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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 34 (289): [An Xianjing]
(34th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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An Xianjing said, "In just over a year, your progress has been astonishing. Your cultivation is no longer shallow."
Li Weiyi tried to discern her cultivation realm, but his efforts were futile. His mind raced: "With your level of cultivation, you were once prepared to kill a Yongquan Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivator for profit?"
An Xianjing exuded no aura of a powerful cultivator, nor did she possess a cold or intimidating demeanor. Her smile was gentle, radiating warmth and approachability.
"Your appearance entered The Myriad Beings of the World Diagram, yet you lacked karma, past, or future. I was intrigued, so I went to observe you. If you had posed a threat to the Ren Dao, I would have killed you then."
Li Weiyi gasped, his heart pounding with lingering fear.
'Thank goodness I felt sorry for those children and bought them noodles back then. Otherwise, how could I have survived until now?'
At that time, his Guardian Wife's power was still quite limited.
The white-robed Monk chuckled: "There's no need to be so tense! I am a Buddhist cultivator, a compassionate one. To the virtuous, I offer compassion. To the wicked, I grant rebirth."
"Isn't compassion ultimately determined by the strong?" Li Weiyi forced a stiff smile and continued, "Your cultivation must be extraordinary. What exactly is The Myriad Beings of the World Diagram?"
An Xianjing had no intention of revealing the true nature of the Ren Dao to Li Weiyi. She simply said, "Think of it as a Spiritual Artifact that can capture heavenly secrets!"
"Are you here to see Venerable Nan?" Li Weiyi asked.
"I've already met with her. She won't be at the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace for a while; she has urgent matters to attend to."
An Xianjing continued, "Li Weiyi, what do you think of the Ren Dao?"
Li Weiyi knew she was not to be trifled with.
Just moments ago, they had been smiling and sharing noodles at the same table. The next moment, she might strike down a person without warning.
It was this unpredictability that made her truly terrifying.
Li Weiyi answered truthfully, "I know very little about the Ren Dao. I'm afraid I can't answer such a broad question based on my limited understanding."
An Xianjing pressed, "Then what kind of Ren Dao do you know?"
"Must I answer?" Li Weiyi asked.
An Xianjing replied, "If you don't answer, you might die. Amitabha!"
"Don't threaten me!"
Li Weiyi wanted to test her mettle.
She might be feigning profundity without genuine skill.
"If you want to fight, just fight! You can answer later. Amitabha!" An Xianjing blinked, offering him an encouraging invitation.
Li Weiyi said, "So confident! Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"Is there a difference?"
"The truth is harsh and might upset you," Li Weiyi replied, "But I can also flatter you, since I'm at the Twin Rice Sect's Headquarters."
"Then tell me the truth!" An Xianjing said.
Li Weiyi didn't dislike the white-robed Monk before him, at least not for indiscriminately killing innocents. So he said, "Most of what I know about the Ren Dao comes from what others have told me. There are two main perspectives."
"One view is that the Ren Dao are a marginalized group in this world. They are grown like crops, without parents or family. They are rejected by mainstream society, sold into slavery, trained as suicide soldiers or servants, or even raised as livestock."
"The other view... calls the Twin Rice Sect a heretical sect with extreme practices. They hate humanity and are the source of many conflicts, seeking to turn the entire Lingxiao Realm into rice fields."
An Xianjing asked, "Are there any differences between the Ren Dao and humans?"
"It doesn't seem like there are any... but I don't know much about them, as I haven't interacted with them much. Why are you asking me?" Li Weiyi said.
An Xianjing said calmly, "If we are truly no different, why do humans enslave the Ren Dao? They raise the Ren Dao (Ricefolk) like parents, yet show them no affection. We don't ask for affection, only dignity and fairness. Is that so wrong? As for your claim that we intend to turn the entire Lingxiao Realm into rice paddies, that's absurd. We've never had such ambitions."
Li Weiyi said, "See? You're already upset. I should have just kept my mouth shut!"
An Xianjing recited a Buddhist mantra: "Amitabha!"
"It's natural to have emotions. I've always believed that ideological conflicts exist everywhere, at all times. But once you fall into fanaticism and extremism, you're bound to take the wrong path."
Li Weiyi thought of the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." If the Ricefolk (Ren Dao) were truly identical to humans... "Never mind," he said, "I feel like it's pointless to argue."
An Xianjing said, "Then don't bother! You strike me as a naive child, a complete idealist. Where in this world can you find true freedom and equality? Even if they exist, you can only achieve them through powerful cultivation."
Li Weiyi couldn't have asked for more. He didn't want to delve into such profound topics with her.
"Your appearance... it seems different from before."
An Xianjing's emotions had completely calmed.
"I cultivate the Formless and Featureless Buddhist Scripture. My appearance changes daily, fluctuating with my mood and intentions. Only when I reach the Transcendent Realm will it stabilize, my heart like a tranquil lake, returning to its original state."
"Are you trying to scare me? Making the Disguise Technique sound so mystical?" Li Weiyi couldn't suppress his curiosity, refusing to be intimidated by her air of profound mystery.
"Swish!"
He shot forward like lightning, striking out with a palm strike. The palm wind whipped through the surrounding vegetation, stirring waves on the lake's surface.
An Xianjing sidestepped two feet, dodging the attack: "You can go all out. No need to hold back."
This white-robed Monk before him was clearly immature, her mood shifting as quickly as turning a page. Beneath the Disguise Technique might lie a youthful face. Since she was a member of the younger generation, what was there to fear?
Li Weiyi's competitive spirit flared. He transformed his palm strike into a finger strike, channeling all his Spiritual Qi. Within a single breath, he unleashed dozens of finger shadows.
But An Xianjing blocked them all with her palm seals. Standing motionless, like the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, her eyes remained fixed on Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi retracted his finger and stepped back, his expression grave: "Incredible! What's your cultivation realm?"
An Xianjing smiled serenely: "I've always been fascinated by your Cihang Enlightenment Finger. It feels imbued with profound Buddhist essence. How about you try it on me?"
"Forget it! Your cultivation is far too profound for me to provoke." Li Weiyi waved his sleeve and turned to leave, "But I can certainly avoid you."
"You can't escape!" An Xianjing grabbed his arm, her figure flashing as she instantly crashed into a Formations within the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace.
Li Weiyi landed on his feet, struggling to suppress his shock. He glanced back at the still-vibrating light curtain of the Formation behind him.
This was the most powerful Formation in the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace, one that even his Heavenly Eye couldn't penetrate.
Yet she had simply crashed right through it.
Li Weiyi asked, "May I ask the Monk's name?"
"An Xianjing," she replied.
"Boom!"
Li Weiyi's mind nearly exploded. Then he remembered the Hall Master of the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall also seemed to be named An, so he tentatively asked, "Bodhisattva An from Guan Shan? The Hall Master of the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall?"
Inside the Formation was a one-mu water paddy.
In the field, three-colored Spirit Soil lay beneath a shallow layer of blood-red water.
In the field, only a single three-foot-tall stalk of rice grew.
It looked like it had been forged from pure gold, its leaves as sharp as swords, radiating a dazzling golden light. Its life energy was so vibrant that it was clearly extraordinary.
An Xianjing walked along the field path, one hand behind her back, her gaze fixed on the golden rice.
"In your heart, neither Bodhisattva An nor the Hall Master of the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall are good people, are they?"
Li Weiyi, remembering Yao Qingxuan's earlier warning, quickly changed his expression.
"How could that be? I still remember Miss An's charming smile from Jiu Li City. It was so gentle, truly like a bodhisattva descended to earth."
An Xianjing frowned, casting a cold glance at him before continuing, "When I saw you in Jiu Li City, I didn't pay you much attention. But at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, you reappeared in my field of vision. Your cultivation speed is simply too fast - you've accomplished in a year what would take others a decade."
Li Weiyi hastily replied, "Senior An, I truly have no particular grievances against the Ren Dao. I haven't had much contact with them, and I pose no threat. Besides, my Ancestral Field... well, it's a long story. Why does everyone have to target me?"
"You've killed quite a few people from the Divine Cult, haven't you? At the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, you slaughtered a whole group of Five Seas Realm experts," An Xianjing said calmly.
Li Weiyi replied, "I didn't know they were members of the Divine Cult."
"Did you kill Wang Zhi and Wang Shouxin?"
Li Weiyi remained silent.
"Did you kill Zuo Shi?"
Li Weiyi said, "I was just defending myself."
An Xianjing continued, "I won't kill you. You treated me to noodles once, and we have no grievances. But if I were to throw you out of the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace, how many people do you think would come looking for revenge?"
Li Weiyi wasn't intimidated. His mind raced: "Does Palace Master An mean... that you, Elder, intend to protect me?"
"I never said that. But if you prove useful to me, I might consider using you," An Xianjing replied.
Li Weiyi asked, "May I ask how Palace Master An intends to use me?"
An Xianjing's gaze returned to the golden rice growing in the center of the Blood Field.
"About two years ago, the Ancestor of Twin Rice Sect discovered four Golden Dao Seeds from the Ancient Bhagavata Sect in the Sacred Heart Layer of the Underground Immortal Mansion. He entrusted them to the Three Palace Masters and a Vice Palace Master to cultivate."
"The Ancestor of Twin Rice Sect believed that these four Rice Seeds could produce fetuses with exceptional innate talent."
"Whoever succeeds in cultivating them will be granted access to the Divine Contemplation Sect's supreme Spiritual Codex, the Jidi Primordial Chaos Sutra, and the opportunity to break through to the Transcendent Realm."
"For the past two years, Venerable Nan and I have taken turns using our Immortal Realm Blood to nourish the seeds and cultivating them with Immortal Qi. Yet, all we've managed to achieve is getting the rice to sprout and grow into a seedling. Once it reached three feet tall, it stopped growing entirely!"
Li Weiyi said, "Why not seek out Transcendent Blood? The chaos ten months ago was earth-shattering, with several Transcendent beings falling. Even more Transcendent beings spilled their blood across the Lingxiao continent. Surely, you could find some."
For reasons unknown, his words seemed to offend her. An Xianjing's tone turned slightly cold.
"In your eyes, Benevolent Rice is just a blood-sucking monster, isn't it?"
"I never said that." Li Weiyi felt helpless, thinking she was being overly sensitive.
An Xianjing continued, "Most Benevolent Rice can grow to maturity simply by drawing sustenance from the Blood Sea or the Underground Blood River."
"Using the corpses of human Martial-Mystic Cultivators as fertilizer for the Benevolent Rice is merely an act of revenge and a means of intimidating our enemies. Though, I don't approve of such methods."
"Once human blood is used to interfere with the growth of the Benevolent Rice, the resulting seedlings will inevitably inherit traits from the donor in appearance and temperament, representing a form of lineage."
Li Weiyi asked, "Like parents and children?"
"More or less," An Xianjing replied.
Li Weiyi nodded: "That does sound like a headache. The karmic implications are complex."
An Xianjing continued, "If we could cultivate the rice using Transcendent blood, why didn't the Ancestor of Twin Rice Sect do it himself instead of leaving it to us?"
"The Golden Seed must be an extraordinarily powerful seed, capable of nurturing seedlings with exceptional innate talent. Therefore, nourishing it with the blood and Spiritual Qi of someone with sufficiently high talent might allow it to continue growing. Your Meridian Veins are entirely golden, and your constitution and bloodline are far from ordinary."
Li Weiyi was taken aback: "Palace Master An wants me to help you cultivate the Golden Seed?"
An Xianjing sliced open her wrist, spilling blood into the field. Immediately, Blood Qi spread throughout the waterlogged field, enveloping it in a crimson mist.
"You've offended the Divine Cult and are now being targeted by many. Even if I didn't come looking for you, someone else would have. Zuoqiu Cangwu is already eyeing you, let alone others."
"If you help me cultivate this rice, I'll protect your life."
"Of course, the premise is that your blood must actually be useful to it. I'm just trying this as an experiment!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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