All Factions Stir!

Upon hearing the voice, the old man with the braided hair did not show any surprise. He turned his gaze away from the depths of the night sky, slowly turned around, and looked behind him.

Behind them stood a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, a beard, and simple clothes, giving him a clean and neat look.

But just by looking into his bright eyes, one can tell that he is no ordinary person; his brows exude an air of solemn nobility!

"The Wise Prince has returned from the Scholar Forest?" The old man with the hemp braid chuckled. "You say I shouldn't have come to Prosperity Capital? That's far too presumptuous. I came here not for fighting, nor for the Divine Path, but to witness the changes in the Destiny River. I have no other intentions."

The man known as the Wise King shook his head and said, "Prosperity Capital is the capital of Great Rui, and the power of the Divine Path should retreat. Even the Earth Deity that the Heavenly Court has placed here are suppressed and have little effect. Even if you go in, it will be useless."

"If a dynasty, with the power of the entire realm, can't even suppress the Divine Path of a single city, then the fate of this Great Rui must be sealed." The old man with the hemp braid shook his head, then looked directly at the man. "However, the Divine Path is unpredictable. Some are suppressed by Fortune, while others are revered by Dragon Qi. I wonder what the Wise King's current status is?"

"These things are unimportant. Since you wish to witness the changes in the long river, then watch from here. But if you enter the city, don't blame me for being ruthless." The man waved his hand, his whole body trembled, and he transformed into a cloud of hazy yellow mist, which quickly gathered and extended, turning into a slender Yellow Dragon in the blink of an eye, flying towards the direction of Xingjing Imperial City.

The old man, Ma Bian, remained unmoved. Instead, he shook his head and sighed, "Born of a dynasty, they will sooner or later be dragged down by it..."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered, shifting rapidly around him in an instant, leaving behind afterimages as if he had teleported.

However, each afterimage exhibited an unpredictable trend of being real or illusory, as if they were physical entities, each containing its own intent. Their eyes were filled with confusion, as if the city and scenery before them were shrouded in mist and could not be seen clearly.

Then, those gazes shifted one after another. Some were directed towards the city, while others were directed in other directions, gradually disappearing into the Void.

At the same time.

On the other side of Xingjing Imperial City, on the edge of a suburban village, stood an academy.

This academy is not large, but it has all the necessary facilities. However, the number of students studying there is not as large as those in the academies of the Eastern Capital.

Deep within the academy, in an ancient house, an old man sat upright, holding a book in his hand, but his eyes were not on the book. Instead, he looked up at the window.

At the edge of his vision, a city suddenly appeared—

Under the cover of night, Xingjing Imperial City was filled with lights and shadows, which reddened the night sky. The strange phenomena that had occurred in the sky earlier were invisible to ordinary people, but they were exceptionally clear to a certain group of people, bringing them a sense of awe.

Even now, some lingering echoes remain in the depths of that night sky. Although the enormous dragon claw has vanished, it has left behind a vast expanse of mist, which is slowly dissipating.

"In this era of great contention, countless talents emerge. Since some have become distracted and undecided, these two individuals are likely to become the core of the future of Donghua Continent. How they choose will determine the future trends of humanity..."

A deep voice rang out, and the wall behind the old man subtly changed. A painting hung on the wall, but the moment the man finished speaking, the painting and the wall began to spin, as if they were about to be swallowed by nothingness, and then an endless Void was revealed.

In this Void, a thin layer of gas floats, gathering and dispersing uncertainly. When it gathers, it is there; when it disperses, it is gone. But the gas is always there, seemingly in an endless Samsara.

This change triggered a chain reaction, causing several the Unseen Karmic Thread to shift and extend all the way to the northern part of Xingjing Imperial City.

This area is rather desolate, with few villages and only Rogue Person. Further north, there is a dense forest, and in the distance, there are continuous high mountains.

At the edge of the forest stood a temple. Unlike Temple and ancestral halls, this temple was not tall, but its angular features had a unique charm, making it appear more magnificent overall.

The main hall of the temple is solemn and dignified. On the walls on both sides are painted figures, some riding the clouds and mist, some with three heads and six arms, each with a different appearance. At a glance, you can tell that they are not ordinary people, yet they are quite different from the gods of the Central Lands.

Deep within the main hall, on a high platform, stands a colossal golden statue, its countenance solemn and dignified.

In front of the golden statue, there were several prayer cushions, on which four people sat upright, divided into two groups.

There were three people on one side, all bald, with ordination scars, wearing monks' robes, and with different appearances and ages, but their temperaments were surprisingly consistent. Behind these three, golden light could be faintly seen, as if a sun was being obscured by their bodies, ready to leap out at any moment and illuminate the surroundings.

On the other side was an elderly man with a tall hat and wide belt, a stern face, downcast eyes, and level shoulders, giving the impression of being unsmiling and unapproachable. The changing light and shadow around him seemed to form a world of its own, yet it was also connected to the surroundings, giving a sense of Heavenly Principle order. His appearance was about 80% similar to Junior Chen, only his temperament was different, being more rigid and serious.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

In the Void, several Karmic Thread began to twitch.

The three monks looked surprised. "Hmm? After we refuted him, Grand Void actually grasped a deeper truth!"

Across from him, the stern old man remained expressionless and slowly nodded. "No need to be surprised. Otherwise, he wouldn't deserve the name Grand Void."

After he finished speaking, the aura of the flow of Heavenly Principle around him became even stronger. The three monks opposite him also calmed their shock and suppressed their astonishment, putting their hands together in prayer.

In the solemn hall, two opposing viewpoints immediately clashed!

An invisible sound traveled from afar, rippling across the water...

Ripples began in the temple, spread through the Lin Zhong, reached the city, and swept across all directions.

"Oh? Da Chen is still discussing philosophy with those three monks? Even the strange phenomenon of his mind wandering can't stop him?"

Deep within the inner city, in a mansion bearing the plaque "Chen Residence," an old man slightly twitched his eyebrows, his entire body radiating a surging, boundless spiritual light, so powerful that even the Dragon Qi suppressing Prosperity Capital was forced back several inches!

Beside them, three middle-aged men stood respectfully with their heads bowed. They felt the surging energy and their hearts pounded, but they dared not take a step back and stood there stiffly.

Suddenly, the old man turned his gaze over and asked, "Any news about Chen Jing...?"

"Reporting to the Ancestor..." One of the three immediately stepped forward, speaking in a low voice, trembling with fear.

Meanwhile, the ripples of thought continued to expand. Deeper into the inner city, in a magnificent mansion, a young man dressed in a Daoist robe sat cross-legged in the courtyard. After sensing these ripples, he opened his eyes.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, followed by a voice. "Master Flying Tiger, the princes request your presence..."

The young Daoist priest nodded, stood up, and took a step.

"Given this extraordinary natural phenomenon, those princes certainly need to temper their wandering thoughts. It's just unknown whether they've already made their decisions."

Outside Xingjing Imperial City, in the night sky, two figures hovered in space. Both were dressed as ordinary Confucian scholars, but were quite old, with white hair and beards. Their bodies radiated light, and a blurry silhouette could be faintly seen through their flesh.

Divine Soul Yin Spirit!

The Yin Spirit transformed, and the personal Fortune that had been clinging to the two were absorbed and transformed into light!

"The Pill Ancestor's Ruins have been revealed, but we gained nothing. We thought we would return empty-handed, but unexpectedly we encountered the Heart Ape and the Mind Horse here! If we can obtain these two items, perhaps there is still a chance!"

"Indeed, our Heavenly Tribulation are imminent. If there is no chance of a turnaround, we will surely perish, body and soul! Rather than wait to die, we might as well take a gamble. Even the Prosperity Capital Dragon Court is worth a try!"

After saying this, the two flew towards Xingjing Imperial City, slowly descending their altitude.

In a short time, undercurrents surged, but Xingjing Imperial City remained unchanged. Above the city, the night sky was deep and dark; inside the city, lights shone brightly; but below the city, a fragmented scene of Divine Path lay.

Amidst layers upon layers of Divine Path radiance, sat an Underworld Main Hall, where a deity remained motionless with eyes closed, silent and still.

However, the Divine Radiance on its Divine Body was unpredictable, and there was a faint feeling that it was about to leave its body and be separated from it.

Suddenly, the deity shuddered, opened its eyes, and moved its limbs slightly, immediately producing a rattling sound. It turned out that its limbs were bound by thick chains, and the slightest movement caused the chains to clang.

"A revolution in Human Path," his eyes flickered with ever-changing light and shadow, "Divine Path opportunity..."

A series of changes occurred in quick succession, and at the same time, the people in the attic had just recovered from their surprise.

"The figure in the Heart Ape's eye is Qiu Yan!" Pang Qianru looked at Qi Jiulian in surprise. After seeing him nod, she took a deep breath. She glanced at Song Qian was approaching and whispered, "Just now, Qiu Yan controlled the strange phenomenon and forced the Dragon Qi to appear. Judging from that Qi Manifestation, he was no less powerful than Bai Zhaoyuan. Could this person be more talented than Bai Zhaoyuan?"

"In any case, we've already found Qiu Yan's trail, which makes things easier. We can go there and find him." Song Qian said in a low voice.

Qi Jiulian nodded and said, "That's right. Judging from the location where that giant ape shadow appeared, Qiu Yan must be in the city!"

Their subtle actions had already caught Xu Ran's attention, and she came closer to ask them something.

Although Xu Ran had an extraordinary background, she was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and was just an ordinary woman. She had not seen any of the strange phenomena in the sky earlier. She had only heard the whispers of the others and wanted to ask, but Ji Zheng tugged at her clothes, so she did not actually ask.

Just then, a voice came from the side—

"Could you gentlemen please introduce me to this Qiu Yan, Young Master Qiu...?"

Following the sound, they saw none other than the handsome and dashing Wen Zhizhen. (To be continued...)

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