Taking Yao Qingxuan as Master

"What? Tang Wanzhou?"

Li Weiyi was bewildered, not understanding why she asked that question.

Yao Qingxuan realized that Li Weiyi was truly unaware of the situation, and her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes filled with suspicion.

For the past two months, Li Weiyi has been hiding in the Southern Clear Palace, cultivating in seclusion, enjoying peace and quiet. However, she and Tang Wanzhou are playing a cat-and-mouse game in the outer area of the main altar. Although she has the upper hand and has suppressed Tang Wanzhou, catching up with him several times and injuring him, she has never been able to catch him.

A thousand years ago, a catastrophe struck the Lingxiao Shengjing, leaving the land unrecognizable, mountains collapsed, and rivers changed course.

It was around that time that the Twin Rice Cult accidentally discovered the entrance to the Underground Immortal Mansion, opened this secret realm of immortals, and obtained the boundless treasures left behind by the ancient Bhakara Sect.

Because Zen Sea Observing Mist had always prohibited the planting of Benevolent Rice in Lingxiao Shengjing, the Rice Cult was in decline at that time and could only hide and survive, gradually excavating the secret realm, exploring the treasure trove, and fighting against the ferocious insects, ghosts, and unknown anomalies in the Underground Immortal Mansion abode.

This matter is of great importance, and I dare not let too many people know about it.

The process of exploration and discovery is the process by which the Twin Rice Cult grows stronger step by step.

However, the Underground Immortal Mansion is too vast, like a hollow sphere with a diameter of thousands of miles. It was built by the ancient Bhakara Sect for at least 20,000 to 30,000 years, and contains countless dangers, mysteries, and treasures and resources.

The Twin Rice Cult spent a thousand years exploring and building, but only managed to clear and transform the area within a few hundred miles of the entrance. In terms of volume, it only occupies less than one percent of the entire Underground Immortal Mansion.

The leading figures in the sect naturally ventured further afield, but various dangers arose one after another, requiring them to gradually establish Defensive Formation, and then expand and digest them.

They dared not make too much noise, causing an earthquake that would be noticed by the transcendent beings of the Lingxiao Shengjing.

The speed of transformation and construction is many times slower than that of simple exploration.

In some places, even the rice ancestor is very wary of them and needs to go around them.

Of course, the entrance to the Underground Immortal Mansion for the Twin Rice Cult is not the one that was blasted open by Kirin Zhuang using Supreme Magic Tool a year ago. Rather, it is somewhere else.

In fact, the entrance that Kirin Zhuang blasted open was completely unknown to the Twin Rice Cult, as it happened to be located at the farthest point of their exploration area.

It was because of Kirin Zhuang's trickery that the Twin Rice Cult was forced to gradually reveal its fangs from its hiding place and come into the open, thus implementing its plan ahead of schedule and making its activities more frequent.

Normally, their plan was to wait until Xue Jian Tang Ting went south, Zuoqiu Courtyard went north, and the Rebel Army of the world destroyed Lingxiao Palace before they came out to clean up the mess and reap the final victory.

Due to Kirin Zhuang's disruption, all the forces, both overt and covert, in Lingxiao Shengjing's plans spiraled out of control.

For the past two months, Yao Qingxuan and Tang Wanzhou's pursuit has taken place outside the array formation in the already constructed area of the main altar.

One array after another, like a thousand-layer cake, has been built over a thousand years, covering the entire main altar.

However, he was not infiltrated everywhere. Yao Qingxuan suspected that Tang Wanzhou had already found a loophole and escaped in.

Seeing the uncertain look in the eyes of the stunningly beautiful woman before him, Li Weiyi tentatively asked, "Has Tang Wanzhou escaped from the Divine Prison, or has he never been captured?"

"What? Are you happy to learn that she escaped?" Yao Qingxuan asked.

Tang Wanzhou is my friend.

Li Weiyi did not deny that making a low-level explanation in front of Longevity Realm Giants would only earn her contempt.

Yao Qingxuan said, "You care so much about your friends, but do you know that your other two friends might be suffering inhuman torture right now? Can you even care about them all?"

Li Weiyi's expression hardened. "What does Senior Yao mean?"

Yao Qingxuan and An Xianjing were both dressed in pure white, untouched by the dust of the world, but their personalities were quite different: one was pure and the other quiet, one was cold and the other gentle.

This once stunningly beautiful woman, with long, straight, and beautiful legs just like Yao Yin, an extremely high waistline, and prominent breasts, was even more graceful. She walked ahead, her fragrant breeze wafting, her fairy dress fluttering, as she stepped into the Light Veil.

Li Weiyi followed closely behind, asking, "Senior, are you referring to two of the people who were captured two months ago?"

Although he always addressed her as "senior," he often felt a sense of disbelief, thinking that she was Yao Yin grown up, because they looked so alike.

Of course, given that he was currently in a dangerous situation and his opponent was a ruthless person, Li Weiyi naturally dared not offend him.

In the blood-red field, the Golden Rice is growing at an astonishing rate.

It has grown from three feet tall two months ago to more than three meters tall, several times its original height.

Its golden glow is even brighter, and it has a dozen or so leaves with a golden texture, sharp as serrations, and a vibrant life force within.

It's completely different now. I feel like it can really produce extraordinary geniuses who can crush all human experts.

A charming smile appeared on Yao Qingxuan aloof and jade-like face, a hint of anticipation rising in his heart. He quickly suppressed the smile and asked, "You didn't use your own blood to nourish it, did you?"

"No, I used the Fusang Divine Tree Projection to illuminate it and to provide it with spiritual energy for better breathing."

"It is the culmination of your and Hall Master An's efforts. For me to irrigate it with my blood would be a desecration of both of you."

Li Weiyi smoothly channeled a wisp of magical energy, which flew out from his fingertips, transforming into clouds and mist that enveloped the Golden Rice.

Then, the Golden Rice began to breathe at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"You're overthinking things and creating your own troubles. On the path of spiritual practice, you will bleed countless times, either staining the earth or being taken by others. If watering a plant makes you so conflicted and fearful, then your mind must be a tangled mess. When will you ever achieve clarity and understanding?"

Yao Qingxuan slashed open her slender, jade-white wrist and spilled the blood into the rice paddy.

Then he had Li Weiyi take out the Cold Jade Bottle, fill it with water, and use it for watering over the next two months.

A shimmering light appeared on her wrist, and the wound disappeared.

"The person you asked Hall Master An to help you find has a major event happening outside, and she doesn't have time to help you. Before she left, she asked me to help you find someone, saying that you have a weakness that would allow you to better help her raise rice."

Yao Qingxuan continued, "That person was imprisoned in the Divine Prison. When my men found the Divine Prison, he had already been taken away by the Fourth Divine Son, Wang Shu. Also taken away at the same time was the successor of the Tuoba Clan of the Northern Border."

Li Weiyi's eyes narrowed slightly.

He was certainly aware of his grudge against the Fourth Divine Son.

It's obvious without guessing that Wang Zhi and he are definitely brothers, as they look exactly alike.

"He doesn't dare to break into the Southern Clear Palace, so he's using my two friends to try and force me out."

Li Weiyi glanced at Yao Qingxuan's indifferent expression. "Soldier against soldier, general against general. I suspect that the Puppet Art Scarecrow, even if it came from the Heavenly Principle Hall, wouldn't be controlled by an elder. It's most likely Wang Shu. He didn't even consider you, Venerable One, a threat in order to deal with me."

Yao Qingxuan slightly raised his head, looked at Li Weiyi, who was half a head taller than him, and gave him a cold glance. "Is this the level of the Jiu Li Hidden Gate Hidden Person? Using a Longevity Realm Giants in such a straightforward way?"

Li Weiyi quickly explained, "While your throwing of the sword was certainly forceful, it also brought the potential conflict into the open."

"You can see the whole picture from a single spot. Your Rice Cult is by no means a monolithic entity; there must be struggles for interests and power."

"This time, the other side suffered no losses; they were only temporarily intimidated. It's foreseeable that they will soon test your bottom line again, trying to undermine your authority as a venerable one."

"Once this precedent is set, won't the Great Elder of the Southern Territory, who are under your command, and their subordinates think that you are all bark and no bite, and that you have ulterior motives? And won't the people above you in the Divine Cult think that you are not capable enough?"

Given Yao Qingxuan's status, since he sent people to find Qi Xiao, how could those people not also go to Wang Shu to demand Qi Xiao back?

There is only one explanation.

I tried, but Wang Shu didn't give me any face.

Yao Qingxuan had deliberately said, "Your friend may be suffering inhuman torture," in order to provoke Li Weiyi and push him out to challenge Wang Shu.

Li Weiyi naturally obeyed and followed her lead.

Yao Qingxuan stared straight into Li Weiyi's eyes, his pupils like two cold stars.

Li Weiyi met her gaze for a moment, then quickly bowed respectfully. "As a senior, I would naturally disdain dealing with a mere Wang Shu. Give me a position, and I will relieve your worries and make the provocateur pay the price."

"What kind of identity do you want?" Yao Qingxuan asked.

"Yao Yin and I are as close as siblings; she can be my senior's disciple."

Li Weiyi knew very well that if he wanted to escape from the main altar, he had to do it step by step.

The first step is to obtain an official identity that allows free movement within the main headquarters; otherwise, being trapped in the Southern Clear Palace is tantamount to waiting for death.

Yao Qingxuan asked, "So you want to join the Divine Cult?"

"The Divine Sect has done nothing to wrong me. Hall Master An and Senior Yao are both kind and benevolent, which has greatly changed my impression of the Divine Sect and made me want to follow them."

Li Weiyi recited in a clear and resonant voice. "The Twin Rice Cult is invincible. The ancestor of the Rice Cult is accomplished in both literature and martial arts, and will reign supreme for thousands of years, unifying the world."

Yao Qingxuan was momentarily dazed. "It seems you took my words to heart! But if I were to ask you where the Jiu Li Hidden Gate is hiding, how would you respond?"

Li Weiyi said, "I will not betray the Jiu Li Hidden Gate."

"Then where is your sincerity in joining the cult?" Yao Qingxuan asked.

Li Weiyi was about to say some high-sounding words to demonstrate his integrity and pride.

Yao Qingxuan said first, "If those old fogies in the sect ask, just pin the blame on me. If you can't, just tell them directly."

"Lizhou has always been a peripheral area of the world. The Divine Sect currently does not have the resources to target the Jiu Li Hidden Gate. As for the overall trend of the world, the Jiu Li Tribe and the Jiu Li Hidden Gate, which have been declining, will have to rank after tenth, in Lingxiao City, the Ash Region Zuoqiu Courtyard of the Far West, the Demon Race Clan, the Zuoqiu Clan, the Xue Jian Tang Ting, the Lei Xiao Sect, the Zhu Clan, the Dragon Gate, etc."

"Given the tolerant and submissive nature of the chieftains of the various tribes of the Jiu Li Tribe, this is also a way to preserve themselves."

Li Weiyi was completely stunned, her eyes flickering, wanting to ask the question that had been lingering in her mind.

It should be noted that Li Weiyi first heard about the "Twin Rice Cult" from Hidden Lord.

It is said that a reclusive elder sent back a message saying that he was being targeted by the Twin Rice Cult. It is also said that the reclusive elder is investigating the reason and wants to resolve the danger in advance.

It is evident that a reclusive elder must be lurking within the Twin Rice Cult.

Furthermore, if the person targeting him is An Xianjing, how could the Hidden Elder obtain the information so quickly?

He must have a very close relationship with An Xianjing.

Therefore, Li Weiyi had long suspected that Yao Qingxuan might be that reclusive elder.

I never dared to ask, firstly because when Yao Qingxuan first appeared, she was extremely frightening and ruthless, leaving corpses everywhere. Li Weiyi was very wary of her at the time and regarded her as a female demon.

Secondly, she was too talented; Li Weiyi felt that even Old Li might not be her match. Even if she were truly a member of Hidden Gate, she should be Hidden Lord from the previous sixty-year period.

Thirdly, Li Weiyi was very worried that asking the question would expose the secret of the Hidden Elder hidden in the Twin Rice Cult, bringing danger to the Hidden Elder.

Fourth, if Yao Qingxuan is a reclusive elder, why doesn't he avoid suspicion?

Logically, she should have sent Li Weiyi directly to the Divine Prison, or immediately handed him over to An Xianjing, trying to avoid getting involved with him as much as possible.

Li Weiyi asked, "Senior Yao, aren't you curious about where the Jiu Li Hidden Gate is hidden?"

"Not curious!"

Yao Qingxuan added, "Accepting you as my disciple means I will bear all the consequences of your actions."

"I will plant the Death Spirit Fire within you. If you dare to do anything detrimental to the cult, I can obliterate you with a single thought. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I will find you."

Li Weiyi couldn't be sure of Yao Qingxuan's identity, but he was certain that his Guardian Wife should be able to block her Death Spirit Fire.

So he said, "Don't worry, senior, I know what's important."

"Still calling me senior?"

Li Weiyi followed Yao Qingxuan out of the Southern Clear Palace, preparing to go to the Spirit Grain Hall to participate in the assessment of True Disciple.

With a Venerable-level figure personally leading the way, it's tantamount to a guarantee for him. Coupled with Yao Qingxuan's relationship with the Lord of the Spirit Grain Hall, the assessment is naturally just a formality, enough to confirm that he has the cultivation level of Mind Master.