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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 45 (300): [Planting Rice with Corpse]
(45th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The Big Phoenix had two layers of wings.
The outer layer was a dazzling display of multicolored feathers, like the wings of a Phoenix.
The inner layer consisted of membranous wings covered in mysterious patterns, as sharp as spiritual artifact swords.
Its body radiated a five-colored, glazed brilliance, and its six sharp claws were covered in dense scales, with razor-sharp hooks.
Having reached the Dao Seed Realm, it possessed an intimidating aura even without concealing its true Qi. Alone, it could challenge a Third Heaven Inferior Root Dao Seed Realm expert like Ye Nanfeng.
If it summoned insect swarms to aid it, using its Commander-level strength and aura, it might even defeat him.
The Big Phoenix led the way to a low pavilion-style building near the Crimson Fire Bamboo Forest within the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace. The air was filled with the refreshing fragrance of bamboo leaves.
The two-story pavilion had no windows, only four-foot-high wooden walls.
Li Weiyi swept the pavilion clean.
The bookshelves were covered in dust, as Yao Qingxuan rarely visited this place.
On the second floor, Tang Wanzhou sat cross-legged between two bookshelves, poring over a yellowed book.
During the pursuit, she had been severely injured. Even her hair crown had been shattered by Yao Qingxuan, leaving her disheveled and disheveled.
Her long hair now cascaded down her cheeks, her face ashen and devoid of color.
Her spiritual artifact shoes and boots were lost, leaving her bare feet pressed against the bookshelf in a decidedly unladylike pose.
"Thump! Thump!"
Footsteps echoed from the staircase.
Soon, Li Weiyi saw her. His headache intensified, and he nervously glanced at the distant Qingwa Jade Palace before lowering his voice.
"Young Lord, why did you flee here?"
Tang Wanzhou, having failed to find the information she sought, returned the car-book to the shelf and looked up.
"The Southern Venerable has left. Naturally, I came too!"
"If anyone finds out, even jumping into the Sui River wouldn't wash this clean," Li Weiyi said.
Tang Wanzhou countered, "Then how can you explain your apprenticeship with a Heretical Sect Venerable, your intimate relationship with Yang Qingxi, and your actions with your fiancee, Zuoqiu Hongting, and Li Songgu?"
Li Weiyi stared at her for a moment: "Young Lord, what's your purpose in coming to the Main Hall? To rescue someone, or was this premeditated?"
Tang Wanzhou leaned against the bookshelf, closed her eyes, and her long eyelashes fluttered.
"Don't be so tense. This Sovereign isn't here to force you to do anything. It just so happens that the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace is the safest place for me to hide within the Heretical Sect's Main Hall. You're in a perilous situation, forced to act against your will, yet you still think of rescuing Qi Xiao and Tuoba Butuo, even at the risk of putting yourself in greater danger. Honestly, I admire you. In terms of loyalty and righteousness, I fall short of you."
Tang Wanzhou didn't give a direct answer, but Li Weiyi already knew the truth.
It turned out that her primary goal in gathering a large force to enter the Underground Immortal Mansion was to lure out the Twin Rice Sect.
The search for the Luminous Star Tome was merely a pretext.
Li Weiyi asked, "I want to know: did you invite me into the Underground Immortal Mansion to borrow the insect, or was I also bait to draw out the Twin Rice Sect?"
"Does it matter?" Tang Wanzhou replied, "As you said yourself, even if you hadn't come with me, you would have entered the Underground Immortal Mansion on your own. Wouldn't the outcome have been the same?"
Li Weiyi countered, "But your plan cost many lives. Lord Hu is dead, and Tuoba Butuo is still trapped in the Fourth Divine Son's Residence, having lost an arm. I deserve an explanation, don't I?"
"You do," Tang Wanzhou conceded, then began to explain, "At first, I intended to use myself as bait, but after entering the Underground Immortal Mansion several times, the Twin Rice Sect never took the bait. So, I couldn't confirm whether their Main Hall was even located there."
"To draw them out - or rather, to force them to reveal themselves - I needed to gather enough powerful cultivators to act together."
"But I still don't think it's enough."
"It just so happens that you, the Heaven's Chosen who's currently the talk of the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, have become embroiled in a battle against the Heretical Sect, relentlessly pursuing them. At the same time, they're also hunting you, seeking to capture you. I believe they're after the seven rare insects. After all, in the environment of the Underground Immortal Mansion, those insects could prove invaluable."
"Bringing you and the seven rare insects into the Underground Immortal Mansion would greatly increase the likelihood of luring them out."
"After examining your Wind Mansion, I actually felt a pang of regret for your talent. That's why I advised you not to go and subtly hinted at the dangers involved."
Li Weiyi found Tang Wanzhou to be utterly devoid of emotion. She recounted everything in an eerily calm tone.
To her, Tang Hu, Tuoba Butuo, and other Northern Territory powerhouses and prodigies seemed like mere chess pieces, expendable at any moment to achieve her goals.
"So, all this is just to confirm whether the Twin Rice Sect's Main Hall is located in the Underground Immortal Mansion?" Li Weiyi asked.
Tang Wanzhou replied, "Do you think that's a trivial matter?"
Li Weiyi gazed out the window at the swaying bamboo branches, waiting for her to continue.
Tang Wanzhou had to convince Li Weiyi.
Only Li Weiyi could get her out. Thus, she spoke patiently: "You've seen the strange changes on the surface! The entire Prefectural Prefecture is covered in countless tombstones and burial mounds that suddenly appeared, and they're spreading rapidly to Qiu Prefecture and other neighboring prefectures."
"I've communicated with the Founding Ancestor of the Zuoqiu Family's Confucian Dao. Historically, there have been several similar incidents, documented in ancient texts. Some were caused by the Nether Realm of the Dead invading, others by the revival of Imperial Corpses... In short, none of them were good news, and they all led to devastating calamities."
"One of these incidents involved the Rice People!"
"It's recorded in a chapter called 'Corpse-Sowing Rice.'"
"According to the records, over a hundred thousand years ago, the Rice People set up an altar and Great Formation for Corpse-Sowing Rice deep beneath a Life Realm. Using the power of sacrifice, they channeled underground Yin Qi to the surface."
"When the Rice People's pollen drifted on the wind and landed on the burial mounds, the corpses within would transform into a Corpse Rice army, devouring all living beings in the Life Realm."
"Afterward, the entire Life Realm turned into rice fields, and it remains the Rice People's kingdom to this day."
Li Weiyi frowned deeply: "With so many powerful cultivators in the world, why couldn't they have flattened the tombstones and burial mounds on the surface beforehand?"
"Since ancient times, countless people have been buried underground. Flattening one wave only leads to another growing in its place."
Tang Wanzhou continued, "No one knows if the strange occurrences in Prefectural Prefecture are related to this situation, which is why powerful figures from all the major powers have been drawn here to investigate the cause.
"The Twin Rice Sect is suspected because heretical sects have become increasingly active in recent centuries, gradually emerging from the shadows.
"Their boldness in appearing openly suggests that the darkness they've been hiding in has grown to an unfathomable strength.
"The Imperial Court and the Ancient Myriad Sects have been investigating, capturing some heretical leaders, but most are extreme followers of the Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall. Some have only heard rumors of the main hall, while others had their senses sealed upon entering and leaving, leaving them ignorant of its true nature.
"Yet all investigations point to the heretical sect's main hall being hidden in Fu Prefecture.
"Twelve years ago, chaos erupted across the land. Since then, no one has had the resources to continue investigating the heretical sects, and the Imperial Court became a common enemy of all under heaven."
Li Weiyi asked, "Could the chaos have been orchestrated by the Twin Rice Sect to divert attention and incite the Human Race to slaughter itself? Then, while everyone is distracted, they could seize the final harvest."
Tang Wanzhou pondered for a moment.
"From the perspective of the greatest beneficiaries, that's possible. But I don't believe they've become so powerful that they can manipulate Yu Yaozi."
She continued, "In truth, this matter shouldn't have fallen to me. I'm just a junior. I fear death too, and I didn't want to take such a huge risk."
"But it's clear the Heretical Sect quickly reacted to the exposure of the Underground Immortal Mansion. They used some method to prevent anyone above the Immortal Realm from entering the entrance."
"Suddenly, I, a mere junior, became the strongest person capable of entering the Underground Immortal Mansion. How could I refuse responsibility?"
Li Weiyi finally understood her predicament.
He sighed, "Even Transcendents couldn't break through?"
"It's hard to say. I suspect there's a way to force entry."
Tang Wanzhou continued, "But do you really think Qilin Zhuang accidentally blasted open the entrance to the Underground Immortal Mansion with a single strike?"
"He must have realized he couldn't conquer Qiu Prefecture City and the Zhu Sect. Knowing it would be difficult to seize the Lingxiao Realm, and unwilling to let the Twin Rice Sect reap the benefits, he deliberately exposed them."
"A year ago, the Transcendents of both the Human and Demon Races suffered heavy losses. Few of them still possess their full strength."
"In such circumstances, even two or three Transcendents at their peak would likely perish within the Underground Immortal Mansion, leaving no trace behind. The terrain is too complex, everything is unknown. Who knows what schemes the Heretical Sect has laid?"
"The Founding Ancestor of the Zuoqiu Family's Confucian Dao was a proactive advocate for resolving the potential dangers within the Underground Immortal Mansion."
"But he told me that when he went to the Thundercloud Sect to seek an alliance, the sect's Transcendents asked him if he had set up a killing formation within the mansion to trap and slaughter them."
"The Thundercloud Sect's Transcendents were relatively decent. Though wary of being manipulated by the Zuoqiu Sect, they at least dispatched an Immortal Realm Great Power to Fu Prefecture to investigate."
"Meanwhile, when our Snow Sword Tang Court's Transcendents sought an alliance, the others either feigned injury to decline or suspected the Snow Sword Tang Court of colluding with the Demon Race to set up killing traps within the mansion."
"Li Weiyi, not everyone in this world has a sense of responsibility!"
"The word 'unity' has been a challenge since ancient times. Unless faced with a crisis of life and death like the Qilin Zhuang and the Demon Race, Transcendents will either suspect each other or prefer to watch others take risks, letting others die first to protect themselves."
Li Weiyi nodded slightly: "If we could achieve internal unity, dynasties wouldn't fall. The fundamental reason for disunity is that everyone is vying for power and profit."
"You're right, that's exactly it."
Tang Wanzhou continued, "Take the Transcendents' War of a year ago as an example. As far as I know, one fallen Human Transcendent's faction was quickly divided up by other Human factions. Their descendants were enslaved, abused, and slaughtered until their entire clan was wiped out. It's utterly heartbreaking!"
"How can you expect Transcendents to sacrifice themselves generously?"
"This era of chaos is an era without rules. Even the Immortal Martial-Mystic Edict faces immense resistance, and no one respects anyone else... The Imperial Court still holds a sword over everyone's heads."
"Without a decisive Emperor to establish rules and restrain everyone, people can only act cautiously."
"That's why I understand the Transcendents' caution."
"So someone has to step forward, someone has to die first. That's why I came. I must bring back concrete information. Only with concrete information can we unite all possible forces and launch a direct attack, resolving the crisis before it erupts."
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END OF CHAPTER
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