Storm Clouds Gather

During this period, Li Weiyi focused most of his energy on cultivating the Twelve-Character Dao Seed and refining the Star Day Pill, and hardly cultivated the Wind Mansion Dragon Seed. Even so, he was not far from the Dragon Seed's awakening.

He changed the subject and asked, "Master, how long until we attack Lingxiao City?"

Yao Qingxuan said, "The Demon Race naturally hopes it will be as soon as possible, because the transcendent beings who were injured in the epic battle two years ago are constantly recovering. But the Divine Cult hopes it will be as late as possible!"

Li Weiyi asked cautiously, "Is it related to the strange phenomenon spreading out of Fuzhou? I heard that those emerging tombstones and graves have spread to several surrounding prefectures, even surrounding Qiuzhou city and Soldier Ancestor Marsh. Or is it the legendary Yin Shi Zhong Dao?"

"The longer this drags on, the more graves and corpses will spring up on the ground. Once the pollen of the rice flowers has swept across the land, the soldiers of my cult will be as numerous as the sea, and then they will devour the world, unstoppable."

Yao Qingxuan's eyes were cold. "Where did you hear that?"

Li Weiyi was shocked. "Is this true?"

"I don't know, and I hope you don't know either," Yao Qingxuan said.

Li Weiyi said, "Is Master worried that if I reveal this secret, it will kill me and you as well?"

Yao Qingxuan said, "When you're not strong enough, you should learn to shut up. When you think you're clever enough to do things quietly, it means you've become arrogant and are on the verge of death."

"Li Weiyi, let me tell you something you must remember."

"In the face of an irresistible trend, one judges by intention, not by actions. This doesn't mean you should do nothing, but rather that your actions should reflect your level of cultivation."

"Benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, filial piety, and trustworthiness should be judged by actions, not intentions. If we judge by intentions, where in this world can we find such a saint?"

Li Weiyi's heart was filled with turbulent emotions. He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply. "This disciple will remember!"

Yao Qingxuan said, "The attack on Lingxiao City is tentatively scheduled for three months from now... Don't take it too seriously. Only Chaoran knows the actual time. The Divine Sect will definitely keep delaying it."

"The eight prefectures controlled by the Imperial Court —Fuzhou, Han Zhou, Yongzhou, and Liangzhou —were attacked by the Divine Sect. After the success, the Divine Sect will also take control and reap all the benefits."

Li Weiyi unfolded the map of Lingxiao Shengjing on the table. "Fuzhou and Han Zhou belong to the Southern Territory, while Yongzhou and Liangzhou belong to the Eastern Territory. Since Master is the Venerable Nan and intends to come to Fuzhou and Han Zhou, are you in charge?"

Yao Qingxuan strolled to the table and gently shook his head. "The strongest members of the Divine Sect, from top to bottom, are two Rice Ancestors, three Suffering Masters, four Palace Masters, and five Venerables."

"Don't take that seriously either! First of all, even I don't know which of these experts are twins and which are one person."

"Secondly, the three Deputy Hall Masters of the Heavenly World Hall are all Great Longevity Realm cultivators with unparalleled cultivation levels."

"Of the five Venerable Ones of the Heavenly World Hall, I am the youngest. The other four are all over 120 years old, and their cultivation levels are unfathomable."

"The main altar is located in the Southern Territory, which is of paramount importance to the Cult. Think about it: why make the youngest human the Venerable of the Southern Territory?"

Li Weiyi pondered for a moment, "Master, this Venerable Nan, is he all name and no power?"

Yao Qingxuan said, "It's not that exaggerated, but it's close. The Heavenly World Hall has two Deputy Hall Masters, both in the Southern Territory, each with a vast power under their command. They are Xu Fudu Coffin Mountain and Sui Sect Yang Shen Realm. These two are the true leaders in charge of major affairs in the Southern Territory."

Li Weiyi thought to herself, no wonder she spends most of her time at the main altar, it turns out she has two huge mountains weighing on her head.

Yao Qingxuan said, "I became the Venerable Nan because the Divine Sect initially wanted to seize Lizhou first, control the Jiu Li Tribe, and then form a triangle with Guanzhou and Fuzhou, destroy the Zuoqiu Courtyard in the middle, and control the entire Southern Territory."

"You know what happened next."

"And now?" Li Weiyi asked.

Yao Qingxuan said, "Xu Fudu and the Buddhist army of Coffin Mountain will take Han Zhou. Yang Shen Realm's forces will take Fuzhou."

Li Weiyi said, "The Jiang family of Fuzhou is one of the Lineage of the Imperial Court. They have a transcendent Old Ancestor and are said to have as many experts as Myriad Gate Families. I'm afraid Yang Shen Realm is no match for them, is he?"

Yao Qingxuan shook his head. "The headquarters of the Divine Cult is located Fuzhou Underground. The Divine Cult's infiltration and control over Fuzhou is something even the Jiang family cannot compare to. If the Jiang family is sensible, they still have a chance to survive. If they are not, the entire clan will perish."

" With the Demon Race and the divine cult joining forces to attack the Imperial Court, the major human powers will undoubtedly stand by and watch in the early stages, waiting for us to weaken each other. Therefore, the eight provinces are not difficult to conquer; the difficulty lies here."

She pointed to the area marked with special emphasis, which was located north of Fuzhou, west of Liangzhou, and south of You Prefecture.

The Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain where Lingxiao City is located.

Atop the plateau, amidst the clouds, lies a city of immortals.

Given Li Weiyi's current cultivation level, as well as his status as the Head Disciple and the Fourth Divine Son, Yao Qingxuan did not treat him as a mere soldier, but rather valued him highly, revealing everything to him.

She continued, "The grand array of heaven and earth in Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain Mist Son of Heaven of yesteryear. Only four mountain ranges connect the Immortal Plain, and each mountain range has a formidable pass garrisoned with tens of thousands of troops."

"North of Fuzhou, beneath the Xushan Heavenly Vein, lies Nanyan Pass, one of the four passes."

"I originally intended to send you to Lizhou to oversee affairs there. But the situation has changed, and you must deliver something extremely important to me to Nanyan Pass."

Li Weiyi asked, "What is it? Why me?"

"I will tell you before we leave," Yao Qingxuan said.

An Xianjing returned and, together with Yao Qingxuan, declined all offers of service, staying by the rice paddies.

Two days later, nourished by their blood and by Li Weiyi's magical energy and spiritual light, four babies were born—two boys and two girls, all with Pure Immortal Body.

At the moment of breaking through the valley, the entire main altar was bathed in dazzling golden light, and clouds enveloped the Southern Clear Palace.

Many powerful elders whom Li Weiyi had never seen before appeared together, all of whom attached great importance to this matter, making Southern Clear Palace more lively than ever before.

Li Weiyi was under immense pressure and was terrified that Tang Wanzhou in the ancestral field would suddenly awaken. Fortunately, as An Xianjing brought the four Golden Rice babies back to the Spirit Grain Hall, the Southern Clear Palace quickly became deserted.

Li Weiyi felt empty inside. She had only seen the four babies when they were born, and they were all very well-behaved and cute. Two of them had wings and looked like elves.

Yao Qingxuan stepped into the array's Light Veil and looked at Li Weiyi, who was sitting on the edge of the field in a daze. "What's wrong?"

"It's a little hard to get used to, not used to them growing up here. When they grow up, they might never know that someone once nurtured, cared for, and accompanied them for so long," Li Weiyi said with some emotion.

Yao Qingxuan used his magical energy to take out an iron box sealed with runes from the boundary bag.

"Is this what I'm going to deliver?" Li Weiyi stood up and carefully examined the tin box.

It is square and upright, one foot in length and width.

The runes arranged on it were extremely complex and profound; even with Li Weiyi's current mental power, he couldn't understand them.

Yao Qingxuan said, "This matter is of utmost importance and must not be overlooked."

Li Weiyi asked the same question she had asked two days ago.

She said, "What it is is not important to you. The reason you are going is because this matter must be handled by someone of a sufficiently high status within the religion to demonstrate our sincerity."

"Don't think this is simple; it might actually be fraught with danger."

Li Weiyi asked, "Who is the other party?"

"Zhou Bida is one of the First Mate of Nanyan Pass. He is the extraordinary disciple of the Jiang family and also the son-in-law of the Jiang family," Yao Qingxuan said.

Li Weiyi said, "But are they our people now?"

"It can only be considered half a thing at the moment."

Yao Qingxuan continued, "His family members have all been taken into custody by the cult; this is coercion. The contents of the box are an offer, part of his terms."

Li Weiyi asked, "The danger Master refers to, could it be that you're worried Zhou Bida change his mind?"

Yao Qingxuan shook his head. "No, Zhou Bida and would not risk becoming an enemy of the Divine Sect. The danger comes from three aspects."

"Firstly, the item in the box is extremely rare and could potentially help Zhou Bida Realm and achieve immortality. Many people know that it has been taken out. I'm worried that there might be people from various human powers lurking within the sect who might have sent the news out in advance and ambushed you on your way."

"Secondly, your departure from the main altar will itself arouse covetousness among some members of the sect."

Li Weiyi said, "If that's the case, why doesn't Master make the trip himself?"

"This is your third major danger!"

Yao Qingxuan said, "With your current cultivation level, you're almost ready to enter the <Cycle Record>! The <Cycle Record> is located in the Luantai Pavilion. All experts under the age of sixty who meet the standards will have their approximate location automatically locked in the <Cycle Record>."

"A new master of the Cycle Record has emerged. The people of the Imperial Secretariat and the Attendant Hall will seek you out immediately to record your information. The Imperial Court must ensure that all masters in the land are under their control."

Li Weiyi said, "There should be a way to avoid it, right? Otherwise, how could the experts from all the Myriad Gate Families and Hidden Gate have avoided it?"

Yao Qingxuan glanced at him indifferently. "Only by hiding inside the Hidden Gate can you avoid detection. Once you step Hidden Gate and engage in combat, your aura will be leaked and you will still be locked onto by the <Cycle Record>. When Lingxiao Palace reigns supreme, how many powerful figures can the major forces of the world hide?"

"Besides the <Cycle Record>, there is also the <Record of Mortal Overlords> crafted by the Du'e Temple Zuoqiu Courtyard, the <Yujia List> of the Demon Race, and the <Worldly Beings Chart> of the Divine Cult."

Li Weiyi asked, "Has Master been recorded in the <Cycle Record>?"

Yao Qingxuan revealed an arrogant air. "I was already on the blacklist of the Cycle Record long ago. For the past ten years or so, Luantai has sent many experts to investigate me. Whenever I show myself, they will pursue me, trying to find out my identity, but unfortunately they have never succeeded."

Li Weiyi said, "With my current strength, I might not be able to enter the <Cycle Record>. Even if I do, I'll definitely be at the bottom and won't attract too much attention. Moreover, as long as I don't fight anyone or reveal my aura, the <Cycle Record> won't fluctuate."

"Be extra careful at the foot of Lingxiao City. Go to Nanyan Pass and find Prefectural Elder; he's in charge of everything there," Yao Qingxuan said.

Li Weiyi's lips moved; she had many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn't know whether she should.

Because Yao Qingxuan explained everything so clearly, and deliberately sent him out, it seemed as if he wanted to use him to tell these secrets to someone.

But she also clearly said that when one's cultivation level is not strong enough, one should learn to keep quiet.

For a moment, Li Weiyi was truly unsure which side Yao Qingxuan was on. Was he really an elder of the Hidden Gate? Or was he really just being sent to deliver something?

Or perhaps, she simply doesn't dare to say it outright?