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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 145 (400): [Farewell at the Immortal Plains]
(145th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The carriage was dim, plunged into silence.
Li Weiyi raised his eyes and looked at Yao Qingxuan.
Yao Qingxuan shook her head, signaling him not to speak carelessly, including through mental communication.
The next day was New Year's Day.
Dawn was breaking.
Lingxiao City's City-Protecting Formation still enveloped the city like mist, but the gates had opened.
After strict inspection, people could now enter and exit.
Merchant caravans from all over the world, transporting minerals, medicinal herbs, grains, oil, cloth, fresh fruits, and other goods, lined up to enter the city.
Li Weiyi and Yao Qingxuan, disguised with the Disguise Technique, followed a convoy heading west to the front lines to deliver supplies.
The convoy was led by a middle-ranking member of the Twin Rice Sect.
Shortly after leaving the city, Li Weiyi and Yao Qingxuan quietly slipped away from the convoy.
The Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain was vast, brimming with Spiritual Qi.
Li Weiyi stood atop a spirit mound hundreds of meters high, bathed in the Morning Sun.
Around him, a carpet of emerald moss, over a foot tall, rippled in the wind with a soft "shushing" sound.
A hundred paces away lay the edge of the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain.
There, the land abruptly dropped into a cliff, its base merging into a sea of white clouds that stretched to the horizon.
Though the sky seemed boundless, a nearly transparent barrier, connecting heaven and earth, sealed the plain.
To enter or exit, one had to pass through the Four Great Passes and the Four Heavenly Gates.
This scene deepened the already heavy weight on Li Weiyi's heart. He felt the vastness of the world, yet everywhere he looked, he saw only cages and shackles, no true freedom to soar.
He turned to Yao Qingxuan, who sat on a massive boulder at the cliff's edge. Her long skirt spread around her, her waterfall of blue hair bound behind her as she gazed at the sunlit cloud sea.
"Can we talk now?"
Yao Qingxuan nodded: "Ancestor of Rice can't sense us here in the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain. Once we leave the city, Palace Master An can rest assured she won't follow."
Li Weiyi asked, "Was Palace Master An really nearby before we left the city?"
"I don't know for sure, but it's possible."
After some thought, Yao Qingxuan added, "She deliberately let us leave, giving us a chance to survive. If we leave, we live. If we stay, even if she wanted to spare us, we'd be doomed."
Li Weiyi was deeply shaken: "Where did I go wrong?"
Yao Qingxuan raised her delicate head and glanced at him: "You've done exceptionally well! I was certain to die, but thanks to you, I've walked out of Headquarters alive."
"Then why?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yao Qingxuan replied, "It concerns the success or failure of a major event, involving the lives of countless Ricefolk. Do you think they need evidence to kill humans like us? Mere suspicion is enough to eliminate a potential threat!"
"The reason we're still alive is because Palace Master An has been protecting us. She needed a reason to do so, and you provided it - everything that's happened in the past month."
"Whether someone lives or dies depends not only on loyalty but also on their value."
"Without Palace Master An, our value would be so insignificant that a single word from certain figures in the Twin Rice Sect could decide our fate. However, the influence of Yang Shenjing and the Sui Sect forces even the Twin Rice Sect's Transcendent authority to tread cautiously."
Li Weiyi forced a self-deprecating smile. He finally understood that all his tricks relied on Palace Master An's strength.
He asked, "Do the Twin Rice Sect's higher-ups suspect the Sui Sect?"
"To the Twin Rice Sect, we two are potential threats, while the Sui Sect is a definite threat," Yao Qingxuan replied.
Li Weiyi asked, "Is there something inherently wrong with the Sui Sect?"
"It's not just that they're problematic," Yao Qingxuan said, "More importantly, the Sui Sect's allegiance could shift in an instant."
"Didn't the Ancestor of Rice plant Death Spirit Fire in Yang Shenjing?" Li Weiyi asked.
Yao Qingxuan replied, "First, if Yang Shenjing had been marked with Death Spirit Fire, would the Second Palace Master trust him so completely? Second, even if he had been marked, he could break free after breaking through to the Transcendence realm. He's very close to achieving Transcendence!"
"So it seems Yang Shenjing and the Sui Sect are indeed difficult to control," Li Weiyi said.
"That's why the secret of the Demon Clan and Twin Rice Sect's attack on Lingxiao City hasn't been revealed to Yang Shenjing or the Sui Sect's strongest members," Yao Qingxuan said.
"You know, why hasn't the Twin Rice Sect immediately purged the Sui Sect, even though countless pieces of evidence point to their betrayal and the Twin Rice Sect has always distrusted them? Instead, we two are still under suspicion?" Li Weiyi asked.
"That's precisely what I can't understand!"
Yao Qingxuan replied, "Because even if Yang Shenjing and the Sui Sect were to betray, they would only do so when victory or defeat is about to be decided - when the Twin Rice Sect is on the verge of collapse. Right now, anyone can see that the Imperial Court is surrounded by wolves and teetering on the brink. To throw their support behind it now would be a foolish move."
Li Weiyi suddenly understood.
He closed his eyes and said, "I see! For those who can stand on both sides, choosing a side too early would cut off their other escape route. That's indeed the greatest absurdity!"
After a moment of silence, Yao Qingxuan asked, "What about Si Kong Jingyuan?"
Li Weiyi replied, "Hidden One is Yang Clan's First Commander. It was his doing."
"That was a good move. If you had continued, you might have forced Yang Shenjing and the Sui Sect to side with the Imperial Court ahead of time. You've already played half your game; why did you give up halfway?" Yao Qingxuan asked.
Li Weiyi felt a profound sense of helplessness: "I summoned all the Hidden Ones and Hidden Elders from the Dao Seed Realm to Lingxiao City. I had resolved to pit the Twin Rice Sect against itself while secretly eliminating the Demon Clan and Twin Rice Sect's hidden forces within the city, turning the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain into their slaughterhouse to buy the Human Clan a chance at victory."
"But I was too naive!"
"The Imperial Court is riddled with holes. This isn't an impregnable fortress; it's a dilapidated hall with leaks everywhere."
"Lingxiao Palace is so weak that it lacks absolute control over Lingxiao City and can't suppress the enemy within. Worse, many high-ranking officials have already defected to the Demon Kingdom."
"This isn't just about dealing with Demon Clan and Twin Rice Sect infiltrators. Even if we purged the entire Imperial Court from top to bottom, we still wouldn't be able to eliminate them all."
"Is there any point in staying? All our efforts are futile. I refuse to let all the Hidden Ones perish in this doomed burial ground."
The wind grew fiercer!
On the hill behind them, the grass rustled and swished.
Li Weiyi said, "After everyone has left the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, I'll send someone to inform the Imperial Court of the Hidden Sect's findings on the Twin Rice Sect's various strongholds, the Sui Sect's issues, and the secret plot to attack Lingxiao City. It'll be my final contribution."
"So you've already done so much!"
Yao Qingxuan wore a thoughtful expression.
"Hand over all the pieces you've been holding. I'll take over from you and play out this game in Lingxiao City. We'll do our best and leave the rest to fate."
A look of incomprehension flashed across Li Weiyi's eyes, "You're going back?"
"I didn't want to return, but you've done so well, and I have some trump cards of my own. At the very least, we must use this battle to eliminate the Sui Sect. If we let them profit and grow stronger during the Lingxiao City conflict, the Jiu Li Tribe will face a grave crisis in the future. As for the outcome of the racial war, that's beyond our control!"
Yao Qingxuan stood up on the giant boulder at the cliff's edge, facing Li Weiyi two steps away.
Li Weiyi said, "Didn't you say that even Palace Master An couldn't protect you if you didn't leave Lingxiao City?"
"So what?" Yao Qingxuan replied.
Li Weiyi said, "The Death Spirit Fire is within you. The Ancestor of Rice could kill you with a single thought."
"The Ghost Banner can temporarily sever the connection between the Death Spirit Fire and the Ancestor of Rice," Yao Qingxuan replied.
Li Weiyi shook his head gently, fully aware of the dangers of returning to the city.
"You taught me at Headquarters: Match your actions to your cultivation. This game in Lingxiao City is beyond our ability to control."
Yao Qingxuan clasped her hands behind her back, her face as cold and unyielding as an ancient iceberg.
A rare, serene, and spiritual smile bloomed across her features.
"The principles of the world are easy to speak of; everyone understands them. But putting them into practice is incredibly difficult... Being governed by principles allows you to survive, even thrive. But only by being governed by your own emotions and will can you truly live."
"Give me the Divine Hidden Sect Token. I'll send half of the Hidden Ones away, and I'll use the other half myself. It's time I had a taste of being a Divine Hidden One!"
Li Weiyi stared at her, taking out the Divine Hidden Sect Token, "I'll go back with you."
Yao Qingxuan snatched the token from his hand, pressing her finger in front of his eyes and drawing out the strands of Death Spirit Fire she had planted within him, one by one.
Then, she walked past Li Weiyi, descended the massive boulder, and strode away.
No longer tense, she now exuded the legendary aura of the woman of myth.
Yao Qingxuan said casually, "I have Death Spirit Fire in me. Death is inevitable for me; there's no escape. But you... you've shown me endless possibilities and hope. Please take care of Yaoyin for me!"
Li Weiyi watched her retreating figure, knowing he couldn't persuade her.
His eyes flickered, "Then give me back the Ghost Banner."
"Are you really leaving me no way out?"
Yao Qingxuan stopped at the foot of the hill without turning around.
She removed her Boundary Pouch and tossed it to him.
"Everything I've collected over the years - all my wealth and resources - is inside. The Ghost Banner... I've bought it!"
.....
Li Weiyi, a walking corpse, left the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain alone. His mind was a chaotic battlefield, a constant struggle of conflicting thoughts and countless worries that refused to fade.
Sometimes he feared Yao Qingxuan might expose her tracks and die at the hands of the Rice Sect's high-ranking members.
At other times, he thought of Jiang Ning, Zhuang Yue, and Grandpa Zhuang, realizing he had failed to keep his promises.
Last night's situation had been incredibly dangerous, with life and death hanging in the balance.
There had been no way he could have taken Zhuang Yue with him.
Soon, his thoughts turned to Zuoqiu Hongting, wondering if she had already left Lingxiao City.
He thought of Tai Shi Yu, Tai Shi Bai, Song Lin, Song Qingli, and other friends he had made within the Imperial Court. He remembered the Grand Temple of Eternal Harmony's dungeon and the Ghost Mothers he had only partially healed.
Tang Wanzhou's voice echoed from the Buddha's Relic, as if speaking, but Li Weiyi couldn't hear it.
He was too lost in his own mental turmoil to break free.
Without realizing it, Li Weiyi had left the Southern Heavenly Gate and arrived at South Yan Pass.
As he walked down the sloping street, the aroma of cooking food filled his nostrils, gradually restoring his senses.
He stopped and gazed at the four-story restaurant beside him.
Usually a man with a keen appetite, he felt no hunger today.
"It's terrifying! We must immediately send word back to the Thundercloud Sect. Over the past twenty years, many women in Thunder Prefecture have drunk from the Mother-Child Spring."
A group of Thundercloud Sect disciples, riding Exotic Beasts, passed by Li Weiyi.
Among them were Lu Cangsheng, Lu Wensheng, and Qin Qian.
The horrifying news about the Mother-Child Spring had spread throughout Yongquan City overnight.
After a night of fermentation, the full truth had come out, causing widespread panic.
When the city gates opened, the news spread like snowflakes across the twenty-eight prefectures of the world.
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END OF CHAPTER
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