Chapter 398: The Brightness of the Heavenly Dao

New Year's Eve.

Tonight, as people observe the traditional New Year's Eve vigil, the neighborhoods are brightly lit, bustling, and noisy.

After the demonic entities escaped from the dungeon of the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, they were cornered and eliminated by the imperial army, preventing widespread chaos. The decree to capture the demon children did not concern martial cultivators below the Eternal Realm. Most people in the city were unaware of the truth, holding complete faith in the凌霄 Palace. They believed everything was under control, especially since the city's protective array and the Nine Heavens Beyond array had been activated before. Even if the sky were to fall, there were transcendent beings and Eternal Realm magnates to bear the brunt, ensuring that those below would remain untouched by hardship. This confidence was deeply ingrained, built over thousands of years.

"Whoosh!"

Yao Qian's extraordinary figure appeared atop a six-story pagoda with sweeping eaves. Pillars of spiritual energy surged from his eyes as he cast an optical Taoist spell, surveying the three vertical and four horizontal streets within his vision, meticulously scrutinizing every pedestrian, carriage, and house.

A black carriage slowly moved along the street below him. A faint glow spread from An Xianjing's fingers as she counted her prayer beads, transforming the carriage's interior into an illusion. Even if someone managed to penetrate it, they would only see a family of three. After they had traveled some distance, the illusion dissipated.

The appearance of Yao Qingxuan in凌霄 City indicated that Tuoba Butuo must have delivered the blood-written letter a month ago, finally relieving Li Weiyi's persistent anxiety. But why did it take them a full month to arrive? How would he explain his actions in凌霄 City? Li Weiyi secretly observed An Xianjing's face. Today, her appearance was neither the exquisite beauty of a pure immortal body nor was it ugly or fierce; instead, it was a mortal complexion with an above-average, delicate look. It was impossible to discern her inner thoughts based on her appearance. An Xianjing's eyes, normally eternally serene, had been fixed coldly on Li Weiyi ever since he entered the carriage. This person was more than just a Buddhist cultivator; her temperament was unpredictable, and she might strike and kill at any moment. With a guilty conscience, it would have been strange for Li Weiyi not to feel pressured.

Outside, on the streets, firecrackers popped, laughter erupted, and gongs and drums boomed, signaling the passing of the old year and the arrival of the new. Inside the carriage, however, the world was eerily silent, like an ice cellar.

An Xianjing finally spoke, "Shouldn't you be happy to see us? Yet, you seem very uneasy right now. What are you afraid of?" Li Weiyi steadied his mind and responded with silence. Seeing his posture, An Xianjing's eyes gleamed with even greater coldness. "Throw him out. Give him to Yao Qian." Yao Qingxuan raised her arm, her slender left fingers spreading as spiritual energy swirled around them.

Li Weiyi immediately said, "If Palace Master An and Master had appeared before me a month ago, I would naturally have been overjoyed, eager to invite both of you to the Sky Pavilion, serve the most exquisite dishes, pour the oldest fine wines, offer tea, and even massage your shoulders. But since you only appeared a month later, how can I be happy? How can I not be anxious?"

Sitting on the right, against the inner side of the carriage, Yao Qingxuan's faint fragrance wafted. Her fingers retracted into her wide sleeves adorned with red cloud patterns, her long hair draped along her cheeks, and her gaze was frosty. "Are you blaming us for not coming to your rescue immediately after receiving the blood-written plea?"

"I wouldn't dare! Both of you are prominent figures in the Divine Sect; how could a junior like me harbor such an absurd fantasy?" Li Weiyi sat rigidly, avoiding their gazes, looking as if he carried a heavy burden.

An Xianjing said, "You still have emotions? Since you escaped from Nanyan Pass, why did you come to凌霄 City? Give me a reasonable explanation!"

Li Weiyi had already prepared his response: "If I didn't come to凌霄 City, where would I go? Back to the main altar? I was afraid I'd die on the way."

"If you can't provide a reasonable explanation, it will be difficult for me to intercede on your behalf," Yao Qingxuan sighed softly.

Li Weiyi fell silent, complex emotions swirling in his eyes. After a few seconds, he spoke, "Perhaps... I fell in love. After seeing Jiang Ning again at Nanyan Pass, especially seeing her walking with Xie Chucai, I felt an unspeakable pain in my heart. I knew that if I didn't come to凌霄 City, I might lose her forever, and regret it for the rest of my life." Almost everything Li Weiyi had done in凌霄 City was intertwined with Jiang Ning and Xie Chucai. Moreover, there had been many rumors about him and Jiang Ning since the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival. This was the most plausible explanation!

An Xianjing's eyes darkened. "To lose your wits so completely, all for a woman?"

"How many of your trump cards did you reveal during the decisive battle at the Six Thoughts Zen Temple? Wasn't the lesson of your ancestral field being crippled severe enough? All for a Jiang Ning? You've truly disappointed me!" Yao Qingxuan also became stern.

Li Weiyi had already guessed that both of them had been at the Six Thoughts Zen Temple earlier. When he and Taishi Yu drove away, it was highly probable that the two had been following nearby.

Li Weiyi began, "Master..."

"Don't call me Master! Those two words made me feel like I had thorns in my back, standing beneath the six demonic mountains of the Six Thoughts Zen Temple. You had your grand moment, but I was terrified. Did she eventually leave with you? If I hadn't appeared, could you truly have escaped from Yao Qian?"

Most of Yao Qingxuan's anger was genuine. Li Weiyi's actions this time, whether as the Divine Son of the Rice Sect or the Hidden One of the Nine Li, were simply incomprehensible.

Li Weiyi, unaware of the full extent of the Rice Sect's involvement with the Demon Realm, decided to use this opportunity to probe. "Of course, I know I've become entangled in a dangerous game. If it were solely for Jiang Ning, I wouldn't have acted so rashly." He then recounted the entire story of the Mother-Child Spring and the ghost infants. Watching An and Yao, he noticed they were listening intently, expressions of shock on their faces. Knowing he had their attention, he indignantly declared, "The Demon Realm's methods are despicable! For over twenty years, how many women in the凌霄 Living Realm have drunk from the Mother-Child Spring?"

"They are all innocent, yet now they are doomed to become neither human nor ghost. What wrong have those children committed – some still infants, some three or five years old, others in the prime of their youth? In an instant, they will all transform into ghost infants, devouring human hearts and livers, becoming monsters."

"I've been to the Imperial Temple Prison and witnessed the horrific, hellish scenes there. Once, they were graceful and beautiful, mothers to children, daughters to others, with dreams and aspirations. But now, they have all become monsters confined in cages. Those not caged were fighting each other, even cannibalizing other ghost mothers."

"You haven't seen such sights; you can't understand how I feel. I know war is cruel, and to win, people resort to any means. You two must think the same, don't you? But I can't do it!"

"What I find most intolerable is such brutal tactics specifically targeting women and children – it's utterly baseless!"

"Bang!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Li Weiyi suddenly stood up in the carriage, his eyes red, veins bulging, and his fist slamming against the carriage wall. "You may have no bottom line, but I do! I would issue a challenge to Xie Chucai a hundred times over, and I deeply regret not killing him now."

"If Palace Master An and Master believe I've erred, then simply kill me. But I will never bow my head; I did not do wrong. I don't care how war is fought, but women and children must be treated as human beings. The Way of Heaven is clear, and karmic retribution awaits. Humans can be deceived, but hearts cannot, and heaven and earth are hard to deceive!"

Inside the carriage, silence fell. An Xianjing, who had been intently watching Li Weiyi's eyes, lowered her gaze to her prayer beads, occasionally lifting her eyelids slightly to observe his stubborn, impassioned expression.

Yao Qingxuan spoke first, "In your heart, are your Master and Palace Master An truly so despicable?"

Li Weiyi remained silent.

"Sit down," An Xianjing commanded, her tone then softening considerably. "What do you mean we have no bottom line? Are you the only one with principles, the only benevolent, virtuous, and saintly person? A saint who doesn't care if he lives or dies?"

Li Weiyi sat back down, his gaze steady, meeting hers. "I'm merely speaking my mind directly, saying whatever I think."

"And speaking your mind directly gives you the right to arrogantly accuse me, the Palace Master, and your Master? You are simply audacious," An Xianjing stated.

Li Weiyi sat calmly and said, "I know the Divine Sect and the Demon Realm are cooperating. I presume that having made such a grave mistake, Palace Master An intends to present me to the Demon Realm's high-ranking figures."

An Xianjing replied, "You are the Divine Son of the Divine Sect, the chief disciple of Venerable Nan. There's no principle in this world that dictates we hand over our own exceptional talent to be killed by others."

Li Weiyi froze, staring at her.

Yao Qingxuan said, "We came to凌霄 City at great risk, and while it wasn't entirely for your sake, at least thirty to forty percent of our reason was for you. Yet, you've berated us so harshly. Anyone else in your position would have been reduced to ashes by now!"

Li Weiyi smiled. "Palace Master An won't kill me?"

An Xianjing said, "The Divine Sect and the Demon Realm do indeed have a cooperative relationship, but I truly had no knowledge of the Mother-Child Spring incident. You mentioned that Luan Sheng Lin You leaked information to you and consistently led you towards the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, correct?"

Li Weiyi nodded.

An Xianjing asked, "Do you know why this happened?"

"He wants to use me to eliminate others," Li Weiyi replied.

An Xianjing explained, "Firstly, he intends to use you to provoke conflict between the Demon Realm and the Divine Sect. Secondly, he wants to expose the Demon Realm's forces, prompting the Third Palace Master and other凌霄 City powerhouses to engage them in battle first, thereby depleting the imperial court's strength and turning凌霄 City into a devastated wasteland. In doing so, the Demon Clan would benefit from the conflict, seizing the opportune moment to attack the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain. At that point, the Divine Sect would also be forced to act prematurely. It's fair to say that Luan Sheng Lin You is one of your few worthy opponents among the younger generation; his intellect is exceptionally high, and he understands your personality, knowing you would certainly fall into his trap. If he succeeds, the initiative of the war will be firmly in the hands of the Demon Clan."

Li Weiyi said, "Someone within the Divine Sect leaked my identity to Luan Sheng Lin You."

"That's your concern! The younger generation are your rivals; you handle them yourself."

An Xianjing continued, "What I want to tell you is that the Divine Sect, the Demon Realm, the Demon Clan, and even some forces within the Realm of the Deceased are all in a cooperative relationship. However, each side wants to push the others into the fray first, hoping they will bear the brunt of凌霄 Palace's initial attack. They want to minimize their own losses and maximize their gains after the war. The Demon Clan wants the Demon Realm to start the war with凌霄 Palace first, forcing the Third Palace Master to act. They want to expose the Divine Sect publicly, allowing the imperial court and the major sects to attack them. We are no different; we also want the Demon Clan to make the first move, and we want the Demon Realm to clash with凌霄 Palace first. At the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, why did the Demon Realm figure compromise with the Third Palace Master, allowing the凌霄 Living Realm to pursue the demon children? Did you discern the underlying scheme?"