The General Trend

In the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, Xu Yanwen was still chatting with Chi Wanning, but Ning Ye's thoughts had already drifted far away.

Beyond the Three Rivers Lake lay a magnificent complex of palaces.

That was the residence of the high-ranking figures of the Black and White Divine Palace.

According to what Ning Ye knew, at least two ancestors and one Four Directions Chess Envoy of the Black and White Divine Palace lived there.

Among the Twelve Heavenly Dippers of the Black and White Divine Palace, excluding Yue Xinchan and the master of the White Hall, the remaining nine consisted of the Four Directions Chess Envoys and the Five Ancestors, all of whom were powerful beings of the Wugou Realm.

Among them, the Four Directions Chess Envoys held slightly higher status.

There were three grand halls in the center of the palace complex on Tianxiu Peak. Based on the hierarchy, Ning Ye estimated that the central hall belonged to that Four Directions Chess Envoy, while the halls on the left and right likely belonged to the two ancestors.

The two halls were cyan and multicolored respectively; the multicolored one was likely Ancestor Wanfa's, and the cyan one should be Ancestor Qingmu's.

However, this was merely a judgment based on common sense. Ning Ye's knowledge of Ancestor Qingmu was limited, and he couldn't rule out the possibility that this ancestor, despite being named Qingmu, simply enjoyed the sight of "colorful black."

The problem now was, how could he get close to those two halls?

As long as he could get close, he would be able to sense the presence of the Thousand Mechanism Hall fragments.

While he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a voice that seemed to come from beyond the heavens: "Junior Brother Ning... Junior Brother Ning..."

It was Chi Wanning calling him.

Ning Ye snapped back to reality and let out an "oh." Chi Wanning was looking at him with her beautiful eyes: "Does Junior Brother Ning think what Senior Brother Xu said is correct?"

"Um... I'm sorry, what were you two just talking about? I wasn't paying attention," Ning Ye apologized.

Chi Wanning covered her mouth and chuckled: "So we were talking here, but Junior Brother Ning's mind had already wandered off."

Ning Ye hurriedly said: "It is my fault. May I ask what you were discussing?"

Xu Yanwen looked a bit dissatisfied: "Wanning and I were just talking about the general trend of the world. Wanning said that the stars have been dim lately, the heavenly secrets are obscure, and there are faint signs of anomalies, fearing that a turning point is brewing. I, however, feel that this is merely the influence of the Heaven Stealing Art. The Nine Evergreen Sects have ruled the world for so long; these waves, they won't be able to stir up anything."

Ning Ye feigned astonishment: "Heaven Stealing Art?"

"Right, you didn't know, did you? A year ago, the Heavenly Mechanism Sect was wiped out by the Demon Sect. The sect leader, Xin Ranzi, died in battle. Before he died, he used the Heaven Stealing Art to obscure the heavenly secrets, preventing the three disciples who escaped from being tracked," Xu Yanwen said. "Of course, this matter hasn't spread yet, so it's no surprise you don't know."

Ning Ye remained very calm.

He smiled, a hint of ferocity appearing on his ugly face: "So that's how it is. Since Fairy Chi is aware of this and still believes that the heavens are about to change, there must be a reason for it."

Chi Wanning then said: "That is natural. Changes in heaven and earth do not happen overnight. In fact, long before the destruction of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, there were already signs, though the traces were faint and difficult to detect. I have some interest in the study of astrology and have dabbled in it a little. I discovered that a year ago, around the time the Heavenly Mechanism Sect was destroyed, the celestial phenomena seemed to shift, but unfortunately, because Xin Ranzi used the Heaven Stealing Art, the anomaly vanished as soon as it appeared, making it impossible to observe. However, even if one cannot judge from celestial phenomena, one can see problems from other aspects."

Ning Ye asked earnestly: "Please enlighten me, Fairy."

Chi Wanning thought for a moment and replied: "The Nine Evergreen Sects—the Black and White Divine Palace, Haotian Sect, Taiyin Sect, Wood Puppet Sect, Longyang Prefecture, Misty Rain Pavilion, Ten Thousand Flowers Valley, Holy King Pavilion, and Extreme War Path—each occupy one continent. The nine sects are thus divided into three factions, with three sects allied together. Our sect forms an alliance with the Haotian Sect of Cloud Continent and the Taiyin Sect of Cold Continent. But the three-way standoff is unbalanced; if it is broken, it will surely lead to chaos. Now that there has been peace for a long time, undercurrents are surging. Not to mention anything distant, even the Black and White Divine Palace has had consecutive incidents recently. Although they aren't major, they show that the hidden forces are rising and trying to fish in troubled waters."

Xu Yanwen waved his hands repeatedly: "Junior Sister, that is incorrect. Although the three-way balance is uneven, it is precisely because of this imbalance that it remains stable. If any alliance starts a chaotic war, it will surely allow the third party to reap the benefits. Everyone understands this principle, so they all hope for others to make the first move while they sit back and enjoy the results. In such a situation, it is not easy for a war to break out."

Chi Wanning sighed: "I have already said, this requires a catalyst. War was never a rational existence. Sometimes, the side that starts a war does not necessarily fight because they are certain of victory; it is more likely because they simply want to fight... There are too many people who act without considering the consequences."

Xu Yanwen laughed out loud: "Junior Sister, you are speaking from experience. Are you implying someone?"

Chi Wanning gave him a beautiful eye-roll.

She was naturally beautiful, and with that one roll of her eyes, Xu Yanwen felt his bones go soft.

Chi Wanning continued to pour tea for him and said softly: "Senior Brother, don't talk such nonsense in the future. What about you, Junior Brother Ning? What is your opinion on our views?"

Ning Ye did not intend to show off in front of this beauty, but he thought that with his appearance, even if he performed well, the other party probably wouldn't be interested. The legendary cliché plots shouldn't happen to him; if Chi Wanning were to fall for him just because he said something shocking, then this world would be too simple.

But if he performed well, he might gain her attention and have more opportunities.

He said: "I lean towards Senior Sister's view. In the world of Evergreen, there has been peace for too long. Perhaps in less than a hundred years, a great change will occur."

For a cultivator, a hundred years is not a long time.

Even Chi Wanning did not dare to say that a great change would happen within a hundred years. Hearing this, she was astonished, and Xu Yanwen was even more dissatisfied: "Junior Brother, don't make shocking remarks just to gain the beauty's attention."

He had no guard against Ning Ye, and saying this was merely a natural opposition based on his stance.

Chi Wanning smiled: "It is better to hear his reasons."

Ning Ye then said: "I not only believe that war will definitely break out, but it will first break out at the Black and White Divine Palace."

As soon as these words were spoken, both were shocked. Chi Wanning's eyes flashed as she looked closely at Ning Ye.

Ning Ye did not stand on ceremony. He dipped his finger in tea and drew on the table, sketching a topographical map of the Evergreen Continent.

As he drew, he said: "The Nine Continents of Evergreen are distributed in all directions. Among them, the Misty Rain Pavilion is located in Sea Continent, occupying the sea, so I won't mention it for now. The other eight continents are distributed across the north, south, west, and east of the continent. Among these, Ink Continent, Fierce Continent, and Heaven Continent are in the center. Because Ink Continent is in the middle, it borders the four major continents of Fierce, Heaven, Cloud, and Cold, and even has a small border with Mist Continent. It is truly a place of four-way conflict. Although our sect has allied with the Haotian Sect of Cloud Continent and the Taiyin Sect of Cold Continent, we have poor relations with the Extreme War Path of Fierce Continent, the Wood Puppet Sect of Heaven Continent, and the Ten Thousand Flowers Valley of Mist Continent. These three belong to two different alliances. It can be said that the Black and White Divine Palace is actually facing two major alliances at the same time."

Hearing this, Xu Yanwen and Chi Wanning's expressions turned solemn.

Ning Ye continued: "This is the terrain. The geographical environment of Ink Continent determines that it is the most suitable battlefield."

"Are there any other reasons?" Chi Wanning asked.

"Yes," Ning Ye said. "War requires the right time, the right place, and the right people—none can be lacking. What Senior Sister just said about the stars shifting and dimming is the 'right time.' The heavens are brewing a killing intent, but it is covered by divine abilities. Although we cannot see it, we can feel the danger. And I know even better that blocking is not as good as diverting; the more you block, the more serious the consequences will be. It is like building a dam to stop water; once the dam collapses, the flooding will be endless."

"And what about the 'right people'?" Xu Yanwen asked.

Ning Ye replied: "This involves the relationship between the three parties. The three alliances have been at odds for a long time, and the accumulated grievances will only grow heavier. Not long ago, the Wood Puppet Sect killed two of our sect's human demons. Although there are new replacements, the loss of strength is inevitable, but the most important thing is the accumulation of hatred. Everyone is currently building up their strength, but perhaps all it takes is a catalyst to trigger a great war."

"Where is the catalyst?" the two asked in unison.

Ning Ye shook his head: "That is not something people like us can know."