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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 6: [Battle for the True Inheritance]
Chapter 40 (581): [A Cycle of Years]
(40th of Volume 6)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The gray-white Wither-Flourish Zone enveloped the entire border of the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom, resembling an ethereal city wall guarding the once-magnificent civilization.
Legend held that it was the "Void Curse," cast by the Void Ruins Empress at the cost of her own life.
The five invading armies suffered countless casualties, all trapped within the Wither-Flourish Zone with no escape.
Ultimately, under the curse's influence, their lifespans withered away, leading to their demise.
Even now, any living or Dead spirit daring to breach the Wither-Flourish Zone would have their lifespan eroded by the curse's power.
Entry was only possible during the Wither-Flourish Zone's weak cycle, when the Void Divine Token could resist the Void Curse.
Yet even then, those who ventured into the ancient kingdom would still lose a portion of their lifespan.
The higher one's cultivation level, the greater the lifespan lost.
Li Weiyi and Changyu Jian were discussing this very matter.
"With our First Realm cultivation, a round trip should cost us about three years of lifespan."
"Those in the Second Realm suffer even more severely, losing around ten years of lifespan."
"A Third Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator who enters loses about fifteen years of lifespan, and the same amount upon exiting. If they achieve the Fourth Realm while inside, they'll lose forty years upon exiting. Reaching the Fifth Realm means losing a staggering one hundred and twenty years upon exiting. Without immense courage and ambition, no one dares enter the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom. Now you understand why Mo Duanfeng and Bai Chuan were in such a hurry!"
Changyu Jian murmured, "I suspect they wouldn't dare attempt a Breakthrough to the Fourth Realm within the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom. They're likely just willing to sacrifice thirty years of lifespan to search for treasures. But Chu Yutian, if he goes mad, he might actually attempt a Breakthrough to the Fourth Realm."
Li Weiyi calculated, "So, a Great Immortal cultivator in the Fourth Realm would lose eighty years of lifespan for a single round trip. For a Fifth Realm Great Immortal cultivator, it's a staggering two hundred and forty years."
"That's why we don't need to worry about encountering Great Immortal cultivators," Changyu Jian chuckled, "Who would waste eighty years of lifespan on a dangerous journey for uncertain opportunities? What treasure could possibly be worth eighty years of life? Besides, how many Fourth Realm Great Immortal cultivators even have eighty years of lifespan left?"
Li Weiyi thought of the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish: "Could someone be hiding within a secret treasure, able to evade the Void Ruins Empress's Vid Curse?"
"If it were that simple, the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor would have erased the Wither-Flourish Zone long ago. How could it still exist? Even hiding within a Supreme Spiritual Artifact wouldn't work," Changyu Jian said.
Over the next few days, Li Weiyi stopped refining talismans and instead attempted to break the Cosmic (Qiankun) Shackle four more times.
The cracks on the Cosmic (Qiankun) Shackle had now reached twelve.
After traveling over ten thousand miles through the Wither-Flourish Zone, Tang Wanzhou finally stopped and retrieved the Void Divine Token.
"This should be the place. Everyone, stay close."
"Whoosh!"
She channeled her Spiritual Qi into the token.
Immediately, a cyan mist emanated from the token, enveloping a thirty-meter radius around her.
Everyone recalled their Dead-Soul Spirit Beasts and quickly gathered around Tang Wanzhou.
Then, shrouded in the cyan mist, they strode into the gray-white Wither-Flourish Zone.
"Sizzle!"
The moment Li Weiyi entered the Wither-Flourish Zone, he felt a strange transformation in his body.
He grew intensely fatigued, as if his essence, qi, and spirit were being corroded, and his flesh and skin burned with a stinging pain.
A moment later, a searing heat erupted from his chest, originating from the location of the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish.
The sensation of being eroded by the Void Curse vanished completely.
Li Weiyi glanced at his palm.
Cyan Time Cocoon Silk emerged from his skin, enveloping him like a suit of armor.
Everyone else was activating their spiritual artifact battle armor, struggling against the invisible force.
No one noticed his peculiar condition.
Li Weiyi carefully concealed his state, activating the protective scriptures of his Shaoyang Division Robe to maintain the appearance of struggling against the force.
"Crack!"
Decayed white bones emerged from the ground, crumbling at the slightest touch.
These were the remains of cultivators who had sought fortune within the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom over the years, their ambition undeterred by the known dangers.
The group traversed the miles-wide Wither-Flourish Zone at top speed, quickly distancing themselves from the area.
After five hundred miles of silent flight, they halted to rest at the ruins of an ancient city, now reduced to earthen walls.
Tang Wanzhou surveyed the group, considering who should stand guard.
"My cultivation is the lowest, and I'm the youngest. I can handle it. You all rest and recover first; I'll take the first watch."
Li Weiyi, his face pale, proactively took responsibility, unwilling to appear useless.
Many present regarded him with newfound respect, but they remained silent, sitting cross-legged in meditation, circulating their cultivation techniques to dispel the weakness from their lifespan depletion.
Li Weiyi ventured outside the Ancient City ruins and released the Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, sending them to patrol the surrounding areas.
He then observed the environment, carefully sensing the world shrouded by the Wither-Flourish Zone's curse: "It's remarkably similar to the Nether Realm of the Dead. The Heaven-Earth Spiritual Qi is thin, infused with dark, strange energy. Prolonged absorption would inevitably affect one's sanity. The Tai Yin Sect's cultivation techniques, derived from the Forbidden Techniques of the Dead Spirits, allow them to absorb Heaven-Earth Spiritual Qi even in the Netherworld, granting them a natural advantage."
As Li Weiyi walked along the edge of the Ancient City Ruins, he crouched down and discovered two footprints on the ground.
These footprints were definitely not left by their group.
The footprints were relatively clear, indicating they had been made within the past ten days.
"Someone passed through here recently?"
"There are only five Void Divine Tokens in existence. It's too much of a coincidence that another group would enter through this same location."
"The higher one's cultivation, the stronger the Curse. Could it be a Martial-Mystic Cultivator with weak cultivation? But if their cultivation is too weak, how could they have reached the depths of the Netherworld?"
Li Weiyi was deeply puzzled.
He released his senses, probing every inch of the area.
Only after searching for a mile did he find two more footprints.
Identical footprints.
"Did they leap directly across? Or is this some advanced movement Dao Technique? Anyone who can cross a mile in a single bound is no weakling."
A sudden, intense sense of unease washed over Li Weiyi.
He was certain he was being watched from afar.
He immediately recalled the Seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors and returned to the Ancient City Ruins to inform the others about his discovery.
Having recovered considerably, they hurried to investigate the footprints.
Tang Wanzhou said, "I chose my entry point into the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom completely at random. I refuse to believe we've stumbled upon another group by sheer coincidence."
"Regardless, since footprints have appeared, we must leave this place immediately. Chasing after them might lead us into danger," Nangong, usually taciturn, suddenly spoke up.
Li Weiyi felt a strange unease.
Nangong's behavior seemed unusual, as if she knew something they didn't.
Tang Wanzhou said, "I've studied Senior Sentinel Spirit's map of the Void Ruins. Let's start by investigating the Nether Domain and Fan Ye Valley, the closest regions to our current location, to assess the situation there."
Mo Duanfeng suddenly spoke up: "I entered the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom under military orders. I have no choice but to compel you all to accompany me to the ancient kingdom's territory bordering the Rainforest Habitat. But I must scout ahead and locate the Tai Yin Sect's forces."
"Holy Commander, I have only one question. If I find them and have an opportunity to strike, will you lead the Shaoyang Division to join us in the attack?"
Tang Wanzhou turned to Bai Chuan.
Bai Chuan replied, "Brother Mo and I have already discussed this. I'll stay behind to protect everyone."
Tang Wanzhou nodded: "If we truly have the advantage of striking from the shadows, we must seize it and deal them a devastating blow."
"Good. With the Holy Commander's word, even if this mission is dangerous, I'll face it with unwavering resolve. I will uncover the enemy's whereabouts."
Mo Duanfeng, his sword case strapped to his back, blurred into motion and vanished beside the earthen wall.
Li Weiyi's impression of him shifted.
This willingness to lead from the front and fight with such determination truly befit his status as a member of the Sentinel Spirit Army.
Any other powerful cultivator would have undoubtedly sent low-cultivation Martial-Mystic Cultivators like Li Weiyi and Liu Ye to scout ahead.
The so-called "Nether Domain" refers to regions shrouded in Nether Spirit Qi, where the flow of time is distorted, with a ratio of approximately ten to one compared to the outside world.
Moreover, under the influence of this temporal distortion, high-grade Essence Herbs, and even Emperor Herbs, often thrive within these domains.
The Nether Soul Divine Essence, for instance, can only be found within the Nether Domain.
"The Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom possessed three supreme treasures: Time Void, Great Chun Tree, and Nether Spirit."
"The Nether Spirit Trees, said to number in the dozens, once grew throughout the kingdom. Tragically, all were destroyed during the war that annihilated the kingdom, leaving only the Nether Domains behind."
Tang Wanzhou turned to Xu Daoqing and asked, "I've heard that the Calamity Crossing Temple cultivates a Nether Spirit sapling. Is this true?"
Xu Daoqing replied, "I've only heard the legend. This humble Daoist has never seen it himself."
The Nether Domain in Fan Ye Valley lay nestled between three majestic peaks, shrouded in a pale blue mist that completely isolated it from the outside world.
From a distance, the mist-shrouded region appeared remarkably vibrant, teeming with vegetation and flowing springs.
Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, this Nether Domain once spanned a thousand-mile radius.
However, its size has steadily diminished as Martial-Mystic Cultivators entered it for cultivation, gradually shrinking its boundaries.
Bai Chuan and the Pipa Woman entered the valley ahead of the group to scout for danger.
Once they confirmed the area was safe, the rest of the party formally settled in, preparing to spend the next decade cultivating within its temporal distortion.
The valley contained Formations left by generations of Senior Sentinel Spirits, but after decades of disuse, they required repair.
This task naturally fell to Li Weiyi and Qing Zijin.
The others were either searching the valley for Essence Herbs and Nether Soul Divine Essence or cleaning their Cave Dwellings and setting up Defensive Formations.
After repairing the valley entrance's Formations, Li Weiyi and Qing Zijin climbed the ancient mountain path, one ahead of the other.
As they ascended, they inscribed Formation Scripts and drove them into the ground.
"Why does this journey feel too smooth?" Li Weiyi asked, pausing halfway up the mountain to gaze at the summit.
The pale blue Nether Spirit Qi there glowed brightly under some kind of radiant light.
"Didn't they say the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom was extremely dangerous?"
"Fan Ye Valley is just a small Nether Domain," Qing Zijin replied, "If you want to seek opportunities in a larger Nether Domain or venture to the capital, Chun City, the real dangers will follow."
"Besides, the Sentinel Spirit Army has the fastest access to information and Space Teleportation Formations. We're likely among the first to enter the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom. In another month or two, things will probably get lively. Of course, within the Nether Domain, we've effectively cultivated for a year or two already, enough time to craft a large number of battle corpse puppets."
She suddenly turned to Li Weiyi, her large eyes filled with encouragement and comfort.
"When the time comes, we'll definitely make them see us in a new light. Bai Chuan's words in the Teleportation Hall weren't just directed at you and Changyu Jian; he belittled all of us First Realm cultivators."
The two ascended one of the three towering peaks and were immediately stunned by the sight before them, holding their breath in awe.
Their eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
At the edge of the world, an enormous moon hung low on the horizon.
Even from tens of thousands of miles away, its colossal size and overwhelming presence were palpable.
They could clearly discern the lunar mountains and valleys, and see rivers of radiant light flowing across its surface.
Under its eerie glow, the mountains, plains, ancient cities, rivers, lakes, and Nether Domains of the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom took on an even more desolate and surreal quality.
Pale blue Nether Spirit Qi swirled across the mountain slope before them.
"That is Void Ruins!" Qing Zijin murmured, her crimson lips parting slightly. Her skin glowed like polished jade in the moonlight.
Li Weiyi asked, "It looks like a planet gently placed on the ground. How can it emit its own light?"
"That is the Fallen Immortal Realm, the source of all time power in the Void Ruins Ancient Kingdom. From now on, we will cultivate on this mountain peak, absorbing the lights of the Void Ruins to condense our Psychic Power Stars," Qing Zijin explained.
Li Weiyi said, "Let's repair the Formation's. Once that's done, we'll continue refining corpses."
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END OF CHAPTER
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