Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 840 Calamity Approaching
The year-end is a traditional Chinese concept that specifically refers to the end of the lunar calendar. It was named after the fact that those who owed rent or other debts had to settle their debts during this period.

Ancient texts contain terms like "逼岁" (bī suì) and "逼年" (bī nián), which reflect the tense atmosphere as the year draws to a close.

Xu Xuan also possessed this, and in large quantities.

If he, as the source of causal pollution, were to truly be concerned with such matters, then from the mortal realm to the underworld, from the Nine Provinces to beyond the heavens, he would have countless external debts.

Some are willing to repay, some can but are unwilling to repay, some cannot but want to repay, and some... have no choice but to repay.

It's only the ninth month of the lunar calendar, and there are still three or four months until the end of the year. But there's an unavoidable "debt" that's already looming.

With this feeling of distress, Xu Xuan organized the students to return to Qiantang.

The celebrations have been held, the sorrows have been shed, and it's time to leave Shouchun, this place of trouble.

After all, the celebrations were only halfway through, and the villagers were still waiting for the scholars.

But who would have thought that on the return journey by water, there were indeed a few foolish demons who wanted to "have a feast".

Although Xu Xuan and Shi Wang had concealed their auras, the new candidates in this group were riding high on their luck, especially those who had passed the imperial examinations. In the eyes of demons, they should be people who should not be provoked.

oh~~~
It can only be said that Shouchun, being north of the Yangtze River, has become somewhat unruly.

For the past three years, Xu Xuan has not paid much attention to this area. The only exception was the demonic sect founded by Black Heart Tiger, which was once controlled by the Great Compassionate Dharma King and went south to cause trouble, killing tens of thousands of monsters before he stopped interfering.

It seems that if we have time, we should also raid this place. After all, most of Yangzhou has already fallen into their clutches, so one more won't make a difference.

So the Stone King made his move.

"boom--"

The eerie, haunted house by the roadside was reduced to ruins before any midnight wedding ceremony could even begin.

Wood chips and rubble flew everywhere, and the demons and monsters hidden inside were reduced to ashes before they could even scream.

The thing that claimed to be a "corpse king" in the mass grave had just appeared and blocked the road when it was picked up with one hand and nailed directly to the flagpole by the roadside.

The mummified corpse emitted wisps of smoke and made a sizzling sound under the blazing sun, before turning to ashes in no time.

Although his injuries had not yet healed, Stone King was still more than capable of dealing with these small, insignificant monsters.

What's even more remarkable is its terrifyingly precise execution of commands—if you say to fork it onto a pole, it will never fork it into a tree; if you say to flip a table, it will never kick a bench.

Xu Xuan nodded repeatedly in approval of this level of execution.

They pushed their way all the way to the Yangtze River. When they boarded the ship, the Stone King remained silently guarding them, like a tireless guardian deity.

The more I look at it, the more satisfied I become—this stone is simply the perfect guardian.

He is a man of few words but ruthless actions, and is amphibious. On land, he can dominate with his physically strong physique, and underwater, he can also use water manipulation techniques to move with ease.

Most importantly, they never cheat or shirk their duties, their execution is incredibly strong, and it's almost impossible to find any weaknesses.

"Not bad." Xu Xuan patted Shi Wang's solid shoulder.

So, after arriving at his safe zone, someone began to enthusiastically teach Stone King the crucial "way of survival".

“Remember,” he said, leaning against the ship’s side and speaking in a low voice, “when you reach the Yangtze River, take the time to pay your respects to the Dragon Lord.”

"This is the oldest and greatest being on the entire river!" He spoke with great enthusiasm, his eyebrows dancing. "He is kind-hearted, highly respected, and a moral exemplar in the cultivation world!"

"And as for their relationship with our Bao'an Hall... hehehe..."

Xu Xuan went on and on, praising the Dragon Lord as if he were his own brother.

Stone King: "..."

"Your subordinate... truly finds it hard to imagine," it confessed in a muffled voice. "How could a lowly demon king like me be qualified to meet the Dragon Lord?" It recalled, "Actually, I once accompanied Your Majesty and witnessed the Dragon Lord's anger from afar..."

Xu Xuan's eyes lit up: "Oh? Explain this in detail!"

Stone King was lost in memories, his voice unconsciously lowering: "That day, the river suddenly split open into a bottomless abyss, and the roar of a dragon shattered the dark clouds for miles around..."

Before he could finish speaking, a drop of pale blue water fell from the sky and landed precisely on his forehead.

"Click——"

He froze on the spot, his pupils contracted violently, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

It stared incredulously behind Xu Xuan... Suddenly, the river surface reversed direction, and a column of water shot into the sky. The Dragon Lord emerged from the waves, glaring at Xu Xuan with annoyance: "You people from Bao'an Hall are not allowed to offer incense."

"especially you."

Xu Xuan nodded obediently, appearing completely submissive, as if to say, "Whatever you say, I'll do it," but she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why did you get angry back then?"

Dragon King snorted coldly: "A little dragon from the East Sea tried to seize the Yangtze River, but I ate it."

Concise and to the point, yet brimming with murderous intent.

The person immediately lost their curiosity, knowing that the power over the Yangtze River was not to be touched in the slightest.

With a wave of his hand, the Dragon Lord sent a lustrous jade bottle flying out from the surging river, which landed steadily in his palm.

"Found at the foot of Mount Wu, this is the elixir that Wu Peng refined back then." He casually tossed it to Xu Xuan. "It can repair all the acupoints in your body. But you need to cleanse those fragments of Dao principles in your soul first before you take it."

This wasn't the chance encounter I mentioned before, but rather a "reward" Xu Xuan gave me a few days ago when he was telling stories by the river.

For a being like the Dragon Lord, the treasures along both banks of the Yangtze River are as easy as taking candy from a baby.

Receiving a pill left behind by the leader of the Ten Ancient Witches would be no problem at all; of course, an elixir of immortality would be a different story.

In fact, the Dragon King had already prepared a reward for resolving the Dongting Rebellion, but Xu Xuan's outstanding performance made Him hesitate about what to give.

Better opportunities mean greater dangers; what if Xu Bailian really perishes inside...?

How boring this world must be.

Xu Xuan accepted the pills without hesitation. He was currently in a critical period of healing, and the challenges ahead were becoming increasingly troublesome, so he needed to recover his combat strength as soon as possible.

As they parted, the Dragon King suddenly turned back and gave him a meaningful look: "Be careful lately, I have a feeling you're about to face another calamity."

The dragon's shadow dissipated, and the river returned to calm.

Xu Xuan, however, acted as if nothing had happened, turning around and bragging to the Stone King again, as if he hadn't taken the warning to heart at all.

No one noticed that his fingers, hidden in his sleeve, were unconsciously caressing the jade bottle, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

For Le Zilong to personally remind us of this, the problem must be really serious.

The ship continued its journey, and after reaching Zhenjiang...

There's a story behind Zhenjiang; they stopped again for half a day.

Last time, Gui Da presented his captives here, and this time Yu Bai is vying to present his treasures again. Their open and covert rivalry has never stopped.

"Reporting to the Hall Master!" Yu Bai bowed respectfully, presenting a brocade box with both hands. "At the node of the Dongting water vein, we discovered the second of the Seven Swords of Shu Mountain—the tortoise named Xuan Gui and the snake named Qing Ling. Hero Yan ordered us to hand them over to you for disposal."

The moment the brocade box was opened, two streams of light shot out.

A beam of emerald light emerged like water from a deep pool, clear and penetrating to the bone; a beam of dark light resembled the spitting of a venomous snake, chilling and piercing to the marrow.

Two sword pellets, each the size of a longan, hovered three feet above Xu Xuan's palm, emanating a chilling sword aura.

The Xuan Gui Sword Pill is carved like a piece of jade, with a spiritual aura flowing on its surface like water ripples.

Upon closer inspection, it reveals a tortoise shell pattern composed of countless extremely fine sword patterns, with each pattern's edge gleaming with a faint golden light, as if containing some ancient and profound truth of the universe.

The Azure Spirit Sword Pill is made of black jade, with a surface covered with fine, scale-like patterns. The scales open and close in rhythm with each breath, each opening and closing emitting a chilling sword sound, like the hiss of a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

Most remarkably, the two sword pellets slowly rotated in Xu Xuan's palm, attracting each other and forming a mysterious yin-yang balance.

Stone King unconsciously took a half step back, feeling some pain in his injuries.

This time, it was badly beaten by several sword cultivators from Mount Shu. Those young people really have no martial ethics.

Various unorthodox methods emerged one after another, completely erasing their stereotypes about sword cultivators.

Besides... who would recite poetry while simultaneously poisoning someone?

Xu Xuan took the sword pellet, his fingertips lightly tracing the mysterious patterns, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Long-browed..." he murmured softly, his tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness.

(End of this chapter)