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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 70 (97): [The Ashen Domain]
(70th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The distance of fifty to sixty meters could be crossed in an instant by Li Weiyi's current cultivation.
But within this dimly lit Spider Cave, choked with spiderwebs and fraught with peril, the path seemed eerily deep, as if he were stepping further and further into the eerie darkness of the Netherworld.
His mind was on high alert, his senses fully engaged, vigilant of his footing and the shadows around him.
After advancing over forty meters toward the Cistanche, Li Weiyi stopped, turning back to look.
Ten meters behind him, Yin Ershi Si's slender, ethereal figure was slightly blurred, but her cold, beautiful face remained visible.
Further away, Yaoyin by the Blood River was reduced to the size of a fingertip, almost completely swallowed by the darkness.
They were already far apart.
Ahead lay the unknown territory shrouded in purple mist.
The seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors had been incredibly powerful, yet they had vanished without a trace after entering, never to return.
As their master, Li Weiyi had lost all connection with them.
At the center of the purple mist, the Cistanche stood over a meter tall, radiating a crystalline glow and shimmering with radiant colors.
But its alluring form and the medicinal fragrance it emitted no longer held any appeal for Li Weiyi.
Instead, it now seemed like a seductive, venomous beauty, stripped bare and flaunting her alluring form - a creature of extreme danger.
Yin Ershi Si tightened the spider silk rope and nodded to him.
With a Five Seas Realm expert providing support behind him, Li Weiyi felt a surge of confidence.
He raised the Yellow Dragon Sword, secretly channeling his Spiritual Power to activate the Corpse Garment Soft Armor he wore beneath his clothes. Then, he took a step into the Purple Mist Zone.
"Whoosh!"
It was like stepping into the eye of a storm.
His body swayed, his feet left the ground, and everything vanished from his sight.
Inside the Purple Mist Zone, the reality was far from the tranquil surface. It was a chaotic maelstrom of untamed forces.
Li Weiyi's heart pounded in terror.
Shouting, "Pull me back!" he struggled to regain his footing.
His feet finally touched the ground, and he stumbled out of the Purple Mist Zone, only to freeze in shock.
He was no longer in the Spider Cave.
"Where... am I?"
Beneath his feet lay the finest black sand, so fine it resembled dust.
Before him stretched a vast expanse, dotted with towering Yardang landforms - bizarre, jagged mounds carved by wind erosion.
The eerie purple glow of the Cistanche illuminated the scene.
A hundred paces away lay the edge of the Purple Mist, fading into the darkness. But Li Weiyi believed that beyond the darkness lay an even vaster expanse.
The spider silk rope at his waist had long since snapped, but he didn't know how. He turned back abruptly. The Purple Mist still shrouded the area, swirling and shifting into various forms amidst the wind and sand.
"Li... Weiyi..."
A faint, distant voice echoed.
Moments later, Yin Ershi Si drifted through the Purple Mist like a weightless leaf, then suddenly plummeted sideways.
Li Weiyi flicked out a strand of Spiritual Qi.
She quickly regained her balance and floated to the ground.
As her feet touched down, she immediately noticed something amiss. The ground was even softer than desert sand, her legs sinking half a foot deep.
Releasing more Spiritual Qi, she lightened her body and slowly pulled her legs free.
After surveying her surroundings, Yin Ershi Si's eyes widened in growing shock.
"How could there be such an eerie place beneath the Jiu Li Insect Valley? This doesn't look like the nest of a Flying Winged White Spider."
"Why didn't you pull me back?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yin Ershi Si glared at him, her large, round eyes filled with annoyance.
"I pulled with all my power! I even snapped the spider silk rope - but I couldn't hold you back at all."
Li Weiyi realized the gravity of the situation.
While cautiously scanning their surroundings, he walked toward the Purple Mist.
"You shouldn't have come in here! You should have taken Yaoyin and left immediately to seek help from the Hidden Lord. I have a feeling this place..."
The moment Li Weiyi stepped into the Purple Mist, he lost his balance and was violently swept back by a chaotic and powerful force, thrown several meters away.
Yin Ershi Si exhaled deeply, her breath transforming into a gentle breeze that enveloped him.
Of course, she knew Li Weiyi's suggestion was the wisest course of action, but she stubbornly retorted, "I'm in the Five Seas Realm. It's my duty and responsibility to bring you back unharmed."
After landing and regaining his footing, Li Weiyi's eyes flickered with wariness. He pointed at the Purple Mist, as if to say, "You're in the Five Seas Realm - you try."
Yin Ershi Si exuded the aura of a true powerhouse. She channeled her immense Spiritual Qi into her palms and strode toward the Purple Mist, using her hands to carve a path through the swirling chaos, determined to force her way through.
But the Spiritual Qi emanating from her palms dissipated into nothingness upon contact with the Purple Mist.
The stronger the force she exerted, the greater the recoil.
"Bang!"
Yin Ershi Si was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Li Weiyi didn't even have time to catch her.
Her slender body was almost completely swallowed by the black sand. After a long moment, she crawled out, utterly disheveled.
Her face was covered in dust, her hair bun had come undone, and her waist-length hair hung down in a tangled mess.
Yin Ershi Si quickly composed herself, regaining her aloof, expert demeanor.
"Be careful of the black sand on the ground. If you don't use Spiritual Qi to levitate your feet and body, you risk being buried and sinking deep into the earth, suffocating to death."
Li Weiyi had already noticed this.
He channeled his Spiritual Power into his eyes and gazed into the distance.
"This place doesn't seem naturally formed. It likely holds unfathomable dangers. I only hope Yaoyin is smart enough to return to the Hidden Sect for help immediately."
"Whoosh!"
The Purple Mist surged and churned once more.
Yaoyin, clad in a white cloud-silk robe, plummeted from within.
Li Weiyi closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
Yin Ershi Si immediately stepped forward, her voice laced with frustration: "What are you doing here? We're trapped! You should have fled the Spider Cave immediately and sought help from the Hidden Lord."
Ignoring the two women behind him, Li Weiyi scanned the area and located seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors.
They were circling a six- or seven-meter-tall wind-eroded pillar, excitedly munching on the sandy soil.
Li Weiyi was puzzled.
He used his Mental Power to communicate with them, but received a terrifying response that sent a chill down his spine
They claimed they were eating Cistanche Precious Medicine.
But the purple Cistanche was clearly dozens of meters away...
What they were eating was clearly the sandy soil of the wind-eroded pillar. Li Weiyi's scalp prickled, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He immediately used his Mental Power to tell them the truth, but it was useless. The seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors remained convinced they were consuming Precious Medicine.
"This isn't good... Ah, this place is incredibly dangerous!"
Li Weiyi's voice trembled.
He wanted to rush over and bring the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors back, but as soon as he took a step forward, he immediately retracted his foot, fearing he would suffer the same fate.
He then channeled his Mental Power, inscribed Insect Scrip6t, and forcefully commanded them to return.
The Insect Scriptures within the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors flickered, unable to withstand Li Weiyi's Mental Power, which had reached the "Square Inch Bright Flame" realm. They flapped their wings and flew back, but as soon as they reached Li Weiyi's side, they plummeted to the ground, their bellies swollen like spheres, hard and unyielding to the touch.
Yin Ershi Si and Yaoyin had arrived behind Li Weiyi earlier and witnessed the bizarre scene. They were terrified and wanted nothing more than to flee immediately.
"Let's go, quickly!"
Li Weiyi stuffed the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors into his Insect Tube and charged toward the Purple Mist, activating his Yellow Dragon Sword and slashing through it.
Yin Ershi Si and Yaoyin also unleashed their own attacks.
Unfortunately, instead of clearing a path, the Purple Mist Zone shrank further after being struck, eventually vanishing completely.
"What's going on?"
Li Weiyi rushed forward, first swinging his sword and then waving his hand. The area where the Purple Mist had been was now empty, utterly desolate. His face darkened: "Now we're completely trapped!"
Yaoyin knelt down, studying the fine dust and black sand on the ground, "Sister, do you think this could be an Ashen Domain?"
Yin Ershi Si had already sensed something amiss. She replied gravely, "Perhaps, but how could that be? We're underground. The books say even the smallest Ashen Domain is hundreds of miles wide."
"What's an Ashen Domain?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yaoyin replied, "I've never seen one myself, but according to ancient texts, the Lingxiao Realm has six or seven such mysterious places. In these Ashen Domains, all life has vanished, and danger lurks everywhere. That's why each Ashen Domain is also known as an Ashen Hell."
"The largest and most dangerous Ashen Domain, according to records, lies west of the Western Border Domain State. It spans tens of thousands of miles and is impossible for humans to cross. Legend says it's the remnant of an Ancient Immortal who burned down an entire Lingxiao Realm."
"Look at this sand beneath our feet. Doesn't it look like ash left after wood burns? It's so soft and loose that without using Spiritual Qi to support our bodies, we'll slowly sink deeper and deeper into the earth."
Li Weiyi didn't know much about Ashen Domain, but he understood the danger of their current predicament.
"With our cultivation levels, we can't maintain a constant flow of Spiritual Qi. We must find a way out quickly."
Yin Ershi Si looked up, exhaling a wisp of Spiritual Qi to form a misty bridge. With a graceful twist of her waist, she leaped onto the bridge, aiming to reach the top of the Ashen Domain.
She soared upwards for dozens of meters before plummeting back down, caught by Li Weiyi's Spiritual Qi.
"What did you see?"
She shook her head, her expression grave.
"I couldn't see the top. This place defies all logic."
Li Weiyi pondered for a moment, then retrieved the Ghost Banner, unfolded it, and placed it on the ground. He sat on it to cushion his natural descent. Closing his eyes, he used his Mental Power to consult his three Masters in the Blood Mud Space.
The three elders were far more knowledgeable than those two young girls, aged fifteen and sixteen.
Even Five Seas Realm experts were unreliable in the face of true danger.
Master Coffin said, "I don't know much about the Hidden Sect, so I wasn't aware of such a strange place. Based on your description, it does sound like the Ashen Domain."
"The Ashen Domain is filled with countless dangers, each more bizarre than the last. It's impossible to guess what the Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor encountered earlier. But it's likely some mysterious external force interfering with its consciousness."
"You could try your unique Breathing Technique to clear your mind and resist external influences."
Spirit Tablet Master suggested, "You could also try using Mental Power! I'll teach you a Psychic (Telekinesis) Technique to cultivate a Psychic Eye."
Master Guan added, "Shine your Golden Vein on it. It might reveal the evil presence. As long as your Yang Qi is strong enough, you'll be immune to all evil."
Master Guan's words reminded Li Weiyi that the four-month mark since the Six Desires Talisman had been planted was fast approaching. He still hadn't received the pill the Hidden Lord had promised.
No one knew when the Six Desires Talisman would erupt.
Being trapped in this damned place would be a real problem.
Master Coffin said, "Since we were able to get in, there must be a way out. The key is to first decipher the layout of this place. I suspect this Ashen Domain was artificially created."
Li Weiyi withdrew his Mental Power from the Blood Mud Space and glanced at the two women a few dozen feet away, who were still trying various methods to find an exit. They hadn't noticed the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish had just activated.
"The Evil Camel Bell does contain some food, but three of us sharing it won't last more than a few days."
He cleared his mind of all distractions and began practicing the Spiritual Eye Mental Technique taught by his Spirit Tablet Master.
About three hours later, Yin Ershi Si and Yaoyin had exhausted all their methods. Not only had they failed to find a way out, but their Spiritual Qi had also been completely depleted. They had no choice but to sit on the Ghost Banner and practice their Breathing Technique to recover their strength.
"Whoosh!"
Li Weiyi formed a hand seal, raised it above his head, and slowly lowered it to his forehead.
Spiritual light bright flame emanated from his brow, condensing into a golden, radiant eye.
According to Senior Spirit Tablet, this was a Daoist esoteric technique called the Heavenly Insight Eye, completely different from the Spiritual Power Eye of ordinary Great Mind Masters. Even in its nascent form, it could pierce illusions, see through veils, and discern subtle traces.
'It was her favourite technique!'
It was with this very technique that she had defeated Master Coffin in a coffin-opening competition, forging a bond that led to their marriage.
Li Weiyi gazed into the distance with his Heavenly Insight Eye, its golden light illuminating the surroundings.
He saw the Yardang landforms, eroded hills shaped by the wind, shifting in position, as if two worlds had become misaligned and layered on top of each other.
Without a doubt, one world was real, and the other was false.
He immediately stood up and swiftly stripped off his upper robe, revealing a muscular physique sculpted with perfect lines.
"Whoosh! Whoosh..."
Golden Veins emerged beneath his skin, intertwining like dragons, coursing through his body and illuminating the area around him.
Yin Ershi Si was startled. Sitting atop her Ghost Banner, she raised her head and stared, her eyes wide with astonishment, her heart filled with indescribable shock. She had always considered herself a top-tier genius, and after reaching the Five Seas Realm, she had looked down on the younger generation, rarely finding anyone worthy of her attention.
Yet Li Weiyi, standing beside her, was only at the Eighth Spring Realm. The extraordinary aura radiating from him rivaled that of Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators and Great Mind Masters.
She suspected that once he broke through to the Nine Springs, he could challenge her with pure strength.
Yaoyin's eyes shimmered with admiration, her gaze openly filled with wonder and appreciation.
Li Weiyi's body seemed sculpted by the hands of a god, not only aesthetically perfect but also radiating a masculine charm that could draw in one's very soul.
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END OF CHAPTER
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