Lord of All Realms

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Hey guys, after a month of really hard work, I'm excited that our new VIP system and in-house ebook system is now alive and functioning!  You can now purchase and permanently own full ebooks in PDF/Mobi/epub versions, as you please, and read them on whatever devices you like.  You can take a look at it right here to see all the details, or just click on the big 'VIP' button.  NOTE - For former sponsors of completed novels who qualify for free ebooks or discounts, you'll be seeing them in your 'my ebooks' library...

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Dong Li gave an arrogant smile, which blossomed on her face like countless gorgeous flowers. “Why does it concern you what incantation I practice?”

She had taken notice of Yin Yanan and wondered what her relationship with Nie Tian was since the day she had learned that Nie Tian had returned with a young woman.

However, since Yin Yanan had left shortly after arriving, she hadn’t had a chance to see her in person.

However, now as she saw Yin Yanan, she instantly realized who she was.

Even though she knew that Nie Tian wasn’t the kind of man who liked to dally with women, he was so special. It was inevitable that some women would throw themselves at him.

She assumed that Yin Yanan fell into that category.

“They may actually have something to do with my sect,” Yin Yanan said with a serious expression.

She hadn’t visited any other realms after parting with Nie Tian. Instead, she had only visited Shatter City, the Land of the Abandoned, and Ash City. But by doing that, she had gained a fairly good understanding of the situation in the Domain of the Falling Stars.

Even though the situation in the Domain of the Falling Stars wasn’t exactly how she had expected it, and there were actually some talented cultivators here, most of them weren’t powerful enough to raise her eyebrows.

However, she was surprised as she sensed the soul aura of a black phoenix from Dong Li.

The incantation Dong Li used to refine spirit beast Blood Essence and souls seemed to share quite a few similarities with the Beast-controlling Sect’s incantations.

She had a feeling that their incantations might have some historic connections.

“What do you mean?” Dong Li asked.

“I’m from the Beast-controlling Sect from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries,” Yin Yanan explained. “My sect is known for our ability to control spirit beasts. However, it isn’t our way to kill the spirit beasts and refine their souls into ourselves. For us, spirit beasts are our partners, who we can communicate with and seek help from in battle.

“A handful of our cultivation techniques even allow us to merge our souls with our spirit beasts’ and practice cultivation with their help.

“Meanwhile, our spirit beasts will be able to upgrade their bloodlines at faster rates under our control.

“Your way is to kill the spirit beasts and seal their souls inside of you, so that you can use them to improve your battle prowess. Undoubtedly, that’s an interesting method as well. However, after losing their fleshly bodies and being sealed inside of you, your spirit beasts won’t be able to upgrade their bloodlines anymore. The best they can do is recover to the level of strength they had when they were alive.”

Dong Li was taken aback. “How do you know all that?”

What Yin Yanan had said was all true.

Normally, after she refined spirit beasts into beast spirits, they would lose significant amounts of their strength. Even if she did everything she could to help them recover, very few of them could recover the same battle prowess they had had when they had been alive.

Also, they indeed wouldn’t have any chance at upgrading their bloodlines.

However, if beast spirits no longer matched their masters’ cultivation bases, they would be abandoned and replaced by beast spirits that were more powerful.

Yin Yanan was careful with her choice of words as she said, “I believe the incantation you practice has historic connections with my sect. People in our sect blazed a new path and developed similar cultivation methods. They refined powerful spirit beasts and sealed their beast spirits in themselves. By doing this, they were able to improve their battle prowess within a short period of time, but couldn’t enjoy sustainable growth.

“Later, our sect banned such cultivation methods and banished the disciples who had developed and used them.

“It’s very likely that the incantation you practice came from those people.”

Dong Li’s face grew icy as she asked, “What are you saying?”

“I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Yin Yanan said. “I only meant that our incantation aims at choosing young spirit beasts with great potential and allowing us to grow with them. This allows our spirit beasts to upgrade their bloodlines as time goes by. As they become stronger and stronger, their masters will too.

“Since our sects seem to have historic bonds, I suppose we can help you make some adjustments to your incantations.”

“That won’t be necessary!” Dong Li said with a cold snort.

Nie Tian, who had been standing to the side and listening to the girls’ conversation, realized that Yin Yanan believed that the Beast Spirit Incantation the Dong Clan members practiced had come from a group of Qi warriors from the Beast-controlling Sect.

In her eyes, the Beast Spirit Incantation was not the right way to go, and she showed intentions to help Dong Li and the Dong Clan perfect their Beast Spirit Incantation.

After briefly pondering Yin Yanan’s words, Nie Tian realized that the Dong Clan’s Beast Spirit Incantation would allow cultivators to greatly improve their battle prowess within a short period of time, but it wouldn’t be able to provide sustainable growth.

Therefore, it was understandable that she considered the Dong Clan’s Beast Spirit Incantation to be the product of a wrong approach.

“I’m only telling you this because of your relationship with Nie Tian. But if you don’t want our help, just ignore it then.” Yin Yanan didn’t insist.

After a moment of pondering, Nie Tian said, “How about this: I’ll send for the Dong Clan’s clanmaster. You can have a talk with him.”

“Nie Tian! There isn’t anything wrong with our clan’s incantation. Why do you listen to her?” Dong Li sounded disgruntled.

“I didn’t say there was,” Nie Tian said, “but it won’t hurt to communicate with the Beast-controlling Sect. If you can actually improve your Beast Spirit Incantation and find new cultivation directions with their help, perhaps it’ll help your patriarch enter the Void domain more smoothly in the future. Besides, no one in your clan has entered the Void domain yet, but many of the Beast-controlling Sect’s disciples have long since entered the Void domain.”

Dong Li fell silent.

Now that Nie Tian had reminded her that the Beast-controlling Sect’s incantations and techniques might be able to help Dong Wangling and other Dong Clan members, she wouldn’t stand in the way of that, no matter how much she disliked Yin Yanan.

Yin Yanan nodded. “Good, I’d like to have a talk with the Dong Clan’s clanmaster. You know what, those who were expelled from our sect were the son of our last sectmaster and his subordinates. Interestingly, both our last sectmaster and current sectmaster have Dong as their surname.

“Our last sectmaster regretted his decision on his deathbed. He said that his approach was too harsh. He reflected on the matter and realized that there were actually some redeeming qualities in those kinds of incantations.

“However, those cultivation techniques died out in our sect after the people who had invented them vanished.”

Dong Li was surprised by these words. “Both your last and current sectmaster have Dong as their surname?!”

Yin Yanan nodded slightly. “That’s right.”

This also took Nie Tian by surprise.

If this was indeed the case, then the Dong Clan’s Beast Spirit Incantation had most likely come from the son of that former sectmaster of the Beast-controlling Sect, who had been banished.

From the look of it, there was indeed a deep historic connection between the Beast-controlling Sect and the Dong Clan.

“I’ll arrange for the Dong Clan’s patriarch to come here as soon as possible!” Nie Tian said.

Dong Li didn’t say anything.

A few hours later, Dong Wangling rushed to the Realm of a Hundred Battles with Dong Qianqi, Dong Baijie, and a handful of others.

After having a conversation with Yin Yanan, Dong Wangling decided to go to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries with Yin Yanan through the Lei Clan’s teleportation portal, so that he could expand on the matter with their current sectmaster.

Considering Yin Yanan was the Beast-controlling Sect’s chosen one, and the Beast-controlling Sect and the Divine Flame Sect weren’t enemies, Lei Tianqi would be glad to grant them passage. Not to mention he would have to give Nie Tian face.

Meanwhile, the Dong Clan arranged for Dong Li and Dong Baijie to follow Nie Tian to that magical continent to derive enlightenment from its profound mysteries.

Shortly afterwards, Xuan Ke and Xuan Yue from the Ice Pavilion Sect arrived, along with Qin Yan, Qian Xin, Cao Qiushui, and Gu Haofeng from the Realm of a Hundred Battles.

The Yin Sect and the Yang Sect sent Ye Qin and Chen Hao over.

Other major sects also sent their most talented chosen ones successively, hoping Nie Tian would take them to that heaven and earth, where they could derive enlightenment and progress in their cultivation much more efficiently.

At the same time, all of their Soul realm experts had learned about Zhen Huilan’s death, and worried that the Domain of the Falling Stars would face another invasion once the spatial rift was cleared. Therefore, they had all decided to stay and prepare for combat.

After all was in order, Nie Tian ushered the chosen ones, as well as a few members of the Nie Clan and the An Shiyi and An Ying sisters, through the palace gate to the teleportation portal, through which they teleported to the magical continent.

On the other side, after everyone else stepped out of the teleportation portal, Nie Tian remained in the spell formation and placed his hand on the control board in an attempt to set the portal to the other set of coordinates.

He still didn’t know where the second set of coordinates led to.

Now that he had entered the middle Worldly realm, he figured that he might try and see if the restrictions had been lifted.

However, he once again failed to get the second set of coordinates in focus.

Nie Tian sighed. “From the look of it, I’ll have to wait till I enter the Profound realm to try again.” 

Then, he pushed the stone gate open to allow those who had come with him to come out. He told them about the unique features of this continent, the secret magics that were branded in each of the regions, and the atmosphere of deadly auras and energies that surrounded this continent.

“Such rich spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth!” the crowd exclaimed the moment they stepped through the stone gate.

At this moment, a figure suddenly whizzed over. Face covered by a veil, the person barked, “Nie Tian! When are you getting me out of here?”

It was none other than Mu Biqiong, who had sensed the massive spiritual power fluctuations in this location, and thus realized that a large number of Qi warriors had arrived.

“Who is she?” Dong Li asked coldly.

“My prisoner,” Nie Tian answered casually before turning to Mu Biqiong and saying, “I have other matters to attend to, and I’m not going to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries yet. So you’ll stay here and behave yourself.”

A fierce look filled Mu Biqiong’s eyes as she asked, “Where’s Yin Yanan?” 

Nie Tian examined her carefully, and realized that she had already entered the late Worldly realm after pulling through her previous tribulation with the demonic plant. Now, she was wreathed in a dangerous aura.

Mu Biqiong hated Yin Yanan’s guts for stripping her and tearing her veil off, and had been waiting for an opportunity to settle it with her.

“She’ll take a different route back to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries,” Nie Tian said. “You just wait here. I’ll take you back soon enough.”

Mu Biqiong pondered in silence for a few seconds before turning around and leaving without a word.

Dong Baijie stepped over and said in a low voice, “That woman seems a bit dangerous.” 

“It’s alright. She won’t dare to act recklessly here.” With these words, Nie Tian turned to the crowd of youngsters and said, “Don’t worry about her. You just practice cultivation and do what you have to do.”

Afterwards, Nie Tian returned to the palace by himself and teleported back to the Realm of Split Void.

By the time he flew to the Void Illusion Mountain Range on his Star Boat, Zhao Shanling had already finished stabilizing and clearing the spatial rift with his Voidspirit Pagoda.

Upon seeing him, Zhao Shanling said with a seemingly calm face, “Your timing is perfect. I’m going first.”

With these words, he flew into the spatial rift without the slightest hesitation.

The others followed along.

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Translator: Alcohol Sword Immortal a.k.a. Beerblade. (Follow me on Twitter)  Editor: GNE, Zach Consulting Editor: Deathblade  LOAR Glossary   LOAR Artworks

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Hey guys, it's festival time again. Today marks Longtaitou Festival (a.k.a. Dragon Head-raising Festival). I just gave myself and Babay Beerblade hair ...

Anyways, here's something you might want to know about this important festival:

The Longtaitou Festival which means "dragon raises head" in Chinese is a traditional Chinese festival held on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar. So,it's also called Eryueer Festival. Eryueer means the 2nd day of 2nd month in Chinese. In Chinese culture, the dragon is an auspicious animal that dominates clouds and rains. The 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month is thought to be the day that dragon awakes and raises its head according to the Chinese folk legend. So the day is called Dragon Heads-raising Day. And there is a poplar Chinese idiom "二月二, 龙抬头" (èr yuè èr, lóng táitóu) which means“On the second day of the second lunar month, dragon raises its head”. After the day, spring is coming and there will be more and more rains. People think these credits go to the dragon. So the day is also called Spring Dragon Festival. 

Traditions and Customs

The most popular custom on the Dragon Heads-raising Day is cutting hair. Dragon is highly esteemed for its dignity and power for good. It is thought to be auspicious to cut hair on the Dragon Heads-raising Day. Luck and opportunities will always knock you in the year. So, on that day, barbershops' businesses are prospering and full of customers. According to the Chinese tradition, it's bad luck to cut hair during the first lunar month. As the Chinese saying goes ‘If you cut your hair in the first lunar month, your uncle will die.' So, people usually cut hair before the first lunar month and wait to the Dragon Heads-raising Day to cut again.

Check out this cool little guy's new haircut

The most common foods for celebrating the festival are popcorns, pancakes, noodles, dumplings, fired soy beans and pig's head. People in different areas have different traditions about the food on the day. In Beijing, people eat Lvdagunr (Glutinous Rice Rolls with Sweet Bean Flour) and spring pancakes on the day. 

To be auspicious, what people eat on the Dragon Heads-raising Day is usually renamed after parts of the dragon. Eating dumplings is called eating "dragon's ears," spring pancakes are called "dragon's scales," rice is called "dragon's son", wontons are "dragon's eyes", pancake is the "dragon scale bing", noodles are "dragon beard noodles", and fried dough twists are "dragon's bones", etc. These show people's hope to be blessed with favorable weather and bumper grain harvest by the dragon.

In some places people go to suburb for relaxing on the day. Also some people worship to the dragon or earth god with the hope that there would be rains helping the agriculture.  

In some rural areas, the day is also called the daughters' day. On the day, the married daughters would come home and stay for some days to accompany their parents. Later, they will come back to help with crops planting.

Taboos to Be Avoided

On the Dragon Heads-raising Day, women are not allowed to do needle work. As the dragon will raise its head to look towards the earth, people thinks needles may hurt its eyes. In some places, washing clothes is also a taboo to be avoided. This is afraid of hurting dragon's skin.

Legend

There is a legend about why people eat popcorns on Heads-raising Day. It is said that the Jade Emperor was unhappy that China had a female emperor Wu Zetian in Tang Dynasty. He ordered to the dragon kings to stop raining for three years to punish China. Couldn't bear to see the humans starved to death, the dragon king in charge of the heaven river made a heavy rain secretly. After knowing this, the Jade Emperor expelled him from the heavenly palace and pressed him under a mountain with a stele written ‘The dragon king violated the law of heaven. Unless golden beans bloom, he couldn't be saved'.

To save the dragon king, people tried to find the gold beans everywhere. The next year, on the second day of the second lunar month, when people were drying the corn seeds under the sun, they found the corn seeds looked like gold beans. They heated them and made popcorn to let the golden beans bloom. After knowing the people tried to save him, the dragon king raised its head and shouted to the Jade Emperor to see the golden beans bloom in families. After seeing this, the Jade Emperor was allowed to return to the heavenly palace and in charge of making wind and rain agian. From then on, there is the custom of eating popcorns (or fried soy beans in some places) on the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month.