The Great Zhou calendar, Year Seven of the Dije Festival.
The Three Mountains Great Sage fell to demonic corruption, the Great Sage Ancestor Yellow Dragon perished, and Chongming Island fell with him.
Taking advantage of this, many Great Fiend-level demons from overseas attacked the near seas, but were driven back by the combined efforts of the Great Sage Nanhua, Great Sage Li Xuan, and Great Sage Fang Lang. [Dagon] was even gravely wounded, and after returning to the Hidden Dragon Court, he fell into a deep slumber.
Even so, after the various Great Sages slew countless sea demons and repelled several Great Fiends, they still had no choice but to withdraw to land.
The near seas were overrun by demons, and the eastern and western sea routes were completely severed.
The Great Zhou coastline was riddled with openings, and demon attacks occurred from time to time.
In response, the Great Zhou Imperial Family acted swiftly, immediately establishing the Sea Pacification Bureau and recruiting cultivators from across the realm to patrol and suppress the coast, slaying demons and exorcising fiends.
Even so, the coastal populace continued to suffer staggering casualties.
Within the Imperial Court, some cabinet ministers even took the opportunity to propose a "maritime ban," advocating that all coastal residents be relocated a hundred li inland, while forbidding even a single plank from going out to sea.
This marked the beginning of yet another demonic invasion. Later histories would call it—the "Chongming Cataclysm"!
Jinling.
When Zhong Shenxiu returned to the Great Zhou imperial capital, he immediately noticed that the surroundings had changed considerably.
Not only were well-equipped soldiers patrolling everywhere, but Daoist cultivators were mixed among them as well.
The pleasure boats and red-hulled ships on the Qinhuai River had all vanished, replaced by steel steam warships one after