Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1034 The mission is coming
"That's right, it must be the ancient Yuhe Road!"

Zheng Lian clapped his hands and laughed, all the anxiety of the past few days vanished, and his eyes were filled with excitement. "Send the order down: follow this path to the Yellow Springs and continue digging deeper! Yang City and the Sacred Treasure must be ahead!"

However, the festive atmosphere did not last long before bad news followed one after another.

The first few dozen soldiers who came into contact with the yellowish-brown river water almost instantly lost their senses. As if pulled by an invisible force, they silently plunged into the water, disappearing completely into the turbid rapids without even making a ripple.

Even more alarming is that several extraordinary individuals who possessed rare treasures and relied on their magical powers for protection were not spared either.

Their eyes instantly became vacant, and like marionettes, they staggered and tumbled into the river, unable to even activate their protective magic items.

The scene was deathly silent. The previous jubilation had vanished, and a chill crept up everyone's spine.

It seems... there's a big problem.

Sadly, man-made disasters are often more difficult to deal with than natural disasters because the obstacles often come from people themselves.

The elder who had sworn to "bring his head back" was now pale, but he still insisted, "It's alright! This is just 'harmful energy' that has accumulated deep within the earth's veins for many years being released with the water. It will dissipate after a few days of ventilation!"

The next day, at the insistence of the worshippers, more people were sent down with a clear mission: to find out the course of the underground river and draw a waterway map.

As a result, hundreds of elite soldiers and craftsmen once again went and never returned, as if swallowed by the gaping maw of an abyss.

At the same time, the sound of water flowing underground seemed to become more turbulent, and some turbid streams even seeped out from the cracks in the excavation tunnels, soaking the loess soil and turning the originally dry fortification area into a muddy, cold, and damp mess.

The worshipper's forehead was beaded with cold sweat. He raised his hand to wipe it away, and forced a smile at the fearful official beside him:

"The underground river is turbulent and connects to ancient sacred sites; it's not so easy to explore. Some sacrifices... are inevitable. When the great mission is accomplished, I will personally petition the court for their reward and generous compensation!"

On the third day, the worshipper tricked several water-escape-skilled spirits and several volunteer sorcerers into going down with him, promising a large reward.

The result was the same—not a single one survived.

At this moment, the sound of the underground water flow was like muffled thunder. The turbid water was no longer satisfied with just seeping out, and began to gush out from the main breach. The water level was visibly rising slowly, showing signs of spreading out of control.

Finally, someone completely wavered.

A low-ranking official, pale-faced, tried to report the true situation to a higher-ranking official.

Upon seeing that someone was trying to report this to his superiors, the official was immediately enraged.

"Insolence! This is the Holy Emperor manifesting himself, testing the steadfastness of our will!"

His hair and beard bristled, and he pointed at the leaking hole, shouting sternly:

"What nonsense about rising yin energy and exceeding the limits of tolerance! This place is on the banks of the Yellow River, the core of the convergence of human fortune. The righteous energy here is enough to cleanse all evil spirits. How could yin energy be causing trouble?!"

"Such nonsense is demoralizing the army and ruining our plans. What use is he?! Drag him out and beat him to death with sticks!"

On the fourth day, in order to stabilize people's hearts and to prove that his judgment was correct, the offering specially invited a team of "experts" who claimed to be well-versed in the evil energy of water veins.

After several sorcerers solemnly examined the gap, they reached a new conclusion:

"My lord, it's not a big problem. This underground river is shrouded in darkness year-round, presumably due to the accumulation of the malevolent energy from floating corpses in the Yellow River over thousands of years, which is why it's somewhat troublesome. But once we open up this last crucial section and draw upon the righteous energy of the earth's veins to cleanse it, the malevolent energy will dissipate on its own, and the sacred site will surely appear!"

So, encouraged by the fact that they were "just one step away from victory," the last team was sent out.

However, what awaited them was not a glimmer of hope, but utter annihilation—the entire army was wiped out, with not a single survivor.

What's even more chilling is that the sound coming from the depths of the cave is no longer just the sound of flowing water, but gusts of eerie wind howling, interspersed with muffled roars like waves crashing against the rock walls.

It was as if the underground passage wasn't connected to an ancient road, but to some boundless, dark sea!
At this point, even the most confident person would finally realize that something was wrong.

How could the sacred path opened by King Yu to dredge the floodwaters present such an eerie and ominous sight?

When Zheng Lian, the prefect of Xingyang, received the news and rushed to the scene, he found the worshipper still standing upright, arguing vehemently with spittle flying.
"My lord! Perhaps... perhaps we just dug in the wrong direction!"

"We only need to temporarily seal the breach with the Five Elements magic and adjust the direction, and we will be safe!"

"A little bit of yin energy, nothing to worry about! Give me a few more days, and I'll definitely be able to..."

Zheng Lian looked at the other person's face, which was distorted by their forced composure, and heard the eerie sound of wind and waves coming from the cave entrance. His heart turned cold.

How come I never noticed before that besides being good at speaking and adept at guessing what the superiors want, this guy also has such a... stubborn and unyielding "ability"?
The deaths of dozens of folk-recruited sorcerers could still be suppressed by the power of the authorities, but now the loss of hundreds of registered soldiers is no small matter.

The truth will eventually come out; once the news leaks, not only will his future be in jeopardy, but he might even lose his head.

Thinking of this, his anger surged to the top of his head, and he wished he could immediately tear that useless and destructive worshipper to pieces.

But the situation was urgent, so he first ordered his men to take down and guard the stubborn worshipper, and then quickly summoned the remaining "experts" involved in the matter for a secret meeting.

In the dimly lit secret room, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the panicked faces of the people.

"Can someone explain what exactly is going on right now?!"

Zheng Lian's voice was low and filled with barely suppressed anger.

The remaining sorcerers and magicians looked at each other, none daring to speak first.

They were all proponents of the "Yu Du Yang Cheng" theory, and now they are naturally feeling guilty and trembling.

But under that murderous gaze, he finally couldn't take it anymore.

A sorcerer stepped forward with a trembling voice, saying, "My lord... the Yin energy underground has not only not dissipated, but... it is rising continuously, far exceeding the ordinary level..."

"Yin energy! Yin energy! I don't understand!" Zheng Lian slammed his hand on the table. "Say something I can understand! Just how serious is it?!"

The alchemist was quite a clever fellow; he actually found a suitable way to explain the seriousness of the problem to the ordinary governor.

"Everyday life is like midnight."

The hour of Zi (11 PM - 1 AM) is the point where day and night alternate, and the Yin energy reaches its peak for the day.

Seeing that Zheng Lian's pupils contracted slightly, he knew that the prefect had understood some of what he was saying, so he emphasized his words and added a sentence.

"Midnight is like the underworld."

Okay, that's a very accurate description. It makes it immediately clear to everyone: despair.

At this point, the "Offering Auspicious Omens" incident faced a major crisis.

If it turns out to be a false alarm, it's not a big deal. The hype has already been generated. All you need to do is take a rare treasure from your private treasury, repackage it, and you can fool everyone. The only problem is that you won't have any credit.

His Majesty is not so easily fooled, especially when it comes to items belonging to the Holy Emperor. But the problem lies in...

"What about... that underground river? What's the situation now?"

The sorcerer, however, displayed remarkable literary talent, reciting with a bitter face: "The river originates, its clear waves gradually rise, its tributaries and fords emerge one after another, converging into a vast ocean."

Zheng Lian's eyes twitched as he listened, and his anger flared up again.

At a time like this, this guy still has the mind to spout off his knowledge!

However, these sixteen elegant characters painted a picture that sent chills down his spine.

This eerie underground river has not receded; on the contrary, it seems to have come to life, with its source constantly expanding, its water level rising continuously, and its tributaries extending and intertwining wildly underground.

If this trend continues, it may really turn into a vast ocean that will engulf everything!
Wouldn't all 200,000 people inside and outside the city be sitting on a stagnant pool that was constantly expanding?
"Converging into a vast ocean..."

Zheng Lian murmured those four words repeatedly, feeling a chill run from his feet to the top of his head. "This isn't just about my future, it's about my life, it's about burying the entire Xingyang alive!"

He asked urgently, "Is there any way to handle this? At any cost!"

The alchemist, who had been eloquent just moments before, now seemed to have his throat choked. He uttered a few stammers, then slumped down, head bowed, and remained silent.

It's not that they don't want to talk, it's that they have nothing to say; they've already tried everything.
They mobilized laborers to fill the area with earth, but no matter how much they poured in, the river would swallow it all up, like a clay ox sinking into the sea, not even making a ripple.

Instead, huge rocks were used to seal the breach. The seemingly ordinary river water had an extremely strong corrosive effect, and the hard rocks were completely melted away in just a few hours under its scouring.

When the Five Elements techniques were used to try to channel or seal the water, the magical power was quickly polluted and assimilated as soon as it came into contact with the river. The caster was also drained of his life force, instantly withered and collapsed, and even turned into a skeleton!
The only thing we can do now is to pool everyone's resources and set up layers of sealing barriers to barely slow down its expansion.

But everyone knew this was merely a short-sighted solution. Although the river water was slowly eroding the barrier, its force was incredibly strong, and no one knew how long the fragile seal could hold out.

Once the seal is broken...

Zheng Lian felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if the sky had truly collapsed.

Throughout my life, though I can't say I've done anything like others, I've never deliberately tried to be like them.

As for the country, I dare not say I have made any great contributions, but I have always been conscientious and diligent in protecting the land and its people, and I have never done anything wrong... Why, why did I have to encounter such a calamity?!
I just... I just wanted to improve myself...

I tossed and turned for days, feeling a chill run down my spine.

More and more people gathered here, composing poems and essays to the sound of the river. Some reclusive individuals also wanted a piece of the pie. Still others, disregarding the rules, attempted to sneak in and steal the treasure.

Even officials received numerous people and letters, some offering congratulations, some with veiled sarcasm, and others testing the waters.

They've made this place a complete mess; these people really don't realize they're having a rave on a grave.

Seeing that the situation had become irreversible, Zheng Lian had no choice but to follow the example of the worshipper who had "brought his head to the emperor" and become a complete paperhanger.

On the surface, he still maintained an air of complete control, conveying the message "Everything is under control" and "Your Majesty, just watch" to the direction of Luoyang.

Secretly, however, he was extremely anxious, like an ant on a hot pan, using all available resources to frantically search for a master or extraordinary person who could solve this problem.

But to find a master, to keep it secret, and not to tell anyone beforehand—it's really putting myself in a difficult position.

A mere prefect doesn't have that much power and prestige, so there's been no progress so far.

He even made a desperate prayer to the heavens in his heart: "Heavens! As long as this damned underground river can be resolved, even if the demons of the White Lotus Sect come knocking on my door right now... I will accept it!"

Perhaps this prayer truly disturbed some unseen being, for Heaven... actually responded.

However, this response did not come directly to Zheng Lian, but rather to a private room in a restaurant in the city.

As Xu Xuan listened to Zao's description of the inexplicable palpitations and discomfort, his expression gradually became serious.

"Do you feel discomfort in your heart?"

He trusted Zao's unique perception more than anyone else.

After all, that was the "Loyal Heart and Filial Piety" formed from the first divine weapon I obtained since my debut!
That connection, originating from the divine power of the stars and the righteous spirit of humanity, was by no means ordinary.

Combined with the so-called auspicious signs and grand occasions previously described by the "Three Heroes" and the discord sensed by the "Three Wonders"... Finally, he, the walking "source of cause and effect," personally arrived and received this mysterious "mission prompt."

A perfectly clear chain of clues emerged in his mind.

This is clearly a very complete "dungeon" chain, triggered by several students who are "protagonist destinies" and ultimately brought to a close by him!
"Something big is about to happen."

Xu Xuan muttered to himself, a hint of understanding and wariness flashing in his eyes.

So after the banquet, he went to the outskirts of the sealed-off area and listened intently.

What a powerful, surging sound!

He opened his spiritual senses again to look at the ground, but he still couldn't see clearly. The Yellow River basin was filled with dazzling light and shadow, and there were too many things mixed together.

Dragon veins, water veins, spiritual energy nodes, the radiance of humanity, and the aura of various royal tombs are plentiful.

But his instincts told him that something was wrong beneath the earth.

"A prophet cannot be found in ghosts and spirits, cannot be deduced from events, and cannot be verified by measurement; he must find it in people, in those who know the enemy's situation."

The most urgent task is to find a suitable person to investigate the true situation underground.

However... there are undercurrents underground... Although he has many skills, he is not proficient in earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of martial art), and underwater combat is not his forte.

Is it possible...

Xu Xuan's expression turned somewhat strange, and the image of the rocky figure that he had ordered to hide in the desolate mountains outside the city, trying his best to minimize his presence, appeared in his mind.

"So... even it can't escape this 'fate,' is that right?"

That's it, that's it.

We, the members of Baoantang, should all have this awareness.

In the suburbs, Stone King, who failed to escape the calamity, is receiving his second mission from the organization.

Its first mission was to protect the White Lotus Saint Father on his journey north.
It seems now that the Stone King is quite a ruthless demon; he won't accept any missions that aren't life-threatening.

(End of this chapter)