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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 152 (407): [Ascending the Phoenix Pavilion]
(152nd of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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A maid entered, pushing open the door to serve the dishes.
Li Weiyi glanced at Zen Hai Guanwu seated at the table and asked the maid, "How could the Lingxiao Palace allow the Demon Kingdom's army into the city? Where is the Imperial Court's authority and dignity?"
"Sir, are you new to Lingxiao City? A major incident occurred a few days ago. Feather Immortal of Phoenix Terrace was assassinated and severely wounded..." the maid replied.
Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"Feather Immortal assassinated? Who would dare... She is the Second Palace Master's disciple and the eldest daughter of the Jiang Clan."
"Rumor has it that Xie Mucai of the Sacred Dark Family was responsible, but there's no proof," the maid said.
Li Weiyi asked, "Xie Mucai... You mean Xie Chucai? How could he dare? How could he assassinate Feather Immortal? And what connection does this have to the Demon Kingdom's army entering the city?"
"After the assassination attempt, Xie Mucai disappeared! The Demon Kingdom's high-ranking officials suspect he may have been imprisoned or killed by the Imperial Court, so they dispatched troops to investigate," the maid explained.
Li Weiyi was completely baffled: "Xie Chucai deserved to die for assassinating an Imperial Court official. How could the Demon Kingdom use this as an excuse to send troops into the city?"
"There's no evidence for the assassination. But Xie Mucai's disappearance within the city is a fact," the maid said.
Li Weiyi took a deep breath, sighing inwardly.
He couldn't tell whether this was a compromise by the Third Palace Master or a welcome from certain factions within the Imperial Court.
Although the Demon Kingdom army entering Lingxiao City numbered only two or three hundred, the blow to the Imperial Court's authority and the self-esteem and confidence of the Lingxiao Martial-Mystic Cultivators would be immeasurable.
Li Weiyi inquired about Feather Immortal's injuries, but the maid knew little about them and excused herself to leave.
Zen Hai Guanwu said, "The Dark Knights of the Sacred Dark Family - elite warriors chosen through rigorous selection. The Demon Kingdom crossed the Nether realm to bring them here; their ambitions are clearly substantial."
Li Weiyi sat down, desperately wanting to see Jiang Ning.
"Logically, the Second Palace Master should have already returned to Lingxiao City. What kind of figure from the Demon Kingdom could have forced them to retreat? You, it's all your fault for leaving this mess behind."
Zen Hai Guanwu was stunned.
Nearby, a window on the second floor of the restaurant burst open with a crash.
Several figures radiating powerful auras flew out from a private room and landed in the center of Heavenly Street, blocking the Demon Kingdom army's path.
Tai Shi Yu's voice rang out: "First Commander Tai Shi Yu is here to test the skills of the four Blood Handprint Knights. If I'm fortunate enough to win, I request that the Blood Handprint Knights withdraw from Lingxiao City."
"Chen Huang is also here to challenge you."
"Cao Shisan will fight to the death and not retreat."
Most of the Martial-Mystic Cultivators gathered in the first-floor hall rushed outside, each summoning their spiritual artifact battle weapons.
"Demon Kingdom army, get out of Lingxiao City!" someone shouted.
"The Imperial Court may have allowed you in, but we haven't!"
Zen Hai Guanwu, oblivious to the conflict raging outside, felt wronged, "Why is this being blamed on me?"
"Because you left your work half-done back then, leaving behind endless trouble."
Li Weiyi ticked off the points on her fingers.
"First, Qilin Zhuang is the Son of the Flying Dragon. You killed the Flying Dragon but didn't eliminate the threat completely. Now, his descendants have returned to seek revenge!"
"I admit that! But back then, he went into hiding. Yingzhou is vast; there was no way to find him," Zen Hai Guanwu said.
Li Weiyi continued, "Yu Baxian of the Demon Kingdom, you had a feud with him, didn't you? Anyone from the Demon Kingdom who comes to the Lingxiao Realm has some intention of retaliating against Lingxiao Palace."
Zen Hai Guanwu fell into thought, "Yu Baxian was the one who first encroached on the Lingxiao Realm. I only acted after that. Failing to kill him was indeed my mistake."
Li Weiyi smiled and pressed on, "And Thundercloud Sect? You didn't eliminate them either. Why didn't you get rid of a threat like the Holy Infant back then?"
Zen Hai Guanwu poured herself a cup of wine and drank it down, "When I was here, I couldn't see these threats. I've never even heard of this Holy Infant you speak of. A thousand years have passed! Even if I had eliminated Yu Baxian, Qilin Zhuang, Thundercloud Sect, and this Holy Infant back then, a thousand years later, if Lingxiao Palace were to weaken, some Martial-Mystic Cultivator would still emerge from nowhere to seek revenge."
"So, the grudges aren't the main issue. The fundamental cause of this calamity is the Lingxiao Palace's weakened state."
"Have you wiped out all your enemies from the past few years? You can't kill them all."
Li Weiyi asked her for a cup of wine.
"How could I ever win an argument with you?"
"Let's go," Zen Hai Guanwu suddenly said, "We'll find the number one cultivator in the Lingxiao Realm and see if we can change the Lingxiao Palace's weakened state."
Li Weiyi asked, "Can you solve the Six Thoughts Divine Mind Curse?"
Zen Hai Guanwu shook her head.
"When it comes to the mind, I have no confidence at all. But this is our only option! If I go, at least there's a chance."
Li Weiyi thought of Tang Wanzhou's condition back then and grew worried.
"It's too dangerous. We have no idea what state she's in now. She might not even remember you, her teacher. She might even try to kill you."
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Weiyi and Zen Hai Guanwu slipped away unnoticed.
At the city gates, the Lingxiao Martial-Mystic Cultivators were locked in battle with the Dark Knights, determined to defend their honor in their own way.
Even knowing it was impossible, they would fight on.
Li Weiyi temporarily stored the Zen Hai Guanwu in his Blood Mud Space.
Then, using the Transformation Technique, he transformed into Ge Xiantong's likeness and strode confidently toward the Cloud Mist Formation that enveloped Lingxiao Palace, the Imperial Temple, and other government prefectures.
He planned to take a calculated risk and see if he could enter.
The last time he accompanied Tai Shi Yu to the Imperial Temple, the Brocade-Clad Divine Guards guarding the entrance hadn't even checked their tokens before letting them pass.
In a place like Lingxiao Palace, those whose cultivation wasn't strong enough to trespass would be killed by other formations even if they managed to enter the Cloud Mist Formation.
Conversely, if one's cultivation was so powerful that they could ignore the three Palace Masters and a vast number of Immortal Realm Great Powers, the Cloud Mist Formation would certainly be unable to stop them.
"Lord Ge!"
The sixteen Brocade-Clad Divine Guards guarding the palace gates saluted in unison.
Li Weiyi, mimicking Ge Xiantong's demeanor, nodded in response.
The Formation Light Veil parted.
Li Weiyi walked through with composure, following a spiritual river dozens of yards wide toward the thousand-foot-tall Phoenix Pavilion complex.
Though he appeared relaxed, the pressure in his heart was immense.
The Phoenix Terrace and Qilin Terrace loomed before him, their towering forms clearly visible.
The Second and Third Palace Masters were likely on the mountain peak, and a mere release of their Willpower could reveal his presence.
On the road, carriages of Imperial Court officials passed by constantly, some even calling out to him.
As the Grand Palace Mistress's disciple, his status was incredibly noble, and no one dared to offend him.
The Phoenix Pavilion stood between the Phoenix Terrace and the Qilin Terrace, a cluster of flame-like structures - halls, towers, pavilions, and chambers - built along the mountain's contours, cascading upward in tiered formations that pierced the clouds.
Hidden within the clouds was a Great Formation, with fleeting glimpses of phoenix feather light and shadow flickering within.
Li Weiyi arrived at the Phoenix Pavilion's gate, and seeing no one around, he released Zen Hai Guanwu.
She quickly analyzed the Formation, then pushed the gate open a foot, allowing them to slip inside.
The gate closed behind them, the Formation Light Veil sealing shut once more.
Li Weiyi's heart still pounded wildly.
He couldn't calm down.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this the most dangerous place in the entire Lingxiao Realm.
Only Zen Hai Guanwu could navigate it with such ease.
If they were discovered...
The consequences were unimaginable.
Once inside the Phoenix Pavilion, Li Weiyi took a deep breath, immediately feeling an indescribable sense of comfort flood his entire being.
Dense Spiritual Qi surged into his body like a tidal wave.
Even more astonishing, the Wind Mansion Dragon Seed and the Divine Gate Twelve-Character Dao Seed became unusually active, actively communicating with the heavens and earth.
Cultivating the Dao here would undoubtedly yield exponential results.
Zen Hai Guanwu led the way up the jade steps, her voice cautious: "The Phoenix Pavilion is riddled with formation glyphs and Transcendents' runes. Be extremely careful and don't wander around recklessly. Even I find some areas unfamiliar and dangerous."
The vast Phoenix Pavilion was eerily silent, devoid of any living creatures.
Li Weiyi remained on high alert, constantly fearing the legendary Grand Palace Mistress might suddenly burst forth, her hair disheveled, and unleash a massacre.
Observing Zen Hai Guanwu, he noticed even this former Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor seemed somewhat tense.
His own anxiety intensified!
Reaching the halfway point up the mountain, the clouds hung directly overhead, two thousand meters above the ground.
Zen Hai Guanwu stopped before a high tower embedded in the cliff face.
A plaque above the tower's entrance bore the inscription "Divine Martial Tower."
The tower's Formation clearly wasn't her work from a thousand years ago. It took her considerable time and meticulous effort to carefully dismantle it.
Inside, the tower's space was vast, stretching over a hundred meters deep.
Countless bookshelves lined the walls.
As they walked, Zen Hai Guanwu explained, "A thousand years ago, the Lingxiao Realm's three hundred provinces saw major powers gather their Martial-Mystic Techniques, classics, and Dao Techniques here. We have at least copies and transcriptions, and even some True Scriptures. Wait for me here!"
Li Weiyi asked, "You're going to the mountain peak alone?"
"Yes. It's too dangerous for you to come. If I don't return, take all the scriptures here, leave Lingxiao City immediately, and flee as far as possible."
Zen Hai Guanwu then explained how to open the Divine Martial Tower and the Phoenix Pavilion.
Once he understood the method, even Ge Xiantong could freely enter and exit the Phoenix Pavilion, let alone Li Weiyi, a Six-Star Spiritual Master.
Li Weiyi had no right to worry about her. If even she, with her abilities and intelligence, couldn't solve the problem, who else could possibly help?
"This place is undoubtedly one of the most important treasure troves in the Lingxiao Realm. Finally, I can study the True Scriptures."
Li Weiyi swiftly moved through the bookshelves, reaching the area where the Dao Scriptures were stored.
There were over thirty thousand volumes of Daoist texts, covering various categories.
Even a copy of the Eight Trigrams Supreme Profound Scripture, the supreme scripture of the Zuoqiu Sect's Daoist lineage, was preserved here.
Moreover, it wasn't an ordinary copy. It was etched onto jade slips, preserving the scripture's essence as much as possible, making it easier to comprehend the original text of the Eight Trigrams Supreme Profound Scripture.
The transcriber's name was engraved on the jade slips: Huang Yuyao.
The Grand Palace Mistress had personally transcribed them.
The jade slips resembled bamboo scrolls.
There were eight volumes in total.
Li Weiyi picked up the first volume and opened it.
Instantly, elegant and lively scripture characters leaped out, radiating a faint azure glow.
Each Scripture seemed alive, dancing across the jade slips.
With just a glance, Li Weiyi's mind was completely captivated, immersed in the enlightenment of the Great Dao.
Within his Divine Gate, one Scripture after another was born.
In the past, cultivating the Divine Gate Twelve-Character Dao Seed had been incredibly difficult.
The primary reason was the Sea of Scriptures borne by the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish - a cryptic, impenetrable Heavenly Tome that had caused Li Weiyi immense suffering to comprehend.
It felt like giving a newly literate child the world's greatest classics, but with the classics jumbled and scattered into a sea of text.
As a result, each Scripture required an enormous amount of time to decipher.
The Eight Trigrams Supreme Profound Scripture, however, proved far easier for Li Weiyi to comprehend.
The previous suffering was replaced by a sense of joy, with new insights gained every moment.
Having studied Daoist Sect classics since childhood, he understood many passages immediately.
For the truly perplexing sections, he could consult the bookshelves for explanations.
Yu Yaozi had written detailed interpretations, sharing her own understanding and insights.
Eventually, Li Weiyi directly activated the Dao Ancestor's Tai Chi Fish, entering the Sea of Scriptures.
This granted him both fivefold time and the ability to cross-reference his understanding.
Days passed in this manner.
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END OF CHAPTER
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