Chapter 786: Disregarding the Days

As the local Earth God, and one of the first deities to appear in the city after the flood, the elder naturally knew how to find the cultivators of the Qianyuan Sect. He used earth burrowing to travel directly through most of the city, arriving outside the ruined city gate.

All four city gate panels had been found intact. They were now propped up to temporarily block the entrances. Although they couldn't be opened or closed flexibly, they at least offered some protection against wild beasts.

Just outside the city gate, at the base of the city wall, two immortal cultivators were meditating cross-legged. The mud and sand on the ground subtly shifted, a wisp of smoke emerged from beneath, and the Earth God, holding his staff, rose from the ground.

"Greetings, Honored Immortals,"

The Earth God bowed with cupped hands towards the two cultivators. Both were high-ranking immortals from the Qianyuan Sect, of great lineage and unfathomable cultivation.

The two meditating cultivators opened their eyes and looked at the elder before them. One of them spoke.

"Earth God, there's no need for such formality. What brings you here?"

The elder did not beat around the bush. He took the previously mentioned circular white jade from a pocket in his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

"This item suddenly appeared in my possession. Seeing it, I dared not delay and immediately brought it to you, Honored Immortals. If your esteemed sect truly has an Elder Lu, please deliver this on my behalf."

The two cultivators exchanged a glance. One of them stood up, walked to the Earth God, bowed briefly, and then took the peace knot from his hands.

"This is..."

The cultivator stopped speaking as soon as he started. The other person also stepped forward to examine the white jade, then quickly questioned the Earth God.

"Was there any other aura when you received this jade?"

"No, there wasn't."

The Earth God answered truthfully. Judging by the cultivators' expressions, the person indicated on the white jade must indeed exist.

"Very well. Please return and continue managing the city's affairs. We will handle this jade."

"Understood. I will take my leave."

The Earth God said no more. After bowing, he vanished directly before them. Once the Earth God was gone, one of the cultivators remained outside the city meditating, while the other leaped up, riding the wind, and soared away.

Half a day later, this Qianyuan Sect disciple descended from the sky onto a small mountain. Though not large, the mountain remained lush and verdant even in the depths of winter, with spiritual springs flowing and exotic flowers blooming. Throughout the mountain, Qianyuan Sect disciples were meditating cross-legged, and subtle protective formations surrounded it, revealing it to be a treasure of the Qianyuan Sect.

In the center of the small mountain was a cluster of somewhat refined buildings. However, there were only a few dwellings, and the pavilions were not tall. These structures, though modest, served as temporary resting places for several high-ranking figures of the Qianyuan Sect.

The cultivator walked with light steps towards the center. In the courtyard, the old beggar, Dao Yuanzi, Lian Baihe, and another long-bearded elder from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion sat around a table, gazing at several copper coins. Seeing that no one inside moved or spoke, the cultivator hesitated for a moment, then formally bowed towards them.

"Disciple Gu Tang requests an audience with Sect Master Zhenren and Elder Lu."

The old beggar and Dao Yuanzi turned their heads to look outside the courtyard.

"What is it?"

"Disciple has come to deliver this item. It requests Elder Lu's personal opening. I do not know who left it; it appeared directly in the hands of the city's Earth God. Aside from a faint fragrance, no other special aura remains."

"For me?"

The old beggar glanced at Dao Yuanzi, stood up, walked to the entrance, and reached out to take the jade pendant from the cultivator. Indeed, engraved on it were the words: "For Elder Lu Niansheng of Qianyuan Sect, Personally Open."

"Junior Brother, your whereabouts have been quite secretive. In previous confrontations, you haven't even had to directly intervene. Who could have sent this message?"

"We'll know once we see."

The old beggar held the jade ring, examining it for a moment. He brought it to his nose, sniffed, and then cracked a smile.

"This item likely came from a woman's hand; it carries a faint scent of earthly rouge."

As he spoke, the old beggar focused his mind on the white jade. With a surge of thought, he broke through its simple internal restriction. A faint, almost imperceptible divine sense extended from within, revealing the information left by Niu Batian.

After a long while, the old beggar finally frowned and looked at Dao Yuanzi.

"Senior Brother, this message was left by a reliable person. Its content is brief but truly alarming. It seems the Heavenly Revelation Alliance is no longer afraid of divine retribution."

"What do you mean?"

The old beggar didn't elaborate. He simply gestured for the cultivator at the courtyard entrance to leave. After the latter, understanding the cue, said, "Disciple takes his leave," and departed, the old beggar returned to the table in the courtyard. He reached for the array of copper coins, flipped two coins on the south side, and set one coin upright.

A sharp intake of breath...

"How dare they..."

Lian Baihe and the other long-bearded elder immediately stood up. Dao Yuanzi, still seated at the table, narrowed his eyes. Under the resonance between heaven and man, seeing the altered copper coins, his reaction was even stronger than that of the two elders.

There was no need to ask the old beggar if it was "true" or similar questions. With the coins altered, the previously obscure heavenly omens became much clearer. Coupled with the feedback from the resonance between heaven and man and their spiritual platforms, they could essentially confirm the facts.

"More talk is useless," Dao Yuanzi said. "Demons and monsters never act according to common sense. Besides, the Heavenly Revelation Alliance has always had more than just the Nine-tailed Fox Demon. It's a pity we didn't encounter them in the previous battle."

Dao Yuanzi's gaze flickered to his junior brother. He knew the origin of the supreme treasure in his junior brother's possession and had wanted to borrow it to examine earlier. Unfortunately, the old beggar only allowed him to look at it while holding it himself, never giving him a chance to handle it.

After saying this, Dao Yuanzi directly strode out of the courtyard and issued a loud command.

"Qianyuan Sect disciples, heed my command! Do not hesitate to reveal yourselves before mortals. Any demonic creatures or fiends you encounter are to be swiftly eliminated on sight. Inform all sects, schools, islands, and caves to immediately dispatch disciples to increase coastal patrols. Also, send envoys to all mortal kingdoms, bearing this as your decree!"

His voice resonated throughout the small mountain. Simultaneously, beams of light emanated from Dao Yuanzi's hand, flowing to various points on the mountain—all directives from the Sect Master.

Moments later, immortal light flared across the small mountain. Streaks of light shot towards the sky, then dispersed in all directions.

Niu Batian and Lu Shan-jun were, of course, aware of the old beggar's identity. Moreover, members of the Heavenly Revelation Alliance had previously reported encountering a formidable beggar. Based on these characteristics, it was easy to guess his identity. Therefore, Niu Batian relayed his mission and the information he knew, confident that even if the recipient wasn't Lu Niansheng himself, the white jade would most likely reach a high-ranking figure within the Qianyuan Sect.

Niu Batian's previous mission had been to establish a "Grand Summoning Formation" with several companions. Over the years, the Heavenly Revelation Alliance had secretly used inter-realm ferries to cause trouble in various regions. They had also pinpointed suitable spiritual nodes between realms and established connections with the Two Desolations. Covertly, they had formed a network of demons and evil cultivators.

Originally, the timing was far from ripe for such a move. However, they were now suddenly planning an all-out gamble in Tianyu Continent, preparing to 'awaken on behalf of heaven' ahead of schedule. While they claimed to be cleansing the world's impurities and recreating the cosmos, their true intention was to summon various demons and monsters, including those from the Two Desolations who had established ties with the Heavenly Revelation Alliance, and bring a significant number of them to Tianyu Continent.

There was no need to fear fate or divine retribution; they intended to do whatever they pleased. By any means necessary, they would seize the destiny of the land from the weak human race. If they were already acting on behalf of Heaven, what was there to care about?

Of course, because he was within the Heavenly Revelation Alliance and had his own concerns, the old bull couldn't explain everything perfectly clearly in the white jade peace knot. However, he broadly conveyed a significant degree of warning, and with the capabilities of high-ranking immortal cultivators, they should be able to deduce a great deal.

On a morning more than ten days later, in the capital of a mortal kingdom in the southern part of Tianyu Continent, an early court session was being held in the imperial palace's grand hall.

The monarch sat on his throne, rubbing his forehead, observing the ceaselessly arguing officials below. Wars, natural disasters, plagues, and even strange incidents like demon disturbances in various places had long kept the emperor from sleeping soundly. He asked himself why, though he wasn't a tyrannical ruler, there were so many calamities this year.

"Your Majesty, with internal strife and external threats, we must temporarily halt military action, provide disaster relief, and distribute grain to appease the populace. It will not be too late to resume war after a period of recovery."

"Your Majesty," another minister began, "this old minister believes Lord Lu's words hold some truth, but simultaneously, we must conscript and train new soldiers. With internal strife and external threats, and strong enemies at our borders, we cannot simply cease fighting whenever we wish. Furthermore, with internal unrest widespread, bandits running rampant, and even demons appearing, how can we ensure our safety if our military strength is insufficient?"

"This..."

"There's truth to that..."

"Nonsense! Our armies outside have withdrawn and are sufficient to guard our homeland. We hold the advantage; if we initiate peace talks, they will naturally succeed!"

The ministers below resumed their argument. The emperor rubbed his forehead; he knew perfectly well that things would only worsen if this continued. However, there truly seemed to be no solution that would satisfy both sides. Moreover, the enemy nation was in an even worse state, and perhaps they could be crushed, relieving domestic anxieties through plunder. Otherwise, this war would have been fought in vain.

"Silence, all of you!"

A booming voice suddenly emerged, silencing all other sounds in the grand hall. Everyone's attention immediately turned to the hall's entrance. The nearby guards were startled and instinctively gripped their sword hilts.

"Who are you, daring to cause a disturbance before the Golden Hall?"

A guard challenged, stepping directly towards the newcomer. But the latter merely cast a glance at the guard, and a terrifying deterrent force froze him in place.

"I am an immortal cultivator from Qianyuan Sect, residing on Mount Yuanyuan in the sea. I have come specifically to inform Your Majesty and all ministers to cease all hostilities immediately. The nation's armies must fully dedicate themselves to purging domestic corruption, suppressing bandits, eliminating evil creatures, and destroying illicit shrines..."

The words, spoken from afar, drew closer. The newcomer moved like a shifting shadow, arriving directly in the center of the grand hall.

"Furthermore, I request Your Majesty to issue a proclamation to the entire realm: establish altars and summon all righteous gods, minor deities, spirits, and local Earth Gods within the nation. Temporarily set aside the boundaries of interference between humans and gods, and collectively heed the commands of my Qianyuan Sect to jointly uphold the human path!"

Everyone in the hall was bewildered and astonished, but the newcomer merely flicked a sleeve. A scroll, glowing with faint golden light, flew from his sleeve, unfurled, and bathed in immortal radiance, floated directly into the emperor's hands.

"Hold this scroll, establish altars, and summon all deities across the nation. You will receive a response!"

The messenger immortal cultivator had arrived swiftly and departed just as quickly. After speaking, clouds formed beneath his feet, and he flew directly out of the grand hall and ascended into the sky. He left behind a hall full of ministers and other witnesses exclaiming "Divine Immortal!" while the emperor, clutching the scroll, remained stunned and silent. A divine will emanated from it, causing him to understand many things.