At the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, Xu Yanwen was still chatting with Chi Wanning, but Ning Ye's thoughts had already drifted far away.
Beyond Three Rivers Lake stood a grand complex of halls.
It was where the powerful figures of the Black and White Divine Palace lived.
As far as Ning Ye knew, at least two Ancestors and one Four Directions Chess Envoy lived there.
Of the Black and White Divine Palace's Twelve Heavenly Dippers, apart from Yue Xinchans and the Palace Lord of the Black and White Hall, the remaining nine were the Four Directions Chess Envoys and the Five Ancestors. All were mighty figures of the Immaculate Realm.
Among them, the Four Directions Chess Envoys held slightly higher status.
At the center of the halls on Tianxiu Peak stood three great palaces. Judging by their positions, Ning Ye guessed that the central palace belonged to the Four Directions Chess Envoy, while the palaces on either side might belong to the two Ancestors.
One of the two palaces was green, the other colorful. The colorful one might belong to Ancestor Wanfa, while the green one should belong to Ancestor Qingmu.
But that was only a guess based on common sense. Ning Ye knew little about Ancestor Qingmu. For all he knew, the Ancestor might be named Qingmu yet have a fondness for dazzling, multicolored black.
The question now was: how could he get close to those two palaces?
As long as he could get near them, he would be able to sense the Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment.
As he pondered, a voice suddenly seemed to come from beyond the heavens. "Junior Brother Ning... Junior Brother Ning..."
It was Chi Wanning calling him.
Ning Ye came back to himself and gave a little "Oh." Chi Wanning was looking at him with bright, lovely eyes. "Junior Brother Ning, do you agree with what Senior Brother Xu said?"
"Mm... Sorry, what were you saying just now? I wasn't paying attention." Ning Ye apologized.
Chi Wanning covered her lips and giggled. "So while we were talking over here, Junior Brother Ning had already wandered off into his own little world."
Ning Ye hurriedly said, "That was my fault. May I ask what you were discussing?"
Xu Yanwen sounded a little displeased. "Wanning and I were discussing the state of the world. She said the stars have been dimming lately and the secrets of heaven are growing obscure, with signs of strange omens that may conceal a turning point. I think it's just the effect of the Heaven Stealing Art. The Nine Evergreen Sects have ruled the world for so long—there's no way this little swell will become a storm."
Ning Ye feigned surprise. "The Heaven Stealing Art?"
"Right, you may not have heard. A year ago, the Heaven Mechanism Sect was wiped out by the Demon Sect. Its Sect Master, Xin Ranzi, died in battle. Before he died, he used the Heaven Stealing Art to veil the secrets of heaven, so the three disciples who escaped couldn't be tracked down," Xu Yanwen said. "Of course, this hasn't spread yet, so it's no surprise you didn't know."
Ning Ye remained calm.
He smiled, a hint of menace twisting his ugly face. "I see. Then Fairy Chi must know about it. Since she still believes upheaval is coming, there must be a reason."
"Of course," Chi Wanning replied. "The changes in heaven and earth don't happen overnight. In fact, there were signs even before the Heaven Mechanism Sect fell; they were simply too faint to notice. I have some interest in astrology and have studied it a little. I discovered that a year ago, around the time the Heaven Mechanism Sect was destroyed, the celestial phenomena seemed to shift. Unfortunately, Xin Ranzi used the Heaven Stealing Art, and the disturbance vanished as soon as it appeared, making it impossible to detect. Still, even if we can't judge by the stars, we can see signs of trouble elsewhere."
Ning Ye said earnestly, "Please enlighten me, Fairy."
Chi Wanning thought for a moment before answering. "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 a continent. The Nine Sects are divided into three blocs, each consisting of three sects. Our sect is allied with the Haotian Sect of Cloud Continent and the Taiyin Sect of Cold Continent. But the three blocs are unevenly matched, and the slightest disruption could plunge the world into chaos. Peace has lasted a long time, but undercurrents are surging. Take the Black and White Divine Palace, for instance: we've had one incident after another recently. None was serious, but they still show that hidden forces are rising and trying to fish in troubled waters."
Xu Yanwen waved his hands repeatedly. "Junior Sister, that's where you're mistaken. Though the three blocs aren't evenly matched, that very imbalance is what keeps them stable. If any alliance fell into conflict, the third party would reap the benefits. Everyone understands that, so they all want someone else to make the first move while they sit back and profit. With things as they are, no one would act rashly."
Chi Wanning sighed. "I already said there has to be a spark. War is never a rational thing. Sometimes, the side that starts a war doesn't do so because it's certain to win. It may simply want to fight... Too many people act without considering the consequences."
Xu Yanwen burst out laughing. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience, Junior Sister. Are you hinting at someone?"
Chi Wanning gave him a pretty eye roll.
She was beautiful to begin with, and that single eye roll left Xu Yanwen weak in the knees.
Chi Wanning continued pouring tea for him and said softly, "Senior Brother, don't say such nonsense again. As for you, Junior Brother Ning, what do you think of our views?"
Ning Ye had no intention of trying to impress this beauty. But then again, with his looks, even if he performed brilliantly, she probably wouldn't be interested. The legendary, clichéd tale of a beauty falling for a man because he said something astonishing wasn't likely to happen to him. If Chi Wanning fell for him just because he made a striking remark, then the world would be a much simpler place.
Still, if he made a good impression, he might earn her respect and gain more opportunities.
So he said, "I'm inclined to agree with Senior Sister. The Evergreen realm has enjoyed peace for too long. A major upheaval may come within the next hundred years."
For cultivators, a hundred years wasn't long at all.
Even Chi Wanning hadn't dared to say that upheaval would come within a hundred years. She was astonished, and Xu Yanwen sounded even more displeased. "Junior Brother, don't say something shocking just to win a beauty's attention."
He was in no way wary of Ning Ye; he was simply opposing him out of instinct, given their differing views.
Chi Wanning smiled. "Let's hear his reasoning first."
Ning Ye said, "I not only believe war is bound to break out, but that it will first erupt in the Black and White Divine Palace."
At that, both of them were startled. Chi Wanning's gaze flickered as she studied Ning Ye closely.
Ning Ye made no attempt to be modest. Dipping his finger in the tea, he began sketching on the table—a map of the Evergreen Continent.
As he drew, he explained, "The Nine Evergreen Continents lie in every direction. The Misty Rain Pavilion is on Sea Continent, occupying the waters, so let's set it aside for now. The other eight continents are spread across the north, south, east, and west of the mainland. Among them, Ink Continent, Fierce Continent, and Heaven Continent lie at the center. Because it's in the middle, Ink Continent borders four others: Fierce Continent, Heaven Continent, Cloud Continent, and Cold Continent. It even shares a small border with Mist Continent. It's a land fought over on every side. Though our sect is allied with the Haotian Sect of Cloud Continent and the Taiyin Sect of Cold Continent, our relations are still poor with three others: the Extreme War Path of Fierce Continent, the Wood Puppet Sect of Heaven Continent, and Ten Thousand Flowers Valley of Mist Continent. Those three belong to two separate alliances. In other words, the Black and White Divine Palace is actually facing two alliances at once."
At those words, Xu Yanwen and Chi Wanning both grew grave.
Ning Ye continued, "That's the terrain. Ink Continent's geography makes it the ideal battlefield."
"Is there another reason?" Chi Wanning asked.
"There is," Ning Ye said. "War depends on heaven's timing, favorable terrain, and unity among people. Not one can be lacking. What Senior Sister just mentioned—the shifting stars and their dimming light—is heaven's timing. Heaven's killing intent has been concealed by divine abilities, so though we can't see it, we can still feel the danger. And I know that blocking is worse than allowing things to flow. The harder we suppress it, the more severe the consequences will be. It's like building a dam to hold back a river: if the dam collapses, the flood will be endless."
"And what of unity among people?" Xu Yanwen asked.
"That brings us to the three blocs," Ning Ye replied. "They've been at odds for a long time, and their grudges have only piled up. Not long ago, the Wood Puppet Sect killed two of our Human Demons. We've found replacements, but our strength has still suffered. More importantly, resentment has been building. Everyone is still gathering strength, but perhaps all it will take is one spark to set off a great war."
"Where will the spark come from?" they asked together.
Ning Ye shook his head. "That's beyond the likes of us to know."
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