The dim secret chamber was lit by flickering candles.
Six shadows stretched long across the bluestone walls.
Six figures sat around an ancient stone table.
Some wore blood-red robes, while others had indistinct, shifting forms.
Some possessed ethereal grace and beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, while one lay inside a coffin without a trace of life.
The six lineages of the Path of God Worship had gathered once more after many days apart.
"Chunqiu Zi, you summoned us. What urgent matter is this?"
The old man in blood robes, the most impatient by nature, spoke first.
Chunqiu Zi, the spokesman of the Eternal Life Lineage, wore a grave expression as though frost hung upon his face.
"There is bad news that must be conveyed to you all."
"Through our cultivation efforts, we discovered that Sacred Emperor Rice degenerates."
"What do you mean?"
The old man in blood robes raised a brow, suspicion flashing in his eyes.
The other four also looked toward Chunqiu Zi, their gazes flickering as though demanding an explanation.
Chunqiu Zi's voice was low and solemn.
"The meaning is very simple."
"After Sacred Emperor Rice is planted repeatedly, the variety degenerates, and its yield becomes no different from ordinary rice."
The instant those words fell, the atmosphere in the dark chamber froze.
The air was so cold and heavy that it seemed water could be wrung from it.
"So, Great Qian played us for fools?" The old man in blood robes gave a sinister chuckle.
"Most likely."
"The Great Qian court must possess some cultivation secret technique that we do not know about."
Chunqiu Zi spoke with certainty, directly affirming the old man in blood robes' assessment.
When it came to cultivating spiritual plants, their Eternal Life Lineage was second to none.
Even compared to Shennong Valley,