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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 74 (329): [A Storm Is Brewing]
(74th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Li Weiyi had devoted most of his time recently to cultivating the Twelve-Character Dao Seed and refining the Star Spiritual Pill, neglecting his Wind Mansion Dragon Seed cultivation. Despite this, he was nearing the Dragon Seed's awakening.
He changed the subject, asking, "Master, when will we attack Lingxiao City?"
Yao Qingxuan replied, "The Demon Clan naturally wants it to happen as soon as possible, as the Transcendent beings injured in the epic battle two years ago are steadily recovering. But the Divine Sect wants to delay it as long as possible!"
Li Weiyi cautiously inquired, "Is this related to the strange phenomenon spreading from the Fu Prefecture? I've heard that the emerging tombstones and burial mounds have spread across several neighboring prefectures, even surrounding Qiu Prefecture City and Bing Juze Lake - the legendary Corpse Cultivation Rice."
"The longer we delay, the more burial mounds and Corpse Cultivation Rice will sprout from the ground. When the rice powder spreads across the world, the Divine Sect's soldiers will become as numerous as the sea, swallowing the world unopposable."
Yao Qingxuan's eyes narrowed coldly.
"Where did you hear this?"
Li Weiyi's heart trembled. "Is this true?"
"I don't know, and I hope you don't either," Yao Qingxuan said.
Li Weiyi asked, "Master, are you worried that if I spread this secret, it will kill me and you?"
Yao Qingxuan replied, "When you're not strong enough, learn to keep your mouth shut. When you think you're clever enough to do things unnoticed, you've become arrogant and are teetering on the brink of death."
"Li Weiyi, I must tell you something you must never forget."
"Before an unstoppable tide, judge by intent, not action. This doesn't mean you should do nothing, but that your actions must match your cultivation level. The higher your cultivation, the greater the deeds you can accomplish."
"When it comes to benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, filial piety, and faith, judge by action, not intent. If we judged by intent, who in this world could be considered a true sage?"
Li Weiyi's heart surged with emotion. He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.
"Your disciple understands!"
Yao Qingxuan said, "The attack on Lingxiao City is tentatively scheduled for three months from now... but don't take that as the true date. Only the Transcendent knows the real time. The Divine Sect will undoubtedly keep pushing the date back."
"The Eight Prefectures controlled by the Imperial Court - Fu Prefecture, Han Prefecture, Yong Prefecture, and Liang Prefecture - will be attacked by the Divine Sect. Once conquered, they will remain under the Sect's control, with all profits going to the Sect."
Li Weiyi unfolded the map of the Lingxiao Realm on the table, "Since Master is the Venerable Nan, I presume you're responsible for Fu Prefecture and Han Prefecture?"
Yao Qingxuan strolled to the table and gently shook her head.
"The Divine Sect's hierarchy, from top to bottom, consists of two Ancestors of Twin Rice Sect, three Sufferers, four Hall Masters, and the Five Great Venerables."
"Don't take this too seriously either! First, even I don't know which of these top-tier cultivators are Twinborn and which are single individuals."
"Second, the three Vice Palace Masters of the Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall are all Great Immortal cultivators with peerless cultivation."
"Among the Five Great Venerables, I am the youngest. The other four are all over a hundred and twenty years old, with unfathomable cultivation."
"The Sect's Headquarters is located in the Southern Territory, making it crucial to the Divine Sect. Consider this: Why would they appoint the youngest human as the Venerable of the Southern Territory?"
Li Weiyi pondered for a moment: "Does this mean Master's position as Venerable Nan is nominal, without real authority?"
Yao Qingxuan said, "It's not quite that dramatic, but it's close. The Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall has two Vice Palace Masters in the Southern Territory, each commanding a major power. They are Xu Fodu of Coffin Mountain and Yang Shenjing of the Sui Sect. They are the true decision-makers in the Southern Territory's affairs."
Li Weiyi thought to himself, 'No wonder she spends most of her time at Headquarters. She's got two mountains pressing down on her.'
Yao Qingxuan continued, "My appointment as Venerable Nan was part of the Divine Sect's original plan to seize Li Prefecture, control the Jiu Li Tribe, and then form a triangular alliance with Coffin and Fu Prefectures to crush the Zuoqiu Clan in the middle, thus controlling the entire Southern Territory."
"You know what happened later."
"So what's happening now?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yao Qingxuan replied, "Xu Fodu and his Buddha's Salvation Army from Coffin Mountain are taking Han Prefecture. Yang Shenjing's forces are taking Fu Prefecture."
Li Weiyi said, "The Jiang Clan of Fu Prefecture is one of the Imperial Court's Four Great Clans. They have a Transcendent Ancestor and boast a number of experts rivaling Ancient Myriad Sects. Yang Shenjing is unlikely to be a match for them, is he?"
Yao Qingxuan shook her head: "The Divine Sect's Headquarters is located deep beneath Fu Prefecture. The Sect's infiltration and control over Fu Prefecture far surpasses anything the Jiang Clan could imagine. If the Jiang Clan is wise, they might survive. If they're not, their entire clan will perish."
"The Demon Clan and the Divine Sect have joined forces to attack the Imperial Court. The major powers of the Human Clan will undoubtedly remain neutral at first, waiting for us to weaken each other. So, the Eight Prefectures won't be difficult to conquer. The real challenge lies here."
She pointed to a heavily marked area north of Fu Prefecture, west of Liang Prefecture, and south of You Prefecture.
The Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, where Lingxiao City stood.
A city of immortals, nestled between the clouds and the heavens on a high plateau.
Given Li Weiyi's current cultivation, his status as the Eldest Disciple, and his position as the Fourth Divine Son, Yao Qingxuan treated him with considerable respect, sharing everything openly.
She continued, "The grand formation protecting the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain was personally laid down by the Mist Heavenly Sovereign in his time. Only four mountain ranges connect to the plain above, and each range is fortified with a mighty pass garrisoning tens of thousands of soldiers."
"South of Fu Prefecture, beneath the Xu Mountain Heavenly Range, lies South Yan Pass, one of these four strategic checkpoints."
"Originally, I intended to send you to Li Prefecture to oversee matters there. But with the changing situation, you must now deliver a crucial item to South Yan Pass on my behalf."
Li Weiyi asked, "What item? And why me?"
"I'll tell you before you depart," Yao Qingxuan replied.
....
An Xianjing returned, and she and Yao Qingxuan secluded themselves by the rice fields, refusing all visitors.
Two days later, nourished by their blood, Li Weiyi's Spiritual Qi, and Spiritual Lights, four infants were born - two boys and two girls, all with Pure Immortal Physiques.
When the infants broke their shells, a dazzling golden radiance erupted throughout the Divine Sect's Headquarters, and crimson clouds enveloped the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace.
Many ancient elders Li Weiyi had never even seen before suddenly appeared, taking the matter very seriously.
The Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace had never been so lively.
Li Weiyi felt immense pressure, terrified that Tang Wanzhou in the Ancestral Field might suddenly awaken.
Fortunately, once An Xianjing took the four Golden Rice infants back to the Returning Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall, the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace quickly fell silent.
Li Weiyi felt a hollow emptiness in his heart.
He had only seen the infants when they broke their shells - each one was adorable and well-behaved. Two of them even had feathered wings, resembling incarnate elves.
Yao Qingxuan walked through the formation's shimmering curtain and approached Li Weiyi, who was sitting on the edge of the rice field, lost in thought. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not used to it," Li Weiyi said, his voice tinged with sentimentality, "I'm used to seeing them growing here. When they grow up, they might never know that someone watered, illuminated, and accompanied them for so long."
Yao Qingxuan used Spiritual Qi to retrieve an iron box sealed with talismanic runes from her Boundary Pouch.
"Is this what I'm supposed to deliver?" Li Weiyi stood up and carefully examined the box.
It was square and rectangular, about a foot long and wide. The talismanic runes covering it were incredibly complex and profound, beyond Li Weiyi's current Psychic Power to comprehend.
Yao Qingxuan said, "This matter is of utmost importance. We cannot afford any mistakes."
Li Weiyi repeated the question she had asked two days ago.
"What is it doesn't matter to you. The reason you must go is that only someone of sufficient standing within the Divine Sect can demonstrate our sincerity."
"Don't assume this is a simple task. It may be fraught with danger."
Li Weiyi asked, "Who is the recipient?"
"Zhou Bida, one of the three Chief Mates of South Yan Pass. He is a disciple of the Jiang Clan's Transcendent Elder and the clan's son-in-law," Yao Qingxuan replied.
Li Weiyi asked, "But is he currently one of our people?"
"For now, only half."
Yao Qingxuan continued, "His family has been completely controlled by the Divine Sect - this is coercion. The contents of the box represent enticement, his condition."
Li Weiyi asked, "Master, are you worried Zhou Bida might change his mind?"
Yao Qingxuan shook her head: "No, Zhou Bida loves his wife and daughter too much to risk opposing the Divine Sect. The danger comes from three sources."
"First, the item in the box is extremely rare and could help Zhou Bida achieve a breakthrough to Immortal Realm in a single step. Many people know it was taken out. I fear spies from the major Human Clan powers may be lurking within the Divine Sect, having already leaked the news to set up an ambush along your journey."
"Second, your departure from the headquarters will itself attract the covetous eyes of some within the Divine Sect."
Li Weiyi asked, "If that's the case, why didn't Master go herself?"
"That's your third major danger!" Yao Qingxuan said, "With your current cultivation, you're almost ready to enter the Jiazi Register! The Jiazi Register is located on Phoenix Terrace, and it automatically locks onto the approximate location of every expert under sixty years old in the world who meets its criteria."
"A new master has emerged in the Jiazi Register. The Phoenix Terrace and the Attendant Hall will be the first to seek you out to record your information. The Imperial Court must ensure that all masters in the world are under their control."
Li Weiyi asked, "Isn't there a way to avoid it? Otherwise, how have the masters of the Ancient Myriad Sects and Hidden Sects managed to evade it?"
Yao Qingxuan glanced at him coldly: "Only by hiding within a Hidden Sect can one avoid being recorded. Once you leave and engage in combat, your aura will leak, and the Jiazi Register will lock onto you. When Lingxiao Palace ruled the world, how many powerful individuals could truly hide?"
"Besides the Jiazi Register, there's the Human Sovereign's Register forged by the Calamity Crossing Temple for the Zuoqiu Clan, the Demon Clan's Feathered Splendor List, and the Divine Sect's The Myriad Beings of the World Diagram."
Li Weiyi asked, "Was Master ever recorded in the Jiazi Register?"
Yao Qingxuan revealed a proud expression.
"I've long been on the Jiazi Register's blacklist. For the past decade, the Phoenix Terrace has dispatched numerous masters to track me down. Whenever I appear, they pursue me, trying to uncover my identity. But they've never succeeded."
Li Weiyi said, "With my current cultivation, I might not even make it into the Jiazi Register. Even if I do, I'll certainly be at the bottom, unlikely to attract much attention. And as long as I don't fight or leak my aura, the Jiazi Register won't fluctuate."
"Be extra careful at the foot of Lingxiao City. Once you reach South Yan Pass, find Mansion Elder. He's in charge of all matters there," Yao Qingxuan instructed.
Li Weiyi's lips twitched. He had many questions he wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure if he should.
Yao Qingxuan had been so clear in her explanation, and her deliberate dispatch of him felt like she was using him to reveal these secrets to someone.
Yet she had also told him to learn to keep his mouth shut when his cultivation wasn't strong enough.
For a moment, Li Weiyi couldn't tell which side Yao Qingxuan was on.
Was she truly an Elder of the Hidden Sect?
Was she really just sending him to deliver an item?
Or was she simply afraid to speak plainly?
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END OF CHAPTER
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