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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 102 (357): [Lingxiao City, the City of Ten Thousand Miles and Hundreds of Fangs (Houses)]
(102nd of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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An Xianjing was the first to read Jiang Xin's Blood Scroll.
Her expression shifted from calm to increasingly grim.
The Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall chuckled: "I never considered the possibility of the Sui Sect's betrayal..."
"Then, you can start considering it now!"
An Xianjing flung the Blood Scroll across the hall, causing a violent surge of Spiritual Qi to ripple through the chamber.
The Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan grew cautious, whispering, "Hall Master, are you trusting a mere child?"
"See for yourselves! See the crimes your Sui Sect has committed! Jiang Xin exposed ten of your gravest sins. And after he did, he was killed!" An Xianjing declared.
The Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan was stunned, feeling as though he had been ambushed.
As he hesitated whether to retrieve the scroll, the Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall moved first, using his Spiritual Qi to draw it into his hand.
He began to read aloud: "To the Ancestor of the Rice, Heavenly Venerable, Elder Jiang Xin of Fu Prefecture respectfully submits this Blood Scroll... Hiss! Written by Jiang Xin on his deathbed?"
He froze.
The Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan's face darkened: "It's undoubtedly a forgery."
"Do you think we can't distinguish between truth and falsehood? The blood, the script, the subtle nuances of the characters - all can be examined in minute detail."
The Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall shook his head slightly and snorted, continuing to read: "Yang Shenjing of the Sui Sect, a domineering figure, entered the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain just over a month ago. He then used the Phoenix Terrace as a weapon to leak Divine Sect's Secrets, leading to the deaths of dozens of Sect Masters. Exploiting this crisis, he secretly seized control of the Sect's forces in Lingxiao City and the Four Great City Passes. The situation in the other provinces is clear from this example."
The two Hall Masters of the Withered Flourish (Kurong) Hall exchanged concerned glances, their eyes filled with suspicion and coldness as they turned to the Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan.
The Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall continued: "I have also heard that the Second Palace Master, Xian Min, bestowed the Thousand-Lifes Immeasurable Pill upon Yang Shenjing, intending to cultivate him into a Transcendent. This old rogue, Yang Shenjing, was originally a retainer who devoured the Jiu Li Tribe's main family to rise to power. Now, he has become Xian Min's disciple. The Sui Sect's future looks bright, with countless sects eager to devour the Divine Sect and serve their new master."
The Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan erupted in fury. If the Blood Scroll hadn't been held by a Vice Hall Master, he would have already struck down the accuser: "Lies! False accusations! This Blood Scroll must be a forgery, written after Jiang Xin's death, using his blood to mimic his handwriting!"
The Vice Hall Master of the Withered Flourish (Kurong) Hall reminded him: "The Sui Sect's report stated that Jiang Xin's identity was exposed, forcing Yao Qian to silence him. He died in the Attendant Hall's prison. No matter how formidable the Fourth Divine Son may be, could he truly outmatch Yao Qian? Could he have accessed the body under Yao Qian's watchful eye and forged a Blood Scroll?"
The Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall continued reading: "First Crime: Selling disabled Ricefolk to the Three Island Barbarians to be used as mounts and food."
....
By the time he finished reading, the Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan's face was ashen.
Seven or eight of the accusations in the Blood Scroll were true.
Clearly, the Blood Scroll was genuine.
But...
How could such a mistake have happened?
Before the Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan could explain, the Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall, who had been playing along with him just moments ago, instantly switched sides.
His face grim, he stood up: "Excellent. The Sui Sect truly has an insatiable appetite. The Divine Sect has secretly given you so much support, yet you're still not satisfied."
"Do you really think you've covered your tracks perfectly? I've received countless secret reports for a long time now, but I've held back because your usefulness outweighed your transgressions."
"What are the Ricefolk in your eyes? Tools to be exploited? Food to feed exotic beasts? You've pushed the Divine Sect too far... Just wait. When the Ancestor of Rice emerges from seclusion, we'll see how the Sui Sect climbs to the top among the tens of thousands of sects."
The Hall Master of the Withered Flourish (Kurong) Hall took the Blood Scroll and examined it for authenticity.
The Vice Hall Master of the Withered Flourish (Kurong) Hall said, "I've suspected something was amiss for a long time! Secret reports said the Divine Sect's assets at South Yan Pass were destroyed by the Attendant Hall and the Commander-in-Chief's Office. How did you manage to pin it all on the Jiu Li Hidden Sect?"
Yao Qingxuan had grasped the general outline of the situation, but she still couldn't understand how Li Weiyi had forced Jiang Xin to write the Blood Scroll. The move was utterly brilliant.
She had to strike back: "Did you lure Li Songgu to South Yan Pass? Did you use me as bait, or my Eldest Disciple?"
"You... Yao Qingxuan..."
The Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan was furious, "And you... you've all been played like fools by that wet-behind-the-ears brat..."
"The Blood Scroll is genuine. It must have been written by Jiang Xin before his death."
The Hall Master of the Withered Flourish (Kurong) Hall's eyes were cold, his killing intent undisguised.
The revelations in the Blood Scroll had crossed every Ricefolk's bottom line.
Most Ricefolk already harbored deep-seated prejudices against humans, not just against Yao Qingxuan, but also against Yang Shenjing and the Old Ancestor of the Sheng Clan.
Yao Qingxuan retrieved a thick stack of documents from her Boundary Pouch: "Over the past decade, this Venerable has also collected considerable evidence of the Sui Sect's crimes. Please, Hall Masters, take a look."
After reading the second Blood Scroll, An Xianjing sighed and turned her gaze to Tuoba Butuo: "Did you come under pursuit as soon as you left Headquarters?"
Tuoba Butuo nodded: "The moment I received the Blood Scroll, I rushed to the Ancestor Rice Temple, intending to return to Headquarters through the Space Teleportation Formation. However, I was ambushed and nearly died. With no other option, I had to flee thousands of miles to reach the entrance of the Underground Immortal Mansion."
Elder Xu cursed, "Damn it! This is too much! Death awaits us whether we leave or return. How are we supposed to survive?"
Yao Qingxuan said, "Did you all hear that? Information about entering and leaving Headquarters has long been controlled by others. What we know is only what they choose to tell us. Why did Qi Xiao go to Qiu Prefecture? Like Tuoba Butuo, he couldn't return and had to take the Underground Immortal Mansion route. Tuoba Butuo, is it true that the Fourth Divine Son is dead?"
Tuoba Butuo shook his head, his heart heavy: "I don't know... South Yan Pass has closed its gates. I heard that Yao Shaoqing of Phoenix Terrace, the Commander-in-Chief's Office, and the Jiang Clan have joined forces to hunt him down. He can't escape. Most likely, he's already met his end."
Yao Qingxuan walked to An Xianjing's side and looked at Li Weiyi's Blood Scroll: "If my disciple truly met with disaster, I'll take Yao Qian's life. I won't care if he's a member of the Divine Secr. I'll make the entire Sui Sect pay with their lives."
"He wrote to me for help," An Xianjing said.
Yao Qingxuan replied, "It's too dangerous. You can't go. Let me, his Master, handle this. How dare he compare the Rice Sect to a heretical cult? If he's still alive, I'll give him a proper thrashing."
The Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall turned to Tuoba Butuo and smiled: "You've got a tenacious spirit. It's fortunate you escaped. Otherwise, the Sui Sect would have deceived everyone once again. Would you be interested in becoming my disciple?"
Tuoba Butuo replied, "Tuoba Butuo will never betray Venerable Nan or the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace."
The Hall Master of the Withered Flourish (Kurong) Hall rose to his feet: "The Sui Sect's power, threat, and influence are too great. This matter requires careful consideration. Elder Qiu, your mind must hold many secrets. I wonder if Yang Shenjing of the Sui Sect has planted the Death Spirit Fire within you? Take him away!"
....
The Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain was originally a plateau that rose abruptly from the ground, reaching a height of three thousand zhang. It had no gentle slopes, only sheer cliffs and precipices.
From a distance, it resembled a god's mountain that had been flattened, or a celestial stone platform.
No one knew where it came from, but it had existed since ancient times.
From South Yan Pass, following the Xu Mountain Heavenly Vein, one could ascend to the entrance of the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain: the magnificent Southern Heavenly Gate.
The Southern Heavenly Gate was as vast as the sky, its pillars like mountain peaks, forged from a thousand-forged cloud-patterned iron.
Two guardian Giant Beasts, the Coiling Chi (Panchi), resembling giant pythons or dragons over two hundred meters long, coiled around the gate, their scales shimmering like metal.
After a simple inspection, the Tai Shi Clan's forces officially entered the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain above the sea of clouds.
A surge of potent Spiritual Qi washed over them.
On either side of the wide Heavenly Road, broad enough for ten Exotic Beast Carriages to travel abreast, spirit lakes and spirit mounds dotted the landscape.
Exotic Beasts and birds flitted about, and ancient structures were often shrouded in the shimmering light of Formations.
Tai Shi Bai noticed Li Weiyi gazing intently at the scenery outside and chuckled: "First time in the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain? Have you noticed anything special?"
"The Spiritual Qi here is incredibly dense! The entire Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain feels like a Dao Domain," Li Weiyi remarked.
Tai Shi Bai said, "Look at the soil beneath your feet."
"Spiritual Soil? The entire Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain is covered in Spiritual Soil?"
Li Weiyi was genuinely shocked.
The soil on either side of the Heavenly Road was a shallow tricolor.
Tai Shi Bai chuckled: "In ancient times, the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain was indeed entirely Spiritual Soil, with a vast expanse of Immortal Soil at its center - the Fallen Immortal Realm. When it fell, it dispersed the surrounding Nether Realm of the Dead, forming the Living Realm World we now inhabit."
"But much of its spiritual essence has long since dissipated, leaving only about one or two tenths of its original potency."
Li Weiyi said, "Even so, it's still extraordinary. Whoever controls the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain effectively controls an inexhaustible source of resources and the finest cultivation environment in the world."
Tai Shi Bai nodded: "Indeed. The three thousand miles of fertile land on the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain far surpasses the Twenty-Eight Provinces of Lingxiao in terms of dimensional level. The material strength and stability here are several times greater, and many minerals are unique to this place."
Li Weiyi thought to himself, 'No wonder anyone who becomes master of the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain feels like a celestial being, transcending the mortal realm.'
On either side of the Heavenly Road, streams several dozen feet wide appeared, their waters murmuring as spiritual mist drifted above.
In the distance, bathed in the four-colored glow of the Immortal Soil, Lingxiao City came into view.
The city walls were majestic, constructed from the Glazed Spirit Transformation Stone, a material unique to the Immortal Plains.
And with a certain metal, ten thousand dragons had been cast to form the Ten Thousand Dragons Wall Formation on the South City wall.
The caravan followed the increasingly wide Spiritual Stream Heavenly Road into the city.
A cacophony of voices and an atmosphere of unparalleled prosperity unfolded before Li Weiyi's eyes.
Tai Shi Bai chuckled: "Zuo Ning, do you know what makes Lingxiao City so special?"
"What?" Li Weiyi asked.
Tai Shi Bai replied, "Safety! Utter safety, which has fostered its unparalleled prosperity since ancient times. Unlike those provincial cities, where a single Transcendent disaster can lead to countless casualties."
"Does Lingxiao City ban Martial-Mystic battles?" Li Weiyi asked.
Tai Shi Bai waved his hand: "Lingxiao City is divided into li, with ten li forming a fang. It's structured into ten thousand li and a hundred fangs. Each fang houses a hundred thousand people... After the Xiaotian Edict, the city's population plummeted, but it now far exceeds that number."
"Every fang and every li has its own independent Formations, completely isolating them from each other. In the event of combat, these Formations activate instantly, minimizing the impact."
"Furthermore, beneath the city lies a network of thirty-six earth veins, each fang has a Boundary-Suppressing Stele, and above, the Nine Heavens Beyond the Clouds Formation covers the entire city. These three elements work together to absorb any energy released during battles. Even a Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator would struggle to cause significant damage within the city."
"Beyond the li and fangs, four Spiritual Streams and countless historical sites, six Ancient Celestial Emperor estates, the Thundercloud Heavenly God's Mansion, and countless other transcendent mansions and gardens are all nestled within the city. Lingxiao City spans hundreds of miles in total."
"When we have time, I'll take you and Xiang Cen on a tour. I guarantee you'll be amazed."
Li Weiyi, more interested in practical matters, asked, "What's the situation at the Grand Temple of Eternal Harmony? What can we Spiritual Masters do to help?"
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END OF CHAPTER
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