Challenge Letter

"This is the fourth one! But there's no guarantee he can be saved; he said he'll do his best."

Taishi Yu stood with his hands behind his back and sighed, "I was always wary of him, thinking that the claim of the Fourth Divine Son of the heretical cult wasn't unfounded. But his fighting spirit has impressed me."

"I wanted to back down from such a huge mess, but he rose to the challenge. With such resilience and responsibility, how could he possibly side with a cult?"

Jiang Ning didn't offer any comment; she simply stood there quietly and waited.

She knew Li Weiyi better than anyone else what kind of person she was.

Li Weiyi finished refining the Spiritual Light Threads, looked at the stunning fairy standing under the shade of the tree, and forced a smile, "How was the harvest last night?"

"A resounding victory! Very few escaped. Tell me, how can I thank you?" Jiang Ning asked.

Li Weiyi asked, "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Okay! You pick the place, I'll pay the bill," Jiang Ning said.

Taishi Yu couldn't understand what they were saying, but he trusted them; both were sensible people. He said, "Don't be picky, let's eat at Taichang Temple. Fairy Yu, once you're in, you might not be able to leave for a while."

When Jiang Ning entered, she sensed the unusual atmosphere and asked, "What did you find out during last night's interrogation?"

Footsteps sounded.

Taishi Bai arrived quickly, his armor covered in blood. He hadn't had time to change his clothes before rushing to the Taichang Temple. He had just checked on Long Xiangcen's condition and learned that she had been given the Mother-Child Spring.

Seeing his accusatory look, Taishi Yu spoke first, "Just tell me, did I spare her life until dawn? She only drank a ladle of the Mother-Child Spring; who knows, you might get a child for free next year."

Taishi Bai said, "Do I look like I'm joking now?"

Taishi Yu's smile vanished, "Don't you want to know what she confessed to?"

I'm not listening to you.

Taishi Bai looked at Li Weiyi: "Tell me, and I'll believe you. You won't lie to me, right? So, she lied to me again yesterday?"

Li Weiyi sighed, "There's nothing wrong with being sincere and devoted in love, but she doesn't deserve it."

Taishi Bai was calmer than Li Weiyi had imagined. He pondered for a moment and nodded, "What exactly happened at the Taichang Temple? When I came in, I found everyone's expression was very solemn. The elimination of the powerful undead should be encouraging news."

Li Weiyi smiled wryly and remained silent.

Taishi Yu was very displeased, feeling that Taishi Bai held a deep-seated prejudice against him. "Something terrible has happened! Your cousin has confessed that the Ghost Infant incident is not as simple as it seems now; the situation is ten times, a hundred times more terrifying. The old man went to the palace to see the Third Palace Master last night and hasn't returned yet."

Taishi Bai and Jiang Ning are New Generation of forces in the Imperial Court who are brave, daring, and have a strong sense of responsibility.

Upon hearing this, both of their expressions changed.

Li Weiyi cautioned, "If the Grand Historian issues a gag order, his entire family will be executed."

"If he even kills himself, there's nothing that can be done about it."

Without any hesitation, Taishi Yu recounted the information that Long Xiangcen had confessed without reservation.

Immediately, he scolded Taishi Bai: "Look at your terrified face! You're scared already? Would she have revealed this secret if we hadn't given her the Mother-Child Spring? Now you're not blaming us, are you?"

Taishi Bai trembled all over and roared, "Is this the time to investigate and blame whom? Can't you distinguish between what's important and what's urgent? Do you know what this means? Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened to the whole world!"

Jiang Ning couldn't believe it and looked at Li Weiyi.

Li Weiyi nodded slightly.

"I must return to Luantai immediately," Jiang Ning said.

Taishi Yu said, "You can't get out! Besides, all the top figures in the city were definitely summoned to the palace for a meeting last night. Just wait patiently, there's no use in rushing. Let's go have breakfast first?"

Taishi Bai asked, "Can you still eat?"

"If you can't eat, go ask your cousin again and see if she knows anything useful," Taishi Yu said.

"Fine, I'll go."

Just as Taishi Bai arrived, Longevity Realm Giants came to the palace and took Long Xiangcen away.

It wasn't until evening that Taishi Qingshi dragged his exhausted body back to the Taichang Temple, looking like a walking corpse, as if all his energy had been drained.

Long Xiangcen was also carried back, and she was in a weak state.

Taishi Yu and Taishi Bai immediately went to the government office to inquire about the outcome of the Imperial Court's discussions. The two brothers were very concerned about the results.

Not long after.

Inside the government office, the three got into a heated argument.

"Utterly foolish! The Imperial Court is doomed!" Taishi Bai roared in fury.

Taishi Yu's voice rang out. "Father, what are you afraid of...?"

Someone released a field of mental energy to block out the sound, making it impossible to hear the argument anymore.

Li Weiyi and Jiang Ning waited in the distance. The gates and array of the Taichang Temple had already been opened and could not remain closed indefinitely. After reporting and registering, they could leave.

Shortly afterward, the gates of the government office opened.

With a loud bang, Taishi Yu and Taishi Bai were thrown away by a burst of spiritual light.

"Roll!"

Inside the room, Taishi Qingshi lost his usual composure and let out a loud shout.

Taishi Yu and Taishi Bai were both incredibly powerful figures outside, one being the top-ranking official and the other the Second Seat, but at this moment they were both disheveled and filled with resentment.

Li Weiyi and Jiang Ning quickly stepped forward to inquire about the situation.

Taishi Bai's eyes were red-rimmed, his fists clenched, his voice filled with anger and frustration. "Second Uncle said that the Imperial Court discussed the matter for a full day and night, almost coming to blows in the courtroom. But there is an irresistible force at Six Thoughts Zen Temple, and the officials ultimately decided to temporarily abandon the plan..."

Jiang Ning's tone was icy. "What do you mean by 'temporarily giving up'?"

Taishi Bai said, "Temporarily giving up means pretending not to know, and treating this as false information. Many people believe that the Mother-Child Spring couldn't have been problematic from the beginning; it's a tactic used by the Demon Race to sow discord. The words of a junior have absolutely no credibility."

Li Weiyi narrowed his eyes, somewhat understanding why they were angry. "Playing dumb might solve the problem, but what if it explodes?"

Taishi Bai said, "My second uncle said that the Imperial Court will discuss this matter again in the next few days and will come up with a safe solution. They might organize a special army to control those related to the Mother-Child Spring in advance, so that they can be eliminated immediately if the mutation occurs on a large scale."

"Is this a solution?" Jiang Ning asked.

Li Weiyi said, "If the Imperial Court cannot find out the specific location of the problem with the Mother-Child Spring, then the possibility of a full-scale outbreak is definitely not small. What is the 'unstoppable force' you just mentioned?"

Taishi Yu had calmed down and sighed, "It seems that the Six Thoughts Zen Temple is related to the Demon Kingdom, but my father dared not say too much. He only said that even the Third Palace Master was powerless to do anything about it."

"At present, war is about to break out in the Western Territory."

"The cult's bizarre methods have already covered several states and vast territories with tombstones and graves. The Yin Shi Zhong Dao may soon sweep across the entire Lingxiao Shengjing."

"If we antagonize the Demon Kingdom again without solid evidence, they will surely use this as an excuse to participate in the war to divide the Imperial Court. Who would dare to attack the people of the Demon Kingdom just because of a junior's words?"

"What if it's a scheme by Phoenix-born Unicorn-young and the Demon Race?"

Taishi Bai said, "They're afraid of offending the Demon Kingdom, so they don't even have the confidence to break into the Six Thoughts Zen Temple and arrest people. Evidence? What kind of time is this to talk about evidence? Are those Ghost Mother and Ghost Infant fake? If the Transcendent and Longevity Realm Giants can't stand up for themselves, how can the younger generation live with dignity? How can they survive? I'm going to Liangzhou to find my grandfather right now, and I'll bring him back."

Taishi Bai, dressed in blood-soaked armor and filled with rage, stormed out of the gates of the Court of Taichang Temple.

Li Weiyi asked, "Did you ask Grand Historian if they went to Six Thoughts Zen Temple last night?"

Taishi Yu gently shook his head. "My father is very wary of this. He sternly warned me that it's a forbidden area and I'm not allowed to go there. Now, do we really have no choice but to sit and wait for our deaths?"

"There's another way."

Li Weiyi gazed at the towering Phoenix Pavilion palace complex, which stood nearby, its grandeur and brilliance breathtaking.

Jiang Ning understood immediately. "I'll go find Ge Xiantong; only he can go up the mountain."

The 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, at night.

The sky gradually darkened.

Taishi Yu said, "Based on your understanding of Phoenix-born Unicorn-young, do you think this is his scheme?"

Li Weiyi shook his head. "If it were a scheme, he would have publicized it when the Ghost Mother and Ghost Infant incident occurred, and waited for the situation to develop, instead of hiding it. Phoenix-born Unicorn-young's scheming to lure me to the Six Thoughts Zen Temple was an attempt to use someone else to kill me. This precisely proves that he really knew the inside story."

"Bang!"

Taishi Yu slammed his fist into the wall, stirring up countless Formation Script: "When it rains, it pours. When the boat is broken, it gets hit by a headwind. I feel that Lingxiao City's fate is truly sealed, and it was already destined more than twenty years ago."

"Li Weiyi, let me tell you a cruel truth! The reason why the higher-ups still cling to illusions and act timidly is because when the Imperial Court truly collapses and all humanity in the Lingxiao Shengjing becomes food, playthings, and livestock for the Demon Race, they can escape to other realms. They are powerful, but not every powerful person has the responsibility and commitment."

"That's why the court was in an argument last night, splitting into two factions—a power struggle between those who take responsibility and those who are opportunists."

"When a war of annihilation occurs, it is usually the strong who escape, because only the strong have the ability to flee."

Li Weiyi remained silent, his mood becoming even more depressed. Just as Taishi Bai had said, if the transcendent and Longevity Realm Giants couldn't support the backbone, then the masses below could only live a life that was neither human nor ghost.

The sky was completely dark.

Li Weiyi and Taishi Yu, devoid of any semblance of strength, sat on the snow, silent, engaged in some kind of internal struggle.

Until Jiang Ning and Ge Xiantong arrived.

Ge Xiantong sighed apologetically, "I know everything! I just went to the mountaintop, but... the palace gates won't open, I can't get in, and my master hasn't responded at all. I've tried everything! Third Palace Master, Jiang Ning and I also went to pay our respects, but they won't see us at all. One problem just subsided, and another arises. How did things suddenly escalate to this point?"

"It's snowing!"

Li Weiyi raised her head, caught a snowflake in her palm, clenched her fingers, and finally made up her mind. "Then let's turn the sky upside down! Force the Third Palace Master to make a decision, and use our overwhelming power to drag her into the conflict."

Taishi Yu's expression changed. "If you spread this news, it will cause a huge upheaval. Wouldn't the Demon Race and the evil cult take this opportunity to launch an attack? In that case, you will be pushed out and made the sinner."

"No, I'm going to the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, taking everyone with me, the whole city. I want to see what's hidden inside, what it is that makes all the officials so wary."

Li Weiyi took out pen and ink from his storage pouch and wrote a challenge, "On New Year's Eve, at the summit of Liunian. Cold stars reflect on the snow, life and death are in the hands of fate."

"Jiang Ning, take this challenge to Xie Chucai. Tell him that the battle is not only over, but also a matter of life and death."

"Isn't he supposed to have a powerful background? Isn't he working for the Demon Kingdom? Hasn't he always wanted to fight me? Grant him his wish! Tell him, if he has the guts, then accept the challenge. If he doesn't, get out of Lingxiao Shengjing immediately and don't embarrass himself."

"A secret that even Phoenix-born Unicorn-young, Xie Chucai certainly knows as well. The people the Imperial Court dares not touch, I will touch."

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