Chapter 690: Earth Dragon's Reversal

"Remember this, all of you, recite it for me. As long as you recite it correctly, you'll get a little sugar," a White Lotus follower said, half-squatting in front of the beggars. "Son God, little Son God, wetting pants in front of the Old Mother."

"Son God, little Son God, wetting pants in front of the Old Mother."

"Ah, good children, come closer, everyone take a lick. Now, go spread the word. Come back after a full hour of telling others, and each of you will get a piece of candy."

As the young beggars dispersed, various catchy rhymes spread throughout the city. Some slandered the Law Sect, while others praised the White Lotus Society. Even children who hadn't been explicitly taught would join in the commotion.

Not only were children being used, but adults were also actively recruited.

"Worship the White Lotus, venerate the White Lotus! Worship the White Lotus and be guaranteed a hundred years in this world, and ten thousand in the afterlife!"

"Believe in the White Lotus, and you shall bear sons!"

"The White Lotus has descended, and all common people shall rise! All who join the faith are brothers and sisters, unbound by any restrictions of wealth, gender, or age, whether male or female, old or young..."

As the White Lotus Society expanded within the mountain city, its lotus emblem spread rapidly.

While ordinary citizens remained largely unaffected, the White Lotus Society's emergence offered those who had converted to the Law Sect a new alternative, allowing them to potentially transform adversaries into allies.

Faced with the White Lotus followers' conspicuous activities, city officials not only refrained from intervening but actively provided assistance wherever possible.

The higher authorities had issued instructions: anyone who opposed the Law Sect was considered an ally. As for subsequent actions, those decisions would be made in due course.

Meanwhile, Bai Lingmiao, the Saintess of the White Lotus Society, sat in a spacious hall, awaiting an audience with representatives of the Later Shu imperial court.

"Sister Bai, where is Senior Brother Li?" Yang Xiaohai seemed a little nervous, having not seen Li Huowang.

"Senior Brother Li has urgent business; he will return shortly," Bai Lingmiao replied. She knew Li Huowang's whereabouts but felt it unnecessary to disclose them to Yang Xiaohai.

At that moment, her expression was somewhat tense as she considered how to address the officials she was about to meet.

An old woman nearby, bearing a lotus tattoo on her forehead, seemed to sense Bai Lingmiao's thoughts. She bowed slightly and said, "Saintess, there is no need to worry. The Later Shu realm is currently fractured; they are the ones who seek our aid and will certainly not make things difficult for us."

Bai Lingmiao nodded slightly, calming her nerves. She then used her spiritual perception to sense everything within the grand hall.

The surrounding decor and furnishings clearly demonstrated their high regard for her, which somewhat eased Bai Lingmiao's heart.

Noticing Lü Xiucai, who had accompanied her, staring intently at a bamboo scroll, Bai Lingmiao set down her teacup and walked towards him.

Seeing Bai Lingmiao approach, Lü Xiucai quickly put down "The Great Thousand Record," stood up, and bowed respectfully. "Martial Aunt!"

Bai Lingmiao reached out and picked up the bamboo scroll, her fingers tracing the strange characters. Various bloody acts of self-mutilation and sacrifice then appeared in her mind.

She recognized it; Senior Brother Li had frequently used it in the past. She knew this item was highly insidious and not to be trifled with.

Bai Lingmiao sighed softly and put down the bamboo scroll. "Xiucai, I know you're in pain. Pray more to the Unborn Old Mother; it will bring you some comfort. Furthermore, if you wish to avenge yourself against the Law Sect, you are free to choose any cultivation techniques and divine abilities from the White Lotus Society. There's no need to use this."

"Thank you, Martial Aunt!" Lü Xiucai said gratefully.

Despite his words, Lü Xiucai showed no intention of abandoning "The Great Thousand Record." He desired the White Lotus Society's cultivation techniques, but he had no plans to discard the scroll either.

This was because White Lotus Society's techniques demanded talent, piety, and rigorous practice, whereas "The Great Thousand Record" required nothing but being picked up to be used.

Bai Lingmiao discerned Lü Xiucai's intentions. Just as she was about to speak further, a violent tremor shook the ground, causing everything inside the hall to sway and fall.

"The earth dragon is turning! Quick! Get out of the hall immediately!"

Amidst the violent shaking, everyone inside the hall swiftly exited, escaping the danger of being crushed by the collapsing structure.

Bai Lingmiao, maintaining her composure, observed that outside, complete chaos had erupted.

"The earth dragon has turned over!" Shouts and the clamor of gongs filled the air. The entire city was thrown into disarray: houses collapsed, the ground cracked open, and many people, terrified, even plunged into the resulting fissures.

The only blessing was that the event was as swift as it was sudden, concluding in mere moments, about half an incense stick's time.

Looking down from the mountain city, the distant barren ground was fractured into countless pieces, as if the entire earth were on the verge of shattering.

Just as Bai Lingmiao was trying to comprehend the unusual tremor, she saw Li Huowang's body flickering in and out of sight, rapidly approaching her.

"Miaomiao! How many skilled experts did the White Lotus Society bring this time? Call them all forth!"

Li Huowang's tone was exceptionally urgent; Bai Lingmiao had never witnessed him so anxious.

"What's wrong, Senior Brother Li?"

"The Law Sect isn't preparing to occupy the dragon veins! They intend to destroy them all!" Li Huowang's words instantly cast an anxious pall over the surroundings.

The Child God was lurking menacingly nearby. The consequences of destroying dragon veins had already been demonstrated by the Great Qi.

Soon, excluding those adept at proselytizing, all White Lotus followers bearing white donkey tattoos followed Bai Lingmiao, rushing towards the Later Shu Heavenly Supervision Bureau.

In this moment of critical peril, the Later Shu Heavenly Supervision Bureau had deployed all its forces. While Li Huowang didn't recognize many, he knew the three individuals standing prominently at the forefront.

The Altar Master of the Later Shu Heavenly Supervision Bureau, Xuan Pin of the Great Liang Heavenly Supervision Bureau, and Zheng Boqiao of the Four Qi Heavenly Supervision Bureau clearly understood that in the face of such a crisis, they were deploying every available individual.

Li Huowang sensed numerous gazes fixed upon him. Some individuals weren't concealed in the shadows, yet he couldn't pinpoint exactly who was watching him. It appeared certain members within the Heavenly Supervision Bureau preferred to remain unseen.

As Li Huowang approached, a member of the Later Shu Heavenly Supervision Bureau produced a bull horn wrapped with red rope, brought it to his masked mouth, and blew a resounding "Ooooh-ooooh-ooooh."

The low, resonant horn blast traveled far, settling over everyone's hearts like a somber cloud.

As the horn call concluded, hundreds of Heavenly Supervision Bureau members immediately dispersed. They formed into small groups of three to five and rushed out of the city, apparently having received new assignments.

"Where are they all going? With the dragon veins on the verge of destruction, recapturing them is paramount," Li Huowang said to Xuan Pin as he approached.

"Don't worry," Xuan Pin replied, "I won't let them engage in anything frivolous at this critical juncture. We still have time; the Law Sect will not find it easy to destroy the dragon veins."

"We must reclaim the dragon veins before the Law Sect destroys these three."

"How do you know the dragon veins haven't already been destroyed?"

"The hour," Xuan Pin said, extending a dry, slender finger. "Each dragon vein represents one hour. As of now, only half an hour has passed."

"Each dragon vein corresponds to an hour? A day has twelve hours, meaning we have twelve dragon veins here?" Li Huowang seemed to grasp a hidden secret.

"Incorrect. A day has sixteen hours, and there are sixteen dragon veins. The reason there aren't that many 'hours' now is simply because the dragon veins were previously destroyed."