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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 136 (391): [The Inevitable Trend]
(136th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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"Zhuang Yue" said, "You've been fanning the flames for days, leaving him no way out. The air reeks of conspiracy. Have all the Imperial Court's Martial-Mystic Cultivators died out? Can't you find a single one to challenge Xie Chucai?"
"Aren't you supposed to be supremely intelligent? Why would you think this is a simple challenge? Do you really believe he's doing this for me?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Zhuang Yue" replied, "Precisely because I know this isn't a simple challenge, I understand the danger even more clearly. He's not an Imperial Court Martial-Mystic Cultivator. He has no backing in the Imperial Court. Unlike you, the Jiang Clan has a Transcendent Ancestor, and you have the Second Palace Master as your Master. He's going to die!"
After a long silence, Jiang Ning said, "I know. That's why I'll stay with him tonight, whether he wins or loses."
Then, Jiang Ning added, "I can only tell you that this battle is inevitable. You probably don't understand him at all. His goals and mine are aligned. But your Zuoqiu Clan is only pursuing its own ambitions!"
"Zhuang Yue" said, "Your words have angered me. Am I to understand this as a declaration of war?"
"I have no intention of declaring war on you, nor would I ever do so because of someone else. But just because you've cultivated for a year or two longer doesn't mean your cultivation will always be ahead of mine. If you consider me an enemy, I'll play along to the end. I advise you to leave the city immediately."
Jiang Ning gracefully dismounted from the Exotic Beast and approached the convoy bearing the flag of the West Sea Royal Manor.
"Zhuang Yue" stared in astonishment at Jiang Ning's retreating figure, then burst into laughter, realizing she needed to re-evaluate her understanding of her. It was clear that her fiancee truly had found a female soulmate.
The convoy was grand, escorted by a military guard.
It was immediately apparent that a high-ranking member of the Palace had arrived.
The lead carriage was exquisitely ornate, pulled by rare beasts shrouded in clouds, and had flown directly from the sky.
As the carriage settled, Song Qingli was the first to emerge, nodding gently at Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning bowed respectfully: "Jiang Ning greets Princess Yun Chang. May Her Highness enjoy boundless blessings and live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand years!"
The surrounding Martial-Mystic Cultivators were stunned, then erupted into a heated discussion.
Who could have imagined that a clash between two young cultivators would draw out such a prominent figure?
Princess Yun Chang was only surviving child of the King of the Western Sea, already several centuries old.
For nearly sixty years, she had never appeared in public.
It could be said that under the aloof authority of the Imperial Court, she held the highest position. Even the Transcendent had to show her some respect.
Three days ago, Tai Shi Yu, Jiang Ning, and Ge Xiantong had contacted many young masters from influential clans who were willing to join their cause.
Each had been assigned specific tasks, all working to ensure the success of today's battle.
Some had sealed off the four city gates, preventing Xie Chucai from slipping away unnoticed.
Others had been shadowing him every moment.
After the Imperial Court's meeting, the shocking news of the "Crisis of the Mother-Child Springs" had quietly spread among the core members of the influential clans.
Naturally, many had joined the cause, unwilling to sit idly by and await their doom.
Song Qingli's task was to bring forth Princess Yun Chang.
No matter what, they had to leverage her influence to force the Six Thoughts Zen Temple to open its gates.
Inside the carriage, a gentle, aged voice chuckled: "If one cannot break through to the Other Shore, how can they live to a thousand years?"
"Ancestor, you definitely can," Song Qingli replied softly.
"The great battle in the Western Territory is about to begin. I have come to pray for blessings for the soldiers of the Western Sea Slave. Qingli, go knock on the Temple's door. Do so with a sincere heart, and pray that the Bodhisattva will grant our soldiers a triumphant return."
Princess Yun Chang's voice was soft, yet it resonated clearly in the ears of every Martial-Mystic Cultivator present.
Song Qingli ascended the steps, holding a copper ring, and gently knocked on the door.
After several attempts, there was no response.
Song Qingli infused her voice with Spiritual Qi, and it boomed like thunder: "Princess Yun Chang of the West Sea Royal Manor has come to pray for the Western Territory soldiers. Please, Zen Master Six Thoughts, open the Buddhist Sect and grant us this favor."
Before long, other young disciples arrived, accompanied by respected Immortal Realm Giants from their clans, to knock on the door.
Some came to pray for the Grand Palace Master. Others came to worship the statue of the Mist Heavenly Sovereign.
Gradually, many people began to sense something amiss.
No matter how high Zen Master Six Thoughts' cultivation or status, could he truly compare to Princess Yun Chang?
Could he compare to the lives of the Western Territory soldiers?
Wouldn't this shake the army's morale?
More than a dozen young disciples from the Thundercloud Sect, led by Lu Cangsheng, had just entered Lingxiao City today, intending to spend the New Year there.
"Something's wrong," Lu Cangsheng said, "This so-called decisive battle is deeply suspicious."
Someone asked, "What do you mean?"
Lu Cangsheng replied, "The stage is set too high! Two Dao Seed Realm juniors are putting on a show, and even with the greatest talent, it wouldn't warrant so many Immortal Realm Giants coming out to support them. And Princess Yun Chang is among them!"
Lu Wensheng sneered: "What's even more absurd is that Li Weiyi is only a Five-Star Spiritual Master. How could he possibly win? If he suffers a crushing defeat, how will these Immortal Realm Giants who set up the stage save face? The entire Imperial Court will be utterly humiliated."
Qin Qian frowned: "Is Xie Chucai really that strong?"
Lu Wensheng replied, "He's crossed the Dao Fruit Realm. In the past three days, he's defeated ten Dao Seed Realm Seventh Heaven experts in a row. He took a punch from Shi Liuyu, a Dao Seed Realm Eighth Heaven cultivator, without a scratch. A Five-Star Spiritual Master? He could swat them away with a casual wave of his hand!"
Lu Cangsheng's observation skills were unparalleled.
With a single glance, he saw Qin Qian's deep worry, which stirred his own emotions.
Displeased, he feigned indifference: "Senior Brother Xie possesses the purest bloodline of the Sacred Dark Family. His physical body is incredibly powerful; even the Young Celestial Emperors at the same cultivation level might not be his match. Li Weiyi is being exploited by the Imperial Court because of Jiang Ning, dragged into a storm he can't possibly weather."
"Whoosh!"
The thousand-zhang-tall Phoenix Pavilion's Formation activated, causing the surrounding mist to churn and the clear scream of a phoenix to echo across the Cloud Heaven (Yuntian) Immortal Plain.
Martial-Mystic Cultivators throughout the city turned their gazes upward, all deeply shaken.
Since the Grand Palace Master had locked herself away in the Phoenix Pavilion, such a violent surge of energy had never before erupted from it.
Moments later, Ge Xiantong descended from the mountain, riding the clouds directly toward the Six Thoughts Zen Temple.
He shouted, "By order of the Grand Palace Master, Zen Master Six Thoughts, immediately open the temple gates!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar. All the Martial-Mystic Cultivators were electrified.
Had the Grand Palace Master finally emerged from seclusion?
Many Martial-Mystic Cultivators who revered the Grand Palace Master as their faith knelt and bowed, prostrating themselves toward the Phoenix Pavilion.
Within the monastery, a voice finally responded: "Ge Xiantong, do you know the consequences of falsely claiming an Imperial Decree?"
Ge Xiantong stood before the monastery gates, gazing up at the vast Buddhist light within: "Falsely claiming an Imperial Decree is a capital offense. Therefore, I could never be lying. The decree I just delivered is absolutely genuine. Zen Master Six Thoughts, surely you wouldn't force the Grand Palace Master herself to come and beg you to open the gates?"
Amid the crowd, Shi Jiuzhai shouted, "This is outrageous! Even I, a mere barbarian bandit, can't stand for this! A mere Buddhist temple dares to defy the Grand Palace Master's Imperial Decree? Does Lingxiao City still belong to Lingxiao Palace? Has Lingxiao Palace become so weak that it no longer holds absolute authority in Lingxiao City?"
Shi Liuyu, ever eager for a spectacle, yelled, "This is an utter insult to our most revered Grand Palace Master! It's too much! I say we storm the place! Everyone, attack together! Ge Xiantong, take the lead!"
Ge Xiantong's eyes sharpened as he summoned his Fifth-Grade Thousand-Character Artifact, the Kanglong Whip.
"Boom!"
He slammed the whip heavily onto the ground.
Fueled by Spiritual Qi, the five-foot whip rapidly expanded into a golden pillar towering dozens of meters high, a golden dragon formed from scriptures coiling around it.
"This whip was bestowed upon me by my Master, with the command to vanquish evil and heresy. Today, I shall see if it can cleave open the gates of this Zen Temple. All of you, join me in this attack!"
With his arms wrapped around the pillar, he charged forward first.
"Boom!"
The resounding crash of the Kanglong Whip striking the gates of the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, the roar of the golden dragon, and the continuous barrage of Spiritual Artifact attacks from countless Martial-Mystic Cultivators echoed across Qilin Terrace.
"Are you attempting to force your way in?"
The Third Palace Master, clad in colorful robes with her hair neatly coiled atop her head, rose abruptly from the divine throne in the Scale Terrace Great Hall. Her skin glowed like jade, and six-colored Immortal Radiance erupted from her, illuminating the entire heavens and earth.
"Bang, bang."
The group of Elders kneeling inside and outside the hall, pleading for action, were flung away like straw dolls by the radiant haze.
Tall and slender, the Third Palace Master's phoenix eyes blazed with frost, and icy crystals hissed and spread across the three palace complexes of Lingxiao Palace.
Tai Shi Qingshi immediately scrambled to his feet, blood streaming from his nose and mouth.
He knelt on the ground, supporting himself with his hands, and shouted, "The tide of events is irreversible! If we fail to open the Six Thoughts Zen Temple today, to allow the people to pray and the Decisive Battle to proceed, Lingxiao Palace will lose all public support. Without the people's support, we will fall without even fighting!"
Another elder slammed his head against the ground with a loud thump: "If we can't even open the gates of a Zen Temple, who will ever take Lingxiao Palace seriously again? Third Palace Master, please issue an order for Zen Master Six Thoughts to open the gates."
"I'll go smash my head against the gates of the Six Thoughts Zen Temple right now!"
A towering Aberrant Humanoid warrior in full armor strode out of the Scale Terrace Great Hall.
"Get back here!"
The Third Palace Master's voice was sharp and cold, but it softened noticeably as she continued: "Before you go smashing your head, go to the City Defense Corps and have them fully activate the City-Protecting Formation. Also, order the Three Great Battalions and the Embroidered Robe Divine Guard to assemble immediately and await my command."
The Aberrant Humanoid warrior was overjoyed, knowing that the Third Palace Master had finally yielded to the pressure and was about to test the depths of the Six Thoughts Zen Temple.
He knelt and kowtowed, shouting, "Long live the Third Palace Master!"
Then, he descended the mountain with six or seven other giants, heading in different directions.
The Third Palace Master stood with her wide sleeves behind her back, her skirt like phoenix feathers, her figure enveloped in six-colored immortal radiance.
She slowly approached the ten-zhang-long and ten-zhang-wide jade window, her cloud-like eyes gazing silently at the distant Earth Demon Pine and the Six Thoughts Zen Temple.
She wasn't sure whether the Ghost Infant Incident was connected to those people.
But the situation had already pushed her into this position.
Why not seize the opportunity to probe the depths of the matter?
If she could truly resolve the problem, the risk would be worth taking.
"Xingyuenu, go to the Six Thoughts Zen Temple and deliver my order. Tell Zen Master Six Thoughts to open the Zen Temple gates. Tonight, on New Year's Eve, all Martial-Mystic Cultivators in the city will gather to welcome the new year. The City-Protecting Formation is fully activated. He should understand the consequences of refusing to open the Zen Temple gates any longer," the Third Palace Master said.
"Disciple, Understood."
Kneeling outside the hall, Xingyuenu descended the mountain at lightning speed.
The Third Palace Master glanced at Tai Shi Qingshi, her voice laced with displeasure.
"After all the fanfare your family has created, what are the chances of victory in this decisive battle between the young generations of the Lingxiao Realm and the Calamity Crossing Temple?"
Tai Shi Qingshi, having achieved his goal, wore a wide grin. "None at all. The battle itself was never the point."
"If you have the audacity to make such a grand spectacle, you should have the ability to win! How utterly humiliating! You've shamed not only the Lingxiao Realm but all of us Spiritual Masters. Get out! Go watch over the City Defense Corps," the Third Palace Master snapped angrily.
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END OF CHAPTER
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