over a thousand years, which is no simple feat."
Zen Hai Guanwu's beautiful eyes clouded with smoke as she continued, "I'm going because I have a compelling reason to. The three old geezers will accompany me, and Li Yuanzhe's Nine Emperors Banner will be invaluable."
Li Yuanzhe was Master Coffin, the leader of the Jiu Li Tribe a thousand years ago.
Zen Hai Guanwu, Li Ling, Master Coffin, Master Guan, and Spirit Tablet Master left together that night.
Li Weiyi didn't join them, knowing exactly what he should and shouldn't be doing at that moment.
What he should be doing was cultivating in seclusion, striving to complete the Nine Refinements of Calamity Fire as quickly as possible and break through to Spiritual Master. If he could truly activate the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish's temporal (Time) power, his cultivation speed would be completely transformed.
At the same time, he needed to continue refining his qi and cultivating the Sixth Sea.
As Master Coffin left, he used the Spatial Power of the Nine Emperors Banner to inject the Dao Fruit into Li Weiyi's Wind Mansion, expanding it to 20,000 cubic meters.
The addition of 10,000 cubic meters of Spiritual Qi would require at least two months of refinement.
The Wind Mansion's ultimate limit remained unknown, far from reaching full cultivation.
When Li Weiyi returned to the Blood Mud Space, the world was eerily silent, filled with an unprecedented sense of loneliness.
Zen Hai Guanwu was nowhere to be seen on the Jade Boat, and Master Guan's constant chatter was absent from the depths below.
Master Coffin's coffin, Spirit Tablet Master's spirit tablet, and the Yongquan Coins from the five boxes... all gone!
"Why do I feel like she completely ransacked my home? Could this Mist Heavenly Emperor be trying to scam me into marriage?"
Li Weiyi sighed deeply, leaping onto the Jade Boat to begin his solitary cultivation. But there, he found a dozen shimmering ice crystals scattered across the deck.
Inside each crystal were five Dragon Bones and seven Dragon Seeds.
"This..."
Li Weiyi couldn't believe his eyes. He quickly retrieved his Boundary Pouch and took out the four Dragon Bones, two Dragon Seeds, and one Immortality Pill he already possessed.
"Alright, I misjudged her! She does love giving surprises... She must have also taken the Immortality Pill. She knew I had one, so she didn't leave me any?"
Li Weiyi took out seven Dragon Bones and handed them to Little Seven.
These seven little fellows had helped him countless times. Without their assistance in several fierce battles, the consequences could have been drastically different.
Now, each was nine inches long, with combat power comparable to a first-level Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator.
Of course, even within the first level of the Dao Seed Realm, there was a vast disparity in combat strength.
Even excluding Inheritor-level figures, a first-level Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator like Wang Zhi could only be considered average.
First, he hadn't cultivated a Dao Technique.
Second, he wasn't a Pure Immortal Physique.
Third, his battle weapon was only a First-Grade Hundred-Character Artifact.
If Little Seven could each absorb the power of one more Dragon Bone, their combat power would undoubtedly reach the peak of the first level of the Dao Seed Realm. They might even be able to challenge second-level experts.
Li Weiyi sat cross-legged on the Jade Boat.
The Star Spiritual Pill bottle still contained twenty-one pills.
The remaining eight had been taken by Li Ling.
"Old Li owes me big this time! Otherwise, his daughter will become a Spiritual Master before she turns twenty, and he'll be grinning from ear to ear!"
Li Weiyi held a Star Spiritual Pill between his fingers. Its light was blindingly bright. He tried to make out the pill's markings, but couldn't even open his eyes.
He swallowed it in one gulp!
As the Medicinal Pill entered his abdomen, a warm power spread through every inch of his flesh and pores.
His entire being was illuminated, radiating brilliant divine light that filled the Blood Mud Space with radiant light.
He activated the Fusang Divine Tree Meditation Technique, visualizing himself as the two towering Fusang trees, channeling the spiritual qi emanating from the Medicinal Pill, strand by strand, into his Spirit Realm for repeated refinement and transformation of his Spiritual Light.
The First Refinement of the Calamity Fire took him a full three days.
Over the next three months, Li Weiyi cultivated in seclusion while awaiting news from Zen Hai Guanwu.
He focused on the Nine Refinements of Calamity Fire, refining his Spiritual Qi, cultivating the Chan Sect's Twelve Dispersed Hands, and researching methods for condensing a Dao Seed.
He cultivated both the Martial-Mystic Path and Spiritual Power simultaneously.
With the aid of nine Star Spiritual Pills, he achieved the Nine Refinements of Calamity Fire in just three months - a feat that typically took other Great Spiritual Masters in the Calamity Fire Realm years, even decades, to accomplish.
In his brow center spirit realm, his Spiritual Light burned with intense brilliance, almost liquefying.
Yet, despite numerous attempts, he couldn't condense a Spiritual Power Star.
"Spiritual Masters are truly difficult to cultivate," he mused, "Each step requires extensive time for accumulation and repeated refinement. I wonder if Yin Er has any news about Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone fragments or Millennial Essence Herbs?"
With this thought, Li Weiyi placed the Little Seven into his insect pouch, left his Cave Dwelling, and descended the mountain.
When Zuoqiu Qingying heard that Li Weiyi had emerged from seclusion, she caught up with him at the mountain gate.
"Weiyi, I heard someone is publicly buying Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone fragments in Qiu Prefecture City in your name?"
Li Weiyi smiled: "The Jiu Li Hidden Sect is helping me search. We have to try every method. Oh, Sister Qingying, do you have any Secret Realm missions coming up? I'm free now!"
Zuoqiu Qingying's eyes lit up, then she smiled: "The Secret Realm Division's personnel are almost all in Fu Prefecture's underground. But there are a few less dangerous missions we could do together."
"When can we leave?" Li Weiyi asked.
Zuoqiu Qingying replied, "If you're in a hurry, I can help you join the Secret Realm Division tomorrow, and we can depart right after."
"That's wonderful! I'll go tell the Jiu Li Hidden Sect first. We'll leave tomorrow," Li Weiyi said, expressing his gratitude again.
Watching Li Weiyi's joyful departure, Zuoqiu Qingying's smile faded. She turned and headed toward the Council Hall in the Fourth Heaven.
Li Weiyi and Yin Er sat in a noodle shop by the bridge, each having ordered a bowl of soup noodles.
"There's news about the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone," Yin Er said, "The Snow Sword Tang Court secretly contacted my people a few days ago, claiming they have it. But they insisted on speaking with you personally. I suspect a trap, so I didn't agree right away. The existence of the seven Strange Insects has made many people covet you."
Li Weiyi added some vinegar to his noodles and chuckled: "Who says it's not true? I'm innocent, yet my treasure makes me a target. Hmm! Tang Wanqiu seems reliable, and the Snow Sword Tang Court shouldn't be too bad. Let's meet them!"
"Also, tell Yin Wu to meet me outside the North City gate tomorrow at noon. We're going on a long journey."
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END OF CHAPTER
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