Chapter 387: Ancient Immortal Spring

The small courtyard outside the palace hall fell into dead silence.

In the distance, the sounds of drums, bells, and chanting from the altar continued.

"Nonsense, this is utter nonsense... The Materna Spring is an ancient immortal spring. If it had problems from the start, would the Grand Palace Mistress not know? Would the esteemed transcendents not know?"

A female official from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was the first to lose her composure, her emotions unstable, for she had drunk from the Materna Spring.

Another female official who had also drunk from the Materna Spring declared, "This is a demon race conspiracy, intended to create panic and destabilize morale on the eve of the great war in the Western Region."

Taishi Qingshi, a man of profound insight, could discern the truth or falsehood in Long Xiangcen's words. At this moment, his heart felt incredibly heavy. He walked over, his psychic pressure descending in layers, and asked in a low voice, "Where did you get this information?"

Long Xiangcen, under the psychic pressure of the Saint Spirit Psychic Master, was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "It was Luansheng Linyou," she stammered. "Zuo Ning of Danyue Workshop fought a Ghost Mother and used psychic arts to awaken her. Luansheng Linyou, upon hearing this, scoffed that it was useless, and then he said those words."

"He also mentioned the Six Meditations Zen Temple at the time, saying the Materna Spring seems to have a profound connection with someone from there... I truly only know this much, nothing else..."

Taishi Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Since it only came from Luansheng Linyou's mouth, it may not be true. It's likely just alarmist talk."

Li Weiyi had been observing Taishi Qingshi's expression. The Taichang Temple Minister's gaze had grown more solemn, as if he were deep in thought. Taishi Qingshi knew some things about the Six Meditations Zen Temple, and when Long Xiangcen mentioned the place, his heart was greatly shaken. He already believed more than half of what she said.

Adjusting his official robes, he tried to remain calm, and called out with a solemn expression, "Eunuch Chen!"

"This old servant is here," replied the eunuch.

The eunuch who had previously gone to the restaurant to deliver the order stepped forward and bowed.

Taishi Qingshi said, "I must go to the palace immediately. Before I return, no one is permitted to leave the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; only entry is allowed. Everyone, keep your mouths shut tight. If this news leaks out, beware, your entire clan will not be spared. As for her, force her to drink the Materna Spring!"

Taishi Yu watched Taishi Qingshi's rapidly departing back, his own mood growing heavy. The old man was always calm in the face of trouble and had never seemed as flustered as he was at this moment. Even he could see that the old man was feigning composure.

After Long Xiangcen was forced to drink the Materna Spring, she lay prostrate there, utterly desolate, like an abandoned wild dog. This despair and fear were more terrifying than death itself.

All the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices felt a great catastrophe approaching, and, feeling somber, scattered and rushed off.

Li Weiyi walked to Long Xiangcen's side and squatted down. "Fairy Long, you are a proud daughter of heaven, a successor-level talent. Is this all the mental fortitude you possess? Does drinking the Materna Spring truly make life worse than death?"

Long Xiangcen's eyes regained their focus. Remembering Li Weiyi's abilities, she clutched at him like a drowning person grasping a life raft. "Save me... I'll agree to any conditions you set..."

No matter how wise and insightful one might be, when a blade hangs over one's head, not knowing when it will fall, one will surely collapse under the torment.

Li Weiyi asked, "What did you go to the Six Meditations Zen Temple for that night, a month ago, during the Sixtieth Birthday Banquet at the West Sea Prince's Estate?"

Taishi Yu, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow, completely unaware of this matter.

Long Xiangcen said, "It was Luansheng Linyou's intention for me to lead you to the Six Meditations Zen Temple. We all know that the Six Desires Dharma King and the Nine Abstinence Dharma King are your people, loyal to the Jiuli Tribe."

Li Weiyi had already suspected this when Shi Liuyu failed to capture her and was instead ambushed and seriously injured. Only if Long Xiangcen had known in advance that Shi Liuyu was following her could she have set the ambush. If she knew someone was following, why did she still go to the Six Meditations Zen Temple? There was only one answer: She deliberately led them there.

"What was the purpose of leading me there? Why did the Liang family members and the cult martial cultivators come out with you? What exactly is hidden in the Six Meditations Zen Temple? And what was the 'great gift' Luansheng Linyou spoke of?"

Taishi Yu could no longer hold back and interjected, "Li Weiyi, how much do you know? How did the Liang family get involved with a cult?"

The Liang family was a major clan affiliated with the Taishi family. They were not only the foremost family in Liangzhou but also held crucial influence in Lingxiao City's city defense camp.

"No rush," Li Weiyi said. "I will inform you about this matter in detail later."

Long Xiangcen said, "I know nothing about the Six Meditations Zen Temple; I was only responsible for leading you there. As for the Liang family and the cult martial cultivators, I am just as unfamiliar with them. If I wanted to deceive you, I could have fabricated a perfect story to lure you to the Six Meditations Zen Temple and ensure your demise. You will save me, won't you?"

Li Weiyi stood up, pondering to himself: if Sima Jingyuan wasn't secretly meeting Long Xiangcen that night, then what was he doing? Could it be that a significant figure from the Dao Cult was hidden in the Zen temple? Could the 'great gift' Luansheng Linyou spoke of be a trap to lure him to the Six Meditations Zen Temple to his death? Li Weiyi couldn't tell Taishi Yu about the Dao Cult for now, so he evaded the question. As for Lin'an, who had driven Long Xiangcen that night, he was on the list. Li Weiyi believed that tonight, the imperial experts led by Taishi Bai and Jiang Ning would be able to capture him.

Li Weiyi looked at the mutated Ghost Mother lying on the ground, then released threads of Golden Crow flame light into her body and began refining.

Late at night, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices remained brightly lit. Taishi Yu had been interrogating Long Xiangcen, desperate for more information, and was utterly exhausted. He pulled Li Weiyi to the dining hall, ordered the imperial chef to prepare a late-night meal, and asked, "How are things on your end?"

"Not optimistic," Li Weiyi replied. "I can only refine the ghostly energy within her vital essence. As for the corporeal decay of her blood and flesh, I am powerless."

Taishi Yu said, "For the decaying flesh, one could consider immersing her in the Spirit Stream Spring for purification."

"If her consciousness can't be restored, anything we do is futile. Human consciousness is quite fragile; how could it withstand the torment of ghostly and corpse energy?" Li Weiyi said. Even someone with Tang Wanzhou's powerful cultivation and mental fortitude faced significant problems when his consciousness was interfered with, let alone these Ghost Mothers. This was also the biggest problem with soul-searching techniques. The success rate of soul-searching was actually not high. Consciousness is very fragile, like smoke or mist, shattering at a touch. If the target's will is firm and they fiercely resist, the attempt will utterly fail.

Li Weiyi curiously asked, "What exactly is the Materna Spring?"

Taishi Yu sighed. "Now, I'm not so sure anymore! When the Grand Palace Mistress brought it back years ago, she said it was one of the nine springs cultivated by a supremely powerful ancient immortal in Yingzhou's history. It had flowed endlessly since ancient times, connecting the inner and outer realms, and contained immortal magical power. After drinking it, it could not only nurture fetuses of extraordinary talent but also greatly benefit the mother."

"That's precisely why, in those years, countless women drank from the Materna Spring to conceive and bear children. You must understand, given the Grand Palace Mistress's prestige at the time, countless people answered her call and were utterly devoted to it."

"These women and their families are spread throughout Lingxiao's twenty-eight prefectures, as well as various government offices and the military."

"Now you understand why the old man looks as terrified as if the sky is falling, don't you?"

"If something goes wrong... No, something doesn't even need to go wrong. Just if this news gets out, the war in the Western Region will surely be lost, humanity will surely be defeated, and the entire imperial court will be finished!"

"Now we can only hope this is false information, and perhaps we can still find some way to stabilize public morale."

Li Weiyi's brows furrowed. "Women in all twenty-eight prefectures drank from the Materna Spring? Not just those in the imperial court?"

"Of course, at that time, the Xiao Tian Decree hadn't been issued, and the world wasn't yet in chaos. That's why I said humanity will surely be defeated. The Zuoqiu Sect, Snow Sword Tang Clan, Thunder Heaven Sect, Scarlet Gate, and Jiuli Tribe — none can hope to remain unaffected. It's merely a difference between a major and minor impact. After all, the Materna Spring had to be consumed promptly within Lingxiao City," Taishi Yu explained.

After their late-night meal, Taishi Yu took Li Weiyi to the dungeon beneath the altar. The dungeon was an inverted tower-shaped magical artifact made of black metal, intricately inscribed with formations and runes. A large number of powerful individuals guarded it outside.

Descending the stone steps, the entire space was enveloped in black, ink-thick ghostly mist, making it feel like entering the netherworld. Only by shielding themselves with spiritual light could the two keep it at bay. Some of the Ghost Mothers were confined in water dungeons, while others were chained to stone walls with runic chains. Their eyes were crimson, their long hair disheveled, and all were howling softly, each one as monstrous as a fiend. Chains clattered as they clawed and gnashed, their former grace and beauty nowhere to be seen. The Ghost Infants were confined in iron cages, some wailing, others roaring. On the sixth level of the prison, a group of Ghost Mothers chased and hunted each other, then gathered to devour, a scene of extreme horror.

It was unimaginable that just a few months ago, they had all been youthful and beautiful, with their own thoughts and aspirations—someone's daughters, sisters, or siblings. Evil and destruction had descended suddenly, bringing disaster to every family.

Li Weiyi and Taishi Yu felt a heavy oppression and strong negative emotions. They quickly left, returning to the surface, finally able to breathe easily.

"The Ghost Mothers and Ghost Infants only began to appear recently," Taishi Yu continued. "From initial sporadic occurrences, to now, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices' dungeon is almost full."

Taishi Yu then asked, "How is it? Are you still holding anything back? Do you have a solution?"

"If I were a Saint Spirit Psychic Master, perhaps I would have the full confidence to face this unprecedented challenge. But with my current psychic power, saving even one person is difficult, let alone so many. It's a drop in the bucket!"

Li Weiyi, a man of flesh and blood, recalled what he had seen and heard in the prison just now, feeling a strong sense of powerlessness and indignation. He yearned to ascend to the peak of the Phoenix Pavilion, drag out the world's foremost figure who remained secluded in her palace, and force her to witness the calamity she had wrought.

Yet, Li Weiyi was ultimately someone who never gave up, always full of fighting spirit. Immediately after speaking those disheartening words, he turned and returned to the dungeon, bringing out two Ghost Mothers who had recently mutated and had higher cultivation. He used psychic arts to purify their minds and break the evil, then used his Golden Crow flame psychic power to refine them. So what if it was a drop in the bucket? If he could save one, he would.

The next day, the morning sun rose. Sunlight streamed into the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, passing through the treetops and branches, forming dappled light and shadow on the ground. Jiang Ning, led by a eunuch, walked over from a distance. Li Weiyi was still treating the Ghost Mother. His psychic power was greatly depleted in the spiritual realm, and his face was etched with fatigue.