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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 24 (461): [I'll Go Bring Her Back]
(24th of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"She's fine..."
Li Weiyi sensed something amiss in Yao Qingxuan's expression and tone.
"How does Master know Palace Master An is injured? Considering the dangers of the battle at Lingxiao City, surviving at all is a miracle. A few injuries are nothing."
Yao Qingxuan saw that Li Weiyi was unaware of what had happened to An Xianjing.
"Do you really think we escaped the Twin Rice Sect's Cultivation Headquarters through our own skill? Do you believe the Twin Rice Sect's higher-ups won't investigate the events at Lingxiao City? Someone will have to take responsibility."
"We escaped, but how could Palace Master An?"
"She would never betray her race or abandon the people of Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall, especially those young children."
Li Weiyi set down his shrimp, wiped his fingers, and pondered for a moment before narrowing his eyes.
"Master, what do you know?"
Yao Qingxuan replied, "During the battle at Lingxiao City, the Transcendent Forbidden One from Guan Shan died at the hands of the Mist Heavenly Sovereign. In the battle at the Underground Immortal Mansion, one Ancestor of Rice died, and the other was severely wounded."
"At the Twin Rice Sect's moment of life or death, the Rice Palace crossed the Netherworld, thwarting the Lingxiao Human Clan's plan to eradicate them."
"While assisting the Twin Rice Sect, the Rice Palace is actually consolidating the Lingxiao Rice Sect's power under its own banner without shedding a drop of blood."
Li Weiyi knew the history of the Lingxiao Twin Rice Sect: a thousand years ago, during a cataclysmic event, they accidentally discovered the entrance to an Underground Immortal Mansion.
By excavating the ruins of the Ancient Bhāgavata Sect, they rapidly developed and expanded their influence.
Even with the Jiang Clan's covert support, their foundation remained shallow. The two Ancestors of Rice had only cultivated for a millennium; how could their cultivation possibly compare to that of Zuoqiu Xuanming and Zhuang Shiyan?
Yao Qingxuan continued, "If the Ancestors of Rice were still in charge, or if The Forbidden One were still alive, they might have shown some consideration and granted Palace Master An sufficient dignity.
"But the Rice Palace's envoys seek to eliminate hidden threats while seizing this opportunity to establish their authority."
Li Weiyi completely lost his appetite.
"They're using Palace Master An to make an example?"
Yao Qingxuan replied, "From their perspective, Palace Master An has indeed committed a grave error. I heard she suffered unspeakable humiliation in Daozhou - severely injured, her soul searched... Except for Ku-Di, who survived under Palace Master An's protection, all the humans in Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall were purged... Weiyi, it's all our fault..."
"Enemies are enemies, and I'm not one to dwell on guilt. Whether the people of Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall were innocent or not is beyond my concern. But I can't help feeling guilty for Palace Master An's kindness to me."
Yao Qingxuan had spent over a decade in the Twin Rice Sect, rising to a high position and secretly cultivating her own faction.
Naturally, she was well-informed about events in Daozhou.
Yu'er glanced at her master, cautiously setting down her chopsticks.
"Thump!"
Li Weiyi slammed his cup onto the table, the bottom caving inward.
Gritting his teeth, he trembled as he spoke, "They even performed soul searches? Don't they realize the impact this will have on Great Immortal? With Palace Master An's cultivation, she was only two or three years away from a Breakthrough to Transcendence. And they... Master, you're right. It's our fault..."
"But... but when Palace Master An was on the ship..."
Li Weiyi struggled to recall his three days of interaction with An Xianjing on the ship. The more he remembered their calm interactions, the sharper the piercing pain in his heart became.
An Xianjing harbored resentment, but she never blamed Li Weiyi for her fate.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived.
Only now did Li Weiyi understand why An Xianjing had suddenly urged him to "grow stronger, attain Transcendent Realm, and even become the Martial-Mystic Dao Heavenly Emperor." Perhaps there had been another emotional factor at play.
Soul searching, to a Martial-Mystic Cultivator's Soul Spirit, was akin to dissecting a person's body with a blade - the damage irreversible.
At lower Cultivation Realms, a person's Soul Spirit, will, and Intent had little impact on their Cultivation.
But at higher Realms, the influence was immense.
Yao Qingxuan said, "In the past, Qiongji Daozi would have protected Ku-Di with all his might. But now, there's considerable risk, especially with the imminent opportunity of the Ancient Immortal Dragon Remains. The Dragon Seed within her body is highly coveted. Possessing it would make absorbing the Six-Clawed Immortal Dragon's energy far easier."
Li Weiyi immediately recalled the tragic fates of Qi Xiao and Tuoba Butuo at the Twin Rice Sect's Cultivation Headquarters, their Dragon Seeds devoured by Wang Shu.
He abruptly stood up: "I didn't consider this thoroughly enough. I'll go retrieve her myself."
If anything were to happen to Ku-Di, Li Weiyi didn't know how he could face An Xianjing again.
"Going alone? It's too dangerous. I'll go with you!" Yao Qingxuan insisted.
Li Weiyi suppressed his anger: "I'm going to retrieve someone, not kill anyone. Those Rice Palace members who tried to ambush me in Old Yuzhou Prefecture City - their malice, Huoxin, and Zhenxin - I'll settle that debt with them slowly, one by one, item by item, until every account is settled."
"Master... please don't act rashly..." Yu'er sensed the killing intent radiating from Li Weiyi and grew deeply worried, suspecting he was saying one thing but meaning another.
"Master won't act rashly!"
"Master, please watch over Yu'er for me."
A thought struck Li Weiyi, and he turned to Yao Qingxuan.
"Do you have a Psychic Power Artifact I can borrow?" He feared losing control of his emotions and engaging in a brutal fight with the Twin Rice Sect members, so he wanted to prepare in advance.
"I'll go borrow one for you. Wait here a moment." Yao Qingxuan seized this opportunity to give Li Weiyi time to calm down before going, hoping to prevent a full-scale conflict with the Rice Palace and Twin Rice Sect.
If she intervened, the conflict would escalate, inevitably drawing the attention of the Immortal Realm Giants from the Rice Palace and Twin Rice Sect.
...
The Twin Rice Sect Martial-Mystic Cultivators' warship stretched over three hundred meters long, constructed from the massive trunks of ancient trees, each trunk nearly a hundred meters in diameter. The vessel boasted six decks, a magnificent sight from afar.
Onboard, a multitude of Twin Rice Sect experts had gathered, some feasting and drinking, others engaging in martial sparring.
Half a kilometer away, on another ship, Cang Li gazed into the distance.
"I can't accept letting the Twin Rice Sect off so easily."
"We have no choice," Yin Jiu replied, "The Twin Rice Sect possesses the Book of Radiant Stars, which has already restored light to nine Ancient Prefectures swallowed by the Netherworld. The Lingxiao Realm needs their help to restore the glory of the three hundred prefectures from a thousand years ago."
"If the Rice Palace hadn't intervened," Yin Shi Yi added, "the Book of Radiant Stars might be in someone else's hands by now."
....
Qiongji Daozi stood on the fifth deck of the warship, near the railing facing the Sea Market of Moon Dragon Island.
Far above the ground, he gazed down at the myriad lights of the city, resembling a celestial being surveying the mortal realm.
In the past, he would have resided on the sixth deck, occupying the highest position.
But with the arrival of the Rice Palace, his Master's reputation had been utterly disgraced, causing his status within the Twin Rice Sect to plummet.
The so-called First Divine Son was now firmly suppressed beneath the Heaven's Chosen from the Rice Palace.
He could accept being outmatched by the two True Inheritance disciples; Qiongji Daozi acknowledged the gap between them.
However, the fact that even figures like Huoxin and Zhenxin now held authority over him was unbearable.
If he failed to display the prowess befitting the First Divine Son and seize the top position in this opportunity, he feared he would never rise again.
Yet, every Martial-Mystic Cultivator in the Lingxiao Realm sought his death. How could he act decisively while ensuring his own survival?
His gaze fell upon Ku-Di on the first deck. He gracefully descended, his robes billowing behind him.
"Junior Sister, where are you going?"
Ku-Di had changed into civilian clothes and disguised herself with a simple transformation.
"As a human, I'm universally despised here. I truly don't want to cause any more trouble for Senior Brother. Rest assured, my cultivation is strong enough to protect myself."
"With me here, no one would dare act rashly."
Qiongji Daozi sighed deeply, "Senior Brother's situation isn't much better than yours. From what I understand, Huoxin, Zhenxin, Huang Xu, and Kong Xu have all received life-saving measures from their elders, making them well-prepared. Junior Sister, didn't Master give you any protective artifacts?"
Ku-Di refused to play along: "If Senior Brother had acted like a proper disciple that day, how could Master have refused to help you? I'm not asking for much - I don't expect you to confront the Transcendent. But after years of nurturing and guidance, surely that debt of gratitude was worth kneeling and begging for mercy?"
"Yet Senior Brother couldn't even bring himself to kneel. In our moment of greatest need, the bond between master and disciple couldn't buy the dignity of a man's knees. You're even worse than the two Elder Xus - at least they dared to confront the Transcendent to protect Master."
Ku-Di brushed past Qiongji Daozi, preparing to disembark.
Si Kong Yanlun approached Qiongji Daozi, his gaze fixed on Ku-Di's retreating figure.
"Lord Huoxin is very interested in Dragon Seeds," he said, "so I'm giving you a heads-up. Later, you can tell Palace Master An that the Lingxiao Human Clan killed Ku-Di. No one will be held responsible."
"Whoosh!"
Seeing no one around, Si Kong Yanlun moved swiftly, enveloping Ku-Di in his Dao Heart Manifestation.
He curled his fingers into a claw and lunged for her neck.
His cultivation had reached the fifth heaven of the Dao Seed Realm, giving him an overwhelming advantage in cultivation realm.
Combined with his surprise attack, he caught Ku-Di completely off guard.
Sensing the commotion, many eyes on the ship turned toward them.
But with the Dao Heart Manifestation shrouding them, no one could see what was happening inside.
After a brief struggle, Si Kong Yanlun subdued Ku-Di, preparing to take her to Huoxin.
"Wait," Qiongji Daozi said, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.
He released a cloud of azure Spiritual Qi, enveloping all three of them, and stepped toward Ku-Di, searching her body.
Ku-Di bit her lip, her cold eyes fixed on Qiongji Daozi, her last shred of hope for him shattered.
She should never have harbored illusions about his character or moral boundaries when she boarded this ship.
From below the ship, Li Weiyi's melodious voice rang out: "Sword Gentleman Liu Fengshu has come to pay respects to the Twin Rice Sect. Where is Miss Ku-Di?"
Qiongji Daozi and Si Kong Yanlun exchanged alarmed glances, never expecting Liu Fengshu to arrive at this moment.
"What do we do? Liu Fengshu is no ordinary man," Si Kong Yanlun said, his voice tight with concern.
"Search him first. I'll handle the rest," Qiongji Daozi replied, straightening his robes.
He stepped out from Sikong Yanlun's Dao Heart Manifestation and approached the ship's railing, which stood dozens of meters above the ground.
Looking down at Liu Fengshu, he smiled.
"Brother Liu, you're a step too late. My Junior Sister has already disembarked and gone to the Sea Market."
Li Weiyi, observing Qiongji Daozi through the ship's defensive Formations, naturally didn't believe him.
He couldn't imagine that Qiongji Daozi and the Twin Rice Sect would stoop so low as to attack Ku-Di so quickly.
He suspected Ku-Di might not even be on the ship.
Just as Li Weiyi was about to leave, a golden sword light erupted from the ship, accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream.
On the ship, the Earth Sword Talisman had flown out from Ku-Di's brow center spirit realm, tearing through Si Kong Yanlun's Dao Heart Manifestation and sending him reeling back with grievous injuries.
The scream had come from Si Kong Yanlun.
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END OF CHAPTER
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