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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 157 (412): [Teacher, I Have Not Been Negligent]
(157th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Mist shrouded the mountains and forests.
Inside the thatched hut, a crimson gemstone lamp burned eternally bright.
Zen Hai Guanwu, clad in red robes, approached the wooden door. Her expression was as solemn as it had been on that afternoon three thousand years ago.
Her face remained ageless, her youthful beauty undiminished as she gazed upon Tai Shi Cong, who had returned from his playful wanderings.
However, instead of a disciplinary ruler, she now held the Void Enlightenment Sword.
The Tai Shi Cong stood at the fence gate, his tear-blurred eyes fixed on her.
His voice, hoarse and trembling, whispered, "Teacher, have you come to take me away? To be greeted by you at the end of my life... I'm truly happy."
"Only a millennium has passed, yet you've aged so terribly. Have you neglected your cultivation these past years?" Zen Hai Guanwu felt the weight of time's relentless passage.
The Tai Shi Cong closed his eyes, wiped away his tears, and smiled.
He finally accepted the reality before him.
The woman from his past had returned - not as a figment of his imagination.
...
Old Zhuo and Yao Qingxuan drove back to Transcendent Manor.
The Formation's shimmering barrier closed once more.
"Thump!"
A bulging black sack made of a special material was tossed from the carriage, landing heavily on the ground.
Its surface was covered in soft scales, forged from the hide of a Demon King. Not only was it exceptionally durable, but it also completely isolated its contents from external scents and perceptions.
Yao Qingxuan, disguised as a man, stepped out of the carriage and glared at Old Man Ao Shan and Li Weiyi, who hurried to greet her.
Her voice was sharp, almost scolding: "Why did you come back? Lingxiao City is more dangerous now than ever."
Old Zhuo, still in his coachman's guise, frowned deeply.
"We'll explain later," he said.
Li Weiyi asked, "Who's in the sack?"
"Song Yulou, the Song Family patriarch," Yao Qingxuan replied.
"What?!"
Li Weiyi couldn't believe their audacity.
He immediately knelt down, untied the sack's cords and dispelled the runes sealing it, freeing the handsome man bound inside.
It was indeed Song Yulou!
Song Yulou was conscious but dazed, unable to speak as his gaze swept over the four figures in the courtyard.
When he saw Li Weiyi, he visibly relaxed.
The battle at Six Thoughts Zen Temple had revealed Li Weiyi's integrity and courage to many.
Even giants of the Immortal Realm couldn't help but admire such a person, knowing they might not have acted similarly in his place.
"You two - one an elder, the other hundreds of years old - how could you act so rashly and recklessly? Song Yulou isn't someone you can just seize on a whim!"
Li Weiyi immediately glanced outside the door, then up at the sky.
He had a growing sense that the Imperial Court's armies were about to surround them.
He also felt that the Third Palace Master might unleash a formation beam at any moment, leveling the entire Transcendent Manor to the ground.
Yao Qingxuan remained remarkably calm.
"With the Zhu Sect's defeat, the enemy will strike within ten days, perhaps even sooner. Song Yulou has long been under the Twin Rice Sect's control, occupying a critical position. He must be eliminated immediately."
"We must force the enemy to act prematurely within three days, at any cost."
"Only by disrupting their rhythm can we make them pay the ultimate price."
Yao Qingxuan's strategy perfectly aligned with Zen Hai Guanwu's thinking.
Song Yulou sat on the ground, his limbs bound, his eyes blazing with fury as he shook his head violently.
Li Weiyi glanced at Song Yulou, recalling their desperate battle against the Demon Child on the Prefecture Plains.
Though he had long suspected him, he couldn't believe Song Yulou was someone blinded by hatred, unable to distinguish between what was important and what wasn't, or between right and wrong.
A sixty-year-old Martial-Mystic Cultivator in the Immortal Realm was undoubtedly a dragon among men.
"Let him speak," Li Weiyi said, "Let's hear what he has to say."
"Whoosh!"
Old Zhuo, seated in the carriage, pointed a finger through the air, and a beam of spiritual light struck Song Yulou's neck.
Song Yulou collapsed to the ground, finally able to speak.
He shouted, "I did have contact with the Heretical Sect, but it was merely a feigned alliance, a pretense of being controlled. I wanted to uncover their true motives. Only by understanding our enemy can we know when to strike back and inflict a decisive blow."
"I reported this matter to the West Sea King long ago. Verify it with him, and my innocence will be proven."
Old Zhuo sneered: "The West Sea King is stationed at Divine Light Pass, far away. We don't have time to contact him."
Yao Qingxuan produced a book and tossed it to Li Weiyi: "We confiscated this from him. Fortunately, we intervened in time. Based on his trajectory, he was heading toward the Six Thoughts Zen Temple."
Song Yulou looked bewildered, racking his memory, but he couldn't recall anything that had happened after nightfall, not even how he had been captured.
His memory seemed to have been blank for several hours.
Li Weiyi opened the book and began flipping through it, his breath catching in his throat as his pupils constricted violently.
Inside were detailed diagrams of the formation nodes and their corresponding scriptures across the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain.
There was even the scriptures for the Great Nine Heavens Cloud Formation.
Song Yulou asked, "What is that?"
Li Weiyi stepped forward and flipped open a page, showing it to Song Yulou: "The ink is fresh! As Junior Minister of the Qilin Terrace, you're responsible for inspecting the formation hubs. It's not surprising you have the Formation Scriptures Manual. But how did you copy the formation scriptures for the Great Nine Heavens Cloud Formation? Isn't the Third Palace Master at the summit of Qilin Terrace Mountain?"
"This..." Song Yulou's eyes narrowed as he examined the contents of the book.
A chill ran down his spine, and his scalp tingled.
"The Third Palace Master is locked in a spiritual duel with the Crown Prince of the Demon Kingdom. She can't afford any distractions, so she's entrusted all matters to us."
"The Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain has one hundred and eighty formation hubs. The Qilin Terrace and the Tai Shi Clan's City Defense Garrison each manage half. The Qilin Terrace's records are very detailed; I've reviewed them before, but I never organized them."
"As for the Great Nine Heavens Cloud Array's formation scriptures, the Qilin Terrace only possesses half of it. Many Spiritual Masters study it, each mastering a separate, independent portion. This ensures that in the event of a major crisis, everyone can assist the Third Palace Master in activating the array."
"This is too detailed... Why is it in my handwriting? I've never copied these things."
Song Yulou was utterly bewildered, his jaw clenched.
He spoke almost pleadingly, "Li Weiyi, something terrible is about to happen in Lingxiao City! I must see the Third Palace Master immediately. I know I'm under suspicion, but I swear - on the honor of the West Sea King's Manor - I would never betray the Imperial Court or the Human Race."
.....
Tai Shi Ancestral Estate, Thatched Cottage.
Tai Shi Cong sat rigidly on a wooden stool, his hands clasped around the head of his staff as he faced the red-robed woman across the lamp-lit table.
"Teacher, I have not been idle! A thousand years ago, the Nether Realm descended upon us like a storm. In that cataclysmic disaster, my physical body was nearly destroyed, and my spiritual essence suffered grievous wounds. Since then, my cultivation progress has been painfully slow."
Zen Hai Guanwu said, "For now, don't tell anyone about my return."
Tai Shi Cong nodded, sensing something amiss in her demeanor.
"Teacher, something major may be about to happen on the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain."
"What makes you say that?" Zen Hai Guanwu asked.
"Too many things are... strange," the Tai Shi Cong replied.
"In the Eastern Territory, the Dragon Sect and the Three Islands Barbarians are keeping the Duke of the Eastern Sea and the Thundercloud Sect occupied. Meanwhile, a Transcendent Monster Race is wreaking havoc in Liang Province, clearly aiming to keep me pinned down in the east."
"The situation in the Southern Territory is equally clear. The Heretical Sect is using secret techniques beneath Fu Prefecture State to cultivate rice with corpses. The Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiang Clan are now completely immobilized."
"In the Northern Territory, the Snow Sword Tang Clan crossed the Misty Grassland and seized Fengzhou. With that, the old fox from the Chen Clan has no escape and must remain there to keep watch."
"As for the Western Territory, the situation is catastrophic. The Second Palace Master and Cao Caishen set out for Divine Light Pass today."
"All Transcendent beings, military forces, and Immortal Realm experts have been diverted and drawn away. Lingxiao City is now defended only by the Great Palace Master, who remains locked in his palace, Blood-Clad Grand Steward Ye Xuanming, and the Third Palace Master."
"Currently, the Third Palace Master's entire focus is consumed by the Crown Prince of the Demon Kingdom, who is stationed at the Six Thoughts Zen Temple. The two are locked in a psychic standoff, their minds intertwined in a tense stalemate. With all her energy devoted to maintaining vigilance, she cannot possibly oversee the city's affairs."
"Ye Xuanming is tasked with guarding the Inner Treasury and the national treasury. How can he possibly monitor the entire city?"
"Li Longshu and the Transcendent beings of the Sacred Dark Family have vanished into the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, concealing themselves in the shadows. No one knows when or where they might strike, unleashing a devastating blow against Lingxiao City."
"Moreover, the Heretical Sect has undoubtedly infiltrated the city with their own Transcendent experts."
"At least ten factions are involved in the Ghost City and Bone Mansion within the Nether Realm of the Dead. Conservatively estimating, at least ten Transcendent-level Dead Spirits will intervene. Most likely, ancient monsters have already entered the city."
"How can Ye Xuanming possibly monitor so many Transcendent beings alone?"
"Everyone assumes the Crown Prince of the Demon Kingdom's appearance is merely a ploy to tie down the Imperial Court's Transcendent forces in Lingxiao City, leaving the Western Territory vulnerable. But is it truly impossible for the enemy to strike at Lingxiao City itself? How much of the Great Palace Master's deterrent power remains?"
"Teacher, have you visited her?"
Zen Hai Guanwu replied, "There's no hope for her. Cong'er, the battle at Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain will erupt in two days, barring any unforeseen circumstances. I intend to ignite the flames of war early. Will you join me in a battle with no chance of victory?"
Tai Shi Cong, fully aware of the peril, had secretly returned to Lingxiao City, making his stance clear.
He smiled without fear, "I initially thought this would be a desperate, solitary struggle, a bitter, futile resistance before death. But facing it alongside you, Teacher, makes it seem less daunting. It feels like returning to my youth, filled with fighting spirit and anticipation."
Zen Hai Guanwu instructed, "Secretly summon Huo Di of the Eastern Sea and Chen Su of the Chen Clan back here."
"What about the Second Palace Master, Cao Caishen, and Song Yanxian?" Tai Shi Cong asked.
"Let them defend the Western Territory," Zen Hai Guanwu replied, "Lingxiao City has made too many mistakes over the years, losing the people's trust. I see no way to save it. Let it fall if it must. But while the Imperial Court may perish, the Human Race must endure. You and I, master and disciple, will give Lingxiao City a dignified end on this Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, repaying the suffering it has inflicted on the world for over a decade."
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END OF CHAPTER
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