Rain of the Great Mourning

Something's not right!

There's something wrong with this rain!

Zhang Xuezhou had little concept of day and night, and his physiological needs, such as food, were also very low.

Zhang Xuezhou lost track of time reading and contemplating in the Qilin Pavilion, only occasionally noticing the occasional words from the rotating imperial historians.

The continuous rain has been falling all day.

For some superstitious people, this was a sign from heaven bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager, a great mourning rain.

But for some people in the Qilin Pavilion, the rain shouldn't have lasted so long, nor should it have started at this time.

Normal rainwater is sweet and tasteless, but this rainwater has a slightly earthy smell, just like river or sea water!

Sima Tan, who prefers night shifts, was invited out during the day to participate in rainwater testing.

His expression was solemn as he continuously tried to determine the source of the rain.

"Could it be that the water god has diverted water from the Jing River and the Huai River to cause rainfall?"

"Only a water god skilled in controlling rain could bring down this much rainfall!"

Was the water god, who controls rain, seeing off the Empress Dowager at her funeral?

"When did our Great Han Dynasty ever have any connection with the rain god? Not to mention those evil demons who control water, even the later Dragon God was under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Court and had nothing to do with us!"

Sima Tan's judgment was not new; the rainwater he detected had been detected by others earlier, so it was more of a verification.

The Grand Astrologer is responsible for the celestial phenomena during funeral rites. The current situation has clearly exceeded the budget, prompting many officials to discuss the matter back and forth to avoid being punished if the weather does not meet the requirements during the funeral procession.

"The Jing River and the Huai River wind around Chang'an City. In the past, the rain gods surrounding the capital were the strongest among the water gods. During the Qin Dynasty, Yinglong Huaxu controlled these waterways, but a hundred years after Huaxu's death, no one has been heard of taking over," Sima Tan said with a headache. "We don't know the names of the water gods. How can we communicate with them and ask them to stop this endless rain!"

"The only way is to flee far away and survey the surrounding area to find the place where the rain is controlled!"

"The area covered by this rain probably stretches for hundreds of miles; how can we possibly find it?"

"Where did this powerful individual come from, capable of casting spells that cover such a long distance?"

"The rain has been lasting for a very long time, and judging by the steady pace of the downpour, it's very likely to continue for the next few days!"

When Sima Tan mentioned his headache, the historians also responded.

Tianlu Qilin Pavilion not only has Sima Tan the ability to see and hear the heavens and earth, but Sima Tan is also the most skilled in this art.

Sima Tan was helpless, not to mention the others.

The common understanding is that when a Technique Method is cast, everything within the casting range can be clearly seen in an instant. However, the techniques of seeing and hearing the heavens and hearing the earth are not much different from the Yang Soul's patrol; both are based on what the eyes see.

This is a technique that allows for stealthy and secure reconnaissance, but it is not omniscient or omnipotent, and it is limited by its range and distance.

After some discussion, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing techniques that Sima Tan and the others were skilled in were not as good as the Venerable One's Yang Soul Incarnation's patrol.

"I think this continuous rain is more like the water god searching for something, rather than them deliberately casting spells to draw water," Sima Tan said. "Could it be that they also covet the Nine Dragon Cauldron?"

"Master Li is with the Nine Dragon Cauldron. They'd better think twice before trying to rob us of any amount!"

"To be able to defeat the Nine Spirits Primal Sage so quickly, Master Li's strength is no exaggeration to be Tongtian, far beyond what the Water God can even dream of!"

"If they actually try to seize the Nine Dragon Cauldron, they'll have run into a brick wall!"

"The Nine Dragon Cauldron doesn't need to be searched for so many days; this kind of rain can't take it away!"

No one had a definite answer in their hearts, and Sima Tan turned his gaze to the Jing River and the Wei River in the distance.

If the waters of these two rivers are not diverted to directly impact Chang'an City, no water demon can steal the Nine Dragon Cauldron.

The lingering rain was not to commemorate the Empress Dowager, nor to search for the Nine Dragon Cauldron, but rather for something else.

He observed the world around him and began to search intently for the source of the rain, hoping to solve the problem directly.

"Water God... Ao Li's water palace is right here. What is he searching for by raining down? Ao Li isn't a dragon who can't afford to lose. Does he suddenly want to retrieve the Dragon Pearl? How can raining down help him search for treasure?"

Zhang Xuezhou put down the "Yin Yang Da Huan Jing" in his hand.

The discussions among numerous officials were no secret to him; Zhang Xuezhou could even guess the source of the rain.

Zhang Xuezhou couldn't figure out what Ao Li was looking for, but he was connected to Ao Li by a dragon ball.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't have the Dragon Ball for very long, and of course, he didn't have it on his own for very long either. After putting it in his mouth for about ten days, it was already ruined when he took it out.

Destroying the Dragon Ball wasn't intentional sabotage; after all, Zhang Xuezhou was counting on the Dragon Ball to nourish the demon core, or to use it to advance the "Technique Within the Clouds" further.

He himself didn't benefit from the Dragon Balls, so why would he cause any damage?

However, since the dragon ball had indeed been destroyed by him, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but shrink back for a moment, feeling a bit uneasy. He realized that he could no longer use the yang body formed from the demon core at will, lest he invite trouble.

"I'll still memorize this information carefully. Once I'm back in reality in a couple of days, I'll discuss it further with An Ran and try to find conditions that will allow An Ran to reach the Divine Ability Realm. Then we'll deduce the normal cultivation methods available at the Divine Ability Realm!"

Instead of the immortals from the Immortal Court appearing at Anle Palace to seize the Nine Dragon Cauldron, the Water God Dragon King brought rain to erode Chang'an City, a situation that was somewhat unexpected for Zhang Xuezhou.

But Zhang Xuezhou didn't pay much attention to the continuous rain.

He spent several days at the Qilin Pavilion, and judging from the continuous rain outside, he probably wouldn't be able to make it to the Empress Dowager's funeral.

If there were no external disturbances, Zhang Xuezhou would go straight home and wait to travel back to the real world to convert the vast amount of Yin-Yang School content he had memorized into real text, and then study and discuss it with Ren Anran and others.

Without Huang Daoxian's oppression, Zhang Xuezhou would have devoted most of his time to research, or waited for Ren Yisheng and others to enter the Seventh Sequence, thus advancing the plan to delve into Qinmeng to search for spirit jade, ferocious beasts, and other things.

As for Zhang Xuezhou's approach to the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, he is taking it one step at a time. After all, he can't do anything to it, so he can only isolate the dangerous object from himself. Even if the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon controls his body, it will be impossible for the demon to obtain it.

"Aquatic creatures are fighting incessantly along the Jing and Wei rivers. Rain is pouring down, and the water demons are locked in a chaotic battle. The corpses of these demons float in the floodwaters. The officials patrolling the waters have likely been swept away. You must quickly report this to the Weiyang Palace, Changxin Palace, and Anle Palace!"

Only when Sima Tan loudly proclaimed the reason did Zhang Xuezhou snap out of his reading.

The rain had nothing to do with the Dragon Ball. Due to the grand funeral of the Empress Dowager, the court in Chang'an City was in a semi-paralyzed state, focusing more on defense, which led to a slow response to many things.

At least in dealing with abnormal rainfall, the imperial court has been extremely negligent, and the results were only obtained through investigation by the Grand Astrologer Sima Tan.

"The incessant fighting among the aquatic creatures is causing rain, and if this continues, it could lead to flooding in Chang'an City. The areas near the East and West Markets are low-lying and could be submerged, potentially even affecting the inner city!"

Zhang Xuezhou has always been someone who keeps to himself and only steps in when there's no one else to hold things up.

He never imagined that the rain would affect his own area.

If the rain doesn't stop, there's a high chance that the houses in their area will be flooded, and they may already be affected.