Chapter 127: A Sudden Turn of Events

A thunderous roar erupted.

The sound of pealing thunder intertwined with the deep rumble of splitting earth. A sudden calamity struck Mount Fuzhong; the ground heaved and the mountains swayed, while divine lightning ascended to the heavens, transforming into bolt after bolt of jagged light, as if tearing the very sky into countless fissures. Even the cultivators residing within Mount Fuzhong felt the deafening intensity.

As the earth shook, a section of the mountain peak snapped off. Directly beneath it stood a group of disciples from the Huanhua Pavilion. Seeing the mountain mass plummeting toward them, their expressions shifted in alarm.

"Join forces and shatter it!" commanded the senior sister, Zhou.

"No need."

Hua Mei stretched out her hand and flicked her sleeve. A gentle breeze swept forth, and the falling mountain peak instantly crumbled into countless fragments, scattering in every direction. Even these disciples, hailing from the lineage of a Taoist progenitor, could not help but gaze at her with reverence.

"It seems a sudden change has occurred," Hua Mei said languidly.

Yu Ling, standing nearby with slightly reddened eyes, was not alarmed but rather delighted at the news. "Does that mean Mother doesn't have to leave?"

Just moments before, mother and daughter had been lingering in a reluctant farewell, never expecting such a turn of events.

"It is not so simple," Hua Mei said slowly. "However, this upheaval has shattered the arrays of the Shouzhen Sect and injured practitioners like Hongyang, throwing their original arrangements into chaos. This makes it much easier for us to slip away."

Just then, the commotion gradually subsided. The other Huanhua Pavilion disciples looked on with surprise, though they could not help but feel anxious.

Lu Yushuang furrowed her brows slightly and said, "Senior sisters, we were originally meant to leave under the watchful eyes of the Shouzhen Sect. Now that their arrangements are in disarray, even though the tremors have ceased, the high-level experts like Hongyang have been affected. This is the perfect opportunity."

"Well said." Hua Mei clapped her hands. "We must split up now. Each of you take a bamboo tube; later, I will instruct you on which direction to travel and where to rendezvous."

Senior Sister Zhou bowed. "Thank you."

...

In Gu County.

The old man watched the little girl at the threshold. His expression was cold and stern, though his eyes held a hint of softness. This little girl reminded him so much of his own granddaughter.

Despite his cold exterior, after spending much time together, he had grown quite fond of her. Her parents, for their part, did not stop her from coming and even treated him with great awe. As for why she came, the old man understood well enough: she had likely been coaxed by that young man.

That young man had meant well, hoping the little girl would comfort this lonely soul and ease the sorrow of his granddaughter’s passing. Yet, the stubborn old man still huffed inwardly, whispering to himself, "Meddlesome."

Just as he was about to tell the girl to get to work, his expression changed abruptly. He turned his head to see the needle on the divination plate spinning incessantly. With a look of shock and suspicion, he hurried outside to gaze into the distance.

On the far horizon, five-colored auspicious clouds drifted downward in the shape of flowing mist.

"Strange..." Yan Wang’s pupils contracted. "Five-colored clouds, divided according to the five elements, descending like flowing mist—this is the sign of a 'port of descent.' How can it resemble the legends of the 'Heaven-Opening Clouds'? But this is inverted... By all rights, such an anomaly should not appear in this world today..."

Xie Jingwen ran out, asking in alarm, "Grandfather, what is it?"

Yan Wang shook his head. "I cannot tell."

Xie Jingwen was astonished. In the time she had followed Yan Wang to learn, she had come to perceive him as a man of vast, all-encompassing knowledge. To think there was something he could not discern.

"I suspect... even the Taoist masters of the Mingyuan Temple would be unable to grasp the nature of this."

Yan Wang paused, then added, "However, there is one person who might."

"Who?" Xie Jingwen asked in surprise.

"A scholar," Yan Wang mused.

...

A group traveled through the mountains.

Leading them was a young girl in a pink dress, her features exquisite, her skin like congealed fat—a peerless beauty. She held the hand of a refined little girl, whispering something to her. Behind them walked an old man and a scholar. The old man was Elder Ge, and the scholar was Master Yunjing.

"Hmm?" Ge Guo’er looked up, her brows knitting in surprise. "What anomaly is this?"

Though she had practiced Taoism since childhood, she had never heard of such a thing. She could not help but look toward Master Yunjing.

Master Yunjing was a man of immense learning, well-versed in astronomy and geography, the ways of true men, the mysteries of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, and the essence of the nine schools and three teachings. Nothing escaped his knowledge. This anomaly before them should have been within his ken.

Yunjing frowned, a rare look of astonishment crossing his face. "By all rights, such an anomaly should not appear between heaven and earth."

He looked up at Elder Ge, Ge Guo’er, and Ge Yu’er, and bowed slightly. "I am quite curious. It seems I must change my path to investigate."

Elder Ge was slightly surprised; he had not expected Master Yunjing to decide to deviate from their course after only a single glance.

Ge Yu’er, being a cultivator, understood this impulse, though courtesy compelled her to try and persuade him to stay. "Mount Chaozhen is not far from here, and I now oversee the Cheng Yan Temple. Would it not be better for you, Master, to rest there for a while before heading toward the anomaly?"

"No." Yunjing shook his head and smiled. "I am very curious."

Hearing this, Ge Yu’er did not press him further. Master Yunjing was a man of humble speech; if he were merely 'curious,' he would say only that. But by saying he was 'very curious,' he had added an emphasis that signified his resolve.

...

The Shouzhen Sect.

An old man in Taoist robes sat on a meditation cushion, a Taiji Yin-Yang symbol etched behind him. Though he appeared to be in his sixties with graying hair, his complexion was ruddy, and he possessed the ethereal air of a true immortal. At this moment, his eyes were closed in quiet cultivation.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, which shone with a brilliant light.

"Heaven-Opening Clouds?"

In ancient times, the world was but chaos until it divided into Yin and Yang—the clear as Heaven, the turbid as Earth—and the five elements gave rise to all things. The records of the Grand Supreme Taoist Progenitor describe five-colored auspicious clouds at the dawn of time, with Yin and Yang separating: "Shimmering rays of light and auspicious omens in abundance."

But these clouds were different from the ancient Heaven-Opening Clouds; they were inverted, as if they sought to return heaven and earth to chaos.

"Is the anomaly confined to one place?" the old Taoist pondered. "Either a great power is at work, a great opportunity has arisen, or perhaps an innate treasure has appeared?"

He reached out and took up his horsetail whisk. "Where is the acolyte?"

A young acolyte in Taoist robes stepped forward and bowed low. "I am here, Master."

The old Taoist commanded, "There is an anomaly in the south. Go and investigate at once."

The acolyte hesitated. "Uncle Master Hongyang is in Luoyue County, South Liang."

The old Taoist shook his head. "He has not reached the level of a True Man; his cultivation is too shallow. Go and summon Hongliang; send him instead."

The acolyte nodded and moved to depart, then hesitated again. "Recently, the war between the Shu Kingdom and South Liang has intensified. Qi Xinnian, a disciple of the Pre-Qin Mountain and Sea Realm, has become the State Preceptor of South Liang. He is extremely wary of any disciples of our Shouzhen Sect who have reached the level of a True Man. I fear the journey will not be easy..."

The Shouzhen Sect Leader said sternly, "Then fight your way through!"

Taoism possesses two treasures: the horsetail whisk and the sword.

The sword guards the body, subdues demons, and severs all obstacles. Whether it be fate, cause and effect, or an enemy blocking the path, one must cut through them all with a single strike.