A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 119 The Beginning of Chaos
Upon hearing his disciple's report, Ning Dao nodded and said he understood. The disciple dared not say anything more, bowed, and withdrew.

Just as Ning Dao was deep in thought, he suddenly straightened up, turned around, and went into the back hall.

"Dao Lord"

"Well, the Supreme Dao's treasure for suppressing the Dao is complete, so the imperial court is no longer of any use to us. No matter what the imperial court says, the Supreme Dao is not allowed to respond. Those disciples should disperse as soon as possible. From this moment on, the Supreme Dao will go from the open to the shadows, taking advantage of the chaos of the end times to educate the people."

"Yes, over there, on the demon and monster sides."

"There's no need to hold back. However, for now, we only need to control Shangyuan Prefecture, Xiyuan Prefecture, Tianhua Prefecture, and Nanling Prefecture. The Supreme Dao will temporarily abandon the remaining three prefectures."

Upon hearing this, Ning Dao immediately understood that the four states of Shangyuan were the most populous and resource-rich areas. As long as the Supreme Dao controlled these places, it could advance and retreat at will. As for those wild and desolate places, they would leave them to the demon and monster factions.

If no hope is left, the demons and monsters will surely fight to the death with us, regardless of the consequences.

"This outpost will be automatically destroyed in seven days, so you need to hurry."

"Yes, disciple understands."

After Ning Dao left, Qi Feng disappeared without a trace. When he reappeared, he was already inside the forbidden area of ​​the imperial palace.

“The dragon vein has already shifted,” Qi Feng said, looking at the broken stone tablet in the palace. He did some calculations and frowned deeply.

"Enough. We've already secured our destiny. To covet the dragon vein further would be too greedy. In five hundred years, this dragon vein will surely return to its rightful place."

Although the location of the dragon vein could not be found, the approximate time of its appearance was known. If he could prepare in advance, it was not impossible for it to become the state religion of the new dynasty in the future.

Stepping out of the main hall and looking at the inner palace filled with an aura of decay, Qi Feng shook his head. This dynasty's fate was sealed; under the backlash of the great calamity, its bloodline would surely be severed.

Pingshan Prefecture

Beneath the ancient tree, a figure, both real and ethereal, appeared before the four demons.

After a long while, the phantom slowly dissipated, and the four, including the tiger demon, bowed down in worship.

"I will obey Lord Aoyama's command."

"Tiger, come down, what should we do?" Zhu Gang shouted.

"Didn't Lord Qingshan say that now that the dynasty has collapsed and the stones weighing it down have been removed, it's the perfect opportunity for our demon race to show our skills?"

At this point, the tiger demon looked at the other three demons and said in a deep voice, "Lord Qingshan has ordered the four of us to go to a different prefecture to carry out the god-making plan. Old Zhu, you go to Nanling Prefecture; Old Wolf, you go to Tianhua Prefecture; and Old Eagle, you go to Lianyun Prefecture."

The other two demons nodded in agreement, but the wolf demon asked doubtfully, "Tiger, Tianhua Prefecture is located in the heart of the Central Plains, and it's the most prosperous of all the prefectures. It's bound to become a hub for various forces in the future. Is it really appropriate for me to go there?"

It wasn't that Old Wolf was afraid of death, but rather that his cultivation level was probably insufficient to shoulder this heavy responsibility. If he ruined Green Mountain Lord's plan because of this, he would die without a burial place.

"Don't worry, Old Wolf. Tianhua Prefecture is just a front. Once you get there, just find a secluded spot and do whatever you can. If we don't get involved in Tianhua Prefecture, the Supreme Dao might not feel at ease."

"If that's the case, then I agree." Upon hearing this, the wolf demon understood that this was setting up a target for the demon race to attract the attention of the Supreme Dao.

"Is there any word from the demonic path?" the eagle demon suddenly asked.

"The Demon Lord and Lord Qingshan have an agreement that they will not clash with us, but we still cannot be complacent. Once you arrive in your respective territories, you must be careful and avoid falling into their traps."

The three demons nodded in agreement.

After discussing some details, the four demons dispersed.

Tianhua Prefecture

Just as Gu Xu was preparing to set up a magic array outside the Broken Soul Valley, he suddenly had a thought and looked up to the north. He saw a black aura suddenly rushing into the sky and spreading outwards in all directions. The original skeleton and the True Dragon of Fortune had all disappeared.

"It seems something serious has happened to the imperial court. This ominous aura has arrived with tremendous force; we must act quickly."

After Gu Xu finished setting up the array, he outlined the runes and incantations. After a flash of white light, an invisible light shield covered the Broken Soul Valley. This array did not conflict with the purification array inside; its main purpose was to protect against living beings.

Seeing that the formation was complete, Gu Xu was very satisfied. After clearing away some traces, Gu Xu carried his pack and left Broken Soul Valley, heading straight for Gui Mang Mountain, where the situation was even more dangerous than in Broken Soul Valley.

After traveling for several days, Gu Xu discovered that signs of a great calamity were beginning to appear. The once dark earth in the plains was gradually losing its color, the vitality within some tall trees was constantly draining away, and the mountains seemed to be covered with a layer of filth, losing their former luster.

At the bottom of the riverbed, strands of black lines continuously burrow into the bodies of river creatures. They may not be visible in the short term, but over the years, they will inevitably cause harm.

"If even remote places are like this, the situation in famous mountains and rivers is probably even more serious."

Gu Xu kept walking and, after several days, finally arrived at a precipitous mountain peak shrouded in black mist.

"Such a strong aura of war," Gu Xu thought as he leaped up the mountain. As soon as he stepped into the mountain, the black aura rushed towards him as if it had smelled blood. Gu Xu moved forward steadily, and the black aura was blocked by a layer of golden light three feet away from his body.

Seeing that it could not succeed, the black energy began to churn violently. Suddenly, an even larger surge of black energy crashed in, causing the golden light shield to shake violently. However, as soon as the golden light turned, the black energy was pushed away again.

"This place is the burial ground of countless people; the resentment and malevolence are so palpable."

Gu Xu reached out and made a sweeping motion. A flash of red light appeared, and the black mist in front of him vanished without a trace, revealing a steep path.

"This should be the Prisoner's Ridge mentioned in the bamboo slips."

Long ago, this Prison Soul Ridge was a place where the three Yin energies converged, known as the most dangerous place. Even those who had achieved great success in their cultivation would be torn to pieces if they came here. Although the world has changed and the earth's veins have shifted, causing much of the earth's energy to dissipate, the threat has not diminished at all. On the contrary, in recent years, due to the great calamity, it seems to have shown signs of recovery.

Half an hour later, Gu Xu finally reached the summit. There, he saw a stone tablet standing upright, with the other half lying on the ground. Strange runes were engraved on the tablet, most of which were incomplete. Black smoke was rising from the broken part of the tablet, and in front of him was a bottomless abyss filled with mist, making it impossible to see the details.

The town's monument has been destroyed.

Gu Xuxin's heart sank. He stretched out his finger and drew a rune, which shot straight into the stone tablet. A flash of light appeared, and the broken stone tablet suddenly trembled. Then the runes on the tablet lit up and flew out, hovering above the abyss.

Several screams were heard, the abyss cloud sea churned violently, and a wave of air rushed towards the valley.

Gu Xu remained unmoved, his aura separated by the golden light barrier, splitting into two streams. The suspended runes, however, were dim and swayed uncertainly amidst the undulating sea of ​​clouds. After a few breaths, the dim runes were swallowed up by the sea of ​​clouds.

Just as the runes were being devoured, several deep cracks appeared on the monument.

“The power of the seal has diminished considerably,” Gu Xu stared at the rolling sea of ​​clouds below, and a wisp of black energy transformed into a ghostly claw that reached out to grab Gu Xu.

"Overestimating yourself," Gu Xu waved his sleeve, and a gentle breeze swept by, instantly shattering the black ghost claw. This action seemed to enrage the abyss black energy, and thick clumps of black energy surged forth, pressing down on Gu Xu.

Seeing this, Gu Xu pointed with his fingers, and beams of golden light leaped back and forth, weaving into a large golden net that blocked the raging black energy within three zhang of him.

Then, Gu Xu took out the Soul Purification and Mind Cleansing Mirror. With a surge of true energy, the mirror spun and emitted light. A beam of clear light, like water, was poured into the abyss. The black energy seemed to have encountered its natural enemy and quickly retreated back into the abyss.

"This place is really troublesome; it seems we have no choice but to take drastic measures."

Gu Xu withdrew his gaze from the abyss. Just now, he had seen that the Yin energy of the soldiers' spirits at the bottom of the abyss was almost on the verge of exploding. If he wanted to use the method to deal with the Broken Soul Valley, there was almost no chance of success.

"We can only rely on watermilling techniques now."

A flash of spiritual light emanated from Gu Xu, and his primordial spirit projection shot towards the sky above the abyss, striking several runes in the air. A five-colored light flashed, and a thin light barrier temporarily isolated the black energy. After withdrawing his primordial spirit projection, Gu Xu pieced the broken suppressing stele back together. Although the stele's power was greatly reduced, it could still buy him some time. Even if the stele had shattered, there would have been no real loss.

Rising Dragon Town, Imperial Sword Manor
Yin Zhong looked at Meng Fan and said, "Brother Meng, please forgive me, but I am powerless to help with this matter."

Upon hearing this, Meng Fan looked bitter, knowing that he was asking the impossible, since it was ultimately the government's own business.

“I understand what Master Yin means, but…”

Yin Zhong sneered inwardly. These people in the government office were so unreasonable. They rushed to the top when there was good fortune, but only knew to come to him when there was trouble. They really knew how to play their cards right.

“Brother Meng, I shouldn’t be getting involved in this matter, but since you’ve come to me, I’ll say a few more words. Protecting Shenglong Town is the responsibility of Yujian Manor, but dealing with those unarmed civilians is beyond my power. These things should be the responsibility of the government; the civilians are innocent.”

Months ago, the imperial court was in chaos and fragmented. Local powerful families took advantage of the situation to carve out their own territories and force the people to pay taxes. Although Shenglong Town was remote, it was not immune to this. Moreover, the magistrate of the yamen, in order to please the emperor, even forcibly coerced the people. For a time, the entire town of Shenglong suffered terribly, which eventually led to a riot.

Today, some powerful families have joined forces with the common people to oppose the government. At first, the government did not care and forcibly suppressed the rebellion several times, but it was met with wave after wave of counterattacks. Now the government has been forced to the brink of despair and can only send Meng Fan to ask the Imperial Sword Manor for help.

"I know my abilities are limited, and I can only ensure my own safety first. Brother Meng, I am truly sorry."

"I have troubled Master Yin. I shall take my leave." Meng Fan understood Yin Zhong's thoughts and was unwilling to stay any longer. He stood up, bowed, and stopped Yin Zhong from seeing him off before leaving dejectedly.

"Master, the world is getting more and more chaotic. We need to make plans as soon as possible."

"I've already made plans for this. As long as we don't cause trouble, things will be peaceful here. My only concern is that the authorities might act desperately and do something drastic. I'll have someone keep an eye on things, and if anyone suspicious comes into contact with them, we must report it immediately."

"My subordinates understand"

Inside the yamen, Meng Fan was reporting back to Chief Wang. After listening, Chief Wang's face darkened, but he was helpless. The yamen couldn't afford to offend the Imperial Sword Manor, so they could only try to take advantage of it secretly. But now it seemed that the other party clearly didn't want to get involved in this mess. Did they really have to take that step? But the price...

"I understand, you may leave now," Manager Wang waved his hand, and Meng Fan immediately withdrew. Just as Manager Wang was deep in thought, a voice rang out from inside the room.

"Master Wang, what's your decision?" A figure stepped out from the side.

Seeing this, Chief Wang was not surprised. He looked up at the dark-faced middle-aged man in front of him and said in a deep voice, "The matter still needs to be discussed, why rush?"

The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "I'm not in a hurry. It's you who should be anxious. This Imperial Sword Manor is not easy to deal with. Even I don't want to face them. However, I'm quite confident in dealing with those aristocratic families."

Wang, the steward, glanced at him and said, "This matter is of utmost importance. If anything goes wrong, it will be a fight to the death. If it displeases the higher-ups, my life won't be enough to pay for it."

"Doesn't Master Wang already know our abilities? As long as we keep it from the Imperial Sword Manor, this matter is very simple. Just eliminate those leaders, and the current situation will be resolved immediately. Moreover, by confiscating their treasury, Master Wang will gain a lot of prestige and may even be able to advance further in the future."

At this point, Wang, the middle-aged official, was already somewhat tempted. The court was now in disarray, and if he could gain recognition, he would no longer have to stay in this remote and impoverished place once the country was restored.

After a moment's contemplation, Manager Wang hardened his heart and said to the middle-aged man, "Since we've already started, let's go all the way. If we're going to do it, let's do it cleanly and efficiently. We can't let the ringleaders get away, and we must wipe out the others who are following behind."

Hearing Wang's cold and ruthless words, the middle-aged man's eyes lit up, and he praised, "Director Wang truly has great courage; I admire him."

"We hope you will keep your promise."

"Rest assured, Master Wang, I understand."

After the man surnamed Lang finished speaking, his body instantly turned into a wisp of black smoke and drifted out of the room.

Several months later, Imperial Sword Manor
"Master, I have secretly sent people to check those houses. The deaths were unusual, not like murder. A coroner from the yamen also examined them and said that they died from a chronic illness."

Yin Zhong was somewhat skeptical upon hearing this. How could it be such a coincidence that the leading families had fallen so suddenly, without any warning? After much thought, Yin Zhong felt something was amiss and immediately began to suspect the yamen (government office).

"What's been happening at the government office lately?"

"Our men are keeping watch, and no suspicious people have appeared. Master, do you suspect that the authorities have used some irregular methods?"

At this point, the steward seemed to have thought of something and said in a trembling voice, "Master, is it like what happened with Blood Cloud back then?"

"It's very possible. If the government is colluding with people like that, this would be a disaster. No wonder the lower-ups didn't discover it."

"What has Meng Fan been up to lately?" If anyone in the government office knows Meng Fan best, they should be able to find out some information by asking him discreetly.

"Meng Fan should be on duty at the yamen right now, Master. Shall we invite him over?"

"I'd better go myself, so as not to alert the people at the yamen."

After pondering for a while and giving a few instructions, Yin Zhong immediately left the manor. In a flash, he arrived at the government office. After avoiding the guards, Yin Zhong easily found his way to a secluded house.

"Brother Meng," Yin Zhong said, his heart sinking as he looked at the leftover food and the wine jugs lying on the ground.

He patted Meng Fan's face, and the latter opened his eyes sleepily, vaguely seeing Yin Zhongde's figure.

"Master Yin," Meng Fan rubbed his eyes, took a closer look, his expression changed, and he straightened up.

"Brother Meng, why are you so dejected? Could it be that something has indeed happened in the government office?"

Upon hearing Yin Zhong's words, Meng Fan's expression changed. He then gave a bitter smile and said in a strained voice, "Since Master Yin already knows, why did you come to find me?"

"What exactly happened? Has Chief Clerk Wang from the yamen already...?"

"Master Yin, this matter is beyond our control. I'll just be frank with you: Steward Wang did indeed meet a stranger. This person's aura was very peculiar; he didn't seem human, but rather like a wild beast."

With a look of horror in his eyes, Meng Fan recalled what happened last month. It was during his night patrol when he saw a black wolf, more than two people tall, leap out of the Zhao family mansion, carrying a string of bloody human heads in its mouth, with blood splattered all over the ground.

He clearly remembered the black wolf's eyes, which seemed to be disdainful and mocking. He was stared at by it and his body was completely out of his control. He had no idea how he survived and came back alive.

"So, it's not some heretical sect, but all demons..."

After hearing this, Yin Zhong felt a chill run down his spine. What exactly was it about Shenglong Town that made these things keep coming one after another?

"Brother Meng, what are your plans for the future?" Looking at Meng Fan's state, Yin Zhong knew that the other party must have been neglected by the government or was disheartened and just drifting through life.

"Master Yin probably doesn't know this, but the surrounding towns of Shenglong Town are now almost deserted. The demon race roams freely, killing anyone they see, leaving corpses everywhere. In just a few months, the whole world has descended into chaos. If it weren't for Master Yin, Shenglong Town would have followed suit."

"The demon race is domineering, but my sword is no joke. Brother Meng, since the yamen has no place for you, why not come to the Imperial Sword Manor and lend me a hand to cleanse the heavens and sweep away the demonic forces? I can't do without you, Brother Meng!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Fan's spirits lifted, and he stared intently at Yin Zhong, who had a solemn expression.

At the same time, a white fog suddenly rose in the north of Tianhua Prefecture, as if frost had passed through, and the fertile land for thousands of miles was covered with ice and frost. In the south, volcanoes erupted, and many people were displaced. In the east and west, the earth was turned upside down at the same time, and ravines were like sores.

In just a few months, natural disasters struck all over the land, leaving widespread devastation. Various factions were constantly at war, and man-made disasters were rampant. With both forces working together, it felt like the end of the world had arrived.

Tianhua Prefecture, Underground Caves
"Lord Dao, celestial phenomena are manifesting, calamity is erupting, and human suffering is beginning. The disciples of the Supreme Dao have dispersed to various locations, awaiting your command."

"Proceed according to plan"

"Yes"

(End of this chapter)