Mingyang Devoured in Turn, the Luo River Runs Dry

"To have witnessed the Greater Yang's brilliance today, I have no regrets."

After Wei Ming finished speaking, he was as withered as dry twigs. The power of the Three Yangs had burned away not only his cultivation, but also his flesh, blood, and soul.

I do not seek the afterlife or the next life, but only a moment of glory.

He remained standing.

The hand gripping the Emperor's Sword did not loosen.

Ye Jinyu clutched her chest, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, as she gazed at the golden figure.

Divine Lord Mingyang manifested in Sima Ruiming's body, which was now completely controlled by the True Spirit of the Greater Yang.

Sima Ruiming's features were contorted, his eyes flashing with terror at times, and then being overwhelmed by golden light at others.

Sima Huanyu.

Divine Lord Mingyang called out.

Sima Huanyu's face was ashen.

Through the barrier, he looked directly into the void at the bright moon and the radiant Fusang Radiance, a scene of flourishing life.

"Zhang Chen, Great Peace Temple! And Greater Yin! Are you just going to watch him act like this?"

Fighting without breaking is a rule established by all the heavens of Cangxuan! Mingyang died but did not perish, a responsibility of the underworld! His actions have broken this rule! Manipulating and depleting the fortune of the Cangxuan Heavenly Dao, are you not afraid of the backlash and blame?

A moment of silence followed in the void.

The bright moon trembled slightly, and a clear, cold female voice rang out. "Rules? Blame?"

"When they usurped the throne from Wei and divided the Greater Yang, did they ever follow any rules?"

Sima Huanyu paused for a moment.

In the Fusang Radiance, Zhang Chen felt a little embarrassed, but he was not a pedantic person, and his voice still rang out calmly.

"Fellow Daoist Huanyu, the Great Peace Temple observes the game silently, witnessing the unfolding events. Today's affairs are none of my concern."

"Shameless! How dare the Great Peace Temple say such things? You were also beneficiaries of the usurpation of the Wei dynasty!"

Sima Huanyu's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked as if he was about to vomit blood.

But Divine Lord Mingyang didn't give him a chance to continue, and took another step forward.

With this step, the void trembled even more violently. The blue rain curtain that shrouded Sima Huanyu shattered inch by inch, turning into a sky full of water mist.

"My demise, the fall of the Wei Imperial House dynasty, and the rise of the Sima Clan —these are the facts, and we must bear the consequences."

Divine Lord Mingyang stared directly at Sima Huanyu.

Sima Huanyu trembled all over.

Fear? Not so much.

Anger, on the other hand, only intensifies!

An emperor's heart is firm and unyielding; how could the Golden Core be so easily humiliated!

"Mingyang! With your mere thread of true spirit, do you really think you can do anything to me?!" Sima Huanyu roared, exerting all his strength to activate his Golden Core and unleash the vastness of the Luo River, trying to break free from the invisible confinement.

Blue light erupted from his body, the phantom of the Luo River condensed behind him, and a huge dragon roared to the sky, its cry shaking the heavens.

The constraints have loosened.

Divine Lord Mingyang raised an eyebrow slightly.

"She does have some backbone."

He raised his hand and gently clenched his fist.

In that instant, three forces surged into Sima Huanyu's body simultaneously.

A golden light emanated from the Emperor Sword in Wei Ming's hand; it was a fusion of the Way of the King and the Way of the Tyrant, a sacrifice from Li Tian and Yin Huan.

A ray of autumn sunlight emanated from the mark on Wei Ming's chest. It was the Autumn Sun Blood, the power of Huangchu, and a contingency plan planted by Ye Zhanqiu through the grafting of cause and effect.

A Dawn Light emanated from the depths of the Great Void; it was the Grand Brightness left behind by Zhang Chen, the scheme of the Great Peace Temple, and also the cause and effect.

Three streams of power simultaneously poured into Sima Huanyu's body.

Sima Huanyu's expression changed drastically.

He felt his power being eroded.

The three forces intertwined, transforming into an ultimate mark, which was fiercely imprinted on his Golden Core Dao Domain.

"This is--"

"The Three Yangs unite as one, the Greater Yang Dao Lineage," Divine Lord Mingyang said calmly. "Isn't that what the Sima Clan has been desperately seeking?"

Mingyang withdrew his hand, and the light emanating from his body dimmed slightly.

The blue light surrounding Sima Huanyu was also on the verge of collapse, the illusory image of the Luo River was almost dissipated, and the dragon let out a mournful cry.

"Since that's the case, then let it come!" Sima Huanyu roared upon seeing this, "The Vast Universe, the Luo River overflows! I will devour you first!"

Golden and blue light intertwined, tearing, devouring, and merging together in a frenzy.

Sima Huanyu's body trembled violently, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he felt as if he were being torn apart.

But he gritted his teeth and stubbornly held on.

"I... have roamed the Cangxuan for a hundred years... how could I... how could I die here!"

boom--

A burst of golden light erupted.

In that instant, Sima Huanyu felt as if his soul had been violently struck by something.

Then, an incomparably intense power surged into his body, merging with his Golden Core Dao Domain.

Divine Lord Mingyang revealed a smile that was deeply hidden.

Facing Sima Huanyu, the Luo River surged and flowed, and the Greater Yang's radiance was extinguished!

The Mingyang was swallowed up by the Luo River!

A Mingyang —no, the Greater Yang!

"Hahahaha--" Sima Huanyu burst into laughter, his laughter filled with madness.

"Mingyang! Did you see that? Your true spirit has been devoured by me! Your lineage now belongs to me!"

Before the laughter subsided, he suddenly froze.

Inside his body, the Mingyang True Spirit he had swallowed was struggling, resisting, and eroding his soul.

"No--"

Sima Huanyu clutched his head and roared in pain.

His body began to twist, sometimes flashing with golden light, sometimes engulfed in a deep blue.

Two forces were battling within him, vying for dominance.

final.

The golden light dimmed.

Sima Huanyu collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

He succeeded.

He refined that wisp of Mingyang's true spirit.

But he didn't notice that before the true spirit dissipated, a very faint golden light silently drifted out of the high platform and flew away into the distance.

Drifting towards the Luo River.

He then suddenly fell into a coma.

Outside the boundary.

Zhang Chen sat cross-legged, with the phantom of a golden crow flapping its wings behind him, and the radiant light of the Fusang Radiance flowing around him.

He gazed in the direction of the Wind Abyss Ruin Realm, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Great Peace Temple intends to emulate the stories of the late Han Dynasty," he said softly, as if talking to himself, or perhaps to someone else.

Behind them, a moon-white figure slowly emerged.

"The late Han Dynasty?" Greater Yin's voice drifted, "The Three Kingdoms?!"

Zhang Chen did not turn around.

"Dynastic changes are accompanied by unusual celestial phenomena," he said slowly. "During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Yan Han Dynasty, numerous calamities and anomalies occurred, far exceeding the norm in the human world."

He raised his hand and tapped gently.

In the void, a scene slowly unfolds--

The hen transformed into a rooster and crowed in the inner palace. A blue rainbow fell from the palace, shattering the imperial steps.

A black aura, like a dragon, coiled above the Wende Hall. Strange births frequently occurred in Luoyang, and a comet directly invaded Supreme Palace Enclosure Taiwei Palace.

Drought, floods, locust plagues, and epidemics followed one after another; landslides occurred, rivers overflowed, and wells froze in winter.

Heavenly Dao's will has warned the ruler, but he has failed to heed it; the fate of the Han dynasty is now like a candle flickering in the wind.

The image disappeared.

Greater Yin remained silent for a long time.

"This is..."

"Knowing the will of Heaven, promoting change, and driving the general trend," Zhang Chen said calmly.

"When yin prevails and yang declines, even the emperor's throne will crumble. Heaven and earth had already given warnings before the Han dynasty was about to collapse. But the emperor did not heed them, and loyal officials could not be saved."

He turned around and looked at Greater Yin.

"Now, it's the Sima Clan's turn."

Greater Yin looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her clear, cold eyes.

"Your Great Peace Temple has always been doing some earth-shattering things throughout history. Rebelling against the Han, usurping the Wei, defying the Jin, Cangxuan dynasty all changed hands repeatedly in this way. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Zhang Chen smiled slightly.

He looked up, gazing in the direction of Cangxuan, and murmured.

"When the Former Wei the land of the Han dynasty, there were auspicious signs of yellow and green dragons. However, the dragons were trapped in a well, which was not auspicious but rather a curse."

During the reign of Wei Ming, the Heaven-Soaring Pavilion was not built before the Magpie's Nest was constructed, a move that foreshadowed a shift in power.

During the reigns of the three emperors at the end of the Wei Dynasty, from the Zhengshi era onwards, dragons appeared in wells without ceasing. Later, Cao Fang was deposed and demoted to Duke of Duke of Gaogui Township. He wrote the Poem of the Hidden Dragon " to lament his situation, which already showed the weakness of the ruler and the strength of the ministers.

In the fifth year of Ganlu (Cao Mao), there was a solar eclipse on the first day of the month, and comets were frequently seen; in the third year of Jingyuan (Cao Huan), the Capital struck by a great earthquake, and the daytime was as dark as night.

In the second year of Xianxi (Cao Huan, the last emperor), a giant appeared in Xiangwu and said that the world would be at peace. Soon after, the Jin dynasty replaced the Wei dynasty.

The dragon of Great Wei is trapped in a well, which is a sign of the Cao Clan being controlled and the Sima family rising to power.

The so-called "Xianxi Abdication of the Tripod, Huan's relinquishment of the Mandate of Heaven, the return of the Wei Imperial House to Guixu, and the establishment of the Jin dynasty" refers to this period.

"Since the end of the Flame Han, the cycle of destiny has begun, and the reigns of dynasties are short-lived. The way of Heavenly Dao is cyclical, and the fate of the dynasty has run its course. The Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties were all but fleeting clouds."

"When celestial phenomena appear, people's hearts are in turmoil; a flying dragon soars in the sky, it is auspicious to see a great man, to encounter the rise of the true God, and to reopen the heavens to the sun and moon."

"I do not know the future, but I do know that Mingyang rises over Luoyang, the Sima Clan's destiny will be halved, and Jinling will also have the aura of an emperor."

"Sima Huanyu has fallen into a deep sleep, Huainan is without a ruler, and the Sima Clan is in turmoil. Therefore, sealing him away for a hundred years is not considered a violation of Cangxuan's rules."

Luoyang, the imperial palace.

Sima Honglin sat upright on a futon, with a myriad of spring scenes, vibrant with color, hanging before him.

Spring belongs to the Yang yang, one of the four seasons, [Spring Rain Hong Dharma Heaven].

He sat observing the world, expressionless.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

"Second Brother sent word... Are you really not going to do anything? Should we suppress the news, or will the Ancestor blame us?" Sima Canglan's voice came through.

Sima Honglin did not turn around.

"Azure Waves, what business is it of yours?"

Sima Canglan walked to his side, holding the radiant light of the communication device in his hand, and spoke to himself.

"Third brother, that's still second brother, the pillar of our Sima Clan! If he truly falls at Wind Abyss, at Great Peace Temple, or at Greater Yin's hands, Huainan will likely be lost..."

"Huainan?" Sima Honglin interrupted him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Huainan, just in time, needs someone to take over."

"Sixth Brother, do you want to become Golden Core? Do you want to ascend to the Heavenly Position?"

"My second brother holds the [Water] attribute, obeying orders but not summons, and is currently isolated in the Ruin Realm. The Water attribute cannot be without a master for even a day. In the end, this is the foundation of my Sima Clan."

Sixth Brother, do you know that the one currently sitting on the supreme throne of the Cangxuan Emperor is from my lineage?

Sima Canglan silent.

"But what about the ancestor..."

"Our ancestor is in seclusion; how can we disturb him lightly?" Sima Honglin said calmly.

"The secrets of heaven are in chaos now, beyond the ancestor's calculations. Do you think it's just Zhang Chen and Greater Yin? The ancestor is also preoccupied with his own troubles."

The message was relayed. "All is well, the Huanyu is at peace, Huainan is tranquil, and the realm is secure!"

Sima Honglin's eyes held a complex mix of emotions.

"Second Brother, you've been in charge of Huainan for too long. It's time for a change. Sixth Brother, you've obtained Firmament Heaven, taken over Huainan's meteorological bureau, and acquired [Luo River Azure Waves Heaven], so you're still worthy of the title."

Sima Canglan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

In the end, he couldn't help but nod.

"Then... I'll make arrangements in Huainan immediately."

Sima Honglin nodded, his smile growing wider.

The struggle for the crown prince position has always been like this.

The Mingyang rises over the Luo River, and for several days, not a drop of rain has fallen.

The water level dropped again and again, Luo River almost dried up, revealing piles of white bones.

An old farmer knelt by the riverbed, scooped up a handful of cracked soil, and tears streamed down his face.

"For a thousand years... the Luo River has never stopped flowing..."

Not only that, but locust plagues and other calamities You and Bing, sweeping across the Northern Frontier, blotting out the sky and obliterating the spring scenery.

Wherever it went, crops were destroyed and trees were bare.

Even with the intervention of cultivators, they could not dispel the dark clouds that filled the sky.

The people of Huainan were horrified when they discovered that the animals they kept could speak in human language.

"Disaster is imminent... disaster is imminent..."

The dog followed, crying in the middle of the night, its voice like that of an infant.

The cultivators who remained in Huainan surrounded and killed Niuquan, who continued to mutter incessantly until his death.

In the first month of the lunar calendar, a black fog also rose from the northwest, obscuring the sky and the sun, as black as ink.

The fog was so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. People stayed indoors, and those who dared to go out to check never returned.

After the fog cleared, some people saw three suns in the same sky.

Three beams of light hung in the east, one bright and two dim, lingering for a long time.

An old man knelt down and kowtowed, claiming it was the will of Heaven.

It's also Huainan.

Strange flesh fell from the sky, as large as a cartwheel, entirely blood-red, and emitting a pungent stench.

A daring person cut off a piece, only to find that the flesh would grow back after being cut, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not get rid of it all.

That night, the sounds of ghostly wails echoed throughout the city.

As monks patrolled and quelled the chaos, the ghostly wails grew even louder.

In Luoyang city.

Inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, a stick of incense that had been burning eternally went out.

The old man guarding the temple stepped forward shakily, lit the lamp three times, and extinguished it three times, the light flickering intermittently.

The old man guarding the temple knelt before the ancestral tablets, remaining silent for a long time.

In the imperial court.

The noble Aristocratic Clan and relatives submitted memorials detailing the calamities and strange occurrences.

"The northern lands are suffering a severe drought, Luo River has dried up; this is one of the disasters."

"Locusts swarm, darkening the sun; the land stretches for miles, turning barren—these are the two calamities."

"The saying goes, 'Oxen, dogs, and men speak, strange and wondrous things frequently occur; these are the Three Calamities.'"

"Black fog obscures the sky, and three suns appear simultaneously; these are the four calamities."

"Strange flesh falling from the sky, ghostly cries heard at night—these are the five calamities."

"The simultaneous arrival of five calamities is unprecedented in history. Your Majesty, I implore you to repent and offer sacrifices to Heaven to pray for blessings."

"With the supreme ruler of the Huanyu fallen, the Northern Frontier and Huainan are of paramount importance to the realm. We humbly request Your Majesty to dispatch members of the imperial family and meritorious officials to pacify these regions."

The young Sima Clan sat on his throne, his face pale.

In secret.

Sima Honglin lowered his eyes and remained silent, while Sima Canglan was carefully explaining something.

"The Cloud Mist Ye Clan presented Luoyang with various rare and precious spiritual items belonging to the Wind element, the lowest of which were at the Purple Mansion level."

"There are also countless beauties Cultivation Method; their devout and humble attitude suggests unwavering loyalty..."

"The beauties of Jiangnan are all charming, not to mention that these women who are presented as tribute are at least three Spirit Root and have special physiques."

"It seems the Ye Clan is loyal... My third brother had been quite wary and defensive towards them before, which disheartened me considerably."

"Third Brother, since you've entrusted me with the task of overseeing Huainan, I'll inevitably have to deal with the Ye Clan."

"Sharing the world with the Immortal Clan was the ancestor's national policy back then, and besides, without the Ye Clan's support, we would probably find it impossible to move an inch."

Sima Honglin was somewhat surprised, and there was also doubt in his eyes. However, his base of operations was in the north, so he could only appease him at this moment.

Thinking of this, he said softly.

"It seems that Jiangnan is still obedient, but... I remember that the fourth master of the Ye Clan was the governor of Yangzhou, so he also had the title of the garrison commander of Huainan."

"However, it's just a title. You need to hold onto the real power. With the elite forces of Huainan, even if the Golden Core cultivators don't interfere in the mortal world, the Ye Clan can't turn the world upside down."

"Third Brother's insight is brilliant! I admire you greatly."

Sima Canglan bowed respectfully.

(I need to go back to school soon ꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*), graduation thesis, graduation project, etc... so troublesome.)