Chapter 149: The Beginning of Chaos

A glimmer of light appeared on the grey horizon.

In the early morning, everything stirred.

At Sword Dao Sect, Purple Heaven Dao Gate, Lotus Pond Town, and other corners of the Southern Continent, different people watched the sunrise from different angles. They gazed at the golden-rimmed red sun as it brightly illuminated the grey world, making it clear and vibrant.

The stars and moon lost their color, retreating behind the azure sky. The entire sky became like a vast mirror, yet it reflected not a single shadow of the earth.

By the lotus pond, Old Master Zhang watched the sunrise with the giant python.

In the old house, Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling had both been sleepless all night. Their white clothes and white dresses looked like snow accumulated for many years.

"Senior Brother, the Four Peaks Sword Assembly is about to begin," Ning Xiaoling said, her face clouded with worry. As she watched the light outside grow brighter with unstoppable speed, her heart gradually darkened.

Ning Changjiu did not reply. His mood was equally heavy. For the past three days, he had seemingly not left the room, yet his spirit had roamed the town, investigating many potential exits, all without success. He gradually realized that even if he found an exit, with Old Master Zhang's suppression of their cultivation, they might not be able to leave.

"Immortal Masters, would you like some morning porridge?" Qiusheng asked, gently tapping on the window.

Ning Xiaoling was about to refuse, but Ning Changjiu stood up and, with a slight smile, thanked him.

As Ning Changjiu stepped out of the room for the first time in three days, Ning Xiaoling followed him out.

"Could you tell me about your grandfather?" Ning Changjiu suddenly asked.

Qiusheng found it a little strange, but after thinking seriously for a moment, he said, "Grandfather? What could be special about Grandfather?"

Ning Changjiu asked, "What is Old Master Zhang's original name?"

Qiusheng was taken aback, then said somewhat shyly, "Grandfather's name is very difficult to write. I haven't had much schooling. If you really want to know, Immortal Master, you could look at the seal he engraved."

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling sat down at the table and had a bowl of white porridge.

The black cat jumped up onto the long bench. It seemed not to like the white porridge; after sniffing it, it let out a few whimpers, sitting with them for a while. Xiaolian sat next to the cat; for some reason, she, who was usually carefree, looked rather unhappy.

After finishing his porridge, Ning Changjiu looked at the little girl, who today had two pigtails sticking up, and asked, "How old is Xiaolian this year?"

Qiusheng said, "Xiaolian is only two years younger than me, but she looks smaller. Our mother died after giving birth to Xiaolian..."

Ning Changjiu comforted him, "This place is blessed with outstanding people and spirits. Xiaolian will surely grow up healthy."

Qiusheng nodded gently, "That's true. Those demonic beasts used to be very fierce, but after coming to our town, they all became as docile as Little Black. It's just as Grandfather always says, 'The local environment nurtures its people.'"

Ning Changjiu asked, "Does the Old Master have any other paintings?"

Qiusheng was momentarily stunned, then replied, "Grandfather has painted so many paintings in his life, how would I know?"

Ning Changjiu asked no more questions. He glanced at the painting in the center of the wall again, nodded with a smile, and thanked Qiusheng for his hospitality.

Ning Xiaoling was not quite ready to give up. Feigning indifference, she asked, "Does that painting have a name?"

Qiusheng looked in the direction she was pointing, at the painting hanging in the center of the wall, and nodded, "Of course it does."

Ning Xiaoling suppressed her excitement and carefully asked, "Then... what is it called?"

Qiusheng thought for a moment, then replied, "It's simply called 'Lotus Pond Town'."

"..." Ning Xiaoling was deflated again.

Shortly after the brother and sister returned to their room, Old Master Zhang walked in from outside. He glanced at the uncleaned dishes on the table and asked, "Where are they?"

Qiusheng handed the cat to Xiaolian, and Xiaolian took the cat to play in the backyard.

He looked at his grandfather and replied, "The two Immortal Masters went back to their room."

Old Master Zhang nodded and walked into the wooden building. He knew that the brother and sister were not simple, especially the young man, who must be harboring some great secret. However, with their current cultivation level, it would be impossible for them to leave this town.

Yet, for some reason, Old Master Zhang suddenly recalled the look in the white-clothed young man's eyes when he first saw him that night.

Ning Changjiu... Old Master Zhang confirmed he had never seen him before.

Still uneasy, he walked towards their room.

The door was not fully closed, and Old Master Zhang stepped inside. His gaze slowly swept across the entire room. The bedding was neatly folded, the shoes on the floor, the potted plants, the wall hangings—everything was in its original place, looking clean and tidy. There wasn't even a speck of dust on the floor.

But there was no one in the room.

"Qiusheng," Old Master Zhang called his name.

Qiusheng quickly ran in and asked, "What's wrong, Grandfather?"

Old Master Zhang pointed to the empty room and asked, "Where are they?"

Qiusheng's eyes widened in surprise. "I... I distinctly saw them go in," he stammered.

Old Master Zhang frowned. He went to the desk, his finger tracing its edge, and suddenly felt a tiny speck of ink. An absurd thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

"Impossible," he thought. "Even the most prodigious genius, even under my personal tutelage, would need at least three months to grasp the rudiments of my painting. This young man must be playing tricks on me..." Old Master Zhang rubbed his fingers together, scattering the speck of ink. His gaze swept the surroundings, searching for clues.

It was a pity that he couldn't access his true power until Purple Heaven Dao Gate made their move. Otherwise, he could easily locate them by observing the landscape with his palm.

Ning Changjiu had been mistaken about one thing: Old Master Zhang was not merely concealing his power; he genuinely could not access his full cultivation. The previous strike with the dagger-turned-sword could have truly pierced his throat if Ning Changjiu had pressed on.

But he would not have died.

Because in this town, the world was like a painting, and everything was as if painted.

Old Master Zhang casually picked up a sheet of Xuan paper from the table, intending to paint a green bird to search for them. He skillfully wielded his brush. Just as he was about to dot the eyes of the green bird to bring it to life, his hand paused. He immediately realized that the brother and sister might have used some kind of concealment technique, hiding in the dark, waiting for him to paint something to find them, and then use that as an opportunity to break free.

They had already realized that the portraits he had painted of them had transformed into real people, leaving Lotus Pond Town and heading to Sword Dao Sect in their stead. He surmised they were trying to find an exit from this town by exploiting this.

Old Master Zhang put down his brush, denying them this opportunity. He decided it didn't matter if they hid until the end of time; after today, perhaps nothing in the world would concern him anymore.

"Whimper..."

On the windowsill, the cat jumped up and gazed steadily at Old Master Zhang.

Old Master Zhang looked at the cat, a rare trace of nostalgia appearing in his expression.

Over these three thousand years, he had many descendants, but whether it was a curse from heaven or not, their lives were never long. Qiusheng and Xiaolian, this brother and sister, were already countless generations removed from him.

He stroked the black cat's head and sighed, "It's four years old now."

Then, he glanced at the painting behind him, took out a seal, and pressed it onto the scroll.

If a bird's eyes were dotted at this moment, it would immediately flap its wings and fly out of the painting.

This was a bait. If the young man truly believed he had learned something by merely looking at the painting, he might arrogantly try to use it. Then, Old Master Zhang could draw a prison around them, and they would be completely trapped.

Old Master Zhang affixed the seal. On it were four simple characters: "Seal of Zhang Qieyu."

At Sword Dao Sect, the earth trembled and mountains shook. Peach-colored curtains muffled the rumbling thunder outside.

Within the four peaks, beneath the operation of complex and massive machinery, the Dragon-Winding Pillars tilted each mountain towards a central point, like four fingers slowly clustering together.

As the four peaks connected, a formation rapidly materialized in the hollow center, like wandering electric currents. This formation took the shape of a massive disc, within which star-like points of light densely moved and layered. A colossal character for "Sword" appeared in the very center, like a solar corona, surrounded by numerous strange symbols that shifted and rotated with the sword character.

Many masters stepped onto this formation. The translucent formation felt like solid ground beneath their feet, yet beneath it, the drop of the mountain peaks was like an abyss ten thousand feet deep.

"Green Heaven Sword!" The sound of the sword first emanated from Shou Xiao Peak. With a sharp clang, a jade-green light, like a long rainbow, spanned the sky, connecting its two ends. Green Heaven, the guardian sword of Shou Xiao Peak, hovered above one of the four key points of the grand formation. Its sword qi flowed around it like wisps of green clouds. The Master of Shou Xiao Peak, clad in a wide-sleeved robe, arrived with the sword, landing gracefully at a distance and taking his seat on the high platform of Shou Xiao Peak, exuding an immortal aura.

"East Sun Sword!" A shout also came from Hui Yang Peak, its voice young. An orange-red sword, like scorching magma, arrived suspended in the air. The Master of East Sun Sword, from Hui Yang Peak, saluted the Master of Shou Xiao Peak, and then took his seat.

Next was the Master of Xuan Ri Peak. The Master of Xuan Ri Peak was the elder sister of the Master of Hui Yang Peak, though her talent was slightly inferior to her brother's, and her cultivation level was lower.

"Cloud Inquiry Sword!" The ancient sword of Xuan Ri Peak also settled into a key point of the formation. Unlike the scene of the rising sun at Hui Yang Peak, this sword evoked the image of a setting sun.

"Bright Ripple Sword!" Finally, the sword from Tian Ku Peak appeared. The Bright Ripple Sword arrived as a white rainbow.

These four immortal swords were the supreme swords below the Peak Masters, representing the strongest power of Sword Dao Sect.

However, the one who wielded the sword from Tian Ku Peak was not Lu Jiajia, but Yazhu, who had taken her place.

"Where is Peak Master Lu?" asked the Master of Shou Xiao Peak.

Yazhu sighed and replied, "Senior Sister Jiajia has left the peak."

"For what reason?" the Master of Shou Xiao Peak immediately inquired.

Yazhu explained, "During the recent Godless Month demon hunt, two disciples were impersonated, their likenesses used to return to the peak in their stead. This was only discovered last night, and Senior Sister Jiajia, unable to rest easy, went to search for those two disciples."

"The Godless Month was half a month ago, what were you doing all this time?" the Master of Xuan Ri Peak said icily. "Can't even detect such petty tricks? Has Tian Ku Peak really declined this much?" The Master of Xuan Ri Peak had a youthful appearance, dressed in a red sword robe adorned with rolling gold patterns. Even with her cold expression, she possessed a certain allure.

Lu Yuanbai, inconspicuous among the many masters whose cultivation levels surpassed his, looked towards Xuan Ri Peak. However, he did not gaze at the exquisitely beautiful Master of Xuan Ri Peak, but instead, intentionally or unintentionally, scanned the crowd behind her, searching for someone.

Faced with the Master of Xuan Ri Peak's interrogation, Yazhu lowered her head and remained silent. Among the four peaks, Tian Ku Peak was indeed in a dire state.

The Master of Hui Yang Peak, the youngest and calmest of them, said, "Impersonation? Is this another of Purple Heaven Dao Gate's crooked schemes? Half a month ago, Shisiyi sent Peak Master Lu a challenge. I was curious then, even if he infiltrated Sword Dao Sect and defeated Lu Jiajia, he would have no escape. I never thought he'd use such a method to force her out of the peak. Alas, she should have informed us before leaving."

"She is still too young..." the Master of Shou Xiao Peak sighed. He had held great expectations for this junior. However, if Purple Heaven Dao Gate truly laid an ambush, and Lu Jiajia faced Shisiyi, the disparity in their cultivation levels would surely mean almost certain death for her.

"I'll go find her," the Master of Xuan Ri Peak sighed. "If Lu Jiajia dies, how will we explain it to the Sect Master when he returns?"

The Master of Hui Yang Peak immediately dissuaded her, "No, don't. They might be using this as a trap to lure more people out."

The Master of Xuan Ri Peak retorted angrily, "Just because our Sword Dao Sect is missing its Sect Master, are we to be trampled and bullied by their wretched Dao Gate?"

The Master of Hui Yang Peak sighed softly, "Let's see what fate has in store for Lu Jiajia."

The Master of Shou Xiao Peak, currently the leader of the four peaks, glanced around the assembly and said, "The Four Peaks Sword Assembly will proceed as usual." Then, he transmitted his voice, seemingly speaking to the other two Peak Masters. The brother and sister exchanged a look, then stepped through the air together to Shou Xiao Peak, sitting down to discuss matters.

Yazhu sighed softly. Compared to the humiliation Tian Ku Peak was suffering at that moment, she was more concerned about Lu Jiajia's safety.

Only then did the other disciples of Tian Ku Peak belatedly learn of the matter, beginning to whisper among themselves.

"Ning Changjiu, Ning Xiaoling... why is it always them two again! If Master gets into trouble because of them, I'll never forgive them in this life!" Lero complained indignantly.

"You must trust Master."

"But Master hasn't reached the Violet Court realm yet, and that person called Shisiyi, just hearing his name makes him sound incredibly powerful..."

Yazhu listened to their discussion and recalled Lu Jiajia's reaction when she had told her about this not long ago. Such intense emotion was surely not just for disciples; it was akin to what one would feel for a dearest kin. "Senior Sister is truly foolish," she thought.

Amidst Yazhu's bitter smile, the Four Peaks Sword Assembly had already begun.

Each peak could send four disciples to fight in turns. One disciple was the champion of the Early Spring Sword Trial, and the other three could be chosen by the peak themselves.

As Tian Ku Peak's champion was absent, all hopes rested on Nancheng. However, Yazhu knew that Nancheng had been run through with a sword last night, sustaining a serious injury that would not heal quickly.

It was destined that the champion of the Four Peaks this year would once again not be from Sword Dao Sect.

The champion would not only have the privilege of cultivating with the Sect Master for three years but also receive three precious sect treasures as rewards. This year's three treasures were the Heavenly River Rhinoceros Horn, the Heavy Fire Casket, and the Illusory Snow Lotus. The Illusory Snow Lotus, in particular, was inexpressibly rare.

The four peaks had each sent out their disciples.

"Who will represent Tian Ku Peak in the first battle?" a master solemnly asked.

"I will," Nancheng said, his face pale as he clutched the wound on his abdomen.

Yazhu frowned, "You are gravely injured and haven't recovered. Rest for a bit longer."

Nancheng shook his head, "It makes no difference. I'll go. Don't worry, I won't disgrace our peak."

His heart was heavier than any other disciple's at that moment. Lu Jiajia was the master he respected most, and Senior Ning Changjiu had shown him profound kindness. Now, both had disappeared, and he himself was injured. In just one night, the youthful vigor he had felt upon leaving seclusion was gone.

He knew the disparity in strength among the four peaks; apart from him, everyone else was sure to lose. Therefore, he had to keep winning.

He walked out, sword in hand, as the other disciples of the peak cheered his name. Yet, his back seemed so solitary.

In the room where Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling stayed, the ink on the un-dotted green bird had long dried. The brother and sister seemed to have resisted the temptation and had not yet appeared.

The old man named Zhang Qieyu sat alone in the deep wooden building, looking at the intense light outside, and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I truly understand young people less and less these days."

He ultimately couldn't rest easy. From a secret room, he retrieved a large chest, opened it, and without much selection, took out only the top several dozen paintings.

The paintings he took out were all portraits of the monsters in Lotus Pond Town.

Among them were dozens of monsters scattered throughout Lotus Pond Town, including the Rabbit Spirit, the Duck-Billed Ape-Bodied Monster, General Gecko, and the Spotted Great Frog. The difference was that in these paintings, the monsters all appeared ferocious; even the seemingly most harmless Rabbit Spirit had wide, blood-red eyes and protruding front teeth like fangs.

Only the painting of the black giant python was missing.

Zhang Qieyu closed his eyes, and the consciousness of these paintings naturally connected with his own. Thus, all the scenes seen and remembered by the monsters were shared with him.

He surveyed everything in Lotus Pond Town, except for the lotus pond itself. Yet, he still found no trace of the brother and sister. The pair seemed to have vanished into thin air.

After a long time, the old man put away the paintings in his hand and gently sighed.

In ancient times, demonic beasts roamed freely, but only a handful had survived to the present. Although he had lost his cultivation, his insight remained. He could think of dozens of ways to hide in the town, but he did not believe those two young people could achieve it.

He put away these paintings. There were thousands of paintings in the secret room. All of them depicted monsters from around Lotus Pond Town, or demons who had participated in the Lotus Seed Festival over the years. Zhang Qieyu had painted them all, and every monster that was painted became very kind and innocent, because their malevolence had been drawn into the paintings.

In the entire Lotus Pond Town, there was only one truly pure and benevolent demonic beast: the giant black python in the lotus pond. However, its kindness stemmed from foolishness, and it was the one demon in Lotus Pond Town that should be least benevolent. Zhang Qieyu had collected the ferocity of so many demonic beasts to pave the way for its re-entry into demonhood. And that day was today.

Meanwhile, at Purple Heaven Dao Gate, after decades of planning and painstaking effort, countless shattered bones had finally been collected and assembled into a colossal demon. Its skeletal frame was exquisitely beautiful, long and robust, with four snake-like heads emerging from each side. Behind it, a massive tailbone resembled a whip, tapering from large to small segments, its very tip a broken greatsword of white bone. This enormous demon skeleton stood towering, reaching for the heavens. The only flaw was the missing central head and neck. For all these years, they had been unable to find a single fragment, until a few years ago, when the Gate Master secretly received news that this missing head and neck were hidden in Lotus Pond Town.

So he made a deal with Old Master Zhang of Lotus Pond Town.

However, the people of Purple Heaven Dao Gate did not know that this hastily assembled skeleton of the Nine Infants would ultimately become the 'wedding dress' for Zhang Qieyu and an old friend of his.

On the barren plain, Lu Jiajia, clad in white and riding her sword, halted. Her gaze was fixed ahead.

"Why isn't it Shisiyi?" Lu Jiajia asked coolly.

The person before her was dressed in a purple Daoist robe, none other than the one who had delivered the challenge from Shisiyi that day. He smiled at Lu Jiajia and said, "I forgot to introduce myself last time we met. My name is Jiusan. I've cultivated for fifty years and have now reached the peak of Longevity. I'm just the right opponent for Peak Master Lu. As for Lord Shisiyi... heh, I might as well tell you, Peak Master Lu, Lord Shisiyi never intended to make a move against you. You are simply not worthy of his time. That challenge was merely a pretense; Lord Shisiyi has more important matters to attend to."

After speaking, Jiusan's head remained on the barren plain forever, a smile still on his face. He never even saw the sword that struck him down.

Lu Jiajia retracted her thumb, which had pushed the sword back into its sheath. She stepped over his remains, hesitated for a moment between the directions of Sword Dao Sect and Lotus Pond Town, then her sword light flashed like a shadow as she sped towards Lotus Pond Town.