Misty Rain of the Old Times

The lake water, stained red with blood, surged, the waves resembling scales. If viewed from above, one could see the pale red lake water surrounding the island faintly forming a huge, blurry dragon shadow swimming around it.

It should be noted that the island is several miles in diameter, and the dragon shadow was able to completely surround the island with some space remaining, which shows how enormous it is!
The pale red dragon shadow stained with blood exuded an evil aura that sent chills down one's spine. Its enormous size alone was enough to terrify anyone. Even if it wasn't real, it was still incredibly frightening. However, no one had noticed this yet.

"So that's the mastermind behind it all. He finally couldn't hold back and jumped out. But is he alone? I didn't notice any hidden ambushes." Chen Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the black-robed man on the lake.

Reminded by him, the old man looked over and examined him closely, saying, "It must be this person. Judging from the current situation, he really came for the dragon corpse beneath the island. I thought the records were wrong, but I never expected it to be true. The dragon corpse hasn't even fully appeared yet, but the mere dragon aura it emits has already caused such a strange phenomenon. It truly lives up to its legendary status. I've been an emperor for decades, always considering myself the Son of Heaven. It seems I'll be fortunate enough to witness it in my lifetime."

Seeing his enthusiastic expression, Chen Xuan couldn't help but worry, "Dad, we need to be careful. This thing has a sinister aura. Don't even think about getting close to it after it comes out; it's very dangerous."

"So what? You're here, right? Get it over here for me when you have the chance," the old man said matter-of-factly.

"He really can just spout off like that," Chen Xuan's lips twitched, and he pointed to his nose, saying, "Me?"

"Is there a problem?" The old man gave him a disdainful look, as if he couldn't even handle such a small matter.

Chen Xuan, looking utterly dejected, said, "We'll see. After all, I'm practically your son."

"Just kidding, don't take it seriously. Our daughter has only been married to you for a month or so. If anything happens to her, wouldn't Xiao Fuyao disown me? If it's dangerous, we can just run away. It's not shameful, and the sky isn't going to fall down. We don't need to cover for her," the old man patted Chen Xuan on the shoulder and changed his tune. This was the real truth. He wasn't someone who didn't know what was important; he would never actually put his son-in-law in a dangerous situation.

Chen Xuan was amused and laughed, "So you're just making a fool of me, aren't you?"

To be honest, if given the chance, Chen Xuan would really like to snatch it if it were a dragon corpse. Anyway, the Black Diagram Society isn't a good thing, so taking a piece of their stuff wouldn't be a problem.

It wasn't to satisfy his collecting obsession that he snatched it. To put it bluntly, even though Old Deng is having a great time now, his days are numbered. After being emperor for decades, he should be buried with a dragon corpse when he dies. He deserves that kind of status. To put it in a mystical way, ordinary people don't have that kind of destiny. Doing such a thing would only bring disaster to their descendants. But he didn't have that kind of concern.

"Master, son-in-law, I can't see through that person's cultivation level," Eunuch Wang reminded him from the side, his face solemn.

Nodding, Chen Xuan put away his previous nonchalant attitude and said, "It's normal. This person is a Grandmaster, and to set up such a large-scale scheme, he would be courting death if he didn't have some ability. Speaking of which, I've had indirect contact with powerful figures from the Black Diagram Society before, but this one is not the same as the one from back then."

"That's quite a big fish. The Black Diagram Society is all over the world. At most, it's just a small branch operating in our Jing Kingdom. It's normal for them to have countless powerful members. Wait, when did you come into contact with any big shots from the Black Diagram Society?" Old Deng asked in surprise.

Chen Xuan shrugged and said, "I had some contact with them in Quanzhou last time I went to Wanku Mountain. Well, it wasn't really contact, it was just that they planted a mental imprint on the minds of the Black Diagram Society members and we exchanged a few words."

"That time, I even issued an imperial decree to deal with the termites in the younger generation's houses," the old man said with a sudden realization, then added in a deep voice, "Are you sure you can handle it? If not, let's slip away before there's any danger."

Despite the old man's boisterousness, he still knew what was important. Chen Xuan didn't boast, and pondered for a moment, saying, "It's not a big problem. If things get really bad, we can protect ourselves. There are so many experts around; they'll give him a run for his money. Let's take it easy and see how things go."

"Well, let's just not go too far. Although Black Picture Society is despicable, our safety is the most important thing," the old man said earnestly.

Seeing that the old man was quite indifferent, Chen Xuan asked suspiciously, "Dad, since you dared to fish for such a big fish, you must have some trump cards up your sleeve, right? Tell me what you have to say?"

"No way, isn't your trump card my little brat?" the old man waved his hand dismissively.

I don't believe you at all. You've been emperor for decades, who would believe you if you didn't have some tricks up your sleeve? Fine, don't tell me then, I don't want to know anyway.

As the two of them whispered to each other on the roof, the little princess's slightly panicked voice came from downstairs: "What happened? I think I heard a terrifying roar?"

The fighting outside had been raging, and Xia Mei and the others had actually blocked out the noise. However, that roar resounded directly in everyone's minds, beyond their ability to handle. Even Chen Xuan couldn't stop it. Hearing this, he took a moment to comfort her, saying, "My wife, don't panic. With your husband here, just pretend nothing happened."

The little princess immediately felt relieved; her man was just that reliable. She replied, "Hmm... Wanqian is fine. With my husband here, where were we..."

Meanwhile, the forces of good and evil, still locked in battle, were not fools. They all noticed the anomaly, especially when that chilling roar echoed in their minds. The sudden sound caught countless people off guard, causing them to either react too late or fail to respond in time, resulting in numerous tragic incidents.

"Who's playing tricks!" Covered in blood and with his Taoist robe badly torn, Xuan Yang slapped away a crescent-shaped treasure wheel that resembled the blazing sun and snorted coldly. He distanced himself from Luo Yan and stared at him scrutinizingly, suspecting that Luo Yan was behind it all. After all, people of the evil path liked to play such tricks by surprise.

The incredibly arrogant Luo Yan touched a wound on his neck that wasn't bleeding and sneered, "Why are you looking at me? Do you suspect it's me? I'm not that bored. You heard it too?"

As he spoke, he noticed the reactions of the people who were still alive after the massacre, and instantly realized that things were not simple. He was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and immediately stopped his eagerness to eliminate Xuan Yang. He manipulated the nine blade wheels to merge into one and circle around his body, remaining vigilant.

Xuan Yang also stopped attacking and became wary of his surroundings. The two, who had been almost locked in a life-or-death struggle, actually stopped fighting for the time being.

Not only them, but many people realized that something was wrong. As the fighting progressed, they gradually stopped and moved closer to their own people to form groups. That roar was so terrifying that it made them feel cold all over even in broad daylight. It was more frightening than the enemy.

Zhang Aoxue clutched her chest as she joined the Feiyu Sect members, finally getting a chance to catch her breath. Ji Jue's killing intent had subsided considerably; she had almost been stabbed through the heart and died here earlier.

The battle is now raging, and both sides have suffered heavy casualties. Each of the innate masters has lost a dozen or so, and only the sect leaders and the like still have enough fighting power, but they are all injured.

"Is everyone alright? Master Ye, he..." After a hasty reunion, Zhang Aoxue glanced around and noticed a corpse beside Ye Hong, whose face was cold and painful, filled with melancholy.

In the world of martial arts, such a fierce battle inevitably results in death. Ye Ling, the master of Maple Leaf Manor, has fallen, one of the most important figures present, and has perished here.

"Everyone, look around!" Hu Feng, standing on one leg, pointed to the lake outside the island and said in a deep voice.

Xuan Qing, his Taoist robe stained with blood, exclaimed, "Master Hu, your leg..."

"He won't die. Luckily, it wasn't his hand that was severed, so he can still use a bow. Lang Jingfeng didn't get the better of him either; I shot off one of his hands, but unfortunately, it wasn't his right. Everyone, let's look around," Hu Feng interrupted, waving his hand.

At this moment, the lake surface churned more violently, and the sound of the waves was incessant, as if a huge creature was stirring up waves underwater.

Lang Jingfeng held his knife in one hand, glanced coldly at Hu Feng, then turned and roared at the surroundings, "Who's behind this? Stop pretending! If you've got the guts, get out here..."

Before he could finish speaking, his head exploded like a rotten watermelon, splattering red and white blood everywhere. He was killed by a mere drop of water, given no chance to react. Those around him were also stunned, unaware of how he died. The first to swing a knife at the old man, he ultimately didn't die at Chen Xuan's hands, but from his own foul mouth. How dare he insult a Grandmaster-level expert from the Black Diagram Society? He had barely been released from prison, his ambitions barely begun, and he had already ruined himself.

Both sides had almost stopped fighting, looking around in terror at the lake churning with blood and numerous corpses drifting in the current—a truly horrifying scene.

While everyone was filled with doubt and surprise, a small, thin figure seemed to fly out of thin air and crashed into the crowd with a thud. She was wrapped up tightly and clearly spat out a mouthful of blood, but disappeared in the blink of an eye. Then everyone heard the voice of Ji Jue, the leader of the Shadow Killing Sect.

Her voice trembled as she said, "Oh no, the island has been blockaded. We can't leave at all. I didn't even notice how they attacked before I was sent back. They are definitely Grandmaster level experts. Are you not righteous people? Can't you handle this? You have no shame in asking your elders to keep order. We will die here rather than submit. If we are not in charge, you should consider what kind of trouble your men will cause!"

Upon hearing this, many people subconsciously turned their gazes toward Xuan Yang and his group from the Tai Xuan Sect. They couldn't help but be suspicious, since only the Wu Xiang Temple and the Tai Xuan Sect had Grandmaster-level experts in the martial arts world. Moreover, the Wu Xiang Temple, located in the north, had not participated in this incident at all and had long since closed its gates.

"Stop spouting nonsense! Our sect's Supreme Elder is currently enjoying his retirement. If he were here in person, would you have the chance to kill the righteous sects of our martial world?" Xuan Yang said coldly, his face darkening.

That's certainly true, and this statement lessened people's skepticism.

Grieved by the loss of her father, Ye Hong gritted her teeth and said murderously, "You all boast that you will wipe out the righteous path of the martial arts world. Could it be that you have hired outside help from elsewhere?"

"Kid, watch your mouth. Why should we need other countries to interfere in our affairs? If you keep spouting nonsense, don't blame me for bullying you and destroying you," Luo Yan said with a cold smile, his tone tinged with emotion.

As everyone knows, the evil faction in Jing Kingdom lacks a grandmaster-level expert to oversee things; otherwise, they would have long since united as one, and the righteous path would not have been allowed to grow so powerful. If there were a grandmaster-level expert, they would probably have already stormed their doorstep.

"Who could it be? Could it be the imperial court that has intervened?"

The two sides looked at each other, both terrified. It was quite possible that the imperial court would take action against them. With a new emperor ascending the throne, who could guarantee that he wouldn't target people from the martial arts world?

In the stalemate, it was impossible for everyone to sit idly by and wait to die. Many people, not believing in the supernatural, tried to leave in various directions of the island, but they all failed. Anyone who stepped outside the island died mysteriously. Only Chen Xuan could see that what killed them was just a drop of water. Of all those who wanted to leave the island, only Ji Jue, the leader of the Shadow Killing Sect, survived, but he was seriously injured and almost exposed his true identity.

In fact, when Ji Jue was knocked back, although she didn't die from the attack of the Grandmaster, she couldn't maintain her usual disguise in that short time. Several sharp-eyed people had already noticed her flat-chested, legal loli-like appearance, and it is estimated that her dangerous image will be greatly diminished from then on.

The Grandmaster of the Black Diagram Society stood on the lake, but no one gave him a second glance. It wasn't that he was invisible, but rather that people subconsciously ignored him under the influence of the Grandmaster's will. Only Chen Xuan was unaffected; if he hadn't reminded him, the old man wouldn't have noticed him at all.

With a deafening roar, the island trembled even more violently, and huge cracks appeared in the ground as it disintegrated and sank into the lake. Some people accidentally fell into the cracks and seemed to be swallowed by the ground, while the surging lake water looked as if it were about to be swept up into the sky.

"Thank you all for your generosity in helping me complete the final step. After thousands of years of planning, I have finally achieved my goal. I will remember your kindness. I will need your help with my life later. The Dharma Protector has been born and returned to its rightful place. It needs your lives and blood to help it grow and transform." A faint voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Oh no, we've been set up! What was supposed to be a simple martial arts battle turned out to be orchestrated by a mastermind!"

"The Dharma protector has appeared and returned to his rightful place? What Dharma protector?"

"Who is it? Show yourself!"

"Senior, we had no intention of offending you. Could you please be so kind as to let us leave?"

The survivors were terrified and had all sorts of opinions. The previous fighting was not scary, as everyone fought openly and relied on their own abilities. But faced with this situation where they were powerless to resist, they could only compromise and beg for mercy.

Xuan Yang, the leader of the Tai Xuan Sect, had already grasped the ancient sword on his back, which he had never used before. It was not only one of the Tai Xuan Sect's symbols of leadership, but also a weapon that had been worn by many grandmasters and powerful figures throughout history, bearing the spiritual imprints of many of them.

This time, as he drew the ancient longsword, it hummed softly. Xuan Yang activated the Grandmaster's mark on it, freeing it from the interference of the black-robed powerhouse's will on the lake. He immediately raised his hand and pointed over there, reminding him in a deep voice, "There!"

"It's you!" Luo Yan exclaimed in shock, looking in the direction Xuan Yang pointed. A black, broken spear had appeared in his hand at some point.

"Who is he? Stop keeping me in suspense, you surnamed Luo," Ji Jue's anxious voice came from somewhere.

After a brief hesitation, Luo Yan said in a deep voice under everyone's gaze, "I've had contact with the leader of the Black Diagram Society twice, but I don't know the specifics. Although we are both labeled as heretics by the world, the Black Diagram Society is too mysterious, and I don't know anything about him."

At this point, he looked at the black-robed man on the lake and asked solemnly, "Weren't you at the Innate Realm? When did you reach the Grandmaster Realm?"

"Hahaha, Sect Leader Luo still remembers me? I've always had this level of cultivation, nothing to brag about. You're wrong about something. I'm not the controller of the Black Diagram Society, at most just one of its managers. You don't understand the Black Diagram Society at all. Never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Thank you all today. Although we'll all die in the end, it'll be worth it. If we're lucky, we might witness a historic moment," the man in black robes laughed heartily.

Because the two sides had temporarily ceased hostilities, Zheng Wanqian, who noticed this situation on the small building, peeked out through the crack in the window. Because of Chen Xuan on the rooftop, they were not affected by the will of the Grandmaster-level powerhouse on the lake and were able to see each other.

After a glance, she said with surprise and doubt, "The voice sounds familiar. I remember now, isn't this the southern manager who suggested that our chamber of commerce use people from the martial arts world to clean up the bandits!"

"It seems you've been used, Wanxi, but don't be sad. Your family's business guild is too big, and with so many people, it's inevitable that some people with ulterior motives will appear. These things are hard to avoid, just like the imperial court. Do you think there aren't spies planted by other countries?" the little princess comforted her.

After listening to what was happening, Chen Xuan thought to himself that it seemed everyone had fallen into a trap from the very beginning.

Too many seasoned veterans have come here. Xuan Yang quickly realized something and loudly reminded them, "This person is stalling for time. Although we don't know what he's up to, it's definitely not a good thing. We can't let him succeed. Let's all make peace for now and kill him together. We can settle our personal grudges later."

Before he even opened his mouth, he had already charged forward with his sword. As a top-tier expert of the Innate Realm, he also possessed a Grandmaster's sword, making him fully qualified to challenge a Grandmaster.

Luo Yan also realized what was happening, roared "Kill!" and rushed over as well.

The others, alerted by the warning, echoed the sentiment: instead of waiting to be killed, they should press their advantage. So what if he was a grandmaster? With so many people working together, they still had a chance to eliminate him. If they survived, it would be a feat they could boast about for the rest of their lives.

"What good is it now that you understand? It's too late!" the man in black said calmly.

Xuan Yang and his group, who were about to unleash their full power, suddenly stopped in their tracks, their expressions changing drastically. At that moment, the already ravaged island trembled violently, and a chilling roar echoed in their minds once more. Then, the island collapsed, creating a bottomless crater. As the lake water poured in, a massive, cold, black creature burst forth from the ground… (End of Chapter)