The Calamity Begins

"You have all been invited here to discuss this important matter, and you naturally know what we are here to do. I will be in charge of setting the stage for this deadly operation, so there is no need to say more. I have divided the tasks into three categories, and those who receive the orders can join the operation tomorrow night. The more work you do, the more money you will receive. Rewards and punishments are clear and fair, and there will be no deception of the young or old. Come and collect your orders."

As Yang Sheng spoke, Du Xia behind him waved her hand, and three large piles of treasure chests appeared on the deck.

The first pile consisted of a thousand-gold palanquin and a 20,000-string cash box. On the table in front was a bamboo tube filled with a large number of wooden tokens.

The second pile consisted of jade pendants, jade slips, brocade pouches, and treasure boxes sealed with talismans. They were clearly either Heavenly Treasure or Cultivation Method. On the table in front were more than twenty iron command arrows.

The third pile contained nothing but an altar with three jade command arrows on it.

The arrangement is quite clear. The wooden token's task is simple, yielding only a small reward. The iron token's task is more demanding, riskier, but also more rewarding. As for the jade token, there's no need to include a reward; it's obvious they're undertaking a life-or-death mission. However, the reward will undoubtedly be the same as Li Fan's, pre-arranged.

Sure enough, as soon as Yang Sheng finished speaking, three rogue cultivators came up one after another, took the jade token, and left without any hesitation.

Then, cultivators boarded the ship one after another, choosing between wooden and iron tokens. It was quite obvious that those without the strength of Nascent Soul Stage should not blindly accept missions.

Li Fan could tell that Yang Sheng had joined the Central Guard. The Nascent Soul Stage cultivators around him were all Immortal Generals from the Immortal Palace, probably the traitors plotting to kidnap the Ruler of Xun Country. As for those gathered there, some were probably assassins hidden by the Immortal Palace, some were spies with ulterior motives, and others were likely rogue cultivators risking their lives for a quick getaway.

Of course, Li Fan couldn't just watch the excitement and leave. He put on the Unknown Face, flew onto the ship, and seeing that there were still five iron tokens left, he reached out to take them.

Suddenly, a powerful palm strike came from behind Li Fan, which he instantly dodged, blasting the table away. Then, two figures rushed forward, snatched all the flying iron tokens, and landed next to the attackers. These three were Nascent Soul Stage cultivators dressed in black robes, masks, and bamboo hats.

"We, Flying Eagle Stronghold, will take all the remaining Heavenly Treasure!"

Li Fan frowned as he stared at the person who had ambushed him.

'Moon Spirit says, "I can tolerate this! Let's get them!"'

But Li Fan hesitated for a moment, picked up the wooden token and a bag of gold ingots, and left with the basket on his back.

"So you three think you can hide your bald heads and pretend I don't recognize you?!" Fa Jue only made one move, but Li Fan sensed his identity through the force of his palm strike. "I can't believe these monks from Iron Buddha Temple have come to join the fun, and they're even from Flying Eagle Stronghold..."

Was he truly that short of money, or was he following the orders of the Ruler of Xun Country and planning to assist the Xun Kingdom in wiping out the rebels in one fell swoop?

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and Li Fan had no intention of jumping in now. A quick scan with his Divine Sense confirmed that the instructions inside the wooden token were simply to have cultivators create chaos in their own way the following night to distract the local generals of Xun Kingdom. There was no mention of kidnapping the king; it seemed to be just a feint to divert Xun Kingdom's attention. But that was fine; having a wooden token as a quest item to add to the instance was enough.

'Moon Spirit thinks, "That's too cowardly."'

... What's your rush? It's the same person; you might kill a little today, but tomorrow when the killing spree starts, you can kill them and reach the 500-point cap. Which is better? You really don't understand anything...

However, Li Fan hadn't expected that Yang Sheng would actually be able to orchestrate the opportunity for the massacre.

When Li Fan was setting up the ambush for the Nascent Divine Transformation, he had heard from Liu Zhens that this calamity wasn't something just anyone could initiate. Even with an array master overseeing the setup, the person in charge of controlling the calamity's changes must possess great karma and immense fortune. Li Fan simply couldn't understand how Yang Si'an, this scholar from the Li Country, possessed the fortune to destroy the Xun Kingdom. Or was it really just a matter of sleeping on Du Xia's ship?

In short, it wasn't time to make a move yet. Li Fan ignored the rabbit's constant taunts and caught up with the merchant ship. After confirming the safety of the Lin Family siblings, he proceeded with his plan to infiltrate Xingye City once more.

The Ruler of Xun Country's royal procession has already left the city, taking the court's civil and military officials with them on a hunting trip to the forbidden garden. The Crown Prince and Prince of Lu remain under house arrest, and no decree has been issued appointing anyone to oversee the kingdom or accompany them. However, the King has brought Princess Quan, who was recently kidnapped and then rescued, along, presumably to take his eldest daughter out for some fun and relaxation. Surprisingly, he only has one Transformation Stage expert with him, while the other six remain in Xingye City to keep each other in check, seemingly completely unaware of the impending coup.

It's unclear whether the old king was fully in control and had ulterior motives, or whether he had simply become oblivious, distracted by the infighting among his sons and lost his vigilance.

The king will likely arrive at the forbidden garden tonight, hunt tigers tomorrow, have a banquet tomorrow night, and depart for the return journey the day after. All the orders from Yang Sheng's side have been sent out, so something is definitely going to happen either tonight or tomorrow night.

Li Fan also seized the opportunity and used the same code he had used before, "In May, pomegranate blossoms dazzle the eye, and among the branches, one can see the first fruits forming," to try and contact Cen Hun, the palace spy, again. He hoped to meet him at their usual spot that night. If he could obtain the blueprints for the Emperor's sleeping quarters, Taichu Palace, or find out the Imperial Guards' duty routes, that would be ideal. If, unfortunately, Cen Hun had also gone to the Forbidden Garden, then Li Fan would have no choice but to bite the bullet and force his way into the inner palace.

Of course, he wasn't afraid; he just felt it was a bit of a waste to not earn the maximum profit by fighting his way in with the rabbit sword...

However, although someone came to meet Li Fan this time, it was not Cen Hun. Although the other party was also carrying the pomegranate lantern from last time, and was able to receive the news, it should indeed be a spy planted in the palace by Luo Feng.

Li Fan was still a little puzzled, "Are you also a eunuch serving the Dachangqiu?"

The man raised his eyes, glanced at Li Fan, and said, "It'll be easier to come out tonight disguised as a eunuch. I wonder what orders are in the mountains?"

Li Fan recognized her as a woman in plain clothes, likely a palace maid serving the Empress. Perhaps Cen Hun was busy, and Luo Feng probably didn't have many trusted confidants to command, even sending out Qi Refining Stage. Understanding the difficulties faced by these servants, he directly said, "I went to the Marquis of Jianchang's Mansion but couldn't find a copy of the Heavenly Book."

The woman slightly opened her chin, seemingly somewhat surprised.

Li Fan continued, "It's none of your business. The copy won't be ready anytime soon, so I need to retrieve the original. Could you please tell me the exact location of the books stored in the Taichu Palace? I'll go get them myself once things get chaotic in Xun Kingdom these next couple of days."

To everyone's surprise, the other person remained rooted to the spot. "A celestial book?"

Li Fan shook his head and said, "You don't need to hide it. I know that Luo Feng will definitely attack the Ruler of Xun Country this time. I won't disturb your revenge. Maybe if I storm Tiger's Lair City, I can help you keep things under wraps. It's a win-win situation, right? Or do you not know about the secret chamber? Where is the Primordial Palace located? How many guards are nearby?"

Li Fan thought that since he had made himself so clear, the other party should agree, or at most say 'I don't know about the Imperial Guard's arrangements'. But to his surprise, the other party glared at Li Fan and uttered a sentence.

"I don't know anything about this esoteric book, so don't contact me."

Li Fan, "???"

Then she actually turned around and left.

"... Wait, wait a minute, what's wrong...?"

Before Li Fan could finish speaking, the other party stopped in his tracks. At that moment, a huge fireball suddenly rose from the surface of the Rouge Pool in the south, its orange-red light illuminating both sides of the river. Even the attacking city on the north bank could see it from afar, looking like a rising sun.

"Holy crap, this is hilarious!"

Li Fan suddenly flicked his sleeve, pulled the palace maid, who was still staring dumbfounded at the orange-red fireball, into his arms and lay her down. In an instant, a layer of black skin formed all over his body to protect himself.

The next instant, a shockwave, accompanied by sonic booms, swept in, blowing away the flower boats on the river and the pavilions and shops on the banks like building blocks and straw. Human bodies, like tattered strips of cloth, were swept into the sky by the sweltering heat. Blood and gore, a mixture of fish and human flesh, fell like raindrops and hail, covering the palace walls.

'Moon Soul exclaimed, "What! What kind of supernatural power is this?!"'

What utter nonsense! Damn it! It looks like a thermobaric weapon, or maybe a thermobaric bomb, or something else... Damn it! This is his first time too! It's not like he gets hit by one of these things every day, how is he supposed to know!

Li Fan's hempen clothes were blown away, and he got up naked to check what was under him. Fortunately, they were far from the explosion point. The palace maid was still alive, dazed from the shock, and her eardrums were probably ruptured, but she was unharmed because Li Fan had protected her.

Looking back, all the nearby buildings had been destroyed by the aftershocks of the explosion, the surrounding houses had been reduced to ruins, and most of the city was engulfed in flames by the intense heat, creating a scene of hell.

"Has it begun...?" Although he had anticipated the potential casualties from this calamity, Li Fan realized that he had underestimated the weight of the term 'killing calamity'.

Looking at the mangled flesh scattered across the streets and the wailing of the disaster victims, Li Fan felt no emotion for a moment, only a chilling killing intent gradually rising within him.

The explosion of that magnitude was beyond the capabilities of ordinary supernatural powers and spells in this world. Not only was there no prior indication of anything unusual, but even after the explosion, no trace of Crimson Fiend Spiritual Qi was detected. Clearly, it was not a technique that cultivators could produce.

Moreover, the explosion at this particular point in the world must have been deliberately designed to occur at the height of the Flower Dragon, when the nobles and gentry were gathered to Flower Dragon. It's likely that at least half of the important officials left behind in the capital were eliminated...

This method... is it Yang Sheng...? No, that's not right. Wasn't Du Xia trying to seek justice for the women on the river? Now that everyone on the river has been blown to bits, what justice is there to seek?

Haha, whoever it is, they're ruthless and powerful enough! They come out with a nuclear bomb, why don't they just drop it on the palace? Instead, they dropped it on the civilian area... Wait! A nuclear bomb!

Li Fan suddenly turned his head to look towards the direction of the Imperial City, and opened his Divine Sense to the fullest. Sure enough, a baleful aura rose into the sky from the direction of the imperial palace. A large number of Heavenly Demons' Divine Sense senses were scattered out and spreading from the entire Xingye City, wantonly seizing and fighting for the rebirth of the Dao bodies of the palace guards.

Well, just as I expected. The explosion was like an earthquake; body parts were blasted miles away, and that broken jar probably fell to the ground and smashed. With this calamity, misfortunes seem to be piling up one after another in the Xun Kingdom...

At this moment, the local Nascent Divine Transformation cultivators from the Xun Kingdom finally began to react. From all directions, several powerful auras soared into the sky, leaving streaks of light in the night sky, and rushed towards the explosion site at Rouge Pool like falling stars.

But Li Fan only counted five people. Could it be that the explosion just now was aimed at the Divine Transformation cultivators? If so, the power of the two palaces has become unbalanced.

Sure enough, the sword fight soon began. From Rouge Pool to Tiger Crouching Mountain, flashing lights, towering flames, thick smoke and baleful aura obscured the bright moon. The sounds of fighting and screams grew louder and louder, and the entire city fell into hysterical chaos.

"Save my son!" The palace maid suddenly scrambled to her feet, grabbed Li Fan's hand, and screamed at him in terror, "Please! Save my son!"

"Your son?" Li Fan frowned, looking at the direction she was pointing, which was the Xun Kingdom's forbidden palace on the mountain. A raging fire was burning there, and dozens of Sword Light were swirling and fighting above the palace. Whether they were imperial guards, demons, or other assassins, it was clear that Li Fan was not the only one who wanted to visit the palace today; there were many like-minded people.

"Your Majesty locked him in the Taichu Palace to study! He is innocent! I have wronged Luo Feng! It is all my fault! I am willing to die, I only beg you to save my child!" The 'palace maid' knelt on the ground and kowtowed, her head covered in blood.

Li Fan frowned, grabbed her and pulled her up. "Who are you? What have you done? Explain yourself in three sentences, and I'll consider saving your son and returning him to you!"

The 'palace maid' wailed, "My name is Pan Liu. The Supreme Yin God sent me into the palace as a spy, but I was exposed as soon as I entered. Only because I know the art of disguise was I spared by the Dachangqiu. I pretended to be the deceased queen and even gave birth to a son. He promised that as long as I continue to pretend to be a spy and maintain contact with the people in the mountains, and obey his orders to pass on the secret information of the Xun Kingdom to the Supreme Yin God, he will spare my life and that of my child!"

Li Fan's eyebrows shot up. "So you're the one who leaked the news of my kidnapping to the Immortal Palace? Then what's the point of your meeting today!"

Pan Liu cried and said, "I... I really don't know what you're talking about, Immortal. The day before yesterday, the King suddenly left the palace and locked my child in the main hall of the Tai Chu Palace, ordering the Imperial Guards to guard him and not let him see me. The Dachangqiu and his henchmen also suddenly stopped watching over me. They all left two days ago. I was really unsure of what was going on outside the palace, so I risked coming out to test the waters."

Please, kind spirit, have mercy! Let my child and I see each other one last time!

"Damn it! Wait here!"

Li Fan was filled with shock and anger, and immediately used his teleportation ability to rush straight to the forbidden palace of Tiger Crouching City.

Well, that tiger was just pretending to be crazy! Sure enough, there's no such thing as a simple killing spree; once it starts, you never know who will die!

Li Fan fled all the way to the outside of the palace, but was blocked by the palace walls inscribed with talismans. So he simply put on the human skin Daoist robe of the Luo Sect, held a white bone fan in his left hand and a green jade flute in his right hand, wore Unknown Face, broke out of the ground, and stepped on the palace wall to jump into the forbidden palace.

Tiger's Lair City was a fortress capable of being garrisoned and defended, but now a battle had broken out. Everywhere were hordes of people fighting, masked assassins, armored guards, palace maids, eunuchs, True Cultivator of the Xuanmen sect, fake cultivators from the Immortal Palace, extraterrestrial demons, and Tai Su's fiendish corpses—it was utter chaos! Heaven knows how so many things suddenly spawned and appeared in the palace!

To conserve his Qi, and also because he could still sense the several Divine Transformation fighting fiercely within the city, Li Fan suppressed his sword power to avoid attracting attention. He unleashed a burst of Universal Transformation Sword Qi from his jade flute, stabbing any who blocked his path to death with a single blow. He then strode across the glazed tiles of the royal palace towards the central hall. However, the moment he stepped into the Forbidden Palace of Primordial Beginning, Li Fan froze.

He didn't see any imperial guards, and what was with this overwhelming amount of malevolent energy? Something was wrong!

Amidst the system's shrill cry of "My mood has improved a little," Li Fan kicked open the door, and there was no longer any "woman's son" there.

All that remained was a writhing, dark red mass of flesh, barely recognizable as containing a human form, but already 'Non-Thing'. The surrounding skin and flesh were indistinguishable, and the entire body was swollen with numerous bulges oozing thick fluid, making it impossible to tell which were eyeballs and which were pustules. He seemed still alive, with thick, viscous tentacles growing from the placenta-like mass of flesh, from the navel and spine, reaching into the corpses of many palace maids and eunuchs to suck the blood and nutrients from their flesh.

'Moon Spirit exclaims, "Eek! This is disgusting! What is this?!"'

"It's a lamb's offspring... where there are offspring, there are lambs..."

Li Fan opened his eyes, and a red line shot out from his Crimson Eyes, slicing through the chunk of flesh in front of him. He then took out his Si Nan to examine it, and with a wave of his hand, unleashed the explosive Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword Storm, shattering the huge Devil Embryo festering sore in front of him, overturning the entire Taichu Palace, and revealing the secret chamber hidden beneath the main hall.

He found the celestial book.

There were twelve tombstone-like stone slabs arranged in a circle. In the center of the circle sat a husk split open from the middle, with only the outer shell remaining. The contents inside had been completely devoured, leaving not even bones or blood vessels. But judging from his clothing and appearance, it was probably the Ruler of Xun Country himself.

It's rotten to this state; it must have been dead for a year or two.