The Great Chaos

Three horses were feeding in the trough; when the trough was empty and the horses were hungry, they began to eat each other!

After seizing the throne from Cao Wei, the sons of the Sima Clan divided the power of the empire among themselves. But once they had nothing left to eat, they began to devour each other relentlessly.

This is the prophecy!

Zhang Chen.

Sima Honglin slowly rose from the imperial throne. The golden patterns on his imperial robes lit up at that moment, and a vast pressure emanated from him, causing the entire world to tremble under his might.

"You say that fellow Daoists have reached their limit of tolerance?"

His voice pierced through the void, reaching the highest heavens.

"Which fellow Daoists are you referring to? Are you from the Cloud Mist Ye Clan, the Xiaqi Xiao Clan, or the Wang, Chen, and Xie families?"

That old bastard who's been hiding in the Great Peace Temple for nearly a thousand years, never daring to show his face, dares to speak recklessly about the world?!

In the void, Zhang Chen's figure remained unseen. Only the whisk swayed gently among the clouds, each movement bringing with it a ray of green light.

"Sima Honglin, you're a smart man."

"You use your own path to seize the other paths, and your own heart to replace the heart of the world. If you take this path to its extreme, it will become your own world, your own Cangxuan."

"But have you ever considered that this world has never truly belonged to you alone?"

Sima Honglin remained silent for a moment.

Then he laughed.

The laughter started softly, gradually grew louder and louder, until it eventually took on a touch of madness.

"On what grounds?"

"Why should my empire be governed by those treacherous immortals?"

Why should we share with sects that only know how to take and not how to give? Why should we share power with those vassal kings who outwardly comply but inwardly defy them?

"I have made the world bow down, all for the sake of seizing all power over this world in my own hands!"

"Only in this way can I truly rule the Juntian! Only in this way can I truly ensure that the Great Jin Dynasty remains unshaken for eternity!"

His voice echoed throughout the heavens and earth, causing the clouds to churn and transform into golden rays that seemed to shake the very fabric of the world.

In Luoyang, countless cultivators knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

They felt the wrath emanating from the Supreme Being, the terrifying pressure that could crush everything.

Even the usually aloof Purple Mansion True Person lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at the golden pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and earth.

"In that case, Sima Honglin, let us fight a battle from beyond the heavens!"

Zhang Chen's vast and boundless voice resounded Cangxuan.

The next moment.

Sima Honglin tore open the Great Void.

"In that case, you all need not wait any longer!"

Purple clouds descend from heaven and earth, spring rain All Things Live, and thunder roars, obeying the command of one man.

Then comes the first light of dawn, the changing of seasons, the re-pressing and connecting of the Wu Earth, the rising of the Golden Crow, and peace throughout the land!

From the misty rain of Jiangnan, a vast Azure Nether Wind rises; a sword pierces the air, a thousand miles of autumn desolation, the Autumn Waters and Boundless Sky are filled with heartless hatred.

Great Peace Temple has rebelled!!

The news spread like wildfire.

"The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise. The Jin Imperial House has lost its virtue, and the whole world is chasing after it."

In the past Mingyang shone brightly, and all people looked up to its virtue; now, the Luo River flows on and on, and the people suffer in vain.

The Sima Clan usurped the throne of Wei, slaughtered loyal officials, and enslaved the people; their crimes are immeasurable. Now, by the mandate of Heaven, we raise a righteous army to punish the wicked, to secure the state, and to save the people.

In the seventh year of Yongning, the Jiazi cycle coincided, and the energies of heaven and earth converged, and yin and yang returned to their origin.

Great Peace Temple used grass and trees as weapons, controlled the Ruin Realm of the world as a guide, Cangxuan people of the thirteen provinces shook the royal court of the Jin Imperial House dynasty.

The Jin Court was in complete panic!

When news of the Great Peace Temple uprising reached Qingzhou, it was the middle of summer!

[Summer Vast Mysterious Blazing Heaven]

[Xia] ascended the throne, burning fires across the land, endless warfare, smoke and dust stretching for thousands of miles, the sun and moon sharing the same sorrow.

The Qingzhou.

King Sima Jiong of Qi sat upright in the main seat, his crown with tassels and pearls obscuring half his face, making his expression unreadable.

Two rows of civil and military officials stood below the hall, some with their heads bowed in silence, others with shifty eyes, and not one of them uttered a word.

Sima Jiong's fingers tapped lightly on the jade table, each tap seeming to strike the hearts of everyone present.

"More than a month ago, the Great Peace Temple, under the banner of 'Yellow Heaven, Great Peace,' openly rebelled against the imperial court."

Subsequently, various immortal clans rebelled and ceded territory to defend themselves!

Most of the four prefectures of Yanzhou (Xie), Xuzhou (Chen), Yuzhou (Great Peace Temple), Bingzhou (Great Peace Temple) fell.

The imperial garrison commanders of various prefectures were massacred, along with more than four hundred Ruin Realm under the control of the imperial court!

The native inhabitants of the Purple Mansion, who should have died, were resurrected and launched an attack. The Ruin Realm had been lost, and they cried out for peace under heaven!

Coupled with the previous uprising of the Wei Imperial House's remnants in Ye Capital, the restoration of the Wei emperor, and the resulting turmoil across the land, rebellions were raised simultaneously.

"The imperial court is overwhelmed and unable to suppress the rebellion..."

Sima Jiong's voice was eerily calm, as if he were reading a report that had nothing to do with him.

Jia Chuo, the Jia Chuo of Qingzhou, stepped forward, his voice hoarse. "And... His Majesty... no, [the Primordial Supreme Equal Sovereign Heaven] has issued an edict ordering each prefecture's garrison to raise its own troops to quell the rebellion and to hold their ground!"

"The Yellow Turbans have amassed millions of soldiers, gathering at Hulao, where the two True Lord of Great Peace Temple, along with that mysterious Earth-element True Lord... are engaged in a battle with the Supreme Being beyond the heavens, the outcome of which is unknown... all that is known is that the imperial court is currently unable to attend to the local areas..."

"Unable to attend to it." Sima Jiong carefully considered these four words.

He suddenly laughed, "Qingzhou has five prefectures and twenty-seven counties, covering three thousand miles, and encompassing hundreds of millions of people. Is there really no one left to look north?"

No one answered.

In this situation, Sima Jiong couldn't help but want to express his opinion!

"I do not understand."

Sima Jiong stood up, the tassels of his crown clinking crisply, and his gaze swept across the faces of everyone below.

"Why is everyone talking about the collapse of the empire, the instability of the court, and the discord among the heavens? It's as if the Great Jin Dynasty is about to crumble tomorrow."

He walked down the steps, each step heavy.

"Twenty years ago, since I took office in Qingzhou, I have served as the governor of the imperial court. I have carried out water conservancy projects, diverting the Zi River 80,000 li of farmland; I have also opened up trade routes, allowing the sale of fine materials from the Eastern Sea to all parts of the world, even to the Ruin Realm."

They even quelled the troublemaking Eastern Sea Flood Dragon Clan, beheading them and displaying their heads at the city gates for three years, bringing peace and prosperity to the region!

Sima Jiong's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

At that time, the people of the five prefectures and twenty-seven counties of Qingzhou, as well as the immortal Aristocratic Clan, all welcomed him with utmost sincerity!

Merchants flocked to the market, farmers tilled the fields, and cultivators flew back and forth on their swords like a woven tapestry. The imperial court's benevolence and power were truly boundless; that vibrant scene of life and flourishing diversity is still vivid in my mind!

He turned around abruptly, his crown tassels flying off, revealing a flushed face.

"Could it be that, twenty years from now, Qingzhou will become my final resting place?!"

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.

After a long silence, Jia Chuo whispered, "Your Majesty, the Langya Wang Clan... has already sealed off the entire Qingzhou."

[Summer Vast Mysterious Blazing Heaven] personally ordered the three thousand most elite Fire Qi Tiger Guards of the Wang Clan to be deployed.

They have already occupied the three counties Linzi Qingzhou and Linzi last night, completely surrounding the city of Qingzhou.

He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice even further. "Moreover, most of the officials, nobles, and even those few cultivation Aristocratic Clan in Qingzhou City... have been intermarrying with the Wang Clan family for generations and are already their people."

At this moment, let alone sending troops to defend the king, even within this governor's mansion, those willing to live and die with the king... are probably less than 30%.

The color drained from Sima Jiong's face little by little.

He looked around.

How many of those silent, bowing civil and military officials had, beneath their robes, already concealed letters of loyalty to the Wang Clan?

How many people's communication talismans are currently connected to the Tiger Warrior camp outside the city?

Sima Jiong suddenly deflated.

He slowly walked back to the main seat, and the tassels of his crown fell down again, obscuring his lifeless eyes.

"Alas... It is not that I am disloyal, but that my ministers are incompetent. I was willing to fight to the death, but my men are not united."

He sighed deeply, as if he had convinced himself.

"Then... quickly help me change my clothes."

A military officer in the hall blurted out, "Does Your Majesty intend to fight the Wang Clan to the death?!"

Sima Jiong flew into a rage, grabbed a jade paperweight from the table, and threw it at the enemy. "What kind of battle is this! The Wang Clan is benevolent; how could they kill me?! I'll change my clothes and surrender!"

The paperweight struck the general on the forehead and fell to the ground with a clatter.

All the officials and soldiers in the hall were stunned for a moment, then knelt down in unison, their voices even louder than before. "Your Majesty is wise!"

Sima Jiong slumped onto the throne, suddenly feeling an urge to laugh.

The sword that slew the dragon twenty years ago is still hanging on the wall behind me.

The dragon blood on the scabbard had long since faded, but the silk ribbon wrapped around the hilt had been replaced several times.

Every time a new king was appointed, someone would praise him, saying, "His Majesty's prowess remains undiminished."

Now it seems that the sword will never have another chance to be drawn.

Now that things have come to this, even the imperial court is no longer concerned!

You can't expect me, a Purple Mansion four Divine Ability powers, to take down True Lord!

Half a day later, Sima Jiong, dressed in plain clothes, bare-chested, carrying a bundle of thorns on his back, and holding the seal of the Qingzhou, knelt outside the city gate of Linzi.

Three thousand Fire Qi Tiger Guards stood on either side, their Li Fire armor reflecting a dazzling scarlet light under the sunlight.

Under his banner, Wang Dunhua, clad in a crimson robe, looked down at the prostrate Sima Clan prince.

"King Qi is a man of great wisdom and righteousness, and I am very pleased with him."

Wang Dunhua's voice was completely devoid of any emotion.

Sima Jiong pressed his forehead against the cold stone bricks, not daring to raise his head.

He only saw a pair of crimson combat boots pause in front of him for a moment before walking straight past them and heading Linzi the city gate of Linzi.

A deafening roar, like a tsunami, came from behind.

"Greetings, True Lord".

Wang True Lord arrived in Linzi, the capital of Qingzhou, Linzi he had always been loyal to!

Sima Jiong's forehead sank even deeper.

As people grow old, they often reminisce about their glorious past.

Twenty years ago, when the Eastern Sea Flood Dragon Clan was wiped out, the Jiaolong King also prostrated himself at his feet in this manner before his death.

In the eyes of the dragon king, there was resentment, anger, but even more so, piety and a hope for a way out!

Just like myself right now.

So this is what it tastes like.

The news of Qingzhou's change of allegiance was like a pebble thrown into stagnant water; before the ripples could spread, it was swallowed up by a larger wave.

Three days later, Sima Wei, the governor of Xuzhou and the King of Chu, surrendered in Pengcheng, presenting his seal of office.

His excuse was that he "couldn't bear to see the people of Xuzhou suffer from war," but in reality, it was because six of his eight Purple Mansion cultivators had already secretly defected to the Xie Clan.

The Xie Clan presented their Golden Core Law Treasure, the [Marshland Heavenly Luan Bottle]!

Taking advantage of the vast expanse of water flowing down the Si River, they conquered the entire territory of Xuzhou without bloodshed.

Two days later, Sima Yao, the governor of Yanzhou, refused to surrender and was beheaded by his subordinate Yamen General, the Purple Mansion Great True Person Gongsun Hao.

The severed head was placed in a lacquered box and escorted by twelve Purple Mansion attendants, and delivered overnight to the immortal abode of the Yingchuan Chen Clan.

Chen Yi's father, Chen Jiuping, a Grand Master of the Purple Mansion Great True Person -ranking official in the imperial court, personally presided over the reception ceremony.

In front of all the officials of Yanzhou, he placed the lacquer box under the banner of the Mountain Elephant Dao Soldiers and said in a deep voice, "Yanzhou is the pivot of the mountains and rivers."

"The Chen Clan is willing to serve as governors and prefects for the imperial court, and dares not refuse."

Officials from Yanzhou all knelt down.

Ten days later, Yuzhou fell completely.

After resisting for some time, Sima Mao, the governor of Yuzhou, mobilized all the spiritual materials in the Yuzhou treasury and set up the Hunyuan Primordial Hun River and Luo River Formation, vowing to live and die with the city.

However, the formation fell to the Great Peace Temple army less than an hour after it was activated!

All officials, high and low, in Yuzhou shall be executed!

Sima Mao was captured alive, his Divine Ability were stripped away, and his body was trampled by the people!

Within half a month, almost all the fertile lands east of Sili had fallen out of the control of the imperial court.

Zhong Mountain in Jiangnan, Yangzhou.

Ye Jinyu leaned against the railing of the Riverside Pavilion, holding a Jade Slip slip in her hand, which was a copy of a surrender document.

The language is elegant and full of quotations, making it seem as if those who turn away from God for personal gain are upholding the righteous path.

He threw the Jade Slip slip into the river.

"Of the thirteen prefectures of the Great Jin Dynasty, how many are left?" Ye Jinyu interrupted him.

"Sili, Yongzhou, and... Yizhou in Central Shu." Yu Liang closed the silk scroll. "However, Yizhou is mountainous and isolated from the Central Plains. The governor there is a collateral branch of the Sima Clan, and may not still obey the orders of Luoyang."

"Yongzhou is the territory of the Xiaqi Xiao Clan, so the imperial court only has Sili Prefecture left."

Ye Jinyu looked back at the river.

Spring waters are just beginning to rise, the vast expanse of water is shrouded in mist, and a few fishing boats appear and disappear in the thin fog. The prosperity of Jiangnan seems to have never been disturbed in the slightest by the flames of war in the north.

What did Mr. Jia Ru say?

"Mr. Jia only had four words," Yu Liang paused, "Go with the flow."

Ye Jinyu's lips curled up slightly.

"Go with the flow. Those who act rashly before the opportune moment arrives will become a laughingstock."

The world is now in a state of flux, collapsing in a way that no one could have predicted.

The layout of Great Peace Temple in the Ruin Realm is like gunpowder that has been buried for thousands of years, just waiting for a fuse.

The people of the Ruin Realm had been oppressed for hundreds of years, and when they finally erupted, their destruction was utterly devastating.

And those high and mighty immortal Aristocratic Clan, at this moment, have also torn off their masks of "loyalty, filial piety, and devotion to the ruler," revealing their fangs—

The Wang Clan took Qingzhou, the Xie Clan swallowed Xuzhou, and the Chen Clan seized Yuzhou.

"In this world, there are only two kinds of people: those who wield the pieces and those who are merely pawns. If you don't want to be a pawn forever, you must learn to make your move before others have even grasped the overall situation."

In the distance, several Ye Clan returned on their swords from their Purple Mansion, landing in front of the Riverside Pavilion and kneeling on one knee.

"Young Master, Yunlan has issued an urgent summons."

"Explain."

"Our ancestor said: The land of Jiangnan should be a shield and a fortress for the Ye Clan; it should be taken!"

"Report to Yunlan that Jinyu knows."

"The time has come! Raise your army today! Now is the time to seize Jiangnan!"