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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 31 (286): [The Four Halls of the Twin Rice Sect]
(31st of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Li Weiyi was utterly astonished to see Yang Yun alive after the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, standing before him at the Twin Rice Sect's Main Hall.
Not only had he cultivated the Nine Springs, but he had also transformed into a Pure Immortal Physique. His cultivation aura had advanced dramatically, seemingly reaching the Third Stage of the Five Seas Realm. The rebellious aura that clung to him had only intensified.
The various bizarre events that had surfaced during Li Weiyi's investigation into Qi Xiao's disappearance now seemed to have a more definite answer.
It appeared that Yang Qingxi and the Yang Family of Sui Sect were indeed connected to the Twin Rice Sect.
'Could Yang Yun have also grown from the fields?'
Li Weiyi, now with a slightly plump face, a medium build, and around thirty years of age, approached Yang Yun and examined the various items displayed on the stall.
His gaze drifted to the stall owner seated behind the counter.
The stall owner's sleeve bore three blood-red Spirit Valley emblems, indicating a status higher than the Inner Sect Disciples Li Weiyi had encountered outside the Southern Purity (Nanqing) Palace.
His true age was impossible to discern, but he was certainly over thirty. While his cultivation realm couldn't be determined, he was definitely not yet at the Dao Seed Realm.
Li Weiyi, diligently gathering information about this unfamiliar world, turned his attention to the stall's display: insect eggs nestled within a clay pot.
Two insect eggs, each about the size of a grain of rice and radiating a jade-white glow, clung to the leaf of a century-old precious Herb.
"Yang Yun, has he struck it rich? Can he already afford Commander-Grade Strange Insect eggs?"
Li Weiyi observed for a moment before warning, "These are indeed Commander-Grade Strange Insect eggs!"
Yang Yun and the Core Disciple both turned to him.
The Core Disciple smiled: "Finally, someone who knows their stuff."
Li Weiyi's tone shifted: "However, these are Turtle, Snake and Snail eggs. They're slow and weak in attack power, making them quite mediocre among Commander-Grade Strange Insects."
The Core Disciple's smile faded, realizing Li Weiyi truly understood Insect Control.
"Even if they are mediocre, they're still Commander-Grade. Once they mature, their combat strength will rival Dao Seed Realm Martial-Mystic Cultivators."
Li Weiyi countered, "That's precisely the problem! It takes at least thirty years to hatch them. Feeding them to maturity requires at least a Sixty-Year Cycle. And even then, they'll only live for another thirty years at most."
Yang Yun's eyes turned cold. He sneered, "No wonder you're selling them. You're trying to sell me this rare insect for two hundred thousand Yongquan Coins?"
The Core Disciple ignored Yang Yun completely, his gaze fixed on Li Weiyi: "I am Dao Zhenhui, a registered disciple of Elder Shu. Have I offended you in some way, sir?"
"I just couldn't stand by and watch injustice unfold," Li Weiyi said with a smile.
Yang Yun shot him a grateful glance and clasped his hands in a respectful bow.
Dao Zhenhui stood up, Spiritual Qi radiating from his pores, revealing his cultivation at the Sixth Sea of the Five Seas Realm.
"State your name. Let me see if I can afford to offend you."
"Just you?"
Li Weiyi's lips curled into a smirk.
He refrained from using Spiritual Qi or Battle Technique Intent, fearing Yang Yun might sense and expose him.
Spirit Light ignited between his brows, and Psychic (Spiritual) Power erupted.
"Thump, thump, thump."
Dao Zhenhui was stunned by the Psychic (Spiritual) Power attack, staggering back three steps.
His expression flickered between anger and uncertainty.
Finally, he bowed deeply, clasping his hands together.
'Spiritual Master - someone I can't afford to offend.'
Li Weiyi and Yang Yun walked out of the market town together.
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for your righteous assistance. Otherwise, I would have been swindled out of a fortune by that Dao Zhenhui. I'll settle this debt with him sooner or later," Yang Yun said, showing Li Weiyi great respect.
Li Weiyi replied, "I am Zuo Sheng. Brother Yun, what should I call you?"
"Yun Yang."
Beneath his mask, Yang Yun's eyes held genuine sincerity and reverence.
In the realm where the Twin Rice Sect's Main Hall was located, the sky was perpetually dim.
A bright Formation Moon hung in the heavens, showering the world with light like rain.
This moon appeared visually three or four times larger than the full moon visible from the mortal world.
Leaving the market town, the concentration of Spiritual Qi rapidly decreased.
On either side of the rice paddies stood steep mountain peaks. The trees and vegetation on the mountains emitted a purplish-red glow, and the mixed sounds of Strange Beasts and Strange Birds echoed from within.
The rice paddies were shrouded in a Formation light curtain, and faint outlines of plants over ten meters tall could be seen growing within.
The two men grew increasingly engrossed in their conversation.
Li Weiyi said, "Brother Yun, you're not a Ren Dao native to the Main Hall either, are you?"
"I've only been here for a few months myself."
Yang Yun asked, "Senior Brother Zuo, did you also come from the outside?"
Li Weiyi, completely unguarded, nodded: "I was born in the rice fields of the Zuoqiu Sect and grew up in Qiu Prefecture. Because of my exceptional talent, I received special training and was later granted the surname Zuo. I only recently arrived at the Main Hall with the Fourth Divine Son... this is my first time here..."
Yang Yun didn't doubt him. Anyone who could come from the outside to the Main Altar had undoubtedly undergone rigorous scrutiny.
Yang Yun cautioned, "Since Senior Brother Zuo has an identity outside, it would be better to wear a mask. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Li Weiyi suddenly realized the truth.
It turned out that the masked Cultivators Yang Yun had seen in the market town were all figures of some standing outside.
Li Weiyi smiled: "Thank you for the warning, Brother Yun, but it's fine. I've used the Transformation Technique. Besides, anyone who can reach the Main Hall is absolutely trustworthy."
Yang Yun asked curiously, "Senior Brother Zuo, even a powerhouse like you has been branded with the Death Spirit Fire?"
Li Weiyi's expression turned serious. After walking a short distance, he said, "There's no help for it! Anyone who isn't a native Ren Dao of the Main Hall is hard to trust. The Divine Sect will always find a way to control them."
He continued, "But I understand the Main Hall's position is top secret. If it were to leak, it would be a catastrophe. The location of the Main Hall's entrance is especially top secret."
Yang Yun was startled: "Senior Brother Zuo, do you know where the entrance is?"
"You don't?" Li Weiyi countered, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"My cultivation is low, and..." Yang Yun hesitated to reveal he wasn't a Ren Dao, fearing he'd be seen as an outsider, "When I entered, my senses were sealed."
"Ah, I see."
Li Weiyi changed his address, speaking warmly: "Junior Brother Yun, how much do you know about the Main Hall? I just arrived, and I'm truly overwhelmed by its vastness. I never imagined the Main Hall would be so expansive, like an independent world in itself."
The prospect of helping a Spiritual Master filled Yang Yun with excitement.
He laughed heartily: "Actually, I don't know much either. My sister... I rarely leave my cultivation grounds. The Main Hall is full of dangers, and the Spirit Valley Hall is managed rather loosely. There's no explicit ban on disciples fighting. If you're not careful and offend someone powerful, you might even lose your life."
Li Weiyi asked, "Doesn't that lead to chaos?"
Yang Yun replied, "It's not that extreme! The Main Hall also has the Wither-Flourish (Kurong) Hall, which holds the power of reward and punishment. If a disciple truly runs amok, the punishments are quite severe. Flogging and caning are common, but fire torture, insect torture, and the Divine Prison are far worse than death."
So the Divine Prison was connected to the Wither-Flourish (Kurong) Hall.
Li Weiyi knew that Tuoba Butuo and the others were imprisoned there.
But right now, his own survival was uncertain, so he couldn't worry about them.
Li Weiyi nodded again and then asked, "Junior Brother Yun, what exactly is the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall?"
Yang Yun spoke calmly: "The Divine Sect has four halls: the Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall, the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall, the Wither-Flourish (Kurong) Hall, and the Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall."
"The Heavenly Principles (Tianli) Hall ranks first, responsible for rituals, scripture compilation, doctrinal instruction, and propagation. It primarily cultivates Psychic (spiritual) Power. Nearly all formations, dead spirits, fierce insects, Artifact Refinement, and Medicinal Herb Cultivation at the Main Hall are managed by them."
"The Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall is responsible for nurturing Outer Sect Disciples, Inner Sect Disciples, Core Disciples, and even some True Inheritance Disciples. They also oversee the cultivation of high-quality Benevolent Rice and the care of infants."
"Like the Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall, the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall is divided into twenty-eight prefectures, mirroring the Twenty-Eight Provinces of Lingxiao Realm."
"The difference is that the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall's twenty-eight prefectures focus on cultivating outstanding talent internally."
"The Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall's twenty-eight Elders, along with the Five Great Venerables, handle external affairs, managing matters in the outside world."
Yang Yun lowered his voice: "I've heard that a significant portion of the twenty-eight Elders in the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall's twenty-eight prefectures and the twenty-eight Elders in the Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall look exactly alike. They are said to be a symbiotic pair."
A symbiotic pair, two people from the same root.
One manages external affairs, the other internal.
Li Weiyi was secretly astonished by the terrifying strength of the Twin Rice Sect.
But considering they had mastered and developed the vast resources of the Underground Immortal Mansion long ago, inheriting the various scriptures and Dao Techniques of the Ancient Bhagavata Sect, it was indeed possible for them to grow silently in obscurity.
Li Weiyi asked, "So the four Hall Masters are even more powerful than the Five Great Venerables?"
"Of course. The Five Great Venerables all belong to the Heaven Valley (Tianxia) Hall. Together with the Hall's three Vice Hall Masters, they form an eight-member group that serves as the Divine Sect's primary force for exerting influence externally."
As Yang Yun spoke, a proud expression crossed his face.
Li Weiyi secretly wondered if the Sui Sect also had an eight-member group, but fearing he might reveal his ignorance, he didn't press the matter.
Instead, he suddenly looked up at the distant horizon and sighed, "I wonder how vast this Main Hall truly is? I can't see its end!"
Yang Yun smiled, eager to show off, "Just the area under our feet, governed by the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall, is divided into twenty-eight Prefectures. Each Prefecture has a Heaven-Law Earth Spring, and there are countless Benevolent Rice paddies. They say you have to walk hundreds of miles in one direction before you reach the Formation Boundary."
The two continued their conversation as they walked out of the rice paddy area.
Beneath a towering, dark mountain, they saw the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall's stone stele, towering eighty meters high.
The Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall was nestled in a valley where giant, luminous trees hundreds of meters tall grew. Palaces, scripture halls, and pagodas were half-hidden among their branches and leaves.
There was no doubt that the vast majority of the structures had been left behind by the Ancient Bhagavata Sect tens of thousands of years ago.
In front of the valley, numerous Daoist training grounds and lecture halls had been built. From all directions, young disciples would arrive, present their Life Tokens, and step through a shimmering curtain of light into the Formation.
They reached the Formation outside the Spirit Valley (Linggu) Hall's Mountain Gate.
Yang Yun took out his Life Token and turned to Li Weiyi: "Senior Brother Zuo, where's yours?"
Li Weiyi replied, "I haven't received mine yet."
Doubt flickered in Yang Yun's eyes: "The Life Token is incredibly important. The Main Hall's Formations, the Strange Beasts guarding the grounds, the patrol guards, and the law enforcement team - they all recognize only the Life Token. Life Token, Life Token - it's supposed to be issued on the first day you enter! It's as vital as your own life!"
Li Weiyi knew he couldn't hide it any longer.
He glanced around, confirming there were no other Martial-Mystic Cultivators nearby.
Then, using the Spirit Treasure Seizing Hand technique, he snatched the Life Token from Yang Yun's grasp.
Inside the Life Token, Yang Yun's unique blood flowed. This caused Li Weiyi to frown slightly.
Yang Yun froze, unsure what his Senior Brother Zuo was doing, but realizing something was amiss.
"Bang!"
Li Weiyi slammed his palm into the back of Yang Yun's head, channeling a powerful psychic (Spiritual) force.
Yang Yun rolled his eyes and collapsed.
Li Weiyi hoisted the limp Yang Yun and retreated back to the rice paddy area.
In a hidden corner, he swiftly stripped Yang Yun of his Inner Sect Disciple straw robe and donned it himself.
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END OF CHAPTER
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