Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 951 Prelude to the Grand Strategy
The northern lands are currently undergoing unprecedented changes.

This was not an ordinary natural disaster, but an invasion by an indescribable great demon, which caused the laws of heaven and earth to become disordered, spiritual energy to boil, and yin energy to surge like a tide.

The rich history and culture, as well as the magnificent and bizarre myths and legends of this land, were no longer just stories buried in the dust, but were transformed into an arsenal that could be revived at any time under the catalysis of the trend of "the decline of Tao and the rise of Demon".

The spiritual concentration in the entire Central Plains region began to increase almost violently, as if waiting for a certain opportunity to completely detonate it.

In the darkness, all the chaos and accumulation seemed to be waiting for that man to approach.

Xu Xuan looked at the intelligence summary in his hand and was furious.

"This world has finally gone mad to a degree that I cannot comprehend."

"Why do these people who practice the Way of Heavenly Secrets like to talk nonsense and blame all these long-standing problems on some excuse?"

"It has caused such great panic, it's utter slander, utter slander!"

The Stone King nodded outwardly, appearing as if he were a wise and sagacious young master.

实则
Those who cultivate the secrets of heaven may not necessarily receive blessings, but they are somewhat accurate in predicting misfortunes.

It had a bad feeling when it couldn't predict the future of Dongting Lake from the Lishui River, but the emperor just wouldn't listen.

As for the intelligence about the North that Xu Xuan possessed, that's understandable.

For example, many long-established sects have already keenly noticed this unsettling trend.

Especially for major sects like the Lingbao and Shangqing schools, which hold sway over the Taoist community, the highly skilled members can clearly sense the calamity and killing intent permeating the world, and naturally dare not be negligent in the slightest.

Numerous orders had already been issued, strictly instructing the disciples to keep a low profile and avoid any disputes.

Try your best to return to your cave and mountain gate, calm your mind and cultivate in seclusion, and silently recite the "Huang Ting Jing" in order to avoid this unknown calamity.

The Xuanmen sect does have some tricks up its sleeve for seeking refuge, but while they can avoid minor calamities, they cannot escape major ones, so the Stone King is not optimistic about this approach.

Some sects or independent cultivators who were slow to react or who were hoping for the best were terrified after witnessing the earth-shattering scene of the Huai River riot. They obediently retreated to their lair and closed their mountain gates.

Some overly sensitive and timid minor sects even moved their entire sects to distant overseas spiritual islands, attempting to completely avoid the turbulent Central Plains.

Xu Bailian wouldn't even bother to glance at such behavior, and would only scoff, "Does she really think she's something special?"

Stone King nodded in agreement, "That's right, that's right."

What's the use of hiding at the ends of the earth when calamity is imminent?
My son can also take a trip to the outer sea.

"Are you thinking something rude?" Xu Xuan's white lotus dharma form noticed that the stone spirit's demon soul had been unusually active lately.

"Young Master, you're overthinking it. I just feel that some sects have really gone too far." Stone King didn't want to lose his taciturn persona, so he decisively changed the subject.

And the transfer went quite well.

Nowadays, there are probably only three or five sects left that dare to be active in the Central Plains and even participate in various affairs with a bit of "stubbornness".

In its view, these sects are ignorant of destiny and calamity, and will suffer retribution sooner or later.

For example, a rather "malicious" incident recently occurred in the Illusionary Transformation Sect, which even implicated our young master.

The intelligence report was very detailed; it was clearly a report from an insider.

Previously, the eldest disciple of Abbot Daoyi of the Illusionary Transformation Sect made arrogant remarks and acted recklessly while traveling, inadvertently offending Abbot Fahai, who is now the most influential monk in the Pure Land Sect.

The result can be imagined.

It is said that the two only exchanged one sentence and one move when they met, and the eldest disciple suffered a crushing defeat.

Even more terrifyingly, the illusion he had cultivated for many years was forcibly shattered by Fahai's supreme Buddhist power, causing him to fall into a state of mental and physical collapse due to the six desires, resulting in a great loss of his cultivation and the destruction of his future.

The difference in their cultivation levels was like heaven and earth.

Upon hearing the news, the monk Daoyi was naturally furious, but his response was quite interesting.

He first issued a righteous and indignant statement to all schools of thought, strongly condemning Zen Master Fahai for his ruthless methods and disregard for the friendship among fellow practitioners.

Then...they continued to post condemnations.

Not only that, but they also brought up the old matter again, dredging up the "White Lotus Incident" from back then, and making connections everywhere, seemingly trying to gather a group of self-proclaimed "victims" and righteous people to go to the ancestral temple of the Pure Land School to "demand an explanation".

This is an old trick...

But times have changed.

After learning that the monk Daoyi of the Illusion Sect was stirring up trouble and bringing up old matters again, the Pure Land Sect remained silent, but rumors were circulating in the Jiangnan region and heading north.

Master Ruoxu, hailed as the sect's true number one genius, will soon travel north to personally apologize to the Illusion Sect for his junior brother Fahai's previous "reckless behavior".

He also took the opportunity to "learn Buddhist teachings" and "exchange insights" with the eminent monks and virtuous masters of the Illusion Sect.

The moment the news broke, the effect was immediate.

Master Daoyi "immediately" felt the "sincerity" and "importance" of the foremost Buddhist sect.

He immediately expressed that Buddha is compassionate, that it is better to resolve enmity than to perpetuate it, and decided to unilaterally forgive Zen Master Fahai's mistake, thus ending the matter and making it unnecessary for Master Ruoxu to travel a long way.

However, according to the message sent back by the monk Baizhu, a mole infiltrating the Illusionary Sect, the monk Daoyi was privately furious and extremely resentful.

He originally intended to use this as an excuse to exert pressure on the other side, but he did not expect that the Pure Land School would act completely out of the ordinary and would directly send out Ruoxu, an even more unreasonable and infamous villain, to "seek instruction in Buddhism"!
Everyone knows that Monk Ruoxu is famous for his profound Buddhist teachings and his unparalleled mastery of physical principles!

Not only was he ruthless and vicious, but he also possessed unparalleled speed, moving with lightning speed and unpredictable movements. Even if the Illusionary Sect exerted all their strength to barely withstand or even surpass a single move from him, they simply couldn't stop him.

Once targeted by such a figure, the disciples of the Illusionary Transformation Sect will likely never have a peaceful day, and will have to worry about being "sparred" to the point of being annihilated every time they go out.

Such powerful individuals, possessing absolute strength and exceptional mobility, are the most perplexing and troublesome to deal with.

Just then, the Demonic Alliance in the southwest seemed to be making unusual moves, with rumors circulating that they intended to break out of Jianmen Pass and wreak havoc in the Central Plains.

Monk Daoyi immediately seized the opportunity, changed the subject, and began to loudly proclaim that "harmony should be valued within Buddhism," and that there should be no more internal strife of "monks fighting monks." Instead, they should unite against external forces, "eliminate demons and defend the righteous path," thus pointing the finger at the demonic forces in the southwest.

Meanwhile, the White Lotus Sect, which has always been eager to "claim responsibility" for various heinous incidents in the cultivation world in order to demonstrate its existence, has been unusually silent this time.

It disappeared silently amidst the storm, as if it had vanished into complete silence.

This unusual quiet only made the major sects more vigilant, and they generally believed that something bigger was brewing in the shadows.

At this moment, the entire cultivation world, on the surface, seemed to have temporarily calmed down due to the retreat of the Illusionary Transformation Sect and the shift of the demonic threat, but in reality, it was caught in an even more bizarre undercurrent.

All parties are secretly adjusting their strategies.

They either observe or plan, quietly waiting for a momentous, earth-shattering explosion.

In contrast, the situation in the human dynasty was much "simple".

There were no undercurrents there, only open storms and flashing swords.

The imperial court continued to "operate steadily," while factional strife intensified, eunuchs and imperial relatives fought endlessly, local warlords gradually gained power, and exorbitant taxes and levies were introduced one after another, causing public resentment to boil over.

The pillars of the empire continued their incompetent actions, tirelessly sabotaging the already crumbling human destiny, as if afraid that the world would not descend into chaos quickly or thoroughly enough.

After being fooled by the Grand Astrologer's nonsense about "frequent auspicious omens and purple clouds coming from the east," Emperor Jin believed that although the world was not a peaceful and prosperous era, it was not as bad as the end of the dynasty.

Therefore, they continued to implement the absurd decree that prohibited folk worship of sages.

This led to a fierce struggle with Confucian officials who strongly opposed it and tried their best to uphold the tradition of "rites and sacrifices".

Just then, news came that an entire squad of Yamen soldiers had gone missing near the Yuwang Palace in Tushan, instantly becoming the fuse that ignited a firestorm in the court and among the people.

Confucian officials seized the opportunity to launch an attack, accusing the court of offending the sage kings and virtuous predecessors by banning sacrificial rites, which led to this disaster.

Officials who supported the emperor denounced it as gossip, misleading the public, and mere coincidence. The two sides argued heatedly in the court, their faces flushed, and they almost came to blows.

Meanwhile, the imperial advisor, who was deeply trusted by the emperor, turned a deaf ear to the disputes in the court and was immersed in boundless joy.

The more precarious the fortunes, the more stable its plans became; the final sprint of alchemy began in early spring.

The alchemy workshops built outside Luoyang City were filled with smoke and a strange fragrance that permeated the air for miles around.

Driven by instinct, countless mountain spirits and wild monsters, like moths to a flame, attempted to storm the alchemy room to seize the "elixir" that was about to take shape. Every day, outside the city, demonic light clashed incessantly with the magical power of the guards, creating chaos.

The powerful minister Jia Chong, under the guise of assisting the emperor in "cultivating immortality," ruthlessly eliminated dissidents and installed his cronies, plunging the court into chaos.

The recent news that Fu Tianchou, a man of integrity and outspokenness, requested to return to the capital to report on his duties has made him feel extremely angry and uneasy.

What angered him even more was that some of the "partners" he had colluded with in private also made mistakes in preventing Fu Tianchou from returning to the capital, casting a shadow over the prospects of their cooperation and making them uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Empress in the harem is also exerting her influence, seemingly not intending to let the men dominate the scene.

Empress Jia Nanfeng continued to stir up trouble. It is said that one day she suddenly became ill and ordered several palace servants to be beaten to death without any reason, causing everyone in the palace to live in fear.

He then connected with a treacherous folk organization through his brother Jia Chong, and it is unknown what horrific scheme they were secretly plotting.

At this time in Luoyang, various forces intertwined and clashed, including imperial power, powerful ministers, relatives of the empress, eunuchs, Confucian scholars, sorcerers, demons, and mysterious organizations.

The treacherous storms it stirred up were no less dangerous than the demonic scourges that plagued the northern lands.

It's hard to imagine what a terrifying scene it would be if the treacherous currents of evil in the north collided with the treacherous currents of political intrigue in Luoyang.

Under the covert protection of the Baoan Hall, the Jiangnan region should have been a relatively peaceful paradise.

But there are always "bad people" who have their eyes on this place and relentlessly throw karma into it.

Deep within the Baoan Hall, in a secret room heavily guarded with restrictions, several figures gathered once again.

A trace of moisture and faint demonic energy lingered in the air. The person presiding over the meeting was none other than Little Green King, who had just returned from the front lines of Poyang Lake.

Her pretty face was filled with malice, clearly indicating that the affairs at the front were not yet fully resolved, but the matter at hand was more urgent.

Suspended in the center of the secret room was the blazing white sword pellet that had triggered this emergency meeting and descended from the sky.

It rotated silently, emitting a pure and powerful masculine sword aura, faintly echoing the other four sword pellets in the secret chamber, each a different color and also buzzing.

"That's right, this aura, this sword intent... it's Tianxiao!"

Yan Chixia spoke in a deep voice, his tone extremely certain.

Although he jokingly said that he was just a marginal figure in Shu Mountain back then and did nothing, he was still senior and had seen the top-level magic weapons, even if he only watched them from afar.

His gaze was fixed intently on the white sword pellet. The Seven Cultivation Sword was one of the signature magical treasures that the Long-Browed True Man had refined over many years and which was renowned throughout the world.

Its reputation and power are comparable to the world-renowned Purple and Green Twin Swords, making it no ordinary weapon.

(End of this chapter)