Chapter 223: The Upheavals
On that fateful day, the Celestial Pivot Pavilion conducted a hexagram divination to forecast events in the mortal realm, revealing the ominous emergence of the Cataclysmic Ba. The Eminent Ones[1]in the sects within the Divine Nine then gathered at the Immortals' Marsh with the intention of capturing the Cataclysmic Ba.
However, they failed as the Cataclysmic Ba escaped through the water out to the South Sea.
In the past, when the Cataclysmic Ba would emerge, it would relentlessly pursue slaughter and sought ascension. An escape like this has never happened before and this unprecedented escape has raised alarms among both the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten. Wherever the Cataclysmic Ba roamed, calamity was bound to happen. It was likely that casualties would occur and people would suffer.
However, no such calamitous events happened. The Cataclysmic Ba was instead intercepted by a solitary cultivator known as the Whale-Riding Immortal, who whisked it away to an undisclosed location. Subsequently, its whereabouts remained shrouded in mystery. In response, the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten issued a stern warning to the Whale-Riding Immortal, cautioning against any attempt to manipulate the power of the Cataclysmic Ba for malevolent purposes within the mortal realm.
As Chu Liang read this, his brows furrowed.
He had been the source of some of the information in this report, particularly regarding the young girl and the Whale-Riding Immortal. He had reported this to the senior members of Mount Shu, and Mount Shu Sect had likely communicated with the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.
Still, he wasn't sure about the little girl's identity.
Is the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten sure that she is the Cataclysmic Ba? Chu Liang wondered.
When Chu Liang saw the next thing on the news, he then realized why they were so sure.
The next thing on the news was the Mortal-Realm Wanted Notice posted by the Greater-Yin Cult, offering valuable rewards for the assassination of the Whale-Riding Immortal, as well as any information or clues provided.
This was the Greater-Yin Cult's way of doing things. They had always remained isolated and disliked participating in the disputes between immortal sects. However, if a conflict were to arise, they would never hold back.
This was especially the case. They had not provoked anyone. Even so, their ancestors' graves were dug out and the coffin was stolen. Considering what had happened, their anger was indeed reasonable.
The Celestial Pivot Pavilion deduced that the Whale-Riding Immortal had snatched the ice coffin to suppress the cataclysmic qi in the Cataclysmic Ba. The article wrote that this method was not sustainable and would eventually backfire.
It all made sense now.
The series of behaviors displayed by the Whale-Riding Immortal could all be explained now. The Whale-Riding Immortal first took the Cataclysmic Ba from the South Sea and went to the Northern Regions to rob an ice coffin to suppress its karmic calamity and temporarily keep that cataclysmic qi under control.
As for why the Whale-Riding Immortal had captured the Cataclysmic Ba, Chu Liang didn't think that it was because he had the intention of using the power of the Cataclysmic Ba. It was more likely that the little girl was part of the Jiang Family and the Whale-Riding Immortal might also be surnamed Jiang...
When they have the answer to this, they would then know the cause of these series of events.
The next article was a major piece of news.
Xu Bashan, the chief of the Four Seas Whale Gang, had gone missing.
Currently, the competition for the new chief of the Whale Gang was becoming more intense. Jiang Shenting from the Eastern Whale Division surprisingly stood toe-to-toe with the current chief Xu Bashan, which caught many off guard.
During this period, while Xu Bashan was traveling by boat to the West Sea, a vicious beast, the Heaven-Devouring Python, suddenly emerged and swallowed the ship he was on in one gulp.
The Heaven-Devouring Python harbored immense power and could devour everything in its path.
However, with Xu Bashan being a powerful Eminent One at the seventh realm, it was expected that he would be able to easily crawl out of that huge python. Yet, he vanished without a trace, leaving everyone wondering what had happened to him inside the python.
Many suspected Jiang Shenting to be the mastermind of this incident, but Jiang Shenting quickly issued a statement, expressing shock, anger, and sorrow at the disappearance of the current chief. He emphasized that the Eastern Whale Division had no involvement in the matter and that his men were actively searching for Xu Bashan as well.
As for whether people believed this statement, it was hard to tell.
Chu Liang then recalled Xu Hongqiu, the lady he met at Taotie City.
How is that generous girl? Chu Liang wondered.
During times when there weren't many major events in the mortal realm, news often revolved around the younger generations in the world of immortality cultivators.
However, amidst the current upheavals, the younger ones weren't deemed important enough to warrant attention. There was one exception, though: the latest piece of news.
On the Cloud-Gazing Mountain, Wei Tiandi, the second senior brother of Thunderbolt Stronghold, and Feng Chaoyang, head disciple of the Celestial King Sect, clashed fiercely, wreaking havoc to the mountain areas. Despite the intensity of their fight, it ended in a deadlock, with neither combatant winning.
Disputes over treasures of nature, secret techniques, enchanted tools, and the like had always occurred frequently in the past, especially when both parties represented their sect's best interests. Such events were nothing new.
The three core disciples of the Thunderbolt Stronghold were extremely famous. The eldest senior brother Du Wuhen was known for his loyalty and courage, second senior brother Wei Tiandi for his wit and bravery, as well as the third brother for his smile and extraordinary strength.
Many outsiders believed that they represented the generation destined to lead the Thunderbolt Stronghold into ascending to the ranks of the Divine Nine.
Of course, the disciples of Mount Shu were not one of these believers.
After all, the disciples of Mount Shu knew that if one sect within the Divine Nine ranking had to be ousted and the Mount Shu Sect agreed, none of the other sects would request it to stay.
Now, even a mere second senior brother of the Thunderbolt Stronghold could rival the head disciple of the Celestial King Sect, demonstrating the true strength of the new generation.
The future looked promising!
...
The latest issue of the "Uncommon Tales of the Martial World" was rather uneventful. Apart from the upcoming tour organized by Shen Qingyan, there was no other noteworthy news.
With the Celestial Pivot Pavilion's limited manpower, it was unlikely for them to cover everything, especially since the "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces" section involved investigating major news. This meant there was naturally less energy and effort left for the "Uncommon Tales of the Martial World."
Chu Liang placed the Seven Stars Gazette down and left the house for a breath of fresh air.
Amidst the current upheavals, the sense of impending winter grew. Names like Taotie, Cataclysmic Ba, and Sky-Swallowing Python, which rarely appeared or hadn't surfaced for a long time, were now emerging all at once. Yet, everyone knew that these were not the most terrifying...
The most terrifying existence was the demon god.
That was an existence that the humans could not win against at all. After all, the mortal realm had yet to witness the emergence of another human cultivator at the ninth realm.
Throughout the long ages, the Hallowed One[2] would emerge once every thousand years. This meant that a ninth-realm cultivator, regardless of the race and species, would appear once every thousand years.
In the history of the human race, there were two Hallowed Ones.
One such figure was Hallowed Li from ancient times. Because it happened so long ago, stories about him had become obscure. Legend has it that in the past, the highest cultivation level humans had ever achieved was the seventh realm. Back then, the seventh realm, known as the Dao Attainment Realm, had been considered the peak of cultivation.
It was Hallowed Li who first broke through to the ninth realm, thereby elevating the highest level of cultivation for humanity to the Profound Realm. It was only after him that the path to the heavens was opened for future generations.
Hallowed Yang, from over four thousand years ago, was a woman who had achieved sanctity. She wielded unparalleled prowess in battle, dominating the world as she advanced in her cultivation to the Profound Realm. She established the human race's control over the continent of the nine provinces and shaped the human-dominated world that everyone knows today.
During her lifetime, demons and other races scattered far and wide to the four seas. Evil entities in the world revered her not only with awe, but almost as if she were a deity. Even beyond the four seas, there were still some ancient demon races that worshiped statues of the Hallowed One of the human race.
Various signs indicated that there had been more than just these two Hallowed Ones within the human race. However, for some unknown reasons, the stories of the other Hallowed Ones were not passed down. In fact, there wasn't even a single word written about the other Hallowed Ones in historical records.
In the past three thousand years, since the demon god appeared, there hasn't been another human cultivator at the ninth realm. Some speculate that it was because the demon god had remained alive all this time, preventing the birth of new Hallowed Ones.
Some had even suggested that Mount Shu should have unsealed the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda a long time ago and released the demon god so that the humans could slay it for good. This would have allowed the Destiny of the Profound to be diverted for a new Hallowed One to emerge.
Mount Shu only regarded such remarks as words of wisdom.
And now, there was a high chance of the demon god returning, causing the people in the continent of the nine provinces to tremble in fear, hoping that this was fake news. As for those who boasted that they would slay the demon god and reclaim the destiny, they had remained very quiet since the news came out.
...
Chu Liang found himself lost in thought when suddenly, he noticed a cloud descending from the distant sky, followed by a slightly stooped figure approaching slowly.
The visitor turned out to be Old Man Sikong.
Chu Liang quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Senior Granduncle!"
Despite lacking actual power on Mount Shu, this old man commanded great respect due to his seniority and esteemed status. His recent success in luring the dragon for Mount Shu had further elevated his honor, and now, no one dared to show him disrespect.
"Hehe, it's been years since I last visited Silver Sword Peak, and it seems to be flourishing," Old Man Sikong looked at the vast orchard before him and Liu Xiaoyu'er toiling in the garden, smiling.
"Just planting some fruits casually," Chu Liang chuckled.
"These fruits nurtured by the dragon's breath are quite good. Someone brought them to me earlier, and they tasted delicious," Old Man Sikong praised.
Chu Liang's eyes lit up.
If Old Man Sikong tried the fruits and liked them, this meant that he would likely have another big figure advertising for him.
"Senior Granduncle, if you like it, I can supply you with the fruits whenever you want," Chu Liang immediately offered.
"Haha! No need for that," Old Man Sikong said with a smile as he waved his hand. "Actually, I came here for an important matter. I am not here for your fruits."
"Should I inform my esteemed teacher?" Chu Liang asked.
He was confused. If Old Man Sikong came here for important matters, why wouldn't he head straight to the pavilion? Why would he come to this orchard for a casual chat?
"I am not here for Di Nufeng. I am here for her." Old Man Sikong raised his hand and pointed forward.
Chu Liang gazed at the tiny figure, currently watering plants. Under the brilliant sunlight, the mist sprayed from the small watering reflected rainbow colors.
The sunlight, the rainbow, and the little girl created a picturesque scene.
He was surprised as he asked, "You are here for Xiaoyu'er?"
1. Just a reminder. Eminent Ones are cultivators at the seventh and eighth realm ☜
2. Cultivators at the ninth realm are referred to as Hallowed Ones. ☜
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