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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 1 (256): [The Chaos of the World]
(1st of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Zuoqiu Ting gently pushed him away, straightening his long hair and adjusting his clothes. He used his folding fan to draw a line between them.
"We may be brothers who would die for each other, but we can't be this intimate. If someone saw us, they'd think we had...unusual tastes. The rumors would be terrible!"
"You...you're always so stiff and formal."
Li Weiyi had been utterly deceived, kept in the dark from Burial Immortal Town all the way to Qiu Prefecture City.
Who could have imagined that "Brother Zuoqiu" was actually "Sister Zuoqiu"?
How could anyone bear such a blow?
Now that he knew the truth, he wouldn't let her off so easily.
He began to plot in his mind.
'Since you're still pretending, still playing the part, don't blame your brother for not treating you like a woman. Let's see how long you can keep this up.'
Now, it was Li Weiyi's turn to act!
Zuoqiu Ting kept his distance, arms crossed defensively over his chest. His expression was stern.
"My sister is a pure Dao cultivator. From childhood, her only ambition has been to pursue the pinnacle of the Martial Dao. Her mind is unclouded, her spirit clear. She won't be swayed by romantic entanglements. So, just give up on that idea!"
Li Weiyi smiled confidently: "You're not her. How can you know she won't fall for me? Pursuing the pinnacle of the Martial Dao is wonderful! We're perfectly aligned in our aspirations. It's truly marvelous."
"That night of the Lantern Festival, though we had just met, our understanding was uncanny, as if our hearts were linked. At the Bing Juze Lake, she even risked exposing her most precious treasure to save me. I believe I hold a different place in her heart than other men."
The two of them walked along the stone path that followed the cliff's edge.
Peach blossoms drifted down from the mountain, their fragrance filling the air.
Zuoqiu Ting seethed inwardly, trying to maintain a calm tone: "You barely know each other. It's all just your imagination. You have no idea what she's really like. She's cold inside, despite her warm exterior. It's hard to truly get close to her. Are you just being swayed by her beauty, letting lust cloud your judgment?"
Li Weiyi stopped and blocked his path, feigning a serious expression: "Is that how you see me, Li Weiyi? I must admit, your sister's beauty left me utterly captivated at first sight. Even after just one meeting, I can't shake her from my mind. She's imprinted herself on my heart, leaving me distracted and unable to focus on anything."
"I spent the last seven days in seclusion, trying to break free from this emotional entanglement, but it was all in vain."
"I watch the sky at dawn and the clouds at dusk, thinking of her whether I walk or sit."
Zuoqiu Ting fell silent, lost in thought for a long time.
Finally, he said, "Don't blame me for not warning you, Brother. My sister is not easy to get along with. You'd best restrain your feelings now, or you'll only end up hurting yourself more later."
Li Weiyi was struggling to contain himself. If they continued this conversation, he felt he'd burst out laughing.
So he said, "Alright, you're right. She's a direct descendant of the Ancient Myriad Sect, while I'm just... nothing. It was indeed foolish of me to hope for more."
"Has the crisis in Qiu Prefecture City been resolved?"
"What's the current situation?"
Zuoqiu Ting secretly breathed a sigh of relief, regaining his composure and elegant demeanor: "The crisis has been temporarily averted. However, the top-tier Transcendents are still locked in battle, and no one knows what earth-shattering events will unfold next."
"Transcendent duels have a profound impact. Even a slight misstep could determine the survival or extinction of an entire clan."
"In the past eleven years of war between the Rebel Army and the Imperial Court, the total number of Transcendents who fell didn't even match the casualties of the past seven days. It's truly been a cataclysmic event, far more devastating than even the most dire predictions by many sages."
Li Weiyi was astonished: "In the past eleven years of chaos, with the Imperial Court boasting a vast array of powerful experts, how could they have allowed rebellions to erupt everywhere?"
Zuoqiu Ting shook his head: "The Imperial Court has been suppressing rebellions all along, but for every group they suppressed, several more would spring up elsewhere. Eventually, the entire realm descended into chaos, with rebellions breaking out in every prefecture and every corner of the land. The Imperial Court simply couldn't suppress them all and was forced to constantly shrink its core control zone."
"Even the mightiest Imperial Court cannot stand against the will of the people."
"The Imperial Court and the Rebel Army have always avoided direct clashes between Transcendents, deliberately controlling the intensity of the war. They feared exactly this situation. They feared that if their top-tier forces were mutually destroyed, the Far Western Ashlands and the Nether Realm of the Dead would seize the opportunity."
"Of course, the fundamental reason is that the Imperial Court still holds Yu Yaozi as their trump card. They believe that if she intervenes, all the current rebellions and crises will be easily resolved."
"The large-scale battles between Transcendents that have erupted in the past few days haven't been seen in a thousand years."
"It's truly a case of a single thread moving the entire body. Nearly all the top figures in the Lingxiao Realm have been drawn into this conflict."
"According to the recent reports from Qiu Prefecture City, several Transcendents have already fallen, and many more have been severely wounded. The factions to which these fallen Transcendents belonged can only imagine the disastrous fate that awaits them in the coming years."
"Even more tragic is the plight of the common people across the prefectures. After seven days of fierce fighting, casualties are estimated to exceed ten million, perhaps even tens of millions. How many families have been shattered? How much blood and tears have been shed?"
Li Weiyi followed Zuoqiu Ting's gaze, gazing towards the city gates.
He saw countless refugee columns, his heart heavy with the same sorrow. He silently thanked his fortune for being on Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain, or he might have become another victim reduced to ashes.
"Has this Transcendents' battle spread to other prefectures?" Li Weiyi asked.
Zuoqiu Ting nodded: "Here in the Southern Territory, it started in Qiu Prefecture, then moved to Fu Prefecture, and from there to the Eastern Territory. Both the Thundercloud Sect and Dragon Sect have served as battlegrounds. News arrived today that the fighting has shifted westward again. It seems that the Transcendents won't stop until the Zhu Sect are annihilated."
Li Weiyi frowned. "Why would they do this?"
"What's wrong?" Zuoqiu Ting asked.
Li Weiyi replied, "Qiu Prefecture and Fu Prefecture in the Southern Territory have been prosperous prefectures untouched by war for eleven years. The core prefectures of the Thundercloud Sect and Dragon Sect in the Eastern Territory must be the same. And of course, the core prefectures of the Western Territory Zhu Clan have been spared as well."
Zuoqiu Ting understood Li Weiyi's point. He nodded: "By choosing to fight in densely populated, war-free prefectures, the Demon Race has clearly maintained the initiative, forcing the Human Transcendents to react. After this battle, the Lingxiao Realm will undoubtedly suffer a massive population decline. The Human Race will be preoccupied for a long time dealing with relief efforts, reconstruction, famine, and plagues."
"Is Qilin Zhuang planning a protracted war?"
"How can we possibly fathom the thoughts of beings at that level?"
Li Weiyi suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about the Northern Territory?"
Zuoqiu Ting said, "The Northern Territory hasn't been affected yet."
"That's strange!" Li Weiyi exclaimed, "Qilin Zhuang couldn't possibly be unaware that the Snow Sword Tang Court is the second most powerful force after the Imperial Court. Why wouldn't he try to draw the war to the Northern Territory and weaken them?"
Zuoqiu Ting replied, "The Snow Sword Tang Court likely hasn't allied with the Demon Race. Almost all the Transcendents from the Northern Territory came to help during this battle, and they contributed significantly."
"Never mind. What's the point of us trying to figure out their motives with our cultivation?"
Li Weiyi asked with concern, "After all this chaos caused by the Demon Race, do you think the Calamity Crossing Temple will still honor the receipts we collected at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival?"
Zuoqiu Ting said, "It's hard to say. Dragon Seeds and Dragon Bones are finite resources. Once lost, they're gone forever. As for the Immortality Pills... well, almost everyone's Invitation Cards and receipts have been lost. There's no way to track them. We'll have to wait until the Transcendents' battle concludes and see how the Calamity Crossing Temple plans to make amends."
Li Weiyi and Zuoqiu Ting went to the place where the Jiu Li Clan Martial-Mystic Cultivators were recovering from their injuries.
Cang Li and Yin Jiu had already regained consciousness and moved to separate secluded healing chambers.
They didn't see Hidden Lord or Elders Qin and Zhuo.
A young Martial-Mystic Cultivator hurried over, using spiritual energy transmission to report something to Zuoqiu Ting.
Zuoqiu Ting turned to Li Weiyi: "Brother Wei6, why don't we go down the mountain for a stroll? The Silver Feather Demon King's corpse has been brought back, and some of its Transcendents flesh will be sold at the city gate. It's excellent for strengthening your body!"
"There'll be too many people and too little to go around. Even if they send some to Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain, we young ones won't get more than a few pounds."
Li Weiyi was already planning to go down the mountain to buy Medicinal Pills to cultivate Psychic Power and break through to the next realm, so he readily agreed.
The two descended the mountain.
An elderly man had already parked a luxurious carriage at the Mountain Gate.
"Young Master Zuoqiu, Brother Li, where are you headed?"
Qi Xiao arrived in an ornate carriage, stopping before them.
He then emerged from between two Ren Dao girls who looked like identical twins.
After leaping from the carriage, Qi Xiao tossed his hair back with a flourish and laughed: "I thought you two were still bedridden, so I was about to climb the mountain to check on you. Truly worthy of Hundred Silver Veins and Hundred Gold Meridians - your healing speed is simply unparalleled!"
"But Lao Qi won't be modest this time! I'm now worlds apart from my former self. Neither of you can match me anymore! Hahaha!"
Li Weiyi had noticed Qi Xiao the moment he stepped out of the carriage.
His eyes were sharp and bright, his spirit and vitality overflowing. The purity of the Spiritual Qi emanating from his pores far surpassed Sixth-Level Spiritual Qi, reaching an entirely new level.
Even more remarkable was the invisible Dao Resonance radiating from Qi Xiao, as if he had merged with the natural world.
Yet simultaneously, he possessed his own independent field of power. Within this field, any Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator would likely be killed with a single palm strike, utterly locked down with no chance of escape.
Li Weiyi said, "Why do I feel like you're even more terrifying than Ge Xiantong and Luan Sheng Lin You of the Five Seas Realm?"
"Human Overlord, Dao Seed Realm," Zuoqiu Ting replied.
"That's right. I am now one of the overlords of the mortal realm, qualified to establish my own sect. I have transcended the realm of mortals, and my very essence of Life has transformed. If I wish, I can even use some of my Spiritual Qi to preserve my youth. Even at a hundred years old, I can maintain a relatively youthful appearance."
Qi Xiao was naturally brimming with confidence. Reaching the Dao Seed Realm granted him the ability to stand alone and travel the world, officially entering the ranks of the elite. Many old elders in his clan, whom he once had to look up to, were only at the Dao Seed Realm themselves.
Qi Xiao continued, "Brother Weiyi, isn't it natural that a Dao Seed Realm cultivator is stronger than a Five Seas Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator?"
"I, at the Spring Surging Realm cultivation, opened the Nine Springs, cultivated the Seventh Sea in the Five Seas Realm. Moreover, I possess a Pure Immortal Physique and cultivate the Dragon Seed Dao. How can I be compared to those inferior Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators who have only mastered the Eighth Spring or Sixth Sea?"
Zuoqiu Ting said coldly, "Speak properly."
Qi Xiao, of course, didn't dare to be insolent in front of Zuoqiu Ting, even though he was now a Dao Seed Realm expert.
He quickly curbed his arrogance: "I've just broken through, and I got carried away! We're all Dao Seed Realm cultivators here. There's no distinction between high and low."
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END OF CHAPTER
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