Chapter 549: 548. Chapter 543: The Great Dao Corridor

548. Chapter 543: The Great Dao Corridor

Outside the marketplace, the first rule in the official charter stated: anyone who initiates combat shall be executed without mercy.

This rule gave no reason, location, or basis.

Based on Ding Huan's understanding of such rules, anyone who struck first, regardless of justification, would be killed by the enforcers.

Zuo Shanyi was certain Ding Huan wouldn't dare attack him further—but why did this man claim to be his senior brother?

Ding Huan found no answer among the other rules posted outside the marketplace, so he simply shattered the ring of one of the cultivators.

Inside the ring, he found a jade slip: The One Hundred Thousand Laws of the Great Dao Corridor.

Ding Huan scanned the one hundred thousand laws at top speed.

Only then did he finally understand Zuo Shanyi's meaning.

This place was not called the Immortal Realm—it had a strange name: the Great Dao Corridor.

In the Great Dao Corridor, the first law was not about rulers preserving their doctrine, nor about cultivators fighting each other—it was a filial law.

In other words, in the Great Dao Corridor, all laws ranked below filial piety.

Strangely, this filial law did not demand reverence for heaven and earth, nor filial devotion to parents.

It demanded reverence for one's master and adherence to the Dao.

Here, the master held the highest status, and transmitting the Dao was the most honored profession.

Immediately, Ding Huan shattered the rings of several other cultivators and found that each contained a jade slip bearing the same title: The One Hundred Thousand Laws of the Great Dao Corridor.

Clearly, this place exercised absolute rule and absolute order.

Zuo Shanyi had undoubtedly done exactly what Ding Huan had done—scanned the rings of other cultivators, learned the rules of the Great Dao Corridor, and only then dared brazenly declare he was seeking an antidote pill for his master.

As for why Zuo Shanyi had been stopped, Ding Huan now understood.

It was because flight within a ten-thousand-li radius of the marketplace was forbidden.

"Come here," said a long-haired Grand Luo Immortal, gesturing to Ding Huan.

Before Ding Huan could speak, Zuo Shanyi's voice whispered into his ear: "Ding Huan, this isn't the Pangu Great World—outsiders without status are executed without mercy.

I just said we were both raised by our master since childhood; now both our master and I have been poisoned, and I must personally seek the antidote pill. Don't mess up the story."

Ding Huan walked over and saw that Zuo Shanyi's cultivation was at the late Great Yi stage; he concealed his own cultivation at the peak of Great Yi Immortal.

Zuo Shanyi was truly cunning—he had already positioned himself firmly as the filial disciple.

"Show me your Great Dao Corridor identity plaque," said the long-haired Grand Luo Immortal, his tone cold.

Ding Huan had just read The One Hundred Thousand Laws of the Great Dao Corridor and knew what a Great Dao Corridor identity plaque was.

Every cultivator living in the Great Dao Corridor possessed a unique identity plaque; no name and number combination was ever duplicated.

The numerical digits might be identical, but when paired with a name, they were always different.

Both he and Zuo Shanyi had just arrived here—they could not possibly possess such a plaque.

Ding Huan quickly bowed and spoke in a trembling voice:

"My lord, my junior brother and I were taken in by our master since childhood and have trained within the sect gate. Our master was about to take us out to obtain our Great Dao Corridor identity plaques.

But my junior brother insisted on acquiring a treasure perfectly attuned to his Dao. Our master had to accompany him to seek materials, and in doing so, both of them accidentally became poisoned…"

Before Ding Huan finished speaking, Zuo Shanyi's voice whispered into his ear:

"Ding Huan, I never said I was poisoned by you—how dare you smear me with false accusations? Fine, let's just die here together."

Ding Huan sneered inwardly—Zuo Shanyi wasn't being kind by staying silent; he was too afraid to speak.

A junior brother poisoning his senior brother and master was the gravest crime. He would be surrounded and killed instantly.

If Zuo Shanyi dared say that, he would have no choice but to reveal the truth.

He himself was unpoisoned and still had a chance to flee; Zuo Shanyi's chances were far slimmer.

Indeed, upon hearing Ding Huan's words, both Grand Luo Immortals cast a flicker of contempt toward Zuo Shanyi.

They found it unremarkable that Ding Huan and Zuo Shanyi had trained within the sect gate and never obtained their Great Dao Corridor identity plaques.

Such people were common—not rare exceptions.

As for whether Ding Huan and Zuo Shanyi might be outsiders without identity plaques, they never even considered it.

Outsiders?

The Great Dao Corridor had never, in its entire history, harbored unknown outsiders; no one could enter without permission.

The core of the Great Dao Corridor's protective array was a divine artifact: the Heaven and Earth Cover.

Who, pray, could break through the Heaven and Earth Cover without permission?

The long-haired Grand Luo Immortal waved his hand: "Which of you is the senior brother, and which is the junior?"

He despised Zuo Shanyi's demand that his master seek a top-tier treasure—but in truth, this did not violate the law of reverence for the master.

The master's poisoning could only be called an accident.

Before Zuo Shanyi could speak, Ding Huan cut in:

"My lord, I am younger; my master took me in first. Black Ball is older and entered the sect later.

Because he is slightly older, he has always refused to acknowledge me as his senior brother, calling me junior brother every time.

Our master warned him many times, but he never changed—he eventually became too lazy to bother correcting him.

Yet now that we've left the sect, he still habitually calls me junior brother. But my senior brother is straightforward—he doesn't mean it maliciously. Please don't punish him."

Both Grand Luo Immortals nodded.

Don't underestimate the distinction between senior and junior brother.

Elsewhere, it might not matter.

But here, in the Great Dao Corridor, the senior brother holds absolute authority over the junior brother.

The law forbidding disrespect toward one's senior brother is written into The One Hundred Thousand Laws of the Great Dao Corridor—it is no trivial matter.

Another Great Luo Immortal, after hearing Ding Huan's explanation, cast a sympathetic glance at Zuo Shanyi and said with a slightly stern tone:

"Though you are slightly older, the one who entered first is the elder brother, the one who entered later is the younger brother—this is common sense. Do not act capriciously again."

"Yes." Zuo Shanyi could only bow his head and respond.

He had to admit it—denial brought him no benefit whatsoever.

After reprimanding Zuo Shanyi, the Great Luo Immortal turned to Ding Huan: "As the senior brother, you must not casually call your junior brother by his nickname."

"Thank you, Officer my lord, for your instruction." Ding Huan accepted it readily.

The long-haired Great Luo Immortal spoke again: "You have just left your sect—there are rules you must know. Remember to immediately obtain your Great Corridor identity plaque."

When obtaining your identity plaque, you will be given a Great Corridor ten-thousand-law token. Memorize this ten-thousand-law token thoroughly.

Next time, remember: flying is forbidden within ten thousand li of markets, Xiancheng, or cultivation grounds. Since this is your first offense, we will overlook it this time. There are offices for obtaining identity plaques within the market—the Great Corridor Immortal Supervision Bureau."

"Junior brother, don't act recklessly again. Come, let's go together and get our identity plaques first, then search for a poison-removing immortal pill for our master." Ding Huan walked to Zuo Shanyi's side and slapped his shoulder.

Zuo Shanyi skillfully dodged Ding Huan's slap, then grumbled: "I know. Stop doing that all the time."

The two Great Luo Immortals could see that Ding Huan and Zuo Shanyi were not on good terms, but they were too lazy to intervene.

After giving their lecture, they left on their own.

"Ding Huan, we have no deep grudge. I'm seriously injured now—why keep delaying everyone's affairs? Why not each of us mind our own business and part ways henceforth?"

Zuo Shanyi whispered.

He truly had no other choice—who else would be cursed with the Bone-Clinging, Dao-Eating Poison?

Ding Huan spoke coolly: "If you hadn't touched my friends, I might have let you off once. But you dared to kill my friends, strike at my Immortal Court—do you really think you can walk away?"

Had it not been for a supreme powerhouse guarding here, Ding Huan would have already unleashed his domain and activated the Bone-Clinging, Soul-Eating Dao resonance.

"You won't back down?" Zuo Shanyi's anger flared up instantly.

Strike the Immortal Court?

If Zuo Shanyi wanted to strike the Immortal Court, would the Immortal Court still exist? He had never done such meaningless things.

When he had wanted to kill those twenty-odd Immortal Emperors, how many would have escaped?

It was he who sought to rescue Feng Huan—those ant-like Immortal Emperors had attacked him.

Shouldn't he have been allowed to fight back?

"I'll back down—if you hand over your soul imprint."

"You're dreaming."

After saying that, Zuo Shanyi sped up and entered the market ahead.

What Ding Huan most wanted to ask was how Zuo Shanyi had fused the hide scroll, and whether the original owner's soul-essence still lingered within it.

But Ding Huan knew Zuo Shanyi would never answer his questions honestly.

This market was called Tianyuan Market, and inside it was bustling with activity.

Ding Huan scanned with his divine sense—the transactions here were all orderly.

It could be said to be the most law-abiding market Ding Huan had ever seen; there was absolutely no forced buying or selling.

Ding Huan and Zuo Shanyi, each with their own thoughts, first went to the Great Corridor Immortal Supervision Bureau.

No one doubted Ding Huan and Zuo Shanyi when they came to obtain their Great Corridor identity plaques.

Anyone within the Great Corridor was, in everyone's eyes, certainly not an outsider.

Ding Huan's Great Corridor identity plaque number: Ding Huan 908627.

Zuo Shanyi's Great Corridor identity plaque number: Zuo Shanyi 240731.

Name plus number—it looked simple enough.

"Junior brother, come with me to find a place to stay first—we can't search aimlessly like this."

After obtaining their Great Corridor identity plaques, Ding Huan's tone toward Zuo Shanyi grew stern.

"We split up—our chances will be greater that way." Zuo Shanyi rejected Ding Huan's suggestion without hesitation.