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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 6 (261): [One Grain, Two Sprouts]
(6th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Li Weiyi didn't need to worry about the preparations for his engagement banquet.
He knew he only needed to make a brief appearance. So, he returned to his Cave Dwelling to cultivate and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Inside the Cave Dwelling, he set up a set of Formation Flags before entering the Blood Mud Space. He had won these flags in the Martial-Mystic Competition held earlier that year.
Li Weiyi sat cross-legged on the Blood Mud, using his Intent to peel away layers of Blood Mist. Tanggu Sea and the Fusang Divine Tree appeared on the other side of the space barrier, radiating brilliant light.
Next, he took out a Radiant Flame Pill and swallowed it. His body immediately glowed like a lightbulb.
Closing his eyes, he activated the Fusang Divine Tree Meditation Technique, simultaneously absorbing Radiant Flame Power from both internal and external sources to strengthen the Earth Fire within his brow center spirit realm.
To advance from the Earth Fire Realm to the Heavenly Fire Realm, one only needs to accumulate one-third of their Spiritual Light.
One-third of Fang Chi's.
But to reach the Calamity Fire Realm, one must completely fill their Spiritual Realm, making it twice as difficult.
Months had passed since Li Weiyi reached the Great Spiritual Master realm, and he had been focused on improving his Martial-Mystic Path.
His Spiritual Realm held less than one-tenth of its Spiritual Light capacity.
This was already considered rapid progress.
Even Great Spiritual Masters who cultivated only Mental Power couldn't match his accumulation rate.
A Radiant Flame Pill cost a thousand Yongquan Coins.
Sixty pills would cost sixty thousand Yongquan Coins.
Extremely expensive!
But there was no other choice. Li Weiyi couldn't afford to cultivate slowly. He had to break through to the Heavenly Fire Realm as quickly as possible to reach the Tanggu Sea.
After reaching the Great Spiritual Master level, his absorption rate of Radiant Flame Pills increased severalfold.
In just two hours, he had completely digested them, and the Spiritual Light in his Spiritual Realm visibly increased.
Just like the accumulation of Spiritual Qi in Martial-Mystic Path cultivation, this was another long and arduous process.
.....
News of the engagement spread like wildfire through the city.
The secret that Zuoqiu Ting and Zuoqiu Hong were the same person was naturally revealed along with it.
Everyone understood that this was not merely a betrothal ceremony for the two Young Emperors; it was also a union between the Zuoqiu Clan and the Jiu Li Tribe, carrying extraordinary significance.
As night fell, the official residence's lanterns flickered to life one by one.
"Greetings, Lord Zhuang!"
"Lord Zhuang!"
In the corridors, officials from the Attendant Hall retreated to the sides, bowing deeply in respect.
Zhuang Yue, clutching the engagement invitation, strode forward with grim determination. Her teeth were clenched so tightly they felt on the verge of shattering, and her eyes were as cold as if she were ready to draw her sword and kill.
Reaching the top of Jiang Ning's cultivation tower, she struggled to compose herself, unsure how to begin. Just as she was about to turn and leave, a melodious voice called out from within: "What's wrong? Did the Transcendent duel reach a conclusion?"
"Creak!"
The wooden door and the formation simultaneously opened automatically.
Zhuang Yue stood frozen in the doorway, unable to step inside. Tears welled in her eyes, and she didn't know how to speak.
Jiang Ning had already changed out of her daytime robes and removed her hair ornaments.
Now she wore the Governor's official robe, her attire simple and unadorned. She sat with her eyes closed, meditating as she cultivated the Seventh Sea, which she had yet to fully master.
In recent days, news of young Heavenly Prides breaking through to the Dao Seed Realm had spread like wildfire through Qiu Prefecture City.
She felt a growing sense of urgency, unwilling to fall behind.
"Another Transcendent of the Imperial Court has fallen?" Jiang Ning's voice grew heavy.
Just four days ago, news had arrived of another Transcendent's demise.
If another fell, the impact would be devastating.
What she feared most was the loss of the Jiang Clan's Transcendent.
Zhuang Yue shook her head vigorously, finally gathering her courage to say, her voice filled with resentment and grievance, "He still betrayed you... He... he's going to marry Zuoqiu Hongting..."
Jiang Ning opened her eyes wide: "Let me see!"
She took the wedding invitation Zhuang Yue handed her. After studying it for a long time, she closed it and returned it.
"I won't go. In three days, prepare a gift for me to send."
"Miss! Are you just going to endure this?" Zhuang Yue asked.
Jiang Ning pondered for a moment, then stood up and pushed open the window, gazing out at the city lights that stretched as far as the eye could see. She let the cold night wind whip against her face.
"The Zuoqiu Clan must obtain the Hidden Dragon. Only through their marriage can they secure their position."
Zhuang Yue protested, "But couldn't he have spared you this pain? He didn't even bother to tell you beforehand. Miss, you risked your life countless times to meet him, to help him, to save him. You endured the Second Palace Master's interrogation to protect his secret, even though it caused a rift between you and your master. How could he not feel your devotion?"
Only Zhuang Yue knew that Jiang Ning treated Li Weiyi differently from anyone else.
"If I hear these words again after tonight, I will expel you from Phoenix Terrace and banish you from the Jiang Clan," Jiang Ning said in the calmest tone.
Zhuang Yue bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes as she nodded.
Jiang Ning sighed: "In the past, for the sake of the Imperial Court, I would have found a way to sabotage this matter, preventing the Zuoqiu Clan from succeeding. But now, with the Demon Clan's relentless advance, humanity must unite to resist. We can no longer afford internal strife."
"In truth, the Zuoqiu Clan's eagerness to arrange this marriage is a good sign. It suggests that humanity's Transcendent power has withstood the Demon Clan's attacks, and the battle may soon end!"
"You're terrible at hiding your feelings. Don't attend the engagement banquet. I'll send someone else in your place."
Jiang Ning's gaze lifted slightly, toward the majestic mountain range dotted with starlight in the night sky.
"Who knows what he truly thinks? True love is rare in this world. Regret and imperfection are the norm. It's better for the clouds to dissipate into the vast, hazy distance, preventing thunder and storms from colliding."
.....
...
At noon, Qi Xiao sent people to search for Yang Qingxi's whereabouts. They quickly found a lead, so he immediately rushed to confirm it.
Just as he stepped out, he encountered a servant from the Zuoqiu Clan delivering a wedding invitation to the Qi Manor.
Curious, Qi Xiao stopped him. After inquiring, he was both shocked and delighted.
"What a joke... this is absurd... Quick, let me see. Has my only brother really cultivated the secret art of living off a woman?"
After reading the invitation, Qi Xiao burst into laughter, already planning how to drink at the wedding banquet in three days.
"Brother Weiyi has truly ascended to the heavens. At the very least, he'll become the husband of the Zuoqiu Clan Head. It's even possible he'll become the husband of the master of the Lingxiao Realm."
Qi Xiao returned the invitation to the servant, deciding to handle the matter of Yang Qingxi with even greater caution. He absolutely couldn't cause Brother Weiyi any romantic trouble at this crucial moment.
He didn't take a carriage.
Instead, he donned a Nightwalker's Garment and moved swiftly through the shadows.
Arriving at the mansion the Qi Clan's spies had identified, Qi Xiao memorized its location and surroundings.
Just then, the back door opened, and Yang Qingxi, cloaked in a voluminous black robe with a hooded cowl, mysteriously climbed into a carriage.
The driver was a young man of fifteen or sixteen, dressed in plain hemp clothing.
Nothing about him stood out.
The only unusual thing was the driver himself...
He was too young!
"Interesting! So late at night, and Miss Yang is dressed like this... she must be hiding something important."
Having broken through to the Dao Seed Realm, Qi Xiao's newfound confidence made him unafraid of Yang Qingxi. He silently followed the carriage.
To his surprise, the carriage kept traveling out of the city, finally stopping in a remote town two hundred miles from Qiu Prefecture City.
After a night of travel, dawn was breaking.
Given her status, why would Yang Qingxi come to such a place?
Qi Xiao's curiosity grew. Seeing early risers already stirring in the town, he began observing while following the carriage tracks.
"One grain of rice, two sprouts emerge, three leaves crawl in the wind."
"Four crescent moons sway, five golden grains laugh."
Ahead, a group of barefoot children approached in a procession, singing a nursery rhyme.
Qi Xiao, still invisible, quickly stepped aside, watching them pass with a smile.
In his mind, he carefully recalled the scene.
He realized that nearly all the children were twins.
"They must be Ren Dao children," he mused, "I wonder if they're slaves raised by a powerful family, or perhaps young recruits for a death squad?"
Qi Xiao suddenly remembered that the Sui Sect was rumored to be involved in the Ren Dao trade. He suspected this might be one of their transshipment points.
Soon, he reached the edge of the small town.
A Daoist temple, half-hidden among lush trees, came into view. Outside, numerous horse-drawn carriages were parked, arriving from all directions.
Not a single driver was in sight.
Suddenly, an unnatural silence fell over the world. The bustling town, just moments ago filled with pedestrians and children's songs, became eerily still.
Qi Xiao sensed something amiss. Frowning, he prepared to retreat.
"Young Master Qi, since you've come to the Daozu Temple, why not come inside for a visit?" an ethereal voice called from the distant temple.
'This is bad!'
Qi Xiao's expression changed instantly. He turned and fled.
The moment he turned, the sky suddenly darkened.
It was as if the entire world had been overturned, plunging back into night.
In the town he had just passed through, coffins lined the streets in front of every house, each door guarded by two identical figures.
Some were two Elders, sitting on the ground sharpening sickles, their eyes occasionally glancing at him as they emitted eerie cackles.
Others were two youths in hemp clothing, carrying long swords on their backs.
Still others were two stunning beauties. One sat on the eaves, dressed in revealing attire that exposed vast expanses of snow-white skin, giggling seductively. The other sat beneath the eaves, serene and elegant, plucking a zither with delicate fingers.
Qi Xiao saw Yang Qingxi.
She stood alone in the center of the street, shrouded in a black robe, only half her face visible.
Qi Xiao was utterly horrified.
He looked around at the dark sky, no longer able to tell if he had ever reached morning, no longer sure if he had followed her all night.
His voice trembled as he whispered, "The Illusionary Realm of Impermanence... Which Holy Spiritual Master is playing such a cruel joke on me?"
"A joke?"
The woman perched on the eaves, her two snow-white legs dangling and swaying, laughed with a thousand charms.
"Sixth Divine Maiden, you deal with the tail you brought!"
"He's already in the Dao Seed Realm," Yang Qingxi said calmly.
"Fine, I'll handle it for you. You owe me a favor!"
With a graceful movement, the sexy woman's exquisite body shimmered, her ornaments tinkling and radiating dazzling light.
Qi Xiao activated his movement technique and turned to flee.
But behind him loomed the even more eerie Daoist temple, filling him with dread. He tried to circle around it to the right, but a group of barefoot children blocked his path.
The nursery rhyme began again, but to Qi Xiao, it sounded completely different, filling his heart with terror.
"One grain, two sprouts, i rise at third watch to kill the master."
"Blood splatters, staining white silk, crows fill the sky at fifth watch."
"Six-foot grave, seven steps of death."
"Eight lines of incantation hang in the sky."
"Nine severed heads dangle from the tassels, ten generations of barrenness sprout from my seed."
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END OF CHAPTER
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