Ziwei Immortal Path

Chapter 164 Feng Qing's Misfortune
The journey was uneventful.

However, upon hearing that Xu Boyang was to disembark at Fengqing Town and ask Sun Shangli to wait a moment, Sun Rushi's expression changed slightly, and she said:

“Young Master Xu, time is of the essence. There is only one Purple Mansion Talisman left, and once it is used up, it will be gone. Everyone has elderly parents and young children to support, and I am afraid we cannot wait for you.”

Xu Boyang knew he was telling the truth. Those who were willing to give up their promising futures to come here today must have family members they couldn't bear to leave behind. Without regret, he solemnly said:
"Master Sun, I only need a quarter of an hour. I'll go pick up the two elders and return immediately."

"That's not necessary."

Yu Qingmei said calmly,

"We'll wait for you at the border of Huai and Shan for an hour. Come and join us when you've finished dealing with things."

Sun Shangli nodded: "Senior Sister Yu is right. Young Master Xu, please go ahead without worry. An hour will be fine."

"Brother Xu, go in peace, we'll be waiting for you."

Zhang Guanzhi, seeing the wind blowing, quickly echoed, and before he finished speaking, Lü Yangxian and Fei Wenlong also chimed in. Only Fei Wenyu smiled and said:
“That’s wonderful, Boyang, I’ll go with you.”

Among the cultivators in Nanhuai, Sun Rushi has the highest cultivation level. Unfortunately, he ruined his future by defecting to the enemy, and now no one listens to him anymore. Instead, Yu Qingmei has taken the lead.

After all, the Sun family's biggest backer, the Sun family patriarch "Water and Fire Not Yet Crossed" Sun Guozhen, was already dead, while Yu Qingmei's father was the real Huangting Taoist "Water Mansion Seeker" Yu Xiaosheng.

Although Yu Xiaosheng was only a Taoist priest in the early stage of the Yellow Court, Nanhuai was already weak. After the death of Hua Yingchun, the patriarch of the Hua family, "Li Yan Ding Hai", apart from the Taoist priest "Shui Fu Xun Li" Yu Xiaosheng, who was in charge of the mountain, there was only Bian Lengshi, the master of Sun Rushi, who was in the middle stage of the Yellow Court, and Qing Xiaochuan, the Taoist priest "Jin Zhi Yu Ye" who was in the early stage of the Yellow Court. Unfortunately, Bian Lengshi and Qing Xiaochuan had disappeared along with the real people.

As the story has progressed to this point, the only person all the young men of Nanhuai can rely on is Yu Qingmei's father.

When Yu Qingmei spoke, and with the echoing of Sun Shangli, Zhang Guanzhi and others, Sun Rushi's face turned somewhat awkward. He was in control of the magic boat and had the power to act, but the talisman to break the formation was still in Sun Shangli's hands, so he was helpless.

Although he was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with superior cultivation skills, he wasn't stupid. He wasn't facing a life-or-death situation yet, so there was no need to turn against someone over such a trivial matter.

The anger on his face vanished in an instant. After a pause, he said:

"Alright, then we'll set a time limit of one hour. We won't wait until then."

Xu Boyang nodded slightly: "Okay."

Qingxuan Town has reached the central part of Yuchuan. The distance to Fengqing Town is not far. For cultivators who can fly on the wind, it is only a two or three-day journey. However, to Xu Boyang's surprise, Sun Rushi's magic boat is of unknown level and its speed on the wind is extremely fast. Only one day has passed, and Huai Mountain is already in sight.

Along the way, Xu Boyang secretly kept an eye on the villages and towns below, but seeing that everything was normal and there were no signs of fighting, he felt a little relieved. At this moment, he began to worry about another possibility.

If Lang Mochangge and Xu Bozhao have already taken the two elders away and entered the territory of Nanhuai or Cangwu, without the protection of the great formation, they would be more likely to fall into danger.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness fell, the majestic Huai Mountain still stretched across the land like a giant dragon, its imposing black shadow both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

With Huai Mountain in sight, Xu Boyang and Fei Wenyu bowed to the cultivators of Nanhuai and prepared to ride the wind down, when suddenly they heard Lü Yangxian standing at the bow of the boat exclaim in surprise:

"Water! Where is the water coming from?! So much water!"

Everyone was startled and rushed to the side of the boat to investigate. Xu Boyang was particularly alarmed. He came to the side of the boat and hurriedly cast a "Cave Fire Spell" on his eyes.

This technique is a Foundation Establishment level pupil technique, a step above the Condensation stage's "Thousand Mile Technique". A flame merges into the eyes, and a burst of firelight immediately erupts from the pupils, making the foot of Huai Mountain under the night sky as bright as day, instantly revealing everything.

Upon seeing this, Xu Boyang's face turned deathly pale, and he felt as if he had been punched hard in the chest. He took a step back and almost fell over.

At the foot of the massive Huai Mountain, everything was completely transformed. Eight villages and towns, including Fengqing Town, Lingxiupu, and Qingningwan, had been wiped out and turned into a vast expanse of surging water.

This vast expanse of water stretches as far as the eye can see, its endless waters having already submerged much of the towering Huai Mountain.

The cultivators from Nanhuai were all greatly surprised to see this, after all, this place connects Nanhuai and Yuchuan, and almost everyone has been through it. Everyone knows what it was like before.

Fei Wenyu was shocked and had a bad feeling. Before she could speak, a gust of wind suddenly rose beside her, and a figure flashed by. Xu Boyang had already descended on the wind.

"I'll go down and take a look too."

Xie Shuge had never been to the southern part of Yuchuan before. Although she did not know the reason, she could tell from everyone's expressions that something big had happened. She immediately jumped up and followed Xu Boyang down with the wind.

Fei Wenyu hurriedly summoned his flying shuttle and followed.

Yu Qingmei's face turned pale, and she said coldly:

"Shangli, come down with me and take a look."

Sun Rushi, also unable to speak clearly, quickly said:

"No need for that trouble, let's go down by boat together."

When everyone descended to the foot of Huai Mountain by boat, they saw a dark green body of water flowing slowly. As far as the eye could see, it was like a vast ocean, and all the previous scenery was submerged. Many broken trees and beams floated on the water. Xie Shuge and Fei Wenyu were suspended on the water, while Xu Boyang, who had come down first, had disappeared without a trace.

The night was deep, and Fei Wenyu was a step too late. Looking around, all she could see was darkness; she couldn't find Xu Boyang anywhere and was starting to get anxious. Suddenly, she heard Xie Shuge say:
"Stop looking, he should be underwater."

Yu Qingmei frowned and asked, "Where did this water come from?"

The group looked at each other, none of them able to answer.

Xie Shuge pondered for a moment, unable to find an answer, and shook her head with a sigh:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have read some ancient books before. It is said that Nanhuai and Yuchuan were originally separated by the ancient Huai River, which stretched for thousands of miles and was also the origin of the names of the four counties of Qingshen. Unfortunately, this river dried up a thousand years ago, leaving only intermittent, winding canyons. The Huai River in Nanhuai today is just a tributary of the ancient Huai River."

Sun Ru said disdainfully:

“I’ve heard about this before, but what you’re saying is completely irrelevant. The ancient Huai River has been dry for over a thousand years, how could it suddenly flood?”

Sun Shangli's expression suddenly changed, and he said:

"If we're talking about a major flood, the closest one to this place is Xinyue Lake, which is located in one of the three prefectures of Nanhuai, Cangwu, and Yunfu."

"Xinyue Lake?"

Yu Qingmei felt a chill run down her spine. She had grown up in Nanhuai and, although she had heard of the fame of Xinyue Lake, she had never been there.

"Shangli, you're talking nonsense too."

Sun Ru rolled her eyes and said irritably,

“Xinyue Lake is thousands of miles away from here. Even if the water of Xinyue Lake overflows, it is impossible for it to reach here. If it does reach here, then the water of Xinyue Lake will surely dry up.”

Seeing the disdain on his face, and remembering his defection to the enemy, Sun Shangli felt a surge of anger.

"Uncle-Master Sun, don't forget, Xinyue Lake is connected to Jianshui, Jianshui is connected to Sishui, and Sishui flows down to the East China Sea, the largest sea in the country!"

"Haha! You little rascal!"

Sun Rushi found it increasingly amusing.
"You mean this water comes from the East China Sea?"

"That's utterly absurd! Even a three-year-old in Qingshen knows that all the great rivers in the world have flowed eastward since ancient times. How could they possibly go against the current? Could it be that a natural disaster struck the East Sea, causing a tsunami?"

"Since a tsunami has come, why didn't it first flood the towns in the eastern part of Yuchuan by the sea? How did it end up flooding Fengqing Town in the southern part of Yuchuan, which is separated by thousands of mountains?"

Regarding this matter, Zhang Guanzhi, Lü Yangxian, Fei Wenlong, and other Nanhuai scholars on the boat also felt that what Sun Shangli said was too absurd and expressed their complete disbelief.

Yu Qingmei thought for a moment and said, "Could it be a sudden downpour?"

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

Sun Rushi nodded, then after a moment's thought, felt something was amiss.

"However, judging from the size of the swamp, this torrential rain has probably lasted for more than a month or two. But we just passed through here half a month ago, and I remember it wasn't raining."

Zhang Guanzhi shook his head and interjected, "Impossible, I remember very clearly when I came here, it didn't rain."

Xie Shuge suddenly said:

"Why argue about it? Whether it's a lake, the sea, or rain, it's that simple."

Having said that, he squatted down, scooped up a handful of water, tasted it, and his expression immediately changed drastically. He stood up and slowly said:

"The water is salty."

His voice was soft and concise, yet it completely stunned everyone present.

Sun Rushi froze on the spot, her face filled with disbelief, and was about to squat down to scoop up the water.

"Wow!"

A figure flew out of the water, surrounded by a pale red circular light shield. A small blood-red flag floated beside him. He held two people on his left and right, and swiftly landed on the rocks by the water.

"Boyang!"

Fei Wenyu recognized the person and hurriedly called out, but Xu Boyang ignored her, put away the small flag, and gently placed the two people in his hands on the boulder.

Upon seeing this, everyone sensed something was wrong and rushed over. Fei Wenyu approached and saw that what he had laid down were two elderly people, but they had been dead for some time. Their clothes were tattered, and their skin was white from being soaked in water, making it almost impossible to recognize their original faces.

Seeing this, everyone's heart skipped a beat. Fei Wenyu's face changed drastically, and the words that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down. Then, Xu Boyang's hoarse voice trembled as he spoke:

"Our family has suffered a misfortune, a natural disaster has struck, and an elder in our family has died a violent death. Please, fellow disciples, wait a moment..."

Everyone was saddened by these words, and for a moment they looked at each other in silence. Fei Wenyu sighed softly, cupped his hands, and said:
"Boyang, please accept my condolences."

Seeing him gently tidying up the two elderly people's robes, Yu Qingmei also felt downcast and said softly, "Young Master Xu, please accept my condolences."

"Brother Xu, please accept my condolences."

My deepest condolences to you, senior.

……

Xu Boyang stopped speaking and instead used the "Dust Cleansing Technique" to help his deceased father Xu Shaoliang and uncle Xu Shaohua remove weeds and dirt from their bodies.

He gazed at his father's gaunt face, his tightly closed eyes, and his sparse white hair. He recalled the scene when he and his father rode horses to visit Wang Mingru at the Wang family home for the last time. Tears blurred his vision, and he could no longer suppress the rise and fall of his chest.

All the cultivators from Nanhuai quietly left. A moment later, Fei Wenyu heard a series of low, guttural sounds, like the roars of wild beasts and the sobs of flowing water, as if Xie Shuge was playing the flute on the flying boat. He couldn't help but think of his great-grandfather, and his eyes reddened instantly.

After an unknown amount of time, everyone suddenly saw a ball of flame rise from beside him. A moment later, Xu Boyang flew back, his face expressionless, even somewhat wooden, and cupped his hands, saying:

"Boyang has troubled everyone and apologized for the inconvenience!"

Yu Qingmei said softly:

"Weddings and funerals are natural occurrences, so please don't stand on ceremony, Young Master Xu. The deceased is gone, and I hope you will take good care of yourself and recover soon."

Xu Boyang nodded silently: "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Yu."

Xie Shuge suddenly spoke up: "Brother Xu, this is not a natural disaster, but an unexpected calamity."

Xu Boyang's bloodshot eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed, "What did you say?"

Fei Wenyu sighed softly:

"Boyang, you may have been in a hurry and didn't notice where this water came from. There's something wrong with this water; it's salty!"

Xu Boyang's head suddenly buzzed, and he felt as if the world was spinning and he had fallen into an endless abyss. His chest heaved, and he asked again,

"What did you say? Saltwater?"

Sun Ru looked dejected and shook her head with a sigh:

"Yes, it's saltwater, it's saltwater! Heaven is unjust, bringing such calamity upon Qingshen!"

"Saltwater! Where did this saltwater come from?"

Xu Boyang staggered, nearly falling into the water. He gave a bitter laugh, his face contorted with rage, and gritted his teeth as he spoke sharply.

"Do you know that beneath this water lie the remains of 300,000 people from Fengqing Town!"

In an instant, his eyes turned red, tears streamed down his face, and he spoke in a hoarse voice,

“There are people down there, it’s a shocking sight. I don’t even dare to look. There are a total of 300,000 people, lying all over the place. Do you want to go down and take a look?”

Hearing Xu Boyang's mournful cry, as pitiful as an owl's, everyone felt a pang of sorrow. Sun Shangli clenched his fists, stamping his foot in frustration, and said:

"What a crime!"

Xie Shuge gazed at the bright moon in the sky and sighed deeply:
"As the Daoist scriptures say, Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. But why are there extraordinary beings in this world capable of destroying the heavens and the earth? We cultivators may be able to settle scores quickly, but it is truly unfair to ordinary people!"

After venting his anger, Xu Boyang finally felt his frustration dissipate, and the chilly night wind gradually sobered him up.

He wasn't usually a reckless person, but this sudden calamity—the untimely deaths of his two elderly family members—left him heartbroken and somewhat emotionally distraught. After regaining his composure, he finally asked in a low voice:
"What did you find?"

Sun Shangli said sadly:

"Brother Xu, if we are not mistaken, this water should come from the East Sea, and this matter should be related to the Crystal Palace!"

Xu Boyang clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and asked, word by word:

"Crystal Palace? The Crystal Palace of the East Sea? You mean those water demons of the East Sea!"

Sun Shangli nodded and said:

“Indeed, the East Sea Crystal Palace has been at odds with our Qing Shen Daoist family for many years. I heard that the Sishui Siege was a battle between us and the Crystal Palace that lasted for more than ten years. I just don’t know why the True Man and many Taoist priests were trapped in it and never returned.”

Seeing the blazing anger in Xu Boyang's eyes, Sun Rushi's heart tightened, and she quickly said:
“Xu Boyang, don’t act rashly. The East Sea Crystal Palace is home to the East Sea Dragon King. The Dragon King of the Qilong Clan, Ao Shenchang, has been a dragon for many years. His supernatural powers are earth-shattering and comparable to my Taoist Purple Mansion True Person. This is not something you can concern yourself with.”

Seeing Sun Rushi offer words of advice, Yu Qingmei felt somewhat relieved and echoed her sentiments:
“Young Master Xu, Qing Shen has just suffered such a great calamity. Everything should be done with the greater good in mind. You must not act rashly. This matter is of great importance and should be carefully considered.”

Xu Boyang was well aware of this principle. He had only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage and was all alone. How could he possibly seek revenge? But in any case, he finally learned the cause of death of his two elderly relatives and the 300,000 people of Fengqing Town.

"I see."

Xu Boyang silently nodded and lowered his eyes, loosened his clenched hands, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Thank you for informing me, Master Sun, and thank you for reminding me, Miss Yu."

Sun Rushi was very satisfied:
"Since that's the case, time waits for no one. Let's continue on our way. In another two hours, we should reach the border of Huai Mountain, and then we can break out of the formation."

Seeing that the floodwaters were bound to cause danger, the people of Nanhuai had long wanted to leave, but they were reluctant to say anything due to their feelings. Seeing that Xu Boyang had returned to normal, they immediately returned to the wind boat and prepared to set off again.

Just as everyone boarded the wind boat again and rose into the air, suddenly the water below surged with waves and a gale swept through it. In the darkness to the west, clouds billowed, obscuring the sky and the moon, as if some enormous creature was approaching.

Everyone's expression changed drastically, and they looked straight up to the west. Suddenly, a violent storm, accompanied by towering waves and torrential rain, arrived in an instant. A deep, muffled voice echoed from the pitch-black sky, a voice that resonated throughout the heavens and earth, striking deep into the heart:

"Hmph! Another broken formation here. Qi Fuyao, you underestimate the East Sea too much. Now that I have completed the second transformation of my [Hidden Avatar], do you think a few mere Purple Mansion formations can stop me?"

(End of this chapter)