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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 5: [Seeking Immortality in the Eastern Sea]
Volume 5 (Pinyin): [Dong Hai xun xian]
Chapter 49 (486): [Confucian-Dao Ancestor Zuoqiu Ran]
(49th of Volume 5)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The True Disciples held supreme authority among the younger generation.
As a True Disciple entered the Immortal Realm and advanced further along the path to Immortal Realm, their power and status would reach even greater heights.
Beneath the True Disciples, regardless of their cultivation level, all others were compelled to bow in submission.
Sheng Wulian, clad in a white Martial Garment embroidered with green rice shoots, descended on the wind and landed silently atop the ship's canopy.
With his hands clasped behind his back, his youthful and flawless face framed a pair of gray-white pupils as he gazed down at the two women kneeling below.
A radiant divine light emanated from Sheng Wulian's body as he spoke in a calm tone, "Rise. Who did you encounter?"
The two women rose.
Before Wu Hongling could speak, the Purple-Robed Daoist answered, "Liu Fengshu! This man's mastery of Psychic Power is exceptional, but his Martial-Mystic Path cultivation is even more formidable. This is the true reason the Huoxin fell at his hands. That day, the sea concealed the truth."
Sheng Wulian, with his keen perception, noticed a subtle shift in Wu Hongling's eyes.
"Hong Ling, you've fought him the most. What do you think his origins might be?"
Wu Hongling understood her sister's intention perfectly.
Only by defeating Liu Fengshu, a formidable opponent with a prestigious background, could they minimize criticism and ridicule.
Moreover, Li Weiyi would never dare admit to being Liu Fengshu.
"His Martial-Mystic Path combat strength surpasses mine, and... he may not have even reached the peak of the Dao Seed Realm yet," Wu Hongling said ambiguously, "Such a figure could be a Heavenly Emperor's Disciple from some human kingdom."
"Another Heavenly Emperor's Disciple!" Sheng Wulian reacted sharply to those words.
After a moment's contemplation, he asked, "Where is your Hong Ling?"
Wu Hongling clenched her fists tightly, her lips pressed into a thin line.
The Purple-Robed Daoist spoke up, "We implore the True Disciple to help us conceal this for a while. Give us some time, and we will definitely retrieve the Red Silk."
With this, she subtly hinted that concealing this matter was their primary concern, thereby diverting attention from more serious issues.
"This True Disciple can help you conceal it," Sheng Wulian replied, "but Liu Fengshu will see this as another triumph after slaying the Huoxin. When he parades the Red Silk across the world, what face will you two have left in the Rice Palace?"
"Liu Fengshu might truly be a Heavenly Emperor's Disciple, specially cultivated to challenge this generation of Ricefolk. You two must quickly achieve a Breakthrough to Immortal Realm. In that state, you can kill him and wash away this humiliation."
Sheng Wulian soared into the sky, his feet treading upon a river of smoky light, and vanished over the sea.
Wu Hongling's heart grew colder. Her resentment toward Sheng Wulian's condescending and imperious manner far surpassed her desire to kill Li Weiyi.
Her jade-like face remained serene as her composure returned.
"Sister, I've made a crucial discovery, a monumental achievement. We must immediately report to the Elders. This will more than compensate for our failure. But bypassing the True Disciple to report directly will surely earn us Sheng Wulian's wrath."
"Didn't you make your choice when you refused to report to him earlier?" the Purple-Robed Daoist countered, "If you refuse to be subservient, then fight for your place. Whether you refuse to fight or fight and lose, the outcome is the same: we'll lose control of our future and be forced to live according to others' plans."
.....
Moon Dragon Island Sea Market...
At the Zuoqiu Clan's encampment, Zuoqiu Hongting led Li Weiyi to pay respects to the Confucian Dao Ancestor, Zuoqiu Ran.
Zuoqiu Ran was one of the few who knew Li Weiyi's Ancestral Field had not been crippled.
Their first encounter traced back to a transaction at Yaoguan in Li Prefecture, where Li Weiyi had purchased the Zen Sea Dragon-Slaying Diagram from him.
The Ancestor exuded no overbearing aura of transcendence.
With his long beard, green robes, and scholar's cap, he sat indoors, sketching a mirage of phoenix trees and dragon cities.
Li Songgu stood quietly beside him, grinding ink and holding a lamp.
"So, you've returned? Little Songgu, your mental state cultivation still needs work. If you live as long as I have, witnessing countless cycles of life, death, and rebirth, and the changing seasons, you'll understand that young people must endure trials. Only those who survive a hundred battles unscathed become true heroes. Those who are carefully sheltered never soar high."
"The path to Immortal Realm is fraught with peril! It's common for even Young Celestial Emperor to never attain transcendence in their lifetimes. Yet a youth of ordinary talent can sometimes achieve transcendence, slaying the Young Heavenly Emperor who once stood as his peer. Isn't that a poignant irony?"
"The wrong turns, the losses, the beatings - none can be avoided. Experiencing them early only lessens the ultimate price."
"You two, come in!"
Zuoqiu Ran set down his brush. His earlier words were meant for both Li Songgu and the pair entering the room.
Having lived for millennia, he had witnessed countless generations of Heaven's Chosen.
Some, their brilliance shining too brightly, met untimely ends.
Others, overprotected and lacking refinement, remained like dull blades, unable to pierce the Transcendent bottleneck and dying of old age in the Immortal Realm.
How to properly nurture the next generation remained an eternal dilemma.
To lean left meant death; to lean right meant ruin.
"Greetings, Ancestor. Greetings, Clan Head Li."
Li Weiyi and Zuoqiu Hongting, a handsome couple, entered the room side by side and bowed in unison.
After hearing Li Weiyi's report, even Zuoqiu Ran's usually serene Mental State grew grave. He sat heavily in his rosewood chair, silent for a long moment.
Li Songgu's expression shifted: "There's an ancient legend that the East Sea was once land, a sacred realm of the Ancient Immortal era. It's said to have been sunk by some cataclysmic event, transforming into the inland sea we know today. Could the legend be true?"
Li Weiyi replied, "The depths below are boundless. Wu Hongling and I explored only a small area and already encountered ferocious Malevolent Demons like the Qu Ru Birds. Moreover, there may be multiple layers beneath the surface."
Li Weiyi immediately recounted the terrifying dragon's roar.
He secretly pondered whether to reveal the matter of Pu Yanzi and the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein. If he did, the Immortal-Seeking Pearl, the Earth Book, and Er Feng would inevitably be subjected to scrutiny.
"Firefly flames, seabed fissures - all connected to the dragon's roar," Li Songgu murmured.
He turned to Zuoqiu Ran: "The Calamity Crossing Temple, Rice Palace, and Demon Clan must have sensed something, which is why they've delayed excavation. Could the East Sea Demon Clan be deliberately plotting something?"
Zuoqiu Ran shook his head gently: "If they knew the seabed's secrets, they'd keep them tightly guarded. Provoking the Calamity Crossing Temple and Rice Palace would bring them no advantage. The distance from where Little Li fell to Nine Ring Reef is over twenty thousand li. The underground realm is vast beyond imagination, far too grand to be merely the tomb of an ancient immortal dragon."
Li Weiyi hesitated: "There's one more thing... I'm not sure if I should mention it."
"Speak quickly!" Li Songgu urged.
"Down there," Li Weiyi said, "I discovered traces left by an ancient sage. He carved inscriptions into the stone walls. The inscriptions mentioned the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein."
Li Songgu's scalp tingled with dread.
Even Zuoqiu Ran, renowned for his composure, abruptly rose to his feet.
"Whose inscriptions were they?"
"The man called himself Pu Yanzi," Li Weiyi said.
Zuoqiu Ran replied, "Pu Yanzi, one of the seventy-two sages of the Zongsheng Academy? His era predates even Yu Jia's. Legend has it that he spent his entire life exploring the earth, seeking the withered Immortal Dao Dragon Vein."
Li Songgu turned to Zuoqiu Ran and whispered, "Could it be true?"
"Even the slightest connection to it is dangerous," Zuoqiu Ran warned.
Pacing under the lamplight, Zuoqiu Ran asked Li Weiyi, "Does Wu Hongling know about the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein?"
"I don't think so," Li Weiyi replied.
"Even if we don't investigate, the Rice Palace will. Let's hope it doesn't cause a major incident. You two... no, all three of you must not utter a single word about the Immortal Dao Dragon Vein to anyone."
A flash of Spiritual Light enveloped Zuoqiu Ran, and he vanished from the room to consult with others.
Li Songgu sat in Zuoqiu Ran's seat, glared at Li Weiyi, and slammed his hand on the table.
"Why did you kill Huoxin?"
Zuoqiu Hongting, equally curious, fixed her gaze on Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi calmly replied, "In battles between the younger generation, life and death are commonplace. Are they allowed to kill me, but I'm forbidden to kill them?"
Li Songgu tapped his fingers on the table.
"You know that in battles between the younger generation, life and death are commonplace? But do you realize that by doing this, if the ruthless figures below the Immortal Realm in the Rice Palace retaliate, we'll be forced to stand by and watch?"
Li Weiyi sensed Li Songgu's worry and the helplessness in his heart.
He sighed, "I never intended to kill him in public; it was an accident. Old Li, Wu Hongling already knows Liu Fengshu is me. The Rice Palace will likely retaliate against the Jiu Li Tribe. Below the Immortal Realm, I'll take full responsibility for my mistake."
"But above the Immortal Realm, you need to prepare in advance."
Seeing Li Weiyi acknowledge his error, Li Songgu's expression softened slightly.
"As long as you act within the rules, don't let it weigh on your conscience. They're the ones who should be ashamed. The Rice Palace supports the Lingxiao Twin Rice Sect; their ambition extends far beyond the Ten Prefectures. If we yield at every turn out of fear, they'll only become more aggressive."
"Since you're confident you can handle the Rice Palace's younger generation's retaliation, then killing a mere Huoxin is nothing to worry about!"
The anxiety in Li Weiyi's heart dissipated. He exclaimed in admiration, "Old Li, you're tough!"
"Tough? Something's happened!" Li Songgu retorted.
"What happened?" Li Weiyi asked.
...
Li Songgu and Li Weiyi rode in an Exotic Beast Carriage, heading toward the coast.
Li Songgu donned a metal mask and a black robe, transforming into the Hidden Lord.
"That little girl blurted out the truth without thinking. Yaoyin, being so clever, grew suspicious and confronted her. The mother and daughter had a fierce argument, even coming to blows. Yaoyin's resolve is far stronger than we imagined."
"She's always been outwardly gentle but inwardly resolute - not one to be trifled with. Where's Yu'er now?" Li Weiyi's primary concern was, of course, the Grand Palace Master.
Her exposure would have catastrophic consequences.
The Hidden Lord glanced at him in surprise.
"The biggest problem right now is the mother-daughter conflict. The little girl is being well cared for; she won't suffer. Here, take these."
The Hidden Lord produced three talismans and handed them to Li Weiyi.
They were three Body Protection Talismans!
"This is too much! Do Cang Li and Hidden Nine have these too?"
Li Weiyi knew that Body Protection Talismans crafted by Holy Spiritual Masters required rare materials and considerable time and effort to produce.
The cost was exorbitant.
If sold, each talisman would be worth millions of Yongquan Coins, equivalent to a human life.
Wu Hongling had used similar talismans to defend against Li Weiyi's deadly attacks.
The Hidden Lord said, "You're different from them. You can kill Huoxin and challenge Wu Hongling. You've already become a leader-level expert below the Lingxiao Realm and Immortal Realm, so you'll undoubtedly attract the attention of various factions. Your Divine Swiftness Talismans are already of high quality, so I won't give you any more!"
Li Weiyi accepted the three Body Protection Talismans and asked again, "Who's looking after Yu'er?"
"Yin Ershi Si," the Hidden Lord replied.
The Exotic Beast Carriage stopped beside the Calamity Crossing Temple's spiritual artifact warships.
Li Weiyi disembarked alone, intending to first investigate Yaoyin's situation.
After meeting Yao Qingxuan, Yaoyin had returned to the Calamity Crossing Temple's warship and hadn't left since.
Young disciples from the Jiu Li Tribe and Jiu Li Hidden Sect who came to visit were all turned away.
When Li Weiyi announced his name, he was greeted by the Changyu siblings, Changyu Jian and Chang Yuqing.
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END OF CHAPTER
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