Dialogue in Eight Sceneries Palace, Spark Ignites the Calamity's Beginning

Grand Master Xuandu's gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it seemed capable of piercing through all illusions as it settled on Tongtian, who was disguised as Wang Lingguan. His seemingly ordinary question instantly plunged Tongtian into an icy abyss, his blood nearly freezing.

Was I discovered? No! The Chaos Thousand Faces Art's transformation was flawless. Wang Lingguan's aura, magic power, and even his subtle behavioral habits were simulated to perfection! Grand Master Xuandu couldn't possibly have seen through him at a glance! Was it a test? Or had that wisp of Grand Pure Will sensed the abnormal fluctuations of the Chaos Bead or the Otherworld Fragment within him?

In a flash of lightning, Tongtian's mind raced, but his face immediately adopted the expression befitting Wang Lingguan's persona, tinged with surprise and just the right amount of reverence. He cupped his hands and said, "This subordinate, Wang Lingguan, greets Grand Master Xuandu. This subordinate was patrolling the Flowing Sand River in the lower realm and detected unusual activity, possibly related to the recent unrest in the Great Desolation. I rushed back to report to King Li, and passing through this area, I disturbed you, Grand Master. I beg your forgiveness." He emphasized the Flowing Sand River again, attempting to divert attention.

Grand Master Xuandu's expression remained unreadable, his face like an ancient well without ripples. Only his deep eyes continued to gaze at Tongtian, silent for a moment. This brief silence brought immense pressure.

Just as Tongtian was about to lose his composure and make a move, Grand Master Xuandu slowly spoke, his tone still placid, "The matter of the Flowing Sand River has its own destiny. His Majesty will soon visit Guixu, and all parts of the Heavenly Court must be cautious. Since General Wang has reported, you may go to your post."

He didn't probe further?! Instead, he seemed to dismiss it with a casual remark, then looked away, as if it were merely a chance encounter and a routine inquiry.

Tongtian's heart was filled with suspicion, but he couldn't afford to overthink it. He immediately bowed in response, "This subordinate obeys!" He then mounted his escape light and maintained a steady pace towards the Record and Registry Department, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.

Only when he had flown far away and could no longer sense Grand Master Xuandu's aura did Tongtian's tense mind relax slightly. However, the inexplicable sense of incongruity and danger grew even stronger. Grand Master Xuandu's appearance was no accident! Laozi's sweep of his will was also no coincidence! They must have sensed something, but why didn't they expose it? Was it out of concern for the Heavenly Court's reputation? Or did they have other intentions?

The minds of Saints were as deep as the ocean, unfathomable.

Tongtian suppressed his churning thoughts and became even more cautious. He proceeded to the Record and Registry Department as planned. It was a relatively secluded palace responsible for managing the personal records of low-ranking immortal officials, attendants, and celestial maidens, and occasionally handling transfer documents for lower-level divine positions. It was indeed not a core area.

With Wang Lingguan's token and identity, he easily entered the archives. Under the pretense of reviewing records of recent ascensions from the lower realm, he began to quickly flip through the archives made of Jade Slips or Spirit Tablets. His divine sense acted like the most efficient sieve, rapidly filtering through vast amounts of information, searching for any clues related to the guarding or operational patterns of the Investiture of the Gods.

Time ticked by. The only sounds in the archive were the faint clinking of Jade Slips and the rustling of Tongtian (as Wang Lingguan) turning pages. Everything seemed normal.

However, Tongtian's heart gradually sank. Within these low-level archives, information about the Investiture of the Gods was scarce, mostly just routine records that didn't touch upon the core matters. Finding a loophole through here seemed as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Would this risky infiltration end in vain?

Just as he began to feel anxious, the Otherworld Fragment he had obtained from the Netherworld Cold Pond within his body suddenly grew slightly warm, without any warning!

Almost simultaneously, the System's urgent warning sounded:

[Warning: High-intensity foreign law fluctuation detected nearby... Source: Depths of the Heavenly Court... Fluctuation frequency similarity with Otherworld Fragment increased to 33%]

Tongtian looked up sharply! An otherworldly fluctuation? In the depths of the Heavenly Court?! Before he could ponder further, the fluctuation suddenly became clearer. Instead of spreading, it seemed to be drawn by something, heading directly towards the Record and Registry Department at extreme speed!

"Not good!" Tongtian's expression changed drastically. He instantly realized this was no coincidence! It was likely that the fragment within him, or the faint traces left from his previous communication with the Investiture of the Gods, had attracted this thing! Or rather, it had attracted the entity controlling it!

Without hesitation, he retreated rapidly, intending to tear through space and escape at all costs!

But it was too late! Buzz! The space within the Jade Slip vault was instantly frozen and imprisoned by a brute, chaotic, and devouring force! All the Jade Slips turned to dust silently under this power!

A fist-sized, distorted, energy form, seemingly composed of pure darkness, appeared before Tongtian like a phantom, piercing through the palace wall! It had no fixed shape, its surface occasionally displaying strange patterns similar to the Otherworld Fragment, and its aura caused the Chaos Netherworld Magic Power within Tongtian to become restless!

This was the source of that foreign law fluctuation! A living, self-aware alien energy being! It had been lurking within the Heavenly Court!

The dark energy form seemed extremely interested in Tongtian, emitting a silent shriek that pierced directly into his soul, and lunged forward. Wherever it passed, space was corroded, leaving black marks!

Tongtian had no escape. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and just as he was about to activate the Chaos Bead with all his might to destroy it, risking exposure, at the critical moment, "Alas..." a faint sigh, as if from eternity past, echoed gently in the frozen space.

The next moment, a hazy, seemingly ink-drawn phantom image of the Taiji Diagram appeared silently above the dark energy form and spun gently.

There was no earth-shattering explosion. The arrogant and ferocious dark energy form, like writing erased by an eraser, instantly became illusory, transparent, and finally vanished without a trace, not even a ripple left behind.

The frozen space instantly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Only that sigh and the fleeting glimpse of the Taiji Diagram phantom were deeply imprinted in Tongtian's mind.

Grand Supreme Elder Laozi!

It was indeed him who had acted! He had known all along that there were foreign objects hidden within the Heavenly Court! He had even been monitoring in secret! Why hadn't he acted earlier, only to intervene now after the entity was provoked by him and launched its attack? Was it a warning? Or was he cleaning house?

Tongtian's spine chilled, and he instantly understood much. This Heavenly Court, this Great Desolation, was far more complex than he had imagined! The struggles between Saints, the infiltration by foreign entities, the undercurrents were far more turbulent than they appeared!

He couldn't stay here any longer! He no longer hesitated, not even bothering to maintain his disguise as Wang Lingguan. The Chaos Netherworld Magic Power erupted around him, directly tearing through the void as he prepared to flee!

"Fellow Daoist, please stay."

Grand Master Xuandu's voice sounded again, as calm as ever. He had appeared at the entrance of the archive at some unknown time, holding a seemingly ordinary Green Lamp. The flame flickered, yet it stabilized the turbulent spatial fluctuations around them.

Tongtian's movement halted. He slowly turned, his eyes filled with wariness and coldness, the Chaos Bead poised within him. "Fellow Daoist Xuandu, what is your intention?" He no longer disguised himself, his voice returning to its original clear and cold tone.

Grand Master Xuandu looked at him with a complex gaze and sighed softly, "Master asked me to convey a message to you, fellow Daoist."

Tongtian's pupils contracted. "Speak."

"Though the Spark is small, it can set a great prairie ablaze. Calamity Waves are approaching, take care of yourself." Grand Master Xuandu slowly uttered the sixteen characters, his tone ethereal, as if containing endless profound meaning.

Spark? Does that refer to me, Tongtian? Calamity Waves? Is it the great tribulation from the Otherworld? Is Laozi warning me? Or is he implying that I shouldn't act rashly?

After speaking, Grand Master Xuandu stepped aside, opening the path. The flame of the Green Lamp in his hand flickered slightly, and the space that had been confined quietly returned to normal, as if saying: the path is open, please proceed.

Tongtian gave Grand Master Xuandu a deep look, then seemed to see through him to the Grand Pure Saint residing beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. Laozi's actions were unfathomable. He had eliminated the foreign entity, issued a warning, and yet he was letting him, his senior disciple brother, leave. Which side was he on? Or was he simply beyond all factions, only obeying the indifferent Heavenly Dao?

He had no time to ponder. Tongtian no longer hesitated. He nodded slightly at Grand Master Xuandu, and the next moment, his figure transformed into an extremely faint gray stream of light, instantly vanishing into the void without a trace.

Grand Master Xuandu stood in place, watching the direction Tongtian disappeared, then looked down at the Green Lamp in his hand. He remained silent for a long time, finally letting out an almost inaudible sigh before his figure slowly dissipated.

A moment later, Tongtian had fled millions of miles, completely leaving the Heavenly Court's territory and appearing in a desolate mountain range in the northern Great Desolation.

He revealed his true form, his face grim. Recalling his recent experience in the Heavenly Court, he still felt lingering fear, yet he had also gained much.

Although he had not obtained directly useful information from the Record and Registry Department, he had unexpectedly drawn out a hidden foreign entity and glimpsed Grand Supreme Elder Laozi's unfathomable attitude and methods. Laozi's cryptic words were even more worthy of careful consideration.

"Though the Spark is small, it can set a great prairie ablaze..." Tongtian murmured to himself, a more determined light gradually igniting in his eyes. "Indeed! I am the Spark now! One day, I will ignite this decaying world!"

After this incident, he became even more convinced that the matter of the Investiture of the Gods could not be rushed. He had to wait for the true "Calamity Waves" to rise, when the world was in chaos and all the Saints were too preoccupied to care, that would be the optimal time!

For now, improving his own strength, making arrangements in the Great Desolation, and waiting for the wind to rise was the correct path.

He sensed the locations of Wudang and Kui Niu, finding that they had both successfully completed their diversionary missions and were evading pursuers, heading towards their designated rendezvous point.

Tongtian felt slightly relieved. Just as he was about to set off to meet them, he suddenly sensed something and sharply raised his head to look towards the eastern horizon!

He saw that in the far east, the Guixu, which had originally been merely dark red, had now erupted with a sky-shattering, ink-black radiance! This radiance was filled with the ultimate aura of destruction, devouring, and chaos, even faintly suppressing the brilliance of the Great Desolation's Heavenly Dao!

Immediately after, the entire Great Desolation land violently trembled! It was as if it had been struck by an invisible giant hammer!

Wuuu! A desolate, ancient horn sound, filled with endless anger and warning, seemed to ring out from the depths of the Great Desolation's origin, spreading throughout all the heavens and myriad worlds!

It came from the direction of Buzhou Mountain's remains, a Great Desolation warning horn originating from Pangu Will!

The Calamity Wave was not approaching.

It had already arrived!

Tongtian stood on the mountaintop, the wind whipping his robes, making them rustle. He gazed at the black explosion that devoured light, listened to the desolate horn, and in his eyes, there was no fear, but instead, a burning fighting spirit and determination.

The chaotic era had begun, and the Spark must ignite!

With a movement, he transformed into a stream of light and, without hesitation, sped towards the origin of the great calamity—Guixu! He wanted to see for himself what this so-called Otherworld great calamity truly looked like!