"The Grand Ruins has five layers, each filled with all kinds of Rule Ores that are extremely valuable materials. The deeper you go, the greater their worth. But with each layer you descend, the dangers multiply. It's said that since the discovery of the Grand Ruins, no one has ever returned from the fourth layer, and those who make it to the third are incredibly rare."
The Rule Ores in the Grand Ruins are worth a fortune, but the most valuable things are the Law Fragments. Once the laws within the Grand Ruins condense into fragments, their value becomes incalculable. However, Law Fragments are almost nonexistent on the first layer; the vast majority are found on the second layer..."
After carefully reading through the jade slip introduction about the Grand Ruins, Joe Di finally stepped out of the great hall. He wasn’t here to cultivate divine abilities, nor was he after Law Fragments or Rule Ores. He had only one purpose for coming here—Dao Shaping.
Leaving the great hall, Joe Di walked for half a stick of incense before he saw the entrance to a massive array formation. Standing at the entrance, he could sense the boundless aura of Rule Fragments in the air, though he hadn’t truly entered the first layer of the Grand Ruins yet. The Grand Ruins truly lived up to its reputation.
Four cultivators traveling together followed behind Joe Di. When they saw him step alone into the array entrance and enter the Grand Ruins, they were all stunned.
"Is that guy really going into the Grand Ruins alone?" one cultivator finally realized, asking in astonishment.
"He must be a newcomer. The rule fluctuations around him aren’t obvious, and he doesn’t carry much killing intent," his companion replied.
The four all shook their heads and paid no more attention to Joe Di. For newcomers like him, entering the Grand Ruins alone was certain death—there had never been an exception. Maybe, after many days, they’d see Joe Di again, but by then he’d probably be nothing more than a mindless Elemental Beast.
......
As soon as he entered the Grand Ruins, a violent surge of rule energy swept over him—even Joe Di, who cultivated rule-based techniques, felt a brief moment of discomfort.
Joe Di quickly adjusted his Rule Cycle, soon realizing that in this place, the rules weren’t lost—they were shattered. All kinds of rules existed in the world, but none were complete. In a place like this, aside from him, there was likely no other cultivator who could cultivate.
As Joe Di walked deeper into the Grand Ruins, he sensed the countless shattered Rule Fragments and constantly adjusted his Rule Cycle.
Beastly roars echoed in the distance, but Joe Di paid them no mind, focusing solely on deducing his own Rule Dao.
Suddenly, a wave of killing intent swept toward him. Joe Di raised his hand, and the Azure Veil Blade transformed into a blade light, slashing out.
"Pfft!" A spray of grayish-yellow blood mist erupted, followed by the corpse of a dire beast crashing to the ground.
Joe Di paused. The beast looked just like a stray earth dog, nothing remarkable about it. Yet, even after its death, its aura still contained traces of broken world laws.
Judging by the appearance, this must have been an Elemental Beast. Joe Di ignored its corpse—Elemental Beasts held no value for him.
He slung the Azure Veil Blade onto his back and continued deducing his Rule Dao.
Crunch, crunch, crunch! Chaotic footsteps approached, and Joe Di halted again. In the next instant, his divine sense detected at least a hundred Elemental Beasts.
These Elemental Beasts came in all shapes and sizes—some resembled the earth dog he’d just slain, others looked like horned leopards or three-legged crows.
This time, Joe Di saw clearly—each Elemental Beast carried a different law aura: some had water attributes, some wood, some earth, and so on.
Joe Di summoned the Azure Veil Blade, simultaneously sketching Law Array Banners around him. With so many Elemental Beasts, if he didn’t use a trapping and killing array, he’d have no choice but to flee.
In a place filled with Rule Fragments everywhere, Joe Di’s speed at sketching Law Array Banners was even faster. In no time, he had drawn a wide swath of banners and condensed them into a large defensive array.
Before Joe Di could sketch out another killing array, over a hundred Elemental Beasts had already charged at him.
Joe Di’s Azure Veil Blade hadn’t even formed a divine technique before he sensed the surrounding world rules growing even more chaotic. Without his Rule Cycle, he feared even his blade Dao techniques would be difficult to manifest.
The Skyveil Blade formed in an instant, sweeping out for thousands of meters—every space beneath the skyveil was under Joe Di’s blade.
The jade slip introduction had said that the Elemental Beasts on the first layer of the Grand Ruins were basically mindless. Joe Di was confident that with his defensive array and the Skyveil Blade, he could easily sweep away a large number of them.
But just as the skyveil formed, it began to collapse.
Joe Di cultivated the Rule Dao, and among his blade Dao techniques was also the Lawbreaker Slash. When his skyveil shattered, Joe Di was utterly shocked.
These Elemental Beasts could actually tear apart the rules of his Skyveil Blade technique, shattering it—almost as if their abilities were a mirror of his own Lawbreaker Slash.
No wonder so many cultivators perish here. Joe Di was certain that, if not for his cultivation of the Rule Dao, there would be only one path left for him—escape.
If his divine sense escape technique wasn’t up to par, or if he’d already been surrounded by this pack of Elemental Beasts, he wouldn’t even be able to run—his only choice would be to fight, then die.
But Joe Di cultivated the Rule Dao, so the nearly-dispersed Skyveil Blade only trembled for a moment before condensing again. The skyveil swept out, spraying multicolored blood mist everywhere.
With just this one strike, Joe Di claimed the lives of more than a dozen Elemental Beasts.
Sensing Joe Di’s power, the remaining Elemental Beasts howled even more madly, then charged at him recklessly.
Hiding at the life gate of the defensive array, Joe Di was nearly crushed by their momentum. He forcefully burned his own essence blood to break free, and the Azure Veil Blade once again unleashed twisted blade patterns that tore outward.
This was his second blade, the Riftblade. Ever since his blade Dao was formed and he mastered the Lawbreaker and Passing Blade, Joe Di had rarely used the Riftblade—but this time, he wielded it without hesitation.
The twisted blade patterns of the Riftblade had just condensed when they once again began to scatter. Joe Di could clearly feel the laws of the Riftblade technique being broken and shattered.
Having learned from experience, Joe Di made the Azure Veil Blade tremble again. The nearly-collapsing Riftblade condensed once more, sweeping across the Elemental Beast horde.
Yet again, dozens of Elemental Beast corpses were split open by the Riftblade, and the world’s rules grew even more chaotic. Though it had only been two strikes, these Elemental Beasts were simply too strong. Joe Di felt his spiritual energy waning. He swallowed two pills, but before he could unleash a third strike, his law defense array gave a sharp crack and shattered.
In the next instant, seven or eight Elemental Beasts lunged at Joe Di.
Now, with no defenses left before him, Joe Di couldn’t think of anything else—he unleashed the Azure Veil Blade in a frenzy, while also throwing a punch.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft!" One Elemental Beast after another was torn apart by Joe Di; two more were blasted through by Joe Di’s Peak Gathering Fist, leaving a chain of bloody holes.
With the defense array gone, one Elemental Beast clawed a chunk out of Joe Di’s shoulder, while another spat a jet of water that pierced straight through his chest.
Joe Di was sent flying, crashing to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Joe Di quickly sensed something was wrong—a strange law aura was rampaging through his body, fusing with his Rule Cycle, rapidly merging into his meridians and then seeping into his spiritual sea.
Even his mind was starting to blur. Joe Di was startled—he instantly understood what was happening. This had to be Elemental Beast Venom. If he couldn’t purge it, he’d be assimilated and become a new Elemental Beast.
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)