The Chaos Golden Eyes quietly lit up with a faint golden glow in the darkness, their gaze penetrating the Jade Bottle to firmly lock onto the Venomous Insect still wriggling unconsciously inside.
His intention, through the golden eyes, like the finest carving knife, began to “Sui Zhuo.”
He did not intend to kill this Venomous Insect; on the contrary, he wanted to temporarily “activate” and “strengthen” the extremely weak “Origin Brand” within its body that was connected to the distant caster.
At the same time, with the help of the simple Array Formation constructed on the ground—based on the principles of reverse tracking and chaotic amplification—he built this activated and amplified connection into a temporary, one-way “channel.”
This process was extremely mentally taxing, and the requirement for the control of his intention reached a perverse level.
Sweat once again soaked his hair at his temples, but his gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s, and his arms were as steady as a rock.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the simple Array Formation on the ground seemed to come to life.
Those lines of powder emitted an extremely faint, distorted ghostly light, and the ores and withered branches also hummed in resonance.
The Venomous Insect in the Jade Bottle suddenly struggled violently, an unnatural dark red color surfacing on its body.
Now!
Xu Ping’an’s eyes turned sharp, and the tip of the suspended Wolf Hair Brush pointed toward a specific distorted node of the Array Formation!
There was no radiant light, nor any world-shaking sound.
There was only an extremely subtle “hum,” a slight tremor that seemed to come from the level of the soul, spreading out from the center of the Array Formation and then instantly vanishing.
The Jade Bottle made a soft “crack” sound as several fine cracks appeared on its body.
The foul blood inside instantly dried and turned black, and the Venomous Insect also stopped struggling, turning into a speck of ash.
At the same time, the ghostly light on the Array Formation quickly dimmed, and those ores and withered branches seemed to lose all their spirituality, becoming like ordinary objects. The powder patterns also began to blur and dissipate.
Xu Ping’an staggered a step, supporting himself against the edge of the table.
His face turned slightly pale, and a wave of needle-like fatigue washed over his brain.
This method was no small burden for him at his current level.
But he knew it had succeeded.
In that moment just now, through that forcibly constructed and amplified weak connection, an “Invisible Spike” containing his partial will and the intentions of “chaos,” “backlash,” and “source-tracing warning” had already followed that mysterious line of karma, tracing back toward the caster behind the Venomous Insect!
In an unknown place far away, within a hidden cave or hall.
A figure who was currently casting a spell under dim light toward an altar or container covered in eerie symbols suddenly shook violently!
“Ugh—!”
A mouthful of dark red blood was spat out without warning, congealing on the altar and making a “sizzling” corrosive sound.
The figure’s aura instantly became chaotic, and the cold Spiritual Energy fluctuations surrounding him experienced violent tremors, even recoiling back into him, causing several suppressed groans of pain.
The Elder looked up in horror, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock and fury, and a hint of… unspeakable dread.
He could clearly feel that his connection with a certain “Sub-Gu” had been forcibly intruded upon and distorted by a domineering and eerie power, which then struck back along the connection!
It not only severely damaged his mind but also left a “mark” full of warning deep within his soul—a cold sensation, as if he had been indifferently glanced at by a higher-level existence!
“Who?! Who is it?!”
A hoarse, low voice echoed in the darkness, carrying an unmistakable sense of alarm.
He believed his methods were hidden and his Venomous Insect refinement was a unique secret technique; how could he be so easily traced back and subjected to such a precise and fierce counter-attack?
Within the Liuyun Sect… besides Pei Qingxuan, was there actually such a person?
No, this technique, the intent contained within it… was definitely not that of an ordinary Sword Cultivator or any known school!
On the Chessboard, a piece that was originally ignored or even unnoticed had suddenly jumped up on its own, not only blocking the killing move but also fiercely biting the hand of the player.
At this moment, the grand momentum he thought he had completely controlled seemed to have developed a crack.
The night grew deeper.
Inside the Room at Autumn Water Hall, Xu Ping’an slowly exhaled a breath of Turbid Qi.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the remains of the now-useless Array Formation and the shattered Jade Bottle on the ground, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
“The meeting gift has been sent. Next… it’s your turn to make a move.”
He walked back into the Yuanzi and lay down on the rocking chair under the Rong Tree, closing his eyes to silently recover his exhausted mind.
The night sky remained the same, but invisible smoke had already begun to quietly permeate at a higher level.
At dawn the next day, Xu Ping’an was awakened from his light sleep by an unusual clamor.
In his daze, he could hear a commotion that wasn’t close at hand; instead, it seemed the entire Swordsmith Peak was enveloped in a faint “field” formed by the convergence of many powerful auras. Even the flow of Spiritual Energy in the air was more active and chaotic than usual.
He got up to change his clothes, glanced at Li Yuer and Li Zhi’er standing in the Yuanzi, pushed open the door, and walked out.
“Mister, morning~”
“Mister.”
The two women greeted him individually, and Xu Ping’an responded with a smile and a nod before looking toward the horizon.
In the dim morning light, several streaks of light in various colors had already flown past, descending toward the main peak of the Liuyun Sect.
From the direction of the distant Mountain Gate, the long chimes of a bell and welcoming music could be heard faintly, one after another, indicating a very high level of protocol.
“Have the messengers from the various Sects arrived…” Xu Ping’an whispered, calmly watching those streaks of light.
The Immortal Destiny Assembly had not yet officially begun, but as one of the hosts and the primary initiator of this alliance, it was only right for the Liuyun Sect to receive important figures from various Sects in advance to discuss the details.
Pei Qingxuan hadn’t come; he estimated that she was currently dressed in her formal Sect Master robes, sitting in the Liuyun Hall, dealing with the various Sect Leaders and Great Elders with superficial courtesy, responding to their gazes and words that were either sincere or probing.
Before long, Xiao Jing’er arrived with a simple breakfast, her face glowing with shared excitement as she said in a low voice:
“Mister, it’s so lively outside! I heard that the Heavenly Sword Sect, Mystic Pavilion, The Hall of Compassionate Navigation, Blazing Fire Valley… so many great Sects have sent Great Elders or even Vice-Sect Masters! Our Liuyun Sect’s flying boat Plaza is almost full! There are immortal-looking Seniors everywhere!”
Xu Ping’an took the bowl of porridge and asked casually:
“Have you heard any special news?”
Xiao Jing’er tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Special news? Oh, yes! I heard some Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters in charge of reception discussing privately that it’s not just our Great Qi; other places aren’t peaceful either.”
“Several Sect messengers encountered small groups of Demon harassment on their way here, and some complained that the towns of Mortals near their Sects have had particularly fierce Demon trouble in recent months. The spirits that used to hide in the deep mountains and old forests now dare to come near the official roads to harm people. Everyone says… it’s likely a bad omen.”
Xu Ping’an’s movement of scooping porridge paused slightly.
The increase in Demon activities… this perfectly matched the omens of the decline of Dragon Qi and the coming chaos in the World.
It seemed that it wasn’t just the internal members of the Liuyun Sect who saw the abnormality in the Dragon Qi; other Sects, especially those in remote areas with more contact with the secular world, had already felt the changes in the Heaven and Earth’s aura from the most direct level.
However, they might not necessarily link this directly to the dynasty’s Dragon Qi; they were more likely to attribute it to the rampant Demon Path or periodic fluctuations in the Heaven and Earth’s Spiritual Energy.
Shortly after breakfast, the sound of something cutting through the air came from outside the Yuanzi.
Xu Ping’an looked up and saw Pei Qingxuan descending on her Sword.
She was still wearing that solemn and beautiful Sect Master attire, but there was a hint of weariness between her brows that she couldn’t hide, along with a deeper gravity.
She glanced at Xiao Jing’er, as well as Li Yuer and Li Zhi’er resting nearby, and walked quickly to Xu Ping’an’s side.
“Husband.”
She called out, her voice laced with fatigue.
“Are you tired?”
Although she didn’t respond, the weariness in her expression made it clear to Xu Ping’an that this little Lady, who was accustomed to being cold to the outside world, was now exhausted.
He pointed to the stone stool beside him. “Sit down and rest, I will help you ease your breath.”
However, Pei Qingxuan did not sit down. Instead, she stood before him and said in a low voice:
“The situation is worse than expected. Seven upper Sects and sixteen mid-sized Sects arrived today. During the conversations, almost every single one mentioned that the activity of Demons within their borders has been abnormally active recently. Attacks on Mortal settlements, harassment of low-level Disciples, and even assaults on small Sect outposts have occurred at a frequency and intensity several times higher than in previous years.”
“Great Elder Yun Yi of the Heavenly Sword Sect even said that one of their Spirit Stone mines in the North was attacked last month by a group of unknown, skeleton-like monsters. More than ten guardian Disciples were killed or wounded, and the Spiritual Energy of the mine was fouled by thirty percent.”
She paused and continued, “Miao Yin of The Hall of Compassionate Navigation mentioned that several originally peaceful tribes in the South suddenly began large-scale blood sacrifices to summon evil spirits they had never seen before. Huo Yun of the Blazing Fire Valley said the pulses of the earth fire in the Southwest are abnormal, and poisonous gas from the earth’s core is leaking out, nurturing a large number of ferocious poisonous creatures, which have already destroyed three Mortal cities.”
Xu Ping’an listened quietly, his face expressionless, but his gaze grew heavier.
These were not isolated incidents but a comprehensive “deterioration.”
Demons, ferocious beasts, evil spirits, poisonous creatures, and geological anomalies… it was as if the entire World was becoming restless under some invisible pressure, releasing even more “malice.”
The decline of the Dragon Qi seemed to be much more serious than he had anticipated!
With a slight hesitation, Xu Ping’an asked:
“Then… how did the various Sects react?”
“All the Sects suspect that the Demon Sect is secretly causing trouble, and they may have even formed some kind of alliance, intending to start a war between the righteous and the Demon Path.”
Pei Qingxuan’s tone carried a hint of disdain.
“They proposed that at The Immortal Destiny Assembly, besides discussing the joint suppression of Demons in various places, we should also establish an offensive and defensive alliance. Once a large-scale movement from the Demon Path is discovered, we will strike together and wipe them out.”
“A very normal deduction.”
Xu Ping’an said calmly.
“Only, have they found any evidence of large-scale movements from the Demon Sect?”
Pei Qingxuan shook her head:
“No. That is also the strangest part. Aside from small-scale harassment and sporadic cases of evil cultivators acting on their own, no signs of large-scale mobilization from the various Sects of the Demon Path have been found.”
“The Blood Fiend Sect, Joyous Sect, Ten Thousand Poison Cult… these famous leaders of the Demon Path have actually been unusually quiet lately. Their Mountain Gates are tightly shut, and their Disciples rarely go out.”
“The silence before the storm?” Xu Ping’an asked.
“Perhaps.” Pei Qingxuan’s brows were tightly furrowed.
“But it’s also possible… that the real threat does not come from these visible Demon Sects.”
The two looked at each other, both understanding what the other was thinking.
The Wu Tribe’s methods, targeting the Dragon Qi and triggering world-wide turmoil… the mastermind behind this, their vision and methods, likely far exceeded the scope of ordinary Demon Path Sects.
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